BNHA: Singularity

Despite more than an hour passing since their arrival, Izuku and Kyouka had barely exchanged more than a few words. Instead, Izuku followed through with his plan to stare up at the ceiling, his right hand behind him as Kyouka lay at an angle, using his chest and shoulder as a pillow.
"Hey, check this out..." said Kyouka, showing Izuku her phone, displaying the image of a fat, disgruntled-looking cat staring at a mouse just out of its reach.
"I feel that..." muttered Izuku, a faint smile adorning his face as he turned his attention back to the ceiling.
Without another word, Kyouka also returned to messing with her phone, swiping through various memes and bobbing her head in timing with the music playing through her in-ear headphones.
("This is nice...") thought Izuku, closing his eyes and just vibing for a few minutes. He wasn't listening to music, but the gentle rhythm of Kyouka's head bobbing was like a metronome, gradually lulling him to sleep...
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With Izuku actually falling asleep, Kyouka waited until she absolutely 'had' to go home before waking him, gently shaking his body as she said, "Hey, Izuku, I need to go home. My parents would flip if they learned I was late because I was hanging out with a boy..."
Though he was tempted to pretend he was still asleep, Izuku responded with a sleepy "Right...I'll walk you to the station..." before parting his eyes to find Kyouka's face surprisingly close to his own.
"..."
"..."
Averting her face and eyes after several seconds had passed, Kyouka used the tip of her leftmost earphone jack to poke the center of Izuku's forehead as she asked, "How are you feeling? You probably don't want to talk about it, but it would be weird if I left without asking..."
"A lot better..." replied Izuku, surprising Kyouka as he used his left hand to turn her face back to him. However, instead of trying to kiss her, he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb, adding, "Thanks, Kyouka...having you here helped a lot...I mean it..."
As if to indicate she enjoyed having her face touched, Kyouka's right earphone wrapped around Izuku's wrist, generating a surprising amount of pressure as she stared back at him with her half-lidded, captivatingly amethyst eyes and slightly pursed lips. At a glance, it almost looked like she was pouting, but the faint red hue of her cheeks told a different story.
Understanding what the petite, purple-haired rocker girl wanted, Izuku leaned forward to plant a chaste but lingering kiss on Kyouka's lips. She had the same pouty expression when he pulled away, but the ruddy hue of her cheeks had become even more prominent as she asked, "Is that all you want...?"
Adopting a gentle, affectionate smile, Izuku softly mused, "I have six cute girlfriends. What more could I ask for...?"
Catching Izuku a little off guard, Kyouka replied, "You could ask for a lot more...I mean, it's not good to be selfless all the time. Instead of trying to make us happy, tell me how I can make you happy...so long as it isn't too embarrassing, I'll do it..."
"Are you sure...?" asked Izuku, the corners of his smile curling up as his eyes narrowed slightly.
Swallowing nervously, Kyouka adopted a resolute expression as she replied, "I'm your girlfriend...is it weird that I want to make you happy?"
Exhaling a soft chuckle, Izuku shook his head and whispered, "Not in the slightest..." before moving in for another, marginally more intimate kiss...
Thinking that Izuku wanted to make out, Kyouka hesitated for a moment before straddling him, linking her arms and earphone jacks around his neck and shoulders before taking the initiative to slip her tongue into his mouth. Izuku was slightly surprised by her sudden assertiveness, but he didn't make it known. Instead, he placed his hands on Kyouka's hips and enjoyed the feeling of her remarkably light body pressed against his, their tongues entangling for nearly ten minutes.
Pulling away rather abruptly, Kyouka's half-lidded expression belied how turbulent her emotions were as she said, "I need to go home..." between labored breaths.
"I know..." replied Izuku, holding Kyouka's gaze for several seconds. His actions led her to believe he wasn't satisfied yet, but before she could move in to continue kissing him, Izuku surprised her by asking, "Can you sing for me...?"
"Huh...?"
Looking at Izuku as if his head had suddenly turned into a mushroom, Kyouka asked, "You want 'me' to sing for 'you'...?" in a disbelieving tone.
Adopting a slight pout, Kyouka appended, "Is that some kind of sexual innuendo...?"
"Not this time..." replied Izuku, folding his hands over the small of Kyouka's back as he added, "You might disguise it behind dull and flat speech, but I can tell you have a captivating voice. Deny it all you want, but I've heard you singing under your breath...you're not the only one with excellent hearing..."
If she was blushing before, Kyouka's face became scarlet crimson at the thought Izuku had heard her singing. Even her parents hadn't heard her singing, as far as she knew, so she ended up peppering Izuku's face with the pointed tips of her earphone jacks as she shouted, "Forget you heard anything...!"
As Kyouka wasn't trying to hurt him, her pokes were more like gentle taps to Izuku's face and forehead, prompting him to respond, "I refuse!" with a uniquely 'hardened' expression.
Feeling slightly annoyed, Kyouka ceased laying against Izuku, crossing her arms and snorting through her nose as she said, "Then I also refuse. I'm not good enough for people to hear me singing, even if that person is my boyfriend..."
Instead of pressing the matter, Izuku gave a few slight nods, responding, "I understand..." before immediately appending, "I'm serious, though. You have an incredible voice, Kyouka. Enough to inspire me to want to write a few songs..."
Blinking in surprise, the pout faded from Kyouka's face as she asked, "You can write songs?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Izuku clarified, "Just the lyrics. I thought about picking up the guitar after learning you played the bass, but I didn't want you to feel pressured into teaching or playing together..."
Combing back the bangs framing the left side of her face, Kyouka pointedly replied, "I wouldn't mind..." before getting back to the original topic, asking, "Since you're the one who brought it up, mind letting me take a look at the songs you wrote? If they're good, I might, maybe just a little, consider singing them for you..."
"Are you sure?" asked Izuku, a teasing smile developing across his face as he revealed, "Most of them are love songs."
"Kuh..."
Imagining herself serenading Izuku with a love song, Kyouka covered her face with both hands, groaning audibly as she thought ("If I had known he was going to ask for something like this, I wouldn't have asked him to be greedier...")
Jettisoning such thoughts from her mind, Kyouka lowered her hands and said, "Whatever. Just let me see them..." with an ill-tempered expression and tone.
Offering a curt nod, Izuku replied, "Sure, but you'll need to get off of me first. Your body is really light, but I doubt you'd be okay with me carrying you around like a koala..."
While thinking that Izuku had suddenly become 'really' cheeky, Kyouka got off his body and sat in a huff, arms and legs crossed, as she watched him get up and retrieve a notebook from his desk.
Reminding Kyouka of the time, Izuku suggested, "Come on. You can look at them while I accompany you to the station. As much as I want to keep you here, I'd rather your parents didn't worry."
"Oh...yeah, that probably wouldn't end well..." replied Kyouka, rising from Izuku's bed and grabbing her backpack before joining Izuku at the door. She was half-tempted to suggest spending the night, but since Izuku had 'wasted' his request on wanting to hear her sing, she didn't want to be the one to propose it...
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"Did you seriously write all of these...?" asked Kyouka, her expression one of disbelief as there were more than twenty really-well-thought-out songs in the notebook Izuku had given her. Both of her parents were successful, fairly famous musicians/songwriters, so she could tell that each of Izuku's songs had incredible potential. She could even imagine a few topping the charts if the accompanying melody was good...
Adopting a faint smile, Izuku replied, "What can I say? I had a really good muse..." while looking down to meet her gaze.
"..."
Turning her head to avoid Izuku's gaze, Kyouka returned her attention to his notebook, re-reading the lyrics of a song called 'You are the Reason.' She was fairly certain that Izuku was just paying her lip service, but if he truly felt the way he did in his songs...
Feeling herself tear up, Kyouka swallowed the knot in her throat before hugging Izuku's notebook to her chest. Her actions caught the latter's attention, but he didn't say anything, just smiling as he thought, ("Thank you, Callum Scott and Ed Sheeran...")
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Though he could have left her at the station, Izuku accompanied Kyouka all the way to the outside of her surprisingly large house. The tensions between them became palpable, but instead of suing for a kiss goodbye, Izuku's expression softened as he said, "Keep the notebook. The songs in it were always intended for you. Besides, I've already memorized each of them..."
"Izuku..."
Feeling a strange sense of guilt, Kyouka hugged the notebook even tighter, hesitating for several seconds before asking, "Do you...maybe want to come inside? I originally intended to keep our relationship a secret, but since you've already told your mom..."
Extending his elbow for Kyouka to latch onto, Izuku replied, "It would be my honor to meet your parents, Kyouka. And I would be lying if I said I didn't have at least a 'middling' interest in your room..."
Thinking Izuku was making another dirty joke when he was really just talking about her instrument collection, Kyouka's face turned beet red. Despite this, she still linked her arm through his, steeling herself as the two approached her front door...
Opening the door with her key, Kyouka stepped inside with Izuku before calling out, "M-Mom! Dad! I'm home...!"
Emanating from somewhere deep in the house, a masculine voice called back, "Welcome home, sweetie! Food's on the table!"
Though it was already fairly obvious, Kyouka smiled bashfully and said, "That's my dad..." in a low voice. Shortly after that, a slender, remarkably petite woman with short, straight, dark-purple hair and glasses emerged from a nearby throughway, her appearance giving Izuku the impression of a secretary. She also had earphone jacks for earlobes, so it was incredibly obvious she was Kyouka's mother.
Seeing her daughter standing at the entrance with a boy, the secretary-like woman, Mika Jiro, immediately froze.
While kicking off her shoes, Kyouka avoided looking directly at her mother as she said, "Don't overreact. It's not that big a deal if I bring home a-"
Before Kyouka could finish speaking, Mika, contrasting her fairly serious appearance, abruptly clapped her hands as she shouted, "Kyo-kun! Kyo-kun! Come quickly! Kyouka-chan brought home a boy!"
Following Mika's outburst, Kyouka's father, a somewhat gruff-looking man with triangular eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair, came sprinting over, shouting, "Whaaaaat!? Which brat thinks they're good enough for my little girl!?"
Coming face to face with Izuku, Kyouka's father, Kyotoku Jiro, froze in a manner similar to his wife. Izuku was the same height as him and had an 'honest' face with large eyes and freckles. He expected that the first boy his daughter brought home would be some 'punk,' so he found himself at a momentary loss for words.
Adopting a fairly relaxed smile, Izuku said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Jiro. My name is Izuku Midoriya, a First Year in UA High's Hero Course. Kyouka-chan and I are..."
With Izuku looking toward her, Kyouka adopted her usual pouty expression as she revealed, "He's my boyfriend..." in a curt tone.
Cupping her cheeks, Kyouka's mother, Mika, softly exclaimed, "My little girl is growing up~!" while Kyotoku had a far more 'unamused' look on his face, hmphing before asking, "What makes you think you're good enough to date my daughter...?"
Before Izuku could respond, Kyouka pushed the notebook he had gifted her into Kyotoku's chest, shouting, "Just read these, you nosy rock-head!"
Though he furrowed his brows, unimpressed that Izuku had let Kyouka speak for him, Kyotoku's expression changed drastically when he read the lyrics on the first page, 'Thinking Out Loud' a song Izuku had plagiarized from Ed Sheeran.
Peaking over her husband's arm, Mika's expression also changed quite a bit, a hint of moisture building in her eyes as she whispered, "Kyo-chan..."
Clicking his tongue, Kyotoku closed the notebook, glaring at Izuku as he asked, "Did you write these?"
Nodding his head, Izuku replied, "Yes, Sir." in a firm, confidence-filled tone. This earned him another click of the tongue from Kyotoku, but he didn't ask anything more, turning away and walking off with his hands in his pockets while his wife covered her mouth and giggled at his expense. Then, with a brilliant smile on her face, she stared directly at Izuku and said, "Welcome to our home, Midoriya-kun. Please take good care of our Kyouka from now on."
"Mom...!" shouted Kyouka, stamping her foot. "It's not like we're getting married or anything! Can you please just be normal!?"
Instead of responding to her daughter's words, Mika covered her mouth and giggled a second time, thinking, ("Oh, Kyouka-chan...you're just like your father...")
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Though he didn't spend long at Kyouka's house, Izuku felt fairly satisfied as he made his way home. Nemuri's surprise psychoanalysis had left him reeling, but after thinking about it, he realized it didn't truly matter. At the very least, there was no need to brood when he had so many good things going for him.
Breaking Izuku from his peaceful reverie, the strangely familiar voice of a girl emanated from behind him, saying, "That look on your face...you're in love with someone, aren't you?"
Turning around, Izuku's eyes widened upon seeing a petite, fair-skinned girl with golden eyes and dirty blonde hair fastened into messy buns. Her outfit consisted of an unkempt, well-worn sailor uniform, including a beige top, dark-blue skirt, a similarly dark-blue collar, and a red ribbon, but the thing that stood out more than anything else was the fresh, still-dripping blood on her face...
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Name: [Himiko Toga]
Quirk: Transform
Bond Level: 100
Current Level: 24
Effective Level: 86
[Attributes]
Strength: 35
Agility: 42
Vitality: 314
Intelligence: 83
Dexterity: 54
Luck: 340
Free Attributes: 120
[Perks]
Party Invitation Required
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("You've gotta be fucking kidding me...") thought Izuku, outwardly asking, "Did someone send you, or is this just a statistically absurd coincidence?"
Tilting her head to the side, Himiko, or perhaps it would be better to call her Toga, brought the short knife she was carrying up to her face, sliding the flat of it along her cheek as she replied, "Why would someone send me?" before getting excited as she asked, "Could it be that you're famous or something!?"
Exhaling a sigh through his nose, Izuku muttered, "Bullshit it is..." before raising his left hand and making a come-hither gesture as he added, "It was a mistake to appear before me. Now, I can't just overlook you..."
Tilting her head to the opposite side, Toga remarked, "You say that as if you already know who I am and what I've been doing? But how is that possible? I've been paying close attention to the news, and they haven't reported on me since the incident at my middle school~."
Abruptly lurching toward Izuku, Toga's somewhat deranged smile became even more so as she aimed the tip of her knife at his throat. However, long before it found purchase, Izuku's hand locked around her wrist, gripping it tightly as he said, "Now I'm going to be in a real shitty mood..."
Dropping the knife from her hand, Toga attempted to catch it with her free one but lost the chance as Izuku nabbed and threw it into a nearby street post, embedding it up to its hilt.
Seeing her weapon of choice flung well out of her reach, Toga's crazed smile gained a hint of anxiety as she smiled up at Izuku and asked, "Uh...I don't suppose you would believe me if I said this was a prank?"
Exhaling through his nose, Izuku replied, "I really didn't want to do this..." before punching Toga in the gut. The latter was one of the more popular 'waifus' in the Boku no Hero Academia community, but he didn't have the option to try and reform her. She was a mass murderer and well above the age to be tried as an adult. Her circumstances were undeniably tragic, but that wouldn't bring back all the people she had killed...
Catching Izuku by surprise, Toga didn't immediately slump over or pass out. She leaned against him, but she was still fully aware as she groaned, "This wasn't what I pictured when I imagined a cute boy punching in my guts..."
Punctuating her words, Toga produced a spare knife from inside her skirt, attempting to 'return the favor' by stabbing Izuku in the side. Instead, as the knife pierced his uniform and undershirt, a metallic sound reached her ears as the blade slid across his skin...
"Is this also a prank?" asked Izuku, his expression stern as he stared down at the stupefied serial murderer.
Hearing Izuku's voice, Toga adopted a bright smile that showed off her rather prominent canines, answering, "Yes~?" in an innocent-sounding tone, even as she continued scraping her knife along his side, trying to find a weak spot in his Bronze Skin's defenses.
Exhaling another sigh, Izuku surprised Toga by spinning her around and abruptly putting her in a chokehold, lifting her from the ground as he cut off the blood flow to her head. She tried stabbing up toward his face, but he easily caught her hand, whispering, "Even if your nature is the result of your Quirk, those people didn't deserve to die..." as her eyes slowly rolled upward.
Though he was briefly tempted to choke the life out of Toga, sparing her the fate of having to rot away in prison or spend the rest of her life in an insane asylum, Izuku pulled her into the alleyway she had emerged from, whipping out his phone to contact Nezu...
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After hearing about Toga's circumstances in the form of an explanation surrounding her Quirk, Nezu had a serious expression on his face as he remarked, "What an unfortunate girl..." while observing said girl sleeping in the nurse's office, knocked out by Nemuri's Quirk.
Getting straight to the point, Izuku said, "I think I can help her. For one reason or another, her Bond Level is already at 100, so if I add her to my Party, I could find a Perk to 'cure' her. However, nothing I do can change the fact that she's killed people..."
Chiming into the conversation, Nemuri, with a very upset look on her face, argued, "Curing her and then turning her over to the authorities would be cruel. Prison is meant to rehabilitate people, so if the thing compelling her to kill has already been removed, sending her there would be condemning her to suffer for crimes she didn't willfully commit...."
"I believe Midoriya-kun is well aware of that," remarked Nezu. "Otherwise, he would not have contacted us before the proper authorities."
Shifting his gaze to Izuku, Nezu regained his usual business-like smile as he asked, "How would you like to handle this situation, Midoriya-kun? I'm sure you've thought of something."
Scratching the back of his head, Izuku smiled wryly and replied, "I'm of the same opinion as Nemuri-sensei, but our society doesn't accept people like Toga. Even if she's treated and acquitted of all charges, she's fated to be a pariah her entire life. If she's to have any chance at happiness, she'd need a new name, identity, and purpose..."
Leaving Izuku a little speechless, even though he expected, Nezu readily replied, "The first two are simple enough to arrange, but there's little I can do about giving such a troubled girl 'purpose.' I could send her someplace she'd be well cared for, but that wouldn't be much different from confining her to a hospital."
Crossing his arms, Izuku remarked, "Her Quirk has tremendous potential. Ideally, she could become a student here at UA. But, even if she's cured, she'd still have the memories of killing people. Allowing her to mingle with ordinary students before she's had the chance to rehabilitate wouldn't be wise..."
"Yes, I am also reluctant to let her attend classes with other students," replied Nezu. "There is also the matter of her lodgings to consider. We could easily prepare a place for her here on campus, but she would need to be monitored 24/7 until we've confirmed she isn't a threat..."
Seemingly out of nowhere, Nezu smiled and asked, "What Level is your mother, Midoriya-kun~?"
Realizing what the Principal was thinking, Izuku furrowed his brows and said, "While it's true that I pity this girl, I can't have her living in the same house as my only legitimate family member..."
"I believe I have a solution for that," replied Nezu, smiling even wider as he said, "Toga-san will be attending private classes during the day, so you won't have to worry about her then. As for the evenings, we could have an outside-only lock placed on one of the rooms in your house. For additional security, I believe Toshinori-kun would be more than willing to occupy one of your guest bedrooms once he learns of Toga-san's circumstances. With his Crisis Awareness Perk, he would know the moment Toga-san was planning to cause harm."
Blinking in surprise, Izuku found himself at a loss for words in the face of Nezu's extreme but indisputable rationale. He would have settled for Toga being placed into witness protection and shipped off to a private academy far, far away from the action. Her occupying the same house as him with a Bond Level of 100...it was basically the premise for a doujinshi...
After recovering from his shock, Izuku replied, "This isn't something I can decide. My Kaa&ndash;my mother and Toshinori-sensei would need to offer their consent, and we can't overlook Toga-san's wishes. If she wants to return to her family and is willing to accept the consequences of her actions, we should respect that..."
Surprising nearly everyone, none more than Nemuri, Toga abruptly sat up, displaying her canines as she asserted, "I'm perfectly fine with living with you, Izuku-kun. I don't know how you intend to 'cure' me, but I don't want to go to prison, much less return to those 'people' who call themselves my parents."
Providing Nemuri some explanation for Toga's inordinately fast recovery, Izuku smiled wryly as he said, "She has incredibly high Vitality, more than most Emitters at the same Level. Weak anesthesia probably wouldn't have much of an effect."
Nodding her head, Toga revealed, "Izuku-kun is right. Whenever I went to the Dentist to have my fangs pulled over and over again, they had to use an extra-strong gas to try and sedate me. I could barely even feel it when the Dentist touched my boobs and such~."
"..." x3
Recovering faster than Izuku and the visibly shaken Nemuri, Nezu's smile became somewhat scary as he asked, "Toga-san, would you mind telling me the name of the Dentist your parents took you to?"
Exhaling a throaty, blood-curdling chuckle, Toga cupped her cheeks and replied, "Oh, you don't have to worry about him. Dr. Susagawa was one of the very first people I killed. You should have seen the look on his face when I pulled out all his teeth and stuck my knife in his gut over and over and over again, asking if he could feel it properly~."
"..." x3
As even Nezu was left at a loss for words, it was up to Nemuri to ask, "Toga-san...were you..."
Understanding what Nemuri was referring to, Toga waved her hand and said, "No, no, no, it wasn't 'that' bad. My parents really cared about their public image, so they wouldn't let things go 'that' far. Papa just allowed Dr. Susagawa to touch me a bit in exchange for his silence. I'm still a pure maiden~."
With Toga's final few words directed at him, Izuku felt slightly nauseous for the first time since he had acquired Healthy Body. He wasn't upset at Toga, but the notion that her father had 'permitted' something like that to happen made his blood boil. If he knew how young Toga was at the time, he might have become a murderer alongside her...
"Oh? Are you angry on my behalf?" asked Toga. "But I already killed all the people who hurt me, and I got to ruin the image my parents fought so hard to maintain. You don't have to be upset, Izuku-kun. Even if it kind of makes me super duper happy that you are~."
Shaking his head, Izuku decided to set other matters aside, focusing on the most important one as he asked, "Himiko Toga...would you like to join my Party?"
Without hesitation, Toga threw her hands up and replied, "Sure! Joining a Party sounds like fun! Just wait until you see my sick dance moves! They'll blow your mind, preferably all over my&ndash;oh? What's this? Some kind of blue window just popped up in front of my face. How weird..."
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Clapping her hands together, Nemuri shouted, "Okay, that's enough with the serious stuff!" Then, with a narrow-eyed smile, she gazed at the girls and added, "Let's move on to the practical part of our lesson. Do you girls mind if I borrow Izuku-kun for a few minutes~?"
Exchanging glances with one another, not even Mina or Toru had anything to say. They were still reeling from the revelations related to Izuku's Quirk and its influence on his personality...
Being the most down-to-Earth among the group, Tsuyu spared everyone the effort of needing to discuss things by asserting, "We already agreed it was okay during lunch, ribbit..."
Capitalizing on Tsuyu's response, Nemuri clapped her hands a second time, exclaiming, "Splendid!" before shifting her gaze to Izuku and asking, "And what about you, Izuku-kun~? Are you willing to test your knowledge and familiarity with a woman's body with me as your partner?"
Forcing a wry smile, Izuku replied, "If it were a few minutes ago, I would have readily agreed. Now...I'm not exactly in the best head space for sex, much less 'remedial' lessons..."
Nodding her head, Nemuri's usually seductive smile softened as she replied, "That's understandable. We could postpone classes to a later date or cancel them entirely if they're making you uncomfortable. Just know that if you ever need to talk, I'll be here to listen..."
Shifting her gaze to the girls, Nemuri added, That applies to everyone here. I majored in behavioral analysis during college, so while I'm not exactly a psychologist, I'm a good listener and more than happy to offer advice in any subject, particularly those related to love."
Punctuating her words with a wink, Nemuri turned to Izuku to await his response. She would be lying if she said she wasn't 'very' interested in his power and the circumstances that led to its development, but she wasn't an impatient woman. Boys like Izuku needed a mature woman they could simply hold or bare their souls to, so she was fairly certain he would seek her out for 'private counseling' at some point.
Shaking his head, Izuku eventually responded, "Yeah, I'm just not feeling it today...sorry..."
"My dear boy, you've done nothing to apologize for," asserted Nemuri. "In fact, it's good to stand your ground when things make you uncomfortable. Forcing yourself when you're not completely willing is an excellent way to accumulate stress."
Turning her attention to the rest of the class, Nemuri added, "That being said, it appears today's lesson has come to an end. Before you go, I have specially encrypted cell phones and tablets to give everyone. You are free to keep using your original phones for personal needs, but if you're going to discuss Izuku's Quirk, his relationship with certain Pro Heroines, or any of the things we've discussed today, please use the phones or tablets the school is providing. As the USJ Incident showed, villains are not against targetting students if they believe it will further their aim. Please exercise due caution when discussing sensitive matters in the future."
Pulling out a box filled with military-grade phones and tablets, Nemuri ensured everyone got one of each before providing them the numbers to her personal and private lines. After that, she advised them to be off the campus before 7 PM before promptly departing without a single attempt at seduction or behaving lasciviously...
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In the wake of Nemuri's departure, the tension between Izuku and his six girlfriends was palpable. Everyone wanted to say 'something,' but nobody knew what it was. After all, it was obvious to them that, based on the way Izuku was behaving, he was feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Breaking the tense silence, Izuku exhaled an exasperated sigh and said, "I'll be fine," with a faint smile. "I have a few things to sort out, but I can deal with those on my own time. Since we're already together like this, we could study for the Finals or something similar..."
Answering on behalf of the entire group, Tsuyu replied, "It's better if we reconvene another day. I'm sure we 'all' have a lot to think about, so you should take Kyouka-chan with you and return home."
Surprised that her name was mentioned, Kyouka replied, "Huh? Why did my name come out all of a sudden...?"
Without hesitation, Tsuyu replied, "Because if it were Ochaco or me, we would try to comfort him. Toru-chan and Mina-chan would feel awkward, and Momo-chan might say or do something to exacerbate matters, ribbit. You're the only girl Izuku-chan hangs out with normally, so the two of you can watch a movie or just cuddle and listen to music. Behaving 'normally' is probably the best medicine for this situation, ribbit."
"Kuh..."
Though she received damage from Tsuyu's suggestion that she was the most 'normal' girl among them, Kyouka couldn't refute the frog girl's logic. If it were just the two of them, she probably would have asked Izuku if he wanted to hang out, not knowing what else to do. She 'wanted' to comfort him, but she was worried she would make things worse. As a result, it was highly likely that they would 'just' hang out...
Rolling her eyes, Kyouka muttered, "Whatever...if no one else is against it, I guess I could at least see him home..."
Turning her attention to Izuku, forced to stare up at them due to the 17cm difference in their heights, Kyouka extended her left hand and said, "Let's go..." with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Exhaling faintly through his nose, Izuku accepted Kyouka's outstretched hand with a smile. He originally planned to lie in his bed and organize his thoughts, as he so often did, but he wasn't going to refuse if Kyouka just wanted to hang out. Thus, after telling everyone else he would see them at school tomorrow, Izuku permitted himself to be escorted home by the red-faced rocker girl...
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After separating from Izuku and the girls of Class 1-A, Nemuri made her way to Nezu's office, explaining the situation and offering her insights into the former's mental state.
"I see..." replied Nezu, nursing a cup of cocoa with a faint smile. Then, after a moment of silence, he remarked, "I believe our young friend may suffer from Imposter Syndrome and a form of DPD(Dependent Personality Disorder). Given his background, those are the two conditions that make the most sense."
Nodding in agreement, Nemuri replied, "I reached a similar conclusion, but it's difficult to be certain since he's remarkably stable for someone with DPD. He is also incredibly conscientious, the complete opposite of a typical DPD patient. It would be more accurate to state he projects those qualities on the people around them, wanting them to depend on him."
"And thus, the Imposter Syndrome..." mused Nezu. "After spending most of his life believing he was inferior to others, Midoriya-kun likely believes he isn't worthy of the care and attention he receives. As a result, he keeps stacking burdens on himself, driving himself forward like a rocket in flight. Sooner or later, he will run out of fuel and come crashing down..."
"Then what do you propose we do?" asked Nemuri. The last thing she wanted to see was someone as promising as Izuku crash and burn, not just because it would be a tragedy for Izuku himself but for all the people he would invariably draw toward him. Izuku was the type of person others couldn't help but assemble around, so if he came crashing down, an ever-growing number of people would be hurt.
Though it was intended as a joke, Nezu was also being sincere as he said, "The simplest solution would be to expel him. If he were left in the care of someone like Usagiyama-san, I believe they might be able to achieve an 'equilibrium' of sorts..."
Furrowing her brows, Nemuri asked, "Then what of his relationships with his classmates? Are you seriously suggesting we separate them after all of this...?"
Undeterred by Nemuri's growing fury, Nezu exhaled a lighthearted laugh and replied, "As I said, that would be the 'simplest' solution. I never said it was the only one..."
Taking a sip from his cocoa, Nezu allowed Nemuri's anger to settle before saying, "I've actually grown rather fond of Midoriya-kun. There was even a time when I seriously considered grooming him as my successor. Now, I simply wish to see him succeed and, if possible, be happy..."
"You know I hate it when you beat around the bush..." groaned Nemuri, suppressing the urge to splash Nezu's cocoa into his face.
"Yes, I'm well aware," replied Nezu, taking a long sip of his cocoa before adding, "But what's the point of having hyperintelligence if you can't act mysteriously or withhold the answers people seek?"
"..."
Setting aside his cup, Nezu turned to face Nemuri directly as he said, "I still struggle to fully understand the 'nuances' of being human. However, I'm fairly confident in my opinion that what Midoriya-kun needs, perhaps even desires most, is 'control.' He is far more mature than other boys his age, and his potential intellect may exceed mine in the future. I imagine he feels incredibly stifled, being forced to attend regular classes when he could be training or inventing something new..."
Blinking in surprise, Nemuri asked, "Are you suggesting we allow him to skip the general curriculum classes? Even if that were possible, it would cause extreme envy among some of his classmates. Until Work Studies begin, there's no reasonable explanation to provide for him being allowed to skip classes."
"But there is," replied Nezu. "UA offers CBE(Credit by Exam} and booster classes to those seeking to transfer in during their second or third years. If Midoriya-kun is able to demonstrate he has already learned everything the general curriculum has to teach him, there would be no need for him to attend classes."
"That...might work..." conceded Nemuri. "However, those exams have only ever applied to students enrolled in General and Business Courses. We've never offered them to students enrolled in the Hero and Support Courses since they already have a very 'streamlined' curriculum."
"Then the solution is simple," mused Nezu. "We permit Midoriya-kun to take the tests for the General and Business Departments. If he can pass by those standards, no one can complain. He would have the first half of his day to do as he pleases, while the second half would still be devoted to Foundational Heroics."
Nodding her head, Nemuri replied, "I'll admit...while unprecedented, it's not a bad idea. Izuku-kun had excellent grades in middle school, so I'm certain he could pass the CBEs if we gave him a curriculum outline and allowed him a few weeks to prepare. The only problem with that is..."
Adopting a knowing smile, Nezu remarked, "Some of the other students in his Class, particularly his female classmates, would endeavor to follow his example. However, I don't see that as a bad thing. UA has always prided itself on the freedom it affords its faculty and students. If others in the Hero Course can complete the exams of a higher grade, I see no reason to restrict them to a classroom. So long as they stay on campus, training or auditing other classes, I would view it as a very positive development."
Unable to refute Nezu's very convincing argument, Nemuri fell silent, her face scrunched thoughtfully. While Izuku would doubtlessly benefit from more 'freedom,' she didn't see it as a solution. Izuku seemed like the type of person who would immerse himself in his work and training to 'avoid' facing real-world issues. If they allowed that, his condition might actually worsen over time...
Seeing through Nemuri's thoughts, the corners of Nezu's smile curled upward as he asked, "What is your opinion on asking Rumi Usagiyama to become an Assistant Instructor, teaching Anti-Villain Combat and Guerilla Assault courses for Third Years?"
Understanding the Principal's plan, Nemuri's eyes briefly widened before an alluring smile developed across her face, followed by her saying, "She will need a Senior Instructor to watch over her, but I think she'd make a fine addition to the staff of UA..."
...
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Chapter 63: Chapter 63