First Impressions

I woke up at 6:00 am. I didn't need my phone to tell me the time, I always woke at 6:00 am. Force of habit, I guess. I stretched on my bed and ran a hand through my hair. Time for my morning routine. It's probably a good idea to get some breakfast, too. Don't know what I'm going to need to do at UA.

I put my gloves back on. I made my bed, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and looked through my pitiful collection of clothes. I grabbed the jacket I wore yesterday and put on my mask. I closed the door gently, and I made my way down 6 flights of stairs through the fire escape. 6:15 am.

I went on my jog, relishing the cold morning air cutting into my face. The quiet atmosphere made me feel at peace, something that I loved about the early morning.

Finishing my jog, I walked to the convenience store. 7:00 am. I greeted the employee and made my way to the breakfast area. I fished out two tea eggs. I usually didn't eat breakfast, but today was an exception. I made my purchase, and I went back home.

I quickly peeled and ate the two eggs. Not bad. I brushed my teeth again and showered. I didn't want to leave a bad impression. Now came the problem with clothing. I didn't have the money to splurge on fancy clothing choices, so I settled with a white polo shirt and black pants. I suppose this will have to do.

Leaving my house once again, I checked the time. 7:30 am, right on time. I walked two blocks out, and I took out a key. Unlocking the door, I entered the building, turned on the lights, and went to the coffee bar. I started preparing 12 servings of coffee. Six hot, six iced. I didn't really know what the teachers at UA preferred, so I thought it would be better to prepare both.

I was working at the cafe called Sakura Blossom Cafe. It was well-known around the city, and many pro heroes liked to eat here. I started working here two years ago, so I knew how to do a little of everything. Making drinks, preparing the ingredients, cooking the dishes, being a waiter. At first, it was meant to be a source of income since I didn't really have any financial support. But now I've grown somewhat attached to this place. My boss and colleagues were all very kind to me, and I liked my job.

The coffee was ready. I made sure everything was packed and wouldn't make a mess, and I left to go to UA. I closed the lights and locked the door again. 8:30 am. I'll be a little bit early.

I found myself outside of UA with 10 minutes to spare. The morning was still a bit chilly, but I didn't mind. Waiting outside the gates, I observed the area around me. It was habit to be completely aware of my surroundings.

Five minutes later, I heard the gates behind me open. I turned around and saw Mr. Aizawa.

"Good morning, Mr. Aizawa." I greeted him with a small bow.

"Good morning, Rey." Mr. Aizawa grunted. Looks like he wasn't much of a morning person.

"Let's get you inside. The principal is waiting for you." He motioned for me to follow him. I obliged, following behind him.

"What are you holding?" Mr. Aizawa was looking at the coffee.

"I brought some coffee for the staff. I didn't want to come empty-handed." I showed him the cups of coffee in the two plastic bags. Mr. Aizawa nodded in acknowledgement, and he took a bag from my hands. We continued walking in, neither of us attempting to make any conversation. I enjoyed the quietness.

"We're here. This is the administration office. Nezu is waiting for you in there." Mr. Aizawa opened the door for me. I went in and looked around.

"Oh! Rey, you're here." Nezu greeted me with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Nezu." I bowed at the principal. "I brought some coffee for everyone. There's hot and iced coffee. I wasn't sure what everyone preferred."

"You can give them to me." Mr. Aizawa said from behind me. I nodded, handing over my bag to him.

"What a cutie! Who is this, Nezu?" Midnight squealed from her desk. Drawn by the commotion, the other teachers present turned their heads in my direction.

"This is Midnight. That is Ectoplasm and Snipe." Nezu introduced them to me. I bowed at the teachers. "This is Rey, the boy I told you about yesterday evening."

Nezu led me over to an empty desk. "I will be recommending you into UA, so you will not have to take an entrance exam. However, it is still important for us to have a thorough understanding of your academic level and Quirk level. So, I will be giving you the exam that all students take before coming into UA. Don't worry, it's just a way for us to measure where you stand compared to the rest of the students."

I gave a nod in understanding. I expected as much.

Mr. Aizawa came over with the exam and told me that I had 3 hours to complete the exam. I flipped through the exam; it was testing on the typical subjects: Math, English, Science, History, Literature. I found myself a pencil and began to take the test.

Aizawa occasionally turned his attention to the boy to see if he had any questions. He saw that Rey was working quietly, so he didn't want to bother him. The staff of UA came in and out of the room. Most were curious about the boy, but they didn't ask any questions after seeing the boy working so diligently.

I finished the exam in two and a half hours. I put my pencil down, stood up, and handed the exam to Mr. Aizawa. "I finished."

Mr. Aizawa took the papers and flipped through my exam. He stopped at the mathematics part. "You didn't answer some of the questions."

"I know. I never learned how to do those questions. I thought that it would be pointless to spend the last 30 minutes trying to solve them, since I know that I didn't know how to in the first place."

Mr. Aizawa nodded, accepting my explanations. "You answered all of the other questions. Who taught you these things?"

"I taught myself. I borrowed textbooks from the library and learned everything myself. I didn't think not being able to go to school would be an excuse for me to not learn anything." I answered truthfully. Mr. Aizawa looked at me for a moment before he looked at the clock.

"Wait here for a moment. I'll tell Nezu that you finished." I nodded and sat back down in my seat.

A few moments later, Mr. Aizawa and Nezu came back into the room.

"Congratulations on finishing the exam. You must be hungry after working for so long. How about we grab so lunch?" Nezu said.

I nodded and followed them to the cafeteria.