Chapter 2: Love Square Deku's alarm went off at six. He'd barely slept. His mind had been running through scenarios all night, imagining how classmates might react, what questions they'd face, how to handle the inevitable attention. He shut off the alarm and stared at his ceiling, trying to convince himself that today would be manageable. His phone showed messages from the group chat. Shoto: "Training assignments posted. Check them." Kacchan: "Aizawa's fucking with us." Maddy: "This is going to be interesting." Deku pulled up the U.A. training portal on his phone. The new partner assignments loaded slowly, probably because half the class was checking them simultaneously. When the list appeared, he understood Kacchan's message immediately. Deku was partnered with Sero. Shoto with Tokoyami. Kacchan with Kirishima. Maddy with Uraraka. Not only were the four of them separated, but they were distributed across different training zones entirely. No possibility of accidentally working together or even being in visual range of each other. Aizawa had done this deliberately. The message was clear: prove you can function independently despite your personal connections. Deku typed a response: "We can handle this." Kacchan: "Obviously." Shoto: "Agreed. See you at breakfast." The common room was already filling up when Deku arrived. Iida was organizing something that probably involved proper nutrition and scheduled meal times. Kaminari was complaining about the early hour. Mina was showing Hagakure something on her phone that made both of them laugh. Maddy sat at one of the tables with a cup of tea. She looked tired but smiled when she saw Deku. He wanted to sit next to her, but Uraraka was already there, talking about yesterday's incident. "—just really intense, you know? I've never seen her quirk malfunction like that before." "It happens sometimes," Maddy said. She was downplaying it. "When I push too hard." "Those three guys rushed over so fast though." Uraraka's tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp. "Like, immediately. All at the same time." Deku grabbed cereal from the kitchen area, trying to look occupied. This was exactly the kind of conversation they'd anticipated. People had noticed. People were curious. "They were just trying to help," Maddy said. "Yeah, but it was kind of synchronized, don't you think? Like they all had the same instinct at the exact same moment." Shoto entered the common room. He assessed the situation quickly, then headed straight for the kitchen without acknowledging anyone. Smart. Acting normal meant not changing their usual patterns too drastically. Kacchan arrived a few minutes later. He grabbed food and sat alone, scrolling through his phone. Also normal. Kacchan usually avoided the morning social hour. Deku sat with Iida and Tokoyami, which was typical enough. He could hear Uraraka still talking to Maddy, circling around questions without asking them directly. Uraraka was perceptive. She'd probably figured something out already. "Did you review the new training assignments?" Iida asked. "Yeah. Looks like we're all split up today." "Probably intentional," Tokoyami said. "After yesterday's incident, the teachers may want to ensure we focus on individual performance." That was painfully accurate. Deku nodded, eating his cereal without tasting it. His attention kept drifting to Maddy's table. Uraraka was still probing, asking about recovery time and whether Maddy had talked to the people who helped her. "Of course I talked to them," Maddy said. "We're friends." "Right. Friends." Uraraka emphasized the word just slightly. "Close friends?" "Yeah. Close friends." Mina wandered over to join them, which made the situation worse. Mina loved gossip and had no subtlety about pursuing it. "Are we talking about yesterday? Because that was wild. Three guys just abandoned their matches to help you." "I noticed that too," Uraraka said. "It was very... coordinated." Deku stabbed at his cereal. This was going to be a long day. Class started with Modern Hero Art History, which should have been boring enough to provide a break from speculation. Instead, it gave everyone time to pass notes and whisper theories. Deku sat next to Shoto, who ignored the murmuring behind them with impressive focus. "They're talking about it," Deku whispered. "Let them talk," Shoto said. He was taking notes on the lecture, writing down dates and hero names like this was the most important class of his life. "Doesn't it bother you?" "People always talk. We can't control that." Fair point. Deku tried to focus on the lecture, but he caught fragments of conversation from nearby seats. Kaminari was telling Mineta some theory about secret training partnerships. Mina was texting someone, probably spreading gossip to other classes. Even Iida looked thoughtful, like he was working through a logical puzzle. The joint training exercise with Class 1-B was scheduled for after lunch. Deku had been looking forward to it before, but now it represented a new complication. More people meant more attention, more questions, more opportunities for their situation to become public knowledge. They gathered at Training Ground Gamma, where both classes assembled in their hero costumes. Vlad King and Aizawa stood together, reviewing the exercise parameters. Class 1-B was already speculating about matchups and strategies. Monoma spotted them immediately. "Ah, Class 1-A! So generous of you to join us for another demonstration of Class 1-B's superiority." "Shut it, copycat," Kacchan said. "Testy this morning, Bakugo? Perhaps you didn't sleep well." Monoma's smile was sharp. "I heard yesterday's training was quite eventful." Deku's stomach dropped. How did Class 1-B already know about that? "Students talk," Monoma continued. "Apparently there was quite a dramatic scene. Three brave heroes rushing to save a damsel in distress. How very coordinated of you all." Several Class 1-B students were listening now. Kendo looked ready to chop Monoma into silence, but she was also clearly curious about what he was saying. "It wasn't like that," Maddy said. "Wasn't it? Because from what I heard, Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo all abandoned their matches simultaneously to help you. That's either remarkable teamwork or something else entirely." Monoma's grin widened. "Some students have taken to calling it U.A.'s newest love square. Catchy, don't you think?" Kacchan moved. Deku barely caught his arm in time, holding him back before he could blast Monoma across the training ground. Shoto had gone very still, ice forming on his right side without him seeming to notice. "Kacchan, don't," Deku said quietly. "He's trying to get a reaction." "And succeeding," Monoma observed. "Interesting. You're all very defensive about this." "That's enough, Monoma," Kendo said. She chopped him on the head, which usually ended his monologues. "Stop stirring up drama." But the damage was done. Both classes were staring now. Whispers spread through the assembled students. Deku could see people pulling out their phones, probably texting other classes. By lunchtime, the entire school would be talking about this. Aizawa's voice cut through the speculation. "Training starts in five minutes. Get into your assigned groups." The exercise was supposed to test rescue scenarios in urban environments. Teams were mixed between classes, which meant Deku ended up working with Kendo and Shiozaki from 1-B. Maddy was with Monoma and Shoda, which seemed like deliberate cruelty. Kacchan got paired with Tetsutetsu and Awase. Shoto was with Kodai and Fukidashi. Completely separated, just like the morning assignments. Aizawa was really driving home his point. Deku tried to concentrate on the exercise. The scenario involved rescuing civilians from a collapsed building while managing structural hazards. It required coordination and quick thinking. Under normal circumstances, he would have been completely focused. Instead, he kept checking on Maddy's location. She was two zones over, working with Monoma, who was probably still making comments about love squares and dramatic rescues. Shoto was being characteristically efficient in his zone, using ice to stabilize damaged structures. Kacchan was yelling at Tetsutetsu about something, which was typical enough. "Midoriya, focus," Kendo said. "We need to clear this debris before the ceiling collapses." "Right. Sorry." They completed the rescue scenario successfully, but Deku's performance was definitely off. He missed timing on a support maneuver and nearly got hit by falling rubble because he was distracted. Kendo noticed but didn't comment, which somehow made it worse. When the exercise ended, both classes gathered for debriefing. Vlad King reviewed successful strategies and areas for improvement. Aizawa watched his students with that expression that suggested he was cataloging every mistake for later discussion. "Some of you were distracted today," Aizawa said. "Your performance reflected that. Remember that hero work requires complete focus, regardless of personal circumstances." His eyes landed on Deku, then Shoto, then Kacchan, then Maddy. The message was unmistakable. Lunch was going to be problematic. Deku could already tell. The cafeteria would be packed with students who'd heard the rumors, all of them curious, all of them wanting to know if there was truth to Monoma's "love square" comment. Sure enough, when they entered the cafeteria, conversations dropped to whispers. People stared. Deku grabbed his food and looked for somewhere to sit that wouldn't make things worse. Their usual table was occupied by Iida, Uraraka, and Tsu. Sitting there would be normal, but it would also invite direct questions. Sitting elsewhere would look like they were avoiding their friends, which would confirm suspicions. Maddy made the decision by heading straight for their usual table. Deku followed, then Shoto, then Kacchan. They sat down with their food, trying to act like this was completely routine. "Hey guys," Uraraka said. Her tone was friendly but her eyes were calculating. "How was training with 1-B?" "Annoying," Kacchan said. "That Monoma bastard won't shut up." "Yeah, I heard he was saying some stuff about you guys." Mina appeared from nowhere, sliding into the seat next to Maddy. "Something about a love square?" The table went quiet. Deku could see other students leaning in, trying to hear the conversation. This was it. The moment they'd been dreading. "Monoma likes to start rumors," Shoto said. "It's not worth addressing." "But I mean, you guys did all rush over yesterday," Mina pointed out. "At the exact same time. That's kind of suspicious." "We were concerned about our classmate," Deku said. "That's normal." "Is it though?" Mina leaned forward. "Because it seemed like more than just classmate concern. It seemed personal." Kaminari joined them, because apparently this table was now the center of cafeteria entertainment. "Dude, just tell us what's going on. Are you all dating Maddy or something?" The cafeteria was definitely listening now. Deku could see people at nearby tables putting down their utensils, focusing completely on this conversation. His mouth was dry. He didn't know what to say. They'd agreed to be truthful if asked directly, but he hadn't expected it to happen like this, in front of everyone, with dozens of students waiting for an answer. Maddy set down her chopsticks. She looked at Deku, then Shoto, then Kacchan. Something passed between them, some wordless agreement. "Yes," Maddy said. Her voice was clear enough to carry across nearby tables. "We are." Silence. Complete, absolute silence. The cafeteria had gone so quiet that Deku could hear the kitchen staff moving equipment in the back. Mina's eyes went wide. "Wait, seriously? All three of them?" "Yes," Maddy repeated. "All three of them." "But that's..." Kaminari looked between them, trying to process this. "That's like, actually polyamory? All four of you together?" "That's what polyamory means, idiot," Kacchan said. More silence. Then everyone started talking at once. The cafeteria erupted into conversation. Deku heard fragments from multiple directions. "Did she just say—" "All four of them?" "Is that even allowed?" "That's so wild—" Mina was grinning like this was the best news she'd heard all year. "Oh my god, this is amazing. How long has this been going on?" "A while," Shoto said. "And you just decided to tell everyone right now? In the middle of lunch?" "You asked directly," Maddy said. "We agreed to be truthful if people asked directly." Uraraka had been quiet this whole time, but now she spoke up. "I knew something was going on. I just didn't expect it to be this." "Are you okay with it?" Deku asked her. Uraraka's opinion mattered. She was one of his closest friends. "I mean, it's definitely surprising," Uraraka said. "But if you're all happy, then yeah, I'm okay with it." Iida had his hand raised like he was waiting to be called on. "I have questions about the logistics of this arrangement." "Of course you do," Kacchan muttered. The cafeteria was still buzzing with conversation. Deku could see students pulling out their phones, texting people who weren't present. This news would spread through the entire school within the hour. By tomorrow, probably the whole hero community would know. U.A. students didn't keep secrets well. Jiro appeared at their table. "So this is real? You're all actually together?" "Yes," Maddy said. She seemed remarkably calm considering they'd just made their relationship public to the entire student body. "Huh." Jiro considered this. "Cool, I guess. Just don't let it mess up team exercises." "We're working on that," Deku said. More students approached. Some were supportive, some were confused, some were clearly just there for the gossip. Deku answered questions mechanically, trying to ignore the growing audience. This was exactly what they hadn't wanted. Too much attention, too many questions, everything happening too fast. But Maddy had made the choice. She'd stood up in a crowded cafeteria and confirmed their relationship publicly.