Chapter 8: It’s Groovin’ Time

The vibe around UA University was buzzing, full of excitement, as droves of aspiring heroes approached their designated auditorium. The exam the young adults were about to undertake consisted of a written test and a practical, each requiring knowledge and skills that only the most devoted or talented would display. It was truly an exam that would sift through the masses and pick out the shiniest of gems to mold into proper heroes.

That’s why, despite being mentored by the number one hero, Izuku Midoriya looked just as nervous and anxious as if he hadn’t been. He even packed some protein bars in his pocket to stress-eat if it came down to it. On the other hand, Katsumi Bakugo walked with a certain confidence that made his nerves seem even more apparent. Especially when she practically dragged him along with her arm looping through his. However, there was another reason for the young man’s nerves to be on edge. And it involved the poignant silent treatment his girlfriend had recently given him.

Izuku glanced at Katsumi, trying to break the tension. "So… Whatcha think will be on the practical exam? Rumors say it can get intense."

Katsumi's eyes narrowed slightly, her jaw tightening. She had been giving him the cold shoulder ever since she found out about his latest training mishap. "Who knows," she replied curtly, not meeting his gaze.

Izuku sighed, knowing he had to address the elephant in the room. "Kacchan… I already said that I'm really sorry about not telling you about my arm. I didn't want you to worry."

At that, Katsumi stopped abruptly and pulled him off to the side, away from the flow of students walking around the university. She crossed her arms and fixed him with a steely glare. "Deku, What happened to no more secrets? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your field trip to UA?”

Izuku winced at her words, feeling the weight of her disappointment. "I... I just wanted to push myself to be better. I need to be…"

Katsumi's expression softened just a fraction, but her tone remained stern. "I get it. I really do. You were quirkless for most of your life, but now that you have one, you want to catch up with us. But you pushing yourself to the point of breaking bones isn't going to help anyone. You need to be smarter about your training. You can't help anyone if you're constantly injured."

He nodded, feeling a lump form in his throat. "You're right. I'll be more careful."

She stepped closer, her eyes locking onto his. "You better be. And during the practical exam, you stick to 5% max. Got it?"

Izuku gulped, the seriousness in her tone sending a shiver down his spine. "Got it."

With a final nod, Katsumi grabbed his arm and began leading him back en route to the auditorium. As they walked, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, a silent promise that she was there for him, even if her way of showing it was tough love.

As they traversed the campus, Izuku’s mind was already shifting toward the many potential students around him. Dozens and dozens of young adults were all there to achieve the same dream as him, yet have likely been training for this moment much longer than him. Yet rather than be dismayed by this as he had before, Katsumi’s encouragement helped him focus on himself. He psyched himself up. ‘I worked hard for this. I’m going to get into UA. I will not make an embarrassment of myself in front of hundreds of people!‘

Well, it might have been too late for that last one. With Izuku so focused on psyching himself up, he failed to notice the protruding brick in his path. Yet before hitting the ground, he felt his body stop midair, suspended as if gravity had taken a break.

Confused and wide-eyed, Izuku looked around until he spotted a girl with short brown hair, her hand outstretched towards him.

“I’m so sorry for using my quirk on you without asking,” she said with an apologetic smile, “but I figured you wouldn’t mind the save.”

Izuku was gently set back upright and released from the anti-gravity-like hold by a vocal command. Immediately, his eyes lit up, and he began to geek out. "That was amazing! Your quirk must be anti-gravity or something similar, right? How does it work? Can you control the weight of objects or people—"

A sharp smack upside his head from Katsumi cut off his enthusiastic ramble. "Deku, manners first. Thank the girl before you start nerding out."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Izuku managed an embarrassed smile. "Right, sorry about that. Thank you for saving me from a pretty embarrassing fall. I'm Izuku Midoriya, and this is my girlfriend, Katsumi Bakugo."

The girl laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hey, It’s no problem at all! I'm Ochako Uraraka. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about the exam, but helping you out just now actually made me feel a lot better.”

“Oh, uh, anytime!” Izuku babbled, unsure how to respond. Quickly, his eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Anyways, your quirk is really fascinating. How does it work? Can you control the weight of anything you touch?”

“O-Oh! Not quite. I can nullify gravity on things I touch with my fingers! These little pads, to be a bit more specific.” The brown-haired girl then waved out her fingers, showing off the pink pads that existed there. “I can then release what I have control over by pressing them together again.”

Unconsciously, the hero fanatic reached out and touched the finger pads in front of him, causing the girl to squeak and pull back her hands. He quickly knew what he had done wrong and apologized while Katsumi watched on in scrutiny. “Ah, sorry! I just got caught up with seeing how it works. My bad.”

“I-It’s okay, I’m just… not used to people touching them, so I was surprised.” Uraraka blushed at the sudden contact. Being from the country, she was surprised at how forward city boys could be. Especially cute ones like the gentle green giant in front of her. “J-just ask next time, okay?”

Izuku nodded, then continued to interview her about her quirk. As they began chatting animatedly about her quirk and the upcoming exam, Katsumi stood by with a smirk on her face, watching the interaction. After a moment, she interrupted with a teasing tone, “If you two keep flirting, we’re all going to be late for the exam.”

Both Izuku and Uraraka clammed up, their faces turning a shade of red. “We weren’t—” Izuku started to protest, but Uraraka, still blushing, gave a hurried farewell and sprinted off alone.

Turning to Katsumi, Izuku tried to deny the implication. “We weren’t flirting, Katsumi, I swear.”

She shrugged, her smirk turning into a softer smile. “Sure, whatever you say. Now come on, let’s get inside.” She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before pulling him along towards the auditorium.

As they entered the auditorium and found their seats for the written portion of the exam, Izuku glanced around the room, trying to spot any familiar faces. He turned to Katsumi, lowering his voice to avoid disturbing other students. “I hope Kyoka and Ojiro are doing well. They had their written exam earlier, but I haven’t had a chance to check in with them.”

Katsumi shrugged, her usual confidence in place. “Those two aren’t the most studious. Tails is a bit muscle-brained at times, and Earphones despises studying. But who knows, you did spend quite a bit of time on them.”

Izuku nodded, a small smile on his face as he thought about all the training sessions they had gone through together. Both girls had become quite close to him over the past year. Masako Ojiro had quite literally beat into him a new fighting style while he, in turn, ‘sharpened her fangs’ as she put it. Meanwhile, Kyoka Jiro had become a staple of his workout routine and a good friend with whom to share hobbies. It put a smile on his face when he thought of them, and he hoped… No, knew they were fine. “Yeah… I think they’ll be fine. They’ve worked hard, just like we have.”

Their conversation was cut short as the pro hero known as Cementoss entered the room, his presence signaling the start of the exam. Katsumi rolled her eyes as Izuku pointed and geeked out.

That quickly ended, and the room fell silent when he explained the structure of the exam while his assistants passed out the exam forms. One brief explanation later, the exam officially began, and the students focused on the papers in front of them.

As Izuku read through the questions, a smile spread across his face. His intense study sessions had paid off, and he found himself knowing the answers to almost every question. He glanced over at Katsumi, who seemed equally confident, her pen moving swiftly across the paper.

The exam proceeded smoothly, with Izuku answering each question with growing confidence. As he completed the last question, he diligently went back through his answers and quite confidently assured himself that he surely aced it. It wasn’t long after that Katsumi also finished, though he noted that she didn’t go back through, no doubt because she rarely second-guessed herself.

When the time was up, Cementoss collected the papers, and the students were ushered out of the exam room towards another auditorium where they would learn about the practical exam.

Walking alongside Katsumi, Izuku couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. “That went well. I think we nailed it.”

Katsumi nodded, her usual smirk replaced with a genuine smile. “Obviously. But don’t get too comfortable. The real challenge is just starting. Everyone knows the practical is the real exam.”

As Izuku and Katsumi settled into their assigned seats in the next auditorium, they found their exam cards already waiting for them, detailing their assigned exam sites. Izuku glanced at his card and then at Katsumi's, a frown forming.

"We've been separated," she scoffed, her frustration evident.

Izuku placed a hand on her arm, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Kacchan. This just means we can be the best in our zones. Just focus on—"

Before he could finish, a boy with neatly combed hair and glasses turned around in his seat, glaring at them. "Could you please be quiet and focus on the presentation? This is important."

Katsumi bristled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "The fuck you say, glasses?"

Izuku quickly grabbed her arm, holding her back before she could do anything rash. "K-Kacchan, calm down."

Thankfully, the sound of a guitar rift exploded from center stage, drawing the couple's attention toward their next presenter. The one and only Present Mic showed off his vocal talents as he attempted to hype up his crowd. Izuku once again geeked out, though in a more muted tone so as not to draw the ire of the severe man from before.

The Voice Hero continued his presentation by explaining how the practical would be done. Much as Izuku predicted, robots of varying scores would be littered about a commercial area for them to defeat. This scenario was nearly always the same for this particular exam. However, in recent years, there have been many complaints over how the test was ‘unfair’ to heroes who specialize in non-destructive methods and were at a serious disadvantage. Thankfully, what Present Mic was about to announce as this year’s ‘twist’ alleviated that particular concern.

"Alright, listeners! Here’s the shindig! Sure, you gotta beat up the mean ol’ bots to get points, but that’s not all. This year, we got a remix!" The examinees murmured in curiosity as Present Mic continued. "We've added human-shaped rescue bots throughout the exam site. This way, any listener can pick up some points by demonstrating their rescue skills. Remember, being a hero isn't just about taking down villains!"

Izuku felt a surge of excitement at this news. It was a perfect opportunity to show his skills beyond combat. As powerful as his idol was in a fight, it was his ability to rescue people with a smile that inspired the young man to begin with. Now, it was his turn to be that person, even if it was just for robots. Stepping stones.

While Izuku began musing about strategies to incorporate during the practical, a hand shot up in front of him. Present Mic called upon the hand, and Izuku immediately recognized that it belonged to the bespectacled man from earlier. "Excuse me, sir! I have a question."

Present Mic grinned, pointing at him. "Go ahead, young listener!"

The boy stood up, his voice clear and authoritative. "Can you clarify how the points for rescuing these human-shaped robots will be calculated compared to those for defeating villain bots?"

Present Mic nodded, his grin widening. "Great question! Rescuing bots will be worth a variable amount of points, up to ten, based on the difficulty of the rescue and the bot's condition. They’ll work on a deduction scale, so you best be nice and gentle with them. And we’ll know. An examiner will be monitoring each one. That way, any rescue efforts are judged fairly and thoroughly. Anything else?"

When no other questions were asked, the bombastic DJ flashed the crowd a grin. “Groovy! Now, let's get this show on the road! Now repeat after me… PLUS ULTRA!”

As much as Katsumi tried to be aloof and cool, even she couldn’t help but join in alongside her boyfriend as the auditorium chanted the revered school motto. Then, when the presentation concluded, the students were directed to head to their respective exam sites.

Izuku turned to Katsumi, giving her a reassuring smile. "We’ve got this, Kacchan. Just do your best out there."

She smirked, her fiery confidence returning. "You too, Deku. And remember what I said. 5%. Every bone you break is a week you don't get to bone me, got it?"

The sexual clause made Izuku laugh, but he got the message loud and clear. With a quick kiss, they parted ways, each heading towards their respective transport buses and hoping on, ready to face the challenges ahead.

Despite not dallying too much, the bus was already mostly filled, with nearly every seat occupied already. As he looked for a seat, he spotted Uraraka sitting alone by a window. Unfortunately, just as he stepped closer, a duo of catty girls claimed the seats next to her, shutting off his one chance of sitting beside someone familiar. So, accepting that he’d have to sit with someone new, Izuku found and claimed a seat next to a large, muscular, and nervous-looking man occupying one of the seats near the middle.

Izuku approached and smiled. "Mind if I sit here?"

The man looked up, blinking in surprise before nodding. "Uh, sure, go ahead."

Izuku sat down, but only after taking note of the man's anxious demeanor. He had all the telltale signs. From the tense look on his face, the leg bouncing in place, even a bit of constant muttering. Somehow, Izuku found someone more of a nervous wreck than he was. Fortunately, Izuku had his friends and mentors to help him overcome it when he needed it most. But was there anyone for his guy? If not… ‘Meddling is the essence of a hero… Right All Might?’

Putting on a confident smile, Izuku extended his hand. "Hey there! I'm Izuku Midoriya. Thanks for letting me sit here."

The man hesitated before shaking Izuku's hand, his grip firm but shaky. "Rikido Sato. Yeah… it’s no problem."

Izuku could now plainly see the worry in Sato's eyes. "That written exam was a doozy, huh?"

Sato sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "Yeah, no kidding. I probably already failed this whole thing, ya know."

_‘So that’s what he’s worried about…’ _Izuku shook his head, keeping his smile strong. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Sato. The written part was tough, but it’s just one part of the exam. The practical is where you can really show what you’re made of.”

Sato looked at his green-haired companion, doubt still present in his eyes. “You really think so? I mean… Even still, my quirk isn’t exactly something worth showing off.”

Izuku’s encyclopedic mind conjured many heroes who succeeded in life with less than ‘flashy’ quirks. To his formerly quirkless self, Quirks were cool no matter what they were. Perhaps his new companion just needed to find something to build his confidence. “You’d be surprised how many heroes have ‘non-flashy’ quirks, Sato. It’s not about how it looks but how you use it. Everyone has their strengths. I’m something of a quirk-nerd myself, so maybe I could help you figure out how to make the most of yours?”

Sato blinked, clearly taken aback. “You’d… do that? But aren’t we supposed to be competitors?”

Izuku chuckled softly. “Maybe, but I think we’re all in this together. We’re all trying to be heroes, right?”

Izuku watched as light glimmered in the muscled man’s eyes. “Yeah. Totally.”

The verdette nodded, glad to see some fight left. “So, how about it? Tell me about your quirk, and I’ll see if I can give you some pointers for the practical exam."

Sato hesitated for a moment, uncertainty still etched on his face. But there was something in Izuku's earnest expression that made him want to trust him. "Well, okay… I call my quirk Sugar Rush. I can boost my strength by eating sugar, but the more I use it, the more my cognitive abilities start to decline. I’m worried I might mess up in the middle of the exam because of it."

Before Sato could finish his explanation, Izuku had already whipped out his handy notebook and was already jotting down the details. Izuku hummed. “Hmmm… So you have super strength, but it’s tied to the consumption of sugar. Is it any amount of sugar, or do you need a certain quota?”

“Around 10 grams or so. And it lasts about five minutes. After that, I’m boned and I get super sleepy.” Sato clarified, his concerns driving his mood back down. “I’ll need to keep guzzling sugar if this exam is any longer than that, but then I’ll crash even harder.”

The use of the word ‘crash’ triggered something in Izuku’s mind. “So, is it like a sugar crash then?”

Sato made a so-so gesture. “Kinda, but harsher.”

“Interesting… Have you ever tried taking protein alongside your sugar?” When Sato shook his head, Izuku had an idea. “I’ve read that during a sugar crash, your body is searching for protein sources to balance out blood glucose levels. Maybe in the future, you could try balancing out your quirk with protein bars or maybe even find bars that already have the requisite amount of sugar in them! Then you won’t feel the crash as harshly after if you consume them and digest them at the same time. However, that is a good point. Does the strength apply after it reaches your stomach or only once it breaks down into glucose and fructose? That’s super interesting to think about! I wonder what else-”

Sato’s head spun as his green companion droned on and on about his quirk. He was bringing science into something he just thought of as ‘eating sugar equals strong me.’ Discussing nutritional facts and how his body chemistry worked was not on his bingo card for today. Yet, for whatever reason, as Izuku talked excitedly about his quirk, Sato felt an odd sense of pride. Even a ‘simple’ quirk like his was worthy of discussion. His heart felt much lighter now.

When Izuku finally took a moment to breathe, Sato smiled. “You really are a quirk-nerd.”

“Ah… Yeah…” Izuku froze and blushed. “So anyways, about how you can apply this for the exam… In the past, these have been fairly quick, maybe fifteen minutes. So, at the very least, you’d need to eat about 30g of sugar.”

He then pulled out his protein bars from his pocket and passed them to Sato. “I had these to stress-eat, but I think you should take them.”

Sato didn’t know what to say. He barely knew the guy, and he was helping him so much. “Midoriya… I-”

“Well, to be fair, I guess we don’t quite know if it’ll work just yet. But the science is there…” Izuku laughed, closing his notebook and smiling. “Granted, those bars have pretty much no sugar, so you’ll still need to supplement your own.”

“You’re a good guy Midoriya. Thank you.” Sato bowed graciously. “I’ll pay you back for these, for sure.”

“You can pay me back when we both get into UA,” Izuku said confidently, extending his fist.

Sato, in turn, bumped his fist against it. Finally, he was confident in himself. “For sure.”

The bus lurched to a stop as if on cue, and an automated voice announced their arrival at Ground Beta. The two departed the bus in high spirits, and once off, Sato turned to Izuku, his gratitude evident. “Thanks, Midoriya. Let’s kick this exam’s ass!”

Izuku grinned. “Let’s do it!”

Sato shared his grin and excused himself to do some final stretches before the exam. Izuku watched him go, feeling good about their conversation. With his own spirits lifted by the experience of getting to help someone in need, Izuku felt himself ready to give the exam his all. However, just as he went to do some stretches of his own, Izuku felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Ochako Uraraka smiling at him. He noted that the girl was now in gym clothes and had her hair tied in a ponytail, showing that she meant business.

"Hey, Midoriya! I saw you talking to that muscled guy. That was really sweet of you, cheering him up like that," she said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Izuku blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, you saw that? Uhm, thanks. I just... I appreciate it when someone meddles with me when I'm feeling down, so I figured I should do the same."

Uraraka’s smile widened. "That's really sweet. And it’s a great attitude to have. You’ll make a great hero."

Izuku's blush deepened at the compliment. Hearing that term being applied to him meant more than Uraraka could have known. "Th-thank you."

Hearing the proctors begin ushering the examinees closer to the main gate, they continued to chat as they walked. "So, what’s your plan for the practical?" Izuku asked, genuinely curious.

Uraraka thought for a moment. "I think I’ll be focusing on rescuing for the most part. But I’ll try to use my quirk on any villain bots if I can. It seems like a good balance."

Izuku nodded, impressed. "Yeah, that’s a solid plan. With your quirk, you can probably move people to safety quickly and still take down some robots for points with just a touch. It’s a great option."

Uraraka beamed at the praise. "Thanks, Midoriya. I got to be careful, though. Too much mass will make me sick. I get, like, super messed up. What about you, though? What’s your noggin got thought up?"

Izuku hesitated momentarily, thinking about how to best use his abilities without overexerting himself. "I’m going to try and find a balance, too. I can use my strength to take down robots quickly, but I want to keep an eye out for anyone who needs rescuing. Plus, I need to make sure I’m using my quirk responsibly."

Uraraka tilted her head in confusion. “Oh? Do you have some sort of drawback, too? You said strength, so is it like a super strength quirk?”

Izuku used his practiced cover-up for One for All. “Uh, sort of. I have a really, really powerful strength stockpiling quirk that is a bit unruly. I have to try pretty hard to keep it in check at times. Otherwise, I can get pretty hurt from it.”

“Oh, yikes! That must have been tough to grow up with.” The brunette frowned, her expression serious now. "Yeah, I get having safety first. I’m sure you’ll do great, though! You seem really prepared."

Izuku scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Thanks, Uraraka, let’s-.”

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you two be focusing on the task at hand instead of small talk?" Izuku turned to see the same blue-haired, bespectacled man from the auditorium walking over, a grimace on his stern face.

Izuku opened his mouth to reply, but Uraraka quickly intervened, her tone firm but polite. "Actually, we were discussing our strategies for the exam. Maybe you should focus on yourself rather than worrying about what others are doing."

Iida paused, taken aback by her response. He considered her words for a moment before nodding. "I see. Although this exam is scored on solo performance, actions taken with others would only bolster the image that you work well with others and understand your limits. I understand now what forethought the two of you have put in already.” The man deeply bowed and spoke forthrightly. “I apologize for the interruption. I wish you good luck to both of you in the upcoming exam. May we show the proctors that we live by the tenets our heroic predecessors have placed." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving them to their conversation.

Izuku glanced at Uraraka, admiration in his eyes. "Huh. You handled him really well."

Uraraka smiled, a bit of confusion on her face. "Uh, Thanks? I think he did the heavy lifting on his own, though."

Before they could continue their conversation, Present Mic’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers. “Alright, my little listeners! What are you waiting for? It’s time to get groovin’! Go! Go! Go!”

The gates to the exam site had already opened, and the examinees were already rushing in. Izuku and Uraraka exchanged a final nod of encouragement before stepping into the arena. As Present Mic had so eloquently said, it’s groovin’ time.

Izuku turned to Uraraka one last time, offering a heartfelt "Good luck!"

"You too, Midoriya!" she shouted while smiling positively.

Izuku looked ahead. It was finally time. The true Entrance Exam had begun.

**********

AN: Howdy Howdy! The exam begins, and we meet a few familiar faces. They won't be the only ones, though; I wonder who else we'll meet in the exam? Also, I hope y'all don't mind the change with the exam. I like adding little twists to things, and I felt like the exam needed a little change from its canon counterpart. Rescuing Bots seemed like a fun idea, so we'll have to see how it will play into the exam results. Will Izuku break nearly every limb and piss off his girlfriend? We'll have to find out next time!

As always, thank you all for reading, and be sure to check us out on my Discord for behind-the-scenes looks at all my writing. Lastly, a special thanks to Zephyr0F8 for beta-ing this chapter!