"Tenjo-kun what's this drawing?"
"I drew my friend as a gyaru."
"Oh! You didn't tell me you had such a cute friend! You must invite her over for dinner sometime."
"She's a good friend. Also, if I bring her over you better not freak out mom."
"Why would I freak out? My little boy is making so many new friends!"
"People say her quirk is villainous."
Not even half a second passed when Etsuko replied. "Quirk! No quirk! villainous or not! You must bring her over for dinner!"
"Ok mom, I'll ask her someday."
"Oh! Do it soon, ok!"
"Yes mom."
Tenjo washed his hands in the sink. He took his time, letting the soap rub into the skin on his hands. Letting the hot sink water wash over the smells and little life forms that found their way onto his skin.
With some paper towels he turned off the water and opened the door to leave.
While he walked back to the cafeteria he applied lotion onto his hands. His mom was quite happy to provide him such an amenity.
Though, Etsuko was confused as to why he desired such access.
The maintenance of his hands complete, he entered the cafeteria.
'Still no roof access I guess.'
He beelined to his table. Midoriya had long been assimilated into his circle. The red-bellied frog hit it off quite well with Himiko. What with how her quirk was practically perfect to assist in making support gear. Plus the fun side-bits that he could explore regarding her quirk.
His eyes lit up when he saw Tenjo across the room. His green eyes brightened by acknowledgement invited Tenjo over.
But Tenjo didn't get there first.
"What are you doing you quirkless bum!"
The hand of a pale haired student found itself upon his shoulder.
"K-k-kacchan! I-" Izuku said.
Pop-pop!
Bakugou's other hand displayed its explosions. He brought it just within Midoriya's line of sight.
"What?! You realized you couldn't be a hero so now you're trying to side with this villain girl?!"
pin-drop silence.
Only the sound of Bakugou's laughing goons and his explosions filled the cafeteria.
"Didn't you want to be a hero? Deku." He said, a sneer finding its way on his face.
He spoke more. "Or are you giving up and just trying to be what'll get you closest?"
Himiko slammed her hands on the table and stood.
She shouted, "Knock it the hell off you pomeranian! It's people like you that become villains! People like you who trample on the work of others and believe they can do it without any hard work!"
"Hoo!"
"Woah!"
Gasps came from the crowd.
"What did you just say to me?" Bakugou said as he turned his attention to Himiko.
Himiko stood her ground, her posture held tall and proud. "You heard me, you're closer to becoming a villain than everyone else in here. Look at you! You're ready to start a fight just because your ego is bruised! You're typical third rate villain material!"
"SAY THAT AGAIN TO MY FACE DAMNIT!" Bakugou pushed Izuku away from his grip as he dashed towards Himiko.
Himiko's eyes widened as she shouted. "Tenjo don't!"
Bakugou found himself held by the throat from behind. He felt the push of a chopstick between his jaw and ear. It was uncomfortable, unbearable pressure on his jaw that shut him up.
He glanced back to see his so-called "friends" cowering in fear.
Himiko stood before him, gently reaching for the chopstick. "Dad won't like this Tenjo, what do I tell him?"
Tenjo let the chopstick be taken away. "Maybe I should be more focused on bagua instead of the other things." He said in jest.
Himiko snorted. "Maybe you should let him go now."
While Himiko returned the chopstick to its rightful owner with some apologies Tenjo roughly let go of Bakugou.
He looked down his nose at the ash-haired clown. "She reserves her quirk for those she likes. She's right, you're more likely to hurt others than she is."
Bakuugou reared up to shout again.
Tenjo cut him off. "I, on the other hand, am out of red paint." He shoved Bakugou away from the table.
"Tch!" Bakugou walked off back to his own table, not to eat but to grab his food and eat elsewhere.
Himiko came back swiftly, her face scrunched into a little pout. "You know, if you really want to be a hero you need to learn conflict deescalation."
Tenjo nodded. "Yes, I did not think of such a thing. I only saw that he meant harm."
Himiko bumped her shoulder into him. "Well it looks like you've got a lot of practice to do." She returned to her seat happy with how things turned out.
Turning to Izuku she said. "How about you Izuku? He didn't hurt you too bad did he?"
Izuku, snapped out of his daze, waved his hands in front of him. "N-n-nn-no! I'm completely fine! I'm just worried th-that Kacchan would really let all this get to his head."
Tenjo sat down to eat his food. Before his first bite he asked, "Worried? why would you be worried about that clown?"
Izuku's hands stopped waving as he rubbed them together. "Well, I've been friends with him a long time."
Himiko's attention was focused on Izuku too.
"Ever since he got his quirk, he's just been getting meaner and meaner." His eyes rose to meet Tenjo's and Himiko's.
"And I know that he really wants to be a hero, an actual hero. So even though what you said today was correct, I don't know how it'll get to him."
The trio let silence hold the air for a moment before they spoke.
Tenjo began. "So, your friend was turned bully by his quirk's nature, and you feel that he is still a good person."
Izuku nodded.
"Do you think he acts that way because he likes you?" Himiko asked.
Both Tenjo and Izuku turned their eyes to Himiko.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?" Tenjo asked.
Himiko pressed forward. "Like do you think he is gay and he wants you but he expresses love differently?"
"W-w-w-what do you mean he likes me? Kacchan gay? His quirk nature making him express it differently?" Wait."
He started muttering on a tangent.
"No, it is possible. We already know that a person's quirk is an important factor in their behavioral patterns. Like with reptilian mutants, though they're still warmblooded they also bask in heated areas much like the basis of their quirks. Himiko is a prime example, her quirk makes her express her longing through directly copying another person or drinking their blood. So then with Bakugo the explosions would mean an extra spontaneous behavioral pattern. He doesn't have adhd or dyslexia or the other common hyperactivity syndromes. He's always yelling, always letting his emotions show in the form of small explosions. So that could mean his natural way of expressing love would be different from others."
Tenjo and Himiko watched the show.
Himiko snuck a whisper over to Tenjo. "Do you think the pomeranian likes him?"
Tenjo whispered back. "I don't know, but I can see that he has some kind of obsession with Izuku."
"How about Izuku? Do you think he likes Bakugou back?"
Again Tenjo answered neutral. "I can see that he knows a lot about the clown, enough to consider it an obsession. But it doesn't look like love to me. Though I am not well versed in love."
Himiko faced him directly. "How about me? Do you think you like me?"
Tenjo nodded absently. "Yes, you stood out from the first moment I saw you." In his mind's eye he saw the Himiko of before, working against her biology to conform to everyone else.
Himiko smiled, her fishing for affirmation fulfilled by Tenjo's words.
She turned to Izuku to snap him out of his muttering session.
"Hey Izuku! Do you like that Kacchan?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Himiko giggled. "I mean, you know so much about him, do you like him? Like, like like him?"
Izuku paused to process the question.
"I uh, he's my friend but, I don't, I don't think I like him. I just want to follow my dream, to become a hero with my friend by my side. Just like when we were kids." He said.
"oooooh!" Himiko cooed. "That's so cute! Don't worry! We're rooting for you!"
She elbowed Tenjo.
"Hm? Oh, yeah."
He shoved a collection of soba noodles into his mouth. "We are rooting for you."
"Thirty laps around the yard!" Sifu Han shouted.
"Haaa! My cardio is so bad!" shouted Izuku. He was covered in sweat and physically exhausted.
In the thirty laps they were instructed to do Izuku was lagging behind quite a bit.
"Izuku, remember to pay attention to your form, this exercise is not entirely about your cardio." Sifu Han spoke again. "That goes for all of you too, no slacking!"
Panting and out of breath, Izuku shouted while he ran. "Sensei, no, Sifu Han! Can I ask what exactly this running form is meant to teach us?!"
"You can call me sensei young Midoriya, you haven't been learning Chinese for some time like everyone else." He walked in stride with Izuku's running. He used a monkey staff to tap Izuku's legs wherever he saw Izuku's form deteriorate. "As for the purpose of this exercise, if you're doing it correctly, you will be running with great explosive strength. You will be running in a straight line and have excellent, but ever changing balance."
He started walking circles around Izuku. "That way, you'll be able to change directions on a whim." They turned a corner. "You'll run smoothly, forwards and backwards."
Still matching Izuku's pace, he rotated opposite of the turn and walked backwards. Then he tripped Izuku. "And more importantly, with all of this, you'll be able to turn a fall into just a skip."
Izuku fell forward, his eyes widening. Sifu Han dashed backwards and leaned forwards, a palm outstretched.
"No matter if you're running to something or running away from something." His palm pushed Izuku's falling torso back into an upright position. "You'll be able to keep running."
-=-
Izuku stood dazed, tired from thirty laps of Sifu Han's mindful running exercise. He looked in front of him to see Sifu's legs planted firmly on the ground. Yet those grounded legs looked like they were weightless, ready to sway with the wind.
"Young Midoriya, I've taught your friends for years now. Just as you struggle with these exercises, so too did they. Don't be discouraged by being behind. Even after so many years, they still do the same exercises you do. They still learn the same lessons you do."
Tenjo, Anzai, Himiko, and Oshiro watched on from their perch at the garden stairs. They waved at Izuku as Sifu Han went through his speech.
"Every exercise has a purpose, young Midoriya. And you are right to want to know the purpose of each and every one. But remember this, hero in the making. You must think about such things with every exercise you do. In every practice you do. So that when you're out there on the field, you won't even need to consider it. It will be like instinct."
He patted Izuku on the back and walked towards the house.
"Now! My young students, I made roasted duck for everyone!"
Oshiro and Himiko walked over to Izuku, helping him walk back to the house. Anzai and Tenjo waited by the doors for them to enter.
"Thank you, everyone." Izuku said.
"Of course." Tenjo and Anzai responded.
They entered the house to the smell of roast duck. Smiles graced their faces.
'He reminds me of someone.' Izuku mused as he juggled a single stress ball.
He lay in bed with the lights on, his hero studies journal open on his bedside desk.
'Who could it be?'
pmf|
He threw the stress ball up again.
'What was Sensei's quirk again?'
Izuku caught the ball quietly this time. He held it up to the ceiling, angling it so that it blocked the ceiling light.
'I should ask Himiko and Tenjo tomorrow.'
He tossed the ball up again with a flick of his wrist.
It shot up with a little more speed than he expected, hitting the ceiling with a thud.
'Oh n-'
The ball hit him in the face.
"Ow!"
Izuku grabbed the blasted thing and tossed it to his desk.
"That's enough ball for today."
He rolled off the bed and walked to his desk. Taking a seat to read through his hero journal.
"This one is, journal number five."
He flipped through the book casually, letting his mind recall all the words he wrote on the pages.
When Izuku flipped through the whole book he closed the book and looked at the ceiling.
"Tenjo, Anzai, and Oshiro have been training for years. Himiko has started studying more advanced coursework to achieve her dreams. And I've been doing nothing but hero studies my whole life."
He lifted one of his tired arms to cover the shine of the ceiling light.
"And now, I'm working hard so that I could at least have a chance to be a hero. But, outside of the school quirk development program, what has Kacchan been doing?"
Izuku closed his hand, weakly forming a fist.
He stared at his fist as his internal monologue continued.
'Kacchan! I'm beginning my journey now! I'm giving it my everything. I'll learn even more than what I thought I needed to learn!'
He let go of his fist.
'You better not wait for me! I will surpass you even at your best!'
He let out extra motivation for himself, a prediction for the result of his hard work.
"Plus Ultra!"
With that, he went to sleep.
"DAMNIT!"
Bakugou found himself mindlessly blasting a punching bag.
"THAT DAMN BASTARD!"
He mindlessly unleashed his quirk on the sturdy recipient.
The soot covered bag swung on its chain. It harbored no resentment for its aggressor, merely acting on its purpose as a quirk training supplement.
Bff!
The shackled bag continued its defense. Its chains rattled and its bulk swung back the way physics decreed it to.
tff!
"AH!"
Bakugou, distracted in his anger and tired from using his quirk, was hit squarely in the nose.
"DAMN THING! YOU TOO!?!?"
He reared his arm back for another blast.
"That's enough young Bakugou, you're tired. Take a water break."
A hand landed on his shoulder. It was the school P.E. teacher, in charge of the hero quirk program.
"Tch!"
Bakugou stormed off under the gazes of other students in the program.
"Come now, Bakugou, you're working hard and improving quickly. I saw you hunching your shoulders. That's a good improvement that works with your quirk. Have heart, young hero."
Bakugou sat roughly on an empty bench, taking a water bottle with him. He took large gulps of water as he seethed.
'Hunching my shoulders? Why would that be important? And why am I doing such a useless thing?'
A memory came to answer him, from earlier that day. The feeling of his neck grabbed, his jaw pressed.
'THAT BASTARD!' More flashed through his mind. 'Me? Villain!? NEVER! I AM THE BEST! I WILL NEVER BE A VILLAIN!'
"Are you ok young hero? Do you think it's enough for today?" The teacher said. "You've worked hard today, if you feel like you need a break now then it's perfectly fine to take one."
Bakugou, lost in his thoughts, grunted . "Ah, yeah, I'll call it a day I guess." He stood to leave, walking towards the locker room.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow, rest well and eat well young hero!"
"Tch!"
"Mom, this is Himiko. We're going to be studying history and literature in the living room. Is that ok?"
"Of course it is sweetie, oh and if you feel hungry, thirsty, or just want snacks then don't be afraid to call me! I'll run to the store and buy some things if we don't have them too, so don't hesitate to ask Himiko-chan."
She fussed a little, grooming Tenjo's hair and hugging Himiko.
"I hear much about you Himiko-chan, Tenjo's drawings don't do your cuteness justice! You two have a good time, ok?"
"Yes, ms. Watanabe. I will." Himiko was a little suprised by the warm welcome. Not surprised by the mention of Tenjo's drawings though.
"Hey Himiko, I'm gonna shower first and come back down ok? The textbooks should be in the tv stand.
"Yes!"
"Oh let me get you two some water. Have you two eaten yet?"
Himiko answered as she pulled out textbooks. "Yeah, Dad made some roast duck for us."
Etsuko set down two glasses of water. "Roast duck? Did Tenjo like it?"
Himiko tilted her head and drank some water. "He didn't eat much, but it looks like he took his time with every bite. I think he liked it."
"That's such a relief." Etsuko took out some practice books. "He's had a strange palate ever since he was a baby you see. I had to microwave his feed and then chill it before he'd eat without complaining."
She took out mechanical pencils and extra paper. "He was such a sleepy kid too, I'd be up and about ready to tend to him as soon as he cried, camera at the ready too but I look over and he wakes up, then goes straight back to sleep!"
Himiko laughed. "He always walks around with his eyes like that! Half the time it looks like he's sleepwalking!"
Etsuko sat on one of the living room couches. "Does he still steal colored pencils? I could never remember buying him the things so imagine my surprise when he's got a whole collection in his room!"
Himiko giggled. "I think I saw him take some red colored pencils the other day."
"Ha!" Etsuko laughed. "I'll need to take him down to the store it seems. Maybe raise his allowance too."
Himiko leaned in after organizing the study material. "Hey, do you think I can see his old sketchbooks?"
Etsuko's smile grew wider.
"My old sketchbooks?" Tenjo came down from the stairs, hair slightly wet and smelling of mango soap.
"Eep!" Himiko blushed. "Y-yeah, I want to see how long you've been drawing."
Tenjo glanced at his mother. Her face beamed positivity and encouragement. "Sure, I can show you my stuff."