[April 7th]
The engine rumbled like a caged beast beneath me as I pulled into the U.A. campus. The kind of sound that made people turn their heads and feel envious of the person driving.
My new car—a modern muscle car, bold emerald green with twin black racing stripes and custom wheels edged in the same color—glided into the parking lot. It was sleek and loud, just like it was meant to be. A nod to the 1970s but built for the present.
U.A. offered free student parking. All I had to do was roll down the window and flash my ID to the security at the entrance. A quick scan, and the gate opened.
I cruised in, parked, and stepped out, locking the doors with a satisfying beep.
The U.A. buildings loomed tall, a monument to the ambition of future heroes, high-tech design you'd expect from Japan's most prestigious hero academy.
With a bag slung over one shoulder, I started walking toward the main building.
My stomach growled.
Not because I skipped breakfast—but because I didn't. I'd eaten double. Stuffed myself past what felt comfortable. But it's fine, it'll come handy later today.
The main building came into view, students drifted past like background noise. Most were trying not to look nervous, the rest were pretending not to be.
I stopped at the bulletin board just past the doors. There was a map tacked up, color-coded by floor. Class 1-A was on the fourth floor.
The hallways inside were clean, well-lit, and quiet, aside from the scattered footsteps and light murmurs of other students. I climbed the stairs with steady steps, checking the time as I walked—still 27 minutes early.
First impressions mattered.
When I reached the fourth floor, I stopped in front of a massive sliding door labeled 1-A. It must've been that big for accessibility for people with gigantification quirks. I paused for a second, taking a slow breath, then slid it open.
The room was already half full.
From a quick glance, I spotted Momo, Todoroki, Iida, Asui, Ojiro, Shoji, Jiro, and Tokoyami. They looked up as I stepped in. Just a brief flicker of attention—no one staring too long.
I gave a casual wave.
Only Ojiro, Shoji, and Asui returned the gesture.
Friendly bunch, aren't they?
We weren't given any assigned seats yet, so I made my way toward the back of the room and picked a desk near the window. Dropped my bag beside it and settled in.
The girl at the desk to my right turned her head slightly. Long black hair tied back in a spiky ponytail, uniform perfectly pressed accentuating her body, and her posture was immaculate.
She had that calm, put-together vibe that practically announced just how seriously she's taking everything.
"Good morning," she said with a polite nod. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's nice to meet you."
"Kyūta Henshin," I replied, matching her tone. "How was the entrance exam?"
She gave a small smile. "Oh, I didn't take it. I was granted admission through recommendation."
"That's impressive," I said smoothly. "You must be an incredible student to get a recommendation for U.A."
She blinked, just a second too long. The compliment had clearly caught her off guard, but she recovered quickly—tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with practiced grace.
"A-Ah, thank you. I try to study diligently," she said. "But there's still so much to learn. Being here at U.A. is an opportunity I don't take lightly."
"Understandable," I said. Then, shifting gears: "So, Yaoyorozu—what's your Quirk?"
"It's called Creation. I can produce any non-living object, as long as I understand its molecular structure. The material is made from my body's lipids, so... studying chemistry, physics, and engineering are all critical for proper application."
"That's respectable," I said, keeping my tone easy, but with just the right edge of admiration. "Those are brutal subjects to master. I wouldn't be shocked if you ended up top of the class academically."
I meant it, too—not that it cost me anything to say. I didn't need to be the smartest person in the room.
Just the strongest.
She averted her eyes, clearly flustered. "That's kind of you to say, but I wouldn't be so sure. I'm sure many of our fellow students are intelligent and capable themselves. It's far too early to make any assumptions"
I shrugged casually. "Maybe. But if I were betting, I'd still put my money on you. You've clearly got the work ethic, and the brains to back it up. I doubt there's much U.A. can throw at you that you won't be ready for."
"T-Thank you." She dipped her head slightly, the blush on her cheeks deepening.
Then, after a pause, she tilted her head and questioned me instead. "If you don't mind me asking... Henshin-san, what kind of Quirk do you have?
I smiled even wider.
"How about I just show you?"
Before she could reply, I reached out and gently took the back of her hand. Her eyes widened slightly, startled by the sudden touch, but she didn't pull away. She watched, curious.
The rush hit instantly—familiar, thrilling. The surge of power crawled through my veins like a second heartbeat. Steady and addictive. The rush that I'll never get tired of.
I let go, then held my hand out. From my palm, I began forming a small titanium sphere, about the size of a tennis ball. The alloy spun and solidified, smooth and metallic, sitting right on the palm of my hand.
Momo's eyes widened again—this time not in surprise, but from understanding what I just did.
"You copied my Quirk?" she said, voice soft with awe. "That's… remarkable. You have an incredibly versatile quirk"
Then her gaze sharpened, an intellectual gleam rising to the surface.
"Does it work with any Quirk you touch? How long does the effect last? Do you retain full functionality?"
I just smiled.
From the corner of my eye, the door slid open again with a faint hiss.
Bakugo.
He stepped in, all tension and clenched fists. For a second, I braced my myself—half-expecting him to blow a fuse the second he spotted me. Maybe start barking about how entrance exam scores were bullshit and how he was the real number one.
But nothing happened.
No shouting. No threats. Not even a glare in my direction.
He scanned the room once, jaw tight, then walked over and took a seat at the far corner. Still simmering, just quieter about it.
Interesting.
Older, maybe. Controlled rage instead of unfiltered tantrums. Still sharp. Still dangerous. But not the cartoonish fury I remembered.
Not long after, the door opened again—this time with a more familiar presence.
Ashido stepped in, with a positive energy practically trailing her. She was laughing about something while nudging Kirishima, who entered with her.
This time, he had the same hair from the anime. Red, spiked, bold.
The guy had cleaned up. Gone was the shaggy, hesitant version I remembered. His posture was stronger, his steps were more confident. Like he'd shed his insecurities sometime between our last meeting.
Ashido glanced around the room until she spotted me. Her grin widened, and she waved—big, expressive, totally unbothered by the attention it might draw.
I raised a hand in return.
Kirishima caught the exchange and followed up with a nod and an easy wave.
They walked toward the row in front of me, each taking the empty seats just ahead. As soon as they sat down, Ashido twisted halfway in her chair to face me.
"Henshin! I was hoping you'd be in our class!" she said, already buzzing. "This is gonna be crazy, huh?"
"Glad to see you two made it," I said, leaning back a bit in my chair. My eyes flicked briefly to Kirishima. "Red hair suits you. You look like you finally found your style."
Kirishima chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh, yeah… figured it was time to stop hiding. Reinvented myself, y'know? New start. Felt like the manly thing to do."
"Looks like it's working for you," I said. "You carry yourself better now."
Ashido grinned and leaned in slightly. "It's weird seeing you guys in uniforms again after graduation. Feels like high school was already a lifetime ago."
"Speaking of," I said, gesturing to the girl beside me, "Ashido, Kirishima—this is Momo Yaoyorozu."
Momo straightened a bit in her seat, nodding politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Yaoyorozu, we went to the same high school," I added. "Got called up to the principal's office together right after the exam results dropped."
Ashido gave a proud little salute. "Three from the same school, baby. That's what I call a legacy."
Kirishima laughed, flashing teeth. "We're the real underdog success story."
Ashido tilted her head, smirking. "Whoa, that's funny coming from the guy who got third place, saying it to the guy who got first."
Momo blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Wait—Henshin-san placed first on the entrance exam?"
83 villain points, 25 rescue points," Kirishima said, grinning as he held up a hand. "Guy cleaned house. I was way behind that."
"I wouldn't say 'way ahead'," I replied coolly. "You still got what, 74 points? That's more than most can say."
Momo turned to me with an impressed look, clearly recalculating her assessment of me. "That's extremely impressive. I wasn't aware you were so strong."
I smiled. "Well, now you are."