Where Our Hearts Fall

Chapter 1

It's my first day at U.A., and I'm already late. Not entirely my fault... Okay, it's half my fault—the other half belongs to my alarm clock.

I rushed down the stairs and practically kicked the door open. The moment I stepped out of my apartment building, the fresh morning breeze hit me, and for a second, all the stress melted away. This was where my element belonged, where my Quirk thrived. I felt the wind as part of me, and if I really needed to, I could do incredible things with it.

I kept running toward U.A., and when the enormous building came into view, a rush of excitement pulsed through me. I'd dreamed of this moment for so long. Now I was here, standing in front of U.A.'s gates, actually walking in. I probably looked like an idiot grinning, but I didn't care.

Finding my way to Class 1-A, I tried to keep it cool. The door opened, and I spotted only a few students there already—thankfully, I wasn't too late. I let out a breath of relief, realizing I'd made it on time after all.

But then my eyes landed on him: a guy with ash-blond hair and sharp red eyes. He didn't seem to notice me at first, so I slipped into a seat behind him. That's when he finally looked back at me, and wow, he looked angry. Like, resting-angry-face level angry. Should I say something? Or would that be super cringe on the first day? What if he was a jerk?

Deciding to stay quiet, I watched as more students filtered in, each one bringing their own energy. Some of them seemed really nice, and I felt a surge of excitement—I could already tell this was going to be one unforgettable journey.

Just then, a tall guy with glasses and blue hair stepped up to the blond guy in front of me, who'd casually propped his feet up on the desk like he owned the place.

"Could you please put your feet down?" the glasses guy asked, all polite but clearly annoyed.

The blond—no, Blondie (I'm totally calling him that)—just raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Huh? This desk? I'll do what I want with it. Got a problem with that?"

Glasses Guy didn't back down, though. "Excuse me, but you're disrespecting this school by putting your feet on that desk! That desk belongs to the academy and to the future heroes who will sit there!"

It was honestly entertaining to watch them go back and forth. I felt like asking someone about the blond guy's name, but before I got a chance, a guy with a tired, heavy gaze strolled into the room and immediately silenced everyone with just a look.

"Take a seat," he said, deadpan. "Welcome to U.A. and to Class 1-A. I'm Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher."

His gaze was sharp despite his exhausted expression, like he'd seen it all and had zero patience for nonsense. He pulled out a set of gym uniforms and tossed them to the front of the class.

"Put these on and meet me at the training field. Now."

After a quick change, the class gathered outside. In the girls' locker room, I'd already picked up some of their names. They were all pretty sweet, but Ashido was like a burst of energy in pink, full of laughs and mischief.

As we walked out, she wrapped her arm around my shoulders like we were already best friends. "L/N! You totally stand out, you know that? Natural beauty, serious vibes, and you've already caught a few of the boys staring." She winked, a playful smile on her face.

I blushed, stammering a little as I tried to reply, but then Aizawa's voice pulled everyone's attention.

"Today," he started, scanning us with those intense eyes, "we're going to see what you're made of."

He explained that we'd each demonstrate our Quirks in a series of challenges. Everyone looked excited—until he added, "Fail, and you're out. U.A. doesn't waste time on heroes who can't cut it."