11 Chapter 11
With the morning bell sounding, Aizawa entered the classroom looking like a man who hadn't slept in weeks. This sentiment was reinforced when he stepped up to the classroom's podium, his expression and tone tinged with exhaustion as he said, "Good, everyone's here. We'll be receiving two new students today. Try and get along."
As neither Bakugo nor Mineta were present, Aizawa mentioning that everyone was present caused a few students to gulp. Fortunately, though no one celebrated, at least one of the 'new' students was someone they recognized.
With somewhat sunken eyes and a noticeably pale complexion, Mineta stood before the Class and mechanically muttered, "Hello, everyone. My name is Minoru Mineta, and I'll be your classmate from now on..."
Following Mineta's introduction, a much taller boy with messy indigo hair and half-lidded, seemingly exhausted eyes raised his hand and said, "My name is Hitoshi Shinso. I was previously in Classroom 1-C of the General Studies Department. Due to your former classmate's mistake, it seems I'll be a member of the Hero Department from now on."
Following the duo's introductions, Mineta was allowed to return to his old seat while Shinso was assigned Bakugo's. After that, Aizawa got on with homeroom, providing an overview of UA's facilities and explaining who to contact if they were having trouble at home or with UA's admittedly taxing curriculum. Once those formalities were out of the way, he pulled out his sleeping bag and gave everyone free time until their first period of state-mandated classes, English Studies.
Though UA was the number one School of Heroics, the first half of the day was set aside for general studies such as Math, English, Japanese, and Art History. After that, students of the Department of Heroics would have an hour for lunch before attending classes that would prepare them to become Heroes, a seemingly random mix of theoretical and practical lessons colloquially referred to as Foundational Hero Studies...
...
..
.
After an exceptionally boring first half of the day, most of the guys from Class 1-A were seated together in the cafeteria. This included Izuku, who had temporarily been prohibited from interacting with the girls' group. Not because he had done anything wrong but because the girls didn't want a boy listening in on their 'private' conversation.
"Man, I can't believe Bakugo was kicked out of the Hero Course," said the red-headed, spiky-haired Kirishima. He and Bakugo hadn't had the time to become friends, but it felt unnerving for the person previously ranked first in their class to be gone.
Pushing up his glasses, Ida retorted, "Katsuki Bakugo's expulsion from the Hero Course is the consequence of his actions. It would harm UA's illustrious reputation if such a foul-mouthed, violence-prone brute were allowed to become a Hero."
As they had all witnessed Bakugo's behavior and manner of speaking, no one could refute Ida's words. A few looked like they had something to say, but it was Izuku who asserted, "While it's true that Bakugo has some behavioral issues, you shouldn't preclude him from becoming a Hero just yet. Everyone has the capacity for change, and while his attitude might be unbecoming for a Hero, Bakugo genuinely wishes to help people. I expect that within a few months' time, he will be rejoining the Hero Course anew."
Not expecting Izuku, of all people, to speak in defense of Bakugo, Ida's ever-serious expression became notably reflective. Due to the previous day's events, he regarded Izuku as the person closest to becoming a true Hero within their Class. If nothing else, his level-headedness, confidence, and ability to see the positives in every situation were commendable.
Nodding his head after a moment of introspection, Ida said, "I have taken your words to heart. Instead of condemning Bakugo for his past actions, I will cling to the hope that he may be reformed. If any school is capable of such a feat, it's UA."
With nearly everyone nodding in agreement, the conversation abruptly shifted from Bakugo to a comparably 'juicy' topic as Kaminari said, "Let's forget about Bakugo. What I want to know is how Midoriya managed to secure a date on the second day of school. Seriously, man, tell us your secrets."
Adopting a somewhat wry smile, Izuku replied, "To be perfectly honest, I'm just as surprised as you are. I certainly hoped to date at least one of the girls in our class, but I never expected it to happen this soon. I mean, just look at how cute they all are. I figured it would be at least half a year before I had a chance with any of them."
Hearing that Izuku already had a date, Mineta's expression resembled that of a vengeful spirit as he asked, "Which girl is it? Don't tell me it's the person that was sitting in my seat..."
Since the girls of Class 1-A weren't seated that far away, Izuku's voice was a little louder than necessary as he replied, "I wish. I mean, I'm not even remotely disappointed that Ashido-san was the one to invite me on a date, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in Hagakure. Just by listening to her voice, I can tell she's super cute."
Though he had never seen Hagakure's true form, Izuku remembered one of his buddies from his previous life mentioning she was 'canonically' the cutest girl in the entire series. She just happened to be invisible to both the naked eye and most spectroscopic devices. Which was a real shame considering her Hero costume was essentially her walking around naked...
...
..
.
While the boys were talking about them over at their table, the girls were listening in on them using an audio receiver Ashido had asked Yaoyorozu to place under their table. The latter had initially been reluctant to spy on her classmates, but Ashido managed to convince her it was for the safety and well-being of every girl in class.
Hearing Izuku's claim that he could tell she was cute by the sound of her voice, Hagakure cupped her invisible face with her equally invisible hands as she said, "How embarrassing~" in a faint but discernibly gratified tone.
Exhaling a faint sigh, Ashido, sitting with her arms crossed and a smile on her face, remarked, "He's a dangerous one, that Midoriya. He isn't a bad guy, per se, but he has the potential to become a womanizer. I'll have to test him when we go on our date this afternoon."
Blinking in surprise, Ochaco asked, "Is that why you asked him to go out with you? I'm not sure how I feel about that..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Ashido asserted, "I know what you mean, but someone has to determine his true nature. A maiden's heart, once broken, can never be fully healed. I'm fairly confident in my abilities, so if he tries anything, I'll be able to protect myself."
Though she had been one of the most popular girls in her elementary and middle schools, Ashido had struggled with finding a boyfriend since most of the boys who confessed to her were strange or perverted. She did her best to turn down each of them politely, but they invariably spread rumors that her acidic Quirk would melt anyone who dared to date her. It didn't help that the internet allowed them to easily find and distribute grotesque photos of people that had survived acid attacks...
Adopting a broad smile, Ashido preempted Ochaco's response by saying, "Don't worry, Uraraka-san. My intuition regarding things like this is pretty sharp, so I'm fairly certain that Midoriya is a decent guy. Once I confirm that to be the case, you and Tsuyu can decide which of you should date him 'for real.' I'm just the litmus test. Pun intended."
Hearing Ashido mention the possibility of them dating Izuku, Ochaco and Tsuyu exhibited varying degrees of embarrassment. Neither of them had ever gone on a date, and before now, they hadn't really considered trying to find a boyfriend. The possibility had certainly crossed their minds, but their primary focus was becoming Heroes.
Amused by the duo's innocent reactions, Ashido narrowed her eyes and teased, "If you can't come to a decision, don't be too surprised if one of us beats you to the punch. Midoriya-kun may not be the most handsome boy in Class, but he's easily the most confident and mature. So long as he doesn't turn out to be a secret scumbag, he's probably the best boyfriend material."
Surprising nearly everyone present, Yaoyorozu remarked, "He certainly gives off a dependable aura. I would need to introduce him to my parents and grandfather, but I don't think they would oppose me dating him."
Staring at Yaoyorozu as if she were some kind of strange creature, Jiro asked, "Are your parents super strict or something? Introducing a boy to them is usually only something you'd do before marriage."
Tilting her head to the side, Yaoyorozu replied, "But of course. Is there any meaning to dating a boy if you don't intend to marry them? It might seem a little early, but it never hurts to start preparing for your future in advance."
"..." x 5
Voicing the thought in everyone's minds, Ashido adopted a somewhat awkward smile as she asked, "Could it be you come from a super wealthy family, Yaoyorozu-san?"
Without hesitation, Yaoyorozu nodded her head, revealing, "Before there were restrictions implemented to prevent the economy from destabilizing, my great-grandfather used his Quirk to secure my family's position as one of the ten wealthiest in Japan. We have used that wealth to become one of the central pillars supporting the Hero Association, so it isn't incorrect to say my family is 'super wealthy.' I hope that doesn't affect the way you view me from here on. My family aside, we all have the same aspiration of becoming Heroes."
Though many of them had suspected it based on Yaoyorozu's demeanor, the girls from Class 1-A now knew for certain they were dealing with an 'Ojou-sama.' Fortunately, unlike most of the 'Super Elite,' Yaoyorozu gave off a relatively approachable aura. It also wouldn't hurt to become friends with someone whose familial wealth measured in the trillions, so even without communicating, each of the girls present decided they would be good friends with Yaoyorozu from then on...
...
..
.
Seeing how 'close' the girls were in the wake of their first lunch period, Izuku couldn't help wondering if something had transpired. Unfortunately, when he attempted asking Yaoyorozu directly, she responded that it was a matter between the girls of Class 1-A and that it wasn't proper for him to pry.
Not wanting to complicate matters, Izuku promptly apologized and spent the remaining time before the bell chatting with Sero, Tokoyami, Mineta, and Shinso. The latter wasn't very sociable, undoubtedly due to the fact most people actively avoided talking to him, but he responded to most of Izuku's and the other boys' questions. The only thing he didn't reveal was the nature of his Quirk. However, there was a very good reason for that...
------------------------
Name: [Hitoshi Shinso]
Quirk: Brainwashing
Current Level: 13(21,309 EXP)
Effective Level: 23
[Attributes]
Strength: 14
Agility: 20
Vitality: 41
Intelligence: 65
Dexterity: 25
Luck: 70
------------------------
Though Shino's physical attributes weren't very impressive, barely above average, his Intelligence, Luck, and, most importantly, his Quirk were all phenomenal. Unfortunately, as the concept of Brainwashing had a lot of negative connotations, for good reasons, everyone who learned about his Quirk automatically assumed he would become a villain. Thus, at least for the time being, Shinso intended to keep it a secret for as long as possible. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas in mind as the door to the classroom abruptly slid open, followed by a booming voice shouting, "I AM HERE...!"
...
..
.
(A/N: RIP Bakugo. Welcome, Shinso (U w U)...)
