Izuku Midoriya ran as fast as he could—he was already three minutes late.
"I spent too long watching Hero videos… I should've left earlier, but Heroes are just too amazing!" he muttered as he quickly changed into his indoor shoes and rushed into the classroom.
"Well, look who finally showed up—the useless one," Katsuki Bakugo said lazily, leaning on his desk as he shouted across the room. Izuku's seat was directly behind him.
"G-Good morning, everyone…" Izuku said quietly, placing his bag on his desk. He immediately pulled out his notebook, "Future Hero Analysis No. 13," and began writing.
"Class, begin."
"Good morning, teacher."
Class always felt long.
Izuku often scribbled notes with one hand while using a hand gripper in the other, quietly training his strength during lessons.
"Midoriya, stand up and answer this question."
"Yes!"
Lunchtime was both the happiest—and loneliest—part of his day.
"Wow… Mom really made my favorite pork cutlet rice!"
Izuku opened his lunch box with a small smile.
"Thanks for the meal," he whispered.
Around him, students gathered in groups, chatting and laughing together. Izuku sat alone.
After lunch, I should find somewhere to train… I wonder what Kacchan is doing right now…
"Hey, did you hear? U.A. High School already sent out some recommendation offers."
"Anyone who gets into U.A. must have an incredible Quirk."
"I heard that once you graduate, you'll be ranked among the top Heroes!"
"Well, U.A. is the number one Hero school, after all."
"Do you think we could get in?"
"…Bakugo probably can."
The conversation naturally shifted toward Katsuki Bakugo.
Everyone admired him.
…But I want to go to U.A. too. I want to become the greatest Hero.
"I should go train."
Izuku slipped the small sword he had hidden in his bag into his pocket and quietly left the classroom.
In a secluded grove behind the school, Izuku practiced alone.
"Still not enough…" he muttered, collapsing to the ground as he stared at the sword beside him.
"Today's the last day. If I can't cut through that branch… then I've failed!"
He sprang back to his feet and grabbed the sword embedded in the dirt.
"One more time!"
He focused on a thick, dried branch hanging from a tree.
"With everything I've got…!"
He swung.
CRACK!
The branch fell to the ground—
But so did the sword.
It snapped clean in half.
"…That was way too loud."
Quickly, Izuku pulled on a mask he had prepared and rushed out of the grove, stuffing the broken sword into his pocket as he ran.
The afternoon passed with two homeroom sessions.
Their teacher stood at the podium, holding a stack of papers.
"You're all in your final year now. It's time to seriously think about your future!"
He handed out forms to each student.
"These are your career preference sheets."
"Anyway, I assume most of you want to become Heroes, right?"
The moment he turned his back, the entire class erupted—students proudly activating their Quirks.
"Yeah!"
Even Izuku raised his hand slightly, though his expression was uncertain.
"Well… you all have impressive Quirks," the teacher said. "But remember—using them at school is against the rules. Settle down."
"Don't lump me in with these extras!" Bakugo shouted, casually igniting small explosions in his palm."I'm not going to play nice with a bunch of weaklings!"
"That's not what the teacher meant, Katsuki!" some classmates protested.
"Then shut up and stay out of my way!"
"Wait… didn't Bakugo apply to U.A.?"
"U.A.? That's a national-level school. The cutoff score is insanely high."
"The acceptance rate is brutal…"
This is bad… Izuku thought, lowering his head onto his desk.
Bakugo suddenly jumped onto his desk.
"This is why you're all just background characters!" he declared proudly.
"My mock exam score is already within U.A.'s acceptance range!"
"I'm going to surpass All Might and become the number one Hero! I'll make my name known across the entire country!"
Then he smirked.
"Oh—and Midoriya here also applied to U.A."
Silence fell instantly.
Then—
Laughter.
"Midoriya? Seriously?"
"Hahaha, no way!"
"You might be smart, but you'll never make it into the Hero course!"
The entire class burst into laughter.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
Bakugo used his Quirk, blasting Izuku against the wall.
"You're not just weak—you don't even have a Quirk! What makes you think you can stand on the same stage as me?!"
He stepped closer, eyes burning with intensity.
"W-Wait… I didn't mean it like that…" Izuku stammered, trembling.
"I'm not trying to compete with you… I just…"
He lowered his head.
"It's been my dream since I was a kid…"
"How will you know if you don't try…?"
"What do you mean, 'try'?!" Bakugo snapped.
The entire class closed in around Izuku.
"What are you even thinking?"
Izuku felt their stares press down on him like weight.
The chaos was eventually stopped by the teacher, who used his Quirk to calm everyone down—everyone except Bakugo.
After school, Izuku quietly packed his things.
Just as he reached for his notebook, Bakugo snatched it.
"What's this?"
"Future… Hero Analysis? Seriously?"
"G-Give it back…"
Bakugo smirked—
And blew it up.
"WHAT—?!"
"That's too much…" Izuku's voice trembled.
"Top Heroes are recognized from their school days," Bakugo said coldly, tossing the damaged notebook out the window.
"I'll be number one in this school—and the only one to make it into U.A. and rise to the top."
He patted Izuku's shoulder—leaving a scorched mark.
"So just in case… don't even bother applying to U.A., dumbass."
He walked away.
One of his friends muttered, "I'd at least fight back if it were me…"
"He doesn't get it," Bakugo replied. "He's pathetic."
Then he glanced back.
"If you really want to become a Hero… there's a quicker way."
"Pray for a Quirk in your next life—and jump off the roof."
Izuku froze.
Bakugo's hand sparked again.
"What? Got something to say?"
Izuku stood there, shaking.
After Bakugo left, Izuku went to retrieve his notebook from outside.
"This idiot… throwing it away like that…"
He picked it up from near a drainage area, the cover soaked and stained.
"…At least no fish ate it," he muttered weakly.
Then he clenched his bag.
"What am I hesitating for? I'm going to become a Hero!"
"…Huh? My bag feels lighter…"
He frowned.
"Next time… I'll add another 20 kilograms."
With that, Izuku walked out of the school.