The notice went out Monday morning.
All students of Class 1-A will attend a brief routine verification interview this week.
No explanation.
No urgency.
Just administrative tone.
But everyone felt it.
And everyone knew why.
Interview 1: Eijiro Kirishima
Kirishima sat upright across from Shota Aizawa.
Not nervous.
Just confused.
"This is about Ren?" he asked immediately.
Aizawa didn't confirm or deny.
"You spent the weekend in the dorm common area," Aizawa said flatly.
"Yes, sir."
"Describe his behavior."
Kirishima thought.
"Normal. Chill. Made jokes. Brought too many snacks."
"Anything unusual?"
"He leaves the window open a lot," Kirishima admitted. "Fresh air, he says."
Aizawa noted it.
"Where does Ren live?"
"With Kaito," Kirishima replied instantly. "Off campus before UA. I think they've been living together for a while."
"You've been there?"
"No, sir."
"Met any guardians?"
Kirishima hesitated.
"…No."
Aizawa wrote something down.
Interview 2: Mina Ashido
Mina Ashido leaned forward in her chair.
"Is he in trouble?"
"No," Aizawa replied.
She relaxed slightly.
"He's quiet about his past," Mina said thoughtfully. "But not in a weird way. Just… private."
"Has he mentioned family?"
"Once. I think he said they died? Hospital or something."
Aizawa's pen paused.
"Uncertain?"
"Yeah. He said 'I think.' That part stuck out."
Interview 3: Denki Kaminari
Denki Kaminari looked mildly stressed.
"I swear we didn't break anything."
"Not relevant," Aizawa replied.
Denki blinked.
"Does Ren have identification documents?"
"…I have never seen his wallet."
"Does he receive mail?"
"Not that I've seen?"
Aizawa noted it.
"Where did he live before UA?"
"With Kaito. That's what he says."
Interview 4: Katsuki Bakugou
Katsuki Bakugo sat with arms crossed.
"If you think he's hiding something, just ask him."
"I am," Aizawa replied calmly.
Bakugou clicked his tongue.
"He fights like someone who's been in real fights," Bakugou said bluntly. "Not schoolyard ones."
Aizawa didn't react.
"That doesn't mean villain," Bakugou added.
"No," Aizawa agreed quietly. "It doesn't."
Interview 5: Shoto Todoroki
Shoto Todoroki was direct.
"He doesn't hesitate under pressure."
"Background?" Aizawa asked.
"He doesn't talk about it."
"Do you think he's lying?"
Todoroki paused.
"No," he said evenly. "I think he doesn't remember everything."
That answer lingered.
Interview 6: Ochaco Uraraka
Ochaco Uraraka twisted her fingers nervously.
"He's really kind," she said quickly. "He helps clean after training without being asked."
"Has he ever mentioned childhood friends?"
"No…"
"Birthday?"
She blinked.
"I don't think we've ever celebrated his birthday."
Aizawa wrote that down.
Interview 7: Kaito
Kaito sat straighter than the others.
Protective.
"Ren lives with you," Aizawa stated.
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Couple years."
"Where?"
"With my mom. She's single."
"Full name."
Kaito provided it.
Aizawa had already searched.
There was a Kaito.
There was a mother.
There was a house.
But no legal record tying Ren to that residence.
"Is he legally adopted?" Aizawa asked.
Kaito's jaw tightened slightly.
"…We're working on it."
That wasn't paperwork language.
"Where did you meet him?" Aizawa asked.
"Hospital," Kaito replied immediately. "He was alone."
"How old?"
"About fifteen."
"Medical file?"
Kaito hesitated.
"They said his parents were dead."
"They said?" Aizawa pressed.
"They thought," Kaito corrected.
Thought.
Not confirmed.
Aizawa's pen moved slowly across the page.
Final Interview: Ren
Ren entered last.
Calm.
Hands in pockets.
He sat down without fidgeting.
"Routine verification," Aizawa said.
"Yes, sir."
"Age."
"Seventeen."
"Birth certificate?"
Ren hesitated half a second.
"…Hospital records."
"Name of hospital."
Ren opened his mouth.
Closed it.
"I don't remember."
Aizawa watched him carefully.
"You live with Kaito."
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"About two years."
"Legal guardianship?"
"We're working on it."
Same wording.
Rehearsed? Or shared truth?
"Parents," Aizawa said evenly.
Ren's gaze dropped slightly.
"They died," he said.
"How?"
Silence.
"I was at the hospital."
"You were injured?"
"I think."
Think.
There it was again.
"What do you remember clearly?" Aizawa asked.
Ren answered without hesitation.
"I like cooking."
Aizawa blinked once.
"I clean when I'm stressed."
He continued calmly.
"I read a lot. I don't like loud hospitals. I don't like the smell of antiseptic."
His fingers flexed subtly.
"I remember waking up. I remember not knowing my last name."
The room was quiet.
"I remember Kaito being there."
That part was solid.
Grounded.
Aizawa studied him for a long moment.
No spike in pulse.
No visible deception.
No twitch of guilt.
Just… gaps.
"Do you know your quirk registry number?" Aizawa asked.
Ren shook his head.
"I don't think I ever got one."
Which was true.
Because there was no record.
Aizawa closed the file slowly.
"For now," he said evenly, "this remains administrative."
"Yes, sir."
Ren stood.
Paused at the door.
"Am I in trouble?"
Aizawa didn't answer immediately.
"No."
Ren nodded once.
And left.
When the door shut—
Aizawa looked down at the stack of notes.
Every student's story aligned.
Consistent.
No contradictions.
But consistency didn't equal documentation.
There were no records.
No hospital logs.
No death certificates.
No guardian paperwork.
No birth registry.
No childhood.
Just a seventeen-year-old boy with controlled fire, blood-based paralysis, and no official origin.
Aizawa leaned back in his chair.
This wasn't criminal.
It wasn't malicious.
But it wasn't normal.
"Troublesome," he muttered again.
Because now he knew something important.
Ren wasn't lying.
He just didn't have answers.
And that was far more complicated.