The office remained quiet for a few moments after the conversation about Aoyama ended.
Steam continued rising from the duplicated teacup resting on Nezu's desk.
Toshinori Yagi stared at it thoughtfully before finally letting out a long sigh.
"That boy is going to be trouble," he muttered.
Nezu's ears twitched slightly.
"Oh?"
Toshinori folded his arms.
"Not necessarily villainous trouble," he clarified.
"But the kind that changes the atmosphere around him simply by existing."
Nezu smiled faintly at that description.
"Yes," he agreed. "I believe that's rather accurate."
The principal suddenly turned toward his computer.
"In fact…"
His paws moved rapidly across the keyboard.
"Are you prepared to push your class introduction forward to today instead of tomorrow?"
Toshinori blinked.
"…Today?"
He looked mildly caught off guard.
"Aren't we still waiting for the students' hero costumes to arrive?"
Nezu hummed calmly while tapping a few more keys.
A logistics window appeared across the holographic screen.
"Most of the costumes have already been transported onto campus," he explained.
"The remaining deliveries are scheduled to arrive shortly after noon."
Several status bars flashed green across the screen.
"Which means you'll be able to take the afternoon Hero Exercise without issue."
Toshinori stared at the screen for a moment.
"…You already planned this?"
Nezu simply smiled into his teacup.
"I like to remain flexible."
Toshinori narrowed his eyes slightly.
Flexible.
Right.
He knew Nezu well enough by now to recognize when the principal was pretending not to scheme.
This was absolutely intentional.
Moving the curriculum forward meant placing Class 1-A into a combat-oriented environment sooner than expected.
A controlled environment.
One specifically designed to pressure students into revealing how they thought, reacted, and used their Quirks under stress.
Including Aoyama.
Especially Aoyama.
Toshinori's gaze drifted toward the closed office door.
…Is this Nezu's way of learning more about the boy as quickly as possible?
Even if it means rearranging the entire first-day schedule?
Honestly…
Probably.
Nezu rested his chin against his paws.
"You disagree?"
Toshinori sighed.
"No."
He shook his head slowly.
"I just think you've already started analyzing him like a puzzle."
Nezu's smile widened slightly.
"Hikaru Aoyama presented me with a mystery wrapped in half-truths and deliberate misinformation."
His paws clasped together.
"Of course I'm interested."
Toshinori looked unconvinced.
"That curiosity of yours is exactly what worries me."
Nezu laughed softly.
"Relax, All Might."
He closed the holographic screen with a small click.
"I have no intention of cornering the boy."
His expression softened slightly.
"But if he truly possesses the potential we just discussed…"
The principal's tone became quieter.
"…then understanding the kind of person he is becomes far more important than understanding his Quirk."
Toshinori fell silent at that.
Because he understood exactly what Nezu meant.
Powerful abilities weren't what defined a hero.
The person behind them did.
And right now—
nobody in U.A. truly understood who Hikaru Aoyama was yet.
After several more seconds of silence, Toshinori finally spoke again.
"…Still."
Nezu glanced toward him.
"I think we should wait until tomorrow."
The principal's ears twitched slightly.
"Oh?"
Toshinori folded his arms tighter across his chest.
"They've already gone through Aizawa's Quirk assessment this morning."
His expression turned more serious.
"Most of those students pushed themselves harder than they normally would because of the expulsion threat."
Images from earlier flashed through his mind.
Uraraka forcing herself through her nerves.
Bakugo overexerting herself trying to dominate every event.
Midoriya literally destroying her finger just to stay competitive.
And the others constantly trying to push beyond their limits.
Toshinori let out a quiet breath.
"If we throw them into a mock battle exercise immediately afterward, there's a good chance some of them will overextend themselves again."
Nezu listened silently.
Toshinori continued.
"They're first-years, Nezu."
His voice softened slightly.
"Some of them are still adjusting to using their Quirks around other talented students for the first time."
He looked thoughtfully toward the window.
"Putting them into combat while they're already mentally and physically exhausted might push them too far."
Nezu tapped one paw lightly against his desk.
"…You're worried about injuries."
"I'm worried about reckless behavior," Toshinori corrected.
"Especially from students trying to prove themselves."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And if Aoyama really is hiding things…"
He paused briefly.
"…I don't think pressuring the class into combat just to expose more of his secrets is the right approach."
Nezu remained quiet for a moment before smiling faintly.
"You've grown softer, All Might."
Toshinori snorted.
"I'm a teacher now."
"That explains it."
Nezu leaned back slightly in his chair.
Still—
he couldn't deny the logic.
The class had already experienced an unusually stressful first day.
Adding another high-pressure evaluation immediately afterward could distort the results just as much as it revealed them.
And if his goal truly was to understand Hikaru Aoyama—
then observing him naturally over time might prove far more useful than forcing another confrontation.
Finally, Nezu gave a small nod.
"Very well."
The holographic schedule shifted again with a few taps of his paw.
"We'll proceed with the original timetable."
Toshinori visibly relaxed slightly.
"Thank you."
Nezu smiled into his teacup again.
"Though I still expect a full report after tomorrow's exercise."
Toshinori sighed.
"…Of course you do."
—
Class 1-A, 8:40 AM — First Period
Aoyama's footsteps echoed lightly across the clean hallway as Midnight escorted him back toward the classroom.
"Try not to cause any incidents before lunch, okay?" Midnight teased.
"No promises."
She laughed softly before sliding the classroom door open.
"Your mysterious little gremlin has been returned safely, everyone~"
Several students immediately looked up.
Aoyama walked back inside casually while Midnight waved and disappeared down the hall.
The second he entered—
multiple eyes locked onto him again.
Especially Ochaco's.
Before Izumi could even stand up, Ochaco suddenly walked over to his desk.
"Aoyama-kun!"
"Hm?"
"What was that power you used out on the field?!"
Her eyes practically sparkled with curiosity.
"And why didn't you mention it when we first met? With something like that, you probably wouldn't have even needed my help during the entrance exam."
Aoyama blinked once before smiling faintly.
"Nah, I still would've needed your help."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"I only figured it out recently."
Ochaco leaned closer immediately.
"So that black-and-white arm thing was new?!"
"Yeah."
Aoyama rested his chin against his hand.
"But enough about me."
His eyes shifted toward her.
"When did you figure out you could propel yourself by making your clothes weightless?"
Ochaco paused.
"Huh?"
"During the sprint."
Aoyama smiled lightly.
"You practically looked like you were flying."
Ochaco's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"O-Oh!"
She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
"I kinda figured it out while training at home! If I reduce my weight and push off at the right angle, I move way faster!"
Aoyama nodded approvingly.
"Smart."
That single word made her brighten noticeably.
"You know, all you really need now is something that lets you grapple onto surfaces so you don't accidentally float away."
Ochaco blinked.
"Huh?"
Aoyama reached into his bag and pulled out several colored sketches.
"I've actually been working on something for that."
He spread the drawings across the desk.
They showed a redesigned version of Ochaco's costume with a pink spider-themed aesthetic and compact web-shooters built into the wrists.
"You remember those support costume designs I mentioned before, right?"
Ochaco nodded quickly while staring at the sketches.
Aoyama had always been a massive Spider-Man fan, which meant he knew far too many obscure variants and alternate characters.
And after meeting Ochaco—
he'd immediately been reminded of a certain spider-themed version of her.
"So since the whole spider theme already works surprisingly well for you," he explained casually, "I figured adding web-shooters might help improve your mobility."
Nearby—
Izumi watched the interaction silently.
Her eyes drifted between the two of them while a strange feeling settled in her chest.
…Are they close?
Minette suddenly leaned sideways toward her desk.
"Oh, that's just Ochaco, Izumi-chan."
Izumi blinked.
"What?"
"You were mumbling."
Minette shrugged.
"So I just wanted to clarify that she's his friend."
She rested her cheek against her hand.
"I met her earlier. She doesn't seem interested in him like that."
That's a lie, sorry Izumi-chan, Minette admitted internally.
I need to stay on both your good sides if I ever want to borrow that glove thing again.
Izumi immediately straightened.
"W-Why are you telling me that?!"
Her face heated slightly.
"I'm perfectly fine if he has friends!"
She crossed her arms quickly.
"It's not my place to interfere with who he can or can't spend time with."
Minette stared at her for two seconds.
"...Uh-huh."
Izumi frowned.
"I mean it."
And she did.
Mostly.
Though despite her words—
a small part of her still felt oddly relieved hearing Ochaco and Aoyama were just friends.
Meanwhile, while Aoyama continued explaining his design concepts to Ochaco—
Mina suddenly slid into the conversation.
"Can I steal him for a second?"
She pointed dramatically at Aoyama.
"Our conversation got interrupted by surprise torture P.E., and you STILL haven't explained how you boosted Minette's throw!"
Several students immediately perked up again.
"Yeah!"
"Seriously, what was that?!"
"She threw the ball over a hundred meters!"
Mina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"And don't think I've forgotten."
Aoyama chuckled softly before leaning back in his chair.
"It's a secret."
The class groaned loudly.
"But…" Aoyama continued lazily, "if you promise not to spread it around, I might tell you."
Mina immediately raised her hand.
"I swear!"
"Cross my heart!"
Jiro leaned over from nearby.
"Now I want to know too."
Ochaco nodded rapidly.
"Same!"
Aoyama glanced around theatrically before curling a finger toward Mina.
"Come closer."
Mina leaned in immediately.
Aoyama whispered quietly into her ear.
Her expression froze.
Then—
"S-SO YOU ONLY HAVE ONE QUIRK AFTER ALL?!"
The classroom erupted instantly.
"What?!"
"Seriously?!"
"How does that explain anything?!"
Mina looked genuinely offended now.
"THAT'S SO STUPIDLY CLEVER!"
Ochaco immediately grabbed the edge of his desk.
"Tell me too!"
Aoyama shrugged.
"If you insist."
He leaned toward her next and whispered the same explanation.
Ochaco's eyes widened dramatically.
"OH MY GOD."
Jiro immediately pointed at him.
"Nope. Absolutely not. I'm not being left out now."
She crossed her arms.
"I won't tell anyone either."
Aoyama sighed like a man burdened by fame.
"Very well."
He didn't tell her instently, and glanced back toward Izumi.
She had been staring at him the entire time.
Their eyes met.
Aoyama tilted his head slightly.
"Since I'm already telling everyone else…"
He gestured toward the empty seat beside him.
"You may as well hear it too."
Izumi hesitated before slowly standing from her desk.
But before she could take a single step—
SLIDE.
The classroom door opened.
Their Japanese teacher walked inside carrying a stack of papers beneath his arm.
His tired eyes scanned the noisy room.
"Take your seats."
The teacher spoke staring at the group of girls surrounding a boy and swept over the rest of the room.
"...I heard you all can from P. E. So I won't be harsh on you all."
Jiro grumbled as she couldn't get the secret the other two girls got—but immediately scrambled back into place.