If someone asked me how my week was going, I'd probably say something like,
"Better than when I died, worse than when I first tasted takoyaki."
Between being mistaken as a criminal mastermind by my own followers and getting death-glares from Bakugo, life was exhausting.
Today, though… today I had plans.
Serious plans.
Step one: Go to Aldera Junior High early.
Step two: Avoid Bakugo.
Step three: Maybe talk to someone normal for once.
I left my riverside hideout (the gang was still snoring in various awkward positions) and headed to school. The morning air was chilly, but the streets were quiet. I liked moments like this.
I could almost forget I was a reincarnated guy with a mythical phoenix power who accidentally became a villain boss.
Almost.
"H-Hey… um, excuse me…"
I blinked and turned. There, clutching a notebook to his chest like it was a lifeline, stood a messy green-haired kid with freckles. His eyes were huge and anxious, like I'd caught him stealing my lunch money or something.
Midoriya Izuku.
I knew him. From my past life.
Back when I used to binge-watch My Hero Academia after work.
This kid… he was supposed to be the future Number One Hero.
The sight of him made my stomach twist.
He looked so tiny now. Still quirkless. Still chasing his impossible dream.
And still, somehow, managing to trip over his own shoes mid-sentence.
"I—I mean, sorry for stopping you, but… um, I just—uh—I noticed your feathers yesterday during P.E. and I…!"
His voice cracked like he was a faulty radio.
I blinked.
Feathers? Oh. Right. My phoenix regeneration accidentally kicked in when I scraped my knee yesterday. A tiny blue feather popped out before I could stop it.
I plastered on an awkward smile. "Ahaha… yeah, weird quirk, right?"
He brightened immediately. "No, it's amazing! I've never seen a transformation-type quirk like that with regenerative properties! Does it let you fly? How fast can you heal? Are the feathers detachable? Can you control the flames' temperature?"
He kept talking like a hyperactive hamster.
I just stood there, unsure if I should be proud, confused, or terrified.
"You… uh… study quirks or something?"
His face turned as red as a tomato.
"Ah! N-no! I mean—yes! I mean—I wanna be a hero!"
I knew that already. In another life, I'd rooted for this kid.
Even now, it made me kinda nostalgic.
"Well… good luck with that," I said, scratching my head.
He blinked. "Y-You too! You're taking the U.A. exam, right? I heard Kacchan, I mean Bakugo yelling about it yesterday…"
I groaned. "Yeah. He's not exactly subtle, huh?"
Midoriya laughed softly.
It was the first normal conversation I'd had in weeks.
Just then, Shun appeared out of nowhere like a horror movie jumpscare.
"Boss! There you are! We've been tailing the pro hero schedule at the station just like you ordered!"
Midoriya froze.
"…Boss?"
I glared at Shun. "I didn't order anything!"
But Midoriya was already panicking.
His eyes darted between us, his grip on his notebook tightening.
His overactive imagination probably firing at max speed.
"I-I-I should go! L-l-late for class!" He bolted.
I sighed.
"Well, there goes my one shot at a normal friend."
Shun looked confused. "What's his deal?"
"Nothing. Never mind."
As we headed into the school building, I glanced back.
Midoriya was still peeking around the corner, his eyes filled with a mix of terror and admiration.
Great.
Now the future Number One Hero probably thought I was a secret villain overlord infiltrating U.A. and threatening pro heroes.
At this rate, when the entrance exam came around, my biggest enemy wasn't gonna be the test.
It'd be surviving the misunderstandings.