The first time you really noticed Izuku, he was sitting alone on the swings, kicking his feet in the dirt. He wasn’t crying, but he looked like he wanted to.

Sometimes he followed Kacchan and the others around, but he never really belonged with them. Kacchan had his little group, all loud and confident, their quirks already starting to show. Izuku… didn’t.

you remember the day Kacchan showed off his explosions for the first time. Everyone was impressed, circling around him, cheering. Even Izuku clapped, smiling so big—until someone muttered, “But Midoriya doesn’t even have a quirk.”

The air changed after that.

No one said it outright, but you could see it. When Kacchan ran ahead, Izuku struggled to keep up. When they played heroes, Izuku was never invited. If he tried to join, someone would shove him aside. He always tried to laugh it off, but you saw how his smile faded when he thought no one was looking.

One day, after Kacchan and the others ran off without him, you found Izuku at the back of the playground, scribbling furiously in a notebook. you peeked over his shoulder, watching what is he drawing, until he decide to turned around cause he feel someone behind him.

AHH-!

He jumped, hugging his notebook to his chest, eyes wide.