Ding-dong—
As the school bell rang, Shina Etsuha stood outside the campus, watching Midoriya Izuku's classroom from a distance.
"It's time for the story to begin," Shina Etsuha muttered, letting out a small yawn. "I don't know why things like Mud and that muscle freak showed up ahead of schedule… but now that the plot is kicking in, it means I'll have another chance to run into Mud. No matter what, if I can capture him this time, my popularity will skyrocket."
Shina Etsuha had come here today purely to test his luck.
According to the timeline, Midoriya Izuku should be getting bullied by Bakugo Katsuki while filling out his future plans. Then, on his way home, he would be attacked by Mud.
Even though Mud had already been defeated once by Shina Etsuha recently, this moment still marked the official beginning of events.
And that meant—there was still a chance.
Plop!
A small notebook suddenly fell out of the classroom window.
On its cover were the words: "Hero Notebook."
It was headed straight for the reservoir in front of Shina Etsuha.
It was obvious how much effort Midoriya Izuku had poured into that notebook. Seeing it about to fall into the water, Shina Etsuha's eyes sharpened.
He leapt forward and caught it midair, preventing it from getting wet.
"Bakugo… is he seriously using this kind of bullying on Midoriya?" Shina Etsuha thought, his expression darkening slightly. "It's enough to make me want to beat him up."
In truth, Shina Etsuha had clashed with Bakugo Katsuki many times before awakening his quirk.
Bakugo was simply too domineering.
But even back then, when quirks weren't allowed, Bakugo wasn't necessarily stronger than him. That was why Bakugo rarely used direct violence against Shina Etsuha.
However, whenever Shina Etsuha tried to step in between Bakugo and Midoriya, Midoriya would always stop him.
"This is between us," he would say.
And because of that, Shina Etsuha could only stand by helplessly.
The relationship between Bakugo and Midoriya… was complicated in a way that was hard to understand.
It wasn't long before Bakugo Katsuki walked out of the school, followed by a group of classmates.
Shina Etsuha stood off to the side in an inconspicuous corner. None of them noticed him as they passed by.
"Boss, I heard something crazy this morning!" one of the boys said. "My dad was talking about it—apparently a middle schooler took down a Villain called Mud!"
"Yeah, I heard that too! They said he's some kind of genius kid. I was too busy with my own application stuff to really pay attention, though."
"Wait… wasn't that Shina?"
"No way. The guy he beat before was called the Muscle Bloodthirsty Man. This one's Mud. Totally different!"
"Maybe this Mud guy is stronger. What's a muscle freak compared to that?"
"Huh… interesting. Let's go grab a newspaper and check it out," Bakugo Katsuki said, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
The group headed off together.
Shina Etsuha, still standing behind them, was left momentarily speechless.
"…They're actually going to see my news like this?"
He rubbed his temples.
"These guys are unbelievable. If they find out that middle schooler is me… Bakugo might just blow a fuse and beat them all up."
Then his expression turned thoughtful.
"But if they go buy a newspaper, will they still pass through that alley and get attacked by Mud? …No, not necessarily. Whether Mud shows up or not still depends on Izuku. And since Izuku filled in U.A. as his choice… it'd be a waste if he didn't meet All Might."
Midoriya Izuku soon walked out of the school alone, his posture slightly slumped.
He hurried toward the reservoir where his Hero Notebook had fallen.
The moment he saw it—dry and intact—his face lit up with relief.
"Thank goodness… it didn't fall in!"
He clutched it tightly, clearly cherishing it.
Despite everything, he didn't seem to hold any resentment toward Bakugo Katsuki.
Shina Etsuha watched from a distance, a trace of admiration in his gaze.
"He's got a good temperament… and honestly, that kind of personality is perfect for a Hero."
He didn't approach Midoriya Izuku.
It wasn't because he wanted to avoid him—but because he was afraid that if he stayed too close, Mud might not dare to attack.
And if that happened, Midoriya Izuku wouldn't meet All Might.
Nothing unusual happened along the way.
Shina Etsuha followed from a distance, carefully concealing his presence.
He hadn't trained specifically in stealth, but his enhanced physical condition and heightened perception made it easy for him to stay out of sight.
Before long, Midoriya Izuku arrived at the location where Mud was supposed to appear—
Under the overpass.
Shina Etsuha's nerves tightened instantly.
"Will Mud show up?"
Step.
Midoriya Izuku walked beneath the bridge. The sewer was just to his right.
Nothing happened.
Second step.
Third step.
He continued forward, passing the sewer completely and reaching the other side.
"…Nothing?" Shina Etsuha felt a flicker of disappointment.
But at that exact moment—
The sewer suddenly stirred.
With a violent surge, a mass of sludge burst out—
And in an instant, it wrapped around Midoriya Izuku's entire body!