The next day, Setsuna and I ran into Kendo on the way to school.
"Itsuka!" Setsuna called out to the orange-haired girl.
"Setsuna? Sato? Good morning!" Kendo greeted back, surprised. "You guys walk to school together? I mean, I saw you two walk in together yesterday, and you had that running joke between you but I thought that was a spontaneous thing. A-Are you two toge- "
"We moved into the same apartment complex. It was a nice surprise to find someone else from U.A. in the same year in the same building." I elaborated before Tokage could spin her web.
The aforementioned greenette just side-eyed me, faking a pout.
"Ah. I see!" Itsuka visibly perked up from relief, "Oh! That reminds me. Thanks again for the sweets yesterday. They were very delicious."
"Anytime. Glad you like 'em. I enjoy making them, so I'm happy to make them anytime."
"Careful, I might just take you up on that." Kendo smiled "I heard from Setsuna that you guys had your physical tests the first day of school when the rest of us had orientation, that must've been a cold wake up call to U.A."
I shrugged, "Eh, I did well enough to not be scared for my place in class. I'm sure you wouldn't be either if your homeroom teacher does the same to you."
"Thanks! Means a lot from Mr. First Place over here. If I get last, you'll be at fault for jinxing it." Kendo lightly teased, before facing her fellow 1-B student, "We have ours later. Setsuna, do you think he'll push us with the same threat 1-A's teach did?
"Eh, doubt it. Mr. Kan didn't seem the type. Also, even if he did, I pretty much already told everyone what happened in A's physicals, and with there still being 20 people in A, nobody will buy it." Setsuna waved off her friend's concerns.
"Yeah, thought so too. How'd you find the homework we were assigned yesterday? Find any of 'em difficult?"
Setsuna groaned, "Don't remind me. Ectoplasm assigned way too much homework for a day one. My old Math classes were nothing like the ones U.A. throws at us." You too, huh? "Subject material was easy enough," Never mind, I've never met this girl in my life. "but they really took the 10,000 hours of practice to heart, huh."
"Oh, I can help with that later! I had a plan to help all of us get through the more academic classes faster. We can form in-class study groups to go through things faster. I can show you my plans when we get to the classroom." Itsuka offered.
"There you go again. And you wonder why people were calling you 'Big Sis'."
"Well, if you're all going to be brats, someone's gonna have to be. You guys make it a full-time job."
As Setsuna and Kendo went back and forth like this on the way to school, I was content in just listening and chiming in with my poor attempts at one-liners and non-committal hums of agreement when they looked for my input. They did mention that someone from their class overheard that 1-A had Foundational Hero Studies with All Might of all people, and thus rightly anticipated theirs to go the same way. It was meant to be a surprise, but guess someone couldn't keep their mouth shut as they passed 1-B. My bet is on Ashido. Eh, didn't matter. Yesterday, news outlets got the report that All Might started teaching at U.A., so 1-B could've speculated the right answer regardless.
As we were turning the corner to U.A., and Kendo was trying to badger me on what All Might made us do for Foundational Hero Studies, Setsuna exclaimed.
"Woah, what's with all the hubbub over there?""
Looking up, we saw what Tokage was referring to. A horde of reporters was crowding the entrance gate, harassing every student that tried to enter campus. From here, we could hear the mad cacophony of questions regarding All Might and his newfound teaching role in U.A.
"…so, anyone got ideas for how we get through here?" Tokage remarked.
"Just say you're not a Hero student, they won't care about you." I replied, noting how the reporters were exclusively badgering people about heroics.
Tokage grinned, "Oooh, smart. Let's try it. I'll go first."
Strutting her way to the gate, before the reporters even got close, she called out, "Support Course. Don't have All Might." She got to the gate without a single microphone shoved at her.
Itsuka, noticing this, turned to me, "Huh, neat. Guess it works."
Without incident, she passed herself off as a General Ed student and got through the wall of people easily.
I sighed. I wasn't going to pass for a non-hero. Even if I said I was from Support or GenEd, one of these vultures would suspect something. Best to get it out of the way now. If All Might faced the music with a smile, I could too.
Walking up to the gate, several reporters noticed me, and that was enough to get the whole flock nipping.
"Hey you! How are All Might's classes?" The most prevalent of the reporters, a pretty enough woman with brown hair, took lead as the head of this journalist clique.
"What's it like having All Might as a teacher?"
"Can you tell us anything about the hero course now that he's teaching?"
All redundant questions, but convenient for me. I could give an all-encompassing response and satisfy all of them.
I just let out a big smile, "All Might was my idol for as long as I could remember. From the moment I saw the video of him saving a hundred people from a burning building, I knew I wanted to be like him someday. And seeing him teach the next generation to be true heroes like him… well it just reminds all of us of that feeling. To be the next one up. To show the world that we are here."
From their smiles, I gave them enough usable and interesting enough footage for their agencies to be happy. I didn't really answer their questions, but their audiences would eat up campy words like that. Quotable speeches sell well. Dazzle them with bullshit. That got them happy enough to clear out and rush their next source of content, namely Uraraka nearing the gate.
Bringing the mic away from my face, the reporter lady smiled at me, "Thanks kid. Sorry about the bother, you know how it is. We need to deliver else we get the boot."
I smiled, "No harm done, though you guys are a bit too aggressive, it might scare some of the less outgoing ones. We need to show people that they can trust us with their lives, can't really do that if you scare people with numbers and microphones."
"Sure, sure." I knew that she wouldn't really listen. She has her own hustle that she needed to adhere to, and I couldn't stop that drive. As I turned to enter U.A., she called out to my back. "What's your name, kid?"
"Sato. Rikido Sato. Remember it, you'll see it on the headlines in a few weeks. Get my good side in the festival, yeah?"
With that, I entered the gates where Kendo and Tokage were waiting.
"Good work on yesterday's combat training. I saw the video and results." Aizawa turned a critical, if bored, eye at certain students. "Bakugo. You're talented, so don't act like a kid."
"I know." Bakugo said, looking away from the homeroom teacher,
"And Midoriya… You settled it by breaking your arm again, huh? You can't keep saying you can't help it because you can't control your Quirk." With Midoriya looked thoroughly chastised, head heavy, knees weak, palms sweaty. Aizawa continued, "I don't like saying the same thing over and over. As long as you fix the control issue, there's a lot you'll be able to do. Feel a sense of urgency, Midoriya"
Reassured, Midoriya beamed, and then put on a determined look, "Yes sir!"
"Sato," What? Me? What did I do? "Don't use the surrendered as human shields. It'll make you look bad later on."
That makes sense. "Yes sir."
"Work on controlling your instinct." He knew about that particular downside, huh? Guess the man does his homework despite his hellish schedule.
"Now let's get down to homeroom business. Sorry about the late notice, but today, I'll have you…"
The class tensed, remembering that Aizawa's last spontaneous notice involved cutting 1-A a student shorter.
"…decide on a class representative." His disinterest apparent, Aizawa retreated back into his cocoon to later form into a beautiful Hobo butterfly.
'It's actually a normal school activity!'
As expected of the top hero school, students had ambition, pride and drive in spades, and the will to lead came with the profession.
"Fuck you all! Let me do it! Me!" Rule by fear is a tried and tested method. Bakugo would be effective at it wouldn't he.
"Me too!" Kaminari, in a rare display of self-control, called out seated with a hand up.
"I want to do it, too."
"It's a job made for m-"
"I'll be the leader!"
"My manifesto is for all girls' skirts to be 30 centimetres above the knee." Well, at least you have an established platform. That's something.
As everyone shouted out their desire to lead the class, Iida's sharp tone cut through the noise, catching everyone's attention. "Silence, please! It is a job with the serious responsibility of leading others! It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it! It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you! If we want to use democracy to decide on a true leader… then we should hold an election to choose one!"
It would've been more impactful if he didn't have his hand raised so high.
"Why did you suggest that?"
"We haven't known each other for that long, so how can we have trust or anything?"
"If that's the case, and everyone votes for themselves…"
"Don't you think that is precisely why whoever receives multiple votes here can be truly considered the most suitable person?!" Iida answered, "What do you think, teacher?!"
"I don't care, as long as you decide before homeroom is over."
"Thank you very much!"
Taking my own slip of paper from Iida, I scribbled down Momo's name. I didn't care for the responsibility of being the class' paper pusher. After 5 minutes of writing our ballots and tallying the numbers, a result was reached. At the top of the board…
Midoriya Izuku – 3
Yaoyorozu Momo – 3
Sato Rikido – 2
Two people voted me? I quickly scanned the list of people who didn't accrue any votes. Iida and Uraraka, for Midoriya. Todoroki with Yaoyorozu… which left Kirishima and Koda to be the ones who voted for me…
"A tie?"
"Why Deku?! Who voted for him?!"
"Well, it's better than voting for you."
"What did you say?!"
"Zero votes… I knew that would happen… I knew that would happen…This is only to be expected of a person's calling!" Iida gurgled, back bent and fist clenched over his desk.
"You voted for someone else, huh?" Yaoyorozu sighed, a pitying tone in her voice.
"If you didn't even believe in yourself to be the best for the job, how could you expect others to believe in you?" I implored. Iida could only flinch at my words, and curled deeper into himself.
"How does this work now?"
"Do we have another ballot?"
No time, we were running out of homeroom. I called out to the class. "Everybody, of the two, raise your hand if you think Yaoyorozu should be president."
14 hands went up, with both the chosen reps staying out the vote and myself not participating.
"There you go. Yaoyorozu is President, Midoriya Vice. Mr. Aizawa, we got our reps." I spoke.
As the two went up to the front, I wondered to myself why the two voted for me. Koda from the combat training, but why did Kishima… From the physicals. Got it.
Aizawa called out from the front, "So, the class rep is Yaoyorozu, and the deputy class rep will be Midoriya."
"S-S-Seriously?"
Yaoyorozu turned to her new partner with a quizzing look, "I'm under the impression that you voted for yourself. Why do so if you didn't want the position in the end?" To which she received no answer from the stuttering boy.
"That might not be too bad." Tsuyu remarked, a finger on her lip.
"After all's said and done, Midoriya can be pretty fired up, anyway!" Kirishima piped up. "And Yaoyorozu was cool when we were going over the battle results!"
On the way back to her seat, Momo glanced over at me, and I responded with a congratulatory smile and thumbs-up. Her eyes widened, and she offered me a small smile back. Guess she figured I voted for her.
In the lunch line later in the day, Yaoyorozu asked me, "I still can't wrap my head around it. Why did you not vote for yourself? You're a very capable student with a talent for leading others as seen from the battle trial. From the votes, had you voted for yourself, you would have been Class Representative in my place."
"Short answer? Because I believe that no is more suited for the role than you."
"B-But, you-"
"I'm a good fighter. I'm great at finding the quickest way to beat someone up. As a leader of men, I still have room to grow, room which you already covered."
She couldn't look me in the eye after that, "…Thank you Rikido, for putting your trust in me."
"Well… that and you wanted the job way more than I did." At her look, I elaborated, "Hey, I came to this school to punch things and be told 'good job' for it. Barbaric but rewarding."
Finding a table after paying for our meals, we were once again joined by Jiro, but this time she was accompanied by the ever-delightful Denki Kaminari.
"Hey." Jiro greeted.
"Hey Yaoyorozu, congrats on the rep job!" Kaminari called out.
"Thank you. I'll make sure the class' trust was not misplaced."
"I mean, it could've been cool to be one, but I'm pretty good with the reps we have now!"
"If you won President, the class would fall within the week." Kyoka sniped.
"Well, at least someone's falling for me." Kaminari replied unperturbed.'
"Hmm, less falling, more crashing. You at the bottom of the flaming pile of rubble." And with that Kaminari admitted defeat with him flinching.
As we continued chatting about the inane, a loud bell sounded rang through the speakers.
"An alarm?!" Kaminari blurted, panicked.
"There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."
"Security 3? What's Security 3?"
A passing upperclassman shouted, "A trespasser's on campus!"
Alarmed, the rest of the table went to evacuate into the mass of bodies crowding the cafeteria exit, when I raised an arm to block them.
"Ri- Sato, what's going on? Let's go!"
"The exit'll be a mess. I'd rather not have you guys be trampled. Let's wait out the stampede until these people remember they're U.A. students and calm down a bit.
She gripped my sleeve, and quietly decided, "…Alright. I'll trust your judgement."
Kaminari and Jiro, deciding that whatever we do is better done together, stayed put as well. We were proven right a minute later. We could see from here higher-year hero students trying to restore order, but they were outnumbered by a huge margin and could only do so much when squished in bodies like that. That is until…
From inside the cafeteria, we could hear Iida's authoritative shouting from the hallway, taking charge of the situation outside, reprimanding them of their place as students of the best high school in Japan. Once people found their center and started acting older than 9, the tension dropped.
"Sometimes, problems solve themselves." I told Momo, who hadn't let go of my jacket yet.
"Yes, I suppose they do." She gave a soft smile, gazing up right at me.
A few moments passed that she seemed unaware of, until Jiro spoke up.
"Uh, Yaomomo, you can let go now?"
"Ah!" Momo jumped, releasing my arm and letting me pat the fold out, "I apologize. That was rather absent-minded of me."
"Don't worry about it, a hero's uniform is meant to comfort and give hope to the distressed." Finding no more folds, and letting my 'heroic speech giving practice' sink in, I gestured to the rest of my table, "Let's head back to class and find out what the alarm was about. Okay?"
As we got back to class, and we were tasked to decide on the other class officer positions, Midoriya called for our attention. Small Might proceeded to abdicate his position of Vice-Rep to Iida, using his work in calming the student body as his reason for passing the responsibility on. Kaminari and Kirishima did agree with the logic behind this decision, though I suspected that they would've been happy to compliment any single one of us if we were the ones chosen. Yaoyorozu just wondered if she had any say in this appointment with her authority as President.
Sorry. Seems the mass has decided you're a figurehead at best. The title is just a formality.
Later that night, I was lied down on my bed, debating how to proceed on the attack I knew was coming. In the chaos of the evacuation alarm, some villain had snuck in and stole an itinerary from the school, detailing tomorrow's Hero Basic Training being a rescue class at the USJ with 3 teachers, one being All Might. With that information, they planned an ambush involving communication disruption, divide and conquer, and an Anti-All Might Pidgeon thing.
I could have arranged it for U.A. to be wary of an incoming attack, and have them cancel the trip altogether, but that would just mean that the villain group would save their hidden ace for the next out-of-school trip involving All Might. People would be suspicious as to where the information came from, and if traced to me, I would have no explanation for why I knew what I knew. And, besides, this USJ trip refined 1-A in a crucible, with it being their first foray into real fights with villainy. Do I take away that growth from them? And, as bad as it sounds, I was willing on letting the attack slide if it meant I knew what was coming in order to prevent worse.
What were the cons of the trip anyway? Nobody died… I guess Eraserhead got close. So did All Might… And Midoriya… And Asui… And Kaminari… An-
So, a lot of bad could happen tomorrow. But a lot of bad could happen if tomorrow didn't.
What do I… Hm…? There's an idea…
Checking out U.A.'s website I committed their office number to memory, I had an idea of what I had to do to make sure we got out of this with as little pain as possible. No promises though.
I just had to make sure I was at the back of the bus.
Rosa Parks forgive me.
Short-ish chap. Not really funny. I just needed to progress the story.
Meant to release this earlier. Gartic Phone stopped that. Might start new story to kill the monotony