"We need to talk about kindergarten," Haruto's mother said one morning over breakfast.
Haruto paused mid-bite. "What about it?"
"You're almost four. Next year, you'll be starting school."
"Can't I just... not?"
His father laughed. "Unfortunately, education is mandatory, buddy."
"What if I'm already educated?"
"You can't read yet."
"I could if I wanted to."
"That's not how it works."
His mother pulled out several brochures, spreading them across the table. "There are a few options. There's the local public school, which is where Izuku will probably go. There's a private academy that specializes in quirk development. And there's—"
"The public school," Haruto said immediately.
"Don't you want to hear about the other options?"
"No."
"The private academy has excellent programs for plant-based quirks—"
"Public school."
His parents exchanged a look.
"Why are you so set on public school?" his father asked.
"Because Izuku's going there."
"That's very sweet, sweetie, but you should choose based on what's best for your education—"
"Izuku's my friend. We stay together."
His mother's expression softened. "Alright. Public school it is."
"Also it's free," his father added.
"Also that."
The news spread quickly. At the next training session, Bakugo had opinions.
"PUBLIC SCHOOL?!" he shouted. "I'm going to the HERO PREP academy!"
"That's the private school?" Izuku asked, scribbling in his notebook.
"Yeah! They have HERO COURSES and COMBAT TRAINING and—"
"We're four," Haruto interrupted. "What combat training could they possibly have?"
"ADVANCED combat training!"
"Is that just regular combat training with bigger words?"
"It's BETTER!"
Mina raised her hand. "I'm going to public school too! My parents can't afford the fancy ones!"
"Same," Izuku said quietly.
Bakugo looked between them all. "So you're ALL going to boring regular school?"
"Yes," they chorused.
"And leaving me ALONE at the hero school?"
"You'll make new friends, Kacchan," Izuku said encouragingly.
"I don't WANT new friends! You guys are my friends!"
"We'll still see each other," Haruto pointed out. "Just not at school."
"But that's when all the IMPORTANT stuff happens!"
"Like what?"
"Like... like LEARNING! And TRAINING! And—" Bakugo deflated slightly. "And lunch."
"You're worried about lunch?" Mina asked.
"Lunch is important!"
"Your mom packs you lunch anyway."
"It's not the SAME!"
Tamaki, who'd been listening with amusement, called from her bench. "Katsuki, you'll be fine. Different schools doesn't mean you stop being friends."
"But—"
"No buts. You'll see them after school and on weekends. Same as now."
Bakugo crossed his arms, scowling. "Fine. But you ALL have to promise to keep training with me!"
"We promise," Izuku said.
"ALL of you!"
"We promise," Haruto and Mina echoed.
"Good!" Bakugo pointed at them dramatically. "Because I'm gonna be the BEST at the hero school, and I need you guys to keep up!"
"That's very humble of you, Kacchan," Izuku said.
"I know!"
Two weeks before kindergarten started, Haruto's mother took him shopping for school supplies.
"You'll need a backpack," she said, browsing the options. "And a lunch box, pencils, crayons—"
"I have crayons."
"You ate half of them."
"Takeshi dared me."
"That's not a valid excuse."
They ended up with a green backpack (at Haruto's insistence—plants, obviously), an All Might lunch box (his mother's insistence—everything was All Might), and enough school supplies to stock a small classroom.
"This is excessive," Haruto observed, looking at the cart.
"You can never have too many crayons."
"I literally just told you I ate some."
"Which is why we're buying more. For backup."
At the checkout, they ran into Inko and Izuku, who were shopping for the same reason.
"Haru-kun!" Izuku waved enthusiastically. "We're getting school stuff too!"
"Same."
"What backpack did you get?"
Haruto held up the green one.
"That's perfect for you! It matches your quirk!" Izuku showed his own—a red backpack with All Might on it. "Mama let me pick!"
"It's very you," Haruto said.
"Right?!" Izuku bounced with excitement. "We're gonna be in the same school! Isn't that great?"
"Yeah."
"We can sit together! And eat lunch together! And—oh! We should walk to school together since we live in the same building!"
"That's a wonderful idea," Inko said. "I was going to suggest that. We could take turns walking the boys."
"Perfect!" Haruto's mother agreed. "Haru needs the socialization anyway."
"I'm right here," Haruto said.
"We know, sweetie."
The mothers started planning the school logistics while Haruto and Izuku looked at the crayon selection.
"Do you think they'll teach us hero stuff?" Izuku asked quietly.
"We're four. Probably basic education."
"But maybe SOME hero stuff? Like quirk control?"
"Maybe."
"I hope so." Izuku picked up a box of crayons. "Even though I don't have a quirk, I still want to learn everything I can about heroes."
"You will."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah. You're stubborn like that."
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Haru-kun."
They ended up getting matching pencil cases—both with hero designs—because Izuku insisted and Haruto didn't have the energy to argue.
The night before kindergarten, Haruto couldn't sleep.
He lay in his crib—which was getting too small, his parents kept saying—and stared at the ceiling.
"You're nervous," Gerald observed from the balcony.
"I'm not nervous."
"You're talking to me at midnight. That's nervous."
"I'm just thinking."
"About school?"
"About everything."
Gerald rustled sympathetically. "Want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Talk anyway."
Haruto sighed, climbing out of his crib and padding to the balcony. The city was quiet at this hour, just the distant hum of traffic and the occasional siren.
"What if I mess up?" he asked.
"You'll fix it."
"What if I can't?"
"Then you'll learn from it."
"What if—"
"Haruto," Gerald interrupted. "You're catastrophizing. Stop it."
"I contain multitudes of anxiety."
"That's not how that phrase works."
"It is now."
Gerald's rustling sounded like a sigh. "You're going to be fine. You're smart, you're capable, and you have friends who care about you."
"What if the other kids are mean?"
"Some will be. That's life."
"What if I accidentally grow plants in the classroom?"
"Then you'll explain it was an accident and move on."
"What if—"
"STOP," Gerald said firmly. "You're spiraling. You need to sleep."
"Can't."
"Try."
"Tried. Didn't work."
"Try harder."
Haruto slumped against the balcony railing. The cherry tree sapling rustled next to Gerald, sending feelings of peaceful contentment.
"The baby tree isn't worried about tomorrow," Gerald pointed out.
"The baby tree doesn't have to go to kindergarten."
"The baby tree also can't walk. Perspective."
Despite himself, Haruto smiled. "You're very annoying sometimes."
"That's what friends are for."
"That's not what that phrase means."
"It is now."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the night sounds of the city.
"Gerald?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
"Anytime, small human. Now go to sleep before your mother finds you out of bed."
The first day of kindergarten arrived with typical chaos.
"Do you have your lunch?" his mother asked for the third time.
"Yes."
"Your backpack?"
"Yes."
"Your—"
"I have everything, Mama."
"I'm just making sure! First day jitters!"
"You're more nervous than I am."
"I know! I can't help it! My baby is going to school!"
His father appeared, camera in hand. "Picture time!"
"Dad, no—"
"Picture time!" his mother agreed.
They made him pose by the door, holding his backpack, giving a thumbs up he didn't feel. His father took approximately forty pictures.
"That's enough," Haruto said after the twentieth.
"Just a few more!"
"You said that ten pictures ago."
At the Midoriya's door, similar chaos was happening. Inko was crying—actually crying—while Izuku tried to comfort her.
"It's okay, Mama! It's just school!"
"I know! I'm just so proud! My baby is growing up!"
"I'm still little!"
"Not as little as you were yesterday!"
Izuku caught Haruto's eye and mouthed "help me."
Haruto shrugged. There was no helping this situation. Their mothers were in full emotional mode.
Finally, after approximately seventeen hours (actually twenty minutes), they made it out the door and started walking to school.
"This is so exciting!" Izuku bounced with each step. "We're going to SCHOOL! Real school! With teachers and lessons and—"
"Breathing, Izuku," Haruto reminded him.
"Right! Sorry! I'm just excited!"
"We know."
They arrived at the kindergarten to find organized chaos. Kids everywhere, all loud, all excited or crying or both. Parents looking stressed. Teachers trying to establish order.
"Class 1-B!" a teacher called, reading from a clipboard. "Izuku Midoriya!"
"That's me!" Izuku waved.
"And Haruto Senju!"
"Here."
"Wonderful! Follow me, boys!"
They said goodbye to their mothers—Inko crying again, Haruto's mother holding it together barely—and followed the teacher inside.
The classroom was bright and colorful, decorated with hero posters and educational charts. Small desks were arranged in groups. A reading corner had cushions and picture books.
It was aggressively cheerful.
"Find a seat anywhere!" the teacher said. "We'll do proper introductions once everyone arrives!"
Haruto and Izuku chose desks next to each other near the window. Through the glass, Haruto could see the playground and, beyond it, several trees.
"At least there are plants nearby," he muttered.
"What?" Izuku asked, pulling out his notebook.
"Nothing."
Other kids filtered in. Some were crying. Some were excited. One kid was trying to climb the bookshelf before being gently redirected by the teacher.
"This is chaos," Haruto observed.
"This is GREAT!" Izuku corrected, already making notes. "Look at all the different quirks! That girl has cat ears! And that boy's hair is on fire! And—"
"INFO-DUMP WARNING!" someone shouted.
They turned to see Mina waving from the doorway, a huge grin on her face.
"Mina!" Izuku lit up. "You're in our class!"
"I know! This is so cool! We're all together!" She plopped down at the desk next to Haruto. "Except Bakugo. He's at the fancy school."
"Probably setting it on fire right now," Haruto said.
"Definitely," Mina agreed.
The teacher—who introduced herself as Miss Aoki—called the class to attention.
"Welcome to kindergarten, everyone! I'm so excited to have you all here! We're going to learn so much together!"
She had the enthusiastic energy of someone who genuinely loved children or had consumed too much coffee. Possibly both.
"Let's go around and introduce ourselves! Say your name and your quirk!"
One by one, kids introduced themselves.
"I'm Yuki! My quirk is ice!"
"I'm Kenji! I can stretch!"
"I'm Hana! I make fire!" (The same Hana from playgroup—she waved at Haruto)
"I'm Takeshi! I can eat anything!" (Also from playgroup—he was already eyeing the classroom plants)
"I'm Mina! I make acid!"
"I'm Izuku! I'm... I don't have a quirk."
The room went quiet for a moment.
"That's okay!" Miss Aoki said brightly. "Not everyone has a quirk, and that's perfectly fine! Next?"
"I'm Haruto. I grow plants."
"Wonderful! And I'm sure we'll all become great friends!"
The morning proceeded with typical kindergarten activities. They did name tags (Haruto's artistic skills were limited to stick figures). They learned a song (Haruto mouthed the words). They had snack time (crackers and juice boxes—the juice boxes did not appreciate being near him).
At lunch, they sat in the cafeteria, which was full of small children making maximum noise.
"This is loud," Haruto said.
"This is AWESOME!" Izuku countered, pulling out his All Might lunch box. "Look at all the kids! And the different quirks! I'm gonna document everything!"
"Please don't become That Kid who takes notes on everyone," Mina said.
"Too late," Haruto said. "He's already That Kid."
"HEY!"
A kid from another class approached their table. "Is it true you don't have a quirk?"
Izuku tensed. "Yeah. So?"
"That's weird. Everyone has a quirk."
"Not everyone," Mina said firmly. "And it's not weird."
"Whatever." The kid wandered off.
Izuku's shoulders slumped slightly.
"Ignore him," Haruto said.
"I know. I just..." Izuku sighed. "It's gonna be like this, isn't it?"
"Probably."
"Great."
"But," Mina added, "you've got us. So it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."
Izuku smiled, a bit wobbly but genuine. "Thanks, guys."
"That's what friends are for," Haruto said, and Gerald's voice echoed in his head with approval.
The rest of the day passed without major incident. They learned about shapes (Haruto already knew shapes). They did arts and crafts (Haruto made a very abstract tree). They had recess (Haruto found a quiet spot while Izuku and Mina played).
When his mother picked him up, she immediately asked, "How was it?!"
"It was school."
"That's it? Just 'it was school'?"
"It was loud and educational."
"Did you make any new friends?"
"Mina's in my class. And Hana and Takeshi from playgroup."
"That's wonderful! See? School isn't so bad!"
"It's fine."
"High praise from you."
That evening, Haruto sat with Gerald, processing the day.
"Survived kindergarten," he reported.
"Proud of you," Gerald said.
"It was just one day."
"First days are always the hardest."
"A kid was mean to Izuku about being quirkless."
"And?"
"And Mina and I shut it down."
"Good."
"Yeah."
They sat quietly, watching the sunset.
"Gerald?"
"Yes?"
"I think I might actually like school. A little bit."
"Don't sound so surprised."
"I didn't expect to."
"Expectations are often wrong. That's why we have experiences."
"When did you become a philosopher?"
"When you started needing one."
"Fair."