Monday morning.
Ryuu stood in the cafeteria doorway, tray in hand, and immediately realized he had no idea where to sit.
Mina was at their usual table with Kirishima and Kaminari, laughing at something the redhead said.
Her pink skin seemed to glow under the fluorescent lights, and that familiar bright energy radiated from her like always.
Momo sat two tables over near the windows with Jirou and Ochaco, reviewing notes while she ate with that characteristic grace she had.
Two tables.
Two girls he cared about.
Zero plan for how to navigate this new arrangement they'd agreed to.
'This shouldn't be complicated. We talked it through on the roof. We all agreed to try something different.'
Ryuu kept telling himself that....over and over.
The conversation kept replaying in his head all weekend, like a song he couldn't turn off.
But standing here like an idiot while people started noticing him wasn't helping anyone.
His stomach twisted as several heads turned his direction.
Sero raised an eyebrow from across the room.
Even Bakugo glanced over from his seat, eyes narrowed.
He didn't say a word, but the way he stared?..
Yeah… that wasn't curiosity.
That was straight-up judgment.
Mina caught his eye and waved him over, all smiles.....like she hadn't been totally ignoring him last week.
The warmth in her smile made some of his tension ease.
'Right....let's start there'.
He crossed the cafeteria, hyperaware of eyes tracking his movement.
The whispers weren't even subtle anymore.
After everything that happened during the joint exercise, half the school seemed invested in his relationship drama.
"Morning." Ryuu dropped into the seat across from Mina, gripping his tray a little too tight.
'Act normal. Just act normal'.
The words looped in his head on repeat.
"You looked lost by the door," Mina observed cheerfully, taking a bite of her toast. "Everything okay?"
"Just tired." It was technically not a lie.
He'd barely slept, his mind running through every possible way this new dynamic could go wrong.
Kirishima's grin widened. "Rough weekend, man?"
"Training."
Ryuu stabbed his rice harder than necessary.
The chopsticks nearly snapped.
"Sure. Training." Kaminari leaned forward, lowering his voice. "That why you, Ashido, and Yaoyorozu all look way more relaxed than you did last week?"
Ryuu felt heat creep up his neck. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, dude. The tension between you three was killing everyone." Kaminari gestured dramatically. "Now suddenly you're all zen and peaceful? Something happened."
"We talked," Mina said simply, her golden eyes meeting Ryuu's across the table. "Cleared the air. That's all."
"That's all?" Kaminari looked skeptical. "Because Jirou told me she saw you three on the roof Friday night having some kind of serious discussion."
"People talk in this school," Mina replied with a slight edge to her cheerful tone. "Doesn't mean it's anyone else's business."
Kirishima must have sensed the warning because he elbowed Kaminari in the ribs. "Leave them alone, man. If they worked things out, that's good enough."
The conversation shifted to safer topics....like upcoming training exercises, the latest hero rankings, Bakugo's ongoing feud with literally everyone.
But Ryuu noticed Mina's hand resting on the table between them, close enough that he could reach over if he wanted to.
But he didn't.
At least not yet.
Especially not with this many eyes on them.
Across the cafeteria, Momo looked up from her notes.
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and she gave him a small smile before returning to her conversation with Jirou and Ochaco.
Something warm settled in his chest. They were really doing this. All three of them.
The morning classes passed in a blur of lectures and note-taking.
Ryuu found it hard to concentrate, especially during the periods he shared with both Mina and Momo.
The awareness of their presence felt different now....not uncomfortable, but...changed somehow....
When lunch arrived, Aizawa made an announcement that shifted everyone's focus.
"Afternoon training will be randomized partner drills," he said in his typical monotone. "You'll work with people you haven't partnered with recently. The goal is adaptability."
Groans echoed through the classroom.
"Didn't we just do partnership stuff?" Kaminari whined.
"You'll do partnership 'stuff' until you stop making stupid mistakes." Aizawa's tone left no room for argument. "Now get moving."
Groans rippled through the classroom, but Ryuu felt a strange sense of relief.
Maybe working with someone else would help him understand the difference between professional resonance and the emotional connections he'd built with Mina and Momo.
Training Ground Beta, 1:00 PM.
The afternoon sun beat down on the training facility as students gathered in their hero costumes.
Ryuu adjusted his gloves, exposing his fingertips for better contact during resonance.
"Kazama, you're with Iida," Aizawa called out, reading from his tablet.
Tenya Iida appeared beside him almost instantly, his engine quirk already idling with that characteristic hum.
The class representative's formal demeanor hadn't changed since he first met him.
"I look forward to working with you, Kazama." Iida extended his hand for a firm shake. "I've been curious about how resonance might affect my engine's performance."
Ryuu resisted the urge to sigh...this was going to be a long training session.
"We'll need to be careful with the initial connection," Ryuu warned as they moved to their starting position. "Speed enhancement can be disorienting if we push too hard too fast."
"Understood. I trust your judgment on quirk management."
Across the field, Ryuu caught sight of Mina partnered with Todoroki.
The ice-and-fire user's stoic expression contrasted sharply with her animated gestures as they discussed strategy.
Further away, Momo worked with Bakugo, which promised to be either incredibly effective or a complete disaster.
"Kazama?" Iida's voice pulled his attention back. "Shall we begin?"
Right. I've to Focus.
He shook his head, forcing his attention back to Iida.
Ryuu reached out and placed his hand on Iida's shoulder, activating his quirk.
The familiar bridge of awareness opened between them, and he felt Iida's emotions.....determination, excitement, a hint of nervousness about the unknown sensation.
The amplification took hold smoothly.
Iida's eyes widened slightly as the enhancement spread through his system.
"Remarkable," he breathed, his engines revving higher than usual. "I can feel the difference immediately. Even my perception has accelerated to match my physical capabilities."
They moved through the exercise....it's a timed obstacle course with strategic elements requiring quick decision-making.
Iida's enhanced speed was impressive, but what struck Ryuu most was what was missing.
The connection was purely functional. Strong, and can still be useful for combat and rescue work.
But it lacked the emotional depth he'd experienced with Mina and Momo. There was no intimacy, no vulnerability, no sense of their thoughts bleeding into each other.
Just two heroes working efficiently together.
"Excellent coordination," Iida said as they completed their run in record time. "Your amplification is even more effective than I anticipated."
"Thanks. You adapted well to the speed increase."
As they separated and the resonance faded, Ryuu found himself analyzing the difference. With Iida, he'd maintained perfect professional boundaries.
No risk of emotional overflow.
No complicated feelings to navigate afterward.
It was easier. Simpler.
But also.... emptier??.
He glanced across the training ground where Mina was creating acid slides with precision, while Todoroki providing ice platforms for enhanced mobility.
She looked focused but not overwhelmed, handling the partnership exactly how she should.
A small, irrational part of him felt relieved she wasn't experiencing with Todoroki what she'd experienced with him.
"Kazama!"
Momo's voice cut through his thoughts. She and Bakugo had apparently finished their exercise early, and the explosive hero was already stalking away with his usual scowl.
"How did it go?" Ryuu asked as Momo approached.
"It went well, but exhausting," She brushed dust off her costume. "Unfortunately Bakugo doesn't do subtle. Everything's just... loud and explosive."
"Sounds about right."
"How was partnering with Iida?"
"Good. Nothing complicated."
Momo studied his face for a moment, those intelligent dark eyes reading between his words. "You mean it lacked the emotional intensity you're used to."
"Is that bad?"
"Not bad. Just different." She glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. "We should probably discuss this. All three of us. Figure out what this arrangement actually looks like in practice."
"Yeah. I was thinking the same thing."
"My room tonight?" Momo suggested. "I'll bring tea. We can talk properly."
The casual way she said it made something warm bloom in his chest.
"Sounds good. I'll let Mina know."
As Momo walked back to join the other students,
Ryuu pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Mina: *Momo suggested we meet tonight in her room. Talk through how this is going to work. You free?*
The response came almost immediately: *Definitely. What time?*
*7-ish??*
*Perfect. I'll bring snacks. Someone has to balance out all that fancy tea she drinks*
Despite everything....the complications, the uncertainty, the eyes watching their every move....Ryuu found himself smiling.
Maybe this could actually work.
Momo's room, 7:00 PM.
Momo's room reflected her personality perfectly...organized without being sterile, elegant without being cold.
Her desk was arranged efficiency, textbooks and notes in perfect stacks.
A small tea set sat on a low table near the window, the porcelain cups catching the evening light.
Ryuu arrived first,
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Knocking softly on the door.
"Come in," Momo called.
He stepped inside and froze.
Cause of Momo's fit...
The cream sweater was soft and fitted, clinging to her curves in ways her loose uniform never did.
It hugged her breasts perfectly, the fabric stretching across her chest with each breath. The dark leggings were even worse....or better, depending on how he looked at it.
They molded to her legs like a second skin, outlining every inch of her thighs and the perfect curve of her ass.
Her long black hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that swayed when she moved her head, drawing his eyes to the elegant line of her neck.
Fuck. When did Momo get so...
He cut off that thought before it could finish, but his eyes kept tracing her figure.
The leggings left nothing to imagination....he could see the flex of her thighs when she shifted, the way the fabric stretched tight across her hips.
"Thank you for coming," she said, gesturing to the cushions arranged around the tea table. "I thought we should have a proper space to discuss this."
"Thanks for setting it up." Ryuu settled onto one of the cushions, trying not to focus too much on how intimate this felt.
Just the two of them in her private space, soft lighting, the subtle scent of her perfume in the air.
Focus. This is important. Don't make it weird.
Knock! Knock!
A knock on the door announced Mina's arrival. She bounced in with her characteristic energy, carrying a bag of convenience store snacks.
Ryuu's eyes immediately tracked to what she was wearing.....a pink crop top that showed off her toned stomach and sat just tight enough to emphasize her breasts.
They bounced with each enthusiastic step she took.
Below that, she wore black athletic shorts that hugged her hips and ass, riding up slightly on her thighs when she moved.
"Hope I'm not late!" Mina grinned, completely oblivious to how the movement made her chest jiggle. The crop top stretched with each breath.
Both of them. Casual clothes. In Momo's room.
His brain was short-circuiting.
Ryuu shifted slightly, forcing his eyes away from how Mina's shorts clung to her curves as she settled onto a cushion across from him.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
"I brought Chips, chocolate, those little cream puffs you both like."
"I was planning to serve tea and cookies," Momo said with mild amusement.
"Yeah, but these are fun cookies." Mina grinned, pulling out packages and spreading them across the table. "This is a relationship discussion, not a board meeting."
"Point taken."
Once they were all settled....Momo pouring tea with gracefully as always, but....the movement made her sweater shift, fabric pulling tighter across her breasts.
Ryuu looked away quickly.
Mina was already munching on chips, legs crossed.
The position made her shorts ride up higher on her thighs.
Focus on the conversation. Eyes up.
Then the weight of what they were about to discuss settled over them.
Mina broke the silence first. "So. We're really doing this."
"Apparently," Ryuu replied.
"Then we need ground rules," Momo set down the teapot. "We need clear communication about expectations and boundaries."
"Okay." Mina leaned forward...her crop top dipped lower with the movement. "I'll start. I want honesty. Complete honesty about feelings, about what you're doing with each other, about everything. No secrets, no assumptions."
"Agreed," Momo Momo shifted, crossing her legs. "I want emotional and intellectual authenticity. No pretending to feel things we don't, and no hiding things we do feel."
They both looked at Ryuu.
The directness of their expectations made his throat tight. "I want to stop being afraid of my own emotions," he said finally. "I want to embrace connections instead of running from them. And I want both of you to feel valued and respected, not like you're competing."
"Good starting point," Mina said. "What about physical boundaries?"
The question hung in the air.
"I think..." Momo paused, choosing her words carefully. "I think that should develop naturally. Forced timelines or artificial restrictions might create more problems than they solve."
"As long as everyone communicates," Mina added, her usual playfulness subdued by seriousness. "About what they're comfortable with. What they want. What they're not ready for."
Ryuu felt heat creep up his neck. "Yeah. Communication. Definitely."
"And jealousy?" Momo asked, looking between them. "That's going to come up. How do we handle it?"
"We talk about it," Mina said firmly. "The moment it shows up....we talk about it
....we can't let it fester."
"What about time?" Ryuu asked. "How do we make sure everyone feels... I don't know. Included?"
"We figure it out as we go," Mina reached for another chip.
Her movement made her top ride up slightly, exposing more of her stomach. "Some days you might spend time with Momo. Some days with me. Some days all three of us. As long as no one's being deliberately shut out, we'll make it work."
"And our classmates?" Momo raised an eyebrow. "They're going to notice. They already are noticing."
"Let them notice," Mina shrugged. "We're not doing anything wrong. If people have problems with it, that's on them."
"Easy for you to say," Ryuu muttered. "You're not the one everyone's watching."
"Actually, they're watching all of us," Momo corrected gently. "But Mina's right. As long as we're honest with each other and respecting everyone's feelings, what we do is our business."
The conversation continued for another hour, covering everything from study schedules to training partnerships to what happens if one of them develops feelings for someone else.
It was awkward and sometimes uncomfortably honest, but by the end, Ryuu felt like they'd actually laid a foundation.
As time passed and Mina gathered her snack wrappers, she paused by the door.
"So... are we doing this? Like, officially?"
"I think we are," Momo said, glancing at Ryuu.
He looked between them....Mina's hopeful expression, Momo's calm expression....and felt something settle in his chest.
Fear was still there, uncertainty about how this would work, worry about hurting them.
But underneath it all was something stronger....the belief that these two people were worth the risk.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Let's try this."
Mina's face lit up with her brilliant smile. "Then I guess this is officially the weirdest and best decision we've ever made."
"Unconventional doesn't mean wrong," Momo added, her own smile softer but no less genuine.
As Ryuu walked back to his room later that night, his mind was still processing everything.
The arrangement was new, untested, probably going to cause more complications down the line.
But for the first time since his quirk had started complicating his relationships, he didn't feel like he was running from connections.
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Author Note: it's time...