The passionate decration mao draw the attention of those nearby, including the Kaminari family. At first, some people thought it was just a kid makiy boasts, but when they saw a young man standing there with a fident expression, the adults' faces softened into amused smiles.

  In a society like this, people were generally very fiving towards the boldness of youth. If an adult had made the same procmation, they might have bee with derision or even ht sarcasm. But when a teenager said it, it was taken as a sign of energy and spirit.

  After all, wasn't that the kind of atmosphere a healthy, modern society should cultivate?

  Of course, ah a bit of on sense could see that the boy's words were reckless, even dangerous. Ideally, someone would step in to caution him, but nobody did.

  "Tetsu!"

  The boy's father, a burly man with a ft-top haircut, suddenly stood up and delivered a sharp knock to his son's head. The young man yelped, clutg his head in pain as his father scolded him.

  "Don't get carried away! I'm telling yht now, don't go around talking about things you don't uand!" His father's voice was stern. "Remember, if you ever find yourself face-to-face with the Hero Killer, you turn and run. Use your Quirk to get away and don't look batil you're in a crowd!"

  Yes, it was the role of a parent to teach these lessons. Guardians were responsible frounding their children iy, and any adult with a proper education uood this.

  "But why?" the boy protested, still rubbing his sore head. "I've already been accepted into the Hero Course at U.A. High School! And with my Quirk, no one's going to be able to hurt me!" He was fuming ihinking that if it hadn't been his dad, he'd have used his Quirk to defend himself.

  "If I used my Quirk, you wouldn't have been able to nd a hit at all!"

  His loud response quickly drew the i of other ers and even some of the waitstaff. U.A. High School's Hero Course was known for training the top future professional Heroes, and hearing that this boy had already made it in was impressive news.

  In Japan, many students applied to U.A., but fewer than forty actually passed the entrance exams for the Hero Course each year. With only two csses Css A and Css B prising about twenty students each, it was a highly selective program.

  Of course, U.A. wasn't the only high school with a Herram, but it was the undisputed top choice. The reason was simple: nearly half of all professional Heroes who had ever ranked iop ten were U.A. alumni. The school had ears reputation step by step through sheer results.

  "Sit down!"

  The boy's father's voice was gruff, yet filled with a father's pride tempered by caution. As a retired soldier, he knew how overfidence could lead to disaster. He'd seen enough to know that if his son didn't curb his arroga could cause irreparable harm iure.

  "Don't start boasting just because you passed the writte. The practical exam is still ahead. Let's see you stand out there before you start talking big."

  The boy, whose Quirk made him as blunt as his personality, just grinned. "The writte was the hardest part for me, and I passed that already. The practical exam will be a piece of cake! I'm definitely going to get into Css A!" He then added to himself, Even if I end up in Css B, I won't let myself lose!

  By now, the surrounding patrons had gone back to their meals and versations. Watg a father and son bicker, even if it was amusing at first, only held so muterest.

  Just then, Kaminari's father, who had been quietly , set his gss of water down, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and addressed the other table.

  "Excuse me, may I introduce myself?"

  "Huh?" The boy's father turowards Kaminari's dad, looking slightly fused. He listened as Kaminari's father tinued.

  "It's just that I overheard your soion the practical exam at U.A. My son is also taking it, so I thought it might be good for them to get to know each other beforehand. You know, just in case they look out for each other wheime es."

  Kaminari's father was a businessman through and through, and he saw no harm in helping his son make es. In his view, there was no dowo Kaminari befriending someone who could potentially be a future cssmate.

  Of course, the boy might not pass the practical exam, but if he did, great. If he didn't, no harm done. What mattered was seizing every opportunity to create bonds.

  And if anyone questioned whether Kaminari himself would pass, his father didn't want to hear it. He was fident in his son's abilities, and that was that.

  "Oh? What a ce!" The boy's father seemed genuinely ied, gng at Kaminari, who was also sizing up the boy.

  "You're taking the exam too?"

  When the boy realized there was a felloiring Hero in the room, his eyes lit up with excitement. "My etsutetsu Tetsutetsu! I'm from Anohana Junih!" he announced with enthusiasm.

  "Kaminari Denki, from Tanibori Junih," Kaminari responded naturally. He then asked, intrigued by Tetsutetsu's earlier fidence, "You seem pretty sure about your Quirk. Mind if I ask what it is?"

  Living in a world full of extraordinary Quirks, Kaminari had developed a fasation with learning about different powers. Unfortunately, most of the Quirks he had entered up to this point had been mundane or impractical—things like ging the color of nose hairs or altering the shape of pupils. While mildly iing, they fell short of the kind of superhuman abilities he'd been hoping to see, something like the powers from X-Men.

  So, wheetsu spoke with such vi, Kaminari's curiosity was genuinely piqued. He was eager to learn what kind of Quirk could give this boy such fidence.

  Of course, there was a bit of strategy in his question as well. The practical exam didn't involve teams, so everyone was essentially peting against each other. Any information Kaminari could gather about a potential rival could e in handy.

  Yet, it seemed her Tetsutetsu nor his father had picked up on that subtext. In that sehe father and son were very much alike both straightforward and quick to trust.

  "Hehehe, my Quirk's awesome!" Tetsutetsu decred proudly, not notig the subtle probing in Kaminari's question. "It's called 'Steel!' I turn my entire body into metal, giving me super strength and toughness. It's like having the stro shield and the stro spear bined!"

  "Your body turns into steel?" Kaminari's eyes widened as he finally entered a Quirk that seemed genuinely impressive. Instinctively, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

  "Colossus! Just like Colossus!"