Kai tossed his uniform jacket and tie off, flinging it inside his assigned locker near the corner. He tugged off his shirt, replacing it with the standard UA gym shirt. The fabric was soft, newer than anything he owned, and had the school's name printed proudly over the chest.
"They really went all out with these," a red-haired guy said nearby, adjusting his sleeve. "Way better than my old school's stuff."
"Kinda wish we got to wear our hero costumes though..." someone muttered.
Kai rolled his shoulders until they popped, stretching one arm over the other before shutting his locker with a metal clang. He slid on the gym pants, his dark shades still perched on his nose.
Kai stepped out of the locker room greeting the early morning sun that beat down on the wide, pristine training field behind UA. The light, while harsh, was dulled to a comfortable glow by his shades.
He rolled his shoulders once again, arms folded behind his head as he walked onto the field with the others. The cotton clung to him a little tighter than expected, but not enough to be uncomfortable.
"Nothing like government-issued sweats to remind you you're in a battle academy," he muttered.
Kai adjusted his shaded, letting his eyes sweep across the crowd of students in front of him.
Everyone was in matching gym uniforms, but that couldn't mask how different they all were. Tall, short, muscled, nervous, excited, silent.
'There's all sorts of flavors around here' Kai mused to himself.
Kai eventually found Tsutsumi near the edge of the crowd, arms folded, her posture calm but alert. She wasn't talking to anyone, just looking around.
'Maybe she is bad at talking to others?' Kai theorized as he walked up to her.
"Fancy seeing you here," he smiling, stopping beside her.
"... We were told to come here," she said straight-faced after a pause, not even turning her head.
Then after a beat, she dryly added. "I didn't expect you to be so slow to change."
"The teacher barely even shown signs of life yet. So really, am I late, or are you just early?"
Her eyes narrowed a little, but the corner of her mouth twitched, like she wasn't sure to smirk or roll her eyes.
Not wanting the silence to stretch too long, Kai leaned slightly closer, "Wanna have another bet on what this is? I think it's some kinda contest we're gonna get."
Tsutsumi tilted her head slightly, "Why do you think it's a contest."
Kai shrugged, "UA doesn't seem like a place that eases us in with some boring orientation, instead trial by fire. But pretty much just a hunch. But I bet another 500 yen that I get top five if it is."
She closed her eyes, as if contemplating on whether or not to join the bet.
"...Make it 1000 yen." she said coolly.
"Ooo, upping the stakes already? I like it. Deal!"
'Now all we gotta do is wait for the teacher to start the contest.'
As if on cue, Aizawa appeared onto the field, wrapped in his bandages.
He spoke, his voice was flat.
"Today we're doing a Quirk Apprehension Test. You'll be judged on performance alone. No excuses allowed."
Several students froze. The class erupted into murmurs and confusion.
Kai gave a satisfied smirk to Tsutsumi, who let out a 'tch'.
"Wait!" a brown haired girl shouted, "aren't we supposed to go to the opening ceremony first?"
Aizawa sighed. "This is UA. Not middle school. There is no time to waste on stuff like that if you want to become heroes."
"You'll be doing eight physical tests, all with your quirks. I'll see what you're capable of and I'll be evaluating everything".
He paused, his eyes sharp under heavy lids.
Kai tilted his head.
"What a friendly guy," he whispered.
Kaina didn't respond, but nodded subtly.
"Todoroki, you got the highest score on the entrance exam. How far could you throw in middle school?"
The dual-haired edge-lord in question answered, "65 meters."
"Alright, throw this ball but now, with your quirk. Do it inside the circle."
Todoroki went into the ring, smoothly catching the ball thrown at him. The rest of the class gave him space as they followed Aizawa to the edge of the field.
Kai looked at him with interest. He seemed quite strong the last time they met.
Instead of throwing the ball, the boy let down, right beside his shoe, an subtle icy aura starting to surround him. Within the blink of an eye, his right foot stepped forward, ice appearing from under, freezing the ground in a flash of frost. His right side was glowing as the ball flew like a comet.
Gasps erupted around the field.
"WOW, so cool!"
"Can't wait for my turn!"
Aizawa held a hand to get the students back to attention.
"You kids think this will all be fun and games? Well, the one with the lowest score... will be expelled."
There was silence for a moment, before many broke out in protest, saying how unfair that was.
Aizawa just had a nasty grin appear on his face, "Natural disasters, rampaging villains. Calamity is right around the corner. Heroes are the ones who correct that. For the next three years, UA will put you through the wringer. If you can't pass this, you have no hope of staying here."
Kai's fingers flexed at his side, his grin unfaltering. He saw a few students completely composed, looking unfazed, but most were sweating bullets.
He looked to his right, Tsutsumi seemed to be the former, although it seemed like she could stay calm in any situation.
Aizawa started to call students up, one by one for the ball throw.
Only a few caught Kai's eyes.
The blond, named Bakugo, lit up with an almost hungry grin. He stepped forward into a circle, catching the ball Aizawa threw him.
Bakugo wound his arm back, his palm flaring with bright orange sparks.
"DIEE!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a striking BOOM screeched as he launched the ball with a miniature explosion, flying through the air like a missile, vanishing into the sky.
The monitor is Aizawa's hand beeped. 705.2 meters.
'How ironic, an explosive personality AND quirk.'
A black haired girl named Yaoyorozu made a full-on cannon from her body to get over 28000 meters.
The brown haired girl from earlier, named Uraraka, was next. She gave off a bubbly vibe, but when she raised her hand, the ball floated straight up and never came down, getting a score of infinity.
And the next student... was a bit saddening to watch.
The broccoli boy, named Midoriya, stood stiff at the line, gripping the ball tensely. He looked nervous, almost sick. Not exactly the kind of inspiring look a hero should have. When he attempted to throw the ball, his quirk was stopped by Aizawa, who called him back, eyes narrowed and glowing red.
Midoriya spoke, but Kai didn't bother listening as he noticed there was a very tall muscular blond hiding behind the building like a schoolgirl watching her senpai. He barely had time to question it before Midoriya threw the ball again, creating another BOOM like Bakugo's, hitting 705.3 meters.
The entire class went silent, clearly not expecting him to have so much power.
Kai squinted, watching the kid clutch his swollen finger as Aizawa sighed, clearly expecting it.
But what really caught Kai's attention wasn't the power. It was the look Bakugo gave him across the field.
'Yikes. Those two got some serious history.'
"Yukimura. You're up next."
Kai walked forward, stepping into the circle, holding the ball. It was surprisingly light in his palm.
'Judging from what I've seen, I don't need to go all out to get top five. No need to tire myself for something small like this.'
Holding the ball out in front of him, he narrowed his focus. Not on his muscles but on the space surrounding the ball.
He felt it. The vibration of energy. The invisible lines of force that only he could perceive. To others, it was just air. To him, it was a blank canvas for which he held the brush.
The pulse of energy flared and shimmered around the ball. The world seemed to bend ever so slightly. His quirk kicked in, as the ball trembled in his palm, gravity softening around it like he'd cradled it in a web of pressure.
And then-
He extended his hand sharply, simply applying a vector forward, as if he were pushing the ball with a fist that weighed thousands of kilograms.
The ball snapped through the air with a thunderous crack, streaking across the sky like a rocket. The air rippled in its wake, the shockwave sending a short gust across the field, flickering faintly from the sudden burst of momentum.
The monitor beeped: 312.5 meters.
Pretty damn good. Clearly not the best, but better than most of the class.
Some students seemed impressed, but after seeing the performances of Bakugo, Todoroki, and others, he couldn't blame people for not being enthusiastic. After all, his quirk definitely wasn't as flashy as theirs.
He walked back over to Tsutsumi, who raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is that your max?"
"Well, without straining myself, yes. Although I could probably hit 500 if I tried harder."
================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
"Tsutsumi," Aizawa's voice cut through, "You're up next."
"Good luck," Kai cheered as she walked up to the circle, ball in hand.
Tsutsumi stood straight, legs shoulder-width apart, right arm raised as a soft click sounded from her fingers. She moved her right hand to touch her back, something metallic slid from her sleeve.
A second click.
From her right side, her elbow departed from the middle, revealing a metallic hole where she locked the ball into and aimed.
With a sudden burst of compressed air, the ball launched at a high speed, clean but loud, shooting across the sky in a near-perfect arc.
The number popped up on the screen: 1237 meters.
Several students murmured in surprise, after all, it was the third highest score.
Kaina didn't say anything. She calmly disengaged her arm and stepped back to her previous spot.
Kai let out a quiet whistle. "Alright, now that was smooth."
She gave him a glance, neutral as ever. "Just make sure you have that 1000 yen."
"Sorry to say, but I ain't paying anything. I don't like losing at all," he said with a cocky grin.
Before they could continue, Aizawa had them moved through the rest of the trials quickly.
50-Meter Dash
Kai stood next to Iida and Bakugo at the starting line.
A loud beep sounded, indicating to run.
Kai shot forward, not running, but gliding just above the ground. His arms by his sides, feet never touching the ground.
He hit the end in 4.06 seconds, a second slower than Iida's 3.02 but a bit faster than Bakugo's 4.13 seconds.
Grip Strength
Kai wrapped his hand around the grip tester. Instead of just squeezing, he applied a vector force downward. The monitor cracked slightly before beeping, obtaining the highest score of 1999.9 kilograms before the tester broke.
Standing Long Jump
He didn't even attempted to run, just launching himself past the sandpit with a soft and controlled land.
Side Steps
Blindingly fast.
The only one to get a score close to him was a short purple haired kid whose name he didn't bother to remember.
Sit-ups and Toe Touch
Nothing extraordinary, but it marked the last event.
After everyone was finished, Aizawa compiled the scores. His finger hovered over the tablet for a second before flicking the results up onto the holographic screen.
1. Yukimura Kai
2. Yaoyorozu Momo
3. Todoroki Shoto
4. Bakugo Katsuki
5. Iida Tenya
6. Tokoyami Fumikage
7. Shoji Mezo
8. Tsutsumi Kaina
9. Ojiro Mashirao
...
20. Midoriya Izuku
A few students muttered to each other, eyes flicking toward Kai and the other top students.
Kai didn't say anything, just leaned back on his hands, shades still on with smile.
Tsutsumi stood beside him, hands folded neatly behind her back. She didn't look disappointed, just mildly contemplative as she glanced at the rankings.
"Looks like I owe you 1,000 yen," she said quietly without turning.
Kai snorted, "Righttt, almost forgot about that. But I was joking, you don't actually need to pay me."
"Hmm. You're not as shameless as I thought you'd be," she said honestly.
"That's rude. Why, your words pain me, Tsutsumi. But don't worry, next time, I'll make the bet harder."
She didn't look at him, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Before any of you panic," Aizawa's eyes lazily scanned the group, "I lied about the expulsion. It was a logical ruse to spur you into performing at your best."
Several students visibly deflated, particular Midoriya who looked as if he were about to pass out.
"So the scruffy sleeping bag man has a sense of humor, a really bad one though," Kai whispered under his breath.
As the tension began to drain out of the air, Aizawa yawned.
"Alright, now go change and get to your next class. Don't waste time talking either. There's only a few minutes before your next class begins. Dismissed."
================================
Kai quickly changed and left to the classroom with the rest of the boys. Although, it seemed Midoriya was missing, most likely treating his injuries.
As he entered the classroom, there was a buzz of conversation humming about. Some students looked exhilarated after showing off their abilities. Others somewhat exhausted. And a few just looked dazed.
Kai made his way over to his desk, seeing Tsutsumi already sitting down.
"Wow, you're quick to change," he said as he dropped into his seat beside her.
She gave a slow blink, "No. You're just very slow."
The bell rang, introducing the distinct click of heels.
All heads turned as a woman in a tight hero outfit confidently strode into the room. Long black hair, dramatic makeup, there was no mistaking her. The tall, curvy figure of the Pro Hero Midnight. She walked towards the front with a clipboard in hand, her costume slightly more restrained than her usual show attire, but still drew the undivided attention of nearly every student in the room.
'There is no way she is allowed to wear that in school.' Kai thought as he glanced at Iida, wondering if he would call her out for dress code violations.
"Alright, class," she said, voice smooth like honey and sharp like a blade, "I heard your class today has been so intense. Aizawa really doesn't know how to hold back on things."
Some chuckled. Most just groaned in agreement.
"So let's wind things down a little," she said, twirling her pen before pointing at the class.
"We'll do introductions. Name, Quirk, and anything else you want your classmates to know about you. Hobbies, likes and dislikes, favorite hero, what you ate for breakfast. Just let your youthful juices fly."
She paused, giving a smile that sent a chill down the spines of the boys, "And you're allowed to ask each other questions afterward. It's helpful for your classmates and for me as well to learn names."
"Let's start from the front left," Midnight continued, looking up from her clipboard. "Iida Tenya, you're up first!"
"Yes sensei!" the tall boy stood up with the speed and stiffness of a robot before bowing in front of the class at a perfect 90 degree angle.
"My name is Iida Tenya!" he said loudly, with robotic clarity. "My Quirk is called Engine. I possess engines in my calves that allow me to run at extraordinary speeds. I come from a proud lineage of heroes, and my older brother is my role model and source of inspiration."
'Well that explains a lot,' Kai mused.
Iida continued, not missing a beat, "I believe strongly in order, discipline, and proper conduct, all of which I will uphold during my time here at UA. My hobbies include reading biographies of famous heroes and running drills to maintain optimal form and function. Thank you for listening!"
He straightened back up, pushing up his glasses.
Midnight then gestured to the next person, as each row took their time to introduce themselves.
The rest of the introductions went smoothly from there, giving everyone in the class a feel of each other's personalities or who they would or wouldn't get along with. Although Kai made an effort to memorize names, there were only a few people that really stood out.
There were some like Aoyama who introduced himself with an unnecessarily dramatic pose. A bird-looking boy named Tokoyami spoke in gothic poetry. Thankfully, most kept it simple or others let out their uniqueness in a (mostly) non-disturbing way like Kirishima, who wouldn't stop talking about guts and manliness.
Eventually, it was Kai's turn.
He stood up, hands in his pockets. Even Todoroki and Bakugo, who seemed to be ignoring everyone, glanced his way. Most likely due to him scoring above them.
Not liking all of the attention, he kept it short, "My name's Yukimura Kai. Quirk's called Vector."
Iida raised his hand. "Yukimura-san, your quirk appears to have significant utility potential. Have you considered long-range mobility support or rescue applications?"
Kai nodded, "Yeah, that's the plan. My goal's to be a rescue-hero."
As Kai sat down, Tsutsumi stood up, now introducing herself.
"Tsutsumi Kaina. My quirk is Rifle. I can fire bullet from my hands. I usually use non-lethal rounds for practice and support situations."
Seeing as there weren't any questions, Tsutsumi sat back down.
Kai leaned on one arm, tilting his head toward her as the next student was called.
The rest of the class was spent finishing the introductions up, with Midnight tossing in the occasional flirty remark or teasing comment. The mood stayed light, despite the exhaustion some students still wore from the morning assessment.
Eventually, the bell rang.
"Alright class," Midnight began, clapping her hands together with a theatrical flair, "I'm sure you've all had a wonderful time in this class. Just remember, today was a nice day to ease you all in. From tomorrow on, I'm sure you'll see just how rigorous UA can be."
She licked her lips seductively as the bell rang.
"Well, that's it for me! Enjoy your lunch break and your precious youth."
Kai grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He looked to his right.
Tsutsumi was already standing, adjusting the strap on her bag while walking toward the door.
"You got lunch plans?" he asked casually, matching her pace as they walked toward the door.
She glanced sideways. "No"
"Cool, wanna eat with me?" he said with a grin, "I hear the number one cause of first-year loneliness is eating alone on the first day."
Tsutsumi raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed, "Where did you hear that?"
"My imagination. Gives me the most reliable information."
She gave a deadpan look, shrugging her shoulders, "Who am I to judge advice from such a trustworthy source. Lead the way."
"Perfect! I scouted out the place before, I know the perfect spot to eat."
The duo made their way to the cafeteria. If there was any doubt about UA's funding priorities, the lunchroom crushed it. The space was enormous. Sleek walls, spotless floors, high-tech food counters made by professional chefs.
And despite the long lines, they got their food fast, less than a few minutes.
Kai carried his tray to an empty table, waving for Tsutsumi to join him after she got her tray. He sat, took one look at the food, and dug in with enthusiasm.
"Alright, I take it back," he said between bites, "This is the real reason to become a hero."
Tsutsumi raised her eyes "Because of cafeteria food?"
Kai held up a piece of chicken like it was a sacred artifact, "Golden. Crispy. Perfectly seasoned. This is what All Might was really protecting. The society that raises the chefs that cook our food."
She simply gave him the same deadpan stare as a tray clattered across the table.
"Hey," Jirou said, "Mind if we sit here?"
Kai nodded but asked, "We?"
Kaminari appeared beside Jirou, tray in hand.
"She dragged me here. I'm cool though, promise" Kaminari said plopped down across from Kai, "It's Yukimura and Tsutsumi right?"
"Yeah, and you're Kaminari and Jirou?"
"Yup! Surprised you remembered. I only knew your names 'cause Jirou reminded me."
"Yo! Mind if we join too?"
The voice came from a spiky red haired boy who was walked next to a girl with fluffy pink hair and skin.
"Yeah sure!" Kai said scooting over. "Kirishima and Ashido right?"
"Oh! You got good memory man! I barely remember a quarter of our class." Kirishima said.
"Well no worries, it's just the first day. I'm sure we'll have tons of opportunities to get to know each other."
Kirishima sat besides Kaminari who was next to Kai and Ashido sat next to Jirou who went towards Tsutsumi's side of the table, immediately leaning in with a smile.
"Well, since we're going to be classmates for the rest of the year. Let's introduce ourselves again. My name is Yukimura Kai. My quirk name is Vector and I like to cook."
"Ooo, I'll go next! I'm Ashido Mina, and my quirk is Acid, which is exactly what it sounds like! I can eject acid from my body and I love to dance!"
As soon as she finished, Kirishima took charge, "My name is Kirishima Eijiro! My quirk is Hardening! I can make any part of my body as hard as a rock, though it's not really flashy. I like dogs and real manly people!"
Kaminari, who was next to Kirishima went next.
"My turn! Name's Kaminari Denki! Quirk is Electrification. I can emit electricity. I like hamburgers and trendy things."
Jirou filled in the silence next. "My name is Jirou Kyoka. My quirk is Earphone," she twirled the little jacks around her fingers, "I like music."
Everyone looked at Tsutsumi, who was the only person who hadn't spoken yet.
"Oh. My name is Tsutsumi Kaina," Her voice was calm and steady, "My quirk is Rifle. I like animals."
As soon as she finished, Kirishima's voice rang out, "Do the bullets come out of your fingers, or do you like store it?"
"I can make bullets from my hair. I control the shape and type based on what I need," Tsutsumi replied.
"Woah. Totally rad man."
"Ok, but what's with the shades?" Ashido asked with a grin, focusing attention on Kai, "You trying to look cool or are they, like, part of you aesthetic?"
Kai simply tapped the side of his glasses, "Nah, nothing like that. My quirk has a side effect of enhancing my senses, so my eyes are just slightly sensitive to light. I'd be squinting all day without these."
"Oh!" Ashido nodded, "Mystery solved then."
"Wait, so what's vector?" Kaminari chimed in, looking puzzled, "And what does it have to do with your quirk?"
Jirou slapped her forehead, "Man, how did you pass middle school physics?"
Kaminari looked sheepishly as Kai made a playful thinking face before answering, "A vector is just a force with both direction and magnitude. But its basically just another way of saying telekinesis."
"Huh? Then why don't you just call it telekinesis?"
"Cause Vector sounds way cooler" Kai said as if it was obvious, a few giggles emanating from Ashido.
"So," Kirishima started, poking at his rice, "are all the teachers here terrifying, or is that just Aizawa-sensei?"
Jirou snorted. "Pretty sure that's just him. I overheard from one of our seniors that he once expelled an entire class on the first day."
"Wait, wasn't he just bluffing?" Ashido attempted to sound confident. "No way he would be allowed to do that..."
Kai swallowed a bite of fish and pointed at her with his chopsticks, "Does he look like a man who bluffs?"
Ashido paused, recalling the sleeping bag, the deadpan stare, and threat of expulsion, "... Okay. But a teacher can't just be allowed to expel someone like that."
There was a pregnant pause as the group considered that fact.
"UA isn't like other schools. Besides, being a hero requires lots of sacrifice. It's possible the school decided there should be a need for motivation besides just grades and schoolwork."
Tsutsumi spoke up, surprising everyone at the table.
"Yeah, Tsutsumi is right," Kai agreed, "if the only consequence to us not doing the best we can is a few points from our grades, there is bound to be people who won't care. Wouldn't prepare us for the field either, going from no consequences to life-and-death scenarios."
"I-I guess that makes sense," Ashido mumbled, "but still, doesn't mean I have to like it..."
"Well cheer up Ashido," Jirou elbows her arm lightly, "unlike me and electric boy, you weren't anywhere near the bottom of the test."
"Hey!" Kaminari complained, "I'll have you know I was feeling off my game today, else I would've totally gotten in the top ten."
"And you're not delusional like he is, so I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Hey!"
Ashido leaned on her elbows and let out a tiny smile. "Thanks Jirou. But honestly, I expected U.A. to be more... I don't know. Glamorous? Flashy? Like giant training arenas and super high ranking heroes as teachers. Or even All Might kicking down the door to teach us about justice."
"Instead, our teacher is a sleep-deprived sadist with the energy of a grumpy cat?" Kai joked.
"Sadists" Kaminari added in a stage whisper, "Plural. Based on what I've seen from Midnight's ahem... 'career'."
"Well, if nothing else, at least the food here is to die for."
Tsutsumi gave a tiny nod of acknowledgement.
================================================
After lunch, the rest of the day moved fast.
A few introductory classes, a run-through of building layouts, and a whole lot of "we'll start for real tomorrow" from teachers who clearly had more to say, but were holding back.
Kai spent most of it leaning in his chair or quietly scribbling notes.
'Better books here than anything I've had before,' he thought.
There were a few brave souls, like Kaminari and Mineta, who dared to doze off before Present Mic woke them with a HEYYYY. Needless to say, no one else followed in their footsteps. A few tried to prove they were smart. Iida nearly burst a vessel trying to answer every question asked.
When the final bell rang, chairs scraped, notebooks closed, and bags rustled.
The class began filing out, most of them chattering excitedly about the Quirk Test and the first impressions.
Kai stood and slung his bag over one shoulder, stretching his back with a satisfied groan.
"Survived day one," he muttered.
Kaina was packing her things beside him.
He glanced at her as they stepped out of the classroom together.
"So. What'd you think?"
"About what?" she said after a moment.
"Ya know? The school, classes in general? Or our fellow classmates?"
"...Not entirely what I expected," she paused, "but seems manageable enough."
Then, almost hesitantly, she added, "H-How about you? What do you think about UA so far?"
'Did she bite her tongue or something?' Kai decided not to push it after seeing her eyes flicker briefly to his own, unreadable, before returning forward.
"Hmm? Oh, well I don't think I'll have any trouble with the classes and our classmates seems cool enough, you included by the way! So yeah, I think it's gonna be a fun school year" Kai grinned at her.
They walked side by side through the long halls of U.A., sunlight spilling in through the wide glass windows.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached the station, going their separate ways.