"It's a bit too late for coffee. Do you want tea?"
"I need something a lot stronger than tea right now."
The violent shock of their reunion ebbed slightly, and Ren and Kawakami descended from the attic into the café.
"Strongest thing I have is some of Boss' cough medicine." Ren said.
"Just give me a glass of water." She sighed.
Ren absentmindedly fetched a cup to pour water in; his mind still tangled in the surreality of it all. His former teacher, who he hadn't seen in over 2 years, was now sitting in front of him wearing a French maid outfit, and a very low-cut one at that…
"My eyes are up here, mister."
"Sorry! I was just—argh, this is too weird."
"That may be the understatement of the century." She knocked back the entire glass in one big swig, hoping it would trick herself into tasting alcohol. "And I've seen the weirdest things in this line of work."
"About that… why are you doing this? The maid thing, I mean."
"Because I need money! What else? Do you think I put on this ridiculous costume because I enjoy being ogled by old perverts?"
"But, aren't you teaching anymore?"
"No, not anymore…" She said. "There's a lot you missed after you disappeared, Amamiya. The world didn't stop turning without you, and all of us who couldn't just get up and leave everything behind had to carry on living our crappy lives. Like poor Takamaki..."
"Ann? What happened to her?"
"She tried finding you at first. She was convinced something terrible must've happened to you—that you would never leave without a word. The school, the orphanage, the police; they all said you ran away for whatever reason. Still, she never believed it, but her faith didn't last forever. After a few months she started losing hope; she became withdrawn during class, and then stopped coming to school altogether."
"Do you know where she is now?"
"I don't; I didn't stick around long enough to find out. Last I heard, her family moved back overseas or something."
Her words cut Ren deeply, but what wounded him the most was that he already knew. He decided to leave, fully conscious of the implications, but the privilege of distance had made it easy to avoid confronting the consequences of his choice. A shield from reality propped up by wilful ignorance. As long as he kept busy fighting crime, it was possible to convince himself that Ann was better off without him, that she found the happiness she deserved elsewhere. Now a shadow of doubt had been cast on that hopeful wish.
"Sorry, I'm being too hard on you; it mustn't have been easy for you either. I can't blame you for wanting to get away; I did the same, after all." Kawakami said. "There were just too many bad memories at Shujin, so I came here looking for a new beginning, but I was a fool to think it'd be that easy. A scandal like that leaves a mark, and It is easier to dam a river than to stop gossip. Being connected to the Shujin name made me unhirable in the eyes of every school. I was rejected more times that I could count, but most didn't even bother replying. And the longer time passed, the harder it became to get back into teaching. Eventually, when all my options dried up, I had to accept the first job that would hire me to survive."
As she spoke, Ren noticed how much she had changed in two years. She looked thin and frail, and absolutely done with everything.
"It wasn't my intention to bore you with my sob story. I guess I had it too bottled up; I don't have anyone to talk to about this."
"Don't apologise. I understand exactly how you feel. I never imagined that what happened would still haunt us to this day."
"At least one of us is doing better now." She said. "I saw you on television; things seem to be going really well for you at U.A. But I don't believe they'd be too happy to know their star student is calling maid services in the middle of the night…"
"It wasn't my idea, my friends made me do it!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say." She stood up and began heading for the door. "I'll tell my boss you cancelled so you don't have to pay anything. Let's pretend this never happened, okay?"
"Wait! Don't go, Miss Kawakami. At least take the money, I don't need it." Ren said.
"Don't worry about me, Amamiya. Focus on yourself; you still have a future ahead of you."
The next morning, Ren messaged Izuku telling him that he overslept and would be taking the next train to school. He needed some time alone to process the events of the previous night.
After talking with Kawakami, a growing guilt began weighing on him. Up until that point, the virtue of his cause felt indisputable, but under new light it wasn't as clear; Ren became Joker to help those who needed it the most, yet that myopic zeal blinded him to the helpless nearest to him. Ann had to grieve the loss of not one, but her two closest friends, all for the sake of his sense of duty. Kawakami had broken her back for a new beginning whilst he was handed one on a silver platter. It hardly seemed fair. If he could go back in time, would he choose differently? Were his intentions always as selfless as he wanted to believe? Did he leave without saying goodbye to protect Ann or because he lacked the courage to face her? Unfortunately, the train ride wasn't long enough to find all the answers. For now, he'd have to compartmentalise to endure the day.
Once at school, Ren walked towards his shoe locker, where a familiar duo stood expecting him.
"Morning, Amamiya. You made it out alive, I see." Kaminari greeted with his usual pep.
Ren ignored the comment and continued with changing out of his outdoor shoes.
"Sorry, bad joke." He said. "We actually came early hoping to catch you before class. We wanted to apologise about last night."
"We are very sorry for ditching you, so we got you a little something as a token of apology. Denki?"
Kaminari handed him a rolled up scroll tied with a colourful string.
"We thought your room could use a bit more colour, and what boy our age doesn't love Risette?"
Ren untied and unfolded the present. It was a signed poster depicting the famous Idol Hero posing over a blue background; the cover art of her latest album.
"It's a limited edition exclusive to the Risette fan club; one of the crown jewels in my collection. I had to pull in a few favours and stand in line for 8 hours to get it."
"That's too much. You don't have to—"
"Please, I want you to have it. We let a bro down, and the bro code stipulates amends must be made."
Kaminari and Mineta bowed with the most genuine remorse they could convey; this was obviously serious for them; Ren couldn't rebuff this modern-day seppuku. In that moment, he felt bad for wishing the drop from LeBlanc's attic window was higher. Additionally, he could appreciate the irony of the most girl-crazed boys being intimidated by the mere idea of a maid.
"It's fine, apology accepted. I only hope this experience has taught you two a lesson about women."
"Yes, this was a very teachable moment for us." Kaminari said.
Mineta nodded. "We tried to slay the final boss on our first try. What we need to do is gain experience with lower-level mobs first."
"That's not—never mind. Let's go, we're going to be late."
It was a slower day with no Heroics training, which meant class 1-A had to forget for one day they were Hero students and return to the monotony of normal education with a series of lectures in maths, science, and history. In English class, Present Mic had been trying his best to explain the difference between the past continuous and the past perfect continuous, but the eccentricities of the English language remained beyond the comprehension of their young minds. Just as the students were losing the battle against boredom, the sound of the door opening provided a much needed break from the lesson.
"Eraser! So nice of you to visit me at work. I'd love to hang out now, buddy, but you catch me in the middle of a class. Let's reschedule." Present Mic said.
"I'm not here for you." Aizawa said. "Tokoyami, Todoroki, Bakugo and Amamiya, come see me in the faculty office after class." He left without offering further explanation.
"Ooh, someone's in trouble." Present Mic teased.
The four chosen boys exchanged silent glances. It seemed unlikely their homeroom teacher would go out of their way to summon them just to reprimand them. If they had done something meriting of discipline, he wouldn't have hesitated to make it known right then and there. With great curiosity, they waited until the end of the school day and walked together to the faculty office.
Todoroki was the first through the door. "You called for us, Mr. Aizawa. Is something the matter?"
Aizawa slowly turned from his desk.
"Do you kids like ramen?"
Aizawa headed for the table at the corner of the Ramen shop and gestured his companions to follow. "Order whatever you like, it's on me."
They took a short look at the menu and placed their orders, and after a 15-minute wait, their meal was served and ready.
Ren dug into the free food without thinking twice, but Aizawa had yet to provide answers. "I don't usually look a gift ramen in the mouth, but what's the occasion? Is it someone's birthday?"
"I brought you here to discuss your options for the upcoming internship." The teacher said. "As the top 4 in the Sports Festival, you've caught the eyes of the best agencies in the country, all vying to add U.A.'s finest to their ranks. Some have probably already approached you trying to lure you in their direction, am I correct?"
"An agency in Hokkaido offered me a secured position with a high-salary after I graduate if I joined them." Todoroki said.
"That is quite the tempting offer." Tokoyami said. "An agency recruiter attempted to entice me with a luxury holiday in Okinawa."
"You what?! Only thing I got was a stupid gift basket!" Bakugo said.
"You guys are getting bribes?" Ren asked.
Aizawa scoffed. "Pathetic; those vultures have no shame. I trust you know better than to fall for pitiful tricks. You should join the agency that will give you the best opportunity to further develop your talents."
He pulled out four envelopes from his pocket and distributed them to his students.
"These are the offers from the agencies I believe will benefit each one of you the most. You don't have to accept them, but I strongly suggest you do."
Bakugo didn't waste a second before opening his offer.
"Best Jeanist, huh? A top 5 Hero recognises my strength; about damn time!"
While Bakugo congratulated himself, Tokoyami opened his own envelope, and promptly went wide-eyed.
"Hawks?! He wants me as an intern?"
"That seems to be the case. His agency is also ready to pay for your flight and accommodation down in Fukuoka, if you are interested." Aizawa explained.
"It would be an honour to train under the number 3 Hero."
"What?! This has to be a mistake. That offer was clearly meant for me. Hand it over, Bird Boy!" Bakugo said before pouncing to take the envelope from Tokoyami.
"Get your dirty paws off me, you brute!"
He summoned Dark Shadow to keep Bakugo at arm's length, prompting a wrestling duel between the two.
"Do you want this ramen to be your last meal?"
Eraserhead didn't have to resort to using Erasure; his severe tone sufficed in to put an end to any Quirk-enhanced tomfoolery.
Seemingly undisturbed by the commotion. Todoroki continuing eating his food as he had so far, peacefully and silently. He hadn't even laid eyes on his envelope.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
"I appreciate the trouble, but I already made the choice to intern at my father's agency."
"I had a feeling you might say that…" The teacher said.
Todoroki opened it and saw Endeavour Agency written at the top. "Related or not, the experience of shadowing the most prolific Hero is too good to pass. And there's no one better to help you hone your fire power than the Flame Hero himself."
Bakugo slammed his fist on the table. "Hold on a minute! How is it possible these two got better offers than me? This is blatant nepotism, Icy-Hot. I came in second place in the tournament. What a load of crap!"
"Just because those Heroes are higher ranked doesn't mean their offers are better. Each one has their own unique strengths that better complement each one of you. When you graduate, you'll realise rankings are nothing but a meaningless frivolity."
"That's easy for you to say. Haven't you heard those who can't, teach? What's your rank, Eraserhead?"
Ren tuned out the squabbling of his classmate to focus on his own offer. The curiosity of what his ideal internship may be was getting to him. He delicately opened the envelope and took out the folded paper, but almost dropped it when he read the sender.
"They gave me an offer?" He asked with sheer incredulity. "Sorry, teach. I don't think this is a good idea…"
"I'm well aware of the history between you two, but they were very insistent on having you. They said no other place was a better fit for Joker, and I happen to agree."
That did little to alleviate his concerns, but Eraserhead had been looking out for him ever since his arrest; there was no reason to start doubting him now. Ren trusted he had his best interest in mind, even if it made for an extremely awkward internship.
With the matter at hand sorted, they enjoyed the rest of the meal with casual conversation. The boys tried to get Aizawa to share stories about his days as a young Hero roaming the streets, to which he responded that they were too violent for kids their age. Of course, this only made the bunch even more eager to hear them. Eventually the pro Hero acquiesced, and the four of them sat mesmerised, listening to Eraserhead's escapades.
"No way, you really beat those 30 guys all on your own?"
"Well, it was only one guy who used a cloning Quirk 29 times. He still got charged with 30 counts of armed robbery though."
Everyone finished their meal, and Aizawa took care of the bill as promised.
"Thanks for the food, teach." Ren said.
"Don't thank me; your performance at the Sports Festival paid for it." He said. "Actually, since your class did so well at the Festival, the school administration has finally gotten off my back about my teaching style. So I should be the one thanking you; dinner was the least I could do."
Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in his head.
"Hey, Mr. Aizawa. If you want to repay me for making everyone see what an amazing teacher you are, there one thing you could do for me.
"Easy, kid. I'm not Santa Claus." He said. "But… if you tell me what you want, I'll see what I can do."
Sadayo Kawakami fidgeted in place. She had only been there for a few minutes, but with her racing mind perceived it as hours. She fixed her skirt and checked her makeup for the umpteenth time. There was no room for imperfection; she couldn't blow this chance.
"The principal will see you now." A secretary said.
It was the moment of truth. With the knot still in her stomach, she entered the Principal's office.
"Welcome, Miss Kawakami. Please, take a seat." Nezu stood from his desk and moved towards the couch in the centre of the room.
"Thank you." Kawakami said.
"I hear you are applying for the librarian position, correct?"
"That's right."
Yet she could hardly believe it. When Amamiya called Victoria again and specifically requested her, she was ready to tell him to get lost; for a moment she feared the boy had developed an unhealthy interest for his former teacher in a maid outfit. However, he insisted there was an important matter to discuss. She never imagined the matter in question was an opportunity to work at U.A. Under normal circumstances, her stubborn self would have objected to charity from a teenager, but the prospect of hanging up her apron was too good to pass.
Nezu picked up a paper from the coffee table. "I had a look at your application. It says here that you're from Kamakura. My family also comes from Kamakura!"
"Really? Wow, what a small world!"
"Yes. We lived nearby the Kita-Kamakura Station, next to the Chinese restaurant."
"Oh my god, I loved that restaurant! It's such a shame that it got shut—…down due to a… rat infestation." She trailed off. "Sorry, I'm digressing. Where were we?"
"Oh, right, the interview." The principal said. "I must say, your qualifications are remarkable. A degree in pedagogy from Niigata University, good experience… There is just one thing—there's a gap in the last two years of your CV. Why is that?"
"Umm…. I was, uh, taking care of my sick sister."
"What a noble endeavour. I wish her a speedy recovery."
"Don't worry, she's in a better place now." A horrified gasp escaped Nezu, and Kawakami quickly realised her mistake. "Better health! I mean better health. So I can go back to work without problems,"
"Thank goodness, that's wonderful to hear. In that case, the only thing left to discuss is… when can you start?"
"I—Wait, what?! You mean I got the job? Just like that?"
"Of course! You are more than qualified, and your reference spoke very highly of you. Additionally, between you and me, we are kind of desperate for a new librarian; the current one is on the verge of snapping if he has to update one single spreadsheet more."
Kawakami was too excited to register that last part. "I could start tomorrow if you want."
"Excellent. Welcome to U.A. High School, Miss Kawakami."
SK: I got the job! I can't thank you enough.
RA: Don't thank me. I only got you the interview, the rest was all you.
SK: Guess we'll be seeing each other around school, master ;)
SK: Oh, and good luck with your internship!
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line."
Ren put his phone back in his pocket and exited the train amongst the crowd into the sea of people that was Shibuya Station. That morning, class 1-A bid each other farewell for the week. Their respective internships had convoked them to various cities all over Japan, but in Ren's case, it led him back to his hometown of Tokyo.
Even though the trip was only a little over an hour by train, the strict terms of his probation forbade him from leaving Musutafu to visit the capital. Nevertheless, with backing from U.A. he was granted special clearance to attend an internship in Shibuya.
It had been only a couple months, but walking the Scramble Crossing again brought a refreshing flash of remembrance—a feeling he would've liked to indulge in had he not been expected elsewhere. He couldn't afford to make a bad impression by being tardy.
Ren followed the route of GPS app to the address of the agency, but had to double check when he ended up in front of a multistorey car park. Sure enough, that was the provided address, but there was no Agency headquarters in sight.
"Well, well, well… I wasn't sure you'd show up. I am oh so honoured that the mighty Joker would deign my humble agency worthy of him."
The voice echoed on the concrete halls, and Ren recognised it immediately. They had only met once, but the impression they left on each other was not easily forgotten. Its owner emerged from the shadows to reveal himself; Ranked number 10 in the charts—the Killer Whale Hero: Gang Orca.
"Funny how things turn out, isn't it? I always imagined the next time we met would be when I finally put you in cuffs."
Ren bowed his head. "I sincerely apologise for any trouble I may have caused you in the past, Mr. Orca. I'm very thankful that you were willing to put grievances behind us and give me the opportunity to intern with you."
"Did they also teach you good manners at U.A? Not so cocky now, eh? You even called me by my name! Much better than last time." He said. "Refresh my memory, what was it that you called me last time?"
"Um, well, it was so long ago… the details are kinda foggy…"
"Not that long ago; last Christmas, to be precise. Come on, I know you remember. Say it."
"… sharkface."
Much to Ren's surprise, the pro Hero burst out laughing. "Haha, Sharkface! You sure didn't waste too much time coming up with that one. I would've expected better material from someone named Joker. At least your other talents make up for your comedic skills. I tell you, not many can say they've gotten away from me. I'm dying to see what you can do."
He wasn't angry? Quite the contrary, he seemed rather amused. The nerves slowly eased off of Ren's chest.
"I am also looking forward to learning from you." Ren said. "I do have a question. Why are we meeting in this car park?"
"We're waiting for your buddy."
"Buddy?"
"You know, someone with experience to take you under their wing and show you the ropes during your internship." He explained. "Ah, speaking of the devil!"
The expected arrival was announced by the warm purring of a motorcycle pulling over. On top of rode a mysterious figure, the upper half of their face concealed by a mask—not too unlike Joker's, but metallic and rigid, like a Knight's visor The rider dismounted their steed and trod in their direction. As they got closer, Ren recognised it was a woman, and her outfit persisted the knightly theme; a skin-tight, dark-blue bodysuit with a grey leather breastplate, dangerously spiky shoulder pads, and a matching scarf trailing behind. She removed her mask to unveil a pair of deep red eyes, and a glare far sharper than the shoulder pads.
"Whoa…" Ren said.
"Close that mouth, boy. You'll swallow a fly." Gang Orca said before stepping in to take care of introductions. "Amamiya, this is the newest sidekick at our agency: Makoto Nijima, alias Queen."