Chapter Text
The running of red sneakers across the pathway slowed to a stroll at the sight of the blue arched gateway of UA. With its golden emblem and strong gate, Izuku couldn't help but smile as he gazed at the architecture.
This was it. The top hero academy in Japan. Where legends were born. Where All Might himself once walked. And now, somehow, it was where he stood too.
He gripped the straps of his yellow backpack, murmuring, "No pressure. Just the most important day of your life."
Behind him, a deep voice chuckled. “The kid sure rambles a lot!”
Another voice, gentle and amused. "Poor dear’s probably just nervous. This is UA, after all."
"...what does UA stand for?"
Izuku turned around, blinking. But no one stuck out, just other students filing in.
Okay. Weird. And who didn't know UA meant hero?
“Oi,” Snapped a gruff voice. “At least the other brats are walking through the gate.”
Feeling the tips of his ears warm up, Izuku ducked his head and quickly stuttered out an apology.
A lot of kids from other middle schools were walking through so he should probably get a seat in the auditorium before it gets too crowded. It’s why Izuku tried to get here early.
“This is it...” Izuku said, nodding to himself with determination as he stepped through UA’s gate. “My first step to becoming a hero!”
“I believe his first step was when he received One For-”
Someone cuts in, “Yo, weren’t it when he met All Might?”
Izuku froze mid-step. He whipped his head around at the sudden flood of voices, Izuku searched through the groups of students.
“Shouldn’t it have been when the green bean was offered to become Toshi’s successor?”
It was hard to tell who had spoken; there were too many conversations going on around him from other nervous students.
"Am I... hearing things?" he whispered, rubbing his eyes.
"Surely, he's not talking about us?"
Izuku clutched his chest. What was happening? Was this his quirk? Delayed onset hallucinations? Is it a result of all the stress built up?
"Don’t trip." Someone offered helpfully.
He tripped.
Everything was crashing down around him as he fell face-first towards the pavement—his life, his future, his dreams.
“Lol, RIP.” One of them wheezed.
He heard a slap. “I can’t believe you just said that out loud.”
“Oh dear…”
“So long…It was nice knowing you.”
Another man chuckled. “Kid, you’re one of a kind!”
But Izuku never hit the ground.
He cracked open an eye and- oh God, his face was stopped half a foot from hitting concrete.
Panicking, he twisted his head up to see a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and matching brown eyes.
She smiled as she waved her hands, “It’s my quirk, sorry for using it on you like that…” Izuku took note of the pads on her fingertips. Could it perhaps be a side-effect of her quirk?
“It would be a bad omen to fall before the exam, right?” The bubbly girl helped Izuku stand before deactivating her quirk.
“True.”
“Eh- ah, well, thank…?” He paused.
Beside the nice girl were three adults. At first, this would only be slightly weird, but then again one of them was walking around the nice girl and giving her a head-to-toe once-over…? No one else batted the adults a glance.
“Deku! Watch it!” Thankfully, Izuku was shoved out of his stupor by the explosive blonde.
Izuku was about to wish his childhood friend good luck (not that the boy would need it).
But that abrupt shove caused Izuku to turn 180 degrees to face four more adults, one of which was PHASING THROUGH Kacchan?!
Izuku tried to vocalise his shock, only to successfully let out a few small squeals.
One of the men turned in response to Izuku’s noises, an eyebrow raised in concern.
His pale eyes only confirmed Izuku’s growing freak out session.
Soon realising that Izuku was staring directly at them, he slowly raised a finger and blinked at the younger boy.
Izuku blinked.
The ghost blinked.
Izuku blinked.
The ghost bli-
“Well, he sure is mean! Anyway, good luck on the entrance exam, Deku!” The nice girl continued into UA, unaware of the current stare-down.
Izuku blinked.
The ghost-
“Oi, did the girl really–" A slender framed man pointed to the girl, who was now entering the auditorium.
“Forget about the girl, that boy called him Deku first.” A woman with a similar hairstyle to Izuku's mother pointed out.
“I believe he was in the Sludge incident.” A slightly taller man said.
A blue-haired woman stared at Kacchan walking off. “Well, the dear sure is…”
“Explosive..?” Another man suggested, as he 'leaned' on the UA gate.
“I think the kid’s broken.” A man, dramatically gestured towards him.
There were still students entering UA’s grounds, but none took notice of the seven adults.
So Izuku did the only rational thing his mind could comprehend at that moment… He stammered , “W-Who?! What!? Ghosts!?”
All seven adults froze mid-conversation, mouths agape as they turned to Izuku.
“There’s no way this kid can see us!” A bulky man pointed.
“Are we having a group ghost hallucination? Is that a thing?”
There's a sigh, “We are the only ones standing here now.”
One of the men proceeded to wave at Izuku, who raised a shaky hand in acknowledgement.
Neither realised how many students were staring at Izuku oddly for his random wave to thin air.
“Dear…please don’t tell me you’re a ghost too!?” The woman with blue hair leaned towards the boy, her hands clasped together.
“No way! Are you dead too, kid!?”
"I– I don’t think so?!" Izuku wrapped his arms around his head.
“Did you jump off the rooftop?!”
“Was it that sludge monster?”
“Did Toshi crush you in one of his hugs?!”
Izuku looked ready to pass out.
“AAA! Is this the end of the world!?”
However, this time a few of them rolled their eyes at the man’s dramatic reaction.
And so, Izuku found himself staring down seven spirits, all displaying varying levels of distress at the revelation of his apparent death.
He stumbled for a moment, searching for the correct thing to say to ease their worries except there ended up being no point as he was cut off before he even got the chance to begin.
A bell went off and a flurry of footsteps followed suit because the exam was about to start-
"I'm gonna be late!" He bolted.
"Hey kid, wait up!"