~○~

~Uraraka Ochaco.

Shutting my balcony door, I happily floated to my bed.

"Release!" Using my pillow I hid my face, I knew I was grinning, and I was almost certain that I was blushing. However, I dared not move from my spot to face the truth... How could I? I knew that Deku-kun was the one who caused me to smile this way.

'How could I not? He was so cute!!!' ... And I knew that I should stop this before my heart created scenarios that weren't real.

'Why are you acting as if he confessed to you?' I bit my lip as I recalled what he told me in the corridor.

"I-I don't mind... if you call me Deku..." Why did he emphasize the 'you' like that?! Shouldn't that be foul play? I mentally complained, yet my mind was against me as I remembered a scene before that...

...

"You're still calling me Deku..." I felt like crying, Deku was a name he chose to tell Bakugou he wasn't the same, it then became his hero name, a symbol that no matter what old trends say he wouldn't remain useless... he proved those resolutions every time he was tested...

How can I make him understand? I glanced at how nervous he looked, he wasn't even looking at me but rather at his hands with an expression I saw before. I was reminded of his second manifestation, I was so focused on saving Monoma, that I placed Deku's feelings second.

Why am I repeating the same mistakes? I crashed myself onto his torso as I braced myself on the chair. My spontaneous actions didn't stop there and I carefully encased him in a hug.

"Do you really not want me to?" I breathe, if Deku-kun was uncomfortable with me calling him 'Deku' I would stop... not completely, but I would stop forcing it on him and prove that his name can never be used as ridicule.

...

As the memory replayed, I realized that I initiated the foul play with my moves. 'I hugged him... I whispered in his ears!! What was I thinking?! Almost everyone in the class knows how awkward Deku-kun is with girls!!! And I just hugged him like that?!' I lowered my pillow. Guess we're even then.

Scanning my vacant room I spotted my bookbag on the floor with my art and math books spilled out.

"I... guess I can organize my notes."

~

I woke up to an unpleasant greeting from my ceiling, I still felt drowsy from being interrupted from my sleep which was why I only fully woke up when the sun rays reflected off my balcony window. Displaying how many things floated because of my quirk.

My pencil case...

My bag.

...Fan.

....My chair....

!!!

'My Bed?!'

'What in Thirteen's name?!' All tiredness was gone I balanced myself quickly belting a, "Release!"

As all objects became bound by the laws of gravity, the dorms were shaken by the inharmonious sounds of chaos. At the sounds, the last bit of sleep that was weakly holding onto me fled.

?!

"WHAT THE FUCK!-" A feminine voice shrieked among the sounds of a tumbling drum kit.

"Jirou-san are you okay?!" I shouted, recognizing her voice instantly, I leaned over the pit, but I couldn't see the situation since there was still a dust cloud below. I quickly jumped into the room below me, anxious to see if Kyoka was okay.

'I hope Deku-kun has a better morning than mine.' I silently whimpered as I felt my feet touch the ground.

"Kyoka, are you injured?"

~

~Midoriya Izuku.

'Why are you calling me this?!' I questioned as the voices began to overlap.

"Deku."

"Deku-san."

"DEKU!"

"Deku-nii-san."

"Deku-kun!"

I felt like crying, why were they calling me this? Why did they all hate me? Why did... their voices sound so different compared to my classmates? It sounds so kind... That can't be! Who would be kind to me?

"Hahahaha! At least the quirkless mascot, Deku knows his place." A terrifying voice sizzled my ears. I quickly protected my head yet their voices still echoed in my mind.

"Why don't you do everyone a favor and disappear, Deku."

"You...you, want to be a hero? I never take you as a comedian, Deku."

I flinched at their words, it felt suffocating, and it stung more because I actually held on to a false hope, those voices that were so warm, it was like it never existed. I felt abandoned.

"Hah," A bitter sound escaped my throat, what was I thinking? 'I was always alone,'

"Oi, it's Deku!"

"Who's a Deku?"

"That's our quirkless senpai! The Defenseless Izuku... Can you believe it? To be in the same school as a freak, disgusting."

"Let's stay away from him! What if his disease spread to us? Ah, isn't that Deku?"

'There... was never anyone on my side.' My cheeks felt damp as their dark thoughts choked me. How can human beings have such thoughts plain to see? Walking around on eggshells, avoiding others' eyes... It was suffocating,

My vision was slowly darkening, and I outstretched my scrawny hands with trembling lips. I shouldn't listen to them. I would prove them wrong, I'll be a Hero!

"HA! What a joke Deku, you'll never be a hero! You can't even survive UA's front steps!"

'You don't know that...' I replied as I heard their voices becoming quiet until I heard something...someone approaching me.

I protected the most I could with my body yet the awaited attack didn't appear. Confused, I peeked at the shadow before me. And was surprised to see wild green hair... symmetrical freckles... And bright green eyes that held determination.

That was...

'Me??'

I felt like I lost all oxygen, yet he came along with an entire tank. His... My attire looked so weird, yet it felt right.

'Was that my Hero Suit?'

"Kekeke, so the measly Deku is now costuming as a Hero, what a sight!" The voices filled with malice returned causing me to tremble. I glanced at myself, wondering if he'd disappear like the others if he was there to reign false hope unto me. However, his expression was so fierce as he held my shoulders and raised me to his height with ease...

...no, he was taller than me.

"You have no right to be calling me like that." He clamored, leaving my mouth agape. How could he say such things so boldly, without fear? I glanced at his arm, which was trembling slightly, nay... he's afraid, I'm afraid of these people who hurt me for so many years for no reason... yet he still confronted them...

He's... I'm... so cool!

'It's like I'm watching my ideal form-' The floor began to shake and crumble as I heard a grunt of dissatisfaction. Looking straight at my bullies I saw as they began to glow and creepily merge into one being. Suddenly, a bright light flashed through and I shielded my eyes in reflex.

"Come... Deku... don't dodge..." I jumped at a voice I knew, the room relapsed as I barely made the figure of my... friend.

'Kacchan...'

With absolutely no warning, he charged toward me like a rabid dog and I tried to move, but my body wouldn't obey. This was terrifying, it's terrifying, I'm terrified. I couldn't run away. Kacchan's yelling something but it felt like he was communicating underwater. I couldn't move.

What could I do? I searched for my doppelganger yet he was nowhere to be seen. I was on my own, and I felt another presence and noticed Uraraka-san was behind me, her outfit was different from what I saw her in.

Kacchan looked different as well. His mad charge didn't stop either and I knew I couldn't run away. If I did, Uraraka-san would get hurt!

'I must protect her!' I declared, if anyone else heard what I said they would have laughed at me and called me a complete and utter moron yet she didn't, she only smiled at me.

"I wouldn't do so much damage that this fight gets stopped, but I'm gonna get close!" Kacchan roared, gaining my attention as his entire right arm became a shadow behind his monstrous physique.

My eyes widened at such a familiar play, I knew this move, I knew Kacchan's fighting style pretty well but I would never admit that it was better than Kacchan himself. As his arm whipped toward my body I exhaled, never moving my focus on him.

'I only got one shot.... THERE!' In a blink, I latched my arm onto the giant gauntlet as I felt it graze my ribs, I huffed mustering all my strength to throw him over. Just like I saw Gunhead do in that advertisement!

I wasn't sure when I gained control over my body, and I couldn't pause to think for a moment, stepping forward to boost momentum and balance I tilted my entire body ramming myself into Kacchan's shoulder as he shakily exhaled, I knew that with my strength he would crush me...

That cannot happen!

Crying out to anyone out there to give me the strength I needed, my shoulder ached under the added weight as I slammed Kacchan to the ground.

The impact was heavy, I felt it just from the pain Kacchan was emitting, 'Even he can feel pain...' I thought amidst my huffing and wheezing, I clenched my chest, the same spot Kacchan grazed before looking down at the blond who was fighting to get oxygen.

I shouldn't look weak, I shouldn't let him think he won, I knew Kacchan... I know he's tenacious. That wasn't going to stop him. Resolving myself I shakily held my fist up in a fighting position.

"Kacchan..." My mouth began to move beyond my will, I felt tired by that one move alone, yet there was an influx of adrenaline that wouldn't stop coursing through my veins. Kacchan stood up, and it was only then I noticed Uraraka wasn't behind me. I whispered words that didn't register in my head as Kacchan's anger began to envelop the room.

'Why am I still talking?!' I berated as I felt I was gazing at my grave from afar.

"Kacchan... my 'Deku' isn't always going to mean 'useless'! My 'Deku' means 'You can do it!'..." I panted yet those words rang through my head non-stop.

'What was that?'

'I can do it?'

Those words felt familiar, I heard someone telling me that before.

The ground began to tremble, just like before. But there was no blinding light; however, an eerie fog passed through as I clenched my fist harder, 'Was I being attacked?!' I felt something in my hand, it was a...whiteboard.

Upon inspecting it was indeed a whiteboard, a very small board yet I couldn't see what was written on it due to the smoke. Eerily enough, as sudden as it came it vanished, allowing me to see where I was standing now, it was a classroom.

I couldn't tell if it was full or empty, nearly everywhere I looked was distorted, I blinked twice, yet nothing changed much, but I saw Kacchan and Uraraka-san once again sitting in the seats. 'Was I going to present something to them?'

It made sense if that was the case. I took a risk and glanced at Kaachan yet nothing happened, he didn't yell at me for looking at him, and he didn't ignore my existence. All he did was blankly keep our eye contact for a few extra seconds before furiously scribbling on his whiteboard.

Scared would be an understatement of what I was feeling. I quickly looked at the other person I could see clearly, Uraraka-san. Oddly enough I noticed someone was sitting in front of her, but the more I looked the more transparent he became.

I blinked again as Uraraka-san noticed that I was staring right at her as she smiled back at me just like in my prior fight with Kacchan.

My face began to burn as I rested my board on the podium before me, I felt like I was meant to do such. I heard the thud it made upon contact as I noticed a change in the atmosphere. The two other people in the room had varying reactions to what was written. With every passing second, I became curious.

Titling it in a way so I can get a peek I became floored by what I wrote. Deku. Why would I write that??

"My 'Deku' 'means 'You can do it!'..." I bit my lip in thought, was that the reason? Am I displaying a name that ridiculed me for that reason? Why? What caused me to write this down? Why did I write it to present?

"Yeah, I didn't like this name until now." I heard my voice say. Like it was answering my thoughts.

"But someone changed the meaning of it and that had a huge impact on me." I was utterly confused, just listening to myself speak was confusing and everything I said made no sense. Who changed it? What did they say that created such a huge impact on me?

"It made me really happy."

"Kacchan... my 'Deku' isn't always going to mean 'useless'! My 'Deku' means 'You can do it!'..."

That memory I just thought about flashed once again as I felt shivers, I didn't feel fear rather, I was anticipating the words I would say. "This is my Hero name!" I announced with confidence, yet I felt something within those words... I felt closure.

I noticed Kacchan pausing from writing, his attention now on me confused with my choice. I gave a wobbly smile in return as I faced Uraraka who was glowing so brightly from my words, she looked so happy. It was as if she'd float away at any given moment.

"But you know, I kinda like the name 'Deku' for you!" Her voice sang as I blinked to see I was at UA's entrance, and Uraraka was cutely pumping her fist as she defended my name.

"It gives me a sorta 'Never give up' vibe, you know?" Her chocolate brown eyes glistened at her reasoning as I felt myself luring closer to her, nodding subconsciously to every word that she uttered.

"Plus I think it's really cute!" That last addition was barely audible yet I somehow heard it, my face felt as if it was on fire as I mumbled the only coherent answer I could. "Deku it is!!"

Her face brightened even more, although I thought that was impossible. My hands moved from my face as I gripped my rapidly beating heart. I think...

I think...

'I think I made a friend.' I smiled at my thoughts, clenching my hands into a fist, it wasn't slim anymore, and had a decent amount of bulk, just like when I woke up. I couldn't help myself as I chuckled at the series I just faced.

'I'm Deku. Deku is my Hero name, it means that I can do it, I'm not useless, I'm a hero in training.' I convinced myself as my eyes began to burn. Uraraka's face turned into one of concern as I remembered all that happened today,

Waking up with no memories, meeting a girl who was adamant that my name meant something positive... I realized that what I had just experienced was most likely my memories.

"Deku."

"Deku-san."

"DEKU!"

"Deku-nii-san."

"Deku-kun!"

I gasped, those voices that I thought abandoned me when my past arrived, were they always there? I wiped away my tears, looking onward with a determined expression.

They were always there, I just couldn't hear them because of my fear, well I'm not going to stay like this! I... I want to see how far my 'Deku' can reach.

I'm not useless!

Such words were better thought than said, and although I was unable to scream those words out, I felt an unknown burden lift off me as my surroundings blurred, the last visible thing I saw was Uraraka smiling as she whispered an encouraging phrase that pushed me off the bed wide awake.

"You can do it, my hero." I panted as a rush of dizziness attacked, I looked back at the dark sky before me and my drooled pillow. There was a simple analog clock right next to the window and I saw it was only 4.

I felt confused as to why I was so energized at such an early time. As I recall every second of my... dream? Was it even right to call my memories a dream?

I rubbed my eyes, fixing my position on the bed. 'I'll have to ask Uraraka-san, since she was there she can confirm it... does that mean that Kacchan is my classmate?'

I looked away as a small, conflicted smile appeared on my face.

"I knew he would get into UA."

I sighed, looking forward with a determined expression. "I don't know what happened during the period I forgot, but I don't want to sit still sulking. One step at a time, I will gain all my memories! I just need to take one step forward." I declared this all still felt unrealistic, but I was willing to take one step forward into my future, even with a distorted past.

At least I knew I had one person supporting me... I thought back to Uraraka-san and what she said before I gained consciousness, I bit my lip as I tried to cool my face.

If I compared my memories to what she said... it felt more like something I wished to hear rather than something that was already said. I blushed harder at that analysis.

'Why do I feel like this?'