novelraw Chapter 21: 21 H for HERO ?or H for HAREM
Chapter 21: 21 H for HERO ?or H for HAREM
[ Maki's POV ]
After a while, the long bridge was coming to its end, and I could see a tunnel ahead. Nemuri drove toward it, and every time her car passed forward, the lights automatically illuminated the dark tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, I saw another road—but this time, it wasn't a simple-looking one.
On each side of the road, massive statues were placed. Each statue was as tall as a six- to nine-floor building, and every one had a different face and build.
Nemuri saw my bewildered expression and asked, "Are you curious about those statues, Maki?"
"Well, I'd be lying if I said no," I replied.
"Fufufu. Well, you'll know about them when you officially enter U.A.," she said.
After passing so many statues that I lost count—around seventy-three—I saw a massive white wall. It was bigger than the statues, so massive that even when I leaned out of the car window, I still couldn't see where the wall ended.
I heard Nemuri's voice.
"It's the Fortress of U.A. This wall surrounds the entire island. The only ways to enter are from above, through the main entrance, or by destroying the wall itself. These walls were built to withstand even a nuclear bomb."
"And it's not easy to enter from above either," she continued. "Barriers and advanced technologies protect the entire island from the skies."
"At the very entrance of U.A., a system automatically scans your information. If someone has a criminal record—even something as minor as theft—the system detects it, and a staff member or teacher is immediately dispatched to monitor that person."
Hearing Nemuri describe the massive walls surrounding the island made me realize just how protective U.A. was of what lay inside: students, teachers, information, and more.
A question suddenly popped into my head.
"Nemuri… what about me? Do I have any information on record or something?"
Of course, Nemuri just smiled. "It's going to be alright. I've done everything for you."
I couldn't argue with her. After all, it was her idea for me to enter U.A. Just imagining myself being stopped at the entrance was already embarrassing enough.
Nemuri then stepped on the gas, and her car accelerated. She slowed down as we finally approached the entrance. The gates of U.A. were open, and I could see lots of cars—most of them expensive, and their designs showed how unique each one was. From the entrance, many people were lined up, being scanned by the system.
The U.A. entrance looked like the gate of a mansion. I saw many people, some with strange appearances, but I guessed that in this fictional world, mutants were normal.
I noticed a long line of people—around ten to twenty thousand strong.
"Nemuri, I think it's fine here. I'll wait in line. It might take a week before my turn," I said.
She chuckled. "No need to worry, my boy. You have me here."
"What? That's cheating," I muttered.
Now I understood why connections really mattered. I looked at her charming but teasing face.
"Don't worry. We'll just pass through the drive-through and enter the gate," she said.
As Nemuri drove toward the entrance, I could hear people murmuring about us. It was natural—they were reacting to someone arriving late and suddenly getting a free pass while they were still waiting.
At the gate, a soldier wearing a dark green, military-style uniform approached the driver's window and knocked.
Nemuri pressed the button to lower the window. The guard seemed shocked when he saw her.
"ID, please."
Nemuri handed him her ID. It was blurred to me, but I assumed it was a staff or teacher's ID.
The guard took it and walked toward a device embedded in the wall—a scanning robot. After it scanned the ID, the red light in its eyes turned green.
A section of the massive white wall began to rise, opening a space wide enough for trucks to pass through. The guard returned Nemuri's ID.
"Midnight-sensei, is that your son also attending the examination today?" he asked.
"Oh, look, Maki. They think you're my son," she said teasingly.
From under my hoodie, I looked at the guard and nodded. The guard seemed surprised but returned the nod.
"We'll be going," Nemuri said. The guard stepped back and saluted.
Nemuri drove the car inside the fortress. Another car followed behind us, and from its side mirror, I noticed a slim, tanned hand with clean fingernails sticking out of the passenger-side window.
As Nemuri's car entered the U.A. island, trees lined the road. After a few minutes of driving straight, I saw a massive H-shaped building. Its design was futuristic and advanced—like the Avengers Tower of this island.
"Hey, Nemu. Why does that building look like that?" I asked.
"Oh, that stands for 'Hero,'" Nemuri replied.
"Hero…?" I whispered.
I inspected it more closely. U.A. High School's main building was designed in the shape of a massive capital "H," with four towering glass structures connected by bridges. The academy stood at the very center of the island.
We passed another white wall gate, which Nemuri drove through effortlessly.
Outside, many people were already gathered.
"Maki, this is the place," Nemuri said. "You'll wait here. An instructor will come, make announcements, and give further instructions. I'll leave you here and park my car in the underground parking lot, okay?"
I removed the seatbelt from across my chest, leaned toward her, and kissed her lips. Before ending the kiss, I lightly bit her lower lip.
"Well, I guess this is my problem now. Bye-bye, Nemu."
Nemuri smiled, leaned forward, and kissed my forehead. "Have fun."
I moved back and nodded. I reached for the car door handle and opened it. Slowly, I stepped out, my eyes never leaving her face.
"Love you, Nemu," I whispered.
She smiled. "Love you too."
I closed the car door gently and watched as Nemuri drove away toward the back of the building.
I stood there, taking in the new environment—trees all around, trimmed bushes, white sand covering the ground.
Then I turned to face the crowd gathering outside the H-shaped building.
As I walked slowly, I could feel people staring at me. I slipped my hands into my pockets and waited for the start of the test—the exam that would mark my first step into U.A.