Aizawa Shota simply walked away from his students, his steps unhurried, utterly unconcerned with the revelation that he had brazenly lied to their faces moments before. The collective outcry behind him was merely a predictable echo, a testament to their youthful naivety.
Well, to be entirely precise, his statement was not an absolute falsehood. At one point, during the course of the Quirk Apprehension Test, he had indeed seriously contemplated the notion of expelling one of them. The thought had crossed his mind as a stark, indelible example, a brutal lesson for the rest of the class regarding the harsh realities of the hero world. He had even briefly considered that green-haired problem child, Midoriya, whose initial performance was abysmal, a prime candidate for an early exit.
Ultimately, however, he had opted against it. Each and every one of these twenty students, despite their varying levels of talent and understanding, possessed a discernible spark, a nascent potential. Some, undoubtedly, harbored more raw aptitude than others, a fact clearly evident in their test scores, but crucially, they all offered something he, as their homeroom teacher, could genuinely cultivate. There was a raw, unpolished quality to them, a malleability that he appreciated far more than polished arrogance. He wasn't in the business of crushing dreams for the sake of it, but rather refining them through rigorous, often brutal, reality checks.
Just as Aizawa turned a corner, his path intersected with a towering figure, impossibly broad-shouldered and clad in a garish yellow and white hero costume. The individual regarded him with a perpetual, unwavering smile, a beacon of dazzling, almost blinding, optimism.
This was none other than the Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace: All Might.
"You are truly a deceitful fellow, Aizawa! A charlatan of the highest order! Do not attempt to deny it; you famously expelled an entire class last year, didn't you?" All Might exclaimed, striking a dramatically posed stance, his index finger pointed accusingly at Aizawa, as if in a theatrical accusation. His booming voice filled the quiet corridor, a stark contrast to Aizawa's subdued presence.
"So, you were observing, then...?" Aizawa retorted, his voice flat, completely unfazed by the larger hero's bombast. "And I expelled that particular class because they lacked any discernible potential; they were arrogant, self-important, and utterly conceited. Furthermore, they were not half as strong or adaptable as the cohort I currently oversee," Aizawa continued, meeting All Might's perpetually smiling gaze directly. For some inexplicable reason, Aizawa's unwavering, deadpan stare made All Might feel a tad uncomfortable, a rare flicker of discomfort for the Symbol of Peace. "They were, unequivocally, a complete waste of U.A.'s valuable resources."
'I absolutely cannot seem to find common ground with him!' All Might thought, internally sighing, yet outwardly maintaining his classic, broad smile, successfully masking his momentary nervousness. 'No! He is my esteemed teaching colleague; I must endeavor to perform my utmost and forge a good working relationship!' His internal monologue was a whirlwind of self-encouragement.
"I must confess, you quite astonished me, Aizawa! I was genuinely certain you would proceed with expelling Young Midoriya. Yet, you had a change of heart at the very last moment!" All Might exclaimed with good humor, striking yet another heroic pose. Aizawa, for his part, seriously pondered whether he should simply resign from his teaching position if he was to endure All Might's incessant theatrical antics day after day. "Surely you finally recognized Young Midoriya's immense, untapped potential, did you not?"
Aizawa blinked slowly, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "Immense potential...?" The words seemed to hang in the air, foreign and misplaced in the context of Midoriya's performance.
All Might literally froze, his wide smile momentarily faltering as he stared at Aizawa, utterly bewildered by the Erasure Hero's apparent lack of comprehension. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken misunderstanding.
"You are correct on one point, All Might: I did not expel him because he possesses potential. However, that does not signify great potential, not at all; in fact, his potential is quite low, though I admit, it is not entirely zero."
Aizawa spoke with a chillingly cold tone, his eyes narrowed, fixed intently on All Might. "Now, do not misunderstand me, Symbol of Peace. I may appear somewhat extreme or unconventional in certain aspects of my teaching, but I adhere strictly to my core principles: I will not expel anyone whose potential is greater than zero. That, All Might, is the sole reason you are not currently dismissed from U.A. yourself, given your dramatic flair." The implicit jab was subtle but sharp.
"Me!—I see..." All Might seemed momentarily poised to offer a heated rebuttal to the personal dig, but he abruptly shifted the topic, wisely choosing discretion. "And how is the class performing in general, Eraser Head? What are your overall impressions?"
"They possess considerable potential; it might very well be the class with the most promise I have ever had the dubious pleasure of instructing," Aizawa admitted, a rare hint of approval in his voice, as he pondered what unappealing lunch option he would have to endure. "However, a few specific individuals distinguish themselves markedly above the rest."
Now, All Might's immense curiosity was genuinely piqued. His smile seemed to widen, if that were even possible. "Oh? And pray tell, who might these exceptional individuals be, Aizawa?"
"Todoroki Shoto, Katsuki Bakugo, Oxton Lena, Yaoyorozu Momo, and Tokoyami Fumikage. These are the individuals who currently stand out more prominently than the others, to varying degrees of distinction," Aizawa replied with a resigned sigh as he swiftly put more distance between himself and All Might; he felt no further inclination to prolong conversation with the towering, excessively cheerful figure in yellow. "Each of them harbors significant latent potentials and raw talents awaiting proper exploitation and development. It is our collective responsibility as their guides, All Might, to rectify their inherent flaws and strategically transform those weaknesses into formidable strengths."
'Transform?' All Might questioned internally, a flicker of concern crossing his mind. His own philosophy revolved more around nurturing innate strength. But before he could solicit further clarification or details from Aizawa, the Erasure Hero had already made his customary swift departure, disappearing around the next corner. 'Now I truly understand why Midnight so aptly refers to him as 'Lazy Ninja'...'
Emitting a profound sigh, Yagi Toshinori gazed skyward with a contemplative expression, his broad shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly. "It appears you face formidable competition, Young Midoriya, formidable indeed. But then again, no one ever claimed the arduous path of a Hero was meant to be easy..." His words hung in the air, a quiet acknowledgment of the arduous journey ahead for his protégé.
'I desperately require sustenance! I am absolutely ravenous!' I thought impatiently, a growl rumbling in my stomach. 'I haven't had a proper meal since the test began, and it lasted far too long! Confound that Mummy-Man, Aizawa!' My internal monologue was a mix of hunger and lingering annoyance.
As I grumbled softly to myself, I walked alongside Jiro and Yao towards the U.A. exit. Both of them, being perceptive, could clearly discern that something was amiss with me—my grumbling stomach or my general grumpiness—but they wisely chose to remain silent, perhaps out of a sense of self-preservation from my hangry state.
Just as we emerged from the grand, imposing doors of U.A., stepping out into the late afternoon light...
"Is that a fucking limousine?!" Jiro exclaimed, her eyes wide with undisguised astonishment at the sight of the enormous, gleaming black vehicle parked ostentatiously right at the school's entrance. Her jaw nearly hit the ground. "What the hell is that doing here?" The sheer opulence was jarring against the everyday backdrop.
I was in a similar state of disbelieving shock, but instead of fixating solely on the ridiculously oversized limousine, my attention was immediately drawn to the dozens of impeccably dressed bodyguards, standing stiffly at attention around the vehicle. Their sheer number and professional demeanor spoke volumes.
"""MS. YAOYOROZU, WE HAVE ARRIVED TO ESCORT YOU HOME.""" all the guards cried out in perfect unison, their voices a deep, synchronized chorus, as they executed precise, deep bows in perfect formation.
""..."" With a sound reminiscent of a rusty door hinge slowly grinding open, Jiro and I exchanged a long, slow, disbelieving look before our eyes, with agonizing slowness, turned to fix upon Yao. Our friend was visibly sweating bullets, her usually composed demeanor completely shattered, as she frantically averted her gaze, her cheeks coloring.
Yao fidgeted restlessly, her hands clasped tightly, clearly attempting to formulate a plausible, understated excuse for this extravagant display... but ultimately, she sighed in profound weariness, the effort clearly too much. She then, with a hint of resignation, began to provide an explanation.
Apparently, Yao's family was incredibly, absurdly, unfathomably affluent. When I say incredibly, I mean a level of wealth that bordered on the comical, almost fictional.
Yao herself, with a sheepish, almost apologetic shrug, speculated that her family possessed sufficient financial resources to acquire several small nations outright, if they so desired.
That was an inconceivably ludicrous, mind-boggling level of wealth... It made our own comfortable, upper-middle-class lives seem like abject poverty.
After the initial shock and bewildered silence subsided, Yao swiftly bid us a hasty farewell. Her mother was evidently causing a significant fuss regarding her prolonged absence, her impatience likely magnified by her incredible wealth. With another embarrassed smile, Yao quickly disappeared into the luxurious confines of the limousine.
"Sooo... Jiro," I said, looking at the petite rocker as we resumed our walk towards a nearby bus stop to head home. It turned out we resided in the same general district, which was a pleasant, and surprisingly convenient, coincidence. "I genuinely didn't expect to see you at a hero academy, given your previous inclinations."
While Musutafu and Shizuoka might appear geographically close on a map, traversing the entire distance on foot would indeed necessitate an immense degree of determination and a significant amount of time. It wasn't a casual stroll.
"I could pose the exact same question to you, Lena," Jiro replied in a curt, slightly dry tone before letting out a weary sigh. "Well, to be honest with you, I'm also quite surprised by my own choice. I had originally intended to pursue a career as a music producer... composing, performing, being behind the scenes. But ultimately, I came to the profound conclusion that wasn't truly what I desired to do with my life, not deep down... and so, here I am, embarking on this unexpected path."
"I see... well..." I offered a half-comment, a vague acknowledgement, which immediately earned me a questioning look from Jiro, subtly prompting me to elaborate. "I suppose our situations are somewhat analogous, actually. I didn't quite know what I wanted to pursue academically after high school... then, gradually, almost imperceptibly, I developed a deeper, more compelling interest in Heroism... and here I am, standing beside you at U.A."
Jiro let out a low, almost husky chuckle, a sound that brought an amused smile to my face. "We're not particularly adept at long-term strategic planning, are we, Lena?" Her observation was astute, and I had to concede the point.
I emitted a small, light laugh in response. "No, Jiro, we certainly are not adept at that."
"Speaking of Heroes, and career paths... I'm strongly considering becoming an Underground Hero; I simply wouldn't want to be constantly in the public eye, under constant scrutiny," Jiro commented, a thoughtful, reflective expression settling on her face. "Besides, I truly believe that approach would allow me to make more effective and subtle use of my Quirk, better suited to stealth and infiltration."
I nodded to myself, briefly glancing skyward as if seeking confirmation from the heavens. "That makes perfect sense, Jiro."
"What makes sense?" Jiro asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Your stated disinclination to be in the public eye," I said, looking at her with a smirk and a small chuckle, finding her discomfort with attention amusing. "You don't strike me as the type of person who would willingly seek out media attention, the flashbulbs, the interviews... though it would be quite entertaining, even hilarious, to witness you suddenly surrounded by a throng of crazed fans, clamoring for your autograph." The image made me grin.
"Heh," Jiro snorted, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she involuntarily pictured the chaotic scene in her mind. "Good heavens, no! The thought alone is terrifying!"
I laughed, thoroughly enjoying Jiro's disgruntled, yet somewhat endearing, expression.
"Yes, yes, very humorous, Oxton," Jiro retorted sarcastically, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "At least you seem to be faring exceptionally well in the Hero profession, excelling in these tests... me, on the other hand..." Her voice trailed off, a hint of self-doubt creeping in.
I shook my head and shrugged dismissively. "You didn't perform too badly at all, Jiro; the exams simply didn't favor your Quirk in almost any respect. They were heavily geared towards flashy, destructive abilities, not subtle sensory ones."
"But—" Jiro began to articulate her insecurities, but I interrupted her gently yet firmly.
"Look, if you genuinely feel so insecure about your initial results, why don't you dedicate yourself to training your absolute utmost?" I suggested, a thoughtful, encouraging look on my face. "That way, you'd undoubtedly achieve better test scores, wouldn't you? It's a direct path to improvement."
Jiro met my gaze directly, her eyes narrowed, seeking to ascertain if I was jesting or being genuinely serious. "Seriously? I honestly have no idea how to train my Quirk effectively, or where to even begin with that kind of specialized training..." Her frustration was evident.
"Who mentioned anything about training your Quirk specifically?" I responded, a hint of playful disdain in my voice, as I stopped walking to fix her with serious, direct eyes. "While a powerful Quirk is undeniably an essential component for a Hero, so too is your underlying physical condition. After all, you require a robust and healthy physique to perform at your absolute peak as a Hero, to endure the rigors of combat and rescue."
Jiro paused, observing me with narrowed, contemplative eyes, clearly processing my words. "And where, pray tell, am I supposed to find a suitable, dedicated place for that kind of physical training?"
I met her gaze evenly, a confident smile on my face. "I know several excellent locations for training, Jiro. My father has quite the setup."
After a few seconds of a silent, almost legendary battle of wills—a shared moment of unspoken challenge—Jiro finally averted her gaze, a concession. "I might give it a try... but I must warn you, Lena, I've never been particularly athletic in my life."
My eyes softened with genuine understanding as I offered her a calm, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that for a second! That's precisely the point, Jiro. Everyone experiences something for the very first time, and the journey of improvement is always the most rewarding!"
For some inexplicable reason, Jiro's cheeks flushed slightly when I said that, a faint blush spreading across her face.
'Wrong thought, Lena!' I mentally chastised myself, realizing my comforting words might have been misinterpreted.
"Oi!" Jiro exclaimed, a playful yet firm rebuke in her voice, nudging me playfully.
Following that, we finally arrived at a bus stop, the sun beginning its descent, casting long shadows. We quickly exchanged contact information, promising to arrange our exercise sessions more effectively, and then each headed towards our respective homes.
Today had been an extraordinarily long first day at U.A., undeniably tiring, but also immensely enjoyable and filled with unexpected revelations.
I eagerly await tomorrow's challenges!