9: Nearing the Exam

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A few months pass and you could see Yusuke being surrounded by trees riddled with gashes.

He raised his hand in the air, and with a huge smile, he exclaimed, "Rasen-Shuriken!"

A Koga-Ryu Shuriken made of air was constructed. It slowly spun as the teen directed it towards a tree, but once he launched the Shuriken, it stopped spinning and punctured the tree.

"Hehe, I always wanted to do that." Yusuke smiled in joy, he then continued, "But, Naruto kept it spinning, right? Hmm, I still need to work on it."

...

It was starting to get dark so, Yusuke headed back to the house. Arriving, he was greeted by his Uncle Ryu, Aunt Kiyo, and a gloomy Inasa.

"Hey, Inacchi! What's wrong?" Yusuke asked the buzzed teen.

"Nothing, Yu-san... It's just that today was the Recommendation Exam." Inasa replied in a dull tone.

"Oh! How did you do?" he questioned, guiding him to take a seat.

Taking a seat, the buzzed teen answered, "The Written Test was not easy... I think I did okay with the Interview... but I know I did great in the Practical Test..."

"Then, why are you so gloomy?"

Inasa sighed, "There was someone in the participants who reminded me a lot of... Endeavor."

"Did he do something to you?" Yusuke asked in a serious tone.

"No! Just- His eyes seemed so... hateful," Inasa replied, waving his hands in disagreement.

The blonde teenager leaned back on the sofa and told him, "Y'know, there is a possibility that you will see him in U.A, considering he was in the Recommendation Entrance Exam. But when that happens, you can either just ignore them, or open their eyes making them see that always being hateful is not a good thing."

"Which one will you choose to do?" Yusuke asked, looking at the silent teen.

Silence filled the two teenagers, but a few moments passed and Yusuke exhaled.

"Anyways, that's something to think about, Inacchi. Now, tell me more about the exam!"

...

After a few hours, it was time for the Yoarashi Family to go home.

Inasa, which was much more energetic than earlier, said goodbye to his cousin.

"See you next time, Yu-san! Good luck with your Entrance Exam!"

"Thanks, Inacchi." said the mentioned teen.

*****

[𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖍𝖘 𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖗... 𝕆𝕟𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕩𝕒𝕞.]

In the dark sky, a rising sun shone an orange hue...

Just outside his home, we could see a blonde-haired teenager stretching.

Usually, he would start heading to the Karate Dojo...

However, he had quit his Karate Lessons because he wanted to focus his remaining time on Quirk Training and because there was nothing he could learn. Well, at least he thought so. Kida still kept going to the Lessons, for the same reason he went in the first place.

Yusuke more or less learned all of the Karate Techniques that they were taught. From punches and strikes to foot movements and stances. While he may not have mastered all of the techniques, he was satisfied with his self-evaluation.

Thankfully, his teacher had no issues about him leaving. After hearing his reason, the vigorous elderly man was quite understanding.

...

Yusuke continued his stretching. A few seconds pass, he exhales and starts jogging toward the outskirts of his neighborhood. Normally, he jogged in the afternoon, but his time was being consumed by his Quirk Training.

Arriving at the outskirts, Yusuke managed to do a couple of laps, but he slowed down when he spotted a familiar face.

It was a panting teenager, who seemed to be sweating. He had black hair that almost reached his neck, with arm and ankle weights wrapped on him.

"Kirishima-san? Is that you?" the blonde teen called out.

"Huh?" the mentioned teen voiced out in confusion.

"Oh!... Yoarashi-san!..." he exclaimed between pants.

Eijiro Kirishima has changed quite a lot from when Yusuke last saw him. Back then, his hair reached his neck, but now he seemed to have gotten a haircut. His once skinny body has gotten bulky now, too. The eyes that were once dull and dejected were now full of determination and dedication!

As Yusuke jogged in place, he asked, "How are you doing?"

"I-I'm doing great! I'm nervous though... You're going to attend U.A., right, Yoarashi-san?" Kirishima replied with a anxious chuckle.

"Yep!"

"T-then we might see each other tomorrow there!" Kirishima said with a mix of nervousness and excitedness.

"Ohh, it seems you're going to attend U.A., too? Then good luck on the Entrance Exam tomorrow!" Yusuke told him with a bright smile.

"Y-you too! See you then, Yoarashi-san!" the once timid boy exclaimed as they both started jogging away.

...

'His transformation really is unbelievable, now that I personally know him from school. Just ten months ago, he was really timid and shy. But now, he's really energetic. Crimson Riot really had quite the influence on him.' the blonde teen thought with a smile.

...

'Yoarashi-san has a bright smile on him at all times. He's really manly! Just like Crimson Riot said, "To smile brightly on the darkest days, is a sign of true manliness!". That's why, I will strive to be more like them!' the black-haired teen decided, his face full of resolve.

*****

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