A whole week had passed since the U.A. entrance exam.
And honestly, it felt like forever.
Every day after school, Shun and the others would drag me into our dusty little hideout behind the junkyard and start throwing out crazy ideas about what our "next move" as villains should be.
"Boss, if you get into U.A., you gotta find out their class schedules, hero patrol routes, and their cafeteria menu!"
"I heard Eraser Head sleeps under his desk! Kidnap opportunity!"
"We'll finally be able to spy from the inside!"
I rubbed my temples as they babbled on.
I'd lost count of how many times I told them I wasn't actually trying to be a villain boss.
But somehow, every time I opened my mouth to explain, someone would cut in with,
"Haha, classic Boss, always keeping us guessing!"
It was exhausting.
At least the letter was supposed to arrive today.
That afternoon, the mailbox at my tiny apartment rattled.
"A letter from U.A.!"
I snatched it up before my nosy neighbors could get a look.
It was a thick envelope — the kind that felt important just by holding it.
Heart pounding, I tore it open.
A small projector disc slid out.
I blinked.
"Wait, what the—"
I placed it on my table, and with a soft beep, a hologram flickered to life.
And there, standing tall with that gigantic grin, was All Might himself.
"Young man! Congratulations on passing the U.A. entrance exam!"
I swear my soul left my body for a second.
"W-what… I passed?!"
All Might continued, cheerful as ever.
"Not only did you pass the practical exam with flying colors, but your performance in Battle Center C was remarkable! Your mobility, firepower, and creative use of your… 'quirk' — yes, very impressive!"
I let out a shaky laugh.
Man, if only he knew this wasn't some quirk but a freaking mythical Zoan Fruit from a world of pirates.
"Your total score was 76 points, placing you second overall, right under a rather explosive candidate from your school named Bakugo Katsuki."
I stared at the number.
76 points?!
I had no idea I did that well.
I thought I maybe barely scraped a passing score.
But second place?
I didn't know whether to be proud or terrified.
All Might kept talking.
"We look forward to seeing you at U.A. High, young hero!"
And with that, the hologram flickered out.
I slumped back in my chair.
"…I actually did it."
Naturally, that evening, the hideout exploded with excitement.
"Boss got in! Boss got in!"
Shun practically threw me over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
The others popped cheap party poppers they somehow acquired. One guy was crying in the corner.
"Our boss is gonna infiltrate U.A. and destroy hero society from the inside!"
"This is step one of world domination, baby!"
I groaned.
"Guys, seriously. I just… wanted to get stronger. That's it."
Shun grinned, completely ignoring me.
"You're too modest, Boss. Classic move."
I gave up.
At this point, I didn't even have the energy to deny it.
"Fine. Whatever. But I'm not reporting anything back to you weirdos."
"Understood, Boss! We'll send coded messages instead!"
I sighed.
At least the U.A. entrance ceremony was in a week.
A fresh start.
New classmates.
A chance to build a normal-ish life.
Right?
…Right?