….
Jin-Ho's phone buzzed as he stepped off the train.
He answered without checking the caller ID. "Yeah?"
["Oh thank god, you are awake."] Giran's voice came through with audible relief. ["I completely forgot to set a reminder to call you. Thought you might still be sleeping through your own exam."]
"Give me some credit. I had to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly hour." Jin-Ho spoke, adjusting the strap of his bag as he navigated through the station crowd. "In fact I am already halfway to the exam center."
["Anyway."] Giran continued, his tone shifting to something more serious. ["Don't stress too much about today. I know the situation isn't ideal, but your documentation is flawless. As far as the system is concerned, you are completely legitimate."]
"I am not worried about the paperwork." Jin-Ho replied. "You are too good at what you do for that to be a problem."
["Damn right I am."] There was pride in Giran's voice. ["Just... try not to make too much of a scene, alright? I went through a lot of effort to make you look normal on paper. Don't ruin it by doing something that gets you flagged as 'concerning' in the first ten minutes."]
Jin-Ho smiled despite himself. "Point taken. I will try to be boring."
Jin-Ho could hear the grin in Giran's voice. ["Now get going before you actually are late. And Jin-Ho? Good luck."]
The call disconnected before Jin-Ho could respond.
He pocketed his phone and looked up at the building looming in the distance, the Musutafu City Central Hero Academy Arena, where the Provisional Hero License Exam was about to begin.
….
The Provisional Hero License Exam wasn't supposed to be easy.
That was the entire point.
It was designed for academy students, teenagers who had spent years training their quirks under professional supervision, studying rescue procedures, trained with active pro heroes as mentors, and learned hero ethics and law.
As for Jin-Ho?
He had arrived in this world just a year ago.
The forged records were flawless:
"Yoo Jin-Ho, age 18. Graduate of Haneda High School, no hero course enrollment. Special recommendation under Administrative Clause 9B - Exceptional Circumstances."
The documentation included everything a legitimate applicant would have:
Transcripts showing above-average grades, a fake record of community service at local disaster relief centers (which he definitely hadn't done), character references from teachers who didn't exist, and even a quirk registration form that somehow passed every verification check despite being completely fabricated.
Giran really was worth every yen Jin-Ho paid him.
Jin-Ho arrived at the arena around noon, joining the steady stream of candidates filtering through the main entrance.
The building itself was impressive, a massive structure: giant white domes dominated the skyline, connected by metallic walkways.
Banners bearing the Hero Public Safety Commission's emblem hung from every available surface, and security personnel in official uniforms monitored every entrance point.
It was designed to be intimidating.
To remind everyone that this wasn't just a test, it was a gateway into the professional hero world, with all the responsibility and scrutiny that entailed.
Everywhere Jin-Ho looked, there were students from well-known hero academies. U.A. High School students in their distinctive uniforms, standing in small clusters and discussing strategy.
Shiketsu High students with their military-style caps, looking disciplined and focused. Ketsubutsu Academy students stretching and warming up.
All of them belonged here. All of them had earned their place through years of dedicated training.
And again, there was Jin-Ho.
T-shirt, black pants and sneakers. A small bag slung over one shoulder.
And a can of Coke in his hand because he had been too lazy to finish it before entering the building.
He stood out immediately.
A registration drone, a small hovering robot with a scanning array - floated over as he approached the main checkpoint. Its optical sensor swept across his face, comparing it to the database.
A synthesized voice followed, pleasant but impersonal: "Candidate Yoo Jin-Ho. Non-affiliated civilian applicant under special recommendation. Please proceed to Gate 12 for orientation and equipment distribution."
Jin-Ho nodded at the drone, which chirped acknowledgment and floated away to process the next candidate.
He started walking toward Gate 12, following the clearly marked signs, and immediately felt the stares.
Students clustered in small groups, all of them watching the civilian applicant with varying degrees of curiosity, skepticism, or outright disdain.
"Who is that guy?" someone whispered, not quite quietly enough.
"No idea. Doesn't even have a school uniform."
"Probably some civilian trying to get licensed through the special circumstances clause. Those almost never pass."
"Look at him, he doesn't even seem nervous. Either he is incredibly confident or completely delusional."
"My money's on delusional. He is drinking a Coke on the way to a hero exam."
"Maybe he is rich? I heard some families try to buy their way into the program using connections."
"That's not how it works. The exam doesn't care about money."
Jin-Ho heard every word but didn't bother acknowledging any of it. He had learned a long time ago that trying to correct assumptions was exhausting and ultimately pointless.
People would believe what they wanted to believe, and his actual performance would speak louder than any defense.
Besides, they weren't entirely wrong. He was using connections, just not the kind they were imagining.
Still, as he took another sip of his Coke, he couldn't help but mutter. "They talk too much."
Gate 12 led to a staging area where non-affiliated candidates were being processed separately from academy students.
There were fewer people here, maybe twenty total, all of them looking distinctly uncomfortable in the presence of so many 'proper' hero course students.
A proctor in official HPSC uniform checked Jin-Ho's ID, scanned his wristband, and handed him a numbered vest. "Wear this at all times during the examination. It tracks your position, monitors vital signs, and will automatically alert medical staff if you are seriously injured. Do not remove it for any reason. Understood?"
"Got it." Jin-Ho responded, pulling the vest over his t-shirt. It was surprisingly lightweight, more like wearing a thin jacket than actual armor.
"Equipment distribution is through that door." the proctor continued, pointing. "You will receive standard rescue gear and communication devices. Weapons are prohibited except for those registered as part of your quirk. Review the rule packet while you wait for the orientation briefing."
Jin-Ho took the offered tablet displaying the examination rules and moved toward the equipment area.
The rules were extensive, pages and pages of regulations about acceptable force, rescue protocols, point allocation systems, disqualification criteria, and emergency procedures.
He skimmed through them quickly, noting the important parts:
Standard stuff, really. Save people, don't kill anyone, try not to destroy too much property.
He could work with that.
After collecting his equipment, a basic rescue kit, a communication earpiece, and an emergency beacon, he joined the other candidates filing into the main arena.
This time, the students really felt the weight of the exam, completely shifting focus as they took in the massive space.
It was massive.
Easily the size of several city blocks, with a ceiling so high it created its own weather patterns.
The entire area had been transformed into a disaster simulation zone, crumbled buildings that looked disturbingly realistic, overturned vehicles scattered across broken streets, exposed utility lines sparking with (presumably fake) electricity, and even artificial fires creating columns of smoke that rose toward the distant ceiling.
Holographic civilians were everywhere, flickering projections of people in various states of distress. Some were trapped under rubble, others were fleeing from imaginary threats, a few were injured and calling for help.
It was chaos designed to look like the aftermath of a villain attack. The kind of scenario pro heroes dealt with regularly.
And they expected teenagers to navigate this successfully.
The proctor's voice echoed through the arena's speaker system, amplified to be heard over the ambient noise of the simulation:
"Welcome, candidates, to Phase One of the Provisional Hero License Examination: Rescue and Restrain. Your objective is simple: save as many civilians as possible while neutralizing any threats you encounter. Points are awarded based on successful rescues, threat containment, teamwork, and adherence to proper hero protocols. You have ninety minutes. Excessive force, civilian casualties, or violation of examination rules will result in immediate disqualification."
A pause, then: "Remember, you are not just being tested on your quirk abilities. We are evaluating your decision-making, your composure under pressure, and your suitability to carry the title of licensed hero. The weight of that responsibility should inform every action you take today."
Another pause, this one more dramatic: "Timer begins... now. Begin!"
The arena erupted into motion. Candidates scattered in every direction, some running toward obvious rescue scenarios, others forming quick teams, a few hanging back to assess the situation before committing.
Jin-Ho stayed exactly where he was for a moment, taking a final sip of his Coke before tossing the empty can toward a recycling bin. It arced through the air and landed perfectly inside.
"Great." he muttered, surveying the chaos around him. "Babysitting simulator. My favorite."
He cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders, and raised one hand slightly, activating [Telekinesis].
Air force rippled beneath his feet, not obviously, or dramatically, but enough that anyone paying close attention would notice the shift.
Around him, candidates were already engaging with the simulation. Fire users were putting out flames.
Strength-based quirks were lifting rubble. Speed types were evacuating civilians.
Everyone was playing by the obvious rules, following the expected script.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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