Never

36. UA's entry exam, Hitoshi

Hitoshi's POV

          Thursday, February 4th, xx16. Just another date for most people, but for me, it was the day I woke up with a massive urge to puke and a headache worse than death itself, having spent the night staring at the ceiling without closing my eyes once. I must have had redder eyes than Dadzawa and Kita combined.

          I dragged myself to the bathroom to splash some water on my face, hoping to wash away the urge to die. Instead, I found myself staring at the sink five minutes later, wondering if it was possible to drown in that little water. I think it is, but might as well do it in coffee then. You know, kill two birds with one stone...

          I entered the kitchen at the same time as Dadzawa, who was sporting his usual morning zombie face, but this time with a slight hint of worry. Something about his eyebrows—it was subtle, but I was used to it. He headed straight for the coffee machine and made us both an enormous mug of coffee, blacker than my thoughts.

          The rest was a blur. I think Kita tried to get me to eat, but she gave up pretty quickly. I felt like throwing up. Next thing I knew, I was standing in front of UA's gates. That's when Dadzawa decided to give us a little pep talk, just as uninspired as I was, and that's also when I decided I was too tired to keep stressing like this. Whatever happens, happens.

          At least, the mood lightened up. Kita seemed to calm down too, and Izu and the cockatoo  showed up right after. We then settled in the exam room, and for the next two hours, we talked about the swarm of candidates who would try to steal our dreams.

           Okay, I really needed to stop being so negative. Kita was scarily impressionable, and the last time she caught my depression, even Izu almost jumped off the roof. And don't get me started on the time my dark humor rubbed off on her — she still have traces left.

          Four hours later, we handed in our papers. I felt pretty confident. It was close enough to the general exam we took on Monday, though the section on hero legislation made me want to bash my head against the desk. Why are the laws governing this world so outdated, stupid, and biased?

           We ate together quietly, and Kita hit us with one of the hardest decisions of our lives, which I agreed to, if only not to disappoint the broccoli. Once we were in the auditorium, we saved the cockatoo from the most awkward silence in history, and then I zoned out. We had a booklet with all the rules anyway, so what was the point in paying attention?

          That is, until some uptight guy with glasses decided to go after my cousin. Of course, Kita jumped to the rescue, verbally destroying the guy, and I decided to throw in my two cents to blow off some steam. Don't mess with our broccoli. That said, I hope that robot with glasses doesn't end up with Kita for the practical exam, or she'll get herself kicked out just to wreck him.

          Anyway, after all that, we were each put on a different bus, which naturally dropped us off in front of a different fake city. That's when years of bullying and Eraser's training kicked in. Always stay aware of those around you — you never know where danger might come from. And it's always good to get a read on the competition.

          So, I looked around, but nothing particularly interesting caught my eye. Until I saw Izuku.

          ...

          Wait, what?!

          I did a double take. No, it wasn't Izu. It was a guy with similar hair, but blonde. His face was just as round, but tanned like All Might, with slightly sharper, blue eyes, and — how do I say this — less naive? He seemed like a nice guy, a bit serious but with that kind of easygoing charisma that draws people in, and he didn't have that... Izuku-ness. That puppy-eyed look full of stars that makes you weirdly want to believe in him, even though your instinct is to protect him and his innocence.