The next morning came quietly.
Izuku moved through his routine with practiced ease—shower, uniform, bag over his shoulder. Downstairs, the smell of breakfast lingered faintly, and Inko hummed softly as she grabbed her keys.
The drive to U.A. was calm. Inko tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, humming cheerfully as the familiar gates came into view.
"Have a good day, honey!" she called as Izuku stepped out of the car.
"Yeah, you too," he replied, shutting the door and adjusting his bag as the car pulled away.
The campus was already lively. Students filtered through the gates in clusters, the sakura trees lining the paths shedding petals that danced lazily in the morning breeze.
As Izuku walked in, his eyes caught a familiar figure.
Momo Yaoyorozu stood beneath one of the sakura trees, phone in hand, posture elegant as ever. Sunlight filtered through the blossoms above her, casting soft shadows across her dark hair.
"Yo," Izuku greeted casually.
She looked up, surprised for just a fraction of a second before slipping her phone into her pocket and walking toward him.
"Hey," she replied.
He tilted his head slightly. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Of course not," Momo said smoothly, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips. "But since you're here, we may as well walk to class together."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and started ahead at a relaxed pace.
Izuku shook his head, amused, and caught up easily, falling into step beside her.
"You're Momo, right?" he asked, glancing at her.
Her steps faltered just a little.
' He used my first name…' Her cheeks warmed faintly.' I don't mind it, though.'
"Yes," she said aloud, regaining her composure. "And you are Izuku Midoriya. Our first-year student representative."
She smiled, confident and polite.
Izuku laughed lightly, shrugging. "Yeah, I guess. Don't even know why they gave me that, really."
Momo blinked. "Did you not listen to the hologram? It explained everything."
He waved a hand dismissively. "It did. I just… don't remember."
She stared at him for a moment, baffled.
' How did he score higher than me on the written exam…?' she thought.
She studied him from the corner of her eye—the relaxed posture, the easy smile, the way nothing seemed to faze him.
"You're an interesting person, aren't you, Izuku?" she said.
There was a brief hesitation before she said his name—but she said it anyway.
Izuku slowed just slightly, turning his head toward her.
"I don't know," he replied calmly. "All I know is… I'm interested in getting to know you a lot more."
Momo stopped walking entirely.
Her thoughts short-circuited.
Her face flushed, heat rushing to her cheeks as she stared at his back when he continued walking like he hadn't just dropped a bomb.
'W-What did he just—?'
She blinked, shook her head, then jogged forward to catch up, lightly smacking his shoulder with the back of her hand.
"I didn't like that," she said, lips pouting slightly.
Izuku glanced at her, eyes dancing with amusement.
"Doesn't look like it, though," he replied.
Momo huffed softly, turning her head away—but the faint smile she tried to hide betrayed her completely.
Soon, they reached the familiar large sliding door of Class 1-A.
Momo stepped forward first, sliding it open with a smooth motion. The sound drew attention immediately. The chatter inside the classroom dipped—not silenced, but noticeably quieter—as a few students glanced toward the entrance.
"Morning," Momo greeted politely, her tone composed and elegant as ever.
She stepped inside, posture straight, and made her way toward her desk near the center rows. A few heads turned to follow her briefly—some out of habit, others out of quiet admiration—before conversations slowly resumed.
Izuku followed a second later.
He raised a hand in a small, casual wave. "Morning," he said simply, already moving toward the back of the room.
As he passed, whispers flickered through the air. Nothing loud. Nothing direct. Just curiosity.
Izuku didn't react. He slid into his corner seat, setting his bag down and leaning back comfortably, eyes drifting toward the windows as sunlight filtered in.
From the front, Momo settled into her chair, smoothing her skirt as she sat, her gaze lingering forward—but for just a moment, she glanced back.
Their eyes met briefly.
She looked away first.
Around them, the classroom returned to its usual low hum—chairs scraping softly, bags unzipping, conversations picking up where they left off.
'Today's the Hero vs. Villain test,' Izuku thought as he leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting toward the ceiling. 'I can't wait to finally wear my suit.'
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
'I'll definitely have to ask the teachers to commission me a proper one later, though. Real materials. Reinforced layers. Heat-resistant fabric.' His thoughts flicked briefly to Bakugo. 'Because this one might get burned up in my very first battle.'
The truth was, Izuku had never been officially given the form where students listed their Quirk specifications and hero costume requirements. Being labeled Quirkless had quietly disqualified him from the usual process—no support department consultation, no custom designs, no questions asked.
So he'd improvised.
With Inko's help.
They'd spent nights sketching, measuring, testing fabrics. Nothing flashy—no cape, no unnecessary armor. Just a streamlined, practical suit designed for movement and durability. Flexible but tough. Breathable but reinforced. It didn't scream hero.
It whispered ready.
And honestly?
It had turned out way better than expected.
The sliding door opened again.
"Good morning!" Ochaco's bright voice rang out as she stepped into the classroom, sunlight following her in. She smiled easily, scanning the room before making a beeline straight for the seat in front of Izuku.
He glanced up from his phone, thumb pausing mid-scroll before he slid it into his desk. "Yo," he greeted casually.
"Hey, Izu," she replied, leaning back slightly in her chair. Her cheeks were faintly pink, though her smile didn't falter.
That was all it took.
"OHHHHHH!" several voices rang out at once.
Kaminari nearly twisted around in his seat. "Izu? Already?! That was fast!"
Mina leaned over her desk, grinning wickedly. "Wow, wow—nicknames already? Since when?"
Kirishima laughed loudly. "Man, Midoriya, you work fast!"
Ochaco froze.
Her face turned bright red as she waved her hands. "N-No! It's not like that! We just—!"
Izuku, meanwhile, looked completely unfazed.
He rested his chin on his palm, eyes calm as ever. "Relax," he said evenly. "We walked home together yesterday. That's it."
The class only teased harder.
"OHHHHHHHH!"
Ochaco sank into her seat, covering her face with her hands as steam practically rose off her head.
Izuku glanced down at her, amused.
'Today's gonna be fun,' he thought.
And the Hero vs. Villain test hadn't even started yet.
TO BE CONTINUED