It's 7:30 a.m. and I have reached the gates of the U.A. High School.
It has a very big campus. Its reputation is just as big, too. I expect the school to live up to it.
There are about 17 other kids here to take the Recommendations entrance exam. They are all warming up. I see one with a wind quirk, another with a surface-softening quirk, another with a body-splitting quirk, and one I think who has some sort of creation quirk.
As I look around I spot a girl with raven black hair tied in a tendril twist bun.
Black hair.
I observe the girl more closely. Her back is to me, but I can see her hair clearly. That color of hair. That was the exact color in my lucid dream. But the girl in my dream had gradient monochrome hair. This girl's hair is a solid color. Still, I can't help but make a connection between the two.
You're just overthinking. It's a coincidence that the girl from the dream and the girl in front of me right now have such similar hair. It's not uncommon.
Despite my attempt to reassure myself, I am intrigued by the dark-haired girl.
A test examiner arrives later to explain the contents and rules of today's exam.
"Your exam consists of three parts: the written test, the practical test, and the interview. Your exam will also be conducted in this order. All of you will take the written test in the same classroom and I will be the grader. You have 90 minutes to complete the written exam. If you finish before then, turn in your exam paper and head out onto the obstacle course over there."
He points to an arena a few meters from where we are standing.
"You will receive instructions for your practical exam there."
He beckons us to follow him through the gates, and as we do we take in the grandeur of U.A. Skyscraper buildings a few meters ahead, cherry blossom, red sentinel, and spruce pine trees to the sides, man-made pools full of water lilies and koi fish, and a three-tiered fountain just a few meters from the gate.
Most of the kids chatter excitedly about the setting. But I notice the girl doesn't say anything. I can't see her face clearly, but she quietly observes the setting, taking in the beauty silently. She pauses by one of the pools, sets her cane down, and sinks her hand in the water. How did I not notice she was walking with a cane? She plays with the koi fish who take interest in her and smiles to herself. With her free hand, she pours some kind of fish food into the water, and the fish swarm around each other, scrabbling for the crumbs. She removes her hand from the pool, picks up her cane, and returns to the group. The glove on her hand is soaking wet.
Wait.
Glove.
She didn't put her bare hand into the water. I look closer and notice she's wearing flesh-colored dress gloves.
Why would she wear gloves? Is she a mysophobe and wary of germs? Does she think wearing gloves look cool? Or is there something on her hands that she wants to hide?
I continue wondering about the gloves when I realize we have reached the door to the classroom where we will take the written test.
Focus. Stop thinking about the gloves. They're a distraction. No distractions on exam day. Remember your vendetta against Endeavor.
Suddenly, I feel angry again. I take care not to express it. The examiner assigns each of us to a seat and once we are all seated, he passes out the exam booklets.
"We will start in five minutes."
The bell rings, and all of us open our booklets. I channel my rage into determination and begin.