Choosing a school was one of the most important decisions a student could make.
A single choice could change everything. Some students missed their ideal schools because of one mistake. Others ended up somewhere better through sheer luck.
For students in their final year, it felt like standing at a crossroads. One choice could open the way forward. Another could hold you back.
Kurose Kuro hadn't filled out his application.
His first choice was still blank.
A few months ago, he had been comparing nursing schools, trying to decide which suited him best. Now, he couldn't even find his application form.
He searched everywhere.
His bag. His desk. His bookshelf.
Nothing.
The crumpled form was gone.
In the end, he had no choice but to ask his homeroom teacher for a new one.
There was only a week left before the deadline.
"Turn it in within three days," the teacher said, typing without looking up. "Even if it's incomplete, I need something. You can't apply without submitting it first. Got it?"
"Got it."
In the next office over, another teacher was talking to a student with spiky hair about a recommendation slot.
That kind of opportunity only went to top students.
People like Bakugo Katsuki.
Kuro listened absentmindedly, took the new form, and left.
Where was he supposed to go?
Where would he spend the next three years?
It didn't really matter.
That was the conclusion he reached.
He lowered his head as he walked—
And bumped into someone.
"Watch where you're going," the other person snapped.
Two boys standing nearby stepped forward immediately.
"Hey, apologize properly."
"Who do you think you are?"
Kuro paused.
After everything he had been through, this didn't even register as threatening.
If he wasn't mistaken, the one he had bumped into was the same student who had just been mentioned.
A recommended candidate.
A top student.
So this was what that looked like.
Kuro bowed slightly.
"Sorry."
Then he stepped around them and left.
Behind him, Bakugo Katsuki let out a short scoff.
Back in the classroom, Kuro stared at the application form.
He thought about it all day.
Nothing came to mind.
That night, he logged into the forum as usual.
There were several posts discussing U.A. High School. People were already speculating about the next incoming class, debating the entrance exam and what it might involve.
U.A. High School.
A place where many pro heroes began their careers.
Kurose Akihito had graduated from there.
So had Kurose Haruto.
If things had been different, Kuro might have tried for it too.
He looked at the section for the hero course.
Then he looked at the rest of the form.
He started filling it out.
From the third choice onward, he listed nursing schools based on their previous admission scores.
That left the top two spots.
After a moment, he picked up his phone.
Shinso Hitoshi answered quickly.
"Kuro?"
"Sorry for calling this late," Kuro said. "I wanted to ask you something about U.A."
"You're thinking about applying to the hero course?"
"I don't think I'd pass," Kuro said honestly. "But… I still want to try. I don't know how to explain it."
He did know.
He didn't want to become a hero.
But he wanted to see the place where his parents had studied.
Shinso understood enough.
He had already looked into U.A.'s entrance exams. Given Kuro's quirk, the odds weren't good.
So he didn't sugarcoat it.
He explained the structure of the exam, the requirements, and what applicants needed to prepare.
Kuro listened at first.
Then got lost halfway through.
"…Okay, stop," he said. "Just tell me one thing. With my current ability, can I pass?"
There was a brief pause.
"No."
"Got it."
Kuro picked up his pen.
He wrote:
U.A. High School – Hero Course
"Why are you even asking?" Shinso said, his tone sharpening. "Don't apply to the hero course. U.A.'s general course is still a good option. You can transfer later if you qualify. And if you decide not to become a hero, you'll still have other paths. U.A.'s academics are strong."
Kuro blinked.
For a second, it felt like Shinso had seen right through him.
But that wasn't possible.
"…I'm not planning anything," he said.
Then he wrote the second line:
U.A. High School – General Course
"Read your choices to me," Shinso said.
Kuro hesitated, then listed everything from the third choice onward.
"I was just asking," he added at the end. "Don't overthink it."
That didn't help.
Shinso's expression darkened on the other end of the call.
"…That makes it worse."
Kuro exhaled.
At least the form was done.
"Thanks for your help," he said. "I didn't realize you were this reliable."
There was a pause.
"After the exams… want to hang out?" Kuro added. "And… sorry. About before."
Silence.
Then—
"Kuro," Shinso said slowly, "what kind of scores are you getting right now?"