Time passed and it was only six weeks until the entrance exam.
Time moved faster and every day felt like a countdown.
Training Ground – New Location
After destroying the old lot, Masaru found a new spot.
An abandoned warehouse near the docks that was completely isolated.
Perfect.
We trained here three times a week now.
I could lift 100 kg without crushing it and walk for fifty meters. I even ran short distances while carrying weight.
"Again," Masaru said, handing me a metal bar.
I took it. Concentrated. Bent it slowly into a U-shape.
It didn't crush neither did it snap. It just bent.
"Perfect," Masaru said. "You're ready."
"Ready?"
"For UA."
I set the bar down. "I don't know."
"I do." He grabbed his water bottle. "You've improved more in six weeks than most people do in six months."
Because I'm not starting from zero.
I'm starting from infinity and working backward.
But I couldn't tell him that.
"Thanks," I said instead.
He checked his phone. Frowned.
"Problem?" I asked.
"My mom. She's asking when I'll be home." He pocketed the phone. "She's been weird lately."
"Weird how?"
"Clingy. Worried. Keeps asking about my plans for the future."
"Maybe she's just concerned."
"Maybe." He didn't sound convinced. "Anyway. Same time tomorrow?"
I nodded.
He left. I stayed.
Alone in the empty warehouse.
I walked to the center. Looked at my hands.
Six weeks to master enough control to not accidentally kill someone during the exam.
As for the threats, maybe the people at UA can help. But for now, one problem at a time.
I made a fist.
Let's test it.
I punched the air. Gently.
A light breeze. Nothing more.
Again. Slightly harder.
The air rippled and a small shockwave formed. It was manageable.
I did it again. A bit more force this time.
The shockwave knocked over a stack of empty crates.
Good.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed.
Hana: "Dinner's ready. Don't be late."
I quickly texted back: "On my way."
School – One Week Later
Tanaka Rin found me on the rooftop.
Again.
This bitch doesn't leave me alone.
"You're predictable," she said, sitting down.
"So are you."
She smirked. "I finalized my application."
"UA?"
"No." She adjusted her glasses. "Shiketsu High School."
I blinked. "Why not UA?"
"Better fit for my Quirk. Shiketsu focuses on technique and precision. UA is more about raw power and flashy heroics."
She pulled out her lunch.
"Besides," she continued, "I like being a big fish in a small pond. At UA, I'd just be another face in the crowd."
Smart reasoning.
"What about you?" she asked. "Still going for UA?"
"Yeah."
"Confident?"
Somewhat.
"I'll manage," I said.
She studied me. "You're different from most applicants."
"How?"
"Most people are loud. Eager. They talk about being the next All Might."
She took a bite of her sandwich.
"You're quiet and withdrawn. Like you're carrying something heavy."
Too perceptive.
"Maybe I just don't like attention," I said.
"Or maybe you're hiding something."
The air between us shifted and it became heavier.
I met her eyes. "Everyone's hiding something."
She held my gaze. Then nodded slowly.
"Fair point."
We ate in silence.
Before she left, she said, "Good luck, Yamamoto. I hope you find whatever you're looking for."
"You too."
She walked away and I never saw her again after that day.
Repair Shop – Two Weeks Later
Mr. Tanaka handed me an envelope.
Thicker than usual.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Bonus. You've been good. Fixed more stuff than my last three employees combined."
I opened it. Ten thousand yen.
"This is too much."
"It's what you earned." He lit a cigarette. "You will be quitting after the exam, right?"
I hesitated. "I might need to keep working. Depending on—"
"If you get into UA, you quit. Focus on school."
"But Hana—"
"I'll hire her."
I stared.
"Part-time," he continued. "After school. Light work. Sorting parts. Answering phones. I'll pay her fairly."
"She's twelve."
"And smart. I've met her. She helps you sometimes, right?"
She did. Occasionally she'd stop by after school to wait for me.
"I can't ask you to—"
"You're not asking. I'm offering." He exhaled smoke. "You remind me of my son. Stubborn and dedicated."
He stubbed out the cigarette.
"Let me help. It's what he would've wanted."
My chest tightened.
Kindness.
It always caught me off guard.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
He nodded. "Now get back to work. That toaster won't fix itself."
Training Ground – Three Weeks Before Exam
Masaru was late. About thirty minutes late. And it was surprising since he was never late before.
I called him. No answer.
Texted. Nothing.
I waited another twenty minutes.
Then left.
Something is definitely wrong.
Next Day – School
Masaru wasn't in his class.
His seat was empty.
I checked my phone. No messages.
At lunch, I asked around.
A classmate said, "I heard his mom got sick. Like, really sick. He's been taking care of her."
My stomach sank.
After school, I went to his house.
It was small and old. Paint was peeling off. Much like my apartment.
I knocked.
Masaru opened the door. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. His hair was messy.
"Kaito," he said, surprised.
"You didn't show up. You didn't call."
"I know. I'm sorry. My mom—" He glanced back into the house. "She collapsed three days ago. Doctors say it's serious."
"Is she okay?"
"For now. But she needs care. I can't leave her."
"The entrance exam—"
"I'm not taking it."
The words hit like a punch.
"What?"
He leaned against the doorframe. "I can't. Not this year. Maybe next year, if she gets better."
"Masaru—"
"It's fine." He forced a smile. "You'll get in. I know you will. Just… promise me something."
"What?"
"Become the hero we always talked about. For both of us."
"I promise."
He clapped my shoulder. "Good. Now go train. The exam's in three weeks."
"You could still—"
"I can't." His smile faded. "She's all I have left. I'm not abandoning her."
I understood.
Better than he knew.
"If you need anything—"
"I'll call." He stepped back. "Good luck, Kaito."
The door closed.
I stood there for a long moment.
Then walked away alone.
Two Weeks Before Exam
I trained alone now. At the warehouse. In the early mornings before school and late at night after work.
I was pushing limits and testing control.
I could punch through steel beams without shattering them. Just clean holes.
I could run at speeds that blurred my surroundings and stop without creating craters.
I could jump twenty meters vertically and then land softly.
I was getting there.
Slowly.
But the threats continued.
Every few days, a new message.
"Still watching."
"One mistake. That's all it takes."
"We know where your sister goes to school."
That last one made me see red.
I'd almost gone looking for them.
Almost.
But Hana kept me grounded.
If they know so much about her, they might be keeping track. I can't just rush in and smack their heads open.
One Week Before Exam
Hana noticed I was distracted.
"Nii-san? Are you nervous about the exam?"
We sat at the table, eating dinner. Rice and vegetables.
"A little," I admitted.
"You'll do great." She smiled. "You've been training so hard."
"What if I don't get in?"
"Then you try again next year. Or you become a hero some other way."
Simple logic. But comforting.
"What if I do get in?" I asked. "I'd be gone most of the time. Late trainings and camps."
Her smile faltered. "Oh."
"You'd be alone."
"I'd manage. Mr. Tanaka offered me work, remember? And I'm not a kid anymore."
She was trying to be brave.
Just like my sister in my old world.
"I'd try to come back early," I said.
"I know." She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "I want you to follow your dream, Nii-san. Don't worry about me."
I squeezed her hand back.
"Okay."
The Night Before the Exam
I couldn't sleep, so I laid on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
Either I'd get into UA and step into the main timeline.
Or I'd fail and have to figure out a new path.
No pressure.
I thought about Masaru. About Rin. About all the people I'd met in these few months.
They were moving forward with their lives.
And I was—
What?
An impostor. A ghost. A stranger in stolen skin.
But I'm still here.
Still trying.
That had to count for something.
I stood. Walked to the window.
The city glowed. Quiet and peaceful.
Tomorrow, I'd walk into UA.
With Midoriya. Bakugo. Todoroki. Uraraka. All of them.
The main cast.
The heroes.
And I'd be among them.
A background character trying not to break the story and enjoying the canon right before his own eyes.
Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Change things from the shadows.
That was the plan.
I clenched my fist.
I can do this.
I have to.
Because there was no going back.
Only forward.
TO BE CONTINUED...