A/N: Oh boy, it's been forever, but I'm finally satisfied with how this chapter turned out. Big thank you to you all for staying patient with me, I've gone ahead and written an extra-long chapter for you all! You warm my heart and encourage me to write better chapters. Also, just a brief side note: Everyone is going through something, be kind, and have the courage now more than ever when it feels like it's you against the world.

I am looking to replace my cover image with a fan-made drawing for this story. Those who want to submit their drawings can leave a review expressing their interest and I'll privately DM you an email to where you can send it!

Also, what are your thoughts on opening an Instagram profile where I'll share special updates, fan-made images, and more about my fics? Take care, stay safe everyone!

-Beth

It had been a while since the incident with Bakugo occurred and her mother still questioned her about it. It was almost as if her mother was afraid of what would've happened had she not walked in when she did.

Izuka pulled her hoodie a bit tighter to her chest, wondering the same thing. If her mother hadn't walked in if they had been alone a little longer, would they have kissed?

No. Never. It was plain as day that he didn't see her that way.

Besides, she wasn't that pretty. She had never been the girl boys chased.

It was just the heat of the moment that made it seem as if he was attracted to her. It was all in her head. Because nothing would've happened between them – period.

She decided not to dwell on the thought any longer. She had bigger things to worry about.

Like fixing the dents on the couch she had accidentally made that night and although her mother noticed, she hadn't commented on that at all.

Izuka also remembered how she had accidentally crushed her favorite All Might figurine shortly after and frowned, it had been a limited edition and she'd be screwed if she broke another memorabilia all because she couldn't properly control her quirk.

She had to be super careful around her All Might shrine too, and she chuckled, wondering what Shinsho would say if she had told him she had one of those.

He'd probably tease her about it and claim to help her find a replacement of the action figure she had broken.

She sighed, a smile lingering on her lips at that thought. She missed him.

Without missing a beat, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number. She held her breath as it rang before it sent her to voicemail.

She crossed her legs, not letting this get to her. Honestly, she should've expected it. He hadn't answered any of her calls since she'd got her phone back.

"Penny for your thoughts young Midoriya?" Toshinori asked, squatting down to speak to the girl who was resting on the floor after their long hour of training, "Are you frustrated about your progress again?"

Izuka lulled her head to the side before starring up at the face of her teacher, "I'm worried about not having enough time to get everything done before the entrance exam. No one will take me seriously if I mess up and can't even use my quirk."

"You shouldn't worry yourself silly about what's yet to come Midoriya, my girl," Toshinori said, trying his best to comfort her, but she knew deep down he was worried about the same thing too.

She hadn't even received an invite to participate in the exam and officially categorized her as a valid candidate for the hero course.

"What's the last day to receive the application status, All Might?" she asked, biting her lip. What if she never received one?

She already imaged All Might's disappointed face when the exams came and went, and she hadn't received an invite to participate.

"You already know the answer," Toshinori chuckled, patting her sad puppy-like head, understanding that she was stressed and said, "Invited can be sent until the day of the exam. Even if you don't manage to get one, you're still accepted into the Hero Support course. In there, you can show that you belong in the hero class and will have the opportunity to get transferred."

That had perked her up.

"You're right," Izuka agreed, remembering that she had read that in the school's handbook some time ago.

There was still a chance for her to become a hero. Until then, she would work hard to prove herself.

She picked up the baton on the floor before having it slapped right out of her hand. Toshinori shook his head at her and encouraged her to attack with a single motion of his hand.

"We're moving on," he said, his chin pointing at her bare fists, "It's time to fight without weapons like real heroes. So, Izuka, my dear, show me what you've learned."

With that, she acted quickly on her feet and charged at him. Her fists raised mid-run and she rolled out a punch which he dodged like the pro he was.

"For this exercise, you have to land a punch on me," Toshinori said, repealing another one of her punches by swerving to the side, "The punch can be natural, or quirk powered. But if you are not able to achieve this task, then we'll have to start from the beginning."

Izuka froze mid-step retaining his rules. If she couldn't land a punch on him, she would have to start her training all over again. Hadn't she just expressed how worried she was about not having enough time to him?!

She couldn't let that happen.

She stared down at her open palms in concentration and feel the pulsing of her quirk boiling in her blood like electricity. The tips of her fingers tingling.

It comforted her to know that although she couldn't summon it like she'd want to, her quirk was there inside of her. Now, if she could just exert a little more of this beyond her skin, she'd then be able to finally use it.

"Come on, you can do it," she murmured to herself, fists ready and feet poised to attack.

This time though, Toshinori lead with a lounge. She jumped out of the way, narrowly missing getting punched in the chest.

She sweatdropped; realization setting in. This is when it came in handy having a semi-flat chest.

"Just one punch," she mumbled back to herself, trying to push more of the electric power into the palm of her hand, "One punch and you're done. I can't take the loss; I need to push through."

Izuka nodded at him, letting him know she was ready to continue.

They dodged, danced around one another again, and right when she had an opening at his stomach, she went for it.

She went for it with all her might, and within those few seconds that her fist went flying, she could see her hand glowing an eerie green.

Her hand felt like it was on fire, and it burned a lot. She could feel her heart accelerating more than usual, and her hand trembled as the pain escalated into pricks crawling further up her palm and cutting straight into her wrist.

That's when she knew she couldn't control it.

But what was worse was that it was heading straight at All Might at such a fast speed that he wouldn't have the chance to dodge it.

So, she did what Midoriya Izuka did best. She purposely tripped and found herself face planted on the ground.

Sweat beaded down her face, and Izuka felt all her energy drained out of her. Her hand felt sore, her wrist ached, and her cheek stung too.

She could feel All Might hauling her up and back onto her feet and helping her sit down on a bench before he squatted in front of her to examine her hand.

"It was an accident, I tripped. Let me try again," she heard herself stubbornly say, "I just need a second."

Toshinori simply gave her a side-eye as he let go of her hand and it gently dropped into her lap. She could sense his hesitation, and she willed her injured hand to grasp his.

Closing her eyes, she pushed past the pain and caught a piece of his shirt. She held onto it tightly, pleading, "I know I can land a punch. I know I can. Please don't give up on me."

Still silent, All Might thought it through. She had purposely sabotaged her attack and by the looks of it, it had been because she had pushed past her limit and at the last second, she had lost control. As much as he wanted to know why and test it out again, he didn't know if she could handle it.

"Please," she asked again, opening her eyes as tears began forming around her lids, ready to fall.

Toshinori could feel the soft spot that he held for her grow at that moment and he knew he couldn't say no to her because she wasn't ready to call it quits. Maybe it was pride that filled him up knowing she managed to hold out for this long without giving up.

She was a natural-born fighter. But he wanted her to train her body to successfully channel One for All, and that meant seeing why she had dispelled her attack that was guaranteed to land squarely on his stomach.

With a sigh, he caved and gave her a nod.

"You didn't give it your all Izuka," he proceeded to say, pretending that he was clueless and buying into the tale that she had tripped, "If you did you wouldn't have stumbled over your own feet. Show me that you can put power behind your moves."

Izuka felt herself stir with newfound determination. In a heartbeat, she was back on her feet, grinding them into the ground ignoring the numb-minding pain in her arm.

All Might's eyes widened as he watched her squeezing her fists despite the grunted noises that slipped out of her before she charged at Toshinori. Her knuckles barely scraping his shirt.

It had been the fastest he had seen her run, and he was caught off guard. He had expected the electricity that had been hiding within the palm of her hand a few minutes ago.

But that almost-punch had been empty, and he had noticed her whimper as she jumped back into position.

Izuka huffed, her feet going through the same pain her hand had been through earlier, but she bit her lip, not letting it deter her from her target as she positioned herself back into her fighting stance.

Toshinori raised an eyebrow at her boldness and the passion within her while he continued to watch her movements carefully.

It was obvious that she was pushing herself to the limit of exhaustion, but her fiery soul showed the opposite.

She would give it her all until the end, like a true hero.

It was amazing to meet a kind spirit like her, but as her mentor, it filled him with worry that she would truly push herself and never come back. If she didn't know how to channel her quirk properly, it would swallow her up and that'd be the end.

One look at her face reminded him that she would be the one to do such a thing and for good reason. He wouldn't stop her if she made such a decision. As her teacher, he would support her and he'd damn well train her so a day like that would never come.

He would get her to where she needed to be and he'd contribute to do his best to look out for her because contrary to her timid behavior, she was not one to be easily satisfied with the way things turned out. That's what made Midoriya Izuka a hero – but they both knew, her need for total fulfillment could be her greatest downfall if she didn't know when to stop.

Izuka made sure to conceal her next move, a strategy playing out in her head as she ducked under his right hook, flipping and going straight for his back.

This time, it didn't surprise him. He had left himself open on her behalf, but he had anticipated her to make an attempt at using her quirk and she hadn't. So, he dodged at the last second, and she lost her footing.

"I need you to land a hit using your quirk. Don't hold anything back," Toshinori commanded, transforming into All Might as he watched her nod, not backing down from the challenge.

Izuka felt unbalanced, and she knew she wouldn't be able to last any longer. She felt like she was stepping on needles, but she's gotten this far, and she was not ready to give up.

"All's fair and square as long as I land a hit," she muttered, meeting All Might's stare before she proceeded to shout, "I will land one. Quirk or no quirk! Those were your rules All Might!"

And then she ran, she ran straight towards him with full force and landed a hit.

"Hah! You did it!" Izuka heard All Might rejoice and she opened her eyes to catch a wide, relaxed smile on his face.

What she hadn't expected was to see him laying on his bottom a few feet away from where he once stood. Nor the odd fact of how happy he appeared to be by getting beaten by his student…but none of it soothed the soreness she was feeling all over.

Her left hand felt like it had been dipped in a chemical that wanted to burn her skin right off her bones. While her feet gave out and her knees buckled, coming down from the high of her sheer willpower to stay standing minutes before.

"Izuka, what's wrong?" she heard Toshinori shout somewhere in the background, before he was in front of her, holding her up.

She placed her hand on her head, wondering the same thing, before she lied, "Nothing, I'm fine, I'm just a bit dizzy."

"Hopefully this isn't a side effect of using the quirk," Toshinori mumbled, helping her sit on the ground. "Wait here, I'll get you some water."

She nodded, watching him walk away with one eye before the sight of her hand caught her attention. A thin, long scar from her middle finger over her palm and down to her forearm, almost like a vein starred right back at her.

"Here, drink up," Toshinori said, jolting her out of her thoughts and Izuka quickly hid the scar from view, accepting the bottled water with her other hand.

If he were to find that scar, he'd easily piece two and two together and backtrack their training. He would claim that she wasn't ready to move on and she would not be held back after getting this far.

Maybe, if the entrance exam date wasn't drawing so near, she would show him her newfound scar without any fear of repercussions. Then they could examine and monitor her quirk, but there wasn't any time.

"Are you feeling better?" Toshinori asked, startling her again, "You haven't taken a drink."

"Oh, no, it's nothing," she shyly replied, forcing a smile in his direction, "I was just thinking of better strategic fighting moves I could have performed to win sooner."

And just as forcefully, she chugged at the water as quickly as possible.

"Slow down Izuka, you'll get a stomachache if you drink too fast," Toshinori worriedly advised, knowing that something wasn't right, but what exactly, he didn't know.

She merely laughed her odd behavior off, "Sorry, guess I was really thirsty."

"Should I get Recovery Girl to take a look at you?" Toshinori offered, carefully watching Izuka whose eyes widened at the comment.

"No, there's no need," she said, rejecting the idea that could very lead to her newfound scar being found out, "I'm fine, really. We shouldn't trouble her over nothing serious."

He processed her words before caving and nodded, believing that she truly was alright.

"Very well," she heard Toshinori say, "I'll leave you then to compose yourself. I have an appointment in a few, but if you need anything, my girl, anything at all, just call."

She nodded enthusiastically at him and displayed another small smile of appreciation in his direction, "I will."

Once he finally left the room, she collapsed into a heap on the bench, her shoulders slumping, and a groan of pain left her lips.

"I feel like a potato," she grunted out to no one before regaining her will power to move and slowly, she removed her favorite red sneakers to inspect her feet.

When the socks came flying off, she felt a sense of relief flood through her knowing that her feet were completely bare of any marks.

"Oh, thank kami," she said laughing before her phone began to ring.

Forcing herself to move, Izuka managed to retrieve her mobile from her backpack by laying on her back and attaining the pesky little thing with her left arm.

On the last ring, she slid it unlocked and answered before realizing that she hadn't even checked who had called.

"Hello?" Shinso Hitoshi's voice echoed through the earpiece and she almost dropped the phone, "Izuka are you there?"

"Hitoshi," she breathed back in reply to let him know she really was there on the phone with him, "Hi."

For a brief second, the line went dead and Izuka felt her heart drop at the thought that they had been disconnected but she heard him shuffle around some things before speaking once more.

"I'm back in town," he announced, as casually as he could, "I'd like to see you later…it's been weeks."

"Yes," she said, a little too excitedly, her back straightening but she ignored the slight sting at the sudden movement, "I mean, yeah, I'd like that."

"Great," Shinso said, smiling, "Meet me at the ice cream parlor at six?"

Izuka nodded into the phone, forgetting that he can't see her and replied, "Yes, see you there."

When she heard the click of the line end, she screamed like a crazed schoolgirl and fisted the air for effect.

Well, she couldn't help it, she was a schoolgirl after all. But that wasn't important, what was important was that Shinso was back home!

And he had invited her to…to go to the famous ice cream parlor that all the popular kids frequented after school hours.

Izuka grunted as if doomsday was coming.

Everyone knew that the ice cream parlor was the new afterschool hotspot. It was not a place where you went with your parents, it was a sacred place that many swore serves the best gelato and if you were lucky enough to get served by the owner, it was rumored that he would reveal your soulmate's personality through his scoops.

But that was silly gossip that girls made up.

What she was more concerned about was the possibility of running into Bakugou there because she knew he went there occasionally, when their classmates would force him to go.

And it was not a place where girls like her would go by themselves, luckily, she would have Shinso beside her. She just did not know if that was a good or bad thing.

She kept messing with her braid, and she could see her mother coming up behind her through the reflection of the mirror.

"You look beautiful Izuka," Inko chimed in, placing a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder in hopes that it would ease her nervousness. "You should worry more about knocking Shinso off his feet rather than your hair, which is perfect if I do say so myself."

Izuka just nodded, watching her effortlessly her mother's own straight hair fell out of her bun and despite her age, her mother's clear, freckled-less face radiated brightly. She was much more beautiful compared to her own freckled beauty marks and unruly curly hair.

If they did not share the same hair color, Izuka would've believed that they weren't related at all. It didn't help that they were complete opposites. Inko was graceful, knowledgeable, and elegant in her own mannerism. Izuka however, was none of that.

"Those boys, even girls out there," Inko said, cutting Izuka's thoughts short, "don't know what they're missing out. So do stop stressing, my dear Izuka."

"Thanks, mom," Izuka said, enveloping her mom in a warm hug.

Her mother laughed, patting Izuka on the back, "Now, go on, you'll be late to the parlor if you keep standing in front of this mirror the whole day."

Finally releasing her hold, Izuka laughed along with her mother before taking off.

It's not that she was worried about how she looked, more like how others would react seeing her there. But never mind that now, it was something she couldn't change, she should just focus on the exciting fact that she was going to see Shinso after so long.

It did help that she had so much she wanted to tell him. She had made up her mind that she was going to tell him about her quirk.

It was the perfect opportunity to do so too. The weather was pleasant, the sun was hot, and they would be sharing a sweet cold treat. What better time to tell him something so important than over ice cream?

Izuka fiddled with the strap of her crossbody bag as she rounded the corner, noticing that her destination was nearing. She could feel her heart pounding, but she wasn't quite sure of the reason.

She then saw him standing there, next to an empty patio table, looking just as miserable as always and it brought a wide smile to her face. He was early and he hadn't noticed her just yet, so she couldn't help it when she broke out into a sprint despite her aching muscles protests. The pain was worth it as in a blink of a second, she had lunged at him from the side and hugged him while laughing like a crazed maniac.

"Missed you too," Shinso said, a sideways smile on his lips.

"It's felt like forever," Izuka agreed, letting go of him, completely forgetting all about her worries with him beside her.

"I've gone ahead and ordered their specialty," Shinso said, pointing behind him at the door.

"Ah, you didn't have to Shinso," Izuka said, blushing in embarrassment that she hadn't even had a chance to pay for her own meal.

He just shook his head, "My treat. Why don't we sit down?"

As they sat down, Izuka ever oblivious never heard the sound of the door chime open and found herself staring at a plate of ice cream scoops that had appeared in front of her.

"You have perfect timing Izuka," Shinso commented, flashing her another smile and she simply laughed.

If that was true, now was her chance. She was getting ready to open her mouth and voice what she desperately wanted to reveal to him, but he beat her to the punch.

"I have something to tell you," Shinso said, his brows nervously creasing together, his smile gone as he concentrated on her face.

"Okay," Izuka said, unsure of where this conversation was going. She could feel the tension rise up and worry begin to creep in again.

He was acting strangely and she could see that he was toying with the spoon in his hand, scooping up the ice cream before dropping it back onto the plate.

"It's about why I've been gone. Why I haven't responded to any of your calls," Shinso began and Izuka's mind jumped into auto gear, evaluating multiple conclusions at the speed of light.

She automatically feared the worst, knowing that he was preparing himself to confess something rather important that would impact them both. She instantly thought that it was because he didn't want to be around her anymore. Or maybe he was moving. Maybe he already did and he didn't tell her because it was easier to ditch her, but if that was true, why was he here with her?

"Oh," she said. Her hands beginning to sweat in anticipation of his answer, before she noticed that he was still intently concentrating on her face.

It was as if he was scared that she was the one who was going to flee.

"I don't want to keep it a secret from you," Shinso sighed, a hand running through his purple locks that appeared a lot messier and frantic than she recalled, "I wanted to tell you from the start, but I wasn't allowed to."

She bit her lip, inhaling sharply and patiently waiting for him to continue. Waiting for him to tell her that it was her all along. That she was the problem or something terrifyingly similar.

It then occurred to her that she didn't really know Shinso Hitoshi all that well. Every time they talked; he would always ask about her. When she tried to ask something personal, he would always switch the topic back onto her.

What was his favorite color? Did he prefer ramen or rice balls? What were his parent's names again? Did he even live with his parents? Why had she never thought of this before? He probably knew everything about her, but she couldn't say the same.

Maybe this was one of those red flag warnings everyone talked about in relationships. Suddenly, she steeled herself to get dumped by her first real friend.

"I needed to hone my skills before the Hero course exam, so I trained with pro-hero Mandalay," Shinso quickly blurted out, and Izuka tried her best to process it all, "I needed a quiet place to concentrate and they provided me a private cabin in their forest territory which helped immensely.

"The only downside was that there was no cellular service there. I tried connecting with you one night on the landline they had in another building, but the signals didn't hold. That's why I probably missed all your calls. If I knew, I would've told you in advance. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark Izuka."

This was a lot thrown at Izuka and all she could mumble out as she gasped at what he had blurted out so suddenly was, "You trained with one of the members of the Wild, Wild Pussycats…and that's why you didn't answer…"

The bottom line was that they were still friends. He wasn't going to end their friendship nor was he moving away.

Yes, he had ditched her to train with someone who could actually help him improve his powers rather than staying behind with a quirkless girl like her. But how could she blame him for that? She too was training with the number one pro-hero of all time.

If she was being completely honest, hearing that he chose to train with a hero while she was still quirkless stung a bit. It meant that she had been left behind again.

First, it had been Kacchan leaving her behind as he chose to hang out with cooler kids who had quirks. Now it was Shinso and her mind drifted to the third boy she knew, wondering if Shoto would be next to leave her in the dust.

Izuka hoped that he wouldn't, but she couldn't be so sure after that fiasco the other day.

What she did know was that Shoto was different. He already knew she had a quirk and he seemed to be interested in the real her. That thought caused funny little flutters in her stomach.

"And," Shinso said, cutting Izuka's musings short without realizing how exactly this was affecting her, "I'm still training."

Izuka merely stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I'll be going back periodically," he continued, watching her for any sign of a reaction, but she had managed to cool her features down, "and we most likely won't be able to train together anymore."

Shinso frowned, looking at the girl across from him with sorrow as he realized another thing, "Or hang out and talk as much. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you away. Everything just happened so quickly."

He had apologized twice, not even offering a solution like that of writing a letter to each other or taking her along with him to watch him train. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to blame him when it wasn't up to him. He didn't even know she had a quirk…

Besides her own weekends were preoccupied with All Might now.

If she thought this out logically, which she was trying her best to do, she realized that if the tabled had been turned, she would've put Shinso in the same place she was currently in.

She would have been the one to tell him that she was taking up a new training partner. She would confess that she no longer had time to train with him anymore and it would have broken her heart to do that to him.

She hadn't thought that far of the consequences of how her life would change, how it would impact those around her when she chose to be the next carrier of One for All.

Ironically, it was better this way. This was easier for her to accept because he wouldn't have the courage to make him feel the way she felt. She was continuously grateful that in the end, All Might had chosen her.

Knowing this, she understood just how lucky he was to get the opportunity to be trained by a hero and she couldn't help but feel happy for him.

"Training with a hero from the Wild, Wild Pussycats group is an amazing opportunity!" Izuka cheered, surprising Shinso that she was not angry but the completely opposite, "It must be so cool."

"It's truly unbelievable," he happily confirmed, a wide sincere smile covering his face, "I'm glad you understand.

You wouldn't believe what I'm learning from Mandalay. She's teaching me all about the human mind, and most importantly how to use my quirk to my advantage."

Izuka squashed the pain that still resided in her heart and instead smiled, knowing everything felt right again as they settled back into a playful conversation.

"Does she really like napping like a real cat?" she asked, her fingers twitching to jot down a few notes in her blue journal that was in her bad, but she had to control her urge.

She tried focusing on the ice cream before her that was beginning to melt, the funny colors of cherry red, orange mango, and apple green starting to mix into an unpleasant sight. Looking up to focus on Shinso instead, she could see the way he glowed. He was happy and content.

He looked like he was looking at the world differently too. As if no one was out to get him or present snide-full comments of his quirk's villainous traits.

He truly looked less paranoid and angry and she knew this was good. This was another perfect opportunity presenting itself upon her to tell him exactly what she had been up to since his leave.

Her heart sped up and she could feel her hands clam up. She was finally going to do it. She was going to reveal to the first person who knew her before the incident that she had a quirk.

It was nerve-wracking, to say the least, but she'd faced far worse and she was beyond ready.

"Shinso I also have something to tell you-" Izuka heard herself begin to say but he cut off.

He was so caught up in his own excitement that he had continued speaking and he was obvious to notice that she also wanted to get something off her chest.

"Once I become a hero, I'll show all those who've picked on people like us Izuka. Especially those with blessed with heroic quirks by society's definitions," Shinso exclaimed, the fire she had believed to have vanished relighted itself in his eyes.

Izuka clamped her mouth shut knowing she was oh so wrong. His hate was still there and it was burning with a passion like never before.

"To those who put us down as if we're nothing of importance will no longer shadow over us." He continued on his rampage, a scowl now adorning his face, "They have it easy while we have to work twice as hard to prove ourselves, but soon, they will stop degrading people like us."

Her sessions with All Might, the all-nighters of her attempts to control her newfound quirk, and the image of her new scar on her arm flashed before her eyes.

"Y-Yeah, easy," she replied halfheartedly.

If his hate for those who had physically stronger quirks fueled his determination to become a hero this much, where did that leave her? Did her possession of One for All, by his definition, extended to her and he would hate her too?

She didn't want to lose his friendship. If she told him now about her quirk…she feared the worst once more.

This time, it was the thought of him despising her and Izuka knew she couldn't risk it.

So instead, she forced a nod in agreement to his harsh opinions and steeled her heart. She could not bring herself to tell him that she had gained a quirk while he was away.

She was now one of those people he hated so much because of how 'easy' her quirk was in landing her a future as a hero. But it didn't guarantee her one.

Funny how that worked. Nothing about having this type of quirk was easy. She still had to work twice as hard and learning how to channel a quirk that made up the Number One Hero was no easy feat.

To summarize it all, her life was still one big mess and everything was just getting more complex as time continued to pass.

"Izuka?" Shinso asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. She wondered if he had asked her something.

"Izuka, are you alright?" He asked again, "I was asking how you've been for the past couple of weeks."

"Great!" Izuka replied, her fake smile still plastered to her face and she could feel her cheeks hurting, "I've been busy what with filling out the application for Yuuei, taking tours, cramming extra classed after school and training on my own."

"Did you finalize the application for the hero course?" He asked and she noticed that his features had taken on a sort of worrying look.

"Amongst others, yes," Izuka nodded, wondering why he looked so sullen all of a sudden. After all, he had been the one to push her to pursue both the hero support and hero course tracks.

Her curious mind just had to ask, "Why?"

"I've thought a lot about it," Shinso sighed heavily, "It's just that Mandalay and I discussed the details of the entrance exam for the hero course and don't get the wrong idea, but I don't want to see you get hurt. You see, the exam is more like a relay course, but the obstacles are much more dangerous."

Bells were ringing loudly in her head. She could predict what he was about to say next before it even came out of his mouth and her spoon slipped out of her hand.

Just give it up before you hurt yourself. Be realistic. You can't do it. 'Stick to the hero support course. 'Some people were meant to be civilians.'

"It's just…Are you sure that's what you want Izuka? Do you really want to go through with the decision of becoming a hero?" Shinso asked, offending her that he was asking such a thing.

His tone gave away the concern he felt geared at her and she could tell he had changed his mind and didn't want her to do it. He no longer believed she could do it.

"One hundred and one percent," Izuka replied and she could feel the fullness in her voice.

She had done it once before, but never again. She would never give up her dream of becoming a hero, she had waited long enough for her quirk to just give up now.

"Alright," Shinso replied, unsure about his own answer.

Her sweet tooth long gone, and her spoon lost, Izuka pushed away her plate wondering if coming out here had been such a good idea in the first place. Despite everything, she was still trying her best to make this a pleasant evening.

"Did you not like the gelato flavors they served you?" Shinso asked noticing that she had stopped eating, "Here try mine."

Before Izuka knew it, he had scooped up a spoonful of something yellow and brought it up to her lips. The contact of the cold making her jump but something even stronger and warmer sent her a few inches into the back of her seat.

She could smell smoke and when she realized it was coming from her shoulder, she couldn't help the small cry that escaped her once her body caught up with the realization that she was getting burnt.

She places her hand over the one touching her, before yanking it off and looking up at the culprit and time freezes for her as she notices Bakugo and the blazing anger in his redder than usual colored eyes.

She tries to capture his attention, but the blonde is too focused on Shinso, ready to attack at any second. Shinso, however, noticed the sparks of fire releasing from Bakugou's hand and causing a smokescreen to surround them.

Knowing this wasn't going to end well, she yanks Kacchan's hand harder before he's forced to look down at her and notices the red and purple bruising surfacing on her exposed shoulder. His eyes widening a fracture in shock that he had hurt her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Izuka watched as Shinso gets up, his hands balling into a fist and anticipates a fight about to break out.

That's the last thing she wants for what was supposed to be a productive and happy day. And she was too tired to have the day end like this.

Before Shinsho could send a punch over the table, Izuka interjects between the two by standing up from her seat.

"I can fight my own battles!" she shouts, her own fist slamming the table as her teeth grit together.

Bakugo watched, bewitched, as she commanded all the power around her and apologizes at the purple-haired menace who is turned speechless and confused. It comes to a surprise at him when she turns around only to frown at him before pulling him away from the growing crowd of onlookers, leaving her livid companion behind.

"Izuka, come back!" Shinso shouts, but she ignores him and all the stairs being sent her way.

She doesn't speak a word, stopping until they reach a private alleyway as she leans on the wall with her back and sighs finally letting go of his shoulder that she had been pulling him from.

Too intrigued to see what she does next, Katsuki bites his tongue to refrain from speaking.

Having enough, Izuka clutches her fists at the side of her body. She's tired, but one look at Bakugo and she's reminded that she had to deal with unfinished business.

She pushed herself off the wall and stands in front of an unusually quiet Bakugo wearing all black.

"What was that for?!" She shouts at him, breaking her silent tirade, but Bakugo doesn't take the bait. Instead, she's caught by surprise at the guilty look on his face as he stares at her new burn mark.

"It was an accident," she hears him say, and she nods her head in response.

"It's okay," she replies automatically, but he shakes his head at her.

"No, it's not," he grunts out, stepping closer to her and Izuka holds her breath, "I fucking hurt you."

She watches as his head leans down, to inspect the mark he made on her. His frown deepens into a scowl, and she shudders at the light cold hands tracing the outline of the burn. She then feels the pads of his fingers on her and realizes that he's rubbing a clear soothing balm over her skin.

"My mom buys this for my dad," he says, placing a metal tin in her hands. Her scar catches his attention and his soft eyes harden, "You've never had this before, who did this to you?"

"No one," she lied, yanking her hand away from him, "I fell onto a sharp object the other day. Anyway, thank you."

She held up the balm and tucked it in her bag, getting ready to walk home and finally get some much-deserved sleep. She would worry about abandoning Shinso tomorrow.

"Don't thank me," he grunted, his eyes still lingering on her scar, not believing her story for one second, "I'm the one who caused it in the first place, you idiot."

Izuka's brows scrunched together at his statement and she shook her head no at him, "I believe you."

It was true, she may not trust him just yet, but she did believe that it was an accident. She believed that he really did want to gain her friendship back and the thought made her smile.

"I'd like more than anything to be friends again Kacchan," she said, holding back her tears as she felt herself start to get emotional, "I may not trust you yet, but friendship is built on trust and I hope this can be a small stepping stone for us to get there someday."

"Then let me walk you home," Bakugo said and without another word, Izuka accepted.