The next day, Izuku found himself at the skate park again, but this time, it was earlier in the afternoon. The sun was still high, casting long shadows across the concrete. He wasn't expecting to see Kaito, Emi, or Ren this early, and that was fine by him. After all, he preferred the silence and the solitude. It was easier to think when no one was around.
He leaned against the far wall, watching the park's empty ramps, his board resting at his feet. Pulling a lighter from his pocket, he flicked it open, the small flame catching the tip of the joint he held between his fingers. It was something he did when he wanted to shut everything out, when the weight of expectations and the noise of life became too much. A quick inhale, and the world seemed to slow down, the constant pressure of being a hero-in-training lifting off his shoulders, if only for a moment.
As he exhaled, he heard footsteps approaching. Without looking up, he already knew who it was.
"Yo, Midoriya," Kaito's voice cut through the quiet. "Didn't think you'd be here this early."
Izuku didn't respond immediately, taking another slow drag before flicking the ashes away. His eyes remained on the ramps in front of him.
Kaito stopped next to him, glancing down at the joint in Izuku's hand. "Didn't peg you for the type," he said with a raised eyebrow, but there was no judgment in his tone. "You always this chill?"
Izuku finally looked at him, the usual nonchalance in his eyes. "Does it matter?"
Kaito chuckled, leaning against the wall beside him. "Nah, not really. Just curious. You're different, man."
Izuku shrugged. "I guess."
There was a comfortable silence between them for a few minutes. Kaito didn't press for more conversation, and Izuku appreciated that. After a while, Kaito pulled out his phone and started scrolling through something.
"You ever think about hitting up some competitions? You've got the skills for it," Kaito said, not looking up from his screen.
Izuku's eyes narrowed slightly, considering the question. Competitions meant attention, and attention was the last thing he wanted. The whole point of skating—of being here—was to escape from the pressure of being Midoriya Izuku, the hero student. He didn't need more eyes on him.
"Nah," Izuku finally said. "Not my thing."
Kaito looked up and studied him for a second. "You really don't care about anything, huh?"
Izuku took one last drag before dropping the joint and grinding it into the ground with the toe of his shoe. "Nope."
Another silence settled over them before Kaito broke it again, this time with a grin. "Alright, man, I respect that. But if you ever change your mind, let me know. You'd crush it out there."
Izuku said nothing, but the hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pushed off the wall, grabbing his board. The conversation was over in his mind, and he was ready to skate. Without a word, he kicked off and rolled toward the half-pipe, the familiar rush of wind and adrenaline clearing his head.
Just as he was about to drop into the pipe, he noticed a few kids from his class at U.A. walking nearby—Kaminari, Sero, and Kirishima. They hadn't seen him yet, and for a split second, he considered leaving. The last thing he needed was for them to find out about his skateboarding or the fact that he didn't give a damn about school or being a hero anymore.
But then again, why should he care if they saw him?
Izuku pushed off and dropped into the half-pipe, his focus shifting entirely to the motion of his board beneath him. He twisted, turned, and soared, his body moving on autopilot. The park was his, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.
As he landed a clean trick, he glanced toward the group. They still hadn't noticed him, too caught up in their own conversation. Good. The less they knew about this side of him, the better.
After skating for a while longer, Izuku slid to a stop near the park's edge, his heart pounding from the exertion. The joint had taken the edge off, and now he felt more like himself—or at least the version of himself that didn't have to pretend to care about everything.
Kaito and Emi eventually joined him, Ren lagging behind as usual. They didn't ask questions, didn't pry into his life like everyone else did. They just skated. And for Izuku, that was enough.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Emi spoke up, her voice cutting through the peaceful quiet of the park.
"Some of us are hitting up this underground spot later. There's a jam session, some good music, and plenty of space to skate. You should come," she said, glancing at Izuku.
He hesitated for a moment, considering the offer. Normally, he'd say no. He wasn't interested in hanging out with people, and the thought of a crowd was enough to make him second-guess. But the truth was, being around these skaters was different. They didn't expect anything from him.
"Maybe," Izuku said after a long pause.
Emi smiled, clearly pleased with his response, while Kaito just gave him a nod of approval.
As they all headed out of the park, the group splitting off in different directions, Izuku found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could keep doing this—skating, smoking, and drifting through life with no strings attached. For now, it worked.
And as long as no one from U.A. figured out what he was really about, it would stay that way.
