BNHA: Lioren

Months passed, and life continued as usual.

If there was a difference, it was that Leon had gotten himself a new friend.

Though, friend might not have been the most accurate word to describe it.

Not because he had anything against the broccoli. Midoriya was a decent enough kid—earnest, hardworking, and stubborn in a way that was both admirable and incredibly stupid. It was just… Leon wasn't the type to go around making friends. And yet, somehow, Midoriya had managed to plant himself into his life like a persistent weed.

One month after their conversation in the park, Midoriya sought him out again.

Leon had been sitting in the back of a convenience store, drinking canned coffee and enjoying the quiet, when the broccoli-shaped disturbance entered his life once more—this time, covered in bruises.

The sight made Leon's blood run cold.

There were bruises on his arms, his legs, even peeking out from beneath the collar of his shirt. Some were fresh, others fading into sickly yellows and greens. His knuckles were scabbed over, his movements stiff, and there was an exhaustion in his eyes that went far deeper than just a lack of sleep.

Leon didn't ask questions.

He stood up immediately, his body moving before his mind could process it.

Did someone do this to him?

Was he getting bullied?

The thought sent something sharp curling in his chest.

His first instinct was to involve himself. Maybe find out who was responsible, break a nose or two. But before he could even open his mouth, Midoriya—ever the talk-first, panic-later type—blurted out, "I-It's not bullying! It's training!"

Leon froze.

"…What?"

Midoriya, to his credit, had the decency to look at least a little sheepish. "U-Um… well, you said I needed to train my body, so… I started training."

Leon's expression remained unreadable. "And this—" he gestured vaguely at the battlefield that was Midoriya's body, "—is what you call training?"

Midoriya nodded quickly. "I-I looked up some training regimens online, a-and I found this one program that pro heroes used to build endurance and strength quickly, so I thought—"

"Hold on." Leon held up a hand, processing that. "You followed a pro hero regimen?"

Midoriya nodded.

Leon's eye twitched.

"And how long did you last?"

Midoriya looked away. "…A week."

Leon stared.

"A week?"

Midoriya nodded again, this time with considerably less confidence. "I, um… passed out and ended up in the hospital for a while."

Leon closed his eyes and inhaled slowly through his nose.

Midoriya had almost killed himself trying to get stronger.

The sheer level of stupidity was both impressive and frustrating.

"…You're an idiot," Leon muttered.

Midoriya flinched. "W-Well, I just—"

"A complete idiot."

Midoriya hunched his shoulders slightly, looking like a kicked puppy. "I… I just wanted to start strong…"

Leon sighed, rubbing his temple. "There's a difference between training and torture, broccoli. What you did? That was torture. And if you keep going like this, you're gonna die before you even get the chance to try being a hero."

Midoriya paled. "…Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." Leon exhaled. "Look. You're ambitious, and that's fine, but you don't get strong in a day. You need progression. You don't start by sprinting a marathon with a weighted vest; you start by walking."

Midoriya nodded quickly, absorbing the words like a sponge. "R-Right! Progression! I—I can do that! I just… don't really know how."

Leon sighed again, but this time, it was softer. Less frustrated, more resigned.

"…Heal up first," he said. "Once you're not falling apart, then come talk to me again. I'll give you something that won't put you back in the hospital."

Midoriya lit up like Leon had just handed him a golden ticket. "R-Really? You'll help?"

Leon frowned. "Didn't I just say that?"

Midoriya nodded so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.

And that was how it started.

Leon gave him a progressive training program—one that wouldn't interfere with school or daily life. No extreme regimens, no suicidal workouts, just a structured, balanced approach to getting stronger.

And so far?

It had worked.

Midoriya stopped showing up covered in bruises. He stopped getting strange looks from teachers wondering why he looked half-dead every morning. He started gaining things instead—better posture, better endurance, a little more definition in his arms and legs. He still had a long way to go, but at least he was on the right path now.

Which led them to today.

The sun had barely risen.

The sky was a mix of deep blues and fading purples, the first hints of orange stretching along the horizon. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of saltwater.

Leon stood on the sand, hands in his pockets, watching the waves roll in.

Dagobah Beach.

Or rather—what was supposed to be a beach.

Right now, it was a dump.

Piles of garbage stretched as far as the eye could see—old refrigerators, broken furniture, rusted appliances, and all kinds of junk. The sand was barely visible beneath the sheer amount of trash covering the area.

Leon exhaled through his nose.

He had been thinking about this for a while.

Honestly? He might as well take inspiration from the anime.

Training here made sense. Strength, endurance, real-world application—it covered everything. If Midoriya could clean this place up and keep up with his workouts, he'd be making more progress than any generic gym session could ever give him.

It was practical. Efficient. And, honestly?

It was kinda funny.

Leon smirked.

At least one thing was going according to the script.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Leon didn't turn. "You're late."

"I-I ran as fast as I could!" Midoriya's voice came, breathless.

Leon finally glanced over his shoulder.

Midoriya stood there, panting slightly, dressed in workout clothes. His face was flushed from running, and his usual mess of green hair was even messier than normal.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Did you actually run here?"

Midoriya nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah! You said endurance was important, so I thought I should—"

Leon waved a hand. "Alright, alright. Just don't kill yourself again."

Midoriya laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

Leon turned back to the beach.

"Well," he said, gesturing toward the junkyard in front of them. "This is your new training ground."

Midoriya blinked. "…Huh?"

Leon smirked. "Starting today, you're cleaning this place up."

Midoriya's jaw dropped. "C-Cleaning!?"

Leon nodded. "Yep. Move the junk, organize it, make this place an actual beach again."

Midoriya's eyes darted between him and the endless piles of trash. "B-But there's so much! This will take forever!"

"Then you better get started."

Midoriya made a strangled noise.

Leon chuckled. "Oh, and don't think this replaces your normal training."

Midoriya froze. "W-What?"

"You still have to do the workout program I gave you." Leon stretched lazily. "This? This is extra."

Midoriya looked like he might faint.

"I… I have to do both?"

"Yep."

"But—!"

Leon gave him a look.

Midoriya swallowed whatever complaint was about to leave his mouth.

Leon smirked. Good. He's learning.

"This is about more than just strength," Leon said, gesturing toward the garbage. "Lifting, moving, balancing—it all builds endurance. Real-world application. You need to train your body to function under stress, not just lift weights in a controlled setting."

Midoriya's lips parted slightly. "…That makes sense."

Leon huffed a quiet chuckle. "Glad you think so."

Midoriya took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "Okay. I'll do it."

Leon arched an eyebrow. "You sure? You can back out now. I won't stop you."

Midoriya clenched his fists.

Backing out?

After coming this far?

"No." His voice was firm. "I'll do it."

Leon's smirk widened slightly.

"Good."

He turned, walking toward a cooler he had brought earlier. He pulled out two bottles of water and tossed one to Midoriya.

Midoriya caught it, still looking at the mess in front of him.

Leon took a sip of his water, watching him carefully.

He had to admit—

The kid had guts.

And if he kept this up?

He just might become something impressive.

'Well, it is to be expected from someone who willingly crippled himself while using One for All. Crazy guy.'

Midoriya took a deep breath, his grip tightening around the bottle.

Leon smirked.

"Well then, Midoriya." He cracked his neck, stretching his arms.

"Time to get to work."

---

Midoriya stared at the sheer mountain of garbage in front of him.

Then at his hands.

Then back at the garbage.

Then back at Leon.

"…Where do I even start?"

Leon shrugged. "Wherever."

Midoriya blinked. "Huh?"

Leon took another sip of his water, his expression completely relaxed. "Doesn't matter. Pick a pile and start moving stuff. Trash isn't gonna clean itself."

Midoriya hesitated. His gaze swept over the landfill, and Leon could already see the gears in his head turning—calculating, overthinking, probably making a mental spreadsheet on optimal garbage removal strategies.

Leon sighed. This kid, I swear…

"Midoriya."

Midoriya straightened. "Y-Yeah?"

"Just start."

Midoriya stiffened at the directness of his tone but nodded quickly.

"R-Right! Just start! I can do that!" He took a deep breath, shook out his arms, and marched toward the nearest pile of garbage.

Leon watched as he crouched down, grabbing hold of a rusted metal pipe wedged between an old, busted fridge and something that might've once been a washing machine.

Midoriya braced himself. Adjusted his grip.

Then—

He pulled.

Nothing.

Midoriya gritted his teeth and pulled harder.

The pipe did not budge.

Leon watched in mild amusement as Midoriya planted his feet, his arms trembling as he gave the pipe everything he had.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Then—

With an awkward pop, the pipe yanked free—

And Midoriya went stumbling backward, nearly falling on his ass.

Leon snorted.

Midoriya, still holding the pipe, groaned. "T-That… was heavier than I thought."

Leon smirked. "Yeah? Welcome to reality, dumbass."

Midoriya shot him an exhausted look before sighing and getting back to work.

For the next few hours, Midoriya slowly but surely worked through the mess—lifting, carrying, and sorting what he could. It was painfully clear that, despite his improvement, he was still weak.

But the brat was stubborn.

He struggled, sweated, and nearly face-planted into the sand more than once. But he kept moving.

Leon leaned against a broken vending machine, watching him with mild approval.

Honestly? The kid wasn't half bad.

Still dumb. Still reckless. But at least he listened.

Most of the time.

Leon yawned, stretching his arms. "Alright, that's enough for now."

Midoriya froze mid-lift, his arms wrapped around a large wooden plank. "W-What?"

Leon waved a hand lazily. "You heard me. Take a break."

Midoriya blinked, confused. "B-But I can still—"

Leon shot him a look.

Midoriya immediately shut up.

Leon smirked. He's learning.

With a sigh, Midoriya dropped the plank and practically collapsed onto the sand, panting. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking like he had just survived a war.

Leon tossed him a water bottle. "Drink."

Midoriya barely caught it in time, fumbling with the cap before taking a few gulps. "T-This is… harder than I thought."

Leon scoffed. "No shit."

Midoriya groaned, tilting his head back. "I thought I was getting stronger…"

"You are."

Midoriya blinked. "Huh?"

Leon rolled his shoulders. "You're not the same weakling you were a few months ago. You've gotten better. Stronger. But strength doesn't happen overnight."

Midoriya swallowed, looking down at his hands.

Leon sighed, shaking his head. "You seriously thought a couple of months of training would make you a beast?"

Midoriya fidgeted. "…Maybe?"

Leon clicked his tongue. "Idiot."

Midoriya pouted slightly.

Leon took another sip of water. "Listen, growth doesn't happen all at once. It's a process. You're already on the right track—hell, you're ahead of most people. But don't expect instant results just because you've been working hard."

Midoriya was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Right… I guess I was being impatient."

Leon smirked. "You guess?"

Midoriya groaned.

Leon chuckled. "You'll get there, broccoli. Just don't be dumb about it."

Midoriya smiled weakly.

The two sat there in comfortable silence for a moment, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filling the space between them.

Then—

"So…" Midoriya shifted, looking at Leon hesitantly. "Why are you helping me?"

Leon didn't respond immediately.

Midoriya continued, his voice quiet but curious. "I mean… you didn't have to. You could've just told me to figure it out on my own. So why?"

Leon clicked his tongue.

Why, huh?

Good question.

At first, he had just been amused by the kid's determination. Then, he had gotten annoyed at how reckless he was. Then, before he knew it, he was invested.

Weird.

Leon shrugged. "Dunno. Felt like it."

Midoriya blinked. "That's it?"

"Yep."

Midoriya frowned, clearly unsatisfied with that answer.

Leon smirked. "You expecting some big dramatic reason?"

Midoriya fidgeted. "I-I mean, maybe?"

Leon chuckled. "Tough luck."

Midoriya sighed.

Leon leaned back on his hands, gazing at the sky. "You're annoying, but you're not a bad kid. And, hey—if you actually pull this hero thing off, that'd be kinda cool to watch."

Midoriya perked up slightly. "Y-You think I can?"

Leon smirked. "Guess we'll see."

Midoriya stared at him for a moment. Then, slowly, he grinned.

Leon shook his head, amused.

The brat was too damn earnest.

But maybe…

That wasn't a bad thing.

Leon stood, stretching his arms. "Alright, break's over. Back to work."

Midoriya groaned but pulled himself up. "R-Right!"

Leon smirked.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.