Deer

Chapter 9

Ochako promised her parents that she'll have some fun in this new school. Her parents had told her to not think about their income. To let her parents support her for now, not the other way around. So, she decided that befriending every single one of her classmates was the first step.

Most of them are charming, easily accepting her bubbly demeanor without complaint, except for a couple. Todoroki Shoto was too cold, figuratively and literally. Kaminari Denki was a pervert, although he does know boundaries, backing off the moment the girls rejected his invites. Shinso Hitoshi was socially awkward and was not used to someone acting genuinely nice to him. And Midoriya Izuku slept most of the time. That was okay, though. They had a year to spend, that was plenty of time to break their walls.

Today, they are having a battle trial, a class taught by All Might. Ochako was not the only one who fangirled at the sight of the Number One Hero. And she was definitely not the only one who was excited at the prospect of wearing their hero costume. Everyone practically stormed to the front and grabbed the aluminum briefcase in a hurry. While the cheerful girl was waiting for the classroom entrance not to be crowded by chattering classmates anymore, ready to head for the changing room, she noticed All Might had stopped Izuku from walking away. An apologetic expression marred the Hero's always-smiling face as he thrust the same aluminum case towards him. All-Might said Aizawa knew about Izuku's morning and evening practice. And suggested that, rather than fighting an unmoving log, he should fight a moving student instead, to judge if his complicated moves work with normal people. Izuku's unblinking face turned annoyed in an instant.

"He saw me handle those villains already. He knew I could protect myself. And what's this?" she remembered Izuku mumbled, accepting the briefcase with an irritated huff, "I don't remember submitting any Hero costume design."

"Um...your mother did. She saw your doodle and said she wanted you to at least wear clothing that'll protect you in your daily night walk."

"...I feel like my own mom is conspiring against me now. What a drag..."

Izuku had told them a bit about himself yesterday evening, to the curious classmates who wish to know him better. That he didn't have a Quirk. And the move he did to the bespectacled teen was just him using his own strength. His deadpanned gaze was a clear insinuation that he was waiting for a jeering comment right there. Must be thinking that now they knew he didn't have any power, they'd stay away from him like he was some kind of an infectious illness. Though honestly? After Tenya's glorious smackdown that morning, none of them will ever react with anything but awe.

He literally brought someone taller, bigger than him down to the ground even without looking. How could they not call it manly?! Borrowing Kirishima's word.

The thing was, in that small conversation between Izuku and All-Might, she accidentally eavesdropped reminding Ochako about Izuku's status as someone without a Quirk once more. What did it mean, then? When he said 'he saw me fight those villains already'? And 'his daily night walk'?

As Ochako fussed about her costume being completely different than her original sketch, she heard him grumble before she could see him. And when she turned around, she couldn't help but gasp in wonder. Izuku stood there. Clad in black, tight-skin armless clothes under a grey flak jacket, accentuating his upper muscles for the world to see. Along with a squiggly tattoo drawn on the left arm. Was that a real tattoo? She hoped not. Iida was constantly having an aneurysm with Izuku's disregard towards school regulations, he was going to have a heart attack one of these days.

Three pouches circling his back, waist, and foot were covered by open-toe boots that reached his knees. Izuku was in the middle of tightening the metal arm guards that snuggled his elbow-length gloves close. Before fingering a sword strapped on his back in a nervous manner as well. Some kind of an animal-looking porcelain mask was perched on the side of his head, the shape reminded Ochako of a Deer, especially with those large ears and short horns.

He really loves Deer, huh? Every day, there'd always be a Deer peeking out on his person, be it a print on the clothes he wore, a pin strapped on his blazer, a water bottle with a deer cap on it, a sticker on his notebooks, and so on and on.

All in all, he looked marvelous.

She definitely didn't blush. Definitely.

She instantly had a thought. Wasn't this the perfect condition for her to start a conversation? She didn't know his likes or dislikes enough for them to have a decent conversation, but a little compliment wouldn't hurt. So, Ochako jumped with a squeal, attracting the others as well. She widely smiled towards Izuku, who leaned back in apparent shock and gave him just that. A compliment. Some of them came crowding closer too, Kirishima whistled in astonishment. Saying that he never knew Izuku was this ripped because he wore baggy clothes wherever he went. That was true. He always wore a hoodie or a T-shirt under the UA blazer. Never a white shirt along with a red tie. Hagakure pointed out that his costume reminded her of Aizawa-sensei's. And Sero added that he looked like a ninja instead, with all the black and the sword.

Ochako heard Izuku's breath hitched. So soft that she thought she was imagining things. He closed his eyes and pulled the mask down, prohibiting them from seeing what kind of expression he made as he spoke.

"That suits me a whole lot better than being a 'hero'"

Everyone blinked in confusion.

Ochako had a plan of 'how to befriend everyone' ready after the first day of school. Categorizing which students should she talk to first and which students should she leave last. Kaminari is easy. He's easygoing as long as she ignores his perverted comment here and there. Shinso just needed another week of positive attention for him to open up, for him to show the world that he wanted to have fun just like everyone else did. Todoroki seemed to be the hardest to approach, he didn't give her any chance to speak as whenever she tried, he turned his nose to the side and briskly walked away. So, she thought she'd tackle Izuku after this. He seemed nice, aside from yesterday's slip-up.

Yet that simple comment made Uraraka Ochako realize.

That maybe, just maybe, Midoriya Izuku is the toughest one to crack here.