Friday evening, Rei found himself standing outside a café near UA.
Not just any café—one of those quiet, academic-looking places where students actually studied instead of just hanging out. Bookshelves lined the walls, soft music played in the background, and the smell of coffee filled the air.
'Yaoyorozu's choice,' Rei thought, checking his phone. 'Makes sense. Quiet, functional, minimal distractions.'
He'd agreed to meet her here for their tactical discussion—a continuation of what they'd started at lunch. Just two classmates analyzing hero work and comparing notes.
Definitely not a date...
'Why am I even thinking about whether it's a date or not?' Rei wondered, slightly annoyed at himself.
'It's a study session. Professional development. Focus.'
He walked inside and immediately spotted her.
Yaoyorozu sat at a corner table, already set up with notebooks, a tablet, and two drinks—tea, from the looks of it. She'd changed out of her school uniform into casual clothes—a simple blouse and skirt, her hair still in its signature ponytail.
She looked up as he approached and smiled.
"Mizuki-san. Right on time."
"Yaoyorozu," Rei greeted, sitting down across from her. "You got here early."
"I wanted to organize my materials." She gestured to the spread of notes. "I hope you don't mind—I took the liberty of ordering tea for both of us. Green tea, no sugar. If you'd prefer something else—"
"That's fine," Rei said. "Thanks."
He pulled out his own notebook—still less organized than hers, but he'd at least tried to structure it better after seeing her system.
"So," Yaoyorozu began, opening her tablet to display what looked like a comprehensive analysis document. "I thought we could start by discussing theoretical matchups. How different Quirk combinations would interact in various scenarios."
"Sounds good." Rei leaned forward, interested. "Start with our class?"
"Exactly. For instance—" Yaoyorozu pulled up a diagram. "If you and I were to face Todoroki and Bakugo in a two-on-two scenario, what would our strategy be?"
'Now that's an interesting question,' Rei thought.
Todoroki and Bakugo were arguably the two strongest students in Class 1-A in terms of raw power. Ice, fire, and explosions—devastating combination.
"Information control again," Rei said after a moment. "Todoroki relies on line-of-sight for his ice. Bakugo needs space to maneuver for maximum explosive force. So we'd want to force close-quarters combat in a confined space with limited visibility."
"My thoughts exactly." Yaoyorozu's eyes lit up. "I could create smoke bombs to obscure vision. You'd use mobility to attack from unexpected angles—walls, ceiling, behind them."
"And you'd counter Todoroki's ice with insulation barriers," Rei added. "Maybe heated elements to melt it. While I keep Bakugo off-balance with webbing—restrict his movement, limit his ability to create big explosions."
"We'd need to separate them," Yaoyorozu continued, getting into it now. "Together, they cover each other's weaknesses. But individually, they're vulnerable to tactical pressure."
They continued like this for an hour—running through hypothetical matchups, discussing Quirk interactions, analyzing strengths and weaknesses. Todoroki vs. Iida. Bakugo vs. Tokoyami. Uraraka vs. Ashido. Every scenario was broken down, evaluated, solutions proposed.
And Rei found himself genuinely enjoying it. Yaoyorozu was sharp. Really sharp. She thought three steps ahead, considered variables most people would miss, and could shift strategies on the fly when presented with new information.
'She'd have made a terrifying tactician in my previous life,' Rei thought. 'If she'd gone into the darker side of things, she'd be unstoppable.'
But she hadn't. She'd chosen to be a hero. To use that brilliant mind to save people instead of destroy them.
'Maybe that's what makes her stronger,' Rei realized.
"You're very good at this," Yaoyorozu said suddenly, breaking his train of thought.
"Hm?" Rei looked up.
"Strategic thinking. Tactical analysis." She set down her pen and looked at him directly. "Most people our age don't have this level of... experience, I suppose. It's almost like you've done this before."
'Careful,' Rei's instincts warned. 'She's perceptive. Too perceptive.'
"I read a lot," Rei said, keeping his tone casual. "Military history, tactical manuals, that kind of thing. And I've trained with my Quirk for a while. You learn to think strategically when your abilities rely on positioning and timing."
"That makes sense." Yaoyorozu nodded, accepting the explanation. "I do something similar—studying engineering principles, material sciences, anything that expands my Creation applications."
She took a sip of her tea, then continued.
"May I ask you something personal?"
'Uh oh.'
"Sure," Rei said cautiously.
"Why did you apply to UA?"
The question caught him off-guard. Not because it was difficult—he'd prepared an answer for this—but because Yaoyorozu asked it with genuine curiosity, not judgment.
"To help people," Rei said. Which was true. Mostly. "I've got abilities that could make a difference. Seemed like a waste not to use them."
"A practical answer," Yaoyorozu observed. "But is that all?"
Rei considered how much to reveal. How honest to be.
"I want to be better than I was," he said finally. "Better than what I could've become. Being a hero... it's a way to make sure I'm using my skills for something good."
Yaoyorozu studied him for a moment, her analytical gaze seeing more than he was comfortable with. Then she smiled—warm, genuine.
"I think that's a wonderful reason," she said. "Many of our classmates want to be heroes for fame or recognition. But you... you want to be better. That's admirable."
'If you knew what I was in my previous life,' Rei thought, 'you wouldn't call it admirable.'
But he didn't say that. Instead, he asked, "What about you? Why UA?"
Yaoyorozu's expression shifted—something complicated crossing her face.
"Family expectations, initially," she admitted. "The Yaoyorozus have a long history of producing accomplished individuals. Heroes, business leaders, politicians. There was an expectation that I'd excel at whatever I chose."
"That's a lot of pressure."
"It is." She looked down at her tea. "I chose the hero path because I wanted to prove I could succeed on my own merits, not just because of my family name or my Quirk. But sometimes I wonder..."
She trailed off.
"Wonder what?" Rei prompted.
"If I'm good enough," Yaoyorozu said quietly. "My Quirk is powerful, yes. But during the entrance exam, during the Quirk Test, even during the battle trial—I see people like Todoroki and Bakugo who seem so naturally talented. So confident. And I think... am I really cut out for this?"
Rei blinked, surprised.
Yaoyorozu—brilliant, composed, first place in the Quirk Test—had doubts about her abilities?
"You placed first in the Quirk Test," Rei pointed out. "You dominated our battle trial. You're one of the strongest people in our class."
"Academically, perhaps. Strategically, maybe. But in a real fight?" Yaoyorozu shook her head. "I freeze up. I overthink. By the time I've analyzed the situation and decided on the optimal creation, someone like Bakugo has already won through pure instinct."
"Bakugo's been training his whole life to fight," Rei said. "You've been training to think. That's not a weakness—it's a different approach. And honestly?" He leaned forward. "I'd rather have you as a partner than Bakugo. Raw power is useful, but strategy wins wars."
Yaoyorozu looked up at him, something vulnerable in her expression.
"You really think so?"
"I know so." Rei's voice was certain. "You saw how we worked together in the battle trial. Your planning, my execution. We didn't win because we were the strongest. We won because we were smarter."
"We were smarter," Yaoyorozu repeated, testing the words. Then she smiled—that genuine smile that transformed her whole face. "Thank you, Mizuki-san. I... needed to hear that."
"Rei."
She blinked. "Pardon?"
"Just call me Rei. We're partners, right? Teammates. No need to be so formal."
Yaoyorozu's expression softened. "Then please, call me Momo."
'Momo,' Rei thought. 'First name basis. That's... significant, right?'
"Momo it is," he said.
They sat there for a moment, the tactical discussion temporarily forgotten, just two teenagers connecting over shared insecurities and mutual respect.
Then Momo's tablet pinged with a notification.
She glanced at it, and her expression shifted. "Oh. There's an announcement from UA."
Rei pulled out his phone and checked. Sure enough, there was a message from the school.
ANNOUNCEMENT: ALL FIRST-YEAR HERO COURSE STUDENTS
Date: Monday, April 17th
Activity: Field Trip to USJ (Unforeseen Simulation Joint)
Purpose: Rescue Training with Pro Heroes
Departure: 9:00 AM
Please wear your hero costumes. More details will be provided Monday morning.
'USJ,' Rei's mind immediately went on alert. 'The rescue training facility. Which means—'
'The villain attack is coming.'
In the original timeline, the League of Villains attacked USJ during Class 1-A's first visit. Shigaraki, Kurogiri, the Nomu. All Might pushed to his limit. Students in real danger for the first time.
'Monday,' Rei calculated. 'Three days from now.'
He'd known this was coming. Had been preparing mentally for it. But now that the date was set...
'I need to be ready.'
"Rescue training," Momo said, reading the announcement. "That should be interesting. I wonder what kind of scenarios they'll have us practice."
"Probably disaster simulations," Rei said, keeping his voice calm despite the adrenaline starting to build. "Floods, fires, collapsed buildings. All the scenarios we've been studying."
"I should review my notes on structural engineering," Momo mused. "If we're dealing with building collapses, understanding load-bearing structures could be crucial."
'She has no idea,' Rei thought. 'None of them do. They think it's just another training exercise.'
But it wouldn't be.
It would be a real attack. Real villains. Real danger.
And Rei would need to decide—how much should he intervene? How much could he change without derailing the entire timeline?
'Three days,' he thought. 'Three days to prepare.'
"We should probably head back," Momo said, checking the time. "It's getting late."
"Yeah." Rei gathered his notes. "Thanks for this. The tactical discussion was helpful."
"For me as well." Momo stood, and they walked out of the café together. "Same time next week?"
"Sure. Though after Monday's field trip, we might have new scenarios to analyze."
"True." Momo smiled. "I look forward to it."
They parted ways at the train station—Momo heading toward the more expensive district where her family lived, Rei toward his modest apartment.
As the train carried him home, Rei's mind was already racing.
'USJ attack. Three days. I need to train harder. Push my limits. Be ready for anything.'
Because in three days, Class 1-A would face real villains for the first time.
And Rei needed to make sure he was strong enough to help when everything went to hell.
---
Author's Note:-
Next chapters: Preparation and then the USJ arc begins!
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