[10] First Day Foundations

The next few days passed in a blur of training. With no word from All Might since the exam, I focused on my own private training sessions, pushing the limits of my evolving quirk.

I spent hours at the beach, now pristine thanks to my efforts, running through drills and testing the boundaries of One For All. The power hummed beneath my skin, eager to be unleashed, but I kept it tightly controlled. No need to draw unwanted attention.

One For All Sync: 4.1%

As I worked, my mind replayed the zero-pointer incident. Every move, every decision had been carefully calculated. The rebar, the precise application of force, the dramatic rescue - all designed to showcase my abilities without revealing too much.

If All Might could see me now, would he be impressed? Concerned? Or would he finally start to suspect that there was more to his chosen successor than met the eye?

I shook off the thought. All Might's opinion, while useful, wasn't crucial. What mattered was results. And soon, I'd have concrete proof of my success.

At home, Mom was a bundle of nervous energy, alternating between cooking my favorite meals and fretting about the upcoming results. I did my best to reassure her, all while tamping down my own impatience. The waiting was tedious, but necessary. I used the time to refine my plans, considering every possible outcome.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the day arrived. I returned home from a training session to find Mom practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Izuku!" she called as soon as I walked through the door. "It's here! Your results from U.A.!"

"Really? Where is it?"

She handed me a thick envelope, emblazoned with U.A.'s seal. "I haven't opened it. I wanted to wait for you."

I took a deep breath, playing up the tension of the moment. "Well, here goes nothing."

As I tore open the envelope, a small metal disc clattered onto the table. A hologram flickered to life, revealing the larger-than-life image of All Might in his hero form.

"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"

Mom gasped in surprise. I feigned similar shock, though internally I was analyzing every word, every gesture.

All Might went on to explain the scoring system, confirming my suspicions about rescue points. Then came the moment of truth.

"Young Midoriya, you not only scored high on the written exam, but you also accumulated 72 villain points and 60 rescue points in the practical exam! You've set a new record for the entrance exam score! What's more, your actions inspired others to act heroically as well! You pass with flying colors! COME YOUNG MIDORIYA, THIS IS YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!"

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Even though I'd been confident in my performance, hearing it confirmed was... satisfying.

Mom burst into tears of joy, pulling me into a crushing hug. "Oh, Izuku! I'm so proud of you!"

I returned the hug, allowing a genuine smile to cross my face. This was it. The first major step in my plan, accomplished.

As the initial excitement subsided, Mom and I settled at the kitchen table to review the additional papers that had come with the acceptance letter.

"Look, Izuku," Mom said, her voice still shaking. "There's information about dorms here."

"It says here that all first-year students are required to live in on-campus dormitories," I read aloud. "Move-in date is... March 28th. That's only three days before the start of the school year."

Mom's brow furrowed. "That doesn't give us much time to prepare. Oh, but look at these room layouts!"

She spread out a glossy brochure, revealing detailed floor plans of the dorm rooms. My eyes widened slightly. These weren't just basic accommodations.

"Each room has its own bathroom," I noted, tracing the layout with my finger. "And... is that a walk-in closet?"

Mom nodded excitedly. "And a balcony too! Oh, Izuku, this is wonderful. You'll be so comfortable there."

A private space, away from prying eyes. Although I'd much rather live in my own apartment.

"It says here we can choose whether we want the room furnished or unfurnished," I pointed out. "What do you think, Mom?"

She considered for a moment. "Well, furnished might be easier. But if we choose unfurnished, we could personalize it more. Make it feel like home."

I nodded, already leaning towards unfurnished. The less U.A. provided, the less they could potentially monitor.

"Let's go with unfurnished," I suggested. "We can pick out some things together. It'll be fun."

Mom's eyes welled up again. "Oh, Izuku. My baby boy, all grown up and going off to live at school. I'm going to miss you so much!"

As she pulled me into another hug, I patted her back awkwardly. "I'll miss you too, Mom. But I'll visit often, I promise."

As Mom started making lists of things we'd need to buy, I remembered one more thing I had to do.

I excused myself from the kitchen, leaving Mom to her excited planning. In my room, I pulled out my phone and scrolled to Bakugo's number. My thumb hovered over the call button for a moment.

This was a risk. Bakugo's temper was legendary, and poking the bear might backfire. But imagine the look on his face...

I hit call.

One ring. Two. Three.

"What do you want, Deku?" Bakugo's gruff voice came through, annoyance clear in every syllable.

I kept my tone light, casual. "Hey, Kacchan. Just wanted to check in. You get your U.A. results yet?"

A pause. Then, "Yeah. I got in. Not that there was ever any doubt."

"Congratulations," I said, allowing a hint of amusement to color my voice. "I'm sure you did great."

"Tch. Whatever. Is that all you called for?"

Now for the coup de grâce. "Oh, just one more thing," I said, my voice dropping to a near-whisper. "I hope you have that speech prepared."

Before he could respond, I ended the call.

I stared at the phone for a moment, imagining Bakugo's reaction. The confusion, followed by realization, then explosive anger.

My phone buzzed almost immediately. A text from Bakugo:

"YOU FUCKING NERD. THIS ISN'T OVER."

March 28th arrived in a flurry of activity. Mom and I made our way to U.A., her chattering nervously about all the things she hoped I wouldn't forget. I nodded along, my mind already at the dorms, plotting my next moves.

The walk from the U.A. gates to the Class 1-A dorms was longer than I expected. As we approached the modern building, a commotion near the entrance caught my eye.

Two men in crisp uniforms struggled with an enormous antique dresser. The piece screamed old money - all dark wood and intricate carvings. They were headed towards the female side of the dorms.

I glanced at Mom, who was still talking about laundry schedules. "Hey, Mom? Why don't you go on ahead to my room? It's the last one on the top floor. I'll catch up in a minute."

She blinked, surprised. "Oh, alright. Don't be too long, okay?"

As she headed inside, I approached the men with the dresser. "Need a hand?"

They looked at me skeptically. Fair enough - I might be in good shape, but this thing looked heavy as hell.

"Thanks, kid, but we've got it," one grunted.

I shrugged. "Suit yourself. Whose room is it for? I'm in 1-A too, might as well meet my classmates."

The other man, red-faced from exertion, nodded towards the building. "Some girl named Yaoyorozu. Rich family, from what I hear."

Bingo.

"Well, good luck with that," I said, turning to leave. Three, two, one...

"Wait," the first man called. "Maybe we could use an extra pair of hands after all."

I smiled. "Happy to help."

With my "help", we got the dresser up to Yaoyorozu's room in no time. As we set it down, the door opened.

A tall girl with long black hair tied back in a spiky ponytail stepped out. Her dark eyes widened at the sight of the dresser.

"Oh, it's here already! Thank you so much for your help."

The delivery men nodded, catching their breath. I stepped forward, offering my hand. "Izuku Midoriya. Looks like we're classmates."

She took it, her grip firm. "Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-san. And thank you for assisting with my furniture."

I waved it off. "Happy to help. That's what heroes do, right?"

Yaoyorozu smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. "Indeed. I must admit, I was a bit nervous about meeting everyone. It's nice to make a friend already."

Friend, huh? I could work with that. "Same here. Say, once we're all settled in, maybe we could grab coffee? Get to know each other before classes start?"

Her smile widened. "I'd like that. Thank you, Midoriya-san."

Yaoyorozu Momo - clearly from money, probably well-connected. A bit naive. And now, she saw me as a helpful, friendly classmate. A good start.

Mom was waiting in my room, having already begun unpacking some of my things. "There you are! I was starting to worry. What took so long?"

I shrugged. "Just helping out a classmate."

She beamed. "Oh, Izuku. You're going to do so well here. I just know it."

The next few hours passed with us unpacking and organizing. Mom insisted on arranging everything "just so," while I focused on setting up my desk and computer. Finally, as the sun began to set, it was time for her to leave.

"You're sure you have everything?" she asked for the hundredth time. "Your toothbrush? Enough underwear?"

"Yes, Mom," I said, trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice. "I've got everything. And if I forgot something, I can always come home to get it. It's not like I'm moving to another country."

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know, I know. It's just... my baby boy, all grown up and living on his own."

"I'll be fine, Mom. I promise."

After a few more tearful goodbyes, she finally left. I closed the door behind her, letting out a long breath. Alone at last.

I surveyed my new domain. The room was spacious, with large windows leading out to a small balcony. The walk-in closet would be perfect for storing... certain items I didn't want others to see. And the private bathroom meant I could come and go without worrying about running into other students at odd hours.

Perfect.

I unpacked my laptop and set it up on the desk. Time to get to work. I had files to organize, plans to refine, and a lot of research to do on my new classmates.

As I worked late into the night, I could hear other students arriving, their voices and footsteps echoing through the building. Tomorrow, I'd have to start playing the role of the earnest, friendly classmate. But for now, I could focus on what really mattered - laying the groundwork for my future plans.

The next morning, I woke early. Force of habit from all those training sessions with All Might. I dressed quickly in workout clothes and headed down to the common area.

To my surprise, I wasn't the only early riser. Yaoyorozu was already there, dressed in expensive-looking athletic wear and sipping tea.

"Midoriya-san," she greeted me with a smile. "Good morning. Are you an early riser as well?"

I nodded, returning her smile. "Yeah, I like to get a workout in before starting the day. You?"

"The same," she said. "I was actually about to head to the gym. Would you like to join me?"

Perfect. An opportunity to bond and maybe gather some more information. "Sure, I'd like that."

As we walked to the gym, I kept the conversation light. "So, Yaoyorozu-san, what made you want to become a hero?"

She considered the question for a moment. "I suppose it's because I want to use my quirk to help people. My family has always emphasized the importance of using our abilities for the greater good."

Interesting. A sense of noblesse oblige, perhaps? "That's admirable. What is your quirk, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Creation," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "I can create any non-living material from my body, as long as I understand its molecular structure."

I let out a low whistle, genuinely impressed. "That's incredible. The applications for hero work must be endless."

She nodded, looking pleased. "It is quite versatile. Though it does require a lot of study to be truly effective. What about you, Midoriya-san? What's your quirk?"

I gave her the cover story I'd prepared. "Strength enhancement. Nothing too flashy, but it gets the job done."

"I'm sure it's more impressive than you're letting on," she said kindly. "After all, you did get into U.A."

We spent the next hour working out together. I was careful to keep my strength at a believable level, but I could tell Yaoyorozu was impressed nonetheless. As we cooled down, she turned to me.

"Midoriya-san, I hope this isn't too forward, but would you like to study together sometimes? Your knowledge of physics and chemistry seems quite extensive, and I think we could both benefit from the collaboration."

I smiled, inwardly celebrating this unexpected victory. "I'd like that, Yaoyorozu-san."

The rest of the day was spent meeting other classmates as they arrived. I made sure to be friendly and helpful, offering assistance with luggage or directions.

There was Tenya Iida, the glasses-wearing student from the exam. Uptight and rule-abiding to a fault, he wouldn't work.

Ochaco Uraraka, the girl I'd saved during the exam. She seemed sweet and determined, if a bit naive. Her gratitude could be a valuable tool.

Shoto Todoroki, son of the number two hero Endeavor. He was standoffish, but the potential power and influence there was too great to ignore.

And of course, Katsuki Bakugo. He arrived late in the day, stomping into the common area with his usual scowl. Our eyes met, and I could see the mix of anger and grudging respect in his gaze.

"Deku," he growled.

"Hey, Kacchan," I replied casually. "Need any help with your stuff?"

He snorted. "As if I'd need help from you." But there was less bite in his words than there used to be.

As night fell and the dorms quieted down, I retreated to my room. I had a lot to process, a lot of new information to categorize and analyze.