[U.A. Stadium, Morning]
Hae-Sil: [walking inside, adjusting her U.A. sports suit] ...Okay... deep breath...
Present Mic (over the speakers, booming): HEEEEEY!!
Hae-Sil: [flinches, covering her ears] Omg—what the hell?! Is that even legal this early in the morning?!
Present Mic: MAAAAAKE SOME NOISE ALL YOU RABID SPORTS FANS!! GET THOSE CAMERAS READY!! THIS YEAR, WE ARE GONNA WITNESS ONE OF THE HOTTEST PERFORMANCES IN SPORTS FESTIVAL HISTORY—GUARANTEED!!
Hae-Sil: [muttering] ...Is he serious right now?
Present Mic: I'VE ONLY GOT ONE QUESTION BEFORE WE START THIS SHOW... ARE YOU READY?!
Crowd: YEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Present Mic: LET'S HEAR YOU SCREAM AS OUR STUDENTS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE MAIN STAGE!!
[The gates open—Class 1-A marches out confidently.]
Present Mic: IN THE SPOTLIGHT FIRST—THE DAZZLING STUDENTS, THE HERO COURSE CLASS 1-A!!
[The crowd explodes in cheers. Then Class 1-B enters.]
Present Mic: WELCOME, CLASS 1-B!! AND NEXT UP—THE GENERAL STUDIES CLASSES: C, D, AND E!! THE SUPPORT CLASSES F, G, AND H!!
Hae-Sil: [quietly to herself as she walks in with the Support Classes] ...Support class, huh... guess this is where I blend in.
[She noticed Shinso nearby, also in line, his expression calm but unreadable. Unlike him, Hae-Sil's stomach twisted with nerves. Nobody knew who she was yet—except the teachers.]
Present Mic: AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST—THE DEPARTMENT CLASSES I, J, AND K!!
[Flashback – Principal Nezu's Office, a few days earlier]
Hae-Sil: Principal Nezu, are you sure about this? I transferred from Shiketsu... and now you're saying my entire acceptance depends on this one exam?
Nezu: [sipping tea, smiling calmly] Correct. We don't mind transfers here at U.A. However... you must prove yourself. Surpass expectations at the Sports Festival, and your place here will be secure.
Hae-Sil: [swallowing hard] So... if I fail, that's it?
Nezu: [chuckling lightly] Then I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. But... I do believe you're capable. After all, you wouldn't be here if I didn't see potential.
Hae-Sil: [clenching her fists] ...Then I'll do my best. This is my last chance—I won't waste it.
[Back in the Stadium]
Hae-Sil: [thinking as she steps onto the field, eyes scanning the roaring crowd] Last chance. That's all this is... my one shot to prove I belong here.
[She straightened her back, forcing her nerves into determination, as the festival officially began.]
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[The stadium quiets down as all the students gather together in one spot.]
Midnight: [snapping her whip into the air] Silence, everyone! Now the introductory is starting! [raises her whip again] For the student pledge... we have Katsuki Bakugo!
[A student from General Studies, standing a few feet away from Class 1-A, sighs loudly.]
General Studies Student: only for the hero course exams.
[Hae-Sil, standing right beside her, follows her gaze. The girl is glaring straight at Deku.]
Deku: [scratching his back head nervously] U-um... oh... right...
Sero: [leaning in and whispering to Deku] That girl obviously hates us.
Denki: [snickering, whispering too] Yeah... and we've got Bakugo to thank for people not liking our class.
[Bakugo stomps his way up the stairs, heading for the mic. He stops in front of Midnight. The crowd waits in total silence.]
Bakugo: [long pause... then calmly] ...I just wanna say... I'm gonna win.
[Class 1-A collectively groans in their heads, Class 1-A (inner thoughts): I knew he would say something like that... ]
[The rest of the students erupt.]
Crowd of Students: BOOO!!!
Iida: [swinging his arms up and down furiously] Why would you be so disrespectful?! You're representing us all!
Bakugo: [cuts him off, thumb pointing down, voice still calm] Not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory.
[Gasps and boos explode even louder from the surrounding classes.]
Hae-Sil: [side-eyeing Bakugo from where she stands, muttering to herself] Who is this self-centered brat? He actually thinks he can win... where does he even get this confidence?
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[The giant stadium screen flickers on, the words "FIRST GAME" glowing in bold.]
Midnight: Without further ado—! It's time for us to get started! This is when you begin... feeling the pain!
[Suddenly, a massive screen appears behind her. The crowd roars.]
Midnight: The first fateful game of the festival!
[The screen starts rolling like a prize wheel, images flashing rapidly.]
Midnight: What will it be, huh?! Let's see...
[The screen slows down... click, click, click... until it stops.]
Midnight: ...Tada~! The Obstacle Race!
[The crowd bursts into loud cheers.]
Midnight: All eleven classes will participate in this race! The course will be the outer circumference of the stadium—about four kilometers!
Midnight: Remember, U.A.'s selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter what you do!
Crowd: [clapping, whistling]
Midnight: Now then... take your places, everyone!
[The students gather at the starting entry. The gate is massive, but the inside path narrows into a cramped entryway.]
[The cramped entry looms ahead, and further down, the path widens into open space.]
[Above them, three green giant traffic-light signals begin to glow faintly—.]
Hae-Sil: [standing among the Support Class students, exhaling slowly, steadying herself] ...Alright. You're ready. This is it.
[She clenches her fists, her nerves tightening, but her eyes stay sharp on the path ahead.]
Midnight: START!
[The lights flash green—the students explode forward, charging into the cramped entry.]
Present Mic: OOOKAY, HERE'S THE PLAY-BY-PLAY! LET'S GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY! What do you think, Mummy Man? [camera pans to Aizawa wrapped in bandages, only his eyes showing] WHAT SHOULD WE PAY ATTENTION TO IN THE EARLY STAGES?!
Aizawa: This part now.
[Inside the narrow entry, chaos erupts.]
Students: Hey, hey! This is too narrow! / Ouch, watch it! / Hey, move!
[Hae-Sil gets shoved around, her teeth gritting.]
Hae-Sil: [thinking] Ugh... this is pathetic. They're slowing me down...
[She suddenly screams, a sudden gust of force bursts out from her, like a wall of wind, slamming students to the sides. They're shoved hard into the walls, leaving a wide clear path in the middle, gasping as Hae-Sil carves open her own space.]
Students: Whoa!! Hey—what the hell?!
[The wind pressure holds them back until she escapes it, she releases her control, and instantly the crowd starts stumbling and pushing again, stuck again in the crush.]
Hae-Sil: [panting, glaring forward] ...That's better.
Shoto: [muttering, stepping forward] ...First sifting.
[He slams his foot down. Ice bursts across the floor, spreading in sharp waves. Every step he takes turns into a frozen path.]
Shoto: Sorry, but.... [continues walking, calm as ever]
Students: Students: O-oww! What the—?!
Random Student: My legs—! I'm stuck!
Another Student: It's freezing over, I can't move! So cold!!
[Yuga suddenly poses dramatically and winks, firing his navel laser to launch himself up into the air.]
[Momo slams her hands together, creating a long steel staff that vaults her upwards.]
Bakugo: [rocketing up with explosions, glaring at Todoroki] I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY SO EASILY, YOU HALF-AND-HALF BASTARD!!
[Behind, Ojiro uses his tail to keep his balance hopping across the ice, while Mina grins, skating gracefully across with her acid.]
[The rest struggle, slipping and sliding helplessly.]
[Hae-Sil charges forward, nerves high. She hears shouting behind her but doesn't dare look back.]
Hae-Sil: [thinking] Focus... just focus... don't mess up now—
[Suddenly, Mineta comes bouncing through, holding one of his sticky balls, Hae-Sil looked behind her, Mineta's voice was so close, she couldnt help it.]
Mineta: I'll trip him up! Take this, Todorok—
[BOOM—a giant metal hand crashes down. Mineta screams as a massive green robot blocks the path.]
Hae-Sil: [eyes going wide] Wha—what the... what IS that?!
[The colossal machine turns, its red sensors glowing.]
Robot: Targets found... LOTS.
Present Mic: OBSTACLES HAVE SHOWN UP SUDDENLY!! STARTING WITH THE FIRST BARRIER!!
[Hae-Sil stumbles back, shielding herself instinctively.]
Present Mic: ROBO INFERNOOO!!
Denki: [yelling as he dodges debris] AREN'T THOSE THE ZERO-POINTERS FROM THE ENTRANCE EXAM?!
Crowd: [buzzing] Seriously?! The Hero Course had to fight those?! / This is what they meant by obstacles?! / They're too many!
Students: I can't get through!! / There's no way!!
[Hae-Sil stares up, heart pounding as the colossal robots tower over them, moving closer.]
Hae-Sil: [thinking, clutching her fists] They're huge... too huge... I can't deny it, I'm scared.
[Her chest tightens, her breath hitches for a moment. —but her eyes harden.]
Hae-Sil: [thinking harder, narrowing her eyes] ...But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. Not yet.
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[Shoto slams his foot down, ice bursting across the ground in sharp waves.]
Shoto: If they went through all this trouble... I wish they'd prepared something better.
[He suddenly steps right in front of Hae-Sil, his cold expression focused. He plants his hand on the ground, ice spreading in a perfect slide beneath him, carrying him forward.]
[A giant robot lunges down to grab him—]
[But Shoto rockets past, too fast.]
[With a swift swing of his arm, massive ice waves surge upward. A colossal mountain of ice forms, engulfing the robot completely, freezing it solid in seconds.]
[Shoto pauses, catching his breath, then keeps running without looking back.]
Hae-Sil: [frozen in place, whispering to herself] ...No way. He... he just did that?
[Around her, students are wide-eyed, staring at the frozen titan.]
Students: He stopped them! Quick—between their legs, we can get through!
Shoto: [without looking back, voice calm] I wouldn't, if I were you.
[The ice-covered robots groan, tilting forward unbalanced.]
Shoto: I froze them mid-step on purpose... they'll fall over.
[The frozen robots begin to topple with a thunderous crash as Shoto continues sprinting ahead.]
Present Mic: WOOOOOOOAHHHH!! TODOROKI FROM CLASS 1-A!! HE ATTACKED AND DEFENDED IN ONE HIT!! HOW ELEGANT! HOW AMAZING!! HE'S THE FIRST ONE THROUGH!! IT'S PRACTICALLY UNFAIR!
Aizawa: [calmly] His actions are logical and strategic.
Present Mic: AS EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHO GOT IN THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS! HE'S NEVER EVEN FOUGHT THESE ZERO-POINTERS BEFORE—BUT LOOK AT THAT, THOSE ROBO INFERNOS COULDN'T LAST A SECOND AGAINST HIS ELITE MOVES!
[More giant robots stomp into the field, shaking the ground. Even larger, even more numerous than before.]
Hae-Sil: [backing a little, sweat sliding down her face] ...Tch... more of them?!
[The crowd gasps, murmurs breaking out.]
Students: How many are there?! This is insane! / They're huge! / this is impossible—!
Hae-Sil: [clenching her fists, her chest heaving] ...No. Not impossible.
[She glares ahead, wind stirring faintly around her feet.]
Hae-Sil: [thinking, determined] I won't let him... I won't let Shoto surpass me that easily. I came here for this. This is my moment. Right here. Right now.
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TO BE CONTINUED