Chapter 9: I actually belonged here?
...
After getting into my U.A. uniform, I left my dorm room and took the elevator down to the common area. Just as I was about to head out, I heard someone call my name.
"Kaminari!"
"Huh? Oh, Kendo, hey!" I said, looking at her as she stood at the foot of the stairs. Looked like she'd taken the stairs instead of the elevator for some reason.
Without really thinking, I let out a compliment, "Wow, you look great."
The words had slipped out before I could even think about stopping myself, and I immediately regretted it. I knew Kendo's personality pretty well, and she could easily smack me over the head for that one… not that I would've blamed her.
But the smack never came. Instead, she just smiled, looking genuinely pleased. That was a relief. Maybe my compliment hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
"You too" she replied, smiling back. She… She actually returned the compliment!
I had to give myself a little pinch to make sure I wasn't dreaming… and ouch, nope, I was definitely awake.
Grinning, I felt a little giddy. Kendo was just… easy to like, you know? I couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to make me fall for her, because, wow, she was doing a good job.
Not that I was going to say anything to her about it. I mean, confessing my feelings now would probably just get me rejected. Girls could be brutal, and I knew better than anyone how painful a quick rejection could be. I'd have to take this slow, make sure I didn't end up looking desperate.
"Wanna walk together?" she asked. Yep, no way was I gonna say no, in fact, if I were to ever say no to such an open invitation from a gorgeous girl, then I will have died on the inside that day.
This was my chance to spend a little more time with Knedo, and even if we were in different classes, at least we'd be in the same school.
"Sure" I answered, trying not to sound too excited, though it probably didn't work. I'm pretty sure I was grinning like an idiot.
Kendo just gave me a bright smile, looking kind of amused. She stepped beside me, and we started walking together, side by side, on our first day as U.A. students.
I couldn't help glancing over at her as we walked. She was chatting happily, her big smile making me smile too.
Man, Kendo was kind of like me in some ways, which just made me like her even more—even if her punches really hurt.
But like I said, I had to take things slow. Impress her first, right? Keep it cool.
…..
The sun was shining bright, but I felt like I had a storm cloud hanging over my head. Sure, I'd gotten into U.A., but now I had to prove I actually belonged here.
Kendo and I finally walked through the massive doors of the main building. The place was designed more like an academy than a typical university, with classrooms, a three-year accelerated curriculum, and specialized training facilities. This wasn't just some regular university; it was U.A.
Inside, there were already students around. Some of them looked like full-blown heroes already with their neat uniforms and intense looks. I tried not to let my nerves show, biting my lip as I glanced around.
"Kaminari!"
A familiar voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Tokage, Kodai, and Komori from Class 1-B coming over to greet us.
The five of us said our hellos, and since Kendo hadn't met them yet, she looked super happy to already know some classmates. I was technically in Class 1-A, so I'd only see them between classes, but it was good knowing a few faces outside my class too.
Kendo hit it off with them right away, which didn't surprise me; her friendly and upbeat personality made it easy for her to talk to anyone.
Honestly, I kind of wished I'd been placed in Class 1-B too. These girls were all pretty cute, and we were already getting along. But I couldn't complain too much—I'd met some awesome people in Class 1-A already too.
…..
"See you later!" I called out to them as we finally went our separate ways.
The four girls waved at me as they headed off to their class together, while I went toward Class 1-A, trying not to dwell on the fact that I wouldn't be spending as much time with them. I'd just have to focus on getting along with the people in my own class.
When I got to the door of my classroom, it was massive and had this unique design. Just looking at it made me feel nervous again, but I took a deep breath and pushed it open.
Inside, several people were already in their seats. Looked like everyone was eager to start the first day early.
The first ones I noticed were Kirishima and Ashido. Kirishima was in the third row, second seat, and Ashido was in the second row, first seat. Seeing them there made me feel instantly more at ease. Ashido flashed me a big grin, and I couldn't help but smile back.
Next to her, in the second row, second seat, was Jiro. She already had her headphones on and was off in her own world, which wasn't exactly surprising. In the fourth seat of the first row, I spotted Hagakure—or, at least, her uniform.
Then there was Ojiro in the first seat of the third row, who waved at me with that cheerful smile of his. Sitting further back in the last row, first seat, was Sato, looking relaxed as always.
Seeing so many familiar faces helped me feel way more comfortable.
Naturally, I also saw some people I hadn't met yet or didn't know that well. There was Todoroki, sitting in the last seat of the fourth row. His two-toned hair made him unmistakable, but we hadn't talked much since he was a pretty distant guy. Even when he introduced himself, he'd said his family name with a lot of coldness, and after that, I didn't bother to talk to him much.
And then there was Bakugo, that explosive, grumpy guy, sitting in the second row, fourth seat, rudely kicking his feet up on the desk and glaring at everyone with disdain. He always seemed pissed off about something, and, to be honest, he didn't seem like the friendliest guy, so I was happy to avoid talking to him… at least for now.
This guy even gave me a challenging look as I passed, but I just ignored him and walked to my seat.
Heh, I was lucky with my seat placement—I was surrounded by four people I knew: in front of Kirishima, behind Ojiro, and between Jiro and Ashido. Yep, Jiro was my personal shield in this moment because she was between me and Bakugo, so she'd be blocking me from his angry, irritated stares the whole time.
I plopped down into my seat, greeted Ojiro and Jiro, and then joined the conversation Ashido and Kirishima were having. Just as we were starting to talk about how excited we were for the first day, the door slammed open.
Iida marched in and, as soon as he saw Bakugo's feet on the desk, went straight over to him, clearly upset, and scolded him with one of his strange, rigid gestures.
"You shouldn't have your feet on the desk in this honorable place of learning!" Iida said, moving his hands as if to emphasize every word. "Don't you think you're disrespecting your classmates?"
Bakugo ignored him at first but then shot him a look full of irritation.
"You again, two-bit extra!? Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?" Bakugo spat back, sounding thoroughly pissed off.
At that moment, while those two were still arguing, the door opened again, and I saw a normal-looking guy with freckles and green hair.
To my surprise, Iida left Bakugo alone and immediately turned to this green-haired boy, quickly making his way over to him.
"You must be Midoriya! I heard about your achievement in the entrance exam. I'm Tenya Iida; it's a pleasure to meet you!" he said, extending his hand in a formal way. The guy named Midoriya looked a bit surprised and nervous, but he managed to shake his hand in return.