Beast In The Woods

Phase II!

Izuku chatted with the small part of his pack and headed to the waiting room for the next phase of the exam. He mainly listened to them as they explained what they did and how the class split after he had left. Izuku was immensely proud of their strategy and complimented them for staying together like a pack should. The feral boy happily trotted along with the other boys to the room.

"You're not a Shiketsu student." The tall boy who was glaring at Roki earlier said not far from the small pack. While not glaring, he was looking down at Izuku with a frown.

Izuku looked up at the tall boy with the same hat he currently had on his head. "Mh? Of course not, I just found it and liked it!" He said with a beaming smile.

The group with Izuku stopped to listen and stayed near their pack leader to see where this went. Izuku didn't see them but could smell the scent of more of his pack very nearby. He immediately caught the scent of his mate but stayed focused on the tall boy.

"You didn't read the rules of the exams? You are breaking them by taking from other examinees' uniforms or support equipment." He said not unkindly but still frowning at the much smaller boy before him.

Izuku stilled at not having thought about that. In all honesty, he didn't read the rules or even know there were rules other than not killing or maiming people. He thought quickly and hatched a brilliant plan inspired by some movies he had watched with his pack and mate during the weekends in the common room.

Kacchan watched with some interest to see what his old friend did but what he did surprised even him. He watched as Izuku became meek-looking and looked down while rubbing his arm. He raised an eyebrow at seeing such an odd sight. He shrugged when the others looked at him.

"I...I don't know how to read." Izuku said quietly. He sniffed as tears began to well up at the corner of his eyes with the help of pushing at his tear ducts.

"What?" The tall boy said in surprise, his eyebrows raised to his hairline.

"What?" Kacchan's group said in unison.

Izuku looked around in faux nervousness. "I... my... I didn't go to school for a long time because I was out in the woods for a while." He looked at the tall boy for his reaction and internally cheered at his ploy working. "I've been working on it! But it's hard and I've been getting help from Nem." He looked at his packmates with shame. "I'm sorry I lied."

Mina watched with utter confusion at her mate's behavior and was about to put it up to the other boy's quirk but by the look on his face, he didn't know what to say. Then it clicked, she should probably be more careful with the movies they showed Izuku from now on. But she couldn't betray her mate in a moment of need. She bumped shoulders with Shinso near her and made a subtle motion as she went to Izuku's side.

"Zuku, it's alright. You don't have anything to be ashamed of." Mina came to his side and hugged him tightly. "I know it's been hard, but I'll help you in whatever you need."

Toshi came up to his other side and gripped his other shoulder in solidarity. He was eternally grateful for the addition of a half mask to his costume that hid the threatening smile that he couldn't contain. "You've saved me from getting beaten and for that, I will never look down on you for such a simple thing as knowing how to read."

Most of the pack looked on in shock at what was happening which helped greatly at Izuku's act. "Thank you, guys." He looked gratefully at them with more tears threatening to spill.

"Let's get to the next phase for now, alright?" Jirou decided to join in and nudged them to the waiting room.

The four left a dumbfounded pack of 1A and the tall boy from Shiketsu High School standing there. 1A quickly followed after a moment of recovery and ran after the four.