[16] Social Chameleon

I walked towards the classroom, pulling out my phone. The hallway was quiet, most students having left already. I dialed Mom's number, leaning against the wall as it rang.

"Izuku?" Mom's voice came through, worried as always. "Is everything okay?"

"Hey Mom. Yeah, everything's fine. Just finished our first hero training exercise."

"Oh! How did it go? Were you careful? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

I chuckled. "It went well. I'm a little banged up, but nothing serious. How are you doing?"

"I'm alright, dear. Just tidying up the apartment. It feels so empty without you here."

"I miss you too, Mom. I'll try to visit soon, okay?"

"That would be wonderful, Izuku. Oh! I almost forgot. I made some of your favorite cookies. I could bring them by the dorms if you'd like."

"Thanks, Mom, but you don't have to do that. I'm sure I'll be home to visit before they go stale."

"If you're sure... Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure you have lots of homework to do. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, sweetie."

I hung up, staring at the phone for a moment. Homesickness wasn't something I'd expected to deal with. Inconvenient.

Back in the classroom, I started packing up my hero costume. The fabric was singed in places, testament to Bakugo's explosions. I'd need to get it repaired soon.

The door slid open behind me. "Aizawa-sensei, are you- Oh!"

I turned to see Nejire Hado standing in the doorway, her long periwinkle hair swaying as she stopped short.

"Izuku-kun!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "I didn't expect to see you here. Shouldn't you be heading back to the dorms by now?"

I smiled, genuinely pleased to see her. "Nejire-senpai. I was just putting away my costume. What brings you here?"

She bounced into the room, energy radiating off her. "I was looking for Aizawa-sensei. I had some questions for him. But never mind that! How was your first hero training? Did you get to use your quirk? Was it exciting?"

Her rapid-fire questions made me chuckle. "It was... intense. We had a battle trial. I got paired up against Bakugo."

Nejire's eyes widened. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, zipping up my costume case. "I'm fine. A few bruises, but nothing serious."

"That's good! You know, when we met before the entrance exam, I had a feeling you'd do well here. Looks like I was right!"

I raised an eyebrow. "You remembered that?"

She giggled. "Of course! It's not every day I meet someone who ends up in Recovery Girl's office before even starting at U.A."

"Right," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not my finest moment."

Nejire waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't be embarrassed! It just shows how dedicated you are. Hey, are you heading back to the dorms? Want to walk together?"

I nodded, grabbing my bag. "Sure, I'd like that."

As we left the classroom, Nejire launched into another series of questions. "So, what do you think of U.A. so far? Have you made friends with your classmates? Ooh, who's your favorite teacher?"

I laughed, holding up my hands. "Slow down, Nejire-senpai. One question at a time."

She blushed slightly. "Sorry! I get excited sometimes. But really, how are you liking it here?"

I considered for a moment. "It's challenging, but in a good way. I feel like I'm learning a lot already."

Nejire nodded enthusiastically. "That's great! The first year can be tough, but it's so worth it. Oh! Did you know I'm doing my work study with Ryukyu? She's amazing!"

"Ryukyu? The Dragon Hero?" I asked, genuinely interested. "That must be incredible. What's it like working with her?"

Nejire's face lit up. "It's awesome! She's so strong and cool, but also really kind. I'm learning so much about what it means to be a pro hero."

As we walked, Nejire told me about her experiences with Ryukyu. I listened intently, filing away information that could be useful later.

"...and then last week, we helped stop a bank robbery!" Nejire exclaimed, gesturing excitedly. "Ryukyu transformed into her dragon form and blocked the exit while I used my waves to disarm the criminals. It was so cool!"

I nodded, picturing the scene. "Your quirk seems really versatile."

She nodded enthusiastically. "It is! I can use it for offense, defense, even flight! Though that last one's still a work in progress. I get dizzy if I do it for too long."

"That's still incredibly impressive. How long have you been working on your flying technique?"

Nejire tapped her chin, thinking. "Hmm, about a year now? It's tricky, balancing the wave output just right. Too little and I fall, too much and I shoot off like a rocket!"

I chuckled at the mental image. "I bet that was an interesting discovery."

She giggled. "Oh yeah, I crashed into so many things at first. But Ryukyu's been helping me refine my control. She says I have a lot of potential!"

I nodded, impressed. "You must be getting a lot of practical experience."

"I am! It's so different from classroom training. Oh!" She stopped suddenly, turning to face me. "You'll be doing internships soon, right? Do you know where you want to go?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. We haven't really discussed internships in class."

Nejire's eyes sparkled. "Well, when you do, let me know if you want any advice! I'd be happy to help."

We reached the 1-A dorms, pausing outside the entrance. Nejire bit her lip, suddenly looking a bit nervous.

"Hey, Izuku-kun... I was thinking. Maybe we could hang out sometime? Outside of school, I mean. If you want to, of course! No pressure or anything."

I blinked, surprised by the offer. "I'd like that, Nejire-senpai."

She beamed, pulling out her phone. "Great! Here, let me give you my number. We can plan something later."

As I entered her number into my phone, I couldn't help but wonder about her interest in me. Was it just friendly curiosity? Or something more?

Either way, it could be useful. A connection to an upperclassman, especially one doing a work study with a top pro hero, could open up interesting opportunities.

"Thanks, Nejire-senpai," I said, sending a text before pocketing my phone. "I sent you a text so you have my number too."

She nodded, still smiling brightly. "Sounds good! I should get going. See you around, Midoriya-kun!"

As she bounced away, her hair swaying behind her, I watched for a moment. Nejire Hado. Powerful quirk, friendly personality, well-connected. Definitely someone to keep close.

The common room was bustling when I entered. Kirishima waved me over to where he was sitting with Kaminari and Sero.

"Midoriya! There you are, man. We were starting to think you'd bailed on us."

I shook my head, dropping into an empty chair. "Sorry, got held up talking to a senpai."

Kaminari's eyes lit up. "A senpai? Was she cute?"

"It was Nejire Hado, from Class 3-A."

"Dude!" Kaminari exclaimed. "She's like, super hot! How do you know her?"

"We met briefly before the entrance exam," I said, keeping my tone casual. "She was just checking in on how I'm settling in."

Sero leaned forward, grinning. "Sure, sure. 'Checking in.' Is that what they're calling it these days?"

"It's not like that. We're just friends."

Kirishima laughed, slapping me on the back. "Relax, man. We're just teasing. But seriously, that's pretty cool that you know an upperclassman already."

I nodded, grateful for the change of subject. "Yeah, she seems nice. She's doing her work study with Ryukyu."

"The Dragon Hero?" Sero whistled. "That's impressive."

"Speaking of impressive," Kaminari cut in, "can we talk about that fight with Bakugo earlier? Midoriya, you were like a freaking tank out there!"

I shrugged, playing it off. "I just got lucky. Bakugo's really strong."

Kirishima shook his head. "Nah, man. That was skill. You've got some serious moves."

The conversation drifted to other topics - classes, teachers, speculation about future hero training. I participated enough to seem engaged, but my mind was elsewhere.

The fight with Bakugo had revealed more about my abilities than I'd intended. The evolution of my quirk was accelerating faster than expected. I needed to be more cautious, more strategic in how I used my power.

And then there was Nejire. Her interest in me could be a valuable asset, but it also posed a risk. 

"Yo Midoriya!" Kaminari's voice snapped me back to the present. "You with us, man?"

I blinked, focusing on my classmates. "Sorry, just thinking about the battle training. What were you saying?"

Sero grinned. "We were deciding on where to eat, any ideas?"

"What about hot pot?" I asked, standing up. "Just give me five minutes to change into something more comfortable."

As I headed back down, my phone buzzed. A text from Nejire:

"Hey Izuku! 😊 Just wanted to make sure you got my number. Let me know if you want to grab coffee sometime this week! I'd love to hear more about your hero training. Plus, I might have some tips for you!"

I stared at the message for a moment, weighing my options. Getting closer to Nejire could be risky, but the potential benefits...

I typed out a reply:

"Thanks, Nejire-senpai. Coffee sounds great. How about Thursday after classes?"

Her response came almost instantly:

"Perfect! Can't wait! 😄"

I pocketed my phone, a small smile on my face. Things were falling into place. Now I just had to stay focused, stay in control.