After seeing All Might off, Gran Torino returned to the room. He sat hunched on his stool as usual, quietly looking at Ren lying before him.
"Ren..."
Thinking back to what happened five years ago, Gran Torino couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in his chest.
But for some reason, looking at Ren now, something felt different.
"Ha..."
Withdrawing from the system space, Ren's consciousness fully returned to his body as he let out a deep breath.
Light filled his vision, and all his senses came rushing back. The next moment, Ren opened his eyes.
"Re... Ren!"
Gran Torino's eyes widened in shock as he leapt from his stool to the bedside.
Power surged through Ren's body like a tide, and he slowly pushed himself up—
Of course... he still needed to act weak.
After all, waking up instantly from five years of sleep would be far too abnormal!
"Grr..."
His stomach growled at the perfect moment. Ren scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh... old man, I'm kinda hungry..."
Hearing that familiar nickname, Gran Torino instinctively raised his hand—
Ren gave a small, helpless smile.
After a brief pause, the old man's large, warm hand finally rested on his head.
"Good... you're awake."
...
Two days passed in the blink of an eye!
During that time, Ren didn't think about much else. He trained with Gran Torino during the day and made sure to eat plenty of good food!
Although Gran Torino was usually busy with hero work, he spent these two days entirely with Ren.
At Gran Torino's doorstep—
Holding a suitcase, the old man looked slightly reluctant, but still spoke firmly:
"Since you've made your choice, go forward and don't look back! Nothing will hold you down. Toshinori—no, All Might—believes in you as well!"
"Of course!"
Ren smiled confidently as he turned to leave, his voice trailing behind him.
"Old man, it's not like I won't come back. I still want to see how All Might teaches people—haha!"
Watching Ren's figure disappear into the sunset, Gran Torino felt a hint of reluctance.
But...
A talent like his was destined to walk his own path.
Even fledglings must learn to fly.
...
The scenery outside the train window rushed by.
Leaning against the window, Ren stared out, though his mind wasn't really on the view.
Thinking back on everything since he arrived in this world, he knew one thing clearly—
Rising to the top wouldn't be easy.
Even with a system, he needed clear goals.
So—
"Wow, Ochaco, you actually carry stuff like this?"
A sharp voice suddenly broke his thoughts.
Something fell to the floor—a book—landing right by Ren's feet.
The train was steady, and since he wasn't sleepy, Ren casually picked it up.
Written clearly on it—
"Uraraka Ochaco — Third Year, Class 3."
Ren paused slightly.
Isn't this the same Uraraka Ochaco from My Hero Academia...?
"I told you—don't touch my things!"
The girl's soft voice carried a hint of anger. Dressed in pink, she clutched her clothes tightly, but the girl in front of her didn't stop.
Books and belongings were scattered everywhere as the bully continued rummaging through her bag.
Then—
"Hahaha, found it!"
She pulled out several black-covered publications.
The silver-gray design instantly caught Ren's attention.
At the time, he had chosen a darker aesthetic for the cover—something striking and memorable.
And now—
Seeing it here again—
Ren was stunned.
Uraraka Ochaco... was actually one of his readers.
And judging by how well-preserved the copies were, she clearly treasured them.
"I said, don't touch them!"
Uraraka's face flushed red, fists clenched tightly. She was already considering using her Quirk.
"What, you're going to use your Quirk on me? Don't forget—that's illegal without permission!" the girl sneered. "I'm just going to throw away this worthless junk!"
Uraraka reached forward, trying to grab them back.
It was clear just how much those manga meant to her.
The other passengers noticed, but seeing it was just a group of middle school kids, no one stepped in.
But Ren didn't see it that way.
Kids or not—this crossed a line.
And more importantly—
It involved "Super Seminary."
He wasn't going to ignore it.
"I said, that's enough."
Just as the girl was about to tear the manga apart—
Ren's cold voice rang out from behind the crowd.
Dressed in a black coat, he stepped forward, pushing through the people and walking toward them.
...
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