Chapter 4: First Meeting with Tsuyu
After arriving in Japan, Akio Tatsuma rented a small twenty–square-meter apartment in Hoshu City. Once he finished tidying the place up, he decided to head outside.
The scenery of Japan was surprisingly beautiful.
It was Akio's first time truly living in another country. Before this, he had only seen places like this in anime and manga.
Yet standing here now, he had to admit—
Reality looked almost exactly like the animation.
The streets were clean, nearly spotless. The air felt fresh. Cars moved along the roads in orderly lines, and pedestrians walked with quiet purpose.
But the people themselves felt a little distant.
Everyone seemed focused on their own lives.
No one paid attention to who passed them on the street. People hurried along with their schedules—working, commuting, living their nine-to-five routines.
Akio eventually stopped in front of a small ramen shop.
Warm orange lights glowed from inside.
He smiled slightly and stepped through the door.
"Welcome! What can I get you?" the chubby chef called out with a friendly grin. Even while speaking, his hands kept moving as he finished preparing a fresh bowl of ramen.
Akio's gaze suddenly froze.
"…Asui Tsuyu?"
The chef placed the steaming bowl on a table in the corner.
Sitting there was a girl with dark green hair and large eyes.
It was Tsuyu Asui.
The frog-like girl from Class 1-A.
Akio blinked in disbelief.
He actually liked Tsuyu quite a lot. Not in a romantic way—he simply appreciated her personality and straightforward attitude.
Of course…
If the topic was someone he truly found charming, then Momo Yaoyorozu would definitely come to mind.
Occasionally he had even imagined—
"Did you just call my name?"
Tsuyu's calm voice interrupted his thoughts.
She had clearly heard him.
Now she was looking directly at him.
Akio suddenly felt a headache coming on.
How was he supposed to explain this?
After all, she had never met him before.
Thinking quickly, he waved toward the chef.
"Uh—one bowl of bullfrog ramen—"
Before he could finish the sentence, he felt a cold stare coming from Tsuyu.
Right.
He had completely forgotten.
Akio scratched his head awkwardly.
"…Actually, never mind that. I'll take a bowl of beef ramen instead."
The chef kept smiling politely.
But deep inside he was probably screaming.
I already prepared the bullfrog for you, kid!
Still, business was business.
The chef quietly started slicing beef for the ramen.
Meanwhile, Tsuyu watched Akio walk toward her table.
Her eyes were calm but curious.
Akio pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Tsuyu-chan, about earlier… that was my mistake. Don't take it to heart."
Tsuyu tilted her head slightly.
She was more curious about something else.
Why did this boy know her name?
And why did he seem to know something about her frog-like traits?
Strangely enough, the brief annoyance she felt earlier quickly disappeared.
She didn't sense any malice from the boy sitting across from her.
His smile looked open and harmless.
For some reason, her irritation melted away the moment he spoke.
"Why do you know my name?" Tsuyu asked.
Akio smiled calmly.
"I've heard about you. I used to attend Hirakawa Middle School."
Tsuyu blinked.
"But I'm not from Hirakawa."
"…Uh."
Akio suddenly felt embarrassed.
This girl really was straightforward.
"Well… I've heard about you anyway."
Tsuyu stared at him for a moment.
"Then do you know which school I attend?"
Akio froze.
He honestly had no idea.
But then he suddenly remembered something and blurted it out.
"I know you'll go to U.A. High School in the future!"
Tsuyu's eyes widened.
"You know that?" she asked, suddenly sounding excited. "Are you planning to go there too? I don't even know your name yet."
At that moment, the chef arrived with Akio's ramen.
"Your beef ramen. Enjoy."
Akio grabbed his chopsticks and took a bite.
"…Wow, that's good."
He had to admit—Japanese ramen really lived up to its reputation.
Bullfrog ramen probably would've tasted even better.
But eating frog in front of Tsuyu probably wasn't the best idea.
Next time.
"My name is Akio Tatsuma," he said between bites. "I'm also in my third year of middle school. I plan to take the U.A. entrance exam this summer."
He smiled at her.
"If we're lucky, we might become classmates."
By "luck," he meant something else.
He wasn't sure whether he would end up in the Hero Course, Class A, Class B, or somewhere else entirely.
Even if he didn't make it into Class A, there were still other departments.
Keeping a low profile wasn't a bad thing.
Still…
Akio secretly hoped he could join Class 1-A.
Being surrounded by those energetic classmates seemed far more interesting than the quiet life he had lived before.
Tsuyu seemed to have already accepted him as a friend.
She extended her small hand across the table.
"Then let's both work hard to get into U.A., Akio."
"Haha."
Akio set down his chopsticks and shook her hand.
Her hand felt soft and surprisingly flexible.
"Tsuyu-chan, please take care of me."
Tsuyu smiled as well.
Around them, other diners glanced over with strange expressions.
Two middle schoolers were chatting happily about entering U.A. High School, one of the most difficult hero schools in the country.
To most people, it sounded like childish dreaming.
But in Tsuyu's heart, something warm had begun to grow.
The confident boy sitting across from her had given her a strange sense of encouragement.
The small hesitation she once felt about pursuing the Hero Course disappeared.
She would apply to U.A.
And she would enter the Hero Course.
The meal passed quickly.
When they finished, Akio quietly paid for both bowls of ramen.
Tsuyu puffed her cheeks slightly.
"Why did you pay for mine?"
"Because we're friends," Akio replied casually.
Then he added with a grin:
"Next time, you can treat me. That way it's fair."
Tsuyu looked at him quietly.
"…Thank you, Akio."
"You're being too formal," Akio said as he stood up.
Then he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
"Akio!"
Tsuyu suddenly called out.
"Where do you live?"
Akio stopped for a moment.
His mind briefly went blank.
Then he waved without turning around.
"See you at U.A. High School!"
Moments later, his figure disappeared into the night.
Tsuyu stood there silently for nearly a minute.
Then she smiled.
"…Okay. See you at U.A."
When Akio returned home, he immediately patted his chest in relief.
"Good thing I kept my composure."
He muttered to himself.
"In this life I might not need to follow my old training rules… but I still need to be careful."
After all, things had ended badly for him in his previous life.
That experience had left a mark.
Still…
After thinking about it for a while, Akio shook his head.
This world was different.
People here seemed far more sincere.
Maybe he didn't need to be so guarded all the time.
His thoughts started drifting again.
Tsuyu was definitely a nice girl.
But still…
He scratched his head.
"Maybe it's better not to think too much about that."
Someone like Itsuka Kendo, Midnight, or Momo Yaoyorozu…
Now those were different stories.
"…What am I even thinking about?"
Akio slapped his cheeks lightly.
His face had already turned red.
But one thing was certain.
He was becoming more and more excited about the future.
U.A. High School.
The legendary academy that trained heroes.
A place filled with talented students and powerful Quirks.
Akio grinned.
Hurry up and arrive already.
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