@throughmist continued from [x]
Osamu eyes widened a bit at Izuku’s reaction, at first thinking that Izuku was going to straight out refuse the gift. But he eventually smiled as pulled the book out of the bag. It was a book that detailed the lives and troubles of some of the first heroes in Japan. It was meant to be a university textbook and as such was expensive usually. But Osamu had quickly remembered that his sister had studied that exact book in her last year. She had given it to Osamu right away when he said he wanted to gift it to a friend, she had no use for it anymore and was just taking up room in her apartment.
He placed the book in Izuku’s outstretched hand.
“ It’s uh, not a new version and there’s a writing and highlighting in it from the previous owner. But totally readable still ” He confessed, hoping that Izuku wasn’t offended by the book’s condition.
Honestly, hearing that the gift is secondhand eliminates at least ninety percent of Izuku’s anxiety. Not that he appreciates the gesture any less, but it’s definitely less stressful somehow. He feels his hand dip beneath the weight of the... book? It has to be a book, considering Osamu just said ‘readable.’ Must be a pretty hefty one, too-
He peeks between his fingers and lets out a shrill gasp of delight at the sight of the iconic cover.
“Chaos And Order!? This is one of the most comprehensive Heroics History textbooks on the market! It covers everything from the first Quirk riots to the bartering for the current Hero commission pay system! Aaah, thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Probably no one else would be this psyched to receive a university book, but Izuku can’t be bothered to feel self-conscious about that right now. He’s too busy cracking it open right then and there, quickly flipping through the pages just to savor the feeling of holding the actual book in his hands. He definitely notices the aforementioned writing and highlights, but depending on the quality of the note-taking, that could be a boon more than a downside.
He squints at the cramped writing down the margin of the page, then compares it to the paragraph beside. It seems to contain additional insights on the topic combining multiple concepts, including page numbers directing the owner to the related chapters for quick reference.
“...Wow, these are really comprehensive,” Izuku comments admiringly after a moment, tracing his finger carefully over the ink. “Who did you get this from? I’d love to ask them about some of their thoughts on this stuff...”