Author's Note:
Perhaps because of the previous chapter, some might think Momo is the prime candidate for a pairing with the protagonist. But as I mentioned before, I want him to have close interactions with several girls without seeming like a womanizer. Just natural connections.
Still, you have to admit Momo has a bit of an advantage. I like the interactions that have come up with her so far. And I have plans for Momo's quirk in the future.
On another note, I rewatched the scene in the anime where All Might faces All For One using the tech suit, and I was surprised by how durable it was. They literally crashed it into several buildings and the suit still worked. I didn't remember it being that tough in the manga.
And well, it seems like work is about to catch up with me. If that happens, the chapter update rate could slow down quite a bit. It's not certain yet, but I'm warning you just in case. In the meantime, I'll keep posting what I can.
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The blaring alarm still echoed through the air when students suddenly began rising from their seats. Some trays fell to the ground, voices overlapped, and hurried footsteps filled the cafeteria within seconds.
Momo stood up immediately, leaving her tray behind. I followed her instinctively.
The hallway was packed. Students rushed past each other, bumping shoulders, voices mixing in a chaotic blur, and the anxious murmuring grew louder with every step. No one knew for sure what was going on—only that we had to evacuate. There were no teachers in sight, which only added to the confusion. They were probably already checking the situation.
We moved forward with difficulty, carried by the human tide. And then, without knowing how, Momo and I ended up pushed against one of the corridor walls, right in front of one of the building's large windows.
"Ah…!" she gasped, stumbling back.
Her back hit the glass, and before I could think, I was already leaning forward instinctively to avoid crushing her. I placed one hand on the window, just beside her head, with my arm stretched out. It was a clumsy, improvised move… but necessary. The last thing I wanted was to press her against the glass.
Even so, the result was worse than expected.
We were close. Way too close.
Our faces were only a few inches apart. I could feel the heat rising in her cheeks even before I looked at her directly. Momo quickly turned her gaze away, as if unsure where to look. Her lips were slightly parted, and even though she tried to keep a neutral expression, the blush on her face gave her away completely.
I looked away too, trying to ignore the awkward tingling in my stomach. That's when I saw them.
Beyond the glass, right outside the main entrance, a group of reporters had gathered—cameras up, microphones raised, trying to push their way in.
"They're just reporters," I murmured, pointing at them.
Momo followed my gaze, and her expression changed instantly. The embarrassment from just a moment ago vanished, replaced by a mix of surprise and irritation.
"That's what triggered the alarm?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
Before I could answer, we saw Iida float up near the entrance. From there, he began giving instructions in a loud and steady voice, trying to bring order to the students. His presence quickly calmed things down. Little by little, students began to relax and spread out through the halls, still whispering about what had happened.
Back in the classroom, the atmosphere felt... off. We walked in silence. I didn't know if she was still thinking about what just happened, or if she was just uncomfortable with the whole situation.
After a few seconds that felt way longer than they should have, I decided to speak up.
"About what just happened…" I said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"It's fine," she replied quickly—though without looking at me.
Her tone was kind, but her body language said otherwise. She walked a few steps ahead, never turning around. From that angle, I couldn't see her face, which only made me wonder: did she really mean it? Or was she just being polite?
I didn't push the subject. I just followed silently, giving her space.
Once we got back, class had resumed. Like in the original story, Izuku decided to give up his position—though this time, not as class president, but as vice president.
No one argued. In fact, many of our classmates supported him right away, understanding his decision. As expected, Iida was surprised and grateful. He bowed respectfully as he accepted the role.
And so, things in the classroom went back to their usual rhythm. Classes continued without much disruption.
When everything ended, I headed straight to the support workshop. I wanted to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow.
The USJ attack is coming soon.
I could say I felt calm... but that would be a lie. I was nervous, worried, with a tight feeling in my chest I just couldn't shake. Even so, I had prepared for this. I couldn't afford to mess up.
I checked every part of my equipment. The visor, the gloves, the drones... but I paid extra attention to the communicator.
I put on the visor and pressed a small button on the side.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?"
On the other side of the workshop, a walkie-talkie crackled softly, repeating my voice with a faint echo. It worked. That gave me a small sense of relief.
I had run several tests on this model. It could even connect to nearby police radio frequencies if needed. Still, to avoid drawing suspicion, I had come up with a cover story: I'd leave the communicator in the workshop "by accident," and if anyone asked, I'd say it was just an unfinished prototype. With any luck, Hatsume would hear it... or Power Loader, who was usually close by to make sure Mei didn't blow everything sky-high.
After all, I knew that later in the story, the teachers and even the principal start suspecting there might be a traitor inside U.A. And even if it doesn't get resolved until much later, I didn't want to give them any reason to think it might be me.
I gave my gear one last check. Everything was in place.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the pressure building in my chest.
Tomorrow, I'd be facing a real fight. Not a test. No safety nets. Just us, against actual villains.
It all felt so contradictory. Putting myself in danger... to stop more danger. But I had to do it. I had to take the risk, to make sure things went the right way.
"For a tomorrow where I can live without worries," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.
"Huh? Did you say something, assistant?" Mei looked up from her workbench, a wrench in hand and her hair just as messy as always.
"Nothing, Hatsume," I replied with a faint smile, brushing off the dramatic moment.
She returned to what she was doing, muttering something about "boosting recoil power" and "more launch stability." As usual, completely in her own world.
I had to return to mine, too. Because tomorrow, everything would begin.
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"Rescue training," Aizawa announced from the front of the classroom.
Immediately, several classmates started murmuring excitedly. Some even leaned over their desks, exchanging thrilled comments.
"I'm not done," Aizawa added, cutting off the excitement with a single sentence. "Listen carefully: you can choose to wear your hero costumes, but keep in mind that in some situations, they might limit your abilities."
He then pressed a button on a small remote he pulled from his pocket. From one of the side walls, several compartments opened up, revealing each student's costume, perfectly arranged and labeled.
"The training will take place outside U.A.'s facilities, so we'll be traveling by bus. That's all. Get ready."
With those words, Aizawa left the room without looking back.
We all headed to the locker rooms and changed into our hero costumes. Once ready, we gathered at the designated meeting point in front of the school, waiting for the rest of the class to get ready.
While I waited, I noticed Yaoyorozu chatting with Iida. As usual, he was being his overly serious self, suggesting we should sit on the bus according to our student ID numbers.
I looked at Yaoyorozu for a few more seconds before turning away.
After what happened yesterday, things seemed to have settled between us. We hadn't brought it up again, but at least that uncomfortable tension was gone. She was talking to Iida casually, nodding while he gestured animatedly.
"Hey, Riku!" I suddenly heard from beside me. "Ready for rescue training?"
It was Mina Ashido. She wore her hero costume with the same high energy she always carried. She smiled at me brightly as she walked up, hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, forcing a small smile.
She laughed, and we chatted for a bit. Nothing too deep—just random thoughts about what kind of rescue scenarios we might face, silly guesses, a few jokes. It helped me take my mind off things.
But soon enough, the rest of the class joined us, and one by one, we all boarded the bus.
I ended up sitting between Hagakure and Tokoyami. I felt a light flutter of nerves in my stomach. I looked down and noticed my foot tapping restlessly. I stopped it the moment I realized and took a deep breath.
I turned toward Hagakure. The only visible parts of her were her gloves and shoes. I figured a bit of conversation might help distract me.
"Hey, Hagakure," I said quietly as the bus started moving. "I've always been curious... how exactly does your quirk work? I mean, does sunlight go right through you? Is that why you don't cast a shadow?"
She turned her head toward me. At least, I assumed she did, since one of her gloves shifted slightly in my direction.
"Huh? Well... yeah, I guess so," she answered with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I've always been invisible, so I never really thought too much about it. I figured it was just obvious..."
She seemed a little puzzled by my curiosity. Maybe, for her, her quirk was so natural that she never really stopped to analyze it deeply.
I, on the other hand, kept thinking about it. Honestly, I couldn't really remember the details of how her quirk worked in the anime. I knew that later on she'd develop ways to use it beyond just being invisible, but the specifics were blurry. So I started comparing it to things I remembered from my previous life.
Once, I think I saw something online about a Chinese scientist, Chu Junhao, who developed a material that could make certain objects "invisible"—or at least camouflage them very well. Even in this world, I remembered reading an old news article about something similar, but it was so outdated that I couldn't find much information on it.
Of course, that kind of tech wasn't anywhere near what Hagakure could do. It was more like a special glass that blocked light from a specific angle, making whatever was behind it look like it vanished. It used basic optics principles, like light reflection and refraction.
Maybe, if I could adapt those concepts, I could make my drones invisible—or at least harder to see. It was an interesting idea, even if it was still just a rough concept.
"Your quirk is more interesting than it seems," I said out loud, half-thinking to myself.
"Really? I never thought that deeply about it," she replied with a nervous laugh. "It's just always been like this, ever since I can remember."
"Maybe you should look into it more," I suggested. "I mean, who knows? You might find new ways to use it."
She seemed to think about it for a moment, then shrugged lightly.
"Maybe... but I'm doing fine with it for now."
I turned my eyes toward the front of the bus, still deep in thought. Sometimes, even the simplest quirks had some kind of scientific logic behind them... you just had to look for it.
That chat with Hagakure distracted me more than I expected. But it was just that: a brief distraction.
Because soon, the bus came to a stop.
"We're here," said Aizawa from his seat. "Everyone off."
The chatter inside quieted down right away. We all stood up—some faster than others—and began getting off the bus in order.
I got to my feet, took a deep breath, and followed the group.
And the moment I stepped outside, I saw it: the USJ building, looming large in front of us.
"Alright," I muttered. "Here we go."