The sun was barely peeking through the window when Ren opened his eyes. He lay there for a moment staring at the ceiling, still half asleep, until his brain did him the favor of reminding him that he wasn't living alone that morning.
Oh, right. Last night. A smile slipped out. Damn, this bald guy eats well!
He got up, threw on a t-shirt, and walked to the kitchen, where Nejire stood with her back to him in front of the stove, wearing one of his t-shirts, her blue hair pulled up in a messy ponytail that was falling apart in every direction. On the table there was already a plate with a stack of pancakes way too tall for one person, and off to the side, arranged with a patience that had clearly cost her something, several slices of fruit laid out in the shape of a cat face.
"What's all this supposed to be?" Ren asked, leaning against the door frame.
Nejire turned her head with a smile before going back to her pan.
"Good morning, Ren-kun! Did you sleep well? I slept amazing, though I woke up early because I was way too excited and couldn't stay still anymore, so I figured, 'well, I'm gonna make him breakfast,' because today is your first day of the internship and that's super important," she said all in one go, barely breathing. "Do you like the little fruit kittens? It took me forever to cut the ears, the first ones came out crooked and looked more like rabbits than cats."
"I like the part where you said you slept in my bed more than the part about the crooked rabbits, but I'll take both," Ren replied, sitting down at the table. "What's with the cat theme? Don't tell me you collect cats now and I'm finding out through a fruit plate."
"No, no, it's because of the Pussycats!" Nejire set down the pan and spun around with her eyes shining. "I spent all night researching, well, not all night, but a good while. Did you know they're a four-person team and they specialize in mountain rescue? They have cat outfits and everything, and the leader is called Mandalay and she can send messages straight into people's minds, that's awesome! And there's one named Pixie-Bob who moves earth around, another one called Ragdoll who can track tons of people at the same time, and there's also Tiger. Isn't that impressive? If I could do that I'd never lose anyone at a mall again."
Ren watched her as she listed off every detail, and it was hard not to laugh at how seriously she was taking it.
She researched my entire agency before I even set foot on the train. I've got the weirdest, most adorable girlfriend in all of Japan.
"You took this more seriously than I did," he said, spearing a pancake. "All I know is I have to go to a forest in Nagano and that the woman receiving me trains mental Quirks, which is exactly what I need. You've already memorized the team's family tree."
"Well, it's your agency!" Nejire protested, dropping into the chair across from him with her own plate. "A good girlfriend finds out about things. I read it on a forum, it said supporting your partner's career is super important for a healthy relationship, and then there were a bunch of comments arguing about whether that applied to heroes or not, and I ended up getting distracted reading a fight between two old guys about which agency pays better, but the point is I support you."
"That was quite a trip to get to 'I support you,' but we got there."
"Shut up and eat, they're getting cold!" Nejire pushed his plate closer while laughing.
Ren obeyed, and had to admit the pancakes were good, fluffy on the inside and barely golden at the edges. They ate amid the usual noise of Nejire jumping from one topic to another, first the forest, then a story about a time she got lost as a kid, then a question about whether the bears in Nagano were dangerous and if Ren was going to fight them, to which he replied that he sincerely hoped not.
"Hey," she said suddenly, propping her chin on her hand. "Are you nervous?"
"About the bears?"
"About working with real heroes." She looked at him with a seriousness that, in her, never lasted long. "I remember my first internship. I wouldn't shut up all day about the nerves, way more than usual, and that's saying something."
More talkative than now???? IMPOSSIBLE!
Ren took a second before answering, because the question deserved a better answer than a joke.
"I'm a little nervous..." He twirled the fork in circles, searching for the word. "About not knowing what I'll run into. I like having things under control, and a forest full of people I just met doesn't really fit into my idea of control."
"Then it's gonna be good for you," Nejire said with absolute certainty. "The things you don't control are the ones that teach you the most. Ryukyu said it once and it stuck with me. Well, she said it prettier, but something like that."
"Now you're quoting your boss to give me advice? You're getting dangerous."
"I'm a supportive and wise girlfriend!" She lifted her chin with fake pride, and two seconds later she was laughing again.
When they finished, Ren cleared the plates before she could, and got changed while Nejire trailed after him through the apartment commenting on every piece of clothing he put on. Ren made sure his hero costume was packed away properly in his case, inspecting it carefully.
"The cape is still the best part of the suit, in my opinion," she said. "The Caped Baldy. Sounds like a Saturday morning cartoon hero."
"Coming from you, I'll take it as an honor," Ren replied, adjusting his collar. "Better that than what the internet wanted to call me."
Already at the door, with the bag on his shoulder, Ren stopped to say goodbye. Nejire walked up, stood on her tiptoes, and instead of the kiss he was expecting, gave him a quick one on the cheek, leaving him there with an eyebrow raised.
"On the cheek? Last night you were way bolder."
"Last night was last night!" Nejire blushed for an instant; even so, her smile didn't budge an inch. "This is the morning goodbye, it's different. The morning goodbye goes on the cheek and leaves you wanting to come back. I read it on... well, I think it was a forum for married women."
"You read too much."
"Be careful, okay?" She straightened his clothes with both hands, smoothing them over his shoulders. "And text me. I wanna know what the real cats are like, I mean, what the real cat heroines are like... Ugh, you know what I mean."
"I'm gonna send you so many texts you'll beg me to stop," Ren promised, and left before she could find a new excuse to keep him another ten minutes.
***
Central Station was a real mess at that hour. The whole Class 1-A group was gathered on the platform with their hero costumes on, which made the regular passengers glance at them with a mix of amusement and curiosity. Aizawa stood in front of them with his usual tired face, the capture scarf wound around his neck, waiting for the last stragglers to settle in.
"All right, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," he began, and the group went quiet instantly. "From today on, you're no longer students running drills. You have the UA name stitched onto your costumes, and everything you do, good or stupid, falls on the school. So act like professionals."
"Yes, sensei!" several answered at once.
"I'm not done. During the internships, follow your supervising hero's instructions. Don't act on your own. Don't use your Quirks without authorization and don't try to show off. Impulsive heroism usually ends badly. If any of you causes a problem out of recklessness, you'll bear the consequences yourselves."
"What a warm sendoff," Kaminari muttered.
"I heard that, Kaminari. That goes especially for you."
A held-back laugh ran through the group. Each of them had their line, their prefecture, their hero waiting somewhere in the country, and little by little the platform began to empty out.
Ren picked up his bag and looked for the girls in the crowd. Momo found him first, walking over with a folder in her hand that clearly wasn't casual.
"Ren-kun, before you go," she said, holding it out to him. "I prepared a summary of the weather conditions in Nagano for this week, the evacuation routes for the mountain area, and a list of the most common rescue protocols in forest terrain. I thought it might be useful."
"Momo, this is..." Ren leafed through the folder, which had color tabs and everything. "This is more study material than I gathered the whole year. Did you do this last night?"
"I had free time," she answered with a slight blush. "Good preparation reduces unexpected situations. I don't want you to... I don't want anything to happen to any of you for lack of information."
"THANK YOU SO MUCH, MOMO!" Ren tucked it carefully into his bag. "Though I'm a little worried that your idea of free time is writing survival manuals."
"Take good care of yourself, Ren-kun," said Tsuyu, putting a finger to her chin. "Forests have more dangers than they seem to. Always step where you can see the ground, kero."
"And don't forget to send us photos of the cat heroines!" Toru piped up, grabbing his arm. "I wanna see if their outfits are as extravagant as I'm imagining! Oh! And if you hear any juicy gossip, tell me right away, okay?! No keeping it all to yourself! Sharing is what good friends do!"
"I'm going to Nagano to train, not to write you a gossip column," Ren protested.
"Same thing!" Toru insisted.
Ochako came over last, with a nervous smile.
"Good luck out there, Ren!" she said, clenching her fists in front of her chest. "I... I'm still kinda nervous about my internship. But seeing you so calm sort of calms me down too. Although... well, you're almost always calm, right? So I don't know if that counts as a reference!" she laughed shyly.
"You're gonna do great. Getting into Ryukyu's agency is already amazing!" said Ren, ruffling her bangs.
"A-Ah! Hey!" Ochako protested through laughter, brushing his hand away and fixing her hair.
"Train hard. When we come back, I wanna see you sending Bakugo through the ceiling."
"Hahaha! I'll do everything I can!" Ochako replied with a smile. "I'm gonna give it my all! ...Though I doubt Bakugo will let me do it that easy. But I'll try!"
He waved goodbye to all of them and turned toward the departures board, looking for his line. The one going to Nagano left from the platform at the back, and he only had a few minutes to get there.
***
It was halfway down, while he was dodging a family with luggage, that he felt it. A presence behind him, too consistent to be a coincidence, adjusting its pace every time he did. Ren turned his head slightly and caught a glimpse of a pink blur in the distance.
Seriously? Today of all days?
He picked up the pace. The pink blur picked up the pace. He sped up a little more, pretending not to notice, and when he turned toward the back platform he confirmed what he already suspected: Mina Ashido, dragging a suitcase, was coming up behind him with the face of someone clearly up to something.
Ren stopped dead and turned around. Mina, who didn't time the brake well and almost crashed into him, stopped just in time.
"You," Ren said, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you following me, Ashido?"
"Hey, hey, hey! What kind of accusation is that, baldy?!" Mina protested, putting a hand to her chest like she was the most offended person in the world. "I was just walking happily toward my train! You're the one who suddenly appeared in front of me! Don't go flipping the story around, you sound like the one who was stalking me!"
"I'm catching my train to Nagano. I've got zero interest in spying on you," Ren replied, crossing his arms.
Mina froze for a second. Her eyes went wide and, immediately, a huge smile lit up her face.
"Wait, what?! Did you just say Nagano?!" she exclaimed, getting a little closer, unable to contain her excitement. "I'm going to Nagano too!"
"...What a coincidence." Ren looked her up and down with renewed suspicion. "And which hero did you get assigned to, if I may ask?"
"Well, soooorry for not getting six thousand offers like a certain big-headed guy who thinks he's all that!" she huffed, crossing her arms for a second before smiling. "I actually had to go through a bunch of agencies with UA contracts. In the end I picked a rescue one because it looked super fun and they do tons of teamwork, which is totally my style! The Wild Pussycats! Sounds awesome, right?!"
"No... Tell me no."
"Yes, baldy!" Mina stomped her foot. "Why are you making that grumpy face?"
"Because that's MY agency, Ashido." Ren pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now it all makes sense. You were following me because you got obsessed with my beautiful bald head and couldn't stand the idea of going a week without it... Stalker."
"OBSESSED? ME?!" Mina let out a shriek so loud that several people turned to look at her. "You're the one making up the weirdest movies in your head!"
She jabbed her thumb at her chest, completely scandalized.
"You know what the worst part is?! Out of all the agencies there were, out of all the heroes in Japan and all the people I could've ended up with... I get to do my internship with the most insufferable baldy in UA! This has to be a cosmic joke!"
"Aside from losing to me at the festival and still owing me some pastries?" Ren tilted his head. "Yeah, probably that."
Mina's eyes went wide.
"You're still on the pastries thing?! Let it go already! Plus, you're the one who owes me, you grumpy baldy."
Despite Mina's outrage, a low laugh slipped out of Ren at the comical face she made every time she lost a verbal duel. He had to admit that, of all the classmates fate could've thrown at him, there were worse options than the loudest, most energetic girl in class. He gave her a pat on the back that made her jump in surprise.
"All right, all right, drop the drama, queen of melodrama, we're gonna be late," he said, glancing at the platform clock. "The train's about to leave and neither of us wants to explain to Aizawa why we showed up a day late to the internship."
"Don't change the subject on me with those condescending little pats! That doesn't work on me!... Fine, only because we're heading the same way," Mina grumbled, falling into step beside him while still pouting.
Ren slid her suitcase off her shoulder before she could protest, carrying it along with his own.
"Give me that, you're dragging it like it's full of rocks."
"Well, duh, it's heavy! I packed my costume, my hair stuff, the acid neutralizer in case I overdo it training... and a bunch of other things!" Mina huffed, puffing out her cheeks a bit before glancing at him sideways, already less tense. "But... what's with carrying my suitcase now? Two minutes ago you were calling me a stalker."
"Because we're going to the same place and it's better to arrive with a friend than alone," Ren said, shrugging. "And because, look, a whole week in a forest with strangers is more bearable with someone you know next to you, even if that someone screams like an ambulance siren. Let's go together, Alien Queen."
Mina, who was about to let out another protest, stopped in her tracks. She stared at him with her mouth half open.
"What... what did you call me?"
"Alien Queen." Ren looked at her without understanding the problem. "That was supposed to be your hero name, right?"
"YES!" Mina practically jumped, her eyes shining with excitement. "Finally! Someone who gets my vision and doesn't make fun of me! Do you know how hard I racked my brain to come up with that? 'The one who melts her enemies and reigns over acid!' It sounds incredible! It's got style, impact, personality!" She pouted and crossed her arms. "But Midnight-sensei goes and tells me it sounds like the villain of a horror movie! Do you really see anything villain-like about it?!"
"Nah. I thought it was awesome. You can tell you really put work into it," Ren said. "Honestly, the rest of the names kinda lacked imagination. You had a name with tons of personality, and in the end they changed it to 'Pinky'... What a waste!"
"Right?!" Mina was practically bouncing with excitement as they walked. "That's exactly what I thought! Well... I didn't say it because I got a little shy! But, ugh, I was thinking it with all my might. Hey, baldy... I'm gonna give you credit, I take back like... twenty percent of everything bad I thought about you. Just twenty, okay! Don't go thinking you're all that."
"I'll take the twenty. That's more than I expected from you before noon."
Mina burst out laughing. The baldy was starting to grow on her, and that was as annoying as it was fun. They reached the platform together just as the train doors were opening, and they boarded amid friendly shoving while still arguing about whether "Alien Queen" or "Caped Baldy" was the best name in the whole class.
***
The train pulled away with a gentle jolt, and as Nagano began to take shape on the horizon past the city outskirts, Mina was already claiming the window seat and fighting with Ren over who controlled the AC. He let her win the window, mostly so he could have a moment of quiet, and leaned back in his seat with his eyes lost on the buildings going by.
Okay. First internship, rescue agency, mental training with someone who actually knows what they're doing. On paper, everything's in order.
But there was a feeling that had been gnawing at him for a while, and now that he had a minute of stillness it came back stronger.
I'm heading to Nagano. And that means I'm not where, if this follows the script I know, things really get ugly.
He thought about Iida. They weren't what you'd call close friends, just classmates who exchanged respectful nods in the hallways, and they'd never had one of those conversations where you become the other's confidant. Ren had no idea which agency he'd gone to, what city he was in, or what was going through his head.
In the story I know, Iida's older brother gets attacked. The Hero Killer leaves him paralyzed in an alley and wrecks his career, and that sends Iida straight off to seek revenge on his own.
He clenched his fists a little. The problem was he didn't know if it had already happened. Inko, who held the place that in his memory belonged to someone else, was a reserved girl who barely shared personal things, and Ren didn't feel comfortable enough to go asking her about villain movements like it was nothing. He hadn't even checked the news in the last few days, too busy with hero names, offers, Nejire, everything else.
And that's exactly the problem. Not knowing.
Stain existed in this world. He had no doubt about that, because too many pieces had fit together the same way as in the original story. The fact that there was no news of him didn't mean the man had vanished; the silence unsettled him more than any headline could.
If events have already started changing because of my presence, they could happen late, or happen differently, or fall on someone they shouldn't. And I'm going to be stuck in a forest several prefectures away, with no way of finding out until it's too late.
"Hey, Ren-kun." Mina nudged him softly to get his attention. "What are you thinking about? You look like you've already pictured a bear chasing us."
Ren looked at her, and let the worry melt off his face with a smile.
"I was thinking about how stressful the trip's gonna be with you screaming the whole way."
"Whaaat?! You're such a pain!" Mina gave him a little punch on the shoulder between laughs. "You'll see, I'm gonna find tons of cool stuff and force you to look at all of it!" And, as if to prove her point right then, she pressed her face against the window again. "Hey, look, look! How pretty!"
Ren closed his eyes for a moment and let the rumble of the train lull him, even though inside, the doubt was still there.
Well... Even if I were there, it's not like I could do anything to change it.
The train pushed on toward the mountains, and with every kilometer Musutafu fell further behind.
********
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