The morning air was cold.
I stood outside UA's gates, staring up at the massive building.
Hundreds of students crowded around me. Nervous chatter. Excited shouts. Parents taking photos.
I stood alone.
Hana had wanted to come. I told her to stay home. Had to save the train fare.
She'd hugged me at the door. "Good luck, Nii-san."
I'd nodded. Left before she could see the anxiety in my eyes.
Now, here I was.
At the gates of the most prestigious hero school in Japan.
With power I couldn't fully control and a secret that could destroy everything.
I took a breath and then walked forward.
Entrance Hall – 8:47 AM
The hall was massive.
Gleaming floors. High ceilings. The UA logo everywhere.
Students filtered into examination rooms. I checked my assigned room number.
Room 7-C
I found it on the third floor.
Rows of desks and a proctor at the front. A hundred nervous faces.
I took a seat in the back corner.
Stay somewhat invisible.
The written exam started at 9 AM sharp.
Math. Science. History. Quirk Theory. Ethics.
Standard stuff.
I worked through it methodically. Not too fast and not too slow.
Answered everything I knew. Left blanks where I didn't.
By 11 AM, it was done.
The proctor collected the papers.
"Lunch break," she announced. "Practical exam briefing at 1 PM. Don't be late."
Cafeteria – 12:14 PM
The cafeteria was chaos.
Students everywhere. Loud conversations. Quirks being shown off.
I grabbed a tray. Rice, curry, water.
Found an empty table in the corner and ate in silence.
"Excuse me!"
I looked up.
A boy with green hair and freckles stood there, holding his tray. He looked nervous. Eager.
Midoriya Izuku.
The main character.
Damn, he's handsome.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.
I shook my head.
He sat down. "Thanks! I'm Midoriya. You're taking the exam too, right? Of course you are, that's a dumb question—"
He rambled like he always did in the manga. Nervous energy radiating off him.
I ate my curry.
"What's your Quirk?" he asked suddenly.
I swallowed. "Kinetic Boost."
His eyes lit up. "That sounds cool! How does it work?"
"I stockpile kinetic energy. Release it in bursts."
"So like energy storage? That's versatile! You could use it for strength, speed, jumping—"
He pulled out a notebook and started scribbling.
Of course he has a notebook.
"Do you have limitations?" he asked. "Like storage capacity? Recharge time?"
"Limited capacity," I lied. "And using too much causes strain."
"That makes sense. Quirks with high output usually have drawbacks—"
"Deku!"
A loud voice cut through the cafeteria.
I looked up.
Bakugo Katsuki.
Blonde hair. Sharp eyes. A scowl that could curdle milk.
Here comes the crazy Tsundere.
He stormed over, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Stop bothering people with your stupid mumbling," Bakugo snapped at Midoriya.
Midoriya flinched. "Kacchan, I was just—"
"I don't care." Bakugo's eyes shifted to me. "Who's this extra?"
Extra.
That's so fitting.
"Yamamoto," I said flatly.
"Tch. Whatever." He turned back to Midoriya. "You're gonna fail anyway. Don't waste people's time."
He walked away.
Midoriya looked down at his tray. Deflated.
"Sorry about that," he mumbled. "Kacchan and I grew up together. He's… intense."
That's one word for it.
"It's fine," I said.
I finished my curry and stood up.
"Good luck," I said to Midoriya.
He looked up, surprised. "You too!"
I left before he could say more.
Practical Exam Briefing – 1:00 PM
We were herded into an auditorium.
Massive screen at the front. Present Mic on stage, grinning.
"WELCOME TO THE UA ENTRANCE EXAM!" he shouted into the mic.
The energy was overwhelming.
He explained the rules.
Mock city. Robot villains. Three types. One, two, and three points each.
Ten minutes. Destroy as many as possible.
"And remember!" Present Mic added. "There's a zero-pointer! A giant obstacle worth zero points! Avoid it and focus on racking up your score!"
Simple enough.
But I knew the truth.
The zero-pointer wasn't the real test.
The rescue points were.
Saving people and acting heroically.
That's what separated heroes from point-chasers.
"You'll be assigned to different battle centers!" Present Mic continued. "Check your cards for your location!"
I pulled out my card.
Battle Center B
Same as Midoriya in canon.
Or was it different now? Hard to tell.
The doors opened and students flooded out.
I followed.
Battle Center B – Starting Gate
We stood at the gate. Dozens of students. Some Anxious and some excited.
I stayed in the back.
A girl with brown hair and a determined expression stood nearby. Uraraka, probably.
A tall boy with glasses and a rigid posture lectured someone about proper conduct.
That is definitely Iida.
And somewhere in the crowd—
Midoriya.
Looking terrified.
The gates soon opened.
"START!" Present Mic's voice echoed.
Everyone ran.
I waited.
Three seconds.
Then moved.
Five Minutes In
The battle center was chaos.
Robots everywhere. One-pointers. Two-pointers. Three-pointers.
Explosions. Shouts. Quirks activating in every direction.
I moved through the streets. Calm. Focused.
Spotted a one-pointer.
Ran forward. Punched.
The robot's torso dented. Sparks flew. It collapsed.
+1 point.
Another one-pointer ahead. Same approach.
Punch. Collapse. Move on.
+2 points total.
A three-pointer turned a corner. Bigger. Faster.
I jumped and landed on its shoulder. Punched down through its core.
Clean destruction.
+5 points total.
This is too easy. Way too easy.
I was holding back. A lot.
But I had to.
Too much power and people would notice.
Ask questions and then investigate.
I continued.
By the seven-minute mark, I had twenty-four points.
Not great. But enough.
Then I heard it.
A scream.
The Zero-Pointer
I turned the corner.
The massive robot loomed over the street. Easily fifty meters tall.
Students scattered. Running. Panicking.
And in the rubble—
A girl. Brown hair. Determined eyes even through the pain. Leg trapped under debris.
Uraraka Ochako.
The zero-pointer advanced. It looked unstoppable.
Most students ran.
I started forward—
Then stopped.
Another figure was already moving.
Midoriya.
He ran toward her. No hesitation. No Quirk activation yet.
This is his moment. Canon. Don't interfere.
I watched as he reached the debris. Tried to lift it and failed.
The zero-pointer's shadow fell over them both.
Midoriya looked up at the massive robot. Then jumped.
His Quirk activated. Green lightning crackling around his body.
He soared upward. Fist pulled back.
One For All. It looks so impressive.
The punch connected.
The shockwave was immense. The zero-pointer's head exploded. The massive body tilted, falling backward.
Midoriya fell too. Fast.
I moved without thinking.
Not to save him—Uraraka would handle that.
But there was another student. Frozen in panic. Directly in the path of falling debris.
A boy with a green horn. I hadn't seen him in the manga. But anyway, I ran and grabbed him. Then, I pulled him back.
A massive piece of metal crashed where he'd been standing.
"Thanks!" he gasped.
I nodded but didn't reply.
Looked back.
Uraraka had caught Midoriya with her Quirk. He floated safely down.
Canon intact and their love story starts.
Good.
I turned. Found a one-pointer in an alley.
Destroyed it.
+25 points total.
The buzzer sounded.
"TIME'S UP!"
After the Exam – 4:32 PM
We gathered outside. Exhausted and dirty. Some were even bruised.
Medics handed out water and energy bars.
I sat on a bench. Alone.
Counted my points mentally.
25 villain points.
Low.
But the rescue—
Pulling that random guy out. That had to count for something.
Enough to get in?
Maybe.
Then, I saw a boy walk past. Purple hair and tired eyes like mine.
Shinsou, probably.
He didn't look happy.
Obviously. He wanted to get in the hero course but now he won't.
Neither did several others.
The competition was brutal.
I pulled out my phone and texted Hana.
Me: "Exam's done. Heading home."
Hana: "How did it go?"
Me: "Not sure. We'll see."
I stood. Started walking to the train station.
Behind me, students talked. Compared scores. Celebrated or sulked.
I walked alone.
Exactly as planned.
One Week Later
The letter arrived.
Thick envelope. UA logo.
Hana handed it to me, eyes wide. "Open it!"
I sat at the table.
Opened it carefully.
A projection device fell out. Activated automatically.
All Might's face appeared. Smiling.
Classic.
"I AM HERE! AS A PROJECTION!"
Hana gasped.
"Congratulations, young Yamamoto! You passed the written exam with a seventy-eight percent score!"
Not great. But enough for passing.
"As for the practical exam—"
A screen appeared. My stats.
Villain Points: 25
Rescue Points: 18
"You rescued a fellow examinee from falling debris! Showed awareness and quick reflexes! That's the spirit of a true hero!"
All Might's grin widened.
"Your total score: 43 points! You are tied for twentieth place!"
Tied for last.
Barely made it.
Perfect.
"Welcome, young Yamamoto, to YOUR HERO ACADEMIA!"
The projection ended.
Then, silence.
After a small pause, Hana screamed and jumped before hugging me.
"You did it! You're going to UA!"
I hugged her back.
I did it. I'm in.
And now—
Now the real story begins.
TO BE CONTINUED...