After the incident in the gym, things hadn’t been the same between him and Ren. Kenji had tried texting, calling, even leaving voice messages, but Ren had kept his distance. And Kenji knew why—he hadn’t trusted Ren enough to tell him about the stalker, the attack, or the danger he had been in for months.
Kenji took a deep breath and finally pressed the doorbell. The sound echoed through the stillness of the street. A moment later, Ren opened the door, his expression guarded.
"Hey..." Kenji started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ren just looked at him for a moment, then stepped aside. "You can come in."
The tension was thick as they sat in Ren’s living room. Kenji felt the weight of the silence between them, his heart pounding in his chest. He had rehearsed what he was going to say a hundred times, but now, it all felt wrong.
“I’m sorry,” Kenji finally said, breaking the silence. “I know I should have told you. I wanted to, but—”
“You didn’t,” Ren cut him off, his voice sharp but not angry. Just... hurt. “You had so many chances to say something, Kenji. Do you know how that felt? Seeing you collapse like that, not knowing why? And then finding out that you’ve been dealing with this for months without telling me?”
Kenji looked down at his hands, feeling the guilt gnawing at him. “I didn’t want to drag you into it. I thought I could handle it.”
Ren sighed, leaning back against the couch. “That’s your problem. You always think you can handle everything on your own, but you can't. That’s what I'm here for, you don't just hit me up whenever you're in your highest, I'm in for the whole deal,you get me?”
Kenji’s chest tightened. He didn’t know what to say. Ren was right, and he’d been a fool for thinking he could keep everyone at arm’s length.
“I get that you were trying to protect me, or whatever,” Ren continued, “but you don’t have to keep me in the dark. We’re in this together.”
Kenji nodded slowly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I... I promise, from now on, I’ll tell you everything.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Everything?”
Kenji hesitated, then nodded again. “Yeah. Everything.”
There was a long pause before Ren finally sighed. “Alright. I’m still pissed, but... I get it. You were scared.”
“Yeah,” Kenji admitted quietly. “I was.”
Ren’s expression softened a little, and Kenji felt the weight lift slightly from his shoulders. They weren’t completely back to normal, but it was a start.
Later that night, Kenji found himself in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling. His conversation with Ren had gone better than expected, but there was still a lot to fix. Not just with Ren, but with his father, and with the situation surrounding the stalker.
He grabbed his phone and shot a quick text to Kai.
Kenji: Any updates?
A moment later, Kai’s reply came through.
Kai: Still working on tracing the source. Whoever it is, they’ve covered their tracks well. But I think I have a lead.
Kenji frowned. They had been working together for the past week, secretly trying to piece together the mystery of the stalker. Kai’s skills with data analysis and tracking had been invaluable, and while they didn’t trust each other completely, they had a sort of unspoken agreement to get to the bottom of it.
It was complicated, though. Kenji’s relationship with his dad, Shoto, had been strained ever since the hospital. His father didn’t believe him about the memories and visions he had been having. And now, with this stalker looming over everything, Kenji felt more isolated than ever.
But at least now, he wasn’t alone. Kai was helping him, even if their dynamic was still tense. And now that Ren knew the truth, maybe things would get easier.
The next morning, Kenji met Kai at a quiet café near U.A., far from prying eyes. They sat at a table in the back, keeping their voices low as they discussed their findings.
“I’ve been looking into the people you’ve encountered,” Kai said, sliding a tablet over to Kenji. “The description you gave of the stalker matches a few known criminals, but nothing concrete yet. Whoever they are, they’re good at staying hidden.”
Kenji scanned the screen, his mind racing. “What about the attacks? Anything linking them?”
Kai shook his head. “Not directly. But there are patterns. The timing, the way they attack—it’s methodical. Almost like they’re testing you.”
Kenji’s stomach twisted. “Testing me?”
“Yeah,” Kai said, leaning back in his chair. “It’s not random. They’re targeting you specifically, but they haven’t made a direct move to take you out. It’s like they’re waiting for something.”
Kenji clenched his fists. “I’m not just going to sit around and wait for them to strike.”
Kai raised an eyebrow. “And what’s your plan? Run headfirst into danger without thinking? That’s worked out great so far.”
Kenji shot him a glare. “I’m not stupid. I’m just saying I need to do something.”
Kai’s expression softened slightly. “We will. But we need more information first. I’ve been looking into some old records, seeing if there’s anything about your past that could explain why someone’s after you.”
Kenji’s heart skipped a beat. His past. That was the one thing that always haunted him. The memories he couldn’t quite grasp, the gaps in his history that his father refused to fill in.
“Anything?” Kenji asked, his voice tense.
Kai hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Maybe. I’ve found a few things, but it’s not clear yet. We need more time.”
Kenji frowned. He didn’t know how much more time they had before the stalker made their next move. Though he doubted it with the police now involved it would be any time soon.
By the end of the day, Kenji was back home, the weight of everything bearing down on him. His father had tried to talk to him earlier, but the conversation had been stilted, awkward. Shoto was worried about him, Kenji knew that much, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his father still didn’t believe him. That he thought Kenji was overreacting, or worse—imagining things.
Kenji flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling once again. At least he had Ren back on his side.
But the stalker, his past, the memories that haunted him at night... those were things he couldn’t push aside. Not anymore.
He pulled out his phone and sent another message to Kai.
Kenji: Let me know if you find anything else.
Kai stared at his phone after receiving Kenji’s message. He’d been holding back some information. Something he wasn’t ready to share with Kenji yet. Something big.
But for now, he needed more proof.
Kai: Will do.
YOU ARE READING
MY HERO ACADEMIA:NEXT GENERATION
ActionTHIS story is about MHA next gen as the title says.. The protagonist is Kenji todoroki's journey to reach his dream of becoming a hero. Along with the strangles and the unfolding mysteries of his life. (What else do you want? It's MHA next gen read...
