Mercy from the gruelling life of the hero course, Aizawa had decided to take the class out on a trip. Though, knowing him, there was obviously some ulterior motive behind it. The cruel, cruel, cruel man that he was. Naturally, he didn't disclose any of his plans beforehand.

He simply announced it abruptly during homeroom before dragging everyone outside and toward the coaches waiting for them.

It was a hiking trip.

Some people were actually excited. Katsuki, Eijiro, and Izuku seemed more than ready for it, while others - Mina, Toru, and Yuga in particular - looked like they were already regretting every decision that had led them to U.A.

Did Aizawa care?

No. No, he did not.

This was an endurance test, and whether they liked it or not, they were going to complete it. They were third-year hero students, after all. Graduation was approaching, and apparently Aizawa had decided that being able to survive a mountain was a necessary life skill.

So, after gearing up with emergency equipment, helmets, canes, water, and whatever else Aizawa deemed necessary, the entire class set off toward the mountain in one large group.

At least, they started as one group.

Izuku and Ochako walked side by side, helping each other along whenever the trail became difficult. The two had been pining after one another so badly that it was almost painful to watch. Neither seemed willing to acknowledge it, of course.

Momo and Kyoka were hiking alongside Mina and Tsuyu, making the whole arrangement feel suspiciously like a double date in the mountains. Romantic.

Meanwhile, Eijiro and Katsuki were already ahead of everyone else. Katsuki hiked in his free time anyway and usually dragged Eijiro along with him, so neither of them was particularly bothered by the climb. In fact, they were probably the most couple-ish couple to ever couple despite not actually being a couple.

Not yet, anyway. Katsuki's affection and feelings for Eijiro were hardly subtle to anyone who bothered to look.

Aizawa lingered toward the back with the stragglers, mostly to make sure none of them managed to fall off the mountain and perish. Considering these were third-year hero students who were supposed to be nearing graduation, their lack of endurance was frankly embarrassing.

Eventually, Izuku glanced back at the growing gap between them and the rest of the class.

"Hey, should we wait for everyone else?" he asked.

He'd just helped Ochako up a particularly steep section of the trail, still holding her hand afterward without even seeming to realize he'd done it.

Ochako, however, most certainly realized.

Her face had gone bright red.

When Izuku received no answer, he tilted his head, "Uraraka-san?"

He looked over at her, still completely oblivious to the fact that he was making her heart explode.

"Cute. Kero," Tsuyu commented as she and Mina passed them.

Tsuyu had an arm hooked around Mina's, practically dragging her up the mountain since Mina had apparently decided that her legs no longer worked.

"You're supposed to be a hero student, Mina-chan," Tsuyu reminded her.

"I'm a hero student who is suffering," Mina groaned dramatically.

Aizawa watched the scene from farther down the trail with the tired expression of a man considering leaving these young adults in the mountains and going home.

No wonder he'd wanted these idiots to scale a mountain. They'd gotten far too comfortable.