Lena traversed a lengthy, deserted corridor, flanked by expansive windows. Periodically, several large doors came into view, each bearing distinct numbers or letters, though none matched the specific identification Lena sought.
'Class 1A... Class 1A...' Lena mused with a smile, her pace quickening through the academy's halls. A surge of excitement, tinged with a touch of apprehension, coursed through her; she still found it difficult to fully grasp that she had gained admission to U.A.
After navigating the corridors for a little longer, she finally located door 1A.
Upon entering, she swiftly surveyed the classroom. She observed four rows of desks, with five desks in each row. At the room's center stood a podium, behind which a modern whiteboard was positioned.
After her brief reconnaissance of the room, she directed her attention to the few individuals already present within the classroom.
At the rear of the room, a beautiful black-haired girl appeared to be deeply engrossed in thought. Lena couldn't discern her features clearly from her seated position, but she inferred that the girl possessed a considerable height and a curvaceous physique.
Then there was...
'How on earth did he get admitted...' Lena pondered, her gaze fixed on the red-eyed blond with a blank stare. How could someone with such an attitude possibly gain entry into U.A.? 'Perhaps he possesses some unusual Quirk, like Teleportation or something similar...'
The blond boy surveyed his surroundings with an expression of boredom, his feet propped casually upon his desk.
And finally, there was a dark-haired boy staring blankly at the ceiling. Lena could have sworn he was sleeping with his eyes open...
Shaking her head, Lena proceeded to her own assigned seat, which bore a small number inscribed in its corner.
Her seat, it turned out, was situated directly in front of the black-haired girl, who seemed to emerge from her thoughts upon noticing Lena.
(A/N: Essentially, Lena occupied Mineta's designated seat. Also, screw you, Mineta.)
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo," the black-haired girl introduced herself politely, though Lena detected a faint trace of nervousness in her demeanor for some inexplicable reason.
"Err, likewise, my name is Oxton Lena, but please just call me Lena; it feels a bit awkward when people use my surname," Lena responded with a smile, striving to sound as approachable as possible. She resolved to heed her father's advice and endeavor to be more sociable.
Yaoyorozu, for some reason, sighed with relief, then offered her own smile. "The pleasure is mine, err... may I pose a question?" Yaoyorozu inquired, swiftly adding, "You are not obligated to answer if you prefer not to."
Lena shrugged. "Certainly, no problem."
"Are you of foreign origin? The surname Oxton is not particularly common, and I detect a faint accent in your voice."
Lena blinked a couple of times in surprise before responding cautiously. "Well, it's complicated... technically, I am a foreigner, having been born in the U.S., but the majority of my life has been spent here in Japan due to circumstances related to my father's work."
Lena provided a somewhat vague answer; she had no intention of disclosing details about her past incident or her father's profession to someone she had just met. Nevertheless, she was surprised that Momo could instantly discern her non-Japanese heritage, setting aside her obvious physical characteristics.
'I'm fairly certain my accent is impeccable...' Lena pondered in confusion before mentally shrugging.
"I see—"
Suddenly, the door swung open, and a tall boy with dark blue hair and glasses entered. Lena's initial thought was that he resembled a robot, given his precise movements.
The newcomer's gaze swept across the room before settling on the red-eyed blond. The 'robot boy' approached the blond, addressing him in an authoritative tone.
"Excuse me, please remove your feet from the desk; it is disrespectful to the institution."
The blond possessed the audacity to meet the 'robot boy's' gaze with a mocking expression. "Huh? What are you babbling about? Was a stick shoved up your backside at birth, or are you simply an imbecile?"
The 'robot boy' appeared stunned by the blond's vulgarity.
Deciding to alter his approach, the 'robot boy' executed a slight bow before introducing himself. "I believe we began on the wrong foot. My name is Iida Tenya, and I hail from the School of—"
"So the school lodged a colossal stick up your rear, then?"
Following that exchange, the discussion grew heated, with Iida attempting to reprimand the blond, and the blond relentlessly teasing Iida.
After a short while, the door opened once more, revealing a short boy with dark green hair and freckles. He appeared incredibly nervous, surveying the room as if it were his greatest fear.
Iida, noticing the boy in the doorway, approached him, startling the poor individual, who seemed on the verge of a cardiac arrest.
"You are the boy from the examination..." Iida stated coldly, looming over the small, green-haired boy with his full stature. The poor boy visibly recoiled under Iida's intense gaze.
"Y-Yes, w-well..."
It seemed a confrontation was about to erupt when, unexpectedly...
"MY APOLOGIES! I should have recognized that there were factors beyond just elimination points. I should not have belittled you; after all, we shall be heroes from this day forward. I hope you can forgive my error," Tenya declared, executing a deep bow towards the 'lettuce-haired' boy while profusely apologizing.
"Ah! N-no, I j-just..." The 'lettuce-haired' boy attempted to explain himself, but his nervousness overwhelmed him, preventing him from completing a single sentence.
'This is quite amusing,' Lena thought, chuckling quietly at the unfolding scene.
Following the nervous 'lettuce-haired' boy, another girl entered: she had brown hair in a bob cut, was also short, and possessed a very... well, let's just say she had a substantial figure.
After a few minutes, the other students began to arrive. In the interim, I resumed conversing with Yaoyorozu, who graciously permitted me to call her Yao, as her surname was, in my opinion, excessively long.
As the final students made their entrance, someone arrived whom Lena recognized but whose presence at U.A. came as a surprise.
'Jiro?' I mused with astonishment, observing a rather short girl with a slender build and very dark violet, short hair.
Jiro Kyoka had been the girl with whom I had spent the final week of school on the rooftop. Our interactions never extended beyond a brief greeting and an occasional exchange of sentences. Lena was surprised to see the 'rocker girl' at U.A., as she didn't seem to have had any prior inclination to become a Hero, though the same could perhaps be said for herself...
"Hmm? Oh, Lena," Jiro too expressed surprise at finding Lena at U.A., and in her very own classroom. "You also applied to U.A.? That's quite a surprise."
Jiro offered a light greeting as she approached Lena, and the two began to discuss their performance on the entrance examination. At some point in the conversation, Momo joined them and quickly became fast friends with Jiro.
Lena felt quite pleased with her first day of school; she had already acquired two friends to converse with, a new personal best.
'Now I can boast to Dad,' Lena thought, a smug expression on her face, which confused Jiro and Yao.
"Well, well, what do we have here..." A hoarse voice, like a roll of thunder, resonated through the lively Class 1A classroom.
They all looked around for the source of the voice and saw... a yellow caterpillar.
"It took them eight seconds to quiet down; this simply won't do. If you aspire to be heroes, you must be prepared for any eventuality. Now, don this attire and await me outside," the 'caterpillar' stated, as a person emerged from within it. He was a man of medium height with jet-black hair and dark eyes, and judging by his appearance, he seemed not to have slept in days.
Upon finishing his statement, he produced some sports clothing, distributing a set to each of them. Each garment, it appeared, bore their names and assigned numbers.
I quickly made my way to the girls' restrooms to change and immediately noticed a few things: most of the girls here appeared not to engage in regular exercise, with the exceptions of Yao, the pink-haired girl, and myself.
Another observation was my considerable height compared to most of the other girls; only Momo was two centimeters shorter than me.
"Excellent," the brown-haired girl clapped her hands. "Since we are all present, why don't we begin with introductions."
"Fantastic idea! I'll go first. My name is Ashido Mina. I enjoy dancing and meeting new people. If you ever need to learn how to dance, you know where to find me!" Ashido declared, performing a few dance steps.
"My name is Uraraka Ochako, and I love helping people!" Uraraka exclaimed, regarding all of us with a charming smile. "It's wonderful to meet you!"
"My name is Asui Tsuyu; you can call me Tsu," Tsu articulated, her eyes rolling slightly, her voice muffled but strangely vibrant. "I enjoy swimming."
"My name is Hagakure Toru! I appreciate beautiful things!" Toru exclaimed in a cheerful tone, her school uniform bouncing as she spoke; Lena had barely noticed her presence. "And shiny things!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Oxton Lena, but please, just call me Lena," Lena stated, her trademark smile gracing her lips. "I enjoy athletics and sleeping!"
"I'm Jiro Kyoka, and I have a fondness for music; I play various instruments," Jiro said, her earphone jacks jingling as she averted her gaze. "It's nice to meet you."
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Yaoyorozu Momo, and I enjoy acquiring new knowledge," Yao said, executing a graceful bow toward them. "It's truly a pleasure to meet each of you."
After these introductions, we swiftly changed into the sports outfits our teacher had assigned to us.
You might be wondering, what about the Slipstream?
Well, my Father had upgraded my Slipstream to render it combat-ready, in addition to incorporating new functionalities.
The most notable improvements were its reduced size and weight, along with enhanced durability compared to the previous model.
And its primary new feature: the ability to become invisible. 'How?' you might ask.
It turns out that my Father knows an individual with a Quirk capable of fusing the attributes of different materials. My Father contacted this person and requested the favor of fusing the metal composing the Slipstream with another material. I don't recall precisely which material it was, as my Father was not overly detailed in that aspect...
In any case, the key point is that with an application on my phone, I can render the Slipstream invisible or visible at will.
After changing, we proceeded to the designated area, where we observed that most of the boys were already awaiting us.
"Why do women invariably take so long..." the professor grumbled as we aligned ourselves with the boys. "Regardless, since we are all present, we shall commence with the assessment."
A palpable nervousness permeated the air, causing all the students to swallow unconsciously under the professor's chilling gaze.
"Alright, this will be a Quirk Apprehension Test. I need to ascertain your capabilities so I understand what I'm working with," the professor explained, scanning his students, his gaze lingering particularly on the nervous 'lettuce-haired' boy, who appeared terrified for some reason.
"W-wait a moment, shouldn't we proceed to the Orientation Ceremony?" Ochako inquired, feeling somewhat intimidated by her teacher's demeanor.
"We lack the time for such pathetic and inconsequential matters. As you are aware, this institution is renowned for the considerable freedom it grants in shaping future heroes; this is because instructors possess the autonomy to conduct their classes as they see fit," the teacher elucidated, silencing several students who were poised to retort. He then gestured towards the blond boy, who approached the designated circle. "In any case, Bakugo, you achieved first place in the entrance examination, so please step into this circle."
'First place?! His Quirk must be exceptionally potent then...' I pondered, a frown creasing my brow. 'It's a shame his personality is so repugnant.'
"What was your best score for a softball toss in middle school?" the teacher inquired, producing a ball and what appeared to be a tablet from an unseen location.
Bakugo raised an eyebrow. "Sixty-seven meters."
"Not bad. Now, utilize your Quirk to throw this ball. The sole rule is to remain within the circle," the professor replied nonchalantly, tossing him a softball.
Bakugo grinned broadly before adopting a stance, preparing to hurl the ball with all his might.
"DIE!" Bakugo screamed as his palm erupted in an explosion, generating immense force that propelled the ball far, far away.
'Die?' the entire class thought simultaneously.
'Damn!' I thought, my eyes wide with astonishment at the display of power. 'Is his Quirk Explosions or something similar?... No wonder he secured first place...'
The professor turned to face us, as if nothing out of the ordinary had transpired, and displayed the tablet in his hand.
"I am going to evaluate all of you to determine if you possess sufficient potential to become Heroes," the professor stated, showcasing Bakugo's throw. "A commendable score, wouldn't you agree?"
-705.2 meters-
...
"AMAZING!" shouted a red-haired boy. Lena attempted to devise a nickname for him but could not come up with anything suitable. "This is going to be enjoyable!"
"Precisely what one expects from the finest hero academy!" Mina exclaimed, jumping up and grasping Toru's hand. "U.A. is truly awesome!"
Bakugo merely smirked, a smug grin on his face. "Hmph."
Lena regarded Bakugo cautiously. 'I'm fairly certain this imbecile might assault one of us if we were to provoke him...'
Lena turned her head to observe her two friends. Jiro maintained an impeccable poker face, yet her earphone jacks (as she referred to them) twitched faintly, betraying a hint of nervousness, while Yao appeared relaxed, a confident, subtle smile gracing her lips.
"Enjoyable?"
Suddenly, the entire cheerful atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a heavy, oppressive silence.
"So, you find it enjoyable, I see. You were planning on three years of relaxation at U.A., then?" the professor mumbled, his words echoing audibly in the students' ears despite his low tone. "That is unacceptable..."
He abruptly felt a profound sense of foreboding.
"Then why don't we make this a bit more 'fun', eh?" The teacher's smile did not quite reach his eyes, and I felt my body instinctively stiffen, almost as if confronted by a predatory hunter. "I shall calculate the comprehensive performance of each of you. The individual who ranks last will be permanently expelled from U.A."
It was as if the entire class had been struck by lightning, prompting intense introspection regarding their prospects. Some, like Bakugo and Yao, remained composed and largely unconcerned, while others, such as Toru and the 'lettuce-haired' boy, exhibited profound worry and fear.
Lena, meanwhile, was not overly distressed; unless it involved a raw strength test, she anticipated little difficulty. 'But who knows what these evaluations will entail... better not to underestimate anything...'
"You can't do that! That's completely unmanly!" the redhead boy bellowed with fury in his voice. He appeared less nervous about the tests themselves than genuinely annoyed by the perceived unfairness of the situation and the predicament of some of his classmates. "This isn't right!"
"Exactly! It's our very first day here! And they're already going to expel someone!" Ochako shouted, scowling at the teacher. "It's utterly unjust!"
"Natural disasters, colossal accidents, calamities constantly unfolding. Japan is riddled with villains who materialize from nowhere simply to inflict harm upon the society we have toiled so diligently to protect. Our responsibility as Heroes is to neutralize them as swiftly as possible and to save as many lives as we can, even if it entails sacrificing our own," the professor declared, glaring at the students, and perhaps a little at himself. "That is the essence of our duty as Heroes; it is a profession fraught with hardship and mortality. At any given moment, you might witness your comrade fall before your eyes, powerless to intervene, yet we persevere because we are Heroes! Do you perceive this as unfair? Life itself is not fair! That is merely a futile ideal! Have you finally awakened from your slumber, little ones?! Well?! Then welcome to the Department of Heroes!"
<50 Meter Race>
Lena observed the races unfold, utterly devoid of worry. After all, a single 'Acceleration' would instantly transport her to the finish line.
Nevertheless, this particular test allowed her to learn the names and some of the Quirks of her classmates.
Some Quirks were remarkably intriguing, such as Mina's or Uraraka's, but without question, the most captivating belonged to Todoroki.
'Another individual with an exceedingly potent Quirk... apparently he's Endeavor's son, so his immense strength makes logical sense,' Lena mused, glancing sideways at the half-and-half-haired boy.
After a few minutes, it was Lena's turn. She was paired with Shoji, a remarkably tall individual possessing multiple limbs, clearly a manifestation of his Quirk.
"3...2...1...Go!"
0.22 SECONDS!
Where Lena had previously stood, a sky-blue trail now lingered, swiftly dissipating as it reintegrated with Lena's form. The latter wore only a triumphant smile before rejoining the group of other students.
This remarkable time perplexed all the students. Everyone had anticipated Yaoyorozu to be the fastest at 1.31 seconds, but apparently, that was not the case.
(A/N: Momo employed rocket boots to achieve that speed.)
Shoto and Bakugo were briefly alerted but quickly dismissed their concern.
'No matter what transpires, I shall invariably emerge victorious...' Todoroki mused, gazing skyward once more, awaiting the conclusion of these trials. 'The sky appears remarkably serene today...'
'What designation should I assign her? Perhaps Flash?' Bakugo pondered, racking his brain to conceive a fitting moniker for the swift girl.
Well, Lena certainly hadn't expected Yao to fabricate a hydraulic glove capable of shattering the grip strength machine.
Unquestionably, Yao secured the top position, followed by the taciturn Shoji, who registered 540KG.
Lena, exerting her utmost strength, managed a respectable 216KG – a commendable achievement given her minor super strength and the fact that she had barely trained her arms adequately.
This test presented no particular challenge, though individuals capable of utilizing their Quirks for propulsion clearly held an advantage. However, Yao did not achieve first place this time. Jiro managed an impressive score by unleashing a powerful sound blast onto the ground, propelling herself quite a considerable distance. I was more surprised she sustained no injuries from the landing than anything else.
'Perhaps it's her Secondary Quirk...' Lena analyzed, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
Jiro, Yao, and I performed quite well in this assessment, not securing first places but coming very close. I managed to outpace the other two by utilizing Recoil several times, though I only achieved fourth place overall.
I was beginning to feel a slight hunger, but fortunately, there wasn't much left of the trials, otherwise I might have found myself in a precarious situation.
To the astonishment of the entire class, Ochako achieved an 'INFINITE' score on the ball throw.
Obviously, an 'INFINITE' range is not literally accurate, but I assume the ball simply traveled beyond the measurement range.
Jiro performed to the best of her ability, but she did not possess extraordinary sonic strength, so she only attained a slightly above-average result.
Yao, on the other hand, produced a literal BAZOOKA and launched the ball, nearly matching Bakugo's score.
As for me... well, not bad, I suppose. I employed 'Acceleration' to make myself spin incredibly rapidly before unleashing the ball with all my might. I honestly wasn't certain if it would work, given that time freezes for everything except me, but it somehow did.
Thank you, kinetic force, for your existence!
-612.7 meters-
Now it was Midoriya's turn to throw the ball. I honestly held no particular expectations for him; not that he was a person with malicious intent, but he had yet to demonstrate any compelling reason for his presence here.
Rather, my current question about him was: How did he even pass the entrance examination?
"Will he be alright? He hasn't performed well in any of the previous assessments," Uraraka muttered, a worried expression on her face.
"That's because that idiot possesses no Quirk!" Bakugo exclaimed in a mocking and condescending tone, regarding Midoriya with disgust.
I stared at him in surprise for a moment before shrugging; this was Bakugo, after all, quite possibly a taunt or something similar.
"You are mistaken; he possesses one, and a remarkably powerful one at that. However, each time he utilizes it, his body incurs significant damage," Tenya refuted, adjusting his glasses and keeping his gaze fixed on Midoriya. "You shall witness it."
Midoriya appeared ready to throw the ball. As he was about to exert all his force...
Nothing noteworthy transpired.
Midoriya looked confused, examining his hand. "What?"
"I temporarily nullified your Quirk. To be blunt, I fail to comprehend your presence here." The cause of this was a pair of crimson eyes belonging to our teacher, as he mentioned erasing Midoriya's Quirk.
I immediately recognized the teacher's identity. While designing my hero costume, I had extensively researched various sources for inspiration.
During one of these searches, I stumbled upon news of an Underground Hero who had gained renown in recent years for his formidable Quirk.
His name was...
"Eraserhead! The Eraser Hero!" Midoriya shouted, his voice imbued with the unmistakable tone of a fanboy.
"Who?" Jiro inquired, tilting her head. It appeared most of the students were unfamiliar with Eraser Head.
"Eraserhead, he is one of the rare individuals in the world who possesses a Quirk that erases others' abilities as long as he maintains line of sight with the person in question. He is not widely known due to his work primarily in the slums, where he has cultivated an excellent reputation over the past few years," Lena explained, observing our teacher closely. His hair seemed to be rising, his eyes were red, and no trace of his previous lazy demeanor could be seen.
The surrounding students appeared surprised and some even frightened, which was understandable; Quirks were an intrinsic part of their lives, and having them erased, even temporarily, felt cruel.
Eraserhead approached Midoriya and began speaking about... something. I couldn't discern their conversation, but judging by the distressed expression on Midoriya's face, it could not have been pleasant.
After a brief exchange, Eraserhead restored Midoriya's Quirk and slowly walked away, leaving Midoriya with a troubled look.
'Goodness, poor boy, he looks like he's on the verge of a panic attack...' Lena thought, biting one of her lips. His distressed countenance reminded her of her own experiences during her attacks...
To everyone's surprise, he looked up with a newfound determination, tightened his grip on the ball, adopted his stance, and...
BOOOOOOOOM!
With a resonant sonic boom, the ball shot forth with incredible speed, soaring so high it was barely discernible to the naked eye.
!!!
The entire class was impressed by Midoriya's display of power, but Lena noticed something else. Tenya had mentioned that Midoriya sustained injury each time he used his Quirk, yet she perceived no damage to any part of his body.
"I'm still standing!" Midoriya shouted, tears welling in his eyes, accompanied by a broad smile.
'Ah,' Lena could now discern the source of the damage: a single finger. He had only utilized his Quirk on one finger, and that alone was sufficient to generate such immense power. What would be the effect if he employed his entire arm...?
The class was astonished, and Iida appeared pleased to have been correct about Midoriya.
But Bakugo was not.
"Explain this to me, Deku!" Bakugo bellowed with rage in his voice.
He suddenly launched himself towards Midoriya with overtly violent intentions, his hands generating small explosions as he charged headfirst.
Lena employed an 'Acceleration' to swiftly kick Bakugo away, and Eraser Head seized the opportunity to wrap his capture weapon around him and nullify his Quirk.
"Do not compel me to overuse my Quirk; it causes my eyes to dry out. And you, Oxton, although aggression between students is prohibited, given your intent to protect Midoriya, I shall overlook it. Bakugo, if you attempt such an action again, I will expel you immediately."
Lena apologized to the teacher for her aggressive action towards Bakugo and then walked away, casting a cold glare at Bakugo. 'You deserve that, bastard.'
After that, we continued with more assessments...
"Well, here are the results," Eraser Head announced, producing a paper from his pocket and handing it to Midoriya. The entire room quickly converged to view the results...
But there was no paper... because Lena had used 'Acceleration' to snatch it from his grasp.
...
-Test results- 1- Yaoyorozu Momo 2- Todoroki Shoto 3- Oxton Lena 4- Bakugo Katsuki 5- Iida Tenya .. ... .. 18- Jiro Kyoka 19- Hagakure Toru 20- Midoriya Izuku
...
Lena was pleased to secure third place in the assessment. It appeared that Todoroki had narrowly surpassed her, which, frankly, bothered her as it marked the second consecutive time she had just missed a higher ranking.
Conversely, she felt concerned for Jiro. Her score was not particularly impressive, although Lena was aware that this specific test was largely unfavorable to Jiro, placing her Quirk at a significant disadvantage.
Yao, for her part, consistently achieved near-perfect scores of 100/100 on the test due to the remarkable versatility of her Quirk.
"By the way, the expulsion threat was merely a fabrication," Eraser Head stated abruptly as he began to walk away.
"WHAT?!" almost the entire class shouted in unison.
Aizawa simply walked away from his students, unconcerned with admitting that he had outright lied to them.
Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. At one point, he had genuinely contemplated expelling one of them to serve as a stark example to the others.
Ultimately, he decided against it. Every single student possessed potential, some more than others, but they all presented something he could work with.
Just as Aizawa rounded a corner, he encountered a towering figure clad in yellow and white, who regarded him with a perpetual smile.
The Number One Hero: All Might.
"You're a deceitful fellow, Aizawa! A charlatan! Don't try to deny it; you expelled an entire class last year!" All Might exclaimed, striking a dramatic pose while pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"So you were observing... And I expelled that class because they lacked potential; they were arrogant and conceited, plus they weren't half as strong as the class I currently have," Aizawa retorted, meeting All Might's gaze directly. For some reason, Aizawa's stare made All Might feel a tad uncomfortable. "They were a complete waste."
'I absolutely cannot get along with him!' All Might thought, concealing his nervousness behind his classic smile. 'No! He's my teaching colleague; I must do my utmost!'
"I must confess, you surprised me! I was certain you would expel Midoriya. But you changed your mind at the last moment!" All Might exclaimed good-humoredly as he struck another pose. Aizawa genuinely pondered whether he should resign if he was to endure All Might's antics. "Surely you recognized Midoriya's immense potential, didn't you?"
Aizawa blinked in confusion. "Immense potential...?"
All Might literally froze as he stared at Aizawa.
"You are correct on one point: I did not expel him because he possesses potential. However, that does not signify great potential, not at all; in fact, his potential is quite low, though it is not zero."
Aizawa spoke coldly, his eyes narrowed as he looked at All Might. "Now, do not misunderstand me. I may be somewhat extreme in certain aspects, but I adhere to my principles: I will not expel anyone whose potential is greater than zero. That is the sole reason you are not currently dismissed from U.A."
"Me!—I see..." All Might seemed poised to rebut but abruptly shifted the topic. "And how is the class in general?"
"They possess considerable potential; it might be the class with the most potential I have ever instructed," Aizawa admitted, pondering what to order for lunch. "However, a few individuals distinguish themselves above the rest."
Now, All Might's curiosity was piqued. "Oh? And who might they be?"
"Todoroki Shoto, Katsuki Bakugo, Oxton Lena, Yaoyorozu Momo, and Tokoyami Fumikage. These are the individuals who stand out more prominently than the others, to varying degrees," Aizawa replied with a sigh as he swiftly distanced himself from All Might; he felt no inclination to converse further with the towering figure in yellow. "Each of them possesses significant potential and innate talents awaiting development. It is our responsibility as their guides to rectify their weaknesses and transform them into strengths."
'Transform?' All Might questioned internally, but before he could solicit further details from Aizawa, the latter had already departed. 'Now I understand why Midnight refers to him as Lazy Ninja...'
Emitting a sigh, Yagi Toshinori gazed skyward with a contemplative expression. "It appears you face formidable competition, Young Midoriya, but no one ever claimed the path of a Hero was easy..."
'I require sustenance! I am famished!' I thought impatiently. 'I couldn't eat since the test lasted far too long! Confound that Mummy!'
As I muttered to myself, I walked alongside Jiro and Yao towards the exit. Both could discern that something was amiss with me but remained silent.
Just as we emerged from the grand doors of U.A....
"Is that a limousine?!" Jiro exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment at the sight of the enormous vehicle. "What the heck?"
I was in a similar state of disbelief, but instead of fixating on the ridiculously large limousine, my attention was drawn to the dozens of impeccably dressed bodyguards.
"""MS. YAOYOROZU, WE HAVE ARRIVED TO ESCORT YOU.""" all the guards cried out in unison, bowing deeply.
""..."" With a sound reminiscent of a rusty door hinge, Jiro and I slowly turned to look at Yao, who was visibly sweating bullets as she averted her gaze.
Yao fidgeted restlessly, attempting to formulate a plausible excuse... but ultimately sighed in weariness before providing an explanation.
Apparently, Yao's family was incredibly affluent, and when I say incredibly, I mean absurdly wealthy.
Yao herself speculated that they possessed the means to acquire several small nations.
That was an inconceivably ludicrous level of wealth...
After the initial shock subsided, Yao swiftly bid us farewell, as her mother was evidently causing a fuss regarding her prolonged absence.
"Sooo... Jiro," I said, looking at the petite rocker as we walked toward a bus stop to head home. It turned out we resided in the same district, which was a pleasant coincidence. "I didn't expect to see you at a hero academy."
While Musutafu and Shizuoka might appear geographically close, traversing the entire distance on foot would necessitate immense determination.
"I could pose the same question to you," Jiro replied in a curt tone before emitting a sigh. "Well, truth be told, I'm also surprised by my own decision. I originally intended to become a music producer... but ultimately, I concluded that wasn't what I desired for my life... and here I am."
"I understand... well..." I offered a half-comment, which prompted a look from Jiro, signaling me to elaborate. "I suppose our situations are somewhat similar. I wasn't entirely certain what I wanted to pursue academically... then I gradually developed a deeper interest in Heroism... and here I am."
Jiro let out a low chuckle that brought a smile to my face, amused. "We're not particularly adept at long-term planning, are we?"
I emitted a small laugh. "No, we certainly are not."
"Speaking of Heroes... I'm considering becoming an Underground Hero; I wouldn't want to be in the public eye," Jiro commented with a thoughtful expression. "Besides, I believe that approach would allow me to make better use of my Quirk."
I nodded to myself, briefly glancing skyward. "That makes sense."
"What does?"
"Your disinclination to be in the public eye," I said, looking at her with a smirk and a small chuckle. "You don't strike me as the type of person who would willingly seek media attention... though it would be quite entertaining to witness you surrounded by crazed fans."
"Heh," Jiro snorted, picturing the scenario in her mind, which caused her to blush faintly. "Good heavens, no!"
I laughed as I observed Jiro's disgruntled expression.
"Yes, yes, very humorous," Jiro retorted sarcastically before shaking her head. "At least you seem to be faring well in the Hero profession... me, on the other hand..."
I shook my head and shrugged. "You didn't perform too badly; the exams didn't favor you in almost any respect."
"But—" Jiro began to speak before I interrupted her.
"Look, if you feel so insecure about your results, why don't you dedicate yourself to training your utmost?" I suggested with a thoughtful look on my face. "That way, you'd achieve better test scores, wouldn't you?"
Jiro met my gaze directly, seeking to ascertain if I was jesting. "Seriously? I have no idea how to train my Quirk, or where to even begin training it..."
"Who mentioned anything about your Quirk?" I responded with disdain, stopping to fix her with serious eyes. "While a Quirk is undeniably essential for a Hero, so is your physical condition. After all, you require a robust and healthy physique to perform at your peak as a Hero."
Jiro paused, observing me with narrowed eyes. "And where am I supposed to find a suitable place for that?"
I looked back at her. "I know several locations for training."
After a few seconds of a silent, intense battle of wills, Jiro finally averted her gaze. "I might give it a try... but I must warn you, I've never been particularly athletic."
My eyes softened as I offered her a calm smile. "Don't worry! That's precisely the point. Everyone experiences something for the first time!"
For some inexplicable reason, Jiro's cheeks flushed slightly when I said that...
'Wrong thought!'
"Oi!"
Following that, we arrived at a bus stop and proceeded toward our respective homes. We quickly exchanged contact information to better arrange our exercise sessions, and then each headed home.
Today had been a long first day at U.A.; it was incredibly tiring, yet also immensely enjoyable.
I eagerly await tomorrow!