The next morning, Izuku Midoriya woke to a clear, steady mind. The lingering dizziness from the day before had vanished completely. If anything, his thoughts felt sharper, more focused.
"…That's strange."
He sat still for a moment, testing the feeling, then gave a small shake of his head.
"Doesn't matter. Training comes first."
He changed into his workout clothes and stepped out into the early morning air.
—
By 7:00 a.m., Izuku was already seated in the empty classroom. The silence settled comfortably around him, broken only by the soft rustle of pages as he opened his books.
"Hero Basics again…"
He flipped through the material, scanning ahead.
"I wonder what we'll be doing today."
By 7:30, the quiet began to fade as students filtered in.
"I still can't believe how many people confessed to Midoriya yesterday," said Ochaco Uraraka as she stepped inside.
"Right? Toru, you still have those photos? Send me a few," added Toru Hagakure.
"Keep it down," Hagakure whispered. "He's right there."
Izuku kept his gaze on his book, though he couldn't help but catch every word.
A moment later, Denki Kaminari and Eijiro Kirishima entered.
"I'm in trouble—I didn't finish my homework," Kaminari groaned. "Midoriya, you done with yours?"
"I finished it, but—"
"Great, I'll borrow it."
The notebook was gone before Izuku could protest.
—
After the first class ended, Uraraka lingered by Izuku's desk, working up the nerve to speak.
"Midoriya… can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
She hesitated, then spoke quickly, as if afraid she might lose the chance.
"Could you bring some of your childhood photos?"
Izuku blinked. "Why?"
"Well… people online were saying that if you look this cute now, you must've been even cuter as a kid. So we thought… maybe we could post a few."
Her voice trailed off, her expression turning slightly red.
"I see…"
Before Izuku could respond, Tenya Iida stepped in.
"That could be beneficial for your public image, Midoriya."
"Deku. Don't."
The interruption was sharp.
Katsuki Bakugo had stopped nearby, his expression tense, eyes fixed on Izuku.
"If you post those, I'll come after you."
Izuku frowned slightly. "It's just childhood photos. What's the problem?"
"I said don't."
Bakugo's voice stayed low, but the edge in it was unmistakable.
"…Alright. I won't."
Izuku let it go, though the reaction lingered in his thoughts.
—
By noon, it was time for Hero Basics.
Shota Aizawa stood at the front of the classroom.
"Today's session will be handled by me, All Might, and another instructor."
Three instructors?
Izuku glanced up, curiosity flickering.
From nearby, Hanta Sero raised his hand. "What kind of training are we doing?"
"Rescue," Aizawa replied. "Water disaster response."
A ripple moved through the room.
"Rescue training…""That sounds intense…""That's actual hero work…""I might be good at that…"
"Quiet."
The room fell silent immediately.
"You'll choose equipment based on the situation. Specialized gear should be available. The training facility is off-campus, so we'll be taking a bus. Get ready."
Izuku closed his notebook and stood.
Rescue work.
Not fighting. Not competing.
Something closer to what heroes were meant to do.
His hand tightened slightly at his side.
—
After changing, the class gathered outside.
Izuku adjusted his gear, then discreetly stored the extra belt from his costume inside Mach Pegasus. Carrying unnecessary weight would only slow him down.
As they walked toward the bus, Uraraka glanced at him.
"You're in a gym uniform. What happened to your hero costume?"
"It was damaged during the last training exercise," Izuku explained. "It's being repaired. I also need a new mask, so this will have to do for now."
"Got it."
They boarded the bus together, conversations picking up as soon as they found their seats.
Laughter, casual chatter, the easy rhythm of classmates heading out for another lesson.
No one paid attention to the subtle shift in the atmosphere.
Or to the fact that this exercise would be very different from the last.