The morning sun glinted off U.A.'s towering gates as we approached, casting long shadows across the pavement. The usual chatter of students was drowned out by the sudden roar of voices.
The air was thick with the persistent sound of microphones being shoved into faces. Flash! A camera went off, momentarily blinding me. I squinted, trying to push forward through the throng of reporters who seemed more like vultures than journalists. Their questions buzzed in my ears like a swarm of angry bees.
"What's All Might like as a teacher?" A reporter shoved a microphone toward me, her manicured nails tapping impatiently against the recording device.
I sidestepped her without breaking stride, my hands shoved deep in my pockets. The less I engaged, the faster they'd leave me alone.
Beside me, Ochako stiffened as another reporter zeroed in on her. "Is it true All Might personally recommended you?"
Her cheeks flushed. "I—uh—well—"
Iida, ever the diplomat, stepped in smoothly. "All Might-sensei treats every student with equal dedication. Now, if you'll excuse us—"
Then came the moment that made the entire ordeal worth it.
A particularly aggressive journalist shoved his way toward Bakugo, thrusting a recorder in his face. "Hey! Aren't you the kid from the sludge villain incident? The one who got captured?"
The air around Bakugo warped with heat. His palms twitched, tiny explosions popping like firecrackers. His voice was a low, dangerous growl. "The hell did you just say—?"
Before he could reduce the man to ash, Aizawa-sensei materialized from the crowd like a shadow given human form. His scarf billowed slightly despite the lack of wind, and his bloodshot eyes swept over the reporters with palpable disdain.
The journalists lunged toward him, but the massive U.A. gates groaned and then slammed shut with a thunderous clang, cutting them off mid-question.
"Unauthorized personnel are not permitted on school grounds," the automated system droned. "Security protocols activated."
A few reporters yelped as the gates nearly clipped them. We didn't look back.
Aizawa-sensei didn't even bother sitting at his desk. He slumped against the wall, cocooned in his yellow sleeping bag like a disgruntled caterpillar.
"Today, you'll elect your class representatives," he muttered, as if the very concept pained him. "Do it quickly. I don't care how."
Papers were passed around. I tapped my pen against my chin, scanning the room.
Momo Yaoyorozu.
No hesitation. She was calm under pressure, brilliant, and—unlike some of our classmates—didn't have the impulse control of a firework in a dynamite factory.
When the votes were tallied, the results were… unexpected.
"Tied for first place—Yaoyorozu and Kuroda, with three votes each."
A murmur rippled through the room. I blinked. Three votes? I'd only voted for Momo. Who the hell—?
Kirishima shot me a thumbs-up. "You kept your cool during the entrance exam, man. Solid leadership material!"
Jiro smirked. "At least you don't scream everything like a certain someone." (Kaminari squawked indignantly in the background.)
The third voter remained a mystery—though I caught Tokoyami's slight nod from the corner of my eye. Huh.
Before anyone could suggest a revote, I raised my hand. "I'll step down. Yaoyorozu should be Class Rep. I'll take Assistant Rep."
I watched Momo's eyes widen slightly at my decision, and for a moment, I wondered if I was being too self-sacrificial. Was I too eager to avoid the spotlight? But the truth was, Momo was far more suited for the position, and I didn't need the title to feel validated. Still, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder why I had even received three votes in the first place.
Momo's eyes widened slightly, but she inclined her head. "I accept. Thank you."
Aizawa-sensei grunted. "Good. Now stop wasting my time."
The cafeteria was a sea of noise—trays clattering, laughter, the occasional food fight breaking out between the more excitable students. I'd just taken a bite of my katsudon when—
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED INTRUSION. SECURITY LOCKDOWN INITIATED.
The alarms screeched like a wounded banshee.
For a heartbeat, silence. Then—
Pandemonium.
The sound of the alarm was deafening, a shrill wail that rattled my bones. For a heartbeat, the entire room was frozen in a mix of confusion and fear. Then, like a dam bursting, chaos erupted. Students bolted to their feet, some shouting, others frozen in terror. The air was thick with the acrid scent of sweat and panic, and the floor trembled with the stampede of feet. Chairs scraped wildly as bodies shoved past, desperate to escape. Someone screamed "VILLAINS!" and it was like a switch had been flipped, turning the room into a frenzy.
Midoriya's hand clenched around his tray. "We have to—!"
"Wait." I grabbed his wrist. "Look."
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Present Mic's wild gesticulations were visible even from here. Eraserhead stood beside him, scarf half-unwound as he glared down a pack of reporters who'd somehow slipped past U.A.'s defenses.
Inside, the chaos worsened. A first-year from another class tripped, and for a horrifying second, I thought they'd be trampled—until Sato yanked them up by the collar.
This was spiraling fast.
I turned to the others. "Uraraka—float Iida. Iida, get to the front and tell them it's just the press."
Iida paused for a heartbeat, eyes scanning the crowd, uncertainty flickering in his normally composed expression. Could he do this? Would he be able to calm everyone down? Then, with a decisive movement, his posture straightened, and he nodded. "Understood." This was the moment to prove his mettle as a leader.
Ochako tapped his shoulder. "Release!"
With a burst of engine-powered speed, Iida launched over the crowd, landing atop a cafeteria table with a thud that silenced the nearest students.
"EVERYONE, LISTEN!" His voice cut through the noise like a blade. "THERE IS NO THREAT! THE INTRUDERS ARE JOURNALISTS! THIS IS U.A.—PRO HEROES SURROUND US! ALL MIGHT IS HERE! PANICKING ONLY ENDANGERS EACH OTHER!"
The crowd stilled. Whispers replaced screams.
Then—
Click. The doors unlocked.
The tension shattered like glass. Students sagged in relief, some laughing nervously.
Iida dropped down, smoothing his uniform. "Crisis averted."
Midoriya exhaled shakily. "That could've been bad…"
Ochako grinned. "Nice thinking, Jin!"
I smirked. "Just earning my assistant rep title."
But as the cafeteria buzzed back to life, I couldn't shake the prickling at the back of my neck.
Today was just reporters.
But if they could breach U.A.'s defenses… what else could?