Chapter 75: Prelude to Two Heroes (2)

Chapter 75: Prelude to Two Heroes (2)

~Third POV~

[After School, UA High School, Class 1-A, Japan]

Eventually, returning to Class and fast-forwarding to the end of the day. The students of Class 1-A were talking to each other, discussing with each other.

Kendo, holding a manual and a list of what they need, said in an excited tone, "This is gonna be great. I'm so glad we're all going together."

Ida soon began to read the manual for the summer camp training in a stoic tone, listening to the important topics, "Looks like we'll be at the training camp a full week."

Shinso, listening in, mutters to himself as he reads the manual as well in a stoic tone, "Hm… I've gotta find a bigger suitcase."

Denki, talking with Ida and Ren nearby, also voices his concerns in a neutral tone, "Yeah, I don't even have a bathing suit. Guess I need to buy some stuff."

Listening to what they needed, Toru soon spoke, gaining everyone's attention in an excited tone, grinning happily, "Guys, since we're off tomorrow and we finally finished exams. I have the best idea! Why doesn't Class 1-A go shopping together!"

Hearing Toru's words, Denki smiled wide as he replied, agreeing to the idea, "Hey, yeah! We've never hung out as a class before."

Kirishima soon moves to Bakugo, leaving the class in a happy tone, asking, "Bakugo. See you there, right?"

However, Bakugo responded in a calm tone as he left the classroom, "I can't think of anything more annoying."

Ren soon asked Shoto in a curious tone, eyeing the father-issue boy, "Will you come, Todoroki?"

But Shoto responded he had other things to do in a stoic tone, answering, "I visit my mom on days off."

Everyone began to discuss making plans for tomorrow. Ren smiled, seeing their interaction as he thought to himself in a serious tone, 'Seems like everyone is planning for the Summer Training Camp. But this is also when Tomura would appear better to talk to the man-child myself. The last thing I need is All for One to react if he loses his vessel if he is suddenly arrested.'

/////

[Next Day, Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, Tokyo, Japan]

Just as the members of Class 1-A promised they all arrived at Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. It is a shopping mall filled with many stores that sell items that are designed for different body types and Quirks.

Arriving at the shopping mall, Mina yelled out loud in an excited tone about liking this area raising her fist into the air, "Oh, man, do I love this place? It's got a ton of different stores to shop at, and they're all super cool and hip. The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall!"

Everyone began walking around together in their casual clothing attire. But soon, they get spotted by some fans from the Sports Festival as one yells out loud, "Whoa! Aren't those UA students?! I saw 'em on TV!"

The guy's friends soon spoke out loud, congratulating them on the show, "The sports festival was so good!"

Ochaco, hearing this, blushed a bit embarrassed as she muttered out loud nervously, "Haha… I can't believe they still remember that."

Ren chuckled as he responded in a lighthearted tone to the people gawking at them with a twitch in his eyebrows, "I wouldn't be surprised it only has been a few weeks since the Sports Festival. Although I could live without the fan girls…"

Turning to the left, there was a flock of fangirls coming over asking for his autographs in an excited tone, "Ah!!! Look, it's Ren-san, the 1st-place winner! Can we have your autographs, please…!!"

Ren was busy dealing with that as Shinso snickered, seeing multiple fan girls are onto him in a mischievous tone, "Heh. Seems like our Class Rep reputation and fan girls proceed with him. He's certainly a lady killer."

*Bonk*

Toga, standing next to Shinso, bonked him on the head in karate chop fashion as she scolded the Aizawa child with a blank expression on her face, "Bad Shinso. Bad Aizawa's secret love child. Bad second coming of Eraser Head."

Shinso did a double take hearing that as he yelled back at her in an annoyed tone, "Pft…! I'm not his secret love child, you bloodsucker!"

However, Toga smugly grinned as she mentioned to him causing him to freeze up, "But you don't deny becoming the second Eraser Head? Heh."

While those two were arguing, Jiro asked Momo, opening her arms, suggesting getting a bigger duffel bag in a chill tone, "I wanna track down a new duffel bag to bring to summer training."

Hearing that, Momo suggested as they went along shopping together in a cheerful tone, "Oh, yeah? Maybe the two of us should browse together.

Meanwhile, Denki was speaking to Toru, making his suggestion of getting some new shoes in a relaxed tone, "Guess I should probably buy some outdoorsy shoes for this thing."

Listening to Denki's words, Toru agreed happily, considering the idea and how smart it was to buy in advance in an excited tone, "Oh, that's smart, me, too!"

Ida soon began to scold his classmates as Ren sighed, shaking his head once he got away from the fangirls. Seeing everyone had a goal in mind, Ren soon suggested his idea in a calm tone, "So, then, why don't we split up and look around? We can meet here again when we're done."

Mina comes over from behind Ren as she raises her hand excitedly, "Great idea! Let's say we're all back around three?"

Every one of the students nodded their heads as they yelled out loud, "Sounds good!"

Everyone soon dispersed, moving to their selected stores or searching the mall. The only ones remaining were Ochaco and Ren as he spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Looks like it's just you and me left huh? Ochaco-san?"

Ochaco, absently minded, said in a neutral tone, "Yeah."

Turning around to face her, Ren asked in a curious tone with a light smile on his face, "So, what are you gonna shop for today? I'm here to see what items they have and shamelessly use my Quirk [Create] to make them better. Free of charge, the best kind of item."

Exclaiming what he wanted Ochaco casually responded gazing into his eyes, "I mostly just need bug spray."

But when she looked into his eyes, she immediately recalled the conversation during the practical, replaying in her mind Yuga mentioning her interest in Ren, 'Is it... because you like him?'

Her cheeks became a bit redder, recalling the event and conflicted emotions as she overdramatically said to him in an embarrassed tone, "Yep. Gotta keep those pests away!"

Seeing her run off, Ochaco cupped her face together as she thought to herself in a confused tone, feeling conflicted, 'You're so stupid, Aoyama. That's not it at all! I don't think...'

Seeing Ochaco run off, Ren, with a deadpan expression, simply spoke out loud to himself in a casual tone with his arms crossed, "We came here as a class, but here I am... by myself. Maybe I should've brought Kazuho here to catch up or Nejire. There's always fucking around with the Easter Bunny – "

However, Ren didn't have to wait for long as Tomura, in his casual clothing, spoke to him coming from behind as he placed his arm around him, "Oh, it's someone from UA, nice. I want an autograph – "

*Grip*

Gripping onto Tomura's wrist, Ren simply spoke in an uncharacteristic serious tone, alarming Tomura immediately, "Tomura Shigaraki. I think it's time we talked, wouldn't you say?"

Grabbing from the wrist, Tomura's eyes widened, glinting at shock and fear as he spoke in a stunned tone, "You knew…?"

Ren simply gave him a sly grin, dragging him by the wrist as he casually responded in a calm tone, "Wasn't that hard. Not everyone can look like Crusty, the fucking clown. But you aren't exactly dumb enough to come by yourself either unless you want to speak. Let's go somewhere more… private."

/////

[Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, Maid's Café, Tokyo, Japan]

Dragging Tomura into a nearby café one of the maids came and directed them to a nearby maid café as she asked nicely, "Have a seat!"

Taking their seats Ren soon responded in a casual tone to the maids taking their order as he said, "We'll take some time to decide, so how about getting us some water for now miss?"

She responded with a light wink at him, "Sure, sir."

Moments later, she placed two glasses and a jug of water by their table and left. Having the time to themselves, Ren soon asked in a curious tone, eyeing Tomura, "So, what did you come here for, Shigaraki?"

Tomura glared at him seeing the situation, he responded in a cautious tone about the predicament he was in, "Tch. Fine. I might as well speak freely. Take a look around. At them."

Ren's eyes wandered to the people within the café as Tomura began to explain both, remaining on guard in a cautious tone, "It's not crazy to imagine that someone could commit an atrocity at any given moment. So why do they smile and mingle like this? Because the laws and rules are built on their morality… they're convinced that no one would ever do that."

A soft chuckle escaped Ren's mouth as he replied in a nonchalant tone, eyeing Tomura carefully, "Hehehe. That's because these people think they're safe, like nothing can harm them. I don't know if they're naive or just ignorant. In the world we live in, where anyone can have a superpower, for better or worse, people are getting killed somewhere at this very moment, but these idiots keep smiling. Like they don't have a care in the world."

Tomura's eyes widened carefully, narrowing his eyes as he responded carefully, "I didn't take it for someone like you to think that way."

Ren scoffed at Tomura's response as he coldly replied, taking a sip from his water and gaining his attention, "Tch. It's because I'm not fucking brainwashed idiot dumbass who was fooled into hero worshipping like a simp sucking on a hero's dick or had my legs spread like a whore."

Tomura burst out loud, laughing at such a blunt response from someone of the hero course at such bold words, "Hahahaha!!! Now that? That was fucking comedy gold coming from someone in the – "

*Vumm*

That was when he was silenced, seeing a heated glare directed at him with a visible halo ring pointing at his chest from Ren's finger. Tomura soon chuckled, calming down and taking a sip of his water, knowing to shut up with a grin, continuing in a cautious tone, "Heh. Seems like we're getting off-topic, but this talk is certainly entertaining. I pretty much hate everyone and everything… but right now, what really grinds my gears is the Hero Killer."

Ren raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his water, lowering his finger, losing the halo at his fingertips in a chill tone, "Seems legit. I doubt that the Hero Killer's philosophy and yours would stick. It's like putting oil and water together they just don't mix well."

Tomura snorted reluctantly, nodding his head, admitting that fact as he exclaimed in a cautious tone, "Tch. On that, we can agree, even if society seems to think so. And that's my problem. Everyone's got their eye on the damned hero killer. Our attack on UA… the Nomu I unleashed in Hosu… It's all been overshadowed by him. No one's noticing me. Why? He can grandstand all he wants, but in the end… all he's doing is destroying what he hates. So what makes us different?"

Listening to Tomura Ren easily answered him enlightening his ideals when compared in a harsh tone, "Because he's a symbol of change. Unlike you, Stain is a symbol of sorts. He was the unheard voice of the masses, a symbol the masses could aspire to or inspire. You, on the other hand… you are not a symbol of anything, Tomura Shigaraki. All Might is a symbol of peace that inspired Stain to become a symbol of revolution. The question is, rather, what symbol are you, Tomura Shigaraki?"

He looked shocked and then fell into contemplation. Not before too long, Tomura's eyes widened in realization, enlightened in a happy tone, "Ahh… it's all so clear now. A symbol, yes, that's it…"

But returning to the café, Ren grabbed Tomura as they left the café with Tomura's outburst as they left outside…

/////

[Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, Tokyo, Japan]

Returning to the shopping mall's entrance, they landed on a nearby bench. Ren was the first to speak, in a neutral tone, "With that, I think our conversation is over now, yes?"

Tomura eyed Ren cautiously as they were outside of the shopping mall entrance. But a thought did plague his mind as he asked, eyeing him weirdly in a cautious tone, "No. Just one more thing…"

He was leaning closer but not enough for the two to engage in combat. Tomura asked his question in a confused tone, looking at Ren because of his actions, "Why let me go? You could have just caught me? Portal me away, even getting the reward on my head. Fame and fortune, glory abound! So, riddle me this brat… why?"

Ren gazed at Tomura as he paused, considering the question. After some small thought, Ren replied in a neutral tone, placing a hand under his chin: "… I suppose if there was a reason, it's because we have the same enemy—the HPSC."

He turned his back, leaving Tomura surprised at the answer. He wanted to ask more but decided not to turn back but thought in a curious tone, 'An ally…? No. A reluctant ally but his figure…'

Tomura paused, gazing at Ren's back as an image of his master briefly showed as he thought, turning around to leave in a startled tone, 'The way he moves. The way he talks. The way he sees me seeking and encouraging me…. It's almost eerily like what Master would do. The way he can see through me like a manga comic book… fucking creepy how well he knows me…'

While Tomura left with startled thoughts of his encounter with Ren. But at the same time, Ren thought with an innocent sly grin, walking inside in a cautious tone, 'Oh Tomura… I can't let you be caught this early yet. Not unless AFO is dealt with. But your role is still needed for the HPSC's downfall. For Society to fall into utter despair and at the last second… I'll be here to save the day.'