Chapter 2: U.A. exam results
...
A day had passed since my humiliating performance in front of the guy my aunt spends her time with, doing things I'd rather not think about when it comes to my aunt, and things had calmed down a bit, although she still took every chance she got to tease me about it.
And I don't blame her—it was seriously embarrassing...
But in my defense, I don't know how to fight, and all I really have going for me is my Quirk, which is completely useless against anyone with any kind of electrical insulation.
Yeah, some might call it cowardly, but as far as I'm concerned, it's just a good and sane judgment to think about escape when facing an unknown danger without the right skills.
That's right—one should first know if they even have a shot at winning, or else every fight would be pointless.
So... that's my justification for what I did, and I'll take it to my grave.
...
Lying on the couch, I tried to stop thinking about the whole thing while digging through a nearly empty bag of chips. My phone had been buzzing all day, but I didn't bother to look at it. Every time I thought about that situation along with U.A., it felt like there was a small storm brewing in my chest.
I was definitely hoping to be accepted, though I probably wouldn't have the guts to show my face even if I did get in if anyone in the hero course found out about what happened that night. But I needed to stop thinking so negatively. Once I got better at using my Quirk, I could take on anything.
And even though I knew I hadn't been the best in the entrance exam, I still had hope that I'd get into U.A. After all, it wasn't that hard to fight the robots since they were weak to my Quirk, which gave me a clear advantage over others.
But I was still a little nervous…
Yeah, I had the advantage, and yup, I did my best, sure. But would it be enough? U.A. was the top hero academy, and me… well, I wasn't anywhere near the best, the strongest, or the smartest.
I hadn't spent my whole life preparing to be a hero like a lot of other people probably had… And if I didn't get into U.A., well, I'd be just an eighteen-year-old with not many options.
The front door swung open, and there was my Aunt Teru, as carefree as always, twirling her keys in her hand.
"Denki!" she shouted from the entryway, like I wasn't just a few feet away on the couch.
"..."
"What's up?" I replied with a yawn, still focused on the crumbs at the bottom of the chip bag. But she didn't say anything, just tossed an envelope at me. I caught it just in time, and the first thing I saw was the U.A. logo.
In an instant, all my attention shifted to the letter in my hand.
Written on it was: "Admission Letter for Examinee 469."
My hands started to shake. I hadn't even realized that Teru was already sitting next to me.
I knew it was important, but I didn't want to open it. What if I didn't make it? What if, after all, I didn't have what it took to be a hero? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise anyone after what happened with Ryko…
Teru gave me a little nudge.
"Quit wasting time and open it already! I'm dying to know!"
That was all the push I needed. I tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter, leaving the device on the floor. Then a screen popped up as if it were saying its favorite catchphrase: "I AM HERE… AS A PROJECTION."
When All Might's hologram appeared in front of me, my heart nearly stopped. It was him, the number-one hero, talking to me.
"HELLO, young Kaminari. I'm here to give you your U.A. exam results. Your written score was a bit on the lower side..., but you scored a total of 49 combat points in the practical exam. But that's not all!"
Okay, so it was frustrating to hear that my written exam didn't go too well, but my combat score seemed pretty solid, so I hoped that would balance things out.
But what the heck did All Might mean by "that's not all"?
"You see, the practical exam wasn't just about combat. How could the hero course reject someone who saved another…" All Might continued explaining, even though I doubted I'd saved anyone, at least not directly. Maybe I helped someone out indirectly—I don't know. I tend to be more of a danger than a help to people around me when I attack.
"…So we have rescue points. The judges award points based on…"
As All Might kept talking, I couldn't stop wondering who I might have helped without even realizing it.
"Denki Kaminari: 4 rescue points, for a total of 53 points…"
53 POINTS?! Wow, I'd never felt this cool before…
"…which means you've passed! Welcome to U.A.!"
He… he said I'd made it. That I'd been accepted into U.A.!
I couldn't hold it in. I screamed. I screamed like a maniac, jumping off the couch. My aunt started clapping, laughing with that laugh of hers that always made me feel like everything would be okay.
"Denki Kaminari, future hero! I knew you'd make it!" s he shouted, half-serious and half-joking as she hugged me tight. I hugged her back and let a big, genuine smile spread across my face.
I could barely think. U.A. U.A. was mine. I was in!
...
...
When the initial excitement died down, my aunt and I sat at the kitchen table to go over the additional documents that came with the acceptance letter.
The acceptance letter itself was already an official document confirming my admission to U.A., but there was something else in the letter that caught my attention.
"Aunt, look at this! It says I can choose between staying in the dorms on the U.A. campus or finding a place to live nearby," I told her, showing her the letter. This was new information, and pretty interesting, since it could save me a lot of money. It's not exactly cheap to live in Musutafu or the surrounding area.
My aunt leaned over to read the letter and smiled.
"Oh, my college didn't have anything like that… Guess that's one of the perks of going to a prestigious university" she joked a bit. "But I have to say it's pretty cool. This way, you can pick what suits you best."
"And since I'm not supporting you now that we know this..., well, I think the choice is obvious," she added with a big, mischievous grin that told me I didn't have much of a choice other than U.A.'s dorms, unless I wanted to pay for rent wherever I ended up.
I considered my options. U.A. dorms would be convenient, since I'd be close to the facilities and could make the most of my studies. But I'd also like a little independence and to explore the city. Sure, it'd be great to experience life in the city as an independent person… but not at the cost of burning through my savings and probably having to make even more money. No, that's a big no!
I realized this dorm option was especially helpful for students who lived far away, like some of my friends from elementary school. Not everyone has the resources to rent a place around U.A., which is a pretty expensive area.
"Imagine if they didn't have this option…" I told my aunt. "Some students wouldn't be able to go to U.A. because of distance or lack of resources."
My aunt nodded.
"Yeah, Denki. U.A. has always been known for its commitment to equal opportunity. This option is an example of that… Few universities would spend their resources on something like this."
"Umm, all right, then I guess I'll go with the U.A. campus dorms" I told my aunt, feeling almost sure of my decision.
My aunt smiled.
"Sounds good, Denki. I'm sure you'll make a wise decision"
Seeing her smile and say it in that shameless way made me feel swindled… especially since, before we knew about these dorms, She was willing to pay my rent!
"Yeah… I guess" I said, rolling my eyes at her audacity. "Anyway, it says here that first-year students moving into the campus dorms have two move-in dates to choose from… Saturday, April 6, or Sunday, April 7. Uh, that's just one or two days before the school year starts"
"Well, that's plenty of time for you to get everything ready. But ugh, look at those awful move-in times! Who in their right mind sets the move-in hours to just 5 to 8 AM!" my aunt complained, as she hates getting up early. Honestly, I hate it too. But she used to get home at those hours, so for her is even worse than for me.
Actually, that was just the timeframe in which U.A. made an exception and allowed non-students to enter the campus to help with move-in during those two days.