Chapter 22: And the Day After
- U.A. INFIRMARY, THURSDAY -
"Hmmm." Recovery Girl hummed as she ran through Izuku's charts. The verdette sat on the bed with Inko at his side. The Youthful Heroine gave a warm smile to the two Midoriyas as she finished. "Well, you have fully recovered from your Quirk exhaustion. There are no lingering issues, and thankfully, you weren't injured during the attack."
Recovery Girl spared a glance at the Midoriya matriarch and held out Izuku's charts. "Would you like to read through them, dearie?"
"Yes, thank you," Inko replied, quickly taking the files into her hands. While she trusted Recovery Girl and her skills as a doctor, the mother and nurse in her demanded that she double check to make sure her baby boy was really alright.
Izuku's lips curled into a small smile at his mother's antics, sharing a look with the Youthful Heroine. Recovery Girl gave him a nod, "Just remember, no matter how well you say you are, a mother will always worry."
"Don't I know it." The younger Midoriya answered with a cheeky smile, earning a small pout from Inko and a hearty chuckle from Recovery Girl.
Inko handed Izuku's files back to Recovery Girl, happy with the results she saw. "Thank you, Dr. Shuzenji." She moved her hand to hold Izuku's into her own. "I appreciate the gesture. And thank you for taking care of my son."
"Of course, Mrs. Midoriya." Recovery Girl gave the Midoriya matriarch a quick nod. "It's my job to make sure our future Heroes are well and safe. Speaking of."
Recovery Girl turned her head to look at Izuku. Her weathering gaze caused the verdette to shrink in on himself. "Mr. Midoriya, while this attack took us all by surprise and put you and the rest of 1-A in a difficult spot, please don't willingly run into the fire without the proper training. A hero isn't just the one who makes the sacrifice, but one who can live to continue being a hero for the rest of their days. I don't wish to see your career end before it even begins."
Izuku lowered his head. He gave his mother's hand a squeeze as he spoke, "I know..."
Recovery Girl let out a weary sigh. She got up from her chair and made her way over to the verdette's bed, standing next to him as she gave his other hand a comforting pat. "Just keep it in mind, dearie. That being said, thank you, for making sure your coursemates came out of this safe and sound. You, Yaoyorozu, and the others did well. Now, I believe that you are considered healthy enough to not be here anymore. So go on. Go and see your friends. Shoo!"
"Right. Thank you for your help, Recovery Girl." Izuku gave the Youthful Heroine a bright smile as he got up from his bed. Inko quickly moved to help keep him steady as he nearly stumbled in his haste. He gave his mother a sheepish grin, while she only rolled her eyes before chuckling.
The two verdettes gave the Youthful Hero a bow and left the infirmary, trekking down through the halls until Izuku and Inko passed by the on-campus ICU. Izuku stopped in place as he gazed at the door, looking through the window and seeing Aizawa, covered in bandages and lying down in a bed, surrounded by various medical machines keeping track of his body's vitals.
Izuku lowered his head, his eyes downcast at the memory of his sensei being beaten by the Nomu. His breathing began to pick up as he remembered each time Aizawa's head was slammed into the ground. Izuku started to see another man take Underground Hero's place at random times, the man's messy black hair similar to Izuku's. Each time Izuku's heart raced faster and faster, nearly beating out of his chest. He felt his mother put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze that brought him out of the memory.
"Izuku, Sweetie, breathe." Inko's soft voice filled the air. Izuku began to steady his breathing as Inko continued to speak, "Aizawa will be okay. Dr. Shuzenji said so. And we both know she is the best doctor there is. He'll be okay."
"I-I know Mom... It just hurts, you know." The younger Midoriya said. His eyes still had a glassy look to them, ones that Inko hadn't seen in years.
"Izuku... You were thinking about Hisashi too, weren't you." Inko asked in a hushed and weary tone.
Izuku didn't answer right away, glancing at his mother out of the corner of his eyes before looking back at the closed room. "Yeah... I guess I just made a connection."
Inko brought Izuku into a tight embrace, her son slowly wrapping his arms around her body and returning her hug. The two stood in the middle of the half for some time before breaking apart. Inko cupped her son's cheek and gave him a warm smile. "It's okay, Izuku."
She grew quiet once more, working through what she wanted to say to Izuku. "This whole situation is just one big nightmare for me. When I got the call saying you and your class were attacked, I couldn't believe it. Then I was told you were brought here and I nearly panicked." Inko looked up and stared into her son's eyes, her fears and worries apparent to the younger Midoriya. "I will be honest... I started to worry that I would lose you just like we lost Hisashi. But I know you're strong, Izuku. And brave. And undoubtedly reckless. The same traits you got from your father."
Inko poked Izuku's forehead playfully, eliciting a chuckle from him at her actions. "Along with that big brain of yours too." Her tone shifted to a somber one, her eyes darting to the floor. "So please, remember Dr. Shuzenji's words. Make sure that no matter what you live to keep being a Hero."
Izuku saw his mother give him a knowing smile, her eyes dancing with playfulness. "Besides, I'm sure your two girlfriends would greatly appreciate it as well~!"
Izuku failed at hiding his surprise at his mother's words. "Y-y-you know? H-how did you know!?"
"Sweetie, a mother will always find out, whether you tell me or not," Inko stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, I saw them stay by your side all night last night. It was just too sweet."
"Sorry Mom. We had just made it official just a few days ago and we wanted to give it some time before we let you or Momo's parents know." Izuku explained, not daring to look his mother in the eye.
"Well, sorry to say, Sweetie, but all of us know. Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu were looking for Momo and saw the same thing I saw." Inko answered with a smile on her face. "In fact, I know they are waiting for us. The Yaoyorozus want to have a talk with you and Shoka about dating their daughter."
The color drained from Izuku's face at that news. "Oh."
"Plus, I need to make sure those two girls know what will happen if they break my baby's heart. You know what I can do with my Quirk. I just need to make sure Shoka and Momo know as well." The Midoriya matriarch stated while patting her son on the head affectionately.
"Let's... Let's just go. Please?" Izuku groaned. Inko wrapped her arm around his as they continued their way back to Heights Alliance, with Izuku dreading each step.
"Also, I expect lots of grandbabies in the future. But not too soon, Sweetie. Make sure you all graduate first." Inko added.
Izuku almost tripped at that one.
- HEIGHTS ALLIANCE, 1-A -
Izuku and Inko arrived at Heights Alliance, entering the dorm without much issue. As soon as Izuku stepped foot into the dorm, he felt something rub up against his leg. He was surprised to see BK staring up at him and giving him a small and welcoming meow.
The verdette crouched down to pick up the cat. "What are you doing here BK?" As he scratched the cat in his arms, Mina made her way over to him, petting the cat as she answered.
"We were kinda surprised too. He and the other four were just here when we got back yesterday." Mina snapped her fingers and left to grab something. Izuku watched her leave, noticing RK, SK, and LK among the rest of his coursemates, giving their affection to those who seemed to need it. He raised a brow at the addition of a cat with light amber-colored fur that lingered around LK but put it at the back of his mind. He could ask Mr. H about that one later. Mina came back quickly, a letter in her hand, which she gave to the verdette. "This little guy had this with him."
Izuku took the letter from the pinkette, focusing on reading it while Mina returned to showering the star-eyed cat with affection.
Permission for the Wildkats to travel to 1-A should the need arise.
- Nezu
Izuku read and reread the letter, blinking owlishly at the words. "Sounds about right." He handed the letter back to Mina and looked around the room once more. He saw that many of his coursemates had their parents with them, obviously to make sure their kids were alright.
Izuku saw Bakugo with his parents. The ash-blonde's mother and father saw the verdettes and gave them friendly waves, which Izuku and Inko returned. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Kyoka with her parents, with the punkette's father doting over her, much to her chagrin.
The verdette also saw Todoroki, who Izuku assumed was his sister. While the older Todoroki sibling was trying her best to support her brother, Izuku noticed that the younger Todoroki just seemed to barely react, as if he wasn't used to such attention. The bicolor-haired young man seemed to take in her words, as he looked around the room and gave her a small nod, earning him a warm smile.
Izuku finished his observations as he and Inko made their way further into the dorm. Izuku's arrival caught the attention of many of his coursemates, each of them letting him know they were glad he had recovered. Izuku gave his mother a nod and decided to do some rounds to check up on everyone.
As he did so, he was pulled to the side by Iida, the bluenette wanting to give Izuku his apologies. "Midoriya, I'm sorry that I didn't arrive with aid sooner. If I had just been faster..."
"Iida, you did the best you could. And you still brought us help when we needed it. If it wasn't for Snipe-sensei, I might not be here." Izuku said, trying his best to assure his friend.
"Still. I... I have thoughts, wondering if I did the right thing. That I should have stayed to help." Iida said with a downcast look. He was getting lost in what-ifs, and it was apparent to Izuku that it was eating away at him.
"Iida, no matter what, your actions helped save us. If we failed at defeating the Nomu, if my plan failed, then without the arrival of All Might and our instructors, everyone else could have been hurt... or worse." Izuku's words carried a heavy weight to them. "Without you getting us help, things would have been much worse. You were a hero, Iida. Don't forget that."
Iida smiled at Izuku's words. While there was still some lingering self-doubt, most of it seemed to lift off of the bluenette's shoulders. Iida brought up a hand, which Izuku mirrored and the two shook hands. "Thank you, Midoriya. I appreciate the sentiment. And, thank you, for making sure our coursemates made it out safely."
"Anytime, Iida," Izuku said, a soft smile on his face. The two released their hold and Izuku looked around again, seeing Shoka and Momo together at the kitchen counter, with Momo's parents sitting across them, shortly joined by Inko. Izuku let out a sigh. "Well, I need to go and have an unplanned sit-down with Shoka and Momo. Wish me luck."
Iida brought a hand to his chin when his eyes widened in realization. "Oh! That explains why Shinso and Jiro were humming a funeral march whenever Sakurane or Yaoyorozu walked past them."
Izuku's shoulders sagged as he sighed once more. "Of course they did..."
The verdette wasted no time in making his way over to his girlfriends and their parents. The two ravenettes saw him and gave him a warm smile as he moved in between the two. The three young adults steeled their nerves, took each other's hands, and waited to start the inevitable talk. It wasn't easy for them.
Momo's parents had an air of class and poise rarely seen these days. Add onto the fact that both Izuku and Shoka felt an invisible force putting pressure on their shoulders as if being studied and valued by the two high-class adults, it was almost suffocating.
The two built up their courage and their eyes met the two older Yaoyorozus, shedding any nervousness or fears from their beings. That seemed to be the right thing to do, as the two adults gave Izuku and Shoka warm and gentle smiles.
"So, you two have entered into a relationship with our Momo?" Yaoyorozu Anri spoke softly to the two. There was a gentleness to Anri, that could easily switch on the dime to a person who saw each and every detail of a person that she could take apart with ease. Momo was a carbon copy of her mother, the only difference being how she styled her hair into a very short style, with hime style bangs above her eyes and longer side bangs that framed her face as they dropped past her neckline. Momo's eyes were exactly the same as hers.
"Yes ma'am," Shoka answered tensely.
"Please, no need to feel on edge. We simply wish to know the two individuals who managed to win our daughter's heart. As odd as this relationship is." Yaoyorozu Hideo was the epitome of a businessman. Every bit of him exuded a certain confidence and refinement that made him seem like he was made to thrive in business. He was a clean-cut man with short hair that was swept back while the back and sides were shaved into an undercut. He had the same color eyes as Momo.
"O-of course, sir," Izuka replied, mentally kicking himself for stuttering. "We each want to give this a shot. And while we're still not used to a relationship, let alone one like this, I think I speak for the three of us that it's something we all want."
The two elder Yaoyorozus listened to the verdette's words, looking at the three once more to find any signs of doubt or ulterior motives. After another tense moment, Anri spoke up. "Well said Midoriya. But now we need to know what our Momo thinks."
Momo's body stiffened as her parents shifted their attention to her. "Momo," Hideo spoke up, "you are aware that many will see this relationship in the worst light? That they would use it against you?"
"Of course, father." The ravenette heiress answered. "I promise that it won-"
"Momo," Anri said, cutting her daughter off, "If you are worried about the image of our family, we will be fine. Remember, you chose to be Yaoyorozu Momo, the Hero. Many will try their hardest to bring you and your name down and through the mud. Do you care about those who would do so, or Midoriya and Sakurane?"
"Of course, I care about Izuku and Shoka!" Momo answered quickly, leaving no room for doubt.
"Then there is nothing to worry about." The Yaoyorozu matriarch said nonchalantly. "You are a Yaoyorozu. Work hard for your happiness and those you care for. Do not let others define you. Obviously, you three have our blessing."
Momo gave her parents a bright and appreciative smile. She squeezed Izuku's hand as she turned to look at her two lovers.
"That being said, we, as parents, have an image to keep." Whatever good feelings the three had ended as they readied themselves as Hideo spoke. "Midoriya, Sakurane. Should either of you hurt our daughter in any way, or we learn that you have misled her. We. Will. Bury. You."
"And I will do it with a smile on my face as I drag you through court!" Anri added with a chipper tone, further scaring the three young adults.
"Good." Hideo simply said. The Yaoyorozu patriarch turned to address Inko. "Mrs. Midoriya, is there anything you would like to say?"
Inko nodded, drawing the attention of the throuple. "Well, first off. Congratulations. You three look so cute together!"
Momo and Shoka beamed at Inko's words, glad they had her blessing, as easy as it was. Izuku just waited for her to switch. "But that being said..."
There it was.
"I'm sure my Izuku has told you about my Quirk, right?" The two ravenettes quirked a brow at the question but nodded nonetheless. "Well, let's just say that the human body has so many things that fall into the category of 'small object', meaning I have so many things I could attract."
The color drained from both Shoka and Momo's faces at that realization. For Izuku, it was absolutely surreal to see the malicious smile on his mother's face, and how fast it quickly disappeared when her point was made. "So please, treat my Izuku well."
Inko didn't even wait for the two ravenettes to nod in understanding, already moving to the next important part for her. "Now, who wants to see Izuku's baby pictures?"
Any dread Izuku felt was replaced by the curiosity of watching his mother pull out a photo album from the ether.
"Huh... So that's what that looks like from the outside."
After the parents of 1-A had left, the group of college students was called together for a meeting by Ayano. They each took seats in the dining area of the dorm, the four Wildkats going around to put their minds at ease if needed. The dark-haired woman stood in front of the gathered students, her eyes looking over each of them as she struggled to hold back her emotions as the events of yesterday lingered in her mind.
"Attention, everyone." She said, starting the meeting. Each and every student looked at her, giving the administrative assistant their undivided attention. "I have a few things that need to be addressed going forward."
She took a deep breath, taking a moment to find the right words. "First, I would like to offer my and U.A.'s apologies. You all were subjected to an unforeseen situation. While we had prepared ourselves due to the media break-in on Monday, we weren't ready for an attack on this scale or level of planning. Because of our failures, you all were put at great risk." Ayano gave them all a deep bow. "Please, accept our sincere apologies. I just hope your trust in us hasn't faltered too much."
Ayano kept bowing, not willing to stand back up until she felt her feelings got across to them. It wasn't until she heard one of the students speak up did she look at them again.
"It... It wasn't your fault Ms. Kamachi. Or U.A.'s. They got us all by surprise." Mina stated, trying her best to reassure the dark-haired woman.
"Indeed. It seems the Villains were more prepared than you could have expected. You, as well as Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen-sensei, did an admirable job protecting us. I just wish that we could have done more." Iida added.
The rest of 1-A shared the sentiment in their own way. Ayano gave them all an appreciative smile as she stood back up.
"For real, you did all you could, Ayano." Shoka's words carried a heavier weight for the administrative assistant, her heart feeling more at ease.
"Thank you all for understanding." Ayano brought up her tablet as she moved on to the next point. "But, now we must talk about more difficult subjects. As you know, Aizawa was injured during his fight with what the Villains called a Nomu. He is currently in Recovery Girl's care, but we expect him to make a speedy recovery.
"Thirteen was also injured, though thanks to your efforts, she was spared a worse fate." At that admission, the class felt just a bit better knowing that something good could be taken away from their ordeal. Ayano gave them a minute to gather themselves before continuing. "Now, we will move on to our final point. Hound Dog was called for mandatory wellness checks for all of you. This is non-negotiable. You need to sign up for the time slots that work for you. Since classes are canceled for the rest of the week, these sessions will happen over tomorrow and the weekend."
"If you fail to meet with Hound Dog, you will not be able to participate in classes once they resume until you do so. If you are adamant about missing your appointment, you will be under review and possibly be dropped from the Hero Course." The students all tensed at that proclamation, not willing to push their luck.
Ayano adopted a softer expression, her voice losing its authority as she addressed them. "Hound Dog would like to remind you that even Heroes need someone to talk to, to help work out issues they may have due to their work on the field. You all, unfortunately, had to experience such an event earlier than we would have liked. Please, take care of yourselves."
As Ayano finished, the students of 1-A each came up to her and signed up for a time to meet with Hound Dog, some more reluctant than others. As the last one finished up, Ayano gave them a final bow and left the dorm, leaving the students and cats alone for the night. They all sat there quietly, not really sure of what to do next.
"Hey, everyone." 1-A turned to look at Mina as she stood up from her seat, the pinkette doing her best to bring out her bubbly personality. "I think it's pretty obvious things are a little tense. So how about we do something to bring back some normalcy here?"
Each of the students looked at each other, some having small conversations among themselves as they took in Mina's suggestion. Kyoka decided to be the voice of the group. "What are you thinkin' Pinky?"
"Wellllll... Remember when we all moved in I suggested we have a room tour? Since our first week was pretty busy I kinda just forgot." The pinkette said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "So, how about he have it now? Something some to shake off this funk we're in. Whaddya say?"
"I think that is an excellent idea, Mina," Momo answered. "It would be nice to focus on something else at the moment."
"What the hell, I'm game!" Kaminari chimed in, ignoring Iida chiding him for his language.
"Me too!"
"Indeed. Let us focus on brighter things!"
Izuku stood up, making his way over to Mina as he turned to address his coursemates. "Well, all in favor?" He raised his hand, showing his support for the pinkette's idea. Mina's hand shot up enthusiastically, matched only by Toru's. One by one the rest of 1-A followed suit. Izuku looked at the two he figured would choose to sit out. Todoroki hummed, not really committing to the idea but also not saying no to it. Bakugo just left. At least he didn't make his disagreement vocal.
The verdette turned to Mina. "Well, you're running the show now Mina. How are we doing this?"
"How does making this a competition sound? See who has the coolest or most unique room? One for the boys and one for the girls?" Mina asked around the room. Seeing no one disagreeing with the idea, she went over to Momo. "Hey, Yaomomo, think you can make a couple of small trophies for the winners?"
Momo gave her a smile and nodded, "Of course, Mina."
As Momo went to work making a small, plastic trophy for the tour-turned-competition, Mina began to lead everyone to their first stop, making her way to the girls' side of the dorm. "Then let's get started!"
- SHOKA'S ROOM 2-2R -
"Well, welcome all, to my humble abode," Shoka said, giving the group a showy bow, RK at her side matching it.
Though most of the girls of 1-A had seen her room before, now they got to take in every detail they missed. Most of the colors of her furnishings like her bed's covers to her curtains and desk chair matched the ravenette, with deep blacks with touches of soft whites and deep reds. On top of her covers was the Mr. Mew plushie Izuku had got her at the start of the semester.
And was immediately snatched up by Toru who squealed in delight as she held it.
A wide television set sat on top of her desk, while the rest was covered in coursework and books, with several games and systems sprinkled in. Her walls were decorated with a multitude of pictures that showcased her time with Izuku, Momo, Shinso, and Mr. H. Everyone took note of the small amount of Hero merch she seemed to have with several posters and a small pin depicting Lady Nagant early into her career.
"Gotta say, now that I got a good look at it, it really does fit you," Mina said.
"Thanks, Pinky," Shoka replied with a smirk.
Kaminari was browsing her game selection, quirking a brow at a rather old name among the titles. "What's Golden Sun?"
Shoka was immediately on Kaminari, taking the box away from him. "No touchy!"
Everyone just stared at the ravenette, surprised by her reaction. Her gray eyes darted back and forth between them all. She gave out a huff. "Sorry. Just a really old game that's really fun."
- KYOKA'S ROOM 2-4R -
"No skipping a turn, huh?" Kyoka asked hesitantly.
"Nope!" Mina answered, wasting no time.
Kyoka slowly unlocked her door and allowed everyone to see her room. Instruments filled the room, from guitars, to a keyboard, and a drum set all packed tightly and neatly together. A set of large speakers sat in the corners, already adding to the cramped space. Her ceiling was painted into a red and black checkerboard pattern, with her floor mirroring it but in dark gray and black. Beside her bed, which was covered by a red blanket with black checkerboard squares and several white musical notes, was a special purple electric guitar.
The wall next to her bed was painted black, with Deep Dope written in large scratchy, white letters. On the opposite wall was a series of posters for other various bands the punkette listened to. Next to her desk was a metal shelf that housed various soundboards, stereos, and CDs.
It was a small musician's paradise.
"It's still pretty dope that you can play all these," Shoka stated.
"Hey, I recognize some of these bands. Nice!" Sero commented as he looked through the music selection.
Toru leaned in close to Kyoka, "Hey, think we can do a karaoke night?"
Kyoka began to blush, her jacks tapping together as she answered, "M-maybe some other time... Like never."
- MOMO'S ROOM 3-1R -
Momo stood in front of her door, ready to welcome everyone into her room. SK hung from her shoulder, giving the group a bow. "Please, make yourselves at home."
She twisted the knob and pushed the door open. "I do apologize if it is a bit cramped. I originally brought more but Shoka helped me with downsizing when we first moved in."
1-A was treated to the sight of an immaculate and high-class room. Momo's lavish bed took up the majority of the room, and even as it was pushed up against the wall, there was still barely enough space for her to sit at her desk. Next to her desk was a vanity table, complete with a highly polished mirror.
On her desk was a high-end laptop that Momo used for her studies, a quill and inkwell sitting next to several blank letters, and a framed image of her, Izuku, and Shoka.
Above her desk was a well-made painting and a small shelf, complete with a flower and vase sitting on the end. Her bookshelf was lined with various topics ranging from simple fiction novels to manuals, to science books and research papers.
1-A was stupefied by what they saw, with only Izuku, Shoka, and Shinso maintaining their demeanor, already used to the fact that Momo comes from another world entirely.
Ochaco was the first to speak up. "You said you downsized?" Asked the auburnette in disbelief.
Momo at least had the decency to look sheepish at the question. "Yes. I had brought more with me, but when I learned this room was about the size of my closet, Shoka helped me to prioritize."
Everyone stared at the heiress, her words echoing in their minds as they tried to make sense of them.
While his coursemates were coming to terms with Momo's affluence, Izuku noticed a book sticking out from under her bed. "Hey, Momo. What's this?" As he moved to pick it up, Momo seemed to teleport in front of him and grabbed the book she thought she had hidden.
"Nothing!"
- TSUYU'S ROOM 3-3R -
"Well, I'm next kero." Tsuyu stepped up as they neared her room.
"I'm so excited, I wonder if hers is themed!" Toru wondered openly. Her answer was a few laughing croaks for Tsuyu.
"Kero Take a look and see."
While Toru was correct with it being themed around frogs and such, there was very little to that theme. Tsuyu had a couple of lily pad rugs spaced out on the floor, with her walls being painted a gradient blue with a darker shade at the bottom. Several reeds and tall clumps of grass with flowers aligned the walls, making 1-A feel as though they stepped into a cozy pond.
Tsuyu's bed had an earthy brown blanket covering it, making it stand out from the rest of her furnishing. Next to her desk was a series of organized shelves and tote boxes that were colored in a variety of greens and blues. Along her wall were several pictures, all depicting her family with her and her younger siblings being the focus.
Koda seemed the most at ease in this room, taking his time to take in every detail. Iida looked at the pictures, his mind running through various memories he had with his older brother. Todoroki surprised her as he also gravitated to the family pictures, with the most observant of the group taking note of a hint of a certain brokenness in his eyes. Mina, Toru, and Ochaco gushed, making Tsuyu rather happy at their reaction.
"Glad to see you all like my room kero kero."
- TORU'S ROOM 4-1R -
"Next is me!" Toru cheered out excitedly, her body moving around animatedly as the group neared her door.
1-A was bombarded by a barrage of pink. A large, fluffy pink carpet covered a big section of the floor, with a pink circular table, designed with a ribbony white and dark-pink heart sitting next to her pink bed, complete with a flowery spread. A large light-blue plushie, wearing a darker blue scarf sat on the bed right next to a purple throw pillow that was wrapped up in a series of striped magenta ribbons. Just above her bed was a set of colorful pennants and flags of various designs.
On the other side of the room, the trend of pink continued, with her desk, chair, and cubbies all the same shade of pink. A television sat in between the shelf and her desk on top of a teal-colored container. Right above was another shelf that showcased the other plushies she had brought from home.
While most of the girls gushed over Toru's room, several of the boys were dumbstruck, either out of surprise or feeling rather pleasant at the cheerful and pink room in front of them.
"It's like a normal girl's room," Kirishima stated.
Tokoyami seemed to struggle, garnering the attention of the other young men. "It... Is a fluffy den where the light shines. Too bright and colorful..."
Dark Shadow took the opportunity to pop out and make their opinion known, "I don't know Fumi. It's kinda nice."
"Thank you Dark Shadow!"
- MINA'S ROOM, 4-2R -
"Prepare to be wowed!" Mina exclaimed.
And wowed the group was.
Where Toru's room fit the theme of cute, Mina's room went with a more chic direction. Blacks, dark reds, and purples filled the room, each bit of furniture or decor having a different pattern from hearts on her carpet, to dots on her bedspread, zebra stripe curtains, and a cheetah print lamp.
It was obvious to the group that Mina preferred to take great pride in it and her hobbies. While there wasn't much study material to be found, there were various makeup kits, books and journals on fashion and dancing, and posters showcasing different groups or movies, most notably a vintage Alien movie poster that was framed and hanging above her bed.
"See! Isn't it cute?" She asked her friends.
"Where I'm not one for patterns, you did right with the colors," Shoka said in an appraising tone.
"Great minds think alike!" At that, the two high-fived each other.
- OCHACO'S ROOM, 4-3R -
"Sorry if my room is very interesting..." Ochaco said dejectedly.
"Don't be like that! It's gonna be awesome!" Mina said trying to improve the auburnette's mood.
"Kero Don't worry too much Ocha." Tsuyu simply said.
Ochaco gave the two a grateful smile and opened her door.
Her room was the most tame of the 1-A girls. Simple wooden furniture lined the walls. Her bed was covered in a light green blanket that matched the carpet she had placed on the floor. In the middle was a low coffee table, with a yellow seat tucked in under it and a television right across from it.
Various knickknacks sat on top of her dresser, as well as a framed picture of Ochaco with her parents. The thing that stood out the most was that her walls had several astronomy posters that covered the stars, constellations, and planets. The auburnette even had a telescope sitting behind her desk.
"Oh, I didn't know you were into space and stuff," Sero said as he looked at the different star charts on her wall.
"Yeah! Space is just so cool! I honestly wish I could be an astronaut." Ochaco replied, her eyes sparkling as she did. "I have been waitin' for a good night to look up at the stars with my telescope, but there hasn't been anything worth watchin'."
Momo brought her hands together as an idea came to her head. "Perhaps when a celestial event or planet is visible, we should all take the time to watch it. Would you mind being in charge of that, Ochaco?"
Ochaco beamed at the idea. "Heck yeah!"
- IZUKU'S ROOM, 2-2L -
"Sorry about the mess. I thrive in what Mr. H calls 'Organized Chaos'." Izuku said with a sheepish smile. BK gave a meow in agreement at the verdette's words from his fluffy perch.
Shoka and Momo stood back from the group, letting everyone else file in to gander at Izuku's room.
Izuku had decorated the right side of his room with several hanging shelves and posters depicting the multitude of Hero merch he had collected over the years. His bed was pushed up against his bookshelf, letting him easily reach for anything he needed from it. He had a small, All Might-themed carpet sitting askew next to his sleeping area.
What caught everyone's attention was the mural. Izuku had done his best to avoid blocking any of the individual pieces from view, with the 0-Pointer peeking over his desk, somehow adding to the image itself. Sketchbooks and notebooks covered almost every part of the desk, with a laptop and tablet standing out in their own specific place. Next to his desk was a small table with his pin press machine sitting in the corner, with several blank pins littering the rest of the surface. Above that, covering the circular graphic was his corkboard that had several pins and sketches placed on it.
The Gallery space was now filled with various pictures of himself, Shoka and Momo, Shinso, his mother, and several of him with Mr. H at his café. The only stand out from the group was one of a young Izuku next to a man with black, messy hair similar to his.
"Holy shit! This is awesome!" Sero remarked.
"Language! But I would have to agree. It is amazing to see the final product of your work, Midoriya." Iida added.
Izuku scratched his cheek, shy about the praise his work received. "Well, I can't take all the credit." He said, giving Shoka and Momo a knowing look.
- IIDA'S ROOM, 2-3L -
"I would like to welcome everyone to my room," Iida said as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Please, come inside.
Iida's room was the definition of complete organization. Lined up against the right wall were two large bookshelves, with a small one being built right next to his bed. Each shelf was filled to the brim with various reference materials and books for studying and Hero law. Even his dresser had more books on top of it.
What got a kick out of several of his coursemates were several shelves, with multiple pairs of glasses all lined up on them.
"I don't even understand half of what these books are," Toru said. The poor girl's brain was getting overloaded just by looking at them.
"What are you trying to be? A Hero or a lawyer?" Shinso asked, moving further and further away from the study materials.
Iida pushed his glasses up, the light reflecting brightly off of the lenses. "I strive to do my very best. It is only natural."
On the other side of the room, Shoka, Ochaco, Kaminari, and Mina were losing it due to the amount of spare glasses Iida had.
- TOKOYAMI'S ROOM, 2-4L -
"This is foolish," Tokoyami stated. He stood in front of his door, unwilling to open it for the others to enter. He would have stayed that way until Dark Shadow decided to move things along.
"Come on, Fumi! Everyone else is showing off!" Dark Shadow reached for the door and opened it despite Tokoyami's indignant squawks.
"Thanks, Dark Shadow!" Mina and Toru said to the Sentient Quirk.
Tokoyami shot Dark Shadow a betrayed look. "Judas!"
The first thing that everyone saw was utter darkness, the room barely illuminated by the purple light emanating from several candles and occult items across the room. Then again, he didn't turn on the light.
From what the group could see was pure black furnishings and cloth draping over the bed and dresser. A series of occult and horror-related memorabilia dotted the walls. On the floor was a stack of books covering various myths and creatures of darkness to suit Tokoyami's tastes.
"And here I thought I thrived in black," Shoka muttered in awe.
"Please, let us move on..."
"So scary!" Said Toru.
"Get out..."
"Dude, check it out. A sword!" Kaminari cried out, making his way over to the sheathed blade.
"LEAVE YOU CREATURES OF THE LIGHT!"
- KIRISHIMA'S ROOM, 3-1L -
"I'm next!" Kirishima led the group to his room, his excitement boiling over.
"This..." The redhead said dramatically. "Is true manliness!"
"Dude!"
"It's like a total 'bro room' in here!"
All around the room were motivational posters featuring either martial arts or traditional graphics and images to sell the message. There was a simple metal shelf sitting next to his desk, which had several containers and various manga or workout materials. A set of fiery red curtains covered his balcony doors, with a simple black and white motivational banner with the words "Certain Victory" hanging just above it.
What drew everyone's attention were the dumbbells littering the floor right next to a hanging punching bag.
While Kirishima chatted happily away with the other guys of 1-A, the girls just stared at the room, unable to come to grips with what they saw.
"It's like one of those rooms on a list of 'Things you don't want to see from your boyfriend'," Toru said with little emotion.
"I think Kirishima might have a different meaning for the word 'manly'." Shoka dryly stated.
- SATO'S ROOM, 3-2L -
The group left Kirishima's room, making their way down the hall next door. Sato trudged his way through, not very excited for his turn. "Sorry if mine's a bit messy. When my parents came by we decided to bake something together so I haven't gotten around to cleaning up yet."
As soon as he opened the door, 1-A was treated to a pleasant smell as a freshly baked cake sat on the middle of Sato's coffee table in the middle of his room. It was a fairly basic room, with a green curtain covering his balcony door and a larger-than-normal bed for a young man his size.
Next to his desk was a cupboard that housed different cooking utensils and supplies, with a pair of green oven mitts hanging on the side. There was a small countertop next to the cupboard was a travel-sized oven with several used and dirty dishes that had been used in baking the cake they all saw earlier.
"If you want, I can cut it up and share a piece with everyone." Sato offered.
There was a chorus of please and yes that came from the group. As everyone dug into their little dessert, Mina brought up an idea.
"Hey, Sato? Think you can make muffins to go along with Izuku's coffee?" The pinkette asked.
Sato shot Izuku a look, the two having a nonverbal conversation between themselves. They shrugged their shoulders as Sato gave his answer. "Sure. I can do that every now and then."
"Coffee! Muffins! COFFEE! MUFFINS!" Mina began to chant, leading the others to join her.
And thus, coffee and muffins would be a Sunday staple for 1-A.
- BAKUGO'S ROOM, 3-3L -
"Soooo... Are we gonna see if Bakugo wants to show and tell?" Mina asked the group, her bravery faltering as she neared his door.
"Fuck off! I don't need you extras dirtying up my room!" Came the muffled reply of Bakugo.
The group grew quiet at the turn of events, unsure of what to do now.
"Guess that settles that then," Shoka stated, with everyone else nodding along at her statement.
- KAMINARI'S ROOM, 3-4L -
"I can't wait to show you all how great my room is!" Kaminari said as he led the group to his room.
While most of 1-A would claim his room was funky, the other half would claim it was gaudy.
His bed was covered by a black and yellow, cheetah print bedspread, with a dart board and framed shirt hanging just above it. Behind the bed was an odd sculpture while a black, shaggy carpet sat under it. The left side of his room was cluttered with shelves upon shelves of different manga, games, movies, and clothing accessories like hats and such.
Kyoka called it as she saw it, "It's like he just grabbed anything and everything that looked cool and tossed it in here."
"Whoever said Kirishima's room was a 'bro room' missed the mark," Shinso said as he looked around.
"What? But all of this stuff is cool! Right!?"
- SHOJI'S ROOM, 4-1L -
"There's not much interesting in here," Shoji said as he opened the door.
And he was right. His room was empty, save for a futon, his blanket, a pillow, and a small desk.
"I've heard of minimalism, but this is beyond that," Izuku said, taking in the state of emptiness the room exuded.
"I'm not one to have very many things, just the bare essentials," Shoji explained.
Shinso gave him an appreciative nod. "I can understand that."
- SHINSO'S ROOM, 4-2L -
"Let's just get this over with." The indigoette said as exhaustion was apparent in his voice. LK gave a meow, sharing his human's sentiment. The light-amber cat that stayed by its side seemed to roll its eyes at the antics of the two, its mouth giving off a small smile of amusement.
Where Tokoyami's room was darkness incarnate, Shinso's room was shaded, giving off a cozy atmosphere that one could just sleep away in. Several dark cloths covered the overhead lights in order to dim them enough so they weren't overbearing. His bed had several pillows on top of it, with a very heavy and warm comforter draped across the mattress.
Next to his desk was an ambiance stereo system, with several CDs containing smooth songs that could put one in a blissful state of sleep. Aside from a few posters and pictures on his wall, there wasn't much else in it.
"Oh man, it's so cozy here," Sero remarked.
"I like to be comfortable," Shinso replied. His attention was drawn to his bed when he noticed Mina, Toru, Tsuyu, and Ochaco wrapping themselves up in his blanket, drawing his ire. "Oi! Get out of my bed and let go of my blanket!"
"But it's soooooooooooo comfy!" Toru cried out, unashamed of her actions.
"Then get your own!"
- KODA'S ROOM, 4-3L -
Koda stood outside his door. His nerves started to get the best of him as the group waited on him. Momo walked over to the gentle animal lover and talked with him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Koda would like to say it isn't much but he welcomes us all the same." The heiress spoke for him.
Koda's room wasn't grand, but it fit him with its simplicity. From the lime green bedspread, curtain, and carpet, to the calendar hanging above his bed and the cork board above his desk with various pictures of animals.
The main draw of the room was the white rabbit making its presence known to 1-A. Before anyone could react, the Kats moved together as a group to introduce themselves to Koda's pet. The sight made everyone's heart melt at the adorableness on display.
Needless to say. Koda's room was a hit. And the Wildkats gained a new friend now that they had a place here.
- AOYAMA'S ROOM, 4-4L -
Aoyama wasted no time leading the group to his room. As he entered, the eccentric young man struck a pose in the middle of his room.
This was the sight they were all subjected to (depending on who you asked). Bright would be the first word to describe Aoyama's room.
"Non non, not 'bright'," Aoyama wagged a finger, "dazzling!"
From his bedspread to his curtains, the cloth draping over his dresser, the multitude of mirrors lining the walls, the wall paint itself and the ceiling, all the way to the disco ball hanging in the middle of his room. Dazzling could be one word to describe it. Blinding would also be acceptable.
However, for 1-A, they all just agreed it was very Aoyama. And they were slightly disappointed they thought otherwise.
"Man, it's just too bright," Kaminari said.
"Yeah, sucks to be you." Kaminari turned to retort Shoka's words, only to stare dumbly at her, Izuku, Shinso, Kyoka, and Momo all wearing a pair of shades, courtesy of the ravenette heiress.
- TODOROKI'S ROOM, 5-1L -
Todoroki stood outside his door, unsure of what to do next. He had been going along based on his sister's advice. This was the first time he had really interacted with his classmates outside of classes.
This was entirely new and unexplored territory. He barely had many talks with his siblings so he didn't really have anything to fall back on. He blamed his father for this.
"Todoroki?" The scarred young man turned his head and saw Izuku right next to him. He saw the worry in the verdette's eyes and he wondered why he would feel something like that for something so trivial. He was broken out of his thoughts when Izuku continued to speak. "If you're not up to it, we can move on if you'd like."
Todoroki went back to his sister's advice from earlier.
"It's fine." He replied.
As he did, 1-A was greeted by the surprising sight of how different Todoroki's room was. It was styled to resemble a traditional Japanese room, with dark wood furnishings, several potted plants, and dark, earthy-colored walls. Even his balcony doors were replaced by sliding shoji doors.
That's not even mentioning the tatami mats replacing the wooden floor.
"Man, did you ask U.A. to redo the whole thing?" Kaminari asked in a stupor.
"This is what we have in my home. I can't relax on regular flooring, so I remodeled everything." Todoroki answered, his voice maintaining its usual calm.
The group of students just looked at him as if he had grown a second head.
"I simply worked hard."
Izuku shook off the surprise, not really having anything to say on that. He did paint a wall mural in his room after all. "Well, it's impressive, to say the least."
Todoroki spared Izuku a glance before looking back at his room. He let out a hum, ending the conversation then and there.
- SERO'S ROOM, 5-2L -
"Saved the best for last!" Sero declared as he opened his door.
Where Todoroki's room was one specific style, Sero's was another. The walls were painted a light brown color, adding to the colorful, and well-made patterns of the quilts on his bed and carpet. Wooden slat blinds covered his balcony door, a dark wood coffee table centered on the floor with a hammock right beside it.
His decor consisted of several wooden art pieces that hung on the wall above his desk and dresser, with a potted plant seated behind the desk in the corner of the room.
Mina seemed to describe it the best, "Asian!" The Pinkette steepled her hands as she posed, accentuating her point.
"It's lovely!" Ochaco added, mirroring Mina's actions.
"I am quite surprised by how you set up your room. It is quite lovely, as Uraraka put it." Momo said as she looked at the dark-haired young man.
Sero rubbed his nose as he gave them all a toothy grin, "Well, what can I say. I like to do the unexpected."
1-A reconvened on the joined living space on the first floor. There was a great debate between them all as they tried to determine the winners. Arguments were made, points were broken down, and styles were critiqued until a final decision was made.
Kyoka was voted the winner of the girls' side. The punkette did her best to hide away, only to be dragged back into the group by Mina, who presented Kyoka with her trophy. She went to sit down with Shoka and Momo, ignoring the rest of the class. Though everyone could see the faint smile on her face.
For the boys' side, it was a much closer decision. It had come down to Izuku and Sato, the thoughts of coffee and treats driving everyone's mindset, each person weighing the pros and cons of candidates. When a decision couldn't be made, Izuku took the trophy and used Excalibur to cut it perfectly in half, giving one side to Sato and keeping the other.
Nobody disagreed with the action, they were all just glad that their access to the delicious brew and confectioneries wasn't lost. And that's all that mattered.
Sadly, their merry times had to come to an end.
There was a silence in the air as night came around. They were all together. They had all survived and that simple thought weighed heavily on their minds. Izuku took a look around the room, his eyes filled with concern at the uncertain feelings evident on everyone's faces. He stood up, BK hopping on top of his usual perch as Izuku addressed the group.
"Hey, I'm going to make us all some coffee. What's everyone's mood? I'll even make specialty cups if you want." The verdette openly asked the group, giving them a warm smile that improved their moods.
Shoka was the first one to answer, the gray-eyed ravenette's lips quirking into an appreciative smile. "I'll take my usual. Thanks, Izzy."
"Same for me, Izuku," Momo replied.
"I won't say no to a Pick-Me-Up," Shinso said, LK meowing in agreement from his lap.
"I'll take a cup. It is much appreciated, Midoriya."
"Well, if you're offering, I won't say no to one. Thanks, Greenie."
"I'm always open for a cup of joe!"
One by one Izuku took their orders and got to work. He focused on getting the larger groups who wanted a cup of the Wildkat House Blend out of the way since that was the one asked for the most, and then working on the more specialty drinks afterward.
His work was appreciated by everyone, their moods improving as small talk began to fill the air. When Izuku finished up the last cup, he got everyone's attention, moving to stand in front of them as he spoke up, "Hey... I just want to say, I'm glad that we all got through the attack together. It wasn't something any of us thought we would ever have to go through, but we did."
Izuku's eyes swept over the group, each one of his coursemates giving him their full attention. "And as your Representative and your friend, I'm proud of you all."
Mina stood up from her spot and looked at Momo and Iida. "Well, I can say if it wasn't for Yaomomo or Iida, I don't know if we could have held up. So, thanks Yaomomo, for taking charge and kicking ass!" The pinkette was met with a chorus of cheers as she looked at the bluenette. "And thanks for getting us help Iida. You really made sure the leader ran with his tail tucked between his legs."
Momo blushed. "It was no problem, Mina. I'm just glad all of you who were with me were safe."
Iida was still hesitant to accept praise. He shook away those negative thoughts, choosing to remember what Izuku said earlier. "Of course Mina. You all are my coursemates and future comrades. I was simply doing my duty."
Kaminari went next, focusing on Sero and Tsuyu, the other two doing the same for him. "Since we're giving our thanks to each other, lemme thank you two. For sticking with me and my dumb fishing idea."
"Kero No problem Kaminari. Thanks for making sure we were safe with all those Villains around us kero kero." Tsuyu replied, giving the blonde a wide smile.
Sero just gave Kaminari a toothy grin. "Of course, man. Who else would have your back with those crazy ideas of yours?"
The air began to feel uplifted as everyone spoke, the students getting into the swing of things as they continued.
"I just wanna say," Toru turned her body to face Kirishima, the redhead surprised by her actions as she continued to speak, "thanks for protecting me and Shoji... and I'm sorry you pushed yourself too hard to do it."
At the sight of her shoulders dropping and her body tensing up, Kirishima quickly stood up, "Hey hey hey! Don't feel down, Hagakure. I did what any of us would do. After all, I'm going to be the shield that can protect everyone. If I can't do that for my classmates, what kind of future Hero am I!?"
His earnest reply brought some life back into Toru, the bubbly girl laughing at his words. Shoji spoke up, drawing everyone's attention, "You were indeed our shield, Kirishima. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have come out of that zone unscathed."
As everyone focused on the trio, Kyoka turned to talk to Shinso, "I don't think I need to make a big speech thanking you, right?"
Shinso simply stared at her, his tired eyes containing a small bit of mirth. "Of course not. We're friends. I wasn't about to just leave you behind." He took a sip of his drink. "Of course, I won't say no to a grand speech in my honor."
Kyoka stuck out her tongue at his words, "Sure, find me a mountain to sing from and I'll give you a ballad that will be talked about for years." Despite her words, she gave him a smirk, one that he returned.
To everyone's surprise, Koda stood up from his chair and made his way over to Todoroki. The bicolor-haired ice user stared at the animal lover, not really reacting but still curious about what Koda would do. And then, he spoke in a hushed tone, "T-t-thank you, for p-protecting me, T-T-Todoroki."
1-A watched as Koda gave Todoroki a small bow before quickly making his way back to his seat, no longer comfortable being the center of attention. The shy young man hid away, focusing on petting his rabbit that had returned to its spot in his arms when he got back in his seat.
Todoroki just continued to stare at Koda, unsure what to do but decided to just act on instinct. He gave Koda a small nod and spoke to him, "Of course, Koda. I'm glad you were alright." It was strange to him to interact with others this way, but Todoroki felt something when he answered.
From there, the mood greatly improved among the students. As things began to pick up, Shoka stood up, getting everyone's attention. "Well, I suppose a toast is in order." The slender ravenette lifted up her coffee cup, a gesture mimicked by the others with smiles on their faces. "To us! For kicking the asses of those Villains who thought they could step up to us!"
"TO US!"
Izuku watched on as he drank his coffee, happy to see everyone in a better mood for the time being. He knew it would take a while for things to mellow out, but this was a good start. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye at the stairs. While everyone was focused on talking to each other, Izuku made his way over to the kitchen. He refilled his coffee and started to fill another cup.
He then made his way to the stairs, finding Bakugo standing in the middle and leaning against the wall as he watched 1-A interact from a distance. The ash-blonde saw Izuku walk over to him, two cups of coffee in hand but didn't react.
As Izuku stood at the foot of the stairs, he held the second cup of coffee out for Bakugo. The two locked eyes with one other, emerald greens staring into ruby reds. There was a moment of silence between the two former friends until Izuku spoke up, "Here. I don't know how you take your coffee so it's just the regular house blend."
Bakugo looked at the cup before taking it from the verdette. They fell into another bout of silence, the two not really sure of what to say to the other at the moment.
"Thanks for watching my back, Bakugo," Izuku said.
Bakugo huffed dismissably. "Whatever."
Izuku gave him a nod and turned around, making his way back to the group. Bakugo's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Hey. Not bad, Nerd." The ash-blonde said as he finished taking a sip of his drink.
Izuku gave him an appreciative smirk. "Well... I did learn from the best." The verdette said with a shrug.
Bakugo hummed at Izuku's words and turned to go back up the stairs to his room. Izuku just watched as he left, the verdette's smirk transforming into a small smile.
Tonight was good, he figured. It seemed like 1-A would come out stronger than ever.