"Thanks, Ma, the dinner was delicious," Izuku said as he helped clean the table.
"You're welcome, sweetie," Inko Midoriya replied with a warm smile, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "It's nice having you home for dinner. You've been so busy lately."
Izuku gave her a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, training's been... intense. But I wanted to make sure I spent some time with you tonight."
Inko's face softened. "You work so hard, Izuku. Just don't forget to take care of yourself, okay?"
"I won't," he promised, stacking a few dishes in the sink.
Inko frowned slightly, but she nodded. "I understand... just don't push yourself too hard, alright? And—" she hesitated for a second. "Izuku, please be careful out there."
Izuku smiled gently. "I will, Ma. Goodnight." He took off his apron and washed his hands. "Goodnight, Izuku." Hearing this, he went to his room and laid on the bed. As he closed his eyes for a second, he felt the sun's rays on his face. He looked out the window. It was morning.
"It's morning already?" Izuku grumbled. 'Of course, young mortal.' Chronos' voice rang out.
'Just shut up.' Izuku said to Chronos. 'Ooh. What hostility, young mortal?' Chronos said with a chuckle.
Time Skip. Izuku said as he instantly got ready with the help of his power. He was now wearing a sweater and track pants. He looked at the clock on the wall, 6:04, it read out.
"Perfect," he muttered to himself. The extra time would let him leave early and fit in some extra stretching before the day's drills began.
'Impressive, young mortal,' Chronos' voice echoed in his mind, dripping with approval. 'See? With my gift, you no longer have to endure the petty inconveniences of time.'
'Yeah, yeah,' Izuku responded internally. He had enough of Chronos bragging about his power.
He grabbed his duffel bag from the corner of his room, slinging it over his shoulder. His mother was probably still asleep, so he tiptoed out of his room.
As he reached the front door. 'Careful, young mortal. Just because you can skip time doesn't mean you should take it for granted.' Chronos said.
Izuku rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, yeah. I'll be careful.'
'Good,' Chronos replied, his voice amused. 'Wouldn't want you to miss anything... important.'
Izuku stepped outside and immediately began jogging down the quiet streets of Musutafu.
He liked starting his mornings like this.
"Time skip." he whispered again, feeling Chronos' power.
The world flickered with green crystals, and suddenly he was two blocks ahead—no need to spend extra energy on those warm-up miles. His breathing was even, and his muscles felt as if they'd already loosened up as if he'd been jogging for 10 minutes.
'Not bad, eh?' Chronos chuckled in his mind.
Izuku frowned slightly, focusing on the path ahead.
'I can't just skip everything,' Izuku thought to himself. 'The hard work still matters.'
'Oh, of course, it does,' Chronos said, but his voice made Izuku feel like the ancient being was humouring him.
Izuku ignored the voice and picked up his pace. The familiar streets and corners blurred past him as he reached the park near his usual route.
By the time he circled back around, the sun had risen higher. A bead of sweat flowed into his eyes. He then resumed his physical exercises, improving his stamina.
Training, eat, training, eat, sleep. Repeat. Training, eat, training, eat, sleep. Repeat. That's what he did for the next 10 months until the entrance exam came around.
''Izuku, today's the entrance exam. Get up." Inko called out. As Izuku tried to shield his sensitive eyes from the light, he got up. He stretched his arms, displaying his trained muscles. "Already?"
"Time Skip." He was already in his clothes. He took the sandwich in his hand and took a bite. "Bye, Ma." he waved goodbye to Inko. "All the best!" Inko flashed a smile at him.
He closed the door took his cycle and began pedalling to the metro station. Time Skip. He was at the station now. He quickly ran to the counter and bought a ticket to U.A which had its own metro station.
With the ticket in hand, he made his way to the platform, glancing around at the other students waiting for the train. Some were engaged in animated conversations, while others fidgeted nervously with their gear.
As the train came to a halt in front of him, he stepped inside, quickly finding a spot to stand. The train filled up rapidly, and he couldn't help but notice the mix of confidence and anxiety on everyone's faces.
"Just breathe," he whispered to himself. The train started.
'You're feeling anxious, aren't you?' Chronos' voice floated in his mind, a teasing note lingering in the air. 'Why not skip all this worry? Jump straight to the part where you impress them all. Such determination. But remember, time is a tricky thing. You can manipulate it—control it. You don't have to endure this stress.'
Izuku groaned. "It's not just about power."
The train came to a smooth stop at U.A. Station, and he felt a wave of exhilaration wash over him.
He got off the train and saw the groups of people, excited for the exam. He even recognised some people from his neighbourhood.
As he reached the entrance of the examination centre, he spotted Katsuki lurking around with his usual grumpy attitude. Izuku sighed.
It was the written test for the first part of the exam. When Present Mic handed out the papers in the room., Izuku quickly got to work, showcasing his resourcefulness and thought process in the answers. It was all about 'what would you do?' questions.
"Sir, done," Izuku called out as he finished the paper. "Submit the paper here and proceed to the physical examination area." Present Mic said.
He carefully checked his answers and submitted his paper. He walked to the area and saw that he and Katsuki were the only guys who had finished the exam, yet.
As he and Katsuki locked their eyes together...the chapter ended.