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〖 Chapter Three〗
First Days, First Meetings
Bakugou Katsuki is delighted with the attention he received as he walked into his new classroom.
Everyone laid their eyes on him, and he could see traces of astonishment in their wary gazes. They must have recognized him by now, he thought with a swell of pride. After all, he was none other than the top qualifier who ranked number one in both the academic and practical categories of U.A's recent entrance exam.
He released a contented little huff and swaggered over to his designated desk with a smirk, all the while basking in the spotlight they directed at him. 'That's right. I'm in a league higher than all of you extras. Ya'll made a mistake when you picked to be born in the same generation as me.'
Minutes passed, and other students began to show up one by one until there were only four unoccupied chairs left. Even so, despite the number of students in the room the silence and tension in the air remained.
Katsuki lounged in his chair with a leg resting on the desk. He relished in this atmosphere. In his opinion, everyone did an excellent job for being aware that this was U.A's Hero Course, for minding their goddamn businesses, and for refraining from making friends or any sort of shenanigans on the first day (not to mention nobody dared to ask him about the incident with that sludge villain months ago). They were rivals running the same race, and while everyone who made it this far earned the right of passage to become a Top Hero, Katsuki was going to show the lot of them how far ahead he already was.
The old days were long gone. This was a new era of winning, of vying and competing for the top ranks. There were no rooms for doubt here. From here on out it's either reach for the best or drop dead. Their days of normalcy were over.
And that was why, when she came in emitting an aura of warmth with that little smile of hers, the room's atmosphere changed drastically.
Upon seeing the people before her, the girl with long ice blue hair, deep violet eyes and thick eyebrows paused by the door and regarded them all with an amiable smile. She surprised them further when she spoke, her voice clear and smooth and feminine, her words cutting into the silence like a heated knife to frozen butter.
"Good morning. My name is Koseki Alumi, and I will be studying in this class from now on. I look forward to get along with all of you." She ended her introduction with a corollary bow and flashed them the kind of tight-lipped and closed-eyed smile that made the ash-blond cringe.
Katsuki felt offended. He stared at her dumbly, the whole room stunned. The silence was still there but the quality has changed into one of wonder. What the hell just happened to that perfectly inauspicious pressure that hung inside the room just now?
And as if she hadn't just done something intensely offensive, the blue-haired girl turned away from them and gracefully walked across the room. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and gnashed his teeth when he saw how everyone fixed their eyes on her much like how they did on him when he first entered the room.
He decided this thick-browed bitch needed to go. Who the hell did she think she was? This was U.A High for crying out loud, and she was acting like they were here to enjoy a fun high school life, become good friends and sing fucking kumbaya until graduation! The only high school life he had in mind is where he's going to make his mark as the number one hero. He did not intend to get involved in anything or anyone else.
And so Katsuki was lost in his own world, revelling in thoughts of victory and of the start of his journey to becoming the greatest hero there is and will ever be, when the scent of apples suddenly invaded his nose.
He looked up looking like he's smelt something unpleasant and was greeted with the girl's figure standing by the desk in front of him. He groaned internally and thought, 'Of all the fuckin' luck…'
She glanced his way, their gazes connecting, and he immediately took this opportunity to threaten her with a snarl. Girls always make it a point to avoid him every time he did that.
As he thought, it definitely startled her, but what he didn't expect was for her to return his glare with an amused chuckle. She then eased down on her chair, but not before flashing him a friendly smile over her shoulder as if to say, 'Nice to meet you, too'.
Katsuki blinked back in disgust. He had never felt so insulted in his entire life (and he's known this one worthless dipshit who, despite not having a Quirk, still dared to dream in becoming a hero)! He couldn't wait to pulverize this thick-browed broad. Her, and every single extra in this damned room.
The door opened abruptly, revealing another student. This time it was an uptight-looking glasses-wearing ass who – did not even spend two seconds inside the room – immediately went and reprimanded him of his stylish way of sitting. Apparently desks have feelings because four-eyes was telling him to respect what it went through in its shitty life.
Katsuki is pissed, and this dolt – who Katsuki recognized as the annoyingly loud shithead who got all worked up over the printout during the entrance exam's presentation – was suddenly all up in his face lecturing him about things he couldn't care less about. But this was going to be fun. He ought to get a kick out of this dumbass just so he could momentarily distract himself from the fact that he's going to be stuck sitting behind the annoying blue-haired girl and her offending fragrance.
Katsuki looked up at the newcomer with lazy, rebellious red eyes, and challenged him with a mocking grin. "Haaah?"
Alumi wore a quizzical smile as she listened to the bickering pair behind her. She liked her new class already. Everyone just seemed so interesting, with each of their unique appearances pertaining their Quirks.
From her past experiences of new schools and first days, Alumi knew what to expect as soon as she set foot inside her new classroom. Just like what she imagined, nothing much changed, with the exception of the ash-blond boy's rather nostalgic greeting, and the boy with the eccentric hair color combination and a scar over his left eye who had his eyes closed the entire time.
She figured she was the first to do such a daring introduction judging from her new classmates' expressions. In fact, she could still feel a few lingering stares. She always introduced herself properly during her junior high years, remembering what her mother said once. "First impressions are very important. To have the odds in your favor, you must establish a good, lasting impression upon others. It will work to your advantage."
'Well, I certainly made myself unforgettable now…Should I not have done that?' Alumi thought with a tinge of worry, recalling the ash-blond boy's affronted expression. Then again, she didn't like the heavy atmosphere the room gave off when she first stepped in, so she really couldn't help herself. She could only hope it wouldn't backfire someday.
Glancing at her wristwatch, Alumi noted that class was going to start any minute now. At this thought, Alumi turned her head toward the door and was surprised to see someone standing there. She didn't even hear it open, and no one else seemed to notice it either.
She initially thought it was the teacher, but saw it was another student with a distinctive curly mass of black, green-tinged hair. The unmistakable sight brought a shock of recognition. Now Alumi didn't get to see his face that time during the practical entrance exam months ago, and when she dragged her gaze into his face and saw his bright emerald eyes filled with worry...
"Alumi-nee!"
At that instant she saw the image of Haruki, his sweet voice ringing in her ears as he happily smiled and looked up to her with so much life. Her vision instantly zeroed in on the boy as if he was the only thing she could see. Everything else became blurry, formless figures. There were no peripherals, no other figure, no other thought. It was as if she was inside a dark narrow tunnel with him standing at the end, her only source light, waiting for her.
It was only for an instant, but Alumi saw him. Saw her beloved brother reflected with frightening clarity in that boy's eyes, in that boy's face. Of all the moments she thought of him, of all the quiet, miserable moments she immersed herself in just to savour the memories of when he was still alive, he had never been so vivid. Not even in her most pleasant dreams.
Suddenly it was getting hard to breathe. Alumi's eyes prickled and her face felt too tight. She realized with panic that she was about to cry. She immediately tore her gaze away from him, lowered her head and closed her eyes, fighting against the rising tide of tears.
Vaguely she could hear their glasses wearing classmate Iida greeting the curly-haired boy. A moment later she heard a feminine and cheery voice that sounded suspiciously like Ochako, her addition to the two males making quite the ruckus by the entrance.
Alumi was finally able to calm down, and as she watched them intently, her eyes focusing on the curly-haired boy's face, her thoughts aligned towards an unexpected fact that she didn't know whether to feel happy or troubled with.
'That person…He looks just like Haru…'
"A Quirk assessment test?"
After their homeroom teacher Aizawa Shouta made his appearance, the students of 1-A found themselves out into the field in their P .E uniforms to do just that. This assessment test, however, came with the penalty that whoever ended up in last place was going to be expelled. Such was the ruthlessness of their teacher who shot down her classmates' eager energy and Ochako's complaints on fairness.
Still, no matter how cold he may seem, Alumi agreed on Aizawa-sensei's terms and reasons. Japan, and the world, was full of injustice. She's experienced that first hand when Haruki passed away too soon and when her Quirk didn't manifest at the age of four.
Life wasn't fair. But it wasn't meant to be lived in despair and wallow at how unfair it was either. Like what Aizawa-sensei said, heroes are the ones who reverse and overcome those situations, and Alumi was determined to become that kind of hero.
"Go beyond. Plus Ultra. Overcome it with all you've got. Now then, demonstration's over. The real thing starts now."
"I'm so glad we're in the same class, Alumi-chan!" Ochako exclaimed happily as they walked towards the area for the first test.
Alumi gave her a fond smile. "I knew I'd see you again, but I didn't think we'd be classmates. It's very comforting seeing you here Urara-chan."
Ochako chuckled sheepishly and grinned. "I feel the same way!" Just then her expression changed as her eyes seemed to latch onto something. Alumi followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at the curly-haired boy with the freckles walking a few feet away from them.
"The same goes for that boy over there too…Do you still remember him, Alumi-chan?" Ochako asked conspiratorially just as Alumi's chest began to thump with unease.
"Yes," the bluenette murmured. There was no way she could easily forget about him after the impression he made on her. Then there was that nightmare she had of him in her beloved brother's place, and it didn't help that he somewhat resembled Haruki's appearance. Needless to say, Alumi found this boy disturbing. Disturbing in the most fascinating way.
"It's…" Alumi started as she slowly looked away from him, making sure to keep a neutral smile on her face as she looked at Ochako again. "It's great that he managed to pass after all, huh."
"Un! I'm really glad I was able to pass the entrance exam and see you guys again! But…"
"But…?"
Ochako hesitated. "It's just that…I don't like how our homeroom teacher is going to expel the person who wounds up last. Thinking of who it's going to be is just so sad. I mean, we got this far after everything after all."
Alumi fell silent. Everyone present had dreams they wanted to fulfill, and it would be cruel to shatter those dreams after everything they went through. Yet she also knew that dreams have prices they needed to pay, and as heroes-in-training, things were just bound to get harder.
"But if Aizawa-sensei is really going to do it…T-then! I'm definitely not going to be that person!" Ochako said with a resolute glare.
Amused by her friend's adorable attempt at looking intimidating, Alumi patted her head affectionately. "Yes, yes. Let's do our best, Urara-chan."
For the rest of the tests, Alumi did well and garnered results that were above the average. All the time, blood, sweat and tears she invested in her daily exercises and training have finally paid off. She felt very satisfied for having the opportunity to execute her abilities, as it was an effective way to show them how she had what it takes to stay in U.A. The assessment test may have been abrupt, but it created a suitable platform for each of them to gauge the extent of their skills now that they could freely use their Quirks.
Now there was this particular test that not only harboured the most attention, but was also the only test where Alumi utilized the other side of her Quirk. It was none other than the ball throw. One by one her classmates had their turn until it was finally Ochako's turn.
Alumi was amazed with the score her brunette friend got. Infinity. Who would've thought such a score existed? It was then the curly-haired boy's turn. Alumi watched with a heavy heart as he struggled with his Quirk and got practically roasted under Aizawa-sensei's scrutiny.
"Midoriya Izuku. With your power, you can't become a hero."
Aizawa-sensei's statement hung on the air like a raincloud, piercing not only Izuku but Alumi as well when the former lowered his head like a wilting flower. He looked so helpless and put down that her chest started to clench painfully, and knowing that she could do nothing but watch made it even worse.
Aizawa-sensei released Izuku from his binds and gave him two chances to get a passing score. Gradually Izuku's expression shifted from despair to determination. As everybody watched with anticipation, Alumi found herself in a state of conflicting emotions. She couldn't understand why she was so affected and concerned, but deep in her heart she knew the reason why and it was absurd. She knew full well that he was not, and would never be Haruki. And yet the curliness of his hair and the light of not giving up shining in his round bright eyes…He was every bit of the little brother she remembered.
The area around Izuku shot up into a fine upheaval of dust when he launched the ball towards the sky. There was a collective sound of surprise, and even Alumi gasped, simply amazed at the display. She then caught a glimpse of his swollen finger, reminding her of that time during the entrance exam.
'He still needs more time to get used to his Quirk, but it looks like he's figured how to minimize the consequences by calculating the level of power he needs,' she thought with a mixture of worry and awe. 'Then he focused that portion of power into one of his fingers. To think he figured how to do that in such a short amount of time…'
"Incredible," Alumi breathed out as Ochako cheered beside her. The ball landed, and Aizawa-sensei showed Izuku's results. It was approximately 705.3 meters, overlapping Bakugou's 705.2 by a mere inch, thereby making him the new second best scorer in the test.
Most of their classmates began to murmur with disbelief as no one probably expected such a result from the boy, especially Bakugou himself whose eyes turned as large as golf balls with his mouth hanging agape.
Alumi felt the disturbance in the air before she even saw it.
She felt the back of her neck and a specific area of her head – the part where her Ahoge was located – prickle with unease. She stiffened, knowing what it meant as it happened quite a lot in the past. Confused as to what kind of danger it could possibly refer to at this moment, Alumi was about to reach up and soothe the sudden tingle when she saw the ash-blond boy begin to tremble from the corner of her eyes. She turned her head toward him and saw how he was gnashing his teeth, eyes ablaze and looking like he was about to jump and throttle someone. He probably was. Alumi followed his line of sight and realized with alarm of just who he intended to throttle.
Katsuki took off with a roar. "HEY! What the hell is going on here Deku YOU BASTARD!"
Alumi didn't even think. Her body moved on its own with her arm shooting down to slam a hand to the ground. She didn't even know what she was doing until she felt the vibrations under her palm and saw her crystals erupt from the ground in front of the frightened Izuku, serving as his shield to keep the ash-blond teen from harming him. Both boys jerked in surprise, but even so, Katsuki was relentless. He only faltered for a second and snarled into the huge crystal wall in front of him, right hand bent and already crackling with miniature explosions.
"If you think this is gonna fucking stop me—!"
He was about to make a jump at the crystal wall when their teacher moved to intervene the scene. After subduing the explosive teen and revealing his dry-eye problem, Aizawa-sensei walked off to the side. "We're wasting time. Whoever's next, get ready," he announced with an airy wave of his hand.
Alumi perked up, instantly recovering from her daze. She let out a breath of relief and dusted herself off before walking over to their raven-haired teacher. "I believe I'm next, Sensei."
Aizawa-sensei merely grunted his consent. Then he regarded her with stern eyes, his eyes switching over to the crystal wall then back to her again.
"I believe that was your doing," he said, his dark, rough voice almost startling her.
"Yes, sir," she replied, feeling more than a little intimidated under his gaze.
Aizawa-sensei lifted the ball towards her as if to signify that was end of it, but just as Alumi lifted a hand to accept the ball, she sensed he still had something else to say. His subtle hesitation as he seemed to be contemplating his next words was starting to make her nervous. She half-expected he would probably ask why she did such a feat just now, but instead; "Next time, refrain from doing something reckless and unnecessary. It's a teacher's job to keep his students in check."
Unaccustomed to having a teacher actually scold her, Alumi replied with a rigid nod, her heart beating like a hummingbird's. "I understand, Sensei. I'll strive to do so."
Aizawa-sensei gave her the ball with a low indicative hum. Alumi accepted it with a gracious bow and turned away, discreetly releasing a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. As she made her way over to the designated area, she was surprised to see Bakugou still rooted in place. She regarded him with disapproving eyes as she walked passed his fuming figure. 'Why did he suddenly charge at Midoriya-kun like that? And why did he call him 'Deku'?'
Noticing her gaze on him, Katsuki shifted his menacing glare on her. She blinked, but was unfazed, which served to infuriate him even more. It was just like the first time their eyes met, but this time, Alumi wasn't smiling. Instead, she was looking at him with a subtle questioning gaze, and Katsuki turned away in rage.
He was this close to pummelling the answers out of the shitty nerd. This close!
But this annoying thick-browed Ahoge-springing bitch just had to interfere. He wanted nothing more than to give her a piece of his mind but he held back, knowing their teacher wouldn't hesitate to restrain him with his binds made out of carbon fiber again.
'Deku…!' Katsuki's glare intensified, his face twisting into a nasty snarl.
It was madness. Izuku wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. He was supposed to be nothing more but a pebble on Katsuki's road to greatness, one who did not even deserve a second glance. But then the goddamned dipshit suddenly dared to stand in the same stage as him, applies to U.A and pulls a stunt Katsuki's never seen him do before. And now…What was so great about him that people would come to his aid?
He clenched his fists awfully tight and begrudgingly walked away, pinning his hostile stare on the curly-haired boy.
'You're going to regret making a fool out of me, Deku!'
Alumi placed a palm against the crystal wall and watched it dissipate back into the ground. She was aware of her Quirk's impression on her classmates when they saw her utilize it, but what they didn't know, was how her Quirk was not only limited to summoning crystals.
'Well then, since Midoriya-kun gave it his all, I shouldn't hold back as well.' Alumi thought resolutely. She also felt the need to demonstrate the real extent of her abilities after getting practically chastised by Aizawa-sensei.
With a deep breath, Alumi positioned into a right angle stance, her right foot slightly skidding backward and her right arm pulled back into a punch. With the ball gripped in her right hand, she placed her left hand on her right forearm and activated the other side of her Quirk. Her heart throbbed, the increase of supply in her bloodstream jolting her nerves and giving her a salient surge of raw energy. With renewed strength, Alumi threw the ball with all the strength she could muster.
The force wasn't as extreme like Bakugou's or Midoriya's, but the way it flew into sky like a missile elicited similar reactions. It eventually came falling back down and Aizawa-sensei strode over to show them the score. The digits read 393 meters.
"Holy crap!" A certain electrifying blond exclaimed with shock. "300 meters!? This girl's something!"
"The level of brawn within that slender vessel is indeed impressive," commented another with the face of a raven.
"What 'brawn' are you talking about? She's sexy! I'm so glad I'm in this class!" A short boy declared.
Alumi smiled brightly in the face of their commendation, content with her results as she turned away from the spotlight and walked back to where Ochako was with Izuku standing beside her.
"Alumi-chan sure is amazing!" the brunette chimed beside him. Izuku turned to her with an inquiring gaze.
"Uraraka-san, y-you know her?"
"Un! We met during the entrance exam. She really helped me back then, and she even helped me get to you when you were falling after defeating that really huge mock villain."
"Really? I-I didn't know…" Izuku muttered as he furrowed his eyebrows.
Strange. He definitely did not remember seeing her that time. 'Nevermind. I have to thank her for helping me earlier. Kacchan was too close for comfort.' Izuku thought as he looked towards Alumi's direction, the girl drawing closer and closer towards them.
"That was a great throw, Alumi-chan!" Ochako greeted when she was close enough. "I didn't know you were that strong!"
Alumi's smile turned sheepish at the brunette's beaming compliment. "Ah, but Urara-chan, your score was infinity. No one here could ever match up to that."
Ochako lifted a flustered hand behind her head while Alumi turned towards the boy beside her. Izuku flinched at the sudden attention shift, not really used to being looked at with such friendly eyes and it was coming from a really pretty girl.
"Midoriya-kun, was it?" Alumi said before trailing her eyes down to his damaged finger. "That looks painful…Will you be able to continue?"
She looked up at him with slightly worried eyes, and Izuku sputtered out a reply, much like how he did when he answered a similar question from Ochako.
"A-ah, YES! I-I can still manage! T-t-thank you v-very much!" Izuku immediately hid his beet red face with a bow. That was not how he wanted to thank her, but he couldn't really help himself.
Alumi giggled with amusement, her eyes softening. "I'm glad to hear that."
Izuku looked up to see her smiling at him, the gesture warm and comforting, and he was struck.
Alumi eventually turned her back on him as she watched the next person on the field, unaware of the boy's questioning gaze on her. Izuku wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he thought he saw a glimmer of nostalgia and wistful recognition in her eyes when she smiled at him. It was filled with affection and familiarity.
It was almost as if she's known him her entire life.
A/N:
This came out faster than I expected and, yaaay~, Kacchan's finally made his appearance! It really is a blast (pun not intended) writing when it comes to him, I just love using cuss words X)
And there we have it, Alumi meeting Class 1-A, or 1-A's meeting of Alumi! She's got the whole graceful friendly act on lock and Katsuki's hatin' her guts from the get go. Alumi's got her eyes on Izu-chan too~. Now as much as I want to write more, I tend stick to my usual limit of 3000 words, so this will be it for now.
Anyway, here're the tidbits for this chapter~:
※ Alumi is going to be student no. 16 in 1-A, hence why she sits in front of Kacchan. It has its significance, I assure you. In the meantime, do forgive me for this selfishness Hagakure-chan! T-T
※ Ahoge – Literally means 'Idiot/foolish hair'. Now if you're familiar with common Anime characteristic tropes, you'd know what an Ahoge is. It refers to that particular lock or strand of hair that sticks out of a character's head. It's impossible to miss! But that doesn't mean a character has to be an idiot or have a very cheerful personality to have one. While it's more of a visual trait, it sometimes gains a life of its own and acts like an extra limb that further expresses a character's emotions and reactions. I absolutely adore this trope and I think it'd be great if Alumi had one (which she inherited from her dad, by the way), my reason being because I felt it adds a comical contrast to her somewhat mysterious and evasive persona. Most of the time I wish I had one, too ;u; But then again, I'm a loud and a highly expressive person when I'm not being moody lol. I certainly don't need no Ahoge to indicate what I'm feeling haha~! Anyhow, there are definitely more Ahoge moments coming your way!
[Edited]: Added minor changes, re-edited phrases and fixed grammatical/situational errors.
