THE NEXT MORNING
MICHAEL
The ext morning, I walked into Class 1-A, trying to look casual. Tried. Failed immediately. The desks, the posters, the smell of chalk and paper, this was the classroom I'd seen a hundred times online. And there he was.
Aizawa. Shota Aizawa. Deadpan, scarf hanging like it had a life of its own, hair dishevelled, eyes half lidded half asleep in his sleeping bag THE Aizawa. My brain short circuited. I froze mid-step, notebook still clutched, staring.
"OH. MY. GOD. THAT'S. AIZAWA."I said excited.
Heads snapped toward me. Izuku's eyes went wide.
"Michael-" Izuku whispered.
Too late. I had already tripped over my own feet trying to get closer, heart hammering, palms sweaty.
"I, I mean, you're the guy! From all the videos! The Hero Teacher! The scarf moves! The sleep deprivation vibe! THIS IS INSANE!"I said happily.
Aizawa blinked. One, two, three slow blinks. Then his lips twitched. Not a smile. Not even close. But… a twitch.
"Transfer student." He said flatly, voice like a deadpan sniper shot. " Good job for noticing me. Why are you yelling tho?"
I realized I was basically screaming fanboy chaos in front of the coolest teacher alive.
"I- uh… sorry! I just- wow. You're real! I mean, I've seen you lecture, I've seen you fight, I-"I stuttered.
Izuku cleared his throat beside me.
"Michael…" His eyes darted between me and Aizawa, half embarrassed, half amused. "Calm down."
Aizawa's eyes narrowed, scarf shifting lazily.
"Calm down, or you'll spend the next month cleaning the desks. And yes, I can assign that."Aizawa said.
My stomach dropped. Cleaning. Desks. Not exactly the fanboy moment I had hoped for. But the fact that he knew who I was, or at least noticed me made my pulse spike in some weird, insane way. I sat down, still shaking slightly, glancing at Izuku. He smirked.
"Guess you've got a lot to learn about being a student here." He whispered.
I nodded, still too stunned to speak. My first day in Class 1-A… fanboy moment complete and Aizawa? Watching me like I was both a curiosity and a walking headache. Perfect. After my fanboy meltdown, the room slowly settled, though I was still trembling a little. Aizawa's half lidded gaze never left me, scarf shifting lazily as if it had its own agenda. I swallowed and straightened up in my chair. Deep breath, Michael. You can survive this.
"Alright." Aizawa said, voice flat as ever. "We'll start with introductions. Each of you will say your name, Quirk, and any relevant info. Transfer student first."
I swallowed, my heart hammering in my chest. All eyes were on me. Deep breath. Smile. Don't faint.
"Uh… hi! I'm Michael! New transfer student. No Quirk… yet… but I'm really excited to be here!" My words came out faster than I intended. I flushed red instantly.
Aizawa blinked slowly, unimpressed, but didn't interrupt. Good. I survived the first half second. A few students whispered behind me. Izuku gave me an encouraging nod. Okay… I can do this.
"Uraraka Ochako!" a cheerful voice piped up next, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Gravity manipulation! I want to be a hero who saves everyone with a smile!"
"Midoriya Izuku." Izuku said next, calm but enthusiastic, "One For All. I'm… always trying to get stronger and figure out how to be a great hero!"
"Bakugo Katsuki!" He said loudly, standing and crossing his arms, fiery energy practically radiating. "Explosion. I'll be the number one hero, so don't slow me down!"
I nearly flinched at the intensity, but held my ground. This is Class 1-A. Heroes in the making.
"Kirishima Eijiro! Hardening. I'm friendly and determined!" He gave a thumbs up, and I gave a small smile in return.
"Mina Ashido! Acid! I'm energetic and love making new friends!" She waved wildly, bouncing in her seat.
The introductions went on: Iida Tenya with his engine Quirk, Jirou Kyoka with her sound powers, Tokoyami Fumikage with Dark Shadow lurking near, and even Sero Hanta with his tape trickery. Each student had a spark in their eyes, some nervous, some cocky, some shy, all determined. I kept listening, amazed at the variety of powers and personalities. When the last student, Hagakure, gave a bubbly 'Invisible!' introduction, the room finally quieted again. Aizawa's gaze swept the class like a sniper, landing briefly on me.
"Transfer student." He said flatly. "You will follow the rules, train, and survive like everyone else. No special treatment."
I nodded, heart still racing.
"Yes… sir." I muttered, trying to act composed.
Izuku leaned over and whispered, smirking.
"You're gonna fit in here… eventually."He said.
I smiled nervously. Maybe. First day. Fanboy moment over… and now the real challenge of Class 1-A began. Aizawa's half lidded eyes scanned the room, his scarf shifting lazily like it had a mind of its own. The class fell silent immediately. I kept my head down a little, trying not to draw attention this time. No fanboy chaos, no overexcited stammering. Just… breathe, Michael.
"Today." Aizawa said flatly. "You will undergo your first practical evaluation. Balls, obstacles, timing, coordination. You will be graded on performance, not flair. Pay attention. Fail, and I'll make you clean the desks."
The room shifted. Students muttered nervously, glancing at each other, sizing up the competition. Bakugo, predictably, crossed his arms and scoffed.
"Hmph. This'll be easy. Watch and learn, idiots."He said.
I exhaled quietly. Okay… no need to show off. Just observe, react, stay calm. I'd survived fanboying over Aizawa, I could survive this. Aizawa walked to the front, holding a whistle.
"Start when the whistle blows. Keep your eyes open. Don't die."Aizawa said.
The moment the whistle sounded, chaos erupted. Balls flew, students sprinted, some leapt, some ducked, others tripped over each other. I stayed back for a moment, analyzing the field, watching the patterns of movement, the timing of throws.
"Step one: observe." I muttered under my breath.
A ball flew toward a student near the wall, and instinctively, I moved just enough to redirect it, nudging it safely to the side. No need to make a scene, just helping where I could. Midoriya sprinted past me, notebook in hand, muttering calculations.
"Watch the left flank, he overcommits there, small opening after third throw."I whispered.
He blinked, adjusting mid run.
"Got it… thanks."Midoriya said.
Bakugo roared in frustration as his throws didn't hit their target as planned. A few other students glanced at me curiously, but I kept my movements minimal, precise, just enough to make a difference without drawing attention.
"Hey… that was smooth! How'd you do that?"Mina said.
I shrugged, smiling faintly.
"Just timing and observation. That's all."I said.
By the end of the test, most of the students were panting and laughing, some frustrated, some exhilarated. Aizawa blew the whistle again, and the room quieted immediately.
"Survived." I muttered quietly, exhaling.
No fanfare. No smirk. Just another day in Class 1-A. Midoriya jogged up beside me, notebook closed, grinning.
"Michael… you didn't show off, but you were perfect where it counted. I can tell you're someone to watch."He said.
The chaos of the practical test was in full swing. Balls flew, students ducked and sprinted, some tripped, some yelled. I stayed near the edges, observing patterns, Bakugo's aggressive throws, Kaminari's erratic energy blasts, and the timing of everyone's movements. I moved quietly, just enough to redirect a misfired ball away from Uraraka, helping her avoid a hit. A small step to the side here, a well-timed nudge there. Nothing flashy. No stunts. Just subtle moves. Midoriya's eyes flicked toward me as he sprinted past.
"Michael… how do you keep track of everything?"He asked.
I shrugged faintly.
"Just observation. Timing. Anticipate, don't react too fast."I said.
Some students noticed.
"Whoa… he just saved me without even trying to show off!"Mina said.
"He's… really calm for a new transfer student."Kirishima said.
And then I felt it, Aizawa's gaze, not a glare, not a scolding, just… recognition. His eyes lingered just long enough to register that I was doing something right, quietly, efficiently, without drawing attention. I ducked behind a barrier, heart hammering. Keep calm. That was all that mattered.
Ihad shifted just enough to throw off the angle, again unnoticed by most, but apparently not by Aizawa. His gaze flicked toward me once more, lingering just slightly longer than before. A silent acknowledgment. By the end of the test, I had helped a few classmates, avoided a direct confrontation with Bakugo, and stayed mostly under the radar. But I could feel it, that subtle awareness from Aizawa. The whistle blew, signalling the end of the evaluation.
Class 1-A panted, laughed, groaned, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. I leaned back, quiet, satisfied. No cheers, no exaggerated heroics. Just… effective. Midoriya jogged over, notebook closed, grinning.
"Michael… you didn't show off, but Aizawa was definitely watching you. I saw his eyes linger.
That's… impressive."He said.
I allowed myself a small, private smirk. Low profile, yes. But sometimes, being noticed by the right person was worth more than a crowd of applause. And I had just made it through my first practical test in Class 1-A, quiet, efficient, and on Aizawa's radar.