This story is heavily based off of the anime/manga series "Boku no Hero Academia". This work of fiction may contain spoilers towards the series, as well as references and characters. I do not own any of the references or characters from the original series that may appear in this story. This work and its original characters are fictional, any resemblance to real people living or dead is purely coincidental.
To be unique, is to be one of a kind, unlike anything else. What does that mean in a world where everyone is unique?
The world has transformed dramatically. Unique abilities that are normally impossible for an average human to achieve, are now commonplace. Nearly 80% of all of humanity is equipped with some sort of ability or mutation. These unique traits are known as "quirks". When individuals are given power, they are capable of making decisions that can affect others.
What must one do to be considered a hero?
Sunday, April 9th 5:49 p.m.
Riku stood outside of the doorway of Rock's Room and peeked inside after noticing Rock and Renka were not behind him. "Are you guys coming or what?"
After exchanging smiles, Rock and Renka head towards the door. Renka noticed a cloud of smoke hovering above Riku's head, and nudged Rock before pointing towards her discovery. The boy squinted as he analyzed the smoke, eyes trailing across the ceiling and towards right of his room.
"Riku, did you burn something? Where's all this smoke coming fr-"
The three immediately turned to locate the source of the smoke. It was coming from the next room over, seeping through the slim cracks of the door.
"Fire! There's a fire!" screamed Rock, stepping back, preparing to knock the door down with a shoulder bash.
Riku covered his hand with a thick handkerchief from his pocket, and simply turned the doorknob with his left hand and opened the door.
Oh. I guess I should've tried that first. Professor Snipe would've freaked out if I'd broke anything else today.
Rock, Riku and Renka entered the room masking their faces with their hands, and searched for the fire.
Huh? Wasn't there a fire? How else did all of this smoke get here?
"I found the source of the smoke," said Renka, gesturing to a boy sleeping on a bed with her thumb.
Thick black smoke slowly trailed out of the boy's mouth as he exhaled in his slumber.
Well, I shouldn't be too surprised. It must be his quirk or something. Can't rely too much on conventional thinking at U.A.
Riku softly stepped over and jostled him awake by shaking his right shoulder.
After a couple of seconds, the sleeping boy groaned quietly.
"Nhh... Wha?" muttered the awoken youth, sitting up in his bed. Noticing the billows of smoke, he quickly covered his mouth with his hands. "Sorry, my quirk sometimes activates when I'm asleep. It's a real pain in the ass." He lacked in effervescence, seeming almost jaded.
"That's fine. It's a relief to see that it's only your quirk. We thought there was a fire burning in here, sorry for our intrusion." said Renka, rubbing her right arm.
"Don't worry about it, intrusions actually happen pretty often at sleepovers and hotels, because of my bad habit of unconsciously exhaling smoke in my sleep. My name is Ayama Ryuji." He shook their hands as they introduced themselves.
The boy before them smelled of a summer campfire. His relaxed demeanor made his voice mellifluous and smooth, matching his appearance. A mop of dark red hair rested lightly upon his head, straight yet curled in an unkempt manner. Bright yellow irises hid behind lax eyelids, located above thick lower eyelashes.
Ryuji rose from his bed, and dangled his legs over the side of the mattress before slowly descending his feet to the floor. Slowly, he stood up, stretching his limbs as they began to circulate synovial fluid. He was roughly five feet and six inches tall, with a scrawny build. The boy couldn't have been more than a hundred pounds. He was wearing a plain blue t-shirt, some gray sweatpants, and a pair of "All Might" themed socks.
[Quirk: Deep Smog]
Ryuji has the ability to generate smoke from within, which he can then manipulate. Exhaling smoke from his mouth, he is able to shroud himself completely from his opponents, and use the cover to his advantage. He can even forcefully exhale in order to shoot a jet of smoke! Because of his ability to generate smoke, he is immune to the dangers of inhaling it.
Riku clutched his growling stomach with his right hand. "Come on, let's hurry to the cafeteria."
Rock nodded before turning to Ryuji sitting on his bed. "Do you wanna come with? It'd be nice to get to know more about my classmates! We can talk over dinner."
"Well now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry. Here, let me just freshen up a little." Ryuji scooted towards his bathroom and turned on the light.
Rock, Riku and Renka began to converse over the small drone of the faucet's running water. After a quick brush and gargle with a splash of cold water to the face, Ryuji was ready to go.
"Alright, I'm good to go," said Ryuji.
Suddenly, a deafening ring resonated through the fifth floor of the 1-B building. The residual smoke had risen to the smoke detector in the hallway, activating its warning siren. The color had drained from Rock's face as he analyzed the situation.
"Guys, we gotta split! If Professor Snipe catches us again, he's gonna be super pissed! I can't get on his bad side this early in the year! Hurry, let's go!" Rock swung his arm inward, gesturing for the group to follow him.
"Oh, what now?!" An irritated muffle was heard, not loud enough to indicate he was especially close, but loud enough to hear he was coming.
The students quickly sprinted down the stairs, zooming down a flight to escape the scene of the crime. After arriving to the fourth floor, they could hear an individual angrily stomping up at a brisk pace. Panicking, the group argued with hush voices trying to figure out a plan of action. Riku took the initiative and opened up the closest door, and shoved the others into it before slipping inside himself.
Ryuji stumbled forward, falling onto his chin as the others followed like dominoes.
"Uh. What are you doing in my room?" asked Satou, finishing the last of his unpacking as he placed down a table lamp onto an empty desk. Sitting upon his beanbag chair was none other than Kotonoha, tilting her head slightly as she gazed upon the pile of students.
"Shh! Be quiet for a sec." whispered Riku, holding his pointer finger against his lips.
The students sat patiently, waiting for the storm to pass. Snipe was heard muttering to himself as he charged up the stairs, trying to locate what could've triggered the fire alarm.
A sigh of relief escaped the tense chests of the fifth floor escapees.
"Sorry for the intrusion... Er-Satou was it?" said Rock, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, realizing he may had forgotten the boy's name.
"It's fine. Now are you going to leave?" said Satou, leaning against the desk, glaring sharply to express his irritation.
"Youji, you can't be so harsh! Would it kill you to lighten up?" asked Kotonoha with her cheeks puffed, eyebrows furrowed.
She took in the sight of Satou as his eyes widened, at a loss for words. He quickly flushed red with a scowl as she snickered.
"Okay, I'm sorry for being so harsh on you," he uttered unrepentant, looking at Kotonoha with a frown whilst apologizing. "I don't believe we've all properly met. I'm Satou Youji."
"I'm Rock! Well, my name's Ishikawa Rokuro, but most people just call me Rock. It's nice to meet you. Well, we did meet at the cafe, but I mean officially meet. I hope we get along, being in the same class and all." Satou's face scrunched at the boy's run-on introduction.
"Hi Rock," whispered Kotonoha, attempting to not interrupt the conversation.
"Hey Kotochi," replied Rock in a hushed voice.
Satou's expression hardened, jaw clenched as he witnessed Rock call Kotonoha by a nickname.
"I'm Nakano Renka. It's nice to meet you." said Renka, face nonchalant.
"My name's Ayama Ryuji. Are you alright? You look like you need to use the restroom."
Satou shook his rapidly shook his head, attempting to regain his cool composure. "Yeah, I'm alright. Don't worry about it, nice to meet you."
"Hey. I'm the guy who shoved everyone in here. I'm Akutagawa Riku, I'm sure you remember me from the cafe." said Riku, with a twisted grin.
Kotonoha stood up from the beanbag chair, and raised her hand slightly to indicate she was speaking. "Hey everyone, I'm Chigusa Kotonoha. I hope we can all get along."
Satou pushed off of the desk lightly to stand. "So what are you all up to on this fine evening?" he asked, still attempting to sarcastically play along to Kotonoha's request of lightening up.
"We're just heading to the cafeteria to get some dinner. You guys down to come with?" asked Riku.
Kotonoha spoke up before Satou could reply. "Yes, we'd love to. It sounds like a good idea, we can get to know each other over some great food!"
"That's what I said!" said Rock with glee.
Satou ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Yeah, let's go."
"Then it's settled. Let's get a move on." said Riku, stuffing his hands into his pockets, turning for the door.
The group of six walked down the stairs as they made small talk about their expectations of tomorrow's first day of class. As they entered the first floor, there were a few students having a conversation on the couch. Ryuji asked if they wanted to come with the group and have dinner, although they replied they would come later if they were hungry. After exiting the 1-B building, the group continued down the smooth concrete path through the courtyard.
The sun drowned in the horizon, as the hues gave birth to a breathtaking world above. Apricot and mauve conflated, bringing a warm blanket of color that highlighted the evening.
Ever since I'd entered U.A., I don't think there's been a single mundane moment. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now.
After roughly five minutes of walking, they'd traveled to the main campus. Satou took the lead, and showed the way to the cafeteria.
Sunday, April 9th 6:13 p.m.
The group had finally arrived at the cafeteria. Before them was a large food court with copious amounts of space, filled in with many standard tables with chairs. Along the walls were huge open windows with signs above them indicating the type of food being sold. Hanging above the entrance of the food court was a fancy sign labeled Lunch Rush, the name of the cafeteria, as well as the pro hero who runs it. Students and teachers alike can come in their leisure time to catch breakfast from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., their busiest hour, and then dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dishes from many different cultures are served everyday! First rate cuisine at a cheap price, that's U.A. for you.
Rock handed Riku his wallet reluctantly, sweat sliding down the left side of his face.
"Please don't go overboard." he pleaded.
"Relax, dude."
"Okay, okay. I'm cool. I'm relaxed." he reassured himself.
"Rock, find us a table, will you?" asked Riku, following the others to grab some food at the large cafeteria windows.
With a nod, he searched the food court for a suitable table.
Not surprising, the cafeteria is pretty packed. I guess all the other classes wanted to get dinner on the night before the first day of class too.
The corners of his mouth quirked up as he saw a familiar face sitting alone at a table. He happily skipped over and took a seat. A boy with straight soft blue hair was across from him, looking up to see who had taken a seat.
"Hey Kazuto! Finally found you, I was wondering when you'd turn up." said Rock, his eyes glowing a bright lemon hue.
Kazuto seemed to force a smile, evident in the pained expression hidden subtly in his eyes. "Hello Rock, it's good to see you here."
"...Are you alright?"
Kazuto twitched as he saw the yellow in his eyes slowly fade away to a plain black. "I-I'm alright, just a little tired."
Unconvinced, the boy pried further. "You can tell me what's wrong. I know we haven't known each other long, but we're friends."
The blue-haired boy's eyelids dropped as his mouth set in a hard line. His forehead creased as he shut his eyelids even harder, the turmoil in his heart beginning to seep out. After around half a minute of struggling to respond, he opened his mouth.
"I was accepted into U.A. as a recommended student. My father, Turbine the whirlwind hero, requested my admission because of my quirk and its potential, as well as my grades being within the top 5% of my generation."
"Oh," Rock uttered quietly in surprise. "Yeah, I've heard of him. He's in the top 10 of the pro hero ranks."
"Yes, that's him." replied Kazuto.
"If that's the case... Why'd you take the entrance exam? You were already accepted, right?"
"I feel like I was only accepted because I'm the son of one of the top heroes."
Kazuto averted his eyes, cradling his face with his right hand. "I told my father that I was going to refuse my admission to U.A. High. I wanted to take the test myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to reach this stage with my own power."
Kazuto lowered his head even further as he continued his explanation. "But... I couldn't even do that. I can barely remember the physical portion because of that drug. I haven't even told anybody what really happened. It wasn't my strength that got me here. I was just hopped up on some steroids that some thugs tested out on me."
I had no idea he was going through this. Dammit, I wish we could've talked sooner.
He tried to continue speaking, but covered his mouth with his right hand.
"Go on, it's okay," said Rock calmly.
"Worst of all," he began to shiver, "I almost killed people. I was just blowing things up without control. I haven't used my quirk since that day, I've been too scared."
Rock was the only one Kazuto had opened up to. Was it because Rock saved him during the exam? Did he feel obligated to tell him, or did Rock make him feel safe? Rock's heart sank after taking on all of this information, all of his feelings.
Kazuto faced the boy, his face contorted after explaining his sorrows.
"Alright," said Rock, smile growing, "Why don't you use it tonight? Let's get you back on your feet!"
"What?" The boy's glasses shifted askew, mouth agape by the sudden suggestion. "Hold on, we aren't allowed to use quirks freely like that! We need permission first."
"Oh come on, they'll never find out! Just a quick shockwave into the air. You'll feel better!" Rock continued to insist with a reassuring grin.
Feeling skeptical, Kazuto furrowed his brows and pressed his lips together. "Well... If you say it'll make me feel better."
"Then it's settled! After dinner, blow the clouds outta the sky!"
"My quirk isn't that strong Rock," said Kazuto, stifling a chuckle with a genuine smirk on his face. "Thanks, for listening. I feel a lot better."
"Well, All Might always said that the mark of a great hero is offering a helping hand, even when it's not asked for."
The two shared a hearty laugh at the cheesy line that felt straight out of a comic book.
In the end, Rock didn't say anything profound, or even anything at all. He'd just listened to his friend. That was all that was needed.
Rock and Kazuto nearly jolted out of their seat as a tray of food slammed onto the table. They quickly turned their heads to find the source of the disturbance.
"Hey there, long time no see!" said Riku, with an uncharacteristically warm smile on his face. "Thanks for finding us a table Rock. Here, I got you a bowl of ramen, this is the real good stuff. Not sure if it'll stand up to our usual instant ramen though."
The others had followed Riku and taken a seat at the table. Satou's eyes widened before narrowing with an aggressive glare. Kazuto replied with his own instigating gaze.
"Who's this, Rock?" asked Renka, blowing on a forkful of warm spaghetti before taking a bite.
"Oh, this is Fujimoto Kazuto," said Rock, holding a pair of chopsticks. "He's a good friend of mine!"
Kazuto raised a hand to the height of his shoulders before hunching modestly. The rest of the group began to introduce themselves as Rock prepared to dig in.
"Thanks Riku, this smells delicious! Man, I tell you guys, this cafeteria food is going to be amazing." Rock slowly raised the bowl to his face, and took a sip after cooling the broth with a couple of quick exhales.
Wow, that's really good...
The others sitting around the table began to stir, sputtering as their lips pursed, cheeks inflated.
Hold on, why's everyone laughing?
Rock's mouth began to flare with a stinging sensation.
Now that I think about it, this ramen looks a tinge too red.
Tears began to seep out of his eyes, brows raised in fearful surprise.
I should've known.
He quickly turned his head to Riku, with a tearful glare of anger. Rock dove out of his chair, scrambling on the floor before he sprinted in search of something cold to alleviate the inferno within his mouth.
The table began to settle down after the vigorous laughing, going back to casual conversation and dining.
Kotonoha shot Satou a determined look. He looked away, spurring the girl to send a sharp elbow to his side. With a groan, he steeled himself.
"Hey. Kazuto." said Satou, straining to continue speaking.
Kazuto froze, his eyes darting around while he contemplated what to say.
"Uh, first Satou," said Kazuto before rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'd like to apologize to you and everyone else here. I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry, and I'm working towards being better."
Taken aback, Satou stared blankly with wide eyes. "I'm sorry too, I was furious at the cafe and couldn't think clearly."
The two stood up from their chairs, and extended their arms before exchanging a solid handshake.
Rock trudged back to the table, looking defeated.
"What happened? You look way too bummed for it to be about the hot sauce." questioned Ryuji.
"I... ran into Professor Snipe. In my haste, I accidentally knocked the tea out of his hands. He said I'm in for a long talk after dinner." The boy's head sank, looking down towards the table.
Ryuji attempted to comfort him, patting his back lightly.
"Hey... Renka, right?" asked Kotonoha, stroking the flower on the side of her head, "I've been meaning to ask, what's with all of those bandages? Did you get in a fight?"
"Yeah, I've been curious as well." said Ryuji.
The entire table grew silent in anticipation of an answer, as if they had all wondered the same thing. A forkful of spaghetti drooped off of the utensil as she froze in place. All of the sudden attention directed at her stunned Renka in shock.
"It was just from sparring." she said plainly.
"Sparring, huh?" said Ryuji.
Renka confirmed with a nod, going back to eating her meal. Everyone at the table exchanged looks of suspicion, unsatisfied with her answer. With a shrug, the group went back to their meals.
I've been curious about those bandages all day. I guess she really doesn't want to talk about them.
Sunday, April 9th 7:30 p.m.
As the seven of them exited the main building, it had grown dark. The sunset had gone, replaced with a plethora of bright stars illuminating the night.
Kazuto looked to his hands deep in thought, and then to the sky. "Rock, I'm going for it."
Rock perked up, brows lifted in interest. "Really? Alright!"
The others looked at each other confused, out of the loop.
Kazuto raised his palms above him, aiming for the sky, and recalled all of the recent events he had to use his quirk.
Having to defend himself against the mysterious individuals in the alley.
Taking out the villain robots during the physical portion of the entrance exam.
With a large shockwave fired upwards, the branches on the trees around him shook vigorously from the sudden force. Kazuto then lowered his hands, and clasped them together tightly. Rock positioned himself to where he could inspect Kazuto's condition.
Kazuto was beaming, he felt he was in perfect control. The two shared a quick high five, celebrating his recovery.
The two continued to walk towards Heights Alliance, leading the pack of students. Renka caught up to Rock and tapped him on the shoulder, successfully acquiring his attention.
"What was that all about?" she whispered, keeping the conversation private.
"It was just kind of like a... meaningful thing." replied Rock, attempting to explain without going into any important details.
With a small tilt of the head, she shot him a look saying she didn't understand. He only responded with a grin and shrug.
"Rokuro!"
Rock twitched as the familiar voice rung deep in his ears.
Oh crap, I forgot about Professor Snipe.
Professor Snipe stomped over towards the group of students, his angry focus locked onto the aforementioned student.
"I told you we were going to have a long talk. Here you are, trying to sneak away, hmm?"
"I-I wasn't trying to escape or anything! I just forgot, honest!" exclaimed Rock, attempting to calm down his teacher.
"Sorry everyone, me and this trouble-makin' greenhorn are gonna have to excuse ourselves. Have a good night, now!" said Snipe, grabbing the boy by the hood.
The 1-B teacher waved a hand gesturing goodbye before dragging the boy back into the main building. Rock pleaded for help, looking like a puppy who'd gotten caught tearing up the sofa.
Riku only offered a wave, with a teasing smirk on his face.
The group figured it was time to talk about him, since he was no longer in their vicinity.
"So... what do you guys think about Rock?" asked Riku, curious on their thoughts on him.
"Oh my god, it was hilarious when he had some of that hot sauce ramen!" said Kotonoha, holding her sides as she laughed.
"Did you see his face?" asked Ryuji, "I thought he was going to explode!"
The two sputtered like an old dysfunctional water sprinkler, before howling like hyenas.
"I don't really know him, so far he's pretty nice though," muttered Renka with a small upward curl on her lips.
"Rock's a good friend," said Kazuto proudly.
Satou simply shrugged, before offering his nonchalant answer. "If I had to say... I'd say he's, entertaining?"
Riku quirked an eyebrow, impressed by how much of an impact his emotional friend had left on the group. After the short conversation about Rock, they'd made it to the entrance of the 1-B building. Kazuto approached the door and held it open for the others to enter.
Sunday, April 9th 7:38 p.m.
The group (aside from Rock) had successfully made it back to the dorms before 9:00 p.m., their designated curfew. They made their way to the main section of the common space, complete with couches and television. No one else seemed to be on the first floor currently. Everyone took a seat on the couches and separate lounge chairs, close enough to hold a conversation.
Satou continued to stand, before rubbing the back of his head, yawning. "Actually, I'm pretty beat. I think I'm gonna head up to my room. Have a good night guys."
He turned, and began to climb the staircase, turning in for the night.
Those who remained in the common space were Riku, Kazuto, Renka, Kotonoha and Ryuji.
Boredom getting the better of him, Ryuji decided to ask a personal question. "What are your guys' quirks?"
"Well, I'm sure you saw my quirk earlier, I can shoot out shockwaves." said Kazuto.
"It looked powerful," Renka acknowledged. "As for my own, I'd like to keep it a secret for now."
Looking dejected, the group shook off her refusal and continued to share.
"Well, as the preeminent strongest member of this class," boasted Riku, smugly noticing Renka's irritated reaction to his words, "I don't really care if small fries get to know my quirk. Left hand shoots out black flames, does whatever fire can. My right hand lets out white flames, they can accelerate people's natural healing, but it's a pain in the ass to use since it really drains my stamina."
Everyone stared, wide eyed and at a loss for words.
"Geez, that's... pretty unfair," moaned Ryuji. "Like, that's overpowered dude."
Riku smirked triumphantly, leaning into the comforting material of the sofa. Ryuji let out a sigh, which came out in the form of smoke.
"Ah. I guess I just demonstrated my quirk. I can exhale smoke." said Ryuji.
"Seems kind of... plain." said Renka bluntly.
Ryuji looked away, hiding his shame.
"Well, as for me, my quirk is this little flower on the side of my head." said Kotonoha.
"Er... How does it work?" asked Ryuji.
"I can generate various types of pollen from the flower, which cause different effects. I can also make flowers sprout, like this."
A small green particle floated out from the center of the flower on the side of her head, and slowly descended onto the table. She grabbed a glass of water that was sitting on the table, and poured a small amount over the green particle. Suddenly, it expanded as roots spread in a small radius surrounding the particle. A stem sprouted upward, and a small pink flower bloomed. The group clapped as if a magic trick had just been performed.
"That's very nice," said Renka.
"Yeah, it's pretty for gardening. What good will it do you in a fight?" questioned Riku.
"I wouldn't underestimate my quirk like that. It's got plenty of applications in battle." stated Kotonoha, admiring the newborn flower, before sneezing loudly.
[Quirk: Pollination]
Kotonoha possesses the ability to generate various types of pollen from the flower on the side of her head.
These various effects include: paralysis, sleep induction, and a stinging rash. Additionally, she can produce small green particles that sprout into different types of plants!
The flower that grows out of the side of her head is a part of her body, and must be protected accordingly! Additionally, it is linked to her menstrual cycle. The flower wilts and is replaced with a new one after every cycle. The color and type of flower is random, although it always correlates to the season.
Unfortunately, she has terrible allergies to pollen, and using her quirk will cause those allergies to begin acting up.
"Bless you."
"Thanks Ryuji." said Kotonoha.
"That's a pretty cool quirk you have. It's nice to see unique abilities that aren't just meant for fighting." said Ryuji, smile broadened, his right dimple visible.
She replied with a grin of her own.
Everyone's attention was directed to the entrance, as the door had been opened. Walking inside were Snipe and Rock, the latter with an exhausted look on his face.
"Howdy everyone," said Snipe, tilting his head as he greeted the students. "I hope you're all prepared for class tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. I just came here to escort Rokuro, making sure he won't be causing any more trouble. Have a good night, everyone."
After patting Rock on the back, Snipe headed out.
The boy slumped over the couch and slid onto the cushions like a slug, surprising Renka and Ryuji, the people he had slid betwixt.
"I'm so tired. Why am I this tired? Did I really chase you and Riku for such a long time?" questioned Rock with a muffled voice, head down into a cushion.
Feeling guilty, Renka spoke up to elucidate Rock. "Sorry, it's from my quirk. A good night's sleep should fix you right up."
"What'd he say to you, Rock?" asked Kotonoha, curious on the details of the scolding he'd received.
"Mm... He told me I'm on his radar now, and that's not a good thing. Basically, he's gonna have his eye on me, prepared at any moment to punish me for anything out of line. I guess my first impression on him was that I'm a troublemaker." Rock sank further into the cushions. His stomach growled, causing him to shoot upwards, hair standing on end.
"I... still haven't eaten dinner!" he said with a pale face.
"Well, let's go to the kitchen. We can probably whip something up." said Renka.
"Will there be anything to cook? We're the ones who supply the fridges, right?" questioned Ryuji.
"Only one way to find out." said Riku, already on his way to the kitchen.
Rock dashed over to the kitchen, determined to reach the fridge first. "Oh no you don't! I'm not eating another hot sauce surprise!"
The rest of the students followed Rock and Riku into the kitchen, curious to inspect an area they had yet to explore thoroughly.
"I can lend a hand, I know how to cook pretty well." said Kazuto, washing his hands in the sink.
Sunday, April 9th 8:42 p.m.
"Well, it's finished!" said Kazuto proudly, wiping a drop of sweat off of his brow.
"It looks great," said Renka, admiring the creation.
"Can we eat it now? I'm dying." cried Rock.
"The chef gets first bite!" hissed Kazuto.
"Dumbass, we made it together," said Riku, shooting a dull expression towards the bespectacled boy.
Before them laid a culinary creation born from their teamwork and cooperation. A large metal tray of pasta and cheese, fixed with spinach and artichoke, and chunks of white chicken. It wasn't anything Lunch Rush worthy, but it smelled heavenly nonetheless.
As the group argued on who ought to have the first bite, they immediately stopped fighting as soon as they saw Ryuji take a spoonful from the tray. As he inserted the bite into his mouth, an audible moan was heard.
Rock grabbed the boy by the neck, and jostled him to and fro, tears streaming down his angry face. "Ryuji, you bastard! How dare you take the first bite!"
Ryuji tapped several times on Rock's left forearm, begging him to release his grip. Kazuto and Riku pulled Rock off of him, allowing him to swallow the food.
"The verdict?" questioned Renka.
Ryuji weakly raised a thumbs up, before leaning against the counter for support.
The rest of the group began to eat from the tray, not bothering to gather their own plates.
Rock apologized after his hunger-induced rage had subsided, and enjoyed the rest of the meal along with the others. Just as they had to create it, they used teamwork to tidy up and clean the rest of the kitchen and the utensils they'd used.
Completely satisfied, Riku rubbed his stomach. "That was pretty good."
"It's almost 9:00 p.m." said Renka, checking the clock hanging on the wall. "We should probably get ready for bed."
This spurred a snicker from Rock and Riku, causing a flush to creep up on her face.
"What's so funny?" she defensively questioned.
"It's just that you're sleeping so early!" said Rock, holding his sides.
"Early to bed, early to rise!" she huffed.
"Okay, getting an early night's sleep for kindergarten tomorrow I see." said Riku, teasing evident in his smug expression.
Renka's face continued to redden as her embarrassment grew.
"Good night," she groaned.
"Have a good night! See you tomorrow!" said Rock, waving playfully.
"I'm going back to my room too, good night guys!" said Kotonoha.
"Guess I will too." said Ryuji.
Rock and Riku bid good night to the others as well, leaning against the kitchen counter.
They began to converse about recent events.
"Remember a little over a week ago, when you were so worried about the exam?" asked Riku.
"Yeah. It's kinda crazy. Here I am now, making pasta with U.A. students in a U.A. dorm."
"So? What's your opinion on this school so far?"
"It's like a dream. I never would've imagined it to be so incredible."
"Yeah, it's a pretty great place. Comfy." replied Riku.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow." said Rock, staring down towards his right hand with a smile.
Riku chuckled, "Just don't get into any more trouble. I don't want Snipe to expel you on the first day."
"Dude, to be fair, at least half of all of the trouble I've gotten in, is because of you."
They exchanged a laugh, before bidding each other good night, and heading up to their rooms.
Sunday, April 9th 9:32 p.m.
He spat out the water he had gargled in his mouth into the sink, and stared into the mirror of his bathroom.
His hair was still fluffy, and black and white. His eyes were still yellow, although they're normally black. His skin was still a light shade of caramel.
He was still the same old Rock.
Something was different though. Something inside had changed.
It was like something deep inside had been switched on, bringing satisfaction to something he wasn't aware needed to be satiated.
He'd always wanted to be a hero.
Now that he was enrolled to U.A., it felt as if he was past the start line, and on his journey to becoming a real hero.
He shut off the bathroom light and headed over to his closet. After opening the closet door, a U.A. school uniform was found inside on a hanger. He quietly shut the door, and turned over to his bed.
Rock hopped onto his bed, nuzzling in the comfortable blanket, and resting his head onto the cloud-like pillow.
Tomorrow, I'll give it my all! First day of class, here comes Ishikawa Rokuro!
Thanks for reading! That's the second half of "Moving-In" day! Next chapter will be the first day of school, more character introductions and all. I try to keep the amount of new characters I introduce each chapter somewhat small, so I have time to write them with decent character interactions, giving you an idea of what they're like. Leave a comment/review, I really appreciate them!