The goodbye with the girls had been warm and full of promises to do it again soon. Momo had insisted that the limousine take each of them home, despite their protests that it was too much. Ren had been the last to get out, with Momo giving him a genuine smile before the vehicle disappeared into the night.
But his day wasn't over yet.
Ren walked the familiar blocks toward the Bakugo house; his feet followed the route he had memorized after weeks of regular visits. The two-story residence looked cozy under the streetlights, with the first-floor windows lit up, indicating the family was awake.
Before he could ring the bell, the door swung open violently.
"FINALLY YOU'RE HERE, HAYASHI-KUN!" Mitsuki's voice boomed with her characteristic bossy tone. "Dinner is almost ready and I need you to tell me EVERYTHING about your first day with All Might!"
"Good evening to you too, Mitsuki-san."
Mitsuki literally pulled him by the arm into the house. She was wearing casual clothes: tight jeans and a loose green blouse that somehow managed to look both comfortable and attractive on her. Her blonde hair was down, falling rebelliously over her shoulders.
"Don't give me those formalities! Just get in here!"
The familiar aroma of Mitsuki's kitchen filled the house: grilled meat, fresh rice, and what smelled like her special miso soup. Ren's stomach growled even though he had eaten at the cafeteria just a few hours earlier.
Mitsuki-san's food always has that effect on me, he admitted to himself.
"HEY, BALDY!" Bakugo's voice roared from the living room. "STOP COMING TO MY HOUSE EVERY DAMN NIGHT!"
"KATSUKI, DON'T BE RUDE TO OUR GUEST!" Mitsuki shouted back without even turning around. "AND IT'S MY HOUSE, NOT YOURS, YOU BRAT!"
Ren entered the living room to find Bakugo sprawled on the sofa with an expression that could only be described as absolutely miserable mixed with pent-up fury. His arms were crossed aggressively, his foot tapped the floor with visible irritation, and his face was twisted into his signature scowl multiplied by ten.
"Bakugo," Ren greeted him casually. "You look especially charming tonight."
"SHUT UP!"
Mitsuki appeared from the kitchen with a tray of appetizers: edamame and some pickled vegetables.
"Ignore him. He's been in a shitty mood since he got home from school," she said, placing the tray on the coffee table. "Though honestly, when he isn't in a shitty mood is the real question."
"I HEARD THAT, OLD HAG!"
"GOOD! THAT WAS THE POINT!" Mitsuki threw a pillow at him, which Bakugo deflected with a grunt.
They sat down for dinner shortly after. The table was set with the usual Bakugo dinnerware, and the food looked as delicious as ever. Mitsuki had outdone herself: perfectly fried tonkatsu, fluffy white rice, fresh salad, and her miso soup, which Ren had come to consider the best he had ever tasted.
"So," Mitsuki began as she served the portions, her eyes shining with evident excitement, "the Symbol of Peace himself is your hero training teacher now."
"Technically he's our teacher," Ren corrected with a smile. "For all of Class 1-A."
"But THAT IS INCREDIBLE!" Mitsuki was practically bouncing in her chair. "The number one hero! The most powerful man in Japan teaching you directly! How was it? Is he that impressive in person? Did he talk to you? What did he say?"
Ren had to laugh at her genuine enthusiasm. It was refreshing to see Mitsuki so animated.
"It was incredible. All Might has this presence that just fills any space he's in. And he's as genuinely kind and motivating as he appears on TV."
"Did he give you any personal advice?" Mitsuki leaned forward, completely absorbed.
"He mentioned that my creative use of telekinesis during the combat exercise was impressive," Ren admitted with some pride. "He said that heroes who can think outside the box are the ones who save the most lives."
"That's wonderful!" Mitsuki's eyes sparkled. "I'm so proud of you, Ren!"
"Tch," Bakugo made a sound of disgust from his side of the table. "It's no big deal. Everyone in the class had interactions with him."
"And you, Katsuki?" Mitsuki turned to her son. "Did All Might give you any advice?"
"He told me I used excessive force," Bakugo grumbled. "That a hero needs to know when to hold back. As if that matters when you're fighting real villains."
"It matters when you're fighting in a training exercise," Ren pointed out calmly. "Classmates aren't real villains, Bakugo."
"SHUT UP! NOBODY ASKED YOU, EGGHEAD!"
Mitsuki threw another pillow at him; this one connected directly with Bakugo's face.
"Stop being an idiot! And eat your food before it gets cold!"
They continued eating in relatively peaceful silence for a few minutes. Ren savored every bite of the tonkatsu, genuinely appreciating Mitsuki's culinary skills. The woman could be rough and direct, but she cooked with love and attention to detail.
"So," Mitsuki spoke again after a while, "are all your classmates nice? Have you made friends?"
"Several," Ren nodded. "We went out after class today. Me, Yaoyorozu-san, Ashido-san, Hagakure-san, Asui-san, Uraraka-san, and Midoriya-san went to a cafe to celebrate."
Bakugo's face twisted into what could only be described as absolute loathing upon hearing the last name.
"Midoriya?" he repeated with venom in his voice. "That damn girl?"
Mitsuki looked at him with growing curiosity.
"Who is Midoriya? Why do you sound like you want to kill her?"
"SHE'S AN ANNOYING EXTRA!" Bakugo slammed his fist on the table. "WITH HER STUPID GREEN HAIR AND HER STUPID FACE AND HER STUPID QUIRK THAT MAKES NO SENSE!"
"That doesn't answer my question," Mitsuki crossed her arms. "What did this girl do to annoy you so much?"
"NOTHING! EVERYTHING! JUST EXISTING ANNOYS ME!"
Ren and Mitsuki exchanged glances. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him, clearly looking for a real explanation. Ren leaned slightly toward her, lowering his voice so only Mitsuki could hear clearly.
"The thing is, there's a green-haired girl named Inko Midoriya in our class. Bakugo doesn't like her."
"I got that part," Mitsuki whispered back. "But why?"
"She gave him a beating in combat training today," Ren continued in a low voice. "She essentially used him as a punching bag."
Mitsuki's eyes widened with realization and then, to Bakugo's horror, lit up with amusement.
"A girl beat you, Katsuki?" she asked with a growing smile on her face.
"SHUT UP!" Bakugo's face turned bright red. "IT WASN'T FAIR! SHE HAS A STUPID ENHANCED STRENGTH QUIRK THAT SHOULDN'T BE THAT POWERFUL!"
"Enhanced strength Quirks are pretty common," Mitsuki pointed out with crushing logic. "And she still beat you? With your powerful explosion Quirk?"
"SHE CHEATED SOMEHOW! SHE HAD TO HAVE CHEATED!"
"Or maybe she's just better than you," Ren added casually as he took another bite of his dinner.
If looks could kill, Ren would have been instantly incinerated by the one Bakugo shot him.
"I'M GOING TO MY ROOM!" Bakugo stood up violently, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I DON'T WANT TO KEEP LISTENING TO THIS!"
"TAKE YOUR PLATE TO THE KITCHEN FIRST!" Mitsuki ordered.
"WHATEVER!" Bakugo grabbed his plate with aggressive movements and took it to the kitchen before stomping upstairs. Seconds later, they heard his bedroom door slam, vibrating through the whole house.
Mitsuki waited until the footsteps faded completely before letting out a laugh.
"A girl beat him! I can't wait to tease him about this for weeks!"
"You're cruel to your own son," Ren observed with amusement.
"It's tough love," Mitsuki shrugged without remorse. "That brat needs to be taken down a peg every now and then. It's good for him."
They finished dinner with more relaxed conversation. Mitsuki asked him for more details about his classmates, the UA facilities, and the teachers. Ren answered honestly, enjoying the genuine attention Mitsuki showed in his life. When they were done, Ren automatically started clearing the plates.
"You don't have to do that," Mitsuki protested, though without much conviction.
"I insist. It's the least I can do after you cook for me so often."
"Well, if you insist," Mitsuki smiled. "Then you clear the table and I'll wash the dishes."
They worked in comfortable silence. Ren carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen, where Mitsuki was already standing at the sink with the water running. Ren placed the last plate on the counter and stood there for a moment, watching her.
It was a completely innocent sight on paper. A woman washing dishes after dinner. Nothing special. Except it was Mitsuki Bakugo. Her hips swayed slightly from side to side as she worked, an unconscious and natural movement as she scrubbed each plate. The tight jeans hugged every curve of her rear, which moved hypnotically with every small shift in weight.
Dammit, Ren thought, forcing himself to look away before it became obvious. Get it together.
"Everything okay over there?" Mitsuki asked without turning, having noticed his silence.
"Perfectly," Ren replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Just... thinking."
"Thinking about what?"
"About how incredible it is that we're already training with the number one hero."
"It's surreal, isn't it?" Mitsuki agreed as she rinsed the last plate. She turned to look at him directly, leaning back against the counter. "And what about you, Ren? Do you really want to be a hero? Or are you at UA for another reason?"
It was a surprisingly deep question coming from her. Ren considered his answer carefully.
"Honestly, I'm not sure yet. Heroism sounds noble and all that. But it's also dangerous and sacrificial. I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment."
"But you got into UA," Mitsuki pointed out. "The most prestigious hero school in Japan. That has to mean something."
"It means I wanted to see if I could do it," Ren admitted. "To prove something to myself. To see how far I can go with my abilities."
Mitsuki nodded with approval.
"That's an honest answer. I appreciate that." She moved toward the living room, gesturing for him to follow. "Come on. Let's put on a movie or something. The brat is clearly going to stay locked up all night."
They sat on the familiar sofa; Mitsuki grabbed the remote and scrolled through the available options.
"What would you like to see? Action? Comedy? Drama?"
"Whatever you want is fine."
"Dangerous answer," Mitsuki smiled. "That means I could put on a cheesy romantic comedy."
"I'll survive."
Mitsuki finally selected an action movie with enough explosions to keep things interesting. She settled into the sofa, leaving a respectable but not excessive space between her and Ren. The movie began. Ren pretended to pay attention for the first few minutes. But his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Specifically, he was remembering the experiment he had done with Mina that morning. How he had subtly increased her sensitivity, manipulating nerve signals to amplify normal sensations. It had been accidental with Mina, leaving her in a state of arousal all day. But now he had a more practiced control over the technique.
Should I? he wondered. Am I really going to do this?
The answer, of course, was yes.
Ren justified it to himself: Technically, I'm not hurting her. Just... intensifying what's already there.
He closed his eyes briefly, focusing. He extended his telepathic power toward Mitsuki, gently brushing the surface of her mind before deepening slightly toward the areas responsible for physical sensation and pleasure processing. He started slow, incredibly slow. Just a small adjustment. The nerve receptors in her skin became slightly more sensitive. The brush of her denim jeans against her thighs, which would normally be completely imperceptible, intensified just enough to be noticeable.
On the screen, the protagonist was chasing a villain across the rooftops. Mitsuki seemed to be paying attention. But Ren noticed the small shift in her posture. She moved slightly, adjusting how she was sitting. Her legs parted just a centimeter before coming back together.
A little more, Ren thought, subtly increasing the effect.
Now the nerve receptors in her pelvic area were receiving amplified signals. Every small movement, every slight brush of fabric, every change in pressure felt magnified. And her glycerin Quirk wasn't helping.
Ren knew from previous observations that Mitsuki produced glycerin from her skin naturally and constantly, though in small amounts when not consciously activating it. That glycerin acted as a natural lubricant, making her skin incredibly soft and slippery; the reason Mitsuki looked so young. Which meant that now, with her senses amplified, every time she moved and that glycerin spread slightly between her thighs, it created a slippery, smooth sensation that her brain interpreted as potentially pleasurable.
Mitsuki moved again, this time crossing and uncrossing her legs. Ren watched her from his peripheral vision, keeping his face carefully neutral as if he were absorbed in the movie. Mitsuki's thighs pressed together. The glycerin between them created that smooth glide. With her nerves amplified, that sensation traveled directly to her brain like a small pulse of unexpected pleasure.
She inhaled slightly louder than normal.
There it is, Ren thought with dark satisfaction.
He increased the effect a bit more. Now he also slightly amplified the production of dopamine and oxytocin when those pleasurable sensations arrived. Her brain would begin to associate those movements with a chemical reward, creating a cycle that would make her want to move more, which would create more sensations, which would release more feel-good chemicals. It was a perfect and completely invisible loop.
Mitsuki uncrossed her legs again. She crossed them back on the other side. Her breathing had become slightly deeper, though she was still clearly trying to appear normal.
"Are you okay, Mitsuki-san?" Ren asked.
"Yes, just... the sofa is a bit uncomfortable today," she lied, adjusting herself again.
Every adjustment rubbed her thighs together. The glycerin made them slide smoothly. Her amplified nerves interpreted that as pleasure. Her brain released feel-good chemicals in response. Ren could see the flush starting to form on her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell with breaths that were gradually becoming faster.
He decided to take the next step.
He focused his power specifically on her genital area, amplifying the sensitivity there to levels that would normally only be reached during direct sexual arousal. He was only adjusting how her brain processed the signals that were already there. The result was immediate. Mitsuki inhaled sharply, her legs suddenly clamping shut tightly. Her hand gripped the armrest of the sofa with visible force.
"Mitsuki-san?" Ren feigned concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I... yes... just..." her voice sounded slightly strangled. "I've been... lately... just so exhausted."
She turned to look at him directly, and Ren had to make a conscious effort not to react to what he saw. Her eyes were slightly glassy. Her pupils were dilated. Her cheeks were flushed a deep pink. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed with more difficulty than normal. And when she spoke, her voice had a quality that made something tighten in Ren's stomach.
"Ren," she said, and her voice was soft, husky. "Do you think... you could give me a massage?"
*****
Author's Note:
I've been reading through your comments and reviews lately, and I really appreciate the feedback! Because of your input, I've decided to do something I don't usually do: a Power Stone challenge.
If we hit 1,000 Power Stones this week, I will release 3 chapters in a row this Sunday to kick off the new week. Thank you all so much for your incredible support, and I hope you have a great day!