Special thanks to Sunny @sunnys_stories24 for the lovely drawing of Izumina in the thumbnail. Go check out her profile and story A Hero's Journey which just reached 1k reads. (Congratulations girl, you deserve it!). Her other fics are all amazing too so be sure to check them all out! Especially if you're a fan of HunterXHunter, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Fairytale. Her Fairytale x BNHA fic is *chef kiss*
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Izumina wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly. Bakugou Katsuki had said sorry? What for? Bakugou had never been the kind to apologize after a fight, let alone after hurting someone's feelings, for that matter. Izumina didn't know what it meant, yet somehow, it made her feel like there was hope. Hope for their friendship after all of this was over.
Izumina relaxed in Bakugou's arms. Her hand released its hold on his top so that she could wipe her face. However, as she relaxed, Bakugou tensed. Izumina hadn't realized the boy's gaze had fallen to Izuku's broken body next to them. She hadn't realized how vulnerable he had let himself be, even if it was only for a moment, and worst of all, she hadn't realized how badly Bakugou wanted to stay mad at her.
Almost as soon as the tender moment had come, it vanished.
Izumina and Bakugou pulled apart as All Might and a white robot entered through the hole in the side of the building. Shakily, Izumina stood and walked to Izuku's side, wasting no time in helping All Might get Izuku onto the stretcher that the robot was towing behind it.
"To the nurse's office," All Might ordered the robot in a solemn voice.
"I know," the robot responded in a high-pitched, mechanical tone.
Bakugou watched, silently as Izumina limped after the robot. Izumina would've followed them to the nurse's office if All Might hadn't placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
Izumina's eyes followed Izuku and the robot until they were out of sight before falling to the ground. The loose hair that hadn't been tied into her ponytail falling over her eyes.
A couple of paces away Bakugou stood, shaking, as he stared in horror at his trembling hand. 'My right...' Bakugou thought. 'Deku predicted it... On top of that... he found a way to win the exercise...' Bakugou's hand curled into a fist just as All Might looked over.
With All Might's sudden movement, Izumina too looked over at the boy. The way he stared at his hand... and the way his eyes were wide and frantic... it reminded Izumina of that day in the hospital. The blood on her hands, literally and figuratively, as her mother slipped away in the room across the hall.
"Katsuki--" Izumina mumbled, stepping towards the boy.
Bakugou's breathing quickened as a detrimental realization came crashing down on him. 'Does that mean... even if we fought all-out... Deku would completely beat...?' His breathing was getting faster. Anxiety bubbling up inside of him.
Izumina was all too familiar with the feeling of anxiety. The excruciating tightness of one's chest, the hopelessness and fear... She moved towards the boy, but before she could reach him, All Might placed a hand on his shoulder. Izumina hadn't realized he'd moved.
"Come back, Young Bakugou." All Might said as Bakugou gasped, startled by his grip. The boy's eyes shot up, only to meet Izumina's sympathetic ones. "It's time to review the results... Whether you win or lose, looking back and learning from your experiences is a part of life."
Normally, Izumina found it was easiest to work through an anxiety attack alone-- Then again, she'd never been one to get others involved in her problems. Those were for her, and her alone-- However, despite all that, what All Might just said seemed to have worked on Bakugou.
All Might turned his attention to Izumina. "Young Yūsha, can you continue with the next group?"
Izumina wanted to visit Izuku in the nurse's office but knew she'd committed to training with the rest of her classmates. "Yes. I just need a minute to recuperate."
All Might nodded in understanding before leading the students back to the monitor room to join the rest of their class. As they went, Izumina tried talking to Bakugou.
"Katsuki... Are you okay?"
Bakugou refused to meet Izumina's eyes as he barked his response. "Fucking fantastic, freckles."
"Kacchan..." Hesitantly, Izumina tried to place a hand on Bakugou's shoulder. Without another word, Bakugou shrugged her off and quickened his pace to avoid walking next to her. 'Great,' Izumina thought. 'I guess we're back to nicknames and not talking to each other.' Izumina sighed, rubbing the fading cut on her cheek, that had reappeared for the first time since she'd received it at the entrance exam. 'And just when I'd thought there was hope...'
...
Back in the monitor room, All Might addressed the class as Izumina, Bakugou, Uraraka, and Iida stood facing the others. "Well, even if I said that, the MVP for this battle was Young Iida!"
Iida flinched next to Izumina upon hearing his name, turning towards All Might confoundedly.
"It's not any of the winners, Ochako, Midoriya, or Izumi?" Izumina recognized Tsuyu's voice from amongst the group.
"Hmm, well... Why is that? Does anyone know?"
"Yes, Mr. All Might," Momo spoke up, raising a hand. "That is because Iida adapted the most to the context of the training. From watching the match, it appears Bakugou acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge. And as Mr. All Might said earlier, it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors."
Izumina turned her head to the side to face Bakugou. The boy's expression was unreadable as his bangs covered his eyes.
"In the same way, taking into consideration the damage he received, Midoriya's plan was also rash," Momo continued. "As for Uraraka... She and Izumi let their guards down mid-battle, and her final attack was too reckless. If she treated the paper-mache as a real weapon, she would not have been able to do something so dangerous. Iida had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon, which made him late in responding to the final attack. The hero team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They were practically breaking the rules."
Iida smiled proudly, placing a hand over his heart as he took in Momo's words.
"Other than Iida, Izumi was the only one to get into her role as a hostage. She escaped as soon as she could and relayed the information she knew to the other heroes. What made her reckless, though, was her clearly personal relationship with Bakugou and Midoriya. She was too invested in their fight and, if not for Bakugou, would've injured herself more trying to help Midoriya with a quirk clearly not meant for healing."
Izumina slouched dejectedly, internally scolding herself for crying on camera in front of her classmates on the first real day of school.
The class, as well as All Might, stared in shock at Momo. Surprised at how much more she'd had to say than expected. "W-well," All Might stuttered, "Young Iida also has parts of him that could be more relaxed, but well, that was correct!"
"Which reminds me..." Momo spoke. "Will Izumi be able to continue with the remainder of the battles? It would be wise to give her a break before continuing."
The class turned towards Izumina, expressions of concern masking their thoughts of sympathy.
Izumina felt herself shrink as the embarrassment of crying once again washed over her. "I-I'm fine, really," Izumina stuttered as she avoided direct eye contact with any of her peers. The wounds from earlier had re-healed themselves already, and her arm had stopped trembling. Izumina forced herself to meet Momo's gaze after realizing this, hoping to put her friends' worries at ease. "I just need some water and I should be good to go."
Momo nodded understandingly before reaching into her stomach. A mixture of blue and pink sparkles surrounded her hand before it emerged with a glass, filled with a clear substance Izumina assumed was water. Momo stepped towards Izumina and offered the drink up kindly.
"Thanks, Momo." Izumina hummed as she graciously took the glass. "Your quirk is truly incredible."
Momo smiled before turning towards the class and speaking once more. "We should always start with the basics to develop depth of learning. We must strive to devote ourselves wholeheartedly. Otherwise, we cannot become top heroes."
Izumina took a sip of water from the glass as she stared respectively at Momo. 'No wonder she got in on recommendations,' Izumina thought.
"All right everyone," All Might spoke, "let's change locations and start the second match. Tackle this training after thinking about what we just talked about."
"Right, sir." The class saluted as All Might selected two new teams. "Team B are the heroes, and Team I are the villains!"
All Might gestured for the students among those teams to follow him before leaving the monitor room. Izumina chugged the last of her water before handing the glass back to Momo. "Thanks again," Izumina said, bowing slightly before running after All Might.
"No problem," Momo replied. "Just don't overexert yourself!"
Izumina spun on her heels to give Momo a thumbs up before jogging out the door.
"Do your best," Kirishima yelled after her, his passionate voice following her out of the room.
"Good luck," another person called, this time Mina.
Izumina smiled to herself as she caught up with her group. Even if she had only known these people a short while, she counted herself lucky to have found such good friends in them.
"Match two," All Might announced as they approached, what he called, Battle Building B.
Izumina, who up until now had been oblivious, finally took the time to see who she'd be working with and fighting against. She immediately recognized Shoji, whose multiple limbs and tall stature stood out in any crowd, and upon closer look Toru Hagakure, who wore nothing but gloves and boots. Izumina guessed that it was her hero costume; however, the thought of the girl being naked made her slightly uncomfortable. She would never be able to walk around comfortably like that, invisible or not. For that, Izumina had to give Hagakure kudos.
Next to Hagakure was a boy with a large tail, wearing what looked to be a white karate uniform. Izumina didn't know his name but recalled seeing him around in the past couple of days.
Finally, Izumina's gaze fell on a boy with ice covering half of his body. She hadn't realized it at first glance, but despite not being able to see his ever so eye-catching flaming red hair and scar, Izumina recognized the boy to be none other than Shoto Todoroki.
Izumina made her way behind tail-boy and Hagakure towards the building, waving at the hero team as they stopped to receive their coms and capture-tape from All Might. "I guess I'll see you in there, team."
Shoji waved with three of his hands, his mask moving ever so slightly as he smiled behind it. Despite appearances and the limited amount of time she'd known him, Izumina believed Shoji to be a genuinely good guy. Todoroki, on the other hand, nodded coldly in Izumina's direction, his deadpan expression unreadable.
Izumina turned to enter the building, chalking up Todoroki's action to simple nerves. But before she could do so, a large hand planted itself on her shoulder.
"Are you sure you're alright to continue," All Might asked in a lowered voice.
Izumina smiled, remembering how far this man had brought her and Izuku in the past year. Without him, she wouldn't know what would be of them. They certainly wouldn't be at U.A. Izumina resolved to finish this match fast, and then the next one, and the next one. The sooner she could leave to check on Izuku, the better.
"I got this."
All Might nodded, releasing his hold on her shoulder. Without another word, Izumina entered the building.
Trailing behind tail-boy and Hagakure, Izumina was careful to memorize the layout of the front hallway, knowing that it would come in handy later.
"So Izumi," Hagakure spoke once the three of them had entered the room with the bomb. "How does this hostage thing work?"
Izumina smirked slightly, recalling how Bakugou had made a point of teasing her once she'd been tied up. "Well the last villains tied me to the bomb... but I'm sure a pole or something would do the trick too. Doesn't matter to me."
Tail-boy approached the girls with an arm full of rope. "We could use this," he suggested, addressing Hagakure.
Hagakure took the rope and proceeded to secure Izumina against a nearby support beam. "Is this okay, Izumi? Not too tight?"
Izumina smiled. "Well, it can't be too loose. Otherwise, it would defeat the whole purpose. But yeah, I'm fine." Just for good measure, Izumina squirmed to show that the rope was indeed secure.
"By the way," tail-boy spoke, stretching his arms as he did so. "You did really well in the first battle."
Izumina thanked the boy before continuing with introductions. "By the way, I don't believe I know your name yet...?"
The boy smiled before bringing his arms down and pointing to himself. "I'm Mashirao Ojiro, and you're Izumina Yūsha, right?"
"That's me. Pleasure to officially meet you, Ojiro!"
"Likewise."
"Ojiro," Hagakure interrupted, causing both Izumina and Ojiro to look over at where the girl should be, though, with her invisibility quirk, they were left to stare at the girl's gloves. "I'm going to get serious. I'll take off my gloves and boots, too!"
"O-okay." Ojiro nodded before awkwardly scratching his cheek and looking away.
'At least he's a gentleman,' Izumina thought, flushing pink at her classmate's indifference to saying something so bold. 'I mean, even if it's awkward, it makes sense with her quirk...'
"You can't look, okay?" Hagakure stuttered as she discarded her garments in the corner of the room.
"I can't see you even if I tried."
Izumina giggled slightly at the pair's awkward exchange. It felt good having the attention off her.
Just then, All Might's voice boomed over the building's loudspeaker. "Now, let's start the second indoor person-to-person combat training match!" A sound, similar to that of a hockey buzzer went off, signalling the start of the training.
"Well," Izumina stated, looking over at the two 'villains.' "It's been a pleasure, but I'm afraid I must be off now."
Ojiro and Hagakure stared at her questioningly. Izumina could only assume both of them had an eyebrow raised at her, considering she still couldn't see Hagakure's face. Izumina closed her eyes, visualizing the hall from earlier, before teleporting without a trace. Leaving behind a very confused and shocked pair of students.
Izumina rematerialized in front of the door where she had entered the building, just as she'd planned, accidentally startling Shoji as she did so. The boy, whose dupli-arms were extended outwards, with ears exuding from the ends instead of hands, flinched as Izumina made her presence known with a friendly "Hey."
Awkwardly, Izumina stepped forwards and patted the back of Shoji's middle arm. "Sorry, Shoji. I didn't mean to startle you."
Shoji exhaled, transforming his hand-ear into a mouth as Todoroki approached the two from behind. "It's fine," he reassured before addressing Todoroki. "Sounds like there's movement in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor. The other is somewhere on the same floor..."
"Hagakure was barefoot before I left," Izumina piped in.
"The invisible one is coming to ambush and capture us, huh?"
Todoroki, who had yet to utter a word, walked between Izumina and Shoji. "It's a good thing you got here, Yūsha. Now, go outside. It's dangerous."
Izumina stuttered at the boy's command. "What?! But- but, I want to help. I'm technically on the hero team too, you know."
Todoroki turned towards the girl, with a look of annoyance. "I meant both of you."
"Oh..." Izumina flushed as Shoji shrugged and stepped towards the door.
As Shoji exited the building, Todoroki walked further down the hallway. "I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle...but that does not matter to me."
Raising a frosty hand, Izuminia finally realized what Todoroki's plan was. Ignoring Shoji, who had already left, Izumina stepped forwards. "Todoroki."
Todoroki paused. "Shouldn't you be outside?"
Izumina hesitantly trudged forwards. "Ice has no effect on me. I can manipulate water and fire, so there's no true danger in me staying. Besides, my job as a hostage is to assist the heroes with my information. I know the exact room the bomb is in, so it makes sense for me to stay. Unless you prefer, I leave?"
"I can do it myself," Todoroki deadpanned, frustrating Izumina for what seemed like the millionth time since she'd met him two days ago.
"So can I."
That caught the boy's attention. It must've been the first non-friendly thing he'd heard her say to anyone. He didn't think she'd have it in her.
Exhaling, Todoroki gave in and gestured for Izumina to come closer to him. He held out an arm just as she'd joined him at his side. "Stay behind me until the ice settles."
Izumina smiled, taking a step back as Todoroki once again raised a frosty hand. He pressed his palm to the wall, immediately covering the surface in a thick layer of ice. The ice travelled down the hallway, and up the stairs, until even the outside of the building was encased in Todoroki's brilliant quirk. Izumina had to admit, the boy had an impressive power.
Tilting his head to the side, Todoroki analyzed Izumina. "Where to?" Todoroki challenged the girl, noticing the ice around her boots and waiting for her to ask him to free her.
Without moving, Izumina released her fire quirk, focusing her energy into the soles of her feet. The ice around her boots melted instantaneously. The force of the mini-blast, which she sometimes used to propel herself into the air, caused her to hop on the spot. She turned towards Todoroki with a look of indifference, mimicking the one he always graced her with.
"Fourth floor. Third door to the left."
Todoroki's eyebrows raised slightly, the first sign of emotion he had displayed in Izumina's presence other than annoyance or indifference. The boy's expression quickly fell back into his usual one; however, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't impressed by the girl's actions. Unfortunately, in such a prestigious school, Todoroki reminded himself he had no intention of making friends. After all, his whole existence was to surpass All Might. To do what his father couldn't...
Izumina examined the boy as he tore his infatuating blue/grey eyes away from her. "Let's finish this quickly."
It wasn't long before Todoroki and Izumina reached the fourth floor. The sound of crackling ice echoing from under their feet as they walked. Izumina pointed towards the door she remembered Ojiro and Hagakure being in before following Todoroki into the room.
As soon as they'd entered, Ojiro got into a fighting stance, raising his arms as his feet, like Hagakure's, were trapped in ice.
"You can move if you want, but the skin on your feet will come off, so you won't be able to fight your best," Todoroki spoke in a monotone as usual, though Izumina noticed a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Exhaling, Izumina's breath appeared as a misty cloud before her. "Sorry Hagakure, Ojiro," she sympathized. Despite being proud of their swift victory, she felt the need to apologize for Todoroki's harsh statement. However, something about the boy's bluntness fascinated her. She couldn't help but admire that trait.
Todoroki tilted his head towards the faux-bomb. "Same time?" Despite his resolve to avoid making friends, Todoroki knew that Izumina deserved acknowledgement for her efforts. Not many people could go head-to-head with his ice.
Todoroki and Izumina each placed a hand on the bomb, and, just like that, the match was theirs. The boy glanced over at Izumina before using the hand he had on the object to defrost the building.
"Heat?" Ojirou exclaimed as he struggled to look over his shoulder at what Todoroki was doing.
In an instant, vapour appeared around Todoroki's hand, and the ice melted into puddles of warm water at their feet.
Izumina pulled her hand away, staring down at her palm in awe at the warmth she had just experienced. She had always had an unusually high tolerance for heat, but something about Todoroki's quirk just felt... different. Like a spark... It made her stomach flutter.
"It's- It's- It's hot," Hagakure exclaimed as warm water dripped from the ceiling like rain.
"Sorry," Todoroki stated, mimicking Izumina. His gaze left Izumina's as he turned towards Ojiro. "The difference in our ability was too great."
With a final glance in Izumina's direction, Todoroki exited the room.
"Don't take what he says to heart," Izumina sighed once she was sure the boy was out of earshot. "I think you guys could've put up a good fight if you had known about his quirk beforehand. Good match."
Ojiro smiled half-heartedly at Izumina, hoping to express his appreciation for the girl's statement as Hagakure put on her boots. "Thanks."
With that, the three of them exited the building, Izumina stopping to high five Shoji for their win before the four students followed Todoroki towards the monitor room. Izumina's gaze staying on Todoroki's back until then.
...
After that, the battles came quicker and quicker.
In the third match, which continued in Battle Building C, Izumina was paired with Team H, consisting of Tsuyu and a boy with a bird-head. Izumina exchanged introductions with the boy and discovered his name was Fumikage Tokoyami. Izumina complimented the boy's seemingly powerful quirk, Dark Shadow, before the battle began. Izumina couldn't help but find the bird silhouette of Dark Shadow adorable as it nuzzled against her cheek.
Tokoyami noted how it was the first time anyone had addressed dark shadow as a consciousness separate from himself.
Izumina smiled. "Well, I hope that's okay. From the way you described your quirk, it sounded like Dark Shadow was more of a companion than a controllable object. If you'd prefer, I won't address him separately."
"No no," Tokoyami replied. "It's nice to have someone understand that his actions are not always my own. I can't always control dark shadow... It's especially hard to control him in the dark."
Izumina smiled. "I've got you covered, Tokoyami. With my fire, you don't have to worry about that. Does he, Dark Shadow?" Izumina cooed as Dark Shadow continued to nuzzle her cheek.
"You've got a powerful quirk, Tokoyami," Tsuyu croaked. "But with Dark Shadow acting the way he is right now, it makes you seem kind of... cute."
Izumina couldn't help but laugh as Tokoyami flushed a shade of deep pink. If that was even possible with the black feathers that covered his head.
The battle commenced, and Izumina entered the building with Kirishima and a boy with oddly shaped elbows. Izumina smiled as the boy introduced himself as Hanta Sero. Amid introductions, the two boys forgot to tie Izumina up, and once the buzzer rang, Izumina teleported away. Pausing to wish them luck before disappearing.
...
Pausing for yet another drink of water, courtesy of Momo, after the battle, Izumina reentered the training grounds with Hero Team G and Villain Team C.
Izumina approached the building they would be using alongside Jirou, Momo, Mineta, and a boy with electric blond hair.
"It'll be fun to be on the same team, Izumi," Jirou spoke.
"Yeah," Izumina responded. "I'm sure we'll be a great team!"
"Hey there, Yūsha," the boy with electric blond hair said as he slid between the girls to be by Izumina's side. "I'm Kaminari. Denki Kaminari. I'm sure you and me will make a great team too."
Izumina smiled awkwardly. "Um... We're on the same team, but yeah, I'm sure we will. Jirou, you and I," Izumina corrected. "Also, I'd prefer it if you called me Izumi."
Kaminari's face lit up. "Wow! First name basis already? Alright, Izumi... What do you say you and me go out after school today?"
Izumina spluttered. "Go out?! You mean... like... on a date?!"
"What d'ya say? I'm sure we'd make a great team."
Izumina felt her face heat up at Kaminari's advances. She'd never been asked on a date before. "Umm... Well.... Well, I..."
Just then, Jirou's earphone jack lodged itself in Kaminari's ear, causing the boy to flinch and shriek. "She's not interested, dunce. We have a match to focus on."
Izumina couldn't help but laugh as Kaminari pouted in Jirou's direction.
"Obviously she'd be more interested in a man like me," Mineta proclaimed in a nasal voice.
Izumina laughed at the boy's childish conversation. "Oh yes," Izumina said sarcastically. "I'm just head over heels for boys who come up to my hip."
Mineta blushed a deep shade of red at Izumina's teasing, having never had a girl not immediately shoot him down.
"So that date," Kaminari asked, a playful smirk playing against his fake pout.
Izumina, having regained her composure after her initial shock, gave Kaminari finger-guns. "Maybe another time, teammate," she responded as she followed Momo and Mineta towards the building.
"Tomorrow?" Kaminari joked, earning a smack on the head from Jirou.
Izumina laughed as Kaminari smiled innocently in her direction. He might be a flirt, but Izumina thought he was fun to be around. Something about the boy reminded her of Kirishima, and how they'd clicked almost immediately at the Entrance Exam. 'I love my class,' Izumina thought to herself as she entered the building, once again making a mental note of the hallway by the door.
Once in the room with the bomb, Momo began creating metal beams to help barricade the door to the room. Mineta tried to tie Izumina against a support beam, but luckily, Momo noticed the expression on the boy's face and insisted that she do it instead.
"Ouch," Izumina yelped unintentionally as the rope pressed hard against her chest. "W-Would you mind making it a little lower?"
"Oh sure. Sorry," Momo replied, noticing her mistake.
"It's fine."
As Momo bent down to re-fasten the knot, Mineta blushed and shot the girls a creepy thumbs up. Momo stood and glowered at the boy as Izumina sweat-dropped, her lips stuck in an awkward grin as an uncomfortable chuckle escaped her throat.
Similarly to the previous battles, as soon as the buzzer went, Izumina teleported to the entrance of the building, reuniting with the hero team in time to take on the villains.
Jirou used her earphone jacks to listen for any movement before Izumina and Kaminari went on to face Momo and Mineta.
...
In the final battle trial, Izumina was beginning to get restless. She wanted to check on Izuku soon. The training had already taken up enough of her time, and at that point, Izumina just wanted the day to end so she could be there for her friend.
After reviewing the previous battle, Izumina set off with Aoyama, Mina, and two boys she hadn't met yet. Grateful to be on a team with people she already had a bond with, Izumina bid the hero team farewell and followed the boys into the building.
Izumina made conversation as the quieter of the boys looked around for some rope.
"You've got a powerful quirk, Yūsha," a boy with full lips praised. "After watching you escape the ropes every match, I don't think we should even bother tying you up."
Izumina chuckled nervously, silently praying the boy wouldn't question the extent of her quirks abilities. "I mean, it's up to you... uh."
"Sato," the boy interjected. "Rikido Sato."
"Sato," Izumina finished. "And your name is...?"
The other boy, whose head was oddly shaped and jagged at the top, shrunk in on himself as Izumina regarded him directly. "K-Koda," he whispered, clearly struggling against his blatant shyness.
Izumina smiled at the boy, endeared by his quiet demeanour. "Please, call me Izumi."
Koda visibly relaxed upon hearing Izumina's soft voice as Sato smiled kindly.
With that, the match began, and once again, Izumina teleported away. Taking a second to bid the villain team good luck before leaving.
"Bonjour," Izumina greeted Aoyama as she rematerialized by his side.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle," Aoyama responded in his signature French accent.
"Izumi! You're here," Mina squealed excitedly as she came to an abrupt stop. It was then that Izumina realized the girl had been using an acid-like substance to slide across the floors.
'Acid must be her quirk,' Izumina noted. "Hey, Mina. Let's do our best!"
Mina grinned before squealing once more and shouting "Yahoo!" Acid spewing from the palms of her hands as she threw them in the air.
Some droplets landed on Aoyama's cape and proceeded to burn two holes right through the sparkly fabric. "Ahhh," Aoyama drawled as he stared in horror at his cape. Izumina recalled how proud he'd been of it earlier.
"Sorry, sorry!"
Izumina laughed as Mina clapped her hands together, her face flushing an even deeper shade of pink than normal.
"By the way, Izumi," Mina spoke, turning away from Aoyama as he grieved the destruction of his beautiful cape. "While I was in the monitor room, I got everybody's numbers for the class group chat. Since you're one of the first people to give me your number I already added you. I'll be adding everyone else later today."
Izumina smiled. "Awesome! A class group chat was a fantastic idea, Mina."
Mina chuckled. "Thanks! Now let's win this thing!"
"Right," Izumina responded, turning towards Aoyama. "You ready, team?"
Aoyama, finally looking up from his cape, nodded in the girls' direction before the three of them took off down the hall.
...
"Good work everyone!"
The class was gathered by the exit of the faux-city, All Might standing before them as the day's lesson came to a close.
"We didn't have any major injuries other than Young Midoriya, either! You guys took this on seriously. You all did a good job for your first training!" All Might gave the class a thumbs up.
"To have such a proper class after Mr. Aizawa's..." Tsuyu spoke, causing the whole class to shudder as memories of their first day came flooding back. "It's kind of anticlimactic..." Many students nodded in agreement.
Izumina was eager for the class to end so she could check on Izuku. Surely All Might would excuse her from her next class so she could go with him. He must be eager to check on his successor too, after all.
As the class murmured amongst themselves, Izumina's gaze fell on Bakugou, whose bangs covered his eyes as he stared at the pavement beneath his feet.
"We're free to have proper classes, as well," All Might exclaimed, throwing both arms out dramatically. "Well then, I must review the results with Young Midoriya! Change and return to the classroom!"
As All Might was about to run off, he locked eyes with Izumina, who hesitantly raised her hand and cleared her throat to gain his attention. "All Might... May I go see Izuku too?"
The class was silent as Izumina spoke but took up their murmuring again once she had finished.
"Oh yeah, he seemed really badly hurt."
"We should all check on him!"
"Let's do it!"
All Might sighed. "We can't have all of you going. Recovery Girl needs space in her office when dealing with injuries..." All Might kept his eyes locked with Izumina's, who pleaded silently for him to let her come. "But... I understand you're all concerned... one of you may come with me as a representative for the class."
Izumina's breath hitched.
"Yūsha asked first, so unless any of you have any objections..."
Most of the class shook their heads.
"I mean, she's known Midoriya the longest aside from Bakugou."
"They're pretty close."
All Might nodded to himself. "In that case, Yūsha can come down after changing. The rest of you, let your teacher know where she's gone. Until next time... SO LONG!"
With that, All Might took off down the tunnel they had entered from, creating an updraft behind him from sheer speed.
"All Might's amazing," Kaminari exclaimed once the class had gathered their bearings.
"Why was he in such a hurry," Ojiro questioned.
"So cool," Mineta muttered.
Izumina's gaze once again fell on Bakugou, who hadn't seemed to be listening to the class' conversation. His hands were clenched in tight fists at his sides.
Slowly, Izumina wrapped her hand around Bakugou's fist. His grip relaxed involuntarily, allowing Izumina to intertwine her fingers with his. Without uttering a word, knowing that Bakugou was likely still mad at her, she squeezed his hand.
Bakugou grit his teeth and jerked his hand away from Izumina. Sighing, Izumina pulled her hand back before teleporting to the change rooms of the school.
Alone, Izumina changed into her U.A. uniform. Careful to button up the grey blazer before remembering the little yellow pin that belonged on her tie.
Unbeknownst to Izumina, back at the training grounds, Bakugou stood staring intensely at his palm, before once again balling it into a fist and following his classmates into the tunnel that marked their exit.
Inside the girl's change room, Izumina folded her hero costume. Neatly tucking the material back into its case, Izumina exhaled before heading towards the nurse's office, grateful to have finished before her classmates could see her, and the questions about her quirk and history with Izuku and Bakugou could start.
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Author's Note:
Hello, readers! Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been busy with school so I haven't been able to write as much recently. Please accept this extra-long chapter as an apology for that and Happy Belated Halloween for any of you lovely readers who celebrate.
I posted this on my profile a couple of days ago, but to all of you that don't follow me here is an important announcement:
Hey guys, some of you may have noticed I re-uploaded a chapter of 'Becoming A Hero.' The chapter 'As Good As A Father' was re-uploaded because it mentioned Deku's childhood doctor, and I realized upon reading some old BNHA facts that I had written the wrong name for this cannon character. Sorry for any confusion and I hope this won't be too hard to understand later in the story. Also... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 6K READS!! I know I've said this before but honestly I am blown away by how many people have read Becoming A Hero, and I just hope that I can write future chapters worthy of all the love and support this story has been shown. ~❤️
~Author