The bass pounded through my earbuds, drowning out my measured breathing as I moved through the final set of exercises. Gym Beta's fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across the empty training ground while I counted reps.
Ninety-eight... ninety-nine...
The weighted vest made each pull-up harder, but I'd gotten used to it over the months. Old man Kuro had designed this routine to be brutal, not impossible.
Someone was watching again. They'd been there for almost an hour, lurking just at the edge of my awareness. I could have turned to look, but that would mess up my form. Besides, if they wanted to watch me suffer through Kuro's idea of a "basic workout," that was their problem.
One hundred.
I dropped from the bar, rolling my shoulders as I moved to the next station. The training dummy looked worse for wear - we'd been through a lot together at 5 AM. Time for our daily chat.
"Morning, Bob," I muttered, settling into my stance. "Ready for another round?"
Bob didn't answer. Bob was cool like that.
The first combination flowed naturally - jab, cross, weave, uppercut. Each hit landed exactly where I aimed, muscle memory built from countless mornings of repetition. The old man would still find something to criticize, but that was his job.
My mystery spectator shifted position. Still couldn't tell who it was, but they'd moved closer. Probably trying to figure out why anyone would voluntarily do this before sunrise.
Hook, slip, body shot. Bob took it like a champ.
My phone shuffled to a new song - something with a faster beat. I adjusted my tempo to match, letting the rhythm drive each combination. Kuro had laughed when I first showed up with headphones, but he'd stopped complaining after seeing how it helped me focus.
"Your form's good."
I didn't break rhythm as Kaori materialized beside me. So she was my early morning stalker.
"Thanks," I said between combinations. "Enjoy the show?"
"Wondering why you're here so early."
"Could ask you the same thing."
She leaned against a nearby pillar, watching my footwork. "Couldn't sleep. Saw the lights on."
"For forty-five minutes?"
"You counted?"
I switched to elbows, giving Bob a new set of problems to worry about. "Hard to miss being watched that long. Plus, me and Bob are bonding."
"Most people would have said something sooner."
"Most people don't do their best thinking at 5 AM."
"And you do?"
"Nope. Just too focused to care." I stepped back from Bob, checking my watch. "One more circuit to go. You can join if you want."
"I'll pass. But I wouldn't mind watching you finish."
Ayo. "Suit yourself."
I moved through the final round of exercises while Kaori observed silently. There was something calculated in her attention, like she was solving a puzzle. I'd seen that look before, but usually it was Mom analyzing potential threats to my virtue.
The last set of burpees left me breathing harder than I'd like to admit. I pulled out my earbuds, the sudden silence almost deafening.
"So," Kaori said, "you do this every morning?"
"More or less. Old man Kuro's orders."
"The retired hero?"
I grabbed my water bottle. "You know him?"
"I know of him. Iron Fist Kuro. They say he once defeated an entire underground villain club using nothing but basic martial arts."
"Sounds like him. Though he'd probably claim it was with one hand tied behind his back."
She tilted her head. "You don't believe the stories?"
"I believe he's a crazy old man who thinks throwing students into walls counts as teaching." I wiped my face with a towel. "But he gets results."
"Clearly."
Something in her tone made me look up. She was studying me again, that calculating look still there.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just... processing."
"That's not cryptic at all."
She pushed off the pillar. "Walk me to breakfast? Team Midoriya is cooking."
"God help us all." I checked the time - 6:15. "Let me grab a quick shower first. Meet you in the common room?"
"Sure." She turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Yoichi?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time you want a sparring partner, just ask. Watching you hit Bob is getting repetitive."
I stared after her as she left, trying to decode what just happened. Was that an offer to train together? A critique of my routine? Both?
"Women," I told Bob. He remained stoically unhelpful.
The shower helped clear my head, washing away the morning's sweat and confusion.
I pulled on a comfortable hoodie and dark jeans, running a hand through my still-damp hair. The common room clock read 7:43 AM when I made my way downstairs. A few early risers were already gathered around, including Glasses who stood ramrod straight by the bulletin board.
The smell hit me first - something between burnt toast and... was that eggs? I peered into the kitchen where Midoriya frantically waved a dish towel at the smoke detector while Uraraka scraped what might have once been breakfast from a pan. A floating apron - Hagakure - bounced between them in apparent panic.
"M-maybe if we open all the windows?" Midoriya suggested, his voice cracking.
"I followed the recipe exactly!" Uraraka protested, holding up her phone. "Three eggs, milk..."
"Did you remember to grease the pan?" the floating apron asked.
I backed away slowly. "Lunch Rush continental breakfast it is."
"A wise decision," Glasses said, adjusting his frames. "Though I must note that abandoning our classmates in their time of need-"
"Glasses it's too early for lectures."
He sputtered. "My name is Iida Tenya-"
"What's that on the board?"
His posture somehow got even straighter. "Ah yes! A notice from our new homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei. We are to report for a quirk assessment test at 2:30 PM. Gym uniforms have been provided." He gestured to a box by his feet.
"The day before classes start?" I picked up one of the blue tracksuits. "That's... different."
"Perhaps it's to establish a baseline for our abilities," Glasses said. "Though the timing is unusual..."
A crash from the kitchen made us both turn. Somehow Midoriya had gotten pancake batter in his hair.
"I'll grab extra muffins," I said, heading for the door. "Want anything?"
"I- that would be against-" Glasses stopped as another crash echoed behind us. "...Blueberry, if they have it."
I grinned. "Coming right up."
The kitchen chaos faded behind me as I walked toward the cafeteria, wondering what kind of teacher scheduled a test before the semester even started.
"Need company?"
I didn't jump. I was getting used to Kaori's sudden appearances.
"Fleeing the breakfast disaster too?"
She fell into step beside me. "Let's just say I value my digestive system."
"Smart woman. Though you missed Glasses trying to pretend he doesn't want contraband muffins."
We walked in comfortable silence for a while, but something kept nagging at me. Three days. We'd known each other for three days, yet here she was, popping up everywhere like we'd been friends for years.
"Hey," I said, glancing at her. "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
"Ha ha." I rolled my eyes. "Seriously though."
She hummed. "Go ahead."
"Why are you..." I paused, trying to find the right words. "I mean, don't get me wrong, but we just met and you're already acting like-"
"Like what?"
"Like you've got me figured out."
She stepped closer, her shoulder brushing mine. "Maybe I do."
"After three days?"
"Some people are easier to read than others."
I snorted. "Now that's definitely not true."
"Oh?" She tilted her head, studying me. "Why's that?"
"Because Mom's been trying to figure me out for eighteen years and she still gets surprised."
Kaori laughed - a genuine sound that made several passing students turn their heads. "Your mom does seem... intense."
"That's putting it mildly." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "But you're dodging the question."
"Am I?"
"See? That. Right there." I stopped walking, turning to face her. "The mysterious answers, showing up everywhere, watching me train..."
She stopped too, standing close enough that I had to look down to meet her eyes. "Would you prefer if I stayed away?"
"I didn't say that."
"Then what are you saying, Yoichi?"
"I'm saying I don't get you."
Her smile widened. "Good."
"How is that good?"
"Because," she stepped even closer, "if you figured me out in three days, I'd be doing something wrong."
I blinked. "That's... not an answer."
"Sure it is." She reached up and straightened my hoodie's collar. "Just not the one you wanted."
My brain short-circuited for a second at the casual contact. "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"The mysterious thing. Getting closer. Being..." I gestured vaguely at her. "You."
She laughed again, softer this time. "Would you like me to be someone else?"
"No, I just-" I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Look, most people don't just... click like this. Not this fast."
"Most people don't do their best thinking at 5 AM either."
I groaned. "Are you going to quote everything I say back to me?"
"Only the interesting parts." She started walking again, and I fell into step beside her. "You know what your problem is?"
"I'm sure you're about to tell me."
"You're overthinking it." She bumped her shoulder against mine. "Maybe I just like talking to someone who names their training dummy Bob."
"Bob is a quality conversationalist."
"Mm. Very stoic."
"See? You get it."
We reached the cafeteria doors, and she paused. "Tell you what. Stop trying to analyze why I'm here, and I'll stop being mysterious."
I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds suspiciously like a trap."
"Maybe." She grinned. "But isn't that more interesting than wondering why?"
Before I could respond, she'd slipped through the doors, leaving me to follow in her wake.
"That's still being mysterious!" I called after her.
Her laughter echoed back. "No, that's being honest about being mysterious. Totally different."
I shook my head, fighting a smile. "You're impossible."
"Thank you."
The cafeteria was mostly empty this early, just a few students scattered around and Lunch Rush preparing for the morning rush. Kaori claimed a table while I grabbed food, including Glasses' contraband muffin.
"So," she said when I returned, "about that sparring offer."
"You were serious about that?"
"When am I not serious?"
I stared at her.
"Okay, fair point." She stole one of my grapes. "But yes, I was serious."
"Why?"
"And here I thought we agreed you'd stop asking why."
"No, you suggested it. I never agreed."
She popped another grape in her mouth, considering. "What if I said I'm curious about your training?"
"I'd say that's still not an answer."
"What if I said I want to test myself against someone interesting?"
"I'd say you're getting warmer, but still hiding something."
She leaned forward, elbows on the table. "What if I said I just want to spend more time with you?"
That threw me. "I... what?"
"Too honest?" Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
"No, just..." I struggled to find words. "Unexpected."
"Good unexpected or bad unexpected?"
"I haven't decided yet."
She smiled. "Let me know when you do."
Kaori stood, gathering her things. "Think about the sparring offer. I promise I'll go easier on you than Bob does."
"Bold of you to assume you could go harder than Bob."
"Guess you'll have to find out." She started to leave, then turned back. "Oh, and Yoichi?"
"Yeah?"
"Sometimes the best things in life don't need a why." She winked. "See you at the assessment test."
I watched her weave through the growing crowd, replaying our conversation. Three days. We'd known each other for three days, and somehow she'd already carved out a space in my routine like she belonged there.
Maybe she was right. Maybe I was overthinking it.
Or maybe that's exactly what she wanted me to think.
"Women," I muttered, finishing my breakfast.
Somewhere, I could almost hear Bob agreeing with me.
==========
[Next time on "My Hero Academia: Limitless"]
Static crackled as the camera turned on, revealing me sitting in what looked like a news anchor desk. I adjusted an earpiece that definitely wasn't plugged into anything.
"Hey everyone, Yoichi here! Though you probably forgot my name already - don't worry, I get it. Today we're previewing the Quirk Assessment Test and- wait, where's my script?"
Shuffling papers.
"Ah, here we go! Next time, watch as twenty students try not to embarrass themselves in front of the man who desperately needs eye drops! Seriously, I think he's allergic to happiness or something. And moisture. Definitely moisture."
A paper airplane hit me in the head.
"Ow! Oh, it's from Aizawa-sensei... he says to stop making fun of his eyes or I'll have detention until I graduate. Joke's on him - I'll probably forget where detention is!"
Someone off-camera groaned.
"Anyway! Will Katsumi explode the ball throw measuring device? Will Todo finally reveal why he has THREE disco balls? Find out next time!"
I leaned forward conspiratorially.
"But between you and me? Aizawa-sensei's totally going to expel someone. Or try to. Maybe. I wasn't supposed to read that part of the script."
"NAKAMURA!" Aizawa's voice boomed from off-camera.
"Oh shit- I mean, please remember to drop those power stones and add this story to your library! Your support keeps me from getting expelled! Maybe! Probably not but worth a shot!"
The camera started shaking.
"Wait, I had more puns about Aizawa-sensei's eyes- NO DON'T ERASE MY QUIRK I'M SORR-"