The shrill beeping of Rei's alarm tore through the quiet of the morning.He stared at the glowing red numbers for a long second, debating whether or not to hit snooze.
'First day at U.A.… oversleeping would be a bad look.'
With a sigh, he swung his legs over the bed, the cool air brushing against his skin. The apartment was unusually silent — no faint hum of Aizawa's coffee machine, no rustle of movement in the kitchen.
Of course, Aizawa wouldn't be here. He'd already be at U.A., preparing for class.
Rei padded into the kitchen, grabbed a convenience-store sandwich from the fridge, and leaned against the counter.
"Guess it's just me today," he muttered to the empty room, unwrapping the sandwich.
The quiet gave him too much time to think — about the massive gates, the crowds of new students, the possibility of Present Mic's voice shattering his eardrums before nine in the morning.
He took a slow bite, staring out the window. 'Well… ready or not.'
Rei locked the door behind him and stepped out into the cool morning air, the streets already busy with commuters.
It wasn't long before he found himself standing on the platform, the faint rumble of an approaching train echoing through the tunnel. The digital sign above ticked down the minutes, though the crowd around him hardly seemed to notice.
A few students in different uniforms milled about, chatting nervously or scrolling through their phones. One or two wore the same brand-new U.A. blazer he carried in his bag.
The train slid into the station with a low screech, doors hissing open. Rei stepped inside, grabbing a pole near the middle. The car smelled faintly of coffee and newspaper ink — an oddly comforting scent.
As the train lurched forward, Rei caught a glimpse of the city rushing by through the window. Skyscrapers melted into residential blocks, then into the sprawling greenery that edged closer to U.A.'s district.
He adjusted his bag on his shoulder, letting the rhythm of the tracks drown out his thoughts. 'This is it. No going back now.'
Rei stepped off the train with the rest of the crowd, following the stream of uniforms and nervous chatter until the massive gates of U.A. High came into view.
He slowed to a stop.
The building stretched high above him, its glass walls reflecting the morning sun like a beacon. The air seemed heavier here, charged with something he couldn't quite name—anticipation, maybe, or the sheer weight of history.
'It's… huge,' Rei thought, tilting his head back to take in the towering structure. Even after everything Aizawa had told him, the real thing still managed to steal his breath.
Students all around him buzzed with energy, some snapping pictures, others whispering in awe. Rei kept his expression even, though his pulse quickened.
This was it. The place where heroes were made. The place where his future—whatever it turned into—would begin.
Rei unfolded a small slip of paper he had tucked into his pocket, the one he'd written down carefully the night before. His eyes traced over the neat handwriting. "Room 1-A…" he muttered under his breath.
'The same number as my class back in middle school. Guess some things don't change.'
The thought almost made him smile, but the nerves twisting in his stomach smothered it.
Navigating through the labyrinth that was U.A. had proven less difficult than he expected. The building was enormous, with endless corridors gleaming under polished lights and signs marking each hall. It felt less like a school and more like a polished facility built for professionals. Yet, despite its intimidating size, his steps carried him steadily toward his destination.
Eventually, he found himself standing in front of a tall, pristine door that read in bold, red lettering: 1-A.
Rei stopped. His hand hovered for a moment, caught between hesitation and resolve. The muffled sounds of voices leaked from the other side, faint but lively.
'So this is it…' His gaze lingered on the door a little longer, as if staring at it would make the reality sink in.
He took a quiet breath, let it out slowly, then sighed, shaking off the weight pressing against his chest.
Finally, with a deliberate push, Rei reached forward and stepped through the door.
The instant the door slid open, silence seemed to ripple across the room. A dozen pairs of eyes snapped toward him at once, their gazes sharp, curious, and unrelenting.
Rei froze for half a heartbeat under the sudden weight of attention.
'Ah, great… exactly what I wanted on my first day.'
The air felt thicker, every second stretched out as the chatter that had filled the room moments ago tapered into hushed whispers. Some students leaned back in their chairs, openly staring. Others only cast him sidelong glances, but Rei felt all of it—like spotlights cutting through his composure.
Still, he didn't falter. His steps clicked against the floor as he forced himself forward, back straight, expression blank. He pretended not to notice the scrutiny, though every nerve in his body screamed at the stares boring into him.
'Just keep walking. Find a seat. Don't give them anything.'
He tightened his grip on the strap of his bag and kept moving, each step carrying him deeper into the unknown.
As the hum of chatter slowly filled the room again, one student broke through the crowd with an easy stride. His hair was a fiery red, spiked upward in a way that looked less styled and more like it was trying to escape his scalp.
He grinned wide, his sharp teeth catching the light. "What's up, dude! Name's Kirishima." Without hesitation, he clapped a hand down on Rei's shoulder with the kind of force that suggested he was used to roughhousing.
Rei blinked, stiff under the sudden contact. 'Let me guess… it's going to be about the scars.'
"My name's Kageyama, but just call me Rei," he replied evenly.
Kirishima's grin widened, and he cracked his knuckles as though to emphasize his words. "Rei, let me just say—those scars look so manly!"
Rei stared at him, trying to decide if he was being mocked or genuinely praised. His face stayed neutral, though his mind gave an incredulous sigh. 'I guess I predicted it… some way.'
"…Thanks?" he managed, his tone somewhere between confused and resigned.
Before he could retreat, another voice jumped in from just behind him. "Yo, how did you get those scars?"
Rei turned slightly to see a boy with bright yellow hair sticking out like jagged lightning-bolt strands. His posture was casual, hands resting on the back of his neck like he was already at home.
The boy's grin was easy, laid-back, but his eyes lit with interest. Rei narrowed his own. 'He looks familiar… I must have seen him during the Entrance Exam.'
Before Rei could say anything, Kirishima nudged him in the ribs with a sharp elbow. "Dude, you can't just say that!"
"What? I'm just curious!" the yellow-haired boy shot back, hands raised in defense. His voice cracked with how quickly he tried to justify himself.
Then, realizing how blunt he'd been, he spun toward Rei, palms smacking together in a dramatic gesture of apology. "I'm really sorry, man! I didn't mean it like that, honest! Your scars just looked cool, that's all. I'm Kaminari, by the way."
Rei stared at him for a moment, unimpressed. Kaminari's frantic grin didn't waver, though, like he thought over-explaining might dig him out of the hole. With a small sigh, Rei shook his head. "It's fine," he said evenly, though his tone left little room for questions. "But I'd rather not talk about it."
Kaminari's grin faltered, replaced with an awkward chuckle as he scratched at the back of his neck. "R-Right. Got it. My bad, man."
Kirishima, unfazed, brightened again and clapped Rei on the back with an enthusiasm that nearly shoved him forward. "Anyways, nice to meet you, Rei! You've got a solid vibe, dude. Real sturdy."
'Sturdy? That's a new one,' Rei thought, expression unmoving. Still, something about the redhead's sheer sincerity made it harder to brush him off
Eventually, more students trickled into the classroom, the noise level rising with every arrival.
A boy with messy green hair and freckles nervously hovered near his desk, clutching a notebook like it was his lifeline. Behind him shuffled a smaller boy whose head was… covered in purple balls? Rei had no idea what to even make of that.
Then came a broad-shouldered guy with multiple arms sprouting from his torso, each one moving with precise control, followed by another student whose long, muscular tail swished behind him, knocking lightly against the wall as he passed.
Rei sat quietly at his desk, posture straight and expression stoic. The chatter filled the room around him—laughter, greetings, bursts of conversation spilling over one another. He ignored most of it, though his eyes flicked up at a sudden rise in volume.
A blond boy with wild, spiky hair and an arrogant scowl was practically snarling across the classroom at a tall, dark-blue-haired student who was chopping his arms through the air with ridiculous precision, as if practicing kata in the middle of class. The blue-haired one's movements were sharp, mechanical—every motion punctuated with strict words Rei didn't bother to catch.
'That blond one… he probably has some kind of explosion quirk,' Rei thought dryly, studying the confidence—or arrogance—that practically radiated off of him. His gaze shifted to the other. 'And that's the same boy who lectured everyone during the Entrance Exam briefing… loud, serious, and annoying.'
Rei leaned back slightly in his chair, letting out the faintest sigh through his nose.
'Great…'
Rei's thoughts were interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice cutting cleanly through the chatter.
"If you're just here to make friends, then you can pack up your stuff now…"
The entire classroom froze, silence falling like a dropped weight. Every eye turned toward the corner where—of all things—a yellow caterpillar appeared to be sprawled out on the floor. Except… it wasn't a caterpillar at all.
The "caterpillar" unzipped itself and sat up, revealing a man with unkempt black hair and a gaze so sharp it could slice stone. His movements were sluggish, lazy almost, as he dragged himself out of the sleeping bag like someone forcing themselves out of bed after too many all-nighters.
"Welcome to U.A.'s hero course," the tired voice muttered. He scanned the students with heavy-lidded eyes that somehow still made half the class stiffen in their seats. "It took eight seconds before you all shut up. That's not going to work."
Rei leaned back in his chair, faintly amused at the way everyone else's confidence seemed to crack under the man's exhaustion-coated authority. 'Figures,' he thought, his lips twitching just slightly. 'Classic Aizawa.'
The man finally stood upright, the last remnants of his cocoon slung over one shoulder.
"Hello," he said flatly. "I'm Shota Aizawa. Your teacher."
The tension doubled instantly. The class exchanged wary glances, a few looking confused, others downright terrified. For many, this wasn't the warm, inspiring introduction they'd expected from U.A. High.
But Rei just rested his chin on his hand, expression unreadable. To him, it was nothing new.