Noice.

Would you believe me if I said that I tried to make this chapter a little more...exciting but rules and regulation almost banned me?

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A day after the announcement, Kurokami Tenshin found himself back at his old yet well-maintained home—a humble mix between a dojo and a monastery. It wasn't the sleek, modern living space most of his classmates had, but it was his, and that was what mattered.

In the roofless courtyard, Kuro tended to his greenery, moving cheerfully between his trees. Today, his mango trees had borne fruit. Dressed in adorable gardening clothes—a stark contrast to his usual attire—Kuro plucked the ripe, golden mangoes with practiced ease, carefully placing them into his woven basket.

He loved gardening, though it wasn't something people would associate with him. It wasn't about fighting or training, and it certainly wasn't physically demanding. But mangoes were his favorite fruit, and since his government subsidy barely covered his appetite, he figured, why not grow my own?

"Alright, that should be enough for today," Kuro murmured, slinging the basket over his small frame.

Sliding open the shoji doors, he stepped inside, depositing his harvest onto the kitchen counter. His home had once been run-down, but through hard work and careful maintenance, it was now a cozy, well-kept space. Still… the silence was ever-present.

Kinda lonely… but whatever.

After rinsing the mangoes and storing them in the fridge, Kuro's mind drifted back to this morning.

...

Kuro didn't usually get mail. Not in this part of the city.

The only letter he had received was from UA, delivered by a confused, slightly worried mailman, who seemed unsettled that a kid lived alone in such a shady neighborhood.

Kuro, however, hadn't even answered the door.

"2 PM is still my sleep time, idiot," he muttered to himself.

The letter itself had been boring—some generic congratulations for his performance in the Sports Festival. But the last part was interesting.

During Class 1-A's trip to I-Island, Kuro had been given special treatment.

Not only that—he was allowed to bring a guest.

That was the real problem.

"Ugh, thinking is way too hard… I wish I never opened that letter."

Floating lazily into the air, a familiar purple glow surrounded him as he drifted above the floor. Flying was better than walking—especially when he was in a grumpy mood.

"Who the hell am I supposed to bring?"

His first thought was Mei Hatsume—his partner and friend from the Support Department. But she was busy securing patents for something she refused to explain.

"Apparently, it involves me… but if she's not gonna tell me, then I don't care."

His classmates were the obvious choice. But the problem was—they were all already going.

"Maybe a teacher? But then it'd just be an extended lecture…"

Before he could think any further, a sudden knock on the gate made him freeze midair.

Distracted, his Ki faded—causing him to drop flat onto the floor.

"Ow… perfect, a distraction!"

Not feeling any pain—because honestly, at this point, it would take a nuclear bomb to hurt him—Kuro quickly darted toward the gate.

Sliding it open, he came face-to-face with…

Izuku Midoriya.

The green-haired boy stood stiffly, clearly out of place in Kuro's secluded, run-down neighborhood. His eyes darted around, taking in the old wooden structures, the quiet streets, and the peaceful dojo-turned-home with clear curiosity—though he remained respectful.

...

"Ah, President, nice to see you," Izuku greeted, giving an awkward wave. "Sorry for bothering you, but All Might asked me to invite you to come with us."

Kuro blinked.

"Oh, sure."

Without hesitation, he peeled off his gardening clothes—completely indifferent to the fact that Izuku was standing right there.

Izuku froze in horror.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Kuro, now slipping into his signature black gi, gave him a blank stare. "Changing. What else would I be doing?"

Izuku immediately turned away, flustered beyond belief.

"You can't just change in front of other people, President!" Izuku scolded, his face turning red. "What about decency?! Or shame?!"

Kuro tilted his head. "Shame? What's that?"

Izuku sighed, realizing this conversation was pointless.

"…Can I at least ask how you changed so fast?" he asked, exasperated.

Kuro simply shrugged. "Oh, I have around 50 pairs of these. I just leave them everywhere."

Izuku stared. "Fifty…?"

Kuro nodded matter-of-factly.

"Yep. Makes things easier."

Izuku deflated slightly. "Man, I wish I could do that… I only have one signed All Might fan shirt."

His tone turned dejected.

"It's a shame I can't wear it all day…"

Kuro gave him a sympathetic nod. "That is tragic."

Izuku chuckled, before suddenly remembering something.

"Oh—by the way, I had to spend my taxi fare to get here… so we'll be walking, President."

Kuro shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's fine. Walking is nice. But flying is better."

...

As Izuku Midoriya and Kurokami Tenshin made their way toward the airport, Izuku couldn't help but feel… off.

For most of the walk, he had kept the conversation going—throwing question after question at Kuro, trying to understand him. But every time, he got the same results.

Kuro lived alone—without any apparent family.He didn't seem to care about himself at all.He never changed. Not even a little.

It was strange. Even Izuku himself had changed after coming to UA—growing, adapting, learning from his experiences. Everyone in Class 1-A had. Bakugo, Todoroki, even Ochaco—they had all grown as people.

But Kuro?

He was the same.

The same lovable fluffball who always smiled, always ready to fight, always strong—whether it was for fun, to win, or to save someone.

But now that Izuku really thought about it…

He felt fake.

Like a character from a story, rather than a real person.

Izuku suddenly smacked himself in the face, trying to clear his thoughts.

Kuro, who was casually chewing on a jawbreaker, blinked at him.

"Oh… great, now I look insane."

"You okay, dude?" Kuro asked, tilting his head. His purple eyes glowed faintly in the sunlight.

Then, as if trying to cheer Izuku up, he added, "All Might? Wanna buy an All Might plushie?"

Izuku hesitated, rubbing his face. "N-no… I'm just being stupid."

Kuro blinked in confusion.

Izuku sighed heavily. "I was actually suspecting you of something… just because I'm not used to being around genuinely nice people."

For the first time, Kuro's cheerful expression shattered.

His eyes widened, his lips quivered, and suddenly, he looked like he was about to cry.

"You… really suspected me?"

Izuku felt a wave of guilt crash into him.

"No, I—"

Before Izuku could reassure him, Kuro lowered his head and spoke softly.

"Yes… you're right."

Izuku froze.

"I've been secretly taking your notes… copying your study habits. I'm sorry."

The way Kuro said it—so guilty, so sincere—it almost broke Izuku's brain.

That was it?

Izuku had been thinking too deeply—suspecting Kuro of hiding something truly serious. But Kuro? He thought Izuku was mad because he had borrowed his notes?!

"Oh god… I'm actually an idiot."

Now Izuku understood why Kacchan always got mad at him. He really was terrible at handling friendships.

...

Izuku sighed, feeling embarrassed.

"It's fine, President."

Kuro lifted his head, hopeful.

"I don't blame you." Izuku smiled weakly. "Besides, those notes are for the class. I keep a spare set for myself at home."

Kuro breathed a sigh of relief.

Wiping away the tears that were just about to fall, he beamed. "Whew… I thought I did something really bad."

Izuku shook his head, grateful that he was able to fix this situation—even if he still felt dumb about the whole thing.

Just as he was about to change the subject, a familiar booming voice called out.

...

"Ah, there you two are!"

Turning around, Izuku and Kuro saw All Might approaching.

Unlike his usual hero costume, today he was wearing a sharp suit and tie, looking more like a professional than the Symbol of Peace.

Izuku perked up immediately. "All Might!"

"Hello, Mr. All Might." Kuro greeted formally, still treating him like a teacher.

All Might chuckled, "Ah, be more casual, Young Tenshin. We're outside of school grounds!"

Izuku, meanwhile, was tense, glancing at Kuro before leaning in to whisper. "All Might, are you sure you're okay? I haven't told the President about One For All yet, so he's still in the dark."

All Might waved it off.

"I've never been better, Young Midoriya!"

Then, with a confident grin, he added, "Besides, I-Island holds a dear friend of mine. I'll be keeping myself in my prime until we arrive!"

Kuro, noticing the secrecy but choosing not to pry, simply shrugged.

"Alright, now follow me, you two." All Might turned, motioning them forward. "We've got plenty of airport regulations to go through… and believe me, it's going to take a while."

His tone was already exhausted.

Kuro floated beside him, swinging his arms behind his head. "Man, even the Symbol of Peace can't escape bureaucracy, huh?"

All Might sighed. "Unfortunately… no."

Izuku chuckled. "Well… at least we have I-Island to look forward to."

And with that, the three of them continued toward the airport, completely unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface.

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[Auther: Yo, been awhile eh? Deku or Izuku MIDoriya is 100% bi, we've established that and it cannot be changed, okay? So don't cry, try and find the meme reference in the chapter instead. Also if the crying Kuro scene felt odd, try to understand why, buddy.

Hint: "You okay, dude? Bewbs? Wanna touch Bewbs?"]