60

Chapter 60: Confessions III - What He Lived, What They FeelNotes:

Trigger Warning: (2nd to 5th, and 7th to 10th sections, meaning everything in the "Past") Temporary Character Deaths, Graphic Depictions, Physical and Psychological Torture

It's a long one. Enjoy.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

- Mina's knocking, - he thought, recognizing the rhythm of her unique, playful rapping—one, three, one, and two beats.

Being the one who had relayed their message, it made sense that she'd be the first in line.

"Hey Midori, it's us!" He heard Mina's voice from the corridor. It didn't take a genius to pick up the eagerness in her tone, nor to picture how she couldn't seem to keep still on her feet.

And that "us" confirmed his thoughts. As expected, Mina wasn't the only one behind that door.

It only took a breath for the handle to turn and the door to open, revealing the other side of the threshold to the freckled boy. Izuku was smiling gently—like always—but lightly as his eyes moved to take in the people in front of him.

Mina. Tsuyu. Toru. Setsuna. Ochako. Itsuka. Momo. Kyoka.

Izuku wasn't astonished by their presence, but he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected a whole eight to come question him, which made him wonder if it was a good or bad omen… before settling on the latter.

That moment of letting his mind roam also meant that he forgot to hide that surprise and to speak up.

The awkward silence only lasted a few seconds, broken by Setsuna's grin. "'Sup, Parsley," she greeted with a quick wave of her hand, getting them all to follow in her steps.

Mentally kicking himself, the boy moved to correct his mistake. His smile became a bit wider, reaching his eyes, as he gestured towards the entry.

"Hi, everyone. Please, come on in."

They didn't have to be told twice.

The room wasn't quite large enough to house nine people comfortably and have space to spare, with all of Izuku's furniture and collections being in the way, but they managed to squeeze themselves in.

The bed, although not as big as Momo's, could easily accommodate the heiress, Tsuyu, Toru, and Mina. The former two had kept themselves seated orderly with their feet on the floor, while the latter duo had their backs to the wall and their legs resting on the mattress, crossed or stretched out.

Setsuna had found her spot by placing a pillow on the shelf by the bed's headboard, and there she was perched, her legs dangling by the edge as she looked over the rest from higher up.

Izuku apologized for not having enough seats, but it seemed like it wasn't much of a problem. Why would it be, when somebody with Momo's talent was among them? The boy had offered some fluffy cushions—the colors reminding them of a few Top Heroes—to the remaining three, but Momo, not wanting to leave them on the ground while the others were at a reasonable height, had provided a few foldable chairs.

Kyoka had taken hers and had placed it by the bed, close to the ravenette. Her arms were crossed and she seemed withdrawn, on edge. Ochaco and Itsuka had taken theirs and had placed them between the boy and the exit. Izuku couldn't have known, but the three had all made the same decision to bite the bullet and get everything out today—without the others' knowledge, of course.

Izuku was sitting before his desk, in the middle of the room and the girls' crescent-shaped formation. He smiled simply as he faced them, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly. He ignored the anxiety screaming in the back of his head, reminding him of how much he'd screwed up this time.

"So, um, do you want me to start or do you want me to listen first?" Izuku got the ball rolling.

The girls looked at each other at the boy's question, making him wonder what was going on in their heads and how they were going to approach this.

"Well, that's a damn big question, Parsley," Setsuna jokingly said. "But we've got it, no worries. I guess we should start from the beginning?"

"Again?" Ochaco whispered, seemingly exasperated by the recurring retelling.

"If I may," Momo interjected, gently raising her hand as if to ask for silence and crossing gazes with the greenette. "I believe that there is no need to rehash everything that has transpired up to this point."

"Yeah," Toru piped up. "Let's just get on with it."

"Straight to the heart of the matter. I like it," Itsuka stated, her and Ochaco nodding seriously.

"About time," Mina giggled, followed by a short hum from Kyoka and a croak from Tsu.

"You should already have an inkling, ribbit."

Izuku couldn't help but let out a weak, foolishly distressed chuckle, only to immediately regret it.

They didn't need to repeat things because they all knew everything already.

His stomach churned. His throat was dry.

Oh. This was worse than getting asked why he was playing with their hearts.

He had failed once again, and he could only blame himself. A card had been taken from its spot on the bottom of its unstable castle, and the whole thing was now going to fall over.

He had overstepped, crossed a line he wasn't meant to even look at anymore, and now he would be facing the consequences. The girls had talked, shared, as friends do, and now they all knew what kind of person he was. How he couldn't be satisfied and had to reach for more. How, even after his previous words, he still hadn't changed his ways.

He had tried to hold himself back, the gods knew he had. Making things clearer with Momo and Toru—revealing things so they would think twice before approaching him again—had been a good first step on the right path, but then he had hesitated, biding his time and hoping it would be enough, that they may have been an isolated case. Of course, he had only been fooling himself, with scarce results at that. Izuku wasn't blind nor dense—not anymore. He had long since noticed the lingering gazes that dazzled him, the hope for prolonged contact that had him shivering, the increasingly warm familiarity that scalded his heart, the lovely smiles that he would die for. He longed for all of that and more, and he inadvertently went for it again and again, unable to stop himself. He'd stepped in with Setsuna, followed Mina to an isolated spot, hanged around Ochako, Tsuyu, Kyoka, and Itsuka plenty of times, and kept being himself around Momo and Toru as if nothing had happened. The knowledge he wasn't supposed to hold made his path to the summit easy, and now his fall would be all the greater. His own selfish desires had been his doom, the one weakness to exploit. He hadn't been brave enough to discourage further attempts—hadn't been strong enough to distance himself from them.

That talk with Momo and Toru had been hard, but it would be nothing compared to what he had to do now. This was the worst situation of this kind he'd ever found himself in, and he should have seen it coming from a mile away. His inaction had brought him here, brought him right before the executioner's block. He'd kept them in a limbo of nescience for far too long, and now he'd pay the price for it.

…

He probably wouldn't be able to endure it.

He'd clear the way and then take himself out of the picture.

Again.

Because it… Because he didn't matter in the end.

All that mattered was that they could be happier without him.

They could have a future without him.

That's why he had stopped- why he should have stopped.

He barely heard a worried, questioning voice—Ochaco's?—calling his name as he disassociated, too caught struggling in his own rising dread to pay close attention to the words said around him.

The meek, resigned, terrified Izuku from Aldera had resurfaced to do what he did best.

"I'm sorry," he said, bowing his head, unconsciously unable to look them in the eyes.

"Wha-" somebody couldn't get a word in, as he simply kept going faster.

"I'm sorry to have let things reach this point. I should have been more careful and told you how things are sooner. It's my fault for not keeping my distance. I'm sorry for leading you on-"

"Mi- Izuku, stop!"

Mina's shout made him freeze in place, unwilling to move a muscle—too scared to. He felt a drop of cold sweat run down his spine and his forehead, and the unsure beats of his heart. 

"Izuku, please, look at me."

Gentle fingers brushed his cheek, their flow guiding Izuku to slowly raise his head at Toru's request. The invisible girl had left her spot on the bed to appear in front of him, slightly lowering herself to get on his eye level. He could feel the intensity of those beautifully hidden orbs of hers.

She let out a satisfied hum when he returned her gaze, tilting her head to the side as she did whenever she smiled at something that delighted her. "Everything's fine. You have nothing to be sorry for, silly. We aren't here for apologies or anything like that." 

"Indeed," he heard Momo say. The ravenette was still on the bed but, unlike before, looked somewhat apprehensive. Her smile was the kind that aimed to reconcile, mild and understanding. "Some of us are here to hear the private story you've already told us—" She placed a hand on her chest and looked, smiled, at Toru's back "—but that's not really why we are here today. We-" 

"Wait," the boy interjected as he blinked, his eyes moving between the heiress and the invisible girl before him, both feeling his eyes briefly meet theirs. "You haven't told them?"

"No?" Toru replied after a beat, feeling confused. "Were we supposed to?"

- I didn't ask them to keep it a secret, did I? No, I would remember that… or… -

"You didn't," Nana corroborated his thought before he could spiral. "Don't lose focus."

"We believed that divulging your words without express permission would have been terribly rude at best, and a profound breach of trust at worst," Momo explained.

"Yeah, they were pretty adamant on that," Ochaco noted, a smile punctuating her words.

"We didn't get a word of it," Mina added.

"Yes, ribbit," Tsu confirmed with a nod. "Yaomomo and Toru have only explained that you have something that you won't share lightly, ribbit."

So that was it. They still hadn't seen the whole picture, so they couldn't judge him based on it yet.

"I see," he let out with a slow breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "Thank you."

"Please, think nothing of it," Momo politely replied, her smile not fading in the least.

It sounded impossible right now, but he nodded all the same. "Then I'll just-"

"Wait!" Ochaco interjected, fists tight. "We aren't done yet!"

"I said we've got it, Parsley," Setsuna repeated.

"Precisely." Momo agreed. "As I was saying, that's not the main reason why we're here today."

The boy let his shoulders fall, accepting that he would have to delay his apology further. "Then… I'm listening," he let out, preparing himself for the worst.

The girls shared a few looks, nodding at each other with resolution and preparing to speak as if they had a script to follow. Only Kyoka seemed a bit out of place, unsure of her role.

Momo straightened herself a little and cleared her throat. When she talked, she began showing some of the aptitude she had absorbed by watching her parents' negotiations for years, albeit with a much sweeter tone.

"Well, you're already aware of what Toru and I feel," Momo spoke, "but we are here to give you a proper answer."

"Yup!" the other agreed.

"But, as you see, it's not just about us," the heiress added, raising a hard to highlight the ones surrounding him. Setsuna, Mina, Tsuyu, and Itsuka were all either smirking or smiling widely. Ochaco was more bashful, but happy nonetheless. Kyoka was still the most reticent, averting her eyes every so often to try and hide her reddening face.

"It's been a few weeks, but we've been talking a bit," she went on with a smile. "And things between us are now clearer than ever. So, Izuku, we would like to propose something to you."

"And before you ask, we aren't rushing into it or anything," Setsuna pre-empted a possible counter argument, her apprehension only outed by the way her knee shaked restlessly.

"Ribbit, we've thought a lot about it," Tsu specified before biting her bottom lip, the inky pools of her eyes fixed from him.

"We've been working on this for a while…" Ochaco admitted, the tips of her fingers touching as if to release her tension instead of her Quirk.

"And we all agree that this is the best solution," Mina stressed the point, nodding repeatedly and probably more than necessary.

"We're sure we can make it work!" Toru piped up, her fists shaking with excitement.

"In short," Itsuka cut to the chase, taking a second of emotionally-charged silence to let her open palm point to the rest of the group.

"We like you," the group ended, albeit with much less coordination than they probably expected—some were louder, some serene, some still stammering.

"And we'd like you to be our boyfriend," the redhead ended with a light smile.

His heart skipped a beat.

Izuku blinked—once, twice—and looked down, covering his face with both hands.

Oh. This was bad.

He'd never let himself get this far, but he had long since learned that there was a first time for everything, and a myriad of things he'd never be ready for.

Now, how could he face this problem? How could he protect them from himself?

And why- Why couldn't he stop smiling like he had just been gifted the moon?

Past

His landing cracked the tiles of the skyscraper's roof, just another little fracture among the surrounding devastation. He resisted the intensity of the wind that chilled to the bone. His body kept its stance at [Danger Sense]'s back and call, ready to pounce, as he glared at his enemy.

"Where is she?"

The words came out of him with the crude undertones of barely contained, boiling rage. Izuku wasn't going to give the monster the satisfaction of losing his temper, not when there was so much at stake.

The monster by the roof's edge let out a short, cavernous chuckle.

"My my, I must have miscalculated. I thought you would be able to see her from high up. But, alas, she must have been too small for that."

"Where?" he repeated, menacing, as his mind went through possibilities.

- Trapped far away? No, Ragdoll's [Search] pinpointed her here. Mr. Compress' beads? Possible, but would he have had the time to use it before getting caught? They have no Twice clones, so- -

"There is no need for that kind of tone, young man," the monster chided with a disgustingly paternalistic voice. "You see, she was here but a moment ago, but she just wouldn't sit still. Gods, she even scratched me! I just had to let her go."

"Where?!" he shouted, failing to contain [Blackwhip]'s tentacles in his ire. 

All For One's smile grew as he moved slightly, turning sideways, in profile, one arm moving towards the broken railing. "Just down there," the man said, showing the edge with an open palm.

A palm that let Izuku see the man's fingers, and the five, small, thick pads on his digits, before the first attack came for his head.

Izuku only found Ochaco after the battle. Or, he was brought to her, because he couldn't stay in the same spot while battling the monster—too many other Heroes around, too many unknowns. Nobody had spoken while guiding him, their faces pale as sheets.

The paramedics had done their best to give her some semblance of decor, but there was little that could be done. When a person falls from such a great height, you don't find a body, you find body parts. Scattered. Broken. Open.

That day, Izuku had learned that lesson the hard way.

He hadn't left her side for much longer, not until he had to.

Izuku dug his way through the mountain of scrap metal by ripping it apart, piece by piece.

"You know, this Quirk has revealed itself to be quite disappointing."

It was hard. The structure wasn't composed of heavy, rock-like pieces, but of jagged, pointy metal stars with uneven shapes, stacked upon each other in the thousands.

"It's remarkable, of course. Its energy to matter conversion rate is astounding, and it could potentially be applied to replicate an infinite number of products. It could have been worthy of a god."

Every fistful could mean getting cut, and every removal could bring tens, if not hundreds, of iron spikes to fall.

"But, alas, it lacks simplicity and true strength. Trinkets and weapons can only do so little against true power."

He was careful, but he still got himself cut here and there. Tetanus was the least of his worries though.

"Such a shame for such a prodigious toy. Producing that much iron left me quite famished as well, which just won't do."

Strands of [Blackwhip] moved to hold up the structure as he moved further in, enveloping everything that dared to shift from its spot.

"I might just find it a use with a Nomu, though. A few memory Quirks might just do the trick."

Izuku noticed a hint of red between the metallic grey, and further increased his speed. He created an opening wide enough to slip through, unconcerned by the way his costume was mostly torn apart. The shards of destroyed equipment—staves, guns, explosive shells, and many more—laying on the ground were barely noticed as he passed by. His nose could sense the scent of gunpowder and other gasses still lingering in the air, but they weren't worth focusing on. Not when he knew that the ferrous smell that he was picking up wasn't coming from the structure, nor from himself.

He fell to his knees by Momo's side, just before the spike that nailed her to the cold, hard floor. Two more thorns were embedded in her palms, a sick reference to dead godhood from a bastard's sense of humor. She had tried to pry them off, but the weight had been too great, and the blood loss quicker.

Her head had fallen to the side, the once singular strand now disheveled and partially covering her visage. She had cried.

Izuku freed her slowly, careful not to cause more damage than what had already been done. Tears would dot the path back as crimson drops had dotted the one in.

"Come on now, Midoriya Izuku, I thought that All Might's successor would be faster than that."

Izuku did his best to ignore the monster's mocking echoing around the complex. He ducked to avoid a scythe-like claw and grabbed the Nomu's arm with [Blackwhip], using the creature as a weapon against the others. A series of corrosive bullets had him retreat, only to bounce off the wall and kick a Nomu in the stomach, feeling its reinforced ribs break under the strain.

"That water must be getting cold… Ah, but that shouldn't be a problem for her now. Am I not magnanimous?"

Izuku grit his teeth, but couldn't help but have his eyes wander to the screen in the corner for a moment.

The water had almost reached Tsu's chin, and she was probably standing on the tips of her feet already. Her expression was resolute, but the way she contracted her mouth told him that the anxiety was starting to get to her.

The instant of distraction cost him a free hit, something grabbing onto his left arm and squeezing painfully. He repaid the damage in full soon after, but he was running out of time.

The monster was enjoying the "game" he'd set up, immensely so.

All For One tsked a few times in fake disappointment. "That's already the second time you've lost your focus. Perhaps you need an incentive?"

With a flick of the man's fingers, the monitor was brightened by a flash of electricity. Tsu screamed for a moment before water started to impede her breathing.

"ALL FOR ONE!!!" Izuku shouted in sheer rage.

The man laughed in pure bliss.

Two Nomus tried to get him in that moment of weakness, but found out that the Fifth's Quirk had a mind of his own. He began turning the tables on the artificial humans. Walls started coming down as he blasted through, using only a Nomu's corpse as a ram's head. His overwhelming force took care of anything in his way, as his Quirk started straining his body with percentages too high for comfort.

He didn't care. He had to get to Tsu.

Finally, he tore away the heavy metal door and faced the current of the water sloshing out, free of its confines. Izuku caught Tsu before she could hit the ground, his hands immediately checking for a missing pulse before placing her on her back and starting chest compressions. She didn't react, and he added rescue breaths to the cycle.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the monster's voice came again, sickeningly sweet and contrasting his intent. "I must have forgotten to say that it wasn't a live feed. Such a silly detail, it must have slipped my mind. She's been waiting for you down there for an hour."

Even being as drenched as he was, he could feel each and every tear descend.

"... Her Quirk is interesting but, since I doubt that I would be using it much, I gave it away. It wouldn't give me the same satisfaction as clashing against All Might's fists, as your style is much more varied, Midoriya. But you don't have to worry, I haven't taken her life yet. It would have been such a waste. You see, a dear minion of mine requested of me a subject suitable for a gigantification process. It's one of those things most Nomus can't achieve, but it seems like that Kendo girl would have it easier than most…"

Izuku sat alone in the hospital room, its sacred silence only broken by the periodic beeping of the machinery close to the bed. Itsuka's chest moved regularly, but weakly, breathing in what the ventilator supplied. An IV bag that had been already changed a few times let its contents drip down, emptying slowly as the hours passed.

She had been in a coma for three days.

When they had found and rescued her, she was under the Doctor's knife, the surgery already underway. Nobody could know for how long she'd been there, but the madman had used those hours to practice his craft to the best of his abilities. In his own words, the man had wanted to study the genetic mutations on her arms, to see if her Quirk's effect could be replicated on limbs that weren't the ones she was born with. They had come too late to stop the Doctor from completing the removal.

Despite the best treatment their nation could provide, she had yet to even stir. Whatever the madman had done, he had assured that it would be permanent without his help.

Their classmates had visited, some more than others. Between the reconstruction efforts and the other losses they had suffered, nobody could stay for too long. Nobody but him, anyway.

Some were more vocal about revenge, while others mourned quietly. Nobody had ever seen Kodai cry before that. Tetsutetsu had to be restrained before he could hurt himself for his supposed failure at helping in any way—it made Izuku wish that he had taken it out on him; he more than deserved it.

Some couldn't bear to see their proud and strong leaders reduced to their current state.

Itsuka had lost her Quirk, her limbs, and her consciousness.

Izuku had lost her.

Present

They knew that their words might come off as a shock, and that Izuku would probably need a bit to come to terms with them, but… Seeing the boy remain frozen, face facing the floor, as the more and more seconds passed was getting quite worrying.

"Did we break him?" Mina asked in a whisper to the ones on the bed.

Tsu croaked and shook her head. "Maybe he's thinking, ribbit."

"Still?" Ochaco murmured.

"Is he…?" Toru started towards Kyoka.

"He's not unconscious, if that's what you're asking," the punkette responded, rolling her eyes. She could feel his breathing quivering and his heart beating fast, but they weren't yet signs of a stroke.

Setsuna cleared her throat and had one of her hands slightly shake the boy, hoping to stir him out of his block. "Er, Parsley? This is the point where you say something back."

"I- I know," he uttered, still keeping his head down. "Sorry. It's just… a lot."

"I'm sure it is," Momo conceded. 

"Sooo…" Mina started, tilting forward. "What'd you say?"

The boy's pause made them fear that they would be in for another long wait, but this was much shorter. Izuku breathed in to steady himself before slowly starting to shake his head. He was smiling again, though the happiness reached his eyes only partially, as they were glistening and wet with a rueful undertone.

"Thank you. You have no idea how incredibly happy I am to- to hear that," he started, losing some strength over the last words. His expression wobbled as his muscles contracted, the smile becoming more forced. "But I… I shouldn't," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I shouldn't."

Kyoka felt like the second of silence that followed should have been incredibly tense, but it wasn't. The others were all so very… calm. 

"Why not?" Ochaco questioned, her controlled demeanor visibly surprising the boy.

The brunette felt like having Momo and Toru prepare them for what was coming—even if only partially—had been a true blessing. She was pretty sure that she would have reacted terribly after being rejected. Maybe she'd have cried and rushed out, or she'd have kept up appearances long enough to get to her room before that, filling the hole in her heart with all the mochi she could get her hands on.

But now they all knew that this was something different.

"Y-You like us, don't you?" the brunette continued, carrying on despite the light stuttering caused by her nerves. "Ar-Are we among those 'few people' you like?" she asked, citing what Momo had revealed to them word for word.

The boy let out a sad chuckle, trembling lightly and shaking his head as he kept his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he looked at them with a fondness they didn't quite imagine he could reach.

"Of course you are," he uttered weakly. "You're the most wonderful people I've ever met. You make my world brighter in ways I've never experienced. Every single second I get to spend with you is a second that makes my life worth living."

He had confessed, confirming once and for all what Momo and Toru had told them.

Izuku returned their feelings. Fully, deeply, with an unparalleled passion they couldn't explain yet.

"But I still shouldn't," he repeated, voice dripping with heartache as his head fell again. "I can't do that to you."

But even then, he was stopping himself from what would have made him—them—happy. There was something that anchored him to his refusal, something that led him to believe that this was for the better.

His belief seemed solid, but would it hold against their attempt?

"Do what? Be the horrible boyfriend that apparently thinks the world of us?" Itsuka asked with just a hint of sarcasm she might have just taken from Kyoka or Setsuna. "But seriously, if it's something to do with what you told them," —she briefly eyed the heiress and the invisible girl— "then we're sure that it's nothing we can't work through."

"Yeah! Don't think that we'd give up for some dumb reason!" Mina interjected in agreement.

Izuku kept disagreeing, his left hand clenching over the right one, balled up tightly. "It's not dumb. It's something that I can't let happen, and it's already my fault it's a risk-"

"Damn, you were right. He is beating himself up on it," Setsuna clicked her tongue, sounding both impressed and annoyed.

"Mm," Toru sadly hummed. "Izuku, Momo and I have already thought about it, and we don't see it as a problem."

"On the contrary, it's been a boon to us up to this point. I don't see why it wouldn't keep being so in the future." Momo added. "And it's certainly more of a reason for us to stand by your side."

He clenched his jaw for a moment. "Maybe you won't all see it that way." His tone was getting more and more exasperated.

"Then try us," Itsuka said, more seriously. Her clear stare found his, noticing a measure of uncertainty and concern that made her slow down to reassure him. "We know that it's a secret and how important it is to you. If you'd like to share it with us too, we can promise that we also won't speak a word of it."

After a moment of thought, the green-haired boy moved back to his previous position and nodded. "I know you wouldn't. I trust you," he said matter-of-factly.

That got a weight off their chests, as just seeing him get back some of his serenity was calming in itself. Now they could focus on getting everything out and letting him see that no obstacle would be too much for them.

While the others smiled happily, Kyoka felt that sinking feeling in her stomach again. She wanted to hear everything, but doing so now, after the shit she had pulled, didn't feel right. Her error was prickling at her skin like a needle, and she feared she wouldn't ever get rid of it if she didn't act.

- Yeah, delaying would only make it worse, - she thought, dejectedly.

Steeling herself and accepting that she deserved some form of comeuppance, Kyoka decided to do something about it. She would lay her sin bare before the boy, and let herself be judged. Then it would be up to Green if she deserved to hear the rest or not.

"Wait, before that… I also gotta confess something," she sighed, raising a hand to stop the guy from talking.

Ochaco was about to open her mouth when she was swifty stopped by Itsuka, who squeezed her hand and mouthed, "She needs this."

The other girls worried as well, but didn't stop her. It was Kyoka's own choice, and her own way of dealing with what she considered a mistake.

The punk girl clenched her fist over her legs, her stance seemingly incredibly tense. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor as she took a last, stabilizing breath.

"Green, I… I've been following you around- spying on you for a while now," she spat out before she could lose her resolve. "I've listened to your conversations with my Quirk and kept an eye on you for weeks. I know it sounds bad, but I can explain."

In a moment of courage—or of self-loathing, as she needed to see herself judged—she whipped her head up to look at the other teen. The look on Izuku's face might have been the least surprised they'd seen since entering. He just looked confused, as if she'd said something obvious.

"Yeah, I know."

Kyoka—and the others, bar Tsuyu, Momo, and Toru—did a double take. The frog girl felt that her intuition about Izuku's senses also being overly developed had been right on the money—though she still refrained from speaking a "Told you so."

"You… know?" the punk repeated, almost not believing her ears.

He nodded. "I mean, I didn't know that you were following me per se; I just thought that it was likely," he said while fiddling with his thumbs. "But I always knew that you were around and that you might be listening to what everybody says."

"Dude, it wasn't 'everybody.' I specifically tracked you ," she specified, frowning as the shock was replaced by disbelief and a bit of annoyance. Why wasn't he getting angry?

"And I'm telling you that it's fine," he replied, now calmer than he'd been since they'd entered the room. "I told you back before the U.S.J., didn't I? I know that you and Shoji can hear everything that's happening around you, even when you don't want to, since it's not something you can completely turn off. But I trust you. You wouldn't just do that for no reason or to get something to laugh about."

"Of course she wouldn't," Momo agreed, smiling at her friend.

"I mean, yeah, it's not like that…" Kyoka swallowed, as her contrasting emotions showed more on her face. "But… Why would you trust me just like that? We barely knew each other when the U.S.J. was invaded, so what gave you the impression that I wouldn't tattle on you or something?"

He scratched his cheek with his index finger as he smiled. "Well, you were really helpful and you didn't seem like the nosy type-"

"And that was enough? Really?" she weakly complained before letting her face drop between her hands. "Fuck, and I practically stalked you for weeks just because I was paranoid…"

The freckled boy seemed almost about to leave his chair before stopping himself, his expression going from alarmed to pained. "W-What were you looking for? What did I do?"

"Nothing much," Mina sighed. "At first she was kinda weirded out by how it looks like you're always in the right place at the right time…"

"But then it was because she was scared that those Villains might come back to get you!" Ochaco added, fist clenched and eyes brimming with pure intentions.

Izuku remained stunned for a moment, letting Kyoka complete the fear. 

"The ones from the U.S.J., they want you dead, Green," she let out in an exasperated whisper. "You weren't awake to hear them, but that hand-guy wants you dead as much as he does with All Might."

"Yeah, that…" Mina nodded just to fill the silence.

Izuku sighed deeply, partially mirroring Kyoka's position as he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a low growl. "Damn it… I'm sorry I made you worry that much, K- Jiro, I should have-"

The musician's eyes widened at his correction. The change had been instantaneous, but unmistakable. She had heard that same "K" only the night before, and her ears didn't lie.

"Dude," she stopped him, meeting his eyes by raising her head abruptly, "were you going to call me by name?"

Izuku blinked, taken aback. The others, having missed the sound, looked just as surprised as he was.

"I mean, uh, it's not a problem," she added before anyone could interject, trying to keep herself calm despite her frown, "but when did that happen?"

His shoulders sagged as he shook his head. "I… Yeah… I guess I was," he responded with a tone that somehow managed to sound equally defeated and relieved to their ears. "You aren't wrong. And you weren't wrong about your suspicions either."

She perked up, doing a double take. "I wasn't?"

He nodded. "You got some of it right, yeah. I trust you because of what I said, but that's just half of it."

"It's got something to do with what you have to tell us, doesn't it?" Setsuna cut in, making Izuku nod again.

"Um, yeah, it's got everything to do with what I have to tell you."

"Then let's get this over with," the lizard girl prompted before glancing at the musician. "Then you'll see that you've got nothing to torture yourself about."

"... If you say so," Kyoka huffed, slouching back in her seat. Momo placed a hand over her shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"You really don't," Izuku said with a short sigh before extending his hand toward the musician, palm open. "Would you mind using your Quirk as a polygraph? I won't lie to you, but some things I'll say are pretty unbelievable."

Her gaze moved between his face and the hand with a hint of suspicion. How many times was he going to take her by surprise today? She had already lost count.

"... I never told you I could do that," the punkette pointed out, making him smile sadly.

"You're going to understand soon, Kyoka," Momo gently provided.

The musician huffed, but complied with a "Sure." Her left cable slithered around the teen's hand before resting its head on his radial artery, just below the wrist bone. With this, she had perfect access to his pulse and respiration. It couldn't get much more precise than that.

"Wait- You're, like, a lie detector?" Toru asked.

"Meh, something like it. I just pick up if your heart beats weird, like, out of tune, and it happens a lot when people spout bullshit." Kyoka quickly explained, definitely not interested in offering an in-depth explanation. "Just try answering some obvious questions."

"What's your name?" Momo cut in. "How old are you? Do you love Heroes? Do you like drawing? How about cooking? Or playing with Eri?"

"My name is Izuku Midoriya. I'm fifteen years old. Yes, I love Heroes. I hate drawing. I find cooking boring. I don't like playing with Eri."

"Well, those were obvious enough," Setsuna commented with a chuckle.

Kyoka nodded. "Three and three. Works for me."

"Then let's start, ribbit."

The group's focus shifted back on the boy as they inadvertently inched closer, drawn in by the desire to uncover the truth. They could forget about the outside world for a few minutes.

Izuku, eyes closed, breathed in and out slowly, seemingly psyching himself up. When he looked at them again he was back to his previous weary smile, and his posture had changed to reflect his openness.

"There are a few things you need to know about me and my Quirk," he started, making Toru let out a short giggle and Momo smile in recognition. "I won't lie to you and I will tell you everything I can, but please understand that I may not be able to talk about some things, as they are not just mine to share."

"So whose are they?" Itsuka asked, confused. "It's your Quirk." 

"My Quirk is… peculiar. You all know that I can do some pretty different stuff with it, but there is more I haven't shown and probably more I haven't even discovered yet." To prove his words, the boy extended his palm, releasing the usual black strands and green lightning, followed by an unusual puff of purple smoke—a first for everybody but two of them. "Its name isn't really [Superpower], just what I've been calling it in the Quirk Registry. Its original name is classified, and there's only a handful of people that know it."

Tsu let out a curious croak. "I thought that was the case only for some Underground Pro Heroes, ribbit."

"Secrecy can also be requested for safety reasons," Momo explained, "If the Quirk's existence could be a danger, or if the person needs to be protected, for example. Had I not chosen to become a Hero myself, it's likely that I would have had to ask to classify [Creation] because of the danger it poses to the economy."

Izuku nodded, thankful for the assistance. "My case is similar, but way more dangerous. It's… something of a family matter, but you'll understand soon enough."

After that kind of introduction, the girls didn't know what to expect. How did this secrecy relate to his reluctance to enter a relationship?

"As I just said, my name is Izuku Midoriya, and I'm fifteen years old. When I was four, I was tested and declared 'Quirkless,' and I remained as such until this spring."

Most of them nodded, having either heard his words during the Sports Festival's ceremony or during one of their support group meetings. Midoriya had only brought it up in passing before moving on to more pressing matters and, since it seemed like a deeply personal matter, nobody had ever tried to pry on the subject.

The fact that he'd awakened a Quirk so powerful and had grown accustomed to it in a mere few months, instead a decade, was astonishing, if a bit absurd. 

"What you don't know, however, is how that evaluation should have been final. I wasn't supposed to be a Late Bloomer. By that analysis and all the data ever recorded on Quirks, I was supposed to remain Quirkless forever." 

"Bullshit," Setsuna spit in disbelief, despite meaning no ill, before looking at Kyoka for confirmation. However, the punk could only nod shakily in response.

He gave a half-suppressed laugh. "It's true. I have two toe joints in my pinky toes, which is one more than usual. Every Quirked human only has one, and nobody else with two has ever naturally developed a Quirk," he said, shaking his feet a little.

"So you're the first one who did?" Ochaco asked, puzzled.

"Like, the only case in the world?" Mina joined in, sounding more amazed.

"No. I didn't develop it naturally either," he replied with a shake of his head. "No, I was luckier in another way, though I think I can consider myself the luckiest person in the world for that. One year ago I met somebody that changed my life forever." He smiled fondly as his chair turned slightly to the right, letting him gaze at the wall of Hero posters and drawings. "I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for him."

Most of the group eyed him in confusion, but Tsu only needed a moment to realize that his gaze wasn't pointing at the whole ensemble. No, he was looking at one particular image.

She croaked, getting everybody's attention. "Wait, ribbit, do you mean that you met All Might before U.A.?"

"It wasn't just a meeting. He saved my life that day. Three times."

"Three?!" Kyoka shouted. She had been more than right; the boy was a fucking magnet for calamities. "How the hell did you get in three deadly accidents?"

"It wasn't like I had a choice… at first. I kind of got myself in trouble after that," he shily admitted, making the punkette raise an eyebrow inquisitively. "School had been particularly bad that day, and I ended up leaving late. I was walking back home through an underpass people rarely use, and got caught from behind by a Villain. He came out of the sewers, since his Quirk, [Sludge], turned him into a mud-like substance. He was on the run after a bank robbery, and wanted to use my body as a skin suit to hide." They gazed in stupefied horror as his hand moved to his neck as he talked. "I couldn't move, and he started forcing himself down my throat. I thought I was going to die."

Most of them had experienced the fear of having to face a Villain, but imagined that the powerlessness and terror the boy had felt must have been something else. At least they had a chance to defend themselves with the Quirks, while he didn't have that luxury.

"But everything went fine, of course. All Might was on his tail, and he beat the Villain with a single punch."