If you're having trouble, why not join me at my brother's agency?" Iida suggested.
Yuta blinked, genuinely taken off guard. "Ingenium? You're asking me to intern with your brother?"
"Indeed!" Iida nodded vigorously, his arm chopping the air. "Tensei—I mean, Ingenium, was quite impressed after witnessing your performance at the Sports Festival. He specifically requested I extend an invitation to you."
Several heads turned at that.
"Wait, seriously?" Kirishima leaned forward in his seat. "Ingenium personally asked for him?"
"That's so cool!" Mina chimed in. "The Turbo Hero himself!"
Iida nodded, adjusting his glasses with practiced precision. "My brother noted that Akutami-kun's speed-based combat style would benefit greatly from his mentorship. After all, Ingenium has years of experience optimizing high-velocity heroics. The synergy would be quite natural."
Midoriya, who had been quiet until now, perked up. "That actually makes a lot of sense. Ingenium's agency handles a lot of urban patrol work, right? Fast response times, quick villain apprehension... Akutami-kun would get firsthand experience with speed-based tactics."
"Yeah, man!" Kirishima chimed in, grinning. "Getting a personal invite from a Pro like that is super manly."
"Plus, Ingenium's got that whole 'hero legacy' thing going," Sero added. "Tenya's family has been doing this for generations. That's some serious pedigree."
"Tch. As if four-eyes would offer anything worth it." Bakugo scoffed from his seat, not bothering to look up. He definitely wasn't sour that Ingenium's agency also wasn't on his list of offers.
"Hehe. Don't listen to Bakugo. He's probably just jealous that .."
"I AM NOT!"
"Well, he reacted to that pretty strongly."
"WHY YOU .."
Yuta sighed at the antics. "I appreciate the offer, Iida," he said. "Really. Your brother sounds like an excellent hero, and I'm sure his agency is top-tier."
Iida's engines hummed faintly with anticipation.
"However—" Yuta's tone remained polite but firm. "—I think I need something a bit more... specialized for what I'm looking for."
"Specialized?" Momo tilted her head slightly. "In what regard?"
Yuta's expression remained neutral. "Just a specific type of training I'm after. Nothing against Ingenium—I'm sure he's great at what he does."
Iida's shoulders drooped slightly, though he recovered quickly. "I... see. That is understandable. Every hero must forge their own path."
"Still," Kirishima said, "you've gotta have some idea where you're going, right? With four thousand offers, there's gotta be something."
Yuta glanced down at the thin folder under his arm.
"I'm going to go ask for help in cutting down the list," he said. "There's too much fluff to sort through alone."
Kaminari perked up. "Help? From who?"
Yuta offered a small smirk. "The only person here who actually knows what 'useful' looks like."
With that, he slid the door open and vanished into the hallway.
The class sat in brief silence.
Then Mina broke it.
"...Did he just say he's asking a teacher?"
"Probably Aizawa-sensei," Asui said matter-of-factly. "Ribbit."
"Makes sense," Momo agreed. "Aizawa-sensei would have the best perspective on internship quality."
Kaminari slouched. "Man, I didn't even think of that. I just picked the one with the coolest name."
"That explains so much about you," Jiro muttered.
"Hey!"
Mina leaned back in her chair, grinning as she turned toward where Hagakure sat. "So, Toru... how does it feel having your mortal enemy suddenly in the same class as you?"
There was a beat of silence.
Then Hagakure's gloves slammed onto her desk.
"He is NOT my mortal enemy!"
"Uh-huh." Mina's grin widened. "Sure sounded like it when you were screaming about meteorites."
"That was—he—it was justified ok!" Hagakure sputtered. By now, she had already figured out she had been overreacting back then. 'If anyone's to blame, it's those scary movies I watched during movie night.'
Uraraka giggled. "You have to admit, it is kind of funny."
"It's NOT—" Hagakure paused. Her sleeves crossed. "...Okay, maybe a little. In hindsight. But I was genuinely worried there'd be a fourth incident!"
"Still superstitious?" Mina teased.
Kirishima chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, he seems pretty chill now that he's here."
"Is that what you picked up? I thought he was the cold, quiet type, ribbit."
"Cold? Ha! You should've seen the guy's reaction when he bumped into Hagakure for the third time outside the cafeteria last week." Sero grinned.
"Dude looked like he was going to disappear."
"He did disappear. Remember?"
"Oh yeah."
"I wouldn't really say he's cold, but he does seem to keep to himself." Momo gave her observations.
"Kinda intense, though," Kaminari added. "Like, you can tell he's always thinking about something."
"You ever considered that he's just thinking about his internships idiots?"
"What's there to think about? He's turning down Ingenium's offer." Kaminari leaned back, hands behind his head. "Man, if Ingenium offered me a spot, I'd be out that door before he finished the sentence."
"Plus, it'd be way more fun with a classmate."
"Ribbit. I think Yuta-chan is just shy about his lack of experience," Tsu added, her finger to her chin. "He was in General Studies yesterday. Being offered a spot by the Number 14 Hero is probably a lot of pressure."
"Pressure? That guy?" Bakugo scoffed, leaning back so far his chair groaned. "He's just full of himself. 'The only person who knows what useful looks like.' Who does he think he is? Aizawa-sensei's secret love child?"
"It should be more than that." Midoriya uttered in thought.
"Huh? Are you saying he really is Aizawa sensei's love child Deku?"
"What! No! I .. I just think it's not about the rank," Midoriya stammered. "Just like he said, Akutami-kun's style is... well, it's different from Iida and Ingenium-san. Maybe he's looking for something more... technical?"
"You've all just barely met him." Jiro walked past with her list in hand. "Maybe get to know him before coming to your own conclusions?"
The sound of the door resounded at that moment.
Everyone turned to see Todoroki stepping out of the class.
"A-Ah, Todoroki-kun! Are you also going to Aizawa-sensei for help with picking an agency?" Midoriya asked.
Todoroki paused by the doorway.
"No. I've already made my choice."
Kirishima raised a brow. "Already? That was fast."
"It wasn't difficult." Todoroki glanced over his shoulder. "I know what path I'm taking. There's no need for further input."
And with that, he walked out.
Meanwhile,
The door clicked shut behind Yuta as he walked in. Inside, the lounge was far quieter than the hallway. In the corner, Aizawa was halfway into a fresh yellow sleeping bag, while Present Mic was loudly debating the merits of a specific radio jingle with Midnight.
They all stopped when Yuta walked in.
"Akutami," Aizawa sighed, the sound of a man who had already dealt with enough paperwork for one lifetime. "The deadline is in two days. If you're here to complain about having too many offers, save it. Most of the class would kill for your 'problem.'"
A few teachers sat scattered around—Snipe leaning against the kitchenette counter, and Cementoss reviewing some paperwork.
"I'm not complaining," Yuta said, walking up to the desk and dropping the folder in front of his teacher. "You said to ask if I needed help. Well, here I am."
"I did, though I didn't think you'd take up the offer."
Aizawa sat up slowly, the sleeping bag sliding to his waist.
"Most kids your age think they've already reached the peak because a few thousand people cheered for them. They pick the biggest agency, spend a week signing autographs, and learn absolutely nothing."
Snipe, passing by with a fresh cup of coffee, chuckled. "Good head on your shoulders, kid. I've seen third years waste their final internships on glitz and glamor, only to regret it when they hit the real streets. Every year, same story."
Aizawa nodded. "Exactly."
He leaned back slightly, arms crossed.
"So. What do you want?"
Yuta placed the folder on the table between them.
"I need someone who can train me in martial arts. Close-quarters combat. Preferably a place where I won't have to dedicate time to patrol work or community service. Just actual fighting."
Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not bad," he said after a moment. "You've clearly thought this through."
He picked up the folder, flipping it open.
"Increasing your skill in close quarters will boost your efficiency in combat—especially when paired with your speed." His gaze swept over the list. "Unlike most students, your time would be better spent learning technique instead of walking around playing hero for the cameras."
He paused.
"Too bad. There's only so much you can learn in a single week. Martial arts takes years of muscle memory."
"Actually," Yuta interrupted, "I learn faster than most."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Confidence is good, but—"
"It's not confidence. It's my quirk."
"Hmm? Explain." Yuta shrugged.
"My Quirk doesn't just give me object control and enhanced physiology. I can also make it affect my perception and memory retention."
The usual black of his pupils bled into crimson. Three tomoe-like markings spun around each iris.
Several teachers in the lounge stopped what they were doing.
"When my eyes are like this," Yuta continued, "my perception of time slows significantly. I can process information faster, retain it perfectly, and my body can automatically adjust to replicate what I see."
He met Aizawa's gaze evenly.
"If I watch someone perform a martial arts technique once, I can copy it. Perfectly. Down to the angle, balance, footwork—everything. And because of my body control, I can execute it immediately."
The room was dead silent.
Cementoss set his papers down. "That's... remarkable."
"Photographic memory," Snipe muttered. "But weaponized."
Aizawa didn't look away from Yuta.
"Photographic muscle memory paired with high-speed perception," Aizawa whispered. "That's... a scary combination, kid. If that's the case, you're right that one week of training with the right person would be exponentially more valuable for you than it would be for anyone else."
It was basically skipping years of form training with a single look. All that was needed right after was application.
"So you'll need a pro who has time to train you properly, won't hold back, and specializes in close-quarters combat."
Yuta deactivated the Sharingan, his eyes returning to their usual black.
"That narrows your list down to almost zero. Few heroes specialize in martial arts. Most of these pros have agencies to run or multiple interns to babysit. And unfortunately, the best person for this isn't even on your list."
"Who?"
"The Rabbit Hero, Mirko. Ranked Number 6."
__
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