The class gathered at the entrance of the practical training field, each student wearing their custom-made hero costume for the very first time.
They stepped forward one by one—colorful, flashy, absurd, creative. Every design screamed "future hero."
And then Ren walked out.
Even among future pros, he stood out instantly.
His suit was a sharp fusion of armor and elegance—an all-black coat lined with white trim, smooth and silent with every step. White, angular plating guarded his shoulders and arms in clean geometric layers, while reinforced gauntlets wrapped around his forearms like hardened shells ready to channel power. Everything about the suit was streamlined, efficient, intimidating.
[Image Here]
He didn't pose.
He didn't try.
And yet…
he looked like he belonged on a movie poster.
All Might grinned broadly, hands on hips.
"Even the way you appear is important, boys and girls!" he declared. "A hero's presence begins the moment they walk onto the scene!"
The class straightened with pride.
"Take it to heart… because starting today—"
All Might swept his arm out dramatically.
"You are all superheroes!"
A wave of excitement rippled through the students.
"Amazing, everyone! Truly amazing!" All Might laughed, his cape fluttering.
He stepped forward with booming energy.
"Now then—let's begin! It's time for the simulated battles!"
Immediately, a hand shot up.
Iida Tenya, in his rigid, knight-like armor.
"Are we performing another outdoor city exercise like during the entrance exam?" he asked.
"No!" All Might raised two fingers. "This time… we enter phase two!"
The class whispered among themselves.
"Most villains you see get arrested out in the open," All Might explained. "But statistically speaking, the most dangerous ones hide themselves inside buildings."
He paced, gesturing as he lectured.
"Kidnappings. Illegal exchanges. Hostage situations. The darker crimes of society."
His eyes narrowed. "Smart villains know how to avoid being seen."
A hush fell over the class.
"You will be divided into two teams: heroes and villains. Two versus two.
You will fight inside a building."
"But… without practicing the basics first?" Asui Tsuyu asked, blinking.
"You'll fight to learn them!" All Might said with a thumbs-up.
But then his expression sobered.
"This time the enemy isn't robots you can smash however you like—"
Hands shot up everywhere.
Questions overlapped.
Chaos ensued.
All Might sighed dramatically, pulling out a small notebook.
"In this scenario," he read aloud, "the villains have hidden a bomb somewhere. The heroes must find and secure it or capture the villains! The villains win by protecting the bomb until time runs out or defeating the heroes."
He produced a yellow box labeled LOTS.
"Teams and opponents will be chosen randomly!"
But then he stopped.
He placed the box on the ground.
And looked directly at Ren.
"Ren," All Might said. "Come with me."
Every student froze.
Momo stiffened.
Midoriya's breath caught.
Ren didn't blink.
Didn't speak.
Didn't care.
He simply stepped forward and followed All Might without a word…
his coat swaying behind him like a shadow.
Was it because he hurt Midoriya?
Or something else entirely?
Whatever the reason—
Ren didn't even bother wondering.
Not today.
...
The door closed behind them.
Only Ren and All Might remained in the empty preparation room—quiet, echoing, isolated from the noise outside.
All Might stood with his back to him at first, shoulders tense.
Then he turned.
"Ren…" he began softly. "I was looking for you during lunch. And…"
His blue eyes dimmed.
"…I saw you."
Ren didn't flinch.
"Oh."
Completely indifferent.
All Might sighed, long and tired—the kind of sigh only a man who's carried the world can make.
"Why are you always so difficult to handle?" he asked, almost laughing in a helpless way.
Ren frowned, confused. The tone—wasn't scolding. Wasn't righteous.
It was… human.
All Might continued.
"I've been raising you for seven years, Ren. Seven years…" He shook his head. "And yet, you never opened up to me. Not once."
Ren felt something sting in his chest—but he ignored it.
"What's wrong?" All Might asked quietly. "Am I the problem? Did I fail you somehow?"
He stepped closer and gently rested a hand on Ren's shoulder.
"Was I too absent? Too busy with hero work? Did I—"
Ren's eyes flashed.
"You're not the problem, old man, but—"
He grabbed All Might's wrist.
And squeezed.
Hard.
"Don't try to sympathize with me," Ren growled. His voice cracked with rage and pain. "Don't act like you know how it feels to lose a mother—"
"I do know."
The words hit like a slap.
Ren's grip tightened. "Stop lying!"
He swung his fist—
—only for All Might to effortlessly catch it mid-air.
"When I was eight," All Might said quietly, "my mother died."
Ren froze.
"I became an orphan. Alone," All Might continued, voice trembling in a way Ren had never heard. "Then I was adopted by my mentor—the one I always told you about."
Ren's breath hitched.
"And when I was eighteen… I lost her too."
Silence.
Dead, heavy silence.
All Might's voice cracked.
"I lost my mother twice, Ren."
Ren's eyes trembled… then widened… then—
His vision blurred.
The burning in his throat surged up and finally spilled over.
"All Might… I—I…"
His voice broke entirely.
Before he could collapse, All Might pulled him forward—pressing Ren's head against his broad chest.
"It's alright," All Might murmured, gentle as a whisper. "Let it out, my boy…"
"You're just a kid."
And Ren—for the first time in seven years—
collapsed.
Not a few tears.
Not restrained sobs.
But a flood.
A dam breaking.
Ren clutched All Might's uniform, burying his face in it, crying so hard his whole body shook.
"I-I… I j-just wanted…" he choked, struggling to breathe, "t-to live… a normal life…"
All Might held him tighter, one big hand stroking Ren's white hair with aching tenderness.
"I know, Ren. I know…"
"Why… why does this world…" Ren's voice cracked into raw despair, "have to be so cruel…?"
All Might closed his eyes—for a moment looking far older than his heroic image allowed.
"This world is cruel," All Might said softly.
Then he gave Ren the warmest smile he had left.
"But that's exactly why… heroes exist."
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Guys, you readers are really too quick to judge. I want to make a fanfic that stands out from the rest. Everything else is just about becoming stronger and stronger, Sung-Jinwoo like MCs... I want to build everything slowly, piece by piece, like a puzzle.
Also, sorry for having made you wait so much, had some problems with my leg, I have to undergo surgery it seems.