— 3rd POV —
The first day of U.A.'s entrance exam had finally arrived.
Today was the written exam… but Ryo was too excited to stay home. Sleep was a suggestion he ignored entirely, and by sunrise, he was already standing at the gates of U.A. High School. It was still quiet, just the sight of the massive campus that represented every dream he had.
He entered the main lounge early, notebook in hand, but his mind refused to focus on formulas or hero history. His leg wouldn't stop bouncing, adrenaline buzzing through him like he'd downed ten energy drinks.
That's when he noticed someone new walking in.
A girl who was poised, elegant, but clearly a bit lost. She scanned the room with gentle but worried eyes, clutching a folder close to her chest.
She looks troubled…Ryo inhaled. 'Just be normal. Friendly. Not weird.'
He stood and approached with a polite smile.
"Um—hello. You look like you're looking for something. Need help?"
The girl blinked, surprised. "Ah—well… yes, actually. I'm trying to find a supervisor. I wanted to clarify something about something, but I'm not quite sure where to go."
"No problem," Ryo said, relieved she didn't think he was weird. "I got here way too early anyway. Want to look together? Consider it a morning quest."
She let out a soft, amused breath. "If you're sure. I'd appreciate the help."
That small smile she gave him… yeah, that was enough to fuel him for the next twelve hours.
—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~
They started down the hallway, the sunlight from U.A.'s tall windows following them.
"So," Ryo said, "you're hoping to get into the hero course too?"
"Yes," she answered, smoothing a loose strand of hair. "I've trained for this for a long time."
"That's awesome," Ryo replied. "Meanwhile, I just try to not faceplant during training."
She giggled softly. "I'm certain you're exaggerating."
"Nope. Tripping is my natural enemy," Ryo said proudly.
The girl laughed again quietly and elegantly, and the tension melted instantly.
As they turned another corner, their conversation started drifting naturally.
Ryo tapped the glass of a display housing old training dummies."You know, hero work isn't just about power. Being creative with your surroundings is huge. Even something small like rubble or pipes can turn the tide."
Her eyes lit up with genuine interest. "That's a clever philosophy. Using the environment as an extension of your tactics."
"Exactly!" Ryo grinned. "Heroes don't get perfect situations. So we improvise."
She nodded, clearly enjoying the discussion. "That approach is very admirable and efficient. Oh—pardon me. I didn't ask your name."
"Oh! Right. It's Ryo. Just Ryo."
She smiled softly. "I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's nice to meet you."
They walked together a little longer, asking staff for directions whenever they passed someone. The more they talked about hero ideals, quirks, and the stress of becoming a hero, the more comfortable their pace became.
Before long, they reached the office.
Ryo gestured with a small flourish.
"There you go. Quest complete. We found the boss room."
Yaoyorozu laughed lightly. "Thank you, Ryo. Truly. You've been incredibly kind.
"Then, with a smile brighter than the sunlight behind her—"You're my hero for today."
Ryo's soul left his body.
"Ah—yeah, happy to help" he managed to choke out before combusting internally.
A brief moment lingered between them, warm but awkward.
Ryo took a breath.
'Just do it, man.'
"Um… Yaoyorozu? Could I… maybe get your number? For study stuff, updates… hero things?"
She blinked and seemed surprised, but in a pleasant way. Then she nodded.
"Of course. Here."
Numbers exchanged. Smiles traded.
"See you soon," she said.
"Y-Yeah! See you!"
As soon as she disappeared into the office, Ryo marched away with a red face, stiff posture, and the emotional composure of a malfunctioning robot.
'She's so pretty, what did I just do!! She actually gave me her number—YEAHHH!!'
He nearly tripped over air from how flustered he was.
—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~
The next morning, the plaza outside U.A. was buzzing with students.
Ryo scanned the crowd and spotted two familiar faces from the news
Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya.
Both survivors of the Sludge Villain… just like him.
'Good. They're still strong. Still aiming high.'
Ryo smiled faintly and continued toward the building.
Inside the lecture hall, Present Mic delivered the rules with enough volume to shake bones.
Three-pointer, two-pointer, one-pointer robots.Points per destroy. Avoid the zero-pointer. Time limit. Go wild.
There were a few interruptions, mostly by a serious blue-haired boy correcting people, and someone muttering motivational panics in the back
But overall, the explanation was clear.
The moment the presentation ended, Ryo clenched his right fist, feeling the familiar heat of his quirk pulsing inside.
'Okay… destroying robots for points.'"That's fine by me," he whispered, grin growing.
"Let's get started… and show them what we're capable of, Living Gauntlet."
—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~