Cold bench. Empty prep zone. Just me and the security cameras for company.
I'd finished the written exam nearly two hours early, which was... unexpected. And probably stupid. Nothing screams "look at me" like being the first person out of the testing room.
The obstacle course stretched out in front of me — ramps, walls, platforms scattered around like a playground designed by someone who hated fun. Had to be the practical exam setup. Looked familiar from the anime, though honestly? Half those episodes blurred together after a while.
God, I hoped I wasn't mixing up arcs again.
---
Three minutes. That's how long it took me to blow through four booklets plus whatever bonus hell they'd dumped on my desk.
I hadn't meant to go that fast. One second I'm reading question one, the next I'm handing Aizawa a completed exam and he's giving me that look I honestly couldn't explain but was intimidating as hell.
Turns out Perfect Body Control wasn't as "perfect" as I thought.
During the test, I'd fallen into a tunnel of focus. Words became data, sentences became patterns, and my body just… moved. I knew most of the answers before I even finished reading the questions. My superhuman senses had kicked in without me noticing, keeping pace with the rhythm my body had settled into.
It wasn't the first time. I'd felt the same thing months ago while writing fanfiction — deep-focus sessions where I'd look up to find thirty pages typed without blinking. Training had only sharpened it: ten months of physical growth, nerve recalibration, and fine-motor optimization. Apparently, if I got too focused, my body switched to autopilot and executed at ridiculous speeds.
Aizawa hadn't made a big deal about it — just narrowed his eyes oddly enough. Technically, quirks were banned for the written portion, but he didn't call me out. Just told me to hand in my paper.
Now, I sat staring at the silent, dimmed archway marking the starting gate. The obstacle field was still empty. The written exam probably had an hour and fifty minutes left.
"I wonder who's next. Todoroki maybe. Or better yet, Yaoyorozu."
Both were strong academically. I wouldn't be surprised if they finished within twenty minutes of each other.
Honestly, I was hoping for Momo. She was smart, poised, and elegant in that refined anime-heroine way — beautiful, too, though I pretended that didn't matter.
Todoroki, meanwhile…
"He's great. Later. Right now, he's probably in full 'I hate my dad, I hate myself, and I hate talking' mode."
If I had to pick someone to sit next to for an hour, I'd take the conversational one.
"Come on, Momo. Save me from this silence."
---
"GREETINGS!!"
I nearly jumped out of my skin. "…Oh, come on."
A human hurricane came barreling into the prep zone, all wild hair and manic energy. He looked like someone had fed a golden retriever three energy drinks and taught it to walk upright
"I'm Inasa Yoarashi!" he declared, fist pumping into the air. "It's a pleasure to meet you!!"
I stared. Sighed. "Of course it's you."
The name clicked immediately. Loud, energetic, and as enthusiastic as a human firework — but in my half-faded memories of the anime, he was no joke.
Highest scoring candidate in the recommended entrance exams. Higher than Todoroki. Higher than Yaoyorozu. And somehow, he'd never even step foot in U.A.
Ironic, really.
"What you did back there was epic," Inasa said brightly, hands on his hips.
"Yeah," I replied with a polite smile. "Didn't really mean it. Just… a mistake, I guess."
"Mistake?!" His eyes widened. "If that was a mistake, I'd love to see the real deal! I've never seen anyone finish so fast!"
I didn't bother answering. He plopped down beside me without asking, the bench creaking under his weight.
"Man, this place is awesome. Think the practical's gonna be as tough as the written?"
"Wouldn't be surprised."
Before I could ask him anything else, another voice cut in — clear, feminine, and a little cautious.
"Excuse me, is this the waiting area?"
I looked up. Momo Yaoyorozu. Perfect posture, neatly tied black hair, calm expression with just a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Inasa jumped to his feet instantly. "Hey there! Yep, this is it. Come, sit!"
She blinked at his volume but nodded politely. "Thank you."
I shifted to make room, offering a small wave as she sat on my right. Inasa reclaimed his spot on my left.
"You're Takumi, right?" she asked.
"Guilty," I said with a shrug. "Rei's fine. Or Ken, I prefer that. The big guy's Inasa."
"It's a pleasure," she replied, folding her hands in her lap.
Silence settled for a moment — the kind where my brain stalls out trying to figure out what to say next.
Thankfully, Inasa had no such problem.
"So! How'd everyone do on the written portion?"
"Quite well, I think." Momo glanced at me. "Though not nearly as quickly as you managed."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, that was... I kind of zoned out and came back to consciousness four booklets later. Not my finest moment."
"I zone out sometimes too!" Inasa jumped in. "Usually I dream about birds though."
We both stared at him.
"Birds?" Momo asked carefully.
"Big ones! Like in cartoons, you know? They swoop down and grab people. Sometimes they wear little hats."
"...that's oddly specific," I said.
"I get that a lot!"
Momo turned toward the obstacle course, probably trying to process whatever had just happened. "They didn't give us much detail about the practical exam, but based on the setup..."
"Obstacle race," I said.
"You sound certain."
I shrugged. "Pretty sure. Looks familiar."
"Sweet!" Inasa grinned. "Hope there's some wind resistance built in. Makes things more interesting."
"Wind resistance?"
"My quirk's all about air manipulation. The more I have to push against, the stronger I get. Plus—" He spread his arms wide. "I love a good challenge!"
Right on cue, a gust of wind whipped through the prep area, ruffling our uniforms.
I gave him a suspicious look. "That you?"
"Not yet!" he laughed.
---
More footsteps. Heavier this time, but measured. Deliberate.
Todoroki appeared around the corner, moving like he had all the time in the world. His mismatched eyes swept the area, lingering on me for a beat longer than comfortable, then he found a spot in the far corner and leaned against a support beam.
Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows over here.
Even Inasa's perpetual grin dimmed a little. Nobody tried to talk to the human ice cube.
Which was fine.
In the original timeline, Inasa would turn down his U.A. spot anyway. Something about not wanting to be in the same school as Endeavor's influence, or whatever. He'd end up at Shiketsu instead.
But that was before I showed up and started changing things.
U.A. only took four recommendation students — two per class. Originally that was Yaoyorozu and Todoroki for 1-A, plus two forgettable extras for 1-B. Now? With me in the mix, someone was getting shuffled around.
If Inasa still turned down his spot, I'd probably replace one of the 1-B nobodies. But if he decided to stay this time...
Three top scorers meant someone was getting bumped. Maybe even Yaoyorozu, if she didn't place as high as I remembered. And if Momo didn't make it into 1-A...
Well, there went her whole character arc. No Forest Training Camp moment. No tracking the Nomu. Everything would spiral out from there.
Well .... Not really that major now that I think about it as Momo always was a supporting character.
The peak of her relevance so to speak was during the Forest Training arc where she placed the tracker on the Nomu in season 3 that later led to the rescue of Bakugo.
Apart from that ... Let's just say her impact on canon was moderate at best. Regardless, the timeline would change.
How big of a change?
I honestly didn't know.
Great. No pressure or anything.
I slumped back against the bench, feeling the cold metal through my uniform.
"This is gonna be a mess, isn't it?"
____
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