Chapter 57: Friends

With finals approaching, the students of the hero course learn about an incentive to perform, and plan ways to achieve that.

With training ending, class B made their way to locker rooms, though there was an issue. U.A.'s size meant that each area of training was a shower and locker room for the students. Typically, students would get dressed on site, but today, Vlad-sensei had had that they change on the main campus and then make their way over to the training zone, an odd request but not an impossible one.

It was only as they walked back and passed where the locker rooms were that they saw the reason: the rooms were locked with a sign reading 'under maintenance,' which seemed off because there didn't seem to be any other maintenance: no paint, no tools, no obvious signs of something being repaired. The doors and windows weren't even open, so it couldn't be that paint was drying, so what was it?

Midoriya would have to ask Tsu or Todoroki about it later, as class B just moved past it and went on with the rest of the class until they found themselves in their final period. The clock showed that they had minutes left before the bell rang, and they got to head home.

"Before I forget, I wanted to talk to you all about something, that being summer vacation," Vlad spoke up. "As you might have guessed, you won't be getting to just relax and have fun for an entire month."

"Don't tell me," Tetsutetsu started, already dreading this.

"Summer school?" Komori whined. Was this because she didn't have the best mid-terms?

“You’re training to be heroes; you should expect that we'll have such a thing so we can get as much knowledge into your heads as possible." Vlad crossed his arms, but his students seemed to think otherwise, as many looked down by the news.

Snorting, he gave them a break. “Lucky for you, that’s primarily for 2nd and 3rd years, and it’s voluntary. For you all, we'll be planning a week-long training camp off campus. That means you'll have at least 3 weeks off to relax."

There it was. He could see how the news got them excited. Maybe it was because it wouldn't be for the entire summer, but even then, a week-long camp could mean so much fun.

“Spooky stories in the woods?" Yanagi asked, an excited glint coming to her eye.

“Fireworks?” Tsunotori vibrated in her seat at the chance to experience an authentic Japanese fireworks show and to boot with friends.

“Bonefires and dancing…” Midoriya’s eyes glazed over while a smile stretched across his face.

“Flame grilled cooking with all the works," Fukidashi added.

“U.A. has plenty of zones for training, but getting some experience out in nature could do us some good.” Honenuki mused about the choice.

“Hold up, that can’t be the only thing, right? There has to be a catch.” Kaibara reminded them, and when they looked towards Vlad and saw his smile, they knew that Kaibara had been right on the money.

"I'm not sure of the specifics, but I can assure you that you'll have a chance to have fun even at the training camp, maybe not fireworks, as that could give the position away." Vlad started. "However, Kaibara’s right, there is a catch: All those fun activities won't be for everyone. Anyone who fails the coming finals will be barred from them and will be spending what would be a fun time studying with Eraser or me. Every.Single.Day.”

They all froze at that, terror in their veins as even Izuku felt like someone had dropped a giant ball of ice into his gut. Vlad was laid back, especially when he compared him to the stories he heard about Eraser from Tsu, Uraraka, Jiro, and even Hado-sempai.

Being forced to spend your time off training with him was a nightmare waiting to happen, and not even Vlad could make that better as he was still strict when it came to academics. Just the idea of others doing all the fun stuff like swimming in a lake, dancing around a bonfire or telling all kinds of ghost stories while you were stuck going over English and Math…no, they couldn’t-they refused!

Kendo shot to her feet, slamming her hands on the table. "All right, people! You heard the man; we'll ensure no one from class B fails!"

“Kendo’s right, if there’s gonna be failures, let it be class A.” Monoma followed her example.

"We should do our best, but maybe we shouldn't wish bad fortunes on others as well," Midoriya added, though he remained seated.

"Yeah, this is gonna be our first trip as a class; we can't afford to have anyone miss out on it," Tokage added, as others also voiced how they wanted to attend, what they wanted to do, and how they'll need to study hard to achieve that.

A happy Vlad sees all of this. If he were honest, he wanted them all to pass like any teacher would, though if some failed, he would happily help them learn from it. "Safe to say you all have seen proper motivation. It might be cliché, but I believe those who work the hardest should get the best rewards for it."

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"Midoriya, Kendo! Over here!" Uraraka happily waved from her table. It had been only a few days since Vlad's announcement of the upcoming summer camp, and class B had been focused on it and how each would manage to get a passing grade when they didn't even know what to really expect.

At present, they aren't in class but in the cafeteria. The two would have typically sat at their usual table but had been held back thanks to some class representative duties. By the time they had arrived and managed to grab some food, they were at a loss for where to sit as the place was jam-packed. Each table they saw only had a single free spot and often at spots that seemed like close-knit groups.

Kendo might have had the bravery to take the plunge, but Midoriya certainly did not. Kendo knew that and remained with him until luck had shined on them and Uraraka spotted them. Scanning Uraraka's table, they spotted that, along with Tsu, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, and Kouda, they had 2 free spots.

Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, the two quickly made their way over and graciously accepted the seats. "Good afternoon." Midoriya greeted him as he sat next to Kouda. The quiet boy nodded and whispered a greeting back, though his eye went to Koharu, who lazily looked back at him and returned his greetings.

"Thanks for letting us sit with you; we would have been in a pitch, " the big-fist user added.

"Well, you guys looked like you needed it. It would have been real scummy if we didn't help, you know, " Uraraka smiled. Nodding in turn, Kendo turned to her meal, the same as Midoriya. They ate in silence for a couple of minutes before a thought came to mind.

"Oh, and it just came back to me, but there was something I wanted to ask," Kendo asked their sister classmates.

"Well, go right on ahead; I'm sure any of us can provide an answer you'll be happy with," Iida spoke for the group, the rest nodding along as they probably thought it was academic related.

“The other day, the locker rooms by ground gamma were closed but we couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t too big a hassle as we changed here, but it has been something that comes to mind from time to time.” Kendo raised the question, though the reaction she got wasn’t one she or Midoriya were expecting.

"Oh, that." Jiro groaned, suddenly looking sullen and angry, while Yaoyorozu's face grew tense, like Uraraka's. Kouda looked away while Iida sighed as if weighed down by a great shame.

“Is there something wrong?” Midoriya asked, wondering if perhaps they had hit something personal.

Uraraka assured him it wasn't that; it was just something that they would like to forget, and the reason for that was: "There was a peephole, one that Mineta found."

Midoriya was still slightly confused, but Kendo put it together pretty fast. "Oh…yeah, I'm guessing he didn't report it and be done with it." She asked, much to Midoriya's shock as sure, Mineta didn't seem like the best person out there, but surely he wouldn't have-

"Unfortunately, not. I was unable to convince him to see reason." Iida's response got a gasp from Midoriya, who nodded along with him as he, too, couldn't believe that Mineta would sink so low, especially when Kaminari was against such a blatant invasion of their class's girls' privacy.

"Eraser chewed him out for it and had the place closed so they could properly inspect it for more and seal them up," Yaoyorozu added, though she had been clear to report what Jiro heard through the walls when she had found the hole and safe to say, their perpetually tired-looking teacher had been less than pleased.

“When could it have got there? U.A.’s the best school in Japan for heroes, how could anyone think to do such a thing as make a hole for…for…for that!” Midoriya asked.

"Heroes in training or not, we're all still teens you know, should have expected that our seniors would have perverts like Mineta," Asui replied, her face seemingly vacant of annoyance, but to those who knew her, they could pick up the feint shift in her tone that conveyed her true feelings. "We can't even be sure if a boy or a girl made it."

Their question answered, and the mood a little lower than it was before, Kendo and Midoriya decided it would be best not to converse again else they step on another ill-advised topic. So again, the table was quiet, though it was more relaxed as everyone just ate their food. At the same time, they would only have hero classes afterward; it wasn't as if their morning classes hadn't been draining in their own right as with finals approaching, their teachers were putting them through their paces, covering up the last topics of the semester while also grilling them on what had been covered.

That seemed like a safe enough issue to bring up, so Midoriya finished up his second serving of fish and soup, having arrived at the table with 4, and spoke up. “Have any of you had issues with studying?”

“You mean for the exams?” Yaoyorozu asked, and when he nodded, she continued. Well, I personally had no issues with the materials, but we did decide to create a study group."

“Really?” Kendo asked as she had performed quite well in mid-terms, taking 4th place in her class.

"Yeah, she's the top student in our class, I asked for help and others kinda went along with it," Jiro revealed, as while she hadn’t done too badly and taken 7th in class, Yaoyorozu had dominated at the very top of the class, even if she was to humble to brag about it.

"That's amazing, Yaoyorozu! I need to study extra hard just to keep up." Midoriya smiled at her, as his time at the shrine still impacted his grades; even with the extra effort and help he still got from Hado, Haya, and Amajiki-sempai, he was only 10th in class.

"Oh, it's not as big a deal as the rest of our classes. I'm sure both of you have much better performances in hero studies than I do…" Yaoyorozu's humble retort turned a little…dark at the end, Kendo being the half of the class B who understood what could be the cause of it.

“Still, Yaomomo, I don't know where you find the time. Things have been so hectic since the year started that I struggle to get time to go over what we learned in class." Uraraka sighed. She was pretty sure she had the lowest grades on the table, as she came 13th in the mid-terms.

“As long as one creates a proper timetable and sticks to it, then you'll be well prepared," Iida added, though she wasn't sure what she was expecting from him, as he had the second-best grades in class. Even Kendo and Midoriya, who weren't as close to Iida as the rest of the table, could picture him having such a timetable organized like the train schedules.

"(Kero)I typically help my siblings with their work, so it works to just study, and then I can keep an eye on them," Asui commented. She often did her work at the dinner table while her siblings watched something on the TV. When she finished, she could quickly take her books back to her room and start making dinner. One would think it would be distracting to study when cartoons were playing, but she did place 4th in class, so it worked for her.

"You could join us if you'd like, though it would be up to Yaomomo here," Jiro suggested.

Yaoyorozu, getting out of her funk, shook her head and politely refused. “As much as I would love to, I already have to work on helping several others, including Jiro. I fear if I include you, I’ll stretch myself too thin and deliver subpar service.”

"It's fine; I kinda figured as much earlier when everyone jumped onto the Yaomomo private lessons bandwagon," Uraraka replied, as Yaomomo was already helping Sero, Ojiro, Kaminari, and Ashido on top of Jiro. She also needed to focus on her own studies as well.

"You can always study with us; Tokage and Honenuki both got top marks in our mid-terms, and Tokage’s hosting a few study sessions at her house.” Kendo offered, jolting Uraraka out of her concerned funk.

"Really? She'll be cool with that?" Uraraka asked, to which the two class-B students shared a look, as Uraraka seemed a little too shocked by the offer. Did Tokage give off that sort of effect? Neither could say when they knew her to be what you saw on the label.

"I think so; only a couple of us agreed, and she's really friendly," Midoriya replied, though he frowned as he looked to the side, a pout on his face. "Though she seems to like teasing me too much." Tokage loved making him have, as she called it, 'adorable reactions’, and no matter how much he thought he readied himself, she always managed to turn him red and gasping to respond, leaving her with the amused victory.

"It's mainly gonna be math and literature with some art thrown in," Kendo explained further.

"Do you have anything for English?" Uraraka asked as it wasn't like that was her strong suit either.

Kendo shook her head. “That’s Honenuki and Tsunotori’s alley, but both will be there."

"Still, it won't be easy as we'll be examined on the entire semester's material," Asui noted.

"That's the bare bones of it, but we have no clue how the exam will be formatted. U.A. changes it every year to ensure people can't cheat." Kendo sighed. Midoriya had already asked his senior friends about it, and they all had similar things to say: It was always different. They could find themselves dealing with a series of multiple-choice questions, essays, report reviews, or something else.

"That's just the written portion, but we shouldn't have to worry too much about the practical," Midoriya noted, which got the attention of the class A students.

“Oh, and why’s that?” Uraraka asked as Midoriya took another bite of his fish.

"I heard from Hado-sempai that the practical is fighting robots. Sure, they might add restrictions and other goals, but that's the jist of it.” He answered after swallowing and tabbing his face with a small tissue.

"Hado-sempai? As they upperclassmen? Wait, are they one of the seniors you sat with the other day?” Jiro asked as she recalled the commotion that stirred, how Ashido and Hagakure had been wondering about it, and their relationship.

“Kaminari and Mineta got illogically upset about that.” Uraraka nodded at that, which got Midoriya’s attention.

“Why would they do that?”

Yaoyorozu and Jiro looked confused, wondering if he was joking. Still, seeing that he was genuine about it only took a look. “Dude, you were seated between two senior girls, one of which seemed like she'd fight anyone who tried to get you out of her grasp. Kinda hard for a couple of single morons like those two not to feel jealous." Jiro noted, though, that didn't help Midoriya understand.

“If they wanted to talk to her, they could have just approached.” It sounded to him that they were jealous that he got to sit with Hado-sempai and the rest, but if they had wished, they could have done the same. Hado-sempai and her entire group were very open and friendly people.

Iida seemed to be of the same mindset. "I told them such, and yet they ignored my advice."

"Do they not realize it?" Yaoyorozu whispered to Kendo, who shook her head.

"I doubt Midoriya does. He's far too used to being around Hado and her friends," Kendo told them. While Midoriya could catch on to obvious flirting and other sure signs of affection, romantic pursuits, or even insults, he could be dense when it came to the subtle types.

“And Iida can be a bit too literal at times.” Uraraka pointed out that Iida was much the same.

“Anyway, could you answer Jiro’s question, Midoriya?” Yaoyorozu drew the attention of the 10 boys, who had become involved in a debate over what their peers meant when they used slang and other unclear terms.

"Yes, and yes, they're third years, so they'll not be best on this," Midoriya confirmed.

"It's a relief to hear that, though it feels like a little anticlimactic with how U.A. typically does things." Asui mused that considering Aizawa's logical ruse on their first day, she would have expected…more.

"I'm not so sure about this; if we were meant to know such information, surely Aizawa-sensei would have told us." Iida seemed more critical of the idea of getting such information early.

"Perhaps he wished us to take the initiative and ask around. It's not as if we're barred from interacting with our seniors. When we're 2nd and 3rd years, perhaps our juniors could seek us out for such as well.” Yaoyorozu gave an alternative reading of things, as it wasn't like there was anything in the rules that barred the idea, and if Aizawa wished to make it a surprise, he could have told them as such.

“That would line up with his teaching style, so we just gotta worry about the written tests then, else you know what.” Uraraka shivered as they all recalled what was hanging over their heads. Any that failed would miss out on camp!

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Speaking with Tokage, she confirmed that Uraraka would come if she wished, even extending the invite to Asui, who could bring her siblings along so that she could keep an eye on them and get some studying done. Also, it somehow got out what the locker rooms were closed for, and once Monoma could put two and two together over why Mineta's eye had been covered with gauze that day, he couldn't stop laughing about it, and for once, no one stopped him as Mineta had it coming, if he couldn't respect the girls in his class enough to let them change in peace, he should be pocked in the eye.

"Are you sure you have everything?" Inko asked her son, the boy dressed to step out. Unlike his typical trips to the park or even the beach to clean it, he was going out with friends, something he had rarely done, even after he came off beaming about having more numbers and people in his grade.

"I made sure to pack anything I might need and extra money," Izuku replied, as this would be a trip all the way to Saitama, where Tokage lived.

"But it's going to be a big gathering, and it would be rude if you didn't show up with enough." Inko pressed, though Izuku knew it was more out of their shared sense of over-worrying than any fault on his part.

"I know, and I know I can be a heavy eater. It's why we made sure to make extra last night," Izuku reminded her, gesturing with his head to the large picnic basket he would take him with, loaded with food and other snacks. Koharu lay atop it, acting as a sort of guardian against pests and would-be thieves.

“So, when you get back?” His mother asked as Izuku finished putting on his shoes.

"If nothing comes up, like a villain attack, then I should be home by 6," Izuku replied as he grabbed his things, but not before giving his mother a big hug.

“I’ll be back, take care.” Izuku smiled as he stepped out.

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With it being the morning train ride to Saitama, one taken on a weekend at that, there weren't many people riding along with Midoriya, a happy thing as far as he was concerned as while he had no issues with crowds, especially when he wasn't the subject of attention. It also meant that Koharu could happily rest on the basket the entire ride, as those uncomfortable with an uncaged snake on the train could just sit further away from him.

When they arrived, Midoriya grabbed his things, allowing Koharu to slither onto her typical spot on his shoulders and around his neck, and they were off. Tokage didn't live in one of the largest cities; quite the opposite could have explained why so few got off with him, as most had already disembarked at several other stops along the way.

“It reminds me of the temple’s town.” Midoriya mused, walking down the small, quiet streets yet filled with so much life in ways that the big city could never match. Asking around, he could get proper directions to Tokage’s neighborhood, which seemed… middle-income if that made sense. It wasn't that he got wealthy vibes from her, unlike his few interactions with Yaoyorozu. Still, he figured that a recommendation student would come from wealth, right?

Yaoyorozu was wealthy, Honenuki came from a somewhat privileged upbringing, and Todoroki was the son of Endeavour, a man who, despite…whatever was happening behind closed doors at home, was still the number two and had been for 20 years, which had to bring in serious cash.

When he found the address, he was grateful that she gave it to him, as the place looked no different from the houses to the left or those on the right. Its garden only had some unique décor, some looking like dinosaurs, but they were well inside the yard and out of view from the street.

Looking towards Koharu, he voiced his thoughts. "I would have thought her place would have more life to it." Koharu hissed in agreement, as this particular human seemed like a colorful bird already trying to draw attention. Perhaps the contrast was made so she could blend when she wasn't out and about.

Right as Midoriya was about to knock, it finally dawned on him that he was going to enter someone else's house—a girl’s house, at that! He had never been to someone else's house, not since he used to visit Bakugo's when he was a kid, and even then, he had never gone to a girl's place!

“How is this such a big deal for you,” Evidently, he hadn’t kept his thoughts to himself. “You’ve had that Hado girl and her friend over plenty of times.” Koharu reminded him, finding his meltdown as confusing as she did amusing.

Midoriya shook his head. “That’s different, Hado-sempai’s Hado’s sempai! She’s super soft and comfy to be around, but Tokage’s-”

"I'm what, Hebimi?" Tokage spoke up. The girl had opened the door and leaned in the doorway, eagerly smirking.

"WHA!" Midoriya screamed as he fell backward, nearly dropping the basket. Tokage bent over and laughed.

"Oh my god, you should see your face!" She continued laughing as Midoriya was left beat red, wondering how much she heard or how he didn't notice the door opening. "Oh, seriously, dude. What do I do to you that your dear Hado-sempai does not? Come one, I'm waiting." Tokage pressed him, as Midoriya was put on the spot.

“Wah…wha…well…” How the heck was he supposed to answer that? All his friends had made him feel happy. Could they not when he could call them such? But they also made him feel angry, annoyed, sad, fearful. All other manner of stuff that he had read was just part of the experience, as you couldn't always have positive feelings towards someone else much the same as what they felt to you. Among them were those who had an extra effect on him, which he couldn't really understand, no matter how much he thought about it. And Tokage was one of them.

Lucky for him, Tokage could see how his brain was melting, and not in the way it typically did when he used his quirk and tossed him a bone.

“Kidding, I’m kidding, Hebimi. I already know what effect I have on you. Now come on, get your adorable butt inside already.” She got up and walked in, leaving Midoriya to scramble back to his feet and follow inside.

“I’m not adorable!” He yelled after her, removing his slippers at the door.

“Really?” Tokage looked over him, looking over him. Midoriya had dressed in a light white, red, and green yukata, loose enough along his frame that it seemed too big but small enough that one could tell it was merely a style choice. He could easily pass for a girl with his hair done up in a pretty little bun, along with his soft features and those large, expressive green eyes. "Could have fooled me; people probably thought you were a pretty damsel gracing them with that shrine maiden presence.”

“Where is everyone else?” Midoriya ignored the bait, mainly because he knew if he didn’t, he would get so worked up he would reveal that yes, a few people did mistake him for a girl. Tokage dressed in an oversized purple shirt, with her pants being unknown because the shirt was something that would look a size too big on even someone like Shishida.

"Not here yet, but you did arrive early," Tokage replied, looking at the clock hanging in her living room before correcting herself. “Or right on time, apparently. It should take another 20 minutes for the rest to arrive."

“Oh, well, where do I put…this?” Midoriya asked, lifting the basket for Tokage to see.

"I was wondering about that smell. Did you bring food?" She asked as Midoriya nodded, opening it to show its contents. Tokage whistled at the sight of all of it. “And a lot of it, too! Was that because you got a big appetite?”

"M-m-my mother and I thought it would be rude to show up empty-handed, so we made something we could eat for lunch," Midoriya muttered, as now he was feeling like he should have brought more if she feared he would eat all of it-which he wouldn’t, as he only worked up that sort of hunger after training and this would just be studying.

"Hey, I'm not gonna knock a free meal, and I remember what we ate at the temple. If you cook half as good as then, then I know we’re gonna enjoy this.” Tokage shrugged, directing him deeper into her home. “Come on, let's get this into the kitchen and packed away before something happens."

On the way, Midoriya looked around the place and could see more life inside than outside, but a lot of stuff was still in boxes that lined the walls.

“Are you moving?” Midoriya asked as they entered the kitchen, one of the few places that seemed fully unpacked, with everything set up and ready to use.

"Opposite, we just moved into this part of town the other day," Tokage replied as she opened the basket and started pulling out containers and setting them on the table.

“You never said anything at school,” Midoriya kept the conversation going, though he was really trying not to lose focus. Thanks to Tokage’s earlier tease, his head was in a different place, and he couldn't help but glance at his classmate and friend.

She wasn't wearing anything revealing, or what fashion magazines would call trendy, but somehow, seeing her in such relaxed, dull clothing worn more for comfort and convenience just drove him to the fact he was with her at a moment of real rest, a moment people wouldn't just show others unless they trusted them deeply.

Once he saw that, he also saw her other features. She always called him adorable, but it would be a lie to say she wasn't anything but amazing. Not to say the other girls he knew weren't but much Tokage; they each had something unique to them. In Tokaga’s case, it was that wild, confident beauty. Even relaxed, those upturned, dusky green eyes conveyed a strong sense of concern, attentiveness, confidence, and people skills he just would never have.

Her lips looked soft, and while her teeth were shark-like, he had never once felt fear around her for it. Instead, it was the opposite: from the day she gave him his nickname, he always got a sense of…relief around her, at least when she wasn't trying to get under his skin and turn him fire-engine red.

Lucky for him, she didn't notice him dozing off as she continued to explain. "It didn't seem important. It wasn't like it was a big move. Folks just found a good deal on this, so we could stop renting an apartment. Our old place is like a 10-minute walk down the road. More stuff would be unpacked by then, but we've been busy with stuff." She pointed in a direction that would take one further down the road.

Pulling the last container, Tokage, with Midoriya to point out what was which, placed stuff into the fridge or cupboard, respectively, before she led him back towards the living room. Midoriya thought he was out of danger for the moment and took a sigh of relief.

“Now, with the others not here yet, what to play a game of truth or dare?” Tokage asked, her eyes coming alive with a mischievous light.

"I made a mistake." Midoriya should have realized he would never be safe from embarrassment as long as Tokage could have a say in it.

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Same issue with that chapter being flagged as last week, but I just don't have the energy to argue with them now. I'll contact them during the week and ask them WHERE the issue is, as at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar to what content creators on YouTube complain about something, getting YouTube to review it, seeing they made a mistake in flagging it, but refusing to correct it like a petulant child.

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I wanted this to be a little longer, but this was a good enough cutoff point. Plus, we get another insight into how Izuku sees his friends and just how unequipped he is to understand the deeper truth of those feelings.