Akira Grace POV, Monday, April 13th

We train between our jobs all weekend, and for as many of us as possible to meet up every night until the exam. We're lucky, one of the three locations this year is just outside of Musutafu this year. On Monday however, Aizawa calls me up in front of the class, bandages covering his body, to make an announcement. I hate him. So. Much.

"Your classmate Akira will be taking her Provisional Hero Licensing Exam ahead of schedule if you want details on why ask her not me. But don't pester her about it, or you will end up dealing with me. We've been granted permission to watch her exam footage when she takes it at the end of the month since it changes every time and won't give you much valuable information to use on your own exams. Now, we'll continue with our lessons as normal." I take my seat and prepare myself for the days leading up to the exam.

Aizawa POV earlier that morning

This meeting was about the USJ attack, again, before she left on Friday Akira had asked for the notebook and 'uploaded' all of the information she had managed to gather. However, right at the end, Nezu dropped a bomb on us.

"Also, young Miss Akira will be participating in the upcoming Provisional Hero Licensing Exam. Her long term teacher, from before she attended here, has elected to have her take it. He was gracious enough to even ask our permission! Seeing no problem with gaining experience, I said it would be no problem. I also gained permission for us to watch the footage of her exams as she competes, as it won't give anyone an unfair advantage in the next exam. Good day!" He totters out of the room quickly, ignoring All Might as he rushes after him, protests spilling out. I sigh, well, better go let the class know.

Akira Grace POV

Bakugo kept pestering me all morning, and I kept telling him that it didn't matter why I was able to take the exam. I told everyone else the same thing. It doesn't matter why I can take it. I'm going to take it and that's all that matters. On the 30th of April, I might take the next step in becoming a hero.

The days fly by, Kirishima helps me read things, I help him figure out the answers. Bakugo continues buying me lunch when he sees I don't have my own. Which is most days, I pick up letters from my parents in the morning, giving my siblings theirs, and having Mezou help me read it at some point in the day. I want to make sure I don't miss anything. We're not really friends or anything just because he's a pretty solitary guy, but he's from over by where Maiko lives and he knows where I come from a lot better than the others- even if they have at least some idea. So I'm a little more comfortable with him helping me read letters that talk about how nice everything there, how different it is to have people waiting to help them- bring them food or coffee or whatever else. Having people treat them as equals without question. How cool it is to work alongside Ingenium. Ingenium is really great, he usually attaches a motivational note for me in the letters. Little quotes and anecdotes for me as a future pro.

Today is the last letter before the exam, tomorrow, I find Mezou. However, he's busy so I wait quietly till he's done. He waves politely and takes the letter from me, opening it we walk down the nearly empty hallway. Reading it quietly. The first part is Papa.

"Dearest Daughter, working here gets better every day. I found out a few days ago we'd be going to a fancy event, and was worried about what you wear or do at one of those things. However, Ingenium pulled me aside and we went suit shopping. I haven't worn a suit since I got married to your mother- it barely fit and I borrowed it from a friends dad. Your mom went with Ingenium's mother to pick out a dress. It's beautiful on her, granted she's beautiful in anything. I hope you're well, and that your test goes really well. Ingenium gave me the day off, and got your mother the day off at the hospital so that we can sit with him and watch your performance. He really believes that you've got what it takes to be a hero. He asks about you and your siblings every day. I've told him how hard you work to help us, about how determined you are, how he's one of your biggest inspirations. Right up there with Daydream and Eraserhead. He says that means he's got to work that much harder so that he can prove he deserves your respect. I've never met a man with as big of a heart as he has. - Love Papa."

"Akira, I hope you're doing okay. Mama misses you a lot, even if we rarely saw one another we were never this far away. I got to go shopping for the first time since I was a little girl, it was incredible. I haven't worn a dress since your father and I got married. It was your great-grandmother's dress, and it was two sizes too small so I wore a shirt underneath it to cover myself. Those days always bring a smile to my face. The hospital in Tokyo is incredible, I'm the only quirk less person working here, but a few of the nurses don't have quirk licenses or their quirks aren't useful in the hospital, so it's not as big of a deal as it's always been back home. Good luck on your test, and remember, we believe in you and love you so much it hurts. -Love Mama."

The last thing is the little notecard from Ingenium, stapled to the paper.

"Good luck on your upcoming exam. I know that you will do incredibly well if your heart is half as heroic as your father's. Remember, it's a hero's duty to uphold the hero code, to run to the side of those in need, and to remain humble through their own greatness. - Regards Ingenium."

Smiling I accept the letter from Mezou. He looks at me with an odd expression.

"How are you feeling about your exam? Are you nervous?" I nod.

"Very, everyone thinks I'll do really well. Even Bakugo says that I better pass since my score beat his. I'm just not sure how well I can really do. I've been practicing so hard it hurts to even look at a book right now, I've nearly mastered ink hardening, sometimes I still slip up though. It's just scary, some of the people I'll be up against are third years, or kids that are on their last shot to pass after graduation even. I'm barely into the first year and- it's scary." Mezou nods.

"I understand. The pressure on your shoulders is great, you're becoming a hero to save people. However, you also want to help your family get into a place of financial security before you leave home to do so. The struggle that presents is very difficult, one I myself am presented with. I know it's likely been even harder for your family than my own, with your siblings and yourselves being the first to have quirks. My own parents and grandparents have simply been unable to break the cycle, as no one had any particularly useful quirks until my own. Even my siblings have less obvious quirks that I possess. But don't worry too much, you won't be alone, and even if you fail you'll still be that much stronger for it. You'll try again in September, and that will be that. Anyway... How has Maiko been?" I laugh, subtle Mezou.

"Working harder every day. You should just tell her how you feel, she's not the kind of person that would cruelly reject you or take advantage of your feelings." Mezou blushes underneath his face covering, I'm just barely able to tell over the top edge of his mask.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm just being neighborly is all." Smiling I give him my regards and tell him to relay them to his parents for me as well. Making my way down the stairs and towards home, I begin preparing for one of the biggest events in my life.