One Week Later
The late afternoon sun cast long, melancholic shadows across Choso's bedroom. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, tossing a small rubber ball into the air and catching it.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
His mind wasn't on the ball. It was dissecting the practical exam for the hundredth time.
I overused energy on the Zero Pointer, he criticized himself. My output was sloppy. Effective, but sloppy. If I had been fighting a curse with regeneration, I would have been wide open after that blast.
He sat up, crossing his legs.
And then there's the issue of blood volume. The original Choso didn't have to worry about hypovolemic shock because he could convert Cursed Energy directly into blood. I can't do that yet. I'm limited by my human biology.
He tapped his chin.
Reverse Cursed Technique (RCT).
In JJK, RCT multiplied negative energy to create positive energy. It was the holy grail of sustainability. If he could master RCT, he could heal his wounds instantly. More importantly, he could regenerate lost blood cells as fast as he spent them.
And if I master RCT... I can use Cursed Technique Reversal.
He frowned. Gojo had Red. Kenjaku can intensify Gravity. What was the Reversal of Blood Manipulation?
The technique controls blood composition and motion. Would the reversal be... generating blood from nothing? Or maybe manipulating foreign blood without needing it to be exposed? Or perhaps manipulating the 'life' within the blood to heal others?
It was a headache. The manga never showed Kamo or Choso using a Reversal.
Knock, knock.
"Choso?" Kaori's voice came from the other side of the door, trembling with suppressed excitement. "It's here."
Choso stops. The ball dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
It's here.
He opened the door. Kaori and Jin were standing there, holding a thick, wax-sealed envelope with the U.A. insignia.
They moved to the living room, the atmosphere heavy with anticipation. They sat on the couch, the envelope resting on the coffee table like a sacred artifact.
"Together?" Jin asked, his hand resting on Choso's shoulder.
"Together," Choso nodded.
He reached out, breaking the seal. He slid the contents out. There was no paper. Just a small, circular metal device. He placed it on the table.
Click.
A holographic projection flared to life.
"I AM HERE!"
Kaori gasped. Jin's jaw dropped.
All Might, the Symbol of Peace, filled their living room, zooming into the camera with his signature grin.
"AS A PROJECTION!"
"Young Itadori Choso!" All Might boomed. "You did excellent work on the written exam! You possess a sharp mind and a strong sense of ethics! But! A Hero is not just graded on paper!"
The hologram shifted, showing footage of Choso in Battle Center D. It showed him dismantling robots with surgical precision.
"In the practical exam, you displayed overwhelming combat prowess! You decimated the villains with efficiency that left the judges speechless!"
A counter ticked up rapidly on the screen.
"Villain Points: 81! The highest in the entire exam!"
"Eighty-one?" Jin whispered, eyes wide. "That's my boy!"
"But wait! There is more! The Hero course is not just about fighting villains!"
The footage changed. It showed Choso stopping to save the girl from the Three-Pointer. It showed him standing his ground against the Zero Pointer while others fled. It showed him blasting a hole through the colossal machine to save the lizard boy.
"You risked your standing to save others! You faced an overwhelming threat to protect a single life! This is the essence of a Hero!"
Another counter appeared.
"Rescue Points: 60!"
"Total Score: 141 Points!"
All Might leaned into the camera, extending a hand.
"You are the top scorer of this year's entrance exam! Young Itadori... Welcome to your Hero Academia!"
The hologram faded.
Silence hung in the room for a heartbeat.
Then, Kaori burst into tears. "Oh, Choso!"
She lunged at him, wrapping him in a crushing hug. Jin joined in, wrapping his large arms around both of them.
"I knew it!" Jin laughed, his voice thick with emotion. "I knew you could do it! Top scorer! Did you hear that? Number one!"
Choso closed his eyes, leaning into the warmth of his parents. In his first life, he had died with regrets. In this life, he was starting with a victory.
"I did it," he whispered.
"We're having a feast tonight!" Kaori declared, wiping her eyes but still smiling. "Katsudon! Sashimi! Everything!"
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The next day, Choso visited the dojo.
Yamamoto-sensei was sweeping the mats when Choso entered. He stopped, leaning on the broom.
"Well?" Yamamoto asked.
Choso stood tall. "I passed. First place."
Yamamoto didn't smile immediately. He looked Choso up and down, then let out a sharp breath. "I expected nothing less. You've outgrown this place, kid."
"I haven't," Choso said, bowing deeply—a true, respectful bow this time. "Everything I know about fighting, I learned here. Thank you, Sensei."
Yamamoto's eyes softened. "Go. Make us proud. And try not to get famous too fast; I don't want paparazzi at my door."
"No promises," Choso smirked.
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April – First Day of School
The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, painting the path to U.A. High in shades of pink.
Choso stood at the door of his house, adjusting the gray blazer of the U.A. uniform. It fit perfectly.
"You look so handsome!" Kaori gushed, snapping pictures with her phone.
"You have your pass?" Jin checked. "Lunch? Wallet?"
"I'm good, Dad," Choso laughed. "I'll be back for dinner."
"Have a good first day!"
He walked to the station, feeling the weight of the uniform. People glanced at him—the U.A. crest was a magnet for attention.
He arrived at the massive school, navigating the hallways.
Class 1-A... Class 1-A... huge doors, apparently.
He was walking down a corridor when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Excuse me!"
He turned around. A girls' U.A. uniform was floating behind him.
"I'm Hagakure Toru! You're the one I bumped into at the exam, right?" the floating gloves gestured excitedly. "I recognized your... uh... vibe? You have a very intense vibe!"
Choso blinked. Invisible Girl.
"Itadori Choso," he introduced himself, smiling. "Yeah, that was me. Are you looking for 1-A too?"
"Yes! I'm so nervous!"
"Let's go together," Choso said. "It's just down this hall."
They found the door. It was gigantic.
"Here goes nothing," Toru said.
Choso slid the door open.
The classroom was already buzzing. Choso scanned the room.
Midoriya wasn't there yet. Iida was chopping the air in front of a jagged-toothed Bakugo, scolding him about putting his feet on the desk.
Classic, Choso thought.
He looked for his seat. The desks were arranged in a grid. He found his nameplate: ITADORI.
He looked around. Wait. There are twenty desks. I see... Aoyama, Ashido, Asui, Iida, Uraraka, Ojiro, Kaminari, Kirishima, Koda, Sato, Shoji, Jiro, Sero, Tokoyami, Todoroki, Hagakure, Bakugo, Midoriya... and Yaoyorozu.
He counted again.
No Mineta.
A small smirk tugged at his lips. Looks like the grape juice didn't make the cut. I must have pushed him out of the top 36, or Aizawa expelled him early. Either way, the world is a better place.
He sat down at his desk. Toru sat nearby.
"Remove your foot from the desk!" Iida commanded Bakugo.
"Hah? Don't tell me what to do, Four-Eyes!"
The door opened again. Midoriya Izuku walked in, looking terrified. Iida immediately marched over to greet him. Uraraka appeared right behind him, floating with excitement.
"Oh! It's the plain-looking boy!"
The gang's all here, Choso observed.
"Excuse me, I'm Yaoyorozu Momo." a polite voice came from the desk to his right.
Choso turned. A girl with a high ponytail and an elegant demeanor was looking at him.
"I couldn't help but notice your name," she said, her eyes shining with intellectual curiosity. "Itadori-san? You scored 141 points in the entrance exam, correct? I saw the faculty list. That's an incredible score."
The room went quiet for a split second.
"141?!" Kaminari gasped. "Dude, that's insane!"
"Hah?!"
Explosions popped in the corner. Bakugo stood up, kicking his chair back. He stomped over to Choso's desk, slamming his hands down. Smoke curled from his palms.
"You're the extra who beat me?" Bakugo snarled, his red eyes narrowing. "I checked the board. I was supposed to be number one. You think you're better than me just because you smashed some scrap metal?"
Choso looked up, unfazed. He rested his chin on his hand, meeting Bakugo's glare with bored indifference.
"I don't think I'm better," Choso stated calmly. "The numbers say I am. Math doesn't lie, Bakugo-san."
"YOU—!" Bakugo's hands crackled, ready to blow.
"If you're here to make friends, go somewhere else."
The voice came from the floor.
Everyone froze. A man lying in a yellow sleeping bag rolled into the room like a giant caterpillar. He stood up, unzipping the bag to reveal a disheveled man with tired eyes and a scarf.
Shota Aizawa.
"It took you eight seconds to quiet down," Aizawa muttered, stepping out of the bag. "Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough."
He reached into his bag and pulled out gym uniforms.
"Put these on and head to the P.E. grounds," he ordered.
"What about the entrance ceremony?" Uraraka asked.
"No time for pageantry," Aizawa deadpanned. "If you want to be heroes, you don't have time for leisurely events."
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P.E. Grounds
The class stood in a cluster, wearing the blue U.A. gym uniforms. The air was crisp.
"A Quirk Apprehension Test?!" the class exclaimed in unison.
"Itadori," Aizawa calls out.
Choso stepped forward.
"You finished first in the entrance exam," Aizawa said, his voice bored. "What was your result for the softball throw in middle school?"
"65 meters," Choso answered.
"Try it with your Quirk," Aizawa tossed him the ball. "Do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle."
Choso walked to the circle. He held the ball in his right hand.
He bit his thumb.
"Flowing Red Scale: Stack."
Red lines flared across his face. His arm muscles swelled. He coated the ball in a layer of blood, then formed a dense, pressurized ring of blood behind his arm, acting like a biological railgun mechanism.
"Convergence."
He winded up, the blood humming with stored kinetic energy.
"GO!"
He threw. As the ball left his hand, the ring of blood detonated behind it, adding a massive concussive boost to his enhanced strength.
BOOM!
The ball vanished into the sky, leaving a shockwave that kicked up dust around the circle.
Aizawa looked at his device. He turned it around to show the class.
750.2 meters.
"Whoa!" Kaminari cheered. "That's huge!"
"This looks like fun!" Ashido clapped. "We can use our quirks as much as we want!"
Aizawa's expression darkened.
"Fun?" he whispered. "You have three years to become heroes. You think it's going to be fun?"
He smiled, a terrifying, manic expression.
"Alright. Whoever ranks last in total points will be judged to have no potential... and will be punished with immediate expulsion."
"HAAAAH?!"
Midoriya turned pale.
The tests began.
Test 1: 50-Meter Dash
Choso lined up against Ojiro Mashirao. "On your marks..." Flowing Red Scale. "GO!" Choso reinforced his legs with Cursed Energy and blood flow. He blasted off the line, leaving the martial artist in the dust.
Time: 3.50 seconds.
Test 2: Grip Strength
He wrapped the dynamometer in hardened blood, crushing it.
Result: 400kg.
Shoji was still higher, but it was elite.
Test 3: Standing Long Jump
He cleared the sandbox easily using a blood-boosted jump.
Test 5: Ball Throw
Uraraka got Infinity. Choso's 750m held second place until she threw.
Then, it was Midoriya's turn.
The green-haired boy stepped into the circle, trembling. Choso watched intently. He knew what was coming.
Midoriya winded up, energy coursing through his arm—and then, it vanished.
He threw the ball weakly. 46 meters.
"What?" Midoriya stared at his hands in shock. "I tried to use it..."
"I erased your quirk," Aizawa said, his scarf floating as his hair stood on end, revealing his red, glowing eyes. "From what I've observed, you can't control your quirk. Do you intend to become incapacitated again and force someone else to save you?"
"N-No, that's not—"
Aizawa pulled him closer with his capture weapon. "You're not ready. You have zero potential."
He released him. "I've returned your quirk. You have one more throw. Hurry up and get it over with."
Midoriya stood there, head down, muttering to himself.
He's terrified, Choso noted. But he's thinking.
Midoriya looked up, a fire igniting in his eyes. He wound up again. This time, he didn't tense his whole body. He swung his arm naturally, and at the very last microsecond, power surged into just the tip of his index finger.
"SMASH!"
BOOM!
The ball rocketed into the sky with a force that rivaled Choso's blood cannon.
Aizawa looked at the device, stunned.
705.3 meters.
Midoriya turned around, clutching his broken, purple finger. He smiled through the pain, tears in his eyes.
"Sensei..." Midoriya gasped. "I can still move!"
Aizawa's terrifying grin returned. "Heh. This kid..."
Choso crossed his arms, a small smile appearing on his face. Even though I knew what would happen... Not bad, Midoriya. Not bad at all.
Test 8: Distance Run
Choso's endurance, bolstered by Flowing Red Scale, meant he barely broke a sweat while others gasped for air.
Finally, the results were projected.
1. Itadori Choso
2. Yaoyorozu Momo
3. Todoroki Shoto
4. Bakugo Katsuki
.
.
.
20. Midoriya Izuku
Midoriya stared at the screen, his lip quivering. He looked like he was about to cry, the reality of expulsion sinking in.
"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion," Aizawa said casually. "It was a logical ruse to draw out your potential."
"WHAAAAAT?!" the class screamed.
"Of course it was a lie," Momo sighed confidently. "It should have been obvious."
Choso glanced at Aizawa. Liar. He totally would have expelled him if he didn't show potential.
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Locker Room
The boys were changing back into their uniforms. The atmosphere was lighter now that the threat of expulsion was gone.
"Man, Itadori, you're a beast!" Kirishima grinned, flexing his own arm. "That throw was manly as hell! And you're super fast too!"
"Thanks," Choso buttoned his shirt. "You're pretty tough yourself. Hardening, right?"
"Yeah! Not as flashy as explosions or blood, though."
Bakugo slammed his locker shut in the corner, radiating murder. He glared at Choso but didn't say anything. Losing to him in the ball throw and the final ranking was a bitter pill.
"How do you do that stuff anyway?" Sero asked. "Is it just blood?"
"I train hard," Choso said simply, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "My quirk uses my vitality. If I don't train my body, I pass out."
Lunchtime
"Hey, Itadori-kun!"
Choso turned to see a floating uniform waving at him as he stepped out of the locker room.
"Hagakure-san," Choso smiled. "Lunch?"
"You bet! I'm starving!" The floating sleeve gestured down the hallway. "Let's go together?"
"Sure."
They walked towards the main cafeteria building. The hallways were wide and pristine, filled with students from General Studies and Support Courses.
"That quirk test was crazy!" Toru said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "I can't believe Aizawa-sensei almost expelled Midoriya. My heart was pounding!"
"He's a strict teacher," Choso noted. "But I think he just wants to scare us into taking this seriously."
"Well, it worked!" Toru laughed. "And you! Number one spot! You beat Todoroki and Yaoyorozu!"
"I got lucky with the matchups," Choso shrugged modestly.
They entered the cafeteria, instantly hit by the mouth-watering aroma of curry, dashi, and freshly baked bread. The sheer scale of it was impressive, bustling with hundreds of students.
"Whoa," Toru gasped. "Look at the menu! They have everything!"
They joined the line. Choso opted for a classic Zaru Soba set, while Toru grabbed a large bowl of Katsudon and a side of pudding.
"The rumors were true," Toru whispered reverently as they paid. "Lunch Rush's food is world-class. It smells heavenly."
"It really does," Choso agreed, balancing his tray.
They navigated the sea of tables, looking for a spot.
"Over there!" Choso pointed.
Sitting alone at a table near the window was a familiar bird-headed figure, calmly eating an apple.
"Is that... Tokoyami-kun?" Toru asked.
"Yeah. Come on."
They walked over. Choso placed his tray down across from him.
"Mind if we sit here?" Choso asked.
Tokoyami looked up, pausing mid-bite. "The darkness welcomes you."
"Hi Tokoyami-kun!" Toru chirped, placing her tray next to Choso.
"Greetings, Hagakure," Tokoyami nodded politely.
They sat down and began to eat. The first bite of soba confirmed the rumors; it was perfect.
"So," Toru started, swallowing a mouthful of rice. "You two were in the same Battle Center for the practical, right? I heard some crazy stories."
"Indeed," Tokoyami said, his voice deep and dramatic. "Sector D was a chaotic battlefield. But Itadori here... he was the eye of the storm."
Toru turned her uniform towards Choso. "Is it true? People were saying someone blew a hole straight through the Zero Pointer!"
Choso scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. That was me."
"NO WAY!" Toru shrieked, causing a few students to look over. "You destroyed that skyscraper-sized robot?! How?!"
"High-pressure blood cannon," Choso explained casually, slurping a noodle. "I pierced the core."
"A revelry of destruction," Tokoyami added. "It was a sight to behold. A beam of crimson light cutting through the titan like paper."
Toru was silent for a moment, likely stunned. Then she let out a long breath.
"Well," she said, her tone shifting to one of acceptance. "I guess that explains why you got first place in the quirk test too. It's totally expected of the number one ranker!"
Choso smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie settling in.
"I just did what I had to do," Choso said.
They continued to eat, chatting about their favorite foods and complaining about Aizawa's "logical ruses." It was a good start.
I made it, Choso thought, looking around at his new friends. Day one complete.
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Author's Note: Wow, that is a long chapter, I was thinking of ending the chapter around the time Choso arrives at Class 1-A but nah, I decided to just finish the whole first day in a single chapter.
Anyways, thank you for reading and should I make a poll for the love interest?