July and August flew by in a breeze.

It's September now.

These two months have consisted of honing our quirks and developing 'special moves' in time for the Provisional Hero License Exam. These licenses enable us to intervene in crises. Basically, give us a legal right to do what my friends and I recklessly did when we rescued Bakugou and Selene. But the exam is harder than it sounds. Judges critique every participant's aptitudes - namely information acquisition, efficient communication, quick judgment, good leadership, and mobility - and decide who passes the exam. After enrolling in U.A.'s hero department and the Sports Festival, this is the third major step in my career as a Pro-Hero. And I made a promise to a certain girl to make myself better for her.

For those two months, I worked endlessly. My special move consisted of implementing my fire and ice simultaneously. I even contacted the support department to commission new equipment suited for my abilities: burgundy metal gauntlets to regulate my body temperature and straps to easily wear and remove my boots. My classmates did the same, except Selene. Despite her forgiving me so easily, somewhere I still held myself responsible for what happened. The teachers tasked her to observe us and take notes for their assessments. In the process, her relationship with Aizawa-sensei definitely improved. She assisted in directing us to the support department, organized snacks and breaks, and relayed details about the exam and the other schools that would be participating. While the rest of us were working our butts off, Selene managed the important brainy stuff. She deserved more credit than we were giving her.

And so, during one break, I approached her. With one hand, she was tallying something on the segments of her fingers before jotting the number down on her clipboard. With the other, she took an intermittent sip of milk from her thermos. I stood next to her and peered over her shoulder. "What's that for?" I asked.

She jolted, completely shocked, almost tipping over the thermos, before answering, "Data about the class. Number of support items commissioned, how many more must arrive, statistical analysis of the class's progress. Just analytics."

"Sounds fun," I joked.

"You seem to have had plenty of fun yourself," she retorted. Putting aside the thermos and clipboard, she scanned me up and down. "Twin gauntlets and shoe straps. Bathing in sweat and almost collapsing from exertion. Bless your soul because if you look that exhausted from your regimen, then I would be a corpse."

I laughed. Hard. "I could say the same about you. Even though you're in your school uniform, you're racking your brain day and night with logistics and getting everyone's needs met. That has to be mentally exhausting."

She smirked in amusement. "It is fine. What my body lacks in physical strength, my mind makes up for it in aptitude. And I get to drink all the milk I want on the job."

"No, I'm serious. You deserve more appreciation for all the effort you're putting, Selene."

She glanced at me with a curious stare. She wrung her hands and whispered, "I have no intention of offending you, but you have been calling me simply by my first name since the dormitories were constructed. It is not that I mind, but I do not know what brought on this change."

"None taken," I whispered back. I leaned against the wall and gazed out the window in front of me. That well of shame began to bubble. "With everything that happened, I was scarred. You came to mean a lot to me as my best friend, and I couldn't bear losing you. I'm guessing that sense of possession subconsciously urged to me to drop the chan when addressing you." My words were a half-truth. Yes, I was scarred. Yes, she came to mean a lot to me. No, it was the realization of the love I felt for you that compelled me to drop the honorific. I looked at her now. She nodded with understanding, but the tension from her hands did not ease. "I'm not asking you to do the same for me. If you ever you feel comfortable enough to call me without using honorifics, you can do so. I won't pressure you or wait for you. That choice is yours, and I'll respect whatever you choose."

"Thank you," she murmured before studying her watch. "There are only ten minutes left to class. Do you want to resume training or continue taking a break?"

I pretended to think about the question, just to tease her. But the answer was obvious. "I'll stay here. I can count faster than you."

She scoffed, "Then would you care to the rest of my work?"

I expressed my refusal instantly, much to both of our amusement.

The scene in front of me is the opposite of amusing.

I am at the testing site of the license exam, and my senses are hyperaware. Of the 1540 examinees, only the first 100 to pass will qualify for the official of the exam. So far, fifty have passed. I've got to hurry.

Seconds into the exam, Midoriya had urged everyone to stay together as a group. But I had different plans. I went solo to avoid being an easy target and to use my quirk advantageously. The objective of the preliminary was to eliminate at least two competitors by marking them with rubber balls. I chose to bide my time in the steel labyrinth sector of the testing arena, waiting for an unfortunate group with low numbers to come by. But after the announcement of the fiftieth examinee passing, I cannot wait any longer.

I step out from the shadows, only to be almost bombarded by a heavy metal projectile. Instinct kicks in like lightning, and a barrier of ice shoots out, encapsulating the projectile. The projectile is a nut bolt. A freaking nut bolt. The person responsible for throwing it must have a quirk that enables them to enlarge the size of any object, I reason. That same person throws more nut bolts and nail screws into the barrier. I would go full out, but it is probable that there are more competitors hiding. So I coat the ground with more frost, freezing all my potential competitors' feet in place. At some point, the barrier shatters from the impact.

My current opponent - a guy dressed in a red ninja suit - gives me little to no time to react. Just as another massive bolt comes flying toward me, I blast a wave of fire at it to melt it. To my bewilderment, the maneuver doesn't work. I just manage to leap out of the way before the bolt crushes me. How is that possible? Not even a little of the metal molted!

I get my answer soon enough. Red ninja throws smaller size nails at the ice blocks restraining his feet, breaking the icicles into shards. He says, "That's because the bolts are not made of ordinary metal. They're made of tungsten, which can take super high temperatures!" Of course. Even fire has its limits. Red ninja frees his comrades, who are also dressed in ninja suits.

I leap down onto lower ground. My opponents climb the steel pillars and cylinders and gawk at me. "Even if you're a U.A. student, acting alone shows you're overconfident," red ninja scorns. In that case, have a taste of my overconfidence. I launch another blanket of flames upward at them, but then blue ninja and black ninja defuse the fire with their spurts of mud and water. Bracing for another attack, I jump back and protect myself with more ice barricades. But the gang break those, too. Meanwhile, I'm connecting the pieces. Water for the flames and physical attacks for the ice. They've worked out a counterattack for everything. It's almost like they were waiting to target me.

I repeat the move I did earlier: upward flames. Both ninjas combat it with their mud and water. But I'm not done. I'm perseverant. Fueling the fire onward, I create a smokescreen. With low visibility for my opponents, I seize the opportunity to escape. Finding higher ground, I keep running. Cowardly move or not, it's the smart one. My thoughts are keeping pace. The Heroes Public Safety Commission must have made a factory like this for the test on purpose. Telling us to fight using the idiosyncrasies of the buildings and terrain. And I'm going to use full advantage of it. Flames alight in my palm like a beacon for the ninjas. They notice and charge for me. I burn a placard as a decoy, just as I spot a gas tank just meters away. In that case, there must be the real thing, in the tank, I think, as I penetrate the tank with spears of ice.

By the time the smoke has dissipated, our positions are reversed. Now I'm the one on high ground, and they're the ones defenseless. Before any of them can turn around, fire swirls in my palm again, and I aim it at the hole in the gas tank. The tank explodes, impressively sending the ninjas into the air. Before I can experience the same fate, an iceberg takes the brunt of the shockwaves, protecting me. And the instant the ninjas fall, my ice incapacitates them to the neck. Good luck breaking out of that.

Still, my ego demands to respond to the red ninja's overconfidence statement. Strolling my way to the group, I say, "It looks like the commission kept the force of the explosion down." Red ninja curses at me for his predicament. "Sorry," I reply, not actually feeling truly apologetic. I raise a rubber ball. "I can't afford to fail."

After eliminating all ten ninjas, a tired voice calls out from the speakers, announcing me as the fifty-fourth person to pass the preliminary. Using both my left and right at the same time … I still haven't got enough practice. My movements are a bit sluggish, I observe. The targets on my suit light up green, affirming that I have indeed qualified.

I make my way to the waiting room, where everyone else who has passed are gathering. For 54 people, it's quite a lot. I take in the scene and remove my targets before my eyes land upon the energetic student from Shiketsu High conversing with someone. The student who was accepted into U.A. but chose not to attend. As I take a seat some distance away from the congregation, I try to place the guy. If he was recommended too, I should have met him back when we were both taking the entrance exam, but-

My train of thought is cut off when the student - Yaorashi Inasa, I recall from when he introduced himself earlier - turns to glare at me before promptly resuming his discussion. What is that supposed to mean? I don't know what to say to him, and no one else from my class has qualified yet. Ultimately, I alternate between calling and not calling Selene. She would like to know how things are progressing at the exam, but I would rather tell it all to her in person rather than over phone. I decide to wait. After the test is over, we'll talk. I also want to see the look of pride on her face when I tell her that I've passed the exam.

Slowly, more of my classmates trickle in. All of them have qualified. When the last has arrived, the second part of the exam begins. The sleep-deprived announcer from earlier beckons all of us to watch the jumbovision screen, which shows all the various arenas being exploded and damaged. "This will be the last stage for your exam," the announcer mumbles. "As bystanders at this disaster site, we'll be having you all conduct rescue maneuvers." I spot the hazy outlines of some people trapped in the rubble. The people we have to rescue, and the people who will be grading us for our conduct. The irony is not lost on me. The scene is reminiscent of what happened at Kamino Ward. In a scenario like this, working together is the best option. I glance around to locate my friends, when I hear the captain of Shiketsu tell Bakugou that Shiketsu would like to keep good relations with U.A. Instantly, my brain flashes on the Yaorashi guy. He is with the captain, and as the group turn around, I call out to him, "Hold on. You with the crew cut. Did I do something to you?" Good relations extend both ways. I have to make amends on my part, too.

The guy turns around. He's probably a quarter-meter taller than me, but I don't feel intimidated in the slightest. "My apologies, but truth is, Endeavor's boy, I hate you both," he replies. My eyes widen, conveying how appalled I am. "Since that time, it looks like your demeanor has changed a little, but those eyes of yours. They're the same as Endeavor's." He is about to explain more - I need more explanation - but his teammates usher him to join them. I stare at his back. My father's eyes? My teeth grind against each other.

Just then, a description of the pseudo scenario is blared over the speakers, and the test begins. Everyone dashes forward, including me. The best thing to do would be to follow training protocol in a situation like this. Especially since we're being critiqued. Some examinees depart for reconnaissance, others to rescue, and the rest stay behind to organize a mock treatment area. I stay near the treatment area, assisting with triage, bandages, rubbing alcohol, painkillers and the like.

Suddenly, a blast from the ring wall encasing the arena echoes. Debris rains in the direction of the treatment area. More bangs erupt, until a three-story hole appears in the wall. Gang Orca and his subordinates enter the scene from the hole. The announcer's voice speaks up again, utterly bored with the change in events. Now we have to rescue the citizens while combating the 'villains,' played by Gang Orca and his lackeys.

I run toward the villains. But they arrive much faster. Before they can reach the treatment area, my glacier backs Gang Orca to the wall he came from. He just manages to shield himself by breaking chunks of the ice. I overhear from the others that some rescue operations are still being performed, so I brace myself to launch another attack. That's when Yaorashi thinks it's a brilliant idea to pop in. He hovers in midair and creates a tempest of wind, blowing away chunks of my ice and the villains.

"Wind …" I fume. Our eyes meet, and a spark of animosity electrifies.

"Just my luck," Yaorashi seethes. "You're here, too!"

My ire flares. I remember him saying how much he loathes me. Now I feel the same about him. That's my line. All you've done is say stuff that throw people off track! I hiss at him. "How about you go help with the evacuation at the first-aid area? Your quirk is probably well-suited for it. I'll take care of things here." The guy chuckles, irritating me further.

Gang Orca proceeds again. My frost didn't work earlier, so now I implement my flames. I aim the fire in his direction, but bloody Yaorashi could not have the worst timing. At the same time, his gales swirl, shifting my flames away. And yet he has the gall to scold me. "WHY ARE YOU USING FLAMES? WITH HEAT, WIND BECOMES UNSTABLE!"

You're one to talk. "It's because he defended my ice earlier." I try to keep my voice level, but it's getting harder with each moment. "Didn't you come here to assist? If anything, my flames are being blown off by your wind."

"YOU'RE JUST DOING THIS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO ANYONE ELSE!"

"Huh? Who would do such a thing?"

"YOU WOULD! AFTER ALL, YOU'RE ENDEAVOR'S SON!"

My rage shoots like a rocket. I narrow my eyes at him. "What did you just … What's your problem? My father has nothing to do with this!" I shouldn't have taken my gaze off Gang Orca. A chunk of wet cement slams into my right arm, rendering my right side useless.

Yaorashi swerves and dodges the rest of the cement catapults aimed at him. "HE HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THIS! YOU'RE THE SAME AS HIM!" he shouts.

"The same you say," I grit out, busy avoiding another cement attack. "Don't joke with me. I am not the same as him." Stop already. Don't associate me with him. This guy is just another one of those anti-Endeavor people. Got to focus on the exam. Don't lose your composure. You've already gotten over things with your father. But the bonfire of fury I reserved for Endeavor never diminished. The embers were always there. Yaorashi's words serve as kindling, igniting it. No. My hate toward him is still. Again, I try to stop there, reminding myself to concentrate on the exam.

"I WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE THE TWO OF YOU AS HEROES! THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY!" Yaorashi screams again.

I try to block his words out as I raise my left arm. A blanket of orange flames unleashes at the same instant that zephyrs storm. This time, the mistake is much dire. The flames shift directions to burn a paralyzed examinee to a crisp. I won't be fast enough to cease the fire. But Midoriya arrives at the last second and yanks the examinee away. He is understandably furious. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he demands from the two of us.

That's when it hits me. Why this guy is bothering me so much. He was at the recommendations exam, in the same group as me. But I was consumed in my wrath toward Endeavor that I ignored him. He was saying something to me, but I brushed him off coldly. Then after my match at the Sports Festival, I told Endeavor to his face that I had forgotten about him momentarily and would not let him control me any longer. Meeting with Mom, encouragement from Midoriya, comfort from Selene … I forced myself to forget about him. And my past and my blood. It was the only way to prevent the suicidal thoughts from overwhelming me, but I can't keep going on like this. Denial won't resolve years of bad history.

I'll focus on all of that later. Gang Orca charges for me. I adjust my stance to defend myself, but in a split second his attention shifts to Yaorashi. Yaorashi tries to dodge Orca's paralyzing shockwaves, but when his lackeys hit him with liquid concrete, he falls right into Orca's trap. I don't have the chance to react. Because Orca grabs me by the neck and whispers, "You reap what you sow," before pummeling me with the full force of his shockwaves.

Tremors race up and down my spine. Sweat drips from my face as I try to move a finger but fail. Midoriya's criticism echoes in my head like bells. He was right. My actions are what created this whole situation! I've got to turn this around, and take back what I've done! Gang Orca lets go of me, his attention diverted to messing up the treatment area. I drop ungracefully to my knees. My head is still spinning, but one thing is clear. I picked a pointless fight with him. Our compatibility is terrible, and we have absolutely no ability to cooperate. How could we possibly match up with a top hero with such terrible odds stacked up against us? Odds … odds … Selene's words from long ago give me hope and focus: When you can't beat the odds, change the game. But … if by any chance … you're thinking the same thing, then … with heat, wind becomes unstable! My and Yaorashi's eyes meet. We're on the same page. Let's turn our weakness into our strength.

His tempests and my infernos become one, creating a raging cyclone of air and fire. Gang Orca is trapped from all sides in our cage. We fall stomach-first to protect ourselves. The cyclone rises, towering above the arena. From behind me, I hear Orca's subordinates scrambling to stop me. While keeping control of my flames, I summon an iceberg behind me, despite the now solid concrete encasing my arm. I did it. I used my left and right sides simultaneously. But under these circumstances, I'm not feeling too proud at the moment. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up. My worries only rise when Orca reveals his ace card: a bottle of water to hydrate him from the typhoon.

Energy vitalizes him. He jeers at us. "WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED NEXT?"

Nothing, damn it! I hate that I can't concoct another impromptu strategy. The last of my energy depletes just as Midoriya comes out of nowhere to kick Orca into outer space. Although Orca blocks his kick smoothly, he still inspires something inside me. No matter how dire things become, he will always come to the rescue.

And then, very anticlimactically, the exam ends. With the last of the rescuees safely brought to the treatment area, the announcer declares the exam over. Midoriya expresses his surprise profusely, dumbfounded gaze alternating between me and Yaorashi.

I've regained just enough mobility in my body to get up, clean, and change. The names of those who passed are displayed on a billboard. I'm not exactly surprised when I don't see my name up there. Neither Yaorashi nor Bakugou have their names up there. Speak of the devil and the devil will come. Yaorashi approaches me, and I brace for another harsh comment from him. Now, to my amazement, he apologizes vivaciously. He blames himself for the results. "It was all my fault! My lack of heart is utterly to blame!" he expresses.

Those words should be coming from me. "From the very beginning, this was a result of the seeds which I had sown. So cut that out." During the long journey up to now, even more so than my drive to become a hero, I could only think of myself as his son. And I let that burden weigh me down. "You really gave it to me straight back there. And thanks to that, there were some important things that I came to realize."

Score report sheets are passed out, marking where each student excelled or failed in the aptitudes of the exam. Though it stings, I try to accept the fact that there is next time. That I'll pass the next time, next year. But hope replaces dejection as the announcer declares that those who have failed can take a remedial training course and take a separate test in December. If we can pass that, then we will still be granted our provisional licenses. It's like a metaphorical beacon has lit up for the three of us. And I'll ensure that the opportunity does not go to waste.

When the class returns to the boarding house, the first thing I do is look for Selene.

She's by the piano, playing a piece I don't recognize, but seems difficult given how many times she repeats the same sequence of notes. Inspiration strikes me to draw another portrait of her. She doesn't notice me approach her. A fact I intend to take full advantage of. I make it just behind her and whisper into her ear, "Hey. I'm back."

She flinches visibly as her fingers strike a dissonant chord. She looks over her shoulder at me and frowns. "I don't like this new habit you've acquired of catching me by surprise."

"But it's so cute to watch you react," I protest weakly.

"One day, my reaction will not be so cute. Anyway, tell me what happened at the exam? Did you earn your license?"

I join her on the piano bench, idly pressing the keys. "Well, it's a long story. Want to hear it?"

She tries to play the same sequence again, but gives up. "It cannot be longer than the time I've spent practicing this infuriating stanza. Might as well."

"Keep playing and listen."

So I narrate all that happened while she stubbornly, but admiringly, persists at the piece. At the part where I describe being paralyzed, she makes an odd wistful statement about how she understands the sensation.

When I finish, I've switched positions from sitting beside her to turning a full ninety degrees, resting my head against her shoulder, and staring up at the ceiling.

She finishes the last trill successfully and murmurs, "You are perseverant, Shouto-kun; I have complete faith that you will become a phenomenal Pro-Hero."

I smile softly at her words.

Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The links to the chapters are here:

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-106/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-108/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-111/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-112/

.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-113/

Citations:

"When you can't beat the odds, change the game." - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo