...
...
"What?" Tetsutetsu asked, taking a massive bite out of his rather large burger while Yanagi, Shiozaki, and Midoriya took much lighter options.
"There are two types of people." Midoriya replied, finishing his turkey sandwich.
"Hey we're paying for our own meals, and I reserve my right to eat whatever I want."
"I'm not saying it's was a bad- you know what never mind we have important matters to discuss." Midoriya said, "Class A or Class B?"
"That is a rather big question." Shiozaki said, having just finished her salad. "Is there a notable difference between the classes?"
"They should utilize the same curriculum, so there shouldn't be a too noticeable difference. At least, no noticeable difference we know off."
"Yeah, we don't know who passed the exam or who our teachers are. And Principal Nezu wants our decision in two weeks. And I'm not going to lie to any of you, one of my friends in middle school is taking the Recommendation Exams, and I kinda want to be in a class with her." Tetsutetsu replied, "If only there was a way-"
"Wait... there could be a way we could know." Midoriya spoke out.
"How so?" Yanagi asked.
"I can show you... but I need one of your phones."
Confused, Yanagi handed Midoriya her phone, to which he pulled out a card and dialed the number on said card. "I took one of Principal Nezu's business cards."
...
...
"Yes? Who is this?"
"Principal Nezu?"
"Ah Izuku Midoriya, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Well I have a small request."
"What is it?"
"... How do you feel about Parent Nights?"
...
...
"I assume there's a reason behind this idea?"
"You'd be correct, like always. We are debating between 1-A and 1-B, but we don't know who is in either class, nor do we know who our teachers will be. Needless to say, it's a blind guess."
"So you wish to know who your classmates and your teachers could be? Am I right?"
"Yes."
"... Hmm, well I must say the idea of a Parent Night has always brought up in staff meetings, but one teacher has always shot them down, believes they're a waste of time that he could be using for work. But I supposed just this once I'll veto his vote."
"Thank you Principal Nezu."
"It's no problem. I shall call whoever this phone belongs to once the dates have been finalized. It will most likely be after the other students get their results." And with that, he hung up.
"That should solve that problem." Midoriya handed Yanagi her phone, "So, we wait until then."
"So... what should we do now? Get to know each other?" Tetsutetsu offered, as Shiozaki's eyes sparkled with delight.
"Oh yes! I do believe we should!"
"We are collaborating on solving those Escape Rooms Principal Nezu created for us. It would be a wise decision to know about one another."
"I guess that's settled then." Midoriya said as he shifted to get comfortable, "So how should we go about this?"
"We could ask a question that we all answer. It's basic... yet proven effective." Tetsutetsu suggested, "Alright, I'll go first. What are your Quirks?"
...
...
"Oh right, we never used our Quirks once during the Escape Room." Midoriya commented.
"Well I shall start." Shiozaki said before moving her wait to her front, "My Quirk is simply called 'Vines'. It grants me vines for hair, I can also control, grow, and shorten them at will. Should my hair get cut they will grow back after a long soak and they get some sunlight."
"I suppose it would be wise to go clockwise." Yanagi said before pointing to the crumpled up straw wrapper, as it levitated in the air, "This isn't a fantastic showing of my abilities. But my Quirk is called 'Poltergeist'. It allows me to levitate and move at most twenty items, but my weight limit is close to one hundred pounds."
"Woah that's pretty awesome! Okay, my turn." Tetsutetsu said as he held out his arm.
*Fwink*
Which suddenly dawned a shiny silver sheen, "My Quirk is called 'Steel', it lets me turn my body into steel. Pretty cool right?"
"It's usable." Midoriya commented, which annoyed Tetsutetsu slightly.
"Oh yeah? What's your Quirk then wise guy?"
...
...
"You all promise to not judge me for it?" Confused by his sudden question, the three nodded their heads, "... My Quirk is called 'Mirror Force'. Basically, any damage I take during battle, I can absorb the kinetic energy and dish it back twice as hard, basically making me stronger with each hit I take. Not only that, but I can store up the energy for a devastating attack, even after I stopped feeling the pain of the attack."
"Wow..." Tetsutetsu muttered in awe.
"However, it doesn't make me invincible. I'm still taking damage from the attack and I can still feel pain, but in turn I absorb the kinetic energy and can dish it back at them."
"... I'm afraid I do not understand why we would think less of you for that Midoriya." Yanagi replied, "It sounds like a useful Quirk to have."
...
...
"*Sigh* It's the other students at my junior high... and almost the entire time I've had my Quirk." Midoriya admitted, "They would use my Quirk as an excuse to train on me, like a practice dummy, and some would call me a 'Masochist' because of it... it's probably not a big deal, but I have a complex over i-"
"Not a big deal?! Dude that's a massive deal!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.
"Bullying is never acceptable, you should have told someone!" Shiozaki yelled as well.
"Tried, they would usually push it aside and not do anything. Saying that I was just craving attention." Midoriya replied before sighing, "It doesn't matter now, in a month I will be free from that garbage school."
"But-"
"Anyway it's my turn to ask a question."
...
"Dude shut up."
"It's true." Midoriya replied, somewhat bashfully.
"You're telling me, that you can play guitar?"
"Y-Yeah." He replied with a small stutter, "My mom is a musician, in fact she wrote some songs of her own."
"Okay, any other awesome family members you have?"
Midoriya knew Tetsutetsu was joking, but he actually gave it some thought, "Well my dad is a tech employee, my mom's a musician, my grandpa was a librarian and loved to collect books, all of that you already know. My grandma was a doctor and actually taught me some first aid but retired some odd years ago, my quote unquote aunt is a fashion model, my quote unquote uncle is a fashion designer, my great grandma was a martial artist, my great great grandma was a manga artist, and the last one of note my great great great great great great great... um... great grandfather was a successful prospector... but he had a really... reeeaaallly bad gambling addiction. He pretty much blew his fortune away."
...
...
"What?"
"Dude, your family is wacky." Tetsutetsu muttered, "My mom and dad are bodybuilders, and my aunt is a geologist."
"My father is a priest, and my mother assists at our local church. They actually taught me about Christianity." Shiozaki added.
"My mother writes horror novels, whilst my father directs movies of her works. I'm sure you all have heard of the novel 'Eternal Night'?"
"... Oh!" Midoriya exclaimed in realization, "Your mom wrote that?"
"Yes she has, have you read it?"
"Yes." Midoriya replied, "It was really good. Your mom managed to take an extremely basic concept like a never ending night and create something extremely suspenseful and terrifying at the same time. I can't wait for the movie adaptation your father will eventually make."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Yanagi replied with a small smile, "She took great pride with that one, and the movie adaptation was already approved. Not only that, but she will make sure my father won't ruin it because she'll help direct it... in fact she wanted me to play the main character."
"Woah I never pegged you as an actor Yanagi." Tetsutetsu commented.
"Well, she designed the main character after me in the novel."
...
...
"White haired girl with blue eyes, hair covering her left eye, yeah that is you." Midoriya recalled as Yanagi nodded.
"This will be the first acting roll I've been a part of... and I'm not sure if I want to do it. Acting, especially as the main protagonist, will take a lot of time and planning. Once I start attending U.A... it's reasonable to believe that we will not have a reasonable amount of free time with training and studying." Yanagi explained, whist sighing in disappointment, "Which is a shame... because I do wish to be a part of... potentially my mother and father's best work yet."
"... Well why don't you do it then?"
"Did you not hear me-"
"Of course I heard you, but you're not factoring in that you have us. In case you forgot we're stuck together remember? Meaning we're supposed to help you." Midoriya responded, "We don't know anything when it comes to acting, but we... meaning Shiozaki and I are smart enough to help you keep up with your studies."
"Hey!"
"And you, are more knowledgeable in working out, after all your parents are body builders are they not?"
...
...
"Okay all is forgiven."
"But... why would you go through such grave lengths to assist me?"
"Now it's my turn to ask 'Did you not hear me'?" Midoriya asked, "We're stuck together, bound by the golden piece of plastic we hold in our pockets. So we're supposed to help you... we're supposed to help each other. Odds are we'll all have problems that the rest of us can try to help fix, you just happen to be the first one with a problem." He then scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "That... and I really want to see this novel on the movie screen, while I can imagine it... I want to see it with my own two eyes."
...
...
"Snrk" Yanagi let out a chaste chuckle, "I figured that was your penultimate reason." She said before giving a true smile, "But thank you, had you not said that... admittedly... what's the word? Cheesy? Had you not said your cheesy speech, I might have declined the lead role."
Tetsutetsu busted out laughing while Shiozaki stifled a giggle, Midoriya on the other hand looked playfully offended, "And what's wrong with cheesy?" He asked, which made Yanagi giggle lightly.
"Cheesy is fine... in moderation."
...
*Click* *Creak* *Click*
"Mom I'm home!" Midoriya called out from the front door.
"Oh Izuku! Mitsuki came for a visit!" His mother, Inko Midoriya yelled from the living room.
"Come here and hug your auntie, you little snot!" His aunt by name 'Mitsuki Bakugou' was sitting beside Inko, half full cup of tea in hand. Midoriya set his backpack down to hug his aunt, only for a certain shiny object to catch her eye. She swiftly pulled it out of his pocket and looked it over, much to his shock. "Oh ho ho! U.A gives GOLD student id cards huh? Makes sense that it's the national school."
...
...
"Well guess the cat's out of the bag now." Midoriya replied as he let go, "See, that card is special."
"Now my interest is piqued." Mitsuki said, setting the card on the table, "I heard the exam was changed, Katsuki wouldn't stop complaining about how 'stupid' it was, and how it 'didn't let his show off his awesomeness'. Honestly where did he get that from?"
'Kids hovering around him showering him in praise.' He thought, but didn't say out loud, instead he continued his explanation, "Like how... Kacchan must have said, the exam was changed. Instead of the usual 'Destroy robots for points' like how it is every year, Principal Nezu decided that this new exam would test the applicants intellect and their quick wit, as opposed to letting those with the strongest Quirk gain spots on the Hero Course."
"Makes sense if you put it that way." She responded, taking another sip of her tea, "With that exam, those who don't have Quirks for combat, but are still useful in hero work would be shafted. And odds are those with strong Quirks are really stupid."
"Right, so Principal Nezu made the Practical Exam... an Escape Room."
"Really?" Mitsuki asked in surprise, "How did that work?"
"It required the Pro Hero Midnight to use Somnambulist on every applicant while they were in the auditorium. Then they split everyone up into groups of 4 and had them do their own Escape Room... whether they were the same or different is unknown. Either way that's how they did it."
"So how did you get a gold card? You probably finished the fastest huh?"
"I don't know if someone finished before us, but what we did do was find the 'Hidden Objective'."
"Hidden objective huh? Well what was it?"
"It was a paper taped on the top of a drawer, so when someone opened it in a hurry they wouldn't see it, luckily my partner found it. So the paper was entirely in Morse Code, and while I could have translated it, I let her do it so she can participate, because it was a rule that everyone contribute something. Anyway, the paper turned out to be completely optional, we could have left it behind and exited a lot sooner than if we solved the optional puzzle."
"But you did, and that earned you that snazzy gold card, am I right?"
"On the nose." Midoriya replied, as Inko brought some cookies to the table.
"Oh Inko, you missed hearing how brilliant your son is."
"Trust me I heard from the kitchen." Inko replied with a proud smile, as she looked at the card, "So what does that card do?"
"Well for one, Principal Nezu said it looks really nice."
"Which it does." Mitsuki interjected, before letting him continue.
"But he also said that these gold cards hold 'Perks'."
"... Perks?" Inko asked, curiosity overtaking her.
"There are only two for now... technically three, one is these cards guaranteed our admittance into U.A, the second is that the four people in my group has unlimited access to U.A's facilities without needing to ask permission, and the third is we're allowed to choose which class we'll be in for our first year."
...
...
"Two for now?" Mitsuki asked.
"I was wondering if you would catch that." Midoriya replied, "As Principal Nezu says, these cards hold many perks, but he only gave us two of them. How we unlock the rest of them... is to solve the Escape Rooms he has made all throughout the unused rooms of U.A."
"That's... actually a brilliant incentive." Inko muttered to herself.
"Are you going to solve them?"
"The four of us agreed we would, we don't know how good those perks will be but Principal Nezu said he would give us a 'worth while' prize at the end when we complete them all. What that is however? We'll have to wait and see."
"... Heh." Mitsuki chuckled, "Well if anyone can solve those 'Escape Rooms' it's you kiddo."
"Thanks auntie."
"Now... did you find any cute girls?"
"Auntie!"
...
Lucky for Midoriya, his classmates didn't show any change in behavior since the High School Entrance Exam period. They were still making fun of him, but there wasn't an increase in insults.
However that all changed, the day after the results were released.
*SLAM*
"Deku!" The brash blonde known simply as Katsuki Bakugou, threw open the door to the classroom and stormed his way to Midoriya's desk.
'It had to happen eventually.' Midoriya thought bitterly as he looked up at him, "Can you be any louder?"
"Shut up you useless fuck!" Bakugou yelled in his face, as he gripped the collar of his uniform, "How did you score higher than me?! And why was your score gold?!"
...
...
"Answer me!"
"First off, language. Second, I have no reason to answer... but if you must know. I found the optional objective."
"What optional objective! Don't you lie to me!"
"You don't have to believe me, but that's what my group and I did. Anyway, you got your answer, now leave-"
"Oh just because you got into U.A you think you're top shit?!"
"Watch your language-"
"And stop saying that!"
"I got a higher score than you... so as it stands my group and I are better than you. Of course that exam is meaningless in the grand scale of things, but in a month from now you and I are going to be in the same High School. Meaning... none of your 'friends'." He said with air quotes, "Won't be anywhere near you. And instead, the best students in the country will be in the same class as you. Students with powerful Quirks and exceptional minds-"
"I'll kill them all-"
"Of course your plan would be explode first ask questions later." Midoriya muttered in exasperation, "Look, it's clear what I'm trying to say isn't clicking in your one track mind, so I'm going to give you the message behind it. Check. Your. Ego."
"I don't have a fucking ego!"
"Yes, you, do! Everyone does. An ego is a person's sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Everyone has one, whether it's small." He said pointing to the girl next to him, who sulked in her seat."Or the size of the Sun." He then pointed at Bakugou, "Having an ego is healthy, but having a massive one like yours will only be deadly when it's shattered. And in a school like U.A... your Ego won't last long at all. In fact I give it a week."
...
...
Bakugou didn't appear to have a response to his explanation. He just let off a series of small explosions in the air and stormed to his seat. Luckily none of the students said anything, or rather, they didn't want to say anything. It was then that the teacher entered the room.
'That... could not have gone better.'
...
*Bzzt* *Click*
"Yes?"
"Midoriya, Principal Nezu called me." Yanagi said.
"What did he say?" Shiozaki said, having just answered the call.
"Did he say the date of the Parent Night?" Tetsutetsu asked.
"... If you would let me explain properly. Anyway, Principal Nezu decided on a date for the Parent Night."
"Which is when?"
"Tomorrow."
...
...
"Seriously?!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed, making the other three wince from the sudden increase of volume. "Why did me make the date tomorrow?!"
"He stated that the teacher who would always disagree with the idea of Parent Nights was also one of the class's homeroom teachers. However, like every single one of the staff members, he's still a pro hero. And he is currently investigating a classified case, a case the Principal Nezu was involved in to a small degree. In fact he was edging the line of his non-disclosure agreement by telling me about that." Yanagi explained, "So as it stands, tomorrow was the only day he could be there for the Parent Night. After that he'll devote his time to teaching and the case."
"... Fair enough given the circumstances." Midoriya replied, "Either way it doesn't change the fact that we all need to ask our parents if we could atte-"
"Izuku! Come down here!" Inko called from the living room.
"Coming!" Midoriya called out, cutting off his end before yelling that out. "Mom called me."
"My mother and father called me as well." Yanagi replied.
"Mine too." Shiozaki said.
"Ditto."
"So we'll reconvene after right?"
"Right."
The four of them cut off their feeds and Midoriya went to check on what his mother wanted, what he saw was her holding up a flyer. "What's this about a Parent Night for U.A?"
'How did... never mind I shouldn't look a gift in the price tag.' Midoriya thought, "Oh Principal Nezu said something about that last week after we got our gold identification cards. He was debating about holding a Parent Night, something about 'Building parent/teacher relationships'."
"Oh, that's rather smart of them." Inko replied, "But why tomorrow? Isn't this too late of a notice?"
"Maybe one of the teachers could only attend tomorrow."
"Maybe... well I'm interested in attending. At the very least I want to meet the students you got the top scores with."
...
...
"I'm sure they'd love to meet you too."
...
*Bzzt* *Click*
"They sent flyers? How did they have the time to do that?" Tetsutetsu asked, "My dad agreed he would attend, and would try to convince my mom, but how?"
"I don't particularly know, but my parents said they would attend as well." Shiozaki replied.
"There aren't any rehearsals for the Eternal Night movie tomorrow, so my parents are able to attend also." Yanagi spoke out.
"So we're all able to attend. Good, hopefully Tetsutetsu's friend is able to come as well."
"Oh she said she is, and she said she's going to be in Class 1-A." Tetsutetsu said, "I didn't tell her about the gold cards, but she wants to meet you three."
"Wait, how does she know what class she's in?" Shiozaki asked.
"If I remember correctly, Tetsutetsu said she's a student who was admitted through 'Recommendations'. U.A's Recommendation Exam was a week before the normal Entrance Exams. It would make sense if she received her results before ours." Midoriya explained, "So we're picking Class 1-A then? After all the only reason we paused the decision was because Tetsutetsu wanted to be in the same class as his friend."
"Now hold o-"
"I have no objections to 1-A." Yanagi stated.
"Neither do I." Shiozaki added.
"Then we will tell Principal Nezu tomorrow. Now there's one more thing I want to say, well more so a question."
"What is it?" Shiozaki asked.
"Do you three want to leave the event early to attempt the Escape Room?"
"... Oh yeah! I forgot about that." Tetsutetsu exclaimed, "We still have the map right?"
"Yes, and it says it's on the 4th floor of the main building, and it's on the North West part of the school. However we don't know what the building is. I was hoping the name of the room would be said."
"Well if you know the location, then sure I'm down." Tetsutetsu stated.
"It would be wise to complete it before classes officially start so we would be able to get ahead." Yanagi replied.
"Yes, I do believe that is the best course of action." Shiozaki finished with her two cents.
"If we're in agreement, then I don't have any other worth while topics. And I have homework I need to finish."
"Oh wait!" Tetsutetsu called out.
"What is it? Another topic?"
"K-Kinda?" He stuttered, before taking a deep breath, "I need... help on my homework."
...
...
"I'm not surprised. Fine I'll help you out."
"You're a God send Midoriya!"
*End of Chapter*