**Chapter 1: New Life in a Heroic World**

I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring in my ear, or rather, in my new ear. Everything felt so surreal. I was Vesper, a reincarnated soul from the real world, now living in the world of My Hero Academia. My mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that I had died by drowning just a week ago and was now a student at U.A. High School. My Quirk, Shadow Manipulation, allowed me to control and manipulate shadows, and I had already named my shadow "Osby" – short for Obsidian. As I got dressed, Osby spoke to me in a low, raspy voice, "Morning, Vesper! You're going to do great today. I heard some of the boys in your class think you're cute." I blushed, feeling a bit self-conscious. Osby chuckled, "Don't worry, I think some of them are pretty cute too. Like that Kirishima, he's got a nice smile." I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. I had watched the anime and manga of My Hero Academia in my previous life, so I knew most of the characters, including the villains. I had to admit, some of them were quite intimidating, but also... attractive. After breakfast, I headed to the dorms with my classmates. We were all chatting excitedly about the upcoming Sports Festival. As we arrived, I won the contest for the best room, much to everyone's surprise. Todoroki, who had been quietly observing me, approached me with a smile. "Congratulations, Vesper. You're quite the winner," he said, his eyes sparkling with interest. I smiled back, feeling a bit shy. "Thanks, Todoroki. I'm just lucky, I guess." The next day, I met up with my classmates, and we headed to the mall for a fun day out. Kaminari and Mineta flirted with me shamelessly, but I wasn't too fond of Mineta's over-the-top behavior. Kirishima, on the other hand, was sweet and genuine, and I found myself enjoying his company. As we walked, Osby whispered to me, "You're doing great, Vesper. Just be careful around the villains. They can be... unpredictable." I nodded, feeling a shiver run down my spine. I knew that Dabi, Shigaraki, Overhaul, and Toga were all infatuated with me, and I had to be careful. The Sports Festival was a blast, with Deku and I coming in second place in the 100-meter dash. In the Chivalry Battle, I partnered with Bakugo, and we won first place in the 1v1s. Our opponents included Shizuki, Tokoyami, and... Bakugo. We charged at each other, our Quirks clashing in a burst of explosions and shadowy tendrils. The fight was intense, with Bakugo using his Explosion Quirk to try and throw me off. I tried to look at his shadow, but it was too fast. I had to rely on my martial arts training to dodge and weave between his attacks. He hit me with a series of explosions, but I refused to back down. In a close and grueling battle, I managed to punch Bakugo right in the nose. He got pissed off and used another explosion, this time right in my face. I stumbled back, almost getting knocked out of bounds. But I refused to give up, charging at Bakugo with renewed determination. For a moment, I saw his shadow, but it was too late. He delivered another explosion, and I tried to get up, but everything went black. When I came to, I was in the nurse's office, with Deku, Todoroki, Ochaco, and Mina by my side. They were all worried about me, and I smiled weakly. The LOV – or League of Villains – was shocked and even more infatuated with me after my performance. I watched the rest of the festival, feeling a bit dazed. As we headed back to the dorms, people congratulated me, Todoroki, and Bakugo on our performances. Kaminari was mad at Bakugo for what he did, but I told him it was fine. Osby whispered to me, "You did great, Vesper. I'm proud of you." As I went to bed, exhausted, I noticed a figure outside my window. Dabi was staring at me intensely, his eyes burning with an unsettling passion. I shivered, feeling a chill run down my spine. The next day, I woke up to find Dabi gone, but I knew he was still watching me. As I headed out with my classmates to the mall, I heard a raspy voice behind me. "Miss me?" My heart skipped a beat as I turned around, my eyes locking onto Shigaraki's menacing grin. "Why don't we have a chat?" he suggested, his eyes glinting with malice. I was scared, but I tried to stay calm. "No, please don't. I'll do anything, just please don't hurt them." Shigaraki smiled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Why do you care about them so much? You just arrived here a week ago." I took a deep breath. "Because they're my friends." Just then, Deku appeared, his eyes scanning the area until they landed on Shigaraki. "Vesper? Is this your friend?" Deku asked, his voice worried. Shigaraki let go of my neck, and Deku immediately ran towards me, checking up on me. I was still shaking, my heart racing. "I'm so sorry, Vesper. I shouldn't have left you alone!" Deku exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. I smiled weakly. "It's okay, Deku. Thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here." We immediately found the others and headed back to the dorm, with everyone checking up on me. I lied, saying I was fine, but they saw the imprint of Shigaraki's fingers on my neck and immediately hugged me. Shinso even asked me, "Do you want to hang out for a bit?" I accepted, and we spent the rest of the day together, with him never leaving my side. As we walked, Aizawa-sensei checked on me, and I smiled, trying to reassure him that I was fine. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of a complicated and thrilling adventure in my new life as Vesper, a hero-in-training.