The next three days dragged on in an uncomfortable silence for Ryuu...
Ryuu found himself overthinking every conversation and doubting every choice he was about to make.
While Mina kept her distance, smiling at him the same way she did with everyone else.
But the closeness they used to share?...
Yeah… that was gone.
Momo, for her part, seemed content to let him process without pressure, though she made it clear through small gestures that her interest hadn't waned.
A coffee left on his desk.
Notes shared without him asking.
And those quiet glances during class…
They reminded him of the bond they'd started to build.
But...
It was Aizawa who finally forced the issue.
"Kazama, stay after class."
The announcement came at the end of Thursday's Hero Law session, delivered in that flat, tired tone that somehow made it sound worse than if he'd yelled.
Students filed out with the usual mix of groans and chatter. Ryuu caught both Mina and Momo glancing back at him before they disappeared into the hallway.
Mina's expression was neutral.
While Momo looked concerned.
"Sit."
Ryuu dropped into the nearest desk. His stomach was already twisting into knots.
Aizawa waited until the door clicked shut before speaking again. "We need to discuss your performance during the joint exercise."
"My scores were acceptable sir," Ryuu said carefully.
"Your tactical performance was excellent." Aizawa pulled out his tablet, swiping through what looked like observer reports. "But your emotional management was a disaster."
His harsh judgment left Ryuu shocked and speechless.
"I maintained professional focus throughout—"
"Did you?" Aizawa's tired eyes locked onto him. "Because multiple instructors noted concerning fluctuations in your emotional state. Particularly during extended resonance."
Ryuu's throat went dry.
They'd been watching.
Of course they'd been watching....
This was a graded exercise with cameras everywhere and pro heroes taking notes.
"Your quirk amplifies emotions," Aizawa continued. "Which means you need stricter control over your personal feelings during field work. What happened with Yaoyorozu crossed professional boundaries."
"We completed our objectives—"
"While still connected." Aizawa's voice cut through his excuse like a blade. "You kissed her while your quirk was still active. While you were both still amplified."
Ryuu froze.
He hadn't thought about it like that.
The resonance had been fading, yes, but it hadn't been gone.
Not completely.
"Do you understand why that's a problem?" Aizawa asked.
"I..." Ryuu's mind was racing, trying to find a defense and coming up empty. "It felt real."
"I'm sure it did." Aizawa leaned back against his desk. "Amplified emotions always feel real. That's what makes them dangerous."
The words settled in Ryuu's chest like lead.
"Here's what I saw in those reports," Aizawa said, his tone flat. "You pushed your quirk too far. You couldn't tell which feelings were yours and which were hers. And then you kissed her while you were still connected."
"It's not like th—"
"Isn't it?" Aizawa challenged. "Your quirk floods both parties with enhanced dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline. It creates artificial intimacy. And you knew that going in, but you did it anyway."
Ryuu wanted to argue. Wanted to say that what he felt for Momo was separate from the quirk effects.
But how could he know that for sure?
"At what cost?" Aizawa asked quietly. "I've received reports about tension between you and Ashido. Your personal drama is affecting class dynamics."
The mention of Mina made guilt twist sharper in his gut.
"What can I to do about it?"
"Make a choice," Aizawa said simply. "Either commit to keeping your quirk usage strictly professional and that's by using it on the same sex, or acknowledge that emotional connections are part of your power and learn to manage them responsibly."
"It's not that simple—"
"Isn't it?" Aizawa's expression was flat. Unimpressed. "You're treating your quirk like it's separate from who you are as a person. But you see, quirks reflect who we are....they respond to trust, bonds, how we relate to people....especially in your case."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"Which means every time you use it, you're gambling with people's feelings. Including your own."
Ryuu had no response to that.
"So here's what I'm suggesting," Aizawa continued. "Stop running from the emotional aspects of your power. Stop pretending you can keep everything compartmentalized. And start figuring out how to integrate them constructively."
"How am I supposed to—"
"By being honest." Aizawa's voice turned cold. "With yourself. With the people you're affecting. With everyone involved."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A knock on the classroom door interrupted whatever Ryuu might have said next.
Aizawa's expression suggested he'd been expecting it.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Mina stepped inside, her usual energy notably subdued. "Sorry to interrupt, sensei. Could I speak with Kazama privately?"
"Actually," Aizawa said, gesturing for her to enter, "this concerns both of you. Close the door."
Mina shot Ryuu a questioning look. He could only shrug.
Whatever Aizawa had planned, it was apparently going to involve both of them.
"Sit, Ashido."
She slid into the seat next to Ryuu.
Aizawa waited until she was settled before continuing. "I've been observing the social dynamics in this class for three years now. And the current tension between you two is affecting everyone."
"We're handling it professionally," Mina said quietly.
"Are you?" Aizawa pulled up something else on his tablet. "Because Kaminari asked me if he should request a different lab partner. Said you've been 'weird and sad' all week. Kirishima's been skipping his own training to provide 'moral support' to Kazama."
Ryuu winced.
He hadn't realized their friends were that concerned.
"The point is," Aizawa continued, "whatever's happening between you needs to be resolved. I don't care how you handle it, but the current situation is unsustainable."
"With all due respect, Aizawa-sensei," Mina said, her usual energy dimmed but still there, "isn't this kind of... personal?"
"Well, It became school business when it started affecting classroom performance and social cohesion." Aizawa's tone left no room for argument. "You have until Monday to figure it out."
"What happens if we can't?" Ryuu asked quietly.
"Then I'll handle it. One of you transfers classes." Aizawa's expression didn't change. "Twenty other students aren't going to suffer because of you two."
The threat hung in the air.
Neither of them wanted to leave Class 3-A.
But Aizawa had just made it clear that maintaining the status quo wasn't an option.
"Now get out of here." He was already turning back to the papers on his desk. "And figure out what you actually want from each other."
"Yes, sensei. Thank you." Ryuu and Mina said in unison before heading out.
They walked to the dorms in silence.
When they reached the common area, Mina stopped. "We need to talk. For real this time."
"Yeah." Ryuu nodded. "Where....?"
"The roof. There's less chance of anyone interrupting."
---
The sun was setting when they settled by the railing.
It was the same spot where they'd first talked about his Quirk....
Mina sat cross-legged on the concrete. "Okay, complete honesty time."
Ryuu's stomach twisted. "Alright."
"I'm in love with you." She looked straight at him. "Not because of your Quirk. But because of you. The way you care about people, the way you always put others first....that's what I fell for."
Ryuu opened his mouth, but she held up a hand.
"Wait, let me finish." Her smile was sad. "But I also know that might not be enough. If you're happier with Yaomomo, then... I'll deal with it."
"Mina—"
"What do you want, Ryuu?"
He stared out at the campus. "I care about you. A lot. What we have matters to me."
"But?"
"But I can't ignore what I feel for Momo either. She challenges me, and there's something there I can't explain."
Mina nodded slowly. "So you want both of us."
"I want to not have to choose. But that's not fair to either of you."
"Maybe it doesn't have to be a choice."
Ryuu blinked. "What?"
"What if we try something different?" Mina leaned forward. "What if instead of competing, we figure out if something more flexible could work?"
"You mean..."
"I mean being honest instead of forcing this into a normal relationship box." She grinned, though it looked nervous. "Your Quirk needs emotional connections anyway, right? Why fight it?"
"That's not how relationships work."
"Says who?" Mina challenged. "Why can't we make our own rules?"
"What about jealousy? Hurt feelings?"
"Those happen in regular relationships too. At least we'd be talking about it upfront."
"And you think Yaoyorozu would even consider—"
"Why don't we ask her?" Mina's grin widened. "She's been listening from the stairwell for like ten minutes."
Ryuu turned.
A flash of black hair ducked behind the doorframe.
"Momo!" Mina called. "Come on out. This involves you too."
After a pause, Momo stepped onto the roof, face red. "My apologies. I was.....concerned about your discussion."
"Because it affects you too, right?" Mina patted the ground. "Sit. We're all trying to figure this out before Monday."
Momo sat down gracefully, glancing between them. "What exactly are you proposing?"
"Something unconventional," Mina said. "Instead of making Ryuu choose, we see if there's a way we all get what we want."
"You're suggesting polyamory??." Momo titled her head.
"Honesty," Mina corrected. "It's about what we feel and what we're willing to try.....and being open to what we're willing to explore together"
Silence fell over the three of them.
"It could work," Momo said finally, her analytical mind already working. "Logically, it addresses the core issues while maintaining emotional authenticity."
"And practically," Mina added with more energy, "it means Ryuu stops running from the connections that could make him stronger."
They both looked at him.
Two amazing girls willing to try something completely outside the box just to make this work.
"Okay," Ryuu said. "Let's try it."
------
Author's Note: Now we're getting somewhere
*hehe*.