[MHCISQD] Chapter 422: Acquaintanceship

The arrangement of the new dormitories for the freshmen didn't happen before the school's opening day but on the very first day of classes. Therefore, for the first-graders, there were no scheduled classes today.

However, the opening ceremony itself could serve as the best lesson for these newcomers, offering them a clear glimpse into the realities of this world.

After lunch, the first-year students were about to organize their dormitories. At this moment, they were all having lunch together in the school cafeteria, getting to know one another.

Sitting opposite Mikoto and Mei, there were three more individuals—Kiana, Fu Hua, and Bronya.

Kiana initiated a conversation with Mikoto, primarily because Mikoto was the freshman representative. As for Fu Hua, due to her unique ability, she felt that both Mei and Mikoto exuded impressive strength, and she approached them out of curiosity.

Bronya, on the other hand, was the last one to join. At the end of the morning session, when everyone else was heading to the cafeteria, she remained seated at her desk, engrossed in her mobile game. Seeing this, Mikoto couldn't ignore it and pulled her along.

Looking at the bowl of ramen in front of her and the eager expressions on the others' faces, Bronya reluctantly set aside her phone and began to eat her lunch.

Mikoto finally broke into a satisfied smile.

"That's the spirit! When it's time to eat, you should enjoy your meal."

Mikoto picked up her chopsticks and dug into her katsudon. With the increased training lately, her appetite had grown considerably. Fortunately, the U.A. cafeteria had a skilled chef, much better than her previous middle school's cafeteria. Otherwise, Mikoto would have had a hard time eating.

Kiana shared a similar sentiment, not only with a bowl of ramen but also a substantial serving of sukiyaki.

"Mmm! The food in Japan is really delicious! I feel like if I keep eating like this, my weight will skyrocket!"

Kiana commented with her mouth full, although her eating pace remained undeterred.

Meanwhile, Fu Hua focused more on Bronya. She had noticed something unusual about the 14-year-old girl's legs.

When Bronya walked earlier, Fu Hua observed some delicate metal exoskeletons on her leg stockings, which others hadn't noticed due to the color. However, Fu Hua, being attentive to Bronya's mood, chose to keep her discovery to herself and simply listened to the others' conversation while eating lunch.

After Kiana had polished off most of her ramen, she turned to Mikoto with a question, "Misaka, your Quirk is quite similar to Raiden's, dealing with thunder and lightning. How does your strength compare?"

Hearing the question, both girls exchanged a glance before Mikoto replied, "There's no need for a direct comparison, but Mei's swordsmanship combined with her Quirk is impressive. I have confidence in my abilities, though. We'll have a better idea once we start our classes. U.A.'s combat class offers plenty of opportunities."

Kiana showed excitement and said, "Oh, combat class! Misaka, you seem to know a lot. Many schools in Northern Europe don't offer as many chances for students to develop their strengths, unlike here. They usually focus on military-style training. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't go there; I'd have been bored to death."

"I've heard about that too. U.A. tailors its training to each student's unique abilities. However, the intensity of training here isn't any less. By the way, just call me Mikoto; that's what my friends call me." Mikoto said with a smile.

"Hehe, then you can call me Kiana too! Let's all go by first names!" Kiana chuckled.

Bronya, having eaten half of her ramen, put down her chopsticks and picked up her phone once more.

Mei spotted her and immediately asked, "Bronya-san, are you not enjoying the food?"

Bronya shook her head and said, "Bronya's not feeling hungry right now."

"I see..." Mei replied upon hearing that and took a look at the petite figure of the girl without further intervention. After all, there was no training scheduled for today, so it wasn't a big issue.

After about fifteen minutes, as they were finishing their meal, the group began discussing the events that had taken place during the school opening ceremony.

"Those Shocker's folks didn't seem very strong. That second-grade senpai handled them all by himself. I think I could handle them too, except for the biggest one." Kiana, patting her slightly bloated stomach, commented with a hint of amazement.

Her confidence was indeed sky-high.

Fu Hua glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and said, "Don't underestimate them. There were so many of them, and during the fight, the villains were still sending reinforcements from the back. In such a prolonged battle, anything could happen."

"Hehe, I was just joking!" Kiana blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed after the reality check.

"The Hero Committee holds Renault-senpai in high regard and ranks him among the top heroes." Bronya chimed in.

"How do you know that?" Mikoto curiously asked.

"Bronya hacked into the Committee's internal network and found out."

Everyone looked at the 14-year-old schoolmate in amazement, shocked to discover Bronya's exceptional skills. Mikoto, in particular, wondered if Bronya and Renault might have common interests.

Suddenly, Kiana gasped and pointed to the cafeteria entrance.

"Look, Renault-senpai is here!"

The other four turned to see Renault entering the cafeteria, heading to the food counter. The conversations of the new students in his vicinity suddenly hushed. Since the cafeteria was crowded, Renault hadn't noticed Mikoto.

Mikoto had no intention of drawing Renault over, especially after the morning's incident. Creating more attention here would be too conspicuous. After all, she was still a freshman, even if she was the freshman representative. She needed to make a name for herself with some notable achievements.

Fu Hua watched Renault's back as he lined up for food and said in a hushed tone, "I can sense it. There seems to be an infinite well of power within him. He's no less than some of the top Pro Heroes I've seen in China."

"Is he really that amazing?" Kiana said, surprised.

"My intuition tells me that his true strength is even higher. I can't afford to observe him too closely; that might upset him." Fu Hua nodded definitively.

Listening to their conversation, a faint smile tugged at Mikoto's lips. She picked up a fork and sliced a piece of cake, savoring it with a sense of contentment.