(Two year time skip ) ( Canon begins NOW : AU : UA starts at 16 )
Two years passed faster than Takeru ever expected.Twenty-five missions in the last twenty-four months, each executed perfectly. Hawks had fought for him every step of the way, arguing that if Takeru didn't receive some freedom soon, the Commission would crush what humanity he had left. Eventually, the Commission relented and let him join UA but know doubt they expected him to perform the occasional mission and send them reports of the upcoming heros in UA. The terms were acceptable Takeru was given a generous allowance the equivalent of a D rank hero since he was 5 years old despite the commision provide food and housing . Takeru just saved the money and invested some of it . He also received bonuses for his missions and gift like his apartment. As far he was concerned having the backing of the HPSC was worth giving up some freedoms.
Takeru rarely had a reason to leave the Commission complex or his apartment, but today he found himself walking down a quiet commercial street near the waterfront. He had one simple goal: buy ice cream. Ren nagged him constantly to "enjoy civilian life in small doses," and Takeru had reluctantly decided to try out some ice cream. He bought an large cone with two scoops of vanilla and strawberry bubble gum. As he walked out of the mall he saw a Kawasaki Ninja 400 an old pre quirk era bike but refurbished to the point were it looked new. Black and orange street bike with polished chrome, a reinforced frame, and a custom exhaust. The paint gleamed in the sunlight. Someone had taken real pride in preserving it. Takeru stopped walking ,He didn't touch it, but he crouched a little to inspect the suspension and engine casing. Whoever owned this machine cared about performance.
"Careful my bike might start blushing" Takeru heard a girl's voice say from behind him. Kendo Itsuka leaned her elbow on the seat, balancing two large shopping bags against her hip. She wore a fitted black jacket, jeans, and boots and a tight T- shirt that showed of her toned midriff and slender waist. Takeru smirked " I have an eye for beauty and well i am getting quite the show today".
The girl blushed and said "You checking out my bike or checking out me?" Takeru grinned without hesitation. "Both ! its hard to not admire such beauty ."
Kendo moved closer and tapped the bike. "So? What do you think?"
"It's gorgeous," Takeru said, crouching to get a better look. "Engine's custom. Chain's new. And whoever tuned it has good instincts."
"Whoever," she repeated, amused. "That would be me."
Takeru looked up at her. "Then I'm officially impressed."" I am Takeru Kurogane " He said with bow . " Itsuka Kendo " she replied "Nice to meet you, you have nice taste Kurogane san. Do you ride ?". " No i have no need for a bike, But i appreciate the artwork though. "
"Really...So what's with the ice cream? Big guy like you, buying dessert alone?"
"Is it illegal to treat myself?" Takeru asked with a teasing smirk.
She snorted. "No, but it's funny seeing someone built like All might with a pink ice cream cone" .
"Its strawberry bubblegum flavor with a scoop of vanilla. if you must know and it is quite delicious " Takeru said with a smirk. Takeru saw an UA exam guide sixteen edition in her shopping bag. "you prepping for the UA exam ?" he asked. Kendo eyes widened " yes how did you...." and then noticed her newly purchased books sticking out of her plastic bag. She sighed "The test is in two months , i am very confident for my practical's but the written exam..." she nodded her head exasperation evident " Ethics and quirk history are the bane of my existence."
"Oh really .. It happens i can help you out ..you see i am great at everything". Kendo scoffed "Someone is confident ... are you serious about helping me or are you just using it to get my number" . "Your number " Takeru said with faux confusion " well since you are offering i might as well take it." Kendo giggled "After all i am applying to UA this year as well." Kendo eyebrows raised in surprise "You are sixteen ! "
"Is there a problem with how i look ?"
Kendo shook her head in disbelief. "No ! i mean...Damn. I thought you were at least twenty-five. In a good way! Like… the hot, older-senpai kind of way."
Takeru chuckled. "Should I take that as a compliment?"
"Yes," she said bluntly. "Definitely yes." before blushing realizing what she had just said.
Takeru took another bite of ice cream. "Good to know."
Kendo shifted her weight and looked at him with a tilt of her head. "So, be honest. Are you any good at studying?"
"I'm excellent," he said smoothly. "Math, physics, history—piece of cake."
Takeru took her phone and entered his number before tossing the phone to Kendo "Call me when you are ready. We can study." Kendo looked at him with veiled interest until Takeru started to float few meters of the ground then her jaw dropped "you can FLY ???" Takeru winked and blasted into the sky . Getting to his apartment before some Pro Hero ticketed him for quirk usage.
Kendo POV
Kendo wasn't sure why she had bothered fixing her hair in the café bathroom before Takeru arrived. It wasn't a date. It wasn't even casual hanging out. She was here to study for the U.A. entrance exam, nothing more. Her outfit—cropped T-shirt, cargo pants, and leather jacket—was just her normal style, a balance between tomboy and feminine. Still, she noticed him glance at her when he walked in, and the tiny flicker of attraction in her chest annoyed her more than it should have.
The café had shifted to its nighttime crowd, dim warm lights pouring over polished tables and steaming mugs. Kendo had expected Takeru to be… well, strong. Tall. Intimidating. Everyone could see that. She hadn't expected him to be this composed. Or this smart.
He slid into the chair across from her, offering a relaxed smile that felt far too practiced. "You ready?"
Kendo crossed her arms, hiding a sudden flutter she refused to acknowledge. "Just teach me the boring parts. I've done enough punching for today."
Their session started with quirk law, which had always felt like legal torture. But Takeru made it sound almost embarrassingly simple.
"Quirk law revolves around three ideas," he said, drawing three neat circles on her notebook. "Responsibility. Proportionality. Intent. If you understand those, you can answer seventy percent of the exam questions."
"That's it?" Kendo leaned forward. "Just those three?"
"It's all the complicated rules boiled down." He pointed to a scenario. "This one? They're testing proportionality. You go too far, you lose points. You act too soft, civilians get hurt. The answer is B."
Kendo stared at the page, feeling something click into place. "Why didn't any of my teachers explain it like that?"
"Not everyone knows how to teach," he said casually. "Lucky for you, I do, Kendo-chan." He winked at her as he said it.
She scoffed to hide how impressed she actually was.
Then came quirk history, which normally put her to sleep. But Takeru explained it with an ease she didn't expect—connecting early vigilante groups to modern hero agencies, explaining how the first quirk-related crimes shaped the ethics the exam kept drilling into her. It stopped feeling like memorization and started feeling like a story she could follow.
"Okay," she admitted grudgingly. "You're actually good at this, Takeru-kun."
"Thank you," he said with a grin that made her look away too quickly. "You're a very quick learner. You just haven't had someone capture your interest. History is fascinating when you look at it as a story rather than a bunch of dates and facts you need to memorize."
The café lights flickered as closing time approached, and when she finally checked her watch, it was nearly eleven. She hadn't noticed the hours slipping by. Takeru gathered the books for her without being asked and opened the café door to let her pass first. That's very gentlemanly, she thought before forcing herself to focus again.
"Still want to show me your quirk?" he asked.
She hesitated—only to hide how fast she wanted to say yes.
"Sure," she said. "The beach is empty this late."
The sand was cool beneath her boots as they reached the shoreline. The ocean stretched out under the moon, waves rolling with a soft hiss. Kendo set her things down and expanded her fists.
Her quirk had always felt natural. It was plain compared to the flashy abilities on TV, but it was practical and straightforward. Her fists grew large and heavy, her weight shifting into each strike. She threw a clean punch into the air, the impact sending a forceful gust across the sand, then moved through a series of combinations with practiced ease.
Takeru watched closely, arms folded. "Kendo-chan, your striking is excellent. Better than some pros, I would wager. You've trained for years, and it shows."
Despite herself, warmth bloomed in her chest at the compliment. She looked down, pretending to adjust her stance even though she didn't need to.
"But," he continued, stepping closer, "U.A. expects versatility. You'll need to train your grappling. There are a lot of situations where heroes have to restrain villains, especially for a close-combat type like yourself."
Kendo nodded slowly. She knew it was true. Her father's dojo focused on striking arts like karate and taekwondo. But hero work wasn't just fighting—it was preventing harm.
"And support items," he added. "Anything that lets you channel or redirect force will match your quirk well."
She gave him a sidelong glance. "You really think that'll make a difference?"
"Yes," he answered simply. "Your quirk is strong, and you have great technique. You just need a way to increase your range."
"Range?" she repeated.
Takeru walked toward the water. "Watch."
He squared his stance and clapped his hands.
The sound cracked through the air like a cannon blast. A column of water shot upward as the shockwave split a section of the sea open, sending foamy arcs outward before the ocean rushed back to fill the void.
Kendo's eyes widened involuntarily. Her breath caught. "I thought your quirk was flight… what is your quirk?"
Takeru chuckled. "My quirk is Smart Atoms. I can control the molecules in my body to make myself stronger, increase my durability, and yes—even fly."
"That's incredible… I mean, I knew you were strong—I have been in enough fights in the dojo to judge someone strength . I just didn't realize… there might be other people like you at U.A." Her confidence dipped despite her best effort to hide it.
A large, warm hand rested on her shoulder. "I would say that even now you're stronger than most people our age. And as for me… well, there is no one like me." He said it with a proud smirk.
She huffed a laugh. "I guess modesty isn't something your Smart Atoms can give you."
Takeru only grinned.
"It's about discovering what variation your quirk allows," he said. "A focused impact punch. A short-range shockwave. You can build techniques; your quirk has the foundation."
Kendo stared at her fists, feeling possibilities she hadn't considered before. The same fists she'd always viewed as simple suddenly felt like the start of something broader.
"And if you practice consistently—push yourself to the brink," he said, "you might trigger a quirk awakening. They happen under stress, discipline, and consistent use."
She felt the tension in her shoulders ease, the night air cool against her skin, her confidence settling back into place—stronger this time.
"Thanks," she said quietly. "Straightforward punching was all I ever thought about."
"It can grow," he said. "And so can you. We put more limitations on ourselves than the world ever does."
His gaze drifted toward the midnight sea, thoughtful. Kendo looked up at him, the moonlight outlining his towering frame, and something inside her shifted—subtle but undeniably there.
"Thank you for today, Takeru-kun," she said, bowing in a gesture normally reserved for her sensei. "Please let us study and train tomorrow."
Takeru's eyes widened slightly at her sudden formality. "Uh—yeah, sure, Kendo-chan. Let's get stronger together."
He gave a two-finger salute. "See you tomorrow, Kendo-chan."
She opened her mouth to reply—but he was already floating upward, rising effortlessly into the night sky before blasting away in a streak of wind and light.
Kendo stood alone on the sand, heart pounding far harder than she cared to admit.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.