Chapter 7
Izuku finally finishes reading the anatomy book two months later. When he announces his triumph, Kacchan gives him a mildly impressed look and Inko cooks him katsudon for dinner. All Might sends him a carefully crafted thumbs up emoji. He texts Recovery Girl too and her response goes along the lines of 'good job now read it again'.
It makes him grimace, but the healer surprises him by dropping by his house during that weekend to give him a gift. It's a bunch of DVDs of this old show called House MD. Recovery Girl gives them to him in hopes of making the learning process more interesting. It was made way back before quirks appeared so it'll be a good introduction into traditional quirkless medical practices, many of which are still used today. Izuku questions the fact that it's a drama show and she says that, despite how exaggerated everything is, the episodes are based on real medical issues.
She seems really adamant that he watch the show, so he just shrugs and accepts the DVDs without complaint. Later that night, he drags Kacchan to his couch and forces the blond to watch with him.
Two days later, they're on Season 3.
"God I hate this fucking show," Kacchan growls as he stares at the screen with rapt attention. He's too captivated to even care that Izuku's feet are resting on top of his legs.
"I like Cameron," Izuku chirps, snuggling into a pillow, "She's so cute and friendly, like a rabbit."
Kacchan snorts, "Figures you would like her. She's way too soft to be a doctor, if you ask me." He leans back and glares at the TV, waving his hand vaguely. "But I don't get why women like this House guy. He's such a jackass. Why do people hang out with him?"
"I dunno. Probably the same reason I hang out with you."
"Oi!" Kacchan throws a pillow at his face.
July 3rd
(Toshinori 4:00PM) -Guess what, Young Midoriya?
(Midoriya 4:03PM)-What?
(Toshinori 4:04PM) -Since we met, my time in my muscle form has increased by 40 minutes!
(Midoriya 4:04PM)-Woo hoo!
(Toshinori 4:05PM) -Yes, woo hoo! And I have gained twenty pounds!
(Midoriya 4:06PM)-Woo hoo again! You've been eating well, then?
(Toshinori 4:07PM) -Yes, although I wish Recovery Girl wasn't so bossy about what I ate. Apparently eating 'fatty American foods' isn't considered a healthy way to gain weight.
(Midoriya 4:08PM)-Welllll even if you are malnourished, gaining weight too quickly will probably give you indigestion at the very least.
(Midoriya 4:09PM)-And probably some metabolism problems too.
(Midoriya 4:09PM)-And issues with your blood sugar.
(Toshinori 4:11PM) -See now you sound like Recovery Girl.
(Midoriya 4:11PM)-I will take that as a compliment.
(Toshinori 4:12PM) -So no ice cream?
(Midoriya 4:12PM)-No.
(Toshinori 4:12PM) -(◞‸◟;)
(Midoriya 4:13PM)-Noooooo.
(Toshinori 4:13PM) -What if I told you I haven't been able to eat ice cream for the past five years?
(Midoriya 4:14PM)-I would believe you but still no.
(Midoriya 4:15PM)-Why don't you make a list of all the stuff you really really wanna eat and then you have that to look forward to?
(Toshinori 4:15PM) -Sounds like that would just make me want to eat that stuff right now.
(Midoriya 4:16PM)-No, no, it'll be motivational! Cuz you'll see that list and think 'wow I wanna eat that food, better keep eating whatever Recovery Girl is making me eat so I can get to the good stuff sooner'.
(Toshinori 4:16PM) -Hmm, fine. But can I say that nutrition shakes are disgusting?
(Midoriya 4:16PM)-Your complaint is noted.
(Midoriya 4:17PM)-If you hate them so much then why don't you try another flavor?
(Toshinori 4:17PM) -? There's more than one flavor?
(Midoriya 4:17PM)-...yeah? I hear the chocolate flavored ones are really good.
(Toshinori 4:18PM) -?! THERE'S CHOCOLATE FLAVORED NUTRITION SHAKES?!
(Toshinori 4:18PM) -WHAT THE HELL HAS CHIYO BEEN MAKING ME DRINK THEN?!
(Toshinori 4:18PM) -Hold on, I need to make a call.
(Midoriya 4:18PM)-All Might?
(Midoriya 4:23PM)-All Might?
(Midoriya 4:37PM)-I would like to actually have a mentor when I go to UA, you know?
(Midoriya 4:50PM)-RIP Recovery Girl.
(Toshinori 7:15PM) -I have successfully negotiated for strawberry cream flavored shakes.
(Midoriya 7:20PM)-asjhfdalsjkdakl
July 20th
(Midoriya 2:15PM)-What kind of ending was that?!
(Recovery Girl 2:30PM) -I'm assuming you finished House?
(Midoriya 2:32PM)-I am conflicted.
(Recovery Girl 2:34PM) -I thought it was solid. But it's also been a few years since I've seen the show. More importantly, what did you learn?
(Midoriya 2:36PM)-... There are so many more things that can go wrong with the human body than I had initially thought.
(Recovery Girl 2:37PM) -Ha.
(Recovery Girl 2:37PM) -And that didn't even cover injuries.
(Midoriya 2:40PM)-I asked Kacchan what he learned and he said "No one can fire you for being an asshole if you're the best at your job"
(Midoriya 2:41PM)-I am mildly concerned.
(Recovery Girl 2:43PM) -Yes, but don't worry. Unfortunately, most doctors and healers are not like House.
(Midoriya 2:44PM)-"Unfortunately"?
(Recovery Girl 2:45PM) -The whole 'ruggedly handsome' look isn't as popular in the medical community as I would like it to be.
(Midoriya 2:47PM)-...
(Recovery Girl 2:49PM) -My roommates and I watched House when we were in med school and we got all these high expectations for the male doctors we would be working with in the future.
(Midoriya 2:52PM)-...
(Recovery Girl 2:53PM) -But alas, no, I have not met a doctor like House. I am still a single woman, after all.
(Midoriya 2:55PM)-...
(Recovery Girl 2:56PM) -I can feel your judgement through the screen, boy.
(Midoriya 2:57PM)-I didn't say anything...
(Midoriya 3:10PM)-"Ruggedly handsome"?
(Recovery Girl 3:11PM) -Go read your book.
By the time winter comes around, Izuku's anatomy book is filled with a cacophony of highlights and brightly-colored sticky notes. Recovery Girl gave him permission to write on the pages and he finds it a lot easier to memorize things when he has visual cues like colors to help him remember. He's nearly done with his fourth round of reading the book, which is more than Recovery Girl asked but he wants to be extra prepared.
There hasn't been much time for anything but studying during winter break. There's studying for school, for Recovery Girl, and for the UA entrance exam in February. To make matters worse, All Might tells Izuku that the recommendation exam occurs a week earlier than the general exam.
"It's to give the judges time to evaluate the scores," the number one hero says over the phone, "Rather than doing it after the general exam, when they'll also be busy evaluating a larger number of students. It also gives those who fail the recommendation exam the chance to take the general one."
It makes sense, of course, but damn if it doesn't rile up Izuku's already shot nerves. The boy is a mess of anxiety during the entire month of January, despite constant reassurances from Inko, Haru, and all the Bakugous. He pours himself into his studies and repeats information like a mantra in his head during class until the day finally comes.
"I don't like that you're going to be going by yourself," Kacchan growls as Izuku struggles to pick what to wear. It's still early in the morning but the blond had come over anyway, knowing that his friend would no doubt be working himself into a worried fit. He's right, to some degree. Izuku was too nervous to eat much for breakfast so instead he's focusing on making himself presentable.
"I'm not going to be alone, Kacchan," Izuku says as he pulls out a tank top, frowning in consideration. It's still pretty cold outside, but he knows there will be a physical portion and he doesn't want to risk getting too hot. But then again his main focus is on the written exam. "Recovery Girl's colleague is going to meet me at the train station, remember?"
Kacchan grumbles unintelligibly.
"What do you think I should wear?" Izuku asks, giving up and putting the tank top back, "I want to be practical but I also want to look nice."
Kacchan huffs before getting up and not-so-gently nudging him aside with his shoulder. Izuku goes to sit on the bed and waits while Kacchan rummages through his closet, eventually pulling out a pair of black leggings that he usually wears to spar or run as well as a white long-sleeved shirt and a black track jacket. He throws the clothes at Izuku with more force than necessary and snaps at him to get changed already.
He ends up walking Izuku to the train station to meet All Might, who is waiting for them in his non-muscled form. Izuku smiles when he sees him. He hasn't seen the number one hero in person since April, so he hasn't been able to see his physical progress since then. All Might is definitely back to a healthy weight now and his health shows in every aspect of his body, from his shiny hair to his straightened posture. His eyes and cheeks are no longer sunken and gaunt, and when he smiles at them it's a lot brighter. He looks… happy.
Izuku can hardly recognize the once-skeletal man he met in the alley.
"Young Midoriya, it's good to see you again!" All Might greets, waving them over. His eyes land on Kacchan, but his smile doesn't fade. "And you must be Young Bakugou."
Kacchan eyes All Might skeptically as he nods. "Yeah."
Izuku hasn't really talked much about All Might- or rather, Toshinori- with Kacchan, so he knows the other boy is a bit wary around him. But even without being in his muscled form, All Might is still a very tall and lean man, so eventually Kacchan mentally deems him worthy enough to leave Izuku in his care.
"Text me when you get there, nerd," he says, turning away, "And good luck."
With that said, he bumps his shoulder and leaves.
Izuku and All Might turn to each other and both simply grin for a few moments.
"You look good!" Izuku says, proud when his voice doesn't squeak. Even though he's technically been talking to All Might for months, there's a big difference between texting and meeting up personally. The boy is hit with yet another reminder that he is totally not over his hero worship.
"Thank you," All Might says, puffing up his chest proudly. Then, his grin softens and he asks, "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm about to die," Izuku answers truthfully and All Might laughs.
"Nonsense!" He clasps the boy's shoulder, leading him to their platform. "You've already won the favor of Principal Nedzu and Recovery Girl. All there's left to do is pass the written portion and do as well as you can during the physical demonstration. You'll be fine- I know how hard you've been studying."
"I know, I know, it's just…" Izuku scrunches up his shoulders and looks at the ground. "What if I don't get in? I mean, what'll I even do then? What if all this was for nothing? How will I ever become a healer if I can't train with Recovery Girl at UA?"
"Bold of you to assume that Chiyo-san wouldn't train you even if you didn't get into UA," All Might chuckles as they step onto the train, "I don't think you understand how excited she is to have an apprentice. Besides, you know that if you don't pass the recommendation test then you can always try for the general exam next week. Sure, you wouldn't get into the hero course, but Chiyo-san would still be able to train you if you were in General Studies."
Izuku takes a deep breath and sits down, All Might taking the seat next to him. "You're right," he sighs, "I just worry, you know?"
"Yeah, no kidding."
All Might lets out a huff of laughter and Izuku puffs out his cheeks in mock offense. Thankfully, the train ride to UA isn't very long and All Might talks for most of the time, clearly trying to distract the greenette as he anxiously tugs at his curls. At one point the number one hero pauses and coughs a little, immediately taking out a handkerchief to quickly wipe his mouth, but Izuku doesn't miss the splash of red on the cloth before it is pulled away.
"You're still coughing up blood?" He asks softly.
All Might clears his throat. "Yeah. I think it has more to do with my lung than my stomach."
Izuku frowns, feeling a pang of guilt. Even if it would be detrimental to him… he technically does have the ability to heal the hero. And yet here he is, making him wait.
All Might must read Izuku's face because he smiles reassuringly and says, "Don't worry about it. I told you, I can wait. Besides, I already feel loads better thanks to you. Trust me, this is nothing."
Izuku blushes lightly at the praise and looks down at his lap, smiling. He eventually stops fussing with his hair and pulls it up into a ponytail before they arrive at their stop. It'll be better to have it out of his way during the written and physical exams.
The train station is only a short walk away from campus, and soon Izuku is gawking in awe as UA looms over him. All Might laughs at his reaction and puts a hand on his back to lead him inside. It's more amazing than he ever could have imagined. And it's so big- part of him wonders if it's because they have to accommodate students with mutant or gigantification-type quirks. As they walk past the gates, All Might inflates into his muscled form.
"I don't think anyone but Principal Nedzu and Chiyo-san know that I am the one that is sponsoring you," he says, "So I apologize if there is a bit of a fuss."
"That's alright. Do you think we're early?" Izuku asks, glancing around for other recommendation students.
All Might looks at his phone. "Not really. I'm sure others will be arriving shortly. Although, I will admit I'm a bit out of my depth here." He scratches the back of his head. "To keep things fair, Nedzu-san only told me what the other sponsors were told. All I know is that we're going to meet in the Beta Gym." He nods at a smaller building to the left of the main building and they start walking towards it. "After that, I assume that you'll be directed to wherever your test will be taken."
"Okay," Izuku says as they approach the teachers center, "How many recommendation students will there be? Are there a specific amount of spots to be filled, or do they just accept as many as they want?"
All Might shakes his head and shrugs cluelessly. "I really don't know, Young Midoriya. This is new for me too."
"Right, right, sorry," he apologizes.
They're at the door now, but they both stop in front of it. All Might turns to him and, after a moment of gazing, lifts his hand as if to ruffle his hair comfortingly. He then seems to reconsider it since he'd ruin Izuku's ponytail, so instead he just gives him a thumbs up before pushing the door open.
The first thing Izuku notices is that the Flame Hero Endeavor is standing at the end of the hallway with another boy. The second thing he notices is that as soon as Endeavor glances over his shoulder, he immediately starts glaring heatedly at All Might.
Izuku is not unaware of the apparent despise Endeavor holds for the number one hero. It's fairly common knowledge that he's always been jealous of the latter's status. In fact, the only one who doesn't seem to notice his hatred for All Might is All Might himself, which is evident in how the hero perks up at the sight of Endeavor and waves.
"Yo, Endeavor!" All Might calls in his deep voice, wearing his signature grin as he approaches the other man. Izuku trails behind him nervously. "Long time no see!"
"All Might," Endeavor practically growls as he fully turns around.
Izuku gulps. The Flame Hero is far more intimidating in real life than he is on TV. Izuku was interested in him for a little while before his healing quirk manifested because he thought he might inherit his father's fire-breathing quirk. Even back then, Izuku couldn't find himself liking the hero very much, mostly because, despite his fire quirk, he just seemed so cold, especially compared to someone like All Might. He's never been known for being particularly friendly, and Izuku can see that now more than ever.
He makes sure to stand slightly behind All Might when he stops in front of Endeavor.
"I haven't seen you since that talk we had with the press ten years ago, huh?" All Might says, completely ignorant of the glare the other hero is sending him. If looks could kill, the number one hero would be nothing but a pile of ashes by now.
"What are you doing here, All Might?" Endeavor asks and All Might visibly brightens. Before Izuku can react, the blond has his hand on his back and is pushing him forward.
"I'm here to sponsor this fine young man, Midoriya Izuku!" All Might proudly announces.
Izuku very nearly shrivels when Endeavor's glare turns to him. Heart racing in his chest, he can't help but shrink slightly when the Flame Hero narrows his eyes suspiciously. Izuku tries to hold his gaze but very quickly loses his nerve and drops his eyes, instead looking over to the boy standing next to him, who he assumes is his son, Todoroki Shouto. He's heard very little about him- Endeavor is especially tight-lipped when it comes to talking about his family. But it seems that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because Todoroki is glaring at him just like his father, albeit less heatedly. No, his eyes are cold and his face is carefully devoid of emotion, but somehow Izuku still gets the feeling that he's being sized up.
"You are sponsoring someone?" Endeavor's voice is carrying a hint of something else now, something Izuku can't quite decipher. "Well, he must be a very special young man if he was able to catch your eye." Even though his words seem kind, he practically spits them out.
All Might pats Izuku's shoulder and grins brilliantly. "Indeed!" He proclaims, puffing up his chest with pride, "Young Midoriya here has one of the most powerful quirks I've ever seen!"
Izuku has never wished so badly for All Might to shut up before. He knows the older man means well but dear God how can he not see that he and Endeavor are on completely different pages?!
As soon as All Might says those words, Endeavor's flames seem to grow. His attention is fully on Izuku now and the poor boy can virtually feel the intense heat radiating off of him. A quick glance tells him that Todoroki is still staring at him with cold eyes.
Well, shit. What the hell is going on?
"Is that so? High praise from the number one hero," Endeavor growls, low like rolling thunder, "I look forward to seeing it…"
After a few more moments of glaring, he straightens up and gestures to his son. "My Shouto is taking the recommendation exam as well." He somehow makes the statement sound like a threat. "I believe this will be a fine opportunity for everyone to show off their strength and skill."
Then, much like how All Might did with him, Endeavor puts his hand on Todoroki's back and pushes him forward. So now Izuku is awkwardly standing in front of Todoroki while the other boy continues to glare at him icily.
Crap, why is he so creepy? Izuku is used to the explosive rage that Kacchan constantly displays, not this silent, cold intimidation. It's so terribly unnerving- he hopes he never has to use his quirk on him.
No, what the hell is he thinking? Intimidating or not, Todoroki could be one of his future patients! He should make himself seem friendly and open- no doubt he'll have to form strong relationships with heroes in the future. So, why not start with one of his potential classmates?
Looking up at Todoroki, Izuku forces himself not to shrink under his gaze and instead smiles. Unfortunately, Todoroki must interpret it the wrong way because his eyes narrow in response.
"Certainly!" Meanwhile, All Might is still talking to Endeavor. "I look forward to seeing Young Shouto's power as well! You've always been so secretive about him, Endeavor."
Endeavor huffs and opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, the door behind him opens and a head pops out. Izuku perks up, instantly recognizes her as the R-rated Hero Midnight.
"Oh, there you guys are!" Midnight says, "Well, don't just stand out here. Come on inside, we're just waiting for a couple more people."
Endeavor sends one last scathing look to All Might before brushing past her. Midnight hastily dodges, narrowly avoiding his flames. Todoroki follows his father silently.
As soon as they're gone, Izuku feels as if a giant weight has been lifted off of his chest. Sighing wearily, he turns to All Might and asks, "Is he always that… intense?"
"Yep!" All Might replies, popping the 'p'. "But he's a strong and well-respected hero, although I haven't had the chance to work with him many times."
He sounds so genuinely disappointed that Izuku nearly snorts. How can someone so powerful and successful be so oblivious?
All Might straightens up. "Having Young Shouto as your ally will no doubt be beneficial!" He says it so confidently that Izuku can't help but smile in response.
Well, just because his first impression of Todoroki wasn't so good, that doesn't mean he should let it cloud his judgement of the other boy.
So, without further ado, Izuku walks into the gym with All Might and gets his first glimpse of what could very well be his future classmates. The entrance of All Might immediately draws everyone's eyes and many people seem surprised. He can hear a few gasps ripple across the room and he ducks his head slightly, walking in with All Might's gentle hand on his back.
There aren't as many recommendation students as he thought there would be. He estimates around fifteen or twenty, but since they all have a sponsor with them, there's close to forty people in the room. And as soon as they get over their shock at the sight of All Might, all of their eyes land on him.
He gulps. Maybe it would have been better if All Might had sponsored him as Toshinori? At least then nobody would be staring at Izuku as if he just openly challenged them all to a duel.
It's not hard to tell what everyone is thinking. He knows how this must look- the number one hero is personally sponsoring some random kid they've never seen before to help him get into his alma mater school for heroics. They're probably thinking he must have some super powerful combative quirk if he was able to catch the eye of the greatest hero in Japan.
He should probably say something, just to make sure there's no misunderstandings…
Before he can, though, All Might brings attention back to himself by greeting everyone cheerfully. Izuku only recognizes a few of the heroes that are sponsoring their own students, but All Might seems to be somewhat familiar with most of them. He supposes that, as the number one hero, he must regularly meet a lot of heroes.
As the large man begins to chat idly with a couple of people, the buzz of conversation resumes. However, Izuku still sees many curious and suspicious eyes glancing at him as the sponsors and students whisper amongst themselves.
It feels a bit isolating, but one student seems to have no problem marching right up to him. He's extremely tall with a broad chest and shaved head, but it's his wild eyes that really catch his attention. Izuku can't help but tense up slightly as he approaches.
However, unlike Todoroki, this boy grins at him widely.
"Wow, wow, wow! I never thought I'd be seeing All Might sponsoring somebody today!" The boy says loudly, "That's super freaking cool, man! I'm Yoarashi Inasa!"
He promptly sticks out a large hand. Izuku blinks and glances at All Might uncertainly, but the blond simply gives him a thumbs up before turning back to his conversation.
Smiling politely, Izuku takes Yoarashi's hand and shakes it. "Hello! I'm Midoriya Izuku!"
Yoarashi shakes his hand a bit too enthusiastically for his tastes, practically jerking his whole arm up and down repeatedly. "Midoriya-kun!" He nearly shouts, "Or Izuku-kun? Izukun! I like that better! Can I call you Izukun?"
Izuku laughs nervously, slowly retracting his hand. Well, he's definitely friendly! Kacchan would totally hate him.
Still, Yoarashi's overwhelming energy is much better than Todoroki's cold demeanor, so Izuku just finds himself smiling and saying, "Sure!"
"Great!" Yoarashi grins. "Are you as excited as I am? I'm totally stoked right now!"
Yeah, no kidding.
"I just love UA! It's the most passionate high school in Japan! Do you think-"
Yoarashi ends up doing most of the talking during their short conversation. Izuku just keeps smiling and nodding, but he doesn't find himself minding too much. It takes his mind off of his anxiety for the test and Yoarashi's obvious passion for heroics is kind of charming. He's clearly boisterous and rowdy, but his friendliness seems genuine. Izuku wouldn't mind talking to him after this is all over.
A few minutes later, Principal Nedzu walks in and announces that the written portion of the exam will now begin. He goes on to say that afterwards they'll be moving to Ground Beta for the physical portion. The students separate from their sponsors as they're led to another section of the gym where rows of desks await them.
Izuku takes a deep breath, refocusing his mind to the situation at hand. The written test. All he has to think about right now is the written test. He can worry about everything else later. Sure the physical exam is literally right after this one, but he tells himself repeatedly that he doesn't have to worry about that one as much, even Recovery Girl said so- wait a minute, where is Recovery Girl?
"Aaand… begin!"
Pushing his thoughts out of his mind, Izuku swallows his anxiety and focuses on the test. The next couple of hours go by way too quickly. Even though Izuku studied months in advance, he still comes across a good handful of questions that he doesn't know the answer to. It's obvious that the recommendation test is meant to be a lot more difficult than most high school entrance exams, or even UA's general one. Still, he thinks he does fairly well overall. Definitely not the highest score, but far from the lowest.
As soon as the timer is up, Present Mic bursts into the room, startling nearly everyone.
"Okay! The written test of the recommendation entrance exam is over!" He shouts, "Now, little listeners, I'm sure you're wondering what the physical portion will entail! Get up and follow me!" Without waiting for a response, he whirls around and starts dramatically marching out the door.
A few students blink at each other for a couple of moments, stunned by the sudden appearance and disappearance of Present Mic's wild energy. Someone else comes by and tells them to leave their tests on their desks so they can be collected while they're gone. Izuku glances at his papers once more before getting up.
Whatever anxiety he can have over the written portion doesn't matter anymore. It's done, it's over, and now Izuku can finally relax. Maybe he can even have fun with the physical exam! He feels so much lighter now that he's finished the most important part- at least, for him.
Smiling, he trots up to Yoarashi's side. "How do you think you did?"
"Pretty good!" The taller boy grins down at him. "It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, though!"
"Yeah, same here," Izuku says, "I got really worried when I saw the question about-"
From the front of the group, Present Mic calls out, "Please refrain from discussing specific test questions!"
A few people snicker around him as Izuku's face turns red. "Sorry!" He squeaks, clapping his hands over his mouth.
Yoarashi laughs, but not unkindly. "Don't mind! He didn't seem too mad about it." He slaps Izuku on the back good-naturedly, but the force of it sends him stumbling forward. "Oops, sorry!"
"Don't mind," Izuku giggles, regaining his balance. "Although, I wouldn't be surprised if you had a strength quirk."
Yoarashi puffs up his chest. God, why does he have to be so big? It's not even his height alone, he's just generally large.
"Nope!" He says, "My quirk's called Whirlwind! It allows me to manipulate wind currents."
A wind quirk? Not even a physically enhancing quirk? So he's just that tall because of genetics, then? Life is so unfair.
He doesn't notice the pair of heterochromatic eyes watching him as he replies to Yoarashi, "That's super cool!"
Yoarashi practically glows at the praise and peers down at him curiously. "What's your quirk?"
"Oh! It's-"
"Alright, listen up, kiddos!" Present Mic yells loudly, interrupting Izuku.
The boy blinks in surprise and looks around. He hadn't even realized they'd stopped in front of Ground Beta. The thick walls loom above them, concealing what's inside. Present Mic pulls out a projector and projects a screen onto one of the walls.
"The physical test will be a three-kilometer long obstacle course!" The voice hero explains, "Students will receive numbers and will race six at a time. Use your quirks freely to reach the finish line! Of course, attacking other examinees and any other unheroic actions are prohibited! In addition, your sponsors will be waiting for you at the finish line! Okay, any questions?"
Nobody speaks up so Present Mic gives them a few minutes to go change into whatever clothes they want to wear for the test. Most of them are wearing some form of workout clothes underneath their outfits, and Izuku just takes off his jacket and pushes it into a locker. Then, Present Mic goes about handing everyone a paper with their number on it. Izuku ends up being placed in the last group to go, but so does Yoarashi so they get to chat with each other while they wait for their turn to go. Izuku's surprised that Yoarashi doesn't seem the slightest bit worried. Most of the others, aside from Todoroki, are fidgeting or hopping from foot to foot. He must be very confident in his quirk's abilities if he's able to go into this with such an easy mindset. Either that or he's just really good at hiding his anxiety, which Izuku would envy.
When it's finally their turn, Present Mic has them line up against the starting point and wait for the alarm.
"Good luck, Yoarashi-kun!" Izuku chirps as he steps up beside Todoroki. Glancing over at the bi-colored boy, he tries smiling again and gets a cold look in response. Not to be deterred, Izuku asks, "Are you excited?"
Todoroki narrows his eyes. For a moment, Izuku doesn't think he'll reply, but then he says in a low voice, "It's my goal to surpass All Might and become the number one hero."
Izuku blinks in surprise, mostly because he wasn't really expecting him to respond. Well, he didn't really answer his question though. Where did that come from?
Well, anyway, it's not exactly an uncommon goal. Kacchan's been telling him for years that he's going to become the number one hero. Why Todoroki felt the need to tell him in such a threatening way, Izuku doesn't know, but maybe he's fishing for support?
Izuku opens his mouth, ready to say something along the lines of 'you can do it' or 'good luck', but Todoroki's not done.
"So, if you've got something from him," he says, "Then I'm going to beat you too."
With that said, he turns away and focuses on the obstacle course ahead.
Izuku frowns, bewildered. Something from All Might? You mean, besides his recommendation?
All he has time to utter is a confused "Huh?" before the alarm blares, signalling the start of the exam.
Everyone immediately bolts towards the obstacle course and Izuku scrambles after them a second later. Todoroki uses his ice to push himself forward, but Yoarashi quickly takes the lead, propelling himself with his wind. Izuku only has a few seconds to gawk at how cool the quirks are before the two disappear over the first obstacle, which seems to be some sort of rockwall. The three other recommendation students all appear to have pretty well-rounded quirks too; one girl with a ponytail seems to pull a grappling hook out of her stomach to help her get over the wall.
Izuku knew full-well prior to the exam that he's probably going to come in last place, so he doesn't feel too bad when he's quickly overtaken. Still, he does his best to clamber over the rockwall as fast as possible, and he mentally pats himself on the back for having kept himself in good physical shape. It's definitely helping him now- the obstacle course is hard but clearly doable even if one doesn't have a combative quirk, however it is clear that above-average physical skill and fitness is needed to get through it.
He's probably naturally faster than most of the students he's competing against and it shows when he starts to catch up to the students other than Todoroki and Yoarashi, but it takes a lot more time for him to get over the obstacles and that slows him down significantly. Still, by the time he reaches the finish line, he only comes in about a minute or so later than the last person does, which is pretty good, all things considered.
The others, however, clearly don't think the same.
They all watch him as he runs towards the finish line, sweating and panting heavily. Confusion is written all over their faces, including the sponsors'. Well, except for All Might, who just gives him a thumbs up, and Todoroki, who stares at him with a carefully blank expression. Yoarashi is glaring at Todoroki for some reason, but even he looks puzzled when Izuku finally crosses the finish line. Nevertheless, he's still friendly enough to flash him and grin and walks up to him as he catches his breath.
"Yo, Izukun! You made it!" His grin is wide, but the confusion is clear in his mind. "Er… Did you not use your quirk, or…?" Behind him, the other students glance at each other.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, Izuku swallows and looks up. "Oh, no, no," he pants, "I-"
"What the hell is this?!" A shout from the group of sponsors catches everyone's attention. A few of the adults back away from Endeavor, who's flames are flickering as he scowls with rage. Turning to All Might, the Flame Hero snaps, "Does your successor not feel the need to take this test seriously? What, is he just playing around? Think this is all for fun?"
"Er, Endeavor-" All Might tries to say, but Endeavor interrupts him.
"Or maybe he's just so over confident in his quirk that he believes he doesn't need to use it for the test?" He snarls, "Figures you would sponsor someone just as pretentious as yourself, but I will not stand by and let him make a mockery of this test and its participants! Who does he think he is-"
Despite All Might's numerous attempts to calm him, Endeavor continues to rant at the number one hero without even pausing for breath. His face is twisted with rage and his flames are nearly covering his entire upper-body, making for a truly frightening scene.
Meanwhile, Izuku is still standing amongst the recommendation students, staring at Endeavor in dismay. Guilt claws at his heart- he didn't think anyone would be getting so upset by this!
"I-I'm sorry," he chokes out, embarrassed tears pricking at his eyes as his cheeks burn, "I didn't mean to offend anyone!"
Endeavor is yelling so loudly that none of the adults can hear him, but the recommendation students all turn to him. The girl with the ponytail puts a hand on her hip and tilts her head. "Well, then, why didn't you use your quirk?" She asks, "I figured you would possess an exceptional quirk if you were sponsored by someone like All Might."
"Er-no," Izuku replies, wringing his hands nervously, "I mean- yes! But, er, I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. I don't have a combative quirk, I have a-"
"Endeavor, please!" Principal Nedzu's voice rings out.
He turns to see the principal approaching the group of sponsors with Recovery Girl in tow. Izuku lets out a sigh of relief when he sees her. It's alright now, everything's going to be okay, Recovery Girl will be able to explain everything and then Endeavor can stop being so mad.
"Endeavor," Nedzu says, padding up to the number two hero, "Calm down, please. Midoriya-kun here is a bit of a special case because he's-"
Endeavor doesn't hear him out, instead whirling on the mouse and snarling, "Oh, so he's getting special treatment because All Might recommended him? I never pegged UA as the type to-"
"Oh, shut up, you dolt!" Recovery Girl suddenly snaps. Everyone glances at her in surprise.
"Chiyo-san!" All Might looks embarrassed.
Recovery Girl rolls her eyes and steps up right in front of Endeavor. "Now listen here, young man," she says, glaring up at the hero, "Midoriya Izuku is not getting any special treatment from anyone. He is taking this test just like everyone else and is not being given an unfair advantage."
"But-" Endeavor tries to interrupt, but Recovery Girl keeps going.
"However, I think you need to think twice before making assumptions about people! That boy has the best damn healing quirk I've ever seen and I'm not going to let some pompous, bull-headed fool get in the way of me training him to become a healer! So, I'll say it again- shut up."
There's a moment of silence in which everyone just stares at her in shock. Endeavor opens and closes his mouth repeatedly, his face morphing between rage and confusion as if he can't decide which emotion to feel. Eventually, he somehow manages to settle somewhere between the two and he turns to All Might.
"Healing quirk?" He questions, "But you said his quirk was-"
"I didn't say, actually," All Might interrupts, "Although, perhaps I should have. I wasn't lying earlier, though. It is one of the most powerful quirks I've ever seen."
Endeavor glances between him and Izuku for a moment before growling. "But this test is to get into the hero course," he claims, "What business does someone with a healing quirk have there?"
"Both Midoriya-kun and his classmates will benefit from him being there," Recovery Girl explains with a firm voice, "He will assist me in dealing with the numerous injuries that hero students acquire on a day-to-day basis and will learn how to react and defend himself in potentially dangerous situations. I'm sure you know that past incidents have shown the hero community that healers can sometimes face the same dangers that heroes face."
Izuku's jaw nearly drops in shock. Recovery Girl didn't mention it by name, but there's no doubt that she's referring to the incident involving one of Endeavor's healers being stolen by a villain over fifteen years ago. He can't believe she went that far!
Endeavor's teeth grind audibly as he glares down at Recovery Girl, but he won't argue with the healer after he's been so thoroughly chastised by her, at least not in front of a bunch of other heroes and children.
Still, Izuku feels the need to speak up.
"Er, I'm sorry, Endeavor-san," he apologizes nervously, "I- I didn't mean to upset anyone."
"Don't worry about it, Young Midoriya," All Might says softly, "It was just a simple misunderstanding."
Izuku must not look very convinced because Yoarashi claps a hand on his shoulder and says, "Don't mind!"
Izuku smiles a little, turning to face the rest of the recommendation students that are gazing at him with much friendlier expressions. Even Todoroki isn't glaring at him anymore; in fact, he almost looks a little embarrassed. He doesn't say anything, but when Izuku smiles at him once more, his only response is to drop his gaze to the ground, the barest hint of a flush on his cheeks.
"So, you really have a healing quirk?" Yoarashi asks and Izuku nods. He grins. "That's super cool, man!"
"How does it work?" The girl with the ponytail asks.
Before Izuku can answer, a boy with scary-looking teeth thrusts his arm out in front of him. "Hey, I got a scratch on my arm from the mountain area," he says abruptly, jerking his head at the obstacle course, "Can you heal it?"
Izuku glances at Recovery Girl for permission. He knows he's not supposed to use his healing quirk unless he's under the supervision of a medical professional, which Recovery Girl clearly is, but he isn't sure if their training has officially begun yet. To his delight, however, she merely smiles and nods at him to continue.
Izuku turns back to the boy with a grin. "Sure!" He rolls up the other's sleeve, revealing the relatively shallow scratch, and gently places his hand over it. A few seconds later, he pulls it away, revealing perfectly healthy skin.
"Whoaaa!"
All of the students close around him as they stare at the boy's arm with wide eyes. "That's so awesome!" Yoarashi exclaims.
"It was so fast!" The boy he healed gawks at his own arm before grinning at Izuku. "Thanks! I'm Honenuki Juzo, by the way."
"Midoriya Izuku," Izuku replies, shaking his hand.
The girl with the ponytail introduces herself as well. "My name is Yaoyorozu Momo."
"Tokage Setsuna!" The other girl says.
"YOARASHI INASA!" Yoarashi shouts, unnecessarily loud. He laughs and grins down at Izuku. "But you already knew that!"
Izuku giggles and there's a moment of silence before they all turn to Todoroki expectantly. His face remains blank. "Todoroki Shouto." Then, his head tilts ever so slightly and he asks, "Why did All Might sponsor you if you're going to train with Recovery Girl?"
"Oh!" Izuku's mind races for a moment before he settles on, "Er, well, Recovery Girl-san couldn't sponsor me herself because she works at UA and there's like an old rule saying that teachers at UA can't sponsor students. Um, 'cause I guess they might help them cheat?"
He didn't really answer Todoroki's question and from the look on his face he can see that too, but Izuku is saved from further questions by Principal Nedzu announcing the end of the recommendation exam. He congratulates them all for finishing the test and tells them that they will receive their letters of acceptance or declination before the end of the week.
Endeavor immediately turns to leave.
"Shouto!" He barks, "Come!"
Todoroki presses his lips together before following his father out of Ground Beta. Izuku notices Yoarashi gazing after them with an unusually hostile expression.
"What's wrong?" He asks and the taller boy looks down at him, his face quickly smoothing out.
"Nothing!"
Another sponsor calls out and Honenuki turns to them, saying, "Hey, I've gotta go, but it was cool meeting you guys."
"Yeah," Izuku says, "I hope I see you guys at UA this spring!"
"You too!
"Yeah, see ya!"
"BYE IZUKUN!"
Huffing a little laugh, Izuku turns and jogs back over to All Might. He can't help but have a skip in his step. He just finished the recommendation exam! It's finally over!
The number one hero grins and begins leading him out of the training ground. As soon as they're out of hearing range, Izuku chirps, "Well that went well!"
All Might just laughs.
Chapter 8
Izuku receives his acceptance letter from UA that Thursday. Even though he knew there was a pretty good chance he would get in, he still lets out a huge sigh of relief when he learns that he actually got accepted. Inko cries and hugs him tightly for a few minutes before inviting the Bakugous over, who all congratulate him in their own way.
Izuku pulls away from Auntie Mitsuki's hair ruffle only to get caught by Kacchan who ruffles his hair even more. "Kacchan!" He whines but the boy just snickers.
"Next week, it's my turn to get a letter!" He grins.
All Might and Recovery Girl congratulate him over text and Izuku expresses his surprise to the former that he was in his acceptance letter.
(Midoriya 8:23PM)-I suppose it's not a secret anymore that you're going to be working at UA?
(Toshinori 8:24PM) -Nope! The cat is out of the bag!
(Midoriya 8:25PM)-Should I start calling you All Might-sensei, then?
(Toshinori 8:25PM) -...
(Toshinori 8:26PM) -Oh this is going to be weird.
Izuku laughs.
The rest of the school year seems to fly by quickly, which he's thankful for. To no one's surprise, Kacchan passes the general entrance exam with top scores. Izuku and Kacchan are the only students from their junior high to get into UA, so they get praised and complimented numerous times by both students and teachers. Kacchan preens under the attention.
Only Tsubasa, Inaba, and Haru know that Izuku got in through recommendations, although they still think it was Recovery Girl's recommendation. They congratulate him, but Tsubasa and Inaba's attention quickly shifts to Kacchan once he gets in. That's alright, though. Haru doesn't sit with them at lunch, but Izuku still hangs out with him as much as he can, so they get time to talk about UA.
Haru decided not to apply, despite Izuku reassuring him that Kacchan wouldn't hurt him anymore. Instead, he's chosen to go to another high school that's fairly well-known. He has a bashful look on his face when he tells Izuku that he wants to work with kids in the future.
"Maybe as a pediatrician or something…" He scratches the back of his head. "I dunno yet, but I just thought… well, my quirk is good for making people laugh. And I wanna make kids laugh and feel better when they're maybe not feeling so good."
Izuku listens with a soft smile that only grows as he speaks. Reaching to place his hand over the boy's, he says earnestly, "That's really cool, Haru-kun! You've always been great at making me laugh." He grins. "I'm glad you're thinking of ways to help people with your quirk. You're like a hero!"
Haru's wide-eyed expression sends him into a fit of giggles.
Finally, April arrives and it's time for their first day of class at UA. Izuku practically vibrates with excitement and nerves as he and Kacchan walk past the front gates. Even though he's been here before, he still gazes at everything with wide eyes, trying to take it all in. Kacchan looks straight ahead as he walks next to him. He's trying to seem cool and indifferent, but Izuku's known his friend long enough to tell that he's just as excited as he is.
"Relax, Zuku," Kacchan growls half-heartedly, "It's just the first day, we're probably not even going to do much. Opening ceremonies take forever."
"I can't help it!" Izuku puts a little spring in his step. "I'm just so excited! What do you think our classmates will be like? I wonder how other recommendation students got in? I hope I see Yoarashi-kun again!"
"Who?" Kacchan arches a brow.
"Yoarashi-kun," Izuku repeats, "I told you about him. We met during the exam and he was really tall and loud but really friendly too."
"The wind quirk guy?" Of course Kacchan would remember that part.
"Yeah."
The blond grunts a noncommittal reply.
There aren't many students here yet, mostly because they had to come early to meet with Recovery Girl. Part of Izuku's training includes meeting up with her before and after school. The morning meetings are going to be short, mostly just him checking in with her before going to his homeroom, while the later meetings are going to be longer as she'll be teaching him then.
The infirmary is located right in the middle of the main campus. Recovery Girl welcomes them inside when they arrive, but Kacchan is content to just wait in the hallway while they talk.
"So, I'm assuming you're excited, Midoriya-kun?" Recovery Girl asks with a twinkle in her eyes. Izuku grins and nods rapidly. "That's good. It's always so nice to see the energy of the youth." She turns in her chair and gestures to the room around her. "There's not much to go over right now, but of course you'll be expected to become very familiar with this room as time goes by. It may not seem very big, but I like to keep things organized, especially paperwork." She nods at the small shelf of binders and books on her desk next to her computer. "I asked that a desk be made for you as well, although I'm afraid there's no computer yet."
Izuku notices the smaller desk on the opposite side of the room and smiles. It's so nice of Recovery Girl to give him his own space in her office. He spots a couple of textbooks on it and starts to walk over to them, but Recovery Girl just waves her hand.
"Oh, don't worry about those yet," she says, "We'll be going over my lesson plan for you later today. For now, I just want you to focus on getting settled in. You have Aizawa-kun as your homeroom teacher, right?"
"I think so," Izuku says, "Is he nice?"
For some reason, his mentor looks amused. "Yes, but he might not seem like he is at first. He has a nasty habit of expelling a lot of his students."
Izuku's heart leaps to his throat. What?!
His panic must show on his face because Recovery Girl quickly adds, "But he won't expel you- all the teachers know that you're my apprentice. They're allowed to give you detention if you misbehave, but if they want to expel you then they'll have to go through me first."
Izuku smiles and relaxes, but only slightly. Just because he's safe doesn't mean that Kacchan is. He hopes his mild-mannered friend will at least try to stay out of trouble today, although that's a rather tall order.
"Well, you should probably head on to your class now," Recovery Girl says, "There are plenty of teachers wandering around, so if you get lost, just ask them."
"Okay." He bows politely. "Thank you, Recovery Girl-sensei!"
The older woman rolls her eyes. "None of that, now. Just -san if you must."
Giggling, Izuku straightens up and rejoins Kacchan outside. Together, they walk through the massive halls of UA, trying to find their classroom. The door for Class 1-A is massive, but Kacchan pushes him inside before he can gawk at it for too long.
It seems that they're allowed to choose their own seats, so Izuku just follows Kacchan and takes the seat behind him. The blond immediately makes himself comfortable, leaning back and kicking his feet up onto the desk in front of him. Normally Izuku would complain about that, but right now he's too excited to even think about scolding the other boy.
"We're finally here, Kacchan!" He whispers, "Are you nervous?"
Kacchan scoffs. "Of course not! And why the fuck are you whispering? We're the only ones in here."
As soon as he says those words, the door slides open and two people walk in, a girl with pink hair and skin and a boy with spiky red hair. Izuku perks up and smiles at them, hoping to come off as friendly. It seems to work because the two smile back at him before taking seats near each other. They chat with each other as a few more people walk in, but it seems like most of them are trying to keep to themselves. It's not surprising- it's a bit intimidating to talk to people you don't know yet, although the pink girl and red-haired boy do seem to be familiar with each other. Still, Izuku hopes that smiling at the students that walk in will help them feel more welcomed.
"Quit smiling at everyone, weirdo," Kacchan grunts, "It's fuckin' creepy."
Izuku frowns, but just then a familiar bi-colored boy walks in. Todoroki glances at him briefly but remains silent as he walks to the back of the classroom and takes a seat there. Izuku stifles a sigh. Well, at least that's one more familiar face…
He keeps hoping for Yoarashi to appear, but the wind-wielder is nowhere to be seen. However, a couple of minutes later the girl with the ponytail walks in. Yaoyorozu, was it?
She smiles when she sees him and walks over. "Midoriya-kun?" She asks a bit uncertainly and relaxes when he nods, "It's nice to see you again."
"It's nice to see you too!" Izuku smiles, straightening up in his seat.
Kacchan raises an eyebrow. "You know this chick, Zuku?" He eyes Yaoyorozu up and down, looking a bit unimpressed. She frowns.
"Yeah, she's a recommendation student," Izuku replies. To Yaoyorozu, he says, "This is my friend, Bakugou Katsuki. Kacchan, this is Yaoyorozu Momo."
"Nice to meet you," Yaoyorozu says.
Kacchan merely rolls his eyes and turns away with a huff. "Yeah, sure."
"Kacchan…" Izuku warns, giving him a look.
Before he can say anything else, they're suddenly approached by a tall blue-haired boy. He marches up to them with purpose and promptly frowns down at Kacchan.
"Don't put your feet on the desk!" He loudly orders.
Kacchan narrows his eyes and smirks. "Haah?"
The boy makes an odd motion with his hands and points at the desk. "Don't you think that's rude to the UA upperclassmen and to the people who made the desk?"
"Nope!" Kacchan sneers, "What junior high did you go to, you side character?"
"Kacchan!" Izuku scolds while Yaoyorozu puts a hand to her mouth in shock.
The blue-haired boy looks surprised too, but he quickly straightens up and replies, "I attended Somei Private Academy. My name is Iida Tenya."
Kacchan's eyes practically light up in the worst way possible. "Somei? So you're a damn elite, huh? Looks like I'll have fun crushing you!"
And yep, that's Izuku's cue to step in.
"He doesn't mean that!" He yelps, jumping to his feet.
"Hell yeah, I do!" Kacchan retorts.
"No, you don't!" He rushes to put himself between Kacchan and Iida, smiling apologetically as he pushes his friend's feet off the desk. The blond lets him, but he grumbles the entire time.
"Sorry about him!" Izuku laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head, "He has a bit of a rough sense of humor!"
"I see," Iida says, still frowning slightly. At the same time, Kacchan snaps, "No, I don't!"
Still smiling, Izuku replies, "Yes, you do."
"I'm fucking hiliarious!"
"I'm Midoriya Izuku," he says, ignoring Kacchan as he holds his hand out to Iida.
The blue-haired boy shakes his hand. "Iida Tenya."
"Nice to meet you!"
"Oi, nerd!" Kacchan growls behind him, standing up, "Don't fucking ignore me!"
"Are you two really friends?" Yaoyorozu asks warily, watching the scene with a skeptical expression.
Kacchan bares his teeth with raised hackles. "Of course we fucking are!" He snarls at her, "Why wouldn't we be?!"
Izuku waves his hands apologetically as Yaoyorozu and Iida glance at each other. "Kacchan and I have known each other since we were kids," he explains, but before he can say anything else, something catches his eye.
It looks like… a yellow caterpillar? Just standing in the entrance of the classroom. Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Kacchan follow his gaze and frown in confusion. Then, the caterpillar sheds its skin to reveal a scruffy-looking man with black hair and a grey scarf.
It takes a moment for Izuku to recognize him, but as soon as it clicks he perks up. "Eraserhead?!"
Iida and Yaoyorozu still look confused, but Kacchan grunts in acknowledgement. "This guy again?"
Eraserhead's eyes narrow at them and he says in a drawling voice, "If you're just here to chat with friends I suggest you leave now."
They stare at him for another moment before Iida stiffens up, apparently realizing that he means for their group to disperse. As they all go to sit in their own seats, Eraserhead steps out of his sleeping bag and bundles it under his arm.
"It took ten seconds for you guys to settle down," he says, "Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough." He glances around the room with tired eyes. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta. Nice to meet you."
While everyone murmurs in shock, Izuku's heart practically leaps. Eraserhead is his homeroom teacher! Eraserhead! Recovery Girl never told him that part! God, UA is already so cool!
The underground hero reaches into his sleeping bag and pulls out some uniforms, telling them to get changed and go out onto the field. As they walk towards the changing rooms with their uniforms in hand, Yaoyorozu walks up to Izuku's side.
"Midoriya-kun," she says, "You and Bakugou-kun seemed to recognize Aizawa-sensei when he walked in. Who is he?"
Visibly brightening, Izuku replies, "He's a super cool underground hero! He can erase other people's quirks just by looking at them! Plus, that scarf around his neck is really a weapon that he uses to capture bad guys!" As he talks, his mind thinks back to the page he has for Eraserhead in his journal.
His obvious enthusiasm for the hero catches the attention of a few other students, who glance at him curiously. Yaoyorozu looks intrigued.
"Oh? An underground hero?" She asks, "How did you find out about him?"
Izuku hesitates, not wanting to go into detail about his near-kidnapping. Eventually, he settles on, "I found myself in a bit of trouble a few years ago and he rescued me. I guess I've become a bit of a fanboy since then." He blushes and looks at the ground.
Before Yaoyorozu can say anything else, Kacchan calls out from ahead, "Come on, Zuku, hurry it up!"
"Coming, Kacchan!" Izuku says, then smiles at Yaoyorozu, "See you on the field!"
Even though the changing rooms aren't very different from the ones in their junior high, just more spacious, Izuku still gawks for a few moments until Kacchan snaps at him to get dressed. He hastily changes into his training uniform- so cool! - before making his way onto the field with the rest of his class.
Aizawa gazes at them with tired eyes and promptly announces that they'll be taking a quirk assessment test.
"But what about the opening ceremony?" A brown-haired girl in the front asks, "The orientation?"
"If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events," Aizawa grunts, "UA's selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how the teachers run their classes." He gives them a sharp look, making a few students tense up. The teacher goes on to explain how the education system is slacking and they're going to redo the physical fitness tests from junior high, with a slight change.
Then, he has Kacchan throw a softball, giving him full permission to use his quirk. The blond seems a bit surprised, but eagerly pitches the ball into the air, using an explosion to propel it far.
"Die!"
Questionable choice of words aside, he creates an impressive result that causes the rest of the students to get excited.
"This looks fun!" The pink girl from earlier says cheerfully.
"Fun, huh?" Aizawa drawls, "Alright then. Whoever comes in last place will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."
Izuku gulps as everyone around him gasps. Well, Recovery Girl did warn him about this. And even though he knows he's safe from expulsion, it's still a bit unnerving to know that one of these students might end up going home after today.
"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students." Aizawa gives them a terrifying grin. "Welcome to UA's hero course!"
The brown-haired girl from earlier protests that the test is unfair, and Izuku… can't find himself agreeing with her. Even though Aizawa's decision might seem cruel, he knows there must be some logic behind it. Recovery Girl said that deep down Aizawa is nice and Izuku saw that for himself when the hero comforted him after his attack. So… so he's probably not doing this to be mean. If someone with 'no potential' stayed in the hero course… well, even if they did manage to become a hero, Izuku supposes that they might not last long. He knows from experience how dangerous villains can be, and if you're not properly prepared or able to deal with them then you would probably end up dead.
It seems that Aizawa tries to tell them this too, in his own strangely ominous way. Next to Izuku, Kacchan is already warming up, stretching his arms with a grin on his face.
"Alright, the demonstration's over," Aizawa says, "The real thing starts now. The first test is a fifty-meter dash, so go line up in pairs over there." He nods to a series of lines near the wall of the changing room. Izuku moves to follow his classmates as they start to walk over, but the teacher calls out, "Midoriya Izuku. A word."
Kacchan arches a brow questioningly but Izuku waves him off to join the others. He forces himself not to freak out, or worse, fanboy out, as he approaches Aizawa. He wonders if the man even remembers him. There's no flash or hint of recognition in his eyes, but then again he seems to be purposely keeping his face neutral during this whole thing.
He stops in front of Aizawa and politely asks, "Yes, sir?"
Aizawa slowly blinks at him and grunts, "Obviously you won't be expected to use your quirk in this assessment. However, I still want you to try your best. It's my job to train you and make sure you can handle yourself in a dangerous situation, so I need to know where you're at physically. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" Izuku nods and Aizawa motions for him to rejoin his classmates.
The test begins soon after. It's kind of interesting to see how nearly everyone uses their quirks to help them get through it. Iida turns out to have engines in his legs and very quickly secures the top score for the race. A few manage to get close to his score, though; Kacchan uses his explosions to propel himself forward, and a girl with a frog-like quirk swiftly covers ground in long leaps and bounds. Izuku doesn't do half-bad himself, thanks to all those long runs he goes on with Kacchan. Plus, there are other students with quirks that aren't helpful in this situation, like the girl with strange ears and the boy with electric-blond hair, that he actually gets a better score than.
The grip test he doesn't do as well in, but it's clearly biased towards people with some sort of strength-enhancing quirk. He still has fun admiring the brawn of a six-armed boy who introduces himself as Shoji. He gawks at his impressive score until Kacchan drags him away with a huff.
The standing long-jump is amusing too, if only because it's funny to see the awkward position Kacchan puts himself into in order to keep his feet off of the ground for as long as possible while his explosions propel him. Todoroki impresses everyone by making some sort of ice bridge to get him across and Yaoyorozu creates a long pole-vaulting stick for herself.
As the tests go on, Izuku tries not to let it bother him that his quirk isn't helpful right now. Everyone is finding some way to get an impressive score in at least one of the tests, but he repeatedly tells himself that it doesn't matter. He's doing just fine. Which is fine, in and of itself, but… he can't help but wish he could be a little above average in something. Every score he gets is very middle-of-the-pack. Not awful, but not outstanding either.
Not that he needs to be! He's going to be a healer, not a hero, so it doesn't matter. It doesn't. He should just… think about something else...
The ball toss is fun to watch, especially when the brown-haired girl from earlier gets a score of infinity. Izuku giggles along with a few other people, but Kacchan just grumbles because she got a better score than him. Then there's toe-touches, sit ups, and a distance run, all of which he does fairly well in. At the end when Aizawa announces their final scores, Izuku finds himself in fifteenth place.
Beside him, Kacchan snarls angrily. Izuku startles and is about to ask what's wrong, but then he sees it. To his immense surprise, his friend didn't get first place, or even second. No, those places belong to Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, respectively. That leaves Kacchan in third place, which isn't really that bad, but the blond still looks furious.
"Don't mind, Kacchan!" He says, patting his shoulder soothingly, "You did great!"
"Shut up!" Kacchan snaps and Izuku frowns. The explosive boy just shoves his hands into his pockets and glares heatedly at the ground, grinding his teeth audibly.
Last place goes to some poor kid named Mineta, who is promptly sent packing by Aizawa. Izuku feels terribly sorry for him as the boy leaves in tears, but he does notice how many of the girls look relieved. He makes a mental note to ask Yaoyorozu later if she knows why.
Aizawa sends them off after that, telling them to look at the handouts of the curriculum after lunch. As they walk back to the main building, Izuku notices that a lot of the students are now chatting with each other. Even Kacchan is talking to the boy with spiky red hair, although it seems like the latter is doing most of the talking.
Izuku perks up when he sees Yaoyorozu and Todoroki walking together and jogs to catch up with them.
"Hey, guys!" He says, coming up on Todoroki's left, "Great job getting first and second place!"
"Thank you." Yaoyorozu smiles. "I'm a bit surprised Aizawa-sensei had you participate, though. Does he know that you have a healing quirk?"
"Oh, yeah, but he just wanted to see how capable I am," Izuku replies, "Physically, I mean. I think I'll be participating in most class activities, unless they involve direct combat using quirks."
Yaoyorozu tilts her head. "And how will you be training with Recovery Girl-san, then?"
"I'm going to be meeting with her before and after school for lessons."
Yaoyorozu looks surprised, and even Todoroki casts him a glance. Izuku grins and scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, it's a bit of extra work, but I'm excited." He pauses, then remembers a thought. "Hey, I was wondering if you guys know if Yoarashi-kun is here?"
"Yoar…" Yaoyorozu frowns. "Was that the boy from the recommendation exam? The one with the wind quirk?"
"Yeah," Izuku says, "I haven't seen him yet, so I thought maybe he got put in class 1-B…"
Yaoyorozu shakes her head and says, "I haven't seen him either, sorry." She glances at Todoroki, but he doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation.
"Oi, Zuku!"
Izuku suddenly finds himself being dragged forward by the arm. Kacchan stomps doggedly towards the boys changing room and growls, "Come on, nerd, I'm fucking hungry, so get changed quick so we can get to the cafeteria before these other losers."
"Oh." Izuku blinks and looks back at Yaoyorozu and Todoroki, who stare at him as he gets dragged away by Kacchan. "Sorry! See you later, guys!"
He turns away before he can see the quizzical glance they share.
The rest of the day goes by fairly quickly. Izuku feels like he's getting whiplash from seeing one pro hero after another. He's met more heroes today than during his entire life, and they're his teachers! UA is just too cool!
By the time the end of the day arrives, he's both overwhelmed and tired. He doesn't know if his brain can handle any more new information, but he's excited to learn from Recovery Girl so he gives himself a quick slap on the cheeks to wake him up and marches towards the infirmary. Kacchan comes too, even though Izuku tells him he doesn't have to come, but the other boy insists. He ends up lying on one of the beds and playing on his phone while Recovery Girl asks Izuku how his first day went.
"I can't believe Eraserhead is my homeroom teacher!" Izuku gushes, "Thanks for the warning, Recovery Girl-san!"
The healer looks amused. "I didn't know you were a fan. Most kids have never heard of him before."
"I met him once, actually," he says, "But I don't think he remembers me."
"Oh really?" Recovery Girl hums, "How'd you two meet?"
Kacchan doesn't move, but he does glance up at Izuku. The greenette can't quite read his expression, but he doesn't look like he's about to protest.
So, Izuku says, "A couple of villains tried to kidnap me when I was ten." Recovery Girl stiffens in alarm, eyes widening slightly. "They… they wanted to sell me for my quirk, but Eraserhead stopped them. He probably saved my life, really…"
His mentor opens her mouth, then closes it. Her brow is furrowed.
"I-I started taking self-defense classes right after that, though!" Izuku hastily tries to reassure her. "And that's the only time something like that has ever happened!"
"That's good…" Recovery Girl says, her eyes trailing to Kacchan.
The blond notices and grunts, "I walk him to and from school. Don't worry, I know how to keep him out of trouble."
That seems to satisfy her enough. Recovery Girl nods and turns back to Izuku. "Well, I'm sure Aizawa-kun remembers you. He's just a difficult man to read." She goes to sit in her chair and leans back with a sigh. "Anyway, there's not much I can teach you on the first day of school. I don't usually see many injured students until the second or third day. However, when we do get to healing people, I want to teach you traditional methods first. I don't want you to rely so much on your quirk, especially since you can't control it well. We'll get to training with your quirk in a couple of weeks, but for now…"
She nods at the books on Izuku's desk. He goes to pick them up and notices that there's only a couple and one of them is a bit thicker than the other. Thankfully, though, neither of them are even close to the size of his anatomy book.
"The smaller book is all about basic first aid," Recovery Girl explains, "And the other one has a bunch of information on how to treat common injuries like sprained ankles, concussions, dislocated shoulders, you get the picture. I've gone in and highlighted the ones I see students get most often, but I want you to learn about all of them."
"Okay," Izuku says, still looking down at the books, "When do I need to read them by?"
"The first aid one, preferably by the end of this week," she says, "It's a lot of information but it's a relatively easy read."
Izuku nods determinedly, already moving to put them into his backpack.
"And while you learn about that," Recovery Girl continues, "I also want you to think about how quirks could potentially harm their users."
"Huh?" Izuku asks.
"You saw your classmates use their quirks today, right?" He nods. "Consider what drawbacks their quirks might have and how overuse might affect them. Like how, for example, overusing your quirk makes you tired."
Izuku frowns in thought, glancing over at Kacchan who's still lying on the bed. "Well, sometimes Kacchan's wrists start to hurt when he makes too many big explosions," he muses and the blond looks up, "And during the quirk apprehension test one of the boys- er, I think his name was Aoyama? He mentioned that he gets a stomach ache if he shoots his laser for more than a second. Um… I suppose Iida-kun would eventually tire out, and Aizawa-sensei's quirk relies on staring so he would probably get dry eyes…" He subconsciously dissolves into muttering, but Recovery Girl doesn't seem too bothered. He tries to recall as many of his classmates' quirks as possible, but he only just met them all. "I'm sorry, I haven't really memorized everyone's quirks yet."
"That's alright," his mentor says, "but you've got the right idea. UA likes to push their students to the brink of exhaustion- go beyond, plus ultra and all that." She rolls her eyes and Izuku's lip twitches. "So, injuries from quirk overuse is something that we're going to have to deal with often. I want you to learn how your classmates' quirks could affect them and, if necessary, prevent them from going overboard."
Izuku blinks in surprise at this. Prevent them?
Recovery Girl reads his face and gives him a firm look. "Believe it or not, but healers do have some authority over heroes. If you think a student is about to get themselves seriously injured, you have the right to order them to stop, or make the teacher stop them. Now, I'm not saying you can go around flaunting your authority right away, but it's just something that you should know. Especially since a lot of heroes like to act tough and ignore their injuries."
She sounds so utterly annoyed that Izuku can't help but laugh. Kacchan grumbles to himself from across the room.
"Okay," Izuku giggles.
After a few more minutes of talking, she sends them on their way. Their meeting only ended up being a little over half an hour, but she makes sure to remind Izuku that his future lessons will be much longer.
"I just feel kind of bad that you're going to be waiting for so long, Kacchan," Izuku says as they walk towards the train station.
Kacchan scoffs, "Don't be, idiot. What do you think I'm going to do, let you walk home by yourself?" His tone leaves no room for argument.
"No." Izuku rolls his eyes. "But maybe you could, I don't know, hang out with some friends somewhere while I'm with Recovery Girl-san?"
"What friends?" Kacchan raises a brow.
Izuku gives him a look. "Come on, Kacchan. You can't act like you're not going to make any friends at UA."
"I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to be a hero," he says grouchily, "Besides, our class is just full of annoying dumbasses."
"That's not true!" Izuku sputters. "Yaoyorozu-kun is nice- and not dumb, I bet!" He wrinkles his nose. "And Iida-kun seemed friendly too."
"Loud," Kacchan grunts.
"So are you!" Izuku retorts. Kacchan snarls wordlessly.
There's a few moments of silence in which they just walk, and then Izuku adds, "It's not a bad thing to make new friends, you know." Kacchan narrows his eyes at him. He smiles. "Makes things more fun."
The blond tosses his head and snorts, "Pssh, whatever."
Izuku casts a worried glance at his friend. Kacchan could just be being gruff, but Izuku really hopes he befriends someone other than him. Kacchan's crude attitude takes a long time to get used to, though…
His mind wanders back to the red-haired boy who was chatting with Kacchan earlier and smiles.
"Five bucks says you have a new friend by the end of next week."
"Oh, fuck off!"
Later that night, Izuku takes a break from reading his first aid book to text All Might.
(Midoriya 8:15PM)-I didn't see you at school today?
(Toshinori 8:17PM)-I was there, but I spent most of my day in the teachers' lounge preparing for my future classes. I wanted to check on you after school, but Recovery Girl messaged me saying that one of your friends was with you in the infirmary. I figured it would be best to avoid raising suspicions on the first day of school.
(Midoriya 8:18PM)-Oh ok. Don't worry, I'll try to convince Kacchan to wait somewhere else during my lessons.
(Toshinori 8:18PM)-Did you have fun today?
In response, Izuku sends him a picture of his open first aid book, which is half-covered by Sushi sitting on it.
(Midoriya 8:19PM)-I already have homework :/
(Midoriya 8:19PM)-But it was really fun! My classmates have such cool quirks!
(Toshinori 8:20PM)-Your cat looks upset at the book and I agree.
(Toshinori 8:20PM)-What could you possibly be learning about on the first day of school that would warrant that much homework?
(Midoriya 8:21PM)-Basic first aid.
(Midoriya 8:21PM)-But don't worry, I have till the end of the week to read it.
(Toshinori 8:22PM)-Oh good.
(Toshinori 8:22PM)-Well, I will be teaching hero lessons tomorrow. No spoilers, but I think it will be very fun.
(Toshinori 8:22PM)-But then again what do I know about teenagers?
(Midoriya 8:23PM)-Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be a great teacher!
(Toshinori 8:24PM)-I know kids these days enjoy memes? Should I incorporate memes into my lesson?
(Midoriya 8:25PM)-Plz don't.
Izuku is distracted from his phone by Sushi meowing very loudly at him. He looks up to see the cat glare at the book under his large paws and then at him.
Sighing, Izuku leans forward and tries to pull the book away. "Come on, Sush, I gotta keep reading."
Sushi just stares at him and meows again, long and annoying.
"I think he's telling you to take a break, sweetie," Inko says as she walks by. "You said you have until the end of the week to read it and yet you're already almost halfway through."
Izuku huffs, frowning at Sushi. "I'm just excited. I wanna hurry up and heal people, even if I'm not allowed to use my quirk…" His shoulders droop for a moment, then he perks back up. "And it is interesting! First aid stuff, I mean."
"That's great," Inko replies, "But again, you don't need to rush. Ever since you met Recovery Girl-san, it's like you've been reading non-stop."
"Yeah, well, healers have to know a lot." He sniffs.
"I don't doubt that," his mother says, "But you should learn to limit yourself. You had a long day today, didn't you? Take a break. You don't have to learn everything right away."
With a small sigh, Izuku gives in. "Fine," he says, leaning back against the couch, "What should we do now, then?"
Inko pauses in thought, then smiles. "Do you want to rewatch some episodes of House?"
"I love you."