After thinking about if I should apply to Yuuei or not for three weeks, I decided that it was worth a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as Izuku-kun had stated.
Nothing I did changed, however. I always had a strict diet and exercise schedule since I was little. My quirk could easily drain my energy if I didn't have enough stamina for it.
So for the next ten months, I kept up my regular routine and trained in my spare time. Miko-chan was excited after I told her the news. The way her honey brown eyes sparkled in happiness would forever be imprinted in my brain. She tightly hung onto my smaller frame and twirled me around shouting about me being the number one hero soon. But that wasn't my goal...what really is my goal for entering?
To better myself? For my pride? For my parents who had such high hopes for me?
I never found the answer during those long 10 months of training. My arm which was severely hurt during the sludge accident proved to be a obstacle.
My quirk allows me to open up my pores and control the wind flow with any visable part of my body. But since I was taking pain meds for months for it and it needed to be wrapped up as well since the skin was still scared and could easily be infected as well. My whole arm was basically handicap since it also shook violently every time I raised it.
"You will not be able to use your quirk with that arm for a while," is what my doctor told me as he gave me my refill. "I would refrain from using it for several years if I was you."
So my biggest problem was unfortunately I was right handed and since my burn was located on that arm, I had no choice but to become a lefty. Training proved to be harder because of that so turning those ten months I had fully converted myself into using my left only. My right seemed to be weak but there was nothing I could do about it.
As I pulled on my skinny jeans, my iPhone let out a soft ding.
Picking up the device, I clicked on the message I received. 'Good morning Katsumi-chan! I hope you're ready for Yuuei's exam!'
I grinned at Izuku-kun's message. During these ten months Izuku-kun had been training as well. We didn't spend as much time as we use to because it seemed all he did was study and train. Not that I had a problem with it. For those long ten months, I had sharpen my skills as well.
'Yup, I'm getting dressed right now to head over.' I quickly reply back before smiling softly and hitting another contact.
'Hope to see you soon, Katsuki~' I grinned before sending the message. After the first time Katsuki had come over to my house that rainy day, we got more comfortable with each other. After the sludge accident he left Izuku-kun alone entirely, which I was kinda happy about.
'Shut up Katsumi. Just get your ass going'. Is what he replied back to me. I could only imagine his ticked off face as he wrote it.
'Aye aye captain.' I snapped off my phone before pulling a red hoodie over my body to hide my six pack. From these last ten months my abs had become more defined and I realized that when I wore tight shirts, Katsuki would get mad.
"Girls aren't suppose to be ripped like that! Get fatter!" Is what he told me every time I wore a tight shirt that expose those bad boys.
And instead of hearing his mouth, I decided it was better to comply with him than trying to argue.
So after pulling on my black tennis shoes, I ran out my front door with a small grunt. After two months since the accident the reporters had finally left my door step which was lucky for me. After the media died down I was able to return to school and continue on like nothing happened.
The train ride was boring and plain. Many people still recongized me, which I was use to. My whole life people recognized me because of my parents, the sludge accident was only a small spark in the flame. I've been noticed my whole life, even at some point a few pros had promised me a spot in their agencies whenever my parents anniversary rolled around. Out of pity I always assumed.
I sighed as I walked down a rather busy street of bursting teenagers. I took a quick couple glances at the smiling kids around me. There were so many kids who where talking excitingly about the exam, I couldn't help myself by snorting.
About 95% of these kids will not even be able to enter the hero course. Not that I expect to be able to enter the course as well. After all, I was only really doing this to test my skills. I have a backup plan, I applied to the general studies group as well just in case. If Izuku-kun or Katsuki did end up getting into the hero course, at least I was able to walk home with either one of them.
"Katsumi-chan!" I heard a voice call out to me. A small smile graced my lips as I moved my blond hair from my eyes.
"Hello Izuku-kun." Izuku-kun was wearing our school uniform strangely enough. But after looking around, I took notice several students where wearing their uniform as well. Well how come I didn't get the notice?
The cinnamon roll smiled brightly at me. "I hope you're ready Katsumi-chan!" Izuku-kun held up his fist with determine eyes. "Because both of us will ace this test!"
"Fuck off, Deku!" I heard a very irritated voice ring out behind us, making both Izuku-kun and I whirl around to see Katsuki grumpy walk his way towards the entrance.
A small smile made its way to my lips upon seeing my angry blond haired friend. "Good morning Katsuki!" I greeted him.
"G-g-good mo-o-o-orning K-Kacchan!" Izuku-kun squeaked out, his hands moving in odd up and down motions. "Let's both do our best-"
"Get your ass moving already, Katsumi!" He yelled before gripping my elbow and pulling me along with him.
I turned to give Izuku-kun a small smile laced in worry. "I'll see you inside Izuku-kun! Good luck!" I shouted at the green haired boy who just stared at me being pulled away.
"R-right!" He shakily replied as I turned my back on the boy.
As I walked silently into the entrence hall, Katsuki released my elbow and walked closely to me. "You should drink your milk more, you're so damn short." He suddenly stated as he unwrapped his scarf.
An irk mark appeared on my forehead as I glared at some boy in front of me. "Fuck that stupid shit." I muttered irritated. Ever since I was little I've been disgusted with the liquid named "milk". It tastes disgusting and I bet it really doesn't help growth, just like carrots don't help eye sight.
"Tch, shortie." He grumbled.
I didn't look at him as we made our way to an empty row. "I'm not that short, I'm only 162 cm!" But compared to his 172 cm, I guess I seemed short to his giant ass.
We sat down in our seats as we waited for the assembly to begin. I sighed in my seat as kids started to fill up the stadium. "Man, all these kids and more than 95% won't get accepted." I sighed before looking at my phone. The only notification I received was a message from Miko-chan was a simple good luck.
"Tch, I bet you 98% will fail." Katsuki grumbled.
"Katsumi-chan!" I voice whispered to me. Unnoticed by me, Izuku-kun had managed to slip into the seat next to me. Making Katsuki on my right and Izuku-kun on my left. He offered me a small smile and stated, "good luck."
I grinned at him before a rather large spotlight had suddenly shined down by a podium a little lower to the ground. Once light was expose, a man with bleach blond hair and a tight body suit with a sort of stereo box open his eyes wide open.
"Welcome one and all to my lovely show!" The mans voice boomed all throughout the stadium, his obnoxious voice already bothering me. "Say hey!" He shouted loudly.
Dispute his loud and cheery demetor, the whole stadium went quiet after his little episode. A small but visible shiver went down his spine as he gripped his arms, crossing them over his chest. "I got shivers down my spine too listeners! All right, examinee's I'll give ya a run down on how this is gonna go, are you ready?!"
Another dead silence erupted through the crowd as everyone stared at him with bored looks. Not like you can blame them, this dude was just nolgastic by the tone of his voice. Just who the hell is this guy?
"Oh my god!" Suddenly a voice spoke up. I turned to see Izuku-kun had suddenly sprouted a pink aura around him while staring at the weird dude with wide eyes. "That's the mic-type hero, Present Mic!" I should of known Izuku-kun would easily had an answer for that question.
"Shut the fuck up." Katsuki groaned while folding his arms.
Before I could make a snarky comment at the explosive boy, Present Mic started to speak again. "Now listen up!" He suddenly called out. "We'll be testing your mettle by running a ten-minute practice run at our replica district! You can take whatever you like!" Good thing I'm already in my work out clothes then.
I give Katsuki a side ways glance. Hopefully we aren't in the same area because I put on a tight sleeveless shirt that I decided to put under my hoodie. "Everybody meet up at the designed area after the presentation is done, ya dig?!" He yelled out, only to be met with silence once again.
"They don't attend on friends or classmates in the same area, huh?" I heard Katsuki silently mutter. I turned to realize he was staring at the small paper in my hands. I look at mine to see its labeled area E. His was area A.
"T-they gave us serial numbers for the exam but the area d-different!" Izuku-kun suddenly muttered. I look over at his to see him in area B. Damn, I'm all alone.
"Don't look at me or I'll fucking kill you." Katsuki grumbled at the smaller male making me give him a harsh glare. Izuku-kun yelped and I couldn't help my glare become harder.
"Probably did that so I couldn't crush your ass, tch." Katsuki grumbled while giving Izuku-kun a pointed look.
"Katsuki!" I yelled at him harshly. He slightly rolled his eyes at me as I felt Izuku-kun go rigid. I turn to my curly haired friend and patted him lightly on the back.
"Don't worry Izuku-kun, you'll be fine." He nodded his head several times with wide jade eyes. I sigh and turn my attention back to the front where Present Mic was speaking.
"We'll be sprinkling a large amount of 'villians' over the battlefield and they'll appear in three different varieties, with point values according to difficulty!" He paused as three images suddenly popped up behind him, each slithole having a different number on them ranging to 1 pointers to three pointers. "Using your individual quirks, dispatch as many 'villans' as you can." When Present Mic had mention our quirks, I gave Izuku-kun a side ways glance. Does he really expect to pass this test on his strategy alone? I look back at the podium with my eyebrows drawn in.
"Your goal, listeners is to rack up the highest score!" He shouted excitingly, doing some type of twirl around the spot light making me sweatdrop slightly. "And don't think about directly attacking any other competitors or any of that nasty anti-hero stuff, because that's against the rules, capisce?!" Upon mentioning attacking others I gave Katsuki a slight smirk.
"Aw, that's too bad." I snickered at the blond who immediately grew several irk marks appeared over his forehead.
"Shut the fuck up before I burn your other hand." He hissed at me.
At the mention of my bad hand, I also grew a few irk marks. "That was a different case asshole." I grumbled under my breath before looking down several rows under me to see a rather broad boy stand up with his box like hands. Although I couldn't see his face, I could only imagine the box like features of his face to match his hands.
He suddenly held up a piece of paper which I immediately realized was the hand out they gave us upon entering. "On the handout, there are clearly four types of villans listed! Such an error would be the height embarrassment of an top-tier national academy of Yuuei's culinary! The reason we are seated here today is because we seek the guidance on becoming model hero's!" I rolled my eyes before plopping my head into my palm, a small grimace gracing my lips. Where the hell did this guy come from? And why the hell is he moving his hands like that?
"Moreover," suddenly the broad boy turned his body to us, and for the first time I saw his face. Just like I had predicted his face was a box like structure and his purple hair flopped over his broad eyebrows. He wore a simple pair of glasses as he pointed a large finger in our direction. "What's wrong with you? Yeah you, the curly haired kid!" It took me a moment to realize he was actually talking to Izuku-kun next to me whose body began to sweat from being called out.
"Can't you just sit still? You're distracting. If you think Yuuei is just some pleasure jaunt, then leave this place at once!" It took me a full five seconds to realize he was talking so coldly to Izuku-kun because of his muttering and twitching but before he could even turn around, I used my quirk to lift the box boys glasses up a little.
"What about you stop picking on those you don't know, box-boy? You're all high and mighty attitude is more annoying than his fidgeting." I quickly snapped at the purple haired boy while raising my chin slightly. "No one wants a hero who had a stick so far up their a-"
But I was quickly cut off by Present Mic who decided to continue on with the program. Box face stared at me for a few moments before fixing his glasses and turning back to Present Mic with a scrowl. "Okay, okaaaay, thanks for the segue, much appreciate examine 7111!"
I rolled my eyes as I slumped back into my seat and waited for the hero to continue. I notice both boys in between me giving side ways glances. Izuku-kun's was more of a worried one, his wide jade eyes looking at me just like the way he first saw me when I found out my parents had passed. While although Katsuki's was a calm one with his lip pouted out slightly. At least it wasn't one with a nasty glare.
"The fourth villain is worth zero points!" Present Mic shouted, making his fingers curve into a 'o' shape. "Let's call them 'arena traps'! Have any of you played Super Mario Brothers?!" Silence came from the crowd again as I faintly remember playing the game once with my Dad shortly before they passed away and I enjoyed it. The laughter coming from both of us as my Dad used the chubby plumber as I played as his skinny brother played through my mind as I jumped onto my Dad's broad shoulders to try and get an upper hand at winning. Although it never worked because my Dad always beat me.
"You remember those things that went to thwomp you?" I kinda recalled the giant machine that always ended up crushing me under its giant foot. It was where I usually ended up giving in. "There's a thing like that in every area. Their 'gimmick' is that they rampage when its crowded!" The hero explained.
"So all you have to do is avoid it?" I muttered under my breath, my glaze locked onto the boy who bowed and apologized about disrupting Present Mic. That seems a bit odd if you ask me...what hero would avoid a villain that is going on a rampage?
"If you are going to be a hero, you must do your everything to save those around you." My Dad's voice whispered to me as we walked through the backyard together hand-in-hand. "No matter how big or small," he clutched his free hand in a tight ball. "Defeat them!"
My glaze harden as the kids around me started to stand up and make their way out of the stadium and make their way to the opened doors. No way we are suppose to avoid something like that.
Something feels...off.
~Mini Time Skip~
All eyes where on me the whole way to the testing area. Whispers where thrown across the bus and I couldn't help but feel relief upon seeing the bus was coming to a stop. Dispute the fact I was sitting in the very back, I was the first one out of the bus.
"Isn't that Matsumoto? Wasn't her parents the famous hero's Windy and Nitrogen?"
Unfortunately my parents picked out half assed names when they were hero's in training and their group name was even worse.
"Ah really?! The two hero's who made up the Tangerine Hero Group?!"
I sighed wishing I didn't decide to take off my hoodie and left myself in the tight T-shirt and a small pair of running shorts that barley went past my butt. I know I may seem a little revealing, but it's what's most comfortable for me to move around in.
"Oi!" I suddenly heard a voice call out behind me. At first I ignored it, but after I heard a running footsteps, I turned around. A boy with spikey red hair grinned at me as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're Matsumoto Katsumi right?! The daughter of Windy and Nitrogen?!"
I looked at the boy for a few moments taking in his apperence. He had dark brown eyes, the color of dark chocolate. He had a wicked grin plastered over his face as he waited for me to reply.
"Y-yeah..." I muttered before stretching my left arm over my head, letting my right arm lightly grip it. My bad arm still shook slightly from the action.
"Oh do you need some help?!" He asked while walking slightly closer to me his hands reaching out to my bad arm. "Your arm looks a little bad, are you sure you're cleared to be trying out with an injury?"
I looked at the red head before letting both of my arms hang loosley at my sides. "I'm fine, its an old injury anyways. I've already been granted permission from my doctor." I reassured the red head, who was eyeing my bandaged arm closely.
"AAAAND STAAAART!" A sudden voice boomed over an intercom, a voice I was hoping I wouldn't hear later. Everyone looked up with questioning looks before I turned my back to the red head, streching my legs slightly.
"What's the matter?!?" Present Mic called out as I finished up my stretches, my face growing more serious. "There's no such thing as a countdown in a real battle! Run, run!" He called out as I took stead in racing into the battlegrounds, already taking down several bots who blocked my way upon entry. Not even using my quirk, I used my bare hands to crash two bots into together, resulting in some scraping against my palms.
I heard yells of unpleasant surprise from behind me upon seeing that I had the lead in taking down whatever came my way. "The Matsumoto girl is gonna get the lead!" I heard angry teenagers yell.
I snickered under my breath before taking an arm of a medium sized not and throwing it against a railing, resulting in sparks to fly into the air.
Nine minutes and fourth seven seconds left.