Midoriya, Gravely Injured

After the exam, Mic stopped Jilan Jiyu and asked if he could help tend to the injured.

Jilan Jiyu had written in his Quirk description that Hamon was good for healing, so he wasn't surprised that Mic had approached him. He lived alone and didn't have much money, and Mic had made a point of mentioning that he would be paid for his work, so he had no reason to refuse.

Although he could do some underground work and getting money that way wouldn't be difficult, he didn't want to attract police attention over it. As a minor, he could only take odd jobs, so Jilan Jiyu was pleased to earn some legitimate income. After all, he spent a lot in one particular area.

So Jilan Jiyu helped treat people with lighter injuries in the infirmary. Minor injuries like cuts basically healed on the spot after he treated them with Hamon, and it also helped ease more serious injuries.

Once most of the injured had been treated, Jilan Jiyu pulled back the curtain to the critical care room and was suddenly startled. Izuku Midoriya's body was battered and broken, like Deadpool's. Apart from one arm, which was still in decent shape, his limbs were severely fractured. Recovery Girl had already used her Quirk to treat him, but he remained unconscious.

"Recovery Girl... what on earth did he do to get hurt like this?" Jilan Jiyu couldn't help asking the person beside the bed.

The person whose hero name was "Recovery Girl" was U.A. High School's nurse, a kind and approachable old lady. She looked gravely at Izuku Midoriya's injuries and was silent for a while before saying, "This little fellow used a power he couldn't control and smashed the zero-point robot."

While he was treating patients earlier, some had excitedly told Jilan Jiyu that someone had taken down the robot, but he hadn't expected that person to be right in front of him now.

Good thing I didn't try to take it down head-on. Otherwise, I might have ended up worse off than him...

Recovery Girl suddenly said to Jilan Jiyu, "I've read your file. Your Quirk is very useful for healing. Would you be interested in transferring to the Support Course and becoming a doctor who provides rescue from the rear? I could teach you myself."

What was this old lady suddenly talking about?

Jilan Jiyu didn't want to become the kind of hero who specialized in healing, so he declined tactfully. "I want to get into the Hero Course. I'm not interested in the Support Course."

"I see..." Perhaps Healing Girl had only asked on a whim. She picked up the medical chart and walked out. "Becoming a professional support hero is a good choice too. Kids these days just don't take care of themselves..."

Jilan Jiyu watched Izuku Midoriya as he slept. His breathing was gradually becoming steady, and he should wake up after a while.

What could have made him sacrifice so much?

Jilan Jiyu didn't understand.

U.A. High School's monitoring room.

Almost all the teachers employed at U.A. High School were present, seated along both sides of a long table. The principal, hidden in shadow, sat at the head with his hands clasped beneath his chin, watching the surveillance footage across from them with the other teachers.

Somehow, the blond, spiky-haired boy had gathered a heap of robots around him. Explosions burst from his palms in rapid succession as he effortlessly took them out one by one.

The large screen froze on his wild grin. An older teacher was the first to stand and give his assessment. "Katsuki Bakugo's ability may not be top-tier, but he has developed it considerably. He's bold yet careful, with impressive combat skills. You could say he was the best overall in this exam."

"Isn't that wrong?" a younger teacher suddenly objected. "Bakugo may be powerful, but he didn't rescue anyone at all. Even when he saw others in danger, he just used them as a distraction to take down the mock villains. Can someone who shows no regard for others' safety really be considered the best?"

"That's a fair point..." The older teacher sat down and turned his gaze toward All Might. "Power alone doesn't make someone truly strong, so naturally it doesn't make him the strongest either."

A female teacher rested her head on her hand and smiled charmingly. "Everyone, I'm more interested in the two students who defeated the strongest zero-point mock villain."

"One has a powerful Quirk, but its drawback is that the side effects are too severe. The other is good at seizing an opportunity and only acts when he's confident of success..." A man who looked sleep-deprived spoke with his head lowered, as though he might fall asleep at any moment. "They both faced the mock villain to save someone, didn't they?"

"Hee hee." Mic laughed exaggeratedly and leaned close to his face. "What is it, Eraser Head? Think they're just your type? Maybe you'll be their homeroom teacher."

Eraser Head silently pushed Mic's head back and glanced at All Might. "It's nothing. I just think that Midoriya's Quirk seems a little familiar."

"Hahaha!" All Might drew everyone's attention with his laughter. "We're here to select the people most capable of becoming heroes. Whatever their performance in this exam, they showed their Quirks and sacrificed themselves for others. That's enough!"

"That's right. As long as their scores are high enough, any student is qualified to become a hero."

The teachers began to discuss the matter.

All Might discreetly wiped away some sweat. That was close. He almost saw through me. Seeing Eraser Head look at him again, he hurriedly laughed.

And so, after some discussion, Katsuki Bakugo was awarded zero bonus points, while Izuku Midoriya received sixty.

Jilan Jiyu had left before Midoriya woke up and gone to the supermarket to buy the ingredients he needed for dinner. He was now on his way home.

I never expected a student to actually beat that giant robot head-on... And it was Izuku Midoriya, that rather timid boy with the seaweed-green hair.

You really can't judge a person by appearances. Even with such a powerful Quirk, he was threatened by a delinquent at the school gate. I wonder if that guy even realizes Midoriya would have sent him flying with one punch if they'd fought...

Jilan Jiyu's home was in the ordinary Machishita Ward. His adoptive parents had died long ago, leaving him to live there alone, so he had decorated the rooms himself.

"I'm home."

Even though he knew no one was there, he couldn't break the habit. He sighed softly and closed the door.

"Welcome home."

The previously dark hallway suddenly lit up, and Inasa Yoarashi's head, wearing a goofy grin, poked around the corner.

"Ah." Jilan Jiyu sighed again. Honestly, if he was the one answering, Jilan Jiyu would rather no one was there.

"How did you get a key to my house?" Jilan Jiyu changed his shoes in the entryway and walked into the next room. "If you can't give me a proper explanation, you'll be spending tonight at the police station."

"I didn't do it." Inasaku Yoarashi hurriedly waved his hands. He knew Jilan Jiyu meant what he said, so he shifted the blame to the other person in the room. "Camie said she wanted to surprise you, so she forced the door open."

He felt that still didn't clear him of involvement, so he continued, "Actually, I tried to stop her at first. I thought we could just wait for you at the door, but Camie said that wouldn't show you how sincere we were, and she wanted you to have dinner when you got home, so..."

Jilan Jiyu ignored his excuses and sat down directly across from Camie Utsushimi. "I don't care how you got in," he said coldly. "I just want to know what you're doing here."

Honestly, Camie gave Jilan Jiyu quite a headache. He had no idea how to deal with her, and whether her claim to be his fan was true remained to be seen.