Chapter 10. First Day

Kazuki rose before the sun, the first rays of light barely visible on the horizon. He quickly dressed in his training clothes, eager to start his morning routine. With a focused mindset, he set off on a run, the rhythm of his breath and the pounding of his feet on the pavement filling his ears. As he ran, he let his thoughts drift to the challenges that lay ahead. After an hour of intense training, Kazuki returned home, his body glistening with sweat. He headed straight to the shower, the warm water soothing his aching muscles. Once refreshed, he sat down to a light breakfast, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air.

Just as he finished, Nemuri emerged from her room, with her hair tied up in a loose, tousled bun and draped in a flowing purple nightgown, Nemuri's effortless beauty was undeniable even in the early hours of the morning. A yawn escaped her lips "Good morning," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Don't forget your lunch, I packed it in the fridge." Kazuki nodded, he retrieved his lunchbox from the fridge and packed it carefully in his new backpack. As he headed to the door, Nemuri trailed behind him, still groggy from sleep.

"Do you have work today?" he asked her. "Why?" Nemuri asked, her voice still groggy with sleep. "I was hoping we could spar today," Kazuki said eagerly. Nemuri hesitated, rubbing her eyes to clear the sleep from them. " I'm sorry, Kazuki, but I have work today." Kazuki nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "No problem, I understand. Have a good day." Nemuri returned his smile. "Thanks, Kazuki. You too." As Kazuki prepared to leave, Nemuri stepped forward and gave him a warm hug. "Good luck at school today," she said, her voice filled with affection.

Kazuki hugged her back, feeling a surge of gratitude. "Thanks, Nemuri. I'll see you later." With a final wave, he left the house and locked the door behind him. As he made his way towards the school, Kazuki's mind was consumed with thoughts of what it would be like to attend classes alongside other students. When he arrived at the 'Teacher's Office,' he knocked on the door and waited. A tall, lanky man with dirty blond hair, a sharp chin, and piercing golden eyes opened the door, his gaze scanning Kazuki from head to toe. "Hello," Kazuki said, bowing politely. "I'm Kazuki Tatsuya, a new student. I was told to come here to get my schedule."

The man nodded, studying Kazuki for a moment. "Ah, yes. Welcome to our school, Kazuki. Let me grab your schedule for you." The man disappeared into the back of the office, shuffling through some papers before returning with a sheet of paper in hand. "Here you go," he said, handing it to Kazuki. "This has all the of your classes and their respective room numbers. Do you need any help finding your classroom?" Kazuki shook his head, feeling confident. "No, I think I can find it. Thank you so much for your help." The man nodded, happy to assist. "No problem at all. If you have any other questions, feel free to come back and ask."

Kazuki entered the classroom, finding only the teacher inside. She had glistening brown hair styled in a bob, black eyes, and a slim figure. She wore a white button-up shirt and a black skirt with short heels. As she glanced up from her desk, Kazuki greeted her politely and quickly took his seat. He began getting his supplies ready, taking out his notebook and pencil. As he waited for class to start, he observed the other students walking in. there was a kid with orange spiky hair, another with rocks for hair, and a scrawny short kid with a round face, freckles, and dark-green hair who sat behind him.

Suddenly, a short, fairly built kid with spiky ash-blonde hair entered the room with an annoyed expression, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He caught Kazuki's gaze and said, "What're you looking at, bitch?" Kazuki didn't respond, choosing to look away instead. The aggressive kid sneered at him, clearly displeased with the lack of reaction. Kazuki couldn't help but feel a sense of unease around the kid, wondering what kind of trouble he might cause. The chimes signaled the start of class, prompting the teacher to stand up and address the students. "Good morning, class. Before we begin the lesson, let's take a moment to introduce ourselves," she said, with a smile. "Please state you first and last name, your favorite dish, and your quirk."

The students in the first row stood up, one by one, to introduce themselves. As a boy with no hair and an extremely long neck stood up, the class murmured in surprise. "Hello, my name is Arata Noriyuki. My favorite dish is Miso soup, and my quirk is 'Giraffe Neck,' which gives me a permanent long neck," As the first row finished their introductions, the teacher signaled for the second row to begin. Uramoto Chiko stood up, her long black hair swaying as she introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Uramoto Chiko, and my favorite dish is Takoyaki. My quirk is 'Bubble Burst,' which means I can create bubbles and burst them to make loud explosions." The other students looked on in amazement, but their attention was quickly diverted by the spiky-haired boy, Katsuki Bakugo.

"That's not an explosion. This is," he declared confidently as his palms crackled with energy, creating a mini explosion that elicited gasps from his classmates. Standing up, Bakugo continued, "Hey bitches, my name is Katsuki Bakugo, and my favorite dish is rice with curry. My quirk is 'Explosion,' which will take me to the number one hero spot!" His introduction was met with cheers and applause from the other students. Kazuki, on the other hand, remained unimpressed. He knew the potential of Bakugo's quirk, but he also knew his own abilities. "Explosion, huh? Interesting," he muttered to himself, 'But my 'Impact Recoil' quirk can handle that easily.' However, he was limited to only using 'Power 2'.

As the second row's introductions came to an end, it was time for the third row to introduce themselves. Kazuki's row was up next, with two students introducing themselves before it was his turn. The first student had a minor metal manipulation quirk, which allowed them to manipulate small metal objects, while the other student had a quirk that produced sharp nails from their fingertips. Kazuki patiently waited for his turn. He sat with perfect posture, his calm demeanor contrasting with the excited energy of his classmates. Despite being the new kid to this school, Kazuki's striking appearance had already made him the object of many curious glances. His jet-black hair and piercing red eyes seemed to draw people's attention without him even trying.

At last, it was Kazuki's turn to introduce himself. He stood up gracefully and cleared his throat. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Kazuki Tatsuya. I enjoy eating ramen, and my quirk is called 'Power 2'. It allows me to enhance my strength and speed," he said, his voice steady and confident. After a polite bow, he sat down once again. As Kazuki finished his introduction, the other students exchanged impressed murmurs. The spiky ash-blond-haired kid, Katsuki, looked at him with a hint of interest, though his expression quickly turned sour again. Uramoto Chiko leaned over to whisper something to her friend, her eyes still fixed on Kazuki. Izuku Midoriya introduced himself with a stutter, his nerves making him stumble over his words. "H-hi, my name is Izuku Midoriya. My favorite dish is Katsudon," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And, um, I don't have a quirk."

The classroom fell silent as Izuku's words sank in. His classmates' expressions turned to disgust and sneers, and one even yelled out, "Deku, you should shut the fuck up," followed by the entire classroom erupting in laughter. It was a cruel welcome, but it wasn't unexpected. Izuku had known most of the other students since kindergarten, are their teasing about his lack of a quirk was all too familiar. Feeling powerless, he quickly bowed and took his seat, lowering his head in shame. After a while, the rest of the students finished their introductions.

The teacher smiled at the class. "Thank you, everyone, for sharing about yourselves and your quirks. Let's get started with today's lesson," she said, and the class settled down. The teacher's voice rang through the classroom, "today, we'll be honing your English skills, so make sure you have your notebooks and pencils out." As she finished speaking, she began writing on the board, and the class followed suit. After the period ended, Kazuki stood up and stretched his body, eager for a break. But before he could even take a step, a group of kids swarmed him with questions about his past and his quirk.

He could sense the jealousy and hostility emanating from some of them, and he knew better than to engage in their drama. With a polite nod, he walked away from the group an found a quiet corner to relax. The next period began with a short elderly man with gray hair introducing himself as the math teacher. He posed questions to the class, but only one person rose their hand every time with the right answer – Kazuki. The teacher looked impressed, "Excellent, Tatsuya-kun. It seems like you have a firm grip on the material." Kazuki simply smiled and nodded.

Katsuki couldn't help but think to himself 'What a show off,' as Kazuki continued to answer every question asked by the math teacher, as well as those posed by subsequent teachers in other subjects.

As the school bell rang, signaling the end of class, some students remained behind to fulfill their daily duty of cleaning the classroom. However, Kazuki collected his belongings and strode out of the school. Walking through the bustling streets, Kazuki observed the city around him, taking in the sights and sounds. As he walked, he noticed a group of students up ahead, gathered around something or someone. He was about to turn and walk away, not wanting to get involved in any trouble, but then he realized that heroes would never ignore someone in need. This was his chance to be a hero.

Approaching the group, Kazuki saw the bruises on Izuku's face and the tears in his eyes. One of the kids held Izuku's arm back, while Katsuki balled up his fist and got into stance, ready to launch a punch toward Izuku's abdomen. But before he could strike, Kazuki stepped in and held his arm back. "What the hell are you doing?" Katsuki yelled, pulling his arm back from Kazuki's grasp. "I'm stopping you," Kazuki replied calmly, his red eyes shining in the sun. Katsuki laughed, and his friends followed suit, mocking Kazuki for trying to play hero. But Kazuki stood his ground, refusing to back down. "You think you can take all of us on?" Katsuki sneered, but Kazuki remained emotionless and replied with a fierce look, "Yes."

With that the four boys rushed towards Kazuki, but he calmly waited for them to come closer. As the first one swung a punch, Kazuki grabbed his fist and swept his legs, causing him to fall. Another boy came from behind and Kazuki swiftly kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing into the other three. Angrily, Katsuki charged at Kazuki, who met him with the same level of intensity. Despite Katsuki's flurry of punches, Kazuki deftly dodged and parried each one, then landed a solid kick to Katsuki's right side, sending him flying. Landing on his feet, Katsuki charged at Kazuki again, but he was becoming more tired and started to use unnecessary movements. His fighting style became sloppy and hotheaded. While Kazuki could see Katsuki's potential, it was clear he needed more training.

As the fight continued, it became clear that Katsuki was at a disadvantage without his quirk, which was illegal for non-heroes to use. With each punch, Katsuki gritted his teeth in pain. In contrast, Kazuki's movements were swift and calculated. He vanished and reappeared in front of Kazuki, landing a powerful uppercut to his gut. Kazuki's eyes widened and only the whites were visible as he struggled to catch his breath, Kazuki withdrew his fist and walked over to the trembling Izuku, who was silently crying and clearly in pain.

As Kazuki approached the trembling Izuku, he reached out and tapped his shoulder, asking in a calm voice, "Hey, do you need any medical attention?" Izuku slowly turned around, staring at Kazuki's hand before hesitantly reaching out to grab it. With the help if Kazuki, he lifted himself up and managed to stutter out a shaky "T-Thank you." Carrying Izuku to the hospital, Kazuki watched as the medical staff quickly treated Izuku's injuries. His mother, Inko Midoriya, was called to the hospital along with some police officers. Unfortunately, Izuku was reluctant to give the names of his assailants and made Kazuki promise not to say anything, to which he obliged. After bidding goodbye to Izuku and his mother, Kazuki left the hospital.

As he arrived home and knocked on the door, Nemuri answered quickly, her face showing a mix of relief and worry as she hugged him tightly. After pulling back, she grasped his shoulders and asked in a rushed voice, "What happened? I've been trying to reach you all day, and when I called the school, they said you left right after it ended. I was fearful something bad happened." Kazuki voice remained monotone as he explained, "I was helping a classmate get to the hospital." Nemuri's eyes scanned over him, searching for any signs of injury or harm. "Who did you fight?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. "Just some bullies," Kazuki replied.

After Kazuki finished explaining what happened, Nemuri calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad you're safe," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not to mention you helped someone in need. You have the potential to become a great hero one day, Kazuki." Her words were filled with enthusiasm and admiration. Kazuki's voice took on a hint of confidence as he replied, "My aim is to be the number one hero." "Well, then you need to work on increasing your control over your quirk," Nemuri replied with a smile.

After their conversation, Kazuki took a refreshing shower and changed into some comfortable clothes. Meanwhile, Nemuri cooked a feast of delicious food. They enjoyed their meal together, sharing stories and laughs. Once they had finished eating and cleaning up, they said their goodnights and retired to their respective rooms. "Goodnight, Nemuri," Kazuki said as he closed his door. "Goodnight, Kazuki," Nemuri replied, also entering her room and closing the door behind her. They both quickly drifted off to sleep, ready to face the challenges of the next day.