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Izuku yawned as he entered the common room, lazily strolling through the living room and towards the kitchen as he gave the people who were already lounging around a tired smile. It was a peaceful Sunday morning in the 1-A height alliance and everyone knew Midoriya tended to stay up late to train on Saturdays so nobody was all that surprised to see the teen slowly shuffle towards the fridge in his All Might slippers at 10 in the morning.
“Morning Deku-kun!” Uraraka greeted him as she leaned on the kitchen counter. “Tsu and I were planning on doing our English assignment together this afternoon, you wanna join? Iida is coming too!”
“Oh, uh, yeah, sounds good.” Izuku said, smiling at her when he closed the fridge again.
“Great!” Ochako exclaimed, quickly turning around and walking back to the living room to tell Asui. Izuku could hear the chatter that rose up from the couches as he prepared his breakfast. Kacchan would disagree with his definition of breakfast though, saying there was no nutritional value in the shitty sugary cornflakes he ate during the morning. Well, not everyone could live with such a strict diet regime as Kacchan, mind you.
“Ah, good morning Midoriya,” Yaoyorozu called out as she walked past him in the kitchen. “Would you like some tea? I was just going to make some.”
“Good morning Yaomomo, yeah, I’d love some, thank you,” Izuku smiled, leaving her to it as he sat down next to Todoroki at the table. “Everything okay Todoroki-kun? You look…upset?”
Izuku wasn’t entirely sure what to call the emotion displayed on Shoto’s face. It wasn’t like the halfa was easy to read, but Izuku had picked up some things when their friendship blossomed. He could tell when he was happy or angry or indifferent or bored. Yet now he looked kinda upset, or maybe pissed off? Midoriya wasn’t sure… But the way he was staring at his phone looked like he wanted to strangle someone.
“It’s nothing,” Todoroki answered. “Just Endeavor trying and failing to be a good father once again.”
Izuku hummed, knowing better than to pry further. Everyone knew Endeavor was doing his best to try and mend his family again, certainly now that things were going better with Shoto’s mom, but things were still…awkward. Forced. Unnatural. He tended to be clingy and overbearing at some points or cold and distant at other times. They hadn’t found their balance yet. Izuku had tried to assure Todoroki that those things take time, but he was sure it was frustrating nonetheless.
Their short conversation fell silent after that, not that that was anything new. Izuku tended to be busy reading the news during breakfast anyway so he didn’t particularly mind. He opened up the app on his phone as he took a bite from his cornflakes, almost choking on it as the first headline popped up.
“Everything alright?” Todoroki asked, quick to react as always. A glass of water was pushed in his hand and he took a few gulps before calming down again. When Todoroki asked if he was okay, Izuku simply nodded, taking another look at the headline to make sure he didn’t misread anything.
QUIRKLESS STUDENT COMMITS SUICIDE - Quirkless suicide rates keep rising
All Midoriya did was blink as he took in the information. He remembered the announcement that was spread on the network, but he hadn’t stopped to think that they would actually be this close by… It didn’t really matter though. There was nothing Izuku could’ve done to stop it from happening and it’s not like he was able to leave the dorms to attend the party, if he was even welcome after… Izuku took a shaky breath as he pressed on the title, the screen flashing for a moment as it redirected him to the correct article.
The quirkless student, Daietto Yushi, was found dead in his dorm room Saturday evening after his classmates reported he hadn’t left his room all day. He was absent from classes since Thursday and was last seen alive on Friday afternoon. The cause of death was a severe case of blood loss according to the forensic team that analyzes the body. He appeared to have died over 12 hours before he was found. There were also traces of selfharm and a previous suicide attempt.
His parents described him as ambitious despite his lack of a quirk. He got high grades and was vice class representative for his class. Daietto’s father declared to the press that they had no idea their son was going through this. He said that even though he was quirkless, he still had a strong spirit.
It’s not uncommon for quirkless teenagers to take their own lives before reaching adulthood. Research indicates high suicide ratings in this category, with a new statistical record set each year. This is linked to the fact that quirkless individuals are more likely to develop mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Surveys show each quirkless individual has or has experienced suicidal thoughts.
If you are thinking of taking your own life or know someone who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to-
And there is was, the typical suicide prevention propaganda they were obliged to paste at the end of the article. It’s not like society actually cared about Quirkless people, but they liked to pretend to keep everyone happy. There was a picture as well, but Izuku didn’t dare look at it. Not at first anyway. No, those words hit him way too close to home… A quirkless student in this area…
Izuku didn’t know who he was, really, didn’t recognize his name, but he still felt an instantaneous connection. Because he’d been there. He used to be that person. The quirkless guy with the good grades and the high spirit, blabbing about becoming a hero despite his lack of a quirk. That was just a front though… Izuku knew that if All Might hadn’t offered his quirk, that if he hadn’t received One For All, he would’ve organized his own party. Would’ve made his own announcement in the hopes of inviting some people to come, to not do it alone… And even if having a quirk made him a traitor to some, it was worth it to him.
It happened during his final year of middle school, the year they would be applying for high schools, the year his reality really sunk in. Before that he could simply ignore the difference between him and his peers, or at least try to. He could get lost in his fantasies and imagine himself as a hero. But when his inevitable fate drew near, he couldn’t ignore reality anymore… The words of his bullies hit harder than before, watching heroes fight in the streets hurt him more than it excites him and he had trouble keeping up his smile for his mom.
Izuku was sure it was the same for Daietto. Was sure he was bullied, beaten, called out and belittled. Knew everything his parents thought they knew about him was a lie, a front, a mask. Just something to make everything a little more bearable. Something to show them so they wouldn’t worry. Yeah, Izuku knew exactly how this boy must’ve felt… And he found himself wondering how Daietto managed to last this long. It was a cruel thought, one unbefitting of a hero, but he couldn’t help but wonder.
Izuku also couldn’t help but think of himself in that situation, knowing he wouldn’t have survived up until now. No, not when you’re constantly confronted with your unreachable dream. Like a forbidden treat dangling in front of you, so far outside of your reach but still smelling its delicious scent. This world was a war zone. At least to the quirkless. So that meant Daietto was definitely getting bullied on top of being forced to watch others do something he could only dream of. It must’ve been absolute torture…
And then Izuku looked at the picture. Saw that fake smile just barely keeping it together and those dead eyes staring straight at him as he held up his high school acceptance letter. And at that moment Izuku knew for sure that everything he imagined so far was true. No mere thoughts or speculations but facts. How could it be any different? He was quirkless, after all…
“Hey bro, you okay man?”
Izuku blinked, surprised to find himself crying. Or was that even all that surprising..? Kirishima gave him a concerned look and he noticed how others turned their way as well. Izuku simply nodded and wiped away the tears, making sure to turn his phone screen off so others wouldn’t notice what he’d been reading.
“Yeah, just read something sad, is all,” Izuku told him. It’s not like they’d understand if he actually told them about it, so there was no point in trying to explain.
“You sure get emotional easily,” Kaminari teased, laughing even when Kirishima told him it wasn’t manly to tease Izuku about that. Showing emotions was super manly, apparently. He made sure to check in on the network afterwards, seeing Daietto’s account was inactivated and his profile picture was changed into a present. It was that standard present emoticon, you know, the yellow box with the red ribbon. Izuku couldn’t help but leave a heart on the post, as a sign of respect, as a way of giving his condolences. He wasn’t the first to do so, he probably wouldn’t be the last either.
And so another member leaves their network…
…
Of course it had to be one of them. Izuku didn’t expect the universe to go easy on him and fate was a slippery thing, it couldn’t be avoided. And now here he was, trying to help someone who didn’t want his help, who would never take his hand, who’d rather die here than be associated with a traitor like him.
You see, Izuku was on his internship with the Endeavor hero agency. There’d been a villain attack and he, as well as Kacchan and Todoroki, were sent out to make sure all civilians got evacuated while Endeavor dealt with the villain themselves. Izuku had stumbled upon a woman, impossibly older than thirty, behind some of the rubble that was scattered across the battlefield. He wanted to help her up and get her out of this dangerous area, and then he saw her shoes. She’d seen his first, though.
“Please let me help you, it’s dangerous here,” Izuku said, flinching when she screamed after twisting her leg the wrong way. “I won’t let another one leave the network, not like this.”
“Traitor,” she hissed, swatting his hand away and trying to get up on her own, even though her leg was clearly stuck. “You’re not like us, not anymore.”
“But I was, I am,” Izuku insisted, crawling around the debris so he could assess the situation better.
“I don’t want your help! You’re just like him ,” she spat out. Just like him, just like All Might. Coming from the mouth of a regular person, one would think that’s a compliment. But to hear it from another quirkless human… All Might used to be quirkless, used to be a part of the network, but now… Ever since he received his quirk, he abandoned them, turned his back on his people. Izuku didn’t want to be like that, didn’t want to forget where he came from, didn’t want to ignore the suffering that he and countless others went through. It just wouldn’t be fair.
“No,” Izuku stated. “I stayed. I want to stay, if you let me.”
He meant that, and he could tell the woman understood that, but she still didn’t seem convinced, still refused to let Izuku anywhere near her leg whenever he tried to assess the damage or lift the rubble so she’d be free.
“But you’re not-” she countered.
“If you’d been offered, what would you’ve done?” Izuku asked. If she had had the chance to receive a quirk, wouldn’t she have accepted it? Wouldn’t she have jumped at the opportunity? Almost every quirkless person would, Izuku was sure of it, and this woman was no exception.
“Fair point,” she huffed, looking down at her leg. “It’s no use, though. It’s not worth it.”
“I’m not leaving,” Izuku insisted. “I can help.”
“No you can’t, not with this,” she sighed.
“What do you-?”
“I’m planning a party,” she simply said, making Izuku freeze up.
“But you're…” Izuku trailed off. He didn’t explicitly tell her he thought of her as old. She wasn’t old, not in the regular sense of the word, but she’d survived childhood. She was an adult, a quirkless adult. Those were rare these days.
“I know,” she said. “I’m a coward, you know? I’ve been putting it off for forever now. Thought I could go on, but it’s just…”
Izuku frowned, hearing the fighting die down in the distance. Endeavor must’ve wrapped things up on his end. It wouldn’t be long before someone would come looking.
“I suppose you’re not able to share, right?” she asked, making Izuku shake his head. No, he couldn’t share his quirk with her or anyone else. It pained him, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. “Could you do something else for me, Deku? Could you attend my party?”
“I…” Izuku choked out, not sure of how to answer that. It had been a while since he…attended a party, to call it that. It never got any better, any less morbid or sad. She hadn’t given him a date or a place though, which meant it was more of a spiritual invitation. He wasn’t actually expected to be there. “Of course, sure, I’ll be there.”
“Thank you,” she smiled, wincing when the rubble shifted, pressing more on her leg.
“I’ll save you now, if you don’t mind,” Izuku said, letting a fake smile rise to his face. “Wouldn’t want to miss your own party, now would you?”
“Yes, I suppose I’ll have to let you do your job now,” she sighed with a small smile. “You know, I thought I knew you, but now I realize I only knew of you. It’s a shame I’m only discovering that now.”
“Hold still, this will hurt,” Izuku warned her, ignoring what she was saying for the time being as he focussed on lifting this weight off her leg. She hissed, blood spilling onto the concrete around them. Izuku felt like activating his quirk in front of her would only be an insult, but he had to get her to the paramedics on the scene and fast. “Can I..?”
“Do what you have to,” she nodded, which was enough permission Izuku needed to let the green sparks dance around his skin. He was able to carry her to the nearest ambulance in record time, but her leg was really messed up. She lost more blood than Izuku thought she had and he really hoped she’d be okay…
“What the hell took you so long?” Kacchan asked when Izuku finally joined them again.
“There was a woman trapped under some rubble, getting her out was kinda tricky,” Izuku said, deciding not to mention why it was tricky.
“You should’ve called for us, we could’ve helped,” Todoroki said. Oh no, you couldn’t have, believe me. Izuku was sure that things would’ve escalated for the worse if he got some actual quirked people involved.
“I managed,” Izuku told him, trying to wave it off. They shouldn’t get involved, wouldn’t understand if they did. Besides, everything had been resolved now, so there was nothing for them to worry about. And even if things hadn’t been resolved, even if that woman was still stuck there, even if her wounds would've been fatal… None of it mattered. Not to society, anyway, so not to his friends, either. Kacchan frowned though, knowing Izuku wasn’t sharing the whole story. He wasn’t one to pry though, so Izuku knew he’d be safe for now.
And when he stumbled across a post on the network two days later, about a woman telling everyone Deku saved her and that he was still one of them for all she cared, he couldn’t deny it brought a smile to his face. The post was passed around and people argued about it for a while, but it simmered down within a week. Still, Izuku couldn’t help but feel like he gained a little more support from the quirkless community, from the network of people who understood, who were just like him.
It made the thought of attending that woman’s party all the more depressing.
…
“Hey Deku-kun, where did you get your shoes?”
It was an innocent question. Uraraka didn’t know it would trigger Izuku, would make him tense up, fearing they might know something, that someone had finally figured it out and was going to expose him for what he really was. He knew that was true, but he couldn’t help but let the thoughts rush through him. He knew the conversation was about fashion, about Ashido needing new shoes because her acid melted right through the soles and it was a pain in the ass to find sturdy yet nice shoes for her to wear. He knew that, so he also knew why Uraraka had asked him that question.
He once told her his shoes are custom made. After all, all quirkless shoes were made on demand only. You wouldn’t just find them lying around in a store, which is how the first conversation had started. No, you had to apply for them, order them, and then wait for weeks before you were finally able to pick them up. It was a hassle, a flawed system, but nobody cared enough about their community to do anything about it. Besides, Izuku rather waited on his shoes than try to cram his feet into regular shoes or having to buy shoes that were too big in order for his joints to fit.
“They’re custom made, right? You think they could make some for Ashido too?”
“Wait, your shoes are custom? But they’re so…” Ashido asked, gesturing in the general direction of his shoes. “...plain.”
Ugly. Izuku knew she wanted to say it. They were ugly. Clumsy and big and ugly and they stood out under every outfit he wore. They only came in one design, one made for functionality, not fashion. Red shoes, white soles, black laces. It was that or it was nothing.
“Oh, not a lot of people know, don’t worry,” Izuku smiled, waving it off. “I don’t think they do acid resistance though… I’m sorry.”
“You think or you’re sure?” Uraraka asked. “Can you at least check? Please Deku-kun?”
“Yeah, help a girl out!” Ashido pleaded. “They’re not, like, crazy expensive though, are they?”
“No, that’s not…” Izuku trailed off, knowing that arguing with them right now was pointless. “Alright, I’ll check.”
“Check what?” Kacchan asked as he walked in, ignoring the way the girls were cheering and instead opting to watch how Izuku tensed up once again.
“Oh, uhm, it’s just that-” Izuku tried, only to get interrupted by Ashido.
“Midoriya is going to check whether the company that made his shoes can make acid resistant ones too!” she smiled. “Did you know his shoes are custom made, Bakugou? Custom!”
Kacchan frowned at that, looking at Izuku again, who was avoiding eye contact. Of course Kacchan knew the meaning behind his shoes, he’s been there his whole life! Izuku knew he could tell them right there and then that the company he order his shoes at would only do those ugly red sneakers and nothing else, but he also knew Kacchan wouldn’t betray him like that, not after everything they’d been through together this past year.
“The hell? I can get you acid resistant shoes better than whatever that nerd brand got to offer,” Kacchan huffed, crossing his arms. “What size are you?”
“Wait? For Real?” Ashido gasped.
“Kacchan’s parents are active in hero fashion so they deal with quirk resistant fabrics a lot,” Izuku added. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!”
“Yeah well, guess you’re just stupid then, no surprise there,” Kacchan snorted, flicking his fingers against Izuku’s forhead before lowering his voice so the girls couldn’t hear. “But seriously Deku, you okay?”
“Yeah, all good,” Izuku muttered. “It’s no big deal Kacchan, I promise.”
No big deal, yeah right, as if Kacchan was ever going to believe that. His intervention did give Izuku a chance to slip away though, to escape the conversation about his shoes, and by extension his former quirklessness, even if no one else knew about that. Kacchan wasn’t just going to let this go, though, Izuku knew that much. So he wasn’t surprised when the ash blonde pulled him into the kitchen after dinner that evening, claiming it was so Izuku could help him with the dishes while Kacchan never cleaned any dishes. He cooked a lot, so the class didn’t mind.
“Alright, spit it out,” Kacchan demanded. “I know you’re not fucking fine, Deku. You always get hyper sensitive whenever someone mentions your shoes.”
“I don’t-”
“Don’t give me that crap,” he snapped. “Look, I know you don’t like to talk about it, okay? You think I’m doing this shit because I like it? Fuck no. But you’re upset and you’re not admitting it, not even to yourself, so you’re forcing me to intervene here.”
Oh? Since when did Kacchan care how he felt? Izuku knew it wasn’t fair to write his concern off right away, even though he was still bitter about the things that happened in their past. Kacchan was different now, after all. He was trying to change for the better, tried to be a better person, a better hero, and Izuku wanted to encourage that. Which meant he had to at least entertain the idea something set him off about the shoes, even though he had lives his whole life in those cursed shoes.
“Alright, yes, I’m upset,” Izuku told him. “Upset that I have to wear these shoes that scream ‘ come hit me I’m just a pathetic little quirkless boy ’ and that society doesn’t even care. You happy now?”
Kacchan hadn’t expected that answer, clearly taken aback as he took a few seconds before he reacted.
“See, hyper sensitive,” Kacchan sighed, making Izuku even angrier.
“What? I’m- I can’t believe you,” Izuku laughed. “I knew you wouldn’t understand! You were born with a quirk, you have no idea what it’s like to-”
“But I do, don’t I?!” Kacchan hissed. “I know what it’s like because I put you through all that shit!”
“I know,” Izuku answered. “Believe me, I’m well aware of everything you did to me. And I also know you regret it and we’re not here to talk about that, are we? We’re talking about my shoes and about the fact it literally kills people.”
“Most people don’t even know about the whole shoe thing,” Kacchan pointed out, frowning when Izuku’s words sank in. “But you’re not talking about that…”
“I’m not,” Izuku confirmed.
“But aren’t the quirkless suicide rates going down?” he asked, making Izuku snort.
“The absolute numbers, yeah, but that’s just because there aren't that many left, now are there?” Izuku pointed out. “Look, just… We don’t have to have this conversation, alright? I swear the whole shoe thing earlier didn’t upset me any more than I already am on a daily basis so can we just drop it?”
“Deku, that’s not being fucking fine-”
“Kacchan, please,” Izuku interrupted, shutting up his childhood friend before he actually upset Izuku. “I really don’t want to have this conversation with you, not here, not now, okay?”
“Okay,” Kacchan nodded, not pressing any further. Izuku had the feeling this wouldn’t be the last of it, though.
…
Izuku was excited. Why, you ask? Well, David and Melissa Shield were visiting the country and they’d be stopping by UA for a few days to give guest lectures to the support course. Izuku hadn’t seen Melissa in person since his visit to I-Island, but they kept in touch through the network. He was sad to hear that her custom shoes wore down and she was forced to wear the typical red shoes for a while now. It was the reason he wasn’t able to recognize her as quirkless when they first met. She later explained it’s because people who didn’t know her wouldn’t take her seriously if they knew she was quirkless, and Izuku believed that. They lived in a cruel world, after all.
“Deku! How have you been?” Melissa smiled, greeting the green head. Izuku instantly saw the red shoes, they stood out against the otherwise soft colors of her clothes. He and All Might were meeting her and her dad at the school gate, where they would split up. All Might would take David to the faculty building while Izuku guided Melissa to the 1-A height alliance.
“I’m alright, how about you?” Izuku asked.
“Oh well, same as always,” she shrugged. “There, uhm, there was a party at I-Island right after we left, though. I’m sad I had to miss it.”
Izuku tensed up at those words, wondering why he hadn’t heard anything about a suicide on I-Island since he followed all their socials to keep up to date with new developments. Then again, they probably wouldn’t promote things like that online… No, he hadn’t expected that place of all places to be so unfair towards people without quirks. Wasn’t the island supposed to be all about smarts and technology? But then again, Melissa did wear custom shoes for a reason…
“Someone you knew?”
“Unfortunately,” she sighed. “I wished I could’ve stopped them, but they made up their mind.”
“I see…” Izuku sighed, putting up a smile as they reached the dormitory, deciding this was the perfect moment to change the conversation. “Well, here we are! You’ve already met most of my classmates on the island, so I’m sure you’ll be alright.”
“I can handle a class full of teenagers, I’m sure,” Melissa chuckled. Oh she had no idea what she was about to walk into. Izuku would lie if he said he wasn’t secretly enjoying the way Melissa was getting lost in the mess of questions and suggestions as she was pulled around the dorm, surrounded by a cacophony of noise. They were able to chat a bit over dinner, making sure not to attract too much attention as they spoke in half sentences and secret synonyms. It was like a quirkless code of some sort, one that could only be understood if you were part of the network.
“What the hell are you two talking about?” Kacchan asked, interrupting their conversation.
“Oh, uhm,” Melissa stammered, blinking before glancing at Izuku and back at the blonde. “Well, I’m quirkless, so…”
“And that explains what exactly?” Kacchan asked, now glaring at Izuku.
“Wait, I thought you told him?” Melissa asked, confused, now also looking at Izuku.
“He knows, just not everything,” Izuku explained. “Kacchan, I’ll explain things later, okay? Not here.”
Kacchan frowned at that. Not here. Not now. It was always the same. When was this nerd finally going to tell him shit?!
“Your room after dinner,” he stated. “Don’t you dare make excuses.”
“I won’t,” Izuku smiled, turning to Melissa. “Will you be joining us?”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to impose,” she said, waving away the offer. “Besides, I think this is something between the two of you, isn’t it?”
Izuku could tell Kacchan didn’t understand, but he will soon enough. He’d lie if he said he wasn’t nervous, if he wasn’t praying for dinner to last just a little longer so he could put off the inevitable. But dinner finished soon enough and Melissa was swooped away by the class once more. It was easy to sneak off that way, so that’s something Izuku had going for him.
“Alright, spit it out,” Kacchan demanded, shutting the door behind them. “You’ve been acting fucking weird ever since that Melissa chick is here. What the hell did she mean by ‘ Well, I’m quirkless ’?”
“You know I used to be quirkless, that this quirk isn’t my own,” Izuku started, sitting down on his bed. “Well, she knows that too.”
“You told her about One For All?” Kacchan asked in shock.
“I didn’t have to,” Izuku said, looking down at his shoes. Kacchan followed his gaze, his eyes widening as realization set in. “It’s something the quirkless community will always know about me, something I can’t hide.”
“That’s… Fuck,” Kacchan cursed, sitting down next to him. “So the moment they see you, they know your quirk isn’t your own?”
“They don’t have to see me, I’m pretty sure there isn’t a quirkless person that hasn’t heard of me,” Izuku told him. “I’m quite… famous in the network, Kacchan.”
“What network?”
“People talk,” Izuku shrugged. “There is this, uhm, this site, this online community. It’s a network of quirkless people, of people who are useless in this society. A network of Dekus, that’s something you’d call it, wouldn’t you?”
“A network of Dekus,” Kacchan snorted. “Yeah, seems about right… So what is it? A forum or some shit?”
“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just a place where quirkless people come together, talk about places and people to avoid, as well as those willing to help us,” Izuku told him. “It’s a safe space. And news travels fast, definitely when a person suddenly gains a quirk out of nowhere.”
“Yeah, I can imagine… They must be jealous” Kacchan sighed. “It doesn’t explain the way you two talked, though.”
“Quirkless code,” Izuku shrugged. “A way for us to communicate with one another without others understanding… You have no idea what people like me have to go through, Kacchan. Only another quirkless person could possibly understand… And a lot of them don’t even accept me as one of them anymore because I was handed a quirk, like they wouldn’t have done the same! I’m not All Might, okay?! I’m not abandoning the network just because I don’t have to deal with the discrimination first hand anymore! I just-“
“Oi Deku, calm down,” Kacchan stated, his hand gripping Izuku’s shoulder. It was that moment he realized he was crying. His breathing had become irregular, too, and Kacchan was trying his best to comfort him by rubbing circles across his back, even if all of this was clearly making him uncomfortable. “It’s okay, just breathe.”
Izuku closed his eyes, taking a few minutes to calm down. After that he explained more things to Kacchan, like All Might’s history with the network, how it affected Izuku’s reputation within the community.
“I can teach you, you know? How the code works,” Izuku said. “That way, if you ever save a quirkless person, they’ll know they can trust you.”
“I don’t think that’d be a good idea, not with how tense they are around you just because you’ve got a quirk,” Kacchan frowned.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Izuku said, waving it off. “We can teach those we trust, those who know, so I’m sure they’ll understand. I mean, if you want to, of course. I’m not forcing you.”
“No, I want to learn,” Kacchan said, maybe a little too quickly. “It pisses me off when I don’t understand what the hell is going on.”
Izuku snorted. Yeah, that sounded like something Kacchan would say. Izuku could tell he was serious about this though. And maybe it would be good for him to have someone else around who he could talk to like that. Someone who understood, even if only a little bit. That thought alone made Izuku feel a little less alone.