Tenji Kurokawa left the orphanage on a bright spring morning.
He carried a simple backpack. A neatly folded school uniform. A paper with his new address. And twelve years of quiet preparation behind his calm eyes.
The caretakers waved from the gate. Younger children clung to each other and shouted farewells. The girl who once asked about his quirk gave him a thumbs-up from the doorway.
Tenji bowed respectfully.
Then he walked forward.
Into the city.
Into society.
Into the world of heroes.
His new home was a small apartment arranged by social services. Modest. Clean. Empty.
He unpacked. Changed into his uniform. Checked the clock.
First day of school.
He left the apartment, stepping onto the busy sidewalk. Pedestrians walked past. Some with glowing hair. Some with tails. Some with metallic skin. Quirks were normal here.
Tenji folded space beneath his feet.
Just slightly.
A gentle lift. A quiet glide over a cracked patch of pavement.
A woman nearby gasped.
"Oh! Floating-type quirk? Cool!"
Tenji smiled politely and lowered himself back down.
"Yes. Something like that."
No fear.
No suspicion.
Just everyday wonder.
This world accepted the impossible.
And that made it easy.
His middle school stood tall and loud, full of noisy students and bright banners celebrating the upcoming hero course recommendation exams.
He entered the classroom as the teacher introduced him.
"Class, we have a transfer student. Kurokawa Tenji. Spatial displacement quirk. Treat him well."
Tenji bowed.
"Nice to meet you."
Curiosity buzzed through the room. But nothing more.
Because quirks were expected.
Even strange ones.
He took the empty seat near the window.
And immediately, a sharp voice leaned into his space.
"You. What's your quirk exactly?"
Ash-blond hair. Red eyes. A presence like an explosion waiting to happen.
Bakugo Katsuki.
Tenji answered evenly.
"I bend space slightly. Redirect movement. Create short air steps."
Bakugo smirked.
"Tch. Weird. But useful. Don't slow me down."
He turned away.
No tension.
No secrecy.
Just simple acknowledgment.
A softer voice followed.
"I'm Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you."
Tenji nodded.
"Tenji."
Midoriya's eyes sparkled.
"Spatial quirks are incredibly rare. Do you manipulate vectors? Or warp distance? Or—"
Bakugo smacked his desk.
"Deku, shut up."
Midoriya apologized rapidly.
Tenji just listened.
Quietly observing.
These two would shape the era.
And he had arrived at the same starting line.
School life settled quickly.
Tenji scored well. Stayed polite. Participated when needed.
And in gym class, he used his quirk freely.
He curved flying balls. Bent obstacle paths. Stepped onto folded space to clear high jumps without touching equipment.
Teachers praised his control.
"Excellent spatial awareness."
"Very practical quirk."
"Could make a fine rescue hero."
Tenji accepted the words calmly.
No one asked deeper questions.
Because quirks didn't require understanding. Only results.
During lunch, Midoriya sat beside him with a notebook.
"Your quirk seems versatile," he said excitedly. "If you train enough, you could counter projectile attacks completely!"
Tenji nodded.
"Possibly."
Midoriya hesitated.
"Are you aiming for UA?"
Tenji looked out the window.
Clouds drifting. Sky waiting.
"…Yes," he said.
Not as a lie.
Not as truth.
But as direction.
After school, Tenji walked home through a quiet park.
Children played. Couples strolled. A hero billboard flashed overhead.
He stepped onto a patch of grass.
Folded space.
Rose smoothly into the air.
Not hiding.
Not sneaking.
Just existing.
A child pointed upward.
"Mom! Look! Floating boy!"
The mother laughed.
"Cool quirk, huh?"
Tenji smiled and descended.
No alarms.
No fear.
No secrecy.
This world was comfortable with miracles.
And that comfort would one day blind it to curses.
That night, in his apartment, Tenji sat by the window.
He reached inward.
Touched the familiar reservoir of cursed energy.
Deep. Vast. Patient.
He didn't need to hide it.
He didn't need to restrain it.
He only needed to grow.
Because soon—
Heroes would rise.
Villains would fall.
Curses would awaken.
And when the sky finally split—
Tenji Kurokawa would be ready.