Chapter 23: Newcomers

Kurokai looked at the sample questions with doubt in his eyes.

"Isn't this... too easy?"

He couldn't help but turn to look at Eraser Head, who had one-sidedly decided to give him extra classes to help prepare for the written exam.

"What? Is it too hard? Perhaps we should start from the basics..."

Kurokai raised an eyebrow, looked down at the sample paper in his hands, then looked back at Eraser Head's confused face.

"Tell me what you can't understand, then we'll start from there."

Wonderful! Simply wonderful!

You really think I, someone who can create a city-sized Gundam, am unable to solve these basic calculus questions?

Good. Very good!

"Eraser Head, allow me, a Jujutsu Mechanical Master, to open your eyes to the difference between people!"

Twenty minutes later.

"What happened, sensei? Are you unable to answer my question?" Kurokai grinned and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Teacher Eraser Head's eyes twitched continuously.

"How about we reverse roles? You be the student, and I be the teacher. It seems more appropriate after all..."

The pen in Eraser Head's hand snapped.

This kid.

He has such a vicious mouth!

After cursing a few times in his mind, Eraser Head calmed down and turned to look at Kurokai's smug expression.

This kid...

He's excellent in both theory and practicals. Forget excellent—he's simply a monster.

Eraser Head shook his head, stood up, and turned to leave.

It seemed his help was unneeded.

"What happened, sensei? Are you taking a bathroom break? You won't secretly try to search for the answers online, will you?"

Bam!

With a loud noise, Eraser Head shut the door and left.

----

In no time, the Hero internship week came to an end.

"Kurokai-kun, I heard you got into an accident..."

"It's a rumor, Froggo."

"Rumor?" Asui felt confused. Turning her head, she looked at Midoriya.

Meeting her gaze, Midoriya hurriedly shook his head in denial.

"But Midoriya-kun said..."

Kurokai interjected, "Midoriya is delusional."

"...Delusional..."

Asui once again looked back at Midoriya.

He seemed heartbroken.

Asui hurriedly avoided Midoriya's pitiful gaze.

"Well, as long as you're okay..."

"Yes! Thank you for your care, Froggo!"

"Actually, Kurokai-kun... my name is not Froggo..." Asui muttered in a small voice.

"Okay, Froggo!"

"You didn't listen at all..."

Asui puffed her cheeks in annoyance. She wanted to retort, but seeing Kurokai's shining smile, she suddenly blushed and went back to her seat.

Seeing Asui leave, Momo hesitated for a moment before calling out to Kurokai.

"Kurokai-kun, you're amazing! You got first place in today's quiz..."

"It's all luck," Kurokai replied, waving his hand.

"Luck... Kurokai-kun, it wasn't an MCQ-based test..."

"I just remembered something!"

Kurokai suddenly clapped his hands together, shocking Momo.

Under her bewildered gaze, Kurokai turned his seat around and sat facing her, resting his arm on her desk.

Momo involuntarily blushed because of the sudden close proximity.

"W-what is it, Kurokai-kun?"

Instead of replying, Kurokai started tapping her desk with his finger while staring straight into her eyes.

"What? What?"

Momo grew more and more confused. She hurriedly avoided his intense gaze, wondering if she had done something wrong.

Then, suddenly, Kurokai's voice broke the silence.

"Momo, do you know what you did wrong?"

"W-what? D-did I do something?"

"Yes!"

A sad expression appeared on Kurokai's face, making Momo feel bad.

"Wait, Kurokai-kun! If I did something wrong, then tell me, please! I'll apologize!"

"You..."

For a moment, Momo felt her heart skip a beat.

But then—

"You didn't invite me to your house."

"What?!" Momo almost shouted, startling the class.

After giving everyone a namaste apologetic look, Momo hurriedly placed her mouth beside Kurokai's ear and whispered, "That's it?"

"That's it, huh? So it was a small thing to you," Kurokai replied.

"I feel hurt, Momo."

Kurokai pointed at other students.

"You clearly invited them but didn't even ask me."

That's because you're the top scorer! Why would you need extra classes? Momo screamed in her mind.

"I thought we were friends... It seems I was mistaken..."

Kurokai's expression turned extremely sad, as if he had been betrayed by a close friend.

"N-no! D-don't be sad, Kurokai-kun! You are, of course, welcome to come to my house!"

"So I can also come?"

"Yes, of course!"

"You won't pretend not to know me when I arrive, right?"

"I-I won't! Absolutely not!"

Kurokai suddenly smiled.

"Thank you, Momo. You're indeed my friend."

Momo sighed in relief, feeling as though she had dodged a major bullet.

Kurokai also smiled and made a mental note to himself as he made a new discovery.

It is fun to see beautiful girls panic.

But he felt it wasn't right to keep this knowledge to himself.

After all, knowledge should be shared for the development of society.

So, Kurokai did what he should.

"Momo, you look cute when panicked."

Kurokai said it casually.

"What? What?! WHAT?!"

Momo's brain short-circuited.

-----------

Ps: it's over guys, Ai will take over every sector, this chapter is an example.