In the days that followed his strange dream and newfound power, Izuku wrestled with what to tell his mother. He couldn't reveal the full truth about One For All—that it had been passed down to him, that he hadn't actually been born with it. But when he thought about it, technically, he had unlocked a Quirk, so it wasn't really a lie. One evening, as he sat with his mother, he took a deep breath and decided to tell her.
Izuku, {with a slight nervous smile}: "Mom... I-I think I unlocked my Quirk."
Inko Midoriya's eyes widened in disbelief, her face lighting up with sheer joy. She immediately rushed over, hugging him tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
Inko Midoriya, {overcome with emotion}: "Izuku! I knew it! I knew you had it in you!"
Izuku hugged her back, feeling a sense of relief and happiness swell in his chest. It felt good to see his mother so happy, especially after all the times she had worried about him growing up without a Quirk.
The very next day, Inko and Izuku went to city hall to update his records. After explaining the situation to the staff, Izuku had to fill out some forms and, when asked what his Quirk was called, he hesitated for a moment. He couldn't very well tell them the truth about One For All, so he decided on something simple.
Izuku, {writing on the form}: "Power Stockpiling."
It was vague enough to keep his secret safe but true enough to explain his newfound abilities. The update was processed, and Izuku was officially registered as a Quirk user. Inko couldn't stop smiling the entire way home.
//////
With that weight off his shoulders, Izuku turned his focus to what came next: training. The U.A. Entrance Exam was in just ten months, and while he had the power of *One For All,* his body was still far too weak to handle it. He needed to build muscle, endurance, and strength if he was going to stand a chance.
Izuku decided to take on a challenge. He knew of Takoba Municipal Beach Park, a once-beautiful seaside spot that had turned into a garbage dump over the years. The beach had been covered in trash that washed up from the sea—old appliances, broken furniture, tires, bags of waste. The place was a disaster zone, and it was dangerous for anyone to visit.
But Izuku saw an opportunity. Cleaning the beach would be more than just a way to give back to the community. It would be the perfect training ground for him. Lifting heavy objects, pushing himself to clear the trash—it was exactly what he needed to build his strength.
Determined, he began his work. Day after day, Izuku went to Takoba Beach, moving trash piece by piece. The sun would beat down on him as he pushed himself, sweat soaking his clothes as he worked tirelessly. At first, the task seemed impossible—the piles of trash felt never-ending, and his body ached after every session. But with each passing day, he felt himself growing stronger. He could lift more, push harder, and endure longer.
Though it was exhausting, Izuku didn't give up. Every time he felt like stopping, he reminded himself why he was doing this—for the dream he had always believed in, to prove that even someone like him could be a hero. He could almost hear Yoichi's voice in his head, encouraging him to keep going.
And slowly, the beach started to transform. The piles of garbage diminished, revealing patches of sand that hadn't seen sunlight in years.
//////
Izuku trudged home after a long day of cleaning the beach. His body ached, his muscles were sore, and the only thing on his mind was a long shower and some rest. The beach was still a long way from being spotless, but he could see the progress, and that filled him with a quiet determination. As he walked, his mind wandered, lost in thoughts of training and the upcoming U.A. entrance exam in 8 months.
Suddenly, he heard voices coming from a nearby alleyway, harsh and taunting. Instinctively, Izuku's attention snapped to the source. He stopped in his tracks, peering around the corner of a building, only to see a group of boys surrounding a girl about his age. She had short, choppy purple hair, and her style—complete with ripped jeans, a black leather jacket, and boots—gave off a rebellious vibe. She didn't seem scared, though. If anything, she looked more annoyed than anything else.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The boys continued to jeer at her, one of them stepping closer as if to intimidate her.
Boy 1, {grinning smugly}: "What's with the attitude? Don't you know who we are?"
Girl, {rolling her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm}: "Oh, please. I've met toddlers with more self-awareness than you guys."
Her voice reminded Izuku of a character he had seen in a show—Uzi, from Murder Drones. That same biting sarcasm, that unshakable confidence, even when outnumbered.
Still, the situation wasn't good. Even though she didn't look scared, Izuku knew he couldn't just walk away. Without thinking, he rushed forward, his heart pounding as he called out.
Izuku, {raising his voice nervously}: "H-Hey! Leave her alone!"
The boys turned their attention to him, momentarily distracted. Izuku swallowed hard, his palms sweating, but he stood his ground.
Boy 2, {sneering}: "What's this? Another hero wannabe? You gonna stop us, kid?"
Before Izuku could respond, the girl stepped forward, hands on her hips. She didn't even glance at Izuku but instead addressed the boys directly.
Girl, {deadpan}: "Honestly, this is getting boring. You guys are wasting my time, so why don't you run along and find someone else to bother?"
Her words seemed to hit a nerve. The boys exchanged glances, muttering under their breath. One of them looked like he was about to say something, but another tugged at his sleeve, muttering something about it not being worth it. With a final glare, the group reluctantly backed off and walked away, grumbling as they left.
Izuku let out a breath of relief, his heartbeat still racing. The girl, now free from her harassers, turned toward him, her arms still crossed and an eyebrow raised.
Girl, {with a playful smirk}: "Well, look at you, hero boy. Thanks for the backup."
Izuku blushed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Izuku, {stammering}: "I-I couldn't just stand by... I'm glad you're okay."
She chuckled, clearly amused by his nervousness. Her sharp eyes softened slightly as she took a step closer.
Girl, {extending her hand}: "Kyoka Jiro. But just call me Kyoka. I'm not really into the whole last name thing."
Izuku blinked in surprise, then quickly shook her hand, trying not to seem too flustered.
Izuku, {nodding}: "I-Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you, Kyoka."
She tilted her head slightly, sizing him up before smirking again.
Izuku's face turned bright red at her words, and he quickly looked down, fumbling for a response.
Izuku, {embarrassed}: "I-I'm not used to... uh... talking to people like this..."
Kyoka laughed, a light, casual sound that put Izuku at ease despite his flustered state. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
Kyoka, {with a casual tone}: "Tell you what, why don't we hang out sometime? You're interesting, Izuku."
Before Izuku could fully process what was happening, she handed him her phone number, smirking as she tapped it into his phone.
Kyoka, {grinning}: "There. Now you've got no excuse not to text me."
Izuku stared at the phone in disbelief, barely able to process how quickly things had escalated. He looked up at her, still flustered but smiling shyly.
Izuku, {grateful}: "T-Thank you! I-I mean, I'd love to... hang out sometime."
Kyoka, {playfully}: "Good. Just don't be too nervous next time, hero boy."
With that, she gave him a small wave and turned to leave, walking away with her usual confident stride. Izuku stood there for a moment, his mind still racing. He had just made a new friend—and a pretty cool one at that. As he walked home, a small smile spread across his face. Maybe this whole training journey wasn't going to be so bad after all.
In his pocket, his phone buzzed, and he couldn't help but smile wider as he saw the text notification from Kyoka:
Kyoka's message: "Don't forget to hit me up, hero boy."
