"YOU WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN TO MY FACE?!"
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"
"SHUT UP, YOU WEIRDO!"
"QUIT U.A. AND GO BACK TO JACKING OFF TO ANIME GIRL, YOU PERVERTED FREAK!"
A scoff echoed through the room.
"Hmph. Hero Course students really are just a bunch of self-righteous punks, acting like they're better than everyone else."
"FUCK YOU!"
Oh, it was beautiful. An entire class that had barely been together for a day had already united just to hate on a boy.
That boy stood in the middle of the crowd, chest puffed out, hands on his waist, sporting a proud grin as he basked in the uproar he had created.
All Might couldn't believe what he was seeing. This orientation was supposed to be a simple, congratulatory welcome for the young students who had made it into his alma mater. The first half of the meeting had gone smoothly, just as expected. But the moment the lilac-haired boy had stepped into the room, everything had gone sideways fast.
All Might glanced at Principal Nezu, hoping to gauge his reaction to the chaos unfolding before them. But he nearly choked on his own blood when he saw the principal calmly sipping his tea, watching the turmoil as if it were a delightful show.
The boy, Aino Itami merely chuckled, unfazed by the hostility aimed at him.
"Heh… You guys sure are a lively bunch. I don't know where all this energy is coming from, but damn, you're really hyped up, huh?" His amused tone only fueled the anger in the room. It was like throwing oil on a raging fire.
Another wave of insults and curses erupted from the General Education students.
Itsuka had no idea what the hell was going on anymore. She had imagined a lot of things happening on her first day at U.A., but an angry mob trying to rip apart one of her new classmate? Yeah, that hadn't been on the list.
She turned to the boy at the center of it all. He showed no signs of backing down, despite being up against an entire crowd of Gen Ed students. For a brief moment, she almost admired his nerve, almost, until she remembered that he was the reason for this entire debacle in the first place.
Ibara could only shake her head in disbelief. She had no idea why her best friend had chosen to pick a fight with an entire course on day one, but there was that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes the same one she had seen countless times before. It was the look he got right before he stirred up trouble.
Beside her, Kinoko trembled in her seat, anxiously watching as Ai continued to provoke the furious students. The vine-haired girl sighed and patted Kinoko's back in reassurance.
Meanwhile, Ai stood there, absorbing every insult, every bitter word thrown at him.
Among the chaos, certain words stuck out to him the most.
"Non-combatant Quirk."
"Flashy Quirk."
"Heroic Quirk."
"The exam wasn't suited for our Quirks."
"The exam was unfair, too unfair."
Ai snorted. A bunch of rejects blaming everyone but themselves for their own failure.
He hadn't appreciated the glares, the taunts, and the whispered insults being thrown his way from the moment he had stepped into the room. It was as if these students had already decided to hate him before he even had a chance to say anything.
When Nezu had pointed out that these students were from the General Education Course, things had finally started making sense.
Fine, if they wanted to give him attitude, he'd throw it right back at them.
The last thing Ai would ever do was let these losers think they could push him around.
He had made that mistake before back when he had tried to follow Ibara's advice and avoid trouble. He had thought that if he ignored the people who picked fights with him, they would eventually leave him alone.
He had been wrong.
Ignoring them had only emboldened them. They had taken his silence as weakness, as an invitation to escalate their harassment. And when their hostility had extended to Ibara when those bastards had tried to do something horrendous to her, Ai had decided he would never back down again.
He had made them regret it.
And from that moment on, he made sure that people knew exactly what he was capable of especially if they dared to mess with Ibara.
Luckily, she had learned her lesson too. Now, instead of asking him not to stir up trouble, she only asked him not to actively seek it out.
Nezu finally set down his teacup and spoke
Silencing the students.
"Mr. Itami, that was quite a harsh thing to say to your fellow schoolmates. While it's true that General Education students failed to secure a seat in the Hero Course, that does not mean they have failed U.A. entirely. Our General Education program is comparable to the top academies in the country."
The boy turned to the principal, and a slow grin stretched across his face before he let out a laugh.
The Gen Ed students tensed, their frustration simmering. They wanted to snap back at him, but they knew better than to go against Nezu.
Ai looked around, admiring his surroundings. "Wow. U.A. really is amazing," he mused. Then, with a smirk, he added, "But… didn't everyone sitting here pass the written exam?"
A few students from other courses glanced at him in confusion. Some exchanged uncertain looks, while others hesitantly waved back when the boy waved at them, intrigued by the unfolding drama.
Ai walked toward the center of the room, passing by the Gen Ed students seats. Their glares didn't waver for even a second.
Then, in one fluid motion, he jumped onto the stage and sat down at the very center, facing the gathered students like a king addressing his subjects.
His grin widened at the mixture of reactions he was receiving.
Nezu gave a small wave to the staff members especially the ones who had begun rising from their seats to stop the boy.
They hesitated and sat back down, confused as to why the principal hadn't intervened yet.
Ai swung his legs idly, scanning the room. Then, with a smirk, he spoke.
"But unlike the other classes, Gen Ed is the only class that failed their main exam."
If looks could burn, Ai would have been incinerated on the spot.
"Sir Rat," he addressed Nezu, tilting his head. "How many students in this year's Gen Ed class failed the Hero Course practical exam?"
Nezu chuckled. "Ninety-eight percent of this year's General Education students applied for the Hero Course but failed to secure a spot. The remaining two percent applied to other courses."
Ai nodded thoughtfully. "I see, I see…" He tapped his chin, then turned back to Nezu. "And the passing score for the practical exam is thirty points, right? Since the lowest score of the hero student who made the cut was thirty-three?"
"Actually," Nezu corrected, sipping his tea, "the cutoff score for the Hero Course practical exam is twenty points. Any student who scores below that threshold is ineligible for the Hero Course, even if there are vacant spots."
The principal's eyes twinkled as he continued, "And I believe your next question is: What was the highest score achieved by a Gen Ed student in the exam?"
Ai beamed. "You read my mind, Sir Rat."
Nezu chuckled. "The highest score recorded by a Gen Ed student this year was eighteen points just two points shy of the passing threshold. However, since all available Hero Course spots had already been filled, even if that student had scored higher, they still would have been placed in General Education. That being said, they still have a chance to transfer through the upcoming Sports Festival, where they can showcase their skills and impress the pro heroes."
Ai's grin widened. He turned back to the Gen Ed students.
"So, in short no potential to be a hero at all?"
As the Gen Ed students rose from their seats, Ai also stood up, unfazed by the hostility in the air.
"Look," he began, his voice carrying over the murmurs. "I'm not saying this because I'm looking down on you guys." He walked to the edge of the stage, his tone casual, almost amused.
"Believe it or not, you all have more potential to be heroes than I do."
A chuckle escaped him as he looked at the students.
"I hate people," Ai continued bluntly. "I don't like being around strangers." He rocked on his heels, shifting his weight as he neared the very edge of the stage. "I don't see myself doing heroic stuff, it's just not my style. If you asked me what I really wanted to do, I'd tell you I've always wanted to make video games, games that people will enjoy for years to come."
He stretched his back and dusted off his pants before casually adding, "So, if you ask me, you guys are better suited to be heroes than I am."
A hush fell over the room as both staff and students stared at the boy standing on the stage.
"So the question is," Ai continued, tilting his head, "why am I here, in the Hero Course… and you guys aren't?"
For the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed the minds of the Gen Ed students. Why was he here? A kid who openly admitted he had no real interest in being a hero had managed to pass the entrance exam, while those who wanted to be heroes had failed.
Then, a voice from the crowd broke the silence.
"BECAUSE THE EXAM WAS UNFAIR TO US!"
The words echoed through the hall, and in an instant, every Gen Ed student was nodding in agreement, voicing their frustrations.
The pro heroes standing behind Nezu exchanged wary glances.
The issue of the entrance exam being biased toward combat-oriented Quirks had been a heated topic among U.A. staff more than once. They knew there were flaws in the system. They knew the practical exam heavily favored those with flashy, offensive abilities. But the U.A. board refused to budge, using the excuse that they needed to focus on cultivating top-tier hero potential.
Now, in front of a room full of new students, that can of worms had been ripped open.
The staff could already see the damage this conversation could do. If it went unchecked, it could stain U.A.'s reputation and crush the morale of those who hadn't made it into the Hero Course.
But Nezu simply raised a hand, signaling his staff to let it play out.
Ai clicked his tongue. "Really? Because the way I see it, you guys didn't pass the exam because you're lacking, both in motivation and in the mindset of a hero."
The Gen Ed students snapped their attention back to him, their frustration bubbling over. Every time he opened his mouth, their irritation grew.
Ai paced along the edge of the stage, tapping his chin. "If I remember correctly… there was something called Hero Points during the exam, right?"
He stopped in front of the Gen Ed section, looking down at them with a knowing smile.
"Let's ignore combat skills for now," he said, shrugging. "Since, well… the results speak for themselves."
A few Gen Ed students clenched their fists, grinding their teeth at his words.
"But here's something interesting did you know that someone can pass the Hero Course exam without a Quirk?"
Silence.
Not just from the Gen Ed students, but from everyone in the room.
Itsuka blinked, taken aback by his words. 'Could someone without a Quirk really pass?' she thought
Ai smiled, seeing that he had caught their attention.
"When the exam started, I had already racked up enough points to pass. So, I just sat back and watched for the rest of the test." He crossed his arms and tilted his head, pretending to think. "And oh boy, I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
He placed his hands on his waist. "Hero Points were everywhere. Just lying there, waiting to be picked up. in my exam area alone, I saw at least sixty people passed out completely unconscious."
His smile widened.
"So if anyone had done what a hero should have done in that moment, they could have easily racked up at least sixty points just by helping those who had collapsed and bringing them to safety."
Ai scanned the Gen Ed students, then started pointing at familiar faces.
"You. And you. And you. Even you, despite looking like you haven't slept in days you all could have passed the exam. All you had to do was do the right thing."
Some of the students he pointed at lowered their heads, their anger flickering with uncertainty.
"But nope," Ai continued, chuckling. "Everyone ignored them."
He let out a dramatic sigh. "Even I ignored them."
Then, he turned toward the U.A. staff, his grin sharpening.
"Now, I'm pretty sure you would've gotten Hero Points for helping them, enough to pass the exam, no Quirk necessary." His voice turned playful. "Unless, of course… the real reason none of you passed is because the teachers wanted flashier Quirks in the Hero Course and ignored the acts of heroism." Ai smirked. "If that's the case, then I sincerely apologize for doubting you guys."
Nezu barely contained his laughter as his staff panicked.
The moment Ai's words left his mouth, every student in the room turned their eyes toward the pro heroes.
Nezu took note of how shrewd the boy was he had backed the staff into a corner. If they denied his words, they would be implying that true acts of heroism didn't matter. But if they agreed, it would expose a massive flaw in the exam system.
It was Present Mic who finally broke the tension.
"Y-Yeah! The kid's right!" he blurted out, nodding rapidly. "Helping those in need did count toward Hero Points!"
Nezu watched Ai's face, intrigued.
Ai nodded sagely. "See? If you had acted heroically during the practical exam, you wouldn't have had a problem passing. Heck, there was even a guy who passed entirely on Hero Points alone." He turned back to the students, his grin unwavering.
"So tell me what's your excuse for failing?"
The Gen Ed students, who had been so vocal moments ago, suddenly grew quieter. Some hesitated before slowly sinking back into their seats, while others stood still, lost in thought.
Nezu nodded to himself, watching the scene unfold.
Ai had riled them up to the point where they had been ready to fight… and then, with a few sharp words, he had shut them down completely.
It had taken only a few minutes, but now, the noise had died entirely.
Vlad King glanced at Ai's back, actually impressed. The boy had a commanding presence, it took a strong temperament to stand there, talk so boldly, and not be drowned out by a crowd full of hostile emotions.
Itsuka stared up at the boy on stage, her fists unconsciously clenched.
Ibara and Kinoko exchanged glances, their nerves settling now that the shouting had stopped.
Then, a voice cut through the silence.
"If I may…"
All eyes turned to the source.
"Although you're right that a Quirkless person could pass the exam with your method, in my opinion, a hero should have enough power to protect both themselves and the people around them. Heroic spirit is important, but there are dangers out there that can't be solved with just good intentions alone."
Ai slowly turned his head toward the speaker.
Nezu mentally sighed, bracing himself for what was about to happen next.
Because the way Ai smiled at the No.1 Hero like a predator who had just spotted its prey was a sight Nezu would never forget.
"So this is what my staff must feel like when they hear me laugh maniacally," Nezu mused to himself.
End of Chapter 12