By noon, Izuku Midoriya was completely exhausted.
After being chased by Katsuki Bakugo through four class periods, he felt like collapsing.
After this class… I'll just let Kacchan hit me once and get it over with.
I'm starving…
That was his plan.
But when the bell rang—
Bakugo simply walked out of the classroom as if nothing had happened.
"…What's going on with Kacchan now?"
Izuku blinked in confusion.
"…Forget it. Food comes first."
Together with Tenya Iida and Ochaco Uraraka, Izuku headed toward the cafeteria.
But just as they stepped into the hallway—
A familiar figure appeared at the corner of the stairs.
"All Might?!"
"Hey there, Midoriya boy!" All Might called out cheerfully.
"I brought a lunchbox. Want to eat together?"
"…Huh?"
Lunch with All Might
Twenty minutes later—
Izuku and All Might sat together, each holding a teacup.
"So, All Might," Izuku began, "why did you call me here this time?"
"Did they find anything about that Nomu?"
"No… not yet," All Might replied.
"But what I want to talk about is the upcoming U.A. Sports Festival."
"I need you to shine in it."
"…Yeah. I know."
All Might nearly spit out his tea.
"What kind of reaction is that?!"
Izuku rested his chin on his hand, thinking seriously.
"With my current physical condition and abilities, placing in the top three shouldn't be a problem…"
"But winning first place…"
He frowned slightly.
"…I don't know. Maybe because I inherited your power, I don't feel strongly about taking first."
"And this is U.A.—everyone here is exceptional."
"I could still mess up if I'm not careful…"
All Might's eye twitched.
Why does this kid always assume the worst…? Where's the ambition?!
"But," Izuku continued calmly,
"I can definitely gain experience and recognition from this festival."
"That's enough!"
All Might cut him off, raising a hand.
Izuku stopped and looked at him.
"You are my successor," All Might said firmly.
"Even if it hasn't been publicly announced yet—your Quirk will make people suspect a connection between us."
"Some might even think you're… my illegitimate child."
Izuku blinked.
"…That's a weird conclusion."
"But that's exactly why," All Might continued,
"you must show your strength."
"You can't hold back."
He placed both hands on Izuku's shoulders.
"Go out there and tell the world—"
"You have arrived!"
After School — A New Challenge
That afternoon, as Izuku packed his bag, All Might's words echoed in his mind.
'You have arrived…'
"…If I'm going to compete seriously…"
"…then I'll have to fight my classmates too."
His expression grew serious.
"…That means gathering information."
"Even if it's not ideal…"
"I have to do it."
Knowledge is everything in battle.
"…I'll start by watching footage from previous U.A. Sports Festivals."
Just then—
The classroom door opened.
A group of students from other classes stood outside.
"…What's going on?" Uraraka asked.
"It's probably because of the villain incident," Iida said thoughtfully.
"They've heard about what Class 1-A did."
"And with the Sports Festival approaching…"
"…They want to assess us."
"And gather intel," he added quietly.
"Tch. Extras."
Bakugo shoved his way through the crowd without hesitation.
"Move. You're in the way."
"Hah! Arrogant much?" someone scoffed.
Behind the crowd stood a flamboyant boy with colorful hair and long lashes—watching Bakugo closely.
"Those in Class 1-A aren't fools," said a girl beside him calmly.
"If you want to challenge them, you'd better be careful."
"Of course, big sis," another student added.
"Class B isn't easy either."
That Evening — A Surprise Guest
Even after returning home, Izuku was still thinking.
In any battle… intelligence comes first.
And right now… everyone in Class 1-A has already been exposed.
That's dangerous.
"…I need a strategy."
With that thought, he opened the door—
And stopped.
"…Huh?"
"Mom… do we have a guest?"
"Inko Midoriya smiled warmly.
"Izuku, you're home! Come here—your grandmother is visiting."
Izuku was led into the living room—
Where a silver-haired woman sat comfortably on the sofa.
This was his grandmother:
Midoriya Suisui.
"Welcome home, Izuku."
"Hi, Grandma," Izuku greeted politely.
"Go wash your hands first."
With a gentle gesture—
Water gathered in midair, forming a small floating stream.
It was her Quirk—control over water.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Izuku washed his hands, then sat beside her.
"So why are you here, Grandma?"
"I thought you were enjoying life in the countryside."
"Oh my, look how cute my little Izuku still is!"
She tapped his nose affectionately.
"You got into U.A.~"
"Even if I got in, I'm still your grandson, right?"
"You won't disown me, will you?"
"Of course not!"
"You're my favorite grandson."
"You were much better than your father when he was your age."
She patted his head gently.
Then—
She pulled something from her pocket.
The moment Izuku saw it—
His eyes widened.
"…Grandma… how did you get this?!"
"I remember this being really hard to find!"
"When you were little, I hid it so you wouldn't eat too much," she said with a smile.
"Now that you're grown… it's all yours."
She handed him the bag.
Izuku immediately grabbed one and popped it into his mouth.
"Wow…!"
"Sweet, sour—and cold!"
"It's amazing!"
The familiar taste brought back a flood of memories.
"Slow down, slow down," she laughed.
"Careful you don't choke."
"Oh! And I brought this too."
She pulled out a booklet—
And a small notebook.
"This one," she said,
"was from your grandfather."
"He said it contains a special method to maximize your power."
"He insisted I give it to you."
Her expression turned slightly annoyed.
"That old man is always thinking about strange things."
"He was supposed to come too…"
"But instead, he stayed behind arguing about whether Quirks can be inherited."
"…Honestly, it's exhausting."
Izuku laughed awkwardly.
"Grandpa's always like that…"
His grandfather was known for his eccentric ideas—
And was highly respected in academic circles.
"Forget about him," she said with a huff.
"Izuku, come out with me tomorrow."
"I want to buy some skincare products and make that old man jealous."
Despite being in her sixties—
Her face looked no older than her forties, thanks to her Quirk.
…So they had a fight and she ran away from home.
Izuku's eye twitched slightly.
"No problem!"
"Tomorrow's Saturday—I'll go with you."