Monday arrived faster than Ren had anticipated, probably because his weekend had been considerably more productive than usual for a socially inept teenager from his past life.
Real progress with Momo, he thought while walking through the UA hallway toward Class 1 A. Messages that went beyond Quirk theories and tactical analysis.
She had been surprisingly open, sharing frustrations about her family expectations and asking him things about his own life that no one else had bothered to ask.
And then there is Hagakure, his mischievous mind added.
His dinner at Toru's house had definitely been educational, energetic, and considerably more acrobatic than Ren would have anticipated for someone who technically could not see herself in the mirror.
He entered the classroom and immediately searched for Hagakure. She was already in her seat and, although most of his classmates only saw a floating uniform, Ren could perfectly see her devious smile and the deliberate wink she threw him when their eyes met.
Damn, he thought. That girl has no shame at all.
"Good morning, Hayashi kun," Hagakure's voice sounded perfectly innocent to anyone listening.
"Good morning, Hagakure san," Ren replied with equal formality, though he could see the amusement dancing in her eyes, invisible to everyone else.
He headed to his seat just as the classroom door opened again. Momo Yaoyorozu walked in, and Ren had to look at her twice because something about her was fundamentally different.
Radiant.
That was the only word that could describe her appearance this morning. Her black hair was perfectly arranged as always, her uniform impeccable, and her posture upright with aristocratic elegance. But her cheeks had a slight natural flush, her eyes sparkled with an energy Ren had not seen before, and there was a small smile on her lips that seemed impossible to contain.
What the hell happened? Ren wondered, feeling a pang of curiosity.
Momo saw him and her smile widened. She walked straight toward his desk with light steps that almost seemed to have a bounce.
"Good morning, Hayashi san," she said in a tone of voice that sounded dangerously close to jubilation.
"Good morning, Yaoyorozu san," Ren replied, studying her carefully. "You look like you are in a very good mood today."
"Is it that obvious?" Momo laughed softly, bringing a hand to her cheek as if she could physically feel her own good spirits. "I suppose I had a revelatory experience on Saturday, after getting home from that family event I mentioned."
Revelatory experience, Ren repeated mentally, feeling his brain immediately start processing scenarios. What kind of revelatory experience makes someone like Momo arrive at class practically glowing?
"A revelatory experience?" he asked, keeping his tone casual even though his mind was already in full work mode. "Sounds intriguing."
"I prefer not to go into details," Momo said quickly, and Ren noticed her cheeks turning a darker pink. "It is something personal. But let us just say I had an important moment of self discovery. I learned some things about myself that I had not explored before."
Self discovery. Personal moment. Does not want to share details.
Ren's mind immediately jumped to the most obvious and annoying conclusion: she had met someone at that rich person event. Probably some son of a CEO or heir to a massive corporation. Someone of her same social and economic level. Someone appropriate for the daughter of the Yaoyorozus.
Shit, he thought, feeling an unpleasant emotion twist in his stomach. Am I actually getting jealous? Over someone who is not even my girlfriend? Seriously, Ren? Is this what we are doing now?
He shook his head in embarrassment, trying to get rid of that ridiculous thought. Momo noticed and tilted her head curiously.
"Are you okay, Hayashi san?"
"Perfectly fine," Ren lied. "Just trying to wake up completely. Mondays are hard."
To his surprise, Momo stepped closer, leaning slightly against his desk with a familiarity that was new and completely unexpected coming from her.
"And you, Hayashi san, how was your Sunday? Did you do anything interesting?"
"I did nothing particularly exciting," he said with a shrug. "I spent the whole day watching anime. I marathoned an entire series I had been putting off."
"Anime?" Momo seemed genuinely intrigued. "I have heard a lot about that medium, but honestly I am not familiar with it. My family did not consider that type of entertainment appropriate for my upbringing."
Of course not, Ren thought. They probably had you reading classical literature and studying European philosophy since you were five.
"It is a completely different world," Ren said with genuine enthusiasm. "There is anime for literally everything. Action, romance, comedy, psychological drama, science fiction. It is an incredibly versatile medium."
Momo seemed to consider this for a moment, lightly biting her lower lip in what Ren was starting to recognize as her thinking gesture. Then, as if she had made an important decision, she looked him directly in the eyes.
"Hayashi san, are you free next Sunday?"
Ren blinked, completely taken by surprise.
"Next Sunday? Yeah, I have no plans. Why?"
"I was wondering if you could join me to watch some anime," Momo said, and there was a hint of nervousness in her voice that contrasted with her usual confidence. "I am honestly ignorant about that kind of content and I would like to dive into it. I thought it would be nice to have someone who could guide me through that world."
Wait, Ren thought, feeling his brain pause. Is Momo Yaoyorozu asking me out? Well, technically it is not a date because we will probably do it at my apartment or her mansion, but the general concept is the same, right?
"You could ask Ashido san," Ren suggested, trying to sound casual even though his heart had accelerated significantly. "She is a huge anime fan too."
"I know," Momo admitted, looking away briefly. "But I would be a bit embarrassed to tell Ashido san that. She is very enthusiastic and I fear she might overload me with recommendations. Besides," she added, turning back to look at Ren with a small smile, "I do not know any other otaku friend I trust as much."
"I would love to," Ren replied, allowing himself to smile. "We can start with something accessible. Maybe a classic shonen or a light romantic comedy, depending on your preferences."
"I trust your judgment," Momo said.
Without using mental powers, Ren thought with genuine satisfaction. I got a girl to invite me to spend time together.
The classroom door opened again and Inko walked in, her green hair slightly disheveled as if she had run to get there on time. Her eyes scanned the room and, seeing Ren and Momo, her expression lit up with a friendly smile.
"Good morning, Hayashi kun, Yaoyorozu san," she greeted as she walked to her seat.
"Good morning, Midoriya san," both replied almost in unison.
Ochako entered right behind Inko, but unlike her usual bubbly energy, she looked considerably pale and was walking carefully, as if any sudden movement could have unfortunate consequences.
"Uraraka san, are you okay?" Momo asked with immediate concern. "You look a bit sick."
"I am fine," Ochako replied weakly, dropping into her seat with a soft groan. "I just exercised this morning. I wanted to train my body to improve my resistance when using my Quirk, but I think I overdid it quite a bit."
"Nausea from excessive exercise is common," Momo commented in her analytical mode. "Especially if you have not eaten properly before training. You should hydrate and maybe eat something light."
Inko had already sat in her place and was taking out her materials, but she turned to look at Ochako with sympathy.
"Intense physical training can be brutal at first," she said. "I have had to deal with that too. The body needs time to adapt."
Ren observed Ochako, noticing how she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, clearly trying to control the nausea. He got up from his seat and walked toward her, which made Ochako open her eyes in surprise.
"Hayashi kun?"
"I am happy you are training, Uraraka san," Ren said with sincerity, placing a hand on her shoulder in a supportive gesture. "You are going to be a super strong hero. Your Quirk has incredible potential and the fact that you are working on your physical resistance shows you are taking it seriously."
As he spoke, he allowed a small amount of his telepathic power to flow into Ochako; nothing invasive or manipulative, just a subtle adjustment to the neurological signals that were causing her discomfort. He stabilized the receptors in her brain that were sending the nausea signals, calming the imbalance that the excessive exercise had caused.
It is the least I can do, he thought with ironic humor, after having caused her an orgasm in class a few weeks ago without her even knowing what was happening.
Ochako blinked several times, and Ren could see the exact moment the discomfort began to dissipate from her expression. Color returned to her cheeks and her shoulders visibly relaxed.
"Wow," she said with genuine surprise. "Thank you, Hayashi kun. Your optimism really makes me feel better."
If you only knew, Ren thought with internal amusement.
"That is what friends are for," he replied, giving her one final pat on the shoulder before returning to his seat.
Momo watched him with a curious expression.
"You are very good at being considerate of people, Hayashi san," she commented when he passed by her desk.
"I try to be," Ren said. "We all need support every now and then."
The rest of the class began to arrive gradually. Kirishima entered with his big smile, Bakugo barged in with his usual morning aggressiveness, and Kaminari yawned loudly while Jiro scolded him for being so noisy. The energy of the classroom began to build toward its characteristic chaos.
Then the door opened and the murmur of conversations stopped instantly.
Aizawa shuffled in with his yellow sleeping bag hanging from one arm. He looked exactly the same as always: messy hair, tired eyes with deep bags, and the expression of someone who would rather be literally anywhere else.
Aizawa dropped his sleeping bag on the floor and stood in front of the class with obvious disinterest.
"Sit down and shut up," he ordered without inflection in his voice.
The silence was instant.
"Two weeks have passed since the incident at the USJ," Aizawa began, and Ren noticed every student in the room tensed slightly at the reminder. "The UA administration has been in constant meetings with the police, with pro heroes, and with the Ministry of Education, discussing the security implications of the attack."
He paused, allowing that to settle.
"The media has been pushing. Parents are worried. There are those who suggest UA should temporarily close or cancel public events until the League of Villains is captured."
Ren could feel the tension in the room rising. Several students exchanged worried glances.
"However," Aizawa continued, and his tone became slightly firmer, "Principal Nezu has reached a conclusion after analyzing all relevant factors."
He held up a sheet of paper he had pulled from his pocket.
"UA will not show weakness. We will not allow a group of criminals to dictate how we operate or intimidate our students. Therefore, it has been decided that the UA Sports Festival will take place as scheduled."
The classroom exploded instantly.
"THE SPORTS FESTIVAL?!" Bakugo shouted, slamming his desk with both hands and standing up violently. "YES! FINALLY I WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW ALL THESE EXTRAS WHO THE BEST IS!"
"The Sports Festival!" Mina squealed with excitement. "That is amazing! We are going to be on national television!"
"Wait, are you sure it is safe?" Kaminari asked with genuine concern. "After what happened at the USJ..."
"That is a valid concern, kero," Tsuyu added in her usual neutral but thoughtful tone.
Aizawa raised a hand and silence gradually returned.
"Security will be tripled," he explained. "There will be pro heroes from all over the country present. The police will have tactical teams on standby. The perimeter will be monitored constantly. If the League of Villains is stupid enough to try and attack during the festival, it will be their final mistake."
"The UA Sports Festival," Aizawa continued, "is the most important event for hero students in all of Japan. It will be broadcast nationally. Millions of people will be watching. Hero agencies from across the country will send scouts looking to recruit promising talent."
His eyes scanned the class, stopping briefly on each student.
"This is your moment to prove what you are worth. To prove that a villain attack has not intimidated or weakened you."
Ren felt determination ignite in his chest.
After my performance coordinating the defense against the Nomu, he thought, it is absolutely impossible for me to go unnoticed now.
This time I cannot pretend to be average, I am going to have to leave everything on the field.
"The festival will be in two weeks," Aizawa said, interrupting Ren's thoughts. "You have two weeks to train. Some of you will stand out. Others will fail. That is how it works."
"And what happens if we lose?" Mineta asked with his high, nervous voice.
"Then you lose and you learn from it," Aizawa replied with brutal honesty. "Failure is part of the process of becoming a hero. The difference is in how you respond to that failure."
Bakugo laughed with aggressive confidence.
"I am not going to lose," he declared. "I am going to destroy everyone and prove I am the best of this generation."
"That is an admirable ambition, Bakugo," Todoroki said in his cold, neutral voice, speaking for the first time. "But you will not be the only one aiming for the top."
The tension between them was notable. Ren could practically see the sparks flying between the two.
"The festival consists of three stages," Aizawa continued, completely ignoring the drama unfolding. "The first stage is an obstacle course that will eliminate approximately half of the participants. The second stage varies each year depending on how many students pass the first. The third stage is a one on one combat tournament."
Several students leaned forward with renewed interest.
"Direct combat?" Kirishima asked with excitement. "That sounds amazing!"
"It sounds terrifying," Ochako muttered, though Ren noticed a glint of excitement in her eyes that contradicted her words.
"All first year classes participate," Aizawa explained. "1 A, 1 B, and the support and general courses. That means approximately two hundred students competing for a few spots in the second stage."
Two hundred students, Ren thought. Including Shinso from the general course. The guy with the brainwashing Quirk who can control anyone who answers his verbal questions.
"You are allowed to use your Quirks freely," Aizawa continued. "But there are rules. Killing is obviously prohibited. Causing intentional permanent damage will result in immediate disqualification."
"Can I use things created with my Quirk?" Momo asked, raising her hand.
"Yes," Aizawa replied. "Your Quirk is Creation. Anything you create counts as part of your natural abilities."
Momo nodded, and Ren could see her mentally cataloging possibilities.
"Can we work as a team?" Inko asked with curiosity.
"In the first stage there are no rules against it, although there are no incentives to collaborate either," Aizawa said. "In the second stage it will depend on the specific format. In the third stage it is strictly individual combat."
The class was now completely absorbed. Even the students who were normally distracted were paying full attention.
"When do we start training specifically for the festival?" Iida asked, raising his hand with his characteristic stiffness.
"Now," Aizawa replied simply. "Every class from today on will include components designed to improve your skills relevant to the festival. Physical training. Combat. Strategy. Creative use of Quirks."
He paused, his eyes scanning the class once more.
"Some advice before we finish," he said. "First, do not underestimate students from other classes or courses. The general course has students with incredibly powerful Quirks who simply did not get enough villain points in the practical exam. The support course has geniuses who can create equipment that completely compensates for their Quirk weaknesses."
Ren noticed several students nodding, taking the advice seriously.
"Second, study past festivals. There are recordings available in the UA library. See how other students used their Quirks creatively. Learn from their strategies."
"Third," and here Aizawa's voice became slightly more serious, "remember that this is not just a competition. It is an audition. The pro heroes will be watching. The agencies will be evaluating. How you behave and handle victory and defeat matters as much as your combat skills."
The silence in the classroom was absolute now. Every word from Aizawa was being completely absorbed.
"Now," he finally said, "any questions?"
*******
Author's Note: hitting that like button is the best way to let me know you want more
Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Thanks so much for making it this far! Just wanted to give you a heads-up that I have several advanced chapters available over on my p @ t r e o n:
p @ t r e o n . com/itszeroo
Thanks for all the support, and I hope you have an awesome day!