Chapter Text
---
It was a miracle all three of them had managed to pass the entrance exam with flying colours, even more so together. Tsuyu couldn’t believe it at first when she got the call from school saying she had been qualified for the semester, her eyes now fixated sternly on the large board displaying the names of the passed candidates and class separations. She had naturally looked for her name the second she’d arrived at the centre.
8th place, not too shabby. Which meant she would be placed in Class 1-A along with the rest of the top 20. She involuntarily gulped, realizing that those were some pretty big shoes to fill but was, for the most part, brimming with excitement.
Then the large dark pupils trailed to the top sections of the name list. She could see the name Todoroki Shouto perched all majestically — or the most majestic a name could appear anyway — as the first contender. That was a given, she mused. Anyone from the Todoroki household was bound to get in the U.A hero course at the top. But what tugged at the twisted knots of her stomach were the two names that followed suit after;
- Midoriya Izuku
- Bakugou Katsuki
Biting back an elated croak, the frog girl tried her best to not leap right then and there because, oh my goodness — they all made it in the same course after all these years. All these years of seemingly hopeless dreams of being legendary heroes, carving childish visions of the future with crayons on paper— what would it take for them to believe back then, when they were thumb-sucking young, that they’d be accepted into U.A within the top percentage? Probably a whole lot since even now, a 16-year-old Asui Tsuyu was having a hard time grasping reality.
“Tsuyu?” Someone bellowed to her from afar by name, breaking her out of her bittersweet reverie. The girl looked over to see a fluff of moss locks she’d recognized anywhere trudging past the crowd towards her. A stature not much bigger than her popped out beneath the towering people and Tsuyu felt her heart doing jumping-jacks as soon as she heard his voice again, “When did you get here? I told you to call me.”
“Izuku,” It took all of her might to not lunge her entire body at the other green-haired boy, but the overwhelming urge to hug him still managed to slip up, so she brought a pair of arms around his middle and gave a suffocating squeeze. “Congratulations!”
It was comforting to know that they would still be around one another — Tsuyu wasn’t ready to part ways yet if she was being honest. It was gradually becoming unhealthy, really. She knew better than to immaturely cling onto his back every step of the way and Izuku is an attachment she’s been wanting to learn to let go off bit by bit although for now, she basked in his familiar warmth as she heard him chuckle.
“Thanks. You too.” The boy’s smile grew wider than it was and he rubbed her petite shoulders placatingly. She noticed his usual fiery gaze lit up significantly more in that moment and revelled on how much he’s grown over the past decade they’ve known each other. This wasn’t the snot-filled toddler she had come to know back in their earlier friendship years who had always tailed around her, too timid to make his own mind and too unsure to figure out his next steps. The Izuku in her arms now had never looked so secured. “We did pretty good, huh?”
“Ugh, can I have one day where I do not get stuck in between you bastards’ sappy PDA all the fucking time?”
Another voice chimed in brashly, one that they were both well-acquainted with but was less pleasant on the ears. Izuku loosened his grip around the smaller girl and turned them both around to see a frowning figure menacingly sauntering over towards their direction. Katsuki had his new school uniform unbuttoned in a haphazardly manner, red tie nowhere to be seen whilst a school bag hung atop his shoulders intimidatingly. An odd style Tsuyu thinks only he can pull off befittingly. She threw him a small smile but he didn’t bother reciprocating.
Izuku opted for a more verbal approach. “Congrats to you too, Kacchan! Isn’t it great? All of us in one school. Same class too! Luck is really on our side—”
“Shut it, Deku. It’s lame enough to have you above me in that stupid test. Don’t get in my way or I’ll fucking kill you.” He paused momentarily but the same scowl stuck on his brows, probably grew terser if possible before he spat on. His red pupils boring intensely onto Tsuyu now, “You too, Frog. I’m not holding back anymore.”
Then, he was already turning on his heels before she could blink a response. Long angry strides took him swiftly across the walkway and she had called out just enough for him to hear. There was uncertainty in her voice as she did so, “See you in class, Katsuki.”
Next to her, Izuku was already sighing, a crestfallen look decorating his face. “He hasn’t changed at all, huh?”
Tsuyu forced out an assuring look herself, which was easy considering her frog-traits, she was perpetually smiling in calm on the outside. “Cheer up, Izuku. You know how he is, winning is a big thing for him. We can let him have that, at least.”
“Yeah, I guess.” The taller boy mumbled into his breath. Two seconds passed before he abruptly diverted his attention back to Tsuyu, a soft smile mirroring her own. “Anyway, how are you doing? I haven’t seen you since graduation and mom keeps bugging me to call you over.”
They began walking toward the school compound. Tsuyu felt the morning cold sink its chilly teeth into the skin of her exposed legs and shuddered lightly at the sensation. Her quirk’s one and only weakness was starting to take its toll, her steps picking up a few paces faster to quickly reach the building and had inwardly beamed as she notices Izuku matching to her speed quietly—seemingly understanding her uncomfortable predicament.
“I’ve been fine, spent the break training the best I can. Sorry for not visiting often, I’ll come over today?” She meant that last bit as an offer more than a statement just because she knew how Izuku values his afternoons as training periods just as she does. It wouldn’t exactly crush her soul and heart if he’d say no but the response was surprisingly welcoming.
“Sure! We can catch up on that tv show you like after dinner. I’ll ask mom to make your favourites.”
---