— — START — —
*TEET**TEET**TEET*
The alarm cut through the quiet room like a blade.
Sunlight was just beginning to spill through the half-drawn curtains, pale gold stretching across the wooden floor in uneven lines. Dust motes drifted lazily in the air, caught in the light. The room itself was modest—neatly kept, but lived-in. A low bed pressed against the wall, shelves stacked with school books and old notebooks, a desk cluttered with pens, loose papers, and a worn photograph tucked beneath the lamp.
Sorashi groaned, one arm flopping blindly until his fingers slapped the clock silent.
"Ugh…"
He didn't get up right away.
Instead, he stared at the ceiling, blinking away the last remnants of sleep as his mind slowly caught up with his body. The quiet felt heavier than usual. Charged. Like the pause before something important.
Then it hit him.
His eyes flew open.
"…It's today!"
He shot upright, nearly tangling himself in the sheets as he scrambled out of bed. His gaze snapped to the calendar hanging beside his desk.
February.
Every date before the 26th had been crossed out with thick black lines, some aggressive, some neat. And there it was—the 26th, circled in red so hard the paper had nearly torn.
Sorashi's lips spread into a grin that felt too big for his face.
After spending months training his quirk with the help of Tenya's older brother, it was finally time.
UA's entrance exam.
He bolted for the bathroom.
By the time he emerged, hair still slightly damp and uniform, hastily straightened, his nerves had finally caught up with his excitement. He paused at the doorway, took a breath—and stepped downstairs.
His mother stood in the kitchen, hands wrapped around a mug she hadn't taken a sip from in minutes. She looked up immediately.
"…You're early," she said, trying—and failing—to sound casual.
Sorashi smiled. "I set an alarm."
She nodded, eyes lingering on him longer than necessary, like she was committing the sight to memory. There was worry there, as always—but softer now. Controlled.
"Be careful," she said quietly.
"I will," he replied, just as softly.
His father appeared from the hallway, straightening his tie. He clapped a firm hand on Sorashi's shoulder.
"Good luck, Sora."
Sorashi nodded, throat suddenly tight. "Thanks, Papa."
With one last look back at the house—warm, familiar—he stepped outside.
The old middle school uniform felt… different.
The jacket pulled slightly tighter across his shoulders, the sleeves hugging his arms more than they used to. The pants sat just a bit higher at the ankles. It wasn't uncomfortable—just unfamiliar. A reminder that time had passed, even if the fabric hadn't.
He adjusted the strap of the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Inside were his sports clothes for the practical exam, folded with more care than usual.
His phone buzzed.
Tenya: "I'm almost at the train station."
Sorashi grinned.
"Race you," he muttered to no one, already breaking into a jog.
...
The station buzzed with early-morning life. When Sorashi spotted Tenya near the platform—standing straight, uniform immaculate, duffel bag held neatly at his side—he raised a hand.
"You really were on time," Tenya said, relief clear in his voice.
"Told ya," Sorashi replied easily.
They boarded just as the doors slid shut.
The ride passed quicker than Sorashi expected. Maybe because neither of them talked much—too busy staring out the windows, thoughts racing ahead.
When they finally stepped off and looked up, the campus loomed before them.
UA High School.
Tall, imposing gates. Clean stone paths. Buildings that looked more like government facilities than classrooms.
"It doesn't feel like an academy," Sorashi muttered.
Tenya adjusted his glasses. "It's designed to cultivate heroes, not students. The structure reflects that."
"Yeah," Sorashi said. "Still intimidating."
Tenya nodded once. "Good. It means it demands effort."
And as they were stepping inside the building, they heard someone's shout from behind.
"Get out of the fucking way or I'll kill you, nerd!"
Both of them turned.
"Such vulgar language," Tenya muttered disapprovingly.
"Yeah," Sorashi added, squinting. "Someone didn't sleep well."
Then he paused.
He leaned closer to Tenya and tapped his shoulder. "Hey. That's the sludge guy I saw on the news."
Tenya hummed, eyes sharpening with curiosity. "So it is."
"Ain't that wild?" Sorashi snorted. "Small world."
...
After their information was taken, they were guided into a large classroom.
Rows of desks sat spaced apart with almost surgical precision. On each table lay a thick stack of papers and a sharpened pencil.
Sorashi grimaced.
"…Written exams."
Tenya glanced at him. "You reviewed the materials I sent you, correct?"
Sorashi flashed a peace sign. "Teehee."
Tenya's mouth fell open.
"Oh, relax," Sorashi waved him off. "Of course I read them."
"And studied them?"
Silence.
"…You studied them, right? Right?!" Tenya hissed.
"Don't get your panties in a twist," Sorashi said cheerfully, giving him a thumbs up. "I'll pass."
Tenya pinched the bridge of his nose.
Then the room fell quiet.
A tall figure entered—purple-clad, face obscured, his presence immediately commanding attention.
"I will be your proctor today," he announced calmly. "You will have ninety minutes. No talking. No cheating. Any violation will result in immediate disqualification."
Then his jaw split unnaturally wide.
Five identical versions of him stepped forward.
Sorashi's pencil froze mid-air.
"…What."
"Begin."
The test was brutal.
Advanced math. Tactical reasoning. Physics applied to quirk usage. Ethics questions that twisted the wording just enough to make him doubt himself.
Sorashi stared at one problem for a full minute before muttering, "Who uses calculus like this?"
He worked through what he could, skipped what he couldn't, and came back with gritted teeth.
And by the end, his hand ached.
...
The hall they were led into afterward was massive—and dark. The only light was pointing towards the big stage in the middle, a podium built in the middle of the stage with U.A.'s symbol embedded in it.
"So," Tenya asked, exhausted, "how did you do?"
Sorashi grinned. "Uno, double-O, my boy."
Tenya merely sighed, knowing it was far from it.
As the seats filled up, a man suddenly popped out from under the podium, "WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW!!! EVERYBODY SAY... HHHEYYYYYYYY!!!"
Sorashi sucked in his breath and shouted, "HEYYY!!!"
No one else joined. and Tenya stared at him by his side.
"…Worth it," he muttered.
"THANK YOU FOR THAT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!" the man shouted as he pointed towards the voice's general direction.
"ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LOW-DOWN ON HOW THIS'LL GO DOWN! ARE YOU READY!?"
"Oh my God, it's Voice-Type Hero, Present Mic!" Tenya and Sorashi heard someone fanboy. "Ilistentohimontheradioeveryweek! The teachers here in UA really are Pro Heroes!"
"Shut up." they heard another's voice.
"WE'LL BE TESTING YOUR METTLE BY RUNNING A TEN-MINUTE PRACTICAL EXAM AT YOUR DESIGNATED REPLICA CITY-DISTRICT! ALL OF YOU GATHER AT THE MEETING AREA AFTER THE PRESENTATION, YA DIG?!"
"Ah, so that's what this is for." Sorashi commented, holding a card that said C. "What'd you get, Tenya?"
"I received an A. Hmm, they intend to separate classmates or friends to stop them from cooperating with each other. That's smart, expected of U.A.," the dark-blue-haired teen replied.
"WE'LL BE SPRINKLING A LARGE NUMBER OF "VILLAINS" ACROSS THE BATTLEFIELD, APPEARING IN THREE DIFFERENT VARIETIES WITH THE POINTS SCALING ACCORDING TO ITS DIFFICULTY!" Present Mic discussed, silhouettes of robots appearing on the screen behind him labelled, "1P", "2P", and "3P" respectively.
"DISPATCH AS MANY "VILLAINS" AS YOU CAN USING YOUR QUIRKS! YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO RACK UP AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN WITHIN THE GIVEN TIME LIMIT! AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF ATTACKING THE OTHER EXAMINEES BECAUSE THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES, CAPISCE?!" the Pro Hero exclaimed, shuffling different poses at every sentence.
Tenya was about to raise his hand, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance, but Sorashi pulled his hand down before Present Mic could even notice.
"Let him finish, man, come on. Don't be rude, Tenya," the light-haired teen commented with a sly smile.
And, as if right on cue, the Pro Hero continued, "LASTLY, YOU WILL ALSO BE ENCOUNTERING A 'GIMMICK VILLAIN' IN THE CITY! IT'LL BE WORTH '0' POINTS, SO I SUGGEST TO JUST IGNORE IT."
"NOW, LET'S NOT DELAY THIS ANY LONGER! LET'S MOVE TO THE MAIN EVENT!" the man said with raised hands.
"MAY YOU ALL GLADLY SUFFER IN THE TRIALS TO COME! PLUS ULTRAAAAA!!!"
...
After the orientation concluded, the examinees were herded out in organized waves and instructed to change into their sportswear for the practical portion of the exam.
The locker area buzzed with nervous energy—zippers sliding, shoes hitting the floor, voices overlapping in a dozen different tones. Sorashi moved quickly, more focused than he let on.
His sportswear was a deep navy blue, fitted but flexible, with clean white accents running along the seams of the sleeves and down the sides of the pants. The fabric was light, breathable, and built for movement rather than appearance.
They were guided out again, this time toward the replica zones.
At the intersection where the paths split, Sorashi and Tenya slowed.
"Good luck, Tenya!" Sorashi said, extending his fist.
"Good luck, Sora-kun!" Tenya replied without hesitation, bumping it back.
Then they turned—each heading toward a different direction.
As they arrived at City Block C, the massive gates ahead began to slide open with a deep mechanical groan.
Buildings lined the streets in realistic blocks—apartment complexes with balconies, storefronts with shattered windows, traffic lights frozen mid-cycle. Cracked pavement, scattered debris, even dented street signs littered the area. It smelled faintly of dust and metal, the air heavy with the quiet tension of something waiting to happen.
"If you told me people lived here, I'd believe it," Sorashi muttered.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Examinees gathered around the entrance, eyes wide, taking it all in.
Nearby stood a tall boy cloaked in dark clothing, his head shaped like the shadowy silhouette of a bird. His red eyes scanned the district in silence, posture composed, almost solemn—like he was already listening for something others couldn't hear.
A few steps away, a much shorter boy bounced on the balls of his feet, purple spheres dotting his head like some kind of bizarre fruit. He leaned forward eagerly, eyes darting from girl to girl, his mouth one second from drooling.
"This might as well be a whole town!" a girl exclaimed beside Sorashi. Her skin was a soft pink, eyes square-shaped with black sclera and bright yellow irises that reflected the light. She craned her neck upward, clearly impressed. "How many replica sites like this exist on campus?"
Sorashi chuckled, hands resting behind his head. "Right? Makes you wonder what U.A.'s budget looks like."
He glanced at the buildings again. "Though, considering they're the top Hero school in Japan… I guess it makes sense."
The girl hummed, nodding slowly as if genuinely considering it.
Then—
"STARTOOOOO!!!"
Present Mic's voice exploded from overhead, reverberating through the district like a shockwave.
For a split second, hesitation froze the crowd. But, Sorashi's grin only widened.
"Welp," he said under his breath.
And then he ran. The others followed a moment after.
Straight into the city, sneakers pounding against the pavement as the exam finally began.
'Let's do this!'
— — END — —
Stones. Perhaps?
Iykyk.