Chương 125: Hero Course Decision

The day after integration, U. A. tried to use the word stable. Recovery Girl tried to kill it. Not metaphorically. A junior administrator said it once in the medical corridor outside R-2, very softly, to another administrator who had arrived with three folders and the facial expression of someone prepared to be reasonable in the most dangerous possible way. Recovery Girl appeared from behind them with a cup of coffee in one hand and murder in the other.

"Stable means I do not expect him to die in the next five minutes. It does not mean you get paperwork near him" The administrator froze. The second administrator took one careful step backward. Recovery Girl lifted the coffee.

"This is my only warning. It is also my breakfast" The folders left. Quickly. Inside R-2, Ren heard only the last part and opened one eye.

"Breakfast?" Recovery Girl entered and shut the door behind her.

"Not yours""Cruel""You have approved nutrition""Crueler" Hana sat near the bed with a bowl of rice porridge that had been medically blessed and emotionally accused. Daichi sat beside the shelf with Bentaro leaning under his chair, the umbrella's inspection tag upgraded overnight from APPROVED LARGE OBJECT to APPROVED LARGE OBJECT WITH SUSPICIOUS HISTORY. Ren suspected Bakugo had influenced the wording through Kurose. He had no proof. The room smelled like broth, disinfectant, and tired adults.

It also smelled slightly like barley tea. That was unfortunate. Ren lay at eight degrees of elevation because Recovery Girl had allowed eight degrees and no more. Pale traces rested under his skin around his left wrist, right shoulder, ribs, and palms, faint enough to disappear when he was still and bright enough to return when his heart rate climbed.

Adaptive Scar Tissue: Graft Lattice had settled through the night, if settled could describe a system that still threatened fever spikes whenever someone said future too loudly. The word mine still waited. The word useful had arrived before anyone invited it. Ren hated that. Recovery Girl checked the monitor.

"Map" Ren closed his eyes.

"R-2. bed. Hana. Daichi. Recovery Girl. left wrist. right shoulder. ribs. back. hungry. tired. pain present""Pain absence?"

"No""Graft activity?"

"Low" Dr. Seno, standing near the desk with her tablet held where Ren could not see the graphs unless he asked, nodded.

"Matches readings" Recovery Girl gave her a look.

"Do not sound pleased""I am carefully neutral""Neutral people do not stand like they want to underline biology" Dr. Seno lowered the tablet slightly. Ren took the spoon from Hana because being fed every mouthful had become emotionally dangerous and medically humiliating. His hand shook once. The pale line around his wrist flickered. Everyone saw. No one rushed. That helped. He said "Stop" The flicker narrowed. Pain remained. The spoon stayed in his hand. Recovery Girl's face did not soften.

"Good" Ren swallowed porridge.

"Praise?"

"Observation""Liar""Recovering patients should not accuse medical staff before finishing breakfast""Is that a rule?"

"It is now" Hana smiled faintly. Daichi looked at the spoon.

"Bentaro respects the effort" Recovery Girl pointed at him.

"The umbrella remains silent under medical supervision" Daichi nodded.

"Bentaro has accepted gag order" Ren almost laughed. The pain in his ribs reminded him not to do that too much. The door chimed. Kurose entered after waiting for Ren's nod. Aizawa came behind her. Nezu followed, carrying no folders and making a show of having no folders. That was suspicious on a being who could weaponize empty hands. Ren looked at him.

"No paperwork?" Nezu settled into the chair near the desk.

"No visible paperwork" Recovery Girl stared. Nezu added "No paperwork intended for Ren""Better" Kurose took her usual place near the wall. Aizawa stayed by the door. His eyes looked less red than the day before and somehow more tired. Ren looked from one adult to another.

"Meeting?" Recovery Girl answered "Discussion" Kurose said "Decision-adjacent discussion" Aizawa said "Meeting" Recovery Girl glared at him. He shrugged. Ren closed his eyes.

"Concerning" Nezu folded his paws.

"Yes" Hana's hand stilled near the bowl. Daichi's fingers tapped once against Bentaro's handle, then stopped. Nezu looked at Ren first.

"That is why we are speaking here instead of elsewhere. You are not required to answer today. You are not required to agree today. You are not being offered a reward, a burden, or a debt" Ren opened his eyes. The room became very quiet. Nezu continued "U. A. must discuss your educational track" Hana's face changed. Daichi leaned forward. Recovery Girl said immediately "No field activity" Nezu nodded.

"Of course""No combat clearance""Of course""No provisional license scheduling before medical conditions are written in blood if necessary" Aizawa said "Ink would be acceptable" Recovery Girl looked at him. Aizawa added "Metaphorically" Kurose muttered "Coward" Ren's mouth twitched. Nezu waited until the room had used enough irritation to remain human. Then he spoke.

"Kamino changed the operational reality. Your abduction changed it first, but Kamino made the shape impossible to ignore. The League and Garaki network have treated students as targets, leverage, data, and narrative pieces. You were taken as a classified structural-interest target. Bakugo was a public-value target. Midoriya is tied to All Might in ways that require protection I will not discuss in this room without permission.

Shinso's Quirk makes him a potential target for anyone who sees control before personhood" Ren's eyes moved to Kurose. She looked angry. Not at him. Good. Nezu continued "General Studies is not unsafe because it is inferior. It is unsafe because danger has already entered categories the school pretended were separate" Aizawa crossed his arms.

"Villains do not care which course a student is in" Kurose's voice was cold.

"They do care whether the student has training" Hana put the bowl down carefully.

"You are saying Hero Course" No one answered too quickly. That was answer enough. Daichi's face tightened.

"For Ren" Nezu nodded.

"And Shinso" Ren's breath changed. The monitor noticed. Recovery Girl looked at him.

"Map""R-2. bed. Hana. Daichi. Recovery Girl. Kurose. Aizawa. Nezu. left wrist. shoulder. ribs. hungry. scared" Hana's hand moved to his hair after his nod. Recovery Girl nodded once.

"Good" Kurose looked at Nezu.

"Say the ugly part carefully" Nezu inclined his head.

"Ren and Shinso should be considered for transfer into the Hero Course on an accelerated conditional track" The words entered the room and did not leave. Hero Course. Accelerated. Conditional. Transfer. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Ren had imagined those words before. He had imagined them at night when General Studies felt like a corridor beside a door he could see but not open.

He had imagined them after the Sports Festival, when Scar Tissue had first shown the world something real and terrifying. He had imagined them while watching Hero Course students move with bodies trained for danger while he had only maps, scars, and refusal. He had not imagined hearing the words after a laboratory. He had not imagined hearing them with graft-derived functions under his skin. He had not imagined feeling dread first. Kurose spoke before anyone else could.

"Abduction is not an entrance exam" The sentence struck the floor. Aizawa looked at her.

"No" Kurose's eyes were sharp.

"Integration crisis is not a practical test""No""Villain interest is not merit""No""Being useful under violation is not qualification" Aizawa's voice stayed flat.

"No""Then explain why I should not throw this entire proposal out the window" Recovery Girl lifted a hand.

"Window sealed" Kurose did not look away from Aizawa.

"Then against the window" Aizawa accepted that.

"Because keeping them untrained does not undo why we noticed the risk" Kurose's jaw tightened. Aizawa continued "I do not want Ren in Hero Course because Garaki took him. I want him trained because Garaki took him once and may try again. I want him trained because his Quirk now has field implications whether we like how that happened or not. I want him trained because stopping, withdrawing, communicating, moving under stress, and not becoming a rescue liability are skills.

Leaving him without those skills because the reason is ugly is not protection" Kurose said nothing. Aizawa turned slightly toward the bed.

"And I want Shinso trained because Brainwashing will either be feared, exploited, or disciplined by him before others make the choice. He has already demonstrated restraint. He needs more than after-school scraps and hallway ethics lectures" Ren looked down. The pale line around his wrist flickered. Stop. It narrowed. Recovery Girl saw. Good. Nezu spoke next.

"Abduction is not an entrance exam. But danger has already enrolled them. Our duty is to make sure they do not attend as pieces moved by others" Kurose looked at him.

"That sentence is dangerously polished""I can make it worse""Please do not" Ren swallowed.

"Shinso knows?"

"No" Kurose said "Not yet""Why tell me first?" Nezu answered "Because your medical status changed the timeline. Shinso's candidacy was already being discussed after the Sports Festival and continued training. Yours could not be responsibly discussed without understanding Graft Lattice" Ren's stomach twisted at the name.

"Working description only" Kurose said "Yes" Nezu nodded.

"Yes. The working description changes the operational assessment" Recovery Girl pointed her cane at him.

"Not combat clearance""Correct""Say it to the patient" Nezu looked at Ren.

"Transfer discussion is not combat clearance" Ren said "Provisional license?" Hana inhaled. Daichi's hand stilled. Aizawa's eyes narrowed. Nezu did not flinch.

"Eventually possible" Recovery Girl said "I hate that answer" Nezu looked at her.

"I know""You should""I do" Ren stared at him.

"Possible?" Aizawa answered this time.

"Possible does not mean ready. Possible means we build a track with conditions" Kurose added "And vetoes" Recovery Girl said "Many vetoes" Dr. Seno finally spoke.

"Medical veto. Psychological veto. Homeroom veto. Parent input. Student consent. Stop protocols. No unsupervised physical field simulation until Graft Lattice response is predictable" Aizawa looked at her.

"Good list" Dr. Seno looked startled, then pleased, then wisely neutral. Nezu said "Provisional License participation, if it happens, would require medical clearance and role constraints. Rescue and tactical response emphasis. Not offensive ranking" Ren's throat felt tight.

"Role constraints" Aizawa's gaze held his.

"Yes. You do not become a blunt instrument because your body learned a sharper way to survive" Hana's eyes shone. Daichi looked at the blanket. Kurose said "And Shinso does not become emergency duct tape because Brainwashing is convenient" Aizawa nodded.

"Correct" Ren breathed. The room held. Then Ren said the thing that had been waiting behind his teeth.

"If I transfer now, people will say it is because Garaki changed me" Silence. Not because they had not thought it. Because they had. Hana's face broke. Daichi closed his eyes. Recovery Girl's hand tightened on her cane. Kurose stepped closer.

"Some people will" The honesty hurt. Good. Pain belonged. Ren looked at her.

"And?"

"And they will be wrong""Will that matter?" Kurose's mouth tightened.

"To them? Maybe not. To the school record? Yes. To us? Yes. To you? Eventually, I hope" Aizawa said "You were a candidate before the lab" Ren looked at him.

"Not enough""Not cleared" Aizawa corrected "Different sentence" Ren's breath caught. Aizawa continued "Sports Festival. USJ analysis. Camp route discipline. villain encounter response. fragment protocol compliance under pressure. You were already being evaluated" Kurose added "In General Studies terms and in risk terms" Nezu said "Graft Lattice accelerates the question because it changes what training can safely mean. It does not create the question from nothing" Ren looked at his wrist. Pale line. Bandage. Pain.

Useful and unwanted.

"Shinso?" Kurose's face softened.

"He was also already being evaluated" Aizawa said "He earned that without being kidnapped" Ren nodded once. Good. Important.

"Together?" Nezu's eyes gleamed slightly.

"That is one proposal" Kurose looked at him.

"One?"

"The best one""Then say that before you sound like you are playing chess with children" Nezu accepted the correction with a small bow.

"The best proposal is that both of you enter the accelerated conditional track together" Ren closed his eyes. Together. Not as prize. Not as replacement. Not Ren because Garaki altered him and Shinso left behind. Both. Different reasons. Same door. Still dangerous. Still wanted. The monitor began to climb again. Recovery Girl said "Map""R-2. bed. Hana. Daichi. Recovery Girl. Kurose. Aizawa. Nezu. left wrist. shoulder. ribs. Hero Course. scared""Good" Kurose's voice lowered.

"You do not answer today" Ren opened his eyes.

"But you need answer soon" Nezu did not lie.

"Yes""Why?" Aizawa looked at Nezu, then at Ren.

"License exam timeline" There it was. The second door. Hana's hand went cold in his hair. Daichi's jaw tightened. Recovery Girl said a word that made Dr. Seno blink rapidly. Aizawa continued "The Provisional License Exam is approaching. If you and Shinso are not placed into the track soon, participation becomes bureaucratically and educationally impossible. Participation is not guaranteed. Preparation requires time" Ren looked at him.

"You think I should take it" Aizawa's answer was careful.

"I think you should be allowed to try if medical and ethical conditions are met""That is not the same sentence""No" Ren stared.

"Would you let me?" Aizawa's face did not change.

"No" The answer stunned the room. Then he continued.

"Not today. Not this week. Not because you ask while feverish and frightened. I would let future you attempt clearance under conditions if future you can stop before collapse, follow role limits, maintain body map, and accept withdrawal without treating it as failure" Ren breathed. Aizawa added "That is the exam before the exam" Recovery Girl nodded.

"Unfortunately correct" Kurose said "Horrifying phrase. Accurate" Nezu looked delighted and wisely hid most of it. Hana's voice was quiet.

"I hate that this might be the safest answer" Daichi reached for her free hand.

"Then we hate it and choose carefully" Ren closed his eyes. His chest hurt. Not only from the grafts.

"Mom" Hana leaned closer.

"I do not want villains to decide your life by threatening it""I know""I do not want U. A. to answer Garaki by turning you into a hero-shaped apology""I know""I do not want you in more danger""I know" Her hand shook in his hair.

"But if danger is already coming through doors, I want you to know how to survive the hallway" Ren's eyes burned. Daichi's voice was rough.

"And how to come back from it" The room went still around that. Come back. The words belonged to Kamino now. To Toshinori. To Ren. To everyone who had watched the last Number One spend the Symbol and not the man. Ren whispered "Hero Course means more danger" Aizawa answered "Hero Course means supervised danger" Recovery Girl said "Sometimes" Kurose said "When the school is not being stupid" Nezu said "We aim to reduce stupidity structurally" Ren opened one eye.

"Suspicious goal" Nezu smiled.

"Ambitious, certainly" The meeting ended because Recovery Girl declared Ren's numbers were approaching the legal definition of everyone else's problem. Nezu left first, still carrying no visible paperwork. Aizawa lingered by the door. Kurose stayed near the desk. Hana resumed feeding Ren porridge because emotional upheaval apparently required carbohydrates. Daichi read the updated sign on Bentaro's tag and made a note to appeal the phrase suspicious history.

Recovery Girl told him all umbrella appeals would be denied. Ren ate three spoonfuls. Then stopped.

"Can Shinso know?" Kurose looked at him.

"After we speak with him properly""Not from rumor""No""Can I be there?" Recovery Girl said "Absolutely not" Ren looked at her.

"Screen?"

"No""Audio?"

"No""Message?" Kurose considered. Recovery Girl looked betrayed. Ren said "Not emotional. Informational" Aizawa snorted from the door.

"Those categories are currently at war in you" Ren ignored him. Kurose sat beside the bed.

"What message?" Ren thought. Hero Course. Target. Together. Not prize. Not because Garaki. Not because Brainwashing useful. Not because everyone was afraid. Because training could be protection if ethics held. He said "Tell him I will hate it if they choose him wrong" Kurose's mouth twitched.

"And?"

"Tell him I will also hate it if they do not choose him because they are afraid" Aizawa looked at him. Kurose nodded.

"And?" Ren closed his eyes.

"Tell him I am scared they will choose me wrong" The room quieted. Kurose's voice was soft.

"That one I will deliver exactly""Good" She stood. Recovery Girl checked the monitor.

"Now sleep" Ren muttered "Authoritarian""Medical authoritarian""Worse""Alive" He could not argue with that. He slept badly, but he slept. Shinso Hitoshi received the meeting in a room with two exits, both visible. Kurose had insisted. Aizawa had agreed. Nezu had approved. Recovery Girl, not present, had sent a note that said If you turn this child into a tool while I am busy with the other one, I will expand my jurisdiction. No one doubted her.

Shinso sat at the table with his hands folded loosely and his eyes half-lidded in a way that made adults underestimate him if they were foolish. Aizawa sat across from him. Kurose sat to one side. Nezu occupied a chair with the composure of a principal and the implied danger of a chess piece that had learned tax law. Shinso looked at the three of them.

"Either I am being expelled or someone made a terrible decision" Aizawa said "Neither" Kurose said "Second maybe" Nezu said "Constructive terrible decision" Shinso stared.

"This is already bad" Aizawa leaned back.

"We are discussing your transfer into the Hero Course" Shinso's expression did not change. That was how they knew it hit. His hands went very still. Kurose watched without crowding. Nezu continued "Accelerated conditional track. You and Ren Akiyama together, if both of you consent and conditions are met" Shinso blinked once.

"Together""Yes" His voice flattened.

"Because he was kidnapped" Kurose answered immediately.

"No""Because villains want useful Quirks and weird bodies now" Aizawa said "Partly risk context. Not merit""Because Brainwashing might be convenient" Kurose's face hardened.

"No" Shinso looked at her.

"People think it""Yes""Adults think it""Yes" Nezu spoke gently.

"Which is precisely why your training must be handled by adults who can name that danger instead of pretending it does not exist" Shinso looked at the table.

"Abduction is not an entrance exam" Kurose's eyes softened.

"Ren said close to that. I said exactly that" Shinso's mouth moved faintly.

"Of course he did" Aizawa said "He also sent a message" Shinso's eyes lifted.

"From medical?"

"Yes""Is he awake?"

"Intermittently""Is he worse than you are saying?" Kurose answered "Yes" Shinso inhaled. Aizawa did not soften the next part.

"He integrated the grafts this morning" Shinso's face went blank in the wrong way. Kurose said "One altered Quirk with graft-derived functions under Scar Tissue dominance. Working description Adaptive Scar Tissue: Graft Lattice" Shinso's hands opened. Then closed.

"He hates that it works" Kurose nodded.

"Yes""He said something" Aizawa said "He said Tell him I will hate it if they choose him wrong. Tell him I will also hate it if they do not choose him because they are afraid. Tell him I am scared they will choose me wrong" Shinso looked down. For a long moment, no one spoke. Then he said "Annoying" Kurose waited. Shinso continued "Accurate" Aizawa nodded. Shinso leaned back, eyes on the ceiling.

"So what are the wrong reasons?" Nezu's ears lifted.

"Excellent question""Do not sound proud. It makes me suspicious" Aizawa's mouth twitched. Kurose answered first.

"Wrong reason. Your Quirk is useful for stopping people, so we want access to it" Shinso's jaw tightened.

"A familiar favorite""Wrong reason. You are a potential villain target, so we should weaponize you before they do" His hands flexed.

"Also familiar""Wrong reason. You need to prove you are not dangerous" His eyes narrowed.

"That one can die" Aizawa said "Agreed" Nezu continued "Right reasons. You have demonstrated ethical restraint under social pressure. You have pursued hero training without institutional guarantees. You need structured physical and tactical training if you are to enter dangerous fields safely. Your Quirk, handled ethically, can reduce harm. And the school has a responsibility not to leave you half-trained while others decide what your Quirk means" Shinso stared at him.

"That was polished" Kurose said "Dangerously" Nezu inclined his head.

"I have been warned" Aizawa leaned forward.

"You will not be emergency duct tape" Shinso looked at him.

"You cannot promise everyone will remember that""No""Can you promise you will?"

"Yes" Shinso's eyes flicked to Kurose. She said "Yes" Nezu said "Yes" The room did not become comfortable. It became possible. Shinso looked at the table again.

"And Ren?" Aizawa's face hardened.

"Wrong reasons. He was kidnapped, so he deserves a place. Garaki changed him, so he is suddenly valuable. His body can now endure more, so we should use that. His fragments or warnings are strategically useful, so he should be closer to the board" Shinso's voice went cold.

"If anyone says that, I want to be in the room" Kurose said "No""Worth trying""Still no" Nezu said "Right reasons. He was under evaluation before the kidnapping. His tactical performance, crisis discipline, and rescue potential were already visible. Graft Lattice changes what physical training may allow, but it does not create his heroism. He must be trained to use it ethically and safely if he chooses the Hero Course" Shinso stared at his hands.

"He wants it?" Aizawa said "He is scared of wanting it" Shinso's mouth tightened.

"Good" Kurose raised an eyebrow.

"Good?"

"If he only wanted it, I would be worried. If he only hated it, I would also be worried" Aizawa nodded.

"That is annoyingly reasonable" Shinso looked at him.

"Do not compliment me during life changes""Noted" Nezu folded his paws.

"You do not answer today" Shinso snorted.

"Liar" Nezu smiled faintly.

"I would prefer a thoughtful answer soon""Better" Kurose slid one sheet across the table. Only one. Large print. Plain language. Hitoshi Shinso — Conditional Hero Course Transfer Discussion Shinso looked at it but did not touch.

"What about Class 1-A?" Aizawa said "Placement under review""Meaning?"

"Possibly direct integration with additional supports. Possibly split modules. Possibly joint track with Akiyama before formal seat assignment" Shinso's eyes narrowed.

"You do not know yet""No""Trustworthy" Aizawa looked offended. Kurose looked amused. Nezu looked pleased in a way no one trusted. Shinso finally touched the paper. Then stopped.

"If I say yes, people will be relieved" Kurose's face changed. Aizawa went still. Shinso looked at the sheet.

"Do not call it choice if everyone looks relieved when I say yes" The room held the sentence carefully. Kurose spoke first.

"You are right" Shinso looked up, surprised despite himself. She continued "Then we practice not looking relieved. And we build a process where no remains a real answer" Nezu nodded.

"Consent requires no to survive contact with the room" Aizawa said "Yes is meaningless if no is punished" Shinso stared at them. Then looked down again.

"Damn. That was good" Aizawa said "Do not sound proud" Shinso's mouth curved faintly.

"Noted" When Kurose returned to R-2, Ren was awake again because his body had decided sleep was an elective. Recovery Girl looked unhappy about it. Kurose came to the bedside.

"He knows" Ren turned his head.

"Bad?"

"Honest""That means bad""It means honest""Shinso?" Kurose sat.

"He said you are annoying and accurate" Ren closed his eyes.

"Good""He asked the wrong reasons first""Good""He said Do not call it choice if everyone looks relieved when I say yes" Ren opened his eyes. The words went into the room like a blade. Hana's face tightened. Daichi exhaled. Recovery Girl looked away for one second. Ren whispered "Good line. Unfortunately his" Kurose smiled faintly.

"That is close to what he would expect you to say" Ren breathed.

"Tell him I hate it""The line?"

"The fact that he needed it" Kurose nodded.

"I will" Ren looked at the ceiling. Hero Course. Shinso. Together. No as real answer. Yes without relief becoming pressure. Garaki did not get authorship. The name was not the owner. Abduction was not an entrance exam. Danger had already enrolled them. Training might be protection. He hated every sentence. Some were still true. The pale line around his wrist flickered, not with panic this time, but with the small local gate he had begun to feel. Pain lowered a fraction. Stayed present. Stayed his.

He whispered "Stop" The line narrowed. Recovery Girl watched. Aizawa, from the door, said "That is the first exam" Ren turned his head slightly.

"Hero Course?"

"No" Aizawa's eyes held his.

"Living with a useful wound without letting usefulness own it" The room went quiet. Ren looked at his left wrist. Pain present. Door narrow. Line felt. He hated how much the sentence mattered.

"Hard exam" Aizawa nodded.

"Yes" Recovery Girl pulled the blanket higher.

"Then he starts with sleep" Ren muttered "Authoritarian curriculum""Medical curriculum""Worse""Alive" He closed his eyes. Alive was still the undefeated argument. Outside R-2, U. A. moved around the first careful shape of a new decision. Not an announcement yet. Not a promise. Not a victory. A door being inspected before anyone opened it. Ren Akiyama and Hitoshi Shinso were no longer invisible to the war because General Studies had never been a shield. But if U. A.

had learned anything from Kamino, from Garaki, from Ragdoll, from All Might's last public victory, it was this. Children placed on a board by monsters did not become safer because adults pretended not to see the board. They became safer when someone taught them how to stand up without becoming pieces.