THE bar was buzzing, low music vibrating through the dimly lit space, laughter bouncing off the walls. Izuku sat with a small group of friends from U.A., a few empty glasses lined up on the table. He wasn’t used to this side of life—bars, loud chatter, alcohol—but tonight, he’d decided to let loose.

“Deku, you’re not even tipsy yet,” Kaminari teased, nudging him playfully.

Izuku laughed awkwardly, swiping at the condensation on his glass. “I—well, I’m not really used to this, you know… drinking. But it’s… fun?” He tried to sound casual, but his freckled face betrayed him, flushed and slightly overexcited.

That’s when you walked in.

The music seemed to dim in Izuku’s ears. He didn’t even notice Kaminari muttering something about his face turning tomato-red. You were just… there, moving through the crowd, and suddenly every detail—your laugh, the way your hair caught the neon light, the confident way you carried yourself—pulled his attention like a magnet.

He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “Uh… hey,” he muttered to himself, shaking off the haze of alcohol as if it had nothing to do with why his heart was suddenly racing.

And then, by coincidence—or maybe fate—you ended up walking right past his table. His green eyes locked on yours, and for a moment, the whole bar felt like it had fallen away.

“Hi,” you said casually, flashing a smile that made Izuku’s chest tighten.

“I—uh—hi,” he stammered, cheeks pink and heart pounding like crazy. He tried to sound normal, but the words tumbled out awkwardly. “I’m… Izuku. Midoriya. Um… do you—do you, uh, come here often?”

You laughed softly, the kind of laugh that made him feel like you were talking only to him, even in a crowded room. “Maybe. Depends on the night, I guess.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Izuku thought: Maybe this is how it starts. Maybe this is the night we meet. And maybe… maybe it’s the start of something I won’t ever want to end.