— — START — —
Lunch was loud in the way only nearing-graduation middle schoolers could manage.
Trays clattered, chairs scraped, and conversations overlapped into a constant hum. Someone at the end of the table was complaining about math finals while another argued passionately about which convenience store had the best melon bread.
The light-haired teen sat sideways on the bench, one knee pulled up, lazily picking at his food while listening more than talking. Across from him, the straight-backed boy ate neatly, posture impeccable even in a cafeteria.
"So," one of their classmates leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes bright with curiosity, "you're really set on UA, huh Iida-san?"
The dark-blue-haired teen didn't even hesitate. "Yes. That is my first choice."
A few impressed noises followed.
Someone else laughed. "I heard the entrance exam's brutal."
"It is," came the calm reply. "But it's the school my brother graduated from. And their curriculum is strict, but effective. It's the best environment to become a proper Hero."
"Figures," another chimed in. "Legacy hero stuff."
The cloud-haired boy hummed thoughtfully. "UA's not the only big one, you know."
Several heads turned.
"I've got Shiketsu on my list too," he added casually, spoon gesturing midair. "They call it the UA of the West, right?"
"Whoa, really?" someone said. "That's still a hero school."
He grinned. "Yeah. Might go there instead, just to avoid this guy yelling at me for breaking rules every five seconds."
The rule-bound boy bristled immediately. "That is not—"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." A laugh, bright and easy. "Mostly."
Their peers laughed along, the tension dissolving.
"Must be nice," another classmate groaned. "I'm just praying I pass my entrance exams."
"Same," someone else added. "I'm not built for life-or-death stuff. I just want a degree that pays well."
"Any degree is valuable," The dark-blue-haired teen nodded approvingly. "The important thing is committing to your path."
The Sorashi saluted him with his chopsticks. "Wise words, oh future valedictorian."
...
They walked out together after lunch, the noise fading behind them as the hallway opened up.
The joking fell away with the crowd.
"I want to train harder these next few months," the light-haired teen said, staring at the ceiling as he walked.
Iida beside him slowed. "You already train extensively."
"Not like this," he said, more serious now. "I want to actually combine things. Maneuvers. Staff work with my quirk instead of just… letting it assist me."
A pause.
"My room's too small," he went on. "And I tried the backyard once, but my mom watched me like I was about to explode. I swear, she blinked less than security cameras."
The dark-haired-teen grimaced, "I see."
"…So yeah," the other sighed. "I'm kind of stuck."
They walked a few more steps.
Then—
"You could come to my house."
The cloud-haired teen blinked. "Huh?"
"My brother has been giving me formal training since I told him UA was my goal. Structured drills. Notes. Corrections."
And an idea sparked in Iida's mind, 'Perhaps he could observe his forms and identify his bad habits! He'll surely believe Tensei!'
The grin that followed was instant.
"That's the best idea you've ever had."
"—It is a logical suggestion."
"My parents won't freak out if I'm just visiting you," the light-haired teen said excitedly. "Are you sure it's okay?"
"Of course," came the reply. "You've been to our house many times."
He slung an arm around the other's shoulders without warning. "Thanks, man! Seriously. You're a lifesaver."
Iida's posture stiffened, but he didn't shake it off, already used to his best friend's antics.
After a moment, the glasses caught the light as he glanced sideways. "…Have you told your parents about UA yet?"
The arm dropped.
The smile cracked.
"…Not exactly."
A nervous laugh followed. "I was thinking I'd just… not tell them. Act like I'm going to that prep school they want. Then—surprise—it's UA."
Silence.
The rule-bound boy stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Stop looking at me like I've grown a second head," the cloud-user said defensively. "What's wrong with my idea?"
"So," the other said slowly, "you plan to own two sets of uniforms. And what—change clothes every time you arrive?"
"…When you say it like that, it sounds bad."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "It is bad."
"I don't know how to bring it up!" the other groaned. "I'm sixteen and they still panic when I scrape my knee!"
"And if you apply secretly," came the deadpan reply, "you will give your father a heart attack."
"Exactly! I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place! Either I become a lawyer like him and waste years of training, or I get disowned. What the hell do I do?"
"Language!"
Then a sigh. A heavy one.
"…I don't know as well," the class president admitted quietly.
- - - - -
The next day, their homeroom teacher handed out papers.
Their homeroom teacher smiled as she handed them out. "You'll be graduating in two weeks. This helps us guide recommendations."
Three columns. Three choices.
Sorashi stared at the page.
UA.
The letters hovered in his mind like a dare.
Images flashed uninvited: his mother's worried eyes, his father's tight smiles, hands pulling him back every time he fell.
He swallowed.
No more running.
The pen pressed down.
UA High School
UA High School
Shiketsu High School
He slid the paper sideways, showing his paper to Iida.
Bold," came the quiet comment with a small laugh.
By the end of the day, though, his face had twisted into something distinctly unpleasant.
"You look constipated," came Iida's blunt observation.
"…Rude." the light-haired teen retorted.
"But accurate." said the dark-blue-haired teen immediately.
He exhaled. "I'm telling them tonight. Wish me luck..."
The dark-blue-haired teen patted his back, "Good luck, Sora-kun."
...
Home felt too quiet.
Dinner passed in a blur. He didn't even notice when his father arrived.
And he didn't even realize he was still holding the paper until a familiar voice spoke.
"You alright, bud?" his father asked.
His mother smiled gently. "He might be worried about high school. After all, he's going to our alma mater, dear."
She squeezed his hand. "Don't worry about the prep school. It will help you when you study law in college—"
"I'm going to UA High."
Silence.
"…What?"
"I want to go to UA." His voice shook, but didn't break. He held out the paper.
His mother's smile vanished.
"That's a Hero school," she said slowly.
"Yes."
"No," his father said at once. "We won't send you somewhere that dangerous."
Before, the teen would have swallowed his words and just nodded, but no. This time, he would fight for it.
"Papa, it's what I want to do!"
His mother frowned. She thought they'd squashed that idea down all those years ago.
His father asked slowly, "I thought you wanted to be a lawyer like me?"
Sorashi looked down, "I didn't want to disappoint you... But, becoming a lawyer won't make me happy." Then looked at his father with steeled eyes, "What I want to be is a Hero."
"No." It was his mother's voice that said it this time.
"You don't understand—"
"We understand perfectly," his mother interrupted. "But we already lost someone to that world."
The room went cold.
Her voice trembled. "You know your brother died because he was trying to become a hero."
He did. And—
"That's exactly why I want to do this, Ma! I want to be what he wanted to become! I want to finish what he started!"
She snapped, "And what, get yourself killed as well?!"
Sorashi's father closed his eyes heavily.
The words hit like a physical blow.
He stared. "That—that won't happen to me."
"You don't know that!"
"I'm not him!" he shouted. "All my life, you've treated me like I was a glass that would shatter with one touch. Can't you believe in me for once?!"
His father's eyes widened at that. No anger in his eyes, only realization.
The teen added, "I promise I won't be reckless—"
"You don't get to promise that, Sora!" Tears fell from his mother's eyes. "We can't lose you, too, okay? We can't."
His father stood up and embraced his mother.
Sorashi froze, his heart aching inside. He really didn't want to give up on this. He hated the thought of it, of not being able to succeed his older brother, of not becoming a Hero.
But... he hated seeing his mother like this too.
He was about to open his mouth when his father spoke.
"Is this what you really want, Sora?"
The teen could tell that his father was asking this with a heavy heart.
"Yes, Papa," he replied silently.
Silence followed, and eventually—
"Give us time to talk about this. For now, go to sleep," his father said hoarsely.
Sorashi could only nod at that.
...
The next morning, his father knocked on his door.
The teen opened it and invited him in. As they sat on Sorashi's bed, the man spoke, "Look, son. We really want you to follow in my footsteps. To become a lawyer."
The light-haired teen closed his eyes, seemingly already knowing where this was going.
"—But, if doing that will only make you miserable, we'll let you do what you want to do."
Hope surged—
"We'll allow it. Well, mostly me. I'm still trying to convince your mother," he added, rubbing the back of his head.
Sorashi immediately lunged at his father and hugged him, "For real? This is for real?!"
His father gave a small smile, "Yes, I'll allow it." and then immediately became serious. "On one condition."
Sorashi paused.
"You don't know this yet, but there will be a ranking system in UA's entrance exam. Get the top rank. First place, nothing less. If you do this, only then will we be confident in your abilities for us to send you to UA."
"Deal!" the teen exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Pa!"
His father smiled tiredly as he walked towards the door. It didn't seem like he got that much sleep last night.
Just before he went out, the teen added, "Then you should know... I'm planning to practice at Tenya's house this summer."
He thought that they might as well know now.
"...Alright. Just be careful, okay?"
He nodded, and the door closed.
He laid on his bed, exhaling with a sigh of relief.
When he glanced at the clock, he jumped. "I'm gonna be late!"
But as he frantically ran towards the bathroom, he smiled.
Because his dream remained.
'I'm gonna be a Hero!'
— — END — —
Stones perhaps?
A/N: Was the squabble between Sora and his parents realistic?