The Night Before (Chapter 3)

The Midoriya apartment is dimly lit, except for the bluish glow of Izuku’s phone screen. He’s sitting on his bedroom floor, surrounded by notebooks filled with notes on Quirks and heroes. The U.A. letter hasn’t arrived yet, and the wait is killing him. His leg shakes uncontrollably.

“Stop, Izuku, you’ll wear out the floor,” Inko says from the doorway, holding a cup of ginger tea. She’s wearing an oversized old All Might sweatshirt. “You should sleep. Tomorrow’s the big day.”

“I can’t, Mom,” he replies, not looking up. “I keep thinking about the exam. What if I didn’t make it? What if the rescue points weren’t enough?”

Inko sits beside him, setting the cup on the floor. “Listen, you did something no one else did: you ran toward danger for someone else. That’s what makes you special, not just a score.” She gives him a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Besides, if you don’t get in, you can always be my personal trainer. Look at these muscles!” She flexes her arm exaggeratedly, making Izuku laugh.

“You’re impossible,” he says, relaxing a bit. But his gaze returns to the phone. He opens the chat with Ochako.

Izuku: Nervous about tomorrow?
Ochako: LIKE I’M FACING A LEVEL S VILLAIN! 😵 You?
Izuku: Same. Feels like my heart’s gonna explode.
Ochako: Whatever happens, we’ll face it together, okay? 😊 Good night, Deku!

Izuku smiles, feeling a warmth he can’t explain. “Good night,” he murmurs to the phone, as if she could hear him.

**After Chapter 3: Evening at the Beach**

The sun begins to set at Dagobah Beach, painting the sky orange. Izuku and Ochako sit against a giant tire, sharing a water bottle Ochako pulled from her backpack. Their laughter has faded, but the energy between them is electric, as if they’re still buzzing from what they accomplished.

“You know?” Ochako says, playing with the sand between her fingers. “When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. Floating in space, weightless… That’s why I always thought my Quirk was cool. But this…” She glances at the car chassis. “It was like, for a second, I was really in space.”

Izuku watches her, surprised by the confession. “I always wanted to be like All Might. But I never imagined something like this. This ‘Booster’ thing is weird, right? Like my Quirk was made to work with others.”

Ochako tilts her head, smiling. “Maybe that’s the point. Maybe you’re the kind of hero who makes everyone else shine brighter.” She blushes a little and looks away. “Sounds cheesy, I know.”

“No, it’s not,” Izuku says, sincere. “I think I like that idea.”

A comfortable silence settles in. Ochako pulls a pack of cookies from her backpack and shares them. As they chew, she giggles. “My parents are gonna freak when I tell them I moved a car. Well, I won’t tell them *everything*. Just the exam part.”

“Good idea,” Izuku laughs. “If my mom knew what we did today, she’d lock me in the house with a mountain of tea and blankets.”

“Your mom’s awesome,” Ochako says. “Did she teach you to fix postures like a yoga instructor?”

Izuku blushes. “Uh, yeah. We trained together since I found my motivation to get into U.A. She always said the body is the first hero you have.”

Ochako nods, thoughtful. “I like that. Hey, Deku, when we’re at U.A., are we gonna keep training like this? As a team, I mean.”

He looks at her, his eyes shining with determination. “Count on it. We’re an unbeatable combo, right?”

She gives him a light punch on the arm. “The best. But next time, I’m bringing more cookies.”

They laugh, and as the sun sets, both feel this is just the beginning of something much bigger.