17

Chapter 17

(Persona 5 OST: Confession Secret/Piano version) 

It took some time for the gymnasium to finally empty itself of students. So many were absorbed into conversations of Kamoshida's actions and the supposed Phantom Thieves of Hearts, teachers were forced to herd them out. Ryuji, Ann, and Izuku hung back, quickly wanting to convene after Kamoshida's confession. Instead of immediately calling the police, principal Kobayakawa carried Kamoshida off, likely in hopes of salvaging the situation rather than let it continue to devolve. But no matter what Kobayakawa might do, there was no saving face for the volleyball coach or his career.

"I… can barely believe that all just happened…" Ryuji muttered, scratching the back of his head and looking at Izuku. "That was, like… everything we wanted all in one sitting. Didn't even think it would go like that, you know?"

"Y-yeah… I was hoping what we did in the cognitive world would be effective, but that was… almost like something out of a dream." Izuku admitted, a frown crossing his features as he wrestled with the mess of thoughts filtering through his mind.

"Even so, it worked. His heart really did change…" Ann said, her voice quiet as she focused on the spot of the stage where Kamoshida had knelt.

"Yeah, it did. I dunno why I'm trippin', but I guess it's 'cause it happened so fast…" Ryuji mumbled, turning his attention back to Izuku. "This was the right thing to do, right?"

"... It was." Izuku nodded, eyes lowering to the ground. "I wrestled with the idea for a while, but… after seeing Suzui-sempai… I know it was for the best. Kamoshida admitted to his crimes, didn't die and is going to jail. We… honestly couldn't hope for a better result."

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." Ryuji nodded, biting his bottom lip. "Guess I'm still in shock, is all. Maybe we should-" he paused when he caught sight of several people approaching, he and Izuku craning their heads to see Mishima and two other second year girls walking up to them.

"Takamaki-san…" Mishima called out, finally drawing Ann's attention their way. With a low bow, Mishima's voice trembled as he spoke, "I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Ann blinked, looking down at Mishima in confusion.

"I… I knew what Kamoshida was doing to people, to you, but didn't speak up… I was afraid to be the next target every day, that I… I'm sorry." Mishima declared, his hands gripping at his sides. "Everyone who knew what Kamoshida was like knew what he was doing to you… but we felt safer pretending we didn't."

"Even though we didn't know about Kamoshida, we were still just as guilty." The taller girl of the two admitted, her voice showing her concern. "I had you all wrong. I spread rumors like every other idiot. I'm so sorry for thinking so little of you…"

"I had no idea Kamoshida put you through so much… I can't even begin to know where to start with an apology." the shorter girl said, looking down at the ground in shame. "A lot of people want to apologize, I'm sure. So many of us just assumed about what kind of person you are. We're so sorry…"

Ann spared a glance across the three, seeing the sincerity in their words and offering a small sullen smile. "It's okay… I'm sorry, too. I didn't feel like making an effort in trying to make more friends than Shiho, anyway. But it's all in the past now with Kamoshida. So I'm ready to move on."

The girls stared thankfully back at Ann, relieved that the platinum blonde was willing to forgive them for their shallowness. Mishima couldn't smile though, his gaze shifting over to Izuku now as anxiousness filled him. He slowly walked up to Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink. "I'm so sorry…"

"Huh? W-why?" Izuku asked, staring at Mishima in confusion.

"I-it… it was me who spread your criminal record on social media." Mishima admitted, causing Izuku to widen his eyes. Ryuji and Ann shared a look of disbelief, staring down at the now bowing boy. "Kamoshida, he… he had me do it. Told me to spread it out for people to see… But even so, I-I'm just as guilty for it as him… I'm sorry…"

"Dude…" Ryuji mumbled, shocked as anyone else to hear Mishima admit to the act.

Izuku was certainly shocked by this revelation, but didn't feel any amount of anger or irritation build up within him. Instead, he only felt sympathetic for the boy. It was hard to be mad at anyone who was being crushed under Kamoshida's thumb like that. "You have nothing to apologize for… Kamoshida hurt a lot of people including you. I don't blame anyone for what was said or how except for Kamoshida. And he's going to pay for his crimes."

Mishima slowly looked back up at Izuku, his expression looking conflicted and hesitant. But before more could be said, a nameless teacher quickly approached the group with a glare. "Hey! Hurry up and get to your classes! No more loitering around."

"W-well, I guess we'll see you in class, Takamaki-san." The tall girl of the group said, offering a small bow before turning around and leaving. Mishima spared a hesitant look at the teacher before turning back to Izuku.

"I… I'll make it up to you somehow… I promise." Mishima declared before quickly shuffling off.

"Hey, Mishima." Ann called out before the plain boy was gone. He stopped at the doorway, looking back at her in question. "When you get the chance, you should visit Shiho. You really helped her out by starting that petition. I think Recovery Girl wants to meet you too."

Mishima blinked in shock, a mixture of emotions welling up within him. It was easy to tell that he looked close to crying, but quickly shook his head as he tried to salvage himself from any embarrassment. "O...Okay. I might just do that if she'll see me." He said, giving Ann a small smile before leaving. The platinum blonde smiled before finally turning to Izuku and Ryuji.

"Let's meet up at the usual place. We'll talk about everything then." Izuku suggested, earning a nod from both Ryuji and Ann in acceptance before they finally departed for their classes. As he walked down the hall in silence, Izuku heard the chime of his phone, pulling it out and immediately seeing Makoto's nickname across the screen. He released a nervous breath, quickly tapping on her name and reading the message:

Makoto: We need to talk. What just happened was surreal.

Izuku bit his bottom lip, having dreaded the conversation he had put off for so long now. But, wanting to keep his promise, Izuku quickly reassured himself before replying.

Izuku: Okay. Tomorrow, let's meet. I'm sorry to have made you wait so long. I'll explain everything.

"Man, people weren't so judgy today as usual." Ryuji said, leaning back in his chair as he sat across from Izuku. They had swiftly made their way to the rooftop the moment school had ended, wanting to talk about their "I guess after seein' Kamoshida's true colors, he's not the only one who had a change of heart."

"Really? It still felt like I was being given a wide berth." Izuku chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he thought back to his classes. If anything, it almost seemed like they were giving him more space than usual.

"Really? Huh… weird." Ryuji hummed, though only giving a shrug. "I'm sure it's no big deal. People're prolly just freaked out over everything Kamoshida said."

"Speaking of Kamoshida, I think I've figured out how we avoided causing the mental breakdown." Morgana announced, bringing their attention to him. "Leaving his Shadow alive was only part of why one didn't occur. Because we were able to send the Shadow back to his real self, it wouldn't perish with the rest of the palace when it collapsed. So long as we continue that trend, we won't have to worry about causing any cognitive collapses."

"Whoa, so that's it?! Awesome!" Ryuji cowed, quickly slapping Izuku on the back in reassurance. "See? Now we don't gotta worry about any bad crap happenin' because of us so long as we do it right!"

"Y-yeah, I suppose so." Izuku smiled, likely more relieved than anyone else to see their actions were able to bring about the most positive scenario. Now that the shock of the suddenness of Kamoshida's confession was gone, there was no denying that they were all in high spirits. Izuku couldn't be prouder of their group for being able to achieve their ultimate goal.

"Try not to let the entire school know we're up here, would you?" Ann called out, entering the rooftop and joining the three while her gaze was fixed on Ryuji.

"Heh, it's fine. Don't worry so much. We just had a big victory, didn't we?" Ryuji carelessly waved off, earning a small eye roll from Ann, though she couldn't conceal her own merth as she smirked. "So, how's Shiho doin'? What you did for her was pretty sweet."

"She's doing okay. Once school ended, I called her up. She said she cried all day, but she's feeling so much better because of it." Ann explained, giving a wistful smile. "She even said that it was just what she needed. But I know she still has a long journey ahead of her before she's going to be fully over it."

"Not to mention all those rumors about you are pretty much dead now. I'm glad things're lookin' up for you." Ryuji commented, smiling up at the platinum blonde.

"That doesn't matter to me. I'm just glad we could give Shiho the justice she deserved. And that she could see it for herself." Ann said, turning a more earnest grin to the three. "I'm just glad I didn't accidently kill Kamoshida's Shadow in the process. That ended up being good for both Shiho and Izuku."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Good job keepin' yourself from burning him to a crisp. I seriously thought you were gonna back there." Ryuji admitted, giving Ann a kind grin.

"I'm still proud of the choice you made Ann-sempai, even without knowing the consequences." Izuku agreed, looking up at Ann with a sincere smile.

"Lady Ann is simply kind, after all." Morgana chuckled, his voice becoming soft as he addressed Ann as usual.

"Well, I don't know if I would say it was out of kindness." Ann dismissed, waving a hand in front of her face. "I just thought revenge would best be served if he lived to see it all through. Now that he's fully aware of how terrible he is and what he's done, he'll be groveling on his knees for forgiveness for the rest of his life. I think, in a way, that's a fate worse than death."

…

…

…

"Holy shit…" Was Ryuji's eventual answer, the three boys staring up at Ann in both awe and a bit of intimidation.

"I didn't realize Ann-sempai could be that scary…" Izuku muttered, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I can't say I disagree with her sentiment, but… wow." Morgana chuckled quietly, a little thrown off by the thorns of his rose.

"A-anyway, now that that's over…" Ryuji cleared his throat, trying to move on from the subject, "We should lay low for a bit. Considerin' people knew we were snoopin' around before about Kamoshida, they're definitely gonna look at us first over what happened. Not that they'll ever be able to find out about the other world."

"Yeah, fingers are already pointing at you both. Mainly Izuku, though." Ann said, causing the green haired teen to widen his eyes and turn his attention back to her. "People think you might have worked together, but that Izuku has some hidden Quirk that he used to make him confess."

"What the shit?!"

"Th-they singled me out?!" Izuku blurted, eyes wide as plates in disbelief. "B-but I'm Quirkless! Everyone knows that after seeing my criminal record!"

"People are brushing that off with you being a late bloomer or that you were somehow able to cover it up from the cops." Ann shrugged, her words causing the green haired teen's shoulders to slump at his sides. "Sorry, that's just what I've been hearing. They think the calling card was just some sort of distraction or some way to make your Quirk activate. You should hear some of the theories people are spinning up."

"I bet none of 'em are even close to what actually went down. If someone were to spin that theory, I'd think their imagination was way too nutty." Ryuji chuckled, reaching over and patting a sulking Izuku on the back in comfort. "Plus, it's not like they can prove you did it. Like you said, you're Quirkless. They can't just make one magically appear."

"Maybe, but… that's not going to stop people from thinking I did it… It also explains why my classmates were staying at a distance..." Izuku mumbled dejectedly, eyes cast to the side in thought. Though, thinking about it, Izuku couldn't help but chuckle. "Well… it's not like anyone had a good opinion of me before, right? So I guess it's something I'll just have to accept."

"Izuku…" Morgana muttered, a bit of sympathy shining in his slitted eyes.

"If that's the worst thing to come of stopping Kamoshida, I'm okay with it." Izuku decided, his lips turning up into a smile. "I have you guys now, so it won't be so lonely." From the beginning, Izuku had always expected to be an outcast among his classmates. It was that way no matter what school he went to. So knowing that he had friends despite his previous circumstances helped to reassure Izuku in spite of it all.

"Aw shucks, man! You're gonna make me blush over here!" Ryuji laughed, reaching over and pulling Izuku into a headlock. "You know I got your back, dude."

"We are a team, after all." Ann smiled in support, giving Izuku a thumbs up.

"As expected of our leader to bear such a cross on his back. Now, moving on, we have one last matter to deal with." Morgana chuckled before tip toeing his way to Izuku's bag. Nuzzling inside, he produced the gold medal that served as Kamoshida's Treasure. "I would like for us to find a way to make use of this medal. It's been annoying to deal with while I'm in the bag."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot we had that thing!" Ryuji laughed, releasing Izuku from his dizzying hold and leaning forward to inspect it. "A genuine gold medal, huh? Even though it's from the palace, it sure looks and feels real enough. Maybe we can sell it?"

"I feel like that might raise suspicion, but… it's not like it's the real medal." Izuku hummed, holding his chin in thought. "The real one is likely at his house, so people wouldn't really be able to tie them together…"

"Cool, we're sellin' it then! I'll look up some prices!" Ryuji grinned, quickly pulling out his phone and browsing the internet. It only took him a few moments to find a result, his lips shifting into a frown. "What?! Only thirty thousand yen?! It's an effin' gold medal though! You'd think it was worth more!"

"The amount of actual gold in the medal is probably low. Otherwise a medal this size would go for a much higher price." Izuku suggested, picking the medal up and inspecting it closely.

"Hey, so just throwing this out there, but… remember that time I lent you money in middle school, Ryuji?" Ann suddenly asked, an innocent smile crossing her lips.

"What?! No way that was thirty thousand yens worth!" Ryuji blanched in disbelief, standing up from his seat.

"I mean, of course not, but if you take the years of compound interest I'm sure it would add up." Ann cheekily chuckled, crossing her arms behind her back.

"Interest my ass! I'm almost positive you gotta agree to all that in like… writing or somethin'!" Ryuji exclaimed, eyes quickly looking to Izuku. "Help me out here, man! You're smart and stuff so you would know!"

Izuku looked between the scrutinizing gazes of Ann and Ryuji, some sweat trailing down his face. "I-I'll stay out of this one…" He muttered, bowing his head in apology.

"Oh, come on dude!"

"It's not like I'm going to take all of it! I'm sure we'll divide it among the group, so… my portion and then part of your portion!" Ann said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh that is so not cool!" Ryuji complained, shoulders slumping in disbelief.

"Back on topic, I agree we should lay low." Morgana chuckled, obviously amused by the entire conversation. "But if we can get that sold quickly, perhaps we can celebrate with the money?"

"Oh, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should go somewhere expensive and fancy?" Ryuji suggested in excitement, looking at Ann and Izuku expectantly.

"Oh, what? But I-" Ann began to complain before stopping herself, humming in thought. "Actually, that sounds good. In fact I know a good place we can go. I've been meaning to go there for a while with Shiho."

"Well, I can't really complain where since I owe money…" Ryuji grumbled obediently before turning to Izuku. "You cool with that?"

"I'm up for anything you guys choose. I wouldn't know any other place for us to go, anyways." Izuku chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I'm looking forward to it!"

"Well, looks like we're in agreement. Though back to the medal, how do you guys plan to sell it? Think we'll be able to get rid of it before your school break is over?" Morgana asked, looking around at the three.

"Usually it would take some time to sell it online, but… the man who sold us our guns…" Izuku mumbled, recalling some of his time spent in the shop looking for better weapons. "I think he told me that if I have something of value he would be willing to purchase…"

"Whoa, really? Sick, dude! Now we don't gotta worry about waitin' for some online buyers!" Ryuji said in excitement.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, me and Izuku will handle the selling the medal to the shopkeeper since he seems to like Izuku well enough." Morgana volunteered, a nod of acceptance from the green haired teen.

"If you guys are able to sell it by tomorrow then we should plan for our victory party sometime this week!" Ann suggested hopefully, putting a finger to her chin. "How about on the last day so that we can have one last hoorah before the break ends?"

"So on Children's day, then? Alright, I'm down for that!" Ryuji said with no qualms.

"It will definitely give us something to look forward to on the last day." Izuku smiled, nodding in agreement to the idea.

"Alright, then we've got our plan!" Ann exclaimed, grinning at the three in excitement. "Anything else we need to go over?"

A thought quickly occurred to Izuku, his once mirthful smile slowly morphing into a neutral frown. "Yes, actually… just one more thing." Izuku spoke, drawing their attention to him now. "Before this all started, I promised to let Koto-san know all about what we did… After today, she texted me trying to get some answers. It's… it's going to be difficult to explain, but I've decided that I'm going to tell her everything."

Ann and Ryuji widened their eyes, both hesitating to respond immediately. Morgana hummed in thought, lying down and resting on his front legs. "Well, it wouldn't be very becoming of you to keep hiding it after you promised to share. I don't think it's a problem."

"I get that, but… that's not gonna be the easiest thing to explain in words." Ryuji said, a thoughtful frown crossing his lips. "Hell, I know I'd have a hard time believin' it if my first experience was a nose dive right into it."

"Same here. We got a baptism by fire when it came to the other world." Ann nodded, holding her chin in thought. "But here's the other problem: with no castle left, how can you really prove it to her?"

"K-Koto-san knows that I wouldn't come up with such an elaborate place just for a lie. I think that she'll believe me." Izuku said, hoping that his oldest friend would be willing to take his word for it.

"Well, there is another way we can prove it to her. In fact, I can show it to you all right now." Morgana declared, shifting attention back to him. "It'll be a bit to cover, but with the castle gone…"

"Wait wait wait, we just said we'd lay low." Ryuji said, quickly waving his arms back and forth. "We should at least give it a couple days before goin' around like that again." Ryuji reminded them.

"Good point. I guess we could wait on that." Ann agreed before looking at Izuku. "Do you want us to come along to help back up your story at least?"

Izuku held his chin in thought, considering all of their options before shaking his head. "No, it's okay. It might be better to explain it to her one on one. And since we're trying to lay low for a bit, it might look less suspicious to be by myself."

"Up to you, dude. Just give us a call if she needs some extra convincin' or somethin'." Ryuji suggested, Ann nodding in agreement.

"Thanks guys. I'll be sure to let you know what happens. Hopefully it turns out okay."

(My Hero Academia OST: Mellow Twilight) 

It was only a short while longer that the group continued to converse. With little else left to be said, Izuku and the others parted ways and headed for home. With Kamoshida dealt with, Izuku was now free of his previous anxiety. He walked home with a small smile on his face, ready to put the entire incident behind him.

"Nice to see you with more of a spring in your step." Morgana chuckled, currently leaning over the green haired teen's shoulder. "With how stressed you and Ryuji were over the possible results, it's good to see you loosen up a bit."

"Honestly, having Kamoshida confess today took a huge weight off my shoulders." Izuku admitted, a small smile across his lips. "We can finally move on." Izuku reached forward, pulling the gold painted door knob leading into Leblanc. "I'm back!"

"Ah, perfect timing." Sojiro answered, craning his head slightly to look at green haired teen as he entered and flashing a welcoming smile. "You have a guest."

"A guest?" Izuku blinked before looking at the front of the bar. His body immediately froze, eyes slowly widening as he caught sight of someone he immediately recognized: his mother, Inko Midoriya. The elder Midoriya slowly turned in her stool, inhaling a breath as she saw her son. She looked much like how Izuku left her: a bit aged in the face and round in size. She was an inch or two shorter than her son, her hair a matching green to his. "... Mom?"

"Izuku…" Inko muttered, a slow smile spreading across her lips. Tears immediately began to well up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling as she could barely contain her joy. She stood from her stool, spreading her arms out. "Izuku baby!"

"Mom!" Izuku choked out, ignoring the building tears in his own as he rushed forward and took his mother into a tight hug. Their embrace was long and warm, both pouring their feelings out as soft sobs echoed from both sides. "I've missed you…"

"I have too…" Inko whispered back, rubbing her son's back tenderly. They slowly broke apart, Inko sniffling a bit as she wiped her eyes. "I wish you would call more, but… I'm sure you were still adjusting, so I won't nag you over it."

"Yeah… I'm sorry…" Izuku apologized, rubbing the back of his head with a bit of regret. With so much going on in the past several weeks, he had failed to call his mother at all, having instead sent her several texts in reassurance instead. "Wh-what are you doing here, though?"

"I just wanted to visit, and since it was Golden Week I thought it was a good opportunity… make sure Sojiro here was taking care of you properly." Inko explained, releasing a small chuckle as she turned to the cafe owner in question. "I still can't thank you enough for taking Izuku when you did."

"Think nothing of it. It was the least I could do for an old friend." Sojiro chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, your boy is pretty well behaved. Aside from getting to school late on the first day, I haven't had to worry about any trouble. He even volunteered to help me out a bit around the shop."

"I'm glad. I knew that if I could trust anyone with Izuku, it would be you." Inko said, pulling Izuku over to the counter and taking a seat. "But how are things going for you? How is your new school treating you? I know it was a tough transition, especially with your… with where you actually wanted to go."

Izuku couldn't even begin to tell her how crazy of a month it had actually been for him. Heck, he couldn't even tell her about the stuff that didn't involve the metaverse. There would be no end of worry from his mother. So, focusing on the good that came from it, Izuku gave a genuine smile. "It… it was hard at first, I admit, but… it's actually not so bad anymore. I even made a couple of friends."

Inko blinked in surprise, her jaw slackening a bit as she processed his words. She was fully aware of the troubles he had with his own classmates, but to hear that he had actually made some friends brought an enormous amount of relief to her. "Oh, that's so good to hear… I was so worried that you'd have trouble getting to know others. I'm so happy…" Inko said, wiping the mist from her eyes as she fought back another wave of tears.

"So you made some friends, huh? Good on you. See what happens when you don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself?" Sojiro chuckle, smirking a bit as he pulled out a cigarette.

"Y-yeah, I suppose you're right…" Izuku hesitantly chuckled out, looking away nervously as he scratched the back of his head. I can't really say I wasn't drawing a bunch of attention to myself this past month…

"Wh-why don't we go out to dinner? We can talk about this over some food." Inko suggested, her eyes trailing to Sojiro. "You should come too, Sojiro. And if she's willing, why don't you invite Fu-"

"A-ah, naw, that-that's alright!" Sojiro quickly dismissed, causing mother and son to blink in confusion. Sojiro quickly composed himself, coughing into his hand. "I-I've got a shop to run after all. Don't worry about me. You two should run along and get caught up. I'd hate to play third wheel on your little reunion." He chuckled, his voice back to its casual laze.

That was strange. I wonder what that was about… Izuku mused to himself. There was much he still didn't know about Sojiro though, and guessed it was something about his private matters. The man definitely liked to keep to himself.

"A-ah, I see. No problem then. We'll catch up more when we get back, then…" Inko weakly nodded, though her expression seemed to show a bit of understanding. "Come on, Izuku. I'm sure we can find a nice quiet place to eat at. Have you been to many places?"

"N-no, not really. Just this one beef bowl shop, but that's it." Izuku admitted, remembering when Ryuji had treated him after receiving his Persona.

"In other news, a local high school volleyball coach was arrested earlier today for crimes of sexual harassment and abuse toward students." Izuku immediately hesitated, eyes quickly looking back up at the hanging TV. Sojiro and Inko also shifted their attention back, some recognition in their eyes. A picture of Kamoshida appeared on the screen next to the broadcaster, causing Izuku to inhale a breath. "Strangely enough, the man confessed to the crime himself in front of the entire school this morning. Whether he was under the influence of a Quirk is still unknown. He is currently in police custody, and more information will soon be given once interviews with the assailant have finished. We took the time today to interview some of the students at this academy and find out how much his actions had affected their lives."

On the screen, while their faces were hidden by the camera angle, the uniform of the students on screen made it obvious as to what school it was covering. Sojiro and Inko spared a glance at Izuku, inspecting the uniform he was still wearing for confirmation. "So it is a coach from your school…" Sojiro muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"How scary… to have this happen at your school even though you just got there." Inko mumbled out, looking at her son in concern. "Tell me you didn't have to deal with such a horrible man, Izuku."

"W-well, I definitely saw him around, but…" Izuku muttered, trying his best to play it off without exposing just how much he actually had been involved with Kamoshida.

"Geez. Talk about a major setback. I'm sure that's embarrassing for the school." Sojiro hummed before looking back at Izuku. "Well, at least you didn't get swept up in that mess. Things are probably going to get a bit hectic at your school, so I'd continue to keep a low profile, if I were you."

"Y-yeah, I'll try…" Izuku mumbled, thinking it a bit funny that it was already part of his plan to do so. He looked at his mother and gave a somewhat forced smile, hoping to reassure her. "D-don't worry about that, though. I wasn't there long enough to be affected, you know? Let's go and get dinner."

"Y-yeah, okay." Inko nodded, a small bit of concern lingering in her voice before fading as she smiled at her son. "Katsudon is still your favorite, right? Let's see if we can find a restaurant that serves some!"

"We don't have to go through all that trouble, mom. It's okay." Izuku chuckled, but nonetheless appreciative as they walked out the door.

"Those two are certainly close, huh?" Sojiro chuckled, a small smirk playing on the corner of his mouth as his gaze drew back up to the television. "I'm sure you would have been a bit like that. Eh, Wakaba?"

Inside a dark room cluttered by papers, clothes and instant food boxes, a lone girl sat in front of an excessive computer rig, her monitor providing the only bit of light in the room. She was slumped low into her computer chair, her eyes staring at the monitor with envy. On the screen, it depicted the inside of Leblanc, having watched the entire exchange between the Midoriya's and Sojiro in silence. Her thoughts had been locked on one specific moment though, her monitor replaying the hug between Izuku and his mother over and over again. It was like torturing herself, looking at something she couldn't experience ever again. And it was all her fault.

"It must be nice…"

Izuku had spent quality time with his mother that night until late since he was currently on vacation. Inko even stayed the night at Leblanc with him, Izuku naturally giving her the bed while he slept on the floor. Morgana had finally come out and greeted his mother kindly, Inko taking a quick liking to the cat and tenderly petting him. Morgana certainly didn't refuse the attention and love that the mother gave him, eliciting a few hidden laughs from Izuku. The cat even laid next to her instead of Izuku that night. But with the night come and gone, Inko headed to the public bathhouse, cleaning herself up as she prepared to leave.

"So your mom isn't staying, huh? That's a shame." Sojiro hummed, a bit of disappointment in his expression as smoked behind the bar.

"Yeah. She said that she just wanted to spend some time with me last night but didn't want to impose for too long. I tried to tell her to stay, but she seems pretty adamant." Izuku admitted, somewhat confused by his mother's decision to leave already.

"Well, nothing to do about it if her mind's already made up." Sojiro hummed, messing with the coffee maker and preparing it for any customers that might come in. "Be sure to walk her to the station once she's back."

"Of course." Izuku nodded, having already planned such. The bell of the shop's store suddenly rang, announcing someone's arrival. Izuku half expected it to be his mother, but was soon saw a younger woman with silver hair instead. She looks so… familiar… 

"Good morning." She greeted, her voice low but no less appealing because of it. Her eyes drifted to Sojiro, flashing a curt smile.

"Morning to you. What'll you have?" He asked, returning the smile with his own.

"The house special, please." Sae said, walking over to the bar and taking a seat. Her eyes landed on Izuku, who unintentionally had been staring at her. "Is something the matter?" She asked, raising a brow. Though unmistakably, she felt a bit of familiarity in seeing the boy as well.

"... Sae-oneesan?" Izuku suddenly blurted out, causing both Sae and Sojiro to blink and look up at Izuku in confusion.

"You two know each other?" Sojiro asked, eyes trailing back and forth between the two.

"... Wait, it can't be…" Sae muttered, holding her chin as realization lit up in her eyes. "Little Izu?"

(My Hero Academia OST: Flustered) 

Izuku flushed a bit at the nickname, remembering now that the Nijimura sisters actually both had nicknames for him. Though Makoto was upset the first time Sae used the nickname, likely because she wanted to use it as well. "H-hi, Sae-oneesan… it's been a while."

"What a surprise. It's been almost four years now, right?" Sae said, a small nostalgic smile crossing her lips. "I have to say, you've certainly grown. I guess you couldn't always be shorter than Makoto. But I have to say, I'm certainly surprised to see you here in Tokyo. Did you and your family move into the area or are you simply here on vacation? It is Golden Week after all."

"N-no, due to some… circumstances, I'm actually going to school here." Izuku explained, rubbing the back of his head before a thought occurred. "K-Koto-san hasn't told you? I'm going to Shujin as well."

"Oh, are you? So you've already met back up with Makoto then?" Sae hummed in surprise. "Well, she has been quite busy with her studies. Though she did mention some sort of drama occurring at her school… I thought perhaps she was talking about the incident with the instructor who confessed yesterday, but…"

Another bell jingle from the door, this time Inko being the one to walk inside. "Sorry I took my time. I was having such a refreshing bath." Inko apologized as she entered before looking up, her eyes soon meeting Sae's. "Oh~, Nijima-chan! Is that you?!"

"Ah, Midoriya-san. It's been a while." Sae smiled, turning to the mother and standing up to talk.

"You look gorgeous, Nijima-chan! It's been so long!" Inko said, a bubbly aura radiating from Izuku's mother as she approached the silver haired beauty and grabbed her hands. "I remember that your family had moved to Tokyo, but with such a big city I didn't think we'd run into you here!"

"I suppose the world is a bit smaller than we thought." Sae chuckled, somewhat infected by Inko's attitude.

"Yes, I suppose so." Inko chuckled, but suddenly widened her eyes and looked at her son. "Oh, Izuku! We need to get moving! My train will be arriving soon."

"O-oh, okay! I've got your bag right here, so we can go now!" Izuku said, holding up the meager suitcase that his mother brought along.

"I'm sorry to cut our reunion short, Nijima-chan. My train will be leaving soon, but perhaps next time I'm in town we can get some coffee and catch up!" Inko offered with a smile, eliciting a small chuckle from Sae.

"I would like that. I hope you have a safe trip, Midoriya-san." Sae said in goodbye, looking over to Izuku and smiling. "Perhaps I'll see you around as well, little Izu. Heh, it's strange to call you that now that you've grown up."

"E-eh, i-it's okay. C-completely up to you!" Izuku stuttered out, his face flush again as he quickly dashed past her with his mother's luggage in hand. Admittedly, Izuku was fully aware of how beautiful Sae was. That had been apparent to him since he first met her as a child. Makoto was keen on teasing him over getting so nervous around her when they were little. Hearing her call him by that old nickname she gave him was nerve racking on its own.

"Goodbye, Sojiro. I'll be back soon, I promise. And again, thank you for all your help." Inko said, bowing in appreciation toward the shopkeep.

"Take good care. I'll be seeing you." Sojiro smiled, waving as she and Izuku took their leave. Turning to Sae, Sojiro quirked a brow up. "So, you're familiar with the Midoriya's too, huh?"

"That's right. My family used to live close by to them. Izuku was good friends with my younger sister, in fact." Sae explained, a small smile lining her lips as she recalled the memories. "He was the most adorable thing as a child. My sister used to protect him like a lion over her cubs."

"That doesn't surprise me. The kid's pretty jumpy and shy." Sojiro chuckled, placing Sae's coffee in front of her. "Consider the first cup on the house."

"I'm so surprised that we saw Nijima-chan again. Have you seen her around often?" Inko asked, the two walking through the street toward the train station.

"N-no, this is the first time I've seen Sae-oneesan." Izuku admitted, shaking his head. "B-but I do see Koto-san a lot at school."

"Oh, really?! That's nice to hear. I always wondered if you'd ever be able to see their family again." Inko hummed before her expression took a small turn for sullen. "It… it hit them hard when they lost their father, after all. It was sad to see them going without being able to help them."

Izuku's expression fell, memories of their departure flooding through his head. He had cried a lot that day, standing there saying his goodbyes to Makoto and Sae. He and Makoto hugged for a good while until they were forced apart, the sisters immediately being taken away. "Yeah… but they both seem to have handled it. Koto-san is top in her classes and student council president."

"Oh, really? That's good to hear. Perhaps on my next visit, I'll get to see her again." Inko hummed, a small smile replacing her frown again. As the two walked down to the train station entrance, Inko turned around and took her bag. "I'm happy to see that things have been going good for you so far, Izuku. I was so worried that it might be much harder for you."

"You could stay a little longer, mom. It is Golden Week." Izuku suggested, still somewhat confused by his mother's decision to leave so soon.

"No, this is fine. I was just happy to be able to spend time with you as much as I did. Seeing you smile again after everything you've been through made me so overjoyed." Inko said, tears already building up in her eyes. "I promise to visit again soon, so keep making friends like you have been and stay out of trouble. And keep taking care of Sojiro, too. He can be a bit gruff, but he's got a great heart."

"I will mom. Thanks for coming. I love you." Izuku said, walking up and hugging his mother close. Inko wrapped her arms tightly around her son, bearing a grip that made it seem like she wouldn't let go if given the choice. Morgana suddenly popped his head out of Izuku's bag, letting out an affectionate meow. Inko and Izuku broke the hug, both giggling as Inko reached forward and pet the cat on his head gingerly. With that, Izuku waved goodbye to his mother, watching as she made her way through the station and toward her train.

"You've got such a sweet mother, Izuku." Morgana said sincerely, looking up at the green haired teen. Izuku bit back tears, rubbing his arm over his eyes to push away any water building up.

"Y-yeah… I really do…"

Izuku had waited until noon before going out for the day. As promised, he was going to meet up with Makoto in Shibuya to finally talk. He made sure to check online beforehand to see when Untouchable closed. Thankfully it would be open until late, meaning he could postpone selling the medal until after his conversation with Makoto. Izuku doubted that this would be a short conversation, after all. With so many bases to cover, it certainly built upon Izuku's anxiety. He was already waiting at Shibuya train station for Makoto, his foot tapping incessantly. "O-okay, what's the best way to explain this? M-maybe I should start with the palace… no, no, that wouldn't make sense out of context. Probably the world itself, first… b-but wait, it's not the same as when I went, I'm not taking her into the cognitive world. I have to start right from the beginning… but at what point is that?!"

"You sure are nervous all of a sudden." Izuku heard the cat's voice. Morgana sat in his bag that rested on a bench, watching him with his head tilted. "You were having such a good time hanging out with your mom, but that quickly turned around."

"H-how am I supposed to tell her, Morgana-san?! I wouldn't believe it without seeing it for myself! This is nothing like a Quirk!" Izuku asked in panic, his eyes cracking as his parade of worries continued to march on. "E-even if I wanted to show her, the palace is gone! I don't have any way to prove it to her!"

"Well, that's not actually true." Morgana hummed, causing Izuku to blink and pause in surprise. "I told you that there was something I needed to show you and the others, after all."

Izuku opened his mouth, a new group of questions arising from Morgana's words. "Midori!" Before he could get a word in though, he heard his familiar nickname called out, quickly turning to the side to see Makoto approaching. Morgana quickly hid himself away, leaving the green haired teen to face the brunette alone. "Sorry if I made you wait."

"A-ah, no, it's okay…" Izuku muttered out, straightening his body out as he stood up to meet her. "I guess you've waited a lot longer than I have, in a way. N-Not that I wanted to, bu-but-"

"Wait. Calm down. Take a moment to breath." Makoto chuckled, holding up a hand to calm him down. She could tell that this was eating him up, giving him a small but sad smile. "Before we even talk about everything, why don't we go and grab some lunch?"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked, shocked by her offer. "B-but… aren't you-"

"Mad? No. I was upset, I won't lie. But since you're keeping your promise and telling me, I can't really be too upset." Makoto reasoned, pushing her bangs behind her ear. "Besides, after… after everything that happened, how can I be mad? You guys succeeded. You put a stop to Kamoshida and made him confess. Whatever the method, you and your friends put a stop to a terrible man. I think that deserves more praise than scorn."

"Koto-san…" Izuku mumbled, some of his troubles beginning to evaporate thanks to Makoto's understanding.

"Come on. There's a quiet little cafe we can go and sit down at. Don't worry, my treat." Makoto smiled before turning away to lead him forward. Izuku smiled, still a bit anxious but thankful for the relief he felt on most of his worries. He quickly caught up to Makoto, the two making their way through the crowded crosswalk leading into the heart of Shibuya. There were large numbers of people out and about, all likely going on their own shopping sprees as they enjoyed the time off given to them for Golden Week. Maneuvering through the crowd, Makoto lead Izuku to a small diner on the second level of a mainstreet building. To his surprise, it was only about half full inside, likely because most were too in a hurry to notice such a quaint diner and were more likely to go to the Big Bang Burger across the street as well as the beef bowl shop.

"You ran into big sis today?" Makoto blinked, mildly surprised to hear about the encounter.

"Yeah. She came by the diner that my current guardian owns." Izuku nodded, sipping on the ice tea Makoto ordered them both.

"I see. I'm sure she was quite a bit pleased to see you again." Makoto hummed before a small smirk edged at the corner of her mouth. "So… did she call you 'little Izu'?" Izuku nearly swallowed his straw, his cheeks flushing the moment he heard the nickname again. He tried to process an answer, but it only came out in a sputtering mess. Makoto merely chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth. "I'll take that as a yes. She's certainly grown more beautiful over time, hasn't she? She grew out of her tomboy phase earlier than I did, though she still likes to ride motorcycles and kickbox."

"Y-yeah, sh-she's still uh-very pretty…" Izuku mumbled shyly, scratching his head furiously as he tried to think of some sort of redirection he could use to escape the embarrassing conversation. Considering the 'nostalgia' steak they were both eating, he was certainly remembering a few similar such talks from before like this.

"You know, whatever happened with Kamoshida, no one can deny how amazing it was to see him confess to his crimes on his own." Makoto said, tactfully switching subjects as she stared down at her tea, leaning her face on one arm. "But… from all the whispers I kept hearing, everyone was looking at you as the culprit with some mystery Quirk… even saying that it only made you even more terrifying…" Her smile was gone, a frown of irritation taking its place.

"Y-yeah, I know. Ann-sempai told me she heard stuff like that too." Izuku admitted, reaching up and rubbing his neck before smiling in reassurance. "But that's okay. I already accepted that even if they look at me like that, I won't mind. I was able to help save the students under Kamoshida. That's enough for me."

"Heh. I was kind of expecting that response." Makoto smiled a bit before it fell again, eyes drifting back to her half eaten food. "You might have been the one to do it, but even so. Kamoshida was the villain in this situation. You would think more would at least cease in their gossip. They don't even know who did it." Makoto looked back up, concern obvious in her eyes. "Are you sure that there's no way that you can be linked to what happened, though?"

"To be perfectly honest… yeah." Izuku admitted, looking to the side in thought. "If an investigation starts up into the cause, it's likely they'll never be able to figure it out… the method is strange, to say the least."

"I see… well, I think we've spent enough time avoiding the subject. Are you ready to tell me everything?" Makoto asked, folding her arms in front of her as she leaned on the booth table.

"... Okay. Now remember Koto-san. I need you to… keep as open of a mind as possible. This is going to sound strange and sound like nothing you would have ever expected… but you have to believe me when I say that everything that I'm about to tell you is completely true." Izuku forewarned, causing Makoto to raise a brow.

"Certainly it can't be that crazy." Makoto suggested, though the sincere expression on Izuku's face told her otherwise. "Well… okay. I'll do my best to be as open minded as possible."

Izuku inhaled a deep breath before beginning to explain everything. From his first encounter in the cognitive world with Ryuji, to the Castle formed by Kamoshida's twisted desires. Meeting Morgana and learning the truth behind the Castle. To Ann's sudden involvement in the case. He spent a great deal of time explaining the cognitive world itself, thinking that if he was able to make that clear enough, the rest of what he had to say would be easier to understand. Makoto was always intelligent and could keep up with complex conversations like this. Though judging from her expression, it wasn't making things any more reasonable. Throughout his monologue, Makoto barely said a word, only throwing in small objections or questions at parts she needed more clarification on. Her expression showed an unsettled discomfort, likely wrestling with the wealth of information that Izuku was feeding her. Izuku expected it to be overwhelming, but hoped that by the end of it all she would be able to at least know that he wasn't lying.

"... And at the end of it, we fought the Shadow version of Kamoshida and took his treasure." Izuku said, reaching the end of his story and breathing out. "Sorry, I was talking for a while. I need to catch my breath."

"R-right…" Makoto mumbled, her head tilted down and holding the tip of her chin as she became thoughtful. Izuku sipped on his tea, watching Makoto anxiously as he waited for any sort of reaction. The lack thereof one yet was not a comfort. Because it meant two things: Either she was trying to process and believe it all, or she already decided that it was all a farce.

"K-Koto-san…" Izuku mumbled out, drawing her attention back up to him. "I-I know this is a lot to take in, and that it might sound extremely outrageous to be real, but… it's all the truth. You know I wouldn't spin up a story like this just to lie to you, right?"

"... Yeah, I know, it's just…" Makoto said quietly, eyes averting from him. "This is… far more complicated than anything I was expecting. I thought that, maybe, you hired someone with a truth telling Quirk or a guilt mounting Quirk perhaps but this… this is beyond imagination."

"I know. If I didn't see it for myself, I probably wouldn't believe it either." Izuku muttered, his hands clenching at his sides. "But with the castle gone, I…" Izuku felt a small nudge from his shoulder back, blinking as he looked down at his side to see Morgana's face peeking through the zipper.

"I told you I have a way to prove it! If she needs more convincing, then do as I say!" Morgana whisper shouted to the green haired teen, causing Izuku's eyes to widen. "Take her back to the train station. I'll tell you more from there."

"Did you hear that? I thought I just heard a cat hissing…" Makoto wondered aloud, eyes glazing over the diner.

"O-oh, no, I didn't!" Izuku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "A-anyway, I… I think there's one more way I can prove everything to you."

"Oh, really? Even with the… castle gone?" Makoto asked, thinking back to his story.

"That's right. We have to go to the train station, though. Are you okay with that?" Izuku explained, causing the third year to raise a brow.

"I mean… if that's the requirement as you said, then I'm all for it. Let's go."

Izuku stood at the entrance of the station, standing just in front of the escalators leading down to the lower level with Makoto next to him. Izuku quickly brought up the metaverse app, a bit nervous when it came to Morgana's plan.

"So what do we do now?" Makoto asked, waiting patiently for Izuku to continue.

"One second…" Izuku muttered, deciding that hiding Morgana was no longer needed. He unzipped the top of his shoulder bag, the cat immediately popping out.

"A cat?" Makoto blinked, looking up at Izuku in confusion. "Why do you have a cat in your bag?"

"Ah, well you see…" Izuku mumbled, now realizing that he forgot to bring up the fact that Morgana had come to their world and lived with him as a common household cat. "M-maybe it's better if you see for yourself. Okay, Morgana. What am I doing now?"

"All right. Just enter a single keyword. No location or name needed. Type in 'Mementos'." Morgana said, though to Makoto's ears she only heard some light meowing.

"Um… Izuku? Are you talking to your cat?"

"Mementos?" Izuku repeated in question, though doing as he asked.

"Don't worry, this should work perfectly… I think." Morgana said, his last second of doubt nearly causing Izuku to fall over. If this didn't work, he was going to feel pretty embarrassed.

"Entry found."

"Huh?" Izuku and Makoto grunted in surprise, both looking at his phone in question.

"Just as I suspected." Morgana grinned from his bag, the world beginning to morph around the three.

Makoto felt a sharp migraine the moment things began to change, her eyes snapping shut just for a second as she grunted in pain. The moment she opened her eyes back up though, she she soon found the entryway to the subway empty. The light of day no longer shined down on them, only an ominous red illumination in its place. "What..?" she muttered out, looking at the distorted sky above them. It was dyed red as if a fire had burned so vastly that it had scattered its plume through the air.

"All according to plan. I told you it would work." Makoto heard a much younger voice, snapping her head to the side quickly. In front of her stood a small large headed cat child, and next to him a masked teen in a black jacket and full body jumpsuit.

Makoto quickly took a step back in surprise, immediately putting up her guard. "Wh-what? Izuku, i-is that you?!"

"O-of course! What makes you say…" Izuku answered before looking down at himself, eyes going wide in disbelief. "W-wait, I'm already in my thief gear?!"

"Of course. The Shadows nearby are already aware of our presence." Morgana answered, though this time eliciting a small jump from Makoto.

"W-where did this small cat kid come from?!" Makoto asked, looking up at Izuku.

"R-relax, Koto-san! This is Morgana, who I told you about earlier! I just forgot to mention that he's also the cat that I was carrying around earlier! We had so much to go over, I missed a few details…" Izuku said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. He drew his attention upward before looking around, the question in his eyes no less than Makoto. "B-but Morgana-san… where are we?"

"Allow me to explain. Makoto-san, do you remember what Izuku said about palaces and how they're formed?" Morgana asked, turning his attention to the older brunette.

"Huh? O-oh… um…" Makoto muttered, holding her chin in thought as she recalled everything. "Yes, that a palace is the manifestation of the twisted desires in one's heart. Something that only exists in... this reality, correct?"

"Nice. Looks like you catch on as quick as Izuku here." Morgana smiled, placing his paws on his hips. "Well, to further elaborate on that, this place is called Mementos. Basically a collection of many different existing palaces combined into one. A lone palace only forms in hearts when the desires become exceedingly twisted. Remember that every living person has a Shadow, but that doesn't mean that they've been twisted by their desires."

"W-wait, so then… anyone's heart can be reached… through here?" Izuku muttered, sweat trailing down his brow as he looked around.

"Wa-wait, let's… let's take a step back for a moment." Makoto said, bringing their attention to her. "I-I'm still processing all of this. Another reality, a 'palace' for everyone… Izuku explained it the best he could and I'm now seeing it for myself, but…" Makoto looked around, staring up at the pulsating sky. "This is… this is inconceivable…"

"I-it's okay. Take your time to process. It was a lot to take in for me, too." Izuku said before looking at Morgana. "You said that there are Shadows close, right? Do we need to get out of here?"

"No, we're safe. They're in the lower levels of Mementos. So long as we stay on the higher level, we're out of harm's way." Morgana explained, crossing his paws over his chest. "I've paid Mementos a visit quite a few times before I went to Kamoshida's palace. I can say for sure that we're in no danger. I was planning to tell the entire group about it at once, but this seemed like a good way to at least offer up some visible proof."

"So… let me get this straight…" Makoto suddenly said, bringing their attention back to her. "The way that you were able to make Kamoshida confess was stealing his 'treasure', which is the physical manifestation of his desires, and taking it out of his palace. It's… it's strange to think about, but the more I analyze it, the more I see the kind of logic behind it. Remove the core powering the cognition and the cognition crumbles."

Morgana's eyes went wide in shock, looking up at Izuku. "Sh-she already understands it all?!"

"That doesn't surprise me. Koto-san has always been really perceptive." Izuku chuckled, giving the cat a small smile.

"To think that such a reality exists… in this case, seeing is believing. I remember when Quirks were considered the world's greatest discovery, but… I dare say that this might be a step above that." Makoto hummed, holding her chin as she looked over at Izuku. "This has been fairly educational. Perhaps we should be getting back, though. As interested as I am, this place is a bit… unsettling."

"O-oh, of course." Izuku nodded, quickly pulling his phone out and opening the navigation app. With several taps, the world around them began to melt away, Makoto widening her eyes as the typical sight of Shibuya train station returned.

"Welcome back to the real world. Have a nice day." 

"Amazing… so we can enter and exit that world at our leisure… all with a strange navigation app." Makoto hummed in thought, her eyes gazing down at Izuku's phone before trailing up to him. She soon realized that he was suddenly in his everyday clothes again. "I-I had been meaning to ask, but… what was with that costume you were wearing?"

"Ah, those garments are the armor of his soul." Morgana answered, now sitting on the ground as he was returned to cat form. "It is the rebellion in Izuku's heart that manifests as his safeguard in the other world to protect him from his enemies."

"I… see…" Makoto hummed, her eyes staring down at the cat for a moment before blinking. "Wait… how come you can talk in this world now?"

"That's just something that happens when someone goes to the cognitive world." Izuku explained this time. "Before going there, Morgana-san just sounds like a regular cat. But once you go to the cognitive world, they're able to hear him like you do now."

"Ah, I see… that's a bit strange, but I can't say it's the strangest thing I've heard today." Makoto chuckled before looking up at Izuku. "Do you have anything else otherworldly or outlandish to tell me about?"

"Hehe, no, that's about it." Izuku breathed out, giving her a small smile. Considering everything they had already told her, it would be a bit much to go into detail about the Velvet Room. "I think you're completely in the loop, now. I'm sorry it took so long to tell you, but… as you can see, among a few other reasons, it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to explain."

"No doubt about that." Makoto chuckled, a small smile on her own lips. "I appreciate you being honest with me. I know that I've been a bit of a pain, but... I just thought that I could help out more. As it turns out, it was far more complicated than just lending my support."

"N-not at all. Everything you did for us before was helpful. I'm just glad that I could finally tell you after making you wait so long." Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're also taking this all surprisingly well after your initial shock." Morgana commented, feeling a bit impressed.

"Trust me, it's all still quite a big shock. I'm just using as much of my logic to sort through everything provided." Makoto said, eliciting a small chuckle from the two. "So then, that's it? It's all over?"

"Yes. We can head home now. I'm sure all of this has been-" Izuku started, only for Makoto to shake her head.

"No, not that. I mean now that Kamoshida is behind bars, you're all done now, right?" Makoto said, causing Izuku and Morgana to pause and look up at her. "You no longer have to keep visiting this cognitive world and 'steal' hearts anymore."

Izuku hesitated to answer that, realizing what Makoto was saying. He wasn't sure why, but the mere suggestion of being done caused him to sweat nervously, almost as if he had been called out for planning some scheme before he could even execute it. But the idea of stopping now, after doing so much good… it didn't ring well with him.

"W-well, I wouldn't say that." Morgana suddenly stepped in, clearing his throat. "Izuku here promised to help me with a little personal problem I'm currently trying to solve. Once that's done, well…" Morgana couldn't rightly say it, though. Looking up at Izuku, the two shared their feelings at a glance, an empathetic bond forming briefly between them.

"N-no… I… I don't think we are." Izuku found himself answering, slowly looking back up at Makoto. The brunette third year widened her eyes, alarm and worry shining in her orbs.

"Midori… I want you to think carefully about what you just said." Makoto said quietly, her voice sharp and stern enough to make Izuku wince. "What you guys did by taking down Kamoshida… it was great. I won't say that you did the bad thing in this situation, but… what you guys did. Not only did you take justice into your own hands, but you effectively brainwashed a man, forcing him to feel guilt for his crimes. You are stepping on a very thin line right now."

"I know!" Izuku suddenly snapped, causing Makoto to slightly recoil. Izuku had done so by accident, regret immediately coloring his expression. "I-I'm sorry, but… I know what we did was… was definitely towing the line of right and wrong. That's why I promised that if… if Kamoshida ended up doing something drastic or died, I was going to turn myself in!"

"Wh-what?!" Makoto's eyes widened in shock, this being her first time hearing about the promise Izuku made to himself.

"There was always a danger in what we were doing… and if something had happened to Kamoshida, no matter how bad he was, I could never look up to someone like All-Might again if I pretended that it wasn't my fault." Izuku declared, tears beginning to mist at the corner of his eyes. "B-but in the end, he didn't do any of that… he confessed and turned himself in, Koto-san. I… I think that we can keep doing more good like that."

"Izuku…" Morgana muttered, looking up at the green haired teen with a small bit of pride and awe.

"Midori, you can't! Setting aside the ethics of it for a moment, this could be very damning for you!" Makoto snapped, taking a step closer to Izuku in concern. "You're committing acts of vigilantism in a society of heroes! Using a method that overwrites someone's very cognition! You're already on probation, so if you get caught doing this, the courts won't-"

"I know that! But I'm still willing to risk it!" Izuku retorted, his teeth gritting together as he strengthened his resolve. "Heroes risk their lives everyday protecting people, and risk causing damage that could never be fixed to their enemies if they don't hold back! I already decided that I'm willing to risk my life and my freedom if it means saving people!"

"But that's what the heroes are for, Izuku! You always believed in them until now, so why can't you just let them save people?!" Makoto demanded, her frustration beginning to hit a boiling point as Izuku started to dig his feet in.

"Because even if heroes save people, they can't save everyone! Especially those who are suffering in silence!" Izuku exclaimed, causing Makoto to hesitate for a moment. "We… what we did… we helped so many students from having to keep suffering. Suzui-sempai was able to get the justice she deserved. But seeing how much students were suffering and nothing was being done about it… it makes me wonder how many more are suffering like that. How many people are at the mercy of egomaniacs like Kamoshida?" Izuku looked Makoto in the eyes again, a fire of conviction burning bright for her to see. "There are people who are afraid to speak up, or even when they do they're silenced… I… I didn't want to be a hero who operated like this, but… but if we can help more people who are suffering like that, then I want to keep fighting. Even if the world calls us villains or vigilantes, I'm… I'm okay with it."

Makoto gripped her fists in frustration, tempted to reach forward and give Izuku a slap or even a punch. But in the end, she couldn't do it. The conviction in his eyes, the strength in his words. They were bright enough that Makoto was forced to look away, searching for something, anything she could say that would stop him. But she knew that this was how Izuku always was. Even when he was outnumbered by bullies, he would stand his ground and protect the other kids, even if he was crying the entire time. He would take the beating and endure.

"... Fine. Have it your way…" Makoto muttered, releasing a sigh of defeat as she turned her back to him. "I won't tell anyone what you've told me, I can promise you that. But I still think that you need to give up on this thieves business. I'll convince you to give up on it somehow."

"Koto-san…"

"My train should be here soon. I'll see you later." Makoto muttered out, tightening her bag against her shoulder before taking her leave without another word.

"Koto-san, wait-" Izuku called out, but it was in vain. Makoto descended down the stairs, never turning back to look at him. Izuku frowned in worry, hoping that he hadn't just damaged their relationship by making this proclamation. For the first time since he got it, he actually would have liked to hear the arcana he formed with Makoto progress. Instead, he was only met with silence.

"That got pretty intense…" Morgana quietly spoke up, crawling over to Izuku and looking up at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"... yeah. I just… I hope she'll be able to forgive me for it." Izuku admitted, his voice low and sullen. "She was there for us… for me when it was just me and Ryuji-sempai. I… I wish it hadn't ended up like that."

"Perhaps she just needs to cool her head off." Morgana suggested hopefully, giving a somewhat forced smile. "She had to learn so much today and I'm sure it threw her mind and feelings through the ringer. Who knows, maybe she'll even want to join us once she's given it more thought."

"Heh… I would like to think so…" Izuku dryly chuckled, not putting much stock in such a hope. "I'd be happy to have her on the team. Though I'd still be worried since she doesn't have a Persona…" Izuku released a breath before looking up at the train schedule. His own was swiftly approaching. In the end, he decided to put off his trip to Untouchable until the next day and headed home.