My Hero Academia: Ruby and Emerald

Chapter 19: Younger Midoriya Izuku POV

At the beginning of their third year at Aldera Middle School, Izuku’s homeroom teacher reminded all of them that they needed to make a plan for their future careers.

He didn’t hand out the career planning forms, though. He said he assumed they were all gonna be heroes.

Well, Izuku was going to be a hero! And Kacchan, too!

That didn’t stop the rest of their classmates from excitedly exploding into a riot of illegal quirk use, each trying to show off what made them unique.

“Alright, alright, settle down, class. You might all want to be heroes, but only two of you have actually declared their intent to try for UA!” sensei announced.

“Who, sensei?” Watanabe-kun asked.

“Well, Bakugou and Midoriya!”

Another eruption of chatter from their classmates.

“Shut up, extras!” Kacchan shouted. “I aced the mock exam! Me and Deku are gonna be the first and only people from this shithole to get into UA!”

That was… nice? Of him? Kacchan had been more protective of Izuku ever since that first instance of Watanabe-kun and Takahashi-kun hurting him, but Izuku still was never quite sure if Kacchan actually viewed him as capable, or if he just saw Izuku’s heroic ambitions as an extension of his own, because they shared a training ground and a sensei.

It didn’t help when he always tacked Izuku’s name on like an afterthought.

“Really? You think Deku is gonna get into UA? How could he even have a chance? He’s totally quirkless!” Takahashi-kun shouted back at Kacchan.

“You’re one to talk! You wouldn’t be able to pass even with a quirk!” Kacchan rebutted.

The shouting from Takahashi-kun's group of friends overlapped so badly that Izuku couldn’t even tell what they were saying.

Mercifully, sensei called the class to order, and the school day quickly resumed.

-----

School let out, finally, so Izuku was free to go home and change and head to Dagobah beach. Kacchan was first out the door, and Izuku grabbed his notebook to follow him.

Or, he would have grabbed his notebook, if a nimble set of too-long fingers hadn’t snatched it off his desk first.

“What’s this? For My Future? Tch, what a daydreamer!” Watanabe-kun fake yawned, as he tossed the journal over his shoulder and right out the open classroom window. Great.

“Well, thanks for your input, but I have to go, actually!” Izuku smiled, turning to leave the classroom.

“Hey, hey, who said you were going anywhere? Right now or in your life, geez,” Takahashi-kun said, blocking Izuku’s path.

“Oh, leave it, Jiro-kun. This dumbass Deku isn’t worth our attention,” Watanabe-kun sneered, heading towards the classroom door.

“I have one last idea for you, Deku. If you want to be a hero so bad that you’re dragging Bakugou down with you, here’s a time-saving idea! Take a swan dive off the roof, and hope you’ll be born with a quirk in your next life!” Takahashi-kun laughed, then followed Watanabe-kun out the door.

He had really—he had really just told Izuku to kill himself! Didn’t he know that if Izuku listened to him, Takahashi-kun could be charged with a crime?

Izuku was familiar with the urge to punch someone, or to send spiders to their house, or to act in other violent ways, but he had never felt that urge so strongly before! What a jerk!