The group of seven exited the Fujikyu Railway and were led by their teacher. Mount Fuji dominated the skyline as Midoriya looked to the west. Sure it was visible back in Tokyo on a clear day, but here in Fujiyoshida, they were nearly at the base of the volcano. It was almost intimidating how close it was.
Soon the entrance of Fuji-Q Highland stood before them. The structure was a mix of red, orange, and yellow with a flame design at the top. The centerpiece was a simplified icon of Mt. Fuji with a Q in the middle of it. The entrance was just outside the station, so not much time had passed. However, the group had stopped as Aizawa spun around in his tracks and gave a look over his students. Today he was wearing all white: shoes, pants, coat with a hoodie, and even the buff over his face. When Hagakure had asked him earlier what was with the get-up, he simply stated that the attire usually threw people off as he often wore all black. Either way, Eraserhead cleared his throat before saying, "A few rules before we start today. First, we do everything together. No splitting up to do different activities. Second, if anything is to happen, you gather up and wait for further instructions, which will be followed as if your life depended on it."
"Jeez, sensei, it's not like a villain is going to attack the park randomly," Tooru stated, waving a hand to dismiss the serious tone. She was wearing a white light jacket and blue jeans with pink earmuffs on her head and matching gloves.
Tenya spoke up and said, "While the possibility is low, it isn't zero Hagakure-chan. He is only looking out for us, as he is our escort today." He wore a dark blue jacket with grey fur around the collar and wore black pants.
"It's as Ida-san says. It never hurts to have a game plan if the impossible happens," Shota stated. "Anyways, just one last stipulation." His gaze became much more severe before he said, "No PDA." Hagakure's arms rose in protest, which also brought Midoriya's left arm up as well as they had been holding hands. However, her objection was halted by Aizawa as he held up a hand as he said, "They only attract unwanted attention, especially if it's three pairs of you."
"You're the chaperone, it's your rules," Ojiro stated with a shrug. He was sporting a light brown jacket with a hoodie as well as blue jeans.
Eraserhead nodded as he turned around, and made his way to the ticket booth.
"Traitor," Tooru said with a huff.
"Look, let's not blow this chance for Uraraka-chan's sake. It's her birthday. Besides, we are not all like you trying to sneak a make-out session with their partner at every opportunity."
Izuku almost wanted to speak up, but his friend's words weren't exactly untrue. Tooru had been quite affectionate since school ended on Wednesday. Not like in front of his friends but stealing him away mid-conversation a few times. He hadn't questioned it as it was a welcome surprise on his part.
"Regardless of that fact, I'm upset as it's unfair for the birthday girl."
Ochako came to her friend's side as she said, "It's okay, Hagakure-chan. I can always save such things for after we get back to the dorm. It's no big deal." Tenya broke out into a deep blush upon hearing this. She was wearing a dark brown jacket and pink scarf with a black skirt and leggings.
"Well, if you're okay with it, I guess it's fine," Hagakure sighed.
The students then joined their teacher at the ticket booth and paid for admission. They all got an afternoon pass, which was only 3,600 yen for the students, and an extra 300 for the teacher. As Aizawa took a sudden call, a few of them studied the map they were given.
Uraraka was the first to ask, "What's Thomas Land?"
Tooru answered, "It's for children. Some baby stuff and low-intensity anime-themed rides. No need to go there. All we care about are the rollercoasters."
Momo then asked, "Don't you like scary stuff, though? There are some Haunted Houses here too." She wore a black jacket with large white buttons and white jeans.
"Feels off-season, and besides, I went through both of them enough times when I was younger."
Ochako shivered as she said, "Yeah, it's fine. I say, let's skip those." Izuku guessed she disliked the genre as much as he did.
Shota then joined the others and asked, "Alright, where to first Hagakure-san? You seem to be the expert here."
"Do-Dodonpa!" She then charged ahead with Midoriya in tow. The pair soon came to a stop at the waiting line for the said ride.
"Was that necessary?"
"Oh, it's going to get them into the mood for how fast this one is."
Izuku gave a confused look as he asked, "I thought we were starting with the easy stuff to help Uraraka-chan?"
"This is an easy one, though."
The other then arrived, and Ojiro asked, "What was that for? It's not like the line is long."
Hagakure happily explained, "To show you guys the theme for our first ride. Acceleration!"
At that moment, a loud surge of air came from the coaster platform though the entrance obscured the coaster itself.
Ojiro nervously asked, "H-How much, are we talking?"
Hagakure, "A lot."
"That's not helping."
Ida had a phone in hand and stated, "180 km/h in 1.56 seconds. That indeed is a lot."
Uraraka looked to her friend and asked, "How is this taking it slow?"
"Look, I know it sounds crazy fast, but trust me, Do-Dodonpa is very short. It only has two turns at high speed and one vertical loop. If you can handle the jump in speed, the next two are cake in comparison."
The rest looked to their class president, who looked confused for a second before saying. "Oh, right." He then looked at his phone again and, within moments, nodded. "She speaks the truth. The rest are at least a third slower."
"Well, have fun with that," Aizawa said from beside the line. "I'll be waiting by the exit. I'll hold on to your backpacks." Ida and Midoriya had brought theirs to hold everyone's lunches.
As Izuku gave his pack, he stated, "You should come with us."
Eraserhead held a gaze on his student for a moment before bringing up the index finger on his right hand as he said, "One. I'll do one, but not this one." He then left and eventually sat on a bench by the exit of the ride.
Mashirao chuckled as he said, "Well, that's better than I thought we would get with him."
Momo crossed her arms as she said, "Though we can still do better."
"Maybe we can convince him to do more after he tries one," Ochako argued.
"That depends on how intense they are," Tenya stated while giving Tooru a particular look.
"Everything is going to be fine. We'll wrestle the fun out of him eventually."
From there, the group only had to wait for a few minutes before it was nearly their turn.
Tooru then whispered, "Did you have nothing else to wear?"
"What? I don't have that much winter clothing. Besides, it's not like my jacket is going to get dirty that quickly." Izuku was wearing the same outfit he had on Christmas. Even had the goggles as well.
"If we weren't restricted from dates, I would take you to shop for some variation."
"I appreciate it, Tooru, but you know I don't mind having a small wardrobe."
Suddenly a man appeared beside the two and said, "Sorry kid, the goggles gotta go. Nothing loose-fitting is allowed." He then looked over to Tenya and said, "That goes for your glasses as well bub. Best to pocket them unless you want me to hold onto it." The man then looked to Tooru and said, "Uh, the same thing for those earmuffs miss."
"Huh, I didn't know that rule," Hagakure stated with bewilderment in her tone. "But then again, I've never been here in the winter." She then handed her earmuffs to her boyfriend.
Midoriya then asked, "Could you please hold these, then?"
"Sure thing, kid." The man took up the face wear and moved behind the group to inspect the people behind them.
Ojiro then said, "Well, I guess that idea fell apart. Guess they could come in handy if you two ever go skiing. Your folks do like to travel a lot, Hagakure-chan."
Hagakure's arm came up to her face as she said, "Hmmm, not a bad idea for next winter."
"Uh, I was joking."
"You underestimate my parents then."
Midoriya didn't know what to think of spending an extended time with his girlfriend and her parents. It was both a mix of excitement and worry. It also made him curious that she would be so forward-thinking. She seemed to be much more in the now, with him always thinking ahead. For example, Izuku was already hoping to start planning for White's Day once the holidays were over. But next winter? That was very far.
"Alright next four pairs," a female attendant said as she opened the gate to allow access to the cart. It was mostly white and also had stripes with different shades of blue. Once everyone had taken their seat, the positions were Izuku and Tooru in the second row, Mashirao and Momo in the third, and Tenya and Ochako in the last.
Midoriya grabbed Hagakure's hand and gave a long exhale through the nose.
"Nervous?" She knew he had never been on a roller coaster before. They discussed it on the train ride over.
"Well, you're here, and you say it's fine, so I should be okay."
Ojiro's voice came from behind, saying, "Man, I wish I had that much confidence."
Yaoyorozu then said, "You sound more scared than Uraraka-chan."
"Probably cause I am."
Suddenly the sounds of machinery came from below the cart. A few seconds later, the man from earlier and the female attendant started to count.
"One."
Mashirao was quick to say, "Oh, man."
"Two."
Izuku let go of Tooru's hand and brought his hand on to grip over the shoulder restraint.
"Three."
The blast of air came from below as the entire train exploded forward. The feeling in Midoriya's back was somewhat nostalgic. The high amount of G-force he felt reminded him of the feeling as he rushed forward while using One for All. Of course, at a much greater magnitude. The tunnel they were in quickly became open to the outside, but another tunnel followed, which had an assortment of colored lights. Once outside once more, there came a steep turn to the right. It was at a 90-degree angle, and despite the rushing sound of the wind, Midoriya could somewhat make out Hagakure's scream of excitement. At the end of the turn came another tunnel, though this one was bare. Once passed the cart came to the loop de loop. The speed slowed at the top of its arc, and he heard Ojiro groan before the ride picked up the pace once more as it came down. One final tunnel came before a quick turn to the left. Here the rollercoaster began to slow considerably as it began to bring them back building.
Tooru turned around as she asked, "You alive back there, Ojiro-kun?"
"I think he needs a minute," Momo said with a giggle.
Izuku looked back as he saw his friend gripping his shoulder restraint for dear life. He then felt a tug on the right shoulder of his jacket.
"Did you enjoy that?"
"That's one way to have it as a first experience." He could hardly believe how fast and short that was. It didn't even feel like a minute.
"Hmmm, 55 seconds," Tenya stated just as the train made its way into the building.
Tooru shouted, "You timed it?"
"I'll explain it after we get off."
The ride came to a halt, and the restraints unlocked. The group made their way outside after Izuku retrieved his goggles and Tooru's earmuffs, with Mashirao bringing the rear. Once they stepped out, he took a seat next to his teacher.
"Seems like you guys had fun," Eraserhead said before sipping on a box of juice.
Ojiro could only groan in response as he looked at the ground.
Uraraka then proclaimed, "The best!"
Hagakure patted her friend on the back as she said, "See? I know what I'm talking about." She then turned to Ida and asked, "So why did you time it?"
"Simple. Numbers. You gave descriptions like fast and short. Those are vague values. It's why I looked up the acceleration of the ride on my phone and wanted to time it myself. I can better understand what I experienced knowing this."
"You make it sound boring, though," Tooru stated as she crossed her arms.
Ochako took Tenya's arm as she said, "Well, it sounds like he liked it. So that's good enough for me." She then pointed ahead before saying, "To the next ride, Hagakure-chan!"
Momo walked over to Mashirao before asking, "Maybe we should give him a moment?"
Ojiro begrudgingly got up and said, "Can't keep the birthday girl waiting. I'll be fine."
Yaoyorozu put a hand to his cheek before saying, "Don't push yourself too hard."
"Okay, I'll be sure to skip out if I feel like hurling."
Hagakure then raised her arms as she proclaimed, "Next stop is Fujiyama!"
The line for this ride was much longer than the last. As they waited, Tooru explained the next one was more about endurance as it was the longest ride in the park. The beginning looked to have a massive drop from what Izuku could see. Tenya said it was 70 meters when asked, which made Mashirao shudder.
Once the wait was over, Midoriya, Hagakure, Ida, and Uraraka entered a cart together in the middle of the train. The other two sat in the cart behind. Each cart was white with a grey patterned design that held four people, and there were seven carts total.
Izuku had mixed feelings at the start of the ride. The slow climb towards the top was grueling, and he felt terrible for Mashirao, as it was probably much worse for him. However, there was a fantastic view of Mt Fuji to the right as they ascended. After the long vertical drop came a lot of ups and downs and sharp right turns. These weren't so bad as the track stayed mostly straight. However, the last leg of the ride had many short hops and turns. The jerking motion was a lot worse for Midoriya's stomach than the faster but predictable slopes and turns from before.
As they exited the ride, Tooru asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah, that last bit was something." Izuku was holding his stomach as it was feeling woozy for a moment there, but he was quickly recovering.
"Well you're doing fantastic for your first time, but the next two are going to put you through the wringer."
"Thanks, but I don't know how much more I can take."
Hagakure then brought up her arm to the left as she said, "At least you're doing better than him."
Ojiro was leaning forward with his head pressed against the wall of the building. His girlfriend was slowly rubbing his back with one of her hands.
Aizawa approached his nauseated student as he asked, "Reach our limit today?"
Mashirao leaned back into a normal standing position and took a deep breath before replying, "Not yet, but I'm going to need a bag just in case on this next ride."
"Well, then I guess I should at the very least join in the festivities this time." Shota turned to Tooru before asking, "Where to fearless leader?"
"Takabisha and then one more!"
This one was a game-changer for the newbies, as it went upside down many times. Beyond that, the most striking feature was a 90° vertical climb that had a drop that was much steeper as it curved inward before the drop. Luckily the line wasn't as long as the last, so Izuku's fear didn't fester for too long. It made him wonder, though. Was it the heights? Midoriya had no problem jumping high while in practice or battle, so that couldn't be it. He then recalled the feeling of the last bit of Fujiyama, nausea. It seemed to be getting to Ojiro as well, even more so.
The train on Takabisha only had two carts, but each could hold four people. They were mostly white but with a red bottom. Izuku, Tooru, Ochako, and Tenya rode in the front with the others in the back with one empty seat between the couple and Eraserhead.
As they waited once seated, Hagakure asked, "What made you choose this one, sensei?"
"I wanted to see how the rest of you fared. If all went well, most of you would have given up by now."
Midoriya asked, "You tried to skip out on us."
Uraraka giggled as she said, "And failed."
"Well, a promise is a promise, regardless. And besides, this is a better option than the last one Hagakure-san wants to do."
Before anyone could respond, the train lurched forward into a pitch-black room. It was slow at first but dipped down before turning until they were upside down. It then righted itself and started going upward just as the light and the end of a tunnel came into view. Before they exited the tunnel, the speed then kicked in, and the intensity began. A roll, a corkscrew, and two hills followed until they slowed to crawl back into a building. Here they made a 180° turn and approached the vertical climb and stopped for a few seconds. Then the ascent started, and it was even slower than Fujiyami's. As they reached the top, another scenic view of Mt. Fuji was on the left. The kicker was the drop didn't come, as it stopped. Then it inched forward, a terrible feeling then crept over Izuku.
Beside Midoriya was Ida, and he then said, "This drop at 121° should be quite a doozy."
Ojiro tried to scream, "That isn't helping at-," however, the descent drowned out his voice.
Three intense loops followed, and Izuku's stomach was at its limit. Mashirao's didn't make it through. As the train came into the exit side of the ride, Momo quickly produced a bag from her hand, and her boyfriend reluctantly filled it with his lunch. Once outside the rollercoaster and the bag disposed of, Ojiro sat down on a bench and said, "Sorry, guys, I can't do anymore."
Midoriya then said, "I'm going to call it quits. I was close to hurling as well."
Aizawa then asked, "Anyone else?"
"I'll stay behind too," Yaoyorozu said as she sat next to her boyfriend.
"Don't stay for me. Enjoy the last ride."
"I've had enough excitement for today. I'll be fine."
Hagakure sighed as she said, "Guess it's just us three." She then stepped between Uraraka and Ida and grabbed their hands to pull them forwards. "To Eejanaika!"
As the trio left in a hurry, Momo asked, "Should we follow them?"
Eraserhead shook his head as he responded, "They should be fine. Let's let Ojiro-san rest for a few minutes before we catch up. I doubt the line is that short anyway."
Mashirao stated, "I don't know how those three can handle it. My stomach feels like a nuke went off."
Momo put a hand to her chin as she said, "I believe Hagakure-chan is used to it by now. The others might be due to their quirks."
"Their quirks?"
Izuku pitched in after sitting on his friend's other side and said, "Zero Gravity's upper limits cause nausea remember? She's been working on becoming more resilient to her quirk's side effects ever since the summer trip. So that's bound to be the reason why she can handle these rides despite it being her first time."
Ojiro nodded slowly before saying, "Oh, I see. Then I guess Ida-kun's high-speed from Engine has had a similar effect." He then looked at Yaoyorozu and asked, "What about you?"
"I mean, I have a slight headache and stomach ache, so it's not full-proof, but do you remember what Sato-kun and I did during the summer trip?"
"Stuffing your faces with food?"
"Not to that point, but yes. At the very least, that made me better at holding in my lunch."
Midoriya looked up to Aizawa, who was standing to his left. His teacher looked unaffected, even if all he could see was the top of his face. As they exited, Eraserhead showed no sign of wooziness. "What about you, sensei? What's your method?"
"Same as Hagakure-san. Experience."
Mashirao asked, "You've been on a bunch of roller coasters before?"
"Do you not believe me?"
Momo then stated, "Sorry, sensei, you just don't seem like the type to enjoy such rides is all."
"Well, you're right. It's more that I tolerate them than enjoy them. Do something you dislike enough times, and you get used to it eventually. When I was about your age, my friends would drag me to places like this all the time. It was a bit nostalgic doing one again after all these years."
Izuku pondered upon hearing this. He knew that Present Mic had gone to school with Eraserhead at his school. Were these "friends" simply him? Or others? If so, who else?
Shota then rubbed his temple before saying, "Anyways, you good to move Ojiro-san?"
Ojiro nodded before standing.
"Good. Let's see how the others are faring."
Once Eejanaika was in view, Midoriya didn't know how to describe it. A quick look on his phone revealed it as a 4D coaster. Its seats were able to rotate independently from the track. From Izuku's view, the track was a lot wider than usual, as it seemed to have more chains. The trains were either blue or green with a mix of black. Each cart held two people on each side, as they were divided in the middle by where it connected to the track, with five carts total. The line was indeed the longest of any of the rides. He guessed because 4D roller coasters were quite rare going from what he looked up online.
Midoriya was currently sitting with Aizawa at his right side on a bench. Yaoyorozu and Ojiro were opposite them on another bench and were chatting away.
"Seems they are making the most of it," Eraserhead said.
Izuku looked at his teacher in confusion as he asked, "I don't understand."
"Look at their hands."
Upon further inspection, the couple was holding hands.
"Even at our TAC meetings, they never did such a thing." Shota brought a hand up to his chin as he said, "I wonder what changed."
"Oh, uh, they made their relationship public to the class during the Christmas party, after you and Eri-chan left."
Midoriya then explained the setup and then what happened. Yaoyorozu had approached Ojiro near the end of the night just as the lights were cut out. Well, except for their position, which was all set up by Uraraka. Momo then held one hand above Mashirao's head and produced some plastic mistletoe before pulling him into a kiss with her other hand. The commotion it caused made Tenya's birthday reveal paled in comparison.
"Well, I appreciate that you waited until after I left with Eri-san. That would have triggered a lot of questions from her that I don't want to answer ever." Eraserhead sighed before saying, "Though this complicates things."
"Why?"
Aizawa looked down at his student before saying, "I have no personal problem with all this romance stuff. You and your friends, so far, have proven it's not affecting your studies. However, as you all become more open about it, the other faculty might think otherwise."
"But there's no rules against it." Midoriya knew some hero academy forbade it, but there had never been any written or vocal stipulations on the subject at his school.
"I know, but things can change. We weren't always a boarding school, and we used to allow students to leave the campus if it was not hero-related. Who knows what's next. I'm only saying this as a heads up that this free reign you and your friends have had might not last forever. I am hoping otherwise, of course, and will support you all as long as you stay true to your heroic studies."
Izuku wondered, was there something Eraserhead knew that had him speak out about this? He appreciated that his teacher was behind them, but some doubt remained. The two remained silent from then on until Midoriya received a text that the trio was going next on the ride. There was a low dip of Eejanaika that came close to a path, and the four made their way to it to see them up close during the ride. Even before that point, Midoriya was able to point out Hagakure once they left the first climb as she stuck out like a sore thumb being headless to view. Once the train came by their position, the look of absolute horror on Ida's face in contrast to Uraraka's excitement had the students give a good laugh. They then made their way to the ride's exit.
Tooru was the first to appear though she was hunched over as she walked.
Izuku asked, "You okay?" He then came to her side and offered a hand.
Hagakure instead put an arm around his waist and replied, "I'll live. Eejanaika has always been a rough one for me. Even my dad chickens out."
Ojiro then asked, "Why do it if it makes you nauseous?"
"Cause it's worth it. It's like having sore muscles after a good workout."
A groan could be heard from behind Tooru, and everyone looked to see Tenya leaning on Ochako as they exited the ride.
Mashirao shrugged as she said, "Looks like the same cannot be said for Ida-kun."
"I must accompany Ochako, it's her birthday. No matter what obstacle," Ida struggled to say.
"Let's have you sit down," Ochako said as she approached a nearby bench. Once seated, she looked to Tooru and asked, "That was the last one, right?"
Hagakure was putting back on her earmuffs as she said, "Minus the kiddy rides, yeah. Look at you, though; you rode the most difficult rollercoaster here like a pro. You don't even seem phased."
"I mean, they are still a bit scary, but nausea isn't a factor for me, it seems."
Ida took a deep breath before saying, "I thought I would be immune to it too, but these 4D coasters are on an entirely different level."
Midoriya then said, "I guess it's a good thing some of us stayed behind then." He didn't want to think how he would feel after the ride if it was this tough on those two.
Yaoyorozu spoke up and said, "Well, once Ida-kun feels better, we best get going to the Fujiyama Museum."
Aizawa asked, "How far is this place?"
"In the park, actually," Hagakure answered. "It's back by Do-Dodanpa."
Izuku asked, "You've been there before?"
"No, but it's hard not to remember an art museum in the middle of a theme park. It's weird."
Mashirao then noted, "It's free too if you have this." He held up his afternoon pass in his right hand. "Saves us about 600 yen, and sensei 1,000."
"I can always appreciate saving money," Ochako stated with glee.
Tenya stood up slowly and said, "I should be fine for a short walk. Let's get going."
Midoriya walked out of the bathroom stall to see Hagakure waiting for him. "You came back for me? What about the others?"
"Art is nice and all but not my thing. I think this museum trip was more Yaoyorozu-chan's idea anyhow. Though it seems Uraraka-chan is enjoying it since Ida-kun is analytical with each piece, they come by." Tooru then came over and grabbed her boyfriend's hand. And led him forward as she continued talking. "Though I can't tell if she's just finding his nerdiness cute or is fascinated by his knowledge."
"It might be both."
"Perhaps."
The building had an odd shape to it. The first floor was normal, but access to the second floor was by a ramp that went in two opposite directions, and both had most of the art. Only the largest pieces were displayed on the first floor. The shape made the museum look like a very flat V from the outside, as described by Hagakure. Anyways, at the top of the first ramp, Midoriya couldn't hold it anymore and had to use the bathroom. He made sure to tell his friends not to wait for him before heading down the ramp.
At this point, the couple walked outside to the patio. Aizawa was on the steps at the entrance of the museum, again on his phone. He had gone the opposite ramp earlier, so he must have left to make the call.
Tooru then said, "I wonder who he keeps talking to."
As curious as Izuku was, the topic of his teacher did bring something to mind. He exhaled through his nose before saying, "Sensei mentioned something kinda off-putting earlier while you and the others rode Eejanaika."
"Yeah?"
Midoriya then explained the conversation with Eraserhead. He felt that Hagakure had to know, and judging from her reaction, perhaps tell the others too.
"That's weird." Tooru then took a seat at one of the tables, and her boyfriend took one at the opposite end. "I mean besides Christmas and today, I can't see us or the others getting permission to go on dates outside of U.A. this next term for quite some time. So it's not like we can flaunt our relationship. And even considering that, it's not like we are super open about it outside our class."
"About that."
Hagakure's earmuffs tilted to the side as she asked, "Something to add?"
Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "Well, you've been quite romantically aggressive these last few days."
"You don't seem to mind, and besides that's after I draw you away from any prying eyes."
"I'm just curious about why."
Tooru leaned forward in her chair and laid her arms and chest on the table. "This is supposed to be our break from school, and yet we have to do another internship. We can't even have two weeks off. So I'm making the most of it before New Year's Eve. Especially since you won't even be staying at the dorms during your internship."
Right. That.
While cleaning up the Christmas party, Todoroki had approached Midoriya and Bakugo with the offer to intern with Endeavor. The former wasn't having any luck, and the latter wanted to wait until he was in his second year to go back to Best Jeanist for an unspecified reason. Once they both met with All Might yesterday to weigh their options, his approval made them accept the proposal. The only stipulation was they would be required to live at the Endeavor Hero Agency for the last week of winter break.
Now that Izuku thought about it, this would be the longest the couple would be apart since Overhaul was arrested, which was only a matter of days. The internship would be a week. "I understand. I guess I let the closeness of it all distract my usual curiosity."
"Quite unlike the usual you."
"Well, I'm changing slowly."
"I've noticed," Tooru stated before sitting upright once more. "Still, on the matter of what sensei said, we shouldn't speak of it today. It would be a downer for the birthday girl, and the other two just went public two days ago."
"Yeah, that makes sense. We will tell them, though, right?"
"We should. Though maybe once the third term starts."
Midoriya nodded, "That should work." However, the conversation did spark an older tidbit that needed to be revealed in the boy's mind. Perhaps today would be the best time. It would need to wait till dinner though. Instead, another idea that had been stirring in his head for a bit came forward. "So, any specific plans for what you want to do with your folks on New Year's?"
"Nah. I'm up for anything, but I'm sure we'll have a late dinner and my parents will share a glass of wine while we watch the countdown at Shibuya on TV. The usual." Hagakure's right arm rose and pointed at her boyfriend before asking, "Why? You want to come over?"
Izuku shook his head before saying, "I was asking cause well, maybe you could talk to your mom about, you know-."
"Dude, I only told you about that two days ago. I can't fix this problem in a week."
"Think about it though, you might not see her again until the end of the third term. If they even let us go home before the second year. And I'm sure you would want to ask her in person over the phone. Right?"
Tooru sighed. "Even three months from now feels too fast Izuku."
Midoriya figured he might be pushing this too quickly, but it couldn't hurt to try he thought. He almost wanted to say this at Christmas but felt it would ruin the mood.
"But I'll think about it."
"Thanks." The response surprised Izuku. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was something at least.
"Did Hagakure-san drag you out here?" Aizawa was at the top of the stairs pocketing his phone.
Izuku chuckled before saying, "Sorta."
Tooru shrugged, "It's just not for me, sensei."
Shota walked over and sat in a chair between the two before saying, "Understandable. This seems more of a touristy place for those far away, but as you know, some of your friends are quite into this sorta stuff."
"Yeah, our class reps."
"Indeed. Either way, let them have their fun. This shouldn't take too long."
Midoriya cleared his throat before asking, "So sensei, you are not putting off anything today, are you? You seem to be answering your phone a lot."
"Just checking up on Eri-san. Amajiki-san is watching over her today, and he can be a bit of a worrywart. He asked if I call in every once in a while. That last conversation was him asking where I keep the extra art supplies. Eri-san needed another green coloring pencil."
Hagakure then giggled.
"Care to explain what you find so funny, ma'am?"
"You're acting like such a dad. It's cute."
Aizawa shook his head and sighed. "I'm her guardian. Nothing more."
"Whatever you say, pops."
Eraserhead leaned back into his chair before saying, "It would be a shame if I requested special homework assignments for your upcoming internship Hagakure-san."
"You wouldn't!"
"Just try me."
Even without seeing his mouth, Midoriya figured his teacher was sporting his infamous grin at the moment.
Lava Stone Steak. Izuku didn't expect this as their dinner destination. About a half-hour walk from Fuji-Q Highland, the group came upon this interesting idea for a restaurant. The table the group sat at was rectangular. In the middle was a griddle with the top pan being made of igneous rocks from Mt. Fuji. After ordering, customers were given their food uncooked and would prepare it at their table.
Momo had made a reservation the night before, as the restaurant was quite busy on the weekend. It was also expensive, but both class reps pitched in to cover all the costs.
The birthday couple sat on the long end of the table with Eraserhead on the opposite end. Izuku and Tooru sat at the short end on the left, with the last two on the right. The food had already been ordered and given, so it was currently cooking. The menu itself was quite simple, a choice of meat with a mix of veggies and some rice/noodles. Almost everyone ordered steaks, but Mashirao asked for boar and Shota some salmon.
Ida flipped one of his steak slices as he said, "Kagoshima black beef. You know my favorite Yaoyorozu-chan."
"It was more a coincidence, I assure you."
Uraraka grinned as she stated, "Now if they only served it as a stew, then it would be perfect."
A few moments passed before Ojiro poked his boar meat with a tong as he said, "So Midoriya-kun, did you and Bakugo-san accept Todoroki-kun's internship offer?"
"Yesterday night. Though I have to stay at the Endeavor Hero Agency for the week."
Yaoyorozu then stated, "You are going to have such an impressive resume once you graduate out of all of us Midoriya-kun. Having worked under both top heroes of Japan."
"Yeah, just need to work on those media skills, and you'll be perfect Midoriya-kun," Ojiro said while trying to hold back a laugh.
Tooru rearranged her vegetables as she stated, "You became a robot, like Ida-kun." She then laughed, which got a grunt from Tenya.
Izuku sighed. They were right. At the start of the week, they had a special hero course lesson, with a visit from Mt. Lady and Midnight. There they had mock interviews as if being questioned by the media. They either explained their quirk, super moves, or motivations. When asked about his Black Whip, Midoriya froze. When pushed further, he tried to explain his progress with it, but as Hagakure stated later, it was too long-winded and detailed for anyone to follow. It didn't help that his voice was robotic, as she described. Izuku then said, "Yeah, I froze up there. I've never been that great at public speaking." He then reached to turn over some of his steak pieces and asked, "So where is everyone else planning to go?"
Tooru stated, "Well, you already know this Izuku, but the others don't." It was true; she had already decided before Christmas. "I'm teaming up with Ashido-chan and Aoyama-kun to work under Yoroi Musha."
"The number nine hero? Impressive," Tenya said.
"The samurai guy? Boy, he's in for a surprise to contain all that energy you three are going to bring onto the table," Mashirao stated with a shrug.
Hagakure then asked, "Oh yeah? How about you, then?"
"Shishida-san is working to have me and Sato-kun go with Lion. He mentioned Shoda-san would be there too."
Midoriya thought, Rank 13th, huh? Just how many top heroes were taking in U.A. students, he wondered.
Aizawa then said, "Seems like these activities with 1B are bearing fruit. It's good that the classes are working together." He then looked to his left as he said, "Right, Yaoyorozu-san?"
"It is sensei. I guess you know about my arrangement with Setsuna-san?"
"I read the request last night, yes. You'll be working under Majestic."
After Yaoyorozu nodded, Ojiro looked at her and said, "As I said before, that's going to be a unique experience for sure. She's quite different than Kendo-san."
"I'll manage. I'm sure I will learn she is a wonderful person once I get to know her."
Mashirao's look on his face didn't seem satisfied with that statement.
Ochako then pitched in and said, "I'm planning to continue to work with Ryukyu-sensei. Asui-chan and Hado-chan will be joining me as well, of course."
"And Manual-sensei for me," Tenya added.
The group stayed on the subject for a few minutes. Izuku eventually took the opportunity to ask, "Aizawa-sensei, who did you first intern with?"
Shota's face soured at the question. He was still wearing his hoodie but had taken off his buff.
Tooru asked, "It can't be that bad, sensei. Tell us!"
He took a moment to regain his composure as he answered with, "During my second year, I was recommended to, Mr...Purple."
Midoriya was quick to react with, "His Purple Highness?!" He knew of the pro hero's nickname, as much of the public preferred it over the official one.
Judging from everyone's reactions, no one else at the table knew of this hero.
"How did you come across him of all people, sir?" Midoriya couldn't believe it. The flamboyant chest hair wielding hero didn't seem like the best fit for even a young Aizawa.
"Midnight convinced him, as she was his intern, and I was desperate for some more experience."
Uraraka asked, "Midnight-sensei was in your class?"
"Close. She was my senior, but we are about the same age."
Izuku pondered, was this one of the friends Shota mentioned he went to theme parks with? He didn't feel asking here was the best idea, though.
Before anyone else could ask more questions, Aizawa said, "That's enough about me, though. Time for me to learn more about you all for once today."
Everyone seemed confused at this sudden turn.
"Don't give me those looks. You all have been quite nosey all day. It's quite obvious in your intent."
Hagakure then stated, "Sensei, you can't see my face, though."
"Regardless, my point still stands. Now give me a minute while I think up a question." Eraserhead then started to put food on his plate.
Everyone else looked at each other with concerned looks but eventually did the same, as their meat was ready as well.
Midoriya figured they were pushing him too far. During the walk to the restaurant, everyone else tried multiple times to get to know their teacher better, with little success. Izuku was surprised he was able to get information about Shota's first internship out of him. Perhaps the talk about the upcoming one lowered the man's guard.
Just as a few of the students took their first bites, Aizawa asked, "How did your class from your previous school take the news that you had been accepted to our hero program?"
Ojiro replied with his own question, "Uh, how does that tell you more about ourselves exactly?"
With a sigh, the teacher explained, "I guess my personal experience will answer that fine enough. Though this is the last time tonight that I delve about my past." He took a bite of his salmon and chewed plus swallowed it before continuing. "Everyone in my class thought I cheated. Sure my quirk is powerful, but I had no physical qualities to speak of at that time. My thought back then was I would always be a support hero, and let others take out anyone I rendered quirkless. My classmates thought Erasure was a fine quirk, but it alone would not get me into the top hero program in the nation. Their push back made me distant around others and made me doubt my abilities, something that would crop up again in my second year. If it wasn't for the few friends I made while at U.A., I don't want to ponder how I would have turned out." He then looked up at the stunned faces of his students and cleared his throat before saying, "I'm curious how you all took their feedback, as it might tell me more about yourselves."
"I uh, sorta get where you are coming from sensei," Mashirao stated. He was poking at his noodles for a moment before looking up at everyone. "I went to Maikido in Tokyo. At first, I was going to apply to as many schools as possible, but once I learned Monoma-san had applied to U.A., I knew I had to give it a shot as well. Even convinced Koda-kun to apply too. Of course, when I got accepted, Monoma-san and his goons said I cheated. I was consumed by rage. If it weren't for the fact that another fight with them would threaten my chances of going, I would have slugged him right there. So I endured it those last two months, as hard as it was for me."
"Anger gets the best of us, Ojiro-san. However, it seems you are slowly mending that past of yours with Monoma-san. Letting all that go shows great growth," Eraserhead said before continuing with his meal.
Momo placed her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder before saying, "It's for the best. You don't hide your emotions very well."
"And I let it easily affect my performance. I know, and I'm working on it," Mashirao stated before finally eating.
Yaoyorozu nodded and removed her hand before saying, "In Aichi, I went to a school called Horisuma. There, almost no one applied for any hero academy, as their families sent them there to focus on eventually attending universities to become highly skilled and seek even higher-paying jobs. So my acceptance to U.A. came as a general surprise, especially since I got in through recommendation. It was an overwhelming feeling of joy for me. Everyone was so cutthroat with one another at my school cause everyone was so competitive about our grades. Looking back, I can't tell if my classmates were truly happy for me or were just glad there was less competition."
Ida put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with some cloth before saying, "It seems we had a somewhat similar experience Yaoyorozu-chan. Soumei was almost the same in the heavily competitive atmosphere that you described. However, we all were aiming to become heroes there, since it was a prep school for hero academies. I also differed from you cause I fed into that environment."
Uraraka gave her boyfriend a distinct look as she said, "Which was why you were so harsh with Midoriya-kun before our entrance exam even started."
"Indeed. I was a real stick in the mud back then, and regret it full-heartedly."
"Well, you still are, just in a different sense," Hagakure stated with a giggle.
"Anyways, when I was accepted, I, of course, was met with a lot of jealousy from my classmates. However, I didn't let it bother me. Ignoring them wasn't the best choice, though, as it made what little time I had left at Soumei quite lonely. I'm glad that U.A. has a mostly positive competitive experience for me. Three more years of what I had before would have molded me into something I would detest now."
Ochako nodded before saying, "Well, to lighten up from the last few stories, I'll go next. In Mie, I went to Rozaryuu. Only a couple of my classmates applied to a hero academy, and none of us ever expected to get into any of the prominent ones. I was the only one to apply to U.A., and I had a long list of other choices if I didn't get into it." She then smiled brightly as she stated, "Guess all the research I did into all the other schools was for naught considering I passed. Everyone was so supportive of one another, and they all eventually were accepted somewhere. I still talk to them over the phone every once in a while."
Tooru put her free arm into the air as she proclaimed, "Me next!" After putting down her chopsticks and arm, she explained, "At Keito, almost everyone applied to a hero academy in my class. I was one of the few that got accepted, and for a short while, I was popular again."
Uh oh, Izuku thought.
"It reminded me of how everyone was once my quirk manifested during daycare all those years ago. But you know how fickle people can be when it comes to popularity. So it was no big surprise that within a few weeks, things were back to normal. I didn't let it bother me, though. I was about to go to a new school with new potential friends."
Midoriya knew better, though. It probably did bother her. A lot. But this wasn't the place or time to bring it up. However, the experience did spur him to speak finally. "In Shizuoka, I went to Orudera. Everyone in my class applied to a hero program, and I was laughed at for applying. I still hadn't manifested my quirk at that point. But, my quirk did eventually surface, and I passed. Kacchan and I were the only ones to be accepted anywhere. I expected backlash, but a good chunk of the class was generally excited for me. Those last few weeks of school were not that bad."
Tooru then said, "Question is though. Did they now respect you cause you got into U.A. or because you now had a quirk?"
"Going by with all my experiences with them from the years before, I believe it was just because I now had a quirk." Izuku then sighed. He knew this, of course, back then, but he brushed it aside because, for the first time in forever, he was not looked down upon. It wasn't right. He couldn't just forget what it meant to be quirkless. There were others just like him that were experiencing what he did now and will continue to in the future. Midoriya pondered if there was anything he could ever do about it. Or was time the only answer?
Eraserhead cleared his throat before stating, "Well, this has been insightful." He looked over at Mashirao and said, "Told you it was a good question to ask."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry for doubting you, sensei."
Everyone then focused on their meals with small chit-chat here and there about plans for New Year's and hopes for the third term. Once dinner was over, Tenya got the group's attention before saying, "I feel now would be the best time to give our gifts for the birthday girl, and I'll start." He then turned to Ochako and held both her hands as he said, "When we get home, I have a dessert prepared for you. I've been working on it these last few months just for you."
Uraraka excitedly proclaimed, "What is it!?"
Ida then raised his right glasses slightly with his right hand as he responded with, "The mystery is the best part."
The birthday girl puffed up her cheeks as she said, "Meanie."
"Uh, I'll go next, I guess," Ojiro stated. Once attention was on him, he asked, "Would you like some Muay Thai lessons, Uraraka-chan?"
"Really? Of course, Ojiro-kun!"
Hagakure crossed her arms as she asked, "Is that really a gift, though? You've given me lessons too during our TAC meetups, remember?"
"Yeah, basic lessons only on defense. Uraraka-chan's grapple moves, while impressive, are her only offensive martial arts. With hard work, I can expand on her arsenal."
Ida nodded as he said, "The logic is sound. Though it sounds like these lessons would be quite intensive and time-consuming."
"Yeah, it's not something we could cover in a weekly meeting." Mashirao looked to Ochako and extended his hand before asking, "If you're willing to meet with me after school a few times a week, we could make this work."
The birthday girl shook it before saying, "Sounds tough, but in the end, I think it will be worth it. Thank you for the opportunity."
Midoriya brought up his backpack and opened it as he said, "I have my present right here." He took out a box with white and black wrapping paper that had a pink bow on top. Uraraka was quick to open it to reveal a six-inch Thirteen figure.
"Heh. How very nice of you to give her an action figure," Hagakure stated.
"It's my specialty," Izuku said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He then turned to Ochako to say, "It's poseable too."
"Now I have two hero gifts from you. Thanks so much!"
Midoriya remembered, oh right, my All Might plushie. The gift exchange during Christmas was random, and the two ended up getting each other presents. Uraraka's was a bag of mochi chips.
Hagakure had stood up and put an arm around the birthday girl. "My gift is going to have to wait until later tonight to show you. I'm sure it will knock your socks off."
"Did you get me a big stuffed animal or something?"
Izuku couldn't argue against such an idea of Tooru doing that. That was her area of expertise, after all.
"To be honest, that was an idea I had early on, but I think you'll find more use out of this one I got for you."
Momo then pulled out an envelope. "Happy birthday Uraraka-chan!"
Ochako quickly opened it but then jumped up, nearly knocking off her friend once she pulled out the pamphlet from inside it. "An...eight-inch...telescope!"
"You mentioned you liked star gazing, so I got you a new telescope."
Uraraka sat down as she said, "But this must have been really expensive."
Ojiro then stated, "Trust me, after what she gave as a gift during Christmas, this can't compare. Just take it."
Ida nodded upon hearing the statement. He had received Yaoyorozu's gift of three gold bars, which he promptly gave back and explained to her why that wasn't a good idea as a gift.
Hagakure straightened herself out and said, "Uh, eight inches sounds very small. How can it be that expensive?"
Midoriya replied, "It's referring to the size of the lens. I believe Uraraka-chan currently has a four-inch scope, so it's a big upgrade."
"A huge upgrade. Four inches gives you 200x magnification, but an 8 inch gives you 400x. It's a night and day difference," Tenya explained.
Ochako asked, "So is it on its way?"
Momo shook her head before explaining, "It came on Christmas Eve. I already set it up, and the girls should have moved into your room earlier today."
The birthday girl was quick in hugging her friend. "I can show you so much with it. You need to be there when I first use it."
Tooru then said, "That's perfect, actually. Yaoyorozu-chan can also see my gift for you if we do that tonight."
Uraraka's eyes lit up as she asked, "Sleepover?"
"Sure, why not."
Midoriya could only chuckle at the scene. His friend's birthday was turning out to be perfect.
Izuku asked, "So is everything cool between you and Yaoyorozu-chan?"
Mashirao looked at his friend, "I guess you're referring to that lunch when me and her detailed the plan for Uraraka's birthday."
"Yeah. Things seemed a bit tense between you two. Even if only for a moment."
Ojiro looked back at the house of lights in front of them. "Just a difference in opinion on how to go about with the planning. She wanted to spare no expense, and I wanted to keep things in a budget, even if she was willing to pay for everything."
"So, I guess you came to a compromise?"
"Yeah. She got the restaurant idea if she split pay with Ida, and I got us to do this. We never argued about the trip to Fuji-Q Highland. I'm not against spending a bit of cash for friends, but we don't have to break the bank even if she can easily do it."
They had already taken a train back to Tokyo. They were a stop beyond U.A.'s usual station, as the light show was here. It was a wealthy neighborhood that had speculator light displays on their property. Currently, the others were across the street, looking at a particularly impressive mansion.
Midoriya put a hand on his friend's shoulder as he said, "Glad, it's nothing serious."
"We're bound to have arguments. Every couple does. I'd rather be in my shoes than yours Midoriya-kun. Hagakure-chan can be quite stubborn at times."
"Yeah, she can be. Though usually for a good reason."
Mashirao brought up his hands and made an air quote gesture as he said, "Usually."
From across the street, Tooru's voice came. "Hey, boys, we're moving on!"
These were the last two houses on the route. From here, it was about a 20-minute walk back to school. They had already been looking at lights for about half an hour.
As the boys joined with everyone else, Ochako said, "I can't wait to get back. There's still so much more to do today."
"You kids have too much energy," Eraserhead said. He was bringing in the rear.
"You should see me once I have a belly full of desserts sensei," Uraraka stated with glee.
"It might be your birthday, but we're not having another cultural festival incident with sweets," Ida stated with a serious tone.
"Okay, okay. You win, you did make them after all."
A few minutes passed with a lot of chatter between everyone. The group was about to round a corner on the sidewalk before Midoriya heard a grunt from behind. "Something a matter, sensei?"
"Trying to get a hold of Amajiki-san to tell him we're almost back, but I'm getting no signal, which is odd."
The group stopped upon hearing this.
While a few of them pulled out their phones as well, Momo asked, "Is he babysitting Eri-chan today?"
"Yeah, and I just wanted to make sure she was ready for bed before I got back."
"Huh, I got no signal, too," Ochako said.
"Me three," said Mashirao.
"This is dumb," groaned Tooru.
Suddenly a loud crash came from afar.
Aizawa looked up and immediately went wide-eyed as he yelled, "Everyone behind you!"
A split-second turn by everyone revealed a damaged white car with a large rock lodged into its side hurling itself towards everyone.
Midoriya grabbed his girlfriend and Ojiro around the waist and activated Full Cowl. Ida did the same for the other two. However, before either could move from their spot, the vehicle stopped about ten meters away from them in mid-air. It held for a moment but then dropped to the ground in an upright position. The front of it was caved in, and some of the windows were cracked.
As it dropped, the image of two people came apparent — a body on the ground and another walking towards it.
Izuku's jaw dropped, right in front of him were the villains that stopped the trains back in the first term. The one on the ground had to be the electric villain. He wore a sleek black suit with yellow bars as a pattern. Three bars at the waist. Two at the wrist and ankles. One bar on his head, going vertically. Beside him laid a backpack with a similar design. The one standing was the rock villain. He was only wearing pants, and it was evident from his looks that man's quirk was the mutant type. His upper body bulged with muscles and had a dark red skin tone. Large rocks protruded randomly around his upper torso. Finally, he had a bald head and wicked grin currently plastered on his face.
"You are too predictable, man," said the hulking man as he stopped just short of the person laying belly first on the ground. He then lifted him in the air by the neck.
With urgency in his voice, but not too loudly, Eraserhead declared, "Everyone behind that car now!"
The two boys let the four down, and the group did as told. Aizawa got behind the back tire wheel. The boys behind the back door and the girls behind the front.
The rock villain's voice filled the street he said, "So I finally have you in my grasp. I must admit I lost at what I do now though. I figured we would just have these little battles forever. Neither of us truly winning but sure getting a kick out of it. I never considered what I would do if I actually captured you."
The subdued man brought up his right arm to grasp the hand holding his suit. In an electronic voice, he said, "I took you for a smart one. I guess you are just a thrill-seeker at the end of the day. Like a dog chasing a squirrel that gets confused about what to do with it once caught."
Izuku wondered, was he using a voice modulator?
"You are hardly in the position to make insults, my friend."
Eraserhead then took off his jacket revealing his usual black attire underneath. He then held out a hand before saying, "Ida-san, I need it now."
"Right away, sir," the class president answered before opening his backpack to pull out the teacher's signature capturing weapon.
Aizawa took it and wrapped it around his neck as he stated, "Always come prepared students. Anytime, anywhere."
Midoriya then asked in a hushed tone, "You're not going out there alone, are you sensei?"
As Eraserhead took his goggles from his left pocket and put them on, he responded, "Of course not. You all are assisting me, so listen up."
A cliffhanger eh? Sure I've teased stuff at the end of chapters before but I think this the first time I ended one in the middle of a scene. This was done cause what happens next and its aftermath wouldn't mesh well with the theme for most of this chapter. This was also longer than my usual (hasn't been this long since Chapter 27) since I changed how I write dialogue to cut down on wordage bloat.
Let's just dive right into the chapter. Research into Fuji-Q Highland was definitely the highlight here so I could have a very detailed rundown of the first scene. Using google maps, park maps, reading customer reviews, and even watching PoV videos of each ride to be as accurate as possible. For example, the speed of the first ride is based on the 2017 revision it had (originally opened in 2001). I know that the MHA world is set in the future but I would rather go with established data than make up stuff as I go and make unrideable monstrosities cause I don't know roller coaster physics. ;p
I wanted the Museum scene to be some one-on-one time for the main couple as they really wouldn't get much else for the chapter considering everyone else involved. This and the Steakhouse scene were also used to get us up to date with a few canon events. The middle schools everyone mentioned are all canon, though not in real life. All are a continuation of the author's frequent Star Wars references/nods for locations in the series (Hori you big nerd you). I know Momo giving gold bars at the gift exchange was a gag in the manga but it's still pretty crazy (a gold bar is like ~$500,000 or nearly 55 million Yen, and she had given three of them). So her giving a ~40,000 yen telescope (~$360) isn't that radical in comparison. ;p
However, the main draw here is that last scene, even if it wasn't until the very end. I've been setting this up since chapter nine and it's a delight to finally have it come to fruition. And don't worry, I'm not doing a half reveal, we go full in the next chapter!