Chapter 1:First Impressions
Ami clung tightly to the handle of the train as she looked down at her phone, studying the map she had on it while keeping herself alert to the stops coming up. She would occasionally look up and about, looking out the window at the city that flew by her rapidly. She also glanced at the other passengers. She wasn't looking for anyone, but she wondered if there were any other kids her age so that it could help her find her way to her new school a lot easier. No luck, however. She sighed as she looked back down at her phone to study the map again.
Once she heard the name of her stop, she cautiously walked out of the train. A few of the passengers followed suit, but there were still no sights of other students. Ami took in a breath as she began to make her way towards the school. She made sure to check the map constantly as to not get lost, which was easy enough. The way there was labeled with plenty of street signs that were easy for her to follow. She still kept her eyes out for any students, but there was still no luck. She figured all of them were probably at UA. It was a boarding school after all. Why would any student be out in the streets right now?
As she got closer, she started to feel anxious. The move to Musutafu was sudden enough, but transferring schools midway through a term was even more so. She had lived in Sendai for all her life, but her parents had dreamed of moving here. This city was known for grand opportunities and nice neighborhoods and communities. She was sure she would adjust to living here soon, but it still made her nervous.
Soon enough, she started getting close to where she could see he school building from a distance. She kept the map on just in case, but she was able to make her way there with no trouble. When she got to the entrance gate, she stood there in awe for a moment. The white marble walls and front gate stood tall and strong with the school's insignia in the top center. The building was enormous and was made of crystal glass. To the left of it there were multiple other buildings, smaller in scale but all the same, pretty homey style. These were presumably the dormitories. She stepped closer to get a better look when she heard a loud buzz that almost startled her.
"State your name and business, please." She heard a woman's voice say. She looked up towards the corners of the gates to see a camera pointing at her.
"I'm Ami Kimura. I'm a new transfer and I'm to report to Principal Nezu for orientation." A pause followed before another buzz rang out.
"Stay right there, sweetheart. Someone will be with you in a bit." Ami nodded and waited patiently, gazing at the school before her. It wasn't long before she saw a man heading towards her and the gates opened. The man was tall and thin, with long messy hair and a face that looked like he just woke up. Ami almost thought he looked scary.
"Welcome to UA High," he said with a monotone voice.Geez, he even sounds tired."I am Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher." This revelation made Ami's eyes widen, but she quickly bowed her head to him.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Aizawa."
"I'll be giving you a tour of the campus before we head to Nezu's. If you have any questions, be sure you ask them." Ami nodded and followed Aizawa. He showed everything in the campus from the grand cafeteria, the classrooms, activities hall, teacher's lounge, and showed her where the gymnasium was. He also explained to her what a usual school day would look like, gave her a brief rundown of all the available extracurricular activities and clubs, and also the available facilities for the students, from the gardens to the gym. Ami found herself amazed at how grand the school was. It felt more like a college than a high school. There was a reason UA was ranked as one of the most prestigious schools in the prefecture.
After they finished the tour, Aizawa led her to Principal Nezu's office. Nezu was a short middle-aged man with a warm, kind smile, white hair, and the sweetest voice ever. Even though he was middle-aged, he just seemed like a grandpa. He greeted her kindly and offered her some tea as they sat down to talk.
"We rarely get transfers here at UA, much less ones in the middle of a term. You're going to be the center of attention for a while." He let out a chuckle. Ami felt her face get hot. "Joking aside, I hope you know that we are a serious school. You're expected to keep up with your schoolwork and make high ranks. It's the only reason you were allowed to join us." Ami nodded
"I understand, Sir. It won't be a problem." Nezu smiled at her.
"I'm sure it won't. Your grades from your previous school were exemplary." He then started giving her some papers. One was a map of the school, another was her class schedule, and another was a full list of clubs, activities and facilities. He then gave her a thick rulebook and a form that had a line for a signature at the bottom.
"Aside from your grades, we have a strict set of rules here at UA that you have to abide by. Otherwise, you risk the chance of expulsion. None of them are outrageous, but our priority is always the safety and well-being of each student here. Please sign this form stating you understand the consequences if you break the rulesand read through the rulebook while you settle into your dormitory later, understand?" Ami nodded and signed the paper. "Very good. Now, I'm sure you'd like to unpack and meet your classmates, so you are free to go. If you have any further questions, please relay them to Aizawa." Ami nodded and stood up from her seat to bow to Nezu.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, Principal Nezu. I'm looking forward to the school year." Nezu smiled and dismissed her. Ami then followed Aizawa as they headed towards the dormitories. As they got closer, Ami felt her heart beating quickly. Her hands clenched the papers in her hands tightly, and she felt her nerves building.
"Your class is 1-A." Aizawa said suddenly. Ami then noticed there were multiple buildings, each sporting a giant number and letter on the front of them.
"Ah. That makes this easy." She commented.
"Each dorm building has five floors. The first is fitted with a large lounging area, kitchen, dining room, garden, and bathrooms for each gender. The floors above are the dorm rooms. I believe yours is on the fourth floor, though I'm not sure which room it's in, but your classmates can help you with that." Ami nodded her head to what he said as they approached the doors. She felt her heart stop as Aizawa opened it. Ami gazed in awe at the sight before her. The lounging area was grand and split into two corners, with multiple seating in both areas and two TVs in each as well. The center was separated by glass that had a garden inside. To the left of it were multiple dining tables and chairs with a kitchen in the back of it, and to the right was some separated rooms, which she assumed were the bathrooms. That wasn't the only thing that was there. Numerous other students were spread out around the first floor, each doing their own things, either together or separate. But as soon as the doors opened, all of them turned to look towards the entrance to look at her.
"Oh, she's here!" She heard a girl say. Everyone immediately got up from their seats and ran up to her. They all looked so excited and happy to see her, and they each started greeting her, making comments, and asking questions all at the same time.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Ami Kimura. I'm looking forward to sharing this school year with you guys." As soon as she raised her head up, a girl with luscious black hair tied back came up to her and took her hands in hers.
"We are so thrilled to have you here, Kimura. Are you hungry? We all decided to wait for dinner till you came here." Ami was surprised to hear this.
"R-Really? You didn't have to do that."
"Nonsense. We absolutely had to." Another boy, a tall one with glasses, spoke up. "It is the perfect time for us to sit down and get to know you and vice versa." He then turned towards the others. "Everyone, get ready for dinner and be ready to welcome and accommodate Kimura!" They all suddenly scrambled all over the place. Some immediately went to the kitchen while a few headed towards the elevator, presumably to get the other students. Ami then felt a tap on her shoulder from Aizawa. He gestured over to a nearby couch, and she followed him.
"While they finish up, do you have any questions for me?" Ami thought for a moment.
"Do I have any work to make up, or anything in particular I need to work on?"
"No. From what I could tell from your grades and schoolwork, you're not far off from us. You probably will get the occasional syllabuses from the other teachers tomorrow, but other than that, you have nothing to worry about." Ami nodded her head.
"Um, do we have any dorm rules I should be aware of?"
"Dorm rules are pretty simple. No fighting, respect each other's privacy, no alcohol or substances allowed on the premises, do your part to keep the building clean, and just behave like you would at home. I feel I don't really need to explain much. If you can't conduct yourself properly, you shouldn't be here." Ami chuckled and nodded. She tried to think of anything else she needed to know, but nothing came to mind.
"You sure you don't have any other concerns?" Ami shook her head.
"Not pertaining to schoolwork, at least."
"But?" Ami wasn't expecting him to ask her, as she didn't think it was important. Thinking about it honestly made her feel a bit nervous.
"It's not a big deal, really. Just… being the new girl, having to adjust to a new home, new school. It's going to take some time, for sure." She fidgeted with her fingers nervously when she felt Aizawa put a soft hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. It won't take long. Everyone here is very welcoming, and if you have any concerns, you can talk to me or your classmates. We're all here to help." He let out a small smile. Ami was surprised, as before this point, Aizawa seemed nonchalant about everything, but now he was showing his genuine care for Ami. She smiled back and thanked him for his words when the boy with glasses came over to say dinner was ready. "Go eat and get to know your classmates. They'll be helping you unpack later. After that, get some rest. First day of school tomorrow." Ami nodded her head and headed off with the boy to the dinner table.
Ami was treated to a yummy and fulfilling dinner and was introduced to each of her classmates. Aside from a couple, most of them seemed genuinely happy to have her here and were more than eager to be friends with her, and it greatly eased any tension she was having before. After they finished eating, the boy with glasses, named Tenya Iida, asked the boys of the class for any volunteers to help Ami unpack her things, to which four of them agreed to, and they all headed to her room. Ami was sure she could do it alone, but she also knew with the more help she had, the more time she had to rest for tomorrow, so she gladly accepted the help. Besides, she wanted to move some of the furniture, and she knew there was no way she could do that herself, so having them there really helped. While she sorted through her clothes, Midoriya and Todoroki mostly helped with sorting her belongings, while Kirishima, Bakugou, and Iida helped with the furniture.
"Wow, you must be a big reader, Kimura!" Midoriya exclaimed as he opened her box full of books. Ami felt her face get a bit red.
"Y-yes, I am." She replied sheepishly.
"Whoa! No kidding!" Kirishima said as he saw the box. "That's really cool, Kimura. I don't think I could ever get into reading like that."
"Why not?"
"Well, I don't know how I'd focus. Do you ever get bored of it, Kimura?"
"Oh, not at all. I just end up getting lost in it eventually. Of course, depending on the genre, it can affect how engrossed I get."
"What kind of genres do you like?" Iida asked. Ami's face grew hotter and fiddled with her hair nervously.
"Can we cut the chit chat? I'd like to get this done fast." Bakugou said before she could respond.
"Kaachan, there's no need to be like that."
"Shut up, nerd! I don't even wanna be here."
"Then why are you here?" Todoroki asked. Bakugou didn't respond, only glaring over at Kirishima.
"Hey, come on! She needs all the help she can get, and I know with you, it could be done quickly." Bakugou just growled in response. Ami felt guilty.
"I-if you want to leave, Bakugou, you can." Bakugou glared at her, which made her even more worried. He held his gaze before he looked away and continued working.
"Uh, how do you want these books put up, Kimura?" Midoriya called out. It took Ami a second before she regained herself.
"Can you sort them by author and series, please?" Midoriya smiled and nodded. They continued to work after that with not much conversation and thanks to all their efforts, they got done quickly, with only a few boxes of clothes left and the last bit of decorations.
"Thank you so much, you guys." Ami gave them all a big bow.
"It was our absolute pleasure, Kimura." Iida replied.
"You still have some stuff left. You sure you don't need any help?" Midoriya asked. Ami shook her head.
"No thanks. I can handle it."
"You sure? Your first day of school is tomorrow and you need to rest as much as possible." Kirishima added. Ami was about to answer when Bakugou wacked him upside the head.
"She said she can handle it, shitty hair. Let's go." Before Kirishima could respond, Bakugou immediately turned and left the room. Kirishima followed him shortly after, calling out to him.
"Don't mind him. It's just the way he is." Todoroki explained. Ami nodded in response, but she wondered why he was like that.
After the boys left, Ami put up the last of her clothes and then started putting up her decorations and sorting out anything the boys may have misplaced. Once she was done, she took a bit of time to read the rulebook and look over the available clubs to join. The ones she was interested in were the student council, a book club, the swimming club, and even a music club. She made sure to circle these to ask about them tomorrow before she got herself ready for bed. She knew tomorrow was going to be a big day for her, so she wanted to get as much rest as possible.
Ami woke up early to make sure she would have more than enough time to get ready. She washed up in the restrooms and changed into her school uniform, which gave her a sense of excitement and anxiety for the upcoming day. After she finished, she went downstairs, got some breakfast, and sat down with her classmates that were already there. They engaged in light banter and joking around, which helped put Ami a bit at ease and let her get to know her classmates a lot more by the way they interacted with each other. Once everyone was accounted for, Iida rallied everyone together so they could head to class. As they made their way to class, Ami's nerves started to get to her again. She found herself clutching her bookbag tightly and her paced slowed to where she was at the back of the group. They didn't seem to notice, which she was fine with as she really didn't want to draw an unnecessary attention to herself.
The door to their classroom was marked with a gigantic 1-A across the door, which surprised Ami for a moment. At least I won't ever walk into the wrong class. When she went in, everyone scattered. Some went immediately to their seats while others went to somebody else to continue talking while they waited for Aizawa. Ami wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know which seats were free and she'd even sit with.
"Kimura! Over here!" She heard Iida call her. She saw me standing near an empty desk on the far side of the room. "This will be your seat." Ami smiled and made her way over.
"Thank you, Iida."
"You should be thanking Hagakure. She was one of the first to volunteer to change seats for you." Ami made a face, curious as to why, but then her eyes fell to the person who just sat down at the desk behind her, and her eyes widened a little. There was Bakugou, who leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up onto the desk.
"Bakugou! How many times do I have to tell you? Do not put your feet up on the desks!"
"For the millionth time, four eyes, leave me alone." He growled.
"Must you really treat me like that? Right in front of your new classmate?" Bakugou glared up at him, not even glancing at Ami.
"Iida, don't provoke him." Midoriya came running. "You know Bakugou. If you keep this up, he'll only get angrier."
"Did I ask for you help, Deku?" This made Midoriya flinch a little.
"N-no! I just-"
"Leave. Me. Alone." He turned his head to look out the window, leaving the others in a slight state of shock.
"I'll talk to Hagakure about changing your seat once we go to lunch." Ami immediately shook her head.
"No, it's fine. It's not a big deal." Iida was about to argue but Ami put her hand up, stopping him. "I can handle him, Iida. Don't worry." Iida didn't look convinced, but he relented.
"Very well. If he does give you trouble, please let me know." Ami nodded and then sat down in her seat. She quickly took out her notebooks, pencils and any other materials she'd need for class. As she bent over to place bag at her feet, she glanced back at Bakugou. He had put his feet down and was now leaning over on his desk, gazing out of the window. She must've stared longer than she wanted to, because he glanced over at her, his eyes narrowing. Ami immediately sat up and looked to the front. Her face grew hotter, making her squirm. Calm down, Ami. You've dealt with worse assholes. After a bit, Aizawa finally came into the room, making everyone go to their seats. Ami readied her pencil as he began to write on the blackboard and her first class began.
The first half of the day went by smoothly. Ami had no issues following along with any of the lessons and the homework she received seemed easy enough. It was also relieving that Bakugou never bothered her throughout the day. After seeing how he behaved, she was worried he'd be a problem, but thankfully, nothing happened.
When lunch arrived, Ami was amazed to see the quality of the food in the cafeteria. It felt like a gourmet meal that was also a buffet. When she got her tray of food, she was quickly approached by Ashido, a vivacious girl with pink hair.
"Kimura! Come sit with us!" Before she could even ask, she was pulled by her, so she quickly followed her. She led her to a table where Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Jirou were sitting at. When they saw her, they immediately all said hi. Ami gave them all a quick wave.
"Is it really ok?" She asked.
"Of course! We've got plenty of room." Ashido replied. Kaminari immediately stood up and offered the seat next to him.
"Here Kimura. You can sit by me." Ami thanked him and sat down.
"Geez, Denki. Already trynna make moves on the new girl?" Jirou commented with a teasing smile.
"Shut up, Jirou!" Kaminari said as he quickly sat down, his cheeks flushing with blush. Everyone let out a giggle. "I'm just trying to be nice, ok?"
"Sure. Why don't treat any one of us like that?" Sero replied. More giggles came out from everyone.
"Oh, come on! It's bad enough she must sit next to Bakugou all day. I'm much better company than him."
"Wanna bet, Sparky?" The sound of Bakugou's voice made Kaminari flinch. He turned to see him standing right next to him, staring daggers at him.
"Oh, like you can really compare yourself to me. You probably scared her to death already." He looked confident when he said that, but as soon as Bakugou's eyes narrowed and a growl came from his lips, he shriveled up and whimpered. Everyone immediately burst out laughing, except for Ami. She saw how angry he was getting and wasn't sure what was going to happen. Bakugou suddenly glanced over to her.
"What is she doing here?" He asked. Ami's mouth fell open with a scoff.
"Chill out, Bakugou. Mina invited her." Kirishima explained. Bakugou didn't take his eyes off of her, making her feel uneasy.
"I can leave." She said, ready to stand up.
"No way! I invited you to sit with us. If Bakugou has a problem with it, he can sit somewhere else." Ashido flashed a smirk over to Bakugou, challenging him. Bakugou growled in response.
"Just sit down, Bakugou." Kirishima commented. Bakugou stood still for a moment before he began to walk around the table. Ami first thought he was heading somewhere else but was surprised when he sat down in the empty seat next to hers. He immediately began eating, completely ignoring Ami's bewilderment.
"So, Kimura, how were the first classes for you?" She suddenly heard. She was still a bit stunned, so it took her a second to regain herself.
"Oh, they're fine. Nothing to difficult for me." She said as she began to eat her lunch.
"You're not gonna need any help catching up or anything?" Jirou asked. Ami shook her head.
"No, and even if I did, I'm not worried. Schoolwork has never been an issue for me."
"Lucky." Kaminari mentioned. "I have so much trouble. Homework is the bane of my existence."
"If you just paid attention and quit playing games all night, you'd probably be doing a decent job." Jirou replied.
"I don't just play games, y'know! I really do try!"
"Then why are you the lowest in our class?" Kaminari groaned at that.
"You know, if you ever need help, I'd be more than happy to." Ami offered. Kaminari's face lit up when she said that.
"Don't waste your time, newbie." Bakugou spoke. Newbie? "I've been trying to help the punk for a while, and he still doesn't get shit. Quit while you're ahead." Ami frowned.
"Maybe your teaching style isn't very effective." She replied. Bakugou looked at her.
"Oh really?" He pointed at Kirishima. "It worked on him, and he was just as dumb as him."
"Hey!"
"Don't even argue with me. You know it's true." Ami rolled her eyes.
"Well, everybody's different, and your foolproof way of teaching isn't going to suit everyone." Bakugou's face fully turned towards her.
"Wanna bet?" He snarled. Ami shared his stare for a moment before she went back to eating.
"I don't need to prove anything to you. I feel like it wouldn't change anything." Bakugou let out a scoff.
"Whatever newbie." Ami clenched her chopsticks a little. Is he seriously always like this?
"Just ignore him, Kimura." Ashido said. "He's always like that."
"Yeah, so I've been told." She glanced over at Bakugou for a moment. "Is there anyone else I should be aware of?"
"Well, I'm sure you've met Mineta." Sero replied with an annoyed look. Ami sighed and nodded her head. He was the only classmate that everyone had been warning her about, and she's done everything she could to avoid him.
"There's also Monoma."
"Who?"
"He's this guy from Class B. Every chance he gets, he makes fun of us."
"It wasn't bad at first, just annoying, but it got worse after the sports festival." Kirishima added.
"What happened?" Everyone at the table looked over at Bakugou, who was too busy eating his lunch to notice. "Never mind. I think I can guess the rest."
"Ever since then, he's been relentless. The only person who can control him in any way is Kendo, but she can only do so much." Jirou commented.
"You be sure to let us know if he gives you any trouble, Kimura." Ashido said. "We're tight with Kendo, so we'll take care of it." Ami smiled and nodded.
"Thanks for the warnings, guys. I'll be sure to be careful." Ashido gave her a big smile.
"I think you'll fit in perfectly here. We're all super friendly and fun." When she said this, Ami couldn't help but look over at Bakugou.
"Most of you anyway." She muttered. He must've heard her because his eyes darted to her, narrowing as he frowned, but he said nothing.
When the school day ended, Aizawa told Ami to stay behind so he could check up on her. He asked her questions about how her day was and any follow up questions to make sure she wasn't having any sort of problems. He then asked her if she had any interest in any of the clubs, to which she answered with she was particularly interested in the book club and the swimming team. Aizawa then gave her two sign up forms for each club and also gave her the name of the students who were the heads of those clubs.
"There is something else you will have to do," He continued. "All of our students who are interested in participating in any athletic clubs must have an updated physical. I know you had one done at your last school, but just to be thorough, you're going to need to do one here." Ami nodded her head. "Tomorrow you will have your first P.E. class. Make sure you report to your teacher there first and let him know so he can arrange a proper time for you to get the physical done. Understood?" Ami nodded again. "Alright, I guess that's it. Unless you're sure you don't have any problems I need to know about?" Ami was about to shake her head, but she immediately thought of Bakugou, which caused her to stop. Aizawa gave her a curious look.
"Well, it's not really a problem. At least, I think it isn't." She finally said. Aizawa stayed quiet and stared at her. Ami let out a sigh. "It's just Bakugou, Sir. That's all." She looked down to avoid his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I see." Aizawa also let out a sigh. "He's already been giving you trouble?"
"I mean, not really. It's just the way he acts, but everyone keeps telling me that he's always like that. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but…" She groaned and shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, I know. I wish I could say I'd do something about it, but he's not really an issue." Aizawa replied.
"How? He seems like an a- uh, a jerk." Ami quickly cleared her throat. Aizawa let out a small, amused smile, clearly knowing what she was about to say.
"I know he is. But other than his poor attitude, Bakugou is a model student. He's ranked third in our class, he has straight A's, he hasn't had any detentions or any sort of disciplinary marks against him, and he's one of our best athletes. He recently came in first in our sports festival." Ami was admittedly impressed, but still wary.
"Look, I'm not trying to excuse his behavior. I am more than aware of it. But aside from that, you have nothing to worry about from him. He's a good kid. Just… has a serious attitude problem." Ami let out a laugh.
"You don't have to tell me." She mumbled.
"Just don't engage with him unless you have to or want to for that matter. Soon enough, you'll get used to him. Or at least learn to avoid him." Ami sighed but nodded. It honestly wasn't' the best advice, but if even Aizawa was telling her the same thing as the others were, she knew there was nothing else to be done. She was just going to have to get used to Bakugou's behavior. She thanked Aizawa and excused herself to return to the dormitory.
After a delicious dinner and some more bonding with her classmates, Ami spent the rest of her night doing her homework, filling out the sign-up forms Aizawa gave her, and then read for a bit before she eventually got ready for bed. As far as a first day of school, it was pretty good, all things considered. She was worried that adjusting to a new school would take more time, but thanks to her kind and welcoming classmates, good teachers, and an encouraging school environment, Ami had nothing to worry about now. Well, just one thing, but hopefully he wouldn't be too much of an issue from now on.