Daily Meme
-----
We reached the exit. The sun was starting to dip, casting long shadows across the training grounds.
I looked at the provisional hero license in my hand. Cheap as hell. The kind of thing that felt like it would disintegrate in the wash. I pressed my thumb against the edge, bent it back and forth a couple of times.
Izuku, who had been off to the side wiping his eyes, looked over and froze. "Ryuu, don't do that!"
I bent it again. Snapped it straight. Bent it again. "Springy."
Yaoyorozu plucked it from my hands before I could push further. "Let me keep this. Here, play with this instead." She handed me a blank one she had just made, the edges cleaner, the material smoother.
I flipped it between my fingers. "Better quality. Doesn't spring enough, though. Hero Committee is cheap."
"Just keep it safe," she said.
Kirishima glanced over. "Man, you should be a little more excited. We're heroes now!"
"Yeah, yeah, but this thing feels like it came out of a vending machine," I said, tapping the blank license against my palm.
Bakugo scoffed. "Tch. If you don't want it, tear it up and quit."
I stared at him. "Oh, man, what a thought. Me, just out of the picture? Who would you take your unresolved issues out on? That would be tragic."
His eye twitched.
"And what do you know, you can be promoted back to Number 4 with me gone."
"I am going to kill you!"
Sero leaned over. "Honestly, I expected him to try eating it first."
"You joke, but it would probably taste like disappointment."
Jiro snorted. "So, like everything else from the commission."
Kaminari flipped his own card in the air and caught it. "Yo, do we actually get paid for real hero work now?"
I took the new blank ID Yaoyorozu handed me, flipping it between my fingers. Good quality. Springy. Perfect.
"Of course we're getting paid," I said. "But shit cheap. We're interns. That's 'slave' in French, right, Aoyama?"
Aoyama struck a dramatic pose, hand to his chest. "Oh, mon dieu!(My god) The truth burns brighter than my navel!"
Kirishima laughed. "Damn, Ryuu, didn't think you paid attention in class."
"I don't. That's just the one thing I needed to know," I said, pocketing the fake ID and snatching back my real one from Yaoyorozu before she could keep it hostage.
Kaminari squinted at his card. "So, how much do we actually make?"
Iida adjusted his glasses. "Intern salaries vary depending on the agency, but typically—"
"Low," Jiro cut in. "It's low."
Kaminari sighed. "Man, I was hoping for a new console."
Mina elbowed him. "You'll be lucky if you can afford a meal."
"Joke's on you, I already can't," Kaminari muttered.
Ojiro checked his card. "So, we can actually step in now? Like, real hero work?"
Uraraka pumped a fist. "Yeah! We're legit now!"
Sero stretched his arms. "And legally allowed to get our asses kicked. Progress."
"Speak for yourself," Bakugo said, flipping his card between his fingers. "I don't lose."
I raised a brow. "Oh yeah? How many points did you get again?"
Bakugo twitched. "Fuck off."
I grinned. "That's what I thought."
Todoroki glanced at his card. "It still feels… early. We've only been in U.A. for a few months."
Yaoyorozu nodded. "This license carries serious responsibility. We must be prepared for any situation."
Mineta frowned. "Like actual fights? With villains?"
"You thought we were signing up for tea parties?" I asked.
Shoji crossed his arms. "We won't always have pro heroes watching our backs. We need to be careful."
"Careful doesn't win fights," Bakugo said. "You hit first, hit hard, and don't stop till they're down."
"Yeah, that attitude's gonna get you arrested," Jiro said.
"Only if they catch me."
Yaoyorozu sighed. "That's… not how laws work."
Kirishima punched his palm. "Well, at least now we get real experience! Fighting villains, saving people, all of it!"
Looking at him, I deadpanned, "Your next words are 'Family Business.' Are you a Wincester Brother or what?"
Kirishima blinked. "Huh?"
"You're giving off 'My dad left me a shotgun and a cryptic letter' vibes."
Bakugo scoffed. "Tch. If he was a Winchester, he'd be dead by now."
Todoroki, who had been zoning out, suddenly decided to join. "What's a Winchester?"
"Wait." Kaminari squinted. "You don't—like, at all?"
Todoroki shook his head.
There was a long pause. Then Jiro sighed, rubbing her temples. "Alright, we need an intervention."
"Movie night?" Sero suggested.
"Movie week," I corrected. "It's a long-ass show."
Yaoyorozu, ever the responsible one, cleared her throat. "Shouldn't we be discussing what comes next? We did just pass the Provisional Exam."
"Yeah, yeah, we'll get to that," I waved her off. "But more importantly—Todoroki, how have you lived this long and not watched even one episode of Supernatural?"
"I've been busy."
Mina leaned on him. "Too busy to appreciate fine television?"
Todoroki looked at her like she just asked him to eat a pinecone. "What's so good about it?"
I pointed at Bakugo. "Explosions."
I pointed at Kaminari. "Questionable life choices."
I pointed at myself. "Peak trash talk."
I pointed at Mineta. "Occasionally, people die."
Mineta scowled. "Why am I the 'people die' guy?"
"Because if we ever have a horror movie situation, you're the first to go."
"Rude."
"Accurate."
Before he could argue, Mera, the walking corpse in a suit, dragged his lifeless ass back in front of us. "You're all dismissed," he droned. "Go home. Please."
That should've been the end of it. Should have. But then Bakugo, because he can't let shit go, nudged my arm with the edge of his license. "You still think this is fake?"
I took mine out of my pocket and held it up. "I mean, look at this thing. It feels like a knockoff library card."
Aizawa showed up just as we were starting to clear out. Same usual look—half-dead, like he hadn't slept in years. Probably hadn't. His eyes dragged over the class before he finally spoke. "Congratulations for passing. I am proud of you."
The class went dead silent. Not because we didn't want to hear it, but because none of us expected it.
I blinked. "Uh. What?"
Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples. "Do not make me repeat myself."
I glanced at Kaminari. "Did he just say he's proud of us?"
Kaminari was still processing. "I think so."
Yaoyorozu, who had the common sense to take the win, bowed slightly. "Thank you, Sensei."
Aizawa nodded, then turned to me. "And by the way, it's not Wincester. It's Winchester."
I chuckled. "Damn. Here I thought I hid it in my accent. Sharp as ever, Sensei."
Yaoyorozu frowned. "Wait, what is Wincester?"
I chuckled as Mina looped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her aside. "Let me teach you the fine points of a woman of culture," she whispered.
Whatever she said didn't take long, but by the end of it, Yaoyorozu was red, looking about three seconds away from either fainting or setting Mina on fire with sheer willpower. She glared at me like I had personally corrupted her innocent soul.
"Oh, come on, it wasn't me this time," I said, holding my hands up. "Blame Pinkzilla over there."
Mina grinned. "Hey, education is important."
Yaoyorozu looked like she had just been handed a cursed scroll. "That—was completely inappropriate."
"You'll thank me later."
"I absolutely will not."
Kaminari, who had been watching with too much interest, leaned in. "So… what did she say?"
Yaoyorozu shot him a glare that made him immediately backpedal. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"
The group was heading back toward the bus, everyone still buzzing about the exam. Some were hyped, some were just relieved it was over.
I stretched, already getting tired of the same conversation. "Yeah, yeah, we did great, blah blah, now who's gonna actually do something fun instead of standing around talking about how cool we are?"
Mina perked up. "Ooo, that sounds like an invitation!"
"It is."
She grinned. "Bet."
I grabbed her wrist and veered off from the group.
Aizawa caught us immediately. "Where the hell are you going?"
I didn't stop walking. "To date."
Mina gave a two-finger salute. "We'll be back before curfew, probably."
Aizawa didn't even react, just exhaled like he regretted his entire career. "Fine. If you end up on the news, don't call me."
"No promises," I called back.
We kept moving. Once we were far enough from the others, Mina swung our hands a little. "Sooo, where we going?"
"Somewhere that isn't here."
She snorted. "Wow, super specific."
"I'm an improviser."
"I thought you were a strategist."
"Both."
She hummed. "Kinda hot."
"Obviously."
We wandered toward the city, nothing planned, just moving. She didn't let go of my hand. Not that I minded.
After a while, she glanced up at me. "So, how's it feel being the top scorer?"
"Expected."
She rolled her eyes. "You really can't just take the win and enjoy it, huh?"
"I am enjoying it."
"By what? Walking around aimlessly?"
"Yes."
She snickered. "God, you're weird."
"Took you this long to notice?"
"Nah, I just like pointing it out."
I led Mina through the city, keeping it casual, nothing too obvious. She wanted something exciting, and I wasn't about to half-ass this. The place I found earlier? Perfect.
She glanced around as we walked. "So, you gonna tell me where we're going, or is this a trust exercise?"
"You'll see."
"That's what villains say before they throw you in a van."
"Would a villain buy tickets?" I pulled out my phone and flashed the confirmation.
She squinted. "The hell is that?"
"Combat park."
Her face lit up. "No fucking way."
I smirked. "You wanted exciting."
A combat park was basically a big-ass arena where you could fight, climb, and wreck shit without consequences. Think laser tag, but for people who liked breaking things. The place had obstacle courses, battle zones, and free-for-all arenas where people could throw hands for fun.
We reached the entrance, neon lights flashing above. A few guys were hanging around outside, comparing scores. Inside, I could already hear people going at it—shouts, crashes, the occasional explosion from some dumbass who wasn't reading the safety rules.
Mina practically bounced. "You're telling me we get to beat people up legally?"
"Yup."
"And you brought me here? Oh my god, you do love me."
"Don't get weird about it."
--
You walk into a bar.
Ryuu's sitting there, drinking plot twists.
You say:
"Nice fic. No vote tho lol."
Everyone in the tavern turns.
Even the rats.
"Bro…" the bartender says.
"You're not even quest-relevant."
-----
To Read up to 50 advance Chapters (25 for each novel) and support me...
patreon.com/thefanficgod1
Please drop a comment and like the chapter!