Chapter 17: Shota Aizawa
A thing resembling a caterpillar suddenly appeared at the classroom door. The yellow caterpillar writhed, turned in a circle, and revealed a human face.
He stood up, shedding the sleeping bag that looked like a caterpillar's skin, and revealed his face.
The dark circles under his eyes and the sparse stubble on his chin were clear indicators of his irregular lifestyle. He wore a slightly dirty tracksuit that probably hadn't been washed in a long time. For some reason, his neck was wrapped in many layers of bandages. A pair of goggles, their lenses smudged with dirt, was perched on his messy hair...
Needless to say, he looked like a middle-aged man who stayed up all night, probably spending his time in some izakaya.
"Alright, it took you eight seconds to quiet down." He unzipped the sleeping bag and stepped out. Like the parting of the Red Sea, the students blocking the doorway unconsciously cleared a path to the teacher's desk. "Time is limited. It seems you all lack rationality."
"Are you a teacher?" someone asked. "Does that mean you're also a Pro Hero?"
"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. Nice to meet you." He scanned the class, saw that everyone was present, and continued, "Now, everyone put these on and meet me on the field. Time is of the essence."
From some dimensional pocket within his sleeping bag, he pulled out the school-issued tracksuits for everyone, showed them to the class, and then stuffed them back in.
Is he really our homeroom teacher? Everyone in Class 1-A had their doubts. Can someone this listless really teach us?
Besides, it was the first day of school. What were they going to do on the field?
Although they were confused, the students of Class 1-A all got up and moved.
Yoshikage Kira found an empty seat, put down his bag, and followed the main group to the changing rooms. He easily found the locker with his name on it.
In today's society, it was common for people's body shapes and appearances to be altered by their Quirks. The old method of producing uniforms in standard sizes was outdated. Now, schools collected basic information like height and weight from each student before the school year started. Uniforms and tracksuits were generally custom-made to ensure they didn't cause any discomfort.
The tracksuit was primarily blue, with white as a secondary color forming the letter "A," a symbol of Class 1-A. It looked sleek and professional.
...Although he'd like to think so, the tracksuits for Class B also had the same letter on the front.
While Yoshikage wasn't particularly concerned with clothes as long as they were clean and tidy, he couldn't help but marvel at U.A.'s wealth.
Speaking of which, before enrollment, U.A. had also asked for a list of requirements for their future hero costumes, as well as a general design concept, which was then given to U.A.'s partnered manufacturers. That was also funded by U.A., though if you were dissatisfied with certain aspects or wanted to make improvements, you had to find someone to modify it yourself. The Support Course at U.A. offered classes that covered just that.
When everyone had gathered on the field, their homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa, said flatly, "We're going to do a Quirk apprehension test."
"What about the entrance ceremony? Or the school tour?" a girl named Ochaco Uraraka asked in disbelief. "Isn't that what you normally do on the first day?"
"If you want to be a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely activities," he said, turning to face them. "We're going to do a physical fitness test. You all did them in junior high, right? The ones where you can't use your Quirks."
"But I think that standard is completely unreasonable. It's an oversight by the Ministry of Education." He looked at Bakugo. "The one who got first place in the practical exam was Bakugo, right? How far could you throw a softball in junior high?"
Bakugo glanced smugly at Yoshikage and said, "67 meters."
"Now try it with your Quirk. You can do whatever you want as long as you stay within the circle."
"Is that so?" Bakugo stretched his body and got into a pitching stance. He let out a roar and threw the ball. "DIE!"
Like a rocket, the softball, wreathed in flames, shot straight into the sky, leaving a trail of smoke that lingered for a long time.
"You need to know your own limits. That's a rational way to create a hero." Aizawa showed them Bakugo's score.
"705 meters... Are you kidding me?!" someone exclaimed. "Can using your Quirk really improve your score that much?!"
Is he using the shockwave from the explosion to propel the ball? Yoshikage analyzed silently. Logically, even with the power of an explosion, it shouldn't be possible to throw it that far. Unless... he used the high temperature from the friction in the air to create a secondary acceleration!
He glanced at Bakugo, who was staring at his own palm, lost in thought. Has his control over temperature reached that level? He's surprisingly meticulous for someone who looks so rough. Not only does he have a powerful Quirk, but he also has a sharp combat mind... He'll definitely be a powerful Pro Hero in the future.
This power was too immense. In a head-on fight, Kira would probably suffer a crushing defeat. Of course, that was assuming he didn't use "Killer Queen."
"This is so fun!" Mina Ashido clapped her hands happily. "Being able to use our Quirks freely, that's U.A. for you!"
"Oh... fun, is it?" Aizawa's expression darkened as he looked at the excited students. "Is this the attitude you plan to have for the next three years?"
The students gradually quieted down, looking at the suddenly sinister-smiling Aizawa with confusion.
"Alright then. The person with the lowest total score in all eight events will be deemed to have no potential and will be expelled."
"No way! It's only the first day of school!" Ochaco Uraraka unconsciously took a few steps closer to Aizawa. "Even if it wasn't the first day, that's too unreasonable!"
Tenya Iida pushed up his glasses and added, "That's right. We worked so hard to get into the U.A. Hero Course, and you're going to expel someone just because they failed a physical fitness test? That's not something U.A., the cradle of heroes, should do."
"Cradle of heroes?" Aizawa said, as if he had heard something ridiculous. "This is no cradle. This place is full of hardship. If you're hoping for a peaceful three years where you can go to McDonald's with your friends after school, then I'm sorry to disappoint you. For the next three years, U.A. will relentlessly throw challenges your way."
"And what you have to do..." Aizawa pointed a finger at Izuku Midoriya, who was sweating for some reason. "...is to overcome these hardships with all your might."
"Do your best not to be eliminated, my little future heroes," Aizawa said with a cold smile.