Two weeks had passed since the U.A. High School entrance exam.
In a small public park near the Midoriya family's apartment, Izuku was panting heavily. He was drenched in sweat, throwing shadow punches into the empty air, desperately trying to maintain his fitness despite the anxiety eating him alive from the inside. He was absolutely certain he had failed; after all, he hadn't scored a single point.
On a nearby swing set, Killua sat swinging back and forth with extreme, agonizing boredom. He casually tossed a piece of ChocoRobo into the air and caught it perfectly in his mouth. He was wearing casual clothes lent to him by Inko, looking like any ordinary teenager just passing the time.
"Your movements are too telegraphed, Izuku," Killua spoke up suddenly, cutting through the sound of Midoriya's heavy breathing.
Midoriya stopped, panting, and looked over at him. "W-What do you mean?"
Killua hopped off the swing with the fluid grace of a cat and shoved his hands into his pockets. "When you prepare to punch, your right shoulder drops by a fraction of a centimeter, and your eyes lock onto the exact spot you want to hit before your hand even moves. In a real fight, those split seconds are more than enough for your opponent to slit your throat before your punch ever connects."
Midoriya swallowed hard, a chill running down his spine. "Slit my... throat? Killua, we're training to be heroes, not killers!"
"The result is the same," Killua shrugged with absolute nonchalance. "If your opponent is a villain who wants to kill you, they aren't going to politely wait for you to get ready. You have to hide your intent. Don't let your body speak before your fists do."
Killua didn't add another word. He simply turned around and began walking back toward the apartment. Midoriya stood frozen in place, staring at the silver-haired boy's back in awe. Killua didn't possess a flashy Quirk or raw destructive power, but his words and his gaze carried the heavy weight of someone who had survived battles Midoriya couldn't even begin to fathom.
When they opened the door to the apartment, Inko rushed into the hallway to greet them. Her face was pale, and tears were already welling up in her eyes. In her trembling hands, she held two thick envelopes sealed with the red wax stamp of U.A. High School.
"Izuku! Killua! They... they arrived!" Inko cried out in a choked voice.
Midoriya snatched his envelope with lightning speed, sprinting straight to his room and slamming the door shut behind him, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest.
In stark contrast, Killua took his envelope with absolute calm. He strolled into the living room, threw himself comfortably onto the sofa, and began tearing the envelope open as casually as if he were opening a water bill.
Inner Monologue (Killua): "What a drag. If I get accepted, it means I'll have to wake up early every single day to go to that school..." Killua paused his tearing and glanced toward Midoriya's closed bedroom door. "Wait a minute. For me to go there, Izuku has to pass first. He completely shattered his body that day without earning a single point. Could he have actually failed? Going to that academy all by myself would be incredibly boring..."
Killua pulled a small metal disc out of the envelope. The moment he placed it on the coffee table, a bright light projected upward, forming a holographic image of a massively muscular man wearing a yellow pinstripe suit.
"I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!!" All Might yelled, his booming, surround-sound voice shaking the entire living room.
Killua immediately groaned, clapping his hands over his sensitive ears. His face scrunched up in genuine annoyance. "Oh my god, what is with this obnoxious volume? Does he just scream like this all the time?"
The hologram continued, completely oblivious to Killua's suffering. "Candidate Killua! You displayed terrifying efficiency in dismantling the villain bots! 45 Villain Points in record time is an outstanding score! However, your cold methodology and complete disregard for the other examinees was a subject of intense debate among the judges..."
Killua yawned lazily. He couldn't care less about their opinions on his fighting style.
"BUT!!" All Might screamed again, making Killua furrow his brows. "The Hero Academy does not ignore actions that defy logic for the sake of saving others! Your split-second intervention to save candidate Izuku Midoriya from a fatal fall with practical, decisive action did not go unnoticed! The judges have awarded you 15 Rescue Points!! Total: 60 points! You pass!"
The recording ended, and the disc powered down.
Killua remained seated in absolute silence for several seconds. He stared at the lifeless disc, a dark shadow of pure annoyance falling over his face as he aggressively scratched the back of his head.
"Rescue... points?" Killua muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. "They hand out points because I saved a reckless friend who almost killed himself? The standards of this academy are genuinely weird. Now they're going to think I'm some kindhearted, righteous hero... This is disgusting and so annoying."
Killua let out a long, slow sigh and leaned his head back against the sofa. "This is all because of you, Izuku."
"Moooooom!! Killuaaaaa!!"
Midoriya's bedroom door burst open, and Izuku ran out crying like an absolute waterfall, a massive, glowing smile stretching across his tear-streaked face. "I passed!! I got 60 Rescue Points!! I'm going to U.A.!!"
Inko collapsed to her knees, crying tears of pure joy, and pulled her son into a bone-crushing hug. Killua watched this overly dramatic, emotional scene from the sofa. He let out a defeated sigh, but a very faint, genuinely warm smile slipped onto his face. "So... he passed. I guess things won't be boring after all."
Later that night, after a massive celebratory feast prepared by Inko—during which Killua consumed an ungodly amount of food—Izuku was lying on his floor futon, staring up at the ceiling with overwhelming happiness.
"Killua?" Midoriya whispered into the darkness.
"What?" came the calm reply from the elevated bed, where Killua was completely buried under the blankets.
"Since we both got accepted... does this mean... you're going to keep living here with us?" Midoriya asked hesitantly, suddenly terrified that his mysterious friend might just pack up and leave as abruptly as he had arrived.
Killua closed his eyes in the dark and shifted his position.
"Your mom's food is delicious, and this bed is extremely comfortable," Killua replied in a soft, calm voice, without a single second of hesitation. "I don't have any reason to leave. So yeah, I'll be commandeering your bed until further notice. Good night, Izuku."
A massive, bright smile spread across Midoriya's face in the dark. He closed his eyes, feeling a sense of comfort and excitement he hadn't felt in years. "Good night... Killua."
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