Accepted

Haru sat with his new friends on the bus ride back to the main campus. It was a little awkward for everyone at first, but thanks to some ready conversation from a recovered Kaminari, they all got comfortable enough to hold a decent conversation.

"Hope you all get into the hero course!" Haru called out as they separated at the dropoff point.

Jiro smiled, "Yeah, it would be great if we all were placed in the same class. We'd all make a good team."

Shiozaki nodded agreement, "We all created a perfect balance, didn't we?"

"We should all meet up again outside of school!" Kaminari said while winking at Jiro.

Monoma gave Kaminari a disgusted look, "Is that what you call flirting?"

"Anyone care to exchange numbers?" Haru cut in, holding up his phone.

Everyone instantly pulled out their own devices and touched them to Haru's.

Monoma sent Kaminari a look, "Don't spam us all with memes."

The electric blonde looked offended, "Just because I can recharge my phone without a charger, doesn't mean I like memes!"

Jiro sent him a tired look, "You're so shallow, we could tell that about you a mile away."

Kaminari looked incredulously at Haru and Shiozaki, receiving slow nods from both of them.

This caused him to clutch his chest dramatically, "You're all so mean!"

Shiozaki twirled one of her vines around her finger, "I'm sure the rest of us have our own eccentric traits that would seem strange to others."

As if to prove her point, Haru's phone began to buzz as it played an old-time pop theme.

You just gotta ignite~ the light~

And let~ it shine

Just own~ the night

Like the Fourth of July

'Cause baby, you're a firework~

Come on show 'em what~ you're worth

Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"

As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Haru instantly felt his skin burn up as Kaminari and Monoma gave him a weird look.

Haru was a little obsessed with the lost culture before the rise of quirks. The world was still recovering from the loss of technology, knowledge, and history that resulted in the chaos that had arisen in the first quarter of the 21st century. Even the internet databanks had been destroyed, voiding access to thousands of years of information across the globe. It was only within the past couple of decades (during the 23rd century) that the few institutions of knowledge that survived had begun the redistribution of knowledge. Needless to say, the now ancient pop culture had gained popularity among some of the younger generation but it wasn't as commonplace anymore.

Haru smiled sheepishly, "That's my brother's ringtone."

"Katy Perry. Good taste," Jiro said as she gave him a thumbs-up.

Kaminari suddenly laughed, "Oh, I get it! Explosion Boy! Fireworks!"

Monoma sighed as he shook his head, "Don't explain it. Now it's no longer funny."

A very uncharacteristic giggle came from Shiozaki.

Haru slid his finger along the answer button and held the phone to his ear, "Hi, Katsuki! Miss me already?"

[Just shut up! Where are you?]

Haru puffed out his cheeks, "I'm on Mars."

[Don't mess with me, paperboy! Just get your stupid ass out front now!]

Haru snapped back, with the same amount of attitude, "I'll be out when I'm ready, asshat!"

He then just hung up, knowing that Katsuki would be seething on the other end.

Kaminari was staring at him, "What the heck was all that about? Are your conversations always like that?"

Haru shook his head, "Oh no, he's much worse," he said half-seriously.

Jiro chuckled good-naturedly while Monoma raised an eyebrow, "And you're related to this barbarian? Is he some messed up twin?"

Haru raised an eyebrow in turn, "I'm adopted, and if you want to insult my brother, do it to his face. Although I suggest you check your insurance beforehand."

Monoma gave a low laugh, "You are so weird."

Haru smiled as he began to head off towards the locker rooms, "Welcome to the club."

Shiozaki and Jiro called out their goodbyes as they headed towards the girl's area.

Haru, Kaminari, and Monoma carried on the boy's side to change back into their street clothes. After some light-hearted banter and some promises to keep in touch, they went their separate ways.

***

(A week later...)

Haru was nervous.

It had been a week since the exam and neither he nor Katsuki had received any answer. He wasn't concerned about himself getting in. He was confident in his own skills to know he'd passed UA's written exam and at least got the required number of points for the practical exam. He was worried about Izuku. Scratch that, he was nervous, period.

Izuku had been in a slump ever since the practical exam. Who wouldn't after getting zero points? Haru had nearly had a heart attack upon hearing his friend had also been brutally injured while trying to rescue someone from a zero pointer. He didn't know any of the details, except that Izuku had saved the kind brown-haired girl from getting crushed while she had saved him from falling to his death.

With how things stood Izukua may not have passed entrance exams and there was nothing they could do about it. Haru had made a little appeal of his own in secret, but he hoped it would never come to light.

'I'd best check on Izu again.'

He dialed Izuku's number. He was answered by the voicebox message and hung up.

'Turned off your phone, huh? It will take more than that to ignore me.'

He dialed another number and was almost instantly answered by Izuku's mother, Inko Midoriya.

[Hello?]

"Hi, Aunty!" Haru kept his voice cheerful, knowing the poor woman probably had enough stress to deal with at the moment, Izuku being Izuku.

[Haruko? It's so good to hear from you again! You haven't visited in so long!]

Haru chuckled apologetically, "Sorry. I've been busy."

Inko instantly reassured him it was alright, [No! No! You needed to prepare for your entrance exams. Your mother has been keeping me updated on everything, so I understand. She also told me they went well. I'm so happy for you and Katsuki.]

Haru felt a small warmth at her words. Inko was one of the few people the Bakugos had shared the details about Haru's adoption. The kind woman had been almost like a second mother besides Mitsuki, causing him to call her Aunty.

Inko's voice changed into a worried tone, *I'm troubled about Izuku. He's been spacing out a lot this past week. Just a little bit ago, he was smiling at the fish we were having for dinner!*

Haru nearly smiled at the mental image that invaded his mind, but quickly covered it with a frown, "I tried calling him, but he turned off his phone, could you put him on?"

[Ah, yes. Here he is.]

There was a short silence before Izuku's voice was heard on the other end.

[Hello?]

"Care to explain why you are ignoring me?" Haru's voice was a little stern.

On the other end, Izuku panicked and nearly dropped the phone he was holding, [H-Haru-chan?]

Haru sighed, "How are you doing? You feeling okay?"

[I'm fine... Really...]

Haru tried to reassure him, "It's okay, Izu. I'm sure you still got in. Call it a gut feeling."

Haru was not feeding false hop either. It wouldn't make sense for a top hero school to turn people like Izuku down.

Unfortunately, Izuku didn't cheer up, [It's no use, Haru-chan. I know I barely passed the written exam. Without the points from the practical exam, there no way I got in. I'm sorry. Both you and All Might... You both saw potential in me, but I failed. I let you down.]

Haru was silent a moment, "You done?"

He could almost see Izuku's bleary expression clear on the other end, [What?]

Haru took a deep breath, "Izu. You did not disappoint me. I'm sure All Might feels the same. You did your best. That is more than some people give in their entire lifetime. Even if you fail in something, you can't give up. Let me ask you something: Do you regret saving that girl?"

[What?]

"Stop saying what. Do you regret saving that girl?"

[No,] Izuku's voice was soft but firm.

"Then it's okay. Regret for not doing the right thing is worse than regret for failure. Life is all about second chances. You can fall so many times, but you can always get back up."

He heard Izuku's taking slow breaths, [Right. I'll keep trying.]

The sound of a crash and the phone being dropped made Haru stand up in concern, "What happened? Izu? Are you okay?"

He stopped when he heard the faint sound of Inko's voice.

[A letter! Izuku! It came, Izuku! You got a letter! They're here! Your test results! From UA!]

Haru sweatdropped, "I'll call you back."

He hung up before a realization hit him.

'A letter...'

The door to his room nearly slammed off its hinges as he flew out into the hallway, colliding with the opposite wall.

"MOM! MAIL!"

Mitsuki Bakugo had been spending her evening calmly in the living room, working on some new design patterns her company was developing. The sound of Haru's yells instantly had her realize she had not checked the mailbox yet.

"HOLY SHIT! DID THEY ARRIVE?"

Haru pounded down the stairs, "I just got off the phone with Izu and Aunty! They've got one!"

The ash-blonde female didn't bother changing into her outdoor shoes as she slammed open the front door and ran to the mailbox, a barking Bumi close on her heels.

Sure enough, there were two letters with the UA seal on them.

She held them up for Haru to see, "Catch!"

Haru reached out a hand, telepathically snatching both letters from his mother's hand.

At that moment, Katsuki's voice could be heard at the top of the stairs, "What the hell are you maniac's doing!"

Haru spun on his heel, sending Katsuki's letter directly at his brother's face. Ignoring the loud smack it made as it hit, Haru stared at his own letter.

Mitsuki ran up behind him, "Don't just stand there, read them!"

Haru quickly dashed up the stairs again, pushed past his brother, and shut himself in his room. After closing the door, Haru leaned his back against it and slid down into a sitting position. He steadied his rapid breathing and slowly opened the envelope containing a small hologram disc. As the message started to open, he set it on the floor and then drew his knees to his chest.

[I AM HERE IN THE PROJECTOR NOW!] All Might's voice rang out in the room.

Haru felt a small wave of confusion at the sight of the number one hero in a striped yellow suit. Wasn't this letter from UA? Why was All Might on there?

'Someone has some explaining to do.'

[I know it has been a while, but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork! My apologies,] All Might cleared his throat, [The truth is, I didn't come to this city just to fight villains. You're looking at the newest UA faculty member!]

Haru's eyes widened, "Really?"

A hand appeared on the screen, seemingly giving a signal to wrap things up.

All Might looked at a person off-screen inquiringly, [Okay, I just need to respond to something... I have how many left? That many?] he made a small groan and continued, [Right. You have passed the written test with flying colors and your points gathered in the practical exam were also quite numerous.]

Haru felt a streak of joy electrify his body. He had made it! He was going to UA! He rested his head on his knees, realizing for the first time how much stress he had felt while waiting for this message. Now, all the hard work he had put in had paid off.

[Additionally, there were other factors...]

Haru's head shot up. 'Other factors?'

[But before I get to that, I need to answer your written request sent the day after the exams. We are sorry to inform you, that we cannot transfer points from one student test to another. As a matter of fact, most schools would have refused you entrance at that request, but the staff at UA was rather impressed that an exemplary student like yourself would be so bold. Turns out you were not the only student to make such an offer.]

Haru was surprised to see some video footage of the same brown-haired girl Izuku had saved, asking Present Mic to give some of her points to her unknown rescuer.

'Izuku's spirit is so strong that she risked her chances of passing for a complete stranger!'

All Might paused the footage, [Although we cannot change the score as you two requested, neither of you needed to worry about Young Midoriya's passing the exam. You see, the practical exam did not grade on combat alone!] Haru's ears perked up at that, [How can a hero course reject someone who is committed to saving others no matter the consequences to themselves. After all, that is what makes a hero. That's what my Alma Mater is all about. Training those who would risk their lives for the greater good. So we have rescue points! A panel of judges watches, and they award points for heroic actions beyond just fighting villains.]

A list of names and numbers shows up on the screen. Three, in particular, standing out in Haru's eyes.

No. 1 Haruko Bakugo: 49 VP / 35 RP

No. 2 Katsuki Bakugo: 70 VP / 0 RP

No. 8 Izuku Midoriya 0 VP / 60 RP

All Might flashed his legendary smile, [You all passed the exam. Welcome. Haruko. You are now part of the hero academia.]

Glancing through the list of examinees who passed, Haru placed a hand over his mouth.

We all passed... Me, Katsuki, Izuku, Kaminari, Jiro, Monoma, Shiozaki... We all made it!

***

Masaru and Mitsuki stood out in the hallway, patiently waiting for their sons to open their doors and tell them the results.

Haru's opened first.

"Haru?" Masaru asked, a little worried at the stunned look on his son's face, "What did they say?"

Haru looked up at his parents, "...I got first place..."

Mitsuki pressed her hands together in front of her mouth as she held back a happy cry, "I'm so proud of you!"

Haru stepped forward into his parent's open arms, accepting their warm hug.

"Oi."

They all looked up to see Katsuki leaning in the doorway to his room. On his face was a rare smile and proud look shown in his eyes.

"Good job, little bro."

Haru sent his brother a grin, "Looks like I beat this time, Katsuki."

The older teen stepped over and messed Haru's hair, "Yeah, yeah. You won't be there for long. I'm still gonna be number one."

Their parents brought them both into a group hug. Katsuki grumbled a little but allowed it this once.

***

(A/N) If anyone is dissatisfied with Katsuki's character in this fanfic, I'm sorry. It is really really hard to write these changes in the first place so it cant be perfect. I'm kinda giving him a bit of a tsundere brother love, with the rare outputs of affection. A small note is that while Katsuki is different around Haru, he acts the same around other people as he did in the show.

***

(The next evening...)

Haru had received a text from All Might, asking to meet him and Izuku at a particular time. Deciding to not show up early, he entered the same beach the three of them had trained in the last ten months exactly on the dot. It was nice to see it clean again after all that time.

He came across a de-transformed All Might and Izuku talking and waited just out of hearing until he was noticed.

"Young Bakugo!" All Might waved him over, "Congratulations on passing first!"

Haru smiled and gave the hero a high five, "Thanks! It's really cool you are going to be a teacher at UA."

All Might poofed into his muscle form, "That's right! I'll be leading your next generation of heroes into the future!"

Haru suddenly sweatdropped and pointed behind the tall man, "Uh... All Might?"

A couple standing on the pier noticed the famous hero standing on the beach, "Look it really is All Might!"

"No way, where'd he come from?"

All Might made a noise that clearly meant 'oopsy' and took off down the beach, "Right! Now we run!"

Izuku and Haru ran after him, Haru using his signature run, his body bent over and his arms stretched out behind him.

The number one hero glanced behind him at the two boys, feeling proud of how far they had come.

'Young Midoriya. The torch I have passed to you is but a small one now. I time it will kindle until you wield a raging inferno. The more powerful you become, the more you'll outshine me. Eventually, I'll retire, my job complete.'

'Young Bakugo. You already possess a will of fire. Your conviction will spread a light that will pave the way for many rising generations. Your dream to become a pillar of peace is already becoming a reality.'

All Might looked ahead again.

'Huh... Deep stuff alright!'