AM N. NOT.
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[ Maki's POV ]
After a while, the long bridge finally came to an end, and I could see a tunnel ahead. Nemuri drove straight toward it. As her car moved forward, the tunnel lights flickered on automatically, illuminating the darkness one by one.
When we exited the tunnel, another road stretched before usābut this one wasn't simple at all.
Massive statues stood on both sides. Each one towered as high as a six- to nine-story building. Every statue had a different face, a different buildāsome muscular, some slender, some monstrous. They weren't decorative. They felt like guardians.
Nemuri noticed the way I stared.
"Are you curious about those statues, Maki?"
"Wellā¦ I'd be lying if I said no."
"Fufufu. You'll learn about them when you officially enter U.A.," she replied playfully.
We passed so many that I eventually lost countāaround seventy-three, maybe more.
Then I saw it.
A massive white wall.
It was even larger than the statues. So large that when I leaned out of the car window and looked up, I still couldn't see where it ended.
Nemuri's voice carried calmly beside me.
"It's the Fortress of U.A. That wall surrounds the entire island. The only ways to enter are from above, through the main entrance, or by destroying the wall itself. And these walls were built to withstand even a nuclear bomb."
I slowly pulled my head back inside the car.
"And it's not easy to enter from above either," she continued. "Barriers and advanced technologies protect the entire island from the skies."
She stepped lightly on the accelerator as she spoke.
"At the very entrance, a system automatically scans your information. If someone has a criminal recordāeven something minor like theftāit detects it instantly. A staff member or teacher is immediately dispatched to monitor that person."
Hearing her describe it made me realize how heavily protected this place was.
Students. Teachers. Information.
Everything inside was treated like treasure.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Nemuriā¦ what about me? Do I even have information on record?"
She smiled, completely unbothered.
"It's going to be alright. I've taken care of everything for you."
I couldn't argue with that. After all, this whole U.A. thing was her idea.
Just imagining myself getting stopped at the gate already felt embarrassing.
She pressed the gas, and the car accelerated before gradually slowing as we approached the entrance.
The gates were open.
Expensive cars lined the areaāsleek designs, rare models, customized builds. From the main entrance, thousands of people were being scanned by the system.
The entrance itself looked like the gate of a mansion.
There were so many people. Some looked completely normal. Others had horns, tails, scales, or strange skin tones. In this world, mutants were just part of daily life.
The line was massive.
Ten thousand? Maybe twenty.
"Nemuriā¦ I think I'll just wait in line. It might only take a week before it's my turn," I muttered.
She chuckled.
"No need to worry, my boy. You have me."
"That's cheating," I said under my breath.
So this is what connections feel like.
"Relax," she added. "We'll just pass through the drive-through."
As we approached the gate directly, I could already hear murmurs around us. It was obvious why.
People who had been waiting for hours were watching someone casually skip the entire line.
A soldier in a dark green, military-style uniform approached and knocked on Nemuri's window.
She lowered it.
The guard froze for a second.
"ID, please."
Nemuri handed it to him. I couldn't see it clearly, but I assumed it was her teacher ID.
He walked toward a scanning device embedded in the wallāa robotic unit with glowing red eyes. The machine scanned the card.
The red light turned green.
A section of the massive white wall slowly rose, opening a space wide enough for trucks to pass.
The guard returned her ID.
"Midnight-sensei, is that your son attending the examination today?"
Nemuri looked at me, amused.
"Look, Maki. They think you're my son."
From under my hoodie, I nodded at the guard.
He blinked in surprise before nodding back.
"We'll be going," Nemuri said.
The guard stepped back and saluted as we drove inside.
Another car followed behind us. In its side mirror, I noticed a slim, tanned hand resting casually out the passenger window.
Once inside the fortress, trees lined the road. The atmosphere felt calmerāisolated from the outside world.
After a few minutes of driving straight, I saw it.
A massive H-shaped building.
Its design was futuristicāfour towering glass structures connected by bridges. It looked like something straight out of a superhero headquarters.
"Hey, Nemu. Why does it look like that?"
"It stands for 'Hero.'"
"Heroā¦" I repeated quietly.
So that's what it meant.
The academy stood at the very center of the island.
We passed another internal white gate, and she drove through without stopping.
Outside the main building, crowds were already gathering.
"Maki, this is the place," Nemuri said. "You'll wait here. An instructor will come, make announcements, and give further instructions. I'll park in the underground lot, okay?"
I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned toward her.
I kissed her lips.
Before pulling away, I lightly bit her lower lip.
"Wellā¦ I guess this is my problem now. Bye-bye, Nemu."
She smiled softly and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
"Have fun."
I opened the door and stepped out, my eyes lingering on her.
"Love you, Nemu," I said quietly.
She smiled.
"Love you too."
The door closed with a soft click, and I watched her car disappear toward the back of the building.
Then I turned.
The air felt different.
Trees surrounded the open grounds. Trimmed bushes lined the paths. White sand covered the earth like a clean canvas.
Ahead of me stood the crowd gathered outside the H-shaped building.
I slipped my hands into my pockets and began walking toward them.
People were staring.
Some whispering.
Some judging.
Some curious.
I didn't react.
I simply walked forward.
This examā
This momentā
Would be my first step into U.A.
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!!ć½(ļ¾Š“ļ¾ć½)(ļ¾ļ¾Š“ļ¾)ļ¾!!
AM N. NOT.