At six in the morning, Midoriya slipped out of the house wearing a set of training clothes Yaoyorozu had made for him.
"Twenty kilometers today!"
He tucked the key back under the doormat and set off toward the river.
By six-thirty, the others were just waking up.
"…We stayed up too late."
"Couldn't help it," Asui muttered, still half-asleep.
"…Where's Midoriya?" Todoroki asked.
The moment he noticed Midoriya's door was open, he got up and checked the room.
"He's not here."
"What?!"
"You're all too loud," Bakugo groaned, sitting up. "That idiot probably just went for a run. Didn't think he'd go this early, though."
He scratched his head.
He was already like this as a kid…?
"So what do we do?" Uraraka asked.
"I'll make breakfast," Yaoyorozu said, tying on an apron. "Iida, Todoroki, go find him."
"I'm coming too," Bakugo said, already heading for the door.
"Which way did he go?"
"There's a river nearby. He always runs that way," Bakugo said, already moving.
The three of them ran toward the river.
At the riverbank, Midoriya picked up a stone and carved another mark into one of the bridge pillars.
"…How many is this now?"
The pillar was already covered in lines.
He smiled faintly.
Once I finish this… I'll be strong enough to get into UA.
"Keep going."
He turned and headed into a nearby park.
The small park had been turned into his personal training space. Simple equipment was scattered around, things he had set up himself over time.
"Today's plan… high knees and punching."
He strapped on weights and gloves with practiced ease.
Then he began.
Back at the bridge—
"He's not here," Todoroki said.
"There are footprints," Iida added, crouching slightly. "He was here recently… and they lead that way."
He pointed toward the park.
"Midoriya!"
"Deku, get out here!"
Bakugo and Todoroki rushed ahead.
They found him almost immediately.
Midoriya stood in front of a makeshift punching bag tied to a metal bar, striking it again and again.
He stopped when he saw them.
"Todoroki… Kacchan? Why are you here?"
He wiped his face with his glove, smearing dust across his cheeks.
"Get back home. Breakfast is ready," Bakugo said.
"Midoriya, next time, tell us before you leave," Todoroki added. "Let's go back. We still have school."
He stepped forward, reaching out to pick him up—
—but Midoriya slipped away.
"There's still time before kindergarten, right?"
The three of them fell silent.
None of them knew how to answer that.
Bakugo clicked his tongue, then grabbed him anyway.
"We're going back."
"Hey! I'm not done training!" Midoriya protested, struggling in his arms. "Kacchan, let go!"
"Be quiet."
"…Hmph."
Back at the house—
"Midoriya," Yaoyorozu said gently, holding out a ticket. "This is for you."
The card was printed with UA's emblem.
"It's a special visitor pass. You can tour UA for two days, and someone will stay with you the whole time."
Midoriya's eyes lit up.
"Really?!"
Yaoyorozu and Iida exchanged a subtle glance, giving each other a quiet thumbs-up.
"That's why we brought you here yesterday," Iida said. "Would you like to visit UA with us?"
The answer was obvious.
Half an hour later, Midoriya sat in a seat in Class 1-A.