Thursday Morning
Ryuu woke early, restless energy pulling him from sleep before his alarm could sound.
The final day of preparation. Tomorrow would be the festival itself, and then... whatever came after that.
He dressed quickly and headed to Recovery Girl's office for his scheduled check-up.
Two weeks since the attack at the research institute, and while his body had healed completely, his quirk still felt different. Not weaker...stronger, actually.
But rebuilt from the ground up, like a house torn down and reconstructed on a better foundation.
"Sit," Recovery Girl commanded when he arrived, her cane tapping against the examination table.
Ryuu settled onto the familiar surface, extending his hand toward her.
"Focus on my healing quirk," she instructed, placing her small hand in his. "Try to amplify it."
Ryuu closed his eyes, reaching for that warm sensation in his chest that he'd come to associate with Resonance. The feeling was stronger now, more stable than even a few days ago. He let his quirk flow gently into Recovery Girl, careful not to push too hard.
Fortunately the effect was immediate.
Recovery Girl's healing factor blazed with enhanced power, cellular regeneration accelerating, energy costs dropping.
"Remarkable," Recovery Girl murmured. "That's approximately 2.5 times enhancement. Much stronger than your baseline before the incident."
Ryuu maintained the amplification for another minute before letting it fade, feeling only slightly drained. A week ago, that level of enhancement would have left him exhausted.
"I don't understand," he said. "How am I stronger after a complete burnout?"
Recovery Girl removed her hand and made notes on her tablet. "Sometimes trauma forces evolution. Your quirk didn't just heal—it adapted. Grew stronger to prevent future burnout."
"Is that... normal?"
"Nothing about your quirk has ever been normal," Recovery Girl replied with a slight smile. "But evolution in response to stress? That's one of the fundamental principles of quirk development."
Evolution in response to stress. The words followed Ryuu as he left the medical wing and headed toward the main campus.
...
The festival grounds buzzed with final preparation energy.
Colorful banners stretched between buildings. Food preparation areas lined the pathways. Someone—probably Momo—had organized everything with military precision.
"Kazama!" Kirishima called from near the combat demonstration area. "Come help us move these mats! They're heavier than they look!"
Ryuu spent the morning bouncing between tasks. Moving equipment with Kirishima and Sero. Helping Sato arrange dessert displays. Double-checking cable connections with Kaminari (who hadn't electrocuted anything yet, surprisingly).
Around noon, he found himself at Bakugo's cooking station, where the explosive boy was arranging ingredients with aggressive precision.
"OI! Resonance!" Bakugo barked. "Taste this!"
He shoved a small plate at Ryuu—some kind of curry rice, still steaming.
Ryuu took a bite. Complex spices, perfectly balanced heat, restaurant quality.
"This is incredible."
"Tch. Obviously." But Bakugo looked pleased. "Festival's tomorrow. Everything better be perfect or I'm blowing someone up."
"That's the spirit," Ryuu said dryly.
"Damn right it is."
...
Afternoon
The entire class was working together now, the final push before tomorrow.
Ryuu stood near the main courtyard, watching it all come together. Bakugo actually smiling (barely) while adjusting his cooking station. Midoriya's arms still in lighter casts, but helping with decorations using his mouth and sheer determination. Mina teaching a dance routine to anyone willing to learn. Momo organizing logistics with terrifying efficiency.
Ochaco making things float for easier setup. Tsuyu keeping everyone hydrated. Jirou providing background music from the performance stage.
This was what they'd been fighting to protect. Moments like these. The ability to create something joyful together without fear.
His quirk hummed at roughly 70% capacity now, picking up the general emotional atmosphere. Excitement. Anticipation. Hope.
After everything they'd been through, the class needed this.
"You're doing it again," Mina said, appearing at his elbow.
"Doing what?"
"The philosophical hero stare." She grinned. "Where you look at everyone like you're memorizing them."
"I'm not—"
"You absolutely are. It's very recognizable." She bumped his shoulder. "But it's sweet. You care about people. That's why your quirk works the way it does."
Before Ryuu could respond, Momo appeared on his other side.
"We should talk," she said. "Tonight. The three of us."
Something in her tone made Ryuu look at her more carefully. Not worried, exactly. But serious.
"Okay," he agreed.
...
Evening
The sun was setting by the time most students headed back to the dorms, exhausted but satisfied.
Ryuu found Mina and Momo waiting for him in a quiet corner of the common room, away from where the others were sprawled across couches watching hero documentaries.
"So," Momo began once they were settled, "we should probably discuss some things. Given recent developments."
"You've been spending time with the others," Mina added. "Which we encouraged! But we should probably establish some boundaries."
Ryuu felt his stomach twist slightly. "Boundaries?"
"Nothing restrictive," Momo clarified quickly. "Just... communication guidelines. What we're comfortable with. What requires discussion first."
They spent the next hour talking...really talking, about the complexities of their unconventional relationship. What felt okay, what needed more thought, how to handle developing feelings for others.
"The foundation is us three," Momo said finally. "Everything else builds from here."
"But that doesn't mean we're closed off," Mina added. "Just means we talk about things. Honestly."
"I can do that," Ryuu promised.
They sealed it with a group hug, the three of them holding each other as the common room gradually emptied around them.
Eventually, people started drifting off to their rooms. But somehow, most of Class 3-A ended up staying in the common room instead—too excited about tomorrow to sleep properly, too comfortable with each other to want to leave.
Someone suggested a movie, but they ended up just talking instead, the conversation flowing easily between festival plans and random observations.
Ryuu found himself on the couch between Mina and Momo again, warm and comfortable. Across from them, Ochaco and Tsuyu were playing cards while Jirou provided sarcastic commentary. Even Bakugo was there, pretending not to listen to Midoriya's analysis of All Might's fighting techniques.
"This is nice," Mina murmured against his shoulder.
"Yeah," Ryuu agreed softly.
One by one, people fell asleep where they were. Kaminari first, then Kirishima, his snoring joining the ambient noise. Even Bakugo's aggressive presence mellowed as his eyes grew heavy.
Ryuu let his own eyes drift closed, just for a moment.
Tomorrow would be perfect.