As they made their way to the kitchen, Mitsuki still had her arm wrapped around his. Her steps were slightly wobbly, more from the leftover buzz than imbalance. Izuku said nothing about it, letting her cling to him as they walked in the dim hallway.

"You know," she murmured with a soft chuckle, "You've grown a lot, Izuku. I remember when you used to hide behind Inko's skirt just to say hi to me."

Izuku smirked. "Yeah, well… people change."

Mitsuki glanced up at him, her eyes lingering a little too long before turning away with a smirk of her own. "That's an understatement. You've gotten… tall. And your voice… deeper. I barely recognized it earlier."

They entered the kitchen. Izuku moved around with a casual confidence, grabbing a bag of chips and placing them on the counter. Mitsuki leaned on it, crossing her arms beneath her chest — pushing her curves up just enough to catch the corner of his eye.

"I'm surprised your little girlfriends aren't blowing up your phone," she teased with a sly smile, her voice lowered into something velvety. "A guy like you? Smart, strong, mysterious…"

He chuckled. "I keep things quiet."

"Smart boy," she purred, watching him open the bag and start eating. "Mysterious is always more attractive."

Izuku raised an eyebrow, amused by her tone. "You flirting with me, Mrs. Bakugo?"

She laughed, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "What if I was? You gonna run off like you did when you were 4?"

He stepped closer, leaning slightly in, still smirking. "No. I'd just smile… and let you keep going."

Their eyes locked for a moment — a heavy pause filling the air, charged with unspoken things. Mitsuki's smile wavered for a second, a flicker of realization flashing in her eyes… before she scoffed playfully and pushed off the counter.

"Cheeky brat," she muttered, clearly flustered but hiding it behind her grin. "You should be careful, Izuku. Some women like confident men… a little too much."

"And some women shouldn't test how confident I really am," he replied coolly, popping a chip in his mouth.

She shook her head with a quiet laugh, walking past him — but not before dragging her fingers lightly across his chest as she passed.

"Good night, Hunk."

She disappeared back into the hallway, hips swaying ever so slightly.

Izuku just stood there, watching her go, then leaned back against the counter.

'Classic milf indeed,' he thought with a smirk, before crunching into another chip.

...

The next morning.

After breakfast, Mitsuki and Katsuki were ready to leave. Mitsuki looked refreshed—maybe a little too refreshed—her hair tied up casually, lips glossed just enough to catch the light. As they reached the door, she turned back toward Izuku with that same playful smirk she'd worn the night before.

"Here," she said, pulling out her phone and holding it toward him. "Give me your number. For Kacchan, you know… in case you two need to coordinate."

Her tone was innocent enough, but the glint in her eyes said otherwise. Izuku caught it instantly. He didn't even question it—just took her phone, typed his number, and handed it back with an easy smile.

"For Kacchan," he repeated smoothly, voice dripping with just enough charm to make her glance away for a moment.

Of course, they both knew that wasn't the real reason.

As the front door closed behind them, Izuku leaned casually against the hallway wall, arms folded. He didn't need to see her reaction to know that the seed had been planted.

Back in his room, he dropped into his chair and pulled out his phone, spinning it lazily in his hand.

'In my past life, this was always the first step,' he thought, lips curling slightly. 'You don't chase them—you give them a taste they can't forget. Before they even realize it, you're in their head… and every time they're alone, they're thinking about you.'

It was a game he had mastered—never pushing too hard, never rushing. Just leaving an impression strong enough to bloom later into something inevitable.

---

A few days later…

The morning air was crisp as Izuku stood before the towering gates of U.A. High. The building loomed ahead, bathed in sunlight, its glass walls gleaming like a promise.

He adjusted his school uniform jacket, the faint scent of starch still clinging to the fabric.

'Alright,' he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'Time to make a name for myself.'

Taking his first step toward the entrance, he made sure to walk with measured confidence—no nerves, no hesitation. His past life had trained him well in the art of presence.

And unlike some poor fool from a parallel world, he didn't trip.

As he passed through the crowd of examinees, a familiar sight caught his eye—Uraraka, crouched slightly, tying the laces of her sneakers. Her hair shifted in the breeze, a faint flush already on her cheeks from rushing to the gates.

Izuku's smirk deepened. He didn't slow down.

He walked right past her, his shadow brushing over her as she glanced up for only a second—her eyes catching his face before she quickly returned to her laces. No words, just the faintest flicker of curiosity in her gaze.

Exactly the kind of moment he wanted.

'Not yet,' he thought, stepping forward toward the main building.

Izuku walked into the massive auditorium and slipped into a seat near the middle, arms casually crossed as Present Mic's booming voice echoed off the walls. The man was practically vibrating with energy, his words spilling out like rapid gunfire about "villain points," "rescue points," and "the path to becoming a true hero!"

Most of the kids around him were leaning forward, hanging on every word like it was gospel. Izuku? He leaned back, legs slightly spread, expression unreadable.

'Still as loud as ever,' he thought dryly, remembering the man from his future memories.

Then came him.

A sharp voice cut through the room. Tenya Iida, in all his stiff, robotic glory, stood up, hand raised like a soldier about to file a complaint. His tone was clipped, his posture perfect, his words formal to the point of suffocation.

He was scolding Present Mic for "failing to address the existence of the zero-point robots," and doing it in the most over-the-top, by-the-book way possible.

'Yup,' Izuku thought, suppressing a smirk. 'Stuck-up even back then. Took me until the Stain arc to actually start liking this guy.'

When the lecture was finally over, the examinees were herded outside toward the simulation site—an entire mock city surrounded by towering walls. The sight was impressive, but Izuku barely glanced at it. His attention was on the feeling in his muscles as he stretched out his shoulders, arms, and legs.

'Alright, which powers to use here? Haven't even decided yet… Guess I'll keep it simple. Speed and strength. Flight's too flashy for now,' he thought, rolling his neck until it popped.

To his side, he noticed Uraraka—standing a bit stiff, her eyes darting around the cityscape with a mix of awe and nerves.

"You ready?" he asked, turning toward her.

She blinked, startled by the sudden voice. "Uh—yeah, I think so. Still a little scared, though," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "What about you?"

"I feel the same," he replied easily. "Let's work hard. I'm looking forward to seeing you in Class A."

Before she could respond, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Izuku turned his head slowly—coming face-to-face with Iida, who looked like he had swallowed a lemon.

"Hey!" Iida barked. "Don't interfere! Can't you see she's trying to focus?"

'Yeah… I definitely hated this guy at first,' Izuku thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh? Was I interrupting you?" he asked Uraraka directly.

She shook her head quickly. "No! Actually, talking to you calmed me down. Thank you."

That made Iida freeze. His hand slid off Izuku's shoulder as he gave a stiff bow. "Ah… my apologies, then." He marched off without another word.

The two of them couldn't help it—they laughed.

"That was something, right?" Izuku said, smirking.

"Yeah, it really was. What's your name, anyway?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Izuku. And you?"

"Uraraka. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Good luck, by the way."

Before she could respond again, he faced forward—and without warning—started walking away toward the gate.

"Wait, we haven—"

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THE TEST HAS ALREADY BEGUN!" Present Mic's voice exploded through the speakers.

And just like that—chaos. Students broke into sprints, shouting as they rushed into the mock city.

Izuku didn't sprint. He walked forward calmly at first… then, in a flash, he vanished in a blur of speed.

TO BE CONTINUED