### Chapter 31: Caught in the Act
The next day, UA was buzzing even louder than before. After all the teasing from the day before, Jiro had hoped that things would die down. She should've known better. Rumors in a place like UA had a way of growing out of control, and this one seemed to have taken on a life of its own.
Jiro was walking through the halls when she felt the familiar stares from her classmates. The whispers were louder today, and she knew something was up. She pulled out her phone, checking social media, hoping to find some clue as to what had gotten everyone so worked up. As soon as she opened the app, her heart sank.
There it was. A video—one of Izuku's latest skate park adventures. Except this time, it wasn't just him skating around or pulling off some impressive tricks. He was sitting on a bench, casually lighting up a blunt, with Kaito, Ren, and Emi laughing in the background. The video was quick, no longer than ten seconds, but it was enough.
And the music. It was playing softly in the background, the unmistakable tones of a song with dark, heavy lyrics that only made the whole scene more rebellious. The title of the song, "I Don't Wanna Be Me," had become a fitting backdrop to the whole situation. It was as if Izuku didn't care who saw, or what they thought of him.
She felt a pit form in her stomach. Not because of the video itself—Izuku was always nonchalant about these things—but because she knew what this would do to their classmates. UA was a prestigious school, and anything that hinted at a student stepping out of line, especially a hero-in-training, was bound to cause a stir.
As she turned the corner toward the classroom, she was greeted by a group of students huddled around Bakugo's desk. They were all staring at their phones, watching the video that was now making its rounds. Mina's eyes flicked up as she saw Jiro approach.
"Jiro!" she called out, her voice full of curiosity. "Have you seen this?"
Jiro's face remained neutral, even though her mind was racing. "Yeah. I saw it."
Mina grinned, clearly amused by the whole thing. "Izuku really doesn't care, does he?"
"Not even a little," Jiro said, forcing herself to stay as calm as Izuku would be.
"He's wild," Denki added, laughing as he replayed the video. "I had no idea Midoriya was like this outside of class."
Bakugo scoffed from the corner, his arms crossed. "Deku's always been an idiot. Smoking and skating like he doesn't have hero training to do."
Jiro shot him a glance but kept her mouth shut. Arguing with Bakugo was a waste of energy. Besides, Izuku didn't need her to defend him. He could handle himself just fine.
Class started, but the buzz didn't stop. All throughout the lesson, Jiro could feel the eyes on her, especially from Ochako and Todoroki, who hadn't said a word yet but were clearly just as curious as the others.
When the bell rang for lunch, Jiro made her way outside, hoping to escape the gossip for at least a little while. She found a quiet spot near the back of the school, where she could be alone with her thoughts. It didn't last long, though.
A familiar voice cut through the silence. "Yo, Jiro."
She turned to see Izuku approaching, skateboard in hand, looking as laid-back as ever. He stopped next to her, leaning against the wall, his green eyes glancing around the area as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"They saw the video," Jiro said quietly, looking down at the ground.
"I know," Izuku responded, shrugging. "It was bound to happen."
