Monday came quietly.
Sunlight spilled through the thin gaps in Izuku's curtains, painting warm streaks across his bedroom wall. Dust motes floated lazily in the air, catching the light. For a few seconds, he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, breathing evenly.
Then he exhaled.
'…Today's the day,' he thought.
There was no spike of panic. No sudden dread.
If anything, there was a calm excitement humming just beneath the surface.
He swung his legs off the bed and moved without hesitation. A quick shower chased away the last remnants of sleep, steam fogging the mirror as warm water ran down his shoulders. When he stepped out, towel around his waist, his reflection looked back at him—steady, focused, ready.
By the time he was dressed and eating breakfast, Inko was already watching him with that familiar mix of worry and pride.
"You sure you don't want a ride straight to the gate?" she asked as they pulled up near U.A.
"I'm good," Izuku replied, smiling softly.
She squeezed his arm before driving off, waving until the car disappeared down the road.
Izuku stood there for a moment.
The towering gates of U.A. loomed before him, sunlight glinting off polished metal and reinforced stone. Students filtered in around him, chatting, laughing—completely unaware.
He slipped off his headphones, the faint echo of music fading as he tucked them into his bag and adjusted the strap over his shoulder.
Then he stepped forward.
'So today's the day the League of Villains makes their move,' he thought, expression calm even as something stirred deeper in his chest.
Not fear.
Anticipation.
'As a hero, my job is to keep the class safe. That doesn't change.' A pause. 'But everyone needs their chance to grow… to face real danger.'
His lips twitched upward slightly.
'I'll let them take their fights.'
His gaze sharpened.
'The only thing I really want… is the Nomu.'
Before he could take another step, the front doors suddenly swung open.
Click. Click. Click.
High heels struck the pavement with deliberate rhythm as Midnight emerged, her presence immediately shifting the atmosphere. She nearly walked straight into him—but Izuku reacted on instinct, hands lifting to stop her.
Unfortunately, fate had a wicked sense of timing.
His palms pressed directly against her chest.
There was a brief, charged pause.
Midnight arched a perfectly shaped brow, lips curling into a slow, dangerous smirk.
"They feel good, right?" she purred, voice smooth as velvet.
Izuku withdrew his hands calmly, not flustered in the slightest. "Yeah," he said honestly.
That—of all things—made her laugh.
A rich, playful sound that turned a few heads nearby.
"You're really something, kid," she said, stepping closer. "You handled yourself well during the last exercise." Then, leaning in just enough for only him to hear, she added softly, "Especially for someone with no Quirk."
Izuku met her gaze without hesitation, smiling faintly. "Thanks," he replied just as quietly. Then, with a subtle smirk, he added, "I'm a fan of yours too. Thought maybe you could give me some private lessons—help me hone my skills."
He winked.
Midnight giggled, brushing a lock of hair away as she leaned closer, clearly entertained.
"You're a little too young for that," she said teasingly. "But…" Her finger lifted, grazing lightly under his chin. "Come find me in your third year. Then we'll talk."
With that, she sauntered past him, hips swaying with deliberate flair, heels clicking as she disappeared inside.
Izuku chuckled softly, shaking his head as he turned toward the entrance.
'…At least she's not a pedo,' he thought dryly.
He stepped inside just as the morning bell rang—
—and with it, the calm before the storm finally began to fade.
The next few days passed in a strange, almost deceptive rhythm.
For the remainder of the week, Midnight and All Might jointly oversaw a special Hero Course module—non-canon to the official curriculum, but surprisingly well-designed. It focused less on raw combat and more on adaptability, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure.
Izuku thrived in it.
That was where he really got to know Tsuyu Asui.
They were paired together and tasked with neutralizing autonomous combat bots—machines designed to overwhelm through numbers, terrain control, and unpredictable attack patterns.
Tsuyu handled mobility and positioning with uncanny ease, leaping across walls and ceilings, calling out enemy positions with her usual calm precision.
"Kero—three on the left. One behind you."
Izuku adapted instantly, using her callouts to dismantle the bots efficiently, redirecting attacks, exploiting blind spots, and coordinating their movements without ever needing to raise his voice.
They moved like they'd trained together for years.
By the end of the exercise, they stood alone at the top of the class standings.
Tsuyu blinked at the results once, then nodded. "You're reliable, Midoriya. Easy to work with. Kero."
Izuku smiled. "Same goes for you. You make things… simple."
That earned him a small, approving croak-laugh.
---
Later that day…
The classroom hummed with low chatter—voices overlapping softly, chairs scraping against the floor as students shifted in their seats. The energy was relaxed, the kind that came after hard training but before anything truly serious.
Izuku sat in his usual seat near the window, elbow resting on the desk, gaze drifting toward the training field outside. Clouds rolled slowly across the sky, sunlight flashing intermittently over the grounds.
He was thinking.
About USJ.
About timing.
About how quickly things were moving.
"Hey, Izu."
The soft voice pulled him back.
He turned, smiling easily as Ochaco swiveled her chair around to face him. She wasn't quite meeting his eyes yet, fingers fidgeting together in front of her.
"Hey," he said. "What's up?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly, then hesitated. "I just… felt like talking to you, I guess."
There was something genuine about the way she said it—no agenda, no bravado.
Izuku tilted his head slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Really? You must like me then."
Her face instantly turned pink.
"I—I mean—!" She flailed slightly, then straightened. "Y-Yeah. As a friend!"
"Of course," Izuku said smoothly, smirk tugging at his lips. "A friend."
He leaned in just a little—not invading her space, just enough to keep the moment warm and alive.
Ochaco swallowed, heart thumping faster than she wanted to admit.
' I should stop teasing these girls man.' He thought.
TO BE CONTINUED