Holding the check, Midoriya ran through the rain to a nearby bank.
By the time he stepped inside, he was completely soaked. The clerk behind the counter blinked in surprise at the sight of him.
"Hello," Midoriya said, steadying his breath. "I'd like to cash a check."
He took the check out of his bag. It was still dry.
"Oh—of course." The clerk accepted it, glanced at the amount, then looked back at Midoriya more carefully before turning to retrieve the money.
Not far away, a few familiar voices lingered.
"How much do you think that Koko person gave him?"
"A few hundred at most," Bakugo muttered. "That loser doesn't need more than that to get by."
The clerk returned, carrying a blue cash box. Her expression was composed, but the weight of it showed.
"Here's the full amount. Honestly, if you weren't so young, I'd have thought this was a fake check."
Midoriya bowed slightly. "Thank you. Could you transfer it to this account instead?"
He took out a blue bank card. It already held the money he had received from his sister over the past two years.
"No problem."
While the clerk processed the transfer, Midoriya sat upright in the waiting area. Water dripped steadily from his clothes, trailing down his back. His skin, pale from the cold, looked almost fragile under the light.
Across the room, several pairs of eyes lingered on him.
He looks… different like this.
Even Bakugo didn't look away.
"Ah—choo!"
Midoriya sneezed sharply.
I need to get home and take a shower…
By the time he finished at the bank, a chill had already settled into his body.
After returning home, he showered quickly and took a couple of cold medicine tablets before going straight to bed.
The next morning, his condition hadn't improved.
Still, Midoriya made his way to class.
Before leaving, he put on a thick mask to avoid spreading anything to his classmates.
First period is All Might's class. I can't miss that.
That thought alone kept him moving.
By the time he reached the classroom, he could feel the strain in his body. Even simple movement left him exhausted.
Running to sweat it out… probably wasn't a good idea.
Despite the sweat clinging to his skin, the fever hadn't broken.
I'm so tired… but I have to stay awake until class ends.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared ahead—directly at All Might.
The intensity of that gaze was enough to make even All Might uneasy.
What's going on with him lately…?
"All right, that's it for today," All Might announced as the bell rang.
He had just turned to leave when a loud thud echoed through the room.
Midoriya had collapsed.
He lay on the floor, eyes closed, breathing uneven.
Five minutes later, the class stood around the infirmary as Recovery Girl examined him.
"It's a severe cold," she said. "I've already given him medicine, but he should have been resting at home. What happened?"
The room fell quiet.
Then, almost in unison, everyone looked at All Might.
He scratched the back of his head.
"…It might be because my class was first period?"
A few students looked away.
Must be nice.
"He's taken the medicine," Recovery Girl continued. "He'll be fine after a long rest—ten hours or so. But there's a side effect."
Her tone grew more serious.
"You should be prepared for that. And he'll need at least two people to look after him."
With that, she pulled All Might out of the room.
Outside the infirmary, Recovery Girl stopped and faced him.
"That medicine is effective," she said, "but the side effect is… noticeable."
"What kind of side effect?"
"It was previously affected by a Quirk during testing. A student with a 'Rewind' ability altered it slightly. The effectiveness remained, but…"
All Might's expression shifted.
"How long does it last?"
"About three days."
For a moment, All Might said nothing.
Then, slowly, a smile began to form.
"Three days, huh…"
This might be a problem.