When the bell rang for break, the classroom noise exploded almost instantly.
Chairs scraped loudly against the floor. Bags zipped open. Conversations overlapped as everyone stood at once, energy surging back into the room after hours of sitting still.
"Man, I'm hungry as hell," Kirishima groaned, stretching his arms over his head until his joints popped. "I could eat a whole cow right now. Wouldn't that be manly, huh, Izuku?"
"It would be very manly," Izuku replied with a small grin as he stood from his seat, slipping his notebook back into his bag.
As the others began filing out, his eyes drifted toward Ochaco. She was packing up quietly, movements neat and unhurried, like she always was when she wasn't bouncing with excitement.
"Wanna eat together?" he asked casually.
Her head shot up so fast she almost bumped her chin on the desk.
"S-Sure," she said quickly, then cleared her throat. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she stood.
They walked out of the classroom side by side, their steps naturally falling into rhythm. The hallway was crowded with students spilling out of nearby rooms, but somehow they stayed close without bumping into anyone.
Behind them, eyes followed.
Girls whispered quietly. Guys glanced, then looked away. Are they childhood friends?
Did they come from the same school?
Or… are they already dating?
No one said anything out loud—but curiosity lingered thick in the air. Without really planning to, most of the class drifted in the same direction, pretending it was coincidence.
"So…" Ochaco began after a few seconds, fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "If you don't mind me asking…"
"Go ahead."
She glanced at him briefly before looking forward again. "I've been wondering… what really is your Quirk?"
Izuku hummed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well… it's kinda just a Quirk that makes me overpowered, I guess. So I called it OP."
Ochaco giggled, the sound light and warm. "I like the name. It sounds really strong." She tilted her head slightly. "Is that going to be your hero name too?"
"Probably not," he replied with a shrug. "But it works for now."
By then, they reached the lunchroom.
Warm air hit them immediately, filled with the comforting smells of freshly cooked rice, grilled meats, curry, and baked bread.
The space buzzed with noise—first-years excitedly talking over each other, second-years laughing loudly, and third-years acting like they owned the place.
Izuku and Ochaco grabbed trays and stepped into line.
"Hey, Izuku!" Mina Ashido's bright voice chimed from behind them. "Mind if I hang with you guys?"
Izuku glanced back and smiled. "Yeah, the more the merrier."
"Sweet!" Mina grinned, hopping into line beside them.
"Hey," Mina said cheerfully to Ochaco.
"Hey," Ochaco replied with a polite smile, though she instinctively scooted just a bit closer to Izuku.
They moved down the line together.
Izuku went for a balanced meal—rice, vegetables, grilled protein. Ochaco piled her tray high with rice and side dishes.
Mina didn't hesitate for even a second before grabbing the spiciest curry available, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Once they paid and scanned the room, they found an empty table near the windows and sat down together.
The noise of the cafeteria washed over them—trays clattering, voices overlapping, laughter echoing off the high ceilings. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, glinting off polished floors and giving the moment a strange sense of calm despite the chaos.
Izuku rested his elbow on the table, chin in his palm, eyes drifting between the two girls. "So," he said casually, "what's your Quirk, Mina?"
Mina straightened a little, clearly happy to be asked. "It's Acid," she said proudly. "Don't tell anyone, but I can secrete a really corrosive liquid from my body." She scrunched her nose playfully. "Kinda gross, right?"
Izuku shook his head immediately. "Not gross—cool."
That caught her off guard.
"If you train it right," he continued, voice calm and confident, "you'll realize how insane it actually is. Area control, mobility, offense, defense—you've got options most people don't."
Mina blinked.
Then her smile widened, genuine this time. A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she poked at her curry. "Thanks… that actually means a lot."
Ochaco watched the exchange quietly, smiling.
"And you, Ochaco?" Izuku turned toward her. "I saw bits of your Quirk during the Entrance Exam and yesterdays tests, but I never got the full explanation."
"Oh—um," she said, sitting up a bit straighter. "It's called Zero Gravity." She tapped her spoon lightly against her tray. "If I touch something with all five fingers, I can remove its gravity."
To demonstrate, she pressed her fingers against the spoon.
It lifted gently into the air, floating a few inches above the tray. Mina's eyes widened.
Then Ochaco tapped it again, and it dropped back down with a soft clink.
"That's amazing," Mina said, leaning forward. "No wonder you got infinity on the softball throw."
"Hehe… yeah," Ochaco laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "I kinda lost control for a second."
Izuku watched them both, an approving smile settling on his face. They didn't even realize it yet—but they were monsters in the making.
' My goal isn't just to be a great hero myself, he thought quietly. It's to make them great too.'
He glanced between Mina's eager grin and Ochaco's shy smile.
' If I can help them unlock that hidden potential… They'll be unstoppable.'
The cafeteria noise faded into the background as Izuku picked up his chopsticks again, and ate.
.....
Time seemed to blur together after lunch, the earlier buzz giving way to anticipation as the students returned to their seats. This was it—the main Hero Course class. The one everyone had been waiting for.
Izuku leaned back slightly, eyes flicking toward the door.
' Any second now…'
Right on cue—
BANG!
The classroom door slammed open with enough force to rattle violently on its track, the echo ringing through the room.
"I AM… COMING INTO THE ROOM NORMALLY!!"
The sheer presence hit them like a wave.
All Might strode in, massive frame barely fitting through the doorway, golden aura practically radiating off him. His smile was blinding, posture perfect, every inch of him screaming Symbol of Peace.
The classroom erupted.
"It's All Might!!" Kirishima shouted, leaping to his feet, fists clenched in pure excitement.
"No way—he's HUGE!" Kaminari said, eyes wide and watery, like he was witnessing a miracle.
"I can't believe he's actually teaching us!" Mina added, practically vibrating in her seat.
Izuku watched calmly, arms crossed—but even he felt the weight of the moment. This, at least, was worth paying attention to.
All Might struck an iconic pose, flexing effortlessly as his grin widened.
"Hero Basic Training," he announced, voice booming, "is the class that will put you through all kinds of special training—designed to mold you all into the great heroes of tomorrow!"
He swept an arm dramatically.
"No time to dally! Today's activity is…!!"
He paused.
Muscles tensed.
"BATTLE TRAINING!!"
The reaction was immediate.
"Battle training?" Momo repeated, straightening in her seat, eyes sharp with interest.
"Will we be fighting each other?" Iida asked, already half-standing, engines metaphorically revving.
"All in good time!" All Might laughed, waving them off. "But before we begin—you'll need… these!"
He pressed a button on a small remote.
With a low mechanical hum, the back wall of the classroom split into segments. Panels slid apart as sleek mechanical arms extended forward, each carrying a numbered storage case.
"In accordance with the Quirk Registry," All Might continued proudly, "and based on the requests you filled out before being admitted…"
He pointed dramatically.
"You will now wear your… HERO COSTUMES!!"
The room practically exploded.
Cheers. Gasps. Excited shouting.
"No way—today?!"
"I can't wait to see mine!"
"I spent weeks designing it!"
"All right, all right—settle down!" All Might called out, chuckling. "After you change, come out in ranking order to Ground Beta, okay?!"
The class immediately split up, boys and girls heading for their respective locker rooms, conversations buzzing nonstop.
Izuku moved more quietly than the rest. He didn't have a numbered container waiting for him. No sleek support-department case.
Instead, he carried his suit in his bag.
Inside the locker room, he changed methodically, movements calm and practiced. When he was done, he stood in front of the mirror.
The suit fit perfectly.
Streamlined. Durable. No unnecessary flash—just purpose. Reinforced fabric hugged his frame without restricting movement, every seam placed exactly where it needed to be.
He stared at his reflection for a moment.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"…Not bad," he thought.
Then he turned, ready to step out.
Battle training awaited.
TO BE CONTINUED