"Then you will never be Number One."
The words hung in the air like a guillotine blade as Bakugo went very still. His fists clenched even tighter, but there was no further report.
'No outburst. So fortunately not unredeemable.' Best Jeanist met his gaze evenly.
"Being the strongest is not the same as being the best. All Might isn't the Symbol of Peace just because he can throw the hardest punch. He's the Symbol of Peace because when he arrives, people feel safe. When he smiles, fear disappears."
He gestured.
"If you need another example, you can look at the 8th ranked pro, Wash. Would you in any way think his power surpasses The Dragon Hero Ryukyu ranked 9th? No. Image is just as important as power. Many times even more so. There are many things a bigger explosion just won't fix."
"Wash..." Bakugo's voice was a low, sandpaper rasp. "You're telling me... that a guy who looks like a damn laundry machine is better than me because he has a better image?"
"In the eyes of the public? Yes," Best Jeanist replied. "Because when a disaster strikes, people don't just want a weapon. They want a savior. A weapon is terrifying, Bakugo. A savior is reassuring."
"...Tch. So what do you want from me?" He finally said, the words forced out like pulling teeth.
Best Jeanist's expression didn't change, but there was the faintest hint of approval in his eyes.
"Acknowledge that there is more to being a hero than winning fights. That's the first step. Then actually focus on your lessons."
Silence.
'Still too stubborn, are you?' Best Jeanist resisted the urge to shake his head. "Fine then, let's reach a compromise."
Bakugo's head snapped up. "What kind of compromise?"
"You clearly have... concerns about falling behind your peers in terms of combat ability. And I recognize that pure etiquette training will not address those concerns." Best Jeanist moved to his desk, pulling up a schedule on his tablet.
"Therefore, I suggest this: if you can demonstrate that you've internalized even one lesson about public image and proper conduct during today's patrol, ... If you can even go the whole day without screaming at a single civilian, I will dedicate the majority of your internship to combat-focused training."
Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "One lesson? That's it?"
"One lesson, properly applied in a real-world scenario." Best Jeanist replied. "Not just going through the motions. I want to see genuine understanding of why image matters. Do that, and I'll teach you techniques that will make your explosions twice as effective in urban combat."
The bait was too good to refuse.
"Fine," Bakugo growled. "But I'm not changing my hair."
"Hmm. No. That can't be negotiated. You look too much like a street ruffian, especially with that ever present scowl of yours."
Bakugo gritted his teeth. "I'm not agreeing to that."
"Well I'm not taking a step back either. It's either your hair, or you have to always carry a smile on your face."
Best Jeanist faced him fully. "As your classmate said during the sports festival. Pick, your poison."
Bakugo looked like he had swallowed a fly.
__
[GUNHEAD MARTIAL ARTS - OSAKA - EARLY AFTERNOON]
Ochako Uraraka stood at the edge of the training mat, her hero costume still crisp and new, watching Gunhead demonstrate a throw on one of his larger students.
"The key," Gunhead's surprisingly gentle voice explained as he executed a perfect hip toss, "is using your opponent's momentum against them. Size doesn't matter if you have proper technique."
The student, easily twice Gunhead's mass, hit the mat with a thunderous impact.
"Woah," Ochako clapped in amazement.
Gunhead helped his student up, then turned to address the small class. "Alright everyone, pair up for grappling drills. Uraraka-san, you're with me for your first session."
"Yes, sensei!" Ochako bowed quickly.
"let's start with basic grappling defense. Come at me."
Ochako hesitated, then lunged forward.
Two seconds later, she was on her back, staring at the ceiling.
"Ow..."
"Your center of gravity was too high, and you telegraphed your approach," Gunhead explained, offering her a hand up. "Again."
They repeated the drill. And again. And again.
By the thirtieth attempt, Ochako was panting, but she'd actually managed to avoid the immediate takedown.
"Better!" Gunhead praised. "You're learning quickly. Take ten minutes to catch your breath."
Ochako nodded, stumbling over to the water fountain. 'Ow. My back hurts.'
As she drank, she heard voices from the other students.
"—did you see the Hosu news?"
"Yeah, crazy stuff. Four villains in one night, all by himself."
"Oh please, you give the kid way too much credit. He's not bad, but he could do it because Eraserhead was there. Those things didn't have the chance to use their quirk."
The first scoffed. "Those things were freakishly strong even without their quirks. Have you even seen the video?"
The second smiled and shrugged. "Heh. Let's talk again when he has his own solo takedown. Until then, he's still just a kid from U.A."
U.A.? Mr. Aizawa?
Ochaco lowered her water bottle, the cool liquid forgotten in her mouth. 'Isn't Yuta-kun with Mr. Aizawa?'
Curious, she stepped toward the two students, older boys with more muscular builds who were Gunhead's sidekicks.
The boys were engrossed in their conversation when a slightly breathless voice fell into their ears.
"Um, excuse me!" she piped up. "Did you say someone from U.A. was in the news?"
The student who had been opposing the "kid" turned around. "Oh, hey, Uraraka-san. Yeah, it's all over the internet. Some student from your school apparently went ham in Hosu last night. They're calling him the 'White Fang' or something."
The second one rolled his eyes, even more sure that his teammate truly didn't have much understanding of what happened last night.
"White Fang?" Ochaco blinked. "Can I see?"
The student pulled out his phone and pulled up a viral clip titled 'Hosu Massacre Narrowly Avoided.' Ochaco leaned in. The footage was grainy, shot from a high-rise window.
'Aren't those ..'
For those at USJ, the Nomu resemblance was unmistakeable.
Her attention didn't focus on that for long though as someone else appeared on the scene just as the heroes were struggling to contain the rampaging Nomu.
She watched as a boy in tactical black gear swung a massive iron chain, dragging a winged monster out of the sky and slamming it into the asphalt with a force that made the camera shake.
"That's... Yuta-kun," she whispered, her eyes wide.
The second student, the skeptic, leaned over her shoulder. "Wait, you know him?"
"Yeah," Ochaco said as she watched the figure on the screen. "He's in my class. Akutami Yuta."
The skeptic sidekick raised an eyebrow, his smug expression wavering. "Wait, for real? He's a first-year? I thought for sure he was some undercover pro or a third-year sidekick with a growth-stunt quirk."
The one beside him rolled his eyes even more. "Still saying you watched the video, didn't you? White Fang is a vigilante .."
Ochaco's eyes widened in shock. "Yuta's become a vigilante?"
"Huh? Oh, no you got it all wrong. A lot of stuff happened last night so ... You should probably watch everything yourself." He turned his gaze to the one beside him. "Unlike some people."
"Hey! What's with that look?"
"Um ... Thanks." Uraraka handed the phone back with a smile and turned away. Walking back to the bench, she sat down and went online.
Everything was cleared up as she watched the news reports and footage of Yuta working in tandem with her homeroom teacher. Then the video from the professional news crew.
"Awesome!" Her face brightened, genuinely happy.
"Yuta-kun's all over the news." She never would have imagined it. 'Hold on. This is technically his official hero debut .. isn't it? Is he ok though? ...'
Countless thoughts went through her head. 'I ... I should probably give him a call ...' she searched her contacts, only to remember. 'Oh right ... His phone got destroyed. And I don't really have his contact either even if that weren't the case ...'
"Alright, break's over! Everyone back on the mats!"
Gunhead called out in the distance.
'Right ..' she out her phone away, her sore back no longer aching as much.
'His internship is going so well, but fighting those things probably wasn't easy. He must be exhausted,' she thought, a pang of worry cutting through her focus.
"Uraraka-san? Ready to continue?"
"Yes, sensei!" She hurried back to the mat.
'He's already doing real hero work,' she thought, her grip tightening. 'I can't let myself fall behind. I have to get stronger.'
__
[MOUNT LADY'S AGENCY - (Mount lady's apartment) LATE AFTERNOON]
Minoru Mineta stood in the supply closet, wearing cleaning gear above his uniform that was two sizes too big.
His phone sat on a nearby shelf, still occasionally buzzing with notifications he refused to check.
Unlike most, he had been gooning off to pervert material half the entire night after his first day as an intern (Manservant) so he already knew what they were about.
Yuta. Hosu. The "Black Phantom."
'Of course it's him,' Mineta thought bitterly, alphabetizing spray bottles with more aggression than necessary. 'Of course the guy who made me look like an idiot at the Sports Festival is now a national hero.'
The memory of his humiliating first-round loss still stung
"This is so unfair. He's out there doing hero work while I'm practically a Manservant in this dump."
"GRAPE FRUIT BOY!"
Mount Lady's voice boomed from down the hall.
"YES, MOUNT LADY-SAN?" he called back, barely suppressing a grumble.
"Break room! Now!"
Mineta trudged down the hallway, his too-large uniform pants dragging on the floor.
He found Mount Lady lounging on the break room couch, a fashion magazine in one hand and the TV remote in the other. The television was on, showing some afternoon talk show.
"You called, Mount Lady-san?"
"Grab me a coffee. Two sugars, no cream."
Mineta's eye twitched. "Why you ...."
"What was that?"
"Nothing! Coming right up."
__
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased chapters by joining my Patreon!
💧 WATER TIER (5$) – Read 3 chapters ahead of public releases
🌍 EARTH TIER ($7) – Read 5 chapters ahead, with bonus lore, author notes, and behind-the-scenes content
🔥 FIRE TIER ($10) – Read 8 chapters ahead, get full access to all extras, and vote in exclusive polls for bonus content
📎 Patreon.com/Future805
Even a small pledge makes a huge difference — thank you for reading