The next day at U.A., Izuku strolled through the school halls with his usual laid-back attitude, his earbuds in, blocking out the noise of the world. He didn't care much for the chatter around him or the stares he sometimes received from classmates. He wasn't interested in hero worship or being the center of attention—he just wanted to get through the day without any drama.
But today felt different.
As he walked to his homeroom, he noticed students whispering more than usual, glancing his way before quickly turning back to their friends. Izuku, ever nonchalant, didn't let it bother him. Gossip never mattered to him anyway.
When he entered the classroom, the atmosphere was thick. Kacchan was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, glaring at Izuku as usual. Todoroki sat quietly in his seat, but even he seemed more alert than normal. Jiro was fidgeting with her earphone jacks, shooting occasional glances at Izuku, while Mina and Kaminari were huddled together, whispering furiously.
"Hey, Deku," Kaminari called out, breaking the tension. "Didn't know you had it in you."
Izuku paused, pulling out one earbud. "What are you talking about?"
Kaminari grinned and nudged Mina, who giggled. "C'mon, man. The video! You and your friends at the skate park. Thought you didn't hang out with anyone outside of U.A."
Izuku's eyes narrowed slightly, his relaxed demeanor shifting just a bit. "What video?"
Before Kaminari could respond, Jiro stood up from her seat, walking over with her phone in hand. "Izuku... I saw it too."
She held the phone up, showing a video that had been circulating online. It was the footage Emi had taken of their sparring session at the skate park. Despite his request not to post it, it was clear that the video had somehow made its way to the internet, and now the entire class—and probably more—had seen it.
Izuku's expression didn't change, but internally, he felt a twinge of frustration. He hadn't wanted this side of him to be public, especially not to his classmates. The skate park was his escape, his place to be free from the expectations of being a hero. And now it was out there for everyone to see.
"Who posted it?" Izuku asked, his voice calm but with an edge.
Jiro hesitated, sensing the shift in his tone. "I'm not sure. It's been circulating for a few hours now. People are talking about it... a lot."
Kacchan, who had been silent until now, pushed off the wall and stepped forward, glaring at Izuku with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. "You've been hiding stuff from us, huh, Deku? What else are you keeping secret?"
Izuku met Kacchan's glare with his usual calmness. "None of your business."
The tension in the room rose as Kacchan clenched his fists, clearly irritated by Izuku's nonchalant attitude. "Tch. Figures you'd say that."
Jiro stepped between them before things could escalate further. "Guys, let's not do this. Izuku, I know you didn't want this to get out, but it's already spreading. People are going to talk."
Izuku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter. Let them talk."
Todoroki, who had been quietly observing the situation, finally spoke up. "You should be careful, Midoriya. Things like this can affect how the school sees you... and how the pro heroes view you as a potential sidekick."
Izuku shrugged, not caring about Todoroki's warning. "I'm not worried about that."
Just then, Aizawa entered the classroom, his usual tired expression in place. The room fell silent as he walked to the front, but even Aizawa seemed more focused than usual. He glanced around the room, his gaze landing on Izuku for just a moment before addressing the class.
"Alright, enough distractions. We've got a mission to prepare for today," Aizawa said, pulling out his tablet. "This will be a standard rescue simulation, but don't expect it to be easy. Suit up and meet in the training field in fifteen minutes."
The class began to file out, but Jiro lingered behind, glancing at Izuku as he packed his things. "Izuku... I just want you to know, I don't care about the video. I... I think it's cool that you have a life outside of this."
Izuku paused for a moment, looking at her with his usual unreadable expression. "Thanks."
As he walked out of the classroom, earbuds back in place, Izuku knew things were starting to get complicated. His private world was bleeding into his life as a hero-in-training, and while he didn't care about the opinions of most people, he couldn't help but wonder how long he could keep balancing both sides.
---
Fifteen minutes later, Izuku and the rest of the class stood in their hero costumes, waiting for the mission briefing. Aizawa explained the details: a simulated hostage situation in a multi-story building, with traps and obstacles set up throughout. It was designed to test their teamwork and individual abilities under pressure.
As the mission began, the class split into smaller teams. Izuku found himself paired with Kacchan, Jiro, and Todoroki—a team dynamic that was tense, to say the least.
As they moved through the simulation, clearing rooms and avoiding traps, Izuku stayed in the background, letting Kacchan and Todoroki take the lead. His mind wasn't fully focused on the mission—he was thinking about what Jiro had said earlier. About how she didn't care about the video.
They reached a moment of downtime between clearing floors, and Izuku, feeling a need to release some stress, reached into his suit and pulled out a small, hidden blunt. Without saying anything, he lit it and took a long drag.
Jiro, who had been scanning the area for enemies, turned around just in time to see the smoke. Her eyes widened in shock. "Izuku! What are you doing?!"
Kacchan, hearing her voice, whipped around, eyes narrowing when he saw Izuku. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Izuku, completely unbothered, blew out a cloud of smoke and leaned back against the wall, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Relax," Izuku said calmly, taking another drag. "We've got time."
Jiro's face was a mix of concern and disbelief, while Kacchan looked ready to explode. But before either of them could say anything more, Aizawa's voice crackled over their earpieces, ordering them to move to the next floor.
Izuku dropped the blunt, stomping it out, and began walking ahead of the group without a word, his usual nonchalant demeanor fully intact. He didn't care about the consequences—he never had.
