It shouldn't have been a surprise that he couldn’t keep his good mood from Kacchan. Izuku had grown too lax in the month of summer break, joking around and being around someone who challenged him and guided him bolstering his confidence. And well...Kacchan didn’t like that he’d come back from break standing straight and meeting his eyes, or that his grades went up from average to right below his. The teachers doing everything they could to pick apart his assignments and tests to knock off points.

He’d always felt safer keeping his grades at average, putting wrong answers on purpose just to keep his head down, but Yui-nee was so happy when she talked about how far ahead he’d studied. He wanted to do his best for her, to prove that her faith in him was well placed. And if that meant that Kacchan punched harder and the explosions from his hands burned hotter, that was fine. If the other kids in the class tripped him more or took his lunch or shoved him into the lockers, he could handle it. Bruises and burns were hidden from sight and he took painstaking care to keep it from Yui-nee.

He knew she didn’t believe some of the lies, that the black eye or broken nose was from a stray basketball in gym, or the third uniform replacement was really because the previous one had been ruined because a science class mishap with acid. Her eyes had sharpened, and her lips turned down in a frown but she nodded and made sure he had extra food at dinner and dessert and then an intense study session.

As the months passed, he smiled through the insults, the shoves, the punches; because it was worth it. When he showed her the perfect 100 on his test and her eyes lit up even as the burn on his arm throbbed, when he’d passed through another year higher in the middle school assessments and they’d celebrated by eating a whole tub of mint chip ice cream and watching Disney movies to midnight; when they’d stumbled by a hero fight and he’d whispered the villain’s weaknesses to her and she’d flashed him that predatory grin and ruffled his hair, later buying him that Eraserhead poster from Etsy.

He could handle this, she was working so hard on helping him push ahead, and making gear that he’d found out was for his dream, and learning how to cook better food that fit dietary requirements to build muscle. He couldn't let her down, so if he just had to finish the year so he could then test out, then that’s what he’d do!

But of course, their teacher had started to talk about high schools, even though they still had years to decide. And then he just had to go on about how everyone wanted to be heroes, which made Kacchan slam a foot on the top of his desk and declare that he wasn’t like these extras and he was going to get into U.A. The best of the best and where the best heroes were taught. Izuku kept his head buried in his notebook, he’d heard the spiel before.

“Oh yeah, Midoriya, you put down U.A. too didn't you?” The teacher droned out, looking up from his papers.

The class all turned to stare at him before they burst out laughing. His shoulders hunched up as his face flushed at the cackling at his expense. “You can’t go to U.A. You’re Quirkless!” One girl wheezed.

“They actually got rid of that rule this year, I can apply...” He tried to defend himself before an exploding palm slammed down on his desk.

“DEKU! What are you thinking?! You think this is some joke?!” Kacchan’s ruby eyes blazed as he glared down at him.

“Sit down, Bakugou, we’re in the middle of class.” The teacher sighed, turning back to the board. The boy growled before he sat back down, small explosions crackling in his palms. The rest of the school day seemed to crawl, Izuku knew he’d have to be fast getting home unless he wanted new burns or bruises.

When the final bell rang, he was almost fast enough, all of his stuff was in his bag and he was almost out the door when explosions roared out and a hot hand on his shoulder was yanking him back. His back slammed into the wall as he viridian met crimson. “Now listen here, Deku. You’re going to forget about U.A.! I’m the only one great enough to make it out of this shithole school! You’d be lucky if you survived their entrance exam without becoming a stain on the road!”

He held his hands up, trying to stop the shaking. He didn’t shake in training with Yui-nee, but she never looked at him with blazing eyes and bared teeth. “K-Kacchan...I... I’m not going to give up. Just because I’m Q-Quirkless doesn’t mean I’m useless! I can be a hero!” The outburst left his lips before he could stop it. He slapped a hand over his mouth as his eyes widened.

Kacchan went still, looking at him incredulously before he growled, his fist slamming into his stomach hard enough to double him over. His other hand pressed between his shoulder blades and the explosions that blasted from his palm made black spots fill his vision. The force slammed him to the ground, his uniform burned away from his back as the skin blistered and bled.

Kacchan turned up his nose before he stomped the door which swung open with a vibrating hum, yelling one last thing over his shoulder before he was gone. “If you want to be a hero so bad, Deku, you should pray for a Quirk in your next life. And take a swan dive off the roof!”