Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“…And that, mister Speaker, is more than evidence to render the government’s proposal to loosen restrictions on mind-affecting quirks moot.”

As I finish my speech, the debate’s Timekeeper clicks their stopwatch, the Speaker writing something that isn’t quite visible into his notebook.

“Thank you for that, Opposition Whip,” he says, placing his pen onto the wooden table in two clear taps that sound clearly throughout the room. “The results will be emailed to you within the next twenty-four hours. I wish you all a wonderful day and good luck.”

With that, we all rise out of our seats, gather our things, and exit the room.

It was the first debate competition of the year. The novelty’s long since worn off by this point, but it was still a rather engaging experience. Even if the result was decided when I’d arrived (which wasn’t guaranteed!; there was actually a villain attack on the way here. I was almost late!), it was still somewhat of a mental workout to research, form arguments, and counter my opponents on the fly. The impromptu rounds are usually more difficult, but they were manageable enough. If it weren’t for certain circumstances uncontrollable by the event managers, it may have even been considered as kind of enjoyable!

But, well…

“Why bother? I know you all wanna go into the hero track!”

“YEAAAHHHHH!!!!”

Did they have to do career aptitude testing on the same day? And if they did, then was it that difficult to have them scheduled to occur at the same time as to have a singular “YEAAAHHHHH!!!!” as opposed to a “YEAAAHHHHH!!!!” every half hour or so? I mean, honestly, did every single teacher recite the exact same line to their classes to get such similar reactions? I can’t tell whether that’s impressive or terrifying.

Regardless, it’s over now. After a long day glued to my laptop, even I would start to get a little tired. As every floor is essentially just a rectangular loop, the school is easy enough to navigate and I make my way towards the stairs without a single wrong turn—

“I dunno what you think you’re doing, Deku, but we’re not done here.”

Hm? It’s already been a few minutes since school should have ended, judging by some of the daily schedules I saw posted near the office. Is this some kind of club meeting, or…?

“Don’t tell me you’re taking notes on ‘how to be a hero’.”

The last words in the sentence are said in a mocking, nasally voice as I lean around the corner, just enough to get a quick glance inside.

“That’s so pathetic!”

“He’s delusional!”

Hm. There’s four boys, one with green hair, one blonde, and two dark. The green-haired one is at his desk with distress written across his face, while the blonde holds a book entitled: “Hero Analysis For the Future No. 13”. Is… has the blonde filled thirteen notebooks on hero analysis?! Talk about analog…

There’s a small explosion and… yeouch. That’s what I don’t like about pencil and paper; I tend to upload just about everything I write to the cloud. I suppose that’s Monika’s writing tip of the day! But…

I don’t think I should be seeing this. Is that green-haired boy okay? It certainly doesn’t look like any old friendly ribbing—that’s destruction of property that I just watched. I peek back inside just in time to see the blonde toss the notebook out of the window… directly towards where I remember there to be a koi pond. Wow.

Should I step in? I’m relatively athletic; I’ve been sparring with nonlethals for a few years now, but I don’t have any of my weapons on me. Not that I would be allowed to use them here, of course. But could just stepping in help? There have been countless situations in which a bystander taking action is all that’s required to make a bully back down.

…What if he doesn’t? I really don’t know anything about these four. He can make explosions, right? And he seems fairly confident in himself. If push comes to shove, then maybe I could get him with my quirk? But I could get in serious trouble with that. And he might be able to just defeat be regardless, especially with those other two next to him.

Fight, flight, freeze, fawn. I’ve always prided myself on not needing to pick on impulse; why be a slave to biology when you can just plan in advance?

But sometimes, things happen that you haven’t prepared for. So you make a plan! But time keeps moving while you plan, and you’re just standing there while you do, and before long—

“Just pray that you’ll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the building.”

—you’ve run out of time.

The three boys don’t even seem to notice me as they saunter down the hall and down the stairs, loudly congratulating one another (or more accurately, the blonde’s hanger-ons congratulating him) as all that’s left is a faint sniffling from inside the classroom.

And me. Standing out here. In the hall. Thinking.

Doing nothing.

…He isn’t moving.

I really should have done something. 

What kind of hero would I be if I didn’t? I can still just walk up to him and give him a smile or something, can’t I? I just got through a whole set of debates, didn’t I? This is exactly the sort of thing that I’m good at!

So, just…

Move! Get in there! Say ‘hi’! Tell him that those other guys were being jerks and to not listen to them! Just do… something!

Anything!

…

…Well, I suppose that someone needs to pick up his notebooks before they get to it.

####

Useless. Pathetic. He tells me to jump off the roof, and what do I do? Stand there like a loser and practically piss my pants: that’s what.

I mean, he’s the wrong one, right? You can’t just go around telling people to kill themselves! What if I actually did it? What if I really jumped?

Probably laugh. Take a picture.

No, Kacchan wouldn’t do that! He can be mean sometimes, but… he’s not that bad, right?

Anyways, where’d my notebook go? I promised Sayori that I’d show her the stuff I wrote on Mount Lady, but I’ve been looking, and looking, and I can’t find it anywhere! Did I get the wrong side? But I could’ve sworn that this is where it would’ve ended up, judging by how Kacchan threw it—

“Looking for this?”

“Ah!”

“It really did end up in the pond after all! Good thing I went to get it when I did. It’s not all dried yet, but I think I managed to prevent most of it from smudging? Anyways, I’m assuming that this is yours, correct? Hello? What’s your… Izuku? Is that your name? Izuku? Izuku Midoriya? I didn’t accidentally use my quirk on you, did I…?”

“Um! Hi! Thank you! For! That!”

“Ahaha, no problem!” 

It’s…

A girl? 

And… she’s talking to me?

Crap, crap, crapcrapcrap! C’mon, Izuku, you can do this! You talk to Sayori, like, every day! And you’ve talked to her friends sometimes! You even told one of them that the weather was nice that one time! And it really was! Like, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky! I mean, I guess she got kind of freaked out when I started rambling about the difference between Backdraft and the Water Hose heroes, but all I have to do is not bring up stuff about my nerd books, and—

“Speaking of your… ‘nerd books’… Do you have some type of intelligence quirk, or something?”

Ack! I was saying all that out loud?! Just how much did she—

Wait, what did she say?

“Because this analysis is some of the best I’ve seen! I mean, I’ve dabbled myself, but some of these details are ones I’ve never considered. Like, Kamui Woods’ attacks being more fragile the faster they come out? Never thought of it.”

Oh my god.

Ohmygod.

A girl is talking to me, and smiling at me, and complimenting my nerd books?!

And she’s, um…!

Really, really pretty!

“Oh, and by the way, I was right about your name being ‘Izuku Midoriya’, right? This isn’t that blonde’s notebook, is it?”

“N-no, it’s mine! K-Kacchan would never do something this nerdy…”

“Hm? He’s a hero course student who doesn’t analyze heroes? How odd…”

Did… did I just hear her right?

I just told her that the notebook is mine, but she called Kacchan odd?

“Oh, I forgot: I didn't even introduce myself! I’m Monika; it’s great to meet you!”

Ohmygod, did she just flip her hair while she said that? God, she looks so cool. 

“N-nice—er, great to meet you too… Monika?”

“Yep! That’s Monika with a K, okay?”

Is that her whole name? I’ve heard of some communities that have singular names, but I’ve never met anyone named Monika before! The more I think about it, the cooler it gets! And usually, it gets spelt with a C, so I wonder how the K changes the name’s meaning? Is there some reason her parents named her that way? Is it quirk related? Probably not, but—

“Ah, well, you see, I actually picked out that name for myself.”

“Ack! I’m sorry for mumbling!”

“Don’t be; I’m not bothered by it. In fact, it seems like a good trait to have for sharing your thoughts on-the-fly.”

It’s still a little embarrassing, though… 

“Anyways,” she says, flicking her hair again (God, she’s so cool-looking…) “It was ‘Izuku Midoriya’, correct? I’ll make sure to keep an eye out if I’m looking for an analyst in the future~”

“Hm?”

“You know! Hero analysis.”

“Wha—this?”

I mean, if she wants, I could give it to her! Um, after Sayori, of course—

“No, I couldn’t afford them; especially not all thirteen of them!” She says, her eyes squinting a little as she laughs a little. “I mean once we’ve both gone pro!”

“W-what? P-p-pro?!”

“…Yes?” 

She’s still smiling, but it’s a little awkward now, and crap, I’m the one who made it awkward— 

“Ah, I guess I forgot to mention: I’m looking to go into heroing! Shooting for UA, but I’ve got backups, of course. You’re looking into quirk analysis, right? In case you haven’t heard, UA has a really good analysis program too! And it’s open to both general studies and support students, in case you want to tack that on.”

“…Quirk analysis?”

“Or did you want to go into heroing? Intelligence-based heroes tend to have a harder time getting in, but I’m sure you could manage with the right plan! Especially with a mind like yours, the written would be a cinch.”

“W-well, I’d love to, but, uh…”

…Should I tell her?

I really shouldn’t. She doesn’t seem to hate me, so really, why should I go and change that? I could come up with a bunch of different excuses! Like, just talk around my quirk, or say it’s some weak one, or anything as long as I don’t tell her that I’m quirkless—

“Ah. It would be harder to become a hero without a quirk. Especially with how much the industry depends on flashyness compared to effectiveness…”

Crap! This freaking mumbling…!

“I mean, the entrance exam would still be possible, and I guess that it would be possible to do your job effectively! It would just be harder to get popular and make a decent amount of money, but for someone as smart as you? I could see it happening! Besides, it’s not like I have the flashiest quirk in the world either. Ketsubutsu got rid of its quirked requirements a few years ago and UA just did for this coming year—”

“I’m, um! I’m applying to UA!”

“…I suppose I’ll be seeing you there, then.”

Why… Why did she go quiet before saying that?

“Here’s a little piece of advice, nerd: don’t even think about applying. Or else.”

“He finally gets it. He’ll never be a hero.”

Does she think I’m going to fail?

The… the only person here who’d been nice to me?

God, I really am useless, huh—

“Just pray that you’ll be born with a quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof of the building.”

…No.

I… I can still hope! And work hard! And I don’t know what she’s thinking! So I’ll just… ask her!

“Um!”

“Hm?”

…How long have I just been standing here?

Nevermind! Focus, Izuku!

“Do… Do you think I could still be a hero? Even without a quirk?”

It’s stupid.

I’m asking some random girl I just met.

She was only here to return my notebook. And now, I’m bothering her about stuff I’m worried about. I really am a loser, huh?

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the best idea.”

…Oh.

Well, I, um…

I expected it! Haha…

“Underground would be the best bet for you. But you’d probably need lots of support items, and companies usually ignore commission requests from quirkless people, so unless you get an in with a certain company, it’d be hard for you to get ahold of those. In the US or some places in Europe, you could get a gun’s license? It’s pretty difficult around here, though; the HPSC’s been known to be pretty discriminatory…”

It’s okay.

It’s okay…

She’s just one  girl, right? Nothing to worry about! I’ve just gotta hold my head up high and push forwards!

“Um, a-anyways! Thanks for f-finding my notebook! It was w-wonderful seeingyouandIhopeIseeyouraroundagainbye!!”

“Wait!”

…Hah?

I could’ve sworn I kept walking.

But, like…

It’s like my whole body froze up?

What the…

Is this her quirk?

“I don’t think it’s impossible. And even if it were, you would make an excellent quirk analyst—someone who works alongside heroes, analyzing their quirks, coaching them on how to use them more effectively, pinpointing villains’ weaknesses—that kind of thing! The analysis course at UA is taught by the principal himself, so seriously, give it a shot! Um, hang on a second…” 

There’s a scribbling noise after I feel my notebook being taken out of my hand before it’s returned. I kind of jolt and I can feel my legs again, rolling my wrists around a little.

“Just… think about it, okay? And let me know if you make a decision; I wrote my number on the front of the notebook.”

A girl just gave me her number?!

Wait, no, there’s more important stuff going on! She’s telling me to think about going into quirk analysis, and she just did something to me with her quirk, and—

“Well, it’s been a nice chat, Izuku. And if you do land on the hero course, I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in class!”

—she’s gone.

Huh.

Well.

…Quirk analysis is a thing?

I’ve just been doing it as a hobby for all this time, but maybe—

…No.

I want to be a hero.

I want to get out there, defeat villains, rescue people, and save lives.

I don’t want to hide behind an office desk.

I don’t want to be stuck writing in my notebooks forever. I want to keep analyzing all the amazing quirks I see, but I want to be able to do stuff too!

Just you wait, Monika! I’ll become the best hero you’ve ever seen! No matter what anyone else thinks!

And I’ll keep smiling. Just like him.

####

He’s late.

Which isn’t that big a deal, of course! I mean, the news hasn’t said anything about another villain attack, but maybe he ran into one on the way back? Or maybe he ran into a hero and did a whole impromptu interview! He does that whenever a new hero pops up, eheheh…

Or maybe ‘Kacchan’s bothering him again. And he won’t tell me because I’m a bad friend who won’t do anything about it but sit there and listen to him talk about how cool he is.

But that kind of thinking won’t do! Moping around won’t do him any good! I know it’s his turn to cook today, but maybe I could get started on dinner for him? He always makes the same fried rice anyhow, so it’s not like I’ll get the recipe wrong or anything—

“I’m home.”

Oh! Nevermind!

“Hiya, Izuku! Took you a while to get here, huh?”

“Oh, y-yeah. I, um, talked to someone after school and met All Might, so it took a while for me to get here.”

“Whaaat? You met All Might? That’s amazing! Did he give you his autograph? Can I… see…?”

He… didn’t sound very excited about that.

Who is this guy and what did he do with Izuku?!

“Yeah. We, um… I got attacked by some sludge villain—”

“Oh, no! Are you okay?”

Of course he is, you dummy. He’s here, isn’t he?

“—but All Might saved me! I was super excited to meet him and talk to him, so I, um, might’ve clinged onto him while he tried to jump away and take the villain to the police…”

I almost want to reassure him and tell him that that’s probably not the first time a fan’s done that, but…

Something tells me this isn’t the full story.

“He dropped me off on this rooftop. And, um, I asked him if I could be a hero.”

Oh.

“…He said that I can’t be a hero without a quirk.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry.”

What?

“Don’t apologize, Izuku! C’mere,” I say, pulling him into a big, tight hug that I know he’ll love, curling my hands into fists so I don’t accidentally touch him with all five of my fingers. 

That’s my quirk: Siphon. Whenever I touch someone, I can suck away all their energy super fast! I just wish I could make more of my own so I didn’t have to use it so much, eheheh…

“Want some katsudon? That always cheers you right up!”

“I don’t think I can keep our promise, Sayori.”

I squeeze him a little tighter.

“Don’t say that. We’ll… we’ll talk about it in the morning, okay? And if you’re ready, we can send off all our applications together! I know it’s a little early, but—”

“But I still want to go to UA with you!”

…Huh?

“That person I talked to, she said something about a quirk analysis program at UA! A-and she said that my hero analysis was so good that she’d pay real money for it! I can’t be a hero without a quirk, but I want to help people! And I want to help you.”

He pulls back a little and… am I really hearing him right? Ever since he could talk, all he’s ever wanted was to become a hero who can save everyone! The number one, who never stops smiling as he rescues every single person from danger! Just like…

…Just like All Might.

“I’ll be your analyst. And your quirk is amazing, so you’ll be able to climb to the top for sure!”

He’s holding me by the shoulders, an almost insane look in his eye, and his hands are practically vibrating like he wants to shake me back and forth but is stopping himself.

“…What the heck? You know I can’t do that alone, Izuku.”

“And you won’t! I’ll be there with you every step of the way! Um, if you want me there, that is. I’d…” He lets go, slumping towards the kitchen. “I’d get it if you didn’t.”

“No, that’s not what I said at all! I just… I always thought we’d be a hero duo, y’know? Like the waterhoses! And I’d be right behind you! It’s just… A lot. Y’know?”

“I’m, uh,” he opens the fridge, grabbing at some random things. “Sorry. I shouldn’t tell you to do something like that because of my own pipe dreams.”

Izuku… Don’t say that. I’m the one making it all about myself. Crud, now he’s worrying about how I feel when his idol, his hero, just crushed all his hopes and dreams.

“Okay.”

“‘Okay’?”

“I’ll do it. I’ll apply to UA tonight, and I’ll get into the hero course, and whenever I need help with my quirk, I’m gonna come to you.”

“Sayori, you don’t have to—”

“I’ll climb all the way to the top, and I’ll save a bunch of people, and you’ll be my eye in the sky, telling me where the villain’s hiding, and then I’ll capture him. I’ll be the number one hero and you’ll be the best quirk analyst in the world.”

“Sayori…”

“But only if you make me the best katsudon in the world tonight. After all, a hero’s gotta have her fuel, right?”

I sidle beside him, hovering over the stovetop as he stands at attention, giving me a super cute salute.

“Right! And, um, Sayori?”

“Yeah?”

He looks down at the sizzling pan, his face somewhere between tenderness and bursting into tears, before…

“Thank you. For everything.”

“Anything for you!”

“And by the way, I actually managed to snag some textbooks on quirk analysis on the way home, and the theory behind how quirks actually work is fascinating! Like, we’ve always heard the analogy of quirks functioning like a muscle, but to actually have it described as a chemical reaction between…”

He was so sad earlier. And it makes sense! The number one hero just told him that everything he ever wanted was pointless to hope for! But now?

He’s smiling, All Might. Couldn’t quite take that from him, could’ya?

I think that today was a good day after all.

####

“…and on top of all that sloppiness, you’ve been using your quirk! How many times do I have to tell you that our spars are to drill technique into your thick skull before it gets through?”

My quirk activates whenever I eat anything! I literally cannot control when it activates! You know this! You were married to the woman who gave birth to me, you fucking dumbass! How are you this stupid? You’re just mad I’m twice as fast as you even without it. Skill issue.

“…Yeah, yeah. Sorry, dad.”

‘Course, I don’t actually say any of that. Would rather not get hit today, thank you very much. So, I just grit my teeth and get back up on my feet like always.

God, I’m so friggin’ wired right now.

“Useless brat. Whenever I feed you, you use it to cheat. Almost as bad as your brother.”

“What brother?”

“Which one do you think?”

“I only have one—”

Ow, that friggin’ hurt. You’d think I’d learn to stop takin’ the bait, but I’ve gotta have some lines I won’t cross.

I only have one brother, not that this stupid ass transphobe has any idea. I know she couldn’t have taken me with her, but man, do I wish, sometimes.

“Bah. Go drink some water and flush that quirk out of your system or I’ll get it out myself. Be back in five.”

By ‘back in five’, he means ‘back the moment I call you or I’ll beat the shit out of you’, but he usually doesn’t notice it’s been five minutes until it’s been, like, an extra minute or two, so I don’t complain.

“Will do.”

And by ‘will do’, I mean that I’ll drink, like, a sip of water and spend the rest of the time right around the corner on my phone doomscrolling, or sending out college apps, or—

[Hey]

[u busy?]

[on break]

[u ok?]

[ye]

[just got hngry and 8 b4 practice]

[chewed out]

[yk how it is]

[do I ever]

[cant even tell whats worse]

[feelin all sluggish cause im starving to death]

[or feeling like im hopped up on rcack from my quirk]

[you got this]

[10 more months]

[and you’ll be in UA]

[free food]

[quirk support]

[teachers that aren’t abusive assholes]

[literally everything a girl can ask for]

[fuck im hungry again]

[sry]

[nah its good]

[Want me to send another care package?]

[no its fine]

[He wont like it]

[he doesn’t like anything]

[he likes beating the shit outta me when i do stuff he doesn’t like]

[touche]

[welp breaks over]

[cya]

[wait 4 me]

[I’ll c u at the sports fest]

[c me WIN at the sports fest]

[u know it]

[ok bye for reals]

[love you]

[love you too]

“Alright, break over.”

“Gotcha.”

Just ten more months. Ten months, and three years, a couple exams, and some decent enough networking, and I can finally get out of this shithole.

…I’ll be waiting for you, Fuyuki.

####

The classroom is on the quieter side of things today.

Which makes a great deal of sense; applications to UA are just about to open and as a result, the swaths of hopefuls taking aim for and firing at the tops of waitlists are all busy conversing with counselors and teachers alike, posing whatever last-minute inquiries they might have lost within the halls of their minds until now.

I don’t complain; it makes it all the easier to immerse myself within my literature. I often find that the stimulation of outside chatter is all too capable of piercing the veil that a good book is so often responsible for enshrouds me in. But…

“Whatcha reading?”

Interlopers are always lurking around every corner—such is a truth that will persist so long as humans exist.

“It looks kinda cool. Mind telling me about it?”

Oh.

Oh!

I don’t recognize this person! Could it be? Have I finally divined a kindred spirit? 

“It’s called ‘The Portrait of Markov’, and it’s by—”

Ah.

His eyes start to glaze over and I clamp my mouth shut.

“Wha—huh? What just…”

His eyes dart around for a moment before he pinches the bridge of his nose, forcing his face into a lazy smile.

“Anyways. I’m Hitoshi Shinsou. How ‘bout you?”

I don’t respond and eventually, he receives the message that I am relaying to him, leaving me with a frown on his face as he shambles over to his desk.

…He must think that I’m a horrible person.

Which I am. Which I might not have been were it not for my abysmal control over my quirk. The moment that I lose control, anyone that might have been listening to the gibberish escaping me collapses, unconscious. A powerful, useful, heroic ability in the hands of anyone less dull than myself.

“Excuse the interruption—could Yuri Kayama please report to the main office? That is Yuri Kayama to the main office, if you would. Thank you.”

…Well, drat.

Everyone’s staring at me.

Did someone catch me in the act? Or might I have offended someone? I cannot recall any instance of academic dishonesty, but perhaps I have omitted a citation or two on my latest history project, or been reported for using my quirk? I have been told that it is fine in the past, but… Uuuu…

“Ah. Miss Kayama, please, take a seat.”

The principal’s wrinkled face contorts to reveal… Sternness? Joy? She’s smiling, but I really am quite terrible at reading facial expressions, so I am unable to discern as to what, exactly, it means.

“Are you aware of the school’s partnership with UA?”

“Y-yes, I am… aware.”

It is the closest private school to UA and it is sponsored by several pro heroes. Of that, I am well aware.

“In that case, you’d be aware of the recommendation slot awarded to the graduating student who demonstrates the most promise within the school.”

“…Yes? That is often how recommendation slots are assigned. Why are you telling me this?”

“Well, it just so happens that it was awarded to you, Miss Kayama.”

…

“…I beg your pardon?”

“You achieved the highest grades in the school and your answer to the application was deemed to be the best in the school. Add to that your already rather-developed combat training and experience with heroism and it was really a no-brainer.”

“N-no, there must be some kind of mistake. I mean, I never…”

There were some papers passed around regarding future studies earlier, but I had just assumed that those were simple career aptitude assessments, not applications for the recommendation slot!

“I couldn’t possibly remove that opportunity from someone else.”

“…I was afraid you would say that. Midnight, if you would?”

Midnight?! Wait, surely she doesn’t mean—

“Heya, Yuri! It really is quite nice being back here!”

“M-mom?!”

What is she doing here? I suppose that I’m thankful that she’s porting normal civilian clothing, but…

“It’s parent-teacher conferences! I thought you knew already!”

“Well, it must have slipped my mind, I suppose…”

That would certainly explain the routine disappearances of people from class throughout the day.

“But y’know, this is a really good opportunity, Yuri. Are you sure you don’t want to take it? You’ve earned it.”

“I simply believe that the spot ought to go to someone more… someone better suited for the role than I.”

Someone who will not put the interviewer into a REM cycle.

“Well, I guess I’ll just recommend you myself.”

“W-what?”

“I’m a pro, remember?”

“But you only have t-two recommendations per y-year!”

“And I don’t have anyone to use them on this time!”

“I—”

“Yuri. Do you want to become a hero?”

She has asked me this on numerous occasions.

Every time, I respond with the same answer: “It’s a nice thought, but I find that I would be rather unsuited to the daily grind of cameras and poses. I would much prefer to  stay behind the scenes.”

“There’s a lot of opportunity for you at UA, y’know? You’ll meet friends just as talented as you, the teachers will all help to build your confidence; it’ll be a wonderful experience. And if you don’t like dealing with the media, that’s fine too! I’m a daytime hero since I love the cameras, but underground heroes are just as important! Just the other day, my colleague stopped a human trafficking ring all by himself!”

“Mmmn…”

I suppose that being an underground hero wouldn’t be too bad. And… I cannot imagine anything else that I would want to do with my life besides writing, which… would also require public interaction.

“So? Will you at least give the recommendation exam a try?”

“…Okay. B-but I would still like to refrain from taking up a more passionate individual’s spot.”

“Of course. Mama’s gotcha~”

The principal sighs as my mom scoops me into a big hug that I reluctantly return.

Who knows? Perhaps I will meet some agreeable personalities. And maybe the teachers there are better equipped with regards to aiding in my quirk control. Actually, given that she has a similar quirk, perhaps my mother will spend some time to aid me in that regard herself? I know that it is hard for her to find time, what with being a single parent and holding what is effectively two jobs, but…

In any event, with regards to the future, I cannot help but feel a degree of hope as I am walked out of the principal’s office with a recommendation letter in hand.

####

Good lord, what have I done?

I opened my mouth and just blurted the first thing that came to mind. I don’t do that! I’m supposed to plan out a sentence, consider its consequences, then decide whether or not to speak it!

“I mean, it wouldn’t be the best idea.”

“Underground would be the best bet for you. But you’d probably need lots of support items, and companies usually ignore commission requests from quirkless people, so unless you get an in with a certain company, it’d be hard for you to get ahold of those.”

I can’t believe that I said all of that! He clearly needed support, but being Monika, I couldn’t help but give him a lil’ ol’ reality check! That’s just classic Monika! Crushing some random boy’s dreams because you couldn’t stop to think for two seconds!

Oh well. It isn’t as if it will have any long-lasting effect on me. Chances are, we’ll never cross paths again—not after that travesty of an attempt at encouragement. And even if we did, it isn’t like he would want to talk to me after what I said. I should consider myself lucky that he hasn’t built a spam bot to harass me.

“Here you are, Monika.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ida.”

As much as the shelter has grown stifling, I think that I’ll miss it once I’m in UA. Thank god that the dorms are free—lord knows I wouldn’t want to deal with the added strain of securing housing or paying commuting fees to school. 

Speaking of, however, I really ought to get back to studying now. I’ve been neglecting that in favour of debate. Which honestly, I’m rather excited to quit. It’s a useful skill to have, to be sure, but there isn’t a club for it at UA and I would rather not run it all by myself. For now, though, studies. I’ll just make sure that I don’t have any emails, and…?

[Thank you, Monika.]

A link to the UA support courses? I don’t recognize this number—

Ah.

[You are very welcome!]

[By the way, I was just about to do some studying! If you’re doing the same, would you like to call?]

It takes a few minutes for him to respond, but eventually…

[I’m just finishing up dinner with my best friend, but yeah, I’d be happy to! Are you available in about eight minutes?]

[Sounds like a plan! I’ll see you then~]

Maybe today wasn’t so bad, after all.

Chapter Text

Today’s the day!

Gosh, it feels like it’s only been a week, but Izuku really went full-throttle with his training, and I couldn’t just let him shoot off without me, and before I knew it, wham! There goes ten months!

Honestly, I don’t feel prepared at all. I’ve gotten pretty good at hand-to-hand, but Izuku and I’ve basically just been going off of what works on each other, some stuff we’ve seen online, and his analysis, and his analysis is amazing, but I’m not really the best learner, so I kinda…

…have no trust in myself to be able to take his lessons to heart?

Maybe I’m not cut out for this whole ‘hero’ thing after all—

“Sayori! We’re here!”

Oh.

We are.

I guess I kinda checked out when we were on the train, huh? Good thing Izuku was there to help me here! I definitely would’ve gotten lost without him.

“I almost can’t believe it! I mean, I know that I got the acceptance letter, but to think I’m going to the top school in the country for anything quirk related; we have the highest rate of people who go into heroics and the highest average salary after fifteen years, though Shiketsu beats us out before that. I wonder why? Well, either way, we’d end up here just because of logistics, and…”

I usually try to listen to his mumble storms, I swear! It’s just, the exam’s about to happen, and I can’t remember what the difference between a sidekick and an associate is, and everything feels like it’s happened so fast that I can barely stay on my feet as we head towards the building—

—which ends up in me tripping over my own feet. Dammit. 

Maybe it’s better if I don’t catch myself. Just hit my head, and boop, no heroing for Sayori! It would suck that I couldn’t keep my promise, but… Better now than three months down the line, right? Izuku didn’t even register me falling. His face is totally blank as he grabs me by the waist, and…

Eh?

He… caught me.

How’d he do that? He was definitely mid-mumble when I tripped, and yeah, he does have a good sense of what’s happening to me, could he have really reacted that fast? 

“Ack! Sorry, Sayori; I don’t know what happened!”

“That would be me! Are you two alright?”

Who said that? Izuku’s arms drop to his sides and the two of us both turn to see what it could’ve been, and—

“M-M-Monika?!”

Is… is she carrying a crowbar?

“Why do you have a crowbar?!”

She smiles, and wow, does it suit her. Her uniform is absolutely perfect. Her gray blazer’s buttoned up and ironed like it should be and red tie stands out against the white dress shirt underneath. She rubs the back of her head and laughs, a little bit uneasy but still mostly relaxed. I think. People tell me that I’m good at reading others, but I don’t really know how true that is…

“Well, I was hesitant at first, but my quirk isn’t very well suited to physical combat and the rules said we’re allowed to bring anything that’s legal for us to have, so here I am. I kinda hope that I don’t have to use it, though…”

“Wow, that’s super smart! I mean, I didn’t expect anything less of you, but people nad exams are so focused on quirks that sometimes, people forget the importance of weaponry, and support items; like, death arms is strong, sure, but if he used a sledgehammer? Or knuckles? The sky’s really the limit with this kind of thing; it’s a shame that heroes tend to rely more on their quirk and turn away support items out of princi—”

“Are you alright? What’s your name? I didn’t make him grab you too hard, did I?”

Ack! Right! I’m here! Being talked to!

“Yep, everything’s peachy! Feeling kinda nervous about the exam, but that’s not your problem, so don’t worry about it.”

“Same. My quirk isn’t exactly universally applicable, so there’s a good chance that I’ll have to think outside the box to do well in the practical.”

She laughs a little, and it’s a subdued, controlled sort of laugh, like she’s scared I’ll run if she’s too loud.

“What’s your name, by the way? Mine is Monika, as you might’ve gathered from Izuku here.”

Gosh, even her voice sounds perfect. Is she a voice actor? It’s got this soft, yet firm reassuring quality to it that—oh, wow, Izuku’s red. How, exactly, do they know each other…?

Oh! Right! My name!

“I’m Sayori Midoriya! It’s nice to meet you, Monika.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” she says, before an… apologetic? Her expression becomes kinda apologetic as she rubs the back of her neck with her hand, turning towards Izuku. “I’m terribly sorry for my radio silence for this past month, Izuku. I ended up accidentally short circuiting my phone while trying something new with my quirk and forgot that I didn’t have any other way to contact you.”

“O-oh, it’s no problem at all! I’m just glad it wasn’t something I did… D-do you have… discord?”

“Yep! I’ll just write down my tag for you here,” she says, pulling a notepad and pen from her bag. “And… done.”

Monika hands him a torn piece of paper with some writing on it.

“I know Izuku’s applying for Analysis, but what about you, Sayori? Are you going down that route as well?”

Oh, she’s talking to me again! I put on a smile and bounce a little to accen… accentute… to highlight my words.

“Nope! I’m trying for the hero course! Not sure if I’ll get in, though…”

“What? C’mon, Sayori, you’ll do amazingly! We’ve been training day-in and day-out, right?”

We have. I was really, really sore the first few days, but we figured things out, eventually. Izuku was the one doing all the planning and analysis, so it feels like I was just bumming off him, but I guess he’s a good enough teacher that at least some of it should’ve stayed in my head.

“If I may ask, Sayori, what’s your quirk?”

“My quirk? Um, it’s called ‘Siphon’ and it activates whenever I touch someone with all five of my fingers. I can sort of drain their energy? It makes me stronger when I do it too! But it’s a little hard to explain, though. I’m not even sure I get it myself!”

“It’s really cool! The doctors have confirmed that she can drain dopamine, adrenaline, and a whole bunch of other things! She can knock me out in less than five seconds; it’s a super strong quirk!”

It’s really good at taking away others’ energy, ehehe…

“My, my, that does sound powerful indeed. Does it only work on living matter?”

“Yep, it doesn’t work on machines or anything.” C’mon, Sayori, stay smiling! There’s gotta be a bottle up there somewhere. “It’s kinda better that way too, since I wouldn’t want to drain the energy out of my phone when I’m using it.”

Monika nods before giving us a little wave and walking past.

“Well, it’s been nice chatting with you two. I hope I see you in my class, Sayori! And I know I’ll be seeing you around, Izuku.”

“Th-that’s not true! You never know what might happen on the test!”

Monika gives us both one last smile as she sort of whips her hip to the side, her hair and skirt swaying in the wind before she really starts heading towards the front doors.

“So, that’s the mysterious friend I’ve heard you talking about?”

“Ack!”

Still, I can’t believe that Izuku didn’t tell me he met such a perfect, pretty, capable-looking girl! I mean, we’ve been friends for forever, haven’t we? Though I suppose I haven’t told him everything about myself, either.

“Y-yeah. She’s just the one who… Monika told me about quirk analysis. Without her, I’d probably just be making the same old scribbles in my notebooks in General Studies. If I even got into UA. And I’m not assuming I’ll get in! It’s just—”

“She sounds pretty amazing, huh? You sure she’s just a friend?~” 

Izuku’s really cute when he gets all embarrassed like this. I think the only time he’s been redder was when I walked in on him doing All Might shadowboxing. Teasing him doesn’t always make me smile, but today, I can find a little happiness in it.

And maybe, it’s sorta payback for not telling me about Monika.

“Hah?! Um, yyyyeah! I keep saying dumb things and going on these weird tangents, but Monika helps me stay on track. I suggested trying to use her quirk on her phone, and she could control simple circuits like light switches after a bit of practice, but I guess a phone was too complicated for her…”

Hm… Suspicious! But I won’t push him too hard before the exam.

“What is her quirk, anyhow?”

“Oh!” I manage to ask that as Izuku’s mutter storm winds down and he just lights all the way up, barely aware as we cross the doors into UA. 

“It’s called ‘Control’. She said that there are other activation requirements, but if those requirements are fulfilled, she can take control of anyone she sees? Like, she still sees what she usually sees, but she kind of… projects her consciousness into their body. Like, right before she broke her phone, she was starting to get the hang of tasting and feeling what the other person feels, but she needs to be lying down for that for now.”

“Other activation requirements?”

“She, um… never told me. But I didn’t worry about it too much! I-I just don’t want to pry and do or say something wrong…”

Suspicious! And mysterious! But I trust Izuku when he says that.

“Well, she seemed really strong, and smart, and fast, so I’m sure she’ll do really well in the exam!”

“I-I think so too. I’ll be g-going to the support track section, so, um… Good luck!”

“Good luck, Izuku! You’ll do great!”

“Would you like, um… a dose of energy?” he asks, extending a hand towards me.

“No, I’ll be fine! I’m all riled up now that I’ve met someone who’s definitely getting in! Someone else, I mean. Since you’re also definitely getting in!”

“Okay, okay,” he says, not believing me, like the dummy he can be sometimes. He deserves to be more confident than he is. “I’ll see you later, then!”

“See you!”

We share one last wave before he slouches off towards the support exam, muttering to himself about something to do with ‘maybe she just needs to look at the wiring? I’m sure that she could do it with enough practice…’ as I stand in front of my test centre.

Well, I know he’s gonna do great! I don’t think there’s anyone alive who’s smarter than Izuku, so UA’d have to be dumber than me to reject someone like him! And it’s good to know that he’ll have Monika there with him, even if I’m not around anymore. Heck, maybe I should just sit the exam out and save myself the pain of getting kicked out later—

No. No, no, no. He’s been training me for almost a whole year! I can’t let that work go to waste! I have to at least try to get, so that when I inevitably fail, I can still be a little proud of myself. And maybe I’ll be a good guinea pig in case Monika doesn’t want his help.

So I step into the exam centre.

And I try.

####

The written exam was as simple as I expected it to be. I assumed that a school with an acceptance rate as low as UA’s would have a more difficult initial hurdle, but I ended up finishing with enough time to double check every question. 

…Which only served to increase my anxieties surrounding the practical exam. What kind of demon would we be facing so that only 0.2% of us would survive? No one had died at a UA entrance exam before, but I really couldn’t afford a bad injury, so I was somewhat anxious as we were led into the gym for the explanation.

And it turned out, it wasn’t actually anything terribly complicated. Find robots and destroy them. A fairly simple endeavour for anyone who possesses a quirk with any amount of combat potential.

…This is going to suck, isn’t it?

Well, what do I have? The crowbar could work in theory—perhaps target the joints and other weak points, but I don’t have a way to get close to the robots before getting knocked out by a ranged attack. If I can get one stuck somehow, I might be able to disable it? But honestly, it’s starting to seem like this whole exam is a wash. I should probably start looking into low-rent residences and part-time jobs, ahaha…

But I still have a chance. I mean, robots are basically computers piloting giant robot suits, correct? And humans are just brains (biological computers) piloting smaller meat suits. It can’t be that different, can it? I even managed to get a motor to run properly, given a power source! I’ve never quite taken control of anything so complicated, barring temporarily disabling it, but trying is better than doing nothing.

“Alright, everyone; get moving.”

Hm?

“There are no countdowns in real battles. Your time starts now.”

Ah, right!

There are a lot of people with speed quirks here, so maybe if I—ack, so many people… It’s really hard to keep running when I’m using my quirk this much already, but I don’t see another way I can catch up. My eyes dry out so quickly that I’m forced to blink in under ten seconds, but fortunately, that’s enough time for me to split off from everyone else. Note to self: remember to buy eyedrops.

There’s a mechanical whirring around the corner and—

“Target acquired; commencing attack”

—here goes nothing.

The robot closes in and I hear its capture nets prime, ready to fire before my eyes begin to burn, and…

…It stopped.

It stopped! 

Okay! I have a chance—wow, this feels weird. I guess it is a completely different body to mine; controlling people with extreme mutations was always a bit of a challenge. But it’s not even like controlling someone with a mutation, which is slightly physically disorienting, or controlling a simple circuit, which is essentially pure silence; rather, it’s like a constant stream of numbers and it’s making my head hurt a little, but the pain is still manageable.

Let’s see… Instead of walking like normal, I need to kind of… flex my legs to get the wheels to turn. Okay, so the mech is moving, and—

—its wheels just clogged. Dammitl; I must’ve overrode whatever limits are in there and screwed everything up. If only I could take a look at the source code, not that I’m sure that that would help…

…Wait. Isn’t this a good thing?

I mean, I could just run around clogging up all of the robots I see, couldn’t I? Maybe just get to the rooftop of a building and take them down from afar?

But I really want to get this right. I mean, how often am I going to get an opportunity to test my power like this? This is an opportunity that I can’t afford to pass up.

Half the time. I’ll spend half of the test seeing if I can fully commandeer a robot and if that doesn’t work, I’ll start running around guns blazing.

After all, what sense is there in doing something if you can’t do it correctly?

####

This is bad.

The written was… alright? Izuku’s study sessions really helped a lot, but nothing we did prepared me for this. 

The test was way more straightforward than I thought it might be.Just beat up some robots with your quirk! You’ll do great!

My quirk doesn’t work on robots.

It probably could if I trained hard enough. Monika just started controlling electrical circuits, right? So maybe if I’d trained a little more…

“Last two minutes!”

I’ve failed.

It… 

It isn’t sad.

Just empty.

I guess I really am a bad person if I’m breaking my promise with Izuku and can’t even cry about it.

“God—fuck! Just hit the goddamn vein, you fucking—agh!”

Huh?

It’s… a girl with pink hair. She’s holding some kind of needle, her leg’s trapped under some rubble, and her hand is shaking so badly… Is she going to survive? The zero-pointer was so slow that I could probably run, even after just standing here for a little. I should just go and tell Izuku what a failure I am. He’s probably done his practical by now.

…But I guess I may as well do something good while I’m here.

“Hold… hold still, you—”

“Need a hand?”

She looks up at me, a little bit of surprise in her eyes. It looks like she’s about to say ‘no’, but whatever she was going to do, she stops, giving me her arm. I grab onto and pull, and—

She doesn’t budge. And I feel the shaking in it subside as energy flows into me, and—

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no.

“I’m sorry—”

“Thanks a million!”

A wild look in her eyes, the girl stabs the needle into the inside of her elbow, and there’s this strange red glow settling in around her arms and shins as… 

…as she punches the rubble, sending a cloud of smoke into the air before she leaps with her single working leg, rears it back, and—

She kicks at the wheels, punching and darting around the robot almost faster than I can track her, knocking dents into the sides, hitting, and hitting, and hitting, until…

The robot collapses.

The robot collapsed.

“C’mon! You just gonna stand there, or what?”

Right! Probably shouldn’t be around all this rubble.

I let Natsuki drag me out by the wrist, an annoyed expression beginning to form on her face. She’s probably irritated because I was just wasting time staring at her, eheheh…

…Why was I doing that? I need to go get more points! Or at least one! Why am I so stressed all of a sudden? Is it from my quirk? But I never usually feel this way after using it…

“And, that’s it. Time’s up!”

“…Not even a single point, huh?”

I suppose I have a few more hours to live, then.

No! Bad Sayori! Just because you didn’t get into the hero program doesn’t mean you need to kill yourself or anything! Izuku still needs you!

But maybe he won’t after he gets in with Monika. Or when he meets this pink-haired girl—she’s really powerful! 

I should stop thinking about it for now. Izuku probably got the best result in the whole school, so I should focus on celebrating him! Feeling bad for myself’s gonna be a problem for future Sayori!

…I wonder how Monika did?

####

“That girl’s a monster…”

“D-did she seriously…?”

“Now, now! It’s more exciting when these sorts of developments happen; wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’d better not cut my budget because of this. The support course is gonna need everything we have given some of the newcomers…”

“But of course! I would never punish a show of talent.”

“…That girl’s getting put into my class, isn’t she?”

“And you wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?”

On the screen is an image of the streets of battle centre D.

On the streets are the mangled and flattened bodies of robots, the ruins of collapsed buildings, and a few examinees, frozen to the spot out of fear, a singular titanic robot towering above it all.

And on the head of the titan, stands a girl with emerald eyes that burn with a light so brilliant that the cameras struggle to capture it all.

“…We’ll see if she lasts more than a day.”

####

God, I’m tired.

It really hits after I’ve drained someone. When I don’t for a while, I sorta get used to not having all the happy chemicals floating around upstairs, but now? I kinda miss all the buzzy sort of feeling that came with stress.

“So, we’re getting our results back today.”

There’s been a weird sort of mood at the house for the past week. Did something happen? That ‘Kacchan’ person didn’t do anything to mess with his exam, did he? But I can never quite bring myself to ask. Izuku keeps saying they’re best friends, after all.

But, now that he’s bringing it up, I guess it’s execution time.

“Yep! You think you did okay?”

“I, uh…” His voice trails off as he shrinks into his chair. “Kinda completely failed my practical.”

“What?!” I did not just hear that right. Oop—dropped my chopsticks “No way. What happened?”

“They, um, told me to hack into U-UA, but I, uh… I only managed to get past the first layer of security before I got locked out…”

“You got past the first layer of UA’s security? Izuku, you’re insane! You definitely passed for sure!”

And here I was, all worried for a second there!

“Yyyou really think so?”

“I mean, did they say anything about your written? What did they think about your portfolio?”

“W-well, they asked me to show them my notebooks, a-and they seemed to like it, but K-Kacchan said—”

“Kacchan this, Kacchan that—you’ve really gotta stop listening to what that jerk says! Just trust me, okay? You’re gonna do amazingly at UA!”

“D-don’t jinx it! I’m just gonna hide under my bed until the results come—”

“Izuku, Sayori!”

Is that Inko? Why does she sound all panicky? Is there something wrong?

“They came! Your test results, they’re here! From UA!”

“Well, c’mon then, Izuku! Let’s open them up, and—”

Ah.

Wait.

My test results are also here.

“A-actually, Sayori, c-could we, um…?”

“Read them separately?” He nods. “Of course!”

Though, maybe it would be better if we did them together.

After all, I wouldn’t have to tell him myself, then.

###

Anyways.

It’s time.

I open the envelope and take out the disk.

I set it on the desk and a screen is projected upwards before—

“Booyah! I am here! As a projection!”

…All Might?!

What the heck is he doing in my UA test results?

“Judging by your address, you might have seen me around the city already! The truth is, I didn’t come here just to fight villains. You’re looking at the newest UA faculty member!”

All Might’s teaching at UA? Dang, I guess he’s on the older side, but he’s the number one hero! Though I guess I don’t mind having him as a teacher, even if he sort of crushed Izuku’s dreams…

“Now, young Midoriya, even though you passed the written test—”

I passed the written test! Yay!

“—you got zero points in the practical exam. Sorry.”

…Yeah.

I’d kinda accepted it.

I think that Izuku’s going to try to make it sound like it wasn’t my fault and it’s just my quirk, but…

That would just be an excuse.

I should just be happy for Izuku. And transfer to General Studies like the failure I am—

“Fortunately, your villain score was not the only factor at play.”

…Huh?

“But before we get to that, I have another surprise. Here, look! A short clip for your viewing pleasure!”

He really is hamming it up, huh?

“Um, hey. You. Got a sec?”

It’s… that really strong pink-haired girl.

“She showed up after the exam to talk about you, young lady. What did she have to say? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out!”

She… she did what?

“You know that girl? With the stupid red bow in her hair. Blue eyes? Kinda short, messy hair? 

She isn’t meeting the person’s eyes. Her hands are shoved into her pockets and she’s almost spitting out the words, like they’re fighting to escape her mouth.

“I was just wondering… Could I, like, give her some of my points?”

Wha—what?

“She said something ‘bout not even getting a single point, which, like, I guess her quirk doesn’t work on robots or something, but she did something to heal me, so she’s probably better than ninety-nine percent of the extras who took the exam.”

Don’t say that about the other test takers! And you earned those points! Don’t just give them away. 

Not to me.

“Plus, isn’t it kinda bullshi—er, stupid that the practical’s just about smashing robots? Like, you could have someone with, I dunno, a super powerful mind control quirk who could take down all might who fails this exam. Plus, we need more heroes with healing quirks, right? Not to insult her or anything, but Recovery Girl’s getting old, right? Anyways, I probably got, like, the most points out of anyone here, right? So just, like, give her a third or something. Okay?”

The screen freezes and All Might’s voice replaces the staticky tone of the recording.

“You have a powerful quirk, yes, but when you are up against an impossible opponent, it is the impression you leave on others that truly matters. It was your choice to save that girl that inspired her to do the same for you.”

It wasn’t anything special.

I just…

I just didn’t really care if I got hurt.

It wasn’t bravery. Just numbness.

I don’t deserve a reward for not caring if I died.

“And that’s why I am here. See, the practical exam was, indeed, not graded on combat alone! Stealth quirks; healing quirks; intelligence quirks; every quirk has its place so long as its wielder has sufficient heroism within them!”

The recording resumes, and…

“Thanks for showing up to the station with your request, but you don’t gotta give her your points.”

“But I—”

“Kid’s charting well on her own.”

“How could a hero course reject someone so committed to saving others, no matter the consequences to herself? After all, that is what makes a hero.And that’s what my Alma Mater’s all about. Training people who would risk their lives for the greater good.”

I have a feeling that he wouldn’t be saying that if he knew why I was so ready to sacrifice myself.

“So, we have rescue points!”

Rescue points.

“A panel of judges watches and awards points for heroic acts beyond just fighting villains.”

A list of scores pops up in front of me, and… And…

“Sayori Midoriya! Fifty rescue points!”

What the…

Oh, there’s Monika’s name! She… also got fifty points? It’s a fourty-one / nine split between villain and rescue points. She must have gotten in as well!

Wait, something must be wrong! There’s no way I’m as good as Monika!

“And Natsuki—er, just Natsuki!, also fifty rescue points!”

Jesus—did she get a hundred and twenty six points?! What the hell?!!

“You both passed the exam. Welcome to your hero academia!”

“YES!!!”

Eh? That… That wasn’t me!

Oh, Izuku must’ve just been told that he passed! Yay! As for me…

…Why can’t I be happy?

I just got into the school I’ve been wanting to go to for my whole life! I should be overjoyed! But all I can think about is how I just took a spot away from someone who deserves it, and I don’t deserve it, and why the heck are they letting in some girl who barely passed the written exam and got a zero in the practical? 

But I got in. I didn’t break my promise.

You were going to. You were ready to.

But I didn’t! I got in!

So why can’t I bring myself to smile?

“Sayori!” Izuku, don’t come in, please— “You…” hey, why aren’t you smiling anymore? Don’t look at me like that, Izuku. “Did you make it?”

See? Just follow my lead. I’m smiling now, so you should too!

“Yeah! I didn’t get any points by taking down robots, but they said I saved someone during the exam, so they let me in anyways.”

“I knew you’d make it! And you were completely right; principal Nedzu was talking about how he’s glad I couldn’t get through, and that it was just to see how I did when faced with an impossible task, and I did well, and he really liked my notebooks, and gosh, I’m so excited to go there and meet all the hero students, and the support students, and there was this one girl who had a bunch of really cool inventions, and—” he reaches out and grabs my hand before continuing. Wait, he’s grabbing my hand? I pull it away.

“What was that for, Izuku?”

“You should be happy too! I know it’s hard for you without your quirk, so I want to share my happiness with you.”

“Don’t worry about me! I’m happy, really! We’re going to UA together! How could I not be?”

…I guess that was the wrong thing to say. Izuku gets this frown that I hate seeing on his face and sits down on my bed, gesturing for me to do the same.

“I-I know that you don’t want to take away my happiness, but I really want to share this moment with you, Sayori.”

“But—”

“Think about it like this: I’m happier going to UA with you than I would be without you, right?”

…

“D-do you believe me? Gosh, I’m so sorry if—”

“No, I believe you.”

I do. I really can’t begin to understand why, but Izuku’s a terrible liar. I’d probably know if I was making him upset.

“Anyways! I’m happier than I would have been if I’d just gotten in by myself, right? So, I’ll give you a portion of that extra happiness, and then we’ll both be happier than we would’ve been! It’s a win-win! Like… a happiness accountant! Hey, stop laughing!”

I can’t help it! Gosh, a happiness accountant? I’m so glad he’s my best friend.

“This is the happiest you’ve been, right? I don’t want to take that from you, Izuku.”

“Then don’t. Let me share it with you. P-please?”

This is all so, so wrong.

If I’d just hidden my emptiness better, this wouldn’t have happened.

I need to do better next time. Make sure he doesn’t have to worry about me.

But for this time…

I can never say no to those puppy-dog eyes.

“…Okay.”

He wraps his arms around me into a surprisingly tight hug (we’ve both been training, ehehe…) and I… do the same. Touching my open palms against his back for just a few seconds before balling them back up into fists, and…

Gosh, that feels nice.

Every single ounce of happiness you feel was taken from him.

Don’t care. The guilt will come later, but for now…

I have this moment. And no one can take it away from me.

Chapter Text

“Sayori, come down already! You’re going to be late!”

“Coming! Tell Izuku he can take off without me!”

“Aww, don’t be ridiculous, Sayori! There’s no way I’d leave here without you on our first day at UA!”

“I’m down, I’m down! You packed everything, Izuku? You didn’t just bring action figures, did you?”

“Wha—hey! W-whatever, let’s just go already!”

“Izuku? Sayori?”

Inko? Does she need something else from us?

“I’m so, so proud of you. Both of you. You’ve been working so hard, and I…” she wipes away a tear. “You’re going to be the best students there.”

Izuku lightly brushes the back of his hand against mine and I feel a brief jolt of happiness flow into me from my quirk. Gosh, he’s way too nice for his own good.

He’s rattling off stats about this year’s exam on the way to the train and I’m not really listening, but he knows that. I think he just likes having someone with him as he does that. Sometimes, I’ll hear something that makes me want to say something and I do, but today isn’t one of those days. We get to the train station, and—

Izuku freezes.

“Izuku? Something wrong?”

That’s weird. There doesn’t seem to be anything odd going on here. Just a bunch of people on the train platform. Oh, one of them’s blonde! You don’t see that everyday.

“N-no. It’s nothing. After all, a-a good friend of mine told me I ‘shouldn’t listen to what that jerk says’.”

“Hm?” he must be talking about something Monika said. Or maybe Mei, the other girl he said is going to be in his class. “That’s great! I’m proud of you, Izuku.”

We spot Mount Lady fighting someone on the way to school, so Izuku starts mumbling away about Gigantism and what seems to be a set of new moves he just saw Mount Lady use as we step off the train and through the threshold of UA.

“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you at the entrance ceremony!”

“Y-yeah! Good luck in your classes, Sayori!”

“‘Course! See you later!”

The support courses are in a different section of the campus, so we split off. I’m in class 1-A, so it doesn’t take long for me to find—

—a door that’s, like, triple my height. Woah.

I just hope that Monika’s here. But either way, I’ve made it this far! No turning back, now! 

So, I gently open the door.

“I am simply stating my belief that manga is a more childish form of media. I do not need to cater to your tastes because you are incapable of comprehending actual literature.”

This…

This is the hero course, right?

“You can get that silver spoon outta your ass and fuck right off with that pretentious bull.”

“Hey, cut it out, you two! We shouldn’t be fighting like this on the first day!”

“Butt out, you freaking—woah!”

The scowl jumps right off of Natsuki’s face as I glomp her, but… she didn’t sound particularly happy, so I let go.

“Sorry about that, ehehe…”

“N-nah, it’s no biggy. Just wasn’t expecting it. Um…”

It almost makes me giggle, seeing the same person who was just speaking in a way that would make a sailor blush all nervous and fidgety in front of me.

“…Thanks, by the way. For the stuff you did during the exam. It meant a lot to me.”

…Oh my god.

“You’re so stinkin’ cute!”

“Wha—hey! Don’t… Don’t say that!”

She glances off to the side, and—ah. Right. Class.

“Sorry, sorry! And it was no problem, really! I forced you to take on the zero-pointer right after, right? So really, I should be the one apologizing to you.”

“Nah, I was gonna fight that thing anyhow, but thanks to your healing, I managed to pull it off instead o’ getting crushed.”

“Healing…?”

“What is your quirk, anyways?” She asks, like if she looks close enough, she’ll be able to tell. 

“Well, I wouldn’t really call it a healing quirk. It’s called—”

“Oh, Sayori! I was wondering if we would be in the same class.”

Monika!

I was so preoccupied that I didn’t even notice that she wasn’t here. Until now! And here she is! She seems to stifle a yawn before sticking her hand out for a handshake, which I obviously accept without hesita—

Ah. Right. Touch quirk.

I pull my hand back and for a moment, her right eyebrow twitches, as if she’s hurt (no, Monika, don’t make that face…) before I pull her into a tight hug, tapping a few times at her back with my closed fist. She does the same, as if telling me: ‘Yes, I understand that you have a touch quirk and are trying not to activate it and that you aren’t just a bad hugger’‘.

And she is actually a really good hugger! Like, Izuku’s kinda awkward sometimes, so he can be a little hit or miss. Same for Inko, but Monika hugs with confidence! She doesn’t squeeze too tight, but she does it hard enough so that I can feel how warm she is as I rest my head against her chest, and—

“If you’re just here to hug it out, then I suggest you pack up your stuff before you waste any more time here.”

Ah. Right. Class. Monika and I spring apart and she slowly turns around and both of us look towards the ground.

Except I don’t see anyone coming in. It’s just an empty hallway with a yellow sleeping bag and…

…a hobo?

Well, he looks old enough to be a teacher, so this must be, well, our teacher!

“Welcome to UA’s hero course,” he says, taking a sip out of one of those fruit sauce/vitamin jelly jammers. 

He climbs to his feet, unzipping the sleeping back open before stepping out of it and dusting himself off.

“It took nearly half a minute for you all to shut up. That’s not gonna work,” he grumbles out, putting the bag aside. “Time is precious; rational students would understand that.”

“…Eraserhead?”

Mr. Hobo Eraserhead’s eyebrows kind of quirk up at Monika’s question, but he quickly collects himself and starts rummaging through the sleeping bag.

“That’s ‘Mr. Aizawa’ to you. I’m Shota Aizawa; I’ll be your homeroom teacher,” he drones, pulling out what looks like a pretty comfy PE uniform. “Now, put these on; we’ll be heading outside.”

Isn’t the entrance ceremony happening soon? I’d ask, but something about Mr. Hobo Eraserhead Mr. Aizawa tells me that I should probably listen to him. I’ll just let Izuku know I won’t be there, and… done!

Now, then. Outside ho!

####

Why did I leave my knife at home today…?

Not that I would have had any chance to make use of it; Mr. Aizawa had us on a time crunch to the extent where I was scarcely able to get changed before dashing down to the building’s exit.

It is only the first day and I’ve already gotten into an argument and made a fool of myself in front of everyone. I can scarcely even remember what we were arguing about. 

“That many pages? And there’s eight books in the series? I should show you one of my crazy-long fifty-volume mangas—that’s probably the only way I could say I’ve read more than you!”

“Please,” I’d said, ignorant of the fact that this was the one time someone was actually talking to me without falling half asleep. “Something with so few words per page could hardly compare.”

“I know, I know. I was just joking,” she’d clarified and if she’d left it at that, then I could have lived with it. After all, this was the first person my age to go out of their way to willingly converse with me! Regarding a book that I was in the midst of, no less! Truly, the stars could not have aligned to form a more convenient shape!

“After all, they’re way too boring for me!”

But, alas, it was not meant to be.

Why did she even strike up a conversation? Was it a genuine interest in the literature in which I was partaking? Or was it…

…I want to go home. I should not have come here. What even possessed me to consider this as a valid idea? I was wrong; becoming a hero does not instill one with confidence; it is those who already possess confidence who choose to become heroes. My uniform is too tight, and my skin is too tight, and I need something to get rid of this horrible scuttling of infinite limbs beneath my skin, and—

“Natsuki. You managed to get the most points on the practical. What was your farthest distance throw with a softball in middle school?”

“Eh? Uh… forty two metres, I think.”

“Right. Now, try doing it with your quirk. Anything goes; just stay in the circle.”

So, Mr. Aizawa has decided to single out Natsuki. Given that he pointed out her practical exam results, I would deduce that he is attempting to make an example out of her, whether it is to make us feel more or less secure in our abilities. Since the general exam was based upon fighting robots this year, I can only assume that Natsuki has some flashy, physical quirk and as such, I believe that the former is true, but would hesitate to make any conclusive claims.

Natsuki does not hesitate for even a moment as she childishly tosses some kind of yellow pill in the air, catching it in her mouth. The effect is immediate; her muscles ripple and a peculiar rose-tinted aura surrounds her as she winds up, spinning a few times with the softball firmly in her grasp before—

“Go to HELL!!”

Her throw is accompanied by a blinding red light as she sends a gust of wind rushing by all of us, and oh my goodness, I am going to be in dead last and there is not a single thing that I can do about it.

“All of you need to know your maximum capabilities,” Mr. Aizawa says, holding up a phone that reads… Oh, lord save me— “It’s the most rational way of determining your potential as a hero.”

“Oh, wow! 712 metres? You’re amazing, Natsuki!”

“I wanna go next! This looks like fun!”

“This is what I’m talking about! Using our quirks as much as we want!”

“…So, this looks fun, hm?”

No. Not at all. I want to go home.

“You have three years here to become a hero. Do you think it’ll be all games and playtime?” The wicked smile of a killer playing with his food spreads across Aizawa’s face. “Idiots. Today, you’ll compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none and will be expelled immediately.”

…It seems as though my prayers have been answered.

“Mr. Aizawa?”

The girl with a white ribbon in her hair (Monika, I think her name was? I found it difficult to pay attention to my surroundings once Natsuki left) raises her hand and Mr. Aizawa nods at her. “Is this test not somewhat unfair to those with non-physical quirks? I daresay we’ve had enough of a struggle to arrive, no?”

A girl with these odd headphone jacks hanging from her ears and a floating uniform appear to nod in agreement, but Mr. Aizawa’s expression remains unmoved.

“And you think natural disasters are? Or power-hungry villains you’ve got a bad matchup against? Or catastrophic accidents that wipe out cities? No. As heroes, you will have to deal with unfairness. You will be the ones to combat that unfairness. If you want to be a pro, you’ll have to push yourself to the brink. Just the other week, Kamui Woods defeated the fire breathing vigilante Salamandar by ambush.” 

He continues, “For the next three years, UA will throw every challenge imaginable at you. Will you break? Or will you go beyond?” Aizawa gestures with his index finger, an inky grin spreading back across his face as he says, “Show me it’s no mistake you’re here.”

“In that case, I take it that we’re allowed to use our quirks however we see fit?” Again, it’s Monika. 

Mr. Aizawa nods. “Anything goes. Just don’t hurt anyone or interrupt them while it’s their turn.”

Someone else should have been in my place.

Someone who would refrain from disassociating before a fifty metre dash.

Someone who would get a better time than 7.31 seconds.

Someone who doesn’t cut themselves, who doesn’t pick fights with their classmates at the start of class, or reads novels that no one else understands, or got in from their mother’s recommendation, or only succeeded in their recommendation practical exam by using his—

“Hey there! You feeling alright? You were looking kind of zoned out back there.”

…Ah. Sayori.

“I-it’s nothing.” Why is she just staring at me like that? “I’m… a little worried. That’s all. My quirk is not particularly suited towards completing this sort of task.”

“Gosh, tell me about it. Mr. Aizawa’s really putting us through the wringer, huh?” She pauses for a few moments before continuing, “What is your quirk, then?”

…Well.

“Um… it’s called ‘Siren’. I-if I manage to speak uninterrupted for a sufficient length of time while maintaining control of my quirk and my target’s attention, they fall asleep.”

“‘Sufficient length’?”

“It, um… I-it depends on h-how much att-attention they’re paying… I’ve, um, gotten better at c-controlling it, but sometimes, I a-accidentally activate it, and—”

Sayori’s eyes are already drooping.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s nothing!” Sayori pops back to alertness, rubbing her eyes. “It’s a really cool quirk! You could take down a villain without laying a finger on him! You could save a whole bunch of people!”

It could certainly do so if it were possessed by someone else.

“Anyways, you’ll be fine,” she says, putting her hand on my shoulder (and thankfully nowhere lower). “I mean, I barely got here on time today and I turned out okay! We both passed the same entrance exam, didn’t we?”

“N-not exactly. I g-got in on recommendation…”

“Woah! You must be super duper smart, then!”

I’m about to say that it was my mother’s, but… I did win my school’s recommendation as well, did I not?

“…In any event, a hero requires more than simple book smarts.”

“Yeah, but you still had a practical, right?”

“I used a trick that, one, I would prefer not to repeat, and two, would not work here. I…” I find myself unable to meet her gaze as I mutter, “…fear that I may be expelled today.”

“…Sure is tough for people like us, huh?”

For people like Sayori? I can scarcely imagine anyone as bright and bubbly as her having any significant struggle, but I suppose that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

“But you sound really smart! After all, all these things are just physics challenges, right? I’m sure you can think of some way to cheat it.”

“Midoriya, you’re holding up everyone else.”

“Oops, gotta run!” Sayori bounces off towards the starting line. “It was nice chatting with you!”

Despite myself, I end up mouthing the words back to her.

Physics challenges. I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it makes sense now that I have that added perspective. But I cannot really think of any way to break most of these games as to do so would require machinery that I have neither the skill nor resources to access right now. Let’s see; the next challenge is—

Oh.

This will do.

####

It feels a little bit dirty to piggyback off of the success of others in this way, but as I spin my pen around in repetitive circles, I figure that it’s better than being expelled.

“Hi, there! I’m Monika, as you might have heard from Sayori. What’s your name?”

“Me? I’m Hanta Sero,” he says, flashing a wide grin. “You need something or just here to chat me up?”

I feel my eyes burn as I set a careful hand on his shoulder.

“Could you help a girl out here? It would be a huge help if you let me borrow some of your tape.”

It’s a little underhanded to simply steal the tactics of others, but I never would have thought of using a tourniquet to multiply my grip strength. Thank you; Hanta, for your tape; Purple-haired girl, for the inspiration.

Regardless, if it works, it works. The only people even close to my score are the person with six arms, Natsuki, and, well, the purple-haired girl whose idea I stole. I actually got slightly higher than her—Sero’s tape is more sturdy than I expected.

In any event, this little stunt of mine combined with my general athleticism should keep me out of last place.

…Though I would prefer to stretch my mind a little while the opportunity remains present.

####

Of course, it’s no surprise that I, Natsuki, am right at the top of the tests.

There’s this guy with a wind quirk giving me a run for my money, but unlucky for him, I don’t care if he can fly, or if he can summon tornadoes, or whatever. I’m just faster.

Anyways, that’s not what I’m interested in right now. That would be, well…

“Hey, Mr. Aizawa! That was totally unmanly! How the heck is she allowed to do that?”

Apparently, Monika just used her quirk to make the gravity girl float her over the sand pit. I’ve gotta hand it to her: she’s fighting dirty. I can respect that.

“Uraraka, are you hurt?”

Uraraka shakes her head and Mr. Aizawa shrugs. The spiky-haired guy who complained walks off in a huff and Monika seems… kinda uncomfortable. That’s weird. Didn’t Aizawa just say it was okay?

Weirdo.

Well, whatever. Time for the next test. And hopefully we can get them over with soon, because dammit, my head is killing me. I’m really not used to getting to use my quirk this much, huh…?

But hey, that just means that I’m well fed for once in my life! And I’m topping the charts! So for now, I’m not gonna worry too much about it.

####

I don’t need to check the leaderboard to see where I am.

Sayori Midoriya: Dead last. What a surprise.

I feel so tired and I know it’s not my quirk because Izuku gave me a little energy in the morning, but it’s already worn off by now and I’m basically just useless, quirkless Sayori right now.

But that isn’t an excuse. I mean, that purple-haired girl ended up taking my advice and making this wacky rope thing that got, like forty kilograms of grip on that thing! It was super cool! And Monika got too stupid high scores one right after the other! For some reason, she didn’t use her quirk during the side jumps, but still! She’s amazing!

“Midoriya. You’re up.”

I guess it’s not all bad. I can stop pretending now. I couldn’t even last a single day, but again, better now than later.

The ball is heavy. It seemed so light when everyone else was throwing it, but I guess light things to others are all the weight in the world to me.

Oh, well.

I grip the ball as hard as I can, swing my arm back, and—

“Five metres!”

“That’s enough.”

—I get bound in a gray scarf that’s as hard as steel.

“If you really want to leave that badly, then quit wasting everyone’s time and pack up your stuff now.”

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts in bottles, all in a row.

“…Hm? I… don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He releases me and sighs, going to collect the ball.

“Your quirk has potential, but that doesn’t mean anything if you have none. Without any drive to improve it, you’re just wasting space in my classroom. Now, are you going to use your quirk? Or will you flunk out on your first day here?”

…Happy thoughts. 

Happy thoughts.

Happy thoughts in shards, all over the floor.

####

“There you are.”

The whole class had held its collective breath during Aizawa’s dressing down, but when he’d told the next person to go, everyone seemed to forget about it. The white-bow girl and Natsuki looked the most uneasy, but they both let it be.

I could not.

“Oh. Hey there, purple girl.”

“…Purple girl?”

“Yeah!” How is she smiling like that? It’s as if I haven’t just seen her in shards, all over the floor. “‘Cause your hair and eyes are all purple!” She chews on her lip for a moment before adding, “I should probably get your real name, though.”

“Yuri Kayama.”

“Sayori Midoriya! Good to meet you again, though, uh… I guess it’ll be for a shorter time than I thought, ehehe…”

“You aren’t returning?”

“Nope! I’m sulking!”

She says that with such sincere joy strewn across her face that I have to wonder: does she want me to leave? Or convince her to rejoin us? Or simply sit here with her? I have no idea. What am I supposed to do? There have been numerous occasions where my precious alone time has been invaded by the outside; I would never wish to force that upon someone else. But there have also been times, like earlier, where I’d had a need for outside help. And regardless of all else, I have to bring her back! She is the reason that I am still fighting even now! But…

I do not know how to.

“…What is bothering you?”

“Don’t worry about it! I saw your pencil trick, by the way. It was amazing! I’m decent at tying knots, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“What’s wrong, Midoriya?”

“…Gosh, I’m really losing my touch, aren’t I? No one ever asked me that in middle school…”

Sayori plays with her hair a little, lying against a tree in the grass.

“I guess it’s just all the stress that Mr. Aizawa’s giving us, y’know?”

“Yes; in fact, I do.”

But I don’t know what to say. Should I tell her that everything will be alright? But I cannot guarantee that; she may very well be in dead last right now. I don’t know any practical solutions to the matter at hand and I do not trust myself to attempt any sort of personal motivation.

“…I informed you of my quirk; what would be yours?”

“Oh, that?” Sayori flexes her fingers, stretching her arms out above herself. “It’s ‘Siphon’. I can absorb people’s energy and turn it into my own energy and super strength and speed. It would’ve been pretty useful if I didn’t have to steal it!”

“Would you like some of mine?”

“No, no, no. We’ve got more tests and you need it for them!”

“You helped me; think of it as returning a favour.”

“Nope! Not happening.”

Again, how can she sound so upbeat when she might be about to be expelled?

“It is as you said; you are here for a reason, Sayori. Allow me to help you remain here.”

“Just stop worrying about me, Yuri. I’ll be fine.”

“Is there anything besides people that you can use your quirk on?”

Sayori puts a finger to her chin.

“Well, there was this one time I was petting a dog, but it made the saddest little noise and ran off. I couldn’t do that again.”

So, it worked on a non-human animal.

“…It may be a long shot, but I would like to present an idea that just might work.”

####

“…And when, when we become heroes together, I’ll be the almighty hero! All Might junior! A-and you’ll be the smiling hero! Mighty Bow!”

“And together, we’ll be unstoppable?”

“Yeah!”

He always had so much fun back then. Right now, I don’t really think that there’s anything I want more than to see him smile. But it’s not just him. There’s so many people who are sad, or who need help, and…

“I don’t think I can keep our promise, Sayori.”

“But I still want to go to UA with you!”

“It is as you said; you are here for a reason, Sayori.”

Ah. 

I think that I’ve found it.

I can’t stand by Izuku’s side if I can’t stand on my own two feet.

I can’t help people like I did with Yuri if I get expelled here.

The rain clouds aren’t clearing. Using my quirk on plants gives me energy, but plants don’t have any happy chemicals to take.

But I can at least do this much.

“153.7 metres!”

“…Alright. Everyone into the gym for situps.”

You see that? Izuku? Natsuki? Monika? Yuri? Mr. Aizawa?

I’m still here. And I can still stand!

###

I really shouldn’t have gotten so confident, huh?

Not that I did badly or anything! Actually, I ended up placing in the top half for all the other challenges except the long-distance run since I kind of ran out of juice halfway through.

But I’m really not used to living off of plants. 

“Alright, time to give the results. I’ve ranked you all from best to worst. You should probably have an understanding of your standing already. Here’s the list.”

C’mon, ‘Sayori Midoriya’... Where is—aha! There! Seventeenth place! Not great, but I passed! Who’s after that? There’s ‘Toru Hagakure’, then ‘Minoru Mineta’, and…

Oh.

No.

If she hadn’t told me about my quirk—

If I’d just been a little better at hiding my pain—

If I hadn’t been so selfish—

“And I was lying; no one’s going home.”

…

I’m so freaking tired right now.

“That was just a rational deception to ensure that you gave it your all during the tests.

…No.

Mr. Aizawa wasn’t lying when he said that he would expel anyone without potential. I'm sure of it. They way he was talking to me during the ball throw...

If I hadn’t gone to help Yuri and she’d done everything by the book…

I don’t want to think about it.

And I don’t need to! Because she isn’t going home! I flash Yuri my biggest smile and a thumbs up because we get to stay! And I did something good today!

Probably.

“That’s it; we’re done for today; pick up a syllabus in the classroom and read it before tomorrow morning. This’ll be tougher tomorrow when your actual training begins, so make sure you’re prepared.”

And so, our first day of school comes to an end!

…I should really get some lunch.

Chapter Text

Izuku let me know that our whole test ended up taking a decent while longer than the entrance ceremony, so he sent me the room he’s staying in. Honestly, he could’ve just headed home by himself, couldn’t he? But I guess I won’t complain at spending more time with him. Knowing him, he’s probably tossing himself into whatever little bits of work me convinced his teacher to give him, ehehe~

Anyways, down to the support wing! UA’s halls are a bit of a maze, though. First I end up in class 1-B, then the cafeteria, and the principal’s office, and it feels like I’ve been just about everywhere but the support wing until…

“Oh, Sayori! There you are!”

“It’s good to see you again so soon.”

The room is a lot smaller than a normal classroom. Actually, going off how big it is, it’s relaly more of an office. 

Except compared to some of the normal-ish offices I’ve seen, this is completely freaking insane.

One wall behind a pretty ordinary-looking desk is strewn with five monitors, one giant flatscreen mounted in the centre. There’s a giant bookshelf against a different wall, absolutely filled to the brim with notebooks, and the whole vibe screams ‘Izuku Midoriya’.

“This. Is. So. Cool!”

“See? I told you she would say that, Izuku.”

Oh, and Monika’s here too!

“Monika! When’d you get here?”

“While you were running in circles around the school. Sorry for not helping, by the way; I found it just a little bit fun to watch, ahaha…”

Sure enough, one of the monitors is connected to what looks like a camera positioned right outside the room.

Wait… does that mean…?

“You were watching me the whole time? That’s so embarrassing…”

“U-um, not really! We were actually going over the e-entrance exam footage. It’s just, M-Monika just wanted to make sure you didn’t get too lost.”

“Wow, thanks, Monika.”

I pout, but then I give her a smile to let her know that everything’s a-ok since she started to look like she was taking my joke seriously. Jeez, stop worrying about me, Monika!

“Oh, right! I don’t think I ever got your full name! Mind sharing?”

After all, I’ve gotta be able to pull out the full name whenever I get serious with her.

…Um, why are they looking at me like that?

Izuku and Monika look at me, then each other like they’re in on some big government conspiracy before Izuku starts doing that hand-wave panic thing he does when he’s scrambling.

“W-well, you see, uh, M-Monika—”

“Please, Izuku; I can speak for myself,” Monika says, giving Izuku a quick, light smile.

And then she turns to me.

I didn’t really notice until now, but Monika’s eyes are, like, really intense. Like, she has this way of staring at you like she can see right through you, straight into your soul, and wow, I know that green eyes are pretty tame in terms of a mutation, but they’re, like, really shiny, almost like they’re glowing, and my head’s going all blank and I can’t feel my legs, or arms, and it’s a little freaky, but also kind of nice to be sort of at home with the lights off—

“Ah, I’m sorry; I activated my quirk without thinking…”

The glow disappears and her gaze shifts away from me, shame and… anger? Beginning to appear on her face, leaking through the cracks in her practiced smile.

She’s not bad at faking smiles. I just know the feeling too well not to notice.

“It’s all good! It actually felt sort of cool. Like an out-of-body experience!”

“Right?! Like, you’re still there, but everything just feels so far away.”

Monika gives a little musical giggle at Izuku’s comment that tickles my ears as she rubs the back of her neck.

“Well, in that case, I suppose I can’t really do anything but appreciate your consideration, can I?”

I hadn’t even noticed it until now, but she seems… closer. Like, not literally, but it’s like… she’s a castle. And she’s got these huge walls around herself, and for a moment, she opened up the gate. Or something like that.

Whatever it is, it’s gone almost as soon as I noticed it and she straightens back up, speaking in that even cheerfulness I’ve started to expect from her.

“I chose the name for myself, actually. Long story short, I didn’t want to associate with the people who gave it to me anymore.”

…She’s still smiling, but that didn’t sound like it was very easy for her to say.

“Y-you’re not in any danger, are you?”

“Oh, not at all, Izuku! I’m currently living in the dorms on financial assistance, so really, I’m fine! And the people who I was referring to don’t have any legal claim to me. Honestly, both of you have nothing to worry about.”

That sounded… a little familiar.

“In any case, Izuku? Who were we reviewing just now?”

“Oh, yeah! Um, her name’s ‘Ibara Shiozaki. Apparently, her hair’s made of these vines that she can extend and retract at will.”

“Hm…” Monika rewinds the footage on the big centre monitor a few times. “It looks like she was extending her vines in all directions to act as feelers. Could she carry herself on those?”

“Maybe she could swing? The vines seem to be a lot better at pulling than pushing—wow, she just yanked that robot’s head off.”

I, um…

Who are they looking at?

“I wonder how you could counter it. Obviously, fire would be a go-to, but maybe electricity could work as well? What do you think, Izuku?”

…What’s going on?

“No, I don’t think so. A few of the robots tried to shoot her with an electricity attack, but it got blocked by the vines. Maybe they don’t have many minerals? Or the vines themselves have some sort of resistive property?”

“Either way, it looks like you’re right; electricity won’t work.”

“Maybe you could rush her down? Her actual body doesn’t seem to be anything too special, but it would be difficult to get past all the vines…”

“Do you have any ideas, Sayori?”

“Eh?”

Monika’s asking me?! 

“Nah, you guys are way better at this than me.”

I’ve gotten used to Izuku’s mutter storms over the years, but he stopped trying to ask for my opinion when I told him I don’t really get what he’s talking about sometimes. Not that I think it’s boring! Like, he told me that even if I don’t get it, it’s nice to have someone there with him who he knows isn’t judging him.

But I can’t fault him for being excited to have someone who actually understands. Someone who isn’t so stupid that she needs you to dumb it down for her whenever she hears something really interesting.

“Anyways, I’ll leave you two to it. Let me know when you’re ready to come home, Izuku.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?”

…Does he not want me to? Monika seems just as confused as Izuku, which is weird.

“Oh, did you want to do something else, Sayori? I’m sorry; I should’ve realized that not everyone’s interested in analyzing exam footage like Izuku and I.”

Monika smiles and it’s a careful, practiced smile that doesn’t let me see what she’s really thinking. She was enjoying herself, wasn’t she? And so was Izuku.

They were having so much fun together.

“No, it’s fine, really! You two do your smart person stuff and I’ll go… lay in the grass! Or something. I’ve just figured out how to drain plants, so—”

“You can drain plants now?!”

…Right. Forgot to mention that.

“Well, I can see that it’s about to get lively here, so I suppose that I’ll see myself off.”

“Wait, but, um…”

Monika’s about to leave when Izuku interrupts her, standing out of his seat.

“I-I’d, um! I’d like to t-talk about our f-f-first days! It sounds l-like yours was very eventful.”

And to think that just a little while ago, he could barely talk to any girls besides me. He really has grown~

“I mean, I’d love to, but I should really go grocery shopping. I’ve just moved in today, after all—”

Oh.

Wow.

Um, before she can finish her sentence, she gets cut off by a ginormous rumble declaring its presence from her stomach.

“…though I may have to pick up some food first, ahaha~”

She blushes a little, but other than that? Totally calm. Wow. Even I get a little sheepish when my stomach rumbles that loud.

Wait, hold on a moment! I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but she said that her birth parents are, well… Point is, she doesn’t want to be with them. And judging by the fake smile she’s wearing…

“It’s your first day! You’re not just gonna go to McDonalds by yourself, are you?”

Monika stares absently at—she is! She totally is!

“Nope! Not allowed! Come with me—Izuku and I are gonna get you some real food!”

Monika looks at Izuku, but he just shrugs and gives a weak smile. 

“I-I would like to hear about b-b-both of your days…”

“C’mon, Monika! You aren’t gonna turn down my cooking, are you?”

“…It looks like I don’t have a choice, huh?”

Yes! Yesyesyes yes! She’s coming!

“I-I can help, Sayori! If we’re having p-people over…”

Hm… if he has a crush on Monika, it might be nice for her to try his cooking, but on the other hand…

“You can if you want, but…” Wow, he’s even gripping his notebook for support. He really doesn’t want to stop analyzing. “I won’t make you. I’m inviting her over, so I’ll deal with the extra work!”

“I feel like I should remind you that you don’t have to have me over…”

“Not. A. Choice. Now, let’s get moving! We don’t want to miss the train!”

And as Monika and I help Izuku pack his things, I can’t help but notice the littlest of smiles from Monika.

Her eyes shine a little more brightly. And her gate cracks open, just a little.

####

“Hey, Mr. Aizawa! That was totally unmanly! How the heck is she allowed to do that?”

I didn’t understand. Mr. Aizawa had told us that we were allowed to do whatever was necessary in order to succeed, did he not? 

But Kirishima had found offense in what I did. Does he hate me now? He just walked of without saying a word…

“Uraraka, are you hurt?”

She’d shaken her head, but I could feel the fear in her mind as a cold, dead euphoria filled my veins at the sensation of finally, finally, finally having someone to ensnare in my puppet strings, far more satisfying than a few stolen strips of tape I took control. Does she hate me as well?

To anyone watching, I had just body-snatched a classmate and got off scot-free. Both Kirishima and Uraraka had been talking to people in between tests. Were they spreading rumours about me?

…No, I don’t think so. From what little I’d heard after, they were mostly just focused on doing well in the assessment. So my reputation was safe.

For now.

But I didn’t want to risk any more damage. At least, in this kind of challenge. I’d already secured a place above last, no? But I could do better! If I had just used my quirk, I could have taken every one of their warm, succulent bodies for myself stolen away first place in every single competition! But that would have come at the cost of potential scrutiny from my classmates—something that I can’t afford to risk.

…I don’t like this. There has to have been a better solution. Choose whether to perform better in the test or with my peers; why does it have to be a zero-sum game? Though I suppose that this sort of dilemma would be the kind of thing that I would encounter as a pro hero—do I use effective yet cruel ways to dispatch evil? Or do I remain content in refusing to employ my full arsenal for the sake of maintaining public support?

Of course, if I were a full-fledged hero, it would be no trouble at all to simply keep any less savoury practices under wraps, but I’m not quite there yet. 

But perhaps if I had just explained myself to Kirishima, he might have understood? Of course not; no one ever understands. But his own quirk was rather unsuited to today’s challenges as well, so if I’d just found the words…

“I wonder how you could counter it. Obviously, fire would be a go-to, but maybe electricity could work as well?”

“No, I don’t think so. A few of the robots tried to shoot her with an electricity attack, but it got blocked by the vines. Maybe they don’t have many minerals? Or the vines themselves have some sort of resistive property?”

“…Either way, it looks like you’re right; electricity won’t work.”

“Maybe you could rush her down? Her actual body doesn’t seem to be anything too special.”

The funny thing is: I’d just thought of that idea afterwards. But I froze in fear of saying the wrong thing.

And therein lies the problem. If I haven’t prepared it in advance, whatever nonsense I spout ends up either not coming out or being, well, nonsense.

Next time, then. Today was to maintain rapport; next time can be when I demonstrate my skill. After all, while fear can go hand-in-hand with admiration, too much of it leads to dread, which is just about the last thing that I want. 

After all, it’s only natural to want to be admired, right? Though I suppose that it would be hard for others to admire me if I hardly even have an idea of who I am outside of a loose collection of talents that I wish to show and flaws that I hope to erase.

…By the way, didn’t Sayori bring me to do something with her?

And yet, here I am. All alone in an empty classroom, nothing but my thoughts for company as I drift through what appears to be some extradimensional—

###

“Izuku! You just woke her up!”

That’s strange. My pillow doesn’t usually move around this much. And I typically wake up far earlier than this; judging by the position of the sun, it must be around evening.

“We’re only two stops away; we had to do it eventually!”

“Hmph! She looked so cute like that, Izuku…”

“I… N-no comment!”

“Hm? What are you two…?”

Oh.

Right.

I was about to go have dinner with Sayori and Izuku.

And we’d just gotten onto the train.

And Sayori had sat between us at Midoriya’s insistence.

And somewhere along the way…

…I fell asleep…?

“Oh…”

……On her shoulder…?

“…Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry; I never do this!”

What happened? I-it was like I blinked, and then—

“Ehehe, no problem! Looks like even someone as perfect as you needs her beauty sleep.”

Oh my god just kill me now please god I am begging you if there was ever a moment to do it now’s the time.

“Plus, I get it! Izuku had to drag me out of bed basically every day back in middle school.”

“A-actually, it was my mom most of the time; I also had a b-bad habit of staying up too late a-analyzing stuff…”

…Nope can’t activate my quirk here. I don’t even think I can even alter memories ahaha just end me.

“Oh, looks like we’re here! Are you gonna walk, Monika? Or do you want to lean on me the rest of the way back, ehehe~?”

“I-I can walk! And don’t make fun of me like that…”

“Oh, sorry…”

…Well. 

That came out wrong.

###

“U-um, if you don’t mind, I’ll be up in my room analyzing the quirk assessment tests… Letmeknowifyouneedanythingokaybye!!!”

And with that, it was just Sayori and I in the kitchen. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to join him?” Sayori asks as she begins to assemble ingredients.

“No; he’ll send me his findings later and I’ll send back what little I have to criticize about it. He really is good at analysis; I hardly ever catch something he missed.”

I don’t have any trouble admitting that; humility is a good trait to possess.

“Do you want some help with that, Sayori?”

“Nope! It’s both of yours’ first days, so I’m gonna treat you!”

I can’t help but laugh at that. “What the heck? It’s your first day too.”

“Yeah, but… You know what? Sure! Just hand me stuff when I ask for it. There isn’t much else for you to do, so sorry ‘bout that.”

“No problem; I just didn’t want to be too much of a leech.”

Sayori takes a break from sorting out her ingredients to launch a… shockingly soft smile at me.

Maybe I should freeze that expression on her face forever.

“Well, my quirk is literally all about leeching, so trust me when I tell you that you are not a leech.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, ahaha~”

She’s… not bad at comforting people, hm?

“So, what d’you like about analysis, Monika?” She asks, turning up the stovetop’s heat. “I keep asking Izuku, but he always says something like ‘what isn’t there to like?’. Also, could you pass the wooden spatula?”

“Of course.” 

Well, if I had to put it into words…

“It’s a bit like a puzzle box; you look at what someone’s doing, and in any piece of footage, or report, or data set, there will always be little clues as to how the person that you’re analyzing can improve. It’s the analyst’s job to put all of those little clues together and communicate to the subject on how they can become a better version of themself.”

“…Dang, now I’ve gotta ask why people love puzzle boxes.”

“And now, it’s my turn to ask, ‘what isn’t there to like,’ ahaha…” Sayori shoots me narrowed eyes, so I continue. “But if we’re being serious, I would say that there’s a sense of accomplishment at having completed the challenge in front of you? Like, the fact that you were capable of solving the challenge that you were presented with makes you feel better about yourself and your own capabilities. Does that make sense?”

“…Probably.”

‘Probably’? What’s that supposed to mean?

…Not that I can bring myself to ask her.

“Anyways, I am curious now: what do you tend to do in your free time? I had the impression that you spend a lot of time with Izuku, but considering his current state, I’d assume that you have a decent amount of solo hobbies? Or things that you enjoy doing with others.”

The pan sizzles sharply as Sayori lightly stir-fries the vegetables inside of it, bouncing her free arm against her as she thinks.

“Hm… Well, sometimes I just kinda hang out wherever he’s analyzing stuff and keep him company. Other times, I catch up on sleep!” Her smile shifts into an expression of… remorse? Hm? Where did that— “Sorry about what I said earlier. About you being sleepy. You said something about having just moved in today; it can be a lot to deal with, especially by yourself, so I probably should’ve realized it was a dumb thing to say. Sorry.”

…Hm.

Wow.

I wasn’t expecting…

…did that even warrant…?

“No worries; apology accepted!”

I’m telling the truth when I say that and Sayori, thankfully, seems to appreciate that, going back to her odd yet endearing arm movements while she cooks.

A part of me wants to snare her arms to her sides, just to see how she would react.

“Anyways, what else do I do…? Well, there’s all the normal boring stuff like chores and studying… Ah, not that I’m saying you’re boring if you like those!”

Again, I can’t help but let a laugh escape from me at her franticness.

“Of course, not. And for the record, I don’t; I’ve just become better at tolerating them over the years.”

“Good, good! And as for other things…”

She appears to stop and think for a moment, placing the head of the spatula into the pan as she bounces both of her arms at her sides in silence, yet her expression is less of the ‘I’m thinking of what to say’ that I often saw from my former debate peers and more ‘I’m debating as to whether or not I should say it’ that I often saw from my less confident former debate peers. Eventually…

“…I write poetry.”

“Oh?” She’s gone back to cooking now, left hand on the pan’s handle and her right on the spatula as she furiously stirs. “That’s rare.”

“It’s just a nice way to get all of the sticky thoughts unstuck from the inside and into the outside. But you’d probably know that already, right?”

“…No? I’m good at academic writing and I’ve written a few short stories here and there, but never a poem. Not one that I could say that I’m proud of, at least.” It feels wrong to end it there. “Which, in my opinion, makes you all the cooler for being able to do it. Not that I’m trying to force you to show me, or anything.”

“You’ve written poetry that you don’t like? I can hardly believe it~!”

“I tend to avoid it when I can, but I’ve been forced into it by a few assignments here and there.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Sayori says, turning off the stove’s heat. “Poetry has to come from the heart! It’s meant to tell the world who you are in a way that’s ‘you’ from top to bottom.”

…That actually made a lot of sense. I’d never thought of it that way.

“Maybe that’s it, then. I’m not even sure what ‘me’ means.”

…Does it sound that bad? 

It looks like my musings have managed to kill even Sayori’s nigh indestructible smile.

“Well, I can definitely say that you’re a heroic person.”

…What?

She didn’t—

She couldn’t have—

No one’s ever told me—

“What, because I enrolled in the hero course?” Honestly, how can she say something like that so seriously?

“No. It’s because you caught me when I was about to fall.”

…Oh.

“That was… I messed up. I should have confirmed that Izuku was okay with me using my quirk on him —heck, I’ve even made the same mistake before, when we first met!”

“But then, I would’ve fallen. You did the right thing there, Monika. And you did it without even thinking about it! Monika…” 

Her lips tighten and her eyebrows narrow in concern that’s poison to my eyes. 

“You should stop beating yourself up like that. It’s like you think that if you mess up, you’ll explode.”

What? I would say that I value being the best version of myself that I can present, but I would never let that get in my way—

“Hey, Mr. Aizawa! That was totally unmanly! How the heck is she allowed to do that?”

“…You might just have a point there.”

“It’s not a bad thing!” she adds. Did she notice me getting all quiet there? “Actually, I think that that level of care can be a good thing! Like, it makes you be all self-reflective which is good for analysis and stuff! It’s just…” Her almost anxious level of energy fades and softens into a tender voice, sounding almost as if it’s being whispered into my ear as she adds, “Sometimes, you need to let yourself fail to get stuff done.”

For a moment, her expression slips, and there’s a weariness behind her eyes that I’d somehow missed until now. But after just a moment, everything falls right back into place and her smile’s right where it had been left. Did I imagine that?

Did I make her do that?

“I mean, you’re so amazing that I guess failure wouldn’t come naturally to someone like you! But I fail! All the time! And it doesn’t always turn out the way I wanted, but it got me to where I am today.” She pauses before continuing, “I got used to it. And I know you aren’t, but you can always start trying today.”

…I remember being on a debate team.

Practices were always about messing up—missing points and having it brought up during practice so that it would be remedied by the time of the actual competition. Being a sport about abandoning your own beliefs to argue wholeheartedly behind a predetermined viewpoint, I was a natural.

I was a natural. So, I succeeded without much effort. Without failing.

Even before middle-school—

…No.

There’s no need to go back that far.

Sayori’s already given me all the perspective I need.

“I suppose that I’m lucky—I can learn about failing from the best.”

“Exactly—hey, are you making fun of me?”

“Wha—no! Sayori, I—” wait, she’s smiling again. All’s well that ends well.

“I’ll be trusting you with my education in failure then, Sayori.”

“And I’ll know who to go to if I need any help with academic writing or quirk analysis, ehehe~”

…How did she do it? 

Before now, it was…

Like I was on a tightrope—no. Like I was underwater. With a weight on my chest, but it wasn’t pressing down on me because we were both underwater and buoyancy ensures that there would be less pressure—rather, that I would feel less pressure from the weight.

I think?

…I’ll work on it.

“Of course.”

“MONIKA!!!” There’s a voice coming from upstairs, and…

It looks like Izuku’s back. I wonder what’s gotten him so—

“You hacked the zero-pointer?!!?!”

Oh. 

Right.

…Something tells me that I’m in for a longer dinner than I’d expected.

Not that I mind, though. I feel so… so light now, thanks to Sayori.

And to think that I’d been planning on making her admire me. Oh, how the tables turn.

For now, the three of us eat, drink, and make merry about our days until it’s time for me to leave.