10 Chapter 10
With Bakugo's behavior constituting multiple felonies, battery and intent to cause bodily harm being the least among them, Izuku wasn't surprised when he was called in for a meeting with Principal Nezu.
"Thank you for coming, Midoriya-kun. It's a shame our reunion couldn't be on a happier note."
Matching Principal Nezu's smile, Izuku replied, "Such is life. Expect the unexpected, as they say."
Exhaling a light-hearted chuckle, Nezu remarked, "Right you are." Then, getting straight to business, he added, "I asked you here to discuss how you would like to handle the situation regarding your classmate, Katsuki Bakugo. You are well within your right to press charges against him, but-"
Interrupting Nezu's statement, Izuku shook his head and revealed, "I've already resolved to leave this matter to the discretion of Principal Nezu and the trustworthy staff of UA. I know better than most that Bakugo isn't genuinely malicious; he simply needs proper guidance."
Waiting until Izuku was finished speaking, Nezu's smile broadened as he asserted, "You truly are a very mature and dependable young man. Rest assured, I can personally guarantee that young Bakugo-kun will receive the best guidance UA can offer. Thank you for your time and cooperation. You may leave now."
Nodding his head, Izuku rose to his feet and prepared to leave Principal Nezu's office. Before he could, Nezu called out to him, adding, "Oh, and I approved your request to use the Support Class facilities. You'll only have access to them on Sundays, but if you're willing to give up your free time, a member of our staff will be more than happy to supervise you."
As UA utilized a 'long week' system, meaning students attended classes Monday through Saturday, they only had Sundays to themselves. Izuku, however, didn't mind sacrificing his free time if it meant being able to use UA's Support facilities and equipment free of charge. Acquiring materials was extremely costly, and many of the more useful items he tried getting his hands on were prohibited to civilians. With the nearly endless budget UA provided the Department of Production and Support, Izuku could save himself a ton of time, energy, and money.
Unable to suppress the urge, a broad smile developed across Izuku's face as he replied, "Thank you for informing me." in an audibly excited tone. He felt his actions were a little childish, but, as a bonafide fourteen-year-old, he quickly forgave himself.
Amused by Izuku's response, Nezu exhaled another light-hearted chuckle before advising, "You should be on your way. And be careful on your way home. Musutafu is one of the safest cities in the prefecture, but, as you so pertinently pointed out, you never know what to expect."
After bowing his head and thanking Nezu for his advice, Izuku departed the former's office with a smile. He was glad he had entrusted Nezu with his 'secret' as the peculiar chimera was quickly becoming one of his most dependable allies. With Nezu being one of the most influential people in Japan and the world's sixth wealthiest 'person,' having his support would make things much easier for Izuku down the line...
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As classes had let out nearly half an hour prior, Izuku was surprised to find Tsuyu and Uraraka standing near the school's front gate, seemingly waiting for him.
Confirming Izuku's suspicions, Uraraka waved her hand and called out to him when she noticed his approach, shouting, "Oh, Midoriya-kun! Let's go to the station together~!" in a cheerful tone.
Though he had initially intended to run home, going so far as to change into his gym clothes, Izuku didn't hesitate to respond, "I would be a fool to refuse the company of two cute girls."
Not expecting Izuku to call them cute out of nowhere, Uraraka laughed nervously while Tsuyu blushed, remarking, "You should be more careful with your words, Izuku-chan. You could cause a misunderstanding if you go around calling every girl you meet cute."
Shaking his head and maintaining a confident smile, Izuku asserted, "I don't go around calling every girl cute, only those I genuinely believe to be charming. I'm willing to withhold such remarks if they make either of you uncomfortable, but I prefer to speak my mind."
Similar to when he had embarrassed her earlier that morning, Tsuyu hung her head slightly and made a muffled groaning sound. As for Uraraka, her face was completely red as she pressed the pink-padded tips of her index fingers together and muttered, "I don't really mind it, but I also agree with Tsuyu...it would be best if you used polite speech until we're a bit closer..." Without missing a beat, Izuku's smile broadened as he said, "Then I look forward to becoming closer to you both. To that end, feel free to address me by my given name in the future. Preferably without the -chan."
Understanding that Izuku's final few words were directed at her, Tsuyu stared back at him with a somewhat blank look as she said, "I add -chan to everyone's name, ribbit."
Instead of contesting the matter, Izuku gave a helpless shrug and said, "Then you're welcome to continue doing so. Just don't complain when I start calling you Tsuyu-chan."
Though her eyes were already remarkably round, Tsuyu managed to appear wide-eyed as she heard Izuku's form of address. It wasn't the first time someone had called her Tsuyu-chan, but it made her heart skip a beat. At the same time, she felt a sudden and intense desire to smack Izuku with her tongue...
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[April 2nd, 2149]
After teasing them the previous day, Izuku wasn't too surprised when Tsuyu and Uraraka, now Ochaco, basically ignored him. They returned his greeting when he called out to them but made no attempt to come over to his seat when he dropped off his stuff. Instead, they sat together in the front row, Uraraka borrowing Ida's seat as the two conversed without him.
Since he had anticipated the duo's reaction, Izuku didn't try to intrude on their discussion. Instead, he took advantage of the fact that Hagakure and Ashido had gathered around Yaoyorozu, the former sitting in Mineta's currently unoccupied seat.
Disregarding the unspoken rule that prohibited boys from interfering in an ongoing discussion between girls, Izuku surprised the trio by asking, "Are you sure you want to sit there, Hagakure-san? If Mineta arrives and finds his seat warm, you may regret it."
Though his words were polite, Izuku mentioning that she was 'warming' Mineta's seat caused Hagakure to blush. It wasn't visible to anyone, but her body language made it clear she was embarrassed as she waved her invisible hands and said, "W-What are you talking about, Midoriya-kun? Mineta-kun was expelled after the Quirk Apprehension Test. He shouldn't be coming to Class."
Maintaining a completely relaxed expression, Midoriya retorted, "Don't be so sure. Even if he was expelled, it's possible for him to be accepted back into the Class. Aizawa-sensei seems like the type to make good on his threats, but I can't imagine him severing the path of a future Hero over a simple test. I imagine he's speaking with Mineta-kun right this instant to explain the significance of yesterday's lesson."
With Izuku's 'speculation' about them being tested on the first day ultimately proving true, Yaoyorozu piggybacked his words, stating, "I believe there is some truth to Midoriya-kun's assertions. You may wish to vacate that seat, Hagakure-san. Minoru Mineta is a very...peculiar boy..."
As the girls had already formed their initial opinions of everyone in the Class, especially the boys, Hagakure practically leaped to her feet after Yaoyorozu's words. She would never say it aloud, but she and the other girls had secretly been relieved when Mineta was the one expelled from the Class. Now that there was even a slight possibility of his return, she regretted her careless act of sitting in his seat...
Amused by Hagakure's reaction, Ashido exhaled a good-natured laugh before teasing, "You're so cute, Hagakure." Then, meeting Izuku's gaze, she added, "And you're pretty bold, Izuku-kun. Not many guys can insert themselves into a girl's conversation as if it's perfectly normal. You must have been pretty popular in middle school."
Shaking his head, Izuku unashamedly revealed, "Quite the opposite. You see, before I turned thirteen, I was Quirkless. I also had a fairly nervous disposition and neglected my physical appearance, so I was often bullied and regarded as a 'nerd' due to my obsession with Hero Statistics. It was only after I obtained my Quirk that I managed to get myself together and became the man I am today."
Hearing Izuku unabashedly call himself a 'man,' a light-hearted chuckle emanated from Ashido's throat. She couldn't deny he gave off a mature, somewhat dependable aura, but it was difficult to distinguish how much of his behavior was an act. This wasn't her first time dealing with a boy who had undergone a drastic 'transformation,' so only time could reveal how much of Izuku's behavior was genuine.
Voicing the thoughts of the other two girls, Yaoyorozu remarked, "It's pretty rare for someone to awaken their Quirk so late. If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is the nature of your ability...?"
Though he was hoping for a bit of empathy concerning the fact he was bullied for being Quirkless, Izuku wasn't too disappointed as most of that was experienced by the original. He had inherited the latter's memories, but, much like he lacked a proper mother-son bond with Inko, he never experienced the stress, fear, and anxiety that 'Deku' had to live with every day since the revelation of his Quirklessness.
"To be honest, I'm still familiarizing myself with its capabilities. I've only had it for around two years, so there's a lot I don't understand. For the most part, it periodically allows me to enhance my strength, speed, and intellect. I'm currently maintaining a balance between all three."
Blinking in surprise, Yaoyorozu questioned, "Does that mean you're even stronger and faster than you demonstrated yesterday?"
Nodding his head, Izuku clarified, "If I invested all of my energy into pure strength or speed, I'd be about three times as strong or fast. However, as my body takes time to adapt to the changes, I would risk harming myself if I focused on a single one."
Rejoining the conversation, Ashido pointed out, "Even so, your Quirk sounds amazing. Mine mostly just allows me to produce corrosive liquid. I can control the pH levels, but there are a ton of downsides. Just imagining how much I'll have to pay in reparations and property damage is enough to make me lose sleep."
Seizing the opportunity to dish out some compliments, Izuku attempted to comfort Ashido by casually remarking, "Look on the bright side. You're cute and have a somewhat exotic appearance. Mt. Lady also causes a ton of property damage, but she's moving up the HBC like crazy. You should have no trouble emulating, potentially even exceeding her performance."
Slugging Izuku in his arm, Ashida couldn't restrain a smile as she said, "You little tease. I was wondering why Asui and Uraraka were behaving strangely. Casting your net pretty wide, aren't you?"
Instead of refuting Ashido's claim, Izuku pretended to massage the pain from his shoulder as he questioned, "Can you blame me? All the girls in our Class are super cute. I know it's not why we came here, but I would be an idiot if I didn't at least try and establish a positive rapport with each of you."
Amused by Izuku's honesty, Ashido's smile broadened as she said, "You really are bold. You also seem like a pretty fun guy to be around, so the two of us should hang out sometime. There's a neat little cafe not too far from campus. How about accompanying me there after school?"
Realizing that Ashido was asking him out, the gears in Izuku's mind came screeching to a halt. She wasn't wrong when she said he was casting his net wide, so he didn't expect to catch anything so quickly...
Even more amused after seeing Izuku tense, Ashido narrowed her eyes and agreed on his behalf, saying, "It's a date, then." before punctuating her statement with a playful wink.
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(A/N: That was unexpected O_O...)
