Before Ochaco could even process what was happening, Mina suddenly popped up beside her desk, eyes sparkling like she'd just discovered priceless gossip.
"Wait—wait—hold on," Mina said, grinning ear to ear as she leaned in. "You already came up with a nickname for your boyfriend?"
She punctuated the accusation by nudging Ochaco's side with her elbow.
Ochaco's face exploded into red.
"W-We're not dating!" she blurted out, hands flailing wildly as she tried to defend herself. "It's not like that at all!"
"Oh, really?" Mina hummed, clearly not convinced. Her grin widened as a mischievous glint entered her eyes. "Then you wouldn't mind if I took him for myself, right~?"
Before Ochaco could respond, Mina dramatically spun around and plopped herself right onto the edge of Izuku's desk, crossing one leg over the other like she owned the place.
Ochaco sucked in a breath.
"Y-Yeah, I wouldn't mind!" she shot back quickly, eyes squeezed shut, chin lifted in stubborn defiance—like saying it loud enough would make it true.
There was the tiniest hitch in her voice.
Mina caught it instantly.
"Okaaay then~," Mina drawled, leaning forward with her elbows on Izuku's desk, face inches closer. "So, Izuku~ can I have your Line account?"
Izuku blinked once.
Then smiled.
"Sure, why not?" he said easily. "But we haven't really introduced ourselves yet."
That actually made Mina pause.
Not annoyed.
Not put off.
Just… pleasantly surprised.
"Huh," she said, straightening slightly. "You're right, aren't ya?" She placed a hand on her chest theatrically. "I'm Mina Ashido. Nice to meet you, Izu."
The way she said his name was playful—testing it out, rolling it on her tongue.
"Nice to meet you too," Izuku replied calmly. His gaze flicked briefly to her horns. "I like your horns, by the way."
The words hit Mina completely off-guard.
Her grin faltered for half a second.
"…Oh," she said softly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Uh—thanks."
Compliments weren't rare for Mina—but that one felt different. Casual. Genuine. Like he wasn't trying to impress her at all.
"Let's swap, then," Izuku added without hesitation, already pulling out his phone.
Mina recovered quickly, laughing as she did the same. "Wow, straight to business, huh?"
They exchanged details in seconds.
When Mina hopped back off the desk, she gave him a small wave, smile still bright—but softer now.
"I'll text you later then, Izu," she said.
She headed back to her seat, cheeks still faintly pink.
Ochaco stared after her.
Then slowly turned back toward Izuku.
He met her eyes innocently.
'I really am goated, aren't I?' Izuku thought, leaning back in his chair as the classroom buzzed with whispers and stifled laughter.
Ochaco kept her eyes forward, pretending to focus on the board, but she couldn't stop the small twist forming in her chest.
She wasn't going to lie to herself.
It hurt—a little.
Not enough to ruin her mood. Not enough to make her upset. Just… enough to notice. Seeing Mina laugh, sit so close, exchange numbers so easily—it made something unfamiliar stir inside her.
' Why do I even care…?' She thought, lips pressing together briefly.
Before she could sink too deep into it, Izuku leaned forward slightly, his voice low and easy.
"Wanna share Line?" he asked casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
She blinked, surprised.
Then turned to look at him.
Up close, he looked completely relaxed—no teasing smile, no hidden intent. Just open, friendly, sincere. That alone eased the tightness in her chest.
"…Yeah," she said softly, nodding.
They exchanged accounts quickly, fingers brushing for just a second as they compared screens. Ochaco's heart skipped—but she told herself it was nothing.
Around them, the atmosphere shifted.
Someone else laughed. Another pair leaned across desks. Soon, half the class was trading contact details, the room buzzing with excitement and chatter now that the morning tension had fully dissolved.
"Yo, add me too!"
"Wait, do you use stickers?"
"I swear I'm never checking homework alone again!"
Of course, not everyone joined in.
Katsuki ignored the entire thing, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed, scowl carved permanently into his face as sparks popped faintly at his fingertips.
"Tch," he muttered. "Bunch of extras."
A few seats away, Todoroki sat in silence, eyes forward, posture rigid. He didn't look up once—brooding, distant, completely wrapped in his own thoughts.
' Total Sasuke type,' Izuku thought absently.
Across the room, Momo happened to glance back.
Izuku caught her gaze—and gave her a small, effortless wink.
Momo stiffened for half a heartbeat before a smile crept onto her lips despite herself.
'Wow… ' she thought, watching him turn back around like he hadn't just done that. 'His influence is… powerful.'
Back in her seat, Ochaco looked down at her phone, seeing Izuku's name added to her contacts. The twist in her chest faded—just a little. And for reasons she didn't quite understand yet… She smiled.
.....
The day dragged on far slower than Izuku had expected.
For once, classes weren't just introductions or light explanations—they were actually serious. Dense material. Real theory. Real expectations. Izuku sat quietly at his desk, pen moving steadily as he wrote down notes, though part of his mind kept drifting toward the clock.
' When's break…'
Not because he was bored—just restless.
Izuku wasn't dumb. Far from it. Back in middle school, he'd aced almost every subject without much effort. Math, science, language, even history—it all came naturally to him.
…Except Home ED
Mostly because he was terrible at cooking.
And because he never had a partner.
Not for lack of options.
Every time group work rolled around, the girls would crowd in, arguing over who got to pair up with him. It always turned into a mess. Teachers would sigh. Someone would get upset. In the end, Izuku usually just opted out altogether.
Grades suffered for it.
' I was suffering from success,' he thought dryly. ' At the cost of my GPA.'
His pen paused for half a second.
'I could've broken records,' he reflected. 'But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have felt anything.'
Winning had never really done much for him. Medals, rankings, praise—they all felt hollow once the moment passed.
'I really need to fix that,' he admitted to himself. 'It's not that I'm emotionless or anything…'
A brief pause.
'…That part's actually a benefit.'
He glanced up from his notebook.
The entire class was bent over their desks, pens scratching quietly as they copied what was written on the board.
And the one writing it—
Well.
Who else but Midnight.
She stood at the front of the room, chalk in hand, posture confident and relaxed. Unlike her usual provocative hero costume, she was dressed in proper teacher attire—professional, fitted, and dangerously flattering. Long hair cascaded over her shoulders as she turned slightly, continuing her lecture without missing a beat.
They were currently covering Hero Ethics and Professional Conduct—the legal and moral responsibilities of licensed heroes. Use-of-force limitations. Civilian prioritization. Media responsibility. The consequences of crossing the line.
Important stuff.
Stuff that actually mattered.
"This profession isn't about power," Midnight said smoothly, tapping the board. "It's about responsibility. If you can't control yourself under pressure, then you don't belong in the field."
A few students stiffened at that.
Izuku nodded faintly and went back to writing.
She also taught Psychological and Combat Stress Management. Unfortunately—or perhaps very unfortunately—that was the next period.
Izuku's pen slowed as his eyes drifted back up again, unintentional this time.
'She's so bad,' he thought, entirely too honest with himself. 'I low-key wish I was older, you know.'
He quickly looked back down at his notes, clearing his throat slightly.
Focus.
Still—
'One day, though,' he thought quietly.
The bell rang soon after, signaling the transition to the next class. Izuku straightened in his seat, mind sharp again.
Whatever U.A. threw at him—physically, mentally, emotionally—he'd handle it. That much, he was sure of.
TO BE CONTINUED