The tall boy with glasses abandoned his futile crusade against Bakugo's feet the moment he spotted Izuku in the doorway. His entire body pivoted with mechanical precision, and he began marching toward their group with the stiff determination of a wind-up soldier on a mission.
"Incoming," Jiro muttered under her breath.
"He looks intense," Toru whispered.
The boy stopped directly in front of Izuku. His posture was ramrod straight, his glasses catching the fluorescent light at an angle that made them flash dramatically. Then he bent at the waist in a bow so perfectly angled it could have been measured with a protractor.
Ninety degrees exactly.
He held it for two full seconds before snapping back upright.
"Good morning! My name is Tenya Iida, from Soumei Junior High!" His voice boomed with formal intensity. "I must sincerely apologize for my egregious behavior during the practical exam briefing!"
Ah. Glasses from the auditorium. The one who tried to call me out for disrupting the presentation.
Izuku remembered him now. The guy who'd pointed at him and Bakugo like they were criminals disturbing the peace. Bakugo had told him to buzz off in considerably more colorful language.
"I made a poor inference of your character!" Iida continued, his arms chopping through the air with every syllable. The motion was hypnotic in its robotic consistency. "You not only deduced the true nature of the practical exam, but your actions in saving that female competitor from the Zero Pointer were the very definition of 'Plus Ultra!' You are clearly the superior student! I was completely outmatched!"
The speech ended. Iida stood at attention, awaiting judgment like a soldier before a general.
Behind Izuku, Jiro made a sound that might have been a suppressed snort. Toru's sleeve rose, probably to cover an invisible smile.
"Hey, don't sweat it, man. We were all wound up with nerves." He extended his hand. "Name's Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you, Iida."
Iida's eyes widened slightly at the casual dismissal of his formal apology. Then something in his expression shifted. Respect, maybe. Or relief.
He grabbed Izuku's hand and shook it.
Holy crap.
The grip was like getting his fingers caught in a hydraulic press. Izuku's bones creaked in protest. His smile didn't waver, but internally he was recalculating his assessment of the guy's physical abilities.
Note to self: do not arm wrestle Glasses. Ever.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Midoriya-kun!" Iida released his hand, seemingly oblivious to the damage he'd nearly inflicted. "I look forward to learning alongside you!"
"Same here." Izuku flexed his fingers subtly, checking for fractures. "Though maybe ease up on the handshakes. I need these fingers for hero work."
Iida's face went through several expressions in rapid succession. Confusion. Horror. Mortification.
"I apologize profusely! I sometimes forget to moderate my grip strength! It's a bad habit my brother has been trying to help me correct!" His arms resumed their chopping motions. "I will be more careful in the future!"
This guy is exhausting just to watch.
Toru bounced forward before the awkward moment could stretch any further. Her invisible form made the movement look like her uniform was being piloted by an especially enthusiastic ghost.
"Hi! I'm Toru Hagakure! It's so cool to meet you!" She thrust out her hand. "Your engines are awesome! Do they actually shoot flames? Can you go super fast? What's your top speed? Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?"
Iida blinked at the rapid-fire questions. His formal demeanor cracked slightly, revealing what might have been genuine surprise at being addressed so casually.
"A pleasure to meet you as well, Hagakure-san!" He shook her invisible hand with considerably more restraint than he'd shown Izuku. "To answer your questions in order: yes, they do produce flames during operation. My maximum speed is classified as confidential until I can properly assess my classmates' abilities. And no, licensed Quirk usage during travel does not constitute a traffic violation."
"That's amazing!" Toru's sleeves clapped together in what was probably applause. "You're like a human race car!"
A faint blush crept up Iida's neck at the enthusiastic praise. "I... thank you. My family has a long tradition of heroism. The Ingenium name carries certain expectations."
"Ingenium? Like THE Ingenium? The Turbo Hero?"
"My brother, yes."
Toru's uniform practically vibrated with excitement. Izuku could almost see her invisible face lighting up with hero-worship.
She's good at this. The whole making-people-feel-special thing. Must be an invisibility adaptation. When no one can see your face, you learn to project warmth through other means.
His attention drifted to Jiro, who had been standing slightly apart from the group with her arms crossed. Her earphone jacks hung limply at her sides, but he could see the tension in her shoulders.
Iida turned to her expectantly, his formal demeanor back in full force. "And you are?"
Jiro didn't offer a handshake. Didn't step forward. Just gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.
"Kyoka Jiro."
If Iida noticed the stark difference between her greeting and Toru's, he didn't show it. "Jiro-san! An honor! I look forward to working with you as well!"
He launched into a brief explanation of his philosophy on teamwork and the importance of maintaining proper relationships between classmates, his arms chopping through the air with renewed vigor.
Izuku watched Jiro's interaction with Iida with growing amusement.
Huh. She was actually polite to Glasses. Well, polite by her standards. She didn't call him any creative names or threaten bodily harm. That's basically a warm hug from Compass.
She's never polite to me.
I get the death glares. The sarcastic comments. The earphone jacks aimed at my vital organs.
Is that what I have to look forward to? Being the guy who gets the insults while everyone else gets common courtesy?
He caught Jiro's eye and gave her a small, knowing smile.
Her jacks twitched. Her scowl deepened.
The perks of being the main character, I guess.
"Um... excuse me?"
The voice came from behind him. Soft. Hesitant. Familiar.
Izuku turned.
Big brown eyes. Round cheeks permanently flushed pink. Short brown hair that bounced with her nervous fidgeting. The standard U.A. uniform looked almost too formal on someone with such an inherently adorable energy.
Ochaco Uraraka stood a few feet away, her hands clasped in front of her like she was about to give a recital. Or possibly throw up again.
"Midoriya-kun!"
Her entire face brightened the moment their eyes met. Relief flooded her expression, followed immediately by a wave of pink that spread from her cheeks to her ears.
"I'm so glad we're in the same class! I wanted to thank you again for... you know... saving my life!"
She bowed so deeply that her forehead nearly touched her knees.
"And also... I'm SO sorry I threw up on your shoes!"
The apology came out in a rush, her voice climbing an octave with embarrassment. When she straightened up, her face had achieved a shade of red that Izuku hadn't known human skin could produce.
Behind him, he heard Jiro make a small choking sound.
Toru's sleeve rose to what was probably her mouth.
Right. The vomiting incident. That happened.
After Recovery Girl had healed Ochaco's ankle, the sudden drain on her stamina had triggered a rather spectacular display of post-Quirk nausea. Izuku had been carrying her at the time. His shoes had paid the price.
"Hey, it happens." He laughed, waving off her mortification with an easy gesture. "A little post-resurrection nausea is perfectly normal. Besides, they were just shoes."
Ochaco's bowing intensified. "I'm still so sorry! I'll buy you new ones! I saved up my allowance and everything!"
Izuku leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Between you and me? I was looking for an excuse to get a new pair anyway. Those things were falling apart. You did me a favor."
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Really?"
"Really. Consider it a public service."
A giggle escaped her. Then another. Her shoulders, which had been hunched with tension, finally relaxed. The permanent blush faded to something more manageable, and her smile returned in full force.
"You're really nice, Midoriya-kun."
"Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."