Chapter Text
Izuku describes the soulmate system in one word: complicated.
It's like a few complicated strings of web. There's no proper guide to tell anyone about their soulmate or whether they have found their one, and the only thing that's going to help them search for their soulmate is by using their bond indication. Looking deep enough, there are some sites online which enlist how many kinds of bonds are there in this world so far.
And like the books he’s been filling with written notes on heroes, Izuku has also been keeping a journal on soulmates. The idea of soulmates is fascinating, although, not as much as how quirks or heroes do.
Various types of soulmate bonds have been established to help indicate a person on how to find their one. Izuku is quick to learn that there's more than one type of bond indication in this world- and, perhaps, hundreds, or thousands, of them. A few would have symbols to help identify their partners, some would have their partner's name spread somewhere on their body, others may be color-blind until they meet them, and the list goes on and on.
His mother on the other hand, had known that his father was her soulmate when the color of their eyes switched the moment they made eye contact. It makes Izuku wonder if he would be like that too; that he might be born with the color of his soulmate's eyes, and their color would revert to his own if they ever met. (Although, this is very unlikely given his clear possession of his mother's eyes.)
It’s quite like the quirk system, mostly because it isn't guaranteed that everyone would have a soulmate, but unlike it, it's far more complex. Though, much like the quirk system, Izuku might be an exception to the soulmate system too.
Izuku doesn't think he has a soulmate. Well, in fact, he's sure of it. So far, there hasn't been any signal that's pointing him into the possibility of him having a soulmate. Even though he knows it may take a long time for a person to find their soulmate, and even if he knows it can't be made for certain whether someone has a soulmate or not ー especially if they don't have any visible marksー Izuku is really certain about having none.
He isn't colorblind, nor does he have any symbol like a pretty crown or a flower or names on his skin. There isn't anything much outside the norm about him that tells him about his soulmate either, and that's just one of the sole reasons Izuku had been led to believe he has none. He's also entirely convinced that he's born with the luck of a rotten apple, judging from the way how things are going for him now.
Admittedly, Izuku did feel disappointed at first at the thought. The idea of spending the rest of his life alone, yearning for a soulmate, sounds sad, but he somehow manages to rope himself into thinking that he'll be fine without one. But that doesn't stop him from wanting and yearning for it. There’s one thing he won’t ever settle at, however, and that’s his quirkless state.
It’s a Monday morning, and the sun is setting by the barriers as the city drenches in the aftermath of rain glow. It's cold, and the weather is a bit darker than the usual, but it's quiet and peaceful, void of the taunting jabs he receives, and it’s perfect for Izuku to indulge in his small moment of peace. It doesn't last long, sadly, when his little bubble of security pops by the time he reaches the school gate.
"Hey, what happened to his cheeks?" He hears a whisper from behind, and Izuku knows who exactly they’re talking about. His hand shoots up to his face, pressing a palm where he's sporting a bruise.
"Isn't that the guy, they said, who doesn't have any quirk?"
"I heard he doesn't have a soulmate either..."
“Seriously? But then how would…”
But he doesn't stay to listen, he picks up his pace, away from the whispers, away from the alienation , and heads quickly for his class. But he should have known better, though the whispers did not follow him to class, it did not mean the judging gazes would fade away either.
And it's tragic, that no matter how much he craves for it, no matter how much tears and thoughts he puts into the wishful thinking, he will never have any one of those. So, to have someone spitting all that back into his face is just a reminder for him how cruel and merciless the world could be.
It doesn't matter if his quirkless and soulmate-less state are considerably rare . Rare doesn't always mean it's unique, even if his mother tries to reassure him that it is.
They might be rare, but from the society's perspective, they're nothing. They’re shucked to the very bottom of the world's ladder and all Izuku wants to do is to climb at least a one or a few steps. And it doesn't matter to him if he isn't at the top, all he wants is to have a quirk, or a soulmate, to show him that yes, this is his place, and this is where he belongs. He just wants to have a quirk, have a soulmate, be a part of-- no, stand out from the crowd, be a hero, and be loved.
...
A few hours tick by in class and it's lunchtime before he even knows it.
He glares at one of the bruises that's coloring a small patch of his arm a darker shade. He lifts a finger to trace the dark patch in circles for a bit, roughly nudging against it, hoping it would be gone by the time he removed his fingerー but they never go away.
The bruise is still there, unchanging, stagnant, and they continue to decorate his arm, staring back at him with a mockery.
In the end, Izuku lets them be. Not without scrunching in displeasure, of course, as a storm quietly brews inside of his chest as he mulls over the strange bruise on his arm.
And when he says strange, he means it like weird, uncommon, unexplained . They appear without his notice from time to time, but then, ever since the start of this year, they become a regular occurrence.
Izuku tries to be a cautious type of person. He's often careful, practice of caution present in his movements as he learns to pay mind to every single detail in what he does. While he does have a tendency to be a bit clumsy, maybe a whole lot, there had also been a few cases when bruises littered his body without any explanation when he was a child but then, this year, there’s a surge of them suddenly rising, leaving him no time to catch a break.
His mother had taken him to the clinic after he voiced his complaints a few months ago, and once they finished conducting a few tests, the doctor had come to the conclusion that this strangeness of his is most likely due to a nutrient deficiency.
Izuku gets prescribed with some medication by the end of their appointment, and he had done everything his doctor told him to do so he wouldn't have to face the problem anymore. Only, it’s still not working.
It might take a long time for these spots to fade away, and it's this thought that had him slump his head against the desk. So, Izuku sits there at his desk in class, sporting a dark bruise on the flesh of his left cheek and on his arm.
He’s bound to give others the wrong impression that he's been socked in the face or worse, be called a troublemaker by his teachers or a punchbag for his classmates given the number of bruises. It’s an inevitable outcome, but it doesn't change the fact that it's nerve-wracking.
The ends of his hair stands up as a chill shoots its way down his spine once he becomes aware of the hard pressing stares from his classmates.
Izuku is fully aware of the already circulating rumors that go on about how his lack of a quirk or a soulmate. Although, he wonders if they could be counted as rumors since they are technically true. He has no quirk, and he doesn't really have any soulmate. Even so, there are still a few other rumors going around a tad ridiculous, such as how he's going around picking fights; and although he doesn't deny he would intervene in a fight, but that only happens when he thinks the situation calls for it, especially when it’s reeking of trouble and potential danger. Izuku never counts that as starting a fight though, more of serving justice even if he does wind up getting beaten up most of the time. He thinks All Might would be proud of him.
His ears perk up once again when he hears another string of few whispers springing up from behind, and Izuku swears this time he catches the sound of his name being mentioned somewhere in there.
His anxiety grows again at hearing that one particular label he’s come to despise. Quirkless.
Izuku is well aware that he’s weak . With his skinny, frail, fragile body and stick-like arms, he acknowledges the fact that there is nothing remarkable about him. He knows that he’s incredibly plain, that he doesn’t have anything going for him, but he doesn't need to be reminded of that and have it shoved in his face every single time .
It hurts, and he wants to get out.
His extensive desire to become a hero overlaps with the pressure of acknowledging his countless flaws distresses him, and for the umpteenth time he feels helpless. He feels weak. Izuku doesn't like any of this. He doesn't like the way his chest constricts at the thought of the future he holds where he doesn’t become a hero. He doesn't like the way his value depends on how others see him.
"Seriously? He still plans to go to UA even if he can't do anything?" He hears one of his classmates taunt.
"How can he be a hero if he doesn't have any quirk?" Another one chimes in. “Look at his cheeks, he gets beaten up easily!”
Izuku blinks. He covers up his bruised cheek again and thinks about how he should have put on some concealer, but alas, makeup never lasts, and a patch on his cheek would only make it even more obvious.
He should have not gone to school today, but Izuku wouldn't dare to skip, even if he was given a chance. However, after giving it a second thought, and deciding he’s had enough of hearing the negative remarks about him, he promptly rises from his seat, and the loud squeak of his chair draws a lot attention to him.
He flushes, and immediately rushes out of his class, face covered, without saying a single word.
“Midoriya?” A teacher calls out to him just as he passes by her. “Where are you going? Class is starting soon.”
“I’m sorry, miss, I don’t feel well.” He answers without looking, and it’s not a lie when he really does feel unwell.
And before his teacher could say anything else, Izuku is already gone, gone, gone . It's not like him to do a thing, so incredibly uncharacteristic of him, really, but he's already far away from the school to turn back.
Izuku never does go to the top notch training academy for heroes, otherwise known as UA.
The memory from back where he encountered All Might still burns fresh in the corner of his mind, and it pricks him like a thick thorn on a stem. It itches, the words continue to spit at him to this day. It doesn't matter that his idol had taken back his words, thanking him for his heroic deed and telling him that even he could become a hero.
"You too can become a hero!"
But the damage has already been done, the truth is the truth, and a vein of blood pools by the shards of his dreams as he thinks back to those words replayed over in his head.
You can't become a hero if you have no quirk .
Izuku agrees.
It’s impossible.
It took some time for him to recover after the incident, and truthfully, Izuku is still grieving, but he isn't one to give up. He decides that he still wants to become a heroー and he finds that by becoming a doctor could be the closest thing to being one.
One day, his mother is reading over a letter of recommendation as Izuku stands by her side. It’s from a private school for normal students, but it’s not any normal school either when it’s also an elite, known for its advanced studies and academic performance. He fidgets around, waiting for an ounce of approval to be conveyed through Inko’s expressions. He waits and he waits, then he finds it a little later on when he sees a worried-looking smile plastered onto his mother's face. He sighs softly in relief.
"Are you sure that you can handle this?" Inko questions, staring at him, the creases in her forehead crinkles even more. "It's not easy. It’ll be tough. This school is an express . And you’ll be far from home..."
"I think I can." Izuku says, "I've been working hard for this. I’ll make through it. Please trust me."
"I do, but it's just... you're still so young. It’ll be stressful. You don't have to rush, I told you that countless of times." Inko bites on her lips, the dip of her brows growing by each ticking second. "Please understand that I'm only being worried for you. But if this is what you want, then I'm more than willing to support you."
Izuku understands. His mother doesn't have to speak her thoughts because he'll understand too what she means eventually. He knows that his mother cares for him as much as he does for herー he still remembers the soft whispers of good night into his ears and the constant provided warmth of embrace that they share since he was younger. His mother had always been his constant source of support, and now, it’s hard to imagine how he’s going to be away from her.
"I do want this." Izuku slowly takes her by the hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He shoots his mother a reassuring smile. He feels the squeeze on his hands a moment later on, the loving stare he gets from his mother and he feels his smile curl up further at the gesture.
"... Thank you for worrying about me, ma."
He embraces her.
Izuku's in the middle of doing his assignment the first time it happens.
It’s the weekend, and Izuku decides to spend the entire day tucked away in his dorm and study. His computer is on, whirring to life, as the silence gets drowned out by the the commentator’s remarks in the UA's annual Sports Festival live video.
He’d been muttering, revising , biting on the end of his pencil all at the same time but it's hard when something he so desperately wanted to lay his eyes on is right there on his screen, in front of him while he’s doing his work.
'ー and Bakugou Katsuki wins this round yet again!'
At the mention of the name, one that never fails to leave behind a tingling bittersweet taste in his mouth, it thaws away all the willpower Izuku has to keep himself from looking at his screen. He tears his gaze from his paper, and peers into the screen where Katsuki, his childhood friend, is shown to slowly make his way to the top in the fest.
He lets the smile spread on his face for a second. Whenever the said boy makes his appearance on the screen on his desktop, standing tall and proud as ever, he feels… well, he couldn’t tell if it’s sadness, envy or joy, or a mix of all those things, but he still feels something.
Katsuki has always been a talented person. He’s smart, strong, confidentー he’s everything that Izuku isn't, and he also had everything that he never has. He achieved his dreams, had been the only one from their school to get into UA and Izuku, as selfish as it would sound, felt both bitter and proud of him. It doesn't help much that Katsuki too has a soulmate.
(He knows that Katsuki has a soulmate because the boy had proudly told him before about it when they were just children. Katsuki had shown Izuku the two kanjis tied together on his chest, briefly explaining to him that they were two separate kanjis for 'cut' and 'sharp'.
Izuku responds to it in glee and ecstatically tells him in return that he'd like his soulmate bond indication to come to him soon. It doesn't.)
Katsuki may have turned into a crude person, since he often jeers at him whenever he gets the chance and would knock the breath out of him just to let out his steam or for the fun of it. Call him naive but Izuku, dare he'd say, still sees him as a good person. He still sees the good in him; it's there, somewhere , tucked and plowed away beneath the thick layers of his explosive and violent nature. He’s well aware that no one might believe him if he tells him this, but he… just has the feeling.
Izuku watches as Katsuki ropes his way into the finals, as expected, and he cheers upon knowing that the blond now has one last hurdle to pass through and that’s to battle against the other finalist.
Todoroki Shouto is the other finalist, and is from the same class as Katsuki is.
"He's amazing," Izuku muses as he watches the two walk up to the arena from opposite sides. "I wonder if Kacchan can beat him?"
The fight starts soon and Izuku, his assignment now forgotten in favor of observing the scene. He dwells in the next few moments being in a complete awe at how the two are neck to neck, and he’s mesmerised by the way they go back and forth at each other as they showcase the strength of their skills to the whole world. The fact that Todoroki could still be up to par with Katsuki, that’s an amazing feat itself.
Todoroki Shouto, as he learns from his previous fights, is incredibly strong. Most of his fights had lasted for only a second, and Izuku marvels at the raw potential and the talent he possesses. Fire and ice, both are contrasting elements but for it to be bunched together as a quirk is remarkably both unique and rare. Izuku gets jealous of this for one second.
He’s fairly good looking too. A built physique, hair oddly split into two colors, and whenever the camera closes up on him, he could see how his eyes don't match. There’s also a scar on his left eye, but that’s all the more to make him stand out.
But that's not the only thing he notices. Despite Todoroki having a fire and ice quirkー Izuku notices that the boy never does show the other half of his quirk throughout the whole time.
He isn’t using the fire at all, he thinks confusedly.
'-- The battle between Todoroki Shouto and Bakugou Katsuki seems to be getting heated! Who will win this final round?'
And then, out of habit, Izuku chooses that moment to begin noting down every single detail on how Todoroki fightsー the little bits and pieces of information written down on his assignment paper. He looks away from the screen for a bit, ready to dish out more details onto the empty spaces of his page when suddenly , it happens.
Izuku is in the middle of doing his assignment the first time it happens.
Out of nowhere, a ripple of pain courses throughout his body all at once. The pain had been so intense that Izuku tumbles out of his chair, body curled up. A raspy gasp slips past out of his mouth, and soon enough, he's choking, desperately needing for air. He rolls over, firmly clutching onto his side as he tries to fight down his yells in pain by biting onto his lips until they begin to bleed.
His chest feels too constricted, his lungs feels like it’s bursting and his heart beats at an explosive pace too fast and too heavy. He’s crying by now, and groaning, but he continues to hold on, he tries to muster all the strength he has to withstand the overwhelming pain.
And then, it’s gone. It goes away as quick as it comes as the ache suddenly vanishes without a trace.
Izuku sits up from the ground, face completely scrunched in confusion. He lifts up his shirt, doesn't see anything forming on his body where the pain had been most intense. But this only makes him more dumbfounded.
He blinks. Weird.
He’s about to contemplate on the strangeness even further when he turns to the screen on his computer and sees both boys on the arena knocked out. The gears in his head switch.
"Oh no, I missed it!" Izuku squeaks as he quickly scrambles back into his chair.
'Bakugou Katsuki wins!' The commentator announces, and he deflates at missing the scene.
“Midoriya?” His roommate peeks in from a corner. “I heard you groaning just now. Something happened?”
“No, no, it’s nothing.” He smiles sheepishly with a wave of his hand, “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Y-yes!”
“Well, if you say so, then.”
When his roommate disappears, he sighs in disappointment.
On the next weekend, he decides to visit his mother. It’s still a school week, but he misses his mom and after knowing she’s bedridden with a fever, he takes it upon himself to look after her and do the house chores for a bit before going back by train the next day. With a list of errands and some money in hand, he spends his time in a supermarket in search of the things he needs to buy.
Eggs. Check.
Ketchup. Check.
Soy sauce.
"Check." Izuku mutters, writing off the last few items in his list before looking over into his cart.
He goes over the list again just in case he misses anything until he finds one last item that has yet to be checked. Only the soba package is left. Without further ado, Izuku chucks back in the little note and his pencil into his backpack, and saunters off to the noodles section. It takes a bit of time but he eventually finds them on the top shelf.
He grunts. On the top of the shelf, his mind parrots back to him . With a soft disgruntled noise, he pouts to himself when he stares up at the soba package. Izuku goes to stand on the tip of his toes, hand stretching all the way to reach for the package. He manages to pull the item out from the shelf by its plastic sleeve, inch by inch, as he keeps himself steady. He’s almost there, is about to reach for it but when he feels the little tug on his muscle, it’s already a warning sign that his legs are about to give him away.
So, he jumps for itー which turns out to be a bad, bad idea, because when he accidentally bumps against the shelf, there’s horror on his face once he realizes there’s about a dozen of packages about to fall down onto him.
But then comes along his rescuer who steps into the scene and saves him like some prince that just pops out of a fairy-tale book.
Or, well, maybe not, because the packages were… frozen in place? Izuku blinks, and stares, and wonders how in the world could they be put back then if they’re stuck in ice . A taller boy steps up beside him, plucking two packages off the shelf next to the blob of ice.
And when the boy turns to him, greeting him with a pair of mismatched colored eyes, Izuku immediately knows who it is. It’s the same boy from the live video he watched on his computer screen that one morning. Todoroki Shouto stands there, nudging towards him the pack of soba in his hands that Izuku had been reaching for earlier.
"U-h- huh?" Izuku splutters, unsure how to react. He only accepts the generous act a bit later on with shaky hands but of course, not before squawking at the latter as though he just walks in on a murder scene.
"You were reaching for it." The boy casually says as he looks down at him.
"U-um, t-thank you?" Izuku squeaks, taking a step back to bow to the white-and-red haired boy. "But uh… what about the… frozen ones? Ice?"
Todoroki looks back at the items and frowns.
“Ah,” he says, “I forgot about that. I’ll melt it right now.” But then, he’s hesitating before raising his hand, ready to melt it completely when Izuku gasps and grabs them.
“Wait!” Izuku stutters, “Don’t just- don’t just do that, won’t that make all of it fall down at once?”
Todoroki blinks. “There’s no other way, though.”
“Well, you could-” He starts, and pauses just as Todoroki looks at him. “You could do it slowly- and enough to melt one spot at a time to take out each package? You can adjust the temperature, can’t you?”
Todoroki seems to be thoughtful of this. “I can try.”
And, he tries. But, it ends in a spectacular fail. The items take their inevitable fall and the pair is left to stare at them in a small puddle of water.
“... Well, you really did try.” Izuku tries to console him.
They're silent for a bit before he bursts out into a small laughter, and he sees Todoroki's lips tug slightly, likely done out of amusement. Todoroki goes to pick up the packages to put them back onto the shelf, and Izuku follows suit. It’s like this, he starts observing the little things about Todoroki like how he doesn't have to stand on his toes or how the plain white shirt is hugging his muscles. His outfit is too bland, too simpleー it’s almost as if he doesn't want to put much effort into wearing something nice but even so, he still somehow manages to pull off the look. Izuku can imagine a number of people fawning over him.
"You're staring." Todoroki tells him when they’re done putting back the items and Izuku realizes that he really is, in fact, staring at him.
Izuku’s face goes full blown red. He splutters once more, almost choking on his loss of words and nods- then shakes- his head.
"... Do I have something on my face?" Todoroki asks, and touches the scar on his face. Something that Izuku falters to notice when he’s too busy panicking.
"A-ah! Sorry, I didn't really mean to, it's just no ー y-you just look really, really nice!" He blurts out the last word, arms flailing around like a duck. And when he realizes what he’s said, he's pretty sure that the red dust on his face could rival the color of a ripe tomato by now.
"I look nice?" Todoroki looks slightly taken aback, and Izuku immediately regrets and he wants to dig a grave for himself.
But Todoroki doesn't seem to mind what he says, nonetheless. Instead, he’s flushingー a faint blush spread on his cheeks and to which Izuku finds it both endearing and confusing.
“Thanks,” Todoroki pauses on his words. “I guess.”
Their conversation ends there with no more words exchanged between them. They both have already obtained the item they wanted to retrieve and seeing as Izuku finished his list of errands, he’d been the first one to leave, and he definitely doesn't want to stay there and make things more awkward than they already are.
By the end of the day, although their encounter had been short, Izuku finds that the impression the other boy had left on him seems to be running deeper in vein than on skin.
He finds himself writing in his hero book about Todoroki. He puts down a lot of details as he re-watches the live video a few days ago, and this includes a few things like: 'Has a nice gentle voice' and 'Looks good in plain clothes'.
When Izuku revises the page, and makes a fool out of himself for the second time that day, he instantly erases the said points off. He also makes sure to go through it over and over again so he doesn’t include any details that’s deemed unimportant so he could save himself from future embarrassment.
They meet again a few weeks later, and Izuku never does forget Todoroki. If anything, he winds up thinking about him from time to time instead, and it makes him wonder why. He doesn't really get why he’d been so fascinated by him when they've met just once but Izuku thinks that it might have something to do with how Todoroki possesses the admirable qualities he always long for.
Which still doesn’t make sense, he thinks, Kacchan also has the qualities he’s been after and sure, he thinks about him as well from time to time, but something about this is, well, different , so to say.
After the day they first met, several incidents had taken place afterwards. The big incident had been the one where a villain had wandered about, lurking in the shadows in the hunt of heroes before killing them off without any mercy. There were heroes that had been executed single-handedly by the villain, and Izuku could recall that one of the UA's students, Iida, had suffered a great deal of injury after their encounter. Izuku hoped that the boy is fine by now.
The news had been upsetting for him to hear least to say. It makes him feel a bit sick and twisted in the stomach. He just doesn't understand the oppression or the grudge some people have against heroes.
However, things are slowly falling back into place again now, much to Izuku’s relief.
The express school had been exactly like what his mother saidー it’s tough. But Izuku prides himself on his sheer determination and his hardworking nature, so, he’s able to say that he thinks he’s doing quite well so far in his studies.
With that being said, his school is about to uphold a short student exchange visit program to another school soon.
But it isn't just any school, it will be taking place at the UA and Izuku is one of the few students who will be going to visit there. And the trip had been done on a term of first-serve basis, meaning the first few people who applied for it gets to go and so when the words first came out, Izuku had been the very first- and impatient- person to sign up for it.
And today so happens to be the day when they're visiting the well-known UA.
Izuku never thought that he’d be granted the opportunity to know how the education system worked in the UA, and he really can’t wait to take a peek inside. It’s one of the schools solely focused on training their students to become heroes or any career related to heroes. So, when he stands there with a few others in front of the huge gate and a card in his hand to let him pass through the entrance, he couldn't help but feel like a child he had been back then when he so badly wanted to be a hero all over again.
Izuku feels nervous, pumped up and elated all at once.
Nervous because he knows he’s going to see Bakugou Katsuki again.
Slightly elated because this would also mean that he'll be seeing Todoroki again although he thinks that things may still be awkward for them after his accidental outburst.
The principal of UA (a talking mouse, to be more specific) had been the one to lead them into the school and Izuku had mouthed his awe as they make their way to Class 1-A.
"You!"
Desks clattered, an accusing finger pointed out and a heated staring contest laterー Izuku's prediction turns out to be right. He expects that something like this would happen, but then again, perhaps it’s after knowing him for so long, Izuku had come to see Katsuki as a rather predictable kind of person.
"Kacchan." Izuku stares at where the other is seated from the front of the class, and he feels the nervousness crawling in into the twitched movements of his muscle. He starts chewing on his lips.
"Deku." He hears the boy spitting his nickname, venom hidden in the sprout of his tone as Katsuki continues to glare holes into him. No doubt, beyond displeased to see him, and it’s easy to tell from the way his face contorts: nose scrunching and teeth shown, with the look in his eye showing immense bitterness and anger. Katsuki clearly does not expect him to show up.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
If looks could kill, Izuku’s pretty sure that he'd be dead by now.
...
Everyone in the trip is soon assigned with each student in the Class 1-A.
And at the same time, everyone quickly learns too that Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku should not be put together if they want some peace of mind.
It might have been a lucky call for him that he doesn't get paired with Kacchan, but still, he feels sorry for the girl who ended up with him. It's not that he doesn't want toー okay, well, maybe just a little tiny bitー but Katsuki can be quite difficult to deal with at times, and this is one of those times, especially when he's pissed.
The agenda for them for that day is to... well, have fun . At first, Izuku couldn't understand exactly why. After all, aren't they supposed to learn about how things worked around the UA?
And then, it clicks in his mind a little later on, that they might have been assigned to be partners with the UA's class 1-A students so they could have the opportunity to talk with these people that’s about to shine remarkably in the society.
Izuku gets partnered up with Todoroki and he flushes all over again at the memory of their embarrassing meeting.
"You're the one from the supermarket." Todoroki bluntly states upon their second meeting, and gives Izuku, who’s standing in front of his table, a look up and down.
Izuku sheepishly rubs at the back of his head. "Oh! So, you remembered?"
"I do." Todoroki nods. “You’re the one who jumped to get a soba package.”
God. Did he have to say that?
And if Todoroki still remembers him, then that would mean he still remembers the little embarrassing outburst he had back then as well. He nearly groans out loud at this thought but chooses to bite at the inside of his cheeks instead.
"So..." Todoroki squints, and Izuku's head perks up. "You're going to stay here for a few days and learn about us?"
"Erm, i-it's more like a short-term student exchange visit to an academy that focuses on hero career! I-I mean," Izuku lightly corrects him. "Um... You could say that we're here to learn what kind of stuff you guys do to become a hero..?"
"Oh. I see."
Izuku asks, suddenly curious. “So, how is it so far?”
“Fine.” Todoroki says, simply. “It’s okay.”
Izuku smiles. Beneath the table, he pokes at the yet another forming bruise he found this morning on his left wrist.