The morning sun filtered through the kitchen window, casting warm light over the small dining table where Izuku sat in front of a bowl of pomegranate cereal. The deep red kernels floated in the milk, swirling in tiny patterns of color that had Himiko completely fascinated.
"Mmm! Izuku-kun, this cereal's so good!" Himiko exclaimed as she took another spoonful, her yellow eyes shining with delight. "The little red bits look so pretty when they float! And they pop in your mouth! Pop, pop, pop!"
She demonstrated by chewing enthusiastically, making little happy sounds that would've been adorable if Izuku didn't know her personal history with red liquids.
At least she's excited about pomegranate cereal and not actual "grenades" of the human variety, Izuku thought as he took a spoonful of his own. Progress is progress, even if it's cereal-sized.
Inko hummed cheerfully from the kitchen counter while she packed the day's lunches. She glanced at Himiko with maternal warmth, watching the blonde girl swing her legs under the table as she ate breakfast.
"I'm so glad you like it, Himiko-chan," Inko said with a soft smile. "Make sure you eat plenty. You and I have a big day ahead!"
Himiko perked up immediately, tilting her head curiously.
"A big day? What're we doing, Midoriya-san?"
Inko turned around fully, drying her hands on a dish towel as her smile widened.
"I have the day off from work today, so I thought you and I could go shopping together! You need proper clothes, sweetie. It'll be fun, just us girls walking through stores and trying things on!"
Himiko's face lit up with a delight that made her look almost angelic. She clasped her hands at her chest, bouncing slightly in her seat.
"Really?! Shopping with Midoriya-san?! Just the two of us?! That sounds amazing! I've never... I mean, I've never gone shopping with anyone before!"
"Shopping?" Izuku looked up from his cereal. "But I already bought her clothes the other day. Why does she need more?"
Inko stopped mid-motion, the dish towel still in her hands. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Izuku," she said slowly, her voice tight with the effort of keeping her patience, "you bought her clothes that look like they came from the men's clearance section of a discount store."
Izuku blinked and turned to actually look at Himiko for the first time that morning. She was wearing an oversized white t-shirt with no design or pattern, the fabric hanging loose and shapeless on her body. Her shorts were plain cut-off jeans that looked comfortable but had absolutely no sense of style or feminine touch.
Hmm... I guess I didn't really think it through, Izuku admitted internally. Actually, my fashion sense might be completely nonexistent. Mom's right.
"And that's not even the worst part," Inko continued, setting down the dish towel. "You bought her bras that don't even fit! The poor girl's a B cup and you got her a C cup! How did you mess that up so badly?!"
Izuku felt personally attacked by this critique of his heroic initiative. He set down his spoon and straightened up in his chair.
"I STILL HAVE HOPE THAT NOW THAT HIMIKO'S A GOOD GIRL, HER BREASTS WILL GROW!"
The words came out louder than he intended, full of passionate conviction that would've been inspiring if it'd been applied to literally any other topic.
Inko brought her hand to her face, covering her eyes as she let out a long, tired sigh.
Talking to these two is a real headache, she thought as she tried to suppress the urge to laugh. They're completely different people who somehow turn out exactly the same. One's a recovering bloodlust enthusiast and the other's just a pervert.
"Izuku," Inko said finally, lowering her hand and looking at her son with weary affection, "that's not how breasts work. But I don't have time to explain female anatomy to you right now because we're already running late."
She walked over to the table and leaned down to plant a kiss on Izuku's forehead.
"Behave at school today, okay? And please try not to grope anyone."
Himiko giggled and quickly finished the last of her cereal before standing up. She circled around the table and leaned down to give Izuku a quick kiss on the cheek, her lips soft and warm.
"Have a good day at U.A., Izuku-kun! I'll tell you all about the shopping trip when you get home!"
Izuku sat frozen for a moment, his hand slowly coming up to touch the spot where Himiko had kissed him.
Well... that was nice, he thought. Maybe I should bring something home for Himiko later. Some hair clips or... I don't know, do reformed serial killers like cute accessories?
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stood up, grabbing his backpack from the chair.
"Okay, I'm heading out. Have fun shopping, and please don't let Himiko test the edge of any kitchen knives while you're in the housewares section."
"But Izuku-kun!" Himiko pouted. "I just wanna check if they're good quality!"
"No."
"But..."
"No."
Inko laughed and gently guided Himiko toward her room to get ready.
"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you changed into something presentable for our shopping trip."
Izuku grabbed his shoes and headed out the door, the warmth of Himiko's kiss still lingering on his cheek.
The morning at Class 1-A buzzed with the usual energy before the school day started. Students gathered in groups around their desks, chatting loudly about Present Mic's English homework and the rumors about the upcoming Sports Festival.
Wait... was there English homework? Izuku froze mid-step as the realization hit. I was so distracted yesterday with everything that happened, I totally forgot to check.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to push back the panic.
Focus, Midoriya. Class hasn't started yet, and you need advice from the smartest person at U.A.
His eyes scanned the classroom and landed on Momo, who was already sitting at her desk with perfect posture. She'd arrived early as always, with her notebook open and a mechanical pencil in hand.
"Momo!" Izuku called out as he approached her desk.
Momo looked up and her face lit up with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Izuku-kun! You're earlier than usual. Did something happen?"
"Yaoyorozu-san, Izuku-kun! Good morning!" Ochako exclaimed, arriving with a little hop that almost made her float. "You look super tense! Are you okay?"
Izuku positioned himself between their desks and lowered his voice a little, glancing around to make sure no one else was paying too much attention.
"Momo, I need your wisdom. This is really important."
Momo set her pencil down carefully and gave him her full attention, her gray eyes focused and analytical.
"Of course, Izuku-kun. What's worrying you?"
Izuku scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"What I'm wondering is... do you think anyone besides Principal Nezu and Midnight-sensei knows what my Quirk actually does?"
Momo's expression shifted, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully as she considered every interaction she'd witnessed. Her cheeks tinted a light pink as she mentally reviewed each instance of Izuku touching Ochako's chest or her own backside.
"I would consider it unlikely," she said finally. "Even though you've been quite... obvious with each use of your Quirk, almost every instance has occurred within the school grounds. The only exception would be your training sessions at the beach, but from an outside observer's perspective, those interactions would seem far more... inappropriate than scientifically rigorous."
Izuku exhaled with visible relief, his shoulders dropping as the tension left his body.
Thank God, he thought. For a moment there I was terrified that some villain already knew and was planning to kidnap me to make me touch their balls. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
Ochako noticed the relief on his face and leaned forward with concern.
"Why're you asking, Izuku-kun? Did something happen?"
Izuku's expression turned more serious.
"Yesterday, during the whole reporter incident, Toga saw someone really suspicious lurking around U.A. She said he didn't look like a normal reporter."
Momo opened her mouth to offer a rational explanation, but Izuku gently pressed his index finger against her lips, silencing her mid-thought.
"I know what you're gonna say," Izuku said with a touch of drama in his voice. "I considered the possibility that it was just another reporter. But here's the thing..."
He pulled his finger back slowly.
"Toga's like a bloodhound for dangerous people. If she says that guy was a threat, then he was definitely a threat."
Momo blinked, her cheeks flushing as she touched the spot on her lips where Izuku's finger had been.
"Was... was the touch on the lips really necessary for this conversation?" she asked quietly.
"It adds drama to the story," Izuku replied with complete seriousness.
Ochako watched the exchange with barely contained amusement, covering her mouth with one hand to hide her smile. Izuku continued, bringing his voice back to normal conversational levels.
"My real question is... who can I talk to about this without sounding like a paranoid conspiracy theorist?"
Momo went quiet, her mind methodically evaluating the options. Her fingers tapped against her notebook as she weighed the possibilities.
"Midnight-sensei would be an excellent choice," she said thoughtfully, "but locating her would be difficult given the size of U.A.'s campus. Principal Nezu would certainly be receptive given his intelligence, but approaching him directly without a formal appointment seems inappropriate."
She paused and then nodded with decision.
"From my perspective, I think your best option would be to confide in Aizawa-sensei."
Izuku's mind immediately conjured the image of his homeroom teacher: perpetually exhausted, dark circles permanently under his eyes, and wrapped in that yellow sleeping bag at every opportunity.
Will he even take me seriously? Izuku wondered. He already has a terrible impression of me after I touched Ochako's chest during combat training. What if he thinks I'm making this up to distract him from that?
He sighed, running a hand through his messy green hair.
"You're right, Momo. If this is bothering me enough to lose sleep over, then I need to talk to Aizawa-sensei and let him decide what to do. He's the expert here, not me."
Momo reached out and touched his arm gently.
"Don't worry, Izuku-kun. Aizawa-sensei is a Pro Hero with years of experience. He'll know how to handle this properly."
Izuku felt warmth spreading through his chest at having two amazing friends he could trust with his serious worries. He smiled at both of them.
They're right. I shouldn't doubt myself. Even if this isn't about protecting my balls from villain Quirk-enhancement schemes, it's still worth preventing a possible security incident.
"Thanks, you two," he said sincerely. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Ochako gave him a bright smile.
"You don't have to thank us! That's what friends are for, right? Supporting each other when things get tough!"
The classroom door slid open with a tired scrape, revealing Aizawa shuffling in while wrapped in his yellow sleeping bag. He moved like a caterpillar across the floor, his expression conveying exhaustion to anyone paying attention.
Izuku quickly stood up from his seat and positioned himself directly in Aizawa's path before the teacher could reach his desk.
Aizawa stopped moving, his bloodshot eyes focusing on the obstacle in front of him.
"Midoriya," he said dryly. "Move. Class is about to start."
"Aizawa-sensei," Izuku said quickly, "I need to talk to you about something urgent."
Aizawa stayed completely still, the yellow sleeping bag dragging slightly across the floor behind him. His tired eyes narrowed as he studied Midoriya more carefully.
"Midoriya...," Aizawa's voice carried a weary tone, "if this is about what happened with Uraraka, save your unnecessary apologies. I've already reviewed the report from the session, and as long as you serve your punishment with Midnight-sensei, there shouldn't be any problems. Don't waste my time."
Izuku shook his head vigorously.
"No, sensei. This is something completely different, I swear."
Aizawa let out a long sigh. He brought up a hand to rub his eyes, and the sleeping bag rustled with the movement.
"Then talk fast. I have exactly three minutes before class starts, and I'm planning to use two of them for a preemptive nap."
"Yesterday, during the reporter incident at the entrance, someone... a friend of mine saw a suspicious person watching the school. He wasn't a normal reporter, sensei. He was acting strange, hiding in the crowd."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow, and for the first time since the conversation started, he looked interested. His exhausted eyes sharpened slightly as he studied Izuku more closely.
"Don't waste my time with vague descriptions. If you're going to report a potential security breach at U.A., I need facts, not impressions from a 'friend.' The reporters yesterday were acting like wild animals trying to get a statement. What makes this person different?"
Izuku felt the pressure of having to explain without revealing too much about Toga. He couldn't exactly say, "My resident reformed assassin has a special nose for sniffing out other killers."
"My friend has good instincts for reading people," Izuku said carefully. "She said this guy was different from the reporters. He was alone, hiding in the shadows, watching U.A. with intense focus. She described him as someone with... a lot of blood on his hands."
Aizawa's expression didn't change, but the casual disdain disappeared, replaced by professional alertness.
"Your friend," Aizawa said slowly. "How reliable is her judgment?"
"Very reliable," Izuku answered without hesitation. "She knows how to recognize when someone's dangerous."
Aizawa studied him for a long moment, his mind clearly working through possibilities and complications. His relationship with Midoriya was tense at best, colored by the incident with Uraraka and the special consideration the Principal had granted because of the behavioral impulses tied to his Quirk.
This could be a legitimate concern, Aizawa thought, not taking his eyes off Izuku's face. Or it could be a stupid strategy to make me overlook his situation with Uraraka.
But Aizawa was an observant man who valued threat detection capabilities in his students. He'd seen too many young heroes die because adults didn't take their warnings seriously.
And then there was the timing.
Yesterday was the security gate breach incident, Aizawa's mind continued working. The reporters swarmed to cover it, and today Midoriya reports a suspicious observer outside U.A. Either he's telling the truth, or this is the most elaborate distraction attempt I've ever witnessed.
Aizawa's thoughts drifted unwillingly toward memories he preferred to keep buried. Oboro Shirakumo.
He'd lost his best friend because the adults hadn't acted fast enough on the warning signs.
His jaw tightened slightly.
We've got the rescue training exercise scheduled at the USJ for today, Aizawa thought. I can't ignore any potential safety factor before taking the students off campus. If there's even the slightest chance something's wrong...
"Go sit down," Aizawa said suddenly. "Class already started."
He brushed past Izuku toward his desk and pulled out a worksheet from his teaching materials.
"Everyone sit down and shut up," he announced to the class without raising his voice. "Complete this grammar exercise. I'll be taking a nap somewhere cooler."
The students exchanged confused glances but obediently took their seats and accepted the worksheets being handed out.
Aizawa grabbed his sleeping bag and walked toward the door, but instead of looking for a quiet corner of the building, he turned toward the administrative wing.
I don't like depending on Nezu... but if this gets out of hand, I'll have to give him an explanation.
********
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