Chapter 31: The Beginning of Everything

February 28th the official opening day of U.A. High School started bright and early at 7:30 in the morning.

After finishing the breakfast his mother had carefully prepared, Kaminari donned his freshly pressed U.A. school uniform, along with his cool electric gloves. Under his mother's gentle and encouraging gaze, he stepped out the door, ready to begin a new chapter in his life.

His father had already gone down to the underground garage, preparing to personally drive Kaminari to the subway station for this important day. Kaminari understood his father's feelings and, rather than rejecting the offer out of concern for wasting time, he accepted it. Sometimes, letting your parents show their care makes them happier.

Soon enough, Kaminari got out of the family's black BMW, standing at the subway station entrance. While the station was close by, his father seemed absolutely thrilled to be a part of this moment, which warmed Kaminari's heart.

"Thanks, Dad," Kaminari said with a smile as he waved goodbye. His father waved back enthusiastically before driving off.

As Kaminari approached the station entrance, a loud voice suddenly called out.

"Kaminari!!"

Tetsutetsu, who was waiting by the entrance, shouted excitedly upon seeing him.

"Huh?"

The moment he yelled, however, the attention of people nearby those on their way to work or school was immediately drawn to Kaminari. They all glanced over at him curiously.

"Hey, that guy looks kind of familiar..." murmured a girl in a white school uniform, her long, light blue hair flowing down her back.

"Are you kidding? That's Kaminari Denki!" her friend gasped, giving her a little push. "You were just listening to Only My Railgun yesterday, weren't you?!"

"Wait, really? Let me check..." The blue-haired girl quickly opened her phone and pulled up the Japanese MTV app, comparing the photo of Kaminari on the screen with the boy standing at the subway entrance. In seconds, her jaw dropped.

"It's him! It's really Kaminari Denki... I can't believe we're seeing a celebrity in real life!"

And just like that, it was as if a spark had ignited in the air. More and more students began recognizing Kaminari, whispering excitedly among themselves. Seeing such a popular star—one of their own age, no less wasn't something that happened every day.

*Click.*

*Click.*

Phones were whipped out in an instant, and the crowd around Kaminari began snapping pictures of him. Some of the office workers, who hadn't initially realized what was going on, started taking pictures too thinking they might be able to brag later about spotting a celebrity on their way to work.

Suddenly, the familiar opening notes of Only My Railgun began to play, coming from somewhere in the crowd. The song was instantly recognizable; even the adults who weren't familiar with Kaminari had heard the tune on the radio or TV countless times before.

Kaminari couldn't help but smile his signature handsome smile. Curiously, he looked toward the source of the music and found it was coming from a black-haired girl standing next to the blue-haired one. She looked absolutely thrilled to have caught his attention.

The girl had done it on purpose. She'd played Only My Railgun on her phone just to grab Kaminari's notice, and now, her heart was pounding with excitement.

With her pink phone still playing Only My Railgun, the girl hurried over to Kaminari, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Hi! My name is Mizukawa Minami. I'm a second-year middle school student, and I—I really love your song Only My Railgun and Hero! Could we, um, maybe take a picture together?"

Her words stumbled slightly, whether from excitement or nerves, but she managed to get her request out in one breath.

Kaminari smiled warmly. "It's an honor to know you like my song," he replied graciously. "I'd be happy to take a picture, but just one, okay? Like you, I've got school to get to."

Mizukawa's face lit up with joy, and she eagerly grabbed the hand of her blue-haired friend, pulling her close. The two girls flanked Kaminari, while Mizukawa held up her phone to snap a selfie.

But as she positioned the phone, she realized it was too close to capture all three of them properly, which made her panic. After all, this was a rare chance! If the picture didn't turn out right, she'd regret it forever.

"Ahem," Tetsutetsu awkwardly cleared his throat, stepping forward. "Uh, I could take the picture for you, if that helps?"

"You... you are?" Mizukawa blinked in surprise but quickly noticed Tetsutetsu's U.A. uniform. "Wait, are you a Hero student too?!"

"Yeah, his name is Tetsutetsu," Kaminari chimed in with a grin. "He's my best friend and classmate."

"Wow... meeting two future Heroes in one day!" Mizukawa said excitedly, handing her phone to Tetsutetsu. Then, with a playful smile, she added, "Make sure the picture comes out great, alright? And when you're done, we'll take one with you too!"

After all, who knew? One day, Tetsutetsu could become a famous pro Hero too.

"Uh... no, no need," Tetsutetsu mumbled, suddenly shy. It seemed even the normally tough Tetsutetsu got nervous around girls, which Kaminari found pretty amusing.

The picture was taken, and Mizukawa was thrilled with the result. True to her word, she also took a picture with Tetsutetsu, who, despite blushing furiously, managed to stand still long enough for the shot. After thanking them both, the two girls happily waved goodbye and headed off to school.

"Phew..." Tetsutetsu wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead, chuckling. "Looks like you've gotten really popular, Kaminari. I guess I can't just call out your name in public anymore, huh?"

"Alright, alright, let's go," Kaminari laughed, clapping Tetsutetsu on the shoulder. "The Shinkansen leaves in ten minutes. We don't have time to mess around."

With that, the two of them entered the subway station. Though the crowd of students and office workers was disappointed they didn't get to snap a picture with Kaminari themselves, they were still satisfied with the close-up shots they'd managed to get. At the very least, they had a great story to tell later that day.

After an hour-long train ride, during which Kaminari reviewed some material on electromagnetism, they arrived once again in Shizuoka Prefecture, at the gates of U.A. High School.

The two of them stood in front of the massive protective wall, gazing up at the Hero school emblem etched into the stone above them.

After a moment of silence, Tetsutetsu broke into a grin. "Hey, Kaminari, starting today, we're officially U.A. students, huh?"

"Yeah," Kaminari nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Definitely!" Tetsutetsu replied with confidence. Together, the two of them stepped forward, walking side by side through the gates. Behind them, the morning sun rose higher, casting a golden glow that formed the perfect backdrop.

"Heroes! Here we come!!"

"Kaminari! Tetsutetsu!"

A familiar voice called out from behind them. When they turned around, they saw Jiro Kyoka running toward them, the sunlight framing her figure as she waved excitedly. She blended into the scene so naturally, it felt like the perfect moment.

From a distance, the three of them Kaminari, Tetsutetsu, and Jiro all dressed in their U.A. school uniforms, with the Hero emblem shining in the background, made for a picture-perfect sight.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, a green-haired boy was stepping out of his house. Under the encouraging gaze of his mother, he took a deep breath and let the morning sunlight bathe his face.

"All Might! Here I come!!" he shouted, determination filling his voice.

And with that, everything truly began.