jura sat on a bench at dagobah beach park. the sky was gray. the breeze was steady. he wore a hoodie over his jumpsuit, sleeves pushed up to his elbows.
his hands were still sore two weeks later.
not hurting. just tight. like the joints remembered what he'd made them do.
he leaned back and stared at his open palm.
"mach punch," he said to himself.
it had worked. more than he'd expected. more than he thought it would.
he'd seen it in baki. katsumi's technique. joint alignment. starting from the foot. everything moving in a chain. like a whip.
toe. ankle. knee. hip. waist. shoulder. elbow. wrist.
the timing had to be exact. if one part moved too late, the chain would break. no power. no speed.
but he'd done it.
he wasn't sure how.
maybe his body just understood it. maybe the gates helped. maybe it was just luck.
he rolled his wrist. the pop felt clean.
"in the anime, katsumi said he had to imagine thousands of joints," jura muttered.
he tried it again. slow. visualizing it.
the whip didn't just stop at the elbow. he imagined it splitting. layering. breaking down into tiny movements. almost too small to feel. but he could.
that's probably not real, he thought. but it worked.
and that was all that mattered.
⸻
he sat in silence a bit longer. his drink was warm now. he finished it anyway.
the zero pointer didn't stand a chance.
but it wasn't just power.
it was timing. intention. practice.
he hadn't opened the second gate. hadn't needed to.
just one gate. clean technique. aligned force.
good enough for now.
he stood up, threw the bottle in the trash.
jura walked with his hands in his pockets. hoodie pulled up. traffic was light. the city was clean.
he didn't know where he was going. didn't care.
he passed a corner store. didn't go in.
he turned left at a light. crossed before it changed.
his legs hurt a little. not sharp pain. more like a dull memory.
first gate takes a toll, he thought. not as bad as second. but it adds up.
he stopped by a vending machine. pressed a button. got canned coffee. hot.
he stood there and drank it. looked at the school kids walking by. no one noticed him.
ua's gonna send results soon, he thought. maybe this week. maybe next week.
he didn't care what his score was.
he just wanted to know if he passed.
— ——
jura pushed open the door.
it wasn't locked.
"i'm back," he said.
no answer. quiet.
he took off his shoes. walked into the kitchen. inko wasn't home. izuku wasn't either.
there was a note on the fridge. inko's handwriting.
"izuku went to see recovery girl. he'll be back before dinner. help yourself to leftovers. -inko"
jura opened the fridge. pulled out a bowl of rice and grilled chicken. reheated it. sat at the table.
he ate slowly. quiet chewing. no rush.
nice of her, he thought. i don't say thanks enough.
after eating, he rinsed the dish. dried it. put it away.
then he walked into the small guest room and sat down on the futon. leaned back against the wall. arms resting on his knees.
then he saw it.
a letter.
plain white envelope. no stamp. official ua seal on the flap.
they sent it.
he didn't move for a second. just looked at it.
then picked it up.
he held it in both hands.
felt heavier than it looked.
⸻
should he wait for izuku?
he looked at the envelope again.
then set it aside.
he'd open it when izuku came back.
he didn't touch it.
he just waited.
the apartment was still quiet.
neighbors outside were talking. a bike passed on the street. someone upstairs dropped something. muffled thump.
maybe i passed, jura thought. maybe i didn't.
Maybe his forged records would trigger something. maybe he stood out too much.
he tapped his fingers on his knee.
can't do anything about it now.
⸻
the door opened.
"i'm back," izuku called.
jura didn't move.
"check the table," he said.
izuku walked in. dropped his bag. saw the envelope.
his breath caught.
"is that—?"
"yeah."
jura nodded at the second envelope. near the TV. inko must've set it aside too.
they both sat down.
izuku looked nervous. his hand shook a little when he picked up the letter.
"you wanna go first?" he asked.
"no," jura said. "same time."
they both peeled open the seals.
⸻
inside was a thin holodisk.
when they placed it on the table, it lit up and projected a small image—
All Might.
his voice came through clear.
"Congratulations, young Midoriya!"
he went on to talk about effort, determination, the entrance rankings.
jura tuned it out. watched izuku's face.
izuku was hanging on every word.
then—
"Midoriya Izuku… you placed in the top candidates not purely by points earned—but by showing true heroism."
izuku's eyes widened. "I—I got in?"
All Might's image smiled wide.
"Welcome to U.A. High."
izuku laughed once. then covered his mouth. his eyes looked wet.
he turned to jura.
"what about yours?"
jura's projection spoke right after.
"Jura Lee… combat score: 52. Rescue score: 8. Total: 60."
"You passed with flying colors.You're in."
he nodded. didn't smile. but the corner of his mouth moved a little.
"not bad," he said.
izuku grinned. "you crushed it."
"so did you."
they sat in silence for a minute.
then izuku spoke again.
"we got in."
"yeah."
"to ua."
"yeah."
they let it sink in
.
.
.
——April
"you've got everything?" inko asked, standing by the front door with her hands folded tight in front of her.
"yeah," izuku said, adjusting the strap on his bag. "we checked three times."
jura was already tying his shoes. "you forgot your phone once."
"that was one time," izuku muttered.
inko stepped forward and hugged her son. "be careful. and eat something if they let you."
then she turned to jura.
he stood still.
she surprised him with a hug too.
"you take care of each other, okay?" she said.
jura nodded. "we will."
she gave him a small smile. "you're part of the family now."
jura paused and smiled . "…thanks."
U.A. HIGH – CLASSROOM 1-A
they found it easily. classroom 1-a.
the door was oversized, like it expected people who could grow twelve feet tall on command.
izuku hesitated a second. "ready?"
"you're the one who's nervous," jura said.
izuku opened it.
inside, two voices were already raised.
katsuki bakugo and the tall guy with glasses.
"you wanna go, glasses? say that again."
"you are being uncivil, and it reflects poorly on your character."
"what'd you say to me?!"
jura sighed. "of course they're here."
izuku winced. "maybe they'll drop out."
"no chance."
⸻
the tall student noticed them and stopped yelling.
he straightened up, fixed his glasses, and walked over.
"midoriya, correct?" he said. "i must apologize for how i spoke to you during the entrance exam. it was wrong of me."
he bowed at the waist, low and stiff.
"you understood the test better than anyone. the true purpose was not to fight—but to save."
izuku blinked. "i—uh, thanks. it's okay."
the boy straightened again. "i'm tenya iida. of the iida family."
izuku nodded. "izuku midoriya."
"jura," jura added.
before tenya could reply—
"izuku!"
ochaco uraraka hurried in through the door. she waved, big smile on her face.
"we're in the same class! how cool is that?"
she stopped in front of him and gave him a quick bow.
"thank you again. you really saved me."
"r-really it's nothing," izuku stammered. "you helped me too. the floating thing…"
she grinned. "guess we're even."
⸻
then katsuki barked out a laugh.
"what a bunch of crap."
they turned.
he walked up, hands in his pockets, shoulders cocked like he owned the floor.
"you. izuku. how'd you get in, huh?" he sneered. "someone cheat for you? what, you bribe a judge?"
jura took a step forward. "hey."
but izuku put a hand out.
his voice wasn't loud. but it was clear.
"no one helped me," he said.
katsuki raised an eyebrow.
"i earned it. just like you."
jura blinked. so did katsuki.
for a second, no one moved.
then katsuki scoffed and turned away.
"whatever. don't get in my way."
⸻
"okay, that was cool," ochaco whispered.
"you didn't stutter once," jura said.
izuku looked down. "my hands are shaking."
"still counts."
⸻
then a strange voice came from the floor.
"you're noisy."
everyone turned.
a yellow sleeping bag lay by the wall.
a man slowly unzipped himself out of it, dragging the hood back.
long black hair. tired eyes. scruffy face.
"shota aizawa," he said. "your homeroom teacher."
no one said anything.
he stared at them.
"put these on," he added, tossing a sealed bag onto the front desk. "we're doing physical tests."
ochaco blinked. "don't we have an orientation?"
"waste of time," aizawa said. "go change."
———
The sun was out, but not hot. wide open space. flat dirt field. some grass along the edge. testing equipment lined up in rows. track cones. tape markers. metal stands.
the class stood in a loose group. most looked around, unsure. some whispered.
aizawa stood in front, hood down, hair hanging like curtains.
"in middle school," he said, "you weren't allowed to use your quirks in p.e. tests. Due to stupid government regulations that made everyone believe that they were equal today, we change that."
he reached into his jacket. pulled out a small yellow ball.
tossed it to bakugo.
"you," he said. "how far could you throw in middle school?"
bakugo caught it. grinned. "sixty-four meters."
"do it again," aizawa said. "with your quirk."
bakugo walked to the throwing circle. rotated his shoulders.
"watch this," he said.
he wound up. then threw.
"DIE!!" He yelled
BOOM.
an explosion sparked from his palm as the ball flew. high arc. clean shot.
everyone turned to watch it vanish into the sky.
a moment later, the screen beeped.
"705.2 meters."
mina gasped. "holy crap."
ojirou whistled. "that's insane."
mina grinned. "whoa, this is gonna be fun!"
Jura cringed knowing what was about to happen
aizawa turned to her.
"fun, huh?"
she froze.
then he held up one finger.
"whoever ranks last today," he said flat, "gets expelled."
the air went dead quiet.
"what?!" denki shouted. "expelled?!"
ochaco stepped forward. "you can't do that!"
aizawa didn't move.
"Oh, and you think natural disasters are? Or power-hungry villains, hm? Or catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities? No. The world is full of unfairness. It's a hero's job to try and combat that unfairness." Aizawa said
nobody answered.
"line up," he said. "now."
test 1: 50-meter dash
cones marked the lanes. the dirt was dry, soft underfoot. faint wind blew dust across the field.
aizawa looked down at the tablet. "ida and midoriya. you're first."
izuku nodded once. wiped his palms on his pants. his heart beat harder than he wanted to admit.
he stepped into position. crouched low. his shoes scraped the white chalk line.
next to him, ida stood tall, then dropped into a sprinter's stance. his arms angled just right. engines on his calves let out a soft hiss.
izuku muttered under his breath. "full cowl… four percent."
green electricity sparked over his arms. small arcs. his legs tensed, skin prickling.
beep.
izuku pushed off hard. his shoes dragged slightly before catching grip. energy burned in his thighs. he kept low, arms driving.
he couldn't see ida anymore.
but he kept running.
his foot hit the pad at the end of the lane.
he skidded to a stop, chest rising fast.
ida – 3.04 seconds.
midoriya – 4.03 seconds.
he bent over, hands on his knees, sweat starting to bead at his temples.
ida jogged back, not even winded.
"you gave it your all," he said, offering a quick nod. "your form's solid."
"thanks," izuku said, eyes down.
he deactivated full cowl. the sparks faded. his calves ached slightly.
aizawa called out, "lee and sato."
rikido sato, tall and built like a wall, stepped up to the other lane. he cracked his neck and flexed once. "good luck," he said, smiling a little.
"you too," jura said. he rolled his wrists. no flashy stance. just a slight crouch, one foot forward, weight balanced.
he didn't use the gate.
not for this.
beep.
they launched forward.
sato was strong. heavy. powerful strides.
but jura was smooth.
his steps were tight. arms low. each footfall hit perfect rhythm.
sato had size. jura had control.
they hit the end almost together.
screen blinked.
sato – 5.22 seconds.
lee – 4.10 seconds.
sato nodded. "fast."
"not bad yourself," jura said.
he didn't look tired. just stood still, watching the other students line up.
test 2: grip strength
the grip meter looked like gym equipment. black handle grips, thick cords, and a digital screen up top.
aizawa stood next to it, arms crossed. "one try each. don't waste it."
katsuki walked up first. loose shoulders. cocky grin.
he cracked his knuckles one by one. then gripped the handles letting out small explosions like he wanted to demolish them.
his arms tensed. forearms popped with veins. light sweat rolled down his neck.
click. beep.
892 kilograms.
he stepped back and raised his hand like he'd just won a match. "hell yeah."
denki whistled. "is that even normal?"
katsuki smirked. "that's hero normal."
todoroki stepped up next.
no warm-up. just a calm grip.
his eyes didn't change. no emotion.
645 kilograms.
clean.
"he didn't even try," someone whispered.
⸻
"lee," aizawa called.
jura walked up.
he grabbed the handles. didn't change his breathing.
he squeezed—not too fast, not too slow. tight and steady.
his forearms tensed. back stayed straight.
701 kilograms.
he let go and stepped back.
mina blinked. "he's stronger than he looks."
denki leaned over. "who is that guy?"
jura didn't react. just watched.
⸻
"midoriya."
izuku walked up.
his fingers were red. a little stiff. still warm from full cowl earlier.
he rubbed his palms together, then gripped the handles.
'don't overdo it,'he thought. 'just stay steady.'
He activated full cowl again
and then he squeezed.
arms shook a little. not from the power—just nerves.
ochaco gave him a thumbs-up from the line. "you've got this!"
izuku smiled weakly.
860 kilograms.
he stepped back.
aizawa didn't say anything.
just wrote the number down.
test 3: standing long jump
the jump pit was marked with cones and chalk lines. sand at the end. each student had one shot.
aizawa stood off to the side, watching.
mina went first.
she slid forward on a thin film of acid and flipped through the air, landing with her arms up.
"stick the landing!" she called.
students clapped.
next was todoroki.
he formed a short ice ramp, leaned forward, and let it launch him. he didn't stumble. just glided and dropped clean into the pit.
"he barely moved," kirishima said.
bakugo blasted himself over it all. his landing cracked some turf.
"boom," he muttered, brushing dirt off his sleeves.
"lee," aizawa said.
jura stepped up. didn't speak. bent his knees. no gate.
he launched forward in one clean jump. landed firm, center mass. didn't wobble.
compact, aizawa noted.
"midoriya."
izuku walked forward. stopped at the line. looked at the pit.
he didn't want to land short again.
"full cowl… four percent," he whispered.
green sparks danced around his shoulders.
he took a breath and jumped.
energy fired through his legs. he moved farther than before. not as far as Kachan or todoroki, but enough to cross the gap.
he landed. knees bent. hands out.
a soft thud.
"safe," aizawa said.
izuku stood up and turned back.
ochaco clapped quietly.
he smiled, a little out of breath.