Hayashi Ren woke up at 9:47 AM with the sun hitting his bald face directly through the torn curtain of his six-tatami room. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his phone on the floor next to the futon.
"Another day in paradise," he thought sarcastically while checking the screen.
There were no messages. No notifications.
Of course there is nothing. I don't have friends in this world. Well, technically I have Hagakure. And Mitsuki. Do two people count as a social life?
He sat up on the futon and stretched his arms over his head. His body still ached from the exam. Using telekinesis constantly had been like running a mental marathon.
But it was worth it, he reminded himself. Now I just have to wait for the official results.
He got up and walked toward the building's small shared bathroom. The mirror reflected his usual self: bald and beautiful, as always.
"Good morning, sexy," he said to his reflection with irony. "Another day being the only bald teenager in all of Japan."
After showering and dressing in casual clothes, Ren returned to his room and flopped onto the futon with his phone in hand.
What do I do now? I don't have a job. I don't have school until the results arrive. I have absolutely nothing to do.
He unlocked the phone and opened Instagram almost by reflex.
In his previous life, Andrés had avoided social media like the plague. Why have Instagram if you don't have friends to follow you? Why post photos if no one is going to see them? It was easier to just not participate.
But this is a new life, he thought while scrolling through the home screen. An opportunity to be different. To not be the misfit hiding in his room reading manga.
Besides, there was another much more practical reason: Mitsuki Bakugo was on Instagram. And any chance to see more photos of that woman was an opportunity Ren was not going to waste.
He opened his profile. He had exactly three followers.
Pathetic, he admitted. But hey, at least it's not zero.
The three followers were: a bot spam account, the official Family Mart profile that automatically followed all its employees, and Toru Hagakure.
Hagakure had given him her contact info when they said goodbye after the exam. It was a strange moment where she basically shouted her Instagram handle at him while still mortified by the fact that he could see her naked.
"And don't you dare stalk me, Hayashi!" the distorted air had screamed before leaving. "Though I guess you've already seen everything there is to see, you damn pervert with X-ray vision!"
Ren smiled at the memory. He tapped on Hagakure's profile.
@InvisibleToruOfficial Bio: "Do you see me? Because I don't! 👻✨ | Future hero | Sweets lover 🍬"
The profile was exactly what he expected and completely unexpected at the same time. There wasn't a single photo of her face, obviously. But every post was an explosion of color and energy.
The most recent photo was of a table full of candy. Gummies of every color. Chocolates. Lollipops. Hard candies wrapped in shiny paper. The caption read: "Heaven exists and it tastes like sugar 🍭💕"
Ren swiped his finger across the screen. Another photo. This time it was a shared video from a TV show; a dokkiri where someone was startled by an elaborate hidden camera prank. The victim's reaction was exaggerated and comical. Hagakure had commented: "LOL I'M DYING! 😂 Surprise pranks are the BEST thing in the world 🎭"
Interesting, Ren thought. An invisible girl who loves things that grab attention. Bright colors, loud pranks... It's like she compensates for her invisibility by being as visible as possible in other ways.
He continued browsing. More photos of sweets. More shared dokkiri videos. Occasionally, there were photos of clothes that were clearly floating in the air, held up by an invisible body. One post in particular caught his eye. It was a photo of a bright pink dress floating in front of a mirror. The caption read: "I bought this super cute dress but no one can see it on me 😢 Why is life so unfair? At least I know I look amazing 💖"
Ren felt a pang of genuine sympathy.
It must be frustrating, he admitted mentally. Buying cute clothes and having no one able to appreciate them. Putting on makeup and having it be invisible. All that aesthetic effort wasted.
Though technically I CAN see her, he reminded himself with a perverted grin.
He closed Hagakure's profile and went back to the search screen. Now for the good stuff. He typed into the search bar: "Mitsuki Bakugo designer." Several profiles appeared. The third one on the list had a profile picture he recognized immediately.
There she was. Mitsuki with her hair perfectly styled, looking at the camera with that natural confidence she radiated. She wore an elegant business suit. Her expression was serious but not cold.
@MitsukiBakugoDesign Bio: "Fashion designer | Mother of a little explosive demon 💥 | Good taste is not optional"
Ren tapped the profile without hesitation. Mitsuki's profile was completely different from Hagakure's. Where Hagakure was chaotic and colorful, Mitsuki was elegant and precisely curated. The first photo in the feed was of a black evening gown with a cut that was simultaneously elegant and provocative. The design hugged a mannequin's curves in a way that left little to the imagination.
The caption read: "New design for the winter collection. Black never goes out of style when you know how to wear it. 🖤"
Ren continued scrolling down the feed. Another photo. This time Mitsuki appeared in person, posing next to a red dress at a fashion event. She wore a tailored suit that perfectly highlighted her athletic figure.
Great, Ren thought, feeling his mouth go dry. Even in professional photos, she looks incredible.
There were photos of fashion shows where her designs had apparently been featured. Photos with other famous designers Ren didn't recognize. Occasional selfies where Mitsuki looked more relaxed, usually with a sarcastic comment about her day. One photo in particular caught his attention.
It was a casual selfie. Mitsuki was in what looked like her house, sitting on a sofa. She was wearing athletic clothes: a loose t-shirt and tight leggings. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun. She wasn't wearing professional makeup like in the other photos.
And she looked absolutely beautiful.
The caption read: "Day off after a week from hell. I have wine and TV. 🍷"
Ren checked the date. The photo was from two months ago.
He kept browsing. There was an old photo from several years ago. A much younger Mitsuki, probably in her twenties, posing with a volleyball trophy. She wore a team uniform. Her smile was huge.
"TBT to when I was team captain and we won regionals 🏐 I miss those days when my only problem was a difficult serve."
Ren smiled. She really loved volleyball. That's why she got so excited when I suggested playing.
He closed Mitsuki's profile and looked at the "Follow" button.
Should I? Would it be weird for a fifteen-year-old boy to follow a woman in her late thirties? Technically we're friends. She comes to my shop every day. Well, she used to. I don't work there anymore.
After a moment of deliberation, he pressed the button. Request sent.
To hell with it, he thought. New life, new rules. If she thinks it's weird, I can say I want to follow her designs for inspiration for my future as a hero or some crap like that.
He put the phone aside and got up to fix himself something to eat. The building's shared kitchen was empty. Ren prepared a simple bowl of rice with egg and soy sauce. It wasn't gourmet, but it filled his stomach. While he ate, his mind wandered.
When will the UA results arrive? Usually in anime they arrive the same day or the next. But this is real life. Well, anime real life. Fictional real life. Whatever.
He finished eating and washed his bowl. He returned to his room. The phone was lit up with a notification: @MitsukiBakugoDesign accepted your request.
Ren felt a small jump of excitement in his chest. Good. That was faster than expected. Now he could look at all her photos whenever he wanted without it looking suspicious. He opened Instagram again and went back to Mitsuki's profile. Now that he officially followed her, he could see more content. There were active stories. Three orange circles over her profile picture indicated new content.
He tapped the first one. It was a photo of Mitsuki in her design studio. There were fabrics scattered everywhere. Mannequins with half-finished designs. The story said: "Creative chaos. I love my job but sometimes I wish the fabrics would sew themselves."
The second story was a short video. It showed a finished dress on a mannequin. The camera rotated around showing every angle. The background music was something modern Ren didn't recognize. The third story was a meme. An image of a cat with a tired face. The text said: "Me waiting for my teenage children to clean up their mess without me having to scream."
Ren laughed. Definitely aimed at Katsuki.
He closed the stories and was about to close the app when he heard a noise outside his room. Heavy footsteps in the hallway. Someone coming up the building stairs.
The noisy neighbor? he thought, hoping it wasn't another two-hour session of horrible karaoke. But the steps stopped exactly in front of his door.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone was knocking.
Ren got up from the futon and walked toward the door with caution. Who the hell knocks on my door? No one knows I live here except the landlord. He opened the door a crack. Outside was an older man in a courier uniform. He held a tablet and a large white envelope.
"Hayashi Ren?" the messenger asked. "Yes, that's me." "Special delivery from UA Academy. I need your signature here."
Ren's heart skipped a beat. The results. He signed the tablet with trembling fingers. The messenger handed him the envelope and left without saying anything else. Ren closed the door and stared at the envelope. It was heavier than expected. The UA logo was printed in the upper right corner. His name and address were written in an elegant font.
"Hayashi Ren - Entrance Exam Results"
Crap, he thought, feeling his heart beat faster. This is real. This is happening. He walked to the center of his room and sat on the futon with the envelope in his hands. What if I didn't pass? What if my score was too low? What if I used too much telekinesis and looked too weak or too strong?
He took a deep breath. Open the damn envelope, Hayashi. Stop procrastinating.
He tore the seal carefully. Inside was a formal folded letter and a small circular device the size of a large coin. Ren took out the device first. As soon as it touched his hand, it lit up. A hologram projected from the device.
And a woman appeared. Long black hair. A domino mask. A hero costume that was... extremely tight. Pronounced curves and a seductive smile.
"Hello, little one," the woman said in a soft voice that made every word sound like a caress. "I'm Midnight, a teacher at UA Academy. And I have some very exciting news for you."
Ren blinked several times. Midnight? The R-rated hero is presenting my results?
"I know you're nervous," Midnight continued, leaning slightly forward in the hologram. "But relax. I'm here to tell you that your performance on the exam was... quite impressive."
The hologram changed. A table with numbers appeared.
"Practical Exam: 42 points for destroyed robots. Not bad for someone with a mental quirk. You proved that psychic force can be as effective as physical quirks."
Forty-two, Ren thought. Not bad considering I was holding back my strength.
"But here comes the really interesting part," Midnight smiled. "At UA, we don't just look for robot destroyers. We look for true heroes."
The hologram changed again. It now showed video clips from the exam. Ren saw himself saving Hagakure from the type-two robot. He saw himself using telekinesis to move debris blocking the path for other students.
"Look at that," Midnight pointed to the images with clear approval. "While others only thought about accumulating points, you thought about saving your classmates. That is exactly what we want to see."
Her voice became more serious, though she kept that playful tone.
"For your heroic actions during the exam, the panel of judges awards you 28 additional rescue points."
Twenty-eight rescue points, Ren processed the information. So there are rescue points even without the zero-point giant robot.
"Which gives us a total of..." Midnight paused dramatically, "70 points! Enough to secure your admission to UA High School."
Midnight's hologram moved closer, as if she were looking directly at Ren through space.
"Congratulations, Hayashi Ren. You are officially part of the UA family. I hope to see you in class very soon." She winked. "And who knows, maybe you'll even be my student in one of my lessons. I promise they will be... educational."
The hologram began to fade.
Is she giving me a veiled warning or is she flirting? Ren thought with genuine confusion. The device turned off.
Ren sat in absolute silence for five full seconds. And then he screamed.
"YES! I DID IT! DAMN IT, I DID IT!"
He jumped off the futon. He ran to the mirror and stared at himself.
"Ren, you bald genius! You did it!"
He slapped his shiny head as if it were a victory drum. Seventy points. He got in with seventy points. He probably wasn't in the top five, but he was in. He was officially in UA. He grabbed his phone with trembling hands.
I need to tell someone. I need to share this with someone before I explode from excitement. He opened his contacts. There were only three people: his old boss, Hagakure, and Mitsuki.
The old boss definitely wouldn't care. Hagakure might be busy or still mad at him for seeing her naked. That left Mitsuki. Without a second thought, he opened his chat with her.
Ren: Mitsuki-san Ren: I DID IT! Ren: I've been accepted into UA!
He sent the messages in quick succession. Then he left the phone on the futon and started pacing the room in circles. Now what? Do I celebrate alone? Do I buy some expensive food? Do I go for a walk? The phone vibrated. Ren grabbed it immediately.
Mitsuki: WOW, YOU REALLY DID IT, BALD BRAT! 🎉 Mitsuki: Congratulations! My son Katsuki got in too, though he's been an insufferable pain in the ass since he got his letter this morning. He screamed so loud I think the neighbors will call the police.
Ren smiled as he read the messages.
Ren: Tell Katsuki I'll see him in the classrooms. It'll be interesting studying with him. Mitsuki: He'll probably try to blow your head off on the first day. My son isn't exactly the type who makes friends easily. Mitsuki: By the way, what do your parents say? They must be jumping for joy to have a future hero in the family. This is huge news.
Ren stopped. His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Crap.
The question was innocent. Of course any mother would ask about a teenager's parents. But Ren had no parents. Technically, he was an orphan who appeared out of nowhere in this world. What do I tell her?
His thoughts drifted for a moment to his mother from his previous life.
Mom, he thought with a pang of genuine nostalgia. I wonder what you'd say if you knew I died saving a woman. You'd probably scold me for being reckless. But you'd also be proud. You always wanted me to be braver.
He shook his head. There's no point in thinking about that. She's in another world. In another life. There's no way back. He typed his response carefully.
Ren: Actually, I don't have parents to celebrate with. Ren: I'm an orphan and I live alone.
He pressed send before he could regret it. The three dots indicating Mitsuki was typing appeared immediately. Then they disappeared. Then they appeared again. Then they disappeared once more. Ren could perfectly imagine Mitsuki on the other side, deleting and rewriting her message while trying to find the right words. Finally, the message arrived.
Mitsuki: Dammit, Ren. Mitsuki: I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were going through this alone. I feel like an idiot for asking. Ren: It's okay, really. There was no way you could have known. Mitsuki: No, it's not okay. You just achieved something incredible and you have no one to celebrate with.
There was a longer pause. Ren saw the three dots appear and disappear several times. And then the next message arrived.
Mitsuki: You know what? No way. You're not going to celebrate getting into UA by eating instant ramen in that tiny room of yours. Mitsuki: Come to my house tonight. My husband Masaru went out on a business trip again (that bastard, again), so dinner will just be for us and my loud son. Mitsuki: We'll have a double celebration. You and Katsuki entering UA together. What do you say?
Ren read the message three times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Is she inviting me to her house? Mitsuki Bakugo is inviting me to her house?
Ren: Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother. Mitsuki: Too late. I already decided. You'll be here at 7 PM. I'm going to cook something decent and we're going to celebrate properly. I won't take no for an answer. Mitsuki: And before you ask, yes, Katsuki already knows you're coming. I told him to invite someone to celebrate together and he grunted something about "not needing anyone else" but eventually didn't say anything more. So technically you have his blessing. Sort of.
Ren felt his heart beat faster. This is happening. It's really happening. I'm going to Mitsuki Bakugo's house tonight.
Ren: Then I'll be there at 7. Thank you, Mitsuki-san. Mitsuki: Don't thank me yet. My kitchen still has burn marks from the last time Katsuki "trained" inside the house. But I promise the food will be edible at least. Ren: I'll be there. See you tonight. Mitsuki: See you, brat. And congrats again on UA.
He put the phone aside and fell back onto the futon. The cracked white ceiling of his room looked down at him.
I'm going to have dinner at a MILF's house tonight, he thought, feeling a rush of excitement. Not just any MILF. Mitsuki Bakugo. The mother of one of the most important characters in the anime. He laughed to himself. Did I really inherit Charles Xavier's powers? Or was it Johnny Sins who passed down his secret legacy?
Because lately, his luck with women had done a 180-degree turn. In his previous life, Andrés couldn't even get a date. Sofia had friend-zoned him. No girl looked at him twice. He died a virgin in a sex shop surrounded by perverted toys.
But now, Ren had touched the bare breasts of an executive MILF. He had given Mitsuki two orgasms with telekinesis during a volleyball match. He had seen Hagakure completely naked during an entire exam and she didn't even get mad. And now he was being invited to Mitsuki's house for dinner.
Ever since he stopped being the "good guy" waiting for his turn and started taking initiative, things had changed.
I didn't come to this world to be a herbivore protagonist, he thought with growing determination. Those guys who blush when a girl talks to them. Who have "convenient accidents" but never take real action.
In anime, those ecchi moments are always accidents. The protagonist trips and touches a breast by mistake. The girl falls on him in a compromising position by coincidence.
But that's not going to be me. I'm going to PROVOKE those situations. I'm going to use my telekinesis. My X-ray vision. My ability to read surface thoughts. I'm going to live this second life to the fullest. No regrets.
He sat up on the futon and looked at his reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room. A bald teenager looked back.
"Hayashi Ren," he said to himself out loud. "Tonight you're going to the house of the sexiest MILF you've ever met. Her husband is away. Her son will probably go to his room after dinner. And you have powers that none of them know the full depth of."
He paused.
"Frankly, I think Johnny Sins would be a better mentor for this specific situation."
******
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Author's Note: It's been years since I watched the first season of My Hero Academia I think I started right when the anime was first announced. Looking back on it now, I feel like mental Quirks were never really given much weight. Even the guy who could control minds through speech didn't seem to have a very significant role in the series.