The day started like any other—with me running behind schedule. Again. Honestly, I don't even know why I bother setting an alarm anymore. It's like my body's internal clock is permanently set to "barely make it." Still, I bolted out the door, toast in my mouth like some cliché protagonist in an anime, and somehow managed to slide into class just before the bell rang. Success. Sort of.

The moment I sat down, though, I couldn't help but notice how lively the room seemed. People were talking. Like, really talking. Uraraka was laughing with Kaminari, Mina was gesturing wildly about something probably ridiculous, and even Bakugo wasn't glaring at anyone for once. The air felt... lighter. Warmer.

Not for me, though. I mean, don't get me wrong, everyone's nice, and no one's been mean or anything. It's just... I don't really know how to jump into conversations like that. What if I say something awkward? What if they think I'm weird? So, I did what I always do—I stayed quiet and scribbled in my notebook, pretending I was too busy planning hero strategies to notice the world around me. Classic Midoriya move, right?

"Midoriya."

I nearly jumped out of my seat. Iida was standing right next to my desk, looking down at me with that usual intense-yet-somehow-earnest expression of his.

"Oh, uh, hey, Iida," I said, trying not to sound as startled as I felt.

He adjusted his glasses, the lens catching the light like some kind of heroic anime character mid-speech. "I couldn't help but notice that you've been keeping to yourself during our breaks."

Great. Even Iida thinks I'm a weirdo.

"Uh, I'm fine, really!" I said quickly, waving my hands in front of me like I was fending off a fire. "Everyone's just so cool, and I don't want to, you know... bother anyone."

"Bother?" He frowned, clearly offended on my behalf. "Midoriya, you are no bother. Quite the opposite, in fact. You possess qualities that would make you an excellent companion—kindness, intelligence, and a genuine desire to help others. These are traits that should not go unnoticed."

I stared at him, not sure if he was complimenting me or giving a TED Talk. Before I could form a coherent response, he clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Come! Let us socialize!"

"Wait, what? Iida, no, I don't think that's—"

But I didn't get to finish. The guy was already dragging me across the classroom like a determined mom leading her kid through a crowded mall.

"Uraraka, Kaminari, Mina," Iida announced as we approached their little group. "I have brought Midoriya to join your discussion."

I wanted to die. Okay, maybe not die, but at least disappear. All three of them turned to look at me, and I swear my soul briefly left my body.

"Midoriya!" Uraraka beamed at me, her cheerful energy somehow making everything feel less intimidating. "You should've joined us earlier! We were just talking about how crazy that mock battle was yesterday. You were amazing, by the way."

I felt my face heat up. "Oh, um, thank you! You were really great too! And, uh, everyone else! Amazing! All of you!"

Smooth, Izuku. Really smooth.

"You're too modest, man," Kaminari said, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "The way you dodged Bakugo's explosions? That was insane. I legit thought you had some kind of secret quirk."

Mina nodded, her pink eyes practically sparkling. "Seriously! How do you move like that? It's like you're part ninja or something!"

"Oh, it's just parkour," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "I've been practicing it for years. It helps me get around since, well, you know..." I trailed off, not wanting to say the word quirkless.

For a second, I expected awkward silence or pitying looks, but instead, they all just... nodded.

"Parkour, huh?" Kaminari said, sounding impressed. "That's actually really cool. You've got legit skills."

"That's so inspiring!" Uraraka added. "You've worked so hard to get here. Honestly, I kind of admire that."

I blinked. Admire? Me? I wasn't sure how to process that. "Uh, t-thank you?"

"No, seriously," Mina chimed in. "You've gotta show us some moves sometime. Maybe we can all try parkour together."

The mental image of my classmates attempting parkour made me laugh nervously. "I'm not sure everyone would enjoy it as much as I do, but... yeah, maybe."

By lunch, Iida's push had somehow snowballed into something I never expected—I was actually talking to people. 

It felt... nice. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was overwhelming at first—my brain was racing a mile a minute trying to keep up with everyone's energy. But the more I let myself relax, the more I realized something: these people weren't just strong or talented or intimidating. They were... people. Normal, funny, weird-in-their-own-way people.

Like, take Kaminari, for example. The guy kept cracking jokes about his own quirk, calling himself "Discount Pikachu" and laughing at his inability to control his electricity sometimes. Or Mina, who started enthusiastically recounting the time she tried to dye her hair even pinker, only for it to go horribly wrong and turn bright green for two weeks. (She called it her "radioactive alien phase.")

Uraraka was a bundle of sunshine, of course, but even she admitted to being nervous about being away from home and wanting to make her parents proud. It was... relatable. Really relatable.

And then there was Iida. Oh boy, Iida. The guy was like some kind of overenthusiastic camp counselor, making sure everyone was included and reminding us all to eat balanced meals. He was so earnest about it that I couldn't even be annoyed—it was kind of endearing, actually.

By the time lunch was over, I wasn't just part of the conversation. I was laughing with them, joking with them, even sharing a story or two of my own. I told them about the time I'd tried to parkour up a tree as a kid and ended up stuck in the branches for over an hour until my mom had to call the fire department. (Kaminari nearly choked on his drink at that one.)

After lunch, I found myself walking back to class with the group. With the group. That was a weird feeling. I wasn't trailing behind like I usually did or pretending to be busy with my notebook. I was right there, in the middle of it all.

As we reached the classroom door, Uraraka nudged me lightly with her elbow. "Hey, Midoriya. Thanks for hanging out with us today. It's been fun."

"Yeah, man," Kaminari added. "You've got good vibes. We should do this more often."

Mina grinned. "Definitely. And don't think you're getting out of that parkour lesson, by the way. I'm holding you to it."

I laughed, feeling a warmth in my chest that I hadn't felt in... well, a long time. "Thanks, guys. I'd like that."

Class resumed, and I tried to focus, but my mind kept drifting back to lunch. To the way everyone had included me without hesitation. To the way Iida had gone out of his way to pull me into the group. To the way I'd felt... normal. Like I belonged.

For the first time since starting at UA, I didn't feel like the odd one out. Sure, I was still quirkless, and yeah, I wasn't exactly best friends with everyone yet, but... it was a start.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted but in a good way. My cheeks actually hurt from smiling so much, which was a new experience for me. As I packed up my things, I heard someone call my name.

"Midoriya!"

I turned to see Iida walking toward me, his usual determined stride making it seem like he was on a mission. "Would you care to join us for the train ride home? A group of us are heading the same way."

"Oh, uh..." I hesitated, glancing at the others. Uraraka and Mina were waving me over, and even Kaminari gave me a thumbs-up.

I smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."

The train ride home was chaotic in the best way. Kaminari somehow started a debate about who would win in a fight between All Might and an army of robots, which led to Mina doing her best robot impression and Uraraka claiming she could "totally throw a robot into space if she really tried."

Iida, of course, kept trying to steer the conversation back to something "productive," like reviewing today's lessons, but even he couldn't keep a straight face when Kaminari started mimicking All Might's signature poses in the middle of the train car.

And me? I just laughed. Really, truly laughed.

By the time we reached my stop, I didn't want to get off. But I knew I'd see them all again tomorrow, and that thought made me smile as I waved goodbye and stepped onto the platform.

That night, as I sat in my room, I couldn't stop replaying the day in my head.  I didn't feel like the outsider. I felt like... part of something. Part of a team.

Smiling to myself, I grabbed my notebook and started jotting down notes for tomorrow. I might actually help them out a bit with their quirk and techniques.