They stepped into the growing crowd of examinees that had gathered after the final alarm...
But...
"Hmm?"
"E-eh?"
All eyes turned to them.
Or more specifically... toward Izuku.
Intense stares.
Wide eyes.
Some with awe.
Others with disbelief.
None of them even seemed to notice the injured girl he was carrying.
"Uhhh... what? Is there something on my face?" Izuku asked, eyebrow raised in confusion.
However, the stares didn't stop.
They kept gawking at him like he wasn't even human...
But then—
"Okay, everyone~! Good work~!"
A cheery voice broke through the tension—!
All heads turned toward the source of the voice... and they found:
An old lady!
Clad in a quirky hero suit, goggles strapped over her eyes, and a white lab coat draped over her shoulders...
And using a giant syringe as a walking stick!
Naturally, everyone was confused by the sudden entrance of this strange old lady.
"W-who's that...?"
"Is she... a teacher?"
While most couldn't figure out who she was... Izuku immediately recognized her...!
His eyes widened, and his face lit up—!
"Recovery Girl?!" he exclaimed in surprise and relief. "Just the right person to help—!"
He wasted no time walking up to her with Ochako still in his arms.
"Thank goodness you're here!"
"Ah, nice to meet you, young man~" the old woman greeted with a kind smile. "Would you like some gummies?"
"Ahaha, I'd love to... but not right now! There's someone that needs your help first, Recovery Girl!"
"My? Is that so?"
The other examinees were still whispering among themselves.
"W-wait, w-who is she really?"
"Is she like, a school nurse or something—?"
"Fool!!!"
Everyone jumped at the sudden shout!
That was when Yuga Aoyama, the sparkly blonde boy, stepped forward dramatically.
"Don't you know who she is? That, mes amis... is none other than Recovery Girl~!"
He flicked his blonde hair back and posed proudly.
"She is the backbone of U.A. University!"
"Eh...?" Ochako blinked, still confused by the explanation, especially as Izuku gently presented her to the elderly heroine.
"Her legs got banged up during the exam, ma'am... Could you please help her?"
"Ah, I see. Let me check for a moment, dear..."
Recovery Girl gave one look at Ochako's feet... and quickly confirmed the brunette girl's injuries.
However, she also glanced at the white apparatus still hanging on Izuku's midriff, eyes narrowing in both intrigue, curiosity, and also... concern.
Then, her gaze shifted toward the distance—to the remains of the massive Zero Pointer robot...
The veteran heroine couldn't help but wonder what this green-haired boy might bring. Not just to U.A., but... to the entire world of Pro Heroes.
But she shook that thought aside—there were more immediate matters to attend to, like the young lady he had saved.
With a knowing nod, she puckered her lips... then—
SMOOCH—!
She planted a surprise kiss right on Ochako's cheek—!
"EEEEEEHHHH?!?!"
Everyone was utterly stunned by the sudden act!
"D-did she just kiss her?!"
"What the heck was that?!"
Ochako herself nearly leapt out of Izuku's arms...!
"W-w-what was that—?!?"
However—
"Witness, dear friends~!"
Yuga stepped forward once again, ready to explain.
"Her Quirk accelerates the body's natural healing speed~! That's why U.A. can afford such reckless exams—all because of her presence~!"
As he explained, a soft green glow began to shimmer around Ochako's legs...!
Warm... ethereal... almost magical...!
Then...
Her bruises faded—!
The swelling eased—!
Her legs adjusted themselves back to normal!
And all without pain...!
Ochako's eyes widened in pure awe as she took the chance to move her legs a little.
"I... I can move again...!"
The crowd gasped.
"Woah...!"
"That's amazing...!"
"So that's how they do it here at U.A...."
"That's Recovery Girl, alright," Izuku commented, clearly impressed by the veteran Pro-Heroine. He then turned his attention back to the aspiring Pro-Heroine still in his arms. "Uraraka-san, how do you feel?"
Ochako nodded, smiling in relief. "I feel better~!"
"Glad to know," he smiled back at her. "Can you stand up on your own?"
"Eh?"
She blinked—his second question caught her off guard.
She had almost forgotten... she was still being princess-carried in his arms.
And for a moment... she hesitated.
A tiny part of her... just a little selfish part...
Didn't want to let go.
Didn't want him to put her down.
Didn't want the moment to end.
"..."
"Uraraka-san?"
Ochako shook her head, trying to clear out the strange feeling that had manifested within her. She looked back at Izuku and saw the same concern as before...
And seeing that expression—worry only for her—really stirred her heart.
"...Yeah, I think I can stand now," she finally answered back, a somewhat flustered yet gentle smile etched on her lips.
Izuku nodded, then carefully lowered her back down.
But—
"Ah—!"
The second her feet touched the ground, her legs wobbled—!
She nearly toppled forward—!
Luckily, Izuku caught her again without missing a beat—
"Careful!" he said, steadying her by the shoulders.
"U-ugh... sorry..."
"Careful, deary," Recovery Girl chimed in, stepping closer with her syringe cane. "While my Quirk speeds up the body's healing process, it still uses up your stamina to do it. You're not fully recharged yet, so don't push yourself."
"R-right... thank you so much, ma'am."
"You're welcome, sweetie~" the old heroine said with a kind smile, then offered her some colorful candy. "Gummy?"
Ochako blinked. "U-uhm... sure..." she accepted it with a sheepish smile.
"I recommend you still go check in at the medical tent outside the site. Just to be sure."
Both Izuku and Ochako nodded.
"Got it, Recovery Girl."
"O-of course, ma'am."
Izuku turned to her with a gentle look.
"Uraraka-san, shall we go? I'll help you get there."
"O-okay... Thank you, Midoriya-kun..."
"No problem~" he replied with a small grin.
And just like that, the two began to leave... slipping past the still-gathered crowd of examinees, who hadn't said a word since.
They just stood there.
Still shocked.
Still trying to process everything they had just witnessed.
From the destroyed Zero Pointer...
To the white apparatus still strapped around the green-haired boy's waist...
To the fact that he was casually walking off with the girl he saved, without concern over the fact that his secret had been revealed—
But—
"Please wait!"
A sharp, proper voice cut through the silence!
Izuku and Ochako paused, turning around to see a certain tall boy with glasses stepping forward—his hand raised politely, his expression stern.
"H-huh?" Ochako mumbled softly, confused by the sudden tension in the air.
While Izuku...
"Oh! It's you?" he blinked, a faux surprise plastered across his face. "What's up?"
For a moment... silence.
The two men locked eyes.
One held a passive, nonchalant expression.
The other... a serious look that bordered on a glare.
"Tell me," the bespectacled man spoke again, voice firm yet calm, "are you perhaps... the vigilante known as Kamen Rider?"
Gasps erupted across the crowd...!
The biggest question that had been on everyone's mind... finally asked out loud.
Ochako too gasped at the question—then quickly turned to look at Izuku, her eyes filled with worry.
She'd received confirmation from earlier, already in the know about his supposed 'secret identity.'
But... she wasn't sure if he was still keeping it a secret from everyone else.
As evidenced by the white apparatus that still sat at his waist...!
Izuku... remained silent.
He didn't answer right away.
Just stood there...
Still supporting the exhausted Ochako with one arm.
And the silence thickened like fog...
Izuku and the bespectacled man remained locked in that moment, the crowd frozen in anticipation...
Waiting.
Watching.
And then... he smiled.
Not his usual soft, friendly smile.
But a subtle, almost sly smirk.
"W-what...?!"
The serious man flinched, caught off guard...!
"I wonder about that."
"H-huh? What are you talking about?"
Without a word, Izuku reached down with his free hand and touched the white apparatus strapped to his waist—his mysterious 'Driver.'
In one smooth motion... he detached it!
The belt around him instantly dematerialized...!
But the Driver remained in his hand—glowing faintly...
And then... he raised it up—!
Presenting it to everyone—for all to see!
Eyes widened in disbelief!
Another wave of gasps escaped from the many examinees...!
A chorus of whispers followed as they bore witness to the 'Driver' of the infamous vigilante—The Kamen Rider.
The crowd stared in awe at the strange device....
But... Izuku broke that tense atmosphere—
"What do you think, glasses dude?" he inquired, smirk still in place.
"H-huh...? W-what do you mean by that...?"
"You seem like a smart guy..." Izuku continued, eyes narrowed with a glint of amusement, "so... figure it out yourself~."
And with that—
The white Driver shimmered softly...!
And vanished into thin air...!
Everyone held their breath as the mysterious device disappeared before their eyes.
On the other hand...
Izuku turned to Ochako, whose worried expression hadn't faded.
His smirk softened into something gentler.
"Let's go, Uraraka-san."
"A-ah, yes... Let's."
And so, the two finally left.
Quietly... side by side.
Leaving behind a crowd still stunned... and still full of unanswered questions.