Alright, so here we are—U.A. High School entrance exam day. My mood's been tanking since morning, seriously.
But, well, when Mom cheers me on like that, I gotta do my best, you know? It's annoying, but I'll do it.
And so, dragged along by Kacchan, I arrived at U.A. High School. Man, I feel so out of place here. I wanna go home.
"Kacchan, oh Kacchan~"
"I told you not to call me that!! I'll kill you!!"
"Then, Young Master Bakugo."
"How condescending can you get?!"
Jeez, nothing works with you.
I'm pouting over here.
"Actually, I just realized—I forgot my pencil and eraser. Share some with me?"
"Are you kidding me?!"
Whoa, today's biggest explosion.
This kid's at MAX energy since morning.
But despite all his complaints and cursing, tsundere Kacchan still gave me his spare pencil and eraser. He even lent me a pencil sharpener. When it comes to being petty about details, Kacchan is truly in a league of his own.
If only his language skills were better, I'd want him as a husband. Seriously.
While walking and chatting with Kacchan (one-sidedly), I tripped—talk about bad luck.
Ah, this is a face-plant course. Just as I thought rest in peace, the fall suddenly stopped with a floating sensation.
"—Huh?"
At Kacchan's threatening voice, I looked up to see a girl with a medium bob cut and a charming face.
"S-Sorry for using my Quirk without asking! But it'd be bad luck if you fell, right?"
The girl who smiled at me was way too cute.
Her overwhelming feminine energy made me realize the terror of U.A.
Not quite at my level, but if this class is crawling with girls like her—U.A.'s something else. Color me impressed.
After saying just that, the girl released her Quirk and quickly headed into the exam hall.
Yeah, that's it. Nothing more happened.
Well, obviously.
"Bakugo-kyun."
"I'll kill you."
"What do you think of that type?"
"—! I-I don't know!! Idiot! Die!!"
I could smell the distinctive fragrance of puberty from his retreating back. Normally I'd tease him to death, but doing it before an exam would be cruel, so I'll let him off.
Well, either way, I'm gonna mess with him after the exam anyway. It's just a matter of sooner or later.
Having somehow survived the test with Kacchan's pencil, I arrived at the practical exam venue. The practical exam was a recreation activity where you destroy villain robots scattered throughout a city-style training ground to rack up points.
Apparently, if you get even one point, they can't fail you for that reason alone, so I'll just try halfheartedly.
By the way, they told us to wear comfortable clothes, so I changed into a tank top and camouflage cargo pants. I'm not wearing those lame school-issued tracksuits.
As I tightened my ponytail to keep my hair from coming loose during exercise, I spotted Bad Luck Girl from earlier.
Since waiting around was boring, I thought I'd try talking to her, but then someone called out: "Excuse me, may I have a moment?"
Looking over, I saw some uptight glasses guy who wasn't my type, so I firmly declined.
"Sorry. I have someone I like."
"I-I wasn't trying to confess!!"
His flustered but proper retort was admirable, but as a romantic prospect? Still no. So I declined again.
"Sorry. I thought about it, but no."
"That's not what I'm saying!!"
Glasses kept retorting like a robot.
Maybe he's the persistent type.
I heard giggles around us. Oops, did I just publicly execute him? My bad.
"What I want to say is—what on earth is that outfit?!"
"Huh?"
"Your outfit is absolutely shameless!! What is the meaning of wearing just a tank top?! Your pants are acceptable, but you need to cover your top properly! Y-You have, well, large... breasts, so you should wear something more appropriate! A-And showing your, your underarms so carelessly is also improper!! We're here to become Heroes—"
Glasses kept lecturing me.
I wonder what exactly he finds so offensive.
How does my underarms relate to the exam? Though I am confident in both the size and shape of my chest.
Hmm, don't get it.
"I don't really get it, but what do you want me to do?"
"—I-In short! Stop dressing and moving in such a shameless way that tempts other examinees!!"
Aha, so this guy's a virgin, huh?
How sensitive and innocent. Cute, cute.
If I said that, he'd probably lose it, so I won't.
I'm a virgin too, so I understand being sensitive about stuff related to the opposite sex.
"Then lend me your jacket."
"What?!"
"You were wearing one earlier, right? That tracksuit thing. Lend it to me. I didn't bring other clothes."
If you're gonna say that much, you gotta take responsibility.
I can't turn back now.
Understanding what I meant, Glasses reluctantly lent me his jacket while flustering. Sniff sniff—smells a bit like sweat. Gross, I don't wanna wear this.
As Glasses muttered incomprehensible words, I figured I should confirm just to be safe.
"Look, I'm taking the exam wearing this, so don't complain if I get it dirty or ruin it, okay? You're the one who demanded this."
I'll probably return it in tatters.
Given the exam content, it's unavoidable.
"O-O-O-Of course! I-I'm sorry for making an unreasonable request."
"Huh? Well, yeah. That works. I'll borrow it then."
Just as I put on Glasses' jacket, time ran out.
Guess I didn't get to talk to Bad Luck Girl after all.
Well, I wasn't that interested anyway.
Now then, if I remember right, getting even one point means I won't automatically fail, right? I'll just casually beat up some robots and watch from the sidelines.
The exam started with a signal from an absurdly loud guy. Right off the bat, I smashed a few small robots and then leisurely watched the other examinees scrambling around.
I mean, I'm already done. I somehow got 26 points. Oh wait, apparently those were high-point ones, so it's even more... Well, whatever. I didn't mess up the written test and I've got plenty of margin.
After spacing out for a few minutes.
Just as time was about to run out, a giant robot appeared before me.
If I remember right, it's an obstacle robot—doesn't give points even if you defeat it. Probably why everyone's elegantly avoiding it.
"Hm?"
Maybe as karma for slacking off, I spotted something I shouldn't have at the giant robot's feet.
An exhausted girl who couldn't move, about to be crushed. It was Bad Luck Girl from this morning.
Either no one noticed or no one's trying to help.
Well, I guess it makes sense—helping your competition during an exam would be eccentric. Fair enough.
But still, getting stepped on would hurt.
"Sigh. What a pain."
If the exam ends like this, I won't be able to enjoy dinner. So, well, can't be helped, right?
"Damn it, to encounter this when there's no time left!"
"Says the deserter trying to flee. That's execution by firing squad. Line up in the corner and let your teeth chatter while awaiting your final moment~"
"What?! You're that shameless girl from earlier!"
While lightly dissing Glasses as he fled, I passed him and ran toward the giant robot.
Oh my crazy? Yes, my crazy! Are you okay?
Figuring verbal attacks won't work on a robot, I ran silently—very unlike me—and everyone stared. Yay, peace peace... Hey! React, damn it!! Give it back—I'm flashing a peace sign with my supreme, ultimate, priceless beauty!! Send back something as intense as Kacchan would!!
While mentally complaining, I reached the robot's feet in no time. Looking up from below, it feels even more massive.
"Alright, let's go big!!"
I took a deep breath, focused my consciousness in my mouth, and exhaled all at once.
What flew from my mouth was blue flame, blue as the sky.
Normally I can only breathe out low-temperature red flames, but with prep time, I can breathe out high-temperature blue flames. Remember this for the test, okay?
The blue flame melted the joint section of the zero-point robot's leg.
I couldn't defeat it, but the robot's movement speed dropped dramatically with its joint all messed up. Since I only meant to buy time, this was perfect.
I turned my back on the now-sluggish giant, hoisted Bad Luck Girl onto my shoulder, and retreated in a hurry.
My trained biceps are screaming.
"U-Um, thank you—"
"It's fine, it's fine. They say 'we're all in this together when trouble hits,' right? That's a saying, right? Or did I make that up?"
"Uh, yeah, I think that's a saying."
"Then it's all good, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I guess so."
Oh, natural dialect girl.
Unique. This girl's totally doing it on purpose.
U.A.'s something else.
After retreating a fair distance, I saw Glasses looking at me with a shocked expression. He was probably staring at my bouncing chest when I ran. How shameless. Deserves death a thousand times over.
That aside—if your hands are free, help out.
So I tossed Bad Luck Girl to Glasses.
Despite his panic, he caught her in a princess carry—he definitely planned that. Must be a closet pervert (confirmed).
"What are you doing so suddenly?!"
"Shut it. You didn't help and just abandoned her. Don't make me laugh with your 'aspiring Hero' act! Wahaha! Oh, I laughed."
"Ugh! But that's—!"
Right now it's my turn to talk. No one—and I mean no one—is allowed to talk back.
I touched Glasses' lenses with my bare hands. I heard a "Nuwaah!" but I don't care.
I smeared fingerprints all over the front and back before stopping.
"I'm only here because of how things turned out, but you guys are here because you want to be Heroes, right? Then think hard about what a Hero really is, you idiot."
After that diss, Glasses looked down with teary eyes. Several people watching nearby also looked down.
It'd be cruel to pile on more, so I patted Glasses' shoulder and offered some words of encouragement.
"Good work."
"—!!"
For some reason, Glasses cried after my encouragement.
He was bawling—way too hard for a middle schooler taking a high school exam. Like a kindergartener. Like a baby. That level of crying.
I heard sniffling around me too.
What's wrong with you guys?
What's this atmosphere? It's like a funeral.
Why?
Until the ending siren rang, Glasses and several others kept sobbing. Like middle schoolers with no second chances who just failed their exam.
"I-I know you didn't mean it, but that was too harsh."
Bad Luck Girl said that before passing out—maybe she knew the reason, but now that the exam's over, I don't care. Time to go home.
As a reward for my hard work, I'll mooch off Kacchan on the way back.
Bargain dash, mooch time.