Chapter 73: Date with a Heroine

The darkness in Izuku's room was a blank canvas. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind a whirlwind from the day's events. The hero names, Iida's ominous lie, Mt. Lady's incredible offer… and above all, Midnight's gaze.

His phone, which he had left on the nightstand, remained an ominous presence. The message from the "Unknown Number" burned on the screen, an unsolved mystery in the midst of an already surreal day. Curiosity, that dangerous and wonderful force that drove his entire life, finally won the battle against his nervousness.

He sat up, picked up the phone with trembling hands, and gathering all the courage he had shown in the arena, he typed.

Izuku:

Good evening. Sorry to bother you, but… could I ask who this is?

His thumb hovered over the send button for a long second. Was it too direct? Too informal? Maybe he should have put: "My apologies for the hour, honorable unknown individual." No, that was stupid. He hit send before he could regret it.

The reply was so instantaneous he almost dropped the phone.

Unknown Number:

Forgotten about me already, my little prodigy? You're breaking my heart. 😉 - N.K.

Izuku felt the blood drain from his face, then rush back with the force of a bursting dam. N.K. Nemuri Kayama. Midnight. He was shaking. How had she gotten his number? Was it legal for a teacher to have a student's personal number? Probably not, but he doubted Midnight cared much for such trivialities.

Izuku:

Midnight-sensei! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! Of course I haven't forgotten! That would be impossible! Your class was very instructive!

He reread the message. It sounded like an email from a terrified intern. He deleted it.

Izuku:

Sensei! Of course I remember you! Sorry for not recognizing you!

Too informal. He deleted it again. As he suffered through his digital etiquette crisis, another message arrived.

Nemuri Kayama:

For God's sake, kid. Breathe. You can stop calling me 'Midnight-sensei' over text. It makes me feel like I'm about to assign you homework. My name is Nemuri. Try it. N-E-M-U-R-I.

The gesture, so simple and so unexpectedly kind, was like a release valve. The pressure in Izuku's chest dissipated a little. She was… a person. An incredibly beautiful, intimidating, and professional person, but a person nonetheless.

Izuku:

Okay… Nemuri-san.

Nemuri Kayama:

Better. Not perfect, but better. Now, to what I was getting at. I wanted to invite you to dinner tomorrow. There are a few things I'd like to talk to you about, in a less… official setting. About your Quirk. And your future.

Izuku reread the message three times. Dinner. With Midnight. Alone. His brain, the same one that had devised plans to defeat entire teams and dismantle complex Quirks, went on strike. It rebooted, then crashed again.

Izuku:

It would be a great honor, Nemuri-san! I accept your invitation with the utmost gratitude. Please let me know the time and place that is most convenient for you, and I will be sure to be there with maximum punctuality.

Sent. Oh God, I sound like a robot, he thought, hiding his face in his pillow.

Nemuri Kayama:

Haha, you still sound like a robot, but I'll take your acceptance. I was thinking about that sushi place near the station. Do you like sushi?

Izuku:

I love it!

His reply was so fast and enthusiastic that he felt embarrassed all over again.

Nemuri Kayama:

Haha, I figured. Good. But first, I'm curious. Professionally speaking. Your plan against Todoroki's team… the trap for Iida. It was brilliant. No one saw it coming. How did you know he would use his Recipro Burst? It was his secret trump card.

Izuku smiled. Now he was in his element. The fear faded, replaced by the passion of the analyst.

Izuku:

I didn't know with 100% certainty, but it was the most logical play for them. Our fortress formation was designed to withstand area-of-effect and mid-range attacks. The only way to break it was with an attack of overwhelming speed that wouldn't give us time to react. There was only one Quirk on their team capable of that. It was their only win condition. So I didn't build the defense expecting him to use it; I built the defense to force him to use it.

Nemuri Kayama:

Wait, hold on. Are you telling me your entire defensive strategy was actually an offensive trap? That you were guiding them toward that single move?

Izuku:

Exactly! It was a calculation problem. If you force them into a predictable pattern, you stop reacting to them and start controlling their movements. The hardest part was the timing. Toru had to blind Todoroki and Kaminari at the precise moment to break their coordination, Momo had to have the net ready, and Ochako had to use her repulsion pulse on the launcher—not on Iida—so the net's speed would be greater than his. I calculated we had a 0.3-second window for it all to work.

Nemuri Kayama:

Wow. It's not just a gimmick. You really have the mind of a general. Your mind is… incredibly attractive.

The compliment hit him with the force of a punch. He blushed, but this time, the blush was mixed with a surge of pride.

Nemuri Kayama:

I wasn't always so composed, you know. In my first year at U.A., during the final practical exam, my Somnambulist Quirk got out of control. I was supposed to put a single fake 'villain' to sleep, but the wind changed. I put the entire panel of teacher judges, half the audience in the stands, and an HNN cameraman covering the event to sleep. My nickname for a whole week was 'The Sleeping Princess of Shame.'

Izuku let out a laugh. A genuine, loud laugh that echoed in his room. The image of a young Midnight causing a large-scale narcolepsy disaster was just too funny.

Izuku:

Hahaha, really? That's amazing! I would have loved to see the teachers' faces when they woke up!

Nemuri Kayama:

It wasn't so funny when I had to write a ten-thousand-word apology essay. But the point is, don't worry about being nervous. We've all been clumsy rookies at some point.

Nemuri Kayama:

And, on second thought… a restaurant is too boring and formal. After your analysis, I think you deserve some unadulterated fun. How about something different? An amusement park? Tomorrow at five in the afternoon. At the entrance to the Musutafu amusement park.

The proposal left him stunned. An amusement park? It was so… normal. So unexpected. And so perfect.

Izuku:

That sounds perfect, Nemuri-san. I'll be there.

Nemuri Kayama:

Great. Now go get some sleep, prodigy. You'll need all your energy to keep up with me. Good night. 😉

Izuku:

Good night.

He turned off the phone screen and fell back onto the bed, a goofy, euphoric smile on his face. He had a "date." With a pro hero. And, to his surprise, he had enjoyed every second of the conversation.

Izuku was unusually quiet and smiley during breakfast the next morning. So quiet, in fact, that it was the first thing that alerted his team. Normally, at this hour, he would already be muttering analyses about the toaster's efficiency or the aerodynamics of cereal.

Momo and Toru, who had arrived early, were already part of the chaotic morning ritual at the Midoriya apartment.

"Hey, Izuku-kun," Toru said with a mischievous grin as she stole a piece of omelet from Toga, "what's up with you? You look like the cat that ate the canary. Or should I say, a strategist who received a 'special prize' from a certain whip-wielding teacher?"

Izuku blushed, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't deny it. He put down his chopsticks, took a sip of green tea, and dropped the bomb with surprising calm.

"I have a date. This afternoon. With Midnight-sensei."

A stunned, absolute silence fell over the table. Inko, who was pouring a pitcher of juice, almost dropped it. Toga choked on the stolen omelet. Ochako's jaw dropped. Momo raised an eyebrow with an elegance that even shock couldn't disturb.

The first to react was Toru, and her reaction was an explosion of euphoria.

"A DATE?! With Midnight! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" she shrieked, jumping in her seat. "Izuku-kun, you're my hero! You have to tell us all the juicy details! Where are you going? What are you going to wear? Do you think she'll ask for a 'scientific' demonstration of your Quirk? You have to record it for posterity!"

Momo, for her part, processed the information with her usual analytical mind.

"It's a fascinating opportunity," she said, her tone serious but her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Gaining the perspective and knowledge of such an experienced pro hero in an informal setting could be immensely educational. What is her stated objective for the meeting, Izuku-kun? Will you be discussing crowd control strategies or villain psychology?"

Ochako, recovering from the initial shock, looked at him with genuine, supportive concern.

"Wow, Deku-kun! That's… unexpected. It's great, really. Just… be careful, okay? She's an incredible professional, and you're… well, you. Don't get into trouble and don't say anything weird."

His team's reaction wasn't one of jealousy. It was a mix of shock, overwhelming curiosity, and an unconditional support that warmed his heart. It demonstrated the incredible maturity and strength of their bond.

"We're not going to dinner," Izuku clarified, enjoying the bit of mystery. "We're going to an amusement park."

This new information prompted another round of reactions.

"AN AMUSEMENT PARK! It's a real date!" Toru yelled.

"An interesting choice of venue," Momo analyzed. "A high-sensory-stimulation environment. Perhaps she seeks to observe your reactions under playful stress."

"Don't ride the roller coaster after eating!" Ochako warned him earnestly.

Even Inko and Toga joined the conversation.

"Is she a decent woman?" Inko asked with motherly concern. "I hope she treats you well, Izuku."

"Is she going to buy you cotton candy?" Toga asked, her mouth full. "If she doesn't, it's not a good date!"

"So, you won't be coming to today's training session at the beach?" Momo asked.

"No, not today. I'm meeting her at five, and I want to prepare myself mentally," Izuku replied.

"You'd better send us a message afterward," Ochako said with a smile. "We want a full mission report. Without omitting the... tactical details."