Chapter 6: The best she could do
In a cozy kitchen, a slim woman with long, dark hair stood at the stove, carefully stirring a simmering pot of teriyaki chicken. The savory aroma filled the air, making her stomach growl in anticipation. As she reached for a bottle of soy sauce, her eyes darted to the clock on the wall, noting the late hour.
"It's getting late," she murmured to herself, her brow furrowing with worry. "Shouldn't Mirai's exam be over by now? What if she's gotten hurt?" Her hand hovered over her phone, tempted to call her daughter, but she hesitated, not wanting to distract her if she was still in the middle of the test.
Just then, the sound of the front door opening caught her attention. She quickly turned off the stove and hurried to the entryway, where she found Mirai slipping off her shoes, her silver hair disheveled and her face lined with exhaustion.
"Welcome home, sweetie!" Mirai's mother exclaimed, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Evening, Cecila," Mirai replied, letting out a deep sigh before shaking her head. "What's for dinner?"
"Teriyaki chicken," Cecila answered, studying her daughter with a critical eye. "Are you alright, my dear? Did something happen at the exam? Did you…?"
Mirai chuckled breathlessly. "Maybe. Then again, it doesn't really matter."
"What could you mean?" Cecila asked, her voice laced with concern.
Mirai shook her head. "It's okay, don't worry about it." She glanced around the room. "What about Roger?"
"Oh, dad said he will come home later today. I could ask him to bring some sweet candies for you," Cecila said, cupping Mirai's cheek, "You must be exhausted."
"I'm okay, really. Though… the people there were strange," Mirai admitted.
"Huh?" Cecila tilted her head, curious.
"It's nothing," Mirai said, brushing off the comment.
In the days following the exam, Mirai tried reaching out to Midoriya, calling him over the phone, but every time she asked how he was doing, he simply replied, "I'm fine."
To be honest, there were so many questions swirling in her mind that she wanted to say. Did Midoriya actually attempt to face the robots head-on? No, she thought, Midoriya was smarter than that. But then another possibility occurred to her: perhaps someone was about to be hit by a robot, and Midoriya had jumped in to push them out of the way, getting injured in the process. It seemed like something he would do. But even then, the injury - that dark, busted, frail arm that had been described to her - didn't seem like something a robot could inflict.
Mirai groaned as she flopped onto the couch. If Midoriya didn't pass, she supposed she could help him pick another hero school, maybe even choose one together. After all, she had doubts about her own performance. What she had done was flimsy at best, and there was no guarantee that there would be points awarded for her actions. Especially since she had used the robots themselves, rather than her quirk. But it was the only thing she could do, the best thing she could possibly have done in that situation.
Feeling restless, Mirai decided to step outside for some fresh air. As she opened the mailbox, a gentle breeze greeted her, and there, nestled among the usual bills and flyers, was a letter bearing the UA symbol.
Mirai blinked, and she grabbed the envelope. It's here. Acceptance or rejected. What the heck? She clutched her chest, why is her heart beating rapidly all of a sudden.
She hurried back inside, locking the door behind her and rushing to her room. Carefully, she opened the envelope, revealing a small contraption inside. She studied it curiously before placing it on her desk.
As soon as the device touched the surface, a screen appeared, displaying the image of a strange, animal-like figure. He had the head of a mouse, with a nuzzle and rectangular ears, as well as a scar that ran across his right eye. Both of his eyes were circular and black, and he had a tail that swished behind him. Mirai couldn't quite tell if he was a bear, a mouse, or a dog.
"Hello, students!" he greeted, waving his paw. "I am Principal Nezu, and I…"
Mirai gulped.
"…am delighted to inform you that you have passed! Hooray!"
Mirai felt her soul escape from her chest. "H-hooray…" she stammered, hardly daring to believe it.
"On the written test, you scored a 51, barely acceptable!" Nezu announced in an oddly cheerful tone that only added salt to the wound.
"However, during the practical test, you not only scored villain points but also rescue points!"
"Rescue points?"
"Yes!" Nezu answered, even though he had no real way of knowing her question. "In the exam, you demonstrated a willingness to place others' safety above your own, as well as resourcefulness. These are qualities we look for in our heroes. So, your total score is… 24 points for villains and 45 points for rescue!"
"Hooray!" Mirai cheered, her enthusiasm restored.
"But please keep in mind the importance of your grades," Nezu added. "At UA, we take academic performance into serious consideration."
"Y-yes, sir," Mirai replied, her celebration tempered a bit. Nevertheless, the smile still remained. She passed, and she was accepted into the most prestigious school in Japan. Not only that but it's the goddamn hero course. Oh this opens up so many bragging rights.
Ha..even so, can she really be so happy about this? When her best friend is probably..
Her thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of her phone. She checked the screen and saw that it was Midoriya calling, the first time he had reached out first in a while. Slowly, she pressed the green button and brought the phone to her ear.
"Izuku…" she said carefully, "Are you… huh?"
Midoriya's voice was frantic, his words tumbling over each other. But even with the few brain cells she had left, Mirai was able to decipher his message. Her eyes widened, her mouth falling open.
"You… You passed?!"
"Yes!" Midoriya confirmed, and she could almost feel him basking in the glow,"Ah, I'm so sorry, but I have to go."
"Eh? Now? But—"
"I'm really sorry, but I just need to meet with someone real quick," Midoriya explained, his tone apologetic but firm.
"Oh… sure, sure. Well then, Izuku, let's hope we're in the same class this year!" Mirai grinned, her earlier worries forgotten in the face of their shared triumph.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a pleasant gasp from Midoriya. "Congratulations! We have to celebrate later—"
"With sweet cakes!" Mirai interjected, pumping her fist in the air.
"M-mhm," Midoriya agreed, a smile evident in his voice. "Anyway, see you later, Mirai."
"Yeah, you too."
As the call ended, Mirai couldn't contain her excitement any longer. She leaped up from her chair, punching the air with a victorious cry.
"Hooray!" She laughed.
Aha…again, he left so suddenly.
She shook her head, so what? She had plenty of time to question. After all, Mirai's Hero Academia has just begun.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone