Renji immediately wanted to work on another one of his projects, but as soon as he started it up, he heard a loud bell ringing through the building.
"Shit, guess it's time to head back." Renji sighed as he began packing up his things to leave.
He waved goodbye to Hatsume who eagerly told him to come back soon to build make some new babies. To which Renji just nodded along, bowing to Power Loader and thanking him for his hospitality.
"Don't worry about it, kid." Power Loader replied, waving him off. "As long as you don't injure yourself too bad, this place will soon become your second home."
Renji laughed along with him, soon finding himself standing outside the studio and looking down the long corridor where he would have to take many twists and turns to reach Class 1-A.
Stuffing his jacket into his bag, Renji tightened the straps. A wide grin settled on his face as he got into position.
Controlling his strength to not break the flooring, Renji shot off past multiple rooms and staff as he rushed through the hallway like a streak of lightning.
"HAHA!" He yelled, within moments, he had crossed farther than he ever had. Of course, he wasn't as fast as Iida, but who cares! Renji wouldn't compare to someone whose whole quirk is about running.
No, he would excell better in scenarios requiring ultra fast reactions, instantaneous movements, and endurance.
Maybe one day he would reach the level of becoming the fastest man alive, but that was far from an easy goal.
Not even a minute passed before he swung open the door to the classroom with a smile, the adrenaline slowly wearing off as the nanobots helped him recover.
"Yo, Renji!" Kirishima waved him in, noticing the ever-present grin.
"So, where were you?" Hagakure asked, skipping from her seat to the Renji. "The guys said you were excused from English, but they didn't know where you went."
Mina tilted her chair back in a relaxed pose. "Yeah, dude! Where'd you run off to?"
Renji walked over to his seat, slowly letting his excitement wind down and placed his bag next to his desk.
"I was at the Development Studio." Renji said bluntly, not seeing the point in withholding this information.
"Development Studio?" Sero asked, turning around to look at him. "Isn't that place supposed to be reserved for the support students?"
"I bet he got special priveleges from Nezu again." Kaminari joked, not knowing just how close to the truth he was.
"Yeah, I was finishing up a project." Renji agreed, nodding along.
"Wait, seriously?" Kaminari probed, his yellow hair shining in the light coming through the window. "I thought you were just sightseeing."
"Nope." Renji replied, popping the 'p' with an audible sound. "I had very important business to handle."
Hagakure giggled as she sat down beside him, her invisible head resting on her arms on the table.
"What were you making?" She had a curious look on her face, not that anyone could see, but the tone more than made up for it.
A smug look appeared on Renji's face as he looked around at his fellow classmates.
"I can say without a doubt," He began, staring at each waiting pair of eyes with conviction. "That I am the strongest person in this room."
The classroom went quiet for half a beat before Bakugo barked out a laugh.
"HAH?! The hell did you just say, dumbass? Strongest in the room?!" His chair screeched back as he slammed his palms on the desk, tiny pops sparking from his hands. "Don't make me laugh!"
Kirishima's jaw dropped, then stretched into a grin. "Whoa, that's hella manly to say out loud, dude!" He leaned forward with bright eyes. "But, uh, you sure you wanna say that with Bakugo right here?"
"I don't give a damn if he's sure or not!" Bakugo shouted, pointing a finger at Renji like he'd just committed a crime. "Say that again and I'll blast your teeth in!"
Mina whistled low, swaying in her chair. "Ooooh, fighting words. Renji, are you trying to start something?"
"Pft—acting like it's nothing," Kaminari muttered, sweat on his forehead. "Dude's crazy."
Bakugo's hands sparked louder, the desk under him rattling from the force of his temper. "Don't act so damn casual, you bastard—!"
The door slid open with a sharp clang.
"QUIET DOWN, CLASS."
Every head snapped toward the doorway as Cementoss walked in, his massive stone-like frame filling the entrance. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Bakugo practically ready to explode.
"I could hear shouting from down the hall." His gravelly voice carried like rolling boulders. "If you have that much energy to waste, I'll happily assign you extra written drills on structure reinforcement."
Bakugo froze mid-yell, clicking his tongue as he slumped back into his seat. "Tch. Whatever."
Renji gave a lazy shrug and rested his chin on his hand like he hadn't just lit a fire under the entire room.
Cementoss scanned the class once more before nodding. "Good. Then let's begin. Open your books to Chapter 1. Today, we're covering load distribution and how it applies to architectural safety."
The groans from the students came in unison, the tension evaporating as quickly as it had sparked. Still, a few curious eyes drifted back toward Renji, who looked far too pleased with himself.
Every glance his way carried the same thought: I'll find a way to beat him.
—
—Lunch—
Mina looked across the table at Hagakure and glanced back at Renji talking to Lunch Rush, his arms waving about in enthusiasm.
"So…" She drawled on, crossing her hands and resting her head on them. "Renji, huh?"
Hagakure yelped, glancing around nervously. "What do you mean?"
Mina leaned in closer, her grin widening. "C'mon, don't play dumb. You've been sitting next to him every chance you get, asking about his projects, laughing at his smug little one-liners…"
She tapped her chin, humming dramatically. "Sounds like someone's got a crush."
"Wh-what?!" Hagakure's invisible arms flailed in front of her, nearly knocking over her tray. "No way! I'm just… curious, that's all!"
Kirishima, overhearing from the next table, raised an eyebrow. "Curious about what? Renji's tech? Or Renji himself?"
That made Hagakure slam her hands flat on the table, making Mina giggle uncontrollably. "His projects, duh! He's—he's just interesting, that's all!"
Across the cafeteria, Renji returned, plopping his tray down with a grin wider than before. "You guys won't believe this," he said, sliding into his seat. "Lunch Rush just gave me clearance to test out a new nutrient mix in the kitchen. It'll boost your energy by a ton."
"That's manly as hell," Kirishima said, giving him a thumbs up.
"Yeah, yeah," Mina waved him off, though her eyes glimmered mischievously. "But tell me, Renji… what's really your type? You know, romantically speaking."
Renji blinked, halfway through taking a bite. The question hit him like a direct punch. "Huh? Why are you asking me that?"
"Because," Mina sang, leaning across the table, "the girls have to know what kind of competition we're up against."
Kaminari nearly choked on his drink from a nearby table. "Ohhh, this just got good."
Renji tilted his head, setting his food down. "You're seriously asking me this during lunch?"
Mina nodded without hesitation. "Yup."
Even Hagakure leaned in, though she quickly caught herself and pretended to be "casually curious."
Renji smirked, scratching the back of his head. "Well… if I had to answer honestly…"
The whole table went silent, eyes locked on him.
Renji let out a small chuckle before shaking his head. "I'm not really looking for a partner. Not right now, anyway. I've got too much on my plate with training, projects, and I've got even more stuff to do after U.A." He stabbed at his food with his chopsticks and shrugged. "Romance just isn't part of the plan."
A collective groan erupted around the table.
"Booo!" Mina whined, slumping dramatically in her seat. "What a lame answer."
Kaminari pointed at him accusingly. "Cop-out! Total cop-out!"
Kirishima just laughed, clapping Renji on the shoulder. "Nah, I get it. Gotta stay focused to stay on top."
Renji grinned back at him, but when he glanced sideways, he noticed Hagakure's arms slowly lowering back to the table, her posture relaxing like she'd been holding her breath.
Good. Better to make it clear now than let anyone get the wrong idea. Renji thought, poking at his food.
Still, something about the faint, disappointed quiet in Hagakure's voice when she said, "Yeah, that makes sense," made him shift in his seat.
Resolving himself, Renji kept a straight face and kept eating. It's safer for both of us if nothing happens.