It had been nearly two weeks since UA started.
School was manageable, I'd already settled into a steady rhythm.
The workload wasn't nearly as grueling as I had expected.
Six days a week, Sundays off, and only about five hours of structured class time each day. In the mornings, we would have a two-hour lecture with Present Mic, Ectoplasm, or Midnight. Afternoons rotated between three-hour hero training sessions led by Aizawa or All Might—though more often than not, it was Aizawa.
Most of us were surprised by how relaxed the schedule felt, especially compared to our old high school routines that were way more intensive.
A lot of my free time went into the gym. I started going pretty regularly with Kirishima—he's always hyped, the kind of guy who sees leg day as a blessing instead of a curse. Mina came along too, and she'd drag Momo with her more often than not.
Eventually, we started inviting Midoriya. With him came Iida and Uraraka.
He's been easing back into training after his injury, but his progress with One For All still seemed a little slow. Not that he complained, he just kept pushing.
Others in our class would drop in now and then, but not as consistently.
Although Bakugo was a regular too.
He kept his distance from Midoriya, wouldn't even acknowledge him, but weirdly enough, he was cordial toward me. Even congratulated me for beating Midoriya during the combat trials on the second day, which probably had something to do with his attitude. That guy's a generational hater. Seeing Midoriya get decked must've been a good consolation prize.
The Big Three still showed up occasionally, though not as much anymore. They were all wrapped up in their Hero Work Studies.
Nejire had joined Ryukyu, Amajiki was with Fatgum, and Togata was training under Nighteye. I vaguely recalled that Nighteye only took him in after All Might passed on One For All to Midoriya.
Nejire also crushed whatever illusions I had about the school staying easy. According to her, once the second semester rolled around, we'd be aiming for our Provisional Hero Licenses. And right after that, students would be strongly encouraged to start their Hero Work Studies.
I'm certain that wasn't how it was supposed to go according to the anime. While it matched the time frame Class 1-A and 1-B got their licenses, they were supposed to be the exception. But obviously things won't stay the same either, so I'll have to navigate things more carefully.
That was what I was still thinking about as the bus rolled along.
Today's a big day too. We're scheduled for rescue training at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint with Aizawa, All Might, and Thirteen.
Except All Might won't be showing up until the very end.
I kept an eye on the news for any movement from him, and as expected, he stopped a couple of villain attacks this morning. That means he'll be close to his time limit.
I sat beside Midoriya, the two of us tucked near the middle of the vehicle as the class chatted around us. I made sure to absorb One For All from him; I'd need it to make the most out of whatever other Quirks I use today.
He looked a little anxious, while the rest of the class wore their hero costumes, Midoriya was wearing the UA gym uniform.
I leaned back in my seat and said, "You doing okay? You've been quiet since we left."
Midoriya blinked and sat up a little straighter. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… thinking about the rescue training today. I've been trying to keep my expectations low." He gave a small laugh, but it didn't carry much confidence. "I still haven't really figured out how to control my Quirk without hurting myself. It's frustrating. And honestly, kind of embarrassing."
I shrugged. "Nah, it's not embarrassing. No one has perfect control. Hell, most of us are still figuring things out."
He looked down at his hands. "Still… when I saw how you used it, the way you just moved so naturally with all that power—it kind of hit me. You're using something that's so hard for me to even turn on without breaking something, and you made it look easy."
I kept my tone casual. "We're dealing with different outputs. I guess I never told you about the limitations of my quirk, but I can only take around ten percent of someone else's quirk. You're working with a much heavier ceiling."
Midoriya glanced at me. "Really?"
"Yeah. And even then, it still stung a bit when I pushed it. The difference is, I can also reinforce my body. Turn into steel or whatever I need to reduce the strain. You don't have that luxury."
He rubbed the back of his neck, brow furrowed. "I guess that's true…"
I leaned in a little, dropping my voice to a more reassuring tone. "So don't beat yourself up for it. You're not behind. You've just got a different starting point. I'm helping where I can, but you're gonna make your own breakthroughs. I believe that."
Midoriya looked surprised. "You really think so?"
I smiled. "Of course I do. You're not the type to give up. That's already half the battle won."
There was a brief pause.
"Thanks, Henshin," he said. "You've helped a lot more than I expected."
"That's what I'm here for," I rested an arm along the window. "Anytime you need something—advice, training, even just to talk—I'm around."
He blinked, then smiled back. Not as forced this time.
"I'll remember that."
Good.
I leaned back slightly and drummed my fingers against the window frame as the bus began to slow down.
"Looks like we're almost there," I glanced his way. "Ready to show them what you've got?"
Midoriya exhaled slowly and sat a little straighter. "Yeah, I think I am."