Chapter Text
01.
Kim Gyuvin had always wanted to be a hero. Ever since he was a kid, watching the old cranky tv; he would see the heroes of all kind protecting the world, defeating villains and maintaining peace in the land.
On the day his quirk manifested, he was determined to become one. To use these powers for good, to fight crime and be a pillar of justice for the people.
He had already made it his life goal to enter the most renowned hero academy in history, UA High School. Problem was, the school was in Japan. It wasn't as if there weren't any other hero schools in his country, it's just that Gyuvin's greed for the best of the best knows no bounds. And so he trained day and night despite the scoldings from his family, pushing his quirk to the limits and evolving it through time. It was exhausting and at times he wanted to give it all up. But deep down, beneath all his second thoughts about the path he has chosen... it was exciting. It was thrilling being hanged at the edge of a cliff, stuck between his body's yearn for rest and his own self deprecating thoughts. He was excited, pumped, exhilarated! No words could describe the feeling, that feeling when he endeavours through the trials set up in front of him, when he manages to get through the obstacles the world rained down on him!
That amazing feeling of victory.
But there was a wall he couldn't hurdle through no matter what he did. It was his family. They would tell him almost every moment how they wanted him to take over the family business, how his quirk isn't suitable for hero work, how risky it was. It wasn't like Gyuvin doesn't know, he's been thinking about it all for years. But his family's insistance and the way they can shift his whole worldview with just a few words weigh heavily on his mind. Parents always have the biggest influence on their children don't they.
They manage to convince him. And somehow he convinced himself that he doesn't have the heart to leave his family for his own selfish desires. So he stayed. He stayed in his homeland, side by side with his family, burying his childish dreams when soon after he realizes how stupid it was. It was an impossible feat. Kim Gyuvin, a hero?
"They're guilt-tripping you, Gyuvin." His best friend, Park Gunwook said. He wanted to deny it, but it's true. But it was also too late.
Besides, his quirk was more suitable to taking over his father's construction business. To keep the family tradition alive, to have a stable life without any risks. So he locked his dreams away. Eventually forgetting about them.
That was until two years ago, when a key fell in the form of a text message from Park Gunwook that unlocked the desires he's kept under chains for years.
UA, the academy that brought out the brightest, strongest heroes in mankind was branching it's facilities all throughout the Asian countries in hope that it can also branch out to the whole world. This gave aspiring opportunities for bright young children to receive the upmost training for their silly dreams of becoming a hero to the world.
Ever since the war in Japan, villains were starting to increase in numbers and activities. Their spirits driven by the fallen League of Villains, to continue their pursuit in ridding the world of heroes and start a new world without the corruption that came from the heroes' existence. Gyuvin would've respected their goal, if only they hadn't resorted to extreme measures of violence and malice. If only they understood that not all the heroes are corrupt with greed and that there are many out there genuinely putting the effort to become a symbol of peace to the people.
South Korea has always been a rather peaceful country, the villains were minimal and the heroes were strong. But ever since that day, the amount of villains in his peaceful country were rising at an alarming rate and the heroes could only do so much to keep them at bay. Heroes in South Korea were scarce, the citizens of the country would rather stay safe inside their homes then risk their lives. The system was falling from the fear of the villains and the wavering trust of the people on the heroes. Everything, everyone were just barely hanging on.
When UA made that announcement, to branch its school facilities and his homeland was mentioned to being one of the places where they'll begin to start this project of theirs, Gyuvin felt a heavy burden leave his shoulders. Maybe his dream wasn't just a pipe dream after all. Maybe he could be a hero after all. Maybe he could finally be someone worth of something. Maybe he can finally be something more than just a son who's inevitable future leads him to taking over his family's line of business and be another selfish adult.
Maybe he can be a hero. Just like the kid in him always wanted to.
'We believe that we must nurture these young minds, not just in Japan, but in countries all over the world! The sudden increase in villain activities are certainly worrisome and we believe this is how we can contribute to the world as heroes.'
These words were what came out of the chairman or in this case the principal of Japan's UA High School.
Gyuvin felt a fiery determination he hasn't experienced in a long time being fuelled once more. With this chance given to him, he's going to take it. He's going to take it and he's going to make sure he'll achieve his dreams no matter what his family says. He's had enough of being forced into an image, he was going to become a hero whether they like it or not.
"Of course you can!"
Gyuvin blinked.
"What? You'll let me enrol?" He asked, puzzled.
"Why not? You've always wanted to be a hero, right?" His mother smiled softly.
"But- you guys were so adamant on not letting me be one before!"
"Well..." His parents turned to each other, sighing. "Actually, Gyuvin... We've always wanted to apologize to you,"
"We know we were pressuring you in taking over our family's company. We just thought it'd be a shame for your quirk to be used on any other things," His father began. "But Gyuvin, we hate seeing you like this," His voice cracked slightly. "You may think we don't notice, but despite your facade, your smiles... We know you're uncomfortable with all this. We get it, it took us a long time but we understand,"
"Your father and I coincidentally had been thinking the same thing all this time. We were worried about you, we didn't want you to do something you aren't willing to do. It pains us seeing you having to mask it all up." His mother gazes at him with eyes filled with regret. "We were blinded by greed, by your abilities that we forgot that our son was more than just a quirk we can use to earn us a couple more bucks,"
"Mom..." Gyuvin shuffled in his seat.
"Gyuvin, I know this is probably too late..." She looks at him. "But we're sorry. We're so sorry for not realizing before. We're so sorry that when we realized, we didn't bring it up immediately. We just couldn't find the right timing, and I know that isn't an excuse but I'm still sorry. We're sorry, Gyuvin,"
He never expected this. He thought he kept up a good enough act. Nothing can beat a parent's instinct he supposed. Gyuvin took a deep breath.
"Mom, Dad," He said. "I'm gonna enrol in UA. And I'm gonna become a pro hero. I'm sorry I can't take over the business but I want to do this. I can't live up to your expectations," Gyuvin stares at his parents who's expression unreadable. "Thank you for taking care of me all this time. And yes, I accept your apologies. Please support me in my journey," He bowed deeply, his parents stared at each other before bowing to him too.
"We love you, Gyuvin. We don't deserve you as our son. So, thank you for accepting us," His mother smiled sweetly.
After suffocating for 15 years, he could finally breath.
There he stands in his middle school uniform, right in front of the gates of UA High School, the most renowned hero academy that produced many of the most powerful heroes today.
And here he was.
Yes.
Here he was.
...
"Gyuvin!" Park Gunwook heads towards him, a bright smile on his face. Before he could reach him though, he stops in his tracks, staring at the other from behind. Gunwook stared quietly, wondering is he was frozen from shock or nervousness. Honestly, Gunwook isn't doing any better but he has to be the level-headed one out of the two of them, he doesn't need both of them being scared shitless.
"Hey, Gyuv-" He walked, turning to Gyuvin's face before shutting his mouth, stunned.
The taller was shaking, gripping his sling bag so tightly Gunwook was afraid it might rip by his sheer strength. But one look at his face and he knows he doesn't need to worry at all.
Because Gyuvin's eyes were sparkling, filled with excitement, a smile so wide decorated it was going to strain his face. His body was trembling with excitement, a rush of thrilling sensation. To be able to finally step on one of the stairs of his journey in being a hero after falling down miserably back to the beginning all those years ago.
He was broken out of his trance when Gunwook slapped him on his back.
"Now that's the Gyuvin I know," A cheeky grin stretched across his lips.
"Gunwook! I didn't notice you!" Gyuvin exclaimed, immediately wrapping the other in a headlock. Content when Gunwook laughed light-heartedly.
"I literally screamed your name, you were the one stuck inside your own head!" Gunwook rolled his eyes.
"Ahahaha..." Gyuvin laughed sheepishly, ruffling the younger's hair. "I can't help it man, this was everything I've ever dreamed of!" He exclaimed. "Last week with my parents was surreal but I'm glad they understand. I finally managed to get over that one thing keeping me under leash,"
"I'm happy for you, Gyuv,"
"Thanks," Gyuvin chuckled. The two of them stopped and finally took in the view hovering over them.
Hung above the huge entrance, where the gate was opened wide for the students to enrol was a sign that proudly showed off the UA logo for the whole world to see. As you head inside, you'll be met with a tall building in the centre that branches out to other sections throughout the wide area of the school. A banner was hung on the tallest building, written with a bold font that said "Welcome Future Heroes".
Gyuvin felt a shiver run down his spine as he read every letter a thousand times. Heroes. Future Heroes. Gyuvin was going to faint from all the adrenaline before he gets to do the practical test. The sheer brilliance emanating from the school building itself would make his dad's business cower from shame. Gyuvin knows they would probably be touching and feeling up every material used to create this school for inspiration. And honestly? To push his quirk to the limit, his hands were also itching to understand the structure and the way it all mesh together seamlessly.
"Oh shit, I'm kind of nervous now," Gunwook shivered exaggeratingly.
"I get you man. I'm pretty sure I tanked the written test yesterday," He exhaled shakily. "My only chance to pass this practical one,"
"I haven't used my quirk in a while too. I can't really find a use for it in my daily life," Gunwook hummed.
"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen you use your quirk for a long time too,"
"Like I said, it's really impractical," He shrugged. And then a slow grin etched on his face. "But I guess now I can use it to dice up some villains,"
"You say that but then you're the first one to puke at a glimpse of something gory," Gyuvin teased.
Gunwook laughed and shoved the arm that was wrapped around his neck away from him. "Okay, enough chit-chat." He rolled his eyes.
"Okay, okay..." Gyuvin giggled. Clenching the strap of his bag once more before crossing the entrance line with Gunwook by his side.
Gyuvin's eyes gazed throughout his surroundings, he sees many unique and interesting examinees heading towards the large door that decorated the main building. Shapeshifters, a huge guy with thick muscles, a girl with a long stretchy neck, someone with a deer for a head, variety of hair colours that made Gyuvin want to set them in a line according to the colour. He also sees many intimidating presence and people who stand out way too much because they were literally shining.
It was thrilling being part of it all. He was even more determined to pass the practical test after seeing all of them, curious of their story and motivations. What drove them to set foot in the starting line of becoming a hero.
"Hey, you know this is gonna be the last time we step our foot inside here if we fail the exam?" Gunwook suddenly said.
"Dude. Stop it." Gyuvin grumbled.
"Okay," He smiled slightly as they enter the building, busy and filled with aspiring heroes, staffs and ACTUAL HEROES.
Gyuvin almost screamed but managed to settle for a loud squeal when his eyes landed on South Korea's pro heroes he's only seen on TV or the internet. To be able to be blessed by their presence like this was way too much for a hero fanatic like himself.
"Don't go fainting on me now!" Gunwook nagged while he hit the back of his head. Gyuvin was unfazed, his eyes wanders around the room to feast on the other pro heroes. It wasn't like he's never been here before since he has to take the written test, it's just different now because there are double the amount of pro heroes observing them! He remembers a Twitter post saying that the practical test was also a chance for pro heroes to scout some promising newbies.
Still excitedly scouring the place, he didn't even realize he was being dragged by Gunwook towards a room in the hallway at the edge of the building. The examinees were supposed to group there for a short briefing about the test they'll be going through. When Gyuvin finally came to, he was sitting on a chair next to the younger inside of a huge auditorium that was almost filled to the brim with students diverse with many types of quirk. All of them sitting on the edge of their seats, shaking with anticipation. Or maybe it's fear.
"There's roughly around 18'000 students applying, huh," Gunwook mumbled.
"Yeah, it doesn't sound like a lot on paper but here... when you finally see everyone..." Gyuvin gulped.
"Yeah, and only a few hundred is going to be accepted," He slumps. "I guess UA having an 0.2% passing rate wasn't a joke,"
The two of them were sitting at the back, close to the exit. Gyuvin glanced at his watch, only a few minutes left before they begin. To pass the time, he took out his phone and decided to scroll through tweeter; for no particular reason.
His hands absentmindedly searched for "UA Practical Test". It wasn't like he hadn't done this before, curiosity killed him and he's been doing this for days before the test. There weren't much information since the students were told to not spread information about the tests so they won't have to come up for a new one every year. But of course, not everyone listened to them. For example, an examinee from Indonesia who out of spite for not passing, leaked the details of the test they went through. The examinees had to go through challenging obstacle courses, while also avoiding the robots that were going to shoot at them and they had to reach the finish line in record time. Apparently, they also get bonus points if they manage to defeat the robots or save someone in danger, whether the school planted the victim there or if someone was genuinely in danger.
Another example would be someone from Thailand. This time, they leaked the exam because they were bored. Gyuvin found out the person who leaked it was someone who passed it with flying colours. Usually the school would expel them immediately but they were too valuable. The exam in Thailand was a treasure hunt sort of, the examinees were supposed to find three items and bring them to the finish line under the set time. Only a few of them were given information on the whereabouts and the decision to spread or keep it to themselves were up to the person. But that doesn't mean the other examinees can't use other means to exploit it out of their hands. The items themselves were either heavily guarded, well hidden or out in plain sight. It was a fairly simple test, the scary part was the items were limited and the examinees would either use their wit or strength to steal it.
Gyuvin felt goosebumps rise up his nape. The test broke friendships and relationships but on the other hand it demonstrated the intelligence and strategic ability of the examinees. It also serves as a place that forged alliances that lasted till the end of the school year. Hopefully Gyuvin's test wasn't that brutal, but he wouldn't let that past UA.
Suddenly, the bustling atmosphere that filled the room died down. Driven to the edge by the presence of a large being that walked towards the mic on the stage. Gyuvin's eyes sparkled with wonder. He stares at the person standing tall and he means tall on the stage. Her skin worryingly pale and her eyes were dark and murky, her straight dark hair rested elegantly on her figure. Her ears were long and pointy, decorated with heavy earrings of many kind. Her fingers were stretched and her nails were sharp, Gyuvin can see a scaly tail behind her, swaying side to side. Her face was full of healed scars from previous battles and even her slender fingers were rugged. She wore only a simple and casual beige dress that contrasted her dark appearance. Only by her intimidating aura she managed to bring the people inside the room to keep their heads down, no one bold enough to make a peep of sound.
This was the number one hero of South Korea; Lady Calamity.
Gyuvin's body trembled, with both fear and exhilaration. He literally set eyes on the NUMBER ONE hero! How was he supposed to calm down in this situation? The intense pressure was exciting. Horrifying, but exciting nonetheless. But what was she doing here? The citizens rarely ever see her because she scours the world, lending help to anyone that needs her. She isn't bind by rules or her country, she was a free woman who does everything by her own desires, her own way of exacting justice against the villains of the world. Gyuvin found out that this wasn't very rare for heroes to do, notable ones include Japan's Rabbit Hero; Mirko.
"Welcome everyone, to the 3rd Annual Entrance Exam held by South Korea's own UA," Her voice was quiet and sultry, the feedback against the mic sent shivers down people's back. "It is with great pleasure that I stand before our country's future aspiring heroes,"
The examinees slowly raised their head up one by one. The tension leaving their body she continued her speech.
"I'm sure you must all be wondering what I am doing here," She said and stood taller, her eyes scanning the wide area of the auditorium. "Unfortunately, I won't be staying here long as I am only here to wish my nephew good luck," She smiled. "The school caught me sneaking around searching for him and dragged me up here to give a speech as the number one hero..." Gyuvin laughed slightly, imagining her tall figure sneaking around the school buildings.
She continued on talking about how she expects big things from us, and even if we fail, she hopes that this small bump won't diminish the flame that brought all of them sitting in this very room. Gyuvin liked her immensely, she was cool and elegant in her words yet at the same time you could almost feel a sort of resonance with her presence. The complete opposite of her hero name, Lady Calamity. Before she left, she said a few words directed towards her supposed nephew.
"Quanrui, don't stress too much. I'm sure you'll do great. Give your mom a big hug from me okay? Say that I'll visit during Christmas."
Quanrui. Quan-ru-i. Quen-re-ee. Gyuvin repeated the name a few times. Maybe a foreigner? The name doesn't sound Korean nor does it ring a bell. Whoever it was, he must be so proud having the number one hero as his aunt.
"Alright, let's get to business," A pro-hero Gyuvin knows is a teacher in UA took the stage. "I'm going to explain how the test this year will go, and please for the love of god DO NOT leak this information to outsiders. We do not want to use force," They sighed. "Do you know how hard it is coming up with new and never seen before practical tests now that there are several UA in the world?" Gyuvin hummed, realizing the info on the internet was right.
"All of you will be divided and sent to five different locations. Friends, family or students from the same school will be separated. In every location, the examinees will then be divided into three groups and be sent into different sections of the testing site we've built," An image of a circle cut into three appeared on a screen. "The sections; A, B, and C are different structures, climates and situations. The three groups will have to collect a minimum of 30 points by either defeating the enemy robots we've planted in those locations or by saving the victims we've intentionally planted."
"After collecting enough points, you will have to move on into the next section of the site, collect 30 points, continue to the last section, collect 30 points again and cross the finish line. Yay!" He cheered in a monotone voice. "You'll be scored in how fast you complete it and how much points you've gathered. The time limit is an hour and a half,"
"But! Even if you manage to pass them all perfectly, remember that every decision falls into the hands of your teachers. They will be judging by how you behave, react and the actions you do in those variety of situations. We're trying to find heroes. Not students who just want a passing grade,"
Gyuvin took a deep breath. pinching his forearm to stop it from shaking. He was going to be separated from Gunwook, he was going to go through three different levels that was undoubtedly going to challenge both his physical and mental endurance.
'So this is UA,' He breathed. 'Exciting,' Gyuvin grinned, clenching his hands tightly.
Saying the exam site was huge is a understatement. And they have five of these around the school? Gyuvin understands why it was so stressful to prepare the practical test. Other than having to corporate elements that was going to push the examinees to their limits, they have to build all of these locations that was going to inevitably get destroyed by the chaos of it all anyways.
Gyuvin was in the third location and he was beginning his test along with many others on the C section of the site. He could faintly feel a low temperature seeping through the cracks of the large iron door with a bold red C font painted on it. He could only assume it was a snowy biome of some sort. Which was... bad? He wasn't sure. Would those types of climates have buildings or any sort of structure in them? If there aren't then Gyuvin's fucked. His quirk was going to have absolutely no use here.
He eyes the other examinees, laughing and conversing with one another, confidence through the roof. Either a strategic alliance or pure idiocy and cowardice.
Everyone had changed out of their school uniforms and into clothes more comfortable to move around and get rough in. Even though there were rescue points, Gyuvin doubts that they were easy to get, probably going to be obstructed by enemies so they ere inevitably going to get their hands dirty either way. Gyuvin though forgot to bring some spare clothes so he had to settle for his school pants and a shirt with a dog sticking its tongue out on the face of it he wore under his uniform. Thankfully, he brought the uniform itself with him instead of leaving it inside the changing rooms because the cold temperature as freezing.
When they arrived at the site, they were given a bracelet with a digital screen on it. It was supposed to count the amount of points you've managed to collect and when you want to go forwards to another section, you have to show it to a guard near the checkpoint.
Before he could wear his uniform, a loud siren suddenly blared and the large heavy doors slowly revealed the hidden contents inside. Gyuvin's judgement was correct he realized when a piercing cold air seeped through the cracks. A few of the examinees were unlucky though, he thought to himself as he sees someone shirtless shivering from the freezing atmosphere.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO!!!" A loud voice spoke from a distant speaker.
In a matter of seconds, havoc erupted. Examinees rushing towards the entrance, pushing against one another as time doesn't spare them any mercy. Gyuvin didn't waste anytime either as he hurriedly put on his uniform, not bothering to button in and ran as fast as he could. Almost immediately, robots came flying from above and the students attacked without mercy.
As Gyuvin breathed, he could see the cold air escaping his lips. The sudden change of climate hurt his lungs and he decided to go hide somewhere nearby to adjust his breathing and come up with a plan.
Throughout the chaos, he caught sight of a forest nearby decorated with fallen snow. Gyuvin almost slipped when he made a sharp turn but hurriedly recollected his balance. As he ran towards it, he suddenly fell and sled his way towards the forest. His hand instinctively grabbed onto a nearby tree, putting a brake to his fast movement.
His heart was beating loud and fast. Gyuvin can't keep the huge stupid grin off of his already strained face. His whole body was shaking with anticipation and he gripped his wrist, hoping it might calm him down. He took a deep breath, the cold air swirling around his lungs.
Gyuvin scanned his surroundings, most of the examinees were already gone doing their own thing and he could see the scraps left from the defeated machines, laying lifeless against the snow. The land was mostly flat, despite a few trees here and there. But then from afar, his eyes found a small cottage near the walls of the site, next to what seemed to be a frozen lake.
That was reassuring, at least there's a building in this scarce land. But despite the reassurance, he suddenly felt his breath get caught in his throat when his eyes saw a tall snowy mountain a few kilometres next to the cottage, which he was absolutely sure is a danger hazard. Gyuvin had a bad feeling loom over him, but that would be way too extreme right? They weren't even trained heroes yet! Feeling conflict within himself, in the end he decided to just go for it. Scouring inside his pocket, he felt a huge surge of relief when the small chip of the UA building he convinced Gunwook to cut off was still safe in his pocket.
He ravaged his thoughts on what he should turn it into as he placed the chunk on the cold and soft ground when he suddenly remembered a silly cartoon show he watched as a kid.
Abruptly, the chunk that was under his hands swirled it's way onto Gyuvin's shoes, defying the laws of physics. He blinked a few times and yelped in surprise when he all of a sudden grew in height, bouncing up and down. When he finally came to, he laughed to himself as he realized what the piece of concrete turned itself into.
With a cheeky smile, he carefully balanced himself, pushing his weight down heavily and sprung high towards the sky, a cheerful laugh escaped his lips as his hair caught onto the wind and his uniform fluttered from behind. He glanced down, just realizing how high he jumped, he could see all three of the sections alongside several tiny head scurrying around the area. Gyuvin giggled to himself but felt his heart drop when he became aware of the sudden descend he was going to go through.
"AH-" And then he's plummeting down in a speed too painful to describe, unable to control his body or find his centre of gravity, he swayed through the air in a fast manner and barely seeing where he as going to land. For all he knows, this was going to be the end of him. From pure survival instinct, he used all his strength to fight against the pressure of the air and gripped the concrete that wrapped itself onto Gyuvin's shoes, the spring his quirk created tangled in his fingers.
Gyuvin screamed loudly, he felt tears sting his eyes. The concrete then morphed its way onto the ground where he was going to land and grew in size, making a huge square under him. He braced for impact and let out a shriek as he bounced from the structure he made thanks to his quirk. After swaying for a few moments, still relishing the experience, he quickly shook himself out of the trance and transformed the structure into its original shape. He shoved it inside his pocket and scoured his surroundings, the cottage was only a few metres away from him. Gyuvin then turned the chunk into a platform he stepped onto, it then stretched itself out towards the cottage faster than the speed it would took him if he ran. Swiftly turning it back to its origin, he stepped on the steps of the cottage.
Swinging the door open, he gasped when he saw two children and a young boy barely thirteen shivering between each other's arms.
"Oh my god," Gyuvin quickly went to them, reaching out his hand but retracting it when the oldest flinched hard and hugged the younger kids tighter.
What was he supposed to do? He doesn't know how to handle these types of things! That was why he was enrolling in UA! Controlling his ragged breathing, he tried to calm himself down before talking to these kids.
"Hey," He called out softly. One of the younger ones turned to look at him. "Hi," Gyuvin smiled as softly as he could. "It's okay, I'm here to save you. All of you," He reassured, it was a bit embarrassing saying this when he's only said it all in his late night delusions. And he pushed the knowledge that this was all probably a set up in the back of his mind. He was going to treat this like a real emergency.
"Are any of you injured?" He asked. Finally, the oldest turned to look at him and shook his head albeit hesitantly. "Okay, that's good..."
"Can the three of you trust me?" Gyuvin looked at them, an unwavering determination burning inside him despite the freezing weather. "I'm going to get you out of here, okay? It isn't safe,"
The oldest flinched and turned towards the younger children. They seemed to be discussing amongst each other by the looks of their eyes. After a while, the oldest then nodded slightly.
Gyuvin smiled, relieved that he managed to convince them to come with him. He looked around the small cottage. He then shoved his hand inside his pocket and took out the chunk that was almost at its last use. He morphed it into a huge sharp kitchen knife, reassuring the children when they backed away from him.
He swung the tool through the oak walls of said cottage and dragged the knife all the way around the homely cottage. The children stared, bewildered. Once Gyuvin connected the two ends, the logs that were held together by ropes nails all crumbled in unison with a light push.
The freezing air waved into their skin, flakes of snow fell on the platform. Gyuvin shivered.
After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. "I feel like I should've asked for your permission first before cutting down your home," He laughed awkwardly.
"No, this... this isn't.. this isn't home," One of the younger ones shook their head. "The robots outside forced us here... I want my mom..."
Gyuvin bit his lip when the kid's eyes started to water. He appreciated the older boy's attempts to calm them down despite also being on the verge of tears.
"I promise, okay? I'm going to bring you back to your mom safe and sound," He stepped closer to the children. Gently patting the hair of the older boy. "It's because I'm a hero,"
The three of them looked directly towards Gyuvin. That was way more embarrassing than he thought, he hoped that no one saw that although he doubts it.
He kneeled down, spreading his hand onto the wooden floor, clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth as it took a lot of stamina out of him. When he arrived near the cottage, it was bigger than he anticipated and he wondered if he could morph something that big with his current situation. He was almost at his limit from the previous use of his quirk, it was too fast and uncoordinated, the rapid transformation from one to another also played a part to his decreasing consciousness. But now wasn't the time. In the heat of the moment, he decided to destroy the walls and roof of the building to make it just a bit easier for him to extend the use of his quirk. Just to let him last a bit longer. He was going to have to push past his limits right here and now.
A wave of pressure shot out of Gyuvin's hand, invisible to others. He could feel it though.
In the blink of an eye, the house shook in its place and the children looked around in alarm. Gyuvin stayed silent, concentrating on the excess use of his quirk. The cottage then grew taller, the base of it stretched upwards. The kids held each other tightly as the house then started to move towards who knows where. After a few minutes of movement, when the children finally calmed down, the worst happened.
Out of nowhere, a loud siren blared once again from above. "WARNING, A HUGE AVALANCHE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED TO STRIKE IN T-1 MINUTE. EVERYONE PLEASE EVACUATE TO A SAFE LOCATION!"
The cottage stopped in its tracks because Gyuvin was shot out of his concentration. A wave of nausea threatened to wash over him. He snapped his head towards the snowy mountain near them, panic surged inside him as he saw the avalanche mentioned in the announcement was going to happen from nowhere else but THAT mountain. And the four of them were definitely going to get caught in it.
Gyuvin had to think fast as the wave of snow came rumbling down the peak. It was fast, and it was growing bigger by the second. Could he move the base of the cottage fast enough to avoid it? Impossible, he can't waste his energy carelessly like that. For all he knows, it might deplete in the middle of running and he'll put all of them at risk.
He turned to check up on the children, his heart crushed by he sight of the younger ones crying their hearts out. The older attempting to calm them down even though tears were spilling out of his own.
Gyuvin cursed UA in his thoughts, what was he supposed to do?
As the inevitable tsunami of snow inched closer and closer, Gyuvin dropped down on the wooden floor. A thick curved wall then appeared from the platform, obstructing his view of the avalanche, he could feel the ground rumbling underneath him. It was so close.
"KIDS!" He yelled for them. "COME HERE! HURRY!"
The three children then stumbled on their feet to run towards Gyuvin. The four of them huddled close, pushing their bodies against the thick wooden wall he created from the platform. Gyuvin embraced the three, muttering soothing words like 'It's okay' 'Everything's okay' and 'I'll save you' as he wrapped around them protectively.
Then everything went dark.
Gyuvin held them tighter as the avalanche crashed against the wall and shifted around it to continue it's descend. His breathing was rapid and fast, chunks of snow fell near them as the wave of snow blasted through them.
Seconds passed with the children crying in his arms. The oldest didn't even bother suppressing it and broke down alongside the younger ones. The ground shook violently, Gyuvin fought hard to keep his consciousness.
Eventually, the merciless avalanche left them and continued its way towards another unsuspecting victim.
Silence overcame them all, the subtle sounds of sobbing and hasty breathing were the only thing that shook Gyuvin out of his trance.
"Hey! Hey, hey..." Gyuvin sighed in relief as he grabbed the children's faces to check for any injuries. "We're okay," He mumbled. A few sniffles here and there, and Gyuvin rubbed his hand on the children's back. Trying to soothe the three.
"You all did so well," He smiled. "Are you okay?" The children nodded, rubbing their eyes.
"Okay, good..." He breathed. "We should leave, we can't stay here for too long, we can't risk another one coming," Gyuvin informed them. "Do you guys need a minute?"
"N-no... no, we're okay," The oldest spoke. "Let's go,"
"Okay, yeah. Yeah, let's go," Gyuvin repeated.
He placed his hand on the wall that managed to protect all of them and shrunk it to its original state as part of the wooden floor. Gyuvin coughed, his head was falling apart. He toughed it out and before he can dwell on it longer, he immediately used his quirk on the oak floor and travelled through the snow towards the checkpoint. If he remembered correctly, every victim you save you must bring them to the counter immediately. And that's what he's going to do.
'The robot enemies are divided into five amount of points. Of course the stronger they are the larger the amount of points are. The smallest ones are worth two while the largest and the most powerful ones are worth 10,' The hero explained. 'The points you get for saving the victims however are entirely up to them to decide how much you're worth,'
Gyuvin recalled the info given to them regarding how to gather points. Glancing at the children, he doubts that they'll give him more than five. Looking back on the things he did, he thought he could've done much more better. He didn't think too much of it though, the only thing he knew he had to do was to get them to safety. He can hunt for points once he's made sure they were safe.
"MOM!" The younger children yelled loudly, crashing into their mother's warm embrace.
"Oh, my angels..." She sobbed. Gyuvin smiled at the sight and turned towards the door that opens up to the A Section once he manages to collect a minimum of thirty points. A few examinees were already passing through, where they obviously fought the robots to collect the points faster and more efficiently. Gyuvin doesn't regret it though. Saving those kids.
He caught the eyes of the receptionist behind the checkpoint counter staring at him. Gyuvin nods politely and turned to leave. He has to hurry and scavenge some points if he wants to pass. He wondered if Gunwook had already moved on to the next stage.
"Wait!" The familiar voice of the oldest kid called out to him.
"Yeah?" He smiled, ruffling the younger's mess of a hair. He was taken aback when he suddenly held out his hand.
"Give me your hand," He mumbled. Gyuvin blinked but complied anyways.
The kid turned towards the screen of his watch and hovered his own palm over it. A bright light emanated from the screen.
When the kid let him go, he looked up at Gyuvin with a cheeky smile. When Gyuvin turned his head towards the watch, he let out an audible gasp. His eyes opened wide.
"Wait- no, I don't deserve this-!" He fumbled with his words.
"That's from all of us, including mom," The kid said. "Although you have much more to learn, we think you'll make a fine hero one day," Gyuvin was taken aback by the boy's sudden change of demeanor. "Thank you for saving us,"
Gyuvin stood there dumbfounded, his eyes travelled from the boy in front of him to the family not far from them who nodded in his way. Gyuvin brought his head down, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Thank you," He muttered. "I'll make sure I live up to your expectations,"
"You better," The kid laughed.
"What's your name, by the way," Gyuvin suddenly asked.
The kid didn't say anything for a while. But after a few beats, he spoke up.
"Han Yujin,"
Gyuvin nods, he made sure to remember it. "Thanks again, Han Yujin,"
"Okay, okay, enough! Hurry and go! Time isn't going to slow down!"
Gyuvin chuckled and ruffled the younger's hair once more before running towards the checkpoint counter to kick in his points.
He held out his wrist and the receptionist scanned it with a swipe of a thin card.
"Kim Gyuvin, 45 points," The receptionist said aloud. Gyuvin grinned, abashed. "You are now allowed to proceed to Section A of the practical test,"
"Thanks," He smiled.
"You did a good job," They said when Gyuvin turned to walk away. It was going to take a while to get rid of the stupid grin on his face.
He stood in front of the door, glancing to the side where he can see the kids, their mom and Han Yujin waving gleefully at him.
"YOU BETTER PASS!" They yelled.
Gyuvin laughed and waved back at them. Oh how his face hurts so much from the amount of times he smiled today.
The door in front of him slid open. Gyuvin wasted no time and sprints inside.