"What?"
Inko almost dropped her water bottle. Her green eyes widened slightly and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, completely breaking the serene composure she had maintained all day.
Ren kept his innocent expression while taking a sip from his own bottle. Perfect. The unflappable Inko Midoriya finally showing a crack in her armor.
"Your strength," Ren repeated in a casual tone. "It is impressive. You completely broke Bakugo's record in the ball throw, and your results in the other tests were quite high. It is not common to see that level of control in someone with such a powerful physical enhancement quirk."
Inko swallowed hard, clearly searching for the right words.
"I... well, I trained a lot before coming to UA," she replied, regaining some of her composure although the blush did not fade from her cheeks. "My quirk requires a lot of physical conditioning so I do not destroy my own body when I use it."
"Did you always have that quirk?" Ren asked with genuine curiosity, leaning slightly toward her. "I mean, some quirks manifest late or evolve over time. Yours seems quite powerful for someone our age."
Inko's blush intensified. Her fingers gripped the water bottle with more strength than necessary.
"My quirk manifested... later than average," she admitted after a moment, looking away. "I had to work twice as hard to catch up with everyone else."
Interesting, Ren thought. That sounds exactly like Izuku's story. Could Inko have been quirkless originally too?
"That explains your work ethic," Ren nodded with approval. "People who get their quirks late tend to be more aware of their limitations. You have that same air of determination that..."
"Everyone back here."
Aizawa's voice cut through the conversation. The teacher was standing in the center of the training field, holding his tablet with the final results.
"It is time to see who failed miserably," he announced with his usual monotonic tone of existential disappointment.
Inko let out a sigh that sounded relieved by the interruption.
"We should go see the results," she said quickly, walking away from the water station with hurried steps.
Ren watched her go with an amused smile. There is definitely a story there. And I definitely made her nervous. Mission accomplished.
He joined the group that had formed around Aizawa. He could feel the tension in the air, especially emanating from Mineta, who looked as if he were about to vomit from terror.
"The final results of the evaluation exam," Aizawa pressed his tablet and a holographic projection appeared in the air showing the names and positions of everyone.
1. Inko Midoriya2. Katsuki Bakugo3. Shoto Todoroki4. Momo Yaoyorozu5. Tenya Iida6. Ren Hayashi
Ren quickly scanned the rest of the list. Seventh place, Fumikage Tokoyami. Eighth, Mezo Shoji. Ninth...
15. Toru Hagakure
Wait, what?
Ren blinked, genuinely surprised. In the canon, Hagakure had finished quite low in the rankings. But fifteenth place was respectable, especially for someone whose only quirk was invisibility.
He looked toward where he knew Toru was. Her gym uniform was shaking violently, and he could hear small, muffled sobs coming from that direction.
Oh no. She is crying.
"No... it is not enough," Toru's voice sounded broken between invisible tears. "Fifteenth place... with so many people with incredible quirks... I am probably going to be expelled anyway because I am not good enough..."
Ren sighed. This girl seriously needs more self confidence.
He walked to where she was standing and extended his hand, placing it gently on her shoulder. He felt the contact and gave a comforting pat.
"You should have more confidence in yourself, Hagakure san," he said in a firm but kind tone. "You are an amazing girl and you do not see it."
"H-Hayashi kun!" Toru's voice sounded surprised by the contact. The uniform turned toward him. "B-but I just..."
"You finished in fifteenth place," Ren interrupted her, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "Among several students who are considered the best in Japan. And you did it with a quirk that only gives you invisibility. No physical enhancements, no elemental powers, nothing but your own effort and skill."
The shaking in the uniform stopped.
"Think about it," Ren continued, pointing to the results list with his free hand. "Do you know how difficult that is? Most people with invisibility quirks do not even try to be combat heroes. But you are here, competing with people who can create explosions, manipulate ice, or throw balls to infinity."
"I... I just..." Toru seemed to be processing his words.
"You are not 'just' anything," Ren said firmly, giving her shoulder a final squeeze before letting go. "You are someone who managed to get into UA and stand out in a physical exam using only your normal human body and your tactical intelligence. That is incredible, and if you cannot see that, then you are blinder than I am."
There was a moment of silence. Then, a small, muffled laugh came from the floating uniform.
"That... that was a terrible joke, Hayashi kun."
"But it made you laugh," Ren smiled at the empty space. "And you stopped crying, so that is a victory."
He could feel the atmosphere around Toru changing. The tension and fear were slowly dissolving, replaced by tranquility.
"Thank you," Toru whispered, and her voice sounded genuinely grateful. "Really... thank you, you perverted bald guy."
"Perverted?" Ren feigned offense. "I only gave you a pat on the shoulder to comfort you. Does that make me a pervert?"
"Well... no," Toru admitted with a giggle. "But you were surely thinking something perverted while you did it."
"I can neither confirm nor deny those accusations," Ren responded in a solemn tone.
Toru laughed genuinely this time, and Ren knew she was okay.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Bakugo's scream echoed across the field. "HOW DID I END UP IN SECOND PLACE?! THAT DAMN GREEN HAIRED GIRL STOLE FIRST PLACE FROM ME!"
Explosions began to detonate in Bakugo's palms as he glared at Inko with absolute fury. The girl, for her part, maintained a perfectly neutral expression, as if an explosive teenager screaming at her were something completely normal.
"Bakugo, calm down or I will expel you right now," Aizawa threatened him in a bored voice.
"SHUT UP OLD MAN!"
Aizawa's capture tapes shot out so fast that Bakugo did not even have time to react. In less than a second, the explosive boy was completely wrapped up like a mummy, his quirk erased by the glowing red eyes of Eraserhead.
"I am tired of you," Aizawa said without emotion. "Stay there and think about your life choices."
There was a moment of silence. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Then Aizawa looked down the holographic list, directly at the name in the twentieth spot.
20. Minoru Mineta
The grape boy began to shake violently. Tears were already streaming down his face.
"I... I knew this would happen," Mineta sobbed. "I am too weak... I should never have tried to be a hero... goodbye dream of being surrounded by girls in tight outfits..."
Aizawa watched him with that expression of existential weariness.
"Mineta."
"Yes, sir!" the grape boy stood at attention, preparing for the worst.
"Go home."
Several students gasped. Ochako covered her mouth with her hands.
Ren felt something move beside him. Momo Yaoyorozu had approached silently during the confrontation with Bakugo, and now she was standing next to him, watching the scene with wide eyes.
"Hayashi san," she whispered so low he could barely hear her, "did you not tell Hagakure san that Aizawa sensei would not expel anyone?..."
So she heard me, I must be more careful with the nonsense I say, I let myself get carried away by the excitement.
"Just wait," Ren whispered back, keeping his gaze on the teacher.
Aizawa let the silence stretch for a few more seconds, watching as Mineta began to completely fall apart. Then, his mouth curved into the most malevolent smile Ren had ever seen in his life.
"Go home, rest, and come back tomorrow," Aizawa finished the sentence. "The expulsion thing was a lie designed to bring out your maximum performance. No one is going to be expelled today."
The reaction was explosive.
"WHAT?!" several students shouted in unison.
"THAT IS CRUEL!" Ochako exclaimed in a relieved manner.
"I KNEW IT!" Iida declared, although his pale face suggested he was not so sure.
Mineta simply collapsed on the ground, crying with relief.
Momo turned toward Ren with an expression of wonder.
"You... you really knew," she said, slightly stunned. "I thought you were just being optimistic, but you really understood the psychology behind Aizawa sensei's tactic."
Ren shrugged with false modesty.
"Let us just say I have experience reading people," he lied shamelessly. "Aizawa sensei has a reputation for being tough but fair. Expelling someone on the first day without giving them a chance to improve would be cruel."
Momo's eyes sparkled with genuine respect.
"That is a very insightful observation, Hayashi san."
"It is all a matter of paying attention to details," Ren offered her a smile. "Something I am sure you understand perfectly, considering your quirk literally requires detailed knowledge of molecular structures."
The blush that appeared on Momo's cheeks was adorable.
"I... well, yes," she admitted, clearly pleased that someone recognized that aspect of her quirk. "Not many people understand the amount of study involved."
"EVERYONE, GO HOME," Aizawa interrupted their moment. "Tomorrow the real classes start. And Midoriya, go to the infirmary so Recovery Girl can heal that finger before you leave."
The group began to disperse. Ren noticed that Inko was walking away quickly toward the main building, clearly wanting to avoid more questions about her quirk.
Smart, he thought. But I am not going to let you escape that easily, future number one.
"Hayashi san."
Ren turned to find Momo still standing beside him. Most of the other students were already heading to the locker rooms, but she seemed to want to talk more.
"Yes, Yaoyorozu san?"
"I... I was wondering if maybe..." she seemed to be searching for the right words, something unusual for someone normally so articulate. "If maybe you would like to walk back to the locker rooms together. I would like to hear more about your analysis of Aizawa sensei's tactics."
Oh. Ren felt a genuine smile forming on his face.
"I would love to," he responded enthusiastically. "In fact, I have some questions about your quirk too. The thermodynamics involved in the creation of matter must be fascinating."
Momo's eyes lit up like Christmas lights.
"Oh, yes! The conversion of lipids into usable mass is incredibly complex. I have to calculate not only the molecular structure but also the energy required to..."
They began to walk together, with Momo going into a technical explanation mode that would have put most people to sleep in seconds. But Ren was genuinely interested, asking smart questions and offering observations that clearly impressed the girl.
As they walked, Ren could not help but notice that Momo was... well, objectively beautiful. She had that natural elegance that came from years of etiquette training, and the UA gym uniform, although designed to be practical, definitely did not hide that she was a very curvaceous girl.
Do not be obvious, he reminded himself. Keep your eyes on her face, idiot.
"Hayashi san? Are you listening?"
Ren blinked, realizing he had been momentarily distracted.
"Yes, sorry," he recovered quickly. "I was just processing what you said about energy conversion. It is truly complex."
Momo smiled, clearly satisfied that someone appreciated the complexity of her quirk.
They continued walking in comfortable silence for a moment before Ren spoke again.
"It must be lonely sometimes," he commented, "being the smartest person in the room."
Momo stopped, looking at him with surprise.
"I... how did you know...?"
"It is not hard to see," Ren offered her a sympathetic smile. "You speak with perfect technical precision, but I can notice how you sometimes stop yourself, as if you were calculating whether you should simplify what you are saying so others understand. That is exhausting, right?"
Momo's eyes watered slightly. He had clearly hit on something deep.
"It is... yes," she admitted in a low voice. "Sometimes I feel like people only see me as 'the rich girl' or 'the genius' but not as... me."
Ren stopped and turned to look at her directly.
"Then you have to ask yourself something important, Yaoyorozu san," he said seriously. "What is it that you really want? Not what your family expects, not what society says you should want because of who you are. What is it that Momo Yaoyorozu, the person, really desires to do with her life?"
Momo looked at him with an intensity Ren had not seen before. Her dark eyes seemed to be searching for something in his expression.
"I... no one had asked me that before," she admitted in a barely audible voice. "I have always been so focused on meeting expectations that I never stopped to think if that was what I really wanted."
"Exactly," Ren nodded. "Look, in a world of heroes, money is what matters least. Villains do not ask how much you have in the bank before attacking, and your teammates do not care about your last name when they are counting on you to have their backs."
"Then... what matters?" she asked.
Ren considered his answer carefully.
"If I died and reincarnated in a world of heroes," he said slowly, "I would like to fulfill my desires, to live the way I really want to live, regardless of what others think or expect of me. Not following a script written by someone else, you know?"
Momo's eyes widened with surprise.
"That is... a very honest philosophy," she said after a moment. "But what if what you want goes against what everyone expects of you?"
"Then that is when you find out who you really are," Ren replied with a smile. "The people who are worth it in your life will support you. The ones who do not... well, they probably never mattered as much as you thought."
Momo seemed to process this for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"That is... surprisingly wise for someone our age, Hayashi san."
"Eh, I had a lot of time to think about my previous life," Ren shrugged, then realized what he had said. "I mean, in my life before coming to UA. You know, deep teenage reflections and all that."
Momo laughed softly, and the sound was genuinely beautiful.
"I think we all need those kinds of reflections sometimes," she said. "Thank you, Hayashi san. This conversation was... necessary."
"The feeling is mutual, Yaoyorozu san," Ren replied with sincerity. "You are fascinating. In a good way."
She smiled, an expression that completely transformed her normally serious face, revealing a genuine warmth.
"Oh, wait," Ren stopped her before they entered the locker room area. "Do you have Instagram?"
Momo blinked, clearly surprised by the question.
"Instagram? I... yes, but I do not post much. My account is mostly private..."
"Great," Ren pulled out his phone. "Let us add each other. That way we can keep discussing quirk theories and tactical applications. And also so you can send me memes when Aizawa sensei tortures us tomorrow."
Momo let out a small laugh.
"I do not think my family would approve of me sharing memes during class."
"Your family does not have to know," Ren winked at her. "That is the beauty of digital privacy."
Momo seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded and pulled out her own phone with a slightly mischievous smile.
"Yaoyorozu underscore Momo," she said while typing her username.
"Hayashi dot Ren," Ren replied.
There was a moment of silence while they both processed the friend requests. Then, the phones vibrated simultaneously with the confirmation notification.
"Done," Momo said with a shy smile. "Now we are friends... digitally speaking."
"And in person too, I hope," Ren smiled back.
Momo's blush returned with strength.
"I... yes, of course," she said with a genuine smile. "W-well, I must change. See you tomorrow, Hayashi san."
"See you, Momo."
She disappeared into the girls' locker room, and Ren stood outside for a moment, processing the conversation.
First day of school: successfully completed. I made contact with Inko, encouraged Toru, had a genuine conversation with Momo and got her Instagram. Not bad for someone who died a virgin in his previous life.
I am definitely living my second chance correctly.
"HAYASHI!"
Ren turned to find Kirishima running toward him with his shark toothed smile.
"Man, that exam was brutal! Do you want to go to a vending machine? I am starving and I have to tell you about how I almost pissed myself from fear when Aizawa sensei said that thing about expulsion..."
As he walked with Kirishima toward the locker rooms, Ren could not help but feel a wave of satisfaction.
Later that night, Ren was lying on his bed in his small apartment, browsing through his phone.
He opened Instagram and went straight to Momo's profile.
Yaoyorozu_Momo. Private account, but he had already been accepted. She had only fifty followers, all apparently former middle school classmates or family members.
the photos were limited and conservative. Some landscapes, a couple of her participating in school events, a photo with what seemed to be her family at some formal event.
But there was one photo in particular that caught his attention.
It was from a few months ago, according to the date. Momo was at a beach, wearing a black one piece swimsuit that, despite being modest, could not hide her spectacular curves. She was smiling genuinely at the camera, the sea breeze moving her black hair.
The caption said simply: "Family vacation in Okinawa."
Ren admired the photo with professional appreciation. I definitely need to convince her that we should go to the beach with the class at some point.
His phone vibrated with a notification.
Yaoyorozu_Momo has sent you a direct message
Ren opened the message with curiosity.
Momo: Hayashi san, I hope it is not inappropriate to write to you so late. I just wanted to thank you again for the conversation today. I really appreciate that you took the time to listen to my explanations without getting bored. And... thank you for asking me what it is that I want. No one had asked me that question before. You made me think about important things.
Ren smiled and began typing his response.
Ren: Not at all inappropriate, Momo. And you do not have to thank me for anything. Your explanations are fascinating, and your perspective is unique. I have many more questions about your quirk if you are willing to share. And about the other thing... we all deserve to live our own lives, not the lives that others wrote for us. Think about it. What is it that Momo really wants to do?
There was a pause of several minutes. Ren could see the three dots indicating she was typing, then they disappeared, then appeared again.
Finally, her response arrived.
Momo: Honestly... I do not know yet. But I think I want to find out. Thank you for giving me permission to think about it.
Ren: You do not need my permission, Momo. That is the point. Your life is yours. But I am glad I could help.
Momo: Good night, Hayashi san. Rest well.
Ren: Good night, Momo. See you tomorrow.
Ren put his phone aside and looked at the ceiling of his apartment.
Yes, he was definitely living his second life the right way.
Life was good.
*******
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