Kai's POV
The door slammed open with enough force to crack the wall.
"I AM HERE!"
All Might stood in the doorway, cape billowing behind him despite the lack of wind. His smile was blinding, his presence overwhelming. The Symbol of Peace himself, larger than life.
"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
The class erupted.
"It's really him!"
"All Might is teaching us!"
"This is the best day ever!"
He strode to the front of the room, each step radiating confidence.
"Welcome to Foundational Hero Studies! The class that will teach you the basics of being a pro!" He struck a pose. "Today's lesson: COMBAT TRAINING!"
A panel in the wall slid open, revealing numbered cases.
"And what's a hero without their costume? These were designed based on the quirk registrations and requests you submitted before school started!"
Students rushed to claim their cases. I found mine, number 18, and headed for the changing rooms with the others.
The costume fit perfectly.
Dark grey bodysuit with reinforced plating at key points. Flexible enough for full range of motion, sturdy enough to absorb impacts. Utility belt with basic supplies. Fingerless gloves for better grip.
Nothing flashy. Just functional.
I checked myself in the mirror. The material hugged my frame, showing off the muscle I'd built over months of training. Good mobility, good protection. Exactly what I'd requested.
"Looking good, Hayashi!"
Kirishima appeared beside me, wearing practically nothing. Just pants, boots, and gear that left his arms and torso bare.
"Gotta show off the guns when you've got a hardening quirk!" He flexed. "No point in armor when your skin turns to rock!"
"Fair point."
"Your costume is cool though. Very sleek. Mysterious vibe."
"That was the idea."
We headed out together, joining the flow of students toward Ground Beta.
The training ground was a mock city.
Buildings rose around us, realistic enough to pass for an actual urban area. Streets, alleys, windows, doors. A perfect simulation environment.
The girls emerged from their changing room.
I scanned the group automatically.
Momo wore a revealing red leotard that left her arms and legs mostly bare. Necessary for her creation quirk, which required exposed skin to materialize objects. The outfit showed off her figure in ways the school uniform hid.
Ochako had a skin-tight pink and black suit with a helmet. Practical, cute, fitting her personality.
Mina's purple and turquoise outfit matched her alien appearance. Bold and eye-catching.
Jiro wore punk-rock inspired gear with speakers built into her boots. Cool and functional.
All of them looked good. Very good.
"Eyes up, Hayashi." Mina appeared beside me, grinning. "You're staring."
"I'm observing."
"Observing. Right." She winked. "You can observe me anytime."
Before I could respond, All Might called for attention.
"Today's training will be an indoor battle exercise!"
He explained the rules. Teams of two. One team plays villains guarding a fake nuclear weapon. The other team plays heroes trying to capture it or apprehend the villains. Fifteen minutes per match.
"Teams will be determined by lottery!" He held up a box. "Random selection to simulate real hero work!"
Names were drawn. I watched as teams formed.
Team A: Midoriya and Uraraka.
Team B: Todoroki and Shoji.
Team C: Mineta and Yaoyorozu.
I winced internally. Momo paired with the little pervert. That had to be uncomfortable.
Team D: Bakugo and Iida.
"Team E: Hayashi and Ashido!"
Mina bounced over, grinning.
"Partners! This is going to be fun!"
More teams were called. Team F through K.
"First match!" All Might announced. "Team A as heroes versus Team D as villains! Everyone else to the monitoring room!"
We watched the first match on screens.
Midoriya and Uraraka versus Bakugo and Iida. Heroes versus villains.
It was brutal.
Bakugo was a force of nature. He abandoned the weapon entirely, hunting Midoriya through the building with single-minded fury. Explosions echoed through the structure.
"He's going to kill him," someone muttered.
"Should we stop this?" Kirishima asked.
All Might watched with a complicated expression but didn't intervene.
Midoriya barely survived. He broke his own arm delivering a punch that destroyed an entire floor. Uraraka used the distraction to reach the weapon while Iida was off-balance from the shockwave.
Heroes won. Barely.
"Midoriya and Uraraka advance!" All Might announced. "But both sides showed critical flaws. Bakugo abandoned his objective for personal grudges. Midoriya damaged himself unnecessarily. A victory, but a costly one."
Harsh but fair assessment.
More matches followed.
Todoroki solo-froze an entire building in seconds, capturing the weapon before his opponents could react. Overwhelming power, zero teamwork.
Yaoyorozu and Mineta won their match, but Momo did most of the work while Mineta cowered and occasionally threw his sticky balls.
Other matches blurred together. Some impressive, some embarrassing.
Then our turn came.
"Team E as heroes versus Team I as villains!"
Team I was Koda and Sato. Animal control and sugar-powered strength.
"Let's do this!" Mina pumped her fist. "Time to show off!"
We stood outside the building, studying the structure.
"Five floors," I said. "They'll probably set up on one of the upper levels. High ground advantage."
"So we go up fast and hit them hard?"
"Not exactly." I thought through the options. "Sato gets stronger by eating sugar, but it makes him dumber. If we can stall him, the effect wears off. Koda controls animals, but there aren't many animals in an urban simulation."
"So they're both at a disadvantage here?"
"Relatively. But Sato's still dangerous if he gets his hands on us."
Mina nodded. "What's the plan?"
"You take point. Your acid can melt through obstacles, create distractions. I'll handle direct combat if it comes to that."
"You want me in front?"
"Your quirk is more versatile for this situation. I'm backup."
She blinked. "Most guys would want to be the hero."
"I want to win. There's a difference."
A slow smile spread across her face. "I like how you think, Hayashi."
We entered the building.
The interior was designed like an office complex. Cubicles, meeting rooms, stairwells. Plenty of cover, plenty of blind spots.
Mina moved ahead, her movements surprisingly quiet for someone so energetic. She paused at corners, checked angles, signaled when clear.
"Third floor," she whispered. "I can hear someone moving around up there."
Good ears.
We climbed the stairs carefully. At the third floor landing, I held up a hand.
Voices ahead. Sato's deep rumble, Koda's nervous murmur.
"They're near the east side," I said quietly. "Probably guarding the weapon directly."
"Straight assault?"
"You circle around. Create a distraction on the west side. I'll hit them from the east when they're focused on you."
"Got it."
She slipped away, moving through the cubicle maze with acid-enhanced stealth. Melting small holes through walls instead of going around.
I waited.
Thirty seconds. A minute.
Then a crash from the west side.
"What was that?!" Sato's voice.
"S-something's attacking!" Koda stammered.
I moved.
Sato had eaten his sugar already.
His muscles bulged, his frame nearly doubled in size. He was facing west, watching Mina's acid melt through a wall.
He didn't see me coming.
I hit him from behind, driving my shoulder into his lower back. Enhanced strength against enhanced strength. He stumbled but didn't fall.
"What the—"
I grabbed his arm and twisted, using his momentum against him. He was stronger than me right now, but strength wasn't everything.
"Koda!" he yelled. "Help!"
Koda stood frozen by the weapon, hands raised like he wanted to command animals that weren't there. No birds in the building. No dogs. No help coming.
Mina burst through the melted wall, acid dripping from her hands.
"Hey there!" She fired a stream at Koda's feet, forcing him to jump back. "Don't move and you won't get dissolved!"
Koda squeaked and raised his hands in surrender.
Sato roared and tried to throw me off. I held on, wrapping around his arm, keeping him off-balance.
"You little—"
His movements were getting slower. The sugar high was fading. His muscles shrinking back to normal.
"Done yet?" I asked.
"I'll crush you!"
"You'll try."
He swung wildly. I ducked, released his arm, and swept his legs.
He went down hard.
Before he could recover, I had him pinned. Knee on his back, arm twisted behind him.
"Submit."
"Never!"
I applied more pressure.
"...Fine! I submit!"
"HERO TEAM WINS!"
All Might's voice boomed through the speakers.
I released Sato and helped him up. He glared at me but accepted the hand.
"That was dirty," he muttered. "Attacking from behind."
"Heroes don't fight fair. They fight smart."
He grunted. Couldn't argue with results.
Mina bounced over, beaming.
"That was awesome! You totally wrecked him!"
"You did the hard part. The distraction made everything possible."
"Yeah, but you took down a guy twice your size!" She grabbed my arm. "We make a great team!"
"We do."
Her grin widened. "Partners again sometime?"
"If the lottery allows."
"I'll rig it." She winked. "I know people."
We returned to the monitoring room to watch the remaining matches.
Momo found me during a break between fights.
"Your strategy was sound," she said. "Using Ashido's quirk for distraction while you handled direct combat. Efficient."
"Thanks."
"I noticed you let her take the lead initially. Most people with combat-focused quirks prefer to be at the front."
"Her acid is more versatile for infiltration. It made sense."
"It did." She studied me. "You think tactically. That's rare for someone our age."
"I had good training."
"You keep saying that." She tilted her head. "Who trained you?"
"Private instructor."
"That's vague."
"It's accurate."
She frowned slightly. "You're very evasive, Hayashi."
"I value privacy."
"There's a difference between privacy and secrecy."
"Is there?"
We stared at each other. She wasn't going to let this go easily. But she also couldn't force me to talk.
"I'd like to spar with you sometime," she said finally. "Outside of class. To understand your abilities better."
"Sure."
"Really?" She seemed surprised.
"Why not? You're skilled. I could learn from you."
"I... thank you." A slight blush colored her cheeks. "I'll arrange something."
"Looking forward to it."
The final matches concluded.
All Might gathered us for closing remarks.
"Today showed me your potential! Some of you excelled, others struggled. But everyone learned something!"
He pointed at different students, offering brief critiques.
"Todoroki! Your power is overwhelming, but you isolated yourself from your partner. Teamwork is essential!"
"Bakugo! Your combat instincts are sharp, but you let emotions control you. A hero must stay focused on the mission!"
"Midoriya! Your determination is admirable, but self-destruction isn't heroic. Find ways to use your power without breaking yourself!"
Then he pointed at me.
"Hayashi! Excellent tactical thinking! You assessed your opponents' weaknesses, utilized your partner's strengths, and executed cleanly. Well done!"
"Thank you, sir."
"However!" His smile didn't waver. "Don't become too reliant on strategy. Sometimes heroes must adapt on the fly. Plans don't survive contact with the enemy!"
"Understood."
He moved on to other critiques. Mina elbowed me.
"Excellent tactical thinking," she mimicked. "Teacher's pet."
"Jealous?"
"Extremely." She grinned. "Buy me lunch and I'll forgive you."
"Deal."
After training, we returned to the locker rooms.
The mood was lighter now. The tension of Aizawa's assessment had faded. We were starting to feel like actual hero students instead of survivors.
"That was intense," Kirishima said, toweling off beside me. "But awesome, right? Real combat training!"
"It was good."
"Good? It was incredible!" He slammed his locker. "This is what I came to U.A. for!"
"The fights will only get harder from here."
"Bring it on!" He flexed. "I'll harden up and smash through anything!"
His enthusiasm was infectious. I smiled despite myself.
"That's the spirit."
"Damn right!" He clapped my shoulder. "We're going to be great heroes, Hayashi. I can feel it."
"Maybe."
"Definitely. Trust me."
I found Ochako waiting outside the locker rooms.
"Hey! Great job in there!"
"You too. Your match was impressive."
"It was okay." She shrugged. "Deku did most of the work. I just grabbed the weapon at the end."
"That's literally the objective. You accomplished the mission."
"I guess." She fell into step beside me. "But watching everyone else fight... I feel like I'm falling behind."
"It's the third day. Nobody's ahead or behind yet."
"You are." She poked my arm. "Fourth in the assessment, praised by All Might for tactics. You're clearly at the top."
"The rankings change constantly. What matters is improvement."
"Easy for you to say when you're already improving from a high starting point."
I stopped walking. Turned to face her.
"Uraraka. You saved people during the entrance exam. You got infinity on the ball throw. You captured the weapon today while your partner was breaking himself to create an opening."
"But—"
"You keep comparing yourself to everyone else's strengths instead of recognizing your own." I held her gaze. "Your quirk is powerful. Your instincts are good. Stop selling yourself short."
She stared at me. Her cheeks went pink.
"You really think so?"
"I don't say things I don't mean."
"That's..." She looked down. "Thank you, Hayashi. That means a lot."
"Kai."
"What?"
"Call me Kai. We're friends now."
Her blush deepened. "Okay. Kai." She smiled, bright and genuine. "Then call me Ochako."
"Deal, Ochako."
Afternoon classes passed quickly.
Mathematics, English, Literature. The usual subjects, made slightly surreal by our morning of combat training.
Nemuri's class was last.
I sat through her lecture on hero branding, taking notes without looking at her directly. She walked past my desk twice, close enough that I could smell her perfume.
Torture.
Class ended. Students filed out.
I packed my things slowly. Waited until the room was nearly empty.
"Hayashi." Her voice, professional. "A word?"
The last students glanced back curiously but kept moving. The door closed.
We were alone.
Nemuri's professional mask slipped the moment the door clicked shut.
"Hi," she breathed.
"Hi."
"I watched your match. You were incredible."
"You were watching?"
"Faculty monitors. I may have volunteered to cover the surveillance room." She smiled. "You looked good in that costume."
"You said that yesterday."
"It's still true."
We stood there, barely two feet apart. The air between us felt charged.
"Two more days," I said.
"Two more days."
"I don't know if I can wait that long."
"You can." She reached out, brushed her fingers against my hand. Brief contact, quickly withdrawn. "You have to."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Then you'll compromise everything we've built." Her expression softened. "I know it's hard, Kai. It's hard for me too. But we agreed."
"I know."
"Saturday. My apartment. No interruptions." She held my gaze. "Can you wait until then?"
I took a breath. Let it out slowly.
"Yes."
"Good." She stepped back, the professional mask returning. "Now go. Before someone sees us."
"Yes, Kayama-sensei."
She shivered slightly at the title. "Get out of here, brat."
I left.
The walk home was long.
My phone buzzed halfway to the station.
Yu: How was training?
Good. Won my match.
Of course you did. My boy is the best.
Biased.
Completely. Miss you.
Miss you too.
Weekend plans?
I hesitated.
Nemuri has first claim. Saturday.
I figured. Sunday then?
Sunday works.
It's a date. Rest up. I plan to keep you busy.
Looking forward to it.
You better be.
I smiled and pocketed the phone.
Two more days.
At home, I showered and ate.
Lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
The day replayed in my mind. The fights, the conversations, the brief moment alone with Nemuri.
My phone buzzed.
Nemuri: Saturday can't come fast enough.
Tell me about it.
I keep thinking about what I'm going to do to you.
Care to share?
No. You'll have to wait and find out.
Cruel.
Anticipation makes it better.
Does it?
Trust me.
I stared at the message. Imagined her lying in her own bed, typing with that teasing smile.
I trust you, I sent.
Good. Now sleep. You have class tomorrow.
Yes, Kayama-sensei.
Stop calling me that. It's doing things to me.
What kind of things?
The kind that make waiting two more days very difficult.
I grinned.
Goodnight, Nemuri.
Goodnight, Kai. Dream of me.
Always.