Wings of Awakening

Part 13

At Aldera Junior High, Izuku and Bakugo were summoned to the principal's office. The principal greeted them with a warm smile, congratulating them both on passing U.A.'s entrance exams. While Bakugo accepted the praise with his usual confident smirk, Izuku merely smiled politely. He knew the principal's congratulations were mostly for Bakugo, but Izuku didn't mind. He was just glad to leave middle school behind and move on to something better.

Later, on his way home, Izuku was yanked into an alleyway by an enraged Bakugo, who was practically seething.

"How did you manage to pass the U.A. entrance exams, Deku?" Bakugo spat. "You're quirkless! I was supposed to be the only one from this pathetic school to make it into U.A."

Izuku met Bakugo's furious glare, his heart racing—but for the first time, he felt a surge of confidence. He took a steadying breath and answered simply, "Same as you, Kacchan. I took the entrance exams and passed."

Bakugo stared at him, stunned, clearly not expecting Izuku to stand up for himself. With a calm determination, Izuku bumped Bakugo's shoulder as he walked past, leaving him speechless in the alley as he continued his way home. For the first time, Izuku felt the weight of Bakugo's words slip off his shoulders. He'd taken the first step towards a future he'd always dreamed of—and there was no going back.

Izuku stood outside the door of Class 1-A, heart pounding as he prepared to take his first step toward becoming a hero. From inside, he could hear raised voices, and when he pushed the door open, he spotted a familiar figure: the blue-haired boy with glasses from the entrance exam was arguing with none other than Bakugo.

"Take your dirty legs off the desk! You're disrespecting our fellow classmates who have used this desk before!" the glasses-wearing boy lectured, karate-chopping the air with precise movements. Izuku couldn't help but wonder if the guy had some kind of robotic hand problem, given how rigidly he moved.

"I can do what I want, Glasses," Bakugo replied with his typical scowl, clearly unbothered.

The blue-haired boy, unfazed, introduced himself formally. "I am Tenya Iida from Soumei Junior High School." The two continued bickering, neither one backing down.

As Izuku attempted to quietly make his way to his desk, hoping to avoid the confrontation, Iida spotted him. He immediately turned and addressed Izuku, still stiffly moving his hands with each word.

"I see! You must be the boy who impressed us all with that bold strategy in the entrance exam!" he declared, bowing. Izuku quickly replied with a slight nod, "Um, yeah... and I just heard your name a moment ago."

Just then, the familiar face of Ochako Uraraka entered the room, her eyes lighting up when she saw Izuku. "Oh, hey, Deku! You made it in!" she said, waving cheerfully.

Before they could get much further, a bright yellow caterpillar-looking thing appeared in the doorway, slowly inching its way into the classroom. The students' initial confusion turned into surprise as they realized it was a person—wrapped snugly in a sleeping bag. The figure unzipped the bag, revealing a tired-looking man with messy hair.

"Good morning, Class 1-A. I'm Shota Aizawa. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years." He spoke in a low, almost lazy tone, eyeing them with a calculating gaze.

Aizawa handed out cases to each student, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Change into these and meet me outside the training grounds," he said simply, then left without another word.

The students hurried to the lockers, finding that the cases contained U.A. gym uniforms. After changing, they rushed outside to join Aizawa, who waited with a clipboard and an impatient expression. "It took you five minutes to get here. We'll need to reduce that time." He scanned the students, as if assessing each one, then continued, "Today, we're doing a Quirk Apprehension Test."

Ochako raised her hand, hesitant. "But what about the entrance ceremony?"

Aizawa's gaze shifted to her, his tone blunt. "We're here to train heroes, not for ceremonies. You have three years to learn everything about heroics, and that means no wasting time on nonessential activities."

He continued, listing the events: "You'll be performing a series of physical tests, each one designed to measure your capabilities and assess your quirks. The tests will include the 50-Meter Dash, Grip Strength, Standing Long Jump, Repeated Side Steps, and the Ball Throw."

Several students exchanged excited glances, murmuring about the challenges ahead. Aizawa wasn't done, however. "We'll also have a distance run, seated toe-touch, and sit-ups. I expect you to put everything you have into each event."

The students readied themselves, excitement and nerves mixing as they prepared to showcase their quirks for the first time in a formal setting. This was their first real step into hero training at U.A.