Chapter 16 (Vigilantes)

A night shift leaves Koichi asleep amid unwashed dishes and untouched laundry when his father calls with unwelcome news: his mother is already aboard a train bound for Tokyo. Frantic tidying follows. He warns Kazuho that Shoko holds him to a hard standard, recalling that she opposed the move to the city from the start and set a condition that any stumble sends him back to the countryside. Worse, one of his progress reports to her claimed a girlfriend, and he dreads being asked to produce her.

Shoko arrives and finds the place surprisingly respectable for her son. When the girlfriend question lands, Makoto volunteers for the role, but her poise reads as too polished to be believable, and Shoko dismisses it as another fabrication. A round of discipline from her Fly Swatter Quirk follows, only easing once Makoto reframes herself as the person keeping Koichi's coursework on track.

Kazuho steps in and moves to slip back out, until Koichi asks her to stay so her popularity might help his case, prompting her to give her real name. Knuckleduster then announces himself at the door. Both Koichi and Kazuho brace for disaster, expecting the brawler to horrify Shoko and Makoto, and instead watch him behave with more sincerity than they have ever seen from him.

Presenting a business card under the name Takeshi Kuroiwa, he explains that Koichi assists him in neighborhoods where official bodies and community groups reach least effectively, sweeping streets, patrolling after dark, and holding meetings at the apartment. Every word holds up in spirit, though the pair recognize how much of the method he has quietly left out. Makoto reads his build as suited to hero work, which draws a sour reply from Shoko: heroes are worn down until their lives come apart. She recalls her son dressing as All Might and putting himself at risk to help strangers, and calls him nothing but trouble.

Kazuho tries to speak up for him, but her nerves send her fleeing, drawing worry from Shoko and a compliment from Makoto as Koichi runs after her. He catches her on the stairs and praises her outfit for looking casual, which earns him a slap before she heads home. Back upstairs, he asks how long his mother intends to stay, and learns she has extended the visit to see the sights of Tokyo with Makoto.

Shoko Haimawari debuts, arriving unannounced and using her Fly Swatter Quirk to discipline her son. Makoto pretends to be Koichi's girlfriend and is caught out immediately, then salvages the situation by claiming an academic role instead.

Knuckleduster introduces himself to both women as Takeshi Kuroiwa, framing his vigilante operation in civic language that stays technically accurate while burying every incriminating detail. Kazuho gives her real name in front of the guests, then slaps Koichi over a clumsy compliment.

Shoko voices open contempt for hero work and extends her stay in Tokyo to go sightseeing with Makoto.

Hideyuki Furuhashi writes the spin-off and Betten Court illustrates it. This installment runs 21 pages, belongs to the Senpai arc, and collects into the third volume. Japanese publication fell on October 28, 2017.

The chapter was originally published under the title 母襲来, read Haha Shūrai, and the wording was revised for the volume edition. Chapter 15.5 precedes it and Chapter 17 follows.

The anime adaptation splits the material: pages 1 through 7 appear in Episode 8, and the remainder covers Episode 9. Koichi Haimawari takes the cover.