Chapter Text
“Well, you all survived to second year. Congratulations,” Ectoplasm drawled. The entire class stared at him in silence as another streamer fell down from the ceiling, draping over Omura’s head while the rest of the confetti settled. “We should get this cleaned up. Probably.”
It was the third year’s final gift to them before graduation. The first day of second year, and they had already graduated, but it was probably retribution for releasing an army of frogs on their final day that were now thriving in USJ.
“Alright, let’s get the classroom cleaned up,” Ectoplasm said, and everyone got up and started moving around to sweep up the confetti. Streamers were knocked off desks, glitter and paper was pushed into pans, and before they knew it, everything was cleaned up and shining bright. The trash can was full of confetti and streamers, and Ectoplasm leaned on his desk.
“So, I hate to announce it this way, but you all need to get your suitcases and head for the bus,” he said, and everyone turned to stare at him. “The date of the Provisional Licensing Exam was moved for today.”
“What?” Omura asked, and Rei blinked multiple times. Already? Right now?
“It’s today,” Ectoplasm said, and Rei hesitated, sure this was a prank. Wasn’t it supposed to happen at the end of the week? They had just come back from a week-long vacation at the beach. They weren’t ready in the slightest. They were still flustered from Botan’s smile. They needed those few extra days to prepare and get in the mindset.
“This is a joke, right?” Okada asked nervously, but Ectoplasm shook his head no.
“It’s not. It’s today. They moved it over the weekend.”
“We’re not ready!” Okada protested, and Rei had to agree with her. They weren’t ready, not in the slightest. It was insane to expect them to come back from vacation and jump right into the Provisional Licensing Exa---
“If you’re not ready for it, then you don’t deserve to be here,” Muranaka said bluntly, pulling out her suitcase. A hush fell over the room as she turned, her long blonde hair swishing. “Isn’t that right, Ectoplasm?”
“I wouldn’t put it so harshly,” Ectoplasm said and tilted his head. “But, if you want to call yourselves students of UA, this should only be a minor hiccup to you.”
A minor hiccup. But, Muranaka was right. Heroes went on vacation all the time, and they didn’t take an extra day to recover. They just got right back to it.
Strength in their conviction lended strength to their stride, and they pulled their suitcase out of the wall and turned to the rest of the class, tilting their head.
“Well?” they prompted, and everyone fell into a concerted scramble to get their items. Satisfied, Rei turned for the door, and Muranaka fell into step with them. A glance was all that Rei needed to confirm that she was nervous. Desperately nervous, but, to her credit, none of the other students could tell. Still, Rei offered her no comfort. Muranaka didn’t want comfort. She wanted results, and she was going to get them.
Rei wanted results, too.
They wanted their entire class to pass.
.
.
.
.
.
The bus rolled to a stop, and Rei stepped out with their suitcase thrown over their shoulder. They could feel eyes on him. Every student milling in front of the HPSC testing center was staring at them, but they were used to the eyes on them now. It was nothing new, but they could already hear the murmurs.
“Which one is Rei?”
Rei glanced at Rin, who looked unfazed, but they knew that blank expression said they were perturbed.
“How are we supposed to know which one is the threat?”
Rei knew they didn’t mean Rei was the threat. They knew that, and it stung a little. They hadn’t trained their ass off for nothing. But, everyone heard what they could do. They didn’t think Rei was a threat, which meant Rei just had to rise above, and they pursed their lips as they made their way onto the sidewalk.
“It’s just UA. Don’t be so nervous.”
“You know we can hear you all?” Muranaka asked out loud as she stood there with a cocked hip. A boy with black hair and bright blue eyes gave her a smile.
“People are just curious,” he said as he approached her. Rei recognized that uniform. “Giichi Raiden. Nice to meet you.”
The Shiketsu student stuck out a hand, and Muranaka studied it like she was above it all. She wasn’t going to help UA’s reputation by acting like that, but far be it from Rei to censure her.
“Your trial was interesting to watch,” he said with an easy smile, and Rei slowly tilted their head. Oh, he was starting the psychological warfare early. Okay. “Rei Watanabe did very well. I’d love to meet them.”
“Rei doesn’t have time to play with a jackass like you,” Muranaka said bluntly. Rei internally cringed.
“A jackass?” he echoed as a smile played around his lips. “That’s a bit harsh, considering we’ve never met before.”
“I know a snake when I see one,” Muranaka said and turned on her heel, her skirt swishing in the air as she marched off.
“So, it’s one of you,” Raiden said and turned to the twins, entirely unperturbed. “May I say hello?”
“We aren’t here to make friends,” the twins said in unison, almost shocking Rei, because they were never that in unison, but it would seem Rin was on the same page as them.
“You can just…” Rin started to say, and Rei gave him a brilliant, blinding smile with their perfectly straight white teeth.
“Guess,” they finished, and looped their arm through Rin’s. The disappointment in the air was palpable. You could practically taste it.
“If that’s all,” Rin added, and then proceeded to waltz off with Rei’s arm looped through theirs.
“You better watch your back out there,” Raiden called behind them, and Rei didn’t look back. “The weakest weeds get rooted out first.”
Weakest weeds? Rei didn’t do all they did to be called a weed. But, they knew he was baiting them, wanting them to rise to the surface and challenge him. He wanted a fight before the exam even started. They would just have to swallow down their anger and proceed as if everything was normal.
“Well, that was rude,” Rin said to Rei, and Rei snorted.
“He’s insecure,” Rin said as they walked into the main building. Arrows and directions were pointing out changing rooms for each school, and they turned down the lobby to follow after Muranaka.
“Hey,” someone said from behind them. Rei and Rin paused and looked over their shoulders to see a nervous girl in a Shiketsu uniform standing there, twisting her hands together.
Don’t trust her, was Rei’s first thought, as she turned to Rin.
“I really thought you were cool at the trial,” she said, and Rei immediately realized what was happening here. She was trying to figure out which twin was which. Did she have some kind of quirk that allowed her to mark a target?
“Thank you,” Rin said, and oh, Rin had the same thought. She was going to be in for a surprise. Rei could not imagine what a shock to the system it would be for her.
“C… can I shake your hand?” she asked, and a sly smile played around Rin’s lips as they reached out to shake her hand.
“Sure,” they replied, their eyes shining with amusement, though they would appear to be as flat as ever to anyone else, and she grasped their hand. Rei caught the tail of a smile hidden in the shadow of her hair, and they wondered how badly this was going to backfire on her. Probably horribly.
Ah, this was going to be fun to watch.