A young man could be seen standing in a relaxed manner in front of the school wall. He had straight, purple hair with pink tips that fell behind his back. His green eyes contrasted with his calm expression, and his body appeared muscular, though the muscles were hidden beneath his clothes.
A young woman with black hair tied in a ponytail, her impeccable posture reflected in every step, was walking toward the boy. With a determined look, she stopped in front of him.
"It's a pleasure to be in your presence. I'm Momo Yaoyorozu, the current student council president, and I'll be the other person representing this school with you," she said, bowing politely.
"You don't need to be so formal. We're about the same age and in the same class," I replied, turning to face her.
"Well, since you're offering, it would be rude to refuse. You can just call me Momo," she said, straightening her posture.
"Call me whatever you like. I'm Haruki Sakuragi. Where are we going first?" I asked, curious.
"Let me see," she replied, pulling a clipboard from her pocket.
"First, we'll visit the more distant schools and leave the nearby ones for last, so we'll be more efficient. Today we're going to visit the schools in the neighboring city, Musutafu. It takes about an hour by car, so it's best we leave now to arrive early," she explained, putting the clipboard away.
"Alright, but do you have someone to drive us? Or maybe an early driver's license?" I asked.
"Yes. I requested a limousine for the trip, along with a driver. It's in the school parking lot. Let's go," she said, walking off before I could answer.
Well… it's not like I have any complaints. I've always wanted to ride in one, even in my past life.
Arriving at the parking lot, I saw a massive black limousine with a man standing beside it.
"Please get in and make yourself comfortable, sir," he said in a firm voice.
"Then I will get comfortable," I replied, a smile on my face.
In my past life, I really loved cars.
And in this life, it's no different. The only thing that changed is that now I can have any car I want I'm just waiting to be old enough to get my license and buy one.
While I was distracted, admiring the limousine's interior, I heard a cough beside me.
"Ahem. Were you listening to what I was saying?" she asked, looking at me with a strange expression.
"My bad. It's my first time in a limousine and seeing how it looks inside. I got a little lost in the car's beauty," I said, adjusting my posture, a bit embarrassed for showing a silly side of myself.
"You've never been in a car like this? You're so rich… maybe even more," Momo said, perplexed.
"Well, to be honest, I hardly spend money on personal things. My family is very home-oriented, and I don't know anyone rich enough to buy a limousine. I really like cars like this, so I got fascinated for a moment."
"That's unexpected. I thought you were someone used to this kind of thing, especially since most people at our school use luxury cars."
Then, as if she had just discovered a mystery, her face lit up.
"I see… so you're a homebody and a loner."
Realizing what she had just said, she started waving her hands in the air, desperate.
"Wait! That's not what I meant! Just that you have an intimidating aura, so people don't approach you… no, that's not right either… I mean, you're—"
It was getting painful to watch, so I just interrupted before she embarrassed herself even more.
"Relax. You're right. People don't get close to me because of that… and other reasons. You're a bit too blunt, maybe, but people like that are easier to talk to."
"But even so, I was a bit too insensitive… I'm sorry," she said, her face red with embarrassment.
"It's fine. Let's change the subject before it gets even more awkward."
"Let's."
After that interaction, there was nothing worth mentioning.
At the moment, we've already visited six schools and are now standing in front of the last school in Musutafu we need to visit.
"Hey, Momo, is it going to take long at this school?" I asked, my voice and expression completely tired and bored.
"Hang in there a little longer. We're almost done," she replied, trying to hide the boredom in her eyes and voice.
"Tsk… if I had known it would take this long, I wouldn't have accepted that old man's invitation. I could be working on something much more interesting at home."
Before I could continue complaining, we arrived at the principal's office.
The door opened with a soft creak, revealing an older man with gray hair slicked back, wearing a calm and professional expression. He stood up as he saw us.
"Welcome to Aldera Junior High. I'm Principal Takamura. Please, come in."
Momo bowed politely. I just nodded slightly in greeting, still a bit tired from the school marathon.
"It's an honor to be here, Principal. We came to represent our school as part of the exchange and collaboration project between district institutions," Momo said, with her usual impeccable posture.
"Of course, of course! It's an honor for our school to receive such promising young people. Participating in an interschool science fair is even more special. But before that, I have some questions about the project that I'd like to ask." He gestured for us to sit in the chairs in front of his desk.
While Momo explained the project's goals and schedule, my mind wandered again as I observed the details of the office: medals on the shelves, certificates on the walls, and even an old black-and-white photo of heroes from the past era. He must be someone well connected.
I stood up abruptly and said:
"I'm going for a walk around the neighborhood. If you have any questions, ask Momo."
And I turned, leaving the room before I could even hear the principal's reply.
We've been taking turns like this since the first school. Since I was the one who answered the director last time, now it was my turn to rest.
As I walked through the neighborhood, looking for something interesting or a nice spot to relax, I heard the sound of an explosion coming from a nearby street. I changed my path and decided to check it out.
When I arrived, I saw something that wiped away any trace of boredom from my soul.
A young man with spiky blond hair, accompanied by two others, was beating up another boy I couldn't see clearly. But even so, I could already guess who it was.
Even though it's been 15 years since I reincarnated into this world, my memory is still nearly photographic. So it wasn't hard to recognize one of the main characters of the series.
Katsuki Bakugou. And probably, Izuku Midoriya.
To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should interfere in the story before U.A. Something unexpected could happen, especially when interacting with the protagonist.
But it wasn't a hard decision to make. My goal in this world is to become the strongest, to surpass anyone. If I can't save a child suffering bullying right in front of me, then I might as well give up on my goal now.
Decision made, I approached them.
"Hey. Ganging up on a defenseless kid outnumbered... That's cowardice, don't you think?"
Since the beginning of the day, I'd been suppressing my aura, letting just enough out so people wouldn't get too close. But for people like these three, there's no need for mercy.
I directed my aura solely at them, keeping the boy on the ground out of its reach.
In just a few seconds, except for Bakugou, the other two had already fainted.
"Hey, you bastard! Who the hell do you think you are?! If you don't turn off your quirk now, I'll kill you!" Bakugou yelled, trying to maintain his tough guy act, but visibly shaken.
Not that I cared, of course.
"People like you, who think the world revolves around them, never listen. Maybe that's why you're not the protagonist... just a supporting character." I said more to myself than to him.
"Huh?! What did you say, you piece of trash?! You just caught me off guard! If you've got guts, come fight me head-on!"
Before he could say anything else, I just knocked him out with a punch.
If there's something I learned in my time as a delinquent, it's that most of the time, fists speak louder than words.
I looked at the boy on the ground, who seemed shocked. I extended my hand and asked:
"Are you okay, kid?"
But, looking closer, I saw he was all bruised. So I rephrased my dumb question:
"Actually, ignore what I just said. You're clearly not okay."
"Th-thank you..." the boy said, getting up from the ground with difficulty. "M-my name is I-I-Izuku Mi-mi-midoriya," he added shyly.
I noticed he seemed scared of me. Well… maybe knocking out three people in seconds is a little intimidating.
So I activated my ability, Charisma Pulse.
In an instant, his expression relaxed.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Haruki Sakuragi. Are you heading to a pharmacy, the hospital, or straight home? If you want, I can go with you."
"N-no, thank you, Sakuragi. You've already done more than enough. I can take care of myself. Still... how does your quirk work? To take down Kacchan like that... maybe it's gravity control? Or no, maybe it's..."
Honestly, I zoned out as soon as he started mumbling. I picked up a notebook that was on the ground and started flipping through it.
It was full of notes on heroes, quirks, weaknesses, and strategies. The anime really doesn't do this notebook justice. If a villain got their hands on this, it would be far too powerful a weapon.
I wasn't in the mood to read right then, so I just scanned the pages to memorize everything and read them later. Just for this valuable info alone, the trip and "wasted" time were worth it.
Deciding it was time, I snapped the protagonist out of his daydream.
"Hey, Midoriya, snap out of it."
"Sorry, I got lost in thought." he said, bowing so deeply it looked like his spine was about to snap.
"Relax. Even I get lost like that when I find something interesting. Actually, I woke you up to ask about this notebook. Are there more of them? It says here this is number 13."
"Yes, I have more. But you liked it that much? I can send you a copy if you want. After all, you helped me, so it's only fair I do something for you too."
"No need. I just want to take a look at the others. If it's too much trouble, don't worry about it."
"My apartment is nearby. If you want, I can take you there and show you the other notebooks."
"I don't see why not. I don't have anything better to do for the next hour."
Taking the moment, I decided to ask a question I've carried since my past life:
"I could be wrong, but you seem to see that bully as a friend. He hits you. So how can you still see him as a friend?"
"I don't hold a grudge against Kacchan. He has problems too, just like everyone else. And he's not that bad."
That might have been the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. Truly worthy of a shounen protagonist.
"I won't push the issue since it's personal. But I must say, you really would make a great hero. I've never seen someone so stupidly naive and kind as you."
"Really!? You really think that!? That I could be a hero?!"
He said, looking at me with eyes practically popping out of his head.
"Yeah, you're clearly very altruistic and kind. As for brave... I'm not sure."
I only watched the anime up to the first season, so I don't know how it plays out. But judging from the opening narration, he must've become the number 1 hero, right?
Before I could continue daydreaming, I heard someone crying nearby.
And if there's one thing I've never been good at dealing with, both in this life and the last, it's crying people.
"Hey, why are you crying? Sorry if I said something wrong. I've gotten pretty insensitive with words lately. Maybe that's the result of not talking much."
"It's not that. It's just... this is the first time someone said I could be a good hero. Everyone always mocks me or criticizes me for being quirkless."
When he said that last part, he seemed a bit nervous and regretful. Probably because he didn't mean to reveal he was quirkless. Not like I couldn't understand. So I decided to give his personality a push:
"You know, this world is really unfair. There are people born with powers that could shake the world, and others who can't even lift a ten-kilo weight. But that's what makes this world fair. Ironic, huh? Injustice must exist for justice to exist."
"A hero isn't the one with the strongest punch, but often the one with the weakest punch who still faces the strongest head-on. Not out of pride or anything like that, but for the sake of the defenseless. Being quirkless isn't shameful. Being ashamed of something that's yours is what's shameful. So never hesitate to say you don't have a quirk. A true hero wouldn't care about others' opinions."
"I'm not the one who should say if you have what it takes to be a hero or not. That's for you to answer yourself."
I've never been good with speeches. I have no idea what I just said. I just hope my sincerity reached him.
"Thank you, Sakuragi. Those words... They mean a lot to me. Much more than you imagine." He said while wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes.
After that, we walked in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.
After about ten minutes of walking, we arrived in front of a building. Nothing fancy, but well built. I'd say it was average.
When he opened the apartment door, I saw an iconic place I never thought I'd see in person.
"Mom, I'm back from school and brought a... friend!" he said, a bit unsure.
When we entered the living room, a woman came running, trying to keep her composure.
"My goodness, Izuku! It's been so long since you brought a friend."
I took the first step and introduced myself.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Haruki Sakuragi, and I'm a friend of your son. You can address me however you prefer. I'm not too fond of formalities."
I could tell she was quite tense, even though I tried to redirect my aura elsewhere so she wouldn't feel intimidated.
"You two make yourselves at home. I'll bake some cookies for you boys."
"Thank you, mom."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"Let's go to my room, Sakuragi. The notebooks are there." said Midoriya, looking at me a bit embarrassed.
"Let's go."
In the anime, they mentioned several times that he was a fanatic for All Might. Well, maybe a room filled with All Might stuff gave me the answer: All Might socks, All Might hangers, All Might wardrobe… everything.
"You seem to be a big All Might fan," I said, half sarcastic, half stunned.
"Really? Is it that obvious?" he replied, probably not even noticing the sarcasm.
"Yeah. All Might is my favorite too." Anyone who's watched Boku no Hero can't help but admire All Might. The man sacrificed himself for the world.
And that's how the next 30 minutes passed: me reading hero notes, eating cookies, with someone in the background explaining everything about All Might.
"Well, the time here was nice, but I have to go."
"You have to go now? Can't you stay a bit longer?"
"Unfortunately not. I'm probably already late."
"But how about this? Since you want to be a hero, let's meet again at the U.A. entrance exam. I'll tell you about my quirk if you pass."
"Alright! I'll prove I can be a hero even without a quirk," he said with a fierce, determined look.
"Oh, and I almost forgot. I have a gift for you for letting me read your notebooks."
From my pocket, I pulled out all the volumes of Black Clover.
"Take this. The protagonist reminds me of you. Besides, there are a lot of life lessons in these books. Read them to pass the time. Now until the entrance exam. And tell Aunt Inko I said goodbye."
With that said, I walked away, heading back to school.
When I got there, I saw Momo looking a bit impatient.
"Where did you disappear to?" she said, a little exasperated.
"I found something interesting on the way. Now let's go back. Just thinking that tomorrow we have to visit more schools is already driving me crazy."
"Sigh, let's go. Get in the car, we're heading back."