Why was Midoriya Izuku here…?
After a moment of thought, Ren understood.
It was the chaos caused by the horse-headed monster that had drawn him in.
An otaku at heart—
A boy who had dreamed of becoming a hero since childhood.
And yet…
He was one of the rare Quirkless.
One in twenty.
Someone who, by all logic, would never possess a Quirk in his lifetime.
Someone destined to live as an ordinary person.
And still—
He held onto that dream.
—
Ren stopped and sat back down on the edge of the rooftop.
He didn't know why Izuku had noticed something unusual about him…
But it didn't matter.
It wouldn't affect what came next.
—
Gulp…
Seeing Ren sit down again, Izuku Midoriya swallowed nervously.
Whether it was heroes on TV, in newspapers—
Or even the pros he had just seen up close, like Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady—
This was the first time he had ever felt this close…
To a real hero.
"Th-that was really dangerous just now…"
Izuku walked over carefully and sat beside Ren.
Just glancing down at the towering buildings below made his heart race with fear.
One slip—
And it would all be over.
"…Yeah."
Ren nodded slightly, his gaze still on the setting sun.
"Midoriya… don't you like moments like that? When heroes step in?"
"Ah—!"
Izuku flinched, startled.
For a second, he nearly lost his balance—
But Ren grabbed his shirt, steadying him before he could fall.
—
A boy with a strong sense of justice.
Someone who longed for the power to become a Symbol of Peace.
The one destined to inherit All Might's legacy.
At the very least—
The world needed someone like him.
—
"Whew…"
Realizing he was safe, Izuku let out a breath and clutched his chest.
But soon, his expression grew serious again.
"How… how do you know me?"
He turned to Ren, confused.
—
Ren paused.
There was no way he could say he had noticed him years ago—
Back when Izuku was still just a child.
"I've heard of you," Ren said casually.
"The Quirkless kid in your class."
Then he added,
"If you have something to ask, go ahead. I've got things to do."
—
"…Okay."
Even if the explanation sounded a little off, Izuku didn't dwell on it.
He gathered his courage.
"My friend has an amazing Quirk… I've always wanted to ask him something like this, but I couldn't…"
"But now that I've met you…"
He clenched his notebook tightly.
"Without a Quirk… is it impossible for someone like me to become a hero?"
—
His voice trembled.
But his eyes—
Were completely serious.
—
Looking at him, Ren could feel it clearly.
The stubborn determination of a Quirkless boy.
A dream he had refused to abandon—
Even now.
—
Normally…
No one would want to crush something like that.
But reality was cruel.
Without a Quirk—
Most people could only remain ordinary.
Not everyone would meet someone like All Might.
Not everyone would be given a chance.
—
But this boy—
Was Izuku Midoriya.
—
From the corner of his eye, Ren noticed Mt. Lady waving from a nearby street.
Her interview was over.
Ren gave a small wave in return.
—
To become a true hero in this world—
You needed a license.
Without it, using your Quirk freely wasn't allowed.
Every hero standing in the spotlight today has earned that right.
They were all working toward that same goal.
That was why—
Ren didn't dislike them.
—
He crossed his arms, then stood up.
Stretching lightly—
He stepped forward.
And in Izuku's eyes—
It looked like he had just jumped off the building.
"W-wait—!"
Izuku's eyes widened in shock.
But in the next instant—
Ren was gone.
—
Only his voice remained, carried by the wind—
"You can become a hero… even without a Quirk."
"No one has the right to deny that."
—
Izuku froze.
His hand tightened over his chest.
Thump.
Thump.
For the first time—
His heart raced like this.
…
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