The Heromobile

Ren Araki of Melancholic Gardens, alive

[shsl-renthehero]

Fallen Stars, and a Wish From Me to You | Chapter 3 Post Body Drop | Ren + Tomo

Ren was... He wasn’t doing well, to say the least. Everything that had happened during everyone’s time at the Gardens was horrific. Funny. That was the way Ren thought every time something happened after the first trial. As much as he wanted to help everyone, he just couldn’t do that. And now? Now two more people were dead. Two dead bodies. Whoever killed them truly was a villain. They were especially evil for killing someone like Hanami. Hanami was someone that Ren got along with, and for her to be taken away like that was utterly crushing. His heart sank.

Yet despite his thoughts and emotions, Ren couldn’t get himself to externalize his feelings. It was like every death was another blow to justice itself, and the deaths of Hanami and Suzume were enough to destroy it. And without justice, what was there for him? Nothing. Not even his saving Tomo made much of a difference. The cosplayer clenched his fists as he looked down at Hanami’s lifeless form, eyes cold yet blank. His eyes then wandered over to Tomo, who was collapsed beside Hanami. Right. The two of them were close. And Tomo... asked Ren to protect her. The thought made Ren’s stomach turn. He had to make it up to Tomo somehow. For now, though, he had to investigate. Wordlessly, Ren left the room, wanting to start elsewhere, away from Tomo.

...

Eventually, Ren returned. He stepped softly into the room, not wanting to disturb the knight, who was surprising still in nearly the same position over Hanami’s body. “Tomo... I’m sorry.” Ren slowly walked up to his friend. “I did my best to protect her, but she just wandered off on her own, so I couldn’t do anything about it.” He sighed sadly as he sat down beside Tomo, hoping that the latter wouldn’t hit him. “How are you holding up? With this whole mess, and... your eye.” 

[melancholicgardens]

The Measure of A Hero | Riku | Closed for Ren

The conversation with Tomo had gone well, better than expected really. Riku still had some reservations but… well, that was just Riku. In any case it was some time later, well into the afternoon, that Riku ventured out of their room again. They’d taken enough time to recompose themself, and they wanted to have this particular discussion while certain events of the trial were still fresh.

Which brought them to Ren’s room. They knocked on the door, hoping the cosplayer was inside, and waited. When they finally heard the door being opened, hopefully by Ren himself, Riku aimed a non-plussed expression in his general direction.

“We need to talk.” Well, that wasn’t foreboding at all. “May I come in? Or would you prefer to go somewhere else?” It was worth noting that Riku had stepped back from the door before it had opened, leaving a good amount of space between the two of them. At least enough that they were out of arm’s reach. “If it’s the former I’d ask that you leave the door open while we speak.”

[shsl-renthehero]

That trial... It wasn’t much easier, emotionally speaking, than the first one. At least Ren felt more in control than in the first trial, due to him actually investigating, but that didn’t eliminate the fact that more people had just died. How many more were going to die? Who was next? The thought worried Ren. It was a hero’s job to protect everyone, after all. And what was he doing? He wasn’t protecting anyone from death. All he could do was watch as bodies dropped. 

After Ren’s earlier conversation with Hanami, he retreated straight to his room and locked himself in there. He needed time to himself. He needed time to... regain his strength, and... protect everyone else. It was a fruitless task, but he had to keep trying. For the sake of himself, all of his classmates, and... Oh. A knock at the door? Not a convenient time, but Ren wasn’t the type to deny people their wishes. If they wanted to talk to him, he would allow it to happen no matter what. With a sigh, Ren pushed himself off of his bed and opened his door, finding...

Riku. Ah. Definitely not the person he wanted to see. There was some bitterness towards his classmate, but the main reason he wanted to avoid Riku was regret. Ren felt bad about the way he was acting already. Was Riku going to make things worse? 

‘We need to talk.’

There it was. Ren’s expression fell. Not that Riku could see it. “Yes, you are welcome to come in, Villain.” While Ren didn’t drop his nickname for Riku, he at least didn’t say it with his usual distaste. The cosplayer turned away from Riku and walked into his room. He stopped by his desk and pulled his chair out. “If you would like to sit down, you can... do so here.” Without waiting for an answer, Ren walked to the opposite end of the room, and sat himself down on his bed. 

[shsl-renthehero]

The Hero and the Knight | Chapter 3 | Ren + Tomo

[tomotakeda]

Tomo raised a brow at Ren’s commentary on Riku, and their potential influence on the knight. While he refused to show it, he was finding Ren’s whole hero shtick to be a bit grating. What happened? He was so… NOT this before. “That’s… That’s a lot of justice. Anyway, Riku’s actually a really good person… I know them pretty well, and I don’t think there’s any ‘villainousness’ to be wary of. They’re actually trying REALLY hard to be a uh… hero.” Ech… putting things into Ren’s vernacular was a bit weird. “Isn’t that a common trope? A character that at first appears to be a villain, but rises against a common foe, and becomes the hero’s greatest ally? Riku DID do most of the work in the last trial…” Probably not a good idea to harp on that topic too long… Ren seemed like he’d take it too seriously.

Tomo’s attempt at a cheerful exterior dropped when Ren mentioned the car accident. His eyes glazed over as if he was remembering something. His breathing became slightly erratic, and he leaned against whatever surface was nearby. “That was…” He shook his head returning his attention to Ren. “I… sorry.” Deep breaths. “I didn’t know…” Whatever Tomo had remembered had him shaken up, but he seemed to be recovering. “Well… At least it seems like you recovered fairly well… Why do you still wear it? I-if you don’t mind me asking. Is your eye still sensitive or something?”

“Wait WHAT?” Ren had given up on cosplaying? “How? Why? I mean… You’re GREAT at it. Seeing you was one of Yun’s favorite things about going to the conventions with mom.”

[shsl-renthehero]

The conversation regarding Riku was making Ren somewhat uncomfortable. He’d rather just forget that Riku existed. Still, there was a matter of interest. They were trying to be a hero? That villain? Ren tilted his head as he listened to Tomo’s explanation. Tomo did have a point, as much as it pained Ren to admit it. And it was true that Riku did almost carry the last trial. Ren released a defeated sigh. “I suppose you are right. I would feel awkward personally working with them, but I will concede that they are not as bad as I thought. I will take your word for it, Tomo.”

Tomo’s observable changes in demeanour after Ren explained his absence from conventions were concerning. Should Ren have avoided saying anything? Should he make an attempt at comforting Tomo? What if there wasn’t anything wrong at all? It was at times like these that Ren cursed himself for being so ignorant in terms of people. Ah, and there was the question. 

‘Why do you still wear it?’

Ren frowned. Why DID he still wear it? He should’ve been able to let go after all of the time that’d passed. “I appreciate your concern, Tomo. As for your question, well... Yes, you could say that my eye is still sensitive. There are more sentimental reasons that I keep it with me, though. I apologize, but that is all I can say for now. I will tell you some other time.” 

Oh? Tomo’s objection to Ren’s surrender of cosplaying took the latter off guard. Of course, Ren knew that people loved his cosplays. That was easy to observe given all of his followers on the internet. But besides his sister, he never knew anyone that REALLY appreciated his work. Ren smiled weakly. “Thank you for the compliment, and for reminding me of Yun-chan. It really means a lot to me. Well, the reason I gave up is related to that accident I had.” Ren took a few seconds to decide whether or not he should dwell on the matter any longer. With a sigh, he decided on going into more detail. It was about time that he made an effort to move on, right? And Tomo was someone that Ren knew somewhat. “I did say that I would tell you some other time, but, forget that. I lost someone important to me. And it was my fault. I guess the regret and depression just made me give up on cosplaying.”

[shsl-renthehero]

The Hero and the Knight | Chapter 3 | Ren + Tomo

[tomotakeda]

Ren’s offer to help seemed genuine… if not a bit forced. He was REALLY into this character huh? Then again he DID call himself SHSL Hero… Maybe he was like a method actor? Tomo didn’t recall his personality being quite this… exuberant, but perhaps his memory failed him. “Nah, I’m fine, but thanks for offering… and uh… Thanks for taking care of Hanami earlier. I had to go take care of something with Riku, otherwise I would have.” Ew… was there a little jealousy there? Prior to Hanami, Tomo hadn’t really been in a serious relationship, so it caught him off guard a bit. He was legitimately thankful that Ren had been able to provide a helping hand, but… He wished he had been the one to do it instead.

Oh… so that was confirmation Ren DIDN’T recognize Tomo at all. To be fair, there WERE a lot more people running around in armor at conventions, but… he was wearing the EXACT costume. “Uh… We met a couple of times at various conventions. My mom, Ayaka Takeda, runs a booth in artist alley at a lot of conventions. Yun and I were usually dressed as the characters from her webcomic.” The mention of Yun was enough to bring a smile to his face. The memory of her running around the convention dressed as a little princess brightened his mood considerably. “Uh… I came in second at the cosplay competition at Eppiku-con. I was Dante from Devil May Cry… Not the remake.” Tomo was rather proud of that cosplay, and had choreographed a bit of sword play for his performance. It went rather well, but he still couldn’t exactly stand up to the SHSL Cosplayer. “But yeah, I haven’t seen you at any shows for a while. Have you been travelling, or…?”

[shsl-renthehero]

Ren crossed his arms and nodded sagely in response to Tomo’s thanks. The display didn’t quite express what he really felt about the thanks, which was nothing short of ultimate pride and happiness. To be thanked meant that he’d been of help. And to help others meant... How wonderful. Ren smiled. “But of course, Citizen. I am a hero, after all. I am here to protect anyone and everyone! Just, ah...” He looked up at the ceiling. “Don’t allow that villain’s villainous villainousness to rub off on you. In any case, though, I understand. Sometimes the call of destiny pulls us away from the justice we truly desire. But, as demonstrated, there will always be time to return to that justice, and another justice will protect it until you return.” 

The cosplayer lowered his gaze to meet Tomo’s as he listened to what the snowtop had to say about their relationship with each other. Ayaka Takeda... A booth... Artist alley... Conventions! OH! Ren’s eyes widened in surprise. THAT Tomo? The two used to talk at conventions whenever they went. In that regard, they were kinda friends. A mix of relief, glee, as well as sadness washed over him. He was happy to see his fellow cosplayer once again, but not in their current circumstances. Citizens like Tomo didn’t deserve to be trapped in such a sick game. 

Tomo’s question caught Ren even further off guard, and it clearly showed when his shoulders slumped and his face fell, crestfallen. “I see. Well, it is nice meeting you again, Tomo. Unfortunately it had to be in a place like this, but... We will make it out. As for your question...” Ren raised his left hand over his eyepatch as he mulled over an answer. “Well... I got involved in a car accident.” His hand moved away from the white fabric, instead choosing to point at it. “This eyepatch? It is the result of said car accident.” Ren did remove the eyepatch and show everyone what lied underneath during the last trial, so most people would’ve seen that Ren’s left eye was just fine, but in the moment, Ren forgot about that. What he said wasn’t a complete lie, anyway. “I have since given up on cosplaying. I apologize if that disappoints you.” 

A sigh escaped the redhead’s lips before they stretched into a forced smile. “That means that, after you get out alive – and I will see to it that you do – you will be able to win that prize for best cosplay.” Way to change the subject.

[shsl-renthehero]

The Hero and the Knight | Chapter 3 | Ren + Tomo

It hasn’t been long since the trial. Since the needless death of Haruko, and the person he’d killed: Yasunari. With how recent those deaths were, Ren wanted to do something to take his mind off of things. So, he walked around for most of the day, daydreaming about various things. Fighting evil, saving people… Y’know. Hero things. His plan for the night was to get some investigating going. He was feeling rather restless. So, the cosplayer traversed the new grounds in the dark, finding his way to the nursery.

Ren stopped in front of the building, looking it up and down, wanting to get a feel for the external structure. It was a little difficult to see in the dark, but at least he was able to get the general shape of it. The redhead walked forward, approaching the nursery’s doors. What would he find inside? Not babies, hopefully. Opening the doors, Ren found himself in a building full of plants. He looked around, taking in all of the idle life around him. How interesting. There were many breeds occupying the space. Ren wasn’t very familiar with plants himself, but seeing so many varieties up close did demand his interest. 

It wasn’t until Ren walked deeper into the room and set his eyes forward that he saw another person in the room. He stopped in his tracks. Ah, the knight in shining armour! Tomo, was it? That boy has been a point of curiosity for Ren for a while now. He seemed familiar, but Ren just couldn’t place it. After all of this time, maybe he would finally take the chance to talk. “Citizen!” Ren called out as he jogged towards the snowtop. Several feet away from his target, he jumped forward, landed on his shoulder, and rolled so that he stopped on his knee in front of Tomo. Ren’s left hand grabbed the left end of his cape, pulling it in front of him, enveloping him in a thin layer of red. 

Ren looked up at Tomo. “Greetings, Citizen! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The cosplayer pushed himself up to a stand, meeting Tomo’s eye level. He grinned. “We have not spoken before! Might I ask what you are doing here at this time?”

[tomotakeda]

Tomo had attempted to find somewhere quiet… someplace away from his classmates. Somewhere he could allow himself to vent without disturbing those around him. Trying to keep up a brave face after everything. Trying to be the person people could look to for comfort and protection… It was starting to wear on him. The nursery seemed like it would be a decent enough spot for this. People probably wouldn’t be exploring the newly opened area quite yet… Most people were probably still mourning… Most people would likely be scared… sticking near areas they already know. Plus something about the nursery seemed soothing. Tomo hadn’t been doing anything TOO embarrassing when Ren entered, though if Ren was paying attention, he may have seen signs that he’d been crying. Tomo attempted to wipe his face clean with his tunic when he heard the door open. By the time he’d turned to see who had entered the building, Ren was already mid-dive for his shoulder roll. Despite Ren’s trademark ‘Citizen!’ Tomo didn’t have time to identify the individual approaching him so quickly; Tomo had to assume he was under attack. With surprising agility Tomo leapt away, landing on his toes (In heavy boots, that was actually fairly impressive), and raising his fists to defend himself. Even if he didn’t have a sword, his gauntlets provided him with some sort of advantage in a fight.

Finally as Ren continued his overzealous entrance, Tomo relaxed, letting his arms fall to his sides, and rocking back onto his heels. “Oh… geez. You uh… caught me off guard there.” Tomo let out a sharp breath. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he could definitely feel the adrenaline from thinking he was under attack. “Hey Ren!” Right… Ren wouldn’t remember him… When they’d met before he was just either meandering around conventions, or running his aunt’s booth. Ren was… too busy to remember him. “Er… yeah. It’s nice meeting you again too. Sorry we haven’t really talked since… this whole thing started.” Tomo sighed with Ren’s question. “I was just uh… exploring? I just needed to get away for a little while, y’know?”

… No reason to bring up the trial… Keep things casual. “So… What uh… What have you been up to lately?”

[shsl-renthehero]

Tomo’s defensiveness surprised Ren. It really shouldn’t have, considering the way most people reacted to his entrances, but... There was always that hope that the next person he spoke to would receive him well. He felt kind of bad for putting Tomo on edge like that. To the point of fists being raised, too. Maybe Ren really should cut down on his antics in the future. For now, though, maybe now that Tomo knew of Ren’s presence, the redhead could test the waters. 

‘Hey Ren!’

Hm? The snowtop just addressed him so casually, as if they’d spoken before. Did they? That would explain why Tomo seemed so familiar. Ren knew the name, too. He was just struggling with putting things together. “Oh, no, no need to apologize. I am as much to blame as you. Perhaps more, considering the responsibility I have as the SHSL Hero.” A weak laugh escaped from his lips. 

“Exploring... Getting away...” Ren nodded. “I can understand that. I have been doing largely the same as you. Admittedly, I probably should have been reaching out to people more, but I just needed to fight evil myself.” The cosplayer crossed his arms, and the corner of his lip tugged into a slight smirk. “In any case, it would seem that fate has brought us together. Justice is here, and if you need any help, I am more than happy to offer it.”

Ren looked up at the ceiling as he thought of an answer to Tomo’s question. “Lately, well...” There were a few ways to answer that question depending on what exactly Tomo meant by ‘lately.’ Tomo’s words did suggest that they’d met before. Was his question referring to before they’d arrived at the Gardens? After? It was best to clarify first. “Hey, this might sound rude, but, could you remind me of how we met? I apologize. I have been busy with cosplay and such, and on top of that, dealing with some... personal issues.” Ren subconsciously placed his left hand over his eyepatch. “I hope you understand. I will tailor my response to your question based on your response to mine, Citizen.”

[shsl-renthehero]

The Hero and the Knight | Chapter 3 | Ren + Tomo

It hasn’t been long since the trial. Since the needless death of Haruko, and the person he’d killed: Yasunari. With how recent those deaths were, Ren wanted to do something to take his mind off of things. So, he walked around for most of the day, daydreaming about various things. Fighting evil, saving people... Y’know. Hero things. His plan for the night was to get some investigating going. He was feeling rather restless. So, the cosplayer traversed the new grounds in the dark, finding his way to the nursery.

Ren stopped in front of the building, looking it up and down, wanting to get a feel for the external structure. It was a little difficult to see in the dark, but at least he was able to get the general shape of it. The redhead walked forward, approaching the nursery’s doors. What would he find inside? Not babies, hopefully. Opening the doors, Ren found himself in a building full of plants. He looked around, taking in all of the idle life around him. How interesting. There were many breeds occupying the space. Ren wasn’t very familiar with plants himself, but seeing so many varieties up close did demand his interest. 

It wasn’t until Ren walked deeper into the room and set his eyes forward that he saw another person in the room. He stopped in his tracks. Ah, the knight in shining armour! Tomo, was it? That boy has been a point of curiosity for Ren for a while now. He seemed familiar, but Ren just couldn’t place it. After all of this time, maybe he would finally take the chance to talk. “Citizen!” Ren called out as he jogged towards the snowtop. Several feet away from his target, he jumped forward, landed on his shoulder, and rolled so that he stopped on his knee in front of Tomo. Ren’s left hand grabbed the left end of his cape, pulling it in front of him, enveloping him in a thin layer of red. 

Ren looked up at Tomo. “Greetings, Citizen! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The cosplayer pushed himself up to a stand, meeting Tomo’s eye level. He grinned. “We have not spoken before! Might I ask what you are doing here at this time?”

[silkenflight]

Bait And Switch | Riku | Closed for Ren

[shsl-renthehero]

The execution… No matter what Ren did, he could not get the image out of his head. The things that transpired ever since Monokuma showed up were worse than anything he’d seen before. Well, maybe not, but they would certainly horrible. Being made to murder each other… Despicable. The person behind everything was going to be brought to justice. 

For now, though, Ren would have to play along. That was what brought him to the bait shop. That was the site of his exploration after he did a quick once-over of the spring lake and lazy river. He’d have to look through the entirety of the new grounds in more detail later, but he wanted to get a general idea of his new surroundings, at least. He also didn’t want to remain in a single place for too long, in case anyone elsewhere needed his assistance. 

The cosplayer gently opened the door to the seemingly worn shack to find a surprisingly attractive inner shop. Sure, the inside was also worn, but it felt more like it was intentionally that way for aesthetic reasons. That thought made Ren feel more comfortable entering and looking around. The boy’s steps sounded as he did so. The contents of the shop were to be expected given the shop’s surrounding kayaks, canoes, and bodies of water; it was a bait shop. The prospect might turn some away, but Ren felt a level of interest as he walked further in. He never did go fishing before, but it might be fun to try it if all of these supplies were available. After he’s able to forget the recent murder and execution.

Ren approached one of the outer shelves. There seemed to be a plethora of drinks available. Was that normal for a bait shop? He couldn’t tell, but, seeing those drinks reminded him of how parched he was. He didn’t eat or drink anything all of yesterday, and that didn’t change for earlier this morning, either. At least he could get a drink right then and there. The redhead reached for a can of orange juice that immediately stood out to him, and opened it. As if the sound had summoned some extraterrestrial being, a voice spoke out from behind him. Ren, frightened, spun around to face his potential attacker. His cape followed gracefully. Not so graceful was how some of his orange juice spilt to the floor.

Thankfully, the person Ren saw didn’t seem to have any hostile intent. In that case, did they come seeking his assistance? The thought excited him. There was a brief moment of silence before he crossed his arms in one single, powerful motion. Sadly, more of his juice spilt as a result, but he didn’t quite notice. “Yes, Citizen! Hello to you, too! I assure you that your presence is of no hindrance to me. I was just looking around, but it seems that you were the one looking for me!” Little did he know that the person he was speaking to literally couldn’t be looking for anything. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

[silkenflight]

Riku tilted their head for a moment and paused only a few steps into the shop at the sound of some kind of liquid splattering against the floor. That was… worrying. They weren’t sure how to react to the fact that the person they’d walked in on hadn’t acknowledged it either.

“Actually I was just doing some… exploring. I didn’t know anyone would be in here, and I don’t actually know who you are.” The voice certainly wasn’t familiar, at least. This guy must have been one of the people who’d stayed pretty quiet during the trial. Riku was mildly annoyed that not everyone had followed through on introducing themselves but oh well, no sense dwelling on it.

“Since you asked though- what you could do for me is clean up whatever it is you spilled. The last thing I need is puddles of slipping hazards laying around. And if you really wanted to be helpful, I’d appreciate a thorough description of what’s in here as well. ”

[shsl-renthehero]

‘... and I don’t actually know who you are.’

Oh. Well then. That made sense. Ren didn’t know the other person, either. He did recall something about introductions during the trial, but the details were a blur; he wasn’t very focused at the time. As disappointing as it was that he wasn’t known by everyone, the cosplayer understood and had no choice but to accept it.

It was only when Riku mentioned the spill that Ren noticed the orange liquid on the floor. His eyes narrowed sadly. “Right...” he muttered, before the life in them erupted once more. “Yes! I will do all I can in service of the people! That is my duty, after all, as Ren Araki, the SHSL Hero!” The redhead began walking around the room, his footsteps loud and strong, in search of something he could use to wipe down the floor. He didn’t want to use his sleeves, but if he had to, he’d have to. 

As he searched, he gave Riku an explanation of what the room contained. The request was strange, but Ren did so unquestioningly. Given the character’s appearance and request, it was safe to assume that they were blind. “Well, this place is the bait shop! In the centre is four aisles of shelves. On those shelves, you can find...” Ren looked over to the shelves in question so that he could list off the items he saw. “... Some bait, hats, nets, lures, and fish coolers. Fishing supplies. And, over here,” the boy stomped his foot, signalling his location by the back, “is the employee’s counter. There’s some jar of assorted candies on here. Apparently you have to pay 50 yen for a candy. While I doubt that anyone is here to monitor it, I won’t tolerate any thievery! Behind it is another shelf holding live bait and drinks.”  

Ren walked over to the freezer and opened it. “Finally, there’s a freezer by the counter, which holds...” He looked through the freezer’s contents, perplexed by the strange items it held. “... It holds nothing but bagged ice. Strange. Beyond this room is another room, labelled ‘Employees only.’ I haven’t looked there yet.” The cosplayer sighed. After going over the room, he knew that there was nothing he could really use to wipe the spilt fluid without feeling bad for ruining a shop’s merchandise. He slowly stepped over to the spill, knelt down, and proceeded to wipe using his right sleeve.

[silkenflight]

Bait And Switch | Riku | Closed for Ren

Had Riku slept at all last night? No. But had they gotten a good amount of investigating done? Also no. Mostly, after their Adventure ™ with Jae-Ha, they’d taken it easy. Spent some time chilling in their room, read a bit, gone to the kitchen to make some food and coffee. Lots of coffee. The fortifying powers of caffeine were vital to the shark kid’s routine.

The morning had actually progressed a fair bit by the time they returned to the neglected task of checking out the new areas. Something about the concept of having more places accessible as some kind of ‘reward’ for the trial struck them as… distasteful. But that didn’t mean Riku wasn’t going to take advantage.

The shops seemed like good places to find… well, something. Riku wasn’t actually sure what they were looking for here, and they couldn’t very well say they’d know it when they saw it. Mostly they just felt the need to familiarize themself with new occurrences. Keep up to date, as it were. You never knew when information might come in useful… and besides, there wasn’t much else for them to do around here. If they kept reading all the time they’d just exhaust the supply of books they’d packed, and then what? 

Well, there was also socializing, of course. Riku was reminded of this as they entered the shop and heard the unmistakable sounds of someone else already inside, doing something around the shelves?

“Hello? I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

[shsl-renthehero]

The execution... No matter what Ren did, he could not get the image out of his head. The things that transpired ever since Monokuma showed up were worse than anything he’d seen before. Well, maybe not, but they would certainly horrible. Being made to murder each other... Despicable. The person behind everything was going to be brought to justice. 

For now, though, Ren would have to play along. That was what brought him to the bait shop. That was the site of his exploration after he did a quick once-over of the spring lake and lazy river. He’d have to look through the entirety of the new grounds in more detail later, but he wanted to get a general idea of his new surroundings, at least. He also didn’t want to remain in a single place for too long, in case anyone elsewhere needed his assistance. 

The cosplayer gently opened the door to the seemingly worn shack to find a surprisingly attractive inner shop. Sure, the inside was also worn, but it felt more like it was intentionally that way for aesthetic reasons. That thought made Ren feel more comfortable entering and looking around. The boy’s steps sounded as he did so. The contents of the shop were to be expected given the shop’s surrounding kayaks, canoes, and bodies of water; it was a bait shop. The prospect might turn some away, but Ren felt a level of interest as he walked further in. He never did go fishing before, but it might be fun to try it if all of these supplies were available. After he’s able to forget the recent murder and execution.

Ren approached one of the outer shelves. There seemed to be a plethora of drinks available. Was that normal for a bait shop? He couldn’t tell, but, seeing those drinks reminded him of how parched he was. He didn’t eat or drink anything all of yesterday, and that didn’t change for earlier this morning, either. At least he could get a drink right then and there. The redhead reached for a can of orange juice that immediately stood out to him, and opened it. As if the sound had summoned some extraterrestrial being, a voice spoke out from behind him. Ren, frightened, spun around to face his potential attacker. His cape followed gracefully. Not so graceful was how some of his orange juice spilt to the floor.

Thankfully, the person Ren saw didn’t seem to have any hostile intent. In that case, did they come seeking his assistance? The thought excited him. There was a brief moment of silence before he crossed his arms in one single, powerful motion. Sadly, more of his juice spilt as a result, but he didn’t quite notice. “Yes, Citizen! Hello to you, too! I assure you that your presence is of no hindrance to me. I was just looking around, but it seems that you were the one looking for me!” Little did he know that the person he was speaking to literally couldn’t be looking for anything. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

[shsl-renthehero]

“Another One” | Chapter 1 Body Reaction and Investigation Discovery

[shsl-renthehero]

Thankfully, someone really was willing to help the fallen classmate. Ren turned towards the source of the voice, and found Hanami. Ah, right, she would often get herself hurt so she had medical supplies handy. She’d offered to help Ren before. That was an embarrassing memory. The cosplayer rubbed his shoulder unknowingly. Well, it was good to have someone knowledgable in the fine arts of healing in the ranks. That Hanami. Truly, she was a hero in her own regard. 

Who was that next to her? He seemed familiar. Ren blinked repeatedly as he watched his white-haired classmate. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew that kid from somewhere. Before he could say anything, Hanami spoke, asking the boy beside him to grab her first-aid kit. What a good person. She was planning to stick by Kazu’s side and watch him instead of leaving him be to get the kit herself, wasn’t she? The cosplayer nodded in response to her thanks. Though he was still clearly distraught, as could be seen in his pale complexion and tensed features, he was still able to manage a soft smile. 

When Tomo left, Ren called out to him. “Please hurry, Citizen!” Ren watched the retreating figure until it was out of sight. Just who was he? The cosplayer shook his head. No, there were more pressing issues to deal with. He turned to Hanami and crossed his arms. “Do you need me to do anything, Miss?” He spoke quickly, as if pressed for time. 

[shsl-renthehero]

“Another One” | Chapter 1 Body Reaction and Investigation Discovery

Just like that... death. To think that Ren was bearing witness to something so horrendous was astonishing. An accident was one thing. Accidents were inevitable. They were just a part of driving down the road of life, no matter the obstacles. A murder, though, was something else entirely. The thought disgusted him. Someone in his class did this? The cosplayer scanned over the faces of his classmates. He couldn’t stay there long, but he had to do something to lift their spirits. He was a hero, after all.  The concept of a hero was probably something that everyone’d laughed at on their arrival to the gardens, but after a murder, surely people needed a light to guide them. Ren would gladly be that light. That hero. He crossed his arms and flashed a grin, though his effort was clearly contrived. That was understandable, given the body that was just behind him. “Everyone! Do not fear! We will make it through this. The good guys always win!” With that, he was off in some random direction. There was something that he’d noticed was off when he first discovered the body, and he had to look into it.

... The ferris wheel. When Ren arrived, there was something clearly wrong about it. There was blood. And there was more... Another body? Ren’s eyes widened. Only his right eye was visible, of course. Thankfully, the eyepatch that was taken from him was given back. Not that that mattered at that moment, though. Ren pulled the body out of the eighth cabin and shook it. “Hey! Citizen! Wake up!” 

...

...

Nothing. Ren grimaced. Damn. Was that another casualty? It wouldn’t be. Not on his watch. It felt like the cosplayer’s heart was about to give in, but he knew what he had to do. It was a struggle, but he was able to sling the body over his shoulder and drag it to the gazebo.

Kazu was unconscious, and was set down on the gazebo. “Somebody, please tend to him! I, sadly, do not know anything about medical care.” Ren spoke earnestly, but he caught himself on that and immediately forced a smirk. “B-but no need to worry, he’ll be fine. He’s just unconscious. In the meantime, I’ll be doing more investigating...” 

[shsl-renthehero]

Lost on the Path of Life | Chapter 1 | CLOSED for Ren, Kazu, Yutaka

It’s been roughly two hours since Ren woke up inexplicably in his suite. Why was everyone there? Or, more accurately, how? They were in the bus before finding themselves at the site of their trip. It could’ve been worse, though. At least they were where they were supposed to be. The absence of any sort of authority was concerning, though. That was why Ren had to step up. Not that he wouldn’t even if staff were there. After all, he was the SHSL Hero. He had to make sure that everyone felt safe.

That was the redhead’s main motivation for traversing the Nature Walk; he wanted to find any stragglers that might need his help. As Ren walked along the trial, he scanned his surroundings, his one eye taking in all of the beauty that surrounded him. The lush greens, the flowers, trees, and the wonderful blue sky. He inhaled deeply through his nose, allowing his lips to stretch into a smile. It smelled nice, too. He could get used to Hope’s Gardens. It was almost saddening, knowing that he’d eventually have to leave.

Off in the distance, the figure of one of Ren’s classmates stood out to him. What was that person’s name again? Ren stopped in his tracks, watching the figure as he tried to match a name to no avail. Ah, whatever. No better way to learn than directly from the source.  The cosplayer ran forward, headed straight for the stranger. “Citizen! Stop right there!” he called out. As he ran, the wind behind him allowed his red cape to follow, fluttering.

A few seconds later, Ren caught up to his target, ending his run with a jump forward to close the gap. He landed in style. His left knee and his right foot supported his weight while his head was lowered in a bow. His right arm was extended behind him and his left arm pulled his cape in front of him, obscuring the left part of his body. Suddenly, Ren hopped, and landing once again, stood up straight with his hands against his hips. “Greetings, Citizen! Is there anything I could help you with? Anything troubling you?”