If you'd told me a month ago that I'd spend my precious pre-UA-exam time hauling literal mountains of trash off a beach with Kacchan, I'd have laughed in your face. Actually, scratch that—I'd have told you to get your head checked. But here I was, standing knee-deep in sand and surrounded by the remnants of human neglect, while Kacchan stomped around like a feral animal, his usual scowl now paired with an occasional explosion aimed at stray cans.

"This is stupid, Deku!" Kacchan growled, chucking an old car tire into the growing pile. "Why the hell do we have to do this?!"

I wiped the sweat off my brow, smirking. "Oh, I don't know, Kacchan. Maybe because you're the one who said we needed to train. And because you said, and I quote, 'I don't wanna die if you screw up!'"

He spun on his heel, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "I didn't mean cleaning up the whole damn beach! That's not training! That's slave labor!"

"Call it what you want," I replied, waving at the now-pristine stretch of sand we'd been working on for weeks. "But it's working. Look at this place. All Might himself would give us a gold star for this."

Kacchan looked like he was about to argue, but then his eyes landed on the clear blue water and the gleaming shoreline. For a second—just a second—he looked almost proud. Of course, that quickly disappeared when he noticed me watching.

"Whatever," he grumbled, picking up another piece of trash and blasting it apart for no reason. "Let's just finish this already. I've got better things to do than babysit you."

"Sure you do, Princess Explosia," I said under my breath, earning an explosive grunt from him.

If cleaning the beach was a nightmare, studying with Kacchan was a full-blown horror movie. He sat at the table, glaring at the stacks of notes and textbooks I'd meticulously prepared, his hands twitching like he wanted to blow them all to smithereens.

"I don't get this crap!" he yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "Why the hell do we even need a written exam?! Being a hero is about fighting, not solving stupid math problems!"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Kacchan, if you don't pass the written part, you won't even make it to the fighting part."

"Then explain this crap better!" he barked, shoving a sheet of practice questions at me. "This doesn't make any sense!"

I took the paper, glancing at the question he was struggling with. It was basic algebra. Basic. Algebra.

"Kacchan," I said slowly, "this is literally the first thing we learned in middle school."

"Shut up!" he snapped, snatching the paper back. "Just—just explain it already!"

I opened my mouth to reply, but then he slammed his fist on the table, accidentally setting off a small explosion that sent papers flying everywhere. My carefully organized notes fluttered through the air like confetti, and I just stood there, frozen, while Kacchan rubbed the back of his neck, muttering curses under his breath.

That was it. I'd had enough.

Without a word, I walked over to him, slapped a hand on his shoulder, and activated his transformation.

"What the hell are you—"

He didn't get to finish. A burst of light engulfed him, and when it faded, there he was: Princess Explosia, complete with glittering fairy wings, a tiara, and a tutu that sparkled like it was made of crushed diamonds.

"You've got to be kidding me," he growled, staring down at his frilly costume in horror.

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. "Here's the deal, Kacchan. You're going to sit down, shut up, and study, or I'm leaving you like this for the rest of the night."

"You wouldn't dare," he hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

I smirked. "Try me."

For a moment, we just stared at each other, a silent battle of wills. Then, with a defeated growl, he stomped over to the table, flopped into his chair, and grabbed a pencil.

"Fine! Whatever! Just get this stupid transformation off me already!"

I let the light swirl around him again, returning him to his normal, non-glittery self. He looked like he wanted to murder me, but to his credit, he actually started working on the practice questions.

"See?" I said, sitting across from him. "Was that so hard?"

"Shut up, Deku," he muttered, scribbling furiously.

I leaned back in my chair, smirking. Revenge really was sweet.

Two Weeks Later: The Beach Again

By now, the beach was unrecognizable. The mountains of trash were gone, replaced by pristine sand and sparkling water. Even Kacchan had to admit it looked amazing, though he'd rather die than say it out loud.

"You know," I said, tossing a piece of driftwood into the newly cleared waves, "we actually make a pretty good team."

Kacchan snorted, crossing his arms. "Don't push it, nerd."

I grinned, stretching my arms above my head. "Just saying. We're going to crush the UA entrance exams."

He shot me a sideways glance, his expression unreadable. Then he smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"We'd better," he said. "Because if we don't, I'm blaming you."

"Of course you are," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

But as much as he annoyed me, I couldn't help feeling a flicker of pride. We'd come a long way in just a few weeks, and for the first time in my life, I actually felt like I had a shot at being a hero.

Even if my path to heroism involved glitter and tutus.