After everyone left the theater other than the two students he needed to talk to and their parents, Aizawa approached the Sinclairs and asked if there was a room for him and the teachers to for their conversation with Izuku and Katsuki. After six episodes, Aizawa was internally berating himself for not looking into the personal files of those two. But he knew he would not find anything on Katsuki because he was Aldera Junior High's 'golden boy'. Even after seeing the blond almost attack Izuku during the ball throw in the Quirk Assessment Test, Aizawa should've been a little suspicious about the rocky relationship between two of his students but he decided to ignore it. He talked a lot about being irrational, but he was the main source of irrationality at the moment. Another thing he was bothered by was that the problem child got his quirk on the day of the Entrance Exam and that he was not aware of it.
Aizawa and the teachers walked quietly behind the two hosts in the North Wing. He looked back to see a sulking Katsuki and a quiet Izuku who had their hands in their pockets with their parents behind them. The only ones enjoying themselves were the couple in the front holding hands and talking in English. They stopped in front of a conference room and Aleister opened the door for them. There were enough seats for the ten of them to sit. Katsuki and his parents sat on one side of the table while Izuku and Inko sat on the opposite side of the table. The teachers sat in the front but Aizawa remained standing.
"Once you finish your conversation, I trust that you will be able to find your way back to the dining hall for lunch. Enjoy your day and we will see you tomorrow." Aleister said. The Sinclairs gave them a smile before waving goodbye. Once Aizawa closed the door, the couple walked towards the guest houses outside.
"Do you think we will see Green Tea get together?" Giselle asked in English, intertwining her arm with her husband's arm.
"In the manga or here?" Aleister asked.
"Both. It's been two months since we last read the manga and I'm tempted to know what happened." Giselle said.
Aleister chuckled. "We can read the manga later tonight. Plus knowing Mina, the master shipper, she'll have a plan to get Ochako and Izuku together."
Giselle squealed, pressing herself to Aleister. "Izuku confessed his love for Ochako. That moment was unexpected but adorable. Strong, pure and beautiful, he complimented her when he confessed. Bless my heart, they remind me of us when we were younger back in our time. A bottle of Scotch that those two will get together."
"You're going to give me gray hairs with your constant shipping." Aleister joked with his wife. "I agree. They have a deep admiration for each other. I did not expect her to kiss him on the cheek. But nobody says Green Tea when it comes to shipping those two, Izuocha is the better name. I guess we can celebrate with Scotch in the theater tomorrow. Lord knows how the children will react since we're spirits and we drink."
"You stick with your name and I'll stick with mine. I was so happy that she kissed him but I couldn't be obvious about it." Giselle said. "Plus what's wrong with my shipping? That's the reason we got together in the first place unless you wish you'd rather be with Esmeralda Gomez from grad school. You knew what happened with her last boyfriend. The poor boy was traumatized for two months if it wasn't for Marcia."
Aleister looked terrified which made Giselle laugh and shook his head. They made their way outside. "You're the worst, Giselle."
"Oh hush. You love me." Giselle said in a cheesy tone, kissing Aleister.
"Ain't that the truth." Aleister kissed her cheek, making her giggle.
"It's bad enough that I consider Midoriya a problem child for everything that he had pulled." Aizawa shook his head and glared at Katsuki, who was still rubbing the back of his head where his mom smacked him. "But to hear you, Bakugo, telling him to jump off a roof."
"It goes against all UA High regulations." Nezu said. "I hope you know that UA High doesn't look highly on students who tell people to commit suicide."
"Bakugou, we have no intention of expelling you." Present Mic said. "But All Might is right. Actions do have consequences."
"Young Bakugou. Do you have any idea what would have been your future if Young Midoriya did jump from the roof?" All Might asked. "You would have been arrested, sent to a juvenile detention center and blacklisted from every hero course in Japan, not just UA."
Katsuki's eyes widened. He would've been blacklisted from all the hero courses in Japan if Izuku took his word seriously?
Izuku gave Katsuki a look of dissatisfaction. 'Five months into the term and this is his reaction?'
"Bakugou, what do you think it means to be a hero?" Midnight asked softly.
Katsuki turned to look at the teachers before looking back at his hands. "When I was younger, I always thought that being a hero meant that I could beat as many villains as I could and it would mean that I am the best because I am the one that came out on top. I wasn't like Deku, who only cared about saving people. That's where all the torment started, right Deku?" Katsuki asked with sudden disgust, looking at Izuku. "You thought I needed saving when I fell into the creek that day. You were some quirkless wannabe hero and you tried your best to put me down to your level."
Izuku looked at Katsuki in shock, before glaring at him. "So I'm just supposed to be loud and abrasive like you? I thought you got hurt, so I went down there to check if you were okay and to help you. I was not some heartless jerk that I was going to leave you there. But your ego and pride just couldn't handle that someone as nice as me was trying to help you. I don't think you even know what it means to be a hero if you only care about winning and fighting villains. Why do you think All Might chose me as his successor of One For All, you idiot?"
The teachers and parents were surprised by Izuku's retort. They saw him snap earlier at Minoru but they didn't expect this especially with Katsuki.
The ash blond Explosion user stood up from his seat. "I was better than you at everything, Deku. I had a quirk and all you had was this illusion of a dream that you would be a hero that saves people. Out of all people, I was the first person that you wanted to save for a quirkless wannabe. That's why I beat the living crap out of you for eleven years straight. I was not someone that was going to be pitied for falling into a creek and I sure as hell wasn't doing you a favor. I was going to end your illusion one way or another."
Izuku jumped from his seat, slamming the table and making everyone but Aizawa and Katsuki jump. "That's where you're wrong, Bakugou . You still don't get it." Inko and the Bakugous were stunned. The parents knew that Izuku always called Katsuki 'Kacchan', never by his given names. Everyone in the room looked at Izuku and saw his eyes had the same look he gave Minoru during the third episode. He was not having it with Katsuki's taunts. All Might and Aizawa noticed the tiredness in Izuku's eyes. "I didn't pity you for falling into a creek. I never pitied you or looked down on you. But in the end, you got away with everything and nobody could stop you. You became arrogant because nobody told you 'no'. On top of that, your pride was as big as your explosions."
"A flashy quirk for a future hero." Izuku suddenly growled. Those seven words made Katsuki realize what was about to set the nerd off. "A hero does not bully people. A hero does not put people down. A hero does not hurt people. A HERO DOES NOT SUICIDE BAIT PEOPLE!" Izuku yelled the last sentence very very angrily, making everyone flinch. Katsuki knew he deserved that. Aizawa and All Might did not stop the young hero in training from yelling. This was a long time coming and they knew that he had to let off some steam after Sir Nighteye's death.
Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "A hero saves those in need. A hero gives people hope. A hero inspires people." Izuku said calmly. "That's why I wanted to be a hero. That's why I am a hero."
"Your biggest problem is that if anyone helps you, you're being looked down on. You save someone in need, you consider them being weak. I looked up to you because of your strength when we were younger but that was not enough for you, Kacchan. I tried to help you once and you decided that because I was quirkless and you had a quirk, that was an insult to your pride. So you stopped being my friend after that and it pisses me off so much now. You wanted to put me down because all you were was a bully and I was your personal punching bag. I still put myself down even after getting One For All and praised you and said that your quirk was better than mine because you had more control over it than I did at the time. I'm going to get stronger at using One For All, that's my promise to the teachers here. And You know what's funny? The funniest thing about you being the first person that I wanted to save, I ended up doing that eleven years later. If I didn't save you, I would still be that quirkless loser that you looked down on. Now I'm not and I'm the hero I wanted to be."
"Speaking of being quirkless, Problem Child." Aizawa said sternly to Izuku.
The boy stiffened and looked at his homeroom teacher. Izuku sat down, unfazed by the look that Aizawa was giving him. "Would anyone care to tell me why we had to find out through a show that Midoriya got his quirk on the day of the entrance exam? Most of it I can understand were kept a secret, such as the passing down from generation to generation. But this is something that cannot be taken lightly due to Midoriya not having any sort of training after getting One For All or the fact that it's a stockpiling quirk. That is something I can blame you for, All Might." Aizawa scowled at the retired pro hero.
"We talked about favoritism on the first day of class, but this goes beyond that. If Nezu had told me that Midoriya would be using the quirk for the first time in the Entrance Exam or that his quirk registration form was changed, just maybe I would not have thought to expel him on the first day, but give him quirk counseling and extra lessons throughout the term. You also had three weeks to train him before the term started but you waited until internships started for him to be properly trained by a pro hero that is familiar with One For All. The way Midoriya used his quirk before the Internships made me believe that he had no concern over his well being."
Nezu nodded his head. "I apologize for hiding the fact that I knew about One for All. I did it out of respect for All Might's privacy. But I agree with Aizawa. Midoriya, the way you recklessly used One for All against Todoroki during the Sports Festival showed how negligent you were and the end result was horrifying nonetheless. But I believe that there was a reason for that and we will be having the same talk we are having now but with Todoroki before they show the Sports Festival. Do you have anything else to say?"
Izuku nodded. "Yes sir. I am sorry for how much I have worried the teachers but I didn't want any special treatment and I didn't want All Might to be accused of showing favoritism. I'm sorry, mom, that I didn't tell you about One For All. You were just being protective and didn't want to see me get hurt anymore after the training camp. I know it was wrong for me to hide the fact that I couldn't handle the backlash of my quirk. Like I said before, after everything I've been through, I wanted my classmates to see me as an equal. I was scared of being rejected again and I wanted to feel like a normal kid for once."
'This kid.' Aizawa thought. The adults gave Izuku sad looks.
"Izuku." Inko hugged her son.
All Might stood up and knelt in front of his successor. "Young man, look at me."
Izuku turned to face All Might. "Your classmates like you not for your quirk, but for who you are. You have shown them that you have an undeniable drive to do your best and that inspires them to do the same. As you have seen, they will not treat you differently because you were not born with your quirk." He put his hand on Izuku's shoulder. "They are not the same people that were shown in your past. In fact, they are better than your classmates from that disgraceful middle school."
"You really think so, All Might?" Izuku asked his mentor. All Might nodded, giving Izuku a proud smile. The retired pro hero got up and went back to his chair.
Katsuki shook his head. "Tch. You wanted to be treated like a normal kid. Look where that got you. You broke your arms over and over." Katsuki let out a sigh. "But you're right. I didn't act like a hero at all. I let my pride get to me and that affected our friendship. You were always the better person, Deku and it took a slap from Auntie Inko for me to realize that."
Katsuki smiled at Izuku. "So I'll give credit where it's due, nerd. You've changed since then and I respect that. I'm kind of glad that you're my rival."
"Kind of?" Izuku asked.
"Don't breathe deep into it. I'm still going to be the number one hero and you're going to be in my dust." Katsuki smirked.
'Here we go again.' Everyone except Katsuki thought.
All Might nodded at the two boys. "You both have changed since you first started here and you will be exceptional heroes."
"Midoriya, I may have doubted you since the entrance exam. But you have proven to me from the first day that you belong at UA. You have exceeded my expectations." Aizawa gave Izuku a proud smile.
"Thank you sir!" Izuku smiled brightly.
"Now that we are done here, I believe it is time for us to go and get lunch." Nezu said.
Mitsuki and Masaru left the room with Katsuki in tow. Inko gave Izuku another hug before leaving as well.
"I wonder if I can have a talk with the Sinclairs and get unlimited tea." Nezu said quietly but Midnight and Present Mic heard him as they left the room.
Izuku was about to leave the room when Aizawa called his name.
"May we have a word with you before you leave?" Aizawa asked.
"Yes sir."
"Close the door please."
Izuku closed the door and walked toward Aizawa and All Might.
"We wanted to talk to you about what Uraraka said with you being in her room before we came here." Aizawa said.
Izuku's eyes widened. "I'm sorry sir. I know it's against the rules for a boy to be in the girls' dorms but it was an emergency. I promise it won't happen again."
"You're not in trouble, Young Midoriya. Was it because of Nighteye that she was not feeling well like you said?" All Might asked sadly.
Izuku nodded. "Ochako said that she was having nightmares and she blamed herself for Sir's death." He said, looking down at the floor. "I know that it wasn't her fault but I couldn't leave her like that."
"It's not her fault. We did what we could do." Aizawa said. "But she's not a normal high school girl, none of you are. You're heroes in training, our new generation of hope for the future."
Izuku nodded sadly.
"But she is still young, Aizawa. No human being should have to experience grief that she feels. It's a horrible feeling." All Might said sadly.
Izuku had tears in his eyes.
'I should know.' Aizawa and All Might thought sadly.
"When the time comes, show her how much she is appreciated, problem child." Aizawa fist-bumped Izuku's chest.
"Yes sir." Izuku said, wiping his tears.
"One more thing, Midoriya. Please try to get some sleep this time, both of you. I know how you must be feeling but I can't have you lashing out at your peers all the time even if they deserve it." Aizawa said in a surprisingly concerned voice.
"Yes sir. It won't happen again." He bowed to Aizawa and All Might and left the room.
Meanwhile in Eijiro and Mina's room, Mina and Toru were trying to interrogate the not so oblivious gravity girl while Momo, Kyoka, Tsuyu, Mei and Itsuka are sitting on the bed and watching the interrogation.
"I think you know why we are here, Ochako." Mina said from her arm chair.
"I'm too scared to ask." Ochako said nervously, slumping down in the other arm chair.
"Cut the crap!" Toru exclaimed. "We all know that you like Midori, even Bakugou knows of all people!"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ochako lied.
"Ochako." Tsuyu interrupted the good cop/bad cop routine. "We can see it in your face how happy you are ever since Midoriya confessed that he loves you."
"And you kissed him on the cheek after he thanked you for saving him from becoming a pancake during the Entrance Exam." Itsuka pointed out.
"And you gave him a birthday kiss in the dining hall," Mina said. "Seriously girl, you are not subtle when it comes to your feelings. If Midori wasn't so dense, he would've picked up on the fact that you are head over heels for him."
"Alright, fine. Yes I like Deku and I have since the Entrance Exam." Ochako admitted. "Are you happy now?"
"So why didn't you say anything to him about this?" Momo asked.
"I thought it was going to end up as a one-sided thing because I didn't know if he had the same feelings for me." Ochako said sadly before smiling. "But for reasons I can't tell you yet and when Deku subconsciously said he loves me, it made me realize I was wrong and that I love him too."
"Well it's not the first time that Green said he loves you." Kyoka said. The other girls looked at her in shock.
"When did he say that?" Itsuka asked. "We didn't hear him."
"The key word is 'hear', girls." Kyoka said, pointing to her jacks. "He practically whispered it to her."
"And Midori played it off as 'Thank you, Uraraka'. He really is sneaky." Mina smirked at the girls. "I guess he has feelings for you this whole time, Ochako."
"We won't tell anyone that Muscles whisper-confessed that he loves you. We'll carry this secret to the grave." Mei said.
"But we kinda expect you to tell Midoriya that we know and he'll carry this secret to the grave too." Itsuka said. "Just give him a signal like a pinky raise and we'll know that he knows."
The other girls nodded in response.
"You girls are asking a whole lot from me but whatever." Ochako grumbled.
"So are you going to confess to him, Ochako?" Toru asked.
"I don't know. It's all too sudden. I want to confess to him but I promised myself that I wouldn't let my feelings get in the way of my dream of being a hero." Ochako said.
The other girls looked at Ochako like she was crazy. "So if Midoriya confessed to you, you'd deny him like that because you think you can't be in a relationship while being a hero?" Tsuyu asked bluntly. "Do you want to be the next person that hurts him by rejecting the love that he has for you, after everything that he had been through, even after what happened?"
Ochako's eyes widened as she looked at Tsuyu. "No! I'd never do that to Deku. I want to give him all the love that he deserves."
The other girls were surprised by this secret between Tsuyu and Ochako but they knew not to intrude since it involved something private that they could not share yet. Momo sighed and shook her head. "Ochako, you've seen what Midoriya went through before he got into UA. You were the first person to actually talk to him with kindness in a long time. He would do the same for you if the roles were switched. For someone who has been through something like he had, there is no doubt that he sees you in a different light than any of us. Maybe he is not good at saying how he feels, so he couldn't tell you that he has a deep admiration for you. As we have seen, Midoriya just needs the right push at times and you are there to give him that push. He truly cares about you and I believe that you two will make this work. Please don't overthink this."
"I guess I can try." Ochako said.
"Completely off-topic but I feel like there is a reason that Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair put us girls in a room with the boy that we're sitting with and sharing a bed with them." Kyoka said.
"Are they expecting us to get together during our time here?" Momo asked in disbelief.
Mei, Mina and Toru suddenly were interested in their phones.
"Ladies." Momo said sternly, crossing her arms.
"Ok, we'll tell you!" Mei, Mina and Toru said in unison.
"Tenya and I have been dating after the Sports Festival." Mei said. "He wanted to keep it a secret."
"Kiri and I also started dating after the Sports Festival. We're secretly dating." Mina admitted.
"Ojiro and I have been talking after the combat training." Toru said. "We're also secretly dating."
"Hold on. If you're with Iida, then why were you all over Deku in the development studio?" Ochako asked, narrowing her eyes at the girl with pink dreads.
"My lips are sealed." Mei said with a smile. "Plus Tenya can explain why one day."
"What about the three of you?" Momo asked Tsuyu, Kyoka and Itsuka.
"I have my eyes on Tetsutetsu." Itsuka smiled at her fellow class vice representative.
"I may have a thing for Kaminari. It's a long story but that's all I'm gonna say for now." Kyoka said.
"There's something in the air when it comes to Tokoyami, but I want to explore it more." Tsuyu said.
"Now that's left is you and Todoroki, Yaomomo." Mina grinned at the raven-haired girl.
"M-me? There is nothing between me and Todoroki." Momo started to get nervous. "We're two different people and I've never been in a relationship before. Todoroki inspired me during our battle in the final exam but that was one time."
Ochako stood up and put a hand on Momo's shoulder. "Yaomomo, you and the girls helped me figure out what to do with Izuku and now we want to help you. You'll get your chance with Todoroki."
"Izuku?" Mina's eyebrows perked up. "Are you already on a first name basis with Midori?"
"I've been calling him Deku since the first day of class. I want the right to call him by his first name." Ochako said, blushing. "I already gave him the right to call me by mine, so I'm basically returning the favor that he offered me."
"Well ladies, this confirms that Operation Izuocha and Todomomo are a go." Mina said with a determined tone.
'Ship names. Really?' The other girls shook their heads.
They got up from where they were sitting and left the room to get lunch.