Midoriya Izuku laid his tray of lunch as he slid into his seat. "Ran out of beef bowls today..." He tapped his chopsticks together before parting the salmon on his plate. "Kaminari isn't going to be happy with that..." He blinked as his gaze focused on the fringe of his hair invading his vision. "Hmm..." He meddled with the lock, internally sighing, "I should probably get a haircut... But... I don't really feel like it..." He then paused at himself for a moment; he then dropped his attention to his food. It was a normal line of thought, but for some reason, those seemed to bother Izuku more and more. Math was math, literature was literature, and history was unbelievably history. The only difference from junior high to now was the Support Course. Which was slowly becoming the highlight of his day.
Those periods were always the last period of the day, just to squeeze more time into the workshop. Designing was fun, actually building was better, and even programming had its charm. Everything else soured in comparison. It was all just the same as before, but it wasn't like Izuku ever expected any of that to change in first place. Yet, there was a pit burrowing in his stomach at the consistent norm.
Speaking of norms and things outside them, "Ah, Midoriya!" cried a familiar voice.
Izuku snapped back from his introspective crisis to look for the source, "Ah? Eh?" His head turned before his body reared back. Utsushimi's face invaded his space with a bright smile. He could feel heat blaze across his face, and his heart tumbled out of his chest to be stepped on by the offending invader.
"Heya, Midoriya!" she greeted.
"U-Utsushimi-Senpai!?" he cried as he lost balance and followed after his heart.
"Oh! Are you okay?" she giggled.
Izuku shook his head, pushing himself onto his feet. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine... Uh..." He dusted off his pants, "H-Hi...?" He was trying not to think about how good she looked in the school uniform.
Utsushimi set her bento beside Midoriya's tray, "Hey, mind if I sit here?"
"Uh, no..." he uttered before noticing her features fall, "Wait, no, I meant – I mean-" He stopped, took a breath, and cleared his throat, "Go for it."
Another giggle followed, "Thanks."
His heart skipped a beat either because of embarrassment or it was because he was going to sit next to a girl, practically shoulder-to-shoulder. He shook his head, focusing on his food and his seat. Another deep breath flowed before he retook his seat. Luckily, Utsushimi seemed none the wiser to his personal crisis. "Just... Just eat... Food is safe..."
"How's your day going?" asked Utsushimi.
"Crap..." He scratched his cheek, "Pretty okay..." He was hoping that the heat on his face wasn't evident.
"Eh? One of those days, huh?" she said playfully,
"Y-Yeah, I guess," he hazarded. "I'm not sure what you mean..." His eyes were drawn to her plastic lunch box, pulling away its lid. "Distraction...!" He coughed to the side, "Uh, what do you have there?" Her lunch was a layered collection of tomato and cheese with a drizzle of something atop it.
"Oh, a caprese salad. It's a simple Italian salad. I got the recipe off the internet, trying out the stuff."
"Oh, okay, cool..."
She took out a fork and knife, both metal, "You want to try it?" She cut a section free and held out for him to bite. He was hesitant at first – for obvious reasons. Though, the mere backfiring of his plan left his brain so fried he just nodded and took a bite. He swallowed and she asked, "Is it good?" A cough and a quick nod was his response. She smiled in response, "Sweet! I was worried I'd screw it up somehow."
Izuku offered, scratching the back of his head, "Well, you did great..." His mind realized, "Wait, was I a Guinea pig just then...?"
"Where are your friends?" asked Utsushimi between bites.
"Hm?" He picked at his cheek, looking about the mess hall, "Uh, I'm not sure to be honest." He pushed out a chuckle, "They might've gotten caught up."
"Eh?"
"Hm, apparently, Kaminari's gotten himself in trouble a few times with a classmate of his... Ashido, I think?" He scratched the back of his head, "Mostly because they're not exactly... Very... studious?"
Utsushimi giggled, "Oh, I totes get that. Teachers can be a real drag some times."
"I think it's their math teacher that gives them the harshest judgement," he clarified, smiling.
"Hm..." She sighed, tapping the side of his head, "To be honest, I feel like a ton of the teachers got switched out." She shook her head, "I'm pretty sure I don't even know most of their names now."
Izuku blinked, "I wasn't aware of there being a big change in staff. At least, there weren't any articles on something like that."
Utsushimi twirled her fork, "Media embargo... It's a huge deal." She shrugged, "It's kinda cool like an exclusive club or somethin'." She nudged her meal, "But it makes getting an internship really hard if ya don't want whoever the school is partnered up with."
"Hm..." Izuku questioned, "I mean do you get a lot of offers?"
"Yeah, my Quirk's pretty useful for Underground Heroes and there are a few who want me for commercials and stuff like that."
"Eh?" He blinked, "Wait, does the media embargo extend to those commercials?"
Utsushimi held up two fingers, taking a sip from her drink, "Heh, yeppers."
"Must be pretty hard to gain any popularity then." He muttered, scratching his chin, "I guess they really want their students to be exemplars of Hero-work."
Utsushimi explained, "Some of us do have followings. They're just really quiet. I know a few of the commercials I was in got leaked online. They're before like any of the special effects or editing, completely raw." She waved her hand, "So, I got like a few fans."
"It's hard to build a following straight out of high school, so any media attention early on is useful. Limiting that is kinda weird... I didn't really consider it like that to be honest."
"Complete and tote opposite of U.A." Izuku's relaxed form turned stiff. "They got like a giant broadcast thing every year. I bet a ton of Pros hound the students after something like that." Utsushimi laughed wistfully, "Last year, I got together with some of my classmates and we had like a watch-party. It was a ton of fun." Her eyes landed on Izuku, blinking at the sight. "What're... Are you going to watch this year?"
"I think I'll be skipping this year," he uttered.
She didn't seem surprised but still, "Why?"
Izuku listed, "I just moved here. I'm living off allowances. No TV. I have my laptop, but that's for schoolwork only." He coughed, "It's just a... a bit too out of the way..."
"That's too bad, you could've watched it with your friends," she offered.
"I mean don't we have a Sports Festival to worry about?"
"Yeah, but it's totes a drag," she griped. "We get to use our Quirks for sure, but it's normal stuff. No awesome tournament or game for the festa." She teetered her head, "We only get to show off to family and friends. And family and friends have to sign NDA for anything they record."
Izuku blinked, "That's... pretty thorough, actually."
"Pretty unfair, too," Utsushimi countered. The two fell into silence, taking to their meals and absorbing their previous points. Before she broke it, "Enough about the Hero Course. What about that thing you were working on?"
"Oh... It's a functioning prototype now. I turned it in for review." He explained, "Mr. Abraham is basically pretending to be a client and he's looking over the in-progress work. I don't really get to know how well I've done until he gets around to it."
Utsushimi raised a brow, "How do you think you did?"
"Hm..." He shook his head, "B, maybe. Lower end, probably."
"Selling yourself a bit short, don't 'cha think?" she questioned.
"You think so?" he returned. "I mean you saw how bad my first attempt was."
"Hm..."
Izuku could feel the conversation dying, and being reminded of a certain blond, pushed himself to speak, "We've also been learning about a specialty course."
"Oh?"
"Field Support."
Utsushimi blinked, nodding, "Right, I remember Mr. Abraham mentioning it. Then my Hero History teacher started going on about it today."
"Really?" When she nodded, he scratched his cheek, "I have to admit, I'm surprised I didn't know much about it."
"It's like super niche, though. I mean I'm pretty sure they don't exist anymore."
He corrected, "In pockets. Small teams, mostly in the big cities. Though, they're usually on loan from a Support Company."
"But, with sidekicks, they aren't that needed anymore."
"And sponsorship deals with Support Companies and places like I-Island," added Izuku. "Actually, I did some research on my own and found some weird conspiracies."
"Ooh?" Utsushimi turned her attention fully onto him, "Well, spill!"
"I don't think they're that interesting." When that didn't seem to damper her interest, he continued, "Well, you know how Underground Heroes are like normal Pros, but no limelight. They avoid media attention and just focus on doing the job. Field Support agents are more common for those types of Hero. Not only because of the on-hand repair, but the tech support. That tech support can be applied in a few different ways, bending the rules sort of ways. Hacking, breaking security systems, and so on. The theory suggested that Field Support agents stopped being a thing because there was a string of lawsuits that threw most of the active ones under the bus."
"No way!" she gasped.
"Underground Heroes represent the Hero Commission just like any other Hero. So, they can't really get caught up in illegal activities. Even if its for the greater good. Things like the Commission were created to make sure Heroes didn't act like vigilantes. So, when those Heroes got caught, the agents were made to look like idiots who took things too far." He shook his head, "But, there's nothing really proving that that's true." He explained, "Underground Heroes don't have a lot of information floating around them. Paperwork and contracts are usually kept private. And, with Field Support being a dying field, no one advertises themselves as one or as a former one. No interviews and no one has a name for a court release."
"But it could be true."
Izuku teetered his hand, "Potentially, but it's a theory based on a lack of information so any vacuum of said information would lead to the theory being correct. Which conveniently lets it slip past the usual need of evidence."
"But it could," she insisted, a sparkle in her eye.
Izuku's eyes narrowed briefly before he surrendered with a nod, "I suppose it could, yes..."
Utsushimi relaxed in her seat, "Crazy..." She sighed, "Wish we could learn about that type of stuff, ya know."
He blinked, "You find this stuff that interesting, huh?"
She wrapped a lock of her hair around her finger, "Yeah... I guess. Where do you find this stuff?"
"Hero forums."
Utsushimi nodded, pursing her lips, "Ooh, those are pretty deep. I'm always nervous about sifting through places like that." She blinked, "Oh," -her fist fell onto her palm, "-can you like send me links to some good ones?"
Izuku blinked, "Uh..."
Her palm hit her temple, "Ah, duh, Camie!" She giggled, "Let's exchange numbers! You can't send me a link if ya don't have my number."
-X-
"A girl's phone number... I... I have a girl's phone number..."
Izuku wandered from the mess hall, making his way back to class. His eyes weren't focused on the path ahead, that was what his peripheral vision was for. His gaze was glued upon his phone's screen, specifically his contact list. In particular, a name was his focus, one deemed 'CAMIE' by the girl herself. It was a milestone, an achievement! He talked to a girl on a casual level, several times! He can't believe he pulled it off. It was probably because he wasn't thinking about it. But now, he was! He did it, he evolved, and this contact was his trophy, an exemplar of that fact!
"Hey, Midori!"
It was now gone! And shoved into his pocket like a used napkin...
He spun to see Kaminari, jogging up to him. The blond was with company as well, Shinso, a familiar face, and two others. Both were girls, one pink-skinned with amber eyes framed in black and fair-skinned girl with near-violet hair and lengthy earlobes. A voice in the back of his mind wanted to comment on how they looked in their uniforms, but Izuku had realized that was something he did with everyone he's met so far. With that in mind, he also decided that that was weird, refraining in the now. Though, he couldn't help but notice that the pink one had horns popping out of her cap while the other neglected the accessory in its entirety.
Izuku nodded to the approaching group, "Kaminari, Shinso..." He blinked at the presence of strangers, "Uh..."
Kaminari nodded, wiggling his finger, "Ah, right, Midori..." He wrapped his arm around the Quirkless' shoulders, "This is Ashido Mina and Jirou Kyoka, they're our classmates from the Hero Course."
"Hiya!" greeted Ashido.
"Hey," casually waved Jirou.
Izuku slipped free of Kaminari's arm before bowing to the pair, "Hi, I'm Midoriya Izuku, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Aw, don't be such a stiff, we're all friends here!" joked Ashido, smacking his shoulder.
Jirou cocked a brow, "Someone as polite as you dealing with Kaminari?" She bowed her head, "Sorry for the trouble."
"Hey!" exclaimed 'the trouble'.
Izuku exchanged glances with a few, "I, uh... I'm not sure how to respond to that."
"How's it going, man?" offered Shinso.
Something else he wasn't sure how to respond to, "It's... going, I guess."
Kaminari turned, shifting the conversation, "Anyway, I was hoping to ask ya about something. Do you know a lot about Field Support agents?"
Izuku blinked, rattling his brain for a moment, "A bit..."
"Cool, our Hero History teacher suddenly started talking about it. I think it's a pop quiz thing!"
Ashido concurred, "Our Hero History teacher has given us a ton of pop quizzes."
"Just two, actually," corrected Shinso.
She clenched her hand into a fist, "Just suddenly bringing it up totally means it's going to be a pop quiz!"
"Or it's just a part of the curriculum," suggested Jirou.
"I heard the second years are learning about it, too," Izuku mentioned.
Ashido gasped, "It isn't a part of the curriculum!"
"Woah!" joined Kaminari.
Jirou questioned, "Why does that-"
Ashido reasoned, "Because if it was, the second years would've already known about it."
"Heard?" posed Shinso.
Izuku teetered his head, "I was told. I've met someone that's a second year." He shrugged, "They wanted something from the workshop. Just passing."
"So, what about you? The Support Course. You learning it?" asked Shinso.
"Yes, actually. Started recently."
Kaminari blinked, rubbing his chin, "Wait, so, second years, us and the Support Course all just started learning this at the same time?"
"Why?" questioned Jirou.
Izuku scratched the back of his head, "Mr. Abraham seemed passionate about the specialty... He didn't seem happy with the fact no one knew about it."
"He just convinced every other teacher to start teaching it?"
"He's from I-Island. He could have some sway."
Kaminari gasped, "Woah, I-Island!? He's one of those scientist dudes!?"
"Yeah, no one knows why or how he started working here," explained Izuku, crossing his arms.
Ashido asked, "What do you mean?"
"I-Island scientists don't really operate beyond the place. They know corporate secrets and Hero secrets. They're not allowed to just leave. Knows too much and is a bit too skilled."
"Ooh, like a spy?" cooed Kaminari with Ashido nodding along, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Not quite..." corrected Izuku. However, in seeing that their excitement endured, he rubbed the back of his neck, "But... I guess so..."
"If you squint really hard?" offered Jirou with a smirk.
Izuku nodded, "Yeah."
"Still, crazy someone like that works here," commented Shinso.
Izuku thought for a moment before tapping his chin, "Actually, it might make a lot of sense."
Jirou shrugged, "Well, shoot."
"Shiketsu High School has a heavily-enforced media embargo, right? Meaning any interview or letter to anywhere would be monitored to ensure it didn't break said embargo. Shiketsu also, undoubtedly, has at least a sponsorship deal with I-Island or a company tied to it for all its Support item needs."
Jirou summarized, "I-Island protects its secrets by sticking the guy in a place that protects its secrets."
"Woah, that's really sneaky," murmured Ashido.
Kaminari agreed, "Kinda freaky too."
"It's a bit worse considering how it could be true, easily," commented Shinso.
Izuku rubbed his chin, "Hm..." He then blinked, "W-Well, back on topic, uh, Field Support."
Kaminari nodded, "Right, we basically gotta crash course this whole mess. I was thinking because you're in the Support Course you might know more than us." He wrapped his arm around Izuku's shoulders, "Wanna come over after school and study?"
"All of us?"
"Yeah, dude!" Kaminari smirked, "Dinner's on Shinso~."
Shinso crossed his arms, "What? I didn't agree to that!"
Ashido pumped her fist, "Woo! I want Hot-Pot!"
"In this weather?" Jirou casually raised her hand, "I vote sushi."
Shinso raised his brow, "Sushi? Are you kidding? There isn't any cheap sushi near here!"
"Cheap!?" gasped Ashido. "We deserve the best!" she cried.
Kaminari cocked a brow, "Yeah, are you low-balling us, man?" He made guns from his fingers, "I vote fast food, burger time."
Jirou drawled, "Complains about him being cheap and then suggests the cheapest possible thing?"
"Come on! I haven't had a burger in such a long time!" cried Kaminari. "Midori agrees with me, right?" he asked, shaking his hostage.
"Can I go home now?" was muttered.
Kaminari shook him again, "See? He's excited!"
Shinso sighed, "What about you, Midoriya?" He was smiling, "Considering I'm getting everyone's opinion."
"Uh..." Izuku's mind suggested, "Pork cutlet...? No... That's just your addiction talking... Er... Homesickness..." He shrugged, "How about... ramen?"
"Ooh, I could go for some ramen," cooed Ashido.
Kaminari snapped his fingers, "There's that ramen place down from where I work."
"Eh, I don't mind," said Jirou with a shrug.
Shinso blinked, chuckling, "That's actually pretty affordable, even with a party of five..."
"What... just happened...?"
Kaminari pumped his fist, "Woo! Ramen it is. Three cheers for Midori!"
"Oh god please don't..." was muttered with genuine dread.
"Hip-hip, hooray!" cried Ashido. Her eyes widened, faltering, "Why am I the only one doing it?"
"Hip-hip, hooray!" shouted Kaminari.
Izuku began to struggle, "Please stop, people are staring."
"Oi!" shouted a second year. "You five, stop causing such a ruckus." He had purple hair that covered a single eye with a stance that tucked his hand behind his back.
Kaminari shrunk, "S-Sorry..."
"H-Heh, heh, yeah..." murmured Ashido, fidgeting with her fingers.
He shook his head, "You're lucky it was me and not a teacher." His eye narrowed, "Either way, with that uniform on, you should have better control of yourselves! You represent our school and its values! Within and outside of it!" He sighed, nearing a growl, "Get back to class, all of you."
Jirou seemed tempted to say something but was quelled by Shinso. He nodded to Ashido and Kaminari before all of them made their apologies and left. The walk lacked any of the energy from before. Izuku could tell it wasn't because anyone's feelings got hurt or anything like that. Jirou and Shinso did seem slightly annoyed by the stranger suddenly getting on their case. While Kaminari and Ashido were a bit quieter. No one was on the verge of tears nor a breakdown of any sort. It was just that having fun then experiencing a sudden downturn into getting scolded would put a damper on any mood.
Izuku bid his farewell after confirming his plans with the group before separating and heading to his classroom.
-\ XXX /-
AN: Hello! I have to admit I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Izuku and Utsushimi are on a friendly level, in a passing way. Kaminari and Shinso introduces Izuku to Ashido and Jirou. Basically, everyone's on friendly, known terms. Some expositing on Field Support things as well as Mr. Abraham in theories that may or may not be true. And then a final, familiar unfriendly face.
We won't be focusing on the study session in the next chapter. We're getting into our first real arc, leaving the 'Shiketsu High Arc'. (I guess, if you want to call it an Arc.)
Update Window: January 20th - February 10th
Huge window I know, but this is me trying to adjust my writing schedule. I'm hoping to be more frequent in my uploading. However, work might get in the way. We'll see you.
With that, thank you for reading and criticize away!