The food court area near the west side of the stadium was packed with vendors, reporters, and pro heroes taking advantage of the break between events.
Mt. Lady stood in front of a group of cameras, posing with one hand on her hip and the other dramatically tossing her blonde hair back. The photographers ate it up, their shutters clicking rapidly while she gave them her best smile.
"Mt. Lady-san, what's your take on this year's first-years?" a reporter shouted from somewhere in the crowd.
"They're certainly energetic," Yu replied with a smile, turning slightly to give them a better angle. "U.A. always produces the best."
The giant screen mounted above the food court flickered, showing a replay of Inko crossing the finish line in first place, green sparks still crackling around her legs as she pumped her fist victoriously.
Yu froze mid-pose, her professional smile faltering slightly as she watched the screen with interest.
Kamui Woods appeared beside her, munching on a bag of popcorn he'd bought from one of the stands.
Yu finished blowing a kiss toward one of the cameras and immediately dropped her professional expression for one of focused curiosity. Without asking permission, she reached over and snatched a fistful of popcorn from Kamui's bag.
"Well, well, look at that little green-haired girl," Yu said, chewing thoughtfully while her eyes stayed glued to the screen. "She's got style, I'll give her that. Crossed that finish line with a confidence that almost rivals mine. Did you see that move at the end? Total star quality."
She grabbed another fistful of popcorn, ignoring Kamui's annoyed grumble.
"Although obviously, she needs a little more practice with her camera angles," Yu continued, her tone like a veteran pro critiquing a rookie. "If she'd smiled more crossing the line, her market value would've gone up instantly. But that power... mmm, it's got the kinda shine the agencies love."
She turned to Kamui, pointing at him with a half-eaten piece of popcorn.
"Hey, Shinji, stop stuffing your face and pay attention. If she keeps this up, she's gonna be flooded with offers. Maybe I should send her an internship invite... I could use an intern with that kinda energy to handle the reports while I take care of the important interviews. And while she's at it, she can bring me more takoyaki!"
Kamui chewed his popcorn slowly, processing her words.
"That's... interesting," he said cautiously. "Although I'd note that boy also seems to possess the agility necessary to dodge your temper, Yu. Fourth place in an obstacle race is a considerable accomplishment. Very impressive, in fact... especially for someone who appeared to lose his composure a bit when he ran into you earlier."
The screen switched to show the fourth-place results, with Ren's and Ochako's faces side by side in their tied position.
Yu froze mid-chew, an empty takoyaki stick hovering near her mouth. Her purple eyes locked onto Ren's bald head and his confident smile on the screen.
"FOURTH?!" Yu's voice came out strangled. "That cocky little brat got fourth place after using me as a cushion?!"
She crushed the wooden stick between her fingers until it splintered, her face flushed with indignation. A vein pulsed visibly at her temple while the memory of Ren's hands grabbing her breasts, followed by the tragic ending of her takoyaki hitting the pavement, replayed in her mind.
"Have you SEEN that smug little face?!" Yu pointed wildly at the screen. "He's just standing there looking so pleased with himself, like he didn't just commit an act of terrorism against good manners and my flawless dignity as a professional heroine! And calling me 'ma'am'... I just can't! Does the kid not have eyes? A rising star like me, with this charisma and this complexion, should be treated like the glamorous, untouchable big-sister figure everyone admires. Old auntie?! Please, I'm still in my prime!"
Kamui tried to cut in.
"Well, we should acknowledge he's got potential. Not everyone places fourth and..."
"Oh, he's got potential, Shinji," Yu cut him off, her expression shifting to a dangerous smile while she crossed her arms beneath her chest. The motion made her already tight suit pull even tighter, and several nearby reporters immediately started snapping photos of the new pose. "He's got SO much potential. In fact, he just earned a VIP pass to the number one spot on my 'Special Interests' list. I'm gonna watch him so closely he'll feel my shadow towering at twenty meters even when I'm regular sized."
"You're gonna offer him an internship for his talent?" Kamui asked, a little confused.
Yu snorted elegantly, examining her nails with exaggerated disinterest.
"Talent? Don't make me laugh, Shinji. I'm gonna offer him an internship so he can learn some manners. If he thinks he can grope the heavens and then call me 'ma'am' without consequences, he's dead wrong. Fourth place... that means he's gonna get a lot of offers."
She pulled out her phone and started typing furiously, her thumbs flying across the screen at superhuman speed.
"The second that brat sets foot in my agency for internships, the first thing he's gonna learn is who's in charge. I'll have him on patrol twelve hours a day, carrying every single one of my shopping bags. And he better not complain! Every time we pass a takoyaki stand, he's buying me a double order with extra sauce to make up for the ones that ended up tragically scattered on the asphalt because of him. And heaven help him if he doesn't address me as Miss Yu with the bow that befits a heroine of my caliber!"
She glanced at the screen again, letting out a snort of wounded pride.
"Enjoy your little moment of glory, you cocky little baldy... Fourth place gets you attention, but if you survive the rest of this festival, the training waiting for you is gonna make you wish you'd never crossed that finish line. Nobody calls me 'ma'am' and gets away with it!"
Down on the field, Midnight stood on the raised platform at the center of the stadium, her whip elegantly coiled in one hand while she waited for the noise to die down. The massive screens around the arena displayed the final rankings, and the crowd's energy hadn't dimmed despite the brief intermission.
"ATTENTION, MY THIRSTY LITTLE SPECTATORS!" Midnight's amplified voice cut through the chatter. "That first event was simply EXQUISITE! What a display of youth and vigor! Now hold your breath while we officially recognize our top competitors!"
The crowd roared its approval.
"In FIRST PLACE!" she shouted, one hand on her hip and her chest puffed out with excitement. "With a display of power that has my heart pounding a thousand beats per minute, the force of youth at its absolute peak... INKO MIDORIYA!"
The stadium exploded with applause. Inko stood near the front of the gathered students, her face flushed from exertion as the cameras zoomed in on her. She raised a hand in a small wave, looking like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.
"In SECOND PLACE!" Midnight continued, running her tongue over her lips while she savored the drama. "Our explosive prodigy, with a temper so fiery I can almost feel the heat from here... KATSUKI BAKUGO!"
Bakugo stood with his arms crossed, scowling. Second place had him radiating a barely contained fury.
"In THIRD PLACE! Our cool, gorgeous prospect, the ice prince who left us all frozen... SHOTO TODOROKI!"
Todoroki's expression remained neutral, though the slight melting of frost on his right side suggested he wasn't entirely satisfied with third place either.
"And to close things off with an absolutely THRILLING finish!" She paused dramatically, letting the whip tap softly against her boot before fixing her gaze on Ren. "We have a tie that's making me vibrate with excitement at FOURTH PLACE! Let's give it up for the lovely OCHAKO URARAKA and the surprising REN HAYASHI!"
Ren felt the weight of thousands of eyes on him while the cameras swung toward where he stood. Ochako waved shyly beside him, her face still red from the exertion of the race.
Midnight caught Ren's eye from across the field and winked at him slow and deliberate. Her lips moved, forming words meant only for him to see: "You didn't disappoint me, young man."
Ren responded with a small smile and a subtle nod. Even he was surprised he'd managed fourth place, considering how chaotic the race had been.
The announcement continued while Midnight ran through the rest of the qualifiers, but Ren's attention had already drifted. His eyes scanned the exhausted students until he found what he was looking for.
Hagakure was sitting on the ground about twenty meters away, her shape perceptible by the floating gym uniform hunched over with fatigue. Ren could see her chest heaving with labored breaths, her shoulders slumped in a posture he recognized as disappointment.
He pushed his way through the crowd of students, dodging people who were still celebrating or catching their breath. When he reached Hagakure, he crouched down beside where she sat.
"Toru," he said quietly.
"Ren-kun?" Her voice sounded small and tired. "I saw you got fourth. That's amazing, really."
"Thirty-eighth place," Ren stated. "That's what you got, right?"
There was a pause.
"Yeah... Pretty pathetic, huh? I could barely keep up with everyone else's Quirks. Being invisible doesn't exactly help when you have to get past giant robots or navigate ice fields."
"Are you kidding me?" Ren's tone sharpened slightly. "Out of more than two hundred students, you made it into the top forty-two. Do you have any idea how many people didn't make it?"
"I know, but..."
"No buts," Ren interrupted firmly. "You trained hard for this. You pushed yourself to your absolute limit and crossed that finish line with everything you had left. I was watching you the whole time, my pretty invisible girl. You never gave up, not even when you were falling behind. I'm proud of you."
Through his vision, Ren saw her sit up a little straighter, her head tilted up to look toward where his voice was coming from.
"You... you were watching me?"
"Of course I was watching you," Ren said simply. "Why wouldn't I be?"
There was another pause, longer this time. When Hagakure spoke again, her voice was firmer.
"Thank you, Ren-kun. I needed to hear that."
"Good. Now get up." Ren stood and offered his hand to the air. "We've got about ten minutes before they announce the next event, and you need to hydrate."
Her hand squeezed his, and he helped her to her feet.
A movement caught his attention and Ren turned to see Momo making her way through the crowd toward them. She looked completely exhausted, her face pale and shiny with sweat. Her black t-shirt under the gym uniform was torn along the left side, exposing a strip of pale skin.
"Momo," Ren called out. "Congrats on qualifying."
Momo looked up, seeming almost surprised that he was addressing her. She gave him a tired smile.
"Congratulations to me?" She shook her head slightly. "There were at least three moments when my creation time was unacceptably slow. If I had consumed more protein at breakfast, the margin would have been completely different."
"Don't be so picky and just take the compliment," Ren said bluntly.
Momo blinked at his frankness, then her eyes widened slightly when she noticed him looking at her torn shirt.
"Wait, you noticed? I didn't even..." She glanced at the damage, her cheeks coloring a bit. "This is..."
"You need to fix that before the next round, and you're too exhausted to waste energy creating a new shirt. Can you make me thread and a needle?" Ren cut in.
Momo hesitated a little, then sighed in resignation. Light shimmered around her abdomen while she created the requested materials. The small spool of thread and the needle appeared in her hand, and she passed them to Ren.
"I've adjusted the elasticity of the thread so it won't break again with combat movements," she explained quietly, watching Ren immediately get to work examining the damage. "You're very observant, Ren... To be honest, my lipid levels are a bit low and my hands are still trembling a little from the effort, so your help is genuinely useful."
She watched him thread the needle with surprising dexterity.
"I don't recall the last time someone did something like this for me," Momo said after a moment of silence. "I'm usually the one creating things for others."
She paused.
"It's a strange feeling. Though not an unpleasant one."
Ren glanced at her sideways.
"Hold still. This'll go faster if you don't move."
A familiar, slightly hoarse voice interrupted them.
"Ribbit. You finished in a very respectable position, Momo-chan. I barely managed twenty-third and I'm satisfied with that."
Tsuyu approached from one side, chewing on a protein bar she'd apparently conjured out of thin air. Her eyes locked onto what Ren was doing, and she tilted her head with curiosity.
"Are you mending her clothes, Ren-kun? Ribbit. That's a really practical skill."
"I learned out of necessity," Ren replied without looking up from his work. "Buying new clothes every time something rips gets expensive fast."
Tsuyu watched the stitching with interest, finishing the last of her protein bar.
"My mom taught me to sew when I was little. Ribbit. I have two younger siblings and they're always breaking something. Want some help? Four hands work faster than two."
"It's really not necessary..." Momo started to protest.
But Tsuyu had already taken some of the thread Momo had created and was pulling out another needle.
"It's no trouble, Momo-chan. Ribbit. Besides, we've got less than eight minutes before the next announcement."
Momo found herself standing very still between the two of them while Ren worked on one side of the tear and Tsuyu handled the other. Her face was slightly pink, clearly unaccustomed to this kind of casual help.
"This is completely unnecessary, really. I could simply create a new shirt..."
"And waste more lipids when you're already running low," Ren cut in without looking up. "Don't be stubborn, Momo."
Tsuyu nodded in agreement.
"Ribbit. He's right. You're gonna need all your energy for the next phase."
"When did you two get so coordinated?" Momo muttered.
Ren finished his section of the repair and checked Tsuyu's progress. They worked in comfortable silence for another minute before a movement made him look up.
Ochako was hovering nearby, clearly wanting to come closer but seeming hesitant.
When their eyes met, she took half a step closer to him and lowered her voice to barely a whisper.
"Um... Ren... after the festival... when all this is over... can we talk? You know... about that."
Ren nodded almost imperceptibly.
But Momo, apparently blessed with aristocratic instincts finely tuned to detect gossip, immediately caught the exchange.
"My, my..." she commented. "That was a most interesting little exchange. Tell me, is there some matter of vital importance the two of you need to discuss? Something related to the logistics of the next event, perhaps?" she asked with curiosity.
Ochako's face went from pink to tomato red in record time.
"E-E-Eh?! M-Matter?! I-Important?! Nothing! It's about NOTHING! Just stuff about... training! Strategy! Quirks! Yeah, that!"
"Ribbit. You're acting really weird today, Uraraka-chan."
"W-W-Weird?! Not at all, Tsu-chan!" Ochako exclaimed, flailing her arms so hard her feet started lifting off the ground. "It's just that I've got my fighting spirit at max! This is my 'Determination Face Plus Ultra'! It's my natural everyday state, I swear!"
Ren decided some intervention was necessary before this got out of hand.
"She's just excited about qualifying," Ren said casually, finishing the last stitch on Momo's shirt. "We all are. It was a tough race."
Momo didn't seem entirely convinced, but she let the topic go. Tsuyu finished her section of the repair and stepped back to examine the handiwork.
"Ribbit. All done. Good as new."
"Thank you both," Momo said quietly, checking the patch with her fingers. "This is much more durable than my original sewing was. I appreciate it."
The stadium speakers crackled to life with a burst of static, making everyone jump slightly.
"HEEEEY, HEY, HEY! ATTENTION, LISTENERS!" Present Mic's voice boomed across the field. "THE BREAK IS OVER! RELAX TIME IS A THING OF THE PAST!"
"ALL PARTICIPANTS, HEAD RIGHT NOW TO THE CENTER OF THE STADIUM! IT'S TIME TO REVEAL WHAT THE NEXT LEVEL OF THIS HILARIOUS HELL WILL BE! ARE YOU READY?! EVERYBODY SAY: YEAAAAAAAH!"
********
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