Cafeteria. For lunch. Very much alone. Has some time on his hands to think about what just happened.
Before he was about to wander off by himself, he felt a slight nudge on his shoulders. He slowly turned back to see who it was. Tetsutetsu stood there with a massive, wide smile on his face.
"Whatup, man? I see that you're sitting alone, so I assume you wouldn't mind me sitting right beside you?" he said, smiling at him.
...
Kazuki took a good look at him and went silent for a few seconds before responding. "Sure," he answered, "Take a seat."
"Great." He said, smiling even wider as he took a seat. "I knew I recognized that name somewhere, Hayashi."
Kazuki nodded slowly. This was a bit awkward.
Tetsutetsu noticed this and backed off a bit, "No, no, I didn't just come here because you were the son of a rich guy, if that's what you're thinking, no, I came here cause no one else seems to be as receptive to me as you. You're great, man..."
"Uh, great to hear, man," Kazuki said. Receptive, he said. Great.
"So, how are you feeling about U.A. so far?" Tetsutetsu asked, already digging into his lunch. "Intense, right? That speech Vlad King gave was pretty hardcore, no?"
"Pretty hardcore, yes. I'm feeling great here." he said, before going back to eating.
Tetsutetsu just watching him, scratching the back of his head. "I take it you don't speak too much." he said, looking at him.
Kazuki gave a short nod.
"Ah, well, no problem. Let's just have lunch in silence..." Tetsutetsu said, disappointed.
Kazuki paused mid-bite. The disappointment in Tetsutetsu's voice was subtle but noticeable. He glanced at the guy, who'd already turned his attention to his own food, shoulders slightly slumped.
Tetsutetsu's enthusiasm didn't dim when Kazuki gave one-word answers. Most people got annoyed by now, or gave up. This guy just... kept trying. Like he actually wanted to be here. He wasn't trying to use Kazuki for connections or money. He just seemed like someone who wanted to make friends and picked the wrong person for easy conversation.
Vlad King's words came back again. Connect with people. Care when it matters.
"The speech was intense," Kazuki said after a moment. "But accurate. Hero work isn't supposed to be easy."
Tetsutetsu's head snapped up, eyes brightening immediately. "Right? That's what I was thinking! Like, if it was easy, everyone would do it. The fact that it's hard is what makes it worth doing!"
"That's one way to look at it."
"How do you look at it?" Tetsutetsu leaned forward slightly, genuinely curious.
Kazuki set his chopsticks down, considering the question. "Hero work is necessary. Someone has to do it. Might as well be people who are trained and capable."
"That's pretty practical." Tetsutetsu tilted his head. "But is that really why you want to be a hero? Just because it's necessary?"
"Is that not enough?"
"I don't know, man. I guess it depends on the person." Tetsutetsu scratched his jaw. "For me, I want to be a hero because I want to protect people. Make them feel safe, you know? Like when I was a kid, I saw a hero stop a villain who was threatening my neighborhood. The way everyone's faces changed when the hero showed up, from scared to relieved, that's what I want to give people."
Kazuki just stared at Tetsutetsu, a bit impressed. He smiled just for a split second. "That's great. That's a great motivation."
"Thanks, man! I really appreciate it." he pat Kazuki's back.
They ate in silence for a moment. It wasn't really awkward.
"Your quirk is pretty cool, by the way," Tetsutetsu said eventually. "Wind manipulation. That's got a lot of applications. Combat, rescue, support. You can basically do anything with it if you're creative enough."
"Your quirk has good applications too. Steel is strong. Good for defense and offense."
"Yeah, but it's straightforward, you know? I turn into steel, I hit things harder, I take hits better. That's it." Tetsutetsu flexed his arm, letting the metal spread across his skin before receding. "Your quirk requires actual skill. You've gotta control air currents, adjust for wind speed, account for obstacles. That's way more complicated than what I do."
"Complications aren't always advantages."
"Maybe not, but they're impressive."
Hey, can I ask you something? And you can totally say no if it's too personal."
Kazuki glanced at him. "Go ahead."
"I heard your mom was a pro hero. Tempestra, right?" Tetsutetsu's tone was careful, not invasive. Just curious. "Is she the reason you got into hero work?"
Kazuki set his chopsticks down. This question always came up eventually. "She taught me some things when I was young. Basic control, breathing techniques. But no, she's not the reason I'm here."
"Oh." Tetsutetsu didn't push further. "That's cool though, having a pro hero as a parent. Must've been nice learning from someone with experience."
"She went into a coma before she could teach me anything real." Kazuki said, looking directly at Tetsutetsu, hoping to make him uncomfortable enough to stay away from the topic.
Tetsutetsu shifted in his place, looking down a bit. "Well, either way, you're really skilled. I'm glad we're in the same class. I feel like I can learn a lot from you."
"I'm not sure there's much to learn from me. We don't really have similar quirks."
"If I can get even half as precise with my quirk as you are with yours, I'd be way better off. Right now I'm basically just 'turn to steel, punch thing, hope it works.'" he said, frowning a bit.
"That's a valid strategy."
"Yeah, but it's not elegant, you know?" Tetsutetsu gestured with his hands. "Heroes aren't just about raw power. They're about using their abilities in smart ways. I want to get better at that."
Kazuki picked up his milk carton. "You'll improve with training. Everyone does."
"I hope so." Tetsutetsu leaned back in his chair.
Tetsutetsu's optimism was overwhelming, but it wasn't annoying. It was just how he was. Genuine. Uncomplicated. The kind of person who saw challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.
"Yeah," Kazuki said quietly. "Maybe we will."
"Definitely!" Tetsutetsu raised his milk carton like a toast. "To becoming amazing heroes!"
...
Kazuki looked at the carton, then at Tetsutetsu's face. After a moment, he raised his own carton and tapped it against Tetsutetsu's. "To becoming heroes."
Tetsutetsu beamed. "Hell yeah! This is gonna be great, man. I can already tell."
They finished their lunch with Tetsutetsu occasionally making comments about the campus, the other students, hero training.
Then he felt a light tap on his shoulder as he was walking back to class.
"Kazuki," she called out. Kazuki had heard that voice enough times to recognize it instantly.
He sighed before turning around."Momo."
She was already standing right in front of him, smiling like she'd planned this exact moment.
"Hellooo," she said, waving.
"...Hello. What brings you here?" Kazuki asked, genuinely confused.
She looked offended. Actually offended.
"Wow. I can't check up on you on the first day?" she said, clasping her hands behind her back. "I just wanted to see how you're feeling about the school."
"It's fine," he said. "The curriculum is... rigorous I guess."
He nodded once, as if that settled it.
"How's your class? Are they any good?" he asked.
She smiled, "Glad you asked, I've made some friends, they seem pretty cool." she said.
"Ah, that's wonderful to hear, Momo. But I'm getting late to a class, I'll see you later." he said to her.
Her smile lowered, and she nodded. "oh, yeah, I understand. Go, you're going to be late." she said to him, pushing him a bit.
Tetsutetsu stood a few steps behind, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He looked between Kazuki and Momo, clearly trying to figure out if he should leave or stay or say something.
"Oh, Tetsutetsu," he looked at him as he pointed to Momo, "this is Yaoyorozu Momo. She's in Class 1-A," Kazuki said, gesturing vaguely between them. "Momo, this is Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. He's in my class."
"Nice to meet you, Yaoyorozu!" Tetsutetsu said, giving a quick bow. "
Momo smiled politely. "It's nice to meet you too, Tetsutetsu. Are you and Kazuki friends?"
"I mean, we just met today, but yeah! He's a cool guy!" Tetsutetsu grinned. "Super talented too. His quirk control is insane."
"I know," Momo said, and there was something almost proud in her voice. "I've known Kazuki since we were four. He's always been exceptional."
"Four? Damn, that's a long time!" Tetsutetsu looked at Kazuki with new understanding. "So you guys are like childhood friends?"
"Our families are close," Kazuki said. "Business partners."
"And friends," Momo added firmly. She glanced at her phone. "But you're right, you should get to class. I don't want to make you late on your first day."
"What about you? Aren't you going to be late?" Kazuki asked.
"I have a few more minutes. My classroom is closer." She looked at Tetsutetsu. "Take care of him, would you? He's not great at asking for help when he needs it."
Tetsutetsu saluted. "You got it! I'll make sure he doesn't get lost or anything!"
Kazuki just stared at him, disappointed and disgruntled. He shook his head at him with a frown. Tetsutetsu got a glance of it and immediately cut it off, laughing nervously.
Kazuki looked at Momo again. "I'll see you later."
"See you." Momo waved as she turned to walk back toward the 1-A wing.
Tetsutetsu watched her go, then looked at Kazuki. "She seems nice."
"She is."
They started walking toward the east wing
Tetsutetsu watched her go, then looked at Kazuki. "She seems nice."
"She is."
They started walking toward the east wing, weaving through groups of students heading to their next classes. The hallways were crowded, voices bouncing off the walls, lockers slamming shut. The noise was constant, overwhelming in its own way.
"So, childhood friends," Tetsutetsu said after a moment. "That's pretty cool. I don't really have anyone like that. My family moved around a lot when I was younger, so I never stayed in one place long enough to make those kinds of connections."
"That sounds difficult."
"Nah, it was fine. Made me adaptable, you know?" Tetsutetsu shrugged. "Plus, now I get to make new friends here. Like you!"
--------------------------------------------
[TETSUTETSU]
Yaoyorozu was cool, intimidating somehow but cool. Also, I think she trusts me with Kazuki now? I met him an a few hours ago.
...
I'm doing great.
--------------------------------------------
Kazuki just turned to stare at the corner of the room, contemplating his decisions. He might have to use some real brain power for this.
"We're gonna get along great, don't you think so?" Tetsutetsu asked.
...
"Yep," he popped the p, "Of course." Kazuki replied, closing his eyes.
--------------------------------------------
[KAZUKI]
Tetsutetsu is very enthusiastic, clearly.
...
I am not.
...
This WILL be tough.
--------------------------------------------
[A/N: I'm just trying out these thought bubbles, I think they'd be pretty cool. I only intend to do it in non serious encounters since I'm sure it would ruin the scene in a serious setting.]