Chapter 08
The classroom was suspended in a state of stunned silence. All eyes were glued to the floor where Natsu Dragneel was currently clutching his stomach, his soul seemingly trying to escape through his mouth.
Stepping out from the crowd of students, Eijiro Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, looking between the pink-skinned girl and the pink-haired boy.
"Whoa," Kirishima muttered, impressed by the sheer force of the blow. He recognized Mina from their middle school days, though they hadn't been close. "You know him, Ashido? That was intense."
Mina crossed her arms, blowing a strand of hair out of her face with a huff. "Know him? Unfortunately. We went to the same elementary school." She pointed a thumb at the groaning boy. "This is Salamander. I mean, Natsu Dragneel."
"Salamander?" Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "Sounds cool."
Natsu, demonstrating a resilience that defied medical science, popped back up to his feet. He dusted off his knees, his grin returned almost immediately.
"Heh," Natsu chuckled, looking at Mina. "You haven't changed a bit, Mina. That punch was super manly!"
Mina's eyebrow twitched violently. A shadow cast over her eyes.
"Hah?!" she snapped, her voice rising an octave. "Who are you calling manly, you fire-breathing idiot?"
"Manly is a compliment." Natsu argued.
"Not for a girl in high school!"
Before the argument could devolve into round two, a sound came from the doorway. It wasn't footsteps, but a soft, sliding friction against the floor tiles.
"You lot..."
The voice was low, tired, and utterly devoid of enthusiasm.
The students turned toward the door. There, lying on the floor, was a yellow sleeping bag. It looked like a giant, sluggish caterpillar had wandered into the hero course. A face, framed by messy black hair and tired eyes, peered out from the opening of the bag.
"...are far too noisy for your first day," the caterpillar drawled.
The class froze. Natsu tilted his head. Happy floated closer, squinting.
"What is that?" Natsu whispered. "A giant worm?"
The yellow caterpillar rolled over and stood up. Slowly, the zipper descended. The sleeping bag shed from his shoulders like a molted skin, revealing a man dressed in slouchy black clothing, a grey capture scarf wrapped around his neck, and bloodshot eyes that looked like they hadn't seen sleep in a decade.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a juice pouch, taking a sip.
"I'm Shota Aizawa," he stated flatly, scanning the room with a bored expression. "Your homeroom teacher."
"TEACHER?!" the class shouted in unison, their eyes wide.
"He doesn't look like a teacher..." Happy whispered to Momo, who looked equally confused.
Aizawa ignored the reaction. He reached into his sleeping bag and pulled out a blue gym uniform. He tossed it onto the podium.
"I know you have a mountain of questions about the ceremony and guidance counseling," Aizawa said, cutting off Iida who had raised his hand. "But we don't have time for that irrational logic. U.A. is unrestrained in its traditions. That applies to the teachers as well."
He pointed a finger toward the hallway.
"Put these P.E. uniforms on. They are in the locker rooms down the hall. Meet me at the athletic grounds immediately."
The class stood there, hesitant. The suddenness of it all was jarring. They had just arrived, and now they were leaving?
"Well?" Aizawa stared at them. "Why are you not moving?"
"Hold on a minute!"
A small, high-pitched voice broke the tension.
Happy floated forward, hovering right in front of the podium. He placed his paws on his hips, his face scrunched up in suspicion.
"You can't just order us around without proof!" Happy declared, pointing a paw at Aizawa. "Show us some ID first! You look way more like a hobo than a teacher! Are you sure you didn't just wander in from the park?"
The class gasped. He said it! The cat actually said it!
Aizawa stopped moving. He slowly turned his head to look at the blue cat hovering at his eye level.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew heavy. Aizawa's long black hair defied gravity, shooting straight up into the air. His tired, black eyes snapped open, glowing a piercing, terrifying crimson.
"Erasure."
POOF.
In an instant, the white, feathery wings on Happy's back vanished into thin air.
"Aye?" Happy looked behind him. "My wings?"
Gravity, realizing it had been ignored, took hold.
THUD.
Happy fell straight down like a baseball, hitting the linoleum floor with a pathetic splat.
"Ouch..." Happy groaned, lying flat on his face.
The difference in perspective was instant and intimidating. A moment ago, Happy was face-to-face with the teacher. Now, he was a tiny, blue speck on the floor, overshadowed by the towering, dark figure of Aizawa.
Aizawa looked down at the creature with cold indifference. His hair fell back down, and his eyes returned to black.
"What are you even supposed to be?" Aizawa asked, his voice dripping with disdain. "A pet? Who is the fool that brought a house pet to a hero academy?"
The room was silent. Students shifted uncomfortably.
Then, the crowd parted.
Natsu Dragneel stepped forward. His face was no longer smiling. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes held a serious, protective glint. He walked up to where Happy lay and stood over him.
"Excuse me, Sensei," Natsu said, his voice firm. He didn't shout, but the weight in his tone was clear. "Happy isn't a pet. He's my partner."
Aizawa looked from the boy to the cat, then back to the boy. He narrowed his eyes.
"Call him whatever you want," Aizawa deadpanned. "But this is a school, not a daycare. I don't bring my wife to class just because she's my wife."
The class blinked.
Natsu blinked.
Momo tilted her head.
They stared at their teacher, trying to process the image of this disheveled, exhausted man having a spouse. The silence stretched out, awkward and confusing. Nobody understood the point he was making.
Aizawa stared back at their blank faces. He sighed, scratching his stubble.
"That was a joke," Aizawa muttered dryly. "I'm single."
A collective sweat-drop appeared on the back of everyone's head. He's bad at jokes...
Aizawa turned his back on them, grabbing his sleeping bag.
"Anyway. It's irrational to waste more time. Meet me at the grounds in fifteen minutes. Don't be late."
He walked out the door, leaving a stunned Class 1-A behind.
Natsu bent down and scooped Happy up. "You okay, buddy?"
Happy rubbed his nose, looking at the door where Aizawa had vanished. "That guy... he's scary, Natsu. He took my wings away just by looking at me!"
"Yeah," Natsu said, clutching his gym uniform. A competitive fire lit up in his eyes. "He's strong. This is gonna be interesting!"
The walk to the changing rooms was a lively procession of color and chatter. The tension from Aizawa's sudden appearance had dissipated slightly, replaced by the awkward but eager energy of teenagers trying to figure out who was who.
Mina Ashido marched next to Natsu, measuring him with her eyes. She placed a flat hand on top of her own head and moved it horizontally toward his.
"Wow," she admitted, sounding begrudgingly impressed. "You really have gotten taller than me. That's annoying."
Natsu grinned, walking with his hands behind his head. "What do you mean 'gotten'? I was always taller than you! You were just standing on your tiptoes back then."
"Liar," Mina poked his side. "You were a shrimp!"
Walking slightly behind them, Momo Yaoyorozu watched the bickering with a gentle smile. "Childhood friends..." she mused softly. "It must be wonderful to have someone you've known for so long in the same class. It's quite reassuring, isn't it?"
A few feet away, Izuku Midoriya heard her comment. He stiffened slightly. His green eyes darted toward the back of the group, where Katsuki Bakugo was stomping along, radiating an aura of pure murder and arrogance.
Reassuring... Midoriya thought, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple. Yeah... not exactly the word I'd use for my childhood friend.
Happy, who had been floating silently between the students, decided to chime in. He flew closer to Mina.
"It's strange, though," Happy said, looking at the pink girl. "I didn't know anything about you, Mina. I honestly thought Natsu was a loner who had no friends before me."
"Hey!" Natsu snapped, turning around. "Who told you I was a loner?! I'm popular!"
The class erupted into light laughter.
"This creature really is cute," Ochaco Uraraka beamed, clasping her hands together as she looked at Happy. "What's his name again?"
"It's a winged cat, kero," Tsuyu Asui added, placing a finger on her chin. "Very unique."
"He wasn't with you at the entrance exam, right?" Kyoka Jiro asked, twirling one of her earphone jacks around her finger. "I would have remembered a flying blue cat."
"Yeah," Natsu explained. "I wasn't planning on bringing him today either, but he's stubborn. My dad brought him home about two weeks ago. He was a gift for finishing the exam."
Denki Kaminari grinned, looking at the cat. "Two weeks? So he's basically a baby?"
"I am not a baby!" Happy protested. "I am a mature—"
THWIP.
Suddenly, a purple, sticky sphere shot out from the crowd. It attached itself to the top of Happy's head.
"Gah?!" Happy yelped.
The sphere was attached to a string of pure stickiness. On the other end was Minoru Mineta. With a triumphant yank, Mineta pulled the string down, dragging Happy out of the air until they were face-to-face.
Mineta stood there, trembling with excitement. He pointed a shaking finger at Happy.
"Look at this!" Mineta shouted to the rest of the boys, a manic grin on his face. "Look at this height difference! Observe it well!"
He stood as tall as he could, puffing out his chest next to the standing cat.
"YEAAAHHH!" Mineta cheered, throwing his arms up. "I'm not the shortest one in the class this year! Take that, genetics! Hahaha!"
Happy's face darkened. He swiped the sticky ball off his head with significant effort, even though it has now stuck to his paws. He glared at the boy with the grape-hair.
"What is your problem?!" Happy snapped. "I'm still in my growth phase, you dwarf! I'm going to be huge one day!"
"You're the only dwarf here, Hahaha!" Mineta laughed.
The group reached the end of the hall.
"Alright, girls this way," Momo directed, pointing to the door marked 'Women'.
"See you on the field, Salamander," Mina waved, disappearing into the room.
Natsu waved back and followed the boys into the 'Men's' locker room.
The room smelled of cleaning products and new beginnings. Rows of grey metal lockers lined the walls. The boys began to disperse, finding their assigned numbers.
"Let's see... Dragneel... Dragneel..." Natsu scanned the names. He found his locker near the corner. "Awesome."
He opened it up. Inside was a fresh, folded U.A. gym uniform—dark blue with white geometric lines forming the letters U and A.
Natsu quickly stripped off his blazer and shirt. He pulled on the tracksuit pants and the shirt. The fabric was breathable and high-quality.
"Not bad," Natsu said, zipping the jacket halfway up. He re-tied Igneel's white scarf around his neck, tucking the ends in so they wouldn't get in the way.
Across the room, Kaminari was checking himself out in the full-length mirror, adjusting his blonde hair.
"Man, this uniform is pretty slick," Kaminari said, posing. He looked at the boy next to him—Shoto Todoroki. "Do I look handsome or what?"
Todoroki, who had already finished changing with silent efficiency, didn't even glance at him. He closed his locker with a soft click and walked past Kaminari toward the exit without saying a single word.
"So cold..." Kaminari slumped.
Natsu slammed his locker shut. "Yosh! I'm ready! Let's go fire it up!"
He turned to leave, but stopped.
Floating in front of him was Happy. But unlike Natsu, Happy was not ready. His big eyes were shimmering with wet, unshed tears. His bottom lip was quivering.
"Natsu..." Happy sniffled.
"What's wrong?" Natsu asked.
"There..." Happy pointed a trembling paw at the wall. "There is no locker for me. And... and there is no uniform for me either!"
The realization hit Natsu. "Oh. Right. You're not technically a student."
"I'm naked!" Happy wailed, throwing his paws over his eyes.
Aren't you always naked? The male students wondered to themselves.
Natsu scratched his head, looking around for a solution. His eyes landed on Mineta, who was struggling to pull his pants up nearby.
"Hey," Natsu said, snapping his fingers. "Why don't you ask Mineta for his spare uniform? Or maybe we can use his shirt as a full body suit for you?"
Mineta smiled. He looked at Natsu, then at the small cat. He pulled his pants up with a snap of elastic and puffed out his chest with immense, unearned pride.
"Unfortunately. I'm a titan comparing to him."
He walked away with a strut, convinced he had just won an argument about masculinity.
The rest of the boys in the locker room paused. They looked at the tiny grape boy walking away, then at the small blue cat floating in the air.
A collective thought resonated in everyone's mind at the exact same frequency:
Actually... you're both basically Smurfs.
.
.
~ Pat reon is one of the biggest way to help your author to write more and also to get advanced chapters;
pa tr eon. com/kazuha0
- Apple users should subscribe through the website, not the app, because the app costs about five extra dollars due to Apple's fees. That's why I strongly recommend using the web version. -