(The next day again at medical room.)
The first thing Ren felt was pain. Not searing pain—Recovery Girl had taken care of that—but dull, aching pressure in every muscle. He groaned and opened his eyes to sunlight filtering through the curtains.
Voices whispered nearby.
"He's waking up," Momo said gently.
Ren blinked as Jirou leaned over him, headphones swinging near his face.
"You really know how to make an entrance," she muttered.
"I aim to impress," he rasped, trying a smile.
Kinoko, Itsuka, and Ibara were clustered near the wall.
"You nearly died," Ibara said softly, her eyes lowered.
Ren turned to look at her—at all of them.
"I didn't plan to," he said. "I just… didn't want any of you to get hurt."
---
He remembered moments.
The Nomu's scream.
The warmth of Ibara's vines shielding him.
Jirou's heartbeat as she held him.
The voices calling his name as everything went dark.
---
He left the infirmary two hours later because he healed quickly, he found U.A. buzzing with whispers.
"Did you hear? Some first-year fought the Nomu."
"They say he injured it worse than All Might."
"Who the hell is Ren Takami?"
Ren kept his hood low as he walked through the halls. Not out of fear—he'd tasted worse than attention. But he wasn't ready to be known yet.
He entered the classroom and slid into his seat quietly. Bakugo glared at him. Midoriya blinked, clearly piecing things together. Todoroki stared longer than necessary.
"Man of the hour," Jirou said, sliding into the seat beside him.
"Please," Ren groaned. "No interviews."
"No promises," she teased.
---
Later that day, Ren found himself sitting across from Aizawa and Principal Nezu.
The rat-like principal smiled, too sharp to be comforting.
"You fought well," Nezu said. "Better than expected. You injured the Nomu, a creature designed to endure All Might's attacks."
Ren didn't reply. His expression stayed neutral.
Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something."
"I was lucky," Ren said simply. "The right quirk against the right target."
"Luck doesn't explain the precision. Or how you didn't freeze up like the others."
Ren met Aizawa's gaze. "With respect, I don't want to be dissected."
Silence.
Then Nezu chuckled. "We'll respect your privacy… for now. But keep in mind, Mr. Takami—power this effective can't remain hidden forever."
---
Training Grounds – Later That Evening
Ren stood beneath the open sky, shirt off, water swirling around his arms as he focused on control.
Shock absorption—limited, but useful. He hadn't had time to fully understand how it worked inside him now. The regeneration was even harder—it wasn't instant like Nomu's. But his flesh had mended faster than it should've.
He'd absorbed more than just strength.
He'd taken the essence of the monster.
And now it lived inside him, in pieces.
His mind wandered to his parents.
The laughter.
The screams.
Their charred bodies after a villain attack—burned into memory, too vivid to ever fade.
That pain fueled him. Not just to fight.
But to live.
And if that meant flirting, joking, collecting broken hearts to patch his own?
So be it.
---
Dorm Courtyard – That Night
Ren sat on the bench, moonlight reflecting off a bottle of water he twirled in one hand.
Momo approached first.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," she said softly, sitting beside him.
"I'm used to it," Ren said. "It's quiet."
"Too quiet?"
He looked at her. "You're worried."
"You almost died, Ren."
"I almost always die. That's just how it is."
She stared at him for a long second, then placed her hand over his.
"You don't have to flirt to distract us, you know."
Ren smiled. "So you noticed?"
"I'm not stupid. None of us are."
He tilted his head. "And yet you're still here."
She hesitated. "Because... maybe we understand. Maybe we're letting you have the act. Until you're ready to drop it."
Ren turned away. The water bottle exploded into mist between his fingers.
"Don't wait too long," Momo added quietly. "Some of us want to be more than your joke."
She stood and left.
---
Short Scene – Girl Talk
In another wing, Kinoko, Itsuka, Ibara, and Jirou sat in a circle.
"Do you think he's lying about why he flirts?" Kinoko asked, cheeks pink.
"Obviously," Itsuka muttered. "It's a mask."
Jirou ran a hand through her hair. "He's broken. But he's real when he fights."
Ibara nodded. "I believe he's carrying something. But… I also think his heart is open. Maybe not now. But someday."
---
Ren lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, heart heavy but his lips curled in a small smirk.
Momo's words echoed in his mind.
"Some of us want to be more than your joke."
He whispered into the darkness:
"Maybe I want that too."
---
End of Chapter 16