Ren woke up on the floor of his room with a throbbing headache. Someone had turned his skull into a taiko drum during a very enthusiastic festival performance.
"Ughhh..." he groaned, pressing his palms against his eyes. The morning light streaming through his window was offensively bright.
Slowly, the memories of yesterday returned. He checked his phone: 6:47 AM. Wednesday morning.
At least I will make it to school on time, he thought, sitting up carefully and checking if his brain was going to explode out of his ears. It felt stable. Good.
He crawled to the bathroom, stripped, and stood under the shower. He let the hot water relax the tension in his muscles.
I actually did it, he thought with growing satisfaction. I defeated three villains all by myself. Just me and my powers.
That realization brought a thrill unrelated to the heat of the water.
Professor X was right. I have become much stronger than I thought.
He dried off, dressed in his UA uniform, and headed to school with renewed vigor.
The morning classes went by fast. Ren found it difficult to concentrate on the English lesson from Present Mic.
I should practice flying properly, he thought, drawing distractedly in his notebook. Maybe work on maintaining telekinetic barriers for longer periods. If that fire guy had kept up his attack another thirty seconds, I could have been in trouble.
"Ren..."
Ren blinked and looked up to find Momo standing next to his desk. Apparently, class had ended while he was lost in thought.
"You seemed distracted today," she observed with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Just thinking about training strategies," Ren said, which was technically true. "For the sports festival."
Her expression brightened immediately.
"In fact, that is what I wanted to discuss. We are meeting after school today for our first group training session. Gym Gamma has been reserved for us from 4 to 6 PM."
"I will be there," Ren confirmed.
Momo nodded and went to talk to Ochako and Mina, who were waiting by the door.
Ren packed his things and headed to the cafeteria. His stomach was growling; apparently, using telekinesis to demolish walls and fight villains consumed a lot of calories. The cafeteria was packed. Ren grabbed a tray loaded with curry, rice, and three different side dishes. Then he scanned the room for a place to sit.
And then he saw her.
Nejire was sitting at a table with two other third year students. Her distinctive blue hair stood out in the crowded space. She was animated, gesturing enthusiastically as she spoke, and her mane swayed with every movement.
Something clicked in the brain of Ren.
Am I going to let social anxiety stop me from introducing myself to a cute girl from a higher grade? Of course not.
Before hesitating, he walked straight toward the table of Nejire. One of her companions noticed him first: a serious looking boy with pointed ears and hair slicked back. His eyes narrowed slightly as Ren approached.
"Can we help you?" the boy asked with a professional courtesy that barely hid his suspicion.
Nejire turned and Ren found himself looking directly into those bright blue eyes he had previously only admired from afar. Up close, she was even prettier than he remembered. Her skin was pure porcelain, smooth and without imperfections. Her eyes were huge and expressive, full of open curiosity as she studied him.
"Hello!" she said cheerfully. "You are a first year, right? I have seen you around!"
Her enthusiasm was immediate.
"Ren Hayashi," he introduced himself with a confidence born of his recent successes. "Yes, I am in Class 1-A."
"Nejire Hado!" She reached out her hand across the table. "Third year! What is your Quirk? How are things going at UA? Are you excited for the sports festival? What is your favorite subject?"
The questions came in a flurry, with real interest behind each one. Ren shook her hand and noticed how soft it was, despite belonging to one of the most powerful students in the school.
"Telekinesis," he replied, deciding to address the questions in order. "UA is incredible. I am very excited for the festival. Hero Basic Training is my favorite subject. I am starting to like English more too."
"Telekinesis!" The eyes of Nejire lit up even more. "That is great! Can you move several objects at once? What is the weight limit? Have you tried flying yet?"
The boy with the pointed ears cleared his throat.
"Nejire, maybe you could let him sit down before interrogating him?"
She blinked and then laughed.
"Oh! Right! Do you want to sit with us?" She pointed to an empty chair. "We were talking about training methods for different Quirk types!"
Ren felt a small victory. This was going much better than expected.
"Sure," he said, sliding into the chair. "Though I actually came to ask you something specific."
"Ask anything you want!" Nejire leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands with total attention on him.
"The sports festival is coming up," Ren began, "and I know you are part of the Big Three. I was wondering if you had any advice for a first year student trying to make a good impression."
The face of Nejire became thoughtful.
"Mmm, that is a good question! Well, the most important thing is to remember that pro heroes look for more than just raw strength. They want to see creativity and adaptability. They also want to see personality."
She gestured energetically as she spoke, and her long blue hair moved with every gesture.
"For example, when I was in the first year festival, I did not win everything. I reached the final rounds by using my Quirk in unexpected ways. Shock Wave is pretty straightforward, but I found applications that no one had seen before!"
"What kind of applications?" Ren asked.
"Well, most people think it is only for blasting things, right? But I discovered I could use it for propulsion, to create shock waves in the ground, and even to feel vibrations in the air! That is how I detect opponents behind me."
The boy with pointed ears nodded.
"Versatility is the key," he agreed. "I am Tamaki Amajiki, by the way. Also third year."
"Nice to meet you," Ren said.
The third person at the table, a blond boy with a confident smile, leaned back in his chair.
"Mirio Togata. Nejire is right about versatility. Your Quirk is telekinesis, right? That is incredibly useful if you use it creatively."
"I have been discovering that," Ren admitted.
Nejire bounced slightly in her seat.
"Ooh! Have you tried using it on yourself? Could you make yourself lighter to jump higher? Could you push and pull your own body to change direction in the air?"
Ren thought about his failed attempt at flight from the night before.
"I have experimented a bit with that," he said carefully. "I am still working on the mechanics."
"You should practice in the training facilities!" Nejire suggested enthusiastically. "The third year gyms have areas designed to test aerial mobility. I could teach you sometime if you want!"
Ren raised his eyebrows slightly. Was she offering to train him?
"That would be incredible," he said, keeping his voice steady despite the excitement.
Tamaki looked at Nejire.
"Don't you have your own training schedule to keep?"
"I can make time!" Nejire insisted. "Besides, helping underclassmen is part of being one of the Big Three, right? We must be role models!"
Mirio laughed.
"She is not wrong. Although I think Nejire simply likes having excuses to talk about Quirks with new people."
"Guilty!" Nejire admitted happily. "But seriously, Ren, if you want some tips on aerial movement and creative Quirk application, I would love to help you. It will be fun!"
This is going too well, Ren thought. He expected to get some generic advice and then be politely dismissed. Instead, he was getting training offers from one of the top students in the school. Maybe that fight yesterday gave him more than just confidence. Maybe it also gave him luck.
"I definitely accept the offer," Ren said. "When would work for you?"
Nejire pulled out her phone and checked what looked like a very full calendar.
"Mmm, I have regular training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. Patrol studies on the weekends. But Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are usually free! Could we meet this Thursday if you want?"
"Thursday works for me," Ren confirmed.
He kept his expression friendly and interested, like an eager first year student wanting to improve. They talked for another fifteen minutes. Nejire asked approximately forty more questions about everything from his favorite foods to his opinion on different hero costumes. Ren answered them all, gradually building a picture of her personality.
She was curious about everything. She had a genuine and enthusiastic curiosity, something endearing and a bit overwhelming. She had no filter between thought and speech; she asked whatever came to mind without worrying about social conventions.
She is the human embodiment of ADHD, Ren thought with amusement. But in the most charming way possible.
Mirio and Tamaki finally excused themselves, mentioning pending homework. Nejire said goodbye to them cheerfully and then turned all her attention back to Ren.
"So, what made you decide to come talk to me today?" she asked with a disarming frankness. "You do not seem like the type of person who usually approaches older students at random."
Ren felt a small jolt of surprise. She was more perceptive than her bubbly personality suggested.
"Honest answer?" he asked.
"I always prefer them!"
"I have been working on being more proactive with the things I want instead of waiting for perfect opportunities," Ren said, which was true in multiple ways. "I saw you here, remembered you are one of the Big Three, and decided to just go for it."
The smile of Nejire widened.
"I like that! Too many people get stuck in their own heads overthinking. It is much better to just do things and see what happens!"
She stood up and picked up her tray.
"I have to go to my next class, but I am so glad you came over! This Thursday at 4 PM, meet me at the entrance of Gym Gamma. We will work on your aerial mobility and I can give you some tips for the festival!"
"I will be there," Ren promised.
She gave him a little wave and skipped away, her long blue hair swaying behind her like a cape.
Ren sat there for a moment, processing what had happened. He had just started a friendship with Nejire. He got a training session. And she seemed excited about it. He allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction.
Maybe being bold really is the answer to everything.
The afternoon classes passed with an agonizing slowness. Ren was constantly distracted. Part of his mind was already planning the training session for Thursday.
I should practice basic flight control before then, he thought during an especially boring math class. I do not want to crash into another wall in front of her. That would be embarrassing even by my standards.
When the final bell rang, Ren headed to Gym Gamma. He was the first to arrive, which gave him a few minutes to stretch and think. Momo arrived next, looking efficient and prepared with a detailed training schedule already written down.
"Ren! Perfect timing. I have created a structured plan for today's session focused on..."
Ren listened as she explained her organized approach to training, with timed intervals and specific focus areas. Ochako and Mina appeared together, both in their gym uniforms and ready to work. Toru floated in last; her uniform was the only indication of her presence.
"Alright!" Ochako raised her fist. "Let's do this! I am going to train so hard that the pro heroes will be fighting to offer me an internship!"
Mina laughed.
"That is the spirit! I want to show off my acid techniques in ways that leave people speechless!"
Toru approached Ren and her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I missed you yesterday after you left me," she murmured. "Do you want to do some private training after this?"
Ren shot her a look that he hoped communicated: Can we focus on hero training for once? But knowing Toru, she probably took it as a challenge.
*****
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