Ren arrives at the meeting spot
A quiet alley near the support workshop.Dim lights.Cool breeze.
Ren swallowed hard.
"Okay… Akira's just mad because the class yelled into the phone… she's not gonna kill me… hopefully…"
He stepped forward.
Akira was already waiting.
She had her hood down, mask off, goggles hanging around her neck.Her cheeks were slightly pink—though she tried desperately to hide it.
The moment she saw Ren, she looked away quickly.
"…You came."
Ren scratched his head."Of course. You said we needed to talk."
She crossed her arms tightly—more to hide her face than intimidate him.
"Well… yeah. I mean… obviously you would come… because we're… we're… you know…"
Ren blinked."…Friends?"
Akira's face went red.
"I—YES! F-FRIENDS! EXACTLY!! NOTHING ELSE! OBVIOUSLY!!"
Ren stared.
Her voice crack. Her blush. Her panicked gestures.
…Why does she look like the one hiding a secret now?
Meanwhile — Class A spying from afar
Behind a wallBehind bushesOn rooftopsHanging upside-downUsing binoculars they DEFINITELY weren't allowed to have—
Class A watched like an entire wildlife documentary crew.
Kirishima: "She's blushing! Bro she totally likes him!"
Denki: "SHE'S SO CUTE I'M GONNA DIE—"
Sero: "Ren's gonna fold."
Jirō: "Her voice is completely different than on the phone… softer."
Mina: "SHE'S DOWN BAD. DOWN. BAD."
Todoroki: "I'm confused. Is this normal courtship behavior?"
Bakugo: "SHUT UP AND WATCH."
Back to Ren and Akira
Akira cleared her throat and pulled out a case.
"Your support upgrades," she said, trying to sound cool.
But she kept sneaking shy glances at him.
Ren opened it and blinked.
"…You upgraded everything."
She looked away again, flustered.
"I-It's not because I was thinking about you or anything! I just… wanted your gear to be safe! And—and efficient! And—"
Ren raised a brow.
Akira hid her face behind her sleeve.
"…and I wanted you to rely on me."
Ren froze.
"…Huh?"
Realizing she said it out loud, Akira nearly combusted on the spot.
"I MEAN—NOT LIKE THAT—!! I just— I mean—uh—YOU KNOW—!!"
Her voice cracked.
She turned away, covering her cheeks, absolutely mortified.
"I'm such an idiot…"
Ren stared at her, stunned.
This… was new.
He stepped closer, gently.
"Akira… hey, look at me."
She didn't.
She was red as a tomato.
"I… I wasn't mad about your classmates," she whispered."I was embarrassed."
Ren blinked.
"Embarrassed? Why?"
Her voice was tiny.
"Because… they all thought I was your… your… girlfriend."
She covered her face completely and whispered:
"…and I didn't hate the idea…"
Class A's collective reaction
Mina: "OH MY GOD SHE CONFESSED—!!"
Kirishima: "BRO THIS IS PEAK ROMANCE—!!"
Denki: "I'M RECORDING—"
Jirō smacks him: "Delete that!!"
Todoroki: "…This is educational."
Bakugo: "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!"
Akira was still covering her face, cheeks red and voice tiny, when—
Ren suddenly smirked.
A sharp, knowing smile.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes glowing with that mastermind-level awareness.
"Hey, Akira," he said calmly.
She peeked at him through her fingers.
"…Y-Yes…?"
Ren pointed behind her—without even looking.
"Did you forget the difference between you and me?"
Akira blinked.
"…D-Difference?"
Ren crossed his arms.
"I can sense idiots trying to hide," he said flatly,"and those fools are exposed."
Class A — Instant Panic
Behind walls.Behind bushes.Behind lampposts.
Every single one of them froze.
Denki: "H-He saw us?! HOW?!"
Sero: "WE WERE SO QUIET—!!"
Jirō: "No you weren't, Denki breathes like a buffalo."
Kirishima: "Abort mission! Abort! Retreat!!"
Mina whisper-shouting: "TOO LATE HE HEARD US PANICKING—!!"
Todoroki stepped out calmly.
"…Hiding was pointless. Ren noticed us five minutes ago."
Bakugo exploded out of the bush, dirt flying everywhere.
"SHUT UP, ICY-HOT!! I WAS HIDING PERFECTLY—!!"
Ren glared at him.
"You were yelling the entire time."
Bakugo: "I WAS WHISPER-YELLING!!"
Akira realizes they heard everything
She slowly turned…
And saw the entire class staring at her.
Her blush turned nuclear-level red.
"Y-Y-You all—!! YOU HEARD THAT?!!"
The class collectively nodded.
Mina: "GIRL YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T MIND BEING HIS GIRLFRIEND—KYAAAAA!!"
Denki: "SHE'S SO CUTE WHEN SHE'S EMBARRASSED—"
Jirō elbows him hard.
Kirishima: "Ren bro, you gotta say something back! She CONFESSED!"
Bakugo: "IF YOU REJECT HER I'LL KILL YOU!"
Akira hid behind her gear case like a shield.
"S-Stooop! You weren't supposed to hear! This is humiliating—!!"
Ren steps forward
He sighs and walks past the class, ignoring their chaos.
Reaching Akira, he gently places a hand on her shoulder.
She freezes.
Ren looks at Class A, deadpan:
"…You all. Go back."
Class A: "NO."
Ren: "Please?"
Class A: "NO."
Akira wanted to disappear on the spot.
Ren took a deep breath, turned toward Class A, and spoke firmly:
"Hey. Leave us alone.I have a personal talk to her."
You could hear the seriousness in his tone.
But Class A?
Yeah… they weren't built to respect privacy.
Immediate Reactions
Denki, whispering loudly:"Personal talk…? OHHH HE'S GONNA CONFESS BACK!"
Mina jumping up and down:"YES, REN, GO TELL HER YOU LIKE HER TOO! WE'RE CHEERING FOR YOU!"
Kirishima flexing:"DON'T WORRY, BRO! WE WON'T LISTEN! (…but we'll totally listen.)"
Jirō put her earjack into the wall."I'm literally built to hear everything."
Todoroki calmly:"I'll stand here. I won't interrupt. I'll just… observe."
Iida chopping the air:"REN! IT IS OUR DUTY AS CLASSMATES TO ENSURE YOUR EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT—!"
Sero:"I'm already recording this with my eyes. My memory cams are on."
Bakugo, yelling at everyone:"YOU MORONS SHUT UP!! LET THEM TALK!!(…but I'm not moving either.)"
Ren snaps
Ren clenched his teeth.
"…Guys. Please. Just go."
Silence.
For two seconds.
Then—
Mina: "We'll hide farther away."
Ren: "NO—"
Kirishima: "Don't worry, we'll give you space!"
Ren: "N O —"
Denki: "We'll only listen a little."
Ren: "THAT'S NOT SPACE!!"
Jirō: "Too late, I'm already hearing her heartbeat."
Akira: "WH-WHAT?! DON'T LISTEN TO MY HEARTBEAT—!!"
She hid her face again, dying from embarrassment.
Ren loses patience
His eye twitched.
A dark aura rose behind him.
He cracked his knuckles.
"…Leave.NOW."
Silence.
Class A suddenly understood.
They stepped back.
Slowly.Very slowly.
Even Bakugo muttered, "Tch… fine."
They backed off to a distance—still watching, but at least out of direct earshot.
(A little.)
Now alone-ish
Ren finally turned to Akira.
She was still red, still hiding behind her case.
"…S-So… what did you want to talk about?" she whispered.
Ren sighed softly, calmer now.
"I wanted to talk about… what you said earlier."
Akira's heart stopped.
Her blush spread to her ears.
"O-Oh."
Akira stood there, clutching her gear case, still red-faced and trembling.
Ren stepped closer, his expression softening… then sharpening.
His voice dropped to a quiet, deadly calm tone:
"Akira…we can't forget who we are."
Her breath caught.
The shy blush faded into something deeper — fear and awareness.
Ren leaned in slightly, eyes serious.
"We are VEGA.And you know our goal."
A wind passed through the alley.Akira's grip tightened.
Her usual confidence returned, layered over her embarrassment.
"…Yeah," she whispered."We're not normal students. We can't afford distractions. We're here for one purpose."
Ren nodded.
"Everything we're doing — the researchers, the upgrades, Dabi, Stain, Kurogiri — all of it leads to one thing."
Akira finished in a quiet voice:
"Cutting the root of the quirk society.Ending the cycle."
She looked up at him, eyes trembling for a different reason now.
"But… when I said all that earlier… when I confessed… I…"She looked away, ashamed.
"I know it's dangerous. I know it's stupid to feel this way when we're part of VEGA…"
Her voice cracked softly.
"…but my feelings didn't ask for permission."
Ren didn't flinch.
Instead, he lifted her chin gently with two fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Akira," he said quietly,"You think being VEGA means we can't care about anyone?"
She stared at him, speechless.
Ren's gaze hardened, but there was warmth underneath.
"Our goal doesn't erase who we are.We weren't born villains.We chose this path — for a reason."
Akira's eyes widened.
"And if you like me… that isn't weakness."
He took a breath.
"It's proof we're still human."
Akira's eyes shimmered for a moment — caught between shock, relief, and something deeper.
Her lips parted.
"Ren… I—"
Meanwhile, Class A in the distance:
Denki whispering: "Bro, they're having a whole rebellion-romance arc right now—"
Jirō: "Shut up, I'm listening—"
Bakugo: "IF YOU DON'T BE QUIET I'LL BLOW EVERYONE UP—"
Todoroki: "…This is interesting."
Akira froze as Ren stepped back, shadows crossing his face.
His voice wasn't cold.Just… tired.Older than he should sound.
"Akira… there's something you need to understand."
She blinked, confused.
Ren looked at his hands — as if they didn't fully belong to him.
"I'm not… permanent in this world."He exhaled slowly."I can't promise you anything. Not a future. Not time. Not even that I'll still exist tomorrow."
Akira's heart dropped.
Ren continued, voice low:
"I don't have a family.I don't have a last name.I don't even know where I came from."His eyes narrowed slightly, pained."I just appeared one day — like I was inserted into this world already halfway through its story."
Akira took a small step closer, breath unsteady.
"Ren…"
He shook his head.
"You don't get it."His voice cracked just a little."I don't know my origin. I don't know why I'm here. And I don't know how long I'll stay."
He looked away, jaw clenched.
"I could vanish the same way I arrived — without warning."
A moment of silence.
Then Akira slowly reached forward, grabbing his sleeve.
Her voice was soft but firm:
"Then let me be your anchor."
Ren's eyes widened.
Akira continued, eyes fierce — the same girl who just blushed like crazy minutes ago now speaking with unshakable resolve:
"You don't know how long you have? Fine.""Then I'll stay with you for however long that is.""Days. Weeks. Months. Whatever fate gives us."
She stepped closer, voice trembling but determined.
"And even if you disappear from this world…I'll make sure you were real while you were here."
Her grip tightened on his sleeve.
"You're not alone, Ren. Not anymore."
The wind fell silent around them.
Ren stared at her — stunned, conflicted, shaken.
For the first time, his expression cracked.
"…Akira…"
Ren lowered his head, his bangs covering his eyes.
His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"…Akira… you don't understand."
She froze.
Ren's fists tightened at his sides.
"I'm an extra."
Akira's breath hitched.
Ren continued, voice trembling with a mix of anger and resignation:
"I'm not a main character. Not a chosen one.I'm just someone who got thrown into this world without purpose, without a story."
He looked up slightly, eyes hollow.
"I'm replaceable. Erasable.If I disappear tomorrow, the plot will move on like I was never here."
Akira took a sharp step forward, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Ren—"
But he kept going.
"I'm a shadow at the edge of someone else's spotlight.A background piece that somehow wandered into the center stage."
He exhaled shakily.
"You deserve someone real. Someone with a future. Not an… extra who doesn't even belong to this world."
Silence.
Then Akira moved.
Not fast — just steady, determined.
She gently grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to meet her eyes.
Her voice was soft, trembling — but fierce:
"Then I'll say this clearly so you never forget it."
Her eyes locked on his.
"You're not an extra in my story."
Ren froze.
Akira kept going, breath warm against him:
"You changed my life.You changed my future.You gave me someone to believe in."
She pressed a hand to his chest, right over his heartbeat.
"And in my world — you are the main character."
Ren's eyes widened, unable to process her certainty.
Akira whispered:
"So don't you dare call yourself an extra ever again."
Ren's breath caught.
Akira was still holding his collar, her face inches from his.Her fingers trembled, but her gaze… unwavering.
"Ren," she whispered, voice barely steady, "you matter to me."
His heart pounded so loudly he was sure she could hear it.
For a moment, neither of them moved.The room felt too small. The air too warm.
Akira swallowed softly, her cheeks turning a deep pink.
Then—she slowly rose on her toes.
Ren felt her hesitation, her fear… and her courage.
"Akira…"His voice cracked — something raw breaking free inside him.
She closed the last bit of distance.
Their lips touched.
A gentle, unsure kiss at first — timid, testing.
Ren's eyes widened… then fluttered shut as instinct took over.His hands, which had been hanging uselessly at his sides, slowly moved to her waist.
Akira's breath hitched against his mouth.That tiny sound made Ren lean in deeper, the kiss growing firmer, warmer.
For a few seconds, the world fell away.
No Vega.
No villains.
No mastermind theories.
Just them.
Akira pulled back first, breath unsteady, her face glowing red.
Ren stared at her, stunned, his fingers still resting at her waist.
Akira whispered, almost embarrassed:
"So… still think you're an extra?"
Ren didn't answer.
Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her again —this time with an emotion he couldn't hide anymore.
Akira's lips were still warm from their kiss when Ren exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself.
"I'm fine…"His voice was low, rougher than usual.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers — sharp, confident, but trembling just a little.
"…but don't regret it later."
Akira froze.
Her heartbeat kicked into full sprint, and her face went crimson.
"R–Regret…?" she whispered.
Ren took a small step closer.
"You said you like me. You kissed me."His hand gently reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear."That's something you can't take back."
Akira's breath hitched again.
Ren continued, softer now:
"I'm part of Vega. I'm walking a dangerous path. Being close to me… it's risky."
He leaned in, his forehead grazing hers — a delicate, electric touch.
"So don't say things you'll regret."
Akira didn't back away.Instead, she grabbed his shirt again, tighter this time.
"I won't regret it," she said, her voice firm despite the redness in her cheeks."No matter what path you're on… I chose you."
Ren blinked, stunned for a moment — then a small, rare smile curved his lips.
"Then don't complain later," he murmured. "Because once I accept something… I don't let go."
Akira's knees nearly gave out.
Akira was still flushed from their moment when Ren suddenly turned serious.His eyes sharpened — the cold, calculating side of him returning.
"Akira," he said, voice low."I'm giving you another mission. A big one. So listen carefully."
Her breath steadied.She nodded, switching into support engineer mode, though her heart was still racing.
Ren stepped closer and placed a small datapad on the table.Blueprints lit up — complex diagrams, glowing circuits, skeletal frames.
"First," Ren continued, "you need to create support gear for the Vega members."
He listed them off, each name echoing with weight:
Dabi
Stain
Kurogiri
Riptide
"And…" he tapped the hologram again, "…upgrade EdgeShot's entire set."
Akira blinked."That's… five S-class difficulty projects."Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and excitement."But… I can do it."
Ren nodded, then activated the final blueprint.
A different model appeared — a full combat chassis.Sharp, metallic lines.Mechanical limbs.Chest core.
Akira gasped.
"Is this…?"
"Your last task," Ren said. "With the researchers that Stain and Kurogiri gathered from all over the world, you're going to build this."
He zoomed in on the figure.
A cyborg.
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Use this as reference."
He swiped, and the diagram shifted into a familiar, powerful form:Genos from One Punch Man.
Akira's jaw dropped.
"S-something like this!? This is insane—"she paused, gripping the table,"…but it's possible."
Ren leaned in slightly, his voice almost a whisper:
"It has to be perfect. No flaws. No unstable circuits. This cyborg will be our frontline in the coming war."
Akira swallowed.
"And… who is the cyborg for?"
Ren hesitated.
His expression darkened — unreadable.
"You'll know later."
Akira sighed, rubbing her temples."This is going to take months. I'll need a full lab… specialized tools… energy cores—"
"I'll get you everything," Ren said firmly."Just accept the mission."
Akira looked at him — at his serious eyes, the weight he carried, the path he walked.
Then she smiled softly.
"I accept. For you… always."