Chapter Twenty-Six
(Izuku Midoriya)
In the middle of my room, I stared at the picture of All Might for a full minute.
I needed that long to even begin to accept this conclusion.
There was a person.
With no Quirk.No superpower.
Yet,he had entered UA.
He had managed to defeat Kacchan.
Furthermore,he had emerged victorious in that confrontation using only his intelligence and technology.
While I… I had done nothing like that.
I had waited my entire life to receive a superpower.
But in this moment,all I felt was that I had been… resigned. That I hadn't truly exerted any effort.
There had been a huge demand for improvement,but I hadn't exploited it.
I was just…a thing. An ordinary person who would have done nothing if not for the power I received from All Might.
"I really am useless…"
I was about to begin criticizing everything I had done in the past years, but what cut off my thoughts was the sound of my phone.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
I looked at the phone screen to see who was calling.
Furthermore,I couldn't even guess.
I only had about four or five numbers saved in my contact list,if I added my mom.
It wasn't (Iida) or (Uraraka).
Who was it?
The hero who had given me his power.
All Might.
I grabbed the phone, my hand trembling slightly, but I controlled my breathing.
I opened the line and put the phone to my ear.
"Young Midoriya! How was your school day? I apologize for not calling you all day!"
All Might's voice was deeply apologetic as he said this.
He called almost daily to check on me.
But he must have been busy,and that was true, because he said,
"I had a lot of work today, so I couldn't make it to the school. But I'm sure you trained hard, didn't you, my boy?"
I told him, trying to hide the negative emotions that were beginning to overwhelm me.
How much of a failure I am. How unworthy I am of this power.
True,not much time had passed since I'd started using even a little of One For All's power, yet I felt I hadn't used it well at all.
I hadn't eventhought about using support equipment to bolster my body to handle the power better.
And that was…humiliating.
Not because I refuse to take advice from someone—of course not—but because I hadn't even considered it.
"Is something wrong, Young Midoriya?"
All Might's worried voice sounded serious, coming through the phone's speaker.
It seemed I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't answered the Number One Hero.
What should I say?
I feel now like more of a failure than ever before.
I feel more worthless than ever before.
Was it even right thatI was the one who received One For All?
I didn't know why, but while thinking this, the words left my mouth in a way that seemed to struggle painfully from my throat.
"I feel… like I don't deserve the power, sir. I don't think I deserve what you gave me."
I expected some kind of calming answer, or even a scolding, or any word that would make me try to feel better.
But contrary to that,a sigh came from the phone before All Might spoke in his serious tone—not the boisterous one he always used.
"I know what you're feeling."
All Might says this in a tone that makes me feel like he's thinking about the past.
But I couldn't believe it.
How could the Symbol of Peace,with that smile and that heroic, impossible stance, feel such weakness?
But in the same way,I knew he would never lie to me.
"I wasn't a person with a Quirk either. I only received One For All because of my teacher."
This was the first time I had heard this.
The Number One on the hero charts,who represented absolute power, the hero who defended justice… didn't have a Quirk of his own either.
It was also an inheritance.
That was perhaps the reason I couldn't speak for a few seconds.
But the Symbol of Peace continued speaking, as if remembering a scene from his past.
"I always felt weak because I couldn't change this society, because there was so much crime in the world. But I learned over time that it's better, instead of thinking about the worst, to use everything life has given you to defend others."
Then he paused for a moment, as if preparing to say something important.
"I know you feel weak because there is someone who actually did what you couldn't. But that's not because you are weak. Every person has a different beginning, and there are always different endings. You must always take your own path and not look at the paths of others. That is not the way to become a hero. I believe in you, Young Midoriya."
Tears spilled from (Midoriya)'s eyes without him even feeling them at first.
He didn't wipe them away because they were affecting his vision.
He felt as if his heart was about to burst.
Yet,there was a smile creeping onto his face.
(All Might is right. It's still the beginning. There's still a chance for me to become a hero. To catch up to (Suzuki) and all the others in the class. I'll do everything I can and master the power I've been given to use it to protect people!)
And after that, ten minutes of detailed questions followed before the call ended.
(Midoriya)transitioned to sleep so he could wake up the next day and go to UA.
---
He went early in the morning.
In the hallway before entering the classroom,he heard footsteps approaching from the other side.
He saw the blue-haired boy with red eyes approaching.
He didn't know what to say,but when the boy looked at him, he spoke.
"Good morning, (Midoriya)-san."
It was the respectful tone (Suzuki) always used.
Yet,(Midoriya) felt a sense of comfort as he looked at him.
Unlike the previous days,he had always felt like he was supposed to be walking (Suzuki)'s path.
But in this moment,he smiled in a certain way that proved he had found another way to think about the matter.
It seemed(Suzuki) wasn't surprised by (Midoriya)'s expression, but simply said,
"Happy to see you this morning. You seem better, don't you?"
(Midoriya) was a little surprised by these words, but then he smiled.
"Yes. I was always feeling like I was thinking about too many things. Now I have to think about things in a different way. I'm confident that with a lot of effort, I can be a hero like you."
(Midoriya) didn't notice he had said this in a way that made him sound like he admired (Suzuki).
But(Suzuki) had noticed. He didn't say anything, just smiled calmly and with an odd composure.
He pointed to the classroom door and said to(Midoriya),
"I think we should go in. What do you say we play a game before we enter the door? Do you think (Iida) is behind the door or not?"
This sudden question was something (Midoriya) found strange, but he soon grew intrigued by the smile.
"Yes. He is behind the door."
(Suzuki) of course knew that (Iida) was behind the door because he had been observing the bespectacled boy's habits, but he didn't expect (Midoriya) to know that too.
So,he decided to ask before opening the door.
"How did you know that, (Midoriya)-san?"
(Midoriya) didn't hesitate, though there was a slight stammer in his voice; he seemed embarrassed.
"(Iida)-kun called me this morning, actually, and told me he had arrived at the classroom while I was on the train."
(Midoriya) imagined he would hear a laugh coming from (Suzuki).
But when he looked carefully,he noticed there was no change in his face.
Still the same traditionally respectful expression.
But in the end,(Suzuki) opened the door, though he said,
"Alright then. I should say… good morning."
The door swung open with a soft creak.
Inside,as predicted, (Tenya Iida) stood rigidly at the front, already organizing his desk with mechanical precision.
He looked up as they entered,his glasses glinting.
"Good morning, (Midoriya)-kun! (Suzuki)-kun! It is commendable to arrive early and prepare one's mind for the day's lessons!"
(Suzuki) gave a slight nod. "Good morning, (Iida)-san."
(Midoriya)smiled, a real, warm smile. "Good morning!"
As they took their seats, (Midoriya) felt a new resolve solidify within him.
The path ahead was his own.It was rocky, painful, and his bones might break along the way.
But it washis path.
And seeing(Suzuki) there—a living testament to a different kind of strength—didn't make him feel inadequate anymore.
It made the horizon of possibilities seem wider.
Heroism wasn't a single road paved with Quirks;it was a vast landscape with many trails.
He had One For All.(Suzuki) had his intellect and tools.
Both were valid.Both could lead to victory.
He took out his notebook, the pages filled with frantic analyses of heroes and their Quirks.
He flipped to a new page.At the top, he wrote: "Alternative Paths & Support Synergies – Case Study: (Suzuki Saito)."
The first step on his own, newly defined path was to learn.
Not just from All Might,but from everyone.
Especially from the quiet,red-eyed boy who had shown him that the word 'impossible' was just a challenge waiting to be engineered away.
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End of Chapter.
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