Chapter 9; The end of the first day

Chapter 9; The end of the first day.

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As the students completed their final three tests following the baseball throw, the atmosphere in the training field grew tense. Aizawa-sensei stood before the class, his eyes scanning their faces as he prepared to announce the final results. The weight of his next words seemed to press down on them all.

"Alright, I've compiled the final results," Aizawa began, his voice calm yet commanding. "Rather than showing each score individually, I've combined all the tests into one final ranking."

The students exchanged anxious glances. Izuku Midoriya's heart raced in his chest, dread creeping over him. Despite his efforts, he knew that his chances of avoiding the dreaded last place were slim.

Suddenly, a large screen lit up in front of them, revealing the rankings. Natsu Dragneel, bursting with excitement, leapt into the air.

"First place! Hell yeah!" he shouted triumphantly.

Beside him, his cat companion, Happy, floated in the air and smiled, "As expected of Natsu!"

However, not everyone shared his joy. Katsuki Bakugo stood in tense silence, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His name, displayed in third place, burned into his mind. One point—just one point separated him from Natsu.

"One point again? Just like in the entrance exam?" Bakugo muttered under his breath, his voice low with barely restrained anger. "Is this one-point curse haunting me or something? That damn bastard..."

Further down the list, Shoto Todoroki stood quietly, the cool breeze gently ruffling his hair. He was in fourth place, four points behind Bakugo, while Yaoyorozu trailed two points behind him in fifth. Each student reacted differently to their placement—some breathed sighs of relief, while others felt the sting of dissatisfaction, knowing they could have done better.

But all eyes eventually turned to Midoriya, whose name sat at the bottom of the list. His face was pale, frozen in shock and disbelief. No matter how hard he had tried, no matter the pain he endured, he still found himself in last place. His earlier injury, sustained when he broke his finger to use his Quirk, now seemed for nothing.

Before the weight of the moment could fully settle, Aizawa's lips curved into an unexpected smile.

"Oh, by the way," he said casually, "that thing about expelling the student in last place? That was just a lie to motivate you all."

The shock that rippled through the students was palpable. Voices erupted in protest and disbelief.

"Wait, seriously?!" Kaminari cried out, his voice full of frustration.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kirishima added, equally exasperated.

Yaoyorozu, ever composed, crossed her arms and sighed, "It was obviously a trick. If you'd thought about it for a moment, you would've realized that."

Kirishima blinked, scratching his head. "Now that you mention it, I've never heard of someone being expelled on their first day."

"Does that mean all the stress we went through was for nothing?" Kaminari groaned.

"At least none of us are getting expelled," Mina Ashido chimed in, trying to find a silver lining.

Uraraka, standing nearby, turned to Midoriya, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Isn't that great, Midoriya? You're not getting expelled after all!"

Midoriya let out a shaky breath, offering a small smile in return. "Yeah, you're right. That's... a relief."

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Later that day, as the school day came to a close, the students began to leave UA Academy, dressed in their crisp school uniforms. Natsu, as always, seemed to attract a small crowd around him, as if his energy naturally pulled others into his orbit.

Walking alongside him were Kirishima, Kaminari, Mineta, Mina Ashido, and Yaoyorozu. It was as if they had been friends for years, their camaraderie already strong despite only having known each other for a short time.

Mina and Yaoyorozu, in particular, seemed to have taken a liking to Happy, with Mina holding the floating cat in her arms as they walked. Happy, enjoying the attention, purred contentedly, much to the chagrin of Kaminari and Mineta, who eyed the cat with envious glares.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Kirishima were in their own world, enthusiastically discussing their abilities and praising each other without a care for the others around them.

As they turned a corner, the group ran into Midoriya, who was walking with Uraraka and Iida, fresh from a visit to the infirmary. His bandaged finger caught Natsu's attention immediately.

"Yo, how's the finger?" Natsu asked, a grin on his face.

Midoriya smiled back, though his voice was still a little weak. "It's feeling better, thanks."

The boys fell into step with one another, while Uraraka and the girls chatted happily behind them. Mineta, however, couldn't resist making a comment.

"Man, your Quirk is terrifying," he said to Midoriya, his tone incredulous. "If I had to go through that much pain every time I used mine, I'd never want to be a hero."

Kirishima gave Midoriya a thumbs-up, grinning broadly. "The fact that you still push through it just shows how manly you are, Midoriya!"

Natsu nodded in agreement, his gaze sharp as he looked at Midoriya. "You've really got to figure out how to control that power of yours. I want to fight you at your full strength, but it'll be boring if you can't keep up."

Iida, standing by the bus stop, raised an eyebrow at Natsu. "Is fighting all you ever think about?"

Midoriya chuckled nervously, but before he could respond, he noticed something was missing. "By the way, Natsu-kun, are you going home without Happy?"

Natsu's eyes widened in panic as he frantically looked around. "Wait—where is he?!"

"If you're looking for the cat, he's with us," Mineta said smugly. He and Kaminari were standing a few steps away, with Mineta holding Happy, though the cat had one of Mineta's sticky purple balls stuck to his mouth, as if they had kidnapped him.

Natsu blinked, then laughed. "Hah! Looks like you made some friends, Happy!"

Happy, despite his predicament, wiggled his tail in response, though he was clearly struggling to speak with the sticky ball still attached to him. Kaminari and Mineta exchanged guilty glances—they had clearly done it out of jealousy, wondering why the girls liked the flying cat so much.

And so, the first day at UA Academy came to an end, leaving behind excitement and a sense of anticipation for what was to come. As Natsu walked away, a broad smile on his face, he couldn't help but feel eager for what the next day would bring. Tomorrow promised even more challenges, and he couldn't wait to face them head-on.

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