[ Learn to be Happy, ]

CH 7- The mock battle (edited)

"Why are you still here?" All Might questioned. Fair enough, since the entire class excluding the students of the first round were supposed to be in the CCTV room.

"I could say the same to you," Izuku countered before giving an actual answer, "I'll stay here for all the rounds, just in case the battles need to be stopped."

He lazily raised a tablet-looking device in his hands to show the pro-hero, "I'll be watching the battle through this, but still tell me through the mic if something comes up."

'I see...' All Might acknowledged the logical words, 'while Young Izuku seems uncaring and threatens students with expulsion...he still cares for their safety.'

The yellow haired pro hero blinked before smiling widely, 'That...is the heart of a true hero!'

(Past Izuku who just asked All Might if he could be a hero :🤡)

Izuku felt the prickly sparkling gaze of All Might tingling on his back and felt his eyes twitching with irritation.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I don't know what you mean!" All Might answered with no hesitation, but mentally sweat dropped. 'He wasn't even looking at me!'

"Before...when Iida Tenya and Bakugo Katsuki went in..." Izuku started and All Might rose a curious eyebrow, "were you telling them to 'not be afraid to get hurt'?"

"Yes-?"

Finally, Izuku looked back slightly, a frustrated glint in his eyes. "Don't do that again."

...

The air dropped.

"Don't teach them to be like you. They are still children."

All Might was silent, and Izuku fully turned around, his lips tilted downwards at the silence.

"I don't want the new generation of heroes to give so much that they have nothing left for themselves." Almost on instinct, Izuku's gaze dragged towards where All Might's wound was.

Izuku heard All Might's hitch of breath, and they sounded as if he'd been stabbed ice-cold to the gut.

A suffocating feeling overcame the atmosphere, and Izuku almost felt his stomach crumbling at All Might's pale gaze.

Guilt attacked him, but he couldn't find himself regretting his words. Someone had to say them.

...And yet, he couldn't truly blame All Might.

The number one hero.

The symbol of peace.

The youngest and longest to hold the number one hero title. [After all, the man became number one hero in his very first year of debut and has held the title since.]

He's had these titles since more than 40 years. How much pressure is that? Would he not want the future generation to be as strong as he is, so that he can rest assured?

That wound on his stomach, something that changed his entire life...would he not want it to not ever happen to anyone?

"They are still children, All Might." Izuku repeated before finally turning away. As if ending the conversation.

Was All Might not a child himself, when having those titles on his shoulder? How much did he have to train, how much until he 'wasn't afraid to get hurt'? How much, until he took those words as advice, and not self-harming tendencies?

To have the world depend on you, while you secretly cough blood and can barely hold your form...would he not want nobody to have the same life? Would be not want people to be strong enough to not have the same life?