Chapter 12: No Turning Back

Once again, I received great support in less than a day. I truly appreciate it, and to show my gratitude, I'll be releasing the chapter early once again.

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Toji was on the couch, staring blankly at the television, though he wasn't really paying attention to it. The images and sounds passed before him without registering; his mind was trapped in what had happened the day before. Despite all the reprimands he'd been given, one phrase in particular had stuck in his mind: his mother had told him she was proud of him.

He scoffed and clicked his tongue, unable to decide how he felt about it. He changed the channel, but nothing caught his interest. Then he heard the sound of his flip phone vibrating on the table. "Finally," he thought as he opened it; he had spent hours without reception, and now the messages he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.

He looked at the old phone he had bought with his own money. His mother had insisted several times on giving him a better, more modern model, but Toji always refused. He hated the idea of her spending money on him; for some reason, he didn't feel comfortable accepting her gifts. If it were someone else, of course, he'd take everything he could get, but his mother was an exception, and even he didn't fully understand why.

Looking at the phone, he saw he had several messages, all from Momo. They piled up one after another, showing her insistence and urgency: "I saw the news about what you did, are you okay?" "Please call me," "Toji-kun?" "If it's about school, please forgive me, but don't stop talking to me!" Toji rolled his eyes at all those messages, though he couldn't help but crack a slight smile. "How dramatic," he thought as he replied with a brief and direct message: "You call me... I don't want to waste credit."

He had barely sent the message when Momo's call came through. He answered, bringing the phone to his ear, and spoke in his usual, carefree, and somewhat gruff tone.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked directly.

"Toji-kun! Thank goodness... I thought you didn't want to talk to me... You were on the news... Do you want to talk about it, or am I bothering you?" she replied, her voice tense and a little nervous. Toji sighed. Sometimes Momo could be so worried that it made him want to knock some sense into her.

"If I told you to call me, it's for a reason," he replied, firm and direct.

There was a brief pause, a silence that stretched between them until Momo continued, her tone soft and almost fearful. "So... do you want to?" she asked again, with little confidence in her voice.

Toji felt a slight annoyance at the insecurity in her tone but decided to ignore it. Taking a few seconds to organize his thoughts, he briefly explained what had happened the day before, carefully omitting certain details he didn't want to share. There were things he himself didn't fully understand and preferred to keep to himself.

"I see... I'm glad you helped them, Toji-kun," she said after hearing his story. There was a pause before she continued, her tone now somewhat more serious. "Um... we won't be able to hang out as often from now on. I'm going to prepare for the U.A. entrance exam. I hope the school you choose will suit you."

Toji remained silent, staring at the wall in front of him as he thought about what Momo had just said. After a long sigh, he made a decision. "How do I apply for a test?" he asked firmly.

On the other end of the line, he heard a gasp of surprise that made him smile slightly.

"A-Are you seriously considering it?" Momo replied, sounding completely astonished.

He frowned and, in a stern tone, retorted, "If you keep that up, I won't go."

"S-Sorry... Look, my mom has a contact who can recommend you, so you'd only have to take the theoretical exam and a small practical test—"

"No... I'll take both full exams," Toji interrupted, making his decision clear.

"B-But if you go with me, you'll have a much better chance of getting in," she insisted, her tone revealing a mix of concern and affection.

"If they don't grade me like everyone else, then I won't do it. If I fail, so be it; that's how I want it."

A sigh could be heard on the other end of the line before Momo finally responded, accepting his decision. "I understand... I'll send a link to your mom's phone so you can register through the website."

Toji nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Good... see you Monday," he said, ready to end the conversation.

Before hanging up, Momo stopped him with a final thank you: "Toji-kun... thank you." And then the call ended.

Toji stayed silent for a moment, looking at the phone in his hand, reflecting on what he had just decided. It wasn't like him to care about an exam or worry about the kind of education he'd receive, but Momo seemed to have sparked something in him.

Setting the phone aside, he stood up and walked toward the pull-up bar mounted on the wall of the living room. He knew the theoretical test would be tough; he wasn't exactly the kind of person who dedicated time to studying, so he knew he'd have to stand out in the practical part if he wanted to get in. "I'll probably bomb the theoretical exam... so I'll have to shine in the practical," he murmured to himself.

He began doing pull-ups, keeping a steady rhythm and focusing on his goal. Each repetition helped him release some of the accumulated tension, and soon he was so immersed in the exercise that time passed without him noticing. He had been training for hours when he finally heard the sound of the front door opening. It was his mother.

She stopped upon seeing him, her expression a mix of surprise and something like pride. She looked at the floor, where a puddle of sweat had formed beneath Toji due to the intensity of his workout. Yaeko's mother spoke from the kitchen. "He's been at it all day."

His mother just watched him, her expression warm but stern, and said, "Make sure to clean up when you're done."

Toji nodded, not stopping for a second. The physical effort helped him clear his thoughts, and at that moment, he needed all the clarity he could get.

A little later, his mother returned to the living room. Toji, still catching his breath after the workout, watched her with little expression, though he noticed she was holding her phone, her face a bit confused and concerned.

"Toji..." she began, stopping a few steps in front of him while showing him the phone screen. "Why did Momo-chan send me a link to the U.A. registration page? It says it's for the entrance exam... You...?" her voice was full of uncertainty.

Toji, his face still sweaty and his pulse racing, nodded firmly. "Yes. I want to take the U.A. test," he said, almost as if it were the most obvious thing. He paused and crossed his arms, staying calm. "Momo is going there, so I want to try applying too."

Yaeko frowned, looking at the phone screen, her expression growing more serious with every second. "But... this is the hero section registration..." she muttered, as if she couldn't quite process it. She looked up at him, her face reflecting a mix of concern and surprise. "Toji, I know you're strong and all, but... you don't have a quirk. This isn't a game. A hero's career is dangerous, and you... you know how dangerous it is."

Toji sighed, aware that his mother would react that way. He knew that for her, the idea of him becoming a hero was hard to accept, but he had already made up his mind and wasn't going to turn back.

"I know," he replied, his voice calm but firm.

Yaeko looked at him, searching for any sign that her son was joking, maybe one of his mocking smiles or a sarcastic comment to let her know this was just another fleeting whim. But she found none of that. All she saw was Toji's serious and determined expression, and that unsettled her even more.

She crossed her arms, trying to stay calm, but her eyes betrayed the mix of emotions she was feeling. She took a step toward him and breathed deeply, preparing for what she was about to say. "Toji... I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me that this... this is the future you truly want."

He knew how much this decision hurt his mother, and for a moment, he considered backing down just to ease her worries. But as he looked into her eyes, he saw the love and fear reflected in them. With the same seriousness, Toji nodded and replied firmly, "Yes. This is what I want."

Yaeko observed him in silence, unsure of what to say. Deep down, she had dreamed that Toji would choose any other path, something safer, even that, if he so wished, he could do nothing, and she or the wife he chose would take care of him no matter what. The thought of seeing him constantly facing danger, knowing that a hero's life was harsh and often short, hurt her more than she was willing to admit. But as she looked at her son, she understood that he had already made his decision. She could see the conviction in his eyes, and denying it would feel like betraying her role as a mother and her unconditional support.

With a shaky sigh, she finally nodded, though her eyes glistened with restrained tears. "Alright... then I'll fill out the part of the form that's my responsibility... and you... you'll fill out yours later."

Toji nodded and watched as she slowly walked toward her room, her steps firm but heavy, as if carrying that decision weighed on her. Before disappearing down the hallway, she looked back, giving him one last glance filled with pride and sadness.

Now alone in the living room, Toji remained motionless for a moment, reflecting on what had just happened. "There's no turning back now," he said, as he returned to his workout.