Aldera Junior High's morning bell rang, signaling the start of another mundane school day.
Sasaki Kenjiro leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers as the teacher droned on about algebra. His notebook was already filled with perfect notes—not because he cared about math, but because his mind processed information *stupidly* fast now.
"Twelve years old and already built like a pro hero," he muttered under his breath with a smirk. "Life's unfair, huh?"
A crumpled ball of paper smacked him in the side of the head.
Kenjiro didn't even flinch. He turned his head lazily toward the source—Bakugou Katsuki, glaring at him from two rows over.
"Morning, Boom Boy," Kenjiro said casually.
Bakugou growled, pointing at the paper. "Read it. Now."
Unfolding the paper, Kenjiro raised an eyebrow at the messy scrawl:
**"Fight me after school, mochi freak."**
Kenjiro grabbed his pen and scribbled back:
**"Pass. I don't bully kids weaker than me."**
He flicked the paper with a practiced snap. It bounced off Bakugou's forehead with a satisfying *thup.*
The resulting explosion rattled the windows.
"KATSUKI!" the teacher barked. "Control your Quirk or it's another suspension!"
Bakugou crossed his arms and slumped in his seat, still glaring.
Kenjiro smiled and went back to doodling strategies in the margins of his math book.
---
### Lunchtime – Rooftop
The rooftop was a quiet escape from the chaos of the classrooms. Kenjiro sat cross-legged, chewing on a sandwich, enjoying the breeze.
"You really shouldn't provoke him, Sasaki-kun," Midoriya Izuku said as he sat down next to him, carefully opening his bento.
Kenjiro smirked. "Why not? It's funny."
Midoriya looked around nervously. "Because he's… well, he's Bakugou. He's really strong, and he—"
"Is a walking ego bomb with anger issues," Kenjiro cut in. "Let him huff and puff. Doesn't mean I have to play along."
Midoriya blinked. "You… really aren't scared of him?"
"Not even a little." Kenjiro took another bite. "I could probably throw him across the street."
Midoriya nearly dropped his chopsticks.
"You're insane," he whispered.
"Nope," Kenjiro replied. "Just built different."
---
### After School – Training Grounds
An old lot near the edge of town had become Kenjiro's personal training space. Cracked pavement, rusted equipment, and a few concrete barriers made it perfect.
Today, he stood in the center, arms stretched out, fingers morphing into dozens of spike-tipped mochi tendrils.
"Let's try… Mochi Gatling." He launched them with a grunt.
*Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.*
The projectiles punched through a stack of old tires.
"Thirty meters. Could be faster. More force."
"T-that was incredible!"
Kenjiro turned to see Midoriya approaching, notebook in hand, eyes sparkling.
"You're stalking me now, huh?" Kenjiro teased.
Midoriya flushed. "S-sorry! I just… I wanted to see more of your Quirk. The elasticity, the way you compress the mochi—it's unlike anything I've documented!"
Kenjiro tossed him a water bottle. "Calm down, nerd."
Midoriya caught it. "Right. Sorry."
"You come here to train too?"
"Sort of… I was trying new stretches. Thought it might help build up for—"
"For the Quirk you don't have?"
Midoriya flinched. Kenjiro winced.
"Shit. Sorry. That came out wrong."
"No, it's okay," Midoriya said quietly.
Kenjiro sighed. "Look. You're smart, yeah? Then you know All Might's power isn't something your average twelve-year-old body can just… handle."
Midoriya's eyes widened. "H-how did you—?!"
"You mutter in your sleep. Also, you draw that guy's face fifty times a day."
Midoriya looked ready to faint.
Kenjiro grinned. "Relax. I'm not snitching. But if you really want a shot at being a hero, start with this."
He flicked a second water bottle at him. It hit Midoriya's chest with enough force to knock him back.
"Foundation. Strength. Endurance. Train like your life depends on it."
Midoriya clutched the bottle like it was a holy relic. "T-thank you, Sasaki-kun!"
"Yeah, yeah," Kenjiro said. "Now drop and give me twenty."
---
### Weeks Later – Strength Test
"Are you really doing this?!" Midoriya called, voice full of panic.
Kenjiro stood in front of a rusted truck, grinning.
"Five tons. Let's go."
He bent, wrapped his arms around the chassis, and *lifted.*
The truck creaked, groaned—and rose.
Midoriya's jaw dropped. "Y-you're insane! That's not even human!"
"Exactly," Kenjiro said, sweat barely breaking on his brow. "I'm not human anymore."
The truck thudded back to the ground.
"This is the result of midnight training and a Quirk that won't quit. You want it? Earn it."
Midoriya nodded slowly, fire in his eyes.
---
### Final Bell – Bakugou's Challenge
Kenjiro was halfway to the gates when a figure stepped in front of him.
"Fight me."
He sighed. "Kacchan, man, do you *ever* stop?"
"SHUT UP AND FIGHT!"
Kenjiro casually dodged the blast that followed.
"No."
Bakugou snarled. "I'll blow your damn head off!"
"You could try," Kenjiro said, his body melting and reforming around the next punch.
"STOP DODGING!"
"Stop missing."
Another explosion. Another dodge. Kenjiro yawned.
"You think you're better than me?!"
"I know I am."
Bakugou's eye twitched.
"KATSUKI BAKUGOU!" their homeroom teacher yelled, storming toward them. "DETENTION. NOW."
Bakugou hissed and stomped away.
Midoriya poked his head out from behind a pillar. "You… you actually *avoided* a fight with Kacchan."
"Nah," Kenjiro said with a grin. "I just postponed it."
Midoriya swallowed. "Until when?"
Kenjiro's grin widened. "Until we get to UA. Then? All bets are off."