I met Kendo Itsuka at the gate of the academy. She looked as composed as ever, her orange hair tied back neatly and her UA uniform perfectly pressed. We exchanged greetings and walked into the academy together, chatting about our expectations for the day. Kendo was in Class 1-B, so we eventually had to part ways as we headed to our respective sections.
"Good luck, Kuroda," she said with a smile. "Don't let Class 1-A show you up."
"You either," I replied, grinning. "I'll see you around."
With that, I made my way to Class 1-A. As I entered the room, I took a moment to survey the scene. The classroom was spacious and modern, with large windows letting in natural light. A few students were already there, and I recognized them immediately—thanks to my knowledge from the manga and anime. Kirishima's spiky red hair and sharp teeth were hard to miss, and Iida Tenya stood out with his tall, rigid posture and glasses. There were others too, like the quiet Yayorozu Momo and the explosive Bakugo Katsuki with ash blond hair, who was already scowling in the corner.
Iida, ever the formal one, was the first to approach Bakugo. He stood straight, his movements precise, and introduced himself with a bow. "Good morning! I am Iida Tenya from Somei Private Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Bakugo glanced at him, his expression one of mild annoyance. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered, clearly uninterested in formalities.
Iida, undeterred, turned to the rest of the class and began introducing himself to others. I took the opportunity to find a seat, choosing the last one in the second row. The person sitting silently to my left was Yayorozu Momo. She had long, dark hair tied in a high ponytail and an air of quiet confidence. Her sharp, observant eyes glanced at me as I sat down.
"Yayorozu Momo," she introduced herself, her voice calm and polite. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Jin Kuroda," I replied, offering a small smile. "Likewise."
We exchanged a few more pleasantries before the classroom door slammed open, drawing everyone's attention.
The murmurs around the room quickly shifted toward the practical exam scores.
The room fell silent for a moment before Iida adjusted his glasses and said, "Bakugo, if you don't mind me asking, what was your score?"
"77," Bakugo snapped.
Iida adjusted his glasses, his tone formal but impressed. "That's an excellent score. You must be the second-highest in the class, after Jin."
"Which one of you extras is Jin?"
I sighed internally and raised my hand. The entire class turned toward me.
Bakugo's gaze locked onto me, eyes practically sparking with aggression. He stomped forward, fists clenched.
"How much?"
"92," I said simply.
The room fell silent for a split second before whispers broke out. Even Yayorozu raised an eyebrow.
Bakugo's eye twitched. His hands clenched tighter, tiny crackles of explosions popping in his palms.
"You've gotta be shitting me!" He took a step closer. "You think you're better than me?! Let's settle this right now!"
"Damn it, you bastard!" he shouted, stepping toward me. "Let's fight and decide who's the strongest!"
Iida immediately stepped in, his voice stern. "How can you curse at your own classmates? Are you sure you're in the right place? This is UA, not some back-alley brawl!"
Before Bakugo could retort, the classroom door opened again, and a boy with freckles and messy greenish-black hair walked in. He was shorter than most of the others, and his nervous energy was almost palpable. Izuku Midoriya. Behind him was Ochako Uraraka, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to Midoriya's anxiety.
Iida immediately turned his attention to them, greeting Midoriya with the same formal enthusiasm he'd shown Bakugo. "I am Tenya Iida from Somei Private Academy."
As the three of them began conversing, One more figure appeared near the open classroom door. This time, it wasn't a student. A figure in a yellow sleeping bag shuffled in, looking like a giant caterpillar. Everyone froze, unsure of what to make of it. Then, the figure unzipped the sleeping bag, revealing a man with long, unkempt hair, a scruffy beard, and tired eyes. His voice was hoarse, and his posture was lazy, but there was an undeniable intensity about him.
"It took you eight minutes to settle down," he said, his tone flat as looked at his stopwatch but carrying an edge of disapproval. "That's not efficient. Going forward, this should not happen."
He stepped fully out of the sleeping bag and addressed the class. "I'm Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to UA."