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Izuku was having a pretty good day. He hadn't broken any bones, cried, or run into any villains. This must be what a normal school day was like! And wow, they were serving katsudon for lunch! Whoever was writing his life must be looking out for him.
He quickly got in line and got his food, then began looking around the cafeteria for-
"Deku-kun!"
-his friends! Uraraka was waving him over to the table where she sat with Iida and... Kacchan?! Well, the cafeteria was pretty crowded. Plus Kaminari and Ashido had detention. There really was a limited number of people who could tolerate Kacchan. Izuku hurried over to join them at the table.
"Hi guys!"
"Hello, Midoriya. Do you think you did well on the test earlier?"
Izuku frowned slightly. "I'm not sure I got the last problem right. It felt kinda like a trick question."
"It totally was!" Uraraka complains. "Aizawa-sensei always does this."
"'Sup Bakubro," Kirishima plops down at the table. "Are you guys talking about the test? Cause I totally bombed it."
"I got a perfect score, unlike all you extras," Kacchan boasts.
Uraraka side-eyed him. "They haven't been graded yet."
"But when they are, you'll see that I'm right," Kacchan smirked. Uraraka rolled her eyes. Worried about the potential argument, Kirishima offered a change of topic.
"So did you guys see the news today? Some quirkless guy made it into Shiketsu. He's only in general studies, but he's the first quirkless person to ever attend a hero school in Japan!" This was exciting news, sure, but it was also the worst news he could have shared.
"What a waste," Bakugou scoffs. "That spot should go to someone who actually deserves it."
As he waited to hear his friends' opinions, Izuku felt four years old again. Recently diagnosed and seeing everyone's true colors for the first time. So many friendships broken by a single extra toe joint. It was about to break two more, wasn't it?
"What a rude thing to say!" Iida chastised. Huh? "I'm sure he earned his place there."
"He's quirkless," Kacchan argued. "The only thing those useless freaks ever earn is a beating."
Izuku thinks he might puke. He thought Kacchan had changed for the better. They hadn't gotten along this well since preschool! But apparently it was only Izuku who had changed. He had a quirk now. Without it he would still be worthless in Kacchan's eyes.
"You can't base a person's worth just off their quirk!" Uraraka sounded appalled. "The quirkless have a place in society like anyone else."
"No they don't! They should all just die!" Izuku can't help but flinch. The table is shocked into silence.
"Not cool, man." Kirishima concludes.
"Ugh, whatever! If you met one of the freaks you'd understand," Kacchan finishes off his food and stomps off. Kirishima follows with an apologetic smile.
"So," Izuku asks his remaining friends hesitantly, "you don't think quirkless people are lesser?" Now that the topic had been broached, he needed to know for sure.
"Of course not!" Iida exclaims, "A person should be judged by their actions, not their quirk!"
"Do you think quirkless people are lesser, Deku-kun?" Urarka asks cautiously.
"No!" Izuku hastens to say, "I've just... never heard anyone defend m- them before."
"Well you better get used to it! As a future hero, I'll defend people both verbally and physically if I have to!" Uraraka promises.
"As will I!" Iida vows.
"Yeah," Izuku smiles, hoping his eyes don't look too misty. He really does have great friends.