"It's here! Kanata, wake up! They're here!"
I was face-down on the rug when Ochaco's shout shook the house. My recovery had been... slow. Turns out, burning through your entire Cursed Energy reserve until your brain leaks out of your ears leaves you with a "hangover" that feels like being hit by a freight train made of bricks.
"I'm awake... I'm a productive member of society..." I mumbled into the carpet.
Mom and Dad were hovering in the kitchen, looking like they were about to vibrate out of their skins. Two thick envelopes sat on the table. U.A. logos. Gold seals. The whole "you might be a hero" package.
Ochaco grabbed hers first. A small holographic projector tumbled out, and All Might's boisterous voice filled the room. She was in. She was crying. Mom was crying. Dad was crying. I was pretty sure the neighbor's dog was crying.
Then, they all turned to me. I opened mine with a bit more lethargy. The projector flickered to life.
"I am here... as a projection!" All Might boomed. "Young Kanata Uraraka! In Battle Center C, you showed a level of raw power that left the faculty stunned! But it was your heart that truly shone! With 48 Villain points and 60 Rescue points, you have a total of 108! You took first place in the exam! Welcome to your Hero Academia!"
The room went silent. Then, a roar of celebration erupted.
'First place?' I thought, leaning back as Ochaco tackled me. 'Great. Now I have a reputation to live up to. I was really hoping for a middle-of-the-pack 'don't notice me' kind of score.'
First Day of School: U.A. High, Class 1-A
Walking through the hallways of U.A. felt surreal. The doors were huge—literally ten feet tall.
"I wonder if there are giants in our class," Ochaco wondered aloud, her eyes darting everywhere.
"Probably just for the kids with mutation quirks," I said, adjusting my tie. I looked at the massive '1-A' sign. "Or maybe they just want us to feel small. It's a psychological tactic to keep us humble before the homeroom teacher tries to crush our spirits. I heard a rumor the guy running 1-A this year is a total hard-ass."
Ochaco blinked at me, her head tilting. "A hard-ass? How do you know who our teacher is already? I didn't see anything in the orientation pamphlet about it."
"I did some digging," I lied smoothly. I couldn't exactly tell her I had "pre-incarnation spoilers." "His name is Shota Aizawa. He's known for expelling entire classes if he thinks they're wasting his time. So, maybe keep the 'happy-to-be-here' vibes at a manageable level, sis."
Ochaco swallowed hard, her expression shifting from excitement to a focused, slightly panicked determination. "Expelling? On the first day? That's... that's not very heroic!"
"Welcome to the big leagues," I said, sliding the door open.
The room was already a circus. The four-eyed guy from the exam (Iida) was currently lecturing the blonde explosion-boy (Bakugo). Ochaco stepped in, immediately getting distracted by the "Plain-faced boy" (Midoriya) standing by the door.
I followed behind her, hands in my pockets. My eyes immediately landed on Bakugo. He looked at me, his eyes narrowing.
"You," Bakugo growled. "The 'First Place' loser. How the hell did a guy who just floats things get more points than me?"
"I don't know, Bakugo," I said, giving him a lazy grin. "Maybe the robots just liked me more? Or maybe it's because I don't yell at furniture. It's a bad look."
"What did you say?!"
Before he could explode, a yellow sleeping bag slumped into the doorway behind us.
"If you're here to make friends, pack your bags and leave," a tired, gravelly voice said.
Everyone froze. Out of the sleeping bag crawled Shota Aizawa. He looked exactly like I expected—like a man who had forgotten what "joy" felt like. He looked at the class, his gaze lingering on me for a second. I didn't flinch; I just gave him a tiny, respectful nod.
"It took eight seconds for you to settle down," Aizawa said, stepping toward the podium. "Time is limited. You kids aren't rational enough."
He pulled a gym uniform out of nowhere. "Put these on. We're going outside."
"What about the orientation?" Ochaco asked, her voice small as she remembered my warning.
"At U.A., we have the freedom to run our classes however we want," Aizawa said, his eyes flashing. "Today, you're taking a Quirk Apprehension Test. And the student who ranks last will be judged as having no potential... and will be expelled."
The class erupted in "WHAT?!"
I just sighed, stretching my arms. 'Here we go. Time to see if the Anti-Gravity System can handle a softball throw.'