They slipped into an easy rhythm, voices naturally lowering as the conversation drifted from one small thing to the next—training drills they liked, cafeteria food that should be illegal, random thoughts that didn't really matter but felt comfortable sharing anyway.
Ochaco laughed more than she meant to.
Her eyes lit up every time Izuku made an offhand comment or dry observation, and for a while, the rest of the class blurred into background noise. Desks, chatter, footsteps—none of it mattered. It felt like they were in their own small bubble.
Then—
"Hey, Zuku!"
The sudden voice snapped Izuku out of the moment.
He blinked and turned just in time to see a floating sleeve wave enthusiastically beside his desk.
"Zuku, huh?" Izuku said, raising an eyebrow. "That's new."
"Yeah!" Toru Hagakure giggled, her invisible outline leaning casually against his desk. "I thought I'd try a different approach from Ochaco. Do you like it?"
Izuku considered it for half a second, then smiled. "It's alright. I don't mind it."
Her excitement was immediate.
"Cool! Then that's what I'll call you from now on!" Toru declared, bouncing on her heels before skipping back toward her seat, her energy practically radiating even without a visible form.
Izuku watched her go, lips tugging upward.
'Toru really is cute,' he thought.
'When will she finally learn to control her Quirk, though?'
He turned back— And noticed the change instantly. Ochaco's smile was gone.
Her lips were pressed into a thin line, eyes fixed forward as if the lesson suddenly required her full attention. Her chair hadn't moved an inch, but her mood had shifted sharply, like a door quietly closing.
Izuku suppressed a chuckle.
'Jealousy really might be the death of humanity,' he thought, turning back toward the window before he could smirk too obviously.
His gaze drifted down to the training field again—And this time, his heart skipped.
Nejire Hado.
Her long, flowing blue hair caught the light as she ran drills in her U.A. training gear, movements fluid and energetic, almost playful despite the intensity of her exercises.
Even from this distance, she stood out—radiant, powerful, and unmistakably alive.
Every step she took seemed to carry momentum, her presence impossible to ignore.
Izuku's eyes narrowed slightly, interest sharpening.
'I can't wait to meet her,' he thought.
'She was honestly one of my favorites in the story.'
A few hours passed, and before he realized it, break time rolled around.
Izuku had been leaning against a desk near the back of the room, casually talking with Jiro while she tuned out the noise of the classroom. After a short exchange and a reminder she had somewhere else to be, she slipped away, headphones already back on.
Left on his own, Izuku stretched lightly and decided to walk around.
The hallways during break had a different energy—less rigid, more alive. Students moved in loose groups, laughter echoing softly off the walls, lockers opening and closing in uneven rhythm. Izuku walked at an unhurried pace, hands in his pockets, just taking it all in.
That was when he almost bumped into someone.
"Oh—!"
A girl walking in the opposite direction stumbled slightly, the small bag of snacks in her hand tipping forward. A few wrapped treats slipped free, skittering across the floor with a soft rustling sound.
Before she could react, Izuku was already crouching down.
"Here—sorry about that," he said, gathering the snacks quickly and placing them neatly back into her bag.
"Oh, thank you," she replied, taking it from him.
For a brief moment, her fingers brushed his.
She looked up—
And nearly forgot how to breathe.
It was him.
Itsuka Kendo froze internally, her heart skipping so hard she felt it in her throat. The boy everyone had been talking about lately—calm, confident, and somehow always at the center of things—was standing right in front of her.
'It's him!' she thought, cheeks warming before she could stop it.
"No problem," Izuku said easily, straightening up. "You're from Class B, right?"
Her eyes widened slightly. "Y-Yeah. You… know me?"
"Not really," he admitted with a small smile. "But I've seen you around. What's your name? I'm Izuku, by the way."
He extended his hand, relaxed and natural.
Itsuka hesitated for half a second—then took it.
"Itsuka Kendo," she said, returning the handshake. His grip was firm but gentle. "And… I kinda already knew your name."
"Oh," Izuku said, amused. "That's nice."
There was no awkwardness in his tone—just genuine friendliness.
"Well, I'll see you around then, Itsuka," he said, stepping past her as the bell warning chime echoed faintly down the hallway.
The soft sound of his shoes faded as he disappeared around the corner.
Itsuka stood there for a moment longer than necessary, clutching her bag a little tighter to her chest.
Her heart was still racing.
'He's… exactly like people say,' she thought.
'Kind. Calm. Really cool, honestly.'
She shook her head slightly, trying to ground herself, but a small smile crept onto her lips anyway.
Izuku continued down the hallway at an unhurried pace, hands tucked into his pockets as his thoughts drifted back—inevitably—to the Nomu. Its design, its role, the sheer menace it represented. Even now, part of his mind was already running simulations, considering outcomes.
Then he spotted her.
Momo stood near the classroom door, leaning lightly against the wall with a notebook tucked to her chest. Sunlight from the windows caught in her dark hair, giving her an almost serene presence as she skimmed through her notes, lips moving faintly as if rehearsing something.
"Hey, Momo," Izuku called out, grin easy and familiar.
She looked up instantly.
"Izuku!" Her face brightened in a way she didn't even try to hide. "You're back early. Everything okay?"
"Yeah," he replied casually, stopping in front of her. "Just took a little detour. Ran into Itsuka from Class B—she dropped her snacks, so I helped her out."
Momo's smile froze—just for a fraction of a second.
Her brows knit ever so slightly, lips twitching as a thought bubbled up.
'So now you're meeting Class B girls too…'
Are we not enough?
The words almost escaped.
Almost.
Instead, she let out a soft laugh and shook her head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You really are always helping someone," she said lightly. "That's why everyone likes you, you know."
Izuku chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Guess I can't help it."
Then, a playful glint flickered in his eyes.
"Do you like me too?" he asked, tone teasing but gentle.
Momo stiffened.
"W–Well—!" Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she stumbled over her words. "I do. As a friend, of course! You're very kind, and intelligent, and—cute. Sometimes. I mean—God, what am I saying?"
Her voice trailed off as she realized she'd said way too much.
Izuku blinked—then smiled warmly.
"Thanks, Momo," he said sincerely. "I think you're cute too."
Her brain short-circuited.
Then he added, casually but deliberately, "By the way… about that date. You still up for it?"
Her breath hitched.
'He said date.'
Momo's grip tightened on her notebook, fingers fidgeting nervously at the edges as her heart raced. For a second, it looked like she might faint on the spot—
—but she straightened her posture, summoning every ounce of composure she had.
"Yes," she said, voice surprisingly calm. "Definitely. I have nothing better to d—"
She froze. "—Uhh. Don't mind that."
Her blush deepened instantly.
"Now, if you'll excuse me!" she added quickly, spinning on her heel and practically fleeing down the hallway before her face could burn any brighter.
Izuku watched her go, the soft echo of her footsteps fading around the corner.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
'…I never would've guessed Momo of all people was shy,' he thought, shaking his head with an amused, fond smile.
And as he turned back toward the classroom— and walked in.
' I can't stop thinking about that Nomu.' He thought.
TO BE CONTINUED