A Cold January
One year ago
Jan 3, 21xx
Inigo Daiichi trudged through the snow-lined maze of Kyoto's backstreets. The chilly January morning was better spent alone than trudging to some stuffy shrine with his uncle’s family. Hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, he wandered aimlessly past shuttered shops, his breath puffing out. He’d only been in Kyoto for a month but it already bored him. Too confining, too cold, too many people lurking around every corner. Still, it beat the smothering hand of his clan awaiting back home.
As Inigo paused to shelter beneath a store’s awning, his construct dragon Gigan took roost on his shoulder, scales glinting emerald against the haze of falling snow. Inigo unfurled a slightly damp pamphlet for the famous hero academy, Shiketsu High. There's a thought. He could join this place and make his pops angry. A cocky grin quivered on his lips as he eyed the picture at front of a tall grinning monkey-boy and a short ample-chested blonde student. A school full of hotties could be fun. Gigan shot him a disapproving look.
Inigo rolled his eyes. Who cares what it thinks? What a useless quirk. All it did was judge him all day and turn into objects you can buy just about anywhere. He stuffed the pamphlet back into his coat and sighed.
Wandering on through the deserted streets, his steps slowed as a bone-deep weariness seeped into his limbs. How much longer could he keep running from his old life? From the Daiichi clan? The cold sank its teeth deeper but Inigo pressed on through the swirling snow, no destination in mind. Anywhere was better than going back...
Inigo sauntered past a moving truck idling outside an apartment building, plumes of exhaust fuming from its rear. A boy around Inigo's age stood grumbling nearby, arms crossed against the biting chill.
"I wanna go home! Why'd we have to move here?" the boy lamented in practiced Japanese. He had a stocky build and his winter coat strained slightly over his frame.
"Careful with that box," the boy said in practiced Japanese to one of the movers. The dark-haired kid took the box gingerly in his gloved hands. Inigo grinned. Whatever was in that box, it must be valuable. He scooped up a loose handful of snow and packed it into a tight ball. With expert aim, he lobbed it straight at the boy's face.
"AAACK!!"
The boy flinched as the snowball exploded on his nose. He dropped the box into a snowbank. Inigo dashed and snatched up his prize.
"Hey! Thanks for the gift, bozo!" Laughing, Inigo sprinted around the corner. He heard the boy yell in desperation and give chase. But Inigo was much quicker. He knew his way around the alleyways. He leaped gracefully onto a dumpster, then swung himself up onto a fire escape ladder. The metal creaked and groaned under his weight.
The chubby boy ran panting up to the bottom of the ladder. He couldn't reach it. Instead, he held out a gloved hand and fired a weak bolt of flame from his palm. Gigan swooped and blocked it effortlessly.
"Nice try, loser!" Inigo called down mockingly. "Welcome to Kyoto!"
He climbed to the 2nd platform of the fire escape. What did he score anyway? Inigo pried open the box. Just a bunch of boring notebooks. One said "Mom #8" on it. He rifled through the pages for some hidden valuables. Anything he could sell for a nice night in a hotel room. Maybe even some food. Ugh, it's just diary entries. This kid was a damn nerd.
"Hey! There's a man who needs help down here!" The boy suddenly shouted.
Inigo glanced down impatiently. "Yeah right, I'm not falling for-"
He stopped short. The kid was kneeling next to a large man curled up behind a trash can. Snow nearly covered his huddled form entirely. Even from the fire escape, Inigo could see the man's skin had turned pale blue. He was shuddering violently beneath a ski mask.
"Mister, are you okay?" The boy asked worriedly. He brushed snow off the man's coat. A faint groan escaped the man's blue lips.
The kid looked up at Inigo, panic in his eyes. "I don't have a signal! Do you have a phone? I think he's hypothermic!"
Inigo hesitated. Not his problem. Inigo climbed further up the icy fire escape. But then he heard the sound of paws crunching in the snow. He turned to see a pack of stray dogs entering the alley, drawn by the sounds the boy was making. They were shaggy, skinny creatures with sharp teeth and hungry eyes.
The chubby boy gasped as one dog snatched his glove and shook it aggressively.
"Hey, let go!" The boy tried to tug his glove free, but the dog snapped and growled. Its packmates crept closer, surrounding the boy.
Inigo paused on the ladder. This was a perfect chance to ditch the kid. He hesistated.
"Just run, idiot!" Inigo yelled down in frustration.
The boy shook his head stubbornly. “I can’t leave him!”
Inigo groaned. Had heroism fried this kid’s brain cells? Who cares if he gets chewed up? Or if some random dude freezes to death in an alley? One less loser in the world. His elder brother's voice echoed in his mind. Commoners are worthless sheep. Use them and throw them away. That's what Luccione would say too. The strong survive, the weak perish - so ran the creed. But then he heard a third voice - soft, and gentle. His mother's. What would she say? She would call him her brave hero, her little dragon-knight. On cue, Gigan looked at him with large pleading eyes.
Cursing under his breath, Inigo slid down the ladder. He kicked an empty beer can up and sent it flying towards the dog tugging the boy's glove. It struck the mutt's hindquarters with a hollow clunk. The dog yelped and let go, rounding on Inigo with a snarl.
Inigo backed up towards the unconscious man. "I can't believe I'm doing this.."
The pack closed in, snapping and circling the two boys. Inigo's palms sweated despite the cold.
"Gigan!" The little dragon squeaked eagerly. His form shifted into a glowing neon baseball bat with green wings. Inigo grabbed it and took a practice swing. Beside him, the dark-haired boy looked determined.
One scraggly dog lunged at Inigo's leg. He bashed it aside with the bat. "Back! Get back!"
The boy added his own defense, shooting small firebolts from his palms. But his hands shook badly. Most of the shots went wide, only angering the pack. With snarls and snaps, the dogs attacked as one. Razor teeth and claws came at the boys from all sides. Inigo swung his bat in a frenzy, bashing dogs left and right. The kid threw fire in wild panic, singing several mangy coats. as one of the dogs leaped at him, the kid's arm turned into solid stone. Just how many quirks did this kid have?
Finally, the pack had enough. With pained yips and whimpers, they turned tail and fled, leaving the boys breathless and bleeding from numerous bites and scratches. Gigan shifted back into his normal form and began licking Inigo's wounds worriedly.
Inigo winced at the stinging cuts but managed a shaky laugh. "Not bad, kid."
The boy gave a wobbly smile in return. "Y-yeah. We make a good team." Despite the trembling, he looked oddly proud of himself.
"I'm Inigo."
"I'm Christopher."
Inigo shook his head. What a dumb kid, facing down a vicious dog pack to protect a stranger.
They checked on the unconscious man, who seemed unharmed by the commotion. His skin still held an unhealthy blue pallor, and his breaths came in weak rasps.
"We need to warm him up fast," Christopher said, face etched with worry. He placed his palms near the man's chest and neck, letting loose a gentle heat. Inigo added some insulation by having Gigan wrap the man in soft blankets. He also pulled out an iron flask.
"Here, this'll help."
"Water?"
"Whiskey," He took a swig of the harsh liquor before pressing it to the man's lips.
The boy eyed the drink askance. "Um, isn't alcohol bad for hypothermia?"
"Nah, I've seen plenty of tough guys drink this stuff. It dilates blood vessels. Helps warm you up quick." Inigo took another swig. The whiskey seared a hot path down his throat and chest, driving away the chill.
"You want some?"
The kid grimaced. "Aren't we underage?"
"What are you, a fucking cop?" Inigo growled. At Christopher's meek look, he waved a hand. "More for us then." He offered the flask again and the man groaned faintly before taking a few swallows. Color slowly returned to his cheeks. Inigo sank beside the man with a tired sigh.
"I hate winter. And dogs. And people. God, I hate everything right now."
Christopher shivered and sat heavily beside him. "Y-yeah. Me too." He paused. "Except you, I guess. You're okay."
Inigo raised an eyebrow but found himself smiling. "Heh. Back at you, kid." He lightly punched the boy's shoulder. "Cold-weakness bros?"
The boy brightened and bumped his fist against Inigo's. "Cold-weakness bros."
Their camaraderie was interrupted by a sudden bout of harsh coughing. The man they'd saved convulsed and spat, groaning. Inigo noticed his coat and gloves were torn and bloody. This guy hadn't just passed out from the cold. He had been fighting.
"Hey man, you alright?" Inigo asked as the man caught his breath. "What happened to you anyway?"
The man slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. He was thickly built, with a square jaw and close-cut hair. The ski mask hid most of his face.
"What time is it?" he rasped, voice like gravel.
Christopher checked his phone. "Almost 6 am, sir."
The man exhaled in relief. "Thank god. Not late for work." He patted his coat and pulled out a battered wallet.
He eyed Inigo and Christopher up and down. "You kids like ramen? The least I can do is buy you breakfast for the help."
They exchanged a glance. Free food sounded great. And Inigo was curious what this guy's deal was.
"Ramen sounds great," he said. "I'm Inigo. This is..."
"Christopher," the boy supplied with a little bow.
"Name's Toru." The man rose unsteadily to his feet, giving them each a fist bump. "C'mon, I know a place nearby."
Inigo and Christopher made their way down the snowy streets towards the ramen shop. Toru led the way with long lumbering strides, his large frame casting a broad shadow, causing people to make way for the trio.
As they turned a corner, the stillness of the snow-cloaked street was disrupted by the rumble of an approaching engine. A sleek car cruised past, rich blue paint shimmering under the streetlights. Canadian flags adorned the hood and trunk. The vehicle slowed to a stop, exhaust fuming. The passenger door opened and out stepped a tall blonde woman, her ponytail swishing behind her. Dressed for warmer weather in a calf-length emerald skirt and thin blue coat, she crossed her arms against the chill.
"Sorry Becky. No time for breakfast, eh?" the driver said. "Gotta pick up my nephew from the airport."
As the car sped off, she sighed out a plume of frosty breath. Inigo's gaze swept appreciatively over the woman's figure, lingering on her long legs. A cocky grin spread across his face as he turned to his two companions.
"Don't wait up fer' me, fellas. I just got a late Christmas present." He quickly slicked back his tousled locks and sauntered over, confidence rolling off him in waves. Gigan squeaked in warning but was ignored.
"Hey beautiful, need a real man to take care of you?" Inigo purred, laying on the charm. "Why don't we head back to my place and I can mak-"
His words died abruptly on his lips as the woman turned to face him, revealing a very pregnant belly straining against her blouse. Inigo froze mid-sentence. His bravado shriveled. Christopher buried his face in his hands, mortified on his behalf. Even the stony-faced Toru averted his eyes, coughing gruffly into his fist. The woman's lips quivered in thinly veiled amusement as Inigo spluttered helplessly.
"We're getting ramen!" Toru called out to save Inigo. "Wanna join us? My treat."
"I could eat," the blonde woman replied, heading over. Inigo followed sheepishly.
"That was awkward.." Christopher said to Inigo as he rejoined them.
"Don't you start, nerd. It's a numbers game," Inigo said.
As the four were about to cross the street to the ramen shop, they found another commotion.
Traffic was halted and pedestrians were looking on in shock. A large scuttling creature was running down the street. Zipping through cars. It had far too many arms, dozens and dozens which crossed each other and sprouted down the length of an over-long body covered in a thin veil. Its myriapod body was carrying what looked like a large white refrigerator. It was snickering loudly.
A lean green-haired woman with a chameleon's tail, wearing a leather catsuit sat on top of the refrigerator. "Hurry up, he's gaining on us!" the green-haired woman yelled in annoyance.
"When you said you wanted to raid his fridge in the morning... this isn't what I imagined," Bogey spoke in a hush irritated tone.
Off in the distance, a masked pro-hero yelled out, dragon wings growing out of his half-morphed frame. "Come back here, Cammy! I won't let you escape with my fridge!"
As the odd chase passed them, Christopher and Inigo shared a look and shrugged. The blonde woman lit a cigarette and sighed. Toru grunted. "I hate heroes... All they do is show off."
The ramen shop was warm and cozy. Toru ordered several steaming bowls for the table. As they waited, he told the boys a bit about himself.
"I work at an office, been at this damn project all month. Boss is a real slave driver, barely any time off. Worked us through the blizzard last night to meet deadline. Stupid Nyoro-kachou," Toru spat and rolled his shoulder as if it pained him.
Toru pulled out the battered wallet again, this time removing a sleek, black one inside. But I got a nice souvenir for my trouble."
He opened it to show a driver's license with a plain-looking Japanese man. 'Nyoro Nissori' the ID read.
Toru smirked and tapped the photo. "Swiped this beauty off my dickhead boss. He could stand to pay for our meals after what he puts the office through. Let's see, what else does he have here-" Toru started looking through the wallet, pulling pieces out.
Inigo glanced at the wallet's inner fold. He spotted a faded photograph tucked away of a boy, perhaps 13 or 14, with neat black hair and glasses.
"Who's the boy?" Christopher asked, noticing the picture.
"Eh, his son probably." Toru squinted at the photo. "Ugly little brat, like his father. Poor kid probably has it hard too. Nyoro-kachou works us half to death. No breaks." He rambled on.
Inigo frowned at Toru's ill-treatment. But the boy in the photo... Something tugged at Inigo's mind. He palmed the photo while Toru was distracted flipping through the cash and cards. The boy had delicate features and an intense gaze. He tensed and tucked the picture into his wallet. Why the hell was he staring at a random dude? Especially when there was a hottie nearby.
Inigo grinned and turned to the blonde woman. "So, Becky.. was it? Should we set a date in two to three months? In case you need a hunky babysitter?"
Becky turned away from her bowl and looked at Inigo. "You never stop do you?"
"Oh no. Never. Not until I get a yes," Inigo said with a wink.
Becky frowned. She looked at the two boys and at the collection of bites, scratches, and bruises marking their skin.
"Goodness, what happened to you two? You're roughed up."
Christopher rubbed his arm self-consciously. "Oh, we uh, had a run-in with some alley dogs on the way here."
Inigo grinned and flexed one of his bite-marked arms. "You should've seen the other guys!"
Rebecca tsked and shook her head. "You're both lucky to be in one piece. Dogs can be vicious." She eyed them critically. "Although...rabies is nothing to trifle with. You're lucky I'm a nurse." She began rummaging in her bag.
Inigo leaned in and gave the woman his most roguish grin. "I do like nurses. Y'know, I'm willing to get a private physical any time." He rolled up his sleeve to offer his muscular arm.
Rebecca didn't even blink. She swabbed his skin briskly with an alcohol wipe. "Hold still."
Before Inigo could react, she had jabbed in a needle and depressed the plunger.
"OWW! What kind of foreplay is this?" Inigo griped, rubbing his arm and eyeing her balefully.
"That was a rabies shot, which you sorely need," Rebecca replied matter-of-factly, dropping the used syringe in a sharps container and picking up another one. "Can't be too careful."
Christopher recoiled instinctively. Before he could slip off his stool, she had deftly jabbed a needle into his shoulder. He yelped.
"Oww.. Not gentle!" Christopher added reproachfully.
Rebecca neatly disposed of the used syringes. "Consider that your warning to be more careful in the future."
Inigo scowled and scooted a few seats down, rubbing his sore arm. Rebecca resumed delicately eating her noodles. Across from them, Toru watched the entire exchange with amusement. "She got you good, kids. Best listen to the nurse's orders 'less you want another poke." He laughed uproariously and slapped Christopher on the back. "Course' I'll be sleeping in a different alley next time! If ya wanna wake me up again!"
Inigo and Christopher exchanged looks and kept eating quietly.
After polishing off his ramen, Toru let out a satisfied belch and slapped some bills onto the counter. "Thanks again for the help earlier. You're good kids, you better not let me catch you starting trouble," he said gruffly, giving Inigo and Christopher each a fist bump. "Find something to be passionate about so you don't end up in a dead-end job like me, you hear? Find a nice gym, and learn martial arts or something."
Inigo and Christopher nodded with mouths of full ramen noodles.
Toru lumbered towards the street just as Rebecca gathered her things as well. "Let me pay for my half," she offered, chasing after Toru.
But he waved her off. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it. My boss Nyoro's treating us today!" He held up the stolen wallet with a grin. "You wanna share a cab?" Rebecca nodded and followed as they headed out into the snowy streets.
Now alone at the counter, Christopher turned to Inigo. "Hey, I saw you had one of these?" He pulled out a crumpled pamphlet for Shiketsu High School, pointing eagerly at the hero program advertised on the cover.
Inigo just slurped up the last of his noodles with a noncommittal shrug.
"It's not a bad program. I've decided to join it. Hero students get access to state-of-the-art training facilities, connections to top agencies, and famous pros who are alumni like Saurus. He's ranked #3 right now."
Inigo quickly cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah, sounds lame. Playing hero and risking my neck for strangers, so I can get prodded with needles, right after? Hard pass. This was a one-time thing," He leaned back and crossed his arms.
Before Christopher could muster a rebuttal, a new voice spoke up from across the ramen counter.
"I don't think it's lame. Society needs heroes."
The boys turned to see a lean, dark-haired teen in a tattered long coat looking at them as he aggressively slurped his noodles. "I'm gonna be one of them," he continued. "Shiketsu's the first step." His violet eyes were cold and assessing.
Inigo immediately bristled. "Oh yeah? And just who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The teen set down his bowl calmly. "Name's not important. I'm just saying those entrance exams weed out the weak posers real fast. Not just any loser can get in. You'll need a strong quirk." His eyes bore into Inigo and Christopher, making an obvious implication.
Inigo clenched his fist. "You don't know shit about our quirks, asshole. I'll kick those exams' easily." Gigan squeaked defiantly from his shoulder.
"Yeah, we already have battle experience," Christopher noted.
The violet-eyed boy gave a derisive snort, staring at the green wobbly dragon. "Sure, tough guy. We'll see if you even qualify with your weak quirk," He dropped some coins on the counter for his meal. "Just don't get in my way," he said before stalking out into the snowy night.
As the teen exited, an awkward silence lingered between Inigo and Christopher. Inigo fumed and turned to Christopher. "You believe that asshole? I'll show him who's weak..." He cracked his knuckles.
Christopher patted him on the shoulder, "Well, you'll get a chance to see him again in Shiketsu. By the way, is that dragon... your quirk?"
"Yeah, this is Gigan. Cool, huh?" Inigo said grinning, holding up the small dragon in his palm. "He doesn't do much right now though."
He trailed off when he noticed Christopher was staring straight ahead, eyes wide and clouded white. Fat tears began leaking down his round cheeks.
"Uh, you okay dude?" Inigo asked warily.
Christopher suddenly burst into ear-splitting wails, making Inigo jump. Nearby diners turned to stare. A small wisp of black smoke manifested on the bawling boy's shoulder.
"What the hell? Pull it together, man!" Inigo looked around anxiously. Now people were really looking. He did NOT need this scene right now. Time to go.
"Y-y-your quirk!" Christopher blubbered. "I-it's, it's-"
"Spit it out already!" Inigo snapped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an off-duty policeman glance their way. Shit. Time to go.
"Look, I gotta bounce before things get ugly," he said, sliding out of his seat. "Get home safe, weirdo."
He slipped away quickly, leaving Christopher to his mystery meltdown. Strange dude, Inigo thought as he hurried off into the night. Alone in the alleys again, Inigo pulled out his flask for warmth. As he walked, he thumbed through his wallet and paused on the school pamphlet. The short blonde cover girl really was hot. And if famous heroes like Popsy went there, it had to be legit...
His gaze moved to the stolen picture of the dark-haired boy with glasses. What was it about him? Just looking at it made Inigo's heart skip a beat. He turned the picture.
"Hoge." Well, that's a stupid name.
With a shake of his head, Inigo took a long swig and tucked the wallet away. It's been a weird as hell first day of the year... He was just starting to like that Christopher kid, before his meltdown. He would've been... Inigo's first friend... As he looked up, Inigo saw the snow start to fall again. For a moment there, it felt kinda nice having people to talk to. It felt warm. Gigan mewed sympathetically and transformed into a scarf around his neck. Great. Even his dragon's pitying him.
He changed directions and started for his apartment. It was time to drink until he forgot everything. If he remembers Shiketsu in the morning... then maybe he'll check it out.
Three months.
He had three months to train his quirk into something useful and pass the entrance exam.
Bonus Scene:
1 week later
Inigo stood with his arms crossed, glaring around at the bizarre assortment of students that made up the Shiketsu hero course tour. When he made up his mind to come here he had imagined seeing a bunch of high-ranking heroes and scantily-clad babes. But one glance at this freakshow and he knew he was in the wrong place. Not a single cute girl was in sight among the menagerie of scales, fur, and various appendages that filled the classroom. The few relatively normal-looking ones had off-putting quirks like the creepy breathing mask worn by a blonde in the middle row. Inigo shuddered and averted his gaze.
As the students were herded for a tour of the facilities, Inigo's confusion only deepened. He saw not a single training area, combat ring, or locker room as they shuffled through a maze of drab offices and computer labs. Even the tall, mysterious figure leading them, shrouded under a dark hood and going by 'Mr. WGWL', seemed more like an accountant than a pro hero.
Eventually, the tour group was deposited in a sterile lecture hall. Inigo slouched into a seat in the back row and propped his chin glumly on one fist. Up front, Mr. WGWL began droning on about some arcane contest involving a hallowed old desk that was apparently a great honor to possess. Inigo didn't even pretend to follow the convoluted rules laid out like how you had to sit on the desk for three whole days to claim it, instead letting his gaze wander around the room. There had to be something interesting in this nuthouse, right?
Unfortunately, the only classmate who caught his eye was a reptilian boy seated next to him with a crest of spikes running down his back. As Inigo watched, the lizard boy busily scribbled down every word of Mr. WGWL's rambling lecture, beady eyes narrowed in concentration. Well, at least someone was into this crap.
Bored out of his mind, Inigo leaned forward and tapped the scaly kid on the shoulder. "Hey man, any idea when they'll finally talk about hero stuff and the entrance exam?" he whispered.
The short lizard boy wrinkled his snout in annoyance. "Hero stuff? Don't bother me with your nonsense, weakling," he hissed back. "I must pay perfect attention if I am to become ruler of this class!" With that, he pointedly turned his back on Inigo and moved to a different seat.
"Geez, okay Mr. President, no need to get your scales in a twist," Inigo muttered under his breath. He leaned back and resumed scanning the room. Somewhere in this madhouse, there had to be a salvageable hottie, right?
"I'm sure I spotted a cute elf chick earlier. Now where did she disappear to?" he murmured quietly.
"Looking for me?" a soft voice murmured right next to his ear, making Inigo flinch. He whirled around to find the dark elf girl standing in the aisle, regarding him with moss-green eyes and a faint smile. She was sorta cute, barely over five feet tall, with dainty pointed ears peeking through her long silvery hair.
"I'm Lilinah Inoue, but please call me Riri," she introduced herself in a lilting voice. "I heard you talking about me from over there." She gestured vaguely to the opposite side of the room.
Inigo blinked, impressed by her incredible hearing. He quickly flashed his most roguish grin. "Well hey there, gorgeous. Name's Inigo and I gotta say, your ears are really cu-"
A sudden loud wheezing from his other side made him jump. Inigo turned to see another female classmate had somehow snuck up on him - the creepy girl with the elaborate breathing mask obscuring most of her face. Up close, the respirator's hissing took on an almost menacing quality. Hmm, but maybe with a paper bag?
"Hey. Do you guys like Heartbeat?"
Riri shook her head.
"I don't know what that is," Inigo frowned.
"She's a pop idol. I have all her songs," The girl wheezed.
"Uh.. We're kinda busy here," Inigo said. Sighing, he put on his charming demeanor again and turned back to the elf girl. "So Riri, what do you say we go on a date and get to know each other better?" He winked suggestively.
Riri just cocked her head thoughtfully. "What is your family's net worth?" she inquired in a businesslike tone.
Inigo faltered, not expecting that kind of question at all. His family's assets? Why would she care about that stuff? "Uh, I'm not really sure-" he started awkwardly. He was rescued from answering by the arrival of another classmate - an old-looking boy with short white hair who somehow gave off the vibe of a middle-aged salaryman despite being a teenager like the rest of them.
"You'll have to excuse Riri, we're all of course concerned with status and pedigree," the boy remarked, sounding and looking forty years older than Inigo. He extended a hand, "Name's Okimoto Chisaka. Don't worry, we can explain." Riri and Chisaka launched into a lengthy spiel about net worth analysis, profit sharing, brand sponsorships, and other business concepts that might as well have been a foreign language to Inigo. He tried to keep up, he really did, but it was no use.
Lost in the finance babble, Inigo snapped. "Whoa, hold up!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. The whole class turned to look at his outburst. "I'm not here for this. When are we getting to the hero stuff already?? This has to be the weirdest tour in history!"
Mr. WGWL peered over his lectern at Inigo, nonplussed by the disruption. "Young man, this is the business course tour, not the hero course," he intoned calmly. "That class is in the next building over."
Inigo froze, his face fell as the classroom erupted into laughter at his mistake. From a few rows up, the uppity lizard boy let out a derisive hiss. "NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" he called out mockingly, setting off more snickering.
Trying valiantly to recover some shred of dignity, Inigo turned back to Riri with his cockiest grin. "Sooo, about that dinner..."
But the elf girl only shook her head, suppressed mirth. Her ridiculous questions about money suddenly made a lot more sense - she wasn't even in the hero course. A bit flustered, he hunched his shoulders and slunk out of the classroom under the jeering laughter of Class 1-C. Inigo shuffled dejectedly down the hallway, mentally kicking himself.
Before he got far, heavy footfalls announced the approach of another student behind him. Inigo turned angrily, expecting more mockery, but was instead met with a beaming smile on the face of a giant blond boy looming over him.
"Friend! Let me help you find the hero class!" a seven-foot Norwegian student boomed in broken Japanese. "I'm Ysmir Dragonborn. "
Before Inigo could protest, the human mountain had steered him down the hall with a meaty hand on his back. Despite everything, Inigo found himself talking to the hulking foreigner.
"You look tough enough to be in the hero course, dude."
Ysmir shook his head. "This is not what my family wants."
"Well, alright. Good luck with your weird business arena thing," he said as they arrived at the hero course building. "I'll be rooting for ya."
Ysmir's grin widened further. "Many thanks! I shall be victorious! By the way, do you know who that is?" He nodded over to an equally tall muscular girl with green hair amongst the hero course tour and stared.
"Huh, the pelvis crusher? No idea. Want me to get her number?" Inigo snickered.
Ysmir shook his head. "No. That won't be necessary, but she looks nice, yes?" With that, he lumbered off, leaving Inigo alone once more.
As he walked forward, Inigo spotted the violet-eyed boy standing outside the building. It was the guy who called his quirk useless.
"Hey- did I see you go on the business course tour? Heh. Did you get lost?"
"Shut up!" Inigo growled as he stomped towards the room. There better be some hotties in there. Steeling himself, Inigo stepped inside the lecture hall where he immediately bumped into a blurry boy next to the door. "Out of my way, bozo!"
With an irritated huff, Inigo plopped down near the back just as the teacher kept speaking. As the hero course introduction droned on, Inigo's thoughts kept drifting back to the business class, and more specifically, the cute elf girl Riri. He wished she was in this room instead of the weird train guy sneaking bites of coal while the teacher wasn't looking.
A dopey smile crossed Inigo's face. Maybe he'd sneak back over to 1-C and get Riri and the Mask girl's numbers. A hot future hero like himself deserved equally stunning babes in his arms after all. And once he unleashed his all-out attack, no girls in this school would be able to resist him!
New Years ED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xIIbpGuKkU