SWNOVELXO Chapter 16: Chapter 16 First Day Of School 2
The next hour passed in what I could only describe as controlled chaos.
Mr. Hayashi tried his best to maintain a normal classroom atmosphere, but it was like trying to conduct an orchestra while someone played death metal in the corner. Every few minutes, Bakugo would shift in his seat, and I could practically feel the heat radiating off his barely contained rage.
"Now, if we look at the Battle of Sekigahara..." Mr. Hayashi droned on, pointing at the blackboard where he'd drawn a crude map of the battlefield.
I took notes dutifully, partly because I actually found the subject interesting, and partly because I could sense half the class sneaking glances at me instead of paying attention. The other half were watching Bakugo like he was a ticking time bomb.
Which, let's be honest, he pretty much was.
A folded piece of paper landed on my desk. I opened it discreetly.
*Are you really friends with Bakugo?* was written in careful handwriting.
I glanced around and caught the eye of a girl with short brown hair in the second row. She was trying to look casual while obviously waiting for my response.
I wrote back: *Define "friends."*
When she read it, she had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Another note, this time from a different direction: *What's your quirk really? The rumors say you fought a villain.*
This one came from a boy near the window who looked like he spent his free time reading hero magazines.
*It's complicated,* I wrote back.
From the back, someone else threw another. Just, this one wasn't very well aimed.
I didn't know if it was an accident or on purpose because back on Earth, everyone knew how to throw a paper note and not let the teacher notice. I noticed of course. Partially because even with My super senses turned off, they weren't actually turned off. Just kept at the base minimum which was more than what the average human could achieve.
Which is not really that great after I saw a kid with ears the size of an elephant that still somehow managed to defy gravity and not make him look like Dumbo from the Disney shows.
Also partially because .... "Damn! It's floating."
A voice broke through the feigned quiet of the class, causing everyone, even the teacher to look at me if they already weren't.
About eight centimeters away from my head was a paper note that should have hit me but of course, hit my infinity shield.
'Might as well take the chance.'
I turned around and looked at the boy at the back with stretchy fingers who was a bit stunned and uttered.
"You're probably a ... Curious bunch, but. Don't throw stuff at my head."
The classroom went silent.
What I thought would be the end of one episode led to another. By the end of the period, I had a small collection of notes asking everything from my quirk details to my relationship status to whether I was planning to apply to U.A. The social dynamics of teenagers were apparently universal across dimensions.
When the bell rang, Hayashi-sensei looked relieved. "Alright, everyone, ten-minute break before English. Takumi-san, could I speak with you for a moment?"
The classroom erupted into conversation the moment he stopped talking. I made my way to his desk while students filtered out into the hallway.
"How are you adjusting so far?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
"Fine, thank you. Though I think I might have underestimated how much attention I'd draw."
He chuckled. "Well, you did make quite an entrance. Bakugo's not usually so... explosive during class."
"Meh. I know him. Saved his butt once. His inferiority complex is kicking in. I have that effect on most people."
"Mm." He studied my face carefully. "Your mother mentioned you might have some difficulty with social situations due to your... circumstances. But you seem to be handling things well."
"I'm adaptable."
"Good. Just... try to keep the antagonism to a minimum, would you? I'd rather not have to explain to the principal why my classroom spontaneously combusted."
"I'll do my best."
As I turned to leave, he called after me. "Oh, and Takumi? If you need anything—academic support, counseling resources, someone to talk to—don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
____
## Classroom Dynamics - Multiple POVs
### Ayumi Tanaka (Brown-haired girl)
'Oh my god, he's actually kind of cute when he's not making Bakugo look like he's about to commit murder.'
Ayumi tried to look casual as she watched the new student—Kenneth? Rei? She wasn't sure which name to use—gather his things. He moved with this weird confidence that wasn't quite arrogance but definitely wasn't normal either.
"Tanaka-san," her friend Yuki whispered, sliding into the seat beside her. "Are you staring at the new guy again?"
"I'm not staring," Ayumi protested, immediately proving that she was, in fact, staring. "I'm just... observing. He's interesting."
"Interesting? He just made Bakugo lose his mind in under five minutes. That's not interesting, that's suicidal."
Ayumi glanced over at Bakugo, who was currently radiating enough heat to warm the entire classroom while glaring daggers at absolutely nothing. "Yeah, but did you see how calm he stayed? Like, Bakugo was literally exploding and this guy just... stood there making jokes."
"That's what I mean! Who does that?"
"Someone confident," Ayumi said thoughtfully. "Are you hearing what the guys are saying?"
"Huh? Which guys." Yuki's eyes widened. "Kuda and Kinichi?"
"Bakugo's Goons? What about them?"
##Yuda (Bakugo's Friend)
"You can't be serious."
"Hell yeah I am. We were there."
In a small gathering of boys with some girls around eavesdropping, sounds of exclamations ad disbelief rang constantly.
Yuda, the kid with stretchy fingers whispered low so Bakugo up ahead wouldn't overhear.
"The fire incident last week at the shopping Mall. He was the one."
"The guy who defeated that villain?"
"Yeah, with one move. It was all over the evening news."
"Hehe. Who still watches the evening news?"
"I do sadly. My parents make it mandatory to learn about the happenings of the hero community so our chances of running into such incidents will be much lower."
"Sucks to be you Sai."
"No damn way. Of course I know this guy. My dad works at the Police station down Flores. He came home raging that the kid who stopped a monster threw the entire police station under the bus."
"He roasted the Police?"
"Yeah. I had to watch it online. It was sick. My dad's the chief, and he's been receiving calls ever since."
"Yeah. You think Bakugo was cool? You got the see that video. Just one hit and that sludge guy couldn't even move an inch. His quirk is terrifying."
"But how do they know each other? Shouldn't they be strangers when they met?"
"Didn't you hear? He called Katsuki neighbor. My guess is they live close to each other."
"Did you see how Bakugo exploded when he saw him?"
"Are they enemies or ex-boyfriends?"
"He called him 'boom-boom boy.' I can't."
"Totally a transfer from a top school. No way he talks like that without backing it up."
"What guy from a top school would come here? We don't even have a U.A graduate."
"No way he survives the week if he keeps poking Bakugo."
### Hiroshi Nakamura (Hero magazine enthusiast)
*A real hero in our class. An actual hero.*
Hiroshi's hands were practically shaking as he pulled out his phone to text his older brother.
*Dude, you're not going to believe this. Remember that new hero from the news? The one with the rod quirk who took down a villain? He's in my class.*
The response came back almost immediately: *BS. Prove it.*
Hiroshi glanced around the classroom, then carefully angled his phone to get a discrete shot of Ken. The lighting wasn't great, but it was definitely recognizable.
*Holy crap,* came the reply. *That's actually him. What's he like?*
*Kinda scary? He made Bakugo look like a toddler having a tantrum. Also I think half the girls in class are already crushing on him.*
*Figures. Mystery hero shows up at school, saves the day, probably brooding and attractive. It's like a manga plot.*
Hiroshi looked over at Ken again. He wasn't exactly brooding—more like calmly amused by everything going on around him. But there was definitely something about the way he carried himself that screamed 'main character energy.'
*Think he'll sign an autograph?*
*Don't be weird about it.*
*I'm not being weird! I'm being... appreciative of heroic achievements.*
*That's what weird people always say.*
---
"He's seventeen and in our class? How does that even work?"
"Family issues, he said. Probably had to repeat a year or something."
"Or maybe he's some kind of genius who skipped grades when he was younger but then had to take time off?"
"Alright, spill it girl. How many Romance Novels have you gotten hung up on?"
"Either way, he's definitely not normal."
---
"Ten yen says Bakugo challenges him to a fight before the day's over."
"Are you kidding? That's not a bet, that's free money. Of course he's going to challenge him."
"Twenty yen says the new guy wins."
"Deal."
## Bakugo's POV
*This is ridiculous. This is absolutely, completely, utterly ridiculous.*
Katsuki gripped his pencil so hard he was surprised it didn't snap in half. Around him, his classmates were chattering like excited birds about the new student, and every word was like nails on a chalkboard.
*"He's so cool."*
*"Did you see how he handled Bakugo?"*
*"I wonder what his quirk really does."*
*"He's kind of mysterious, isn't he?"*
Mysterious. Right. The bastard wasn't mysterious—he was a walking headache with a god complex and apparently no sense of self-preservation.
What made it worse was that Katsuki could feel Ken's presence behind him like a constant itch between his shoulder blades. Not doing anything, not saying anything, just... existing. Being annoyingly calm while Katsuki felt like his blood pressure was approaching dangerous levels.
And the worst part? The absolute worst part?
Everyone was eating it up.
His classmates—*his* classmates, people he'd known for years—were looking at this random extra like he was All Might's secret successor or something. Whispering about how impressive he was, how confident, how powerful.
All things they should have been saying about him
*I'm the one who's going to U.A.,* he thought furiously. *I'm the one with the explosive quirk and the perfect grades and the natural talent. I'm the one who's going to be the number one hero.*
But somehow, in the span of a single morning, this smug bastard had walked into *his* classroom and made Katsuki look like... like...
Like a side character.
The thought made his palms spark involuntarily, earning him a warning look from Hayashi-sensei.
*Fine,* Katsuki decided, forcing his quirk under control. *If that's how you want to play it, then we'll settle this properly. After school. No teachers, no rules, just you and me.*
*And I'll show everyone exactly who the real hero is.*
## Midoriya's POV - Flashback Triggered
Watching Ken calmly deflect another question from a curious classmate, something tugged at the back of Izuku's mind. The way he spoke, that slight tilt of his head when he was thinking, the careful politeness that somehow still managed to sound genuine...
*I've seen this before.*
The thought hit him like a lightning bolt, and suddenly he was Three years old again, hiding behind his mother's legs as she talked to another woman at the playground.
---
*"Inko, it's so good to see you again!" The woman had a warm smile and tired eyes, like she'd been carrying a heavy weight for a long time.*
*"Akira, you too!" His mother's voice was bright with genuine affection. "It's been a while since I've seen you"*
*The woman—Mitsuki—nodded. "By the way. I want you to meet someone."*
*She turned and beckoned to someone behind her. "Rei, come say hello."*
*A boy stepped out from behind a tree—slightly older than Izuku, with greyish dark hair and sharp eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. He was holding a small notebook and pencil, like he'd been drawing or writing something.*
*"Hello," the boy said politely, bowing slightly. "I'm Rei. You must be Midoriya-san. My mom talks about you a lot."*
*"Oh!" Izuku's mother beamed. "And you must be Rei. I've heard so much about you from your mother. This is my son, Izuku."*
*Izuku peeked out from behind his mother's legs. The older boy didn't look scary, but there was something about him that seemed... grown-up. Like he was thinking about serious things all the time.*
*"Hi," Izuku managed to whisper.*
*"Hi," Rei replied, then did something unexpected. He knelt down so they were closer to the same height. "My mom says you like heroes a lot."*
*Izuku nodded eagerly, suddenly finding his voice. "All Might is the best! He saves everyone with a smile and he's super strong and—"*
*"And he's got that weird hair," Rei added solemnly.*
*"It's not weird!" Izuku protested. "It's... it's distinctive!"*
*Rei's serious expression cracked into a small smile. "Distinctive. That's a good word for it." He held up his notebook. "Want to see something cool?"*
*The next ten minutes were a blur of excitement as Rei showed Izuku his drawings—not just of heroes, but of their quirks, their fighting styles, their strategies. They were incredibly detailed for someone so young, almost analytical.*
*"How do you know all this stuff?" Izuku asked, awestruck.*
*"I imagine a lot," Rei said simply. "And I read a lot. Heroes are interesting because they have to think fast and adapt to situations. It's not just about having a strong quirk."*
*"Really?"*
*"Really. Some of the best heroes have quirks that aren't very flashy, but they use them in smart ways." Rei glanced around, then leaned closer. "Want to know a secret?"*
*Izuku nodded frantically.*
*"I think the really impressive heroes aren't the ones with the strongest quirks. They're the ones who can win even when everything goes wrong. The ones who save people even when it's dangerous or scary or when everyone else has given up."*
*"Like All Might!"*
*"Exactly like All Might." Rei straightened up. "And maybe someday, like you too."*
*"Me?" Izuku's voice squeaked. "But I don't have a quirk!"*
*"So? Quirks aren't everything." Rei tapped his temple. "The best weapon a hero has is up here. Everything else is just... tools."*
*"Mom! We're going to be late for Kacchan's playdate!" Izuku called out, suddenly remembering.*
*"Oh, that's right!" His mother turned back to Rei's mom. "We're meeting Bakugo-san at the park. You should bring Rei! The boys could all play together."*
*"That sounds wonderful"*
---
The memory faded, bringing Izuku back to reality.
'It's ... It's Him.'
___
## The Break Period
When the ten-minute break arrived, the classroom transformed into a social minefield. Students clustered in their usual groups, but everyone kept glancing over at Ken, who had remained at his desk, apparently absorbed in organizing his notes.
Several brave souls had approached him throughout the morning—mostly girls asking about his quirk or boys wanting to know about the villain fight—but he'd deflected most questions with polite non-answers and that slightly amused smile that never quite reached his eyes.
Bakugo hadn't moved from his seat either, but the air around him practically vibrated with barely contained hostility. His friends had tried to engage him in their usual morning gossip, but he'd responded to everything with grunts and glares.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"This is like watching a nature documentary," whispered one student. "You know, the part right before the predators start fighting over territory."
"Except in this case, we're all potential collateral damage," her friend replied nervously.
Finally, as the break period wound down, Bakugo seemed to reach his limit. He stood up so abruptly that his chair scraped against the floor with a harsh screech, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hey," he said, his voice deceptively calm. "Takumi."
Ken looked up from his notes. "Yes?"
"We need to talk."
The classroom went dead silent. Even the students who'd been chatting in the hallway seemed to sense that something important was happening and drifted closer to the doorway.
"Do we?" Ken asked mildly.
"Yeah. We do." Bakugo's hands were starting to smoke.
Ken smiled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Well, if you're about to confess, I'm flattered."
BOOM!
It was immediately followed up by an explosion charring the top of his table.
"Well, that was just unnecessary."
Everyone could see Bakugo twitching. Everyone knew he was tipping on the edge of total sanity loss. Everyone, all had to swallow some saliva. All except one.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Learning basic algebra, apparently."
"You think this is a game? You show up out of nowhere, mess with my head, move in next door like some rom-com protagonist—!"
Ken raised an eyebrow. "So you've been watching rom-coms?"
"I'M SERIOUS!"
Ken sighed. "I'm just here for school. How does my being here bother you that much? I didn't step on your toes last time I checked."
Bakugo's eyes blazed. "You don't belong here. You're an unknown. I don't care if we were 'friends' as kids. And I can overlook you going to U A. But you and your smug face are supposed to be anywhere but here. I'm the strongest in this school. This is MY territory."
Immediately, small murmurs spread around the class.
"U.A. He's going to U.A?"
"Is his Quirk really that strong?"
"That's already been established dunderhead. Katsuki's words mean even he thinks the new guy can get into U.A."
"Damn. Two U.A applicants."
"Three if you count Deku."
"Are you seriously counting Deku?"
"Three applicants. Two who have a chance of getting in."
Their words seemed to infuriate Bakugo even more.
Ken just chuckled, taking up a book and opening it without a care in the world. "So your problem is that I'm strong enough to challenge your so called claim on your "Territory", right?"
The words hit like a punch.
"You? Challenge me? Nah. You're just an Extra. I'm the talented one around here. Got that?"
"Loud and clear Mon Capitan. Now get off my table if you don't mind. I prefer to place my books down, not hold them on my hands."
"YOU CLEARLY AREN'T GETTING IT, ARE YOU? YOU DON'T GET TO TALK TO ME THAT WAY. NO ONE IN THIS SCHOOL GETS TO TALK TO ME THAT WAY!"
"Well, pretty sure the Teachers do. Or do you disrespect them as well?"
"YOU'RE NOT A TEACHER!"
"Then just treat me like such. You wouldn't be here ranting with spit flying all over like if you truly thought so."
Ken said, flipping another page.
"Yeesh! Just make up your mind already. If I didn't know any better. I'd think you had an inferiority complex."
It happened then.
Those last words, were the last straw.
Literally, as under the gaze of everyone in the class, Katsuki snapped.
"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD."
He roared before shoving his hand towards Ken. Then ....
BOOM!
____
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