Chapter Two: Entrance Exam
Minami left early on purpose, so why was this happening?
The sound of shattered glass could be heard before a scream echoed causing almost everyone in the vicinity to stop and look. She panicked when she saw a small child, definitely no older than 6, fell – or was rather shoved – from a high up balcony. In a moment of panic, she used her quirk to imagine the air gently encapsulating under her to greatly decrease the speed of falling. She ran forward and guided the girl on her feet.
"Are you okay?"
The girl cried and she tried to look up where the two adults were yelling. Some kind of physical altercation was taking place, but Minami couldn't tell from the angle they were at.
Smash.
A pot shattered a few meters to their left. She should move with the girl. It was unsafe, and it probably wouldn't be good for the kid's mental health to continue watching. Being thrown off a balcony was bad enough.
"I'm Minami Hanajima. Do you think you can walk over there with me?" she asked kneeled down at the kid's height.
"But Mommy…"
"Your mommy must want you to be safe, right?" Thankfully the sirens could be heard as the police showed up. "The police here will help her okay? So, we have to go over there and wait so you can see her." The kid continued to cry but held onto Minami's hand with both of her small ones.
They approach the watching crowd. As they neared Minami could hear people telling one of the officers what they had witnessed.
She heard a sigh before she heard, "Why is it always you?"
Wait. Has this happened before? The disgust grew in Minami until she realized the officer was looking at her and not the kid. Minami had no idea who this man was. "Do I know you? No, wait. Forget that. She guides the kid forward. She kneels down again. "This officer is going to help you okay?"
"No." The kid moved so she could use Minami's body to hide her from the policeman.
The policeman blinked a few times. Minami thought she heard 'not the same person' but she couldn't be sure. She looked back at the kid. She wanted to pass her off. There wasn't anything else she could do for the kid, but she looked scared. Comfort. Comfort was the only thing she can offer the kid.
"Do you want me to wait here with you?" The kid hesitated before nodding, refusing to speak a word.
"Do you mind waiting here with her while I take more witness statement?" The officer asked when he realized the kid wasn't going to budge.
"Oh…um sure." This was a weird experience. She was used to the crazy stories her sister always got swept into, but it was a different feeling being present at a disaster.
As he left to talk to the others, Minami took a box of strawberry pocky out of her bag. She stood at an angle that would hopefully block whatever was happening upstairs. "Would you like a some pocky?"
The kid's eyes sparkled. "Yes please!"
The pocky was supposed to be a good luck present for the entrance exams.
This isn't what she would consider good luck.
Breathe. Breathe. The kid seems alright, so there was at least one positive. How easily could she have died? Urg, she was totally going to be charged with vigilantism, though. Minami watched as the girl grabbed another pocky.
Minami won't like having a record, but she would do it again.
It took nearly fifty minutes to de-escalate the situation.
"Mommy!" As soon as the chance arrived the little girl ran towards her mother who cried and embraced her.
Minami checked the time on her phone. It would be tight, but she could still make it.
"And where do you think you're going?" She froze. "I still need your statement from helping the girl, and then there's the matter of other witnesses mentioning you using your quirk."
"Any chance I can show you my I.D., give you my contact information and we can talk about this later? I'm going to be late." She scrambled for her I.D. and handed it over when another officer walks over.
"Just let her be Tsukauchi. We've gotten enough statements."
"Tanuma… the law is the law." He respected that she saved someone, but he wouldn't be doing his job if he just let her leave. Tsukauchi looked down at the I.D. Minami Hanajima. Hanajima? He felt a headache come on. What were the chances of two people looking alike with the same family name weren't related? He didn't think so either. At this rate the whole family was going.
…..
After getting off the train she ran. Minami ran and ran even as she felt her lungs burn. She didn't stop until she reached the entrance at which inhaled all the air she could as she tried to steady her breathing. Just a little further.
Minami couldn't help but gawk. Photos and videos of U.A. made the school look large, but in person the institute manages to look even bigger.
More importantly, she was late.
She entered the building before someone tugged at the back of her blazer. "And where do you think you're going?" Minami looks back to see a tall woman in a hero costume.
"To the exam?"
"You realize you're half an hour late. You'll just disturb the others writing the exam."
"Why don't we give her a moment to explain herself, Midnight?"
"Nezu! What are you doing here?"
"That's right. It's me, Nezu, the one who could be a dog or a mouse or a bear, but more importantly…I'm the principle!" Minami looks at the principle. Did people question what animal he took after that frequently that he needs to announce it? "And I just happened to see Hanajima here when the gate sensor when off. Quite curious indeed."
"You're a person..." she said lightly out of reflex. People could be cruel to people whose quirks effect their appearance. However, Minami was creeped out he knew her name, but the gate sensor actually made sense. She had been given a temporary access card for the examination. It would make sense it was tailored to each examinee.
That aside, this situation was quite foreign to her. She purposefully tried to show up early to everything to specifically avoid this kind of predicament. Not only that but she highly values punctuality. "I was…um… I was helping a kid." After she finally decided something for herself, Minami didn't want to stop here. She bows at ninety degrees towards the Nezu and Midnight. "Please forgive me. I won't ask for extra time, but please let me complete the exam."
"You can't claim you were completing heroic deeds just because you think that will soften us up," said Midnight. It wasn't the first time a student has come late making such claims. If they wanted to become heroes the least they could do was be on time.
Minami opened her bag to take out a slip of paper. "Here, it's my citation from unauthorized quirk usage." They let her off without fines but it still tarnished her perfect record.
"That's easy enough to track, don't you think. We'll set you up in another room. Midnight here can oversee your exam." Midnight turned to the principal ready to protest but it died on her lips.
…..
"You now have 2 hours and 20 minutes to finish the exam." Even if someone wanted the time to be extended there was still the practical to consider. They couldn't postpone it for one individual.
Minami nods. "Thank you."
'Don't thank me yet,' thought Midnight. The exam was designed to take up the full three hours. U.A. had high standards too, so it would be harder than most private school entrance exams.
Minami read question after question, filling in the circle of the multiple-choice questions. She felt some relief when she eventually got to the math portion. The temptation to second guess herself would arise for math.
The hours passed. Minami felt the stress leave her body when she circled in a multiple choice, flipped the page, and realized it was the last question. She made it.
"Give up? You still have another 20 minutes."
"I finished." Midnight's eyes widened and her mouth open ever slightly with no words escaping. "Sorry, normally I would just wait in silence until the end of the period as to not distract anyone. I'm unaware of the etiquette in this situation." What were you supposed to do when you take a test separately and someone has to watch over you and only you?
"If you're sure. You can head over to the auditorium for the next stage of the exam. Nezu already confirmed your situation," said Midnight. And wasn't that salt to swallow after her accusations. How was she supposed to know? There had been haughty applicants in the past who claimed the same thing!
"Thank you again for letting me write the exam," said Minami before exiting the room. Now to find the auditorium for practical exam for the Department of Heroes. She took a few wrong turns before finding the room. A large sign in the hall pointed to it.
She opened the door and noticed she was the first student. She should have expected it. The others would be dismissed all at once. She walked to the front row. Her ears hypersensitive to sound of her steps and the grating of her bag against her uniform. It was too silent.
It was only a few minutes later when the room gets flooded with students. Minami counted the rows and columns. With the number of people present, she estimated only about 1% of students would be enrolled into the heroics program. Correction. Recommended students weren't here, so less than a percent.
The front lights finally turn on and revealed a tall slim man with long blond hair spiked upwards. He looked kind of familiar. A voice can be heard from somewhere in the auditorium saying that the man up front was Present Mic, but that's not it. It was his face that was familiar. Was it the mustache?
"For all you examinee listeners tuning in, welcome to my show today! Everyone, say hey!"
Minami calmly and dryly said 'hey' out of reflex. Everyone else was quiet and some turned to stare at her. Was she not supposed to?
"That's the spirit!" Present Mic seemed surprised just for a moment before composing himself.
"What a refined response. Then I'll quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam!" He continued his speech to explain the practical part of the exam. They were going to be separated into 7 groups according to what's noted on their application card. Still, the voice distracted her. She knew that voice.
Shoving the thought away, Minami looked down at her examinee card. She wondered what D meant until now. Not that it matters what group she gets placed in. She still needed to do her best.
Points seem to be gained based on destructive capabilities. Not that she could complain. Fighting robots was better than fighting people. She wouldn't have to worry about hurting them. Still, they looked expensive. Being made just to be destroyed felt wrong.
"May I ask a question?" A guy in the middle of the room stood, speaking loud and clear to be heard. "On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake."
Was it wise to criticize the school you want to enroll in before even being accepted?
The glasses guy then reprimanded someone she cannot see sitting somewhere behind him. It might be annoying but just put up with it for a few minutes! It can't be that loud.
President Mic took control of the situation and explained the 0-point machine.
What was the point then? To distract them? Waste their time? It was just a test but if it was real and someone just let them continue to cause destruction because there was 'nothing to be gained' she would have a lot of choice words with whoever fled. If anything wouldn't it be best to work together to handle it first so they could finish in peace without fearing the thing?
"I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it," said President Mic.
Minami has her complaints but she can't help but feel like she's missing something.
They are led out of the room, guided to change rooms to change into clothing more suitable for physical activity. Minami changed into a track suit as the winter air was still chilly, and quickly tied her hair into two low ponytails. Everyone was then ushered onto several buses. Kaya stared out the window in marvel. Over the tall walls she could see buildings. It really was a city simulation.
She waits at the entrance with the rest of the group when she heard a voice behind her.
"I thought I saw you on the bus. To think you'd be here. Don't forget I'm better than you."
President Mic said no injuring each other but it seems like someone really wanted to trash talk.
"Hey, don't ignore me!"
Minami turned around wanting to witness whatever was going down.
"Hanajima!"
A blond hair boy with blue eyes was pointing at her. "Me?" She was uncertain what to do about being called out. Who was this anyway? How did he know her?
"Don't tell me you've forgotten? Stupid Miss Goody Two Shoes. Can't even remember the name of her rival."
It was true that she finds remembering names difficult, but she's never had a rival nor did she want one. It sounds like a pain. It's better to be left alone. But… Goody Two Shoes somehow feels familiar.
No. He can't be serious. There's no way he holds this attitude from all the way back then. She thought the end of third grade would be the last time she ever had to deal with him.
"Hahahahahaha, you really do think you're better than everyone else around you."
She recalled a blond boy from elementary school about who could copy quirks and claimed her a rival. It was annoying. He tried to make everything a competition and she just wanted to exist in peace. She didn't care about being better or worse. She was just doing what she was told to do or what she wanted to do back then. Minami said, "are you perhaps Monoma?" The focus of the group seems to be on the two of them which made her uncomfortable.
"You- it really did take you that long?!"
"Sorry, but I don't see the point of this."
"Tsk. Just know I'm going to get more points than you and be accepted."
The large brown doors swung inward towards the city and the sound of "START!" could be heard from who knows where.
Everyone immediately ran.
10 minutes. Whether they would be admitted to this school was likely determined by the next ten minutes.
The first robot appeared before Minami. She jumped kicked and activated her quirk to have wind push her forward at a faster rate. The robot crumbled from the force.
Don't focus on points. Don't focus on the numbers others were claiming. She just had to focus on what was before her and do her best. Still, when they are in view it was hard not to notice some. Some had pure destructive power whereas others needed a bit more thought.
There was even this short guy throwing part of his hair? at their feet/wheels causing them to break by their own falling force, and a girl who could make the robots small enough to be nonthreatening before throwing them aside or enlarging debris to throw from a distance.
Speaking of grape head— "Watch out!" Instead, he does exactly that and turned around to look at the danger straight on. With a gust of air Minami blew the bot away before it caused harm.
"Thank you!" Was that snot, tears, and a red face all at once? She wasn't going to question it and kept moving forward to destroy more robots.
There was a guy attacking one robot when another behind him approached. A violent compressed wisp of wind Minami sent cut the machine in two.
"You should watch yourself too!" Another participant destroyed the machine behind herself.
Minami destroyed a few more bots before the earth began rumbling.
She caught her balance and itched her arm then neck.
Minami's eyes widened.
No way. That thing was bigger than an eight-storey building. That thing had to be nearly 100 meters tall. What were they supposed to do against that?
That explained why they were advised to avoid it.
Wait! Maybe that black hair girl that could change object sizes could shrink it to be more manageable. There was no way anyone could focus with this thing. Minami looked around and eventually found the girl running away with several others in pure fear. She knows pure feelings, especially of fear and despair, can overtake a person but there goes their chance.
What to do? It was an exam. She would be wasting her time on it.
Still, it was coming for them whether they ran or not. 2 minutes. 2 minutes was a long time to run from this thing.
Minami reluctantly followed the rest of the crowed. Slowing down only to help someone back up who had been hit by a three pointer a little too hard.
She continued to flee when she spotted Monoma. As annoying as he was maybe he could help get rid of that monstrosity. "Hey Monoma!" He turned but she spoke before he could get a word out. "Can you copy that black hair girl's quirk who can change the size of thing. It would be pretty useful about now."
"You heard it earlier. You don't get points. You can't waste my time just to catch up to me." Ah! She wants to strangle him. Not literally, but urg. So frustrating.
"Would you rather I take all the glory?" Fine, Minami would play at his own game.
It only took a bit more egging Monoma on before he shrunk the bot. Apparently, he already had the girl's quirk. As soon as the bot's size decreased it she sliced it in two again.
"Thank you for the help, Monoma!" Monoma took a step back. Was that expression supposed to show disgust? It was just gratitude!
They had a few more seconds before—
"Time's up!"
An employee came around with gummy bears which helped ease the nausea and exhaustion.
Unfortunately, the gummies couldn't negate the itchiness she felt from using her quirk.
.
It was simple.
Return the way you came.
Except Minami had a horrible sense of direction. Once she even got lost with the use of GPS. She thought she had been going the right way only to land in an unfamiliar area. That couldn't be good. She doesn't want to be accused of sneaking around.
Minami took another turn when she finally found someone!
"Excuse me, are you lost too?"
"A bit, but I'm actually looking for a staff member." She looked down. "Someone saved me during the exam and I think he should at least get the points he could have gotten if not for me."
That… was kind of nice. She didn't know if that would be allowed but the thought behind it was endearing. They did give her an opportunity despite her lateness so there was still hope.
"Do you mind if I come along?" This was likely the fastest way to find the exit even if it was a roundabout way.
"That would be great! I'm Ochako Uraraka."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Minami Hanajima."
It took another five minutes to find a staff member. The same man from the lecture hall.
"Uhh… excuse me, hi. Uh, sorry to bother you, but… do you know the boy with curly hair? He has freckles. And, he's got, uhh, a sort of plain look. Do you know who I'm talking about? Would it be possible to share some of my points with him?! He said something like 'if only I'd gotten a single point.' So I gleaned from that that he hadn't earned any at all. Please at least give him the number of points he lost because of me. That boy saved my life!"
Minami watched as the girl became more confident and passionate the further in her speech she got. Still… zero points. It's not that she had the belief that not being able to destroy robots meant you would be bad law enforcement. It's just that for an exam with extremely low acceptance rates it didn't look good at all.
"Sorry missy, you can't share points, but I'm thinking you won't need to in the first place."
Present Mic assures the girl that there's more to the test and that she didn't need to be so insistent.
She still seemed nervous but she calmed down plenty. On auto-pilot she drifted out of the room.
Minami panicked. She needed to catch up.
"And what about you listener?"
Listener. Blond hair – admittedly in a way she had never seen before. That voice. It finally clicked why he looked so familiar. "Yamada?"
Present Mic looked at Minami's stupefied face. "You really didn't know?!"
She shook her head.
"It's the hair, isn't it."
She nodded.
"So how do I get out of here?"
"Pft." Minami didn't appreciate Yamada laughing at her as he teased that he would show her the way out.
…..
Minami stared at the results.
2nd. She somehow came second.
1st: Katsuki Bakugo with 77 villain points and 0 rescue points.
2nd: Minami Hanajima with 58 villain points and 18 rescue points.
3nd: Eijiro Kirishima with 39 villain points and 35 rescue points.
4rd: Ochako Uraraka with 28 villain points and 45 rescue points.
And what was with the name 'villain points'? Was it because they named the bots villains? But it somehow come across as if the action to receive the points at all are villainous.
Looking at the list there was also someone named Midoriya who had gotten 0 villain points. Was that the person the brown hair girl tried to give her points to?
"Congrats. Should we go out for parfaits? My treat," Kaede stood behind Minami, having watched along with her.
"But you can't eat parfaits." Kaede's body hated a lot of foods. Lactose was one of them.
"But you like them. I'll get something else."
"Okay! Thank you. Do you want to check out that hedgehog café?" Minami had seen an ad and wanted a chance to see the critters.
"Absolutely, I do."
Minami turned on her phone and messaged her dad. I got in.
