A/N: Pictured above is a reference of the reader's hero costume. It's meant to resemble something a goddess would wear, but you can obviously imagine it being a bit different. It's basically just flowy and white, with gold highlights.
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"[Name], your costume's finally here! They got the design down just how you wanted it!"
Rui could barely contain her excitement as she tore the costume out of the packaging it had come in, handing it off to you so that you could try it on. Your costume was supposed to be have been ready much earlier, but because of your late start at U.A and having been out of the country at the time, you hadn't been able to sort of the finer details with the design company. With all the planning for the Sports Festival, your costume had been pushed further down the priority list. But finally, it was here. You'd rather wait longer for something of good quality than a cheap, hastily made product any day.
"How does it look?" you smiled, twirling to better show off the gold accents.
"You're gorgeous!" Rui gushed, enthusiastically clapping her hands. Freja had also tuned in to your little fashion show, and if not for being out on work business, you were sure Mikael would've been excited to see you try it on as well.
You flushed a bit. "Thanks. It's a comfortable fit. The fabric is so soft and breathable. I'm sure I'll be able to fight and run around it in no problem. Ah-I should probably get changed into my school uniform, though. Otherwise I'll be late."
Come to think of it, none of my classmates have seen me in my costume before.
The idea of modelling it in front of them had you a little excited. Everyone had such lovely designs of their own, and while yours wasn't anything too flashy, you were happy with the way it had turned out. You hoped that one day just the sight of you in this costume would reassure many that they would be safe.
Izuku had spent his day off resting, as he well should've, with the horrible injuries he'd endured. You'd sent Katsuki a few messages yesterday, but it was clear that he was still extremely upset with how the Sports Festival had ended. Your day of leisure hadn't exactly gone as planned, but you'd gotten to meet Aphrodite in the flesh, which was a step in the right direction.
Now, back in class-
"Aizawa-sensei," you spoke, "I think this is my first time seeing you without all those bandages."
Your homeroom teacher rubbed at his dry eyes. "The treatment was overdramatic in the first place. It wasn't a big deal." There was a discernible scar across his right temple, just underneath his eye. Proof of the injuries he'd sustained back during the attack at USJ. "Putting that aside, we've got something a bit special going on this morning."
"Please not a quiz," you heard Kaminari whisper.
"It's time to formulate your codenames. Your hero names."
The lightning user pumped his fist into the air. "It's not a quiz! And picking out hero names is gonna be dope!"
It would've been an understatement to say that everyone was excited. Aizawa sighed, waited for the class to settle down, then directed your attention towards the board. It was a list of the students who'd obtained the most nominations from pro heroes. Shouto was first, with a whopping four thousand plus nominations, and Katsuki was a close second.
"Damn, it's so practically black and white!"
"It isn't balanced at all..."
You were a little surprised to find your own name on the board, though it was close to the bottom. Actually, the fact that you'd received any nominations was kind of a shock. Even with all the people watching, you were sure everyone must've been more than confused watching you use your powers. You'd even kissed someone in front of an entire audience. Pros or not, most people probably didn't want to enlist some seemingly promiscuous girl whose powers were still a mystery.
I wonder who nominated me... and why didn't Izuku-kun get any votes at all? He put up such a good fight.
Apparently, regardless of whether or not you'd received any nominations, U.A would still be ensuring that all of the Hero Course students would be receiving some form of workplace experience, though having options was certainly preferable.
At this point, Aizawa was stepping down from the front to allow Midnight to take over. It was time to decide on your hero names.
"Froppy", "Red Riot", "Tsukuyomi".
These were just a few of the names your classmates had come up with. Ironically, the most memorable of the bunch was "King of Explodo-kills", though Katsuki was quickly shut down for that one (but not before you proceeded to tease him endlessly about it). Izuku had decided to embrace the name his former childhood friend had used as an insult for years and decided to find a new meaning within it. You were almost up, and even though there was a clear image in your mind, you still had doubts.
Aphrodite.
You wondered if it was really okay to use that as your hero name. You weren't a goddess yourself, just a descendant. Maybe it was overly pretentious to imagine yourself as such, and maybe you should've been trying to search for a different path, not imitate her. Still, after your meeting the other day, you felt a sense of pride within your heart. Right. It's not like you were trying to imitate her. It was okay to use that name as a symbol; a reminder of what kind of person you aspired to be. Powerful but kind, loving and benevolent.
"Oh, what an interesting choice!" Midnight praised, watching as you flipped your whiteboard over. "Your hero name is making reference to the Goddess of Love from Greek mythology, correct?"
You nodded. "Yeah. I thought it might tie in nicely with the type of powers I have. I guess I want my hero name to leave a lasting impression on others, while bringing them comfort as well."
"I think it's a lovely choice. It suits you!"
Suits me, huh?
You accepted the praises of your classmates with a modest smile. You weren't imitating her. She'd even said it herself-that you were an admirable, genuine person. You would do your very best to uphold that image. You'd be someone worthy of this title.
*****
You were thankful for your lunch break. After meeting Aphrodite yesterday and now with internships just around the corner, you had a lot to think about. Based on the numbers alone, it didn't sound like you had that many options, but you supposed you should be happy to have even been nominated at all. Maybe you'd really like one of the offers you'd gotten.
Izuku and them were already seated at their table, but you were all really concerned for Iida. The news of his brother being injured by that notorious villain, the Hero Killer... he wasn't saying much, and acting like everything was okay, but you and Izuku had both come to the conclusion that he was putting up a front. To avoid causing concern for others, no doubt, but this was his brother you were talking about. Of course he was allowed to worry.
You finished grabbing your lunch and headed over towards the table yourself. You were lost in your thoughts, admittedly, so you weren't paying much attention to your surroundings and ended up bumping into another student.
"Oh! I'm sorry," you quickly apologized. Your eyes flitted down to their tray. "Hm? Wow... that's a lot of food you've got there!"
"U-Uh..."
The boy you'd just run into had dark blue, nearly black hair, was a good deal taller than you, and had cute, pointed ears. He was averting your gaze, lips pressed into a little squiggle.
"I didn't mean anything bad by it," you reassured. "I was just surprised by all the different things you have on your tray. I didn't even know our cafeteria served takoyaki..."
He was still looking off to the side. "They don't... officially. I asked Lunch Rush to make it especially for me... since I need to eat it for my Quirk."
"Your Quirk?"
"Y-Yes." The boy inhaled sharply, meeting your eyes for the first time. He was noticeably shyer than Izuku. "I'm sorry for bumping into you... I'll get out of your way now." Just as he turned to leave, you instinctively reached out to grab onto his uniform. His eyes widened, confused, and you hurried to drop your hand.
"My bad," you apologized again. "Um, I just wanted to make sure you know that I really didn't mean anything by my earlier comment. And you weren't in my way. I was the one who wasn't looking where I was going and bumped into you. Thanks for not getting upset over it." You adjusted your grip on the tray and smiled. "I'm [Name], from the Hero Department, 1-A. What's your name?"
He stared at you with his dark eyes, lips trembling slightly. "Uh... me? I'm nobody important..."
"I'm sure you're just being modest. Or am I being too pushy? Sorry if that's the case. You don't need to tell me your name if you're uncomfortable."
"No... you're not," he mumbled. "Amajiki Tamaki. That's my name. I'm a third-year..."
An upperclassman!
It was your first time officially meeting someone in an older grade than you. It was kind of exciting. Those who'd been around longer were definitely more familiar with the inner workings of U.A. Different grades even had separate sports festivals. Damn, you really wished you could've seen the older students compete!
"Can I call you Tamaki-senpai then?"
"Senpai-!" Tamaki shrunk back, looking absolutely mortified. His cheeks were flushed bright red. "N-No! If you call me that... I'll seriously die of embarrassment!"
"Oh. Are you okay with just Tamaki-kun?"
He slowly nodded, though his flustered expression didn't show any signs of disappearing. Your own cheeks were starting to get hot. This guy was adorable. Everything about him-the way he looked, the way he spoke, even just his nervous little mannerisms. It was unusual for you to get warm in the face just after meeting someone. Perhaps you had the beginnings of a little crush.
"Let's sit together," you beamed, pulling him along by the sleeve of his uniform. He was almost too shocked to protest, and maybe you were being a little pushy, but you wanted to keep talking with him. "Just for a little bit," you reassured, "unless I'm keeping you from meeting with your friends."
Tamaki watched you sit down at the table. "You want to sit... with me?"
"Of course! Hey-what'd you mean earlier about needing that takoyaki to be made for your Quirk? What kind of powers do you have?"
"I could tell you... but it's a little weird." He slowly sat down, turning away from your eyes once more. You smiled at him from across the table.
"Quirks are all a little weird, when you think about it. Past generations didn't even have them at some point. But I don't think I'd ever single anyone's powers out in that kind of way."
Tamaki looked back at you. "I guess that's true. Well, uh... essentially, what my Quirk does is that it allows me to manifest properties of things I've eaten. For example, if I ate chicken then I could give myself wings, and if I eat this takoyaki I can create t-tentacles."
You listened attentively.
"I-I knew you would think it's gross!" he wailed, covering his expression with his palms. "I've already... heard it so many times... why octopus? It's not my fault it's so useful in battle... ugh!"
"No, no, I don't think it's gross at all!" you reassured. "That actually sounds so cool! Can you manifest several things at a time?"
He peered at you from the gaps in his fingers. "What? Oh... yes. I mean, I've trained so that I'm able to use a lot of them at once. Clams are really useful for offense and defense... when they manifest, they really pack a punch. I can make claws, too-" He stopped, realizing that he'd been talking for longer than he'd intended. "A-Anyways, that's basically it. Sorry I couldn't answer your question faster."
You giggled. "Tamaki-kun, you're way too jumpy. Do I really seem like such a judgmental person?"
"No...? I don't know. I guess not..."
"Well, I promise I'm not," you smiled. "You're so nice to sit with someone you just met and humor their request. And I really do think your Quirk sounds cool! You can probably do a ton of things with it!"
Tamaki slowly pulled his hands away from his face. He was still flushed in the cheeks, and his lips were stuck in that adorable little squiggle. He seemed like such a sweet, stand-up guy. You wondered why he seemed so unsure of himself. Even his Quirk sounded versatile and powerful.
"You kind of remind me of Mirio," he spoke softly. "You're both so positive... completely unlike me."
"Is this Mirio-kun a friend of yours?"
"Yes," he nodded, and you noticed the corners of his lips pulling into a small smile. "He's a very good friend of mine."
You grinned ear-to-ear. "Yay! So that was a compliment, right? Since you just compared me to this good friend of yours!"
"H-Huh?" Once again, his expression flooded with shame. "I didn't mean anything by it! I-I wasn't trying to comment on you, or-ugh! Why do I even bother speaking...?"
"Tamaki-kun, you're so funny!" you laughed.
"Ugh..."
Your friends were probably wondering where you'd run off to, and you didn't want to ditch them for lunch altogether. You'd just been talking this whole time so you hadn't even touched your food. Tamaki looked like he was just about at his wits' end, too. You hoped he wasn't annoyed with you. It'd be really nice if you could get to know him better.
"Thanks for spending this time with me," you smiled, tapping him on the shoulder so that he would raise his head from the table. "You're really fun to be around, Tamaki-kun. If you ever see me in the hallways or in the cafeteria again, don't be a stranger, okay?"
He nodded weakly. "Okay..."
You picked up your tray and bid him a quick goodbye, going off to rejoin your group. The third-year boy was left alone at the table, unwilling to tear his eyes off you as you walked away. He wasn't even aware that he'd been zoned out until someone patted him on the back.
"Yo, Tamaki!" Mirio grinned. "Where'd you head off to? I thought we were meeting over there."
Tamaki stared up at his best friend with rosy cheeks, still very much in a trance. "This super pretty girl was just talking to me... she even asked me to sit down over here with her."
"Oh, score! Tell me all about her!"
"No... she was too pretty," Tamaki grimaced, "and way too nice. It must've been a dare. Someone dared her to pretend to bump into me and act like she wanted to talk. Oh, the humiliation...!"
Mirio grabbed a seat, resting his cheek against the palm of his hand. He looked his long-time friend over, amused. Tamaki was not above creating such unrealistic scenarios, but it was the first time Mirio had heard of a girl going out of her way to sit down and get to know him.
"I'm sure it's just all in your head," he chuckled. "If she's as nice as you say she was, then there's no way she'd try and do that to someone. Usually when people pretend to act nice, it's pretty easy to spot. Did you ask for her number?"
"Of course I didn't," Tamaki groaned. "Just look at me."
"It's like I always say, Tamaki. Have more confidence!" Mirio beamed, shaking the boy by the wrist. "You're in U.A's Big Three, remember? And this girl didn't even know that. Just wait until she finds out! I'm sure she'll be even more impressed by you! What's her name, by the way?"
Tamaki traced his fingers over the table, surprised by how vividly he was able to recall all the finer details of your appearance. It was the first time such a beautiful girl had ever spoken to him, and so kindly, at that. He regretted not having the courage to ask you to stay longer.
"[N-Name]," he blushed.