Time flew by, and Masata's carefree third-year middle school life quickly came to an end. Today was the long-awaited day—the Hero Course entrance exam for U.A. High School.
"This is incredible, Momo! U.A. High School really is magnificent!" Masata exclaimed as he stood at the school gate, staring up at the towering buildings beyond the enormous entrance. He turned to Yaoyorozu Momo with exaggerated awe. "It's completely different from ordinary high schools!"
"Of course," Momo replied confidently, raising a finger as she explained. "U.A.'s Hero Course is the most prestigious in the country. All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist—so many top Heroes graduated from here. That's why people say that graduating from U.A. is practically a prerequisite for becoming a great Hero."
Her face was filled with pride. After all, she herself had been exempted from the written entrance exam—being proud of that was only natural.
At that moment, Masata's gaze suddenly locked onto a familiar flash of green.
"Huh?" he muttered. "That guy looks really familiar… That hair color—wasn't he the kid from the sludge monster incident a year ago?"
As Masata focused on the figure ahead, he noticed another presence.
"Get lost, damn nerd," a white-haired boy with an aggressive aura snapped impatiently. "Don't stand in my way, or I'll kill you."
"A-Ah, Kacchan… g-good morning," the green-haired boy immediately shrank back, forcing a nervous smile. "L-Let's both do our best today…"
The white-haired boy ignored him completely, shoving his hands into his pockets and striding forward without another glance.
Masata watched the exchange with great interest.
"Ohhh, now that I think about it—it's those two," he mused internally. "White hair and green hair… They were together during the sludge incident. Looks like their relationship is still as 'harmonious' as ever~"
A malicious grin crept onto his face.
"Yo! Kid!"
Since they were technically acquaintances who had all been detained by the police that day, Masata casually walked up and slapped the green-haired boy on the shoulder.
"Do you still remember me?"
Caught off guard, the green-haired boy jumped, then turned around and stared in shock before his eyes lit up.
"Ah—ah! You're… you're the one from back then! Big Brother Magma!" he said excitedly. "You were taken away by the police before I could thank you! Are you okay? You weren't injured, right? And—are you also taking the entrance exam here? I always thought you were older than me!"
Masata immediately pressed a finger to his own forehead.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down," he said helplessly. "That's way too many questions at once. First, yes—I'm the 'Magma brother' you're talking about, but I do have a proper name. It's Igarashi Masata. The one next to me is Yaoyorozu Momo."
"Second, I wasn't injured, and I wasn't punished by the police. Third, yes, I'm also here to take the entrance exam—I'm a freshman candidate just like you."
He paused, then looked at the boy expectantly.
"And now, it's your turn. What's your name?"
The green-haired boy flushed slightly, realizing he hadn't introduced himself.
"M-My name is Midoriya Izuku!" he said quickly. "The Hero I admire most is All Might, and my favorite food is katsudon—"
"Stop. Stop. Stop," Masata interrupted, waving his hand. "Why did your favorite food come out too? Is this some kind of personality dump?"
Izuku froze.
"It's almost time," Masata added, glancing ahead. "Let's head to the exam venue together."
"Hey! You bastard!"
Before Izuku could respond, a furious shout rang out.
The white-haired boy turned around, glaring murderously.
"You're that magma bastard who beat the sludge monster back then!" he snarled. "Remember this—my name is Bakugo Katsuki! I didn't ask for your damn help!"
With that, Bakugo turned away again and stormed forward without looking back.
Masata watched him go, then leaned toward Izuku with a teasing grin.
"That your boyfriend?"
"No! No, no!" Izuku panicked immediately. "Kacchan is just my friend! We grew up together! And I'm a boy—how could I have a boyfriend?!"
"Ohhh, so a childhood friend," Masata laughed. "Your relationship really is something."
"I said it's not like that!"
"Alright, you two," Momo finally spoke up, having remained quiet the whole time. "Time's tight. Let's head to the venue. Masata, I'll be going to my own area now."
"Got it, got it," Masata replied cheerfully. "See you this evening!"
Masata, Izuku, and Bakugo soon found themselves seated together inside the examination hall.
"That girl earlier—your friend?" Izuku asked quietly. "Isn't she taking the exam?"
"You mean Momo?" Masata replied. "She's my childhood friend. She was exempted from the entrance exam, so she's probably undergoing a Quirk evaluation instead. That's why she's not in the same room as us."
"That's amazing!" Izuku said, eyes sparkling. "An exempted student—there can't be many like that in the entire year! She's definitely going to become an incredible Hero!"
BOOM!
Suddenly, bright lights flared on the stage, and the massive screen behind it lit up with the U.A. High School emblem.
"Dear examinees! Welcome to my show—EVERYBODY SAY 'HEY'!"
A teacher dressed in flashy hip-hop attire shouted energetically from center stage.
Although startled by the sudden opening, Masata—who had endured countless long-winded speeches in his previous life—responded instinctively and enthusiastically.
"HEY!!!"
The entire auditorium fell dead silent.
Masata's shout echoed alone.
"…Ah," Masata muttered awkwardly. "Did I mess up?"
Countless gazes turned toward him, making even Masata feel embarrassed.
"Looks like everyone's enthusiasm is off the charts!" the teacher said loudly, completely unfazed. "Alright! Let me explain the exam rules!"
"ARE YOU READY?!"
"YEAH!!!"
"…He's really just hyping himself up," Masata muttered blankly.
"As stated in the exam guidelines," the teacher continued, "you'll participate in a ten-minute simulated urban combat exercise!"
"You may bring anything with you into the designated area!"
"There are three types of simulated enemies, each with different point values based on difficulty level!"
"Defeat enemies using your Quirks to earn points—that's your objective!"
"Of course," he added sharply, "any actions that violate the spirit of a Hero—such as attacking other examinees—are strictly prohibited!"
A student suddenly raised his hand.
"I have a question."
"Of course!" the teacher replied dramatically.
Masata glanced over and saw a bespectacled boy who looked like the model honor student.
"There are four types of simulated enemies listed in the exam materials," the boy said seriously. "If that information is incorrect, it would be a major oversight for U.A. High School."
He adjusted his glasses.
"And also—there's a student with curly hair over there," he added, pointing straight at Izuku. "He's been muttering to himself nonstop since you arrived, making it hard for others to concentrate. If you came here just for excitement, please leave U.A. immediately!"
Izuku froze in place.