The afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of U.A. High's Class 1-A homeroom, bathing the desks in a warm, golden light. The morning had been packed with rigorous physical tests that had left everyone sweaty, sore, and buzzing with both fatigue and energy. But now, the real shocker had arrived—an unexpected announcement by Aizawa as he wrapped up their evaluations.
"You're all done for the day. No Heroics, no Quirk lectures, no orientation. You've got the afternoon off. Use it to rest… or socialize," he muttered before zipping himself up in his yellow sleeping bag and retreating to the corner of the classroom like a cryptid who'd finally found his cave.
The class buzzed in a mixture of relief and surprise. They'd expected to be thrown into the next round of insanity immediately, given the intensity of their first day. For a moment, no one moved, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. But as the minutes passed, the reality sank in, and the students slowly began to relax.
Conversations sparked up, laughter echoed from the back of the room, and desks were rearranged to form casual groups. It was, by all appearances, a moment of peace. But Daichi Ishigami, sitting near the windows, wasn't at ease. He leaned back in his chair, his Echo Echo instincts humming faintly like a sonar ping.
His eyes scanned the room while his ears subtly tuned in to the ambient sound. Jiro had told him once that she could feel sound as vibrations more than noise. Daichi was beginning to think he understood what she meant.
There was something… off. He couldn't explain it logically, but his instincts flared like a silent alarm whenever his gaze landed on Yuga Aoyama.
The flashy blonde boy stood near the middle of the room, gesturing dramatically with his usual flair as he talked about something Daichi couldn't quite hear from this distance. Aoyama's words sounded confident, even pompous, but there was an undertone—something overly rehearsed. Daichi's gut twisted slightly.
His quirk wasn't precognition, but ever since he awakened the Echo Echo powers, his senses had become more attuned to subtle fluctuations in emotion and behavior—especially through sound. It wasn't something he could use as evidence, but it was enough for him to mark Aoyama in his mind. A point of interest. Or a future concern.
Instead of joining one of the chat groups, Daichi pulled his chair slightly away from the crowd and turned his attention to his classmates. He figured he might as well observe and try to understand the dynamics of his new class.
Kirishima was animatedly talking with Sero and Mina, describing how he thought Bakugo's explosion-laced long jump earlier was "manly as hell."
"Seriously, you looked like you were trying to blow up the entire testing grounds!" Kirishima said, slapping Bakugo on the back with a grin.
"Tch. That wasn't even my full power," Bakugo scoffed, arms crossed and scowl intact. "I'm just warming up. Next time, I'll send shockwaves through the damn ground."
"Always going 110% huh?" Sero said, chuckling.
"Damn right I am," Bakugo barked.
Despite his abrasive attitude, Bakugo didn't shove them away. If anything, he tolerated Kirishima's presence with less of his usual venom, though he still radiated his signature explosive aura. Every time Kirishima dragged him into a group conversation, Bakugo made some effort to ignore everyone else—but he didn't leave either.
Meanwhile, Kaminari had somehow attracted a small audience near the center of the room. He was in the middle of impersonating Present Mic's booming voice, standing on a chair and dramatically shouting, "PLUS ULTRA!!!" much to the amusement of Mina and Hagakure, who were giggling at his antics.
"Denki, you're going to short out your brain if you keep that up," Jiro deadpanned from nearby, clearly trying not to smile.
"Nah, not unless I actually use my Quirk. This is pure vocal talent, baby!" Kaminari said, giving her finger guns.
"You don't have talent," Jiro retorted, rolling her eyes.
"I have charm, though!"
"Debatable," Daichi said from his spot, giving Kaminari a sideways look.
Everyone laughed. Even Jiro let out a soft chuckle. She was leaning against the edge of a desk, arms crossed, one headphone jack twitching slightly from her earlobe like a lazy cat's tail. Her eyes flitted across the room, and when she saw Mineta staring at her from behind a desk, her expression soured.
"Ugh, I swear that boy with the balls on his head gives me the creeps," she muttered.
"You're not the only one," Hagakure piped up, appearing beside Jiro almost like a ghost. "I caught him trying to peek under my skirt this morning."
Mina made a face. "Again?! Gross!"
"Can we vote to expel him ourselves?" Sero added.
Kirishima chuckled awkwardly. "That might be a little harsh... but yeah, he needs to chill."
Bakugo snorted from his spot near the windows. "Tch. Should've blown him up during the Quirk test."
A few laughs followed that, though no one could quite tell if Bakugo was joking or serious.
Daichi glanced at Mineta, who was sulking in a corner. A pang of discomfort passed through him—not sympathy, not really—but a sense of unease. The kid's behavior was definitely sketchy. He made a mental note to keep an eye on him as well. Just in case.
As the clock in the corner of the room ticked toward dismissal, the general chatter began to die down. Students returned to their desks, some packing their bags, others simply zoning out from the long day.
When the final bell rang, Aizawa didn't even open his eyes—he just muttered a tired "Go home" from inside his sleeping bag.
Jiro gathered her things quickly and slung her backpack over one shoulder. As she walked past Daichi's desk, she stopped and tilted her head. "Hey. You taking the subway back?"
Daichi nodded. "Yeah. Same line as you, right?"
"Seems like it," she said, offering a slight smile. "Let's go before the others catch up."
Too late.
"Oi! Lovebirds!" Kaminari's voice rang out, and Daichi sighed heavily as he stood up.
Mina, Hagakure, and Kaminari approached with matching grins.
"Didn't know you two were commuting together," Mina teased, nudging Daichi with her elbow.
"Sharing playlists too?" Hagakure asked, giggling.
"Oh god, are you going to sing together on the train?" Kaminari added dramatically. "A duet of destiny!"
Daichi rolled his eyes. "I can literally scream at 150 decibels. Want me to demonstrate?"
Kaminari backed away with exaggerated fear. "No thank you! I value my eardrums!"
"Come on," Jiro said, smirking as she tugged on Daichi's sleeve. "Let's escape before they start writing shipping fanfics."
They waved a quick goodbye to their classmates and exited the building, the cool afternoon air washing over them like a refreshing wave. As they walked side by side toward the nearest subway station, the teasing words from earlier still echoed in Daichi's ears.
"…Lovebirds…"
He glanced sideways at Jiro, who seemed lost in thought, her earbuds tucked away and her jacket fluttering slightly in the breeze. It was quiet for a few blocks, the comfortable silence broken only by the rhythm of their footsteps.
Eventually, she spoke. "Hey… earlier, in the classroom… I've been meaning to ask."
"Hm?" he replied.
"You said your Quirk is sound-based, right?"
"Yeah. I can manipulate soundwaves, resonate frequencies, and duplicate myself with independent control. Basically, I can create constructs out of pure sound and movement."
Jiro looked intrigued. "That duplication part… is that a core function of your Quirk?"
Daichi nodded. "Pretty much. I can split into multiple copies, all sharing sensory input but operating separately. Each one can create and manipulate sound like the original."
"Sounds like a combo of multitasking and tactical pressure."
"Exactly. Great for crowd control and confusing enemies. But it has a downside—each clone drains stamina proportionally, and sound distortion in the environment can interfere with accuracy."
Jiro nodded slowly, clearly analyzing everything. "My Quirk's limited to channeling vibrations through my earphone jacks. I can hear really well, pick up faint sounds from afar. But I don't have much destructive force unless I plug into something."
"You've got potential, though," Daichi said. "What you lack in raw power, you make up for with utility. Ever tried to amplify your own heartbeat or vocal resonance for bursts of sound?"
Jiro blinked. "I… haven't. You think that'd work?"
"If you can control internal resonance, you might be able to create shockwave pulses without external objects."
Her eyes lit up. "That's genius."
He shrugged. "Just an idea. Could use some testing."
They reached the station and passed through the turnstiles together. The train arrived just as they stepped onto the platform. It was relatively empty inside, so they found a pair of seats by the window and settled in.
As the train rocked forward, Daichi leaned back and stared out at the buildings whipping by. Jiro pulled out one earbud but left the other in, offering the open side to him.
He took it, slipping it in without hesitation.
A soft melody filled the silence—alternative rock, heavy bassline, mellow vocals.
"…You've got good taste," he said after a beat.
"I know," she said with a small smirk.
They rode in companionable silence, and for a moment, it felt less like the first day of an insane school and more like a scene from a normal teenage life. Just two people, music, and the motion of a train carrying them toward whatever came next.
And even though the world around them was full of quirks, villains, and unpredictable danger… in that moment, things felt strangely balanced.
They parted ways at their respective stations, offering casual waves. But the lingering smile on Daichi's face said more than words could. He barely noticed the ride home. Not the tired passengers, not the shifting skyline—only the echo of her music and the subtle realization that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to belong.
When he got home, his mother immediately raised an eyebrow at his unusually upbeat expression.
"You're smiling," Miyuki Ishigami said, peering over her glasses. "Did something happen on your way back?"
"…Just had a nice chat," Daichi replied casually.
"With a girl?" she asked, far too quickly.
"I never said—"
"Oh my god, it is a girl," she gasped dramatically.
Tatsuya Ishigami looked up from the newspaper, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "You're not dating already, are you? I'll need to run a background check."
"Dad—" Daichi groaned.
"Don't worry, I'll just ask the U.A. staff. I'm sure Principal Nezu keeps track of relationship statuses."
Miyuki burst out laughing while Daichi retreated to his room, already regretting walking through the front door with a smile.
Still… he couldn't help the warmth spreading through his chest.
Maybe school wasn't going to be so bad after all.