POV: Inko Midoriya
The day started out fine.
I woke up early to prepare breakfast for myself and Izuku before he left for school and I for work. Normally, by the time I arrive back home, Izuku is already there, waiting to tell me about the cool new quirks he saw on the way to school or some new hero that caught his interest.
That was our routine. Neither I nor Izuku ever broke it—unless something unexpected came up. So imagine my surprise when I returned home today and found the apartment empty. I checked the entire place just in case he was napping in his room, but it was pointless.
Beginning to feel a little worried, I started calling him. When the phone went to voicemail, panic crept in. Still, I didn't want to overreact—maybe he was studying at a friend's house and just left his phone somewhere.
Trying to distract myself, I went ahead and started making dinner. For some background noise, I turned on the TV and flipped to the local news channel. None of my shows were on, so I figured I might as well see what was happening around the city.
That was a mistake.
The screen lit up with the image of a green, gelatinous creature—clearly a villain with a mutation-type quirk. Its appearance was unsettling, but that wasn't what shocked me. What did was the sight of two boys struggling to escape the villain's grasp.
Two very familiar boys.
Two boys I wished were anywhere else but in that burning mess, surrounded by flames and heroes. For the next few minutes, I stood frozen, unable to tear my eyes from the screen as Izuku and Katsuki fought for their lives.
And then, as if answering a prayer, the number one hero himself appeared—All Might—and defeated the villain in one blow.
I turned off the TV once All Might made his exit. On one hand, I was beyond grateful that Izuku was safe. On the other hand, I had a duty as his mother to discipline him for being in that situation to begin with.
I always tell him not to seek out villain fights. And the one day I'm just a little bit lax with him, he decides to just charge headfirst into danger. Nearly getting himself killed, doesn't he know what that does to my heart?
"Once he gets home, I'm grounding him from watching any All Might videos for an entire day."
It might sound harsh, but I have to draw the line. Otherwise, Izuku might start thinking it's okay to run headfirst into danger.
When I heard footsteps at the door, I braced myself to give him a verbal lashing—right after I hugged the life out of him. I heard the key turn, then the doorknob.
"Izuku, you're in bi—"
The words caught in my throat when I saw someone else enter after him. He looked a few years older than Izuku, while also towering over both of us. His light brown hair and amber eyes gave him a plain but kind appearance.
He wore a black and white school uniform topped with a bright red T-shirt—definitely not part of any school's dress code. And while it's not unusual to see a high school student in uniform, it confused me a bit. None of the local high schools wore anything like that.
I would know. Without Izuku knowing, I've spent nights researching local high schools to find the best one for him.
"Izuku, who is this?" I asked, making sure my voice carried curiosity, not the swirl of other emotions inside me.
"Ah, yes. Mom, this is my friend Issei Hyoudou." His nervous glances between me and the now-named Issei were obvious, though I caught a hint of pride in his voice, too.
"Friend?" I repeated. The word felt foreign for a moment. "Ah, your friend. Why didn't you tell me someone was coming over? I would've made an extra serving."
I snapped into action, flustered that someone had seen our apartment before I'd cleaned it properly.
"Come in, come in. You can both sit at the table. I'll bring tea while I finish dinner." Not wanting to keep our guest waiting, I ushered them to the table and rushed to boil water. As I set the kitchen up for another round of dishes, I figured now was the perfect time for a little small talk.
"So, Issei, how did you meet Izuku? He doesn't talk about his friends much or bring them over, so I'm usually left guessing what they're like."
"That's not true—I talk about my friends all the time," Izuku muttered, clearly embarrassed.
But as his mother, it's my duty to embarrass him in front of his friends at least once.
"Oh, come now, Izuku. You only ever talk about Katsuki. And if not him, it's pro heroes. Though lately, you've been talking about female pro heroes more than usual. Should your mother be worried?"
I tried to keep a straight face, but Izuku let out an indignant "MOM!" from the table, while Issei chuckled.
"Oh, Izuku and I met today, actually," Issei said. "I'd collapsed on the sidewalk, and Izuku came over to check on me. We started walking together to find a payphone, but we got separated. That's when the sludge villain showed up."
Ah. Right. I'd almost forgotten about that.
Feeling a bit drained, I finished making dinner and set the table. With an extra pair of hands, it went faster than usual. I picked up my chopsticks and took a bite.
Two bites in, I realized I was the only one eating. Both boys were just staring at me.
Feeling a tad bit unnerved, I swallow my food and ask a question, " Is there something wrong with the food, boys?"
It was Issei who replied first, " Oh no, Ms.Midoriya, the food is amazing, but Izuku and I have something to tell you first." They both glanced at each other for a few moments before Issei and Izuku both got up from the table and bowed at ninety degrees.
"MOM, PLEASE LET ISSEI STAY HERE WITH US!"
"PLEASE ALLOW ME TO STAY IN YOUR HOME!"
Both Issei and Izuku shouted while bowing. Startled by the sudden shift in atmosphere, I was only able to release a single sentence.
"Excuse me?"
ONE HOUR EARLIER
POV: Issei Hyoudou
"And that's it. I promise I wasn't planning to eavesdrop on your conversation, but I couldn't find the right time to say hi."
After I finished explaining my side of the story to both Izuku and the skinny dude, we stood in silence for a few seconds.
"So instead of saying anything, you just sat on the ground and started muttering to yourself," The malnourished man spoke. And now that I'm thinking about it, I still haven't gotten this guy's name yet.
"Yes, that sounds about right. And sorry, but I haven't introduced myself, my name is Issei Hyoudou, nice to meet you." I held out my hand for the older man to shake. " Likewise, young man, my name is Yagi Toshinori." I didn't say anything while I was shaking his hand, but his palm felt flaky, like he let some type of liquid dry on it.
After that brief but uncomfortable handshake on my part finished, I turned to Izuku,
" Izuku, the reason I was following you in the first place was to ask you for a favor." Pausing a moment to make sure his attention was on me, and a little bit for dramatic effect, I continued. "I know that we just met each other today, but I literally have nowhere to go and no one else to turn to. But can you please allow me to stay with you just until I land on my feet and move out?"
I bowed at a ninety-degree angle, or as close to it as I possibly could, to try to show my sincerity. This was definitely a long shot, barely knew the guy for a day, and I'm already asking to crash at his place. If it were me in his shoes, I would probably decline.
Izuku didn't respond right away.
The silence stretched, awkward and heavy. I stayed bowed, heart thudding like it was trying to punch through my ribs. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut. Maybe this was a mistake.
"Hey, um… You can stand up now."
His voice was soft, unsure. I straightened slowly, meeting his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze.
"This is… kinda sudden," Kinda stating the obvious. "But I can tell you're not lying. And it wouldn't sit right with me if I left someone alone when they asked for my help."
I blinked. "So… that's a yes?"
"I would be more than happy to help you out, but first we should probably ask my mom." He kept squirming around and tidying his fingers, probably felt a little bad that he couldn't just say yes to my request. But at least it wasn't a flat-out refusal.
"Wow, that took some serious guts, kid. Asking someone you just met something like that is pretty brave."
Mr. Yagi spoke from the sidelines. I almost forgot about him for a second there. He's like a silent statue, not moving or making any noise. Kinda unsettling if I think about it.
One moment you're confessing your feelings to someone, then boom—just some sketchy old guy watching from a dark corner. You drop down on one knee to propose to the love of your life, and then boom—some weird guy no one knows starts clapping while making direct eye contact with the couple.
While my mind is busy in creepy-stranger land, Mr. Yagi speaks up. "Now that we've let everything out in the open, I want to ask you a question, young man." He turns to me when he says this. The atmosphere he gives off changes completely. One second he's just a nice old man, and the next, it feels like I'm staring at someone twice my height—with the presence to match.
"Just how much of our conversation did you hear?"
I've been intimidated a lot in my life. Almost every day for the past few months—by the Kendo Club, by my mother the first time she caught me peeking at a dirty magazine, and sometimes by the boyfriends of girls I stared at a little too long on the street. Safe to say, Issei Hyoudou is no stranger to fear.
But this feeling I'm experiencing right now isn't fear. Not the fear of getting hurt, or the fear of making a fool out of myself in front of Izuku or Mr. Yagi.
No, this isn't fear.
I'm fucking TERRIFIED.
I wasn't even this scared when I had to fight the sludge villain, and I for sure thought I was gonna die in that tunnel.
Mr. Yagi doesn't move. He just stares, waiting, his expression calm, but it's the kind of calm you get right before a hurricane rips your house off the ground. Behind those tired eyes, I see it now—something ancient. Heavy. Like he's lived three whole lifetimes and seen the worst parts of all of them.
"I-I kept spacing out so I didn't hear the full story, but I heard the part where you mentioned One For All and inheriting power." I stumbled over my words at first, but once I got momentum, they were practically gushing from my mouth.
Silence.
A silence that stretched and stretched until I was so sick of it, I was considering just making random noises to get rid of it.
Then Mr. Yagi sighs. It's a long, heavy sound, like the weight of the world just shifted slightly on his shoulders.
"I see," he says.
Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Yagi cracks a smile.
"Then I suppose we'll have to adjust things a bit."
Wait.
What?
"Adjust—wait, what do you mean adjust?" I ask, confused at this entire interaction.
But Mr. Yagi just walks over and places a hand on my shoulder. It's light, gentle even, but I feel the weight of it like a truck.
"You weren't meant to know any of this. But now that you do… we'll need to see what kind of heart you carry."
He turns to Izuku. "Bring him tomorrow. First thing."
Izuku nods like he's just been handed sacred instructions from a divine being.
Me? I'm still standing there, trying to figure out if I've just been recruited… or sentenced.
PRESENT
POV: Izuku Midoriya
Was there a better way to break the news to Mom, most likely. But between meeting All Might, talking to Issei, and having to think of a way to tell Mom without her having a heart attack, this was the best method I could come up with.
Considering how mom hasn't spoken a word since we made the announcement, I'm really wishing we had taken a little more time to come up with what to say.
"Issei, if it's not too much to ask, can I know why you're not staying with your parent's" Her voice was calm, unnerving, so. From the corner of my eye, I could see Issei tense at her tone; neither of us was expecting her to react in this way.
Mom was always kind to friends and people she got along with, Gentle to even the rudest of people. And the worst I received when being punished was a light slap on the wrist, only for her to hug me crying while apologizing afterwards. So to say that this Calm, borderline monotone side of her was unexpected would be an understatement.
I hope the next words that come out of Issei's mouth are gonna be enough to convince her.
"My parents disowned me when they found out that I wanted to become a Hero." His words easily traveled through the silent apartment. Neither Mom nor I said anything, both for different reasons. I was shocked by his words, Mom was probably just trying to wait until after he finished to speak up.
"They didn't believe I had what it takes to make it and told me to just abandon my dreams. This led to several fights between us." I could see Issei shaking. Not sure if that was because he was scared of my mom, or if this story was stirring up some emotions within him.
"That's actually the reason I collapsed on the sidewalk in the first place. I was thrown out by my parents a week ago and have been struggling to fend for myself ever since."
The pain in his voice was clear. I'm not completely sure if that story is true or not, but the emotions he has towards his parents are real.
Once he was done, the apartment once again returned to silence. Waiting a few seconds, I took a peek at Mom to see her reaction. Only to be met with the image of my mother trying but failing to hold back tears.
Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, she crossed the distance between her and Issei in mere moments. In the time it took me to realize what was happening, my mother was already hugging Issei like her life depended on it.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, no child should have to hear that from their parents. You don't need to worry anymore, you may stay as long as you like ." She was now openly crying while trying to reassure Issei. Who now had a few tears forming in his eyes."That's nice of you, Ms. Midoriya, but I couldn't possibly mooch off your goodwill that long".
They stood there for a few minutes, crying and hugging each other. The scene made me feel a little left out, but I kept my thoughts to myself since Issei was clearly having a moment.
Dinner afterwards was pleasant. Now that we didn't have to worry about where Issei was staying for the night, we tore into the food like people possessed. Safe to say neither of us went hungry.
The sleeping situation was a little difficult. Since the apartment was on the smaller side, there were only two bedrooms, my room, and Mom's. A bathroom and the living room connected to the kitchen.
Mom said she would buy a blow-up mattress tomorrow for Issei after work, but for now, the best we had was the living room couch. She headed to bed early, so she just asked that we didn't stay up too late. I had school tomorrow, and she didn't want me to miss it.
"Hey Issei," I spoke while lying my head on the side of the couch.
"Yeah,"
He let out a half-hearted reply. It was obvious that he was tired. I was, too. Today was an exhausting day for us both, but before I head to bed, I wanted to ask something.
"Was the whole thing about your parents' disowning you, and telling you to abandon your dreams true?" I wasn't really expecting an honest answer, I was just simply curious.
"Only bits and pieces, the rest I just had to make up on the spot." His voice was barely audible, most likely due to a combination of being tired and not wanting Mom to hear him." Sorry about lying to your mom like that, man. She didn't deserve that, especially not after all the kindness you both showed me today." Seems like lying at dinner has been eating away at him a little bit.
"Normally, I don't like lying, try to avoid it as much as I can. But I understand why you did it, and since I know you're not a bad person, Issei, I think I can let it go this once. Just don't go making it a habit." Saying my peace, I stood up and headed to bed.
Just as I was about to walk down the hallway, Issei called out.
"Izuku," He was now lying on his elbows to get a better look at me.
"Yeah"
"Did Mr. Yagi ever actually say where we were supposed to meet him tomorrow?"
"What?" I asked, a little confused about what he was talking about.
"You know, right before Mr.Yagi left, he said something about you bringing me somewhere. You nodded like you knew, and I'm curious about where exactly we'll be going tomorrow."
"Ah... that," Now thinking back to the tail end of our conversation. I realize that All Might never told me where we were meeting either. I just nodded my head because I was swept up in the moment.
"I don't know either." I felt a little embarrassed by the fact, but Issei seemed to enjoy it a little too much. I could see him struggle and fail to hide his snickering behind his hand. I wanted to defend myself, but I was too tired to put up any defense and simply told him to get some sleep.
Authors Note:
Remember when I said that chapter eleven was gonna come out a little while after chapter ten. Well, as we all know, that didn't happen; that's on me. With school finally wrapping up for the summer, I decided to lock in on my studies and completely forgot to work on chapter eleven. I also graduated, so no more school to worry about, so that's nice. So now I can focus a lot more time on posting.
Anyways, on to the chapter. I tried to get almost everything ready since I want to hurry and enter the segment of the story with U.A. I can't keep pushing that off for the next chapter, otherwise this story would be thousands of chapters long. And with the way I want the story to progress, chapters with three thousand words or more are probably gonna be the standard from now on. which is good for ya'll, not so great for me.
That's enough for me, I need to get chapter twelve started before I procrastinate. As always, please leave feedback if you enjoy the story so far or see any way I could improve.