Timeloop Trouble

Chapter 35 - Full Apprenticeship

Izuku didn't know whether to hate or love this. Nezu was offering a full apprenticeship to study quirk sciences and become a fully fledged quirk specialist. He'd be able to work with engineers and doctors and heroes and so much more. He'd be able to help everyday people in their everyday life, would be able to identify a villain's quirk and come up with counter strategies. He could become a teacher and help raise the heroes of tomorrow. Doors would open up for him. The world would be at his feet. Izuku couldn't possibly refuse, knowing what sort of information he could get on Jikan's rewind machine.

There were...drawbacks, though. Attention was one thing. Because Nezu taking on a personal student? That surely made some heads turn in the hero world... Then there was the fact that the apprenticeship started effective immediately. Izuku wouldn't have to finish middle school as long as he took the standardized exams and passed. Which wasn't an issue for him, since Izuku had already been through middle school... What? At least... Huh, Izuku actually lost count. How about that? Anyway, it meant he needed to quit his quirk counseling, too. And that didn't sit well with a certain ash blonde.

"What the hell do you mean? You're quitting your quirk counseling?" Katsuki snapped, wiping away the sweat off his forehead with the towel Izuku handed him seconds ago. The green head was invited to watch one of his training sessions and decided that this was a good time to break the news. "The fuck?! I thought quirks were your passion!"

"They are!" Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands around, scared he might explode on him. "But I'm being offered an exclusive apprenticeship and if I take it, I need to stop attending Aldera-"

"You're quitting school?!" Katsuki exclaimed, even more upset than before.

"It's not what it sounds like, I swear! Let me finish talking," Izuku pleaded, telling Kacchan everything about Nezu's offer. About the strings that came attached to being his student, about the benefits of getting the best and most specialized education. About his decision to accept the offer. "I can't let a chance like this slip away Kacchan."

He was quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in. Izuku didn't know what was going through his mind right now, but he could take a guess.

"You're right. It's a great opportunity," he huffed. "And it pisses me off so fucking much cause that means you'll be going to UA before me."

"I won't technically be a UA student," Izuku told him, knowing that would be an issue for Kacchan. He and his competitiveness never changed. "Nezu will be my sole mentor and tutor. I'll be enrolled under his personal institution, not UA high school."

"But you're going to go to school there," Katsuki grumbled.

"I'm not leaving you behind, Kacchan," Izuku assured him. "I'm not better than you because someone recognized my strengths earlier than they saw yours. I'm sure you're going to be an amazing hero, the best there is, and everyone will see that soon enough! Speaking of which-"

Izuku reached into his bag, pulling out some loose notes.

"I wrote down some more training methods you can try out! Thought I'd give them to you now since uh I'll be busy soon and I don't know when we can do this again."

"We'll do this again?" Katsuki asked, a bit surprised as he took the notes. "Thought you said you're quitting quirk counseling because of this crap?"

"I am," Izuku confirmed. "But that doesn't mean I need to stop guiding you, too. I mean, if you still want me to, of course! I just thought, you know, uhm, since you were the first one and- and we're somewhat friends, that maybe-"

"Okay," Katsuki interrupted, his eyes scanning the papers. "Got some more time? I can try some of these out right now, see if they're any good."

Izuku smiled and nodded, always happy to see Kacchan give the best of himself, to see him put up a show just for him. This action was silent confirmation, too. A promise to do this again sometime. A way of saying they were somewhat friends.