I have no powers, but I've got two hands and I know how to use them.

Hello everyone.

When I reach chapter 12, I'll start uploading advance chapters to my Patreon. For a while, I'll stop posting here to focus on that platform. For now, it's just symbolic: a way to motivate myself to keep writing.

I'm currently unemployed, so any kind of support—no matter how small—means a lot to me.

If I ever stop uploading chapters for more than a week, it's probably because work got to me.

[email protected]/novelwisp

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After walking through several hallways, I finally arrived at the door of Classroom 1-A.

I had made sure to get here really early. First impressions matter, and I had no intention of coming across as a weird loner or an arrogant guy. I needed to get along with everyone… or at least, not make anyone dislike me. Especially the main character.

My future plans depended heavily on that.

Things seemed to go well with Mina… though, of course, it's Mina. She's naturally outgoing, friendly, and has no trouble talking to strangers. As long as you don't spit in her face or insult her directly, she'll probably smile at you. But I couldn't assume the rest of the class would be the same.

Truth was, since I arrived in this world, I hadn't made any friends my age.

Maybe because of my quirk—or more accurately, because I didn't have one.

People tended to distance themselves when they found out. Even teachers, though they tried to hide it, had that look of pity in their eyes. Some kids used to tease me, others just ignored me altogether.

And I didn't really make much of an effort either.

I'd always been more focused on my inventions than on making friends. Which only made my already rusty social skills from my previous life completely fall apart.

I was well aware of it.

But I couldn't keep going like that anymore.

This was U.A.

And if I wanted to survive what was coming… I'd need allies. People I could trust. Classmates.

So, I took a deep breath, straightened my uniform, and pushed open the door.

To my surprise, there were already two students inside the classroom.

The first was tall, standing with perfect posture, glasses shining under the classroom lights, his back completely straight in his seat. I immediately knew who he was: Iida Tenya.

The second was a girl sitting near the window, her dark hair tied up in a high ponytail. She had a book open in front of her and seemed completely absorbed in her reading. Yaoyorozu Momo.

Both of them turned when they heard the door open.

—Good morning —I said, giving a slight bow.

Iida stood up instantly.

—Good morning! —he replied energetically—. I am Iida Tenya, graduate of Soumei Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you.

His voice was strong and clear, like he was delivering a speech. He extended his hand and I shook it.

—Tachibana Riku. Nice to meet you.

He nodded enthusiastically, then glanced at my uniform and backpack.

—You arrived quite early. That shows dedication! I'm sure we'll start off on the right foot.

—That's the idea —I replied, smiling.

It was clear he was the responsible type. Maybe a little too responsible.

After a bit of small talk about how exciting it was to be here and how impressive the building was, he returned to his seat.

My next target was obvious.

Momo Yaoyorozu.

She had already gone back to reading her book. It didn't seem like she expected anyone to approach her.

I walked over carefully and spoke in a polite tone.

—Good morning.

She glanced up slightly, raising one eyebrow, a bit surprised someone was talking to her.

—Ah, good morning —she replied, calmly closing her book—. Sorry, I was focused. You are…?

—Tachibana Riku. Nice to meet you.

I extended my hand naturally. She glanced at it for a moment before shaking it with elegant ease.

—Yaoyorozu Momo —she said with a small, polite smile—. Nice to meet you as well.

Her voice was soft and refined. Every word carefully chosen. It was obvious she'd grown up in a well-mannered, privileged environment. I wasn't wrong.

The Yaoyorozu family had a multi-million dollar fortune. If I remembered right, in that Christmas special I'd seen years ago—whether from the manga or anime, I couldn't even recall anymore—she gave Iida a gold bar as a present. A. Gold. Bar.

It was clear that getting along with her wasn't just a bonus… it was almost as important as getting along with the protagonist. In the future, if I wanted to develop high-end equipment—and avoid begging for cheap parts on sketchy forums—I'd need investment. Funding. Materials.

I had to stop myself from having literal dollar signs in my eyes like some cartoon character.

But obviously, she couldn't know that.

—I'm a little nervous about the first day —I said, keeping a casual tone—. Did you get here early to prepare too?

—Oh, not so much because of nerves —she replied—. I just thought it would be good to review a bit before more people showed up. I believe it's important to make use of every study opportunity.

Of course you do, genius rich girl.

—A solid habit. I mostly… just didn't want to get lost —I joked.

She let out a small laugh—brief but genuine. Score one for me.

After a few more seconds of light conversation—comments about the campus, the entrance exam, and how exciting it was to be here—I saw my opening and went for it.

Literally.

—Mind if I sit here? —I asked, pointing to the empty seat beside her.

—Go ahead —she replied without hesitation.

Sorry, Shoto, I thought as I took the seat next to her. You'll have to find a different chair.

Soon, more students started arriving.

And to my surprise, Iida seemed to have the same plan as me… or maybe that's just how he was.

Every time someone walked through the door, he would stand up and greet them energetically, introducing himself in a tone that made it sound like he was hosting some formal diplomatic event.

Some students were caught off guard, others smiled, and a few stared at him like they couldn't decide whether to admire him or steer clear. His intensity definitely made an impression. Whether good or bad? Hard to tell.

I took advantage of his approach.

After Iida finished his introduction and the newcomer sat down, I'd casually walk over. Friendly smile, casual hello, and a bit of small talk. Nothing too intense—stuff about the exam, the building, the uniforms… anything light to break the ice without coming off as desperate.

I wasn't making close friends, but at least I was being seen as approachable.

Of course, it didn't work on everyone.

Todoroki Shoto walked in silently, with that cold, distant aura that seemed to lower the room's temperature. Iida greeted him. Shoto gave a simple nod. I tried to approach, but he didn't even glance my way. Sat down, pulled out a notebook, and never looked up again. Fine. One for later.

Bakugou… well, he was Bakugou.

The moment he stepped in, he threw a glare at the whole room like we were all beneath him. Iida greeted him enthusiastically. Bakugou just grunted something. When I tried to say hi, I didn't even get through the sentence.

—Get lost, extra —he snapped, not even slowing his pace.

Right. No surprises there.

I wanted to fire back with something just as sharp, but I remembered my face wouldn't survive a point-blank explosion this early in the morning. So I just walked away without saying anything. No point trying to befriend someone who might blow up my chair just because I used the wrong tone.

Tokoyami… was interesting.

He wasn't rude—not at all. In fact, he nodded respectfully when I greeted him. But I couldn't read him. Literally. His face was that of a bird. I had no idea if he felt awkward, indifferent, or if he just wasn't used to small talk. We exchanged a couple of vague comments about how gloomy the atmosphere was—jokingly, or at least that's what I told myself—and then he went quiet again.

It was a little awkward. But hey, not everyone could be like Mina.

That thought had barely crossed my mind when she walked in, stepping into the classroom with her usual energy, accompanied by a guy with bright red hair.

—Riku! —Mina called out as soon as she saw me, waving enthusiastically—. I knew you'd pass the exam!

She marched right up to me and, before I could react, grabbed my arm and dragged me—without asking—toward the guy she was with.

—This is Kirishima Eijiro. He's awesome! Kiri, this is the guy I told you about!

—The one who went straight for the zero-point robot? That was super manly! —Kirishima grinned, holding out his hand—. Great to meet you, Riku!

—Tachibana Riku. Pleasure's mine —I replied, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, friendly. The kind of guy you could get along with easily.

I tried to keep the conversation going, but by the time Mina finished talking, another student had already arrived, and I missed my window to introduce myself. I glanced over at the newcomer.

Mineta.

Yeah… not exactly a social or strategic loss.

The classroom was filling up fast. I did a quick headcount of familiar faces. Everyone seemed to be there. Well, almost everyone.

Three were still missing.

Izuku Midoriya. Ochako Uraraka. And Koji Koda.

Although…

I glanced at the available seats. Counted again. One seat short. From where I was sitting, it looked like Koda's usual spot was empty.

My stomach twisted just a little.

Was I the one who replaced him?

I hoped so.

Because if I took Midoriya's spot… or Uraraka's…

I might have just doomed the world.

Izuku was the inheritor of One For All. The key to defeating All For One. The backbone of the whole story. If I had replaced him, I hadn't just derailed the narrative—I'd just left the world without its strongest hope.

And if it was Uraraka…

Well, she wasn't as pivotal in the grand scheme of things, but she was still a good person. A promising hero. And, more importantly, one of Izuku's few consistent emotional supports.

—Screw you, Four-Eyes! —we suddenly heard from across the room.

Everyone turned their heads, almost in unison.

There was Bakugou, leaning back in his chair with his feet kicked up on his desk like he owned the place. Standing in front of him was Iida, visibly tense, pointing a trembling finger at him while trying to keep his composure.

—That's completely disrespectful! —Iida said, stern as a courtroom prosecutor—. We are at the prestigious U.A.! Kindly remove your feet from the desk immediately!

Oh… wait.

This scene. This line.

I knew it.

Of course! This was that first clash between them from the anime. That classic moment where Iida tried to enforce the rules and Bakugou told him to screw off in stereo. Which meant…

I glanced at the door, heart starting to race.

And sure enough.

There he was.

Izuku Midoriya had just walked in.

From that point, everything played out just like I remembered from the anime: Iida went over to Midoriya and struck up a conversation, then Uraraka arrived, all friendly and cheerful like always. Finally, our homeroom teacher showed up.

His entrance was just as dry and blunt as I remembered. No sugarcoating, no warm introductions—he made it clear we weren't here to make friends, we were here to become heroes. His introduction was short, almost harsh, but it got the point across.

What really mattered came after: he handed out our training uniforms and told us to head out to change.

The real test was about to begin.