Chapter 5: Icy Rose
The weekend at the Kuzan estate was not a time for relaxation; it was a time for audit.
While most students of Class 1-A were likely spending their Saturday sleeping in, playing video games, or training in local parks, Aokiji sat at the long mahogany table in his father's study. The room was lined with books on macroeconomics and global logistics. The air conditioning was set to a temperature that would make a normal person shiver, but for the Kuzan men, it was merely room temperature.
"Your homeroom teacher," his father, Soichiro Kuzan, said without looking up from his tablet. "Shota Aizawa. An underground hero. Eraserhead. Logical choice for a teacher, though his public approval ratings are nonexistent because he hates the media."
Aokiji sat slumped in a leather chair, spinning a pen between his fingers. "He's effective. He threatened to expel us on the first day. It was... refreshing."
"And your peers?" Soichiro asked, finally glancing at his son. "Did you meet the girl of Yaoyorozu family, and Todoroki boy?"
"They're there, Momo is friendly, always talking to me first. But for shoto.." Aokiji replied, his voice flat. "He's intense. Doesn't talk much."
"Endeavor's masterpiece," Soichiro mused. "Do not antagonize him, but do not let him overshadow you. The Kuzan brand relies on 'Absolute Zero' reliability. If Todoroki is fire and ice, he is volatile. You must be the constant."
Aokiji sighed, a small puff of white mist escaping his lips. "I'm just trying to get through high school without failing math, Father. I'm not trying to launch a branding campaign."
"They are one and the same," Soichiro said coldly. "Dismissed."
Aokiji stood up and walked out of the study, the heavy oak doors closing behind him with a dull thud. He felt drained. Not physically—he hadn't moved a muscle—but socially. The weight of being a "Kuzan" was heavier than any weight training All Might could invent.
He wandered down the hallway and found himself in the solarium. It was a glass-walled room filled with exotic plants that required specific temperatures.
His sister, Sayuri, was there. She was watering a delicate orchid.
"Rough meeting?" she asked without turning around.
"The usual," Aokiji muttered, collapsing onto a wicker sofa. "Stock prices. Hero rankings. The strategic value of my classmates. I feel like an asset, not a person."
Sayuri set the watering can down and turned to him. She looked so much like him, the same hair colour, but with crystal eyes like ice. She was Quirkless. In a family of ice giants, she was the only one who felt the cold.
"You should be grateful, you know," she said softly, sitting on the edge of the sofa. "You're at U.A. You're in the Hero Course. Thousands of kids would kill for your spot."
"They can have it," Aokiji closed his eyes. "I'd trade it for a quiet nap and a normal job."
"Liar," Sayuri poked his arm. "I saw the news of UA platform. The reports from the mock battles. They said you froze an entire building in three seconds. You might act lazy, Aokiji, but your Quirk... it loves to be used. I can see it."
Aokiji opened one eye. He looked at his sister, seeing the longing in her face. He sat up slowly.
"Give me your hand," he said.
"Why?"
"Just do it."
She extended her hand. Aokiji placed his large, cold hand underneath hers. He concentrated—not calling forth a glacier, but something gentler. He focused on the moisture in the air between their palms.
Slowly, delicately, a snowflake formed. Then another. The frost shaped itself with careful precision, swirling and weaving into a small, translucent blossom. An ice flower—its petals thin as glass, its center glowing faintly with captured light. It looked fragile enough to break from a breath, yet perfect in every detail.
Sayuri gasped softly. Her eyes widened, shimmering. "It's… beautiful."
"You think so?" Aokiji shrugged, leaning back again. "For me it's just a cold toy that will melt in few seconds."
Sayuri held the delicate ice flower close, as though afraid it might melt. "You're still an idiot, big brother… but thank you. I love it!"
And for a moment, the cold estate felt just a little warmer.
Monday Morning: The Class Representative
Back at school, the atmosphere was chaotic.
"I believe I am the most suited for the role!" Iida shouted, his hand raised so high it nearly touched the ceiling.
"Pick me! I want to be the leader!" Ashido cheered.
"I'll do it," Bakugo yelled. "I'll force you extras to fall in line!"
Aizawa stood at the podium, wrapped in his yellow sleeping bag like a disgruntled caterpillar. "I don't care what you do. Just decide before my nap is over." He flopped onto the floor.
Aokiji stared at the chaos. Class Representative. That sounds like extra meetings. Extra paperwork. Responsibility.
"I nominate Aokiji!" Mineta shouted from under a desk. "He's scary and strong! He'll protect us!"
Aokiji froze. He slowly turned his head to glare at Mineta. "Mineta... if you nominate me, I will freeze your grapes off."
Mineta shrieked and withdrew his nomination.
In the end, they held a vote. Aokiji looked at his slip of paper. He looked at the girl sitting next to him. Momo Yaoyorozu. She was organizing her desk supplies by color and size. She was diligent, smart, and actually seemed to enjoy administration.
Perfect, Aokiji thought. She can do the work.
He wrote Momo Yaoyorozu on the paper.
When the results came in, Midoriya had three votes. Momo had two. Aokiji had zero (much to his relief).
"I... I got three votes?" Midoriya stammered, shaking.
"And Yaoyorozu has two," Aizawa muttered, waking up. "Fine. Midoriya is Rep. Yaoyorozu is Deputy. Now, get out. It's lunch."
The Alarm
Lunch was typically the highlight of Aokiji's day. The cafeteria served a cold udon that was exceptional. He sat with his usual group—Tokoyami, Shoji, and Ojiro. The "Quiet Club," as he mentally called them.
"The curriculum is accelerating," Tokoyami noted, picking at his food. "Rescue training is rumored to be next."
"Rescue..." Aokiji mumbled, his mouth full. "Sounds like carrying heavy things."
Suddenly, a siren blared. It was a sound that vibrated in the teeth.
"SECURITY LEVEL 3 BREACH. ALL STUDENTS, PLEASE EVACUATE OUTDOORS PROMPTLY."
Panic. Instant and total.
Students stampeded toward the exit. Aokiji was shoved sideways by a panicked third-year student. He didn't push back; he just turned his body into ice for a split second, letting the student slide off him, then reformed.
"Too loud," Aokiji grumbled, covering his ears. He remained seated while the sea of bodies rushed past.
"Kuzan! We must evacuate!" Iida shouted, trying to control the crowd but failing.
Aokiji looked out the massive glass windows of the cafeteria. He could see the front gate. It wasn't broken by force. It looked... crumbled. Disintegrated. And swarming through the gap were reporters.
"It's just the press," Aokiji said, though nobody heard him over the screaming.
He saw Iida get crushed against the window. He saw Uraraka float Iida. He saw Iida slam onto the exit sign and announce that it was just the media.
The crowd calmed down.
Aokiji took another bite of his udon. "Finally. Peace and quiet."
But his eyes didn't leave the gate. He narrowed his gaze. The way the barrier had been destroyed... that wasn't normal. Metal didn't just turn to dust.