The Endless Wait
The days following the U.A. entrance exam stretched into an agonizing eternity. For Tsubaki, the silence of the Todoroki household was now amplified by the gnawing uncertainty. He had scored 79 villain points – a number that resonated in his mind with obsessive clarity – but the final results, the true measure of his performance including any other secret points and his written exam would decide whether he was at number 1 he wanted absolute domination.
He had avoided the kitchen since the confrontation with Endeavor, retreating into the cold solitude of his room, the only place he felt truly his own. He knew the letters would arrive, probably on the same day for both him and Shoto, a final, public comparison.
He spent his time in his room, meticulously reviewing combat scenarios, pushing his body with internal Quirk exercises until the deep, familiar ache settled in his bones. The memory of his uncontrolled burst against the Zero Pointer still haunted him – an unforgivable lapse in discipline, yet one that had resulted in the highest villain score in his battle center. He couldn't reconcile the two.
Then, one afternoon, as the sun began its descent, the faint whir of the mail slot echoed through the silent house. Two envelopes lay on the pristine marble floor in the entryway, distinct in their crimson U.A. seal.
Tsubaki picked up his first. It was thicker, heavier. He held it, a strange mix of dread and anticipation churning within him. He glanced at the second, thinner envelope, clearly addressed to Shoto. Recommended students don't need point totals.
He retreated to his room, locking the door once more.
Tsubaki tore open his envelope. Inside, nestled on a bed of dark velvet, was a small, circular device—a disc. He placed it on his desk, and with a soft hum, a shimmering hologram of All Might materialized above it. The Number One Hero, in his gleaming Silver Age costume, stood larger than life, his smile as blinding as his power.
"I AM HERE! AS A PROJECTION!" All Might boomed, his voice echoing in Tsubaki's small room.
Tsubaki remained impassive, his expression unreadable. He had no reverence for the Symbol of Peace, only a cold, professional understanding of his power and that he was an obstacle that he needed to overcome to be at the top.
"Young Todoroki Tsubaki!" All Might continued, his gaze seemingly directed right at Tsubaki. "You took the U.A. High School Entrance Examination! And your results are in!"
A screen of holographic text and images flickered into existence beside All Might.
Todoroki Tsubaki
Battle Center D
Villain Points: 79
Rescue Points: 30
Total: 109 Points!
Tsubaki's eyes widened barely perceptibly. Rescue points? He hadn't accounted for those. He had acted purely on instinct, a momentary lapse that had yielded an unexpected reward. The 30 points pushed him past his initial calculation. 109 points. It was an undeniable, resounding victory. He knew then that he would be at the very top.
All Might's booming voice softened slightly. "A truly impressive display, Young Todoroki! Your strategic mind in eliminating villain bots with surgical precision was exemplary and couldn't be denied. But what truly sets a hero apart is not just their strength, but their willingness to put others first! Your decisive action against the Zero Pointer, despite it yielding no villain points, showcased a hero's heart! That is why we award Rescue Points!"
All Might gave a thumbs-up. "Welcome, Young Tsubaki! This is your Hero Academia!"
The hologram flickered and vanished.
Tsubaki stood there, perfectly still. He had passed. He had achieved the top score. But the mention of 'hero's heart' left a hollow ring. He hadn't saved that girl out of compassion, but from an inconvenient impulse, an echo of a past self he thought he'd buried. It still bothered him that he had been so uncontrolled. Yet, the score was undeniable.
He heard a soft knock on his door. "Tsubaki? Did your letter come?" Fuyumi's voice was gentle.
Tsubaki opened the door. Fuyumi held Shoto's opened envelope. Shoto himself stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze neutral.
"My letter came," Tsubaki said, his voice clipped. "I passed. With 109 points." He watched Shoto's face for any reaction, but his younger twin's expression remained perfectly still, a mask of practiced indifference.
Fuyumi's face lit up. "Oh, Tsubaki! That's wonderful! I knew you could do it!" She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Tsubaki stood stiffly, not returning the embrace, but not pulling away either.
"Shoto's came too," Fuyumi said, stepping back, a forced cheerfulness in her tone. "It's just an official acceptance. No score, since he was recommended." She held out a single sheet of paper.
Shoto took the paper, glancing at it. "It says I'm accepted into Class 1-A."
"Class 1-A," Tsubaki repeated, a flicker of something unreadable in his blue eyes. The same class. The comparison would continue, but this time, he would be leading it.
Fuyumi smiled, a fragile attempt at familial harmony. "This is great! Both of you getting into U.A.! Dad will be… well, he'll be… impressed." She trailed off, the unspoken 'with Shoto' hanging in the air.
Tsubaki didn't react. He knew. Endeavor would see Shoto's acceptance as part of the plan. Tsubaki's own achievement, even his top score, would likely be dismissed as an unnecessary detour, a rebellious waste of time. He looked at Shoto, who met his gaze for a split second before looking away, his posture slightly rigid. There was no congratulation, no shared moment, only the vast, icy chasm between them.
Tsubaki closed his door, leaving Fuyumi and Shoto in the hallway. He sat back at his desk, staring at the empty space where All Might's hologram had been.
109 points. He had earned it through blood, sweat, and a primal, uncontrolled burst of power he couldn't explain.
He knew Shoto would be in Class 1-A, the same class. This meant their paths, though divergent in their entry, would converge daily. The rivalry that consumed him, the ambition to utterly eclipse his younger twin, would now be played out in the most public of arenas.
The "hero's heart" All Might spoke of felt like a foreign concept. Tsubaki's heart was a frozen core of ambition, fueled by a searing need for validation that transcended heroism itself. He wanted Endeavor to see his name at the top, not Shoto's. He wanted the world to recognize the strength that had been cast aside, and he would crush anyone, even his own brother, to achieve it.
He thought of Endeavor's furious face, of his own contemptuous whisper, "second fiddle." The satisfaction was still sharp, but so was the memory of the chilling tremor that followed. He had to master that raw power, contain it, and wield it with the surgical precision he had trained for, so that no one, not even himself, could ever truly call him weak again.
His war was just beginning, and U.A. High was merely the next battlefield and he would make sure that in the end he stood as the victory of this war. The world better get ready because he was ready to change destiny.
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Author's note
I know it's a shorter chapter but I hope you still enjoyed it. We are now getting in the main story and how the Mc interacts with class 1-A.