One Hero For All People! (#1 Priority)

Chapter 4: Growth Spurt!?

It had been three months since Izuku Midoriya and Kyoka Jiro had first met, and their friendship had grown in ways Izuku had never expected. The nervous wreck that Izuku had been around her had not changed much, as he often found himself stammering or blushing under Kyoka's playful, teasing nature. She was bold—direct and confident, always seeming to know exactly what to say to make him flustered. And, without a doubt, it was clear who had the upper hand in their dynamic. Kyoka was the dominant one, always pushing the boundaries and getting Izuku out of his comfort zone, while he was more passive, going along with her bold suggestions and comments.

They spent a lot of time together, either hanging out at the park, exploring the city, or more often than not, training at Takoba Municipal Beach. The trash was slowly disappearing as Izuku continued his personal training regimen, and Kyoka sometimes helped—though she often preferred to sit back and watch, offering sarcastic commentary as he struggled to lift some of the larger pieces of garbage. But despite her teasing, she was always there, pushing him to work harder, and occasionally even joining in to give him pointers. Her presence motivated him, even if she liked to pretend she wasn’t all that invested in his training.

Kyoka, {smirking as she leaned against a pile of garbage}: "You're getting stronger, hero boy. Maybe one day you'll actually lift something heavy without looking like you’re about to pass out."

Izuku, {wiping the sweat from his brow, blushing}: "I-I'm trying, Kyoka! It's just... some of this stuff is really heavy..."

Kyoka, {rolling her eyes playfully}: "Yeah, yeah. Keep at it."

She wasn't one to offer soft words of encouragement, but her steady presence and confidence in him always gave Izuku a reason to push through his exhaustion. Despite how nervous he was around her, he enjoyed every moment of their time together.

But something changed one morning. Izuku woke up to find that his entire body felt... different. His clothes were unusually tight, his limbs longer, and his muscles... bigger? Still groggy, he stumbled over to the mirror in his room and nearly jumped in shock.

He’d had a growth spurt.

Overnight, it seemed like he had grown several inches taller. His once-skinny frame had filled out, showing the beginnings of muscle definition from the months of hard training. His pajamas barely fit, clinging to his larger form, and his hands trembled slightly as he took in the change.

Izuku, {blinking at his reflection, still in disbelief}: "W-What happened? I... I'm taller?"

He quickly grabbed a ruler and measured himself against the wall. Sure enough, he had grown at least three inches, if not more. His shoulders were broader, and his arms didn't look as twig-like as they used to. It was surreal—after months of feeling like his body wasn’t changing fast enough, it had suddenly transformed overnight.

Excitement welled up inside him. He had been working so hard to get stronger, and now, it was finally showing. He couldn’t wait to tell Kyoka. Although, the thought of her seeing him like this made him nervous. She was bound to make some sort of bold comment, and as usual, he wouldn’t know how to respond. Still, he couldn't help but smile. This was progress—real, visible progress.

After quickly throwing on some clothes that weren't as tight, Izuku grabbed his phone and sent Kyoka a message.

Izuku's message: "Hey, Kyoka. Want to meet up at the beach today? I’ve got something to show you!"

Her reply came almost instantly, as always.

Kyoka's message: "Sure thing, hero boy. Better not be something lame. See you soon."

Izuku chuckled nervously, already imagining the look on her face when she saw his growth spurt. He was definitely going to hear about it.

/////

Izuku walked toward the nearly finished Takoba Beach, his heart racing in anticipation. It was one of the final few days before the beach would be completely clean, and he felt a mixture of pride and excitement at the thought.

The beach had transformed from a trash heap into something beautiful again. But today, his thoughts weren’t entirely focused on the beach cleanup. He was more nervous about meeting Kyoka, especially after his unexpected growth spurt.

As he approached the familiar spot, he saw Kyoka already waiting by the shoreline, her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. Her usual smirk was in place, and her eyes locked onto him as soon as he came into view.

The moment he got closer, Kyoka's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She took a step back, tilting her head as she sized him up. Izuku had grown noticeably taller—so much so that she would need to stand on her tippy toes just to reach his eyes now.

Kyoka, {raising an eyebrow, a teasing grin spreading across her face}: "Well, look at you, hero boy. Did you hit a growth spurt overnight, or did someone secretly put you on steroids?"

Izuku chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. He was still trying to get used to his new height, but seeing the look on Kyoka's face made him feel a little self-conscious. He tried to play it cool, puffing out his chest slightly as if to show off his new stature.

Izuku, {attempting to sound confident}: "Y-Yeah, I've been working hard, you know? Guess all that training's starting to pay off."

Kyoka rolled her eyes, amused by his attempt to act tougher than usual. She could see right through him—he was still the same nervous, blushing Izuku underneath that new height and muscle. But she found it endearing, even if he was trying to act tough.

Before Izuku could keep up the charade any longer, Kyoka closed the distance between them, stepping right in front of him. She had to stand on her tippy toes just to meet his eyes, and without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Izuku froze, his mind going blank as Kyoka kissed him. Her boldness took him completely by surprise, as it always did, and all the tension in his body melted away in an instant. His attempt to act tough was immediately forgotten, and all he could focus on was the softness of her lips and the warmth of the moment.

After a brief second, Kyoka pulled back, her eyes locking onto his as she smirked, a satisfied look on her face.

Kyoka, {playfully, her voice soft}: "Don’t try to act all tough, hero boy. I like you better as a pacifist."

Izuku's face turned bright red, and he stumbled over his words, trying to find a response.

Izuku, {blushing furiously}: "I-I... I wasn’t... I mean..."

Kyoka laughed lightly, reaching up to tap him on the chest with her finger.

Kyoka, {teasing}: "Relax. You're doing fine just being you."

Izuku felt his heart pounding in his chest, but her words made him smile. He could never keep up with her boldness, and honestly, he didn’t mind. Being with her always made him feel like he didn’t need to pretend to be anyone else.

He let out a deep breath, finally relaxing, and nodded.

Izuku, {smiling shyly}: "Y-Yeah, okay."

They stood there for a moment in comfortable silence, the sound of the waves crashing softly in the background. Even though he had changed physically, Kyoka had a way of grounding him, reminding him that who he was on the inside mattered more. And for that, he was grateful.