Beyond Responsibility

Chapter 6: Put on the spot

"Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of a true hero." -All Might.

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His first week in Japan had been quite eventful, making the last few days to study and heal all the more appreciated. But now it was finally the morning of February 26th, the day of the U.A. entrance exam. Peter made sure to get up bright and early that day. Early enough in fact to catch Setsuna for her morning run. Seeing as he was already dressed in a sweatshirt and track pants for the practical exam, he decided it would be well worth it to get in a warmup and have some nice conversation.

Their run was considerably more casual than their first. Not only was Peter not dead on his feet like last time. But Setsuna also wasn't as determined to get his blood pumping and push him past his limits. Rather, she seemed to give him plenty of room and set a much more comfortable pace. Considering he had been nursing a concussion, several bruises, and likely even some hairline fractures over the last week, it was a welcome change of pace. While most of his injuries had fully recovered in just a couple days. He knew he should probably still take it easy for another week or so to avoid a backslide while he was still susceptible to further injury, that way he could heal back stronger than before.

"Nervous for the exam?"

"Only nervous about where to go and what to do. I think I can handle just about any test they throw at me. I mean, how much can they expect from regular support course students?"

She nodded as they jogged down the path back home. "From my experience, I don't think it'll be anything too stressful. Some of the other applicants had crazy quirks, but the test was simple enough."

"Here's hoping."

"You'll do great, Peter-kun. I better see your name topping the charts."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

That gave Peter a smile. "Thanks, Setsuna-chan." He checked his watch: a bit past 10. The receptionist at UA told him to just show up before 11:30, so he planned to get to UA at 11 sharp at the latest.

Thankfully, there was a convenient bus stop set to leave from their place to UA at 10:30. And they were just now coming up on their humble abode.

"I've got to start heading out. Wish me luck." He waved goodbye as he ran down a separate path to the bus stop.

"Do your best Peter-kun!"

"See ya later, alligator!" He called back.

"Come back soon, you big baboon!" She replied to finish the other half of their custom farewell.

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Peter arrived at the main gate with little problem. He was quite relieved to see the sign designating this as the entrance exam location, though having found the campus mostly empty, Peter soon met with the nearby attendant for directions.

"I'm here for the entrance exam."

"Sorry kid, but you're late. The tests will be done here pretty soon."

"What!? But I was told that the practical exam wouldn't start until 11:30. I should have plenty of time!"

"You heard right. But there's the academic tests before that, and you missed the general debriefing, so you would need someone to explain the exam rules again for you. All the examinees were supposed to be here by 9:00 for all that."

"Oh, no, I already did those tests. The practical is all I have left."

"So you've already applied then. Where's your exam ticket?"