"I'm currently not looking for a relationship. I'm sure you'll find someone more suitable." Standing outside the classroom, Midoriya can't help but overhear Kacchan repeating these lines, seemingly for the umpteenth time that day.

As the final week at Aldera Junior High unfolds, Kacchan's secret admirers choose this moment to confess their feelings, each requesting the second button on his uniform. Why now? Well, Bakugou's fan club would've stopped them. Under the mission to ensure Bakugou's peace at school, they dub themselves as his protectors, deterring any potential admirers.

"Why am I in the Bakugou fan club, you ask? Well, he is the most attractive person in this school, has good grades and physique, and his quirk is so cool!"

"Yeah! He looks cold and unapproachable, but he is a really nice and down-to-earth guy. I got a paper cut on my finger, and he immediately wrapped it with a band-aid. So caring!"

"And for White Valentine's Day, he gives everyone some expensive hand creams along with chocolate. His family must be well-off. I heard that they own a clothing brand."

Of course, it isn't surprising that they are drawn to Bakugou. He is a prodigy excelling in every aspect and now accepted into the prestigious U.A. hero academy.

Midoriya hasn't had a proper chat with Bakugou in what feels like an eternity. The past 10 months have been a relentless cycle of studying and training for the U.A. entrance exam. But it's all worth it as now he is attending the best hero academy in the country with his best friend, Kacchan.

Midoriya is just nervous about one thing – how is he going to explain to Kacchan about his new quirk? He really doesn't want to lie (frankly, he is a really bad liar), but he promised to All Might not to tell anyone about One For All.

Avoiding Kacchan for the past few months is, in part, due to this dilemma. In some sense, he feels guilty for being a hypocrite. All his life, he holds onto the belief that he can be a hero even if he is quirkless. He doesn't really back up that belief when he passes the entrance exam by using the quirk All Might gave him.

Midoriya looks up to Bakugou. Despite having a quirk that puts him on top of the food chain, Bakugou treats Midoriya just like everyone else. No pitying looks like many adults give him. No looking down on him for being quirkless when the other kids see him as some below-human subspecies. This is why Midoriya stuck to Bakugou throughout their childhood.

Growing up, Kacchan is Midoriya's best and only friend.

But there's this nagging twinge of jealousy that he can't shake off. Bakugou's life seems like a walk in the park, everything served to him on a silver platter. His quirk is tailor-made for heroics, he's smart, and the entire school practically worships him.

Yet, Bakugou tosses all these gifts aside without a second thought. It's like he's got the winning lottery ticket but doesn't bother to cash it in. Bakugou intentionally holds back, choosing to stay in a comfortable spot instead of reaching his full potential.

Midoriya stumbled upon this peculiar behavior while tracking Bakugou's test scores and class rankings in his special Kacchan version of his hero analysis notebook. It's like clockwork – at the start of each grade, Bakugou's scores and overall rankings fluctuate, as if he is testing the waters. Once he identifies the sweet spot, his ranking always stays at number 3.

In fact, Midoriya suspects that Kacchan uses him as a benchmark. Often, Kacchan asks to see his tests and homework. Then does a little better than him. He tests it out when he purposely does worse, and Kacchan's performance also sees a similar decline. He only hopes Bakugo won't hide his true heroic talent at U.A.

A hush settles over the classroom as Bakugou enters, his menacing scowl casting an intimidating aura that silences the other students. It is clear that he isn't in the mood for pleasantries.

Normally calm and composed, Bakugou now radiates agitation. Discovering he will be stuck with annoying broccoli hair for another three years isn't the news he had hoped for. The fact that he isn't sharing a class with his hand model Kendo only fuels his frustration further.

"Kacchan over here!" Speaking of the devil, Midoriya notices him and calls out, standing up and waving. "Can you believe we're in the same class at U.A.? You're going to love it here! We can form a hero agency together!"

"Yeah, whatever. Shut up and move over, Deku. You are blocking my way." It's already bad that he is attending a flashy and over-the-top hero school. It's only worse that he is in the same one as Deku.

It's just another three years. Calm down, you already endured it for almost 15 years. He settles into his seat, conveniently right in front of the now sulking Midoriya, the unfortunate consequence of their names' alphabetical proximity.

With earphones in, Bakugou drowns out the classroom chatter with his playlist. The music is interrupted by someone with a flashy and rather ugly hairdo tapping his shoulder. Bakugou sighs, pausing his music, "what do you want?"

The spiky redhead continues, "hey, you are the one who took down the zero-pointer right? I'm Kirishima Eijiro. I just wanted to say that's so manly! I was there but I froze. How did you do it? I mean there is no hesitation you just go pow pow pow and then the robot goes boom boom boom."

Aware of more eyes on him, Bakugou tries to downplay it. "I just got lucky. Adrenaline and the heat of the moment, that's all. Honestly, I doubt I can pull it off again."

"Aww no need to be humble my man! You did great! Be proud!" Kirishima exclaims just as a giant yellow caterpillar slinks into the classroom.

The caterpillar transforms into a sleep-deprived man in a yellow sleeping bag. "Took eight seconds before you all quiet down. That won't work. Rational students would understand that time is precious. I'm Aizawa, your homeroom teacher. Put on these track uniforms and head outside."

"What?! A quirk assessment test?"

"But orientation… We're gonna miss it."

"If you really wanna make the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies. Here at U.A., we're not confined to traditions. That means that I get to run my class however I see fit."

Aizawa continues, "you've been taking standardized tests most of your lives… but you never got to use your quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to pretend we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. One day, the Ministry of Education will learn. By the way, whoever scores lowest on this exam is getting expelled for having no potential."

A sudden hush falls over the class, followed by protests.

"Expelled before the first day? That's hardly fair!" someone exclaims.

"Oh, and you think natural disasters are?" Aizawa retorts. "Or power-hungry villains, hmm? Or catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities? No, the world is full of unfairness. It's a hero's job to try to combat that unfairness. If you want to be a pro, you're gonna have to push yourself to the brink. For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So go beyond. Plus Ultra style. Show me it's no mistake that you're here. First, a demonstration-Bakugou."

"Huh?" Bakugo wasn't paying attention.

"You scored the most points on the entrance exam. How far could you throw a softball in junior high?"

"About 60 meters, I think? Why?" Bakugo says, catching the softball thrown at him just in time.

"Come here and try throwing it with your Quirk. Anything goes, just stay in the circle," Aizawa instructs.

Reluctantly, Bakugou walks over. Great, now everyone in his class knows he finished first. Juggling the ball, he gauges the weight, pondering how to throw it without being too conspicuous.

"Go on. You're wasting our time," Aizawa urges.

Bakugou throws it with an explosion, reaching 467 meters. Aizawa observes him carefully, the outcome is not as high as he had anticipated.

"Dang Bakugou way to go! U.A. really is on another level. Do you think our teacher will actually expel the last ranked student?" The spiky redhead, oblivious to social cues, interprets Bakugou's silence as their start of friendship.

But, Bakugou glances at the anxious Midoriya. If talking with him keeps Midoriya away, Bakugou will do it. So he quietly replies, "I hope so."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The rest of the quirk apprehension test went smoothly. Most of his fellow classmates' quirks are rather weak and unrefined. The only ones worth noting are the two recommendation students, Yaoyarozu and Todoroki. He was right as they ended up placing first and second respectively.

Bakugou is sure Midoriya would end up last until the soft ball throw, where Midoriya scores a whopping 705 meters.

Bakugou is surprised. He assumed that Midoriya got in through connections? Does that mean Deku hid his quirk from everyone all those years?

Midoriya seems uneasy about meeting his gaze, looking suspiciously like he's hiding something.

Bakugou narrows his eyes. No Deku was definitely quirkless beforehand. He must've gotten it recently. Bakugou concludes, noticing Midoriya's bandaged finger.

"Hey why are you so moody Bakugou? Upset you got third place?" Spiky redhead nudges him.

"No, you misunderstand. I'm perfectly content with third place Kirishima." It's my goal after all.

"That's the manly spirit! I only got the eighth place, people are really amazing here…"

"Hey Kacchan, wait up!" As the class concludes, Midoriya heads straight for Bakugou, suggesting, "Let's walk to your place together." Midoriya hopes that Bakugou isn't still upset with him for not hanging out in so long.

"I thought dinner starts at 6? It's only 4 right now," Despite Bakugou's protests, his mom has scheduled a dinner with the Midoriya family to celebrate both Katsuki and Izuku getting into U.A.

"Yeah, but maybe we could catch up a little before then. We haven't hung out since my birthday last July."

It's been 5 months? Time sure flies when you aren't bothered by someone yapping about heroes 24/7. There is one mystery though…

So with a begrudging nod, Kacchan agrees. "Fine. Let's start with how you managed to throw that ball 700 kilometers and end up injured when you are quirkless?" He points to Midoriya's bandaged finger.

Oh no, Kacchan is still upset.

"Umm," Midoriya stutters and chokes out the explanation he has revised over and over again, "it-it's a latent quirk. You know the giant robot in the entrance exam? So I was under a lot of stress-"

"Bullshit." Bakugou doesn't wait for Midoriya to finish, "I can tell when you are lying. You fidget too much, and your face is all red. I don't care how you got the quirk. Just tell me one thing, is All Might your real dad?"

"What?!"

"HA! I fucking knew it!"

"No no no, Kacchan, you got the wrong idea. That's impossible!"