"Everyone, we have a new student joining us," Aizawa said.

Daichi stood there as stiff as stale bread. It seemed like yesterday that he got into the hero course through the Sports Festival by default, probably because it did happen yesterday. "Hello, everyone, my name is Daichi Jinneko. I hope we all get along well."

As he bowed to his new classmates, he could hear them gossiping.

"Hey, that's the guy who destroyed that rock in one fell swoop."

"Did you see that cat go flying?"

"Do you think he coughs up hairballs?"

"I wonder if his fur is soft?"

Quiet, everyone," Aizawa ordered. "There's a desk ready for you in the back. Take your seat."

As he walked, he stole a glance at his new classmates. All of the faces were familiar from the Sports Festival, but what Daichi took from it was that they were so colorful. It was like an entire giant box of crayons was melted and dumped all over them.

He studied their faces to gauge their emotions. Some had warm smiles, others looked indifferent, and one looked like he was pissed off with the world. He kept his distance from that one. He got on the desk right behind Yaoyorozu.

"You'll be coming up with hero names."

The entire class jumped out of their seats in excitement, even Daichi, who had his fingers in his ears plugged to combat the loudness.

When the number of requests they had received revealed, Daichi saw his name way at the bottom with only five offers.

Yaoyorozu turned around in her desk to face Daichi. "Hey, don't beat yourself up on getting so few requests."

"This is amazing! People want me! I wonder who it was? Do you think it's anyone cool?"

Yaoyorozu was a bit surprised by his outburst, but she didn't have time to ask before she turned her attention back to the front, feeling Aizawa's gaze burning into the back of her skull.

As he continued to wonder what agency he would be working with, another person walked into the classroom.

"You'll have hell to pay!"

In walked Midnight, the same pro hero from the Sports Festival. Daichi smiled as she took her time walking to the front desk. Something about her scent was so relaxing as if she rolled around in a field of lavenders.

"So Midnight will be making sure your names are okay. I can't do stuff like that," Aizawa said as he grabbed his yellow sleeping bag. "When you give yourself a name, you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you can get closer to it."

Everyone was given a mini whiteboard.

Oh my God, I have so many ideas! Maybe Ocicat or Serval. Cougar and Mountain Lion are too on the nose. Maybe Cat of War. Nah, that's stupid. Come on, brain, give me something good!

As he tapped his marker on the whiteboard, he glanced at his fingers; they were bandaged up as he waited for his claws to grow back.

Huh, any longer, and it would look like I'm wearing the Pussycat gloves. Hold up, that's perfect!

He finally wrote down a name.

"Jinneko," he looked up. "You're up, sweetheart."

He took a deep breath and walked over to the teacher's desk. He set up his whiteboard for everyone to see in full view.

"The Mountain Lion Hero: Wild Cat."

"Fierce, energetic, and simple. Great work! Next!"

Daichi walked back to his desk, his tail held up high.

She loved it, she loved it! The first day in the hero course and I already nailed it.

After the class was over, most of the students made their way out of the room while Daichi and other students stayed behind to discuss internships.

"Jinneko, come with us into the hallway," Aizawa said.

The feline followed the two teachers into the hallway.

"As a new student, you are behind in your hero studies, so I want you to meet with the support class later today to discuss your hero costume. I'll excuse you from a couple of classes to give you time, but I want it by the end of the day. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Daichi responded.

"Good, you're dismissed, go eat some lunch," Aizawa waved towards the door. Daichi ran out of the hallway to join the rest of Class 1-A. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Daichi had a crowd form around him. Momo Yaoyorozu, Mina Ashido, and Ochaco Uraraka just stared at him as if he were a newly discovered species.

"Uh, hi?"

A pink-skinned hand reached out to stroke his head.

"He's so soft!" Mina squealed.

"Mina-chan, don't go touching people without their consent," Yaoyorozu scolded her.

"Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine, you can pet me as much as you want."

As soon as these words left his mouth, he had hands all over his face. Yaoyorozu fiddled with his ears between her fingers, Ashido scratched his chin, and Uraraka patted his head. While the girls were enjoying the petting session, Daichi was beginning to fidget under all the attention. "Okay, okay, that's enough." He batted away their hands. "There's only so much attention I can take at once."

The girls were taken aback at first, but then they bowed in apology.

"Sorry, I guess we got carried away," Yaoyorozu said.

"It's alright, just, next time, ask first."

The cougar made his way through the small crowd back to his desk. He was just about to start eating his lunch, the door slid open again.

"I am here! In a bizarre position!"

In the hallway was the number 1 hero, All Might.

Daichi couldn't believe his eyes, the greatest hero in the world was bending down in the hallway. He ripped apart his backpack in search of his notebook. When he got it, he leaped out of his desk. He ran the other side of the classroom in less than a second, but All Might was already leaving.

"Wait, hold up, I was hoping I could get your-," he was halfway across the hallway before he finished his sentence. "Autograph."

Daichi hung his head crestfallen, but brought it back up when he saw Hitoshi Shinso walking down the hallway.

"Oh, hey, Shinso!" he waved him down.

Shinso gave him a side glance as he continued to walk away. Daichi started running off to catch up to him.

"Sorry about leaving right after the Sports Festival. My mom and dad were insistent on taking me out to dinner to celebrate, and my mom insisted that I rest after getting nailed in the head by a rock. I mean, I know she's got a good point, but I was asleep for the entire Sports Festival, I think I got enough sleep to last a day."

"It's fine," Hitoshi said, still not looking at him directly.

"Did you see my fight with Kirishima? I was slashing at him like crazy, but I barely left a dent. When I bit down, I thought my teeth were gonna break. I have never cut through something as hard as a rock, I'm still amazed that I sliced that boulder. So, anyway, where are you going?"

"The cafeteria," Hitoshi answered in his deadpan tone.

"Would you like me to sit with you? I can tell you everything I've learned about the hero course."

"I'm good, you hang out with your new friends."

Daichi stopped walking while Hitoshi kept walking to the cafeteria.

"Um, okay, I'll see you later then."

Daichi placed his furry hand on the door. Before he slid it open, he looked back at Hitoshi, who continued to walk away, hunched over and tense. Daichi just wondered what could have put Hitoshi in such a bad mood, more than usual.