Part 1
U.A. High School, first day of enrollment.
I slipped my arms through my brand new uniform sleeves, boarded the train with time to spare... dislocated the wrist joint of some scumbag who tried to grope me, handed him over to station staff at the next stop, then got back on the train heading for the high school.
Being questioned about the incident took up time, so I ended up missing two trains... good thing I'd planned ahead.
This wasn't the first time I'd been groped. Actually, it happens fairly often when I ride trains.
At first, I thought maybe it was just accidental contact and let it go.
Actually, there were times when they'd panic and pull back, or the sensation would disappear after a while, so I think some people really were just brushing against me by accident. Good thing I didn't create any victims of false groping accusations.
But with other people, many would take advantage of my silence and lack of resistance to escalate. They'd grab me outright rather than subtly, try to slip their hands under my clothes, press something hard against my waist area... that last one was probably not a belt buckle... something I had in my previous life too. Not that I ever had the chance to use it (self-deprecating).
Even so, making a fuss would be troublesome, and while it was unpleasant, my core being was male, so I wasn't that scared. Especially when in a hurry, I often ignored it... but I finally retaliated when someone almost got their hand inside my underwear.
Also, there were times when brave fellow passengers or heroes who happened to be patrolling would help me.
'Are you okay now? Are you alright?' They'd show concern like that, which I was very grateful for... but as a result, questioning and such took a huge amount of time. Moreover, sometimes I had to tell the same story twice, once for the police and once for the hero's work-related reporting.
On those occasions, they'd see my grim expression and apologize, saying they were sorry for making me recall something painful... sorry, I'm not really that bothered. I just didn't like how long it took.
Since then, I realized such situations become even more troublesome, so when I'm sure it's groping, I handle the arrest myself... well, let's leave that story for now.
Thanks to planning ahead, I arrived at my destination... 'U.A. High School' without being late.
Class 1-A's classroom... is it here?
The door's huge... must be about 4 meters? Maybe it's consideration for people with Heteromorphic Type Quirks and such. A kind of barrier-free design.
It was large, but it didn't take much force to open. It seems designed thoughtfully for those of normal build too... I admired the designer's skill in a mundane way as I entered inside.
Upon entering... there was no one who seemed to need a door that big, but there were scattered individuals who appeared to have Heteromorphic Type Quirks.
A boy with a bird-like head, a boy with an angular appearance (not a crew cut hairstyle, but his face itself was angular), a large boy with multiple arms, and a girl who looked transparent, as if only her clothes were floating. That unusually tiny boy... wait, is he a midget?
Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any acquaintances, so I checked the seating chart and quickly headed to my seat.
"...Whoa...!"
Since I entered through the front door, I felt some gazes turn my way as I crossed the classroomb, and some of those seemed directed at my chest, but it's usual for me, so I didn't mind.
Incidentally, the one who probably made that strange sound was that tiny boy, judging by the location. His gaze was fixed on my chest, staring openly without any attempt to hide it. I don't mind, but... don't do that to other girls, you'll make them dislike you.
So, my seat is here. Aisle side, the seat in front of the very last one.
The seat in front was still empty. Behind me... a boy was sitting. He seemed to have a Heteromorphic Type Quirk with a tail... but I can't tell what animal it's from. Thick and hairy... was there an animal with a tail shaped like this?
I pulled out the chair, sat down, placed my belongings... then, turning sideways on the chair, I looked back at him and greeted him casually with a 'Yo.'
"Um, is that your seat there?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah, it is, but..."
"I see. I'm in this seat. Ah, name's Fumiko Towa. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, yeah. I'm Ojiro Mashirao. Nice to meet you."
He seemed surprised to be suddenly spoken to, but he replied quickly. I see, 'Ojiro'... okay, remembered.
"Sure thing, but... is it okay if I sit here?"
"? What do you mean?"
"As you can see, I'm tall for a girl... back in middle school, I often had to move to the very back because the guy behind me couldn't see, they said I blocked the blackboard. Just asking if I'm obstructing your view."
"Ah, that's what you mean. It's totally fine. Since it's an end seat, I can see diagonally."
"I see, that's good then. But if it gets hard to see, don't hesitate to tell me, okay? Looking forward to working with you."
"Ah, likewise."
We shook hands. The thought that crossed my mind in that instant was... I wonder if Ojiro practices martial arts or something. Because there were several spots on both his palm and the back of his hand that were hardened, like calluses.
Judging from the callus locations, he trains in bare-handed combat like karate, and also in types that use palms and fingers like judo. Not as much as those, but... perhaps kendo or weapon arts too? This one on the base of his middle finger is probably...
And this feeling suggests... he's quite dedicated. His hands are big too, maybe he's a close-combat type?
"Um... Towa-san?"
"Hm? Ah, sorry, I was just a bit curious."
I glanced and saw Ojiro was slightly blushing and looked confused.
Ah, I forgot to let go of his hand after the handshake. I was even touching the surface and such.
"Sorry, sorry, I just got a bit curious, couldn't help it."
"Eh!? Ah, yeah, no, it's, it's fine but... curious...?"
After speaking, Ojiro muttered softly 'It was soft...', but he seemed to suddenly pick up on something in my words.