Kai's POV
The train was packed with students.
Most wore different uniforms, heading to various schools across the city. But a handful wore the same grey blazer I had on. U.A. students, recognizable by the distinctive emblem on their chests.
I stood near the door, watching the city pass through the window. My reflection stared back at me. Dark hair, sharp features, the hint of muscle visible even through the uniform.
Three months ago, I'd been nobody. Just another kid hoping to make it into the hero course.
Now I was enhanced beyond anything natural. Stronger, faster, more durable. All thanks to Nemuri and Yu.
The train slowed. My stop.
I stepped onto the platform and joined the flow of students heading toward U.A.
The gates were even more impressive than I remembered.
During the entrance exam, I'd been too focused on what was coming to appreciate them. Now I could take in the sheer scale. Massive pillars framing an entrance wide enough for giants. The main building rising behind them like a monument to heroism.
Other first-years clustered near the entrance, some taking pictures, others just staring. The nervous energy was palpable.
"Can you believe it?" a girl nearby whispered to her friend. "We actually made it."
"Don't jinx it. We haven't started yet."
I walked past them without comment. Through the gates, across the main courtyard, into the building itself.
Finding Class 1-A was the first challenge.
The hallways were a maze.
Signs pointed in contradictory directions. Staircases led to floors that didn't seem to connect logically. I passed the same water fountain three times before realizing I'd been walking in circles.
"Lost?"
I turned. A girl with green hair and frog-like features watched me with large, unblinking eyes.
"Trying to find Class 1-A."
"Me too. Ribbit." She tilted her head. "I'm Tsuyu Asui. Call me Tsu."
"Kai Hayashi."
"Nice to meet you, Hayashi." She pointed down a hallway I hadn't tried. "I think it's this way. I saw some other first-years heading in that direction."
"Worth a shot."
We walked together. She moved with an odd hopping gait that matched her quirk.
"What's your quirk?" she asked directly. No small talk, just straight to the point.
"Enhancement type. Makes me stronger, faster."
"Simple but effective. Ribbit." She nodded approvingly. "Mine is Frog. I can do basically anything a frog can do."
"Useful."
"It is. People underestimate frogs."
We found the classroom at the end of the hall. The door was massive, at least three times normal height.
"For students with size quirks," Tsu observed. "Practical."
She slid the door open and we stepped inside.
The classroom was half full.
Students occupied desks in loose clusters, some chatting, others sitting alone. I scanned the room, taking in faces.
Near the front, Momo Yaoyorozu sat with perfect posture, reviewing a notebook. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail, her expression focused. She looked up when the door opened, and our eyes met briefly.
Something flickered in her gaze. Recognition, maybe. We'd spoken at the entrance exam, sat next to each other during the orientation. She'd seemed intrigued by me then.
She nodded politely and returned to her notes.
"Hayashi!"
Ochako Uraraka bounded over from the middle of the room, her round face bright with excitement.
"You made it! I knew you would!"
"Uraraka. Good to see you."
"Can you believe we're actually here?" She gestured around the room. "Class 1-A! The hero course! This is really happening!"
"It's real."
"I know, but it doesn't feel real yet." She grabbed my arm and tugged. "Come on, sit near me! I saved seats!"
I let her drag me toward the middle of the room. Tsu followed, taking a seat nearby.
"I'm Ochako Uraraka!" Ochako introduced herself to Tsu. "Nice to meet you!"
"Tsuyu Asui. Call me Tsu. Ribbit."
"Your quirk is so cool! I saw you at the entrance exam, you were amazing in the flood zone!"
"Thank you. Your gravity quirk was impressive as well."
They started chatting. I settled into a desk and observed the rest of the room.
A boy with engines in his legs was lecturing someone about proper desk posture. Tenya Iida, if I remembered correctly. He'd been intense at the entrance exam too.
Near the back, a blonde kid with an angry expression had his feet up on a desk, ignoring everyone around him. Katsuki Bakugo. I'd seen him dominate the practical exam with his explosion quirk. Powerful, but clearly an asshole.
A small kid with purple balls on his head kept glancing at the girls in the room. His gaze lingered too long, his smile too eager. I made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
The door slid open again.
Pink skin. Horns. Yellow eyes with dark sclera.
Mina Ashido walked in like she owned the place.
She scanned the room, spotted me, and grinned.
"Hey! Entrance exam guy!"
She bounced over, dropping into the empty desk beside mine.
"Hayashi, right? I remember you. You were the one who took down like a billion robots."
"It wasn't that many."
"It was a lot." She leaned closer, her grin widening. "I'm Mina. We didn't get to talk much before, but I've been looking forward to meeting you properly."
"Have you?"
"Definitely." Her eyes roamed over me appraisingly. "The hero course is going to be fun."
Before I could respond, Ochako inserted herself into the conversation.
"Hi! I'm Uraraka! Are you in 1-A too?"
"Yep! Mina Ashido, at your service." She winked at me. "Looks like we're going to be classmates."
"Isn't it exciting?" Ochako said. "I can barely sit still!"
"Same! I've been bouncing off the walls all morning." Mina laughed. "My parents practically had to push me out the door because I was ready three hours early."
They started comparing notes about their mornings. I listened with half an ear, watching more students arrive.
A boy with half red, half white hair entered silently.
He took a seat near the window without acknowledging anyone. His expression was blank, almost cold. Shoto Todoroki, son of the number two hero Endeavor.
I'd researched the competition before the exam. Todoroki was a recommendation student, admitted without taking the practical. His quirk was half-cold, half-hot. Ice and fire. Incredibly powerful.
He glanced in my direction. Our eyes met for a moment. Then he looked away, apparently finding nothing interesting.
Fair enough.
"That's Todoroki," Mina whispered. "Son of Endeavor. Apparently he's super strong."
"I've heard."
"He seems kind of cold though. Get it? Cold?" She giggled at her own joke.
"That was terrible."
"I know. I'm working on my material."
The door opened again.
A girl with purple hair and earphone jacks dangling from her earlobes walked in. Kyoka Jiro. She had a bored expression, headphones around her neck, moving with the casual confidence of someone who didn't care what others thought.
She scanned the room, found an empty seat in the back corner, and claimed it without talking to anyone. Pulled out her phone and started scrolling.
"She seems cool," Ochako observed. "In a scary way."
"She's just reserved," I said.
"You know her?"
"No. Just a guess."
Mina was watching Jiro too. "I heard her quirk lets her hear through walls. Like, super hearing or something."
"Earphone Jack," Tsu supplied. "She can plug those jacks into things and listen. Or channel her heartbeat as an attack. Ribbit."
"That's so cool!" Ochako said. "Everyone's quirk is so interesting!"
"What about you, Hayashi?" Mina turned back to me. "What's your quirk? I saw you fighting at the exam but couldn't figure it out."
"Enhancement type."
"That's vague."
"It's accurate."
She pouted. "You're no fun. Come on, give me details."
"Maybe later."
"I'll hold you to that." She grinned. "I'm very persistent."
I didn't doubt it.
The classroom continued to fill.
A boy with a tail. A girl with long earlobes. Someone with a bird head. The variety was impressive, each student carrying a unique quirk that had earned them a spot in the most competitive hero course in the country.
Then the door slid open one more time.
A yellow sleeping bag rolled through.
Everyone stared.
The bag stopped at the front of the room. For a moment, nothing happened. Then it unzipped, and a man emerged.
Dark hair, stubble, eyes that looked like they hadn't seen sleep in decades. He stood slowly, brushing off his wrinkled black clothing.
"I'm Shota Aizawa. Your homeroom teacher."
No one knew how to react.
"It took you eight seconds to quiet down after I entered." He reached into the sleeping bag and pulled out a juice pouch. "That's not rational. Time is limited."
He took a long sip, seemingly unbothered by twenty students staring at him.
"I'll be blunt. I don't care about your backgrounds, your family names, or your quirks. I care about results." He crushed the empty pouch. "Tomorrow we'll have a quirk assessment test. I'll evaluate your abilities and determine if you belong here."
"Tomorrow?" Iida raised his hand. "But sir, what about the entrance ceremony? The guidance sessions?"
"Pointless rituals. We're here to train heroes, not hold hands and sing songs." Aizawa's gaze swept the room. "The student who places last in tomorrow's assessment will be judged hopeless and expelled immediately."
Silence.
Then chaos.
"Expelled?!"
"On the second day?!"
"That's not fair!"
"Fair?" Aizawa's voice cut through the noise. "Natural disasters aren't fair. Villain attacks aren't fair. People dying because a hero wasn't strong enough isn't fair." His eyes were cold. "If you can't handle pressure, leave now. You'll only get people killed."
No one moved.
"Good. Now sit down and pay attention. I'll explain what's expected of you this year."
The rest of the morning was orientation.
Aizawa handed out syllabi and explained the curriculum in a monotone that suggested he'd rather be anywhere else. Hero studies, general academics, support courses. A packed schedule designed to push us to our limits.
I took notes mechanically, but my mind kept wandering.
Tomorrow's assessment. The threat of expulsion. The competition sitting all around me.
And somewhere in this building, Nemuri.
Lunch came as a relief.
The cafeteria was massive, filled with students from all courses. The smell of food hit me the moment I walked through the doors.
"This is incredible!" Ochako stared at the menu boards with wide eyes. "A pro hero runs the kitchen!"
"Lunch Rush," Mina said, appearing beside us. "Apparently his quirk is related to cooking somehow. Everything he makes is supposed to be amazing."
We got in line. The food options were extensive, restaurant quality at cafeteria prices. I grabbed a tray and loaded up.
We found a table near the windows. Ochako, Mina, Tsu, and me. Other students filled in around us, the noise level rising as everyone relaxed from the tension of the morning.
"So what do you guys think about Aizawa?" Mina asked around a mouthful of rice.
"He's terrifying," Ochako said. "That expulsion threat..."
"He's logical," Tsu offered. "Harsh but logical. Ribbit."
"What about you, Hayashi?" Mina nudged me. "You've been quiet."
"I think he means what he says. We should take the assessment seriously."
"But actually expelling someone on the second day? That seems extreme."
"This is U.A." I shrugged. "Extreme is the baseline."
Ochako shuddered. "I barely slept last night from excitement. Now I won't sleep tonight from terror."
"You'll be fine," I told her. "Your quirk is versatile. Just stay calm and show what you can do."
"Easy for you to say. You took down a bunch of robots at the exam."
"So did you. You floated half a building to save people."
She blushed. "That was mostly luck."
"It was skill. Own it."
Her blush deepened. Mina grinned at me knowingly.
"Smooth," she murmured.
I ignored her.
After lunch, we had regular classes.
Mathematics with Ectoplasm. English with Present Mic. Literature with Cementoss. The teachers were all pro heroes, their classes infused with practical applications for hero work.
I paid attention, took notes, answered questions when called on.
But part of me was waiting.
I knew her schedule. Knew she taught in the afternoon, mostly to second and third years. But she'd have to make an appearance at some point. A faculty meeting, a hallway crossing, something.
Fourth period, it happened.
Modern Hero Art History.
The door opened and she walked in.
Nemuri Kayama. Midnight. The R-Rated Hero.
She was wearing her hero costume, the provocative bodysuit that left little to imagination. Her whip hung at her hip. Her mask framed her face perfectly.
Every male student in the room sat up straighter.
"Good afternoon, class." Her voice carried that familiar teasing edge. "I'm Midnight, and I'll be teaching you about the art and history of heroism."
She walked to the front of the room, hips swaying. Her eyes swept across the students.
Passed over me without pausing.
Not even a flicker.
"Hero work isn't just about fighting villains," she continued. "It's about presence. Image. The way you carry yourself affects public perception, which affects your effectiveness."
She turned to write on the board, and I allowed myself a moment to look.
The curve of her back. The way her costume hugged her body. The confidence in every movement.
Three months of memories flooded through me. Her taste, her sounds, the way she felt pressed against me.
I forced my attention back to my notebook.
"Your first assignment will be analyzing the public images of five current heroes," Nemuri said. "How they present themselves, how the media portrays them, and how that affects their career."
She started explaining the details. I wrote everything down, keeping my expression neutral.
Across the room, I felt eyes on me. Momo, watching me curiously. Mina, probably just bored. Jiro, her earphone jacks twitching slightly.
The class ended after an eternity.
"That's all for today." Nemuri smiled at the room. "I expect great things from you, Class 1-A."
Students started gathering their things. I stood, packed my bag, headed for the door.
Didn't look back.
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
More classes, more introductions, more information to absorb. By the time the final bell rang, my head was spinning.
I walked toward the gates with the flow of students. Ochako was beside me, still chattering about the day. Mina had joined us too, her energy apparently inexhaustible.
"We should exchange numbers!" Ochako said. "In case we need to study together or something!"
"Good idea!" Mina already had her phone out. "Here, I'll start a group chat."
They swapped contact information. I gave them my number too.
"What about you, Hayashi?" Ochako asked. "Are you heading straight home?"
"Yeah. Need to rest before tomorrow."
"Same. That assessment has me so nervous."
"You'll do great." Mina clapped her on the shoulder. "We all will. Team 1-A, right?"
"Right!"
We reached the gates and said our goodbyes. Mina headed toward the train station with a wave. Ochako lingered.
"Hey, Hayashi?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for sitting with me today. And for the encouragement." She smiled, a little shy. "It helped."
"Anytime."
Her smile widened. Then she hurried off, waving over her shoulder.
I watched her go, then started my own walk home.
My phone buzzed halfway to the station.
Yu: How was your first day?
I typed back while walking.
Long. Lots of information. There's a quirk assessment tomorrow.
Assessment?
Teacher is threatening to expel whoever places last.
Yikes. U.A. doesn't mess around.
No kidding.
You nervous?
Not really. I've been trained well.
Damn right you have. A winking emoji. Get some rest tonight. You'll crush it.
Thanks, Yu.
Miss you.
Miss you too.
I pocketed the phone and kept walking.
At home, I ate dinner alone.
My apartment was small but comfortable. A gift from my parents before they moved overseas for work. They sent money monthly, enough to cover expenses. Beyond that, I was on my own.
I didn't mind. Independence suited me.
After eating, I showered and changed into comfortable clothes. Sat on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow was the assessment. Aizawa would test us, evaluate our quirks, decide who stayed and who got expelled.
I wasn't worried about myself. The essence absorption had made me strong enough to compete with anyone in the class. But the others didn't know that. They saw me as just another student with an "enhancement type" quirk.
Let them underestimate me. It was better that way.
My phone buzzed again.
Different contact this time.
Nemuri: You did well today.
I stared at the message. Professional. Detached. Anyone reading it would think it was just a teacher offering encouragement.
Thanks, I typed back.
The other teachers were impressed with your entrance exam results. There's high expectations for you.
I'll try to meet them.
A pause. Then:
How are you feeling?
Loaded question. She wasn't asking about the assessment.
Frustrated, I admitted.
I know. Me too.
Seeing you today...
I know, Kai.
I wanted to...
I know. I wanted to as well.
I closed my eyes, picturing her. The way she'd walked past me in the hallway without acknowledging what we were to each other. The way she'd looked at me in class like I was just another student.
Necessary. We'd agreed on it. But that didn't make it easier.
This is going to be hard, I sent.
Yes. It is.
How do we do this for three years?
One day at a time. A pause. The weekend is coming. We'll figure something out then.
Promise?
Promise. Just get through the week.
Four more days.
Four more days, she echoed. You can do this. We can do this.
Okay.
Get some sleep. You have an assessment tomorrow.
Yes, Kayama-sensei.
A longer pause this time.
Don't call me that. Not when we're alone.
We're not alone. We're texting.
You know what I mean.
I smiled despite myself.
Goodnight, Nemuri.
Goodnight, Kai. I love you.
I love you too.
I set the phone aside and lay back on my bed.
Four more days until the weekend. Four more days of seeing her and pretending we were strangers.
I could handle it.
Probably.