Chapter 9: The Cold Aftershock
The adrenaline was gone. In its place was a heavy, suffocating exhaustion that settled over the students of Class 1-A like a wet blanket.
Outside the USJ, the sky was turning a bruised purple as evening approached. Police lights—red and blue—flashed rhythmically, painting the faces of the students in alternating shades of alarm and relief. Detective Tsukauchi was coordinating the officers, counting heads, and taking statements.
Aokiji sat on the rear bumper of an ambulance, a gray thermal blanket draped over his shoulders. He wasn't injured, technically. There wasn't a scratch on him. But his skin was pale, almost translucent, and he was shivering. Reforming his body from ice shards required a massive amount of caloric energy and mental focus. He felt like he had run a marathon while holding his breath.
"Kuzan-kun."
Aokiji lifted his head. Midoriya stood there, his green eyes were worried. Beside him stood Asui and Mineta. They looked at Aokiji not just with gratitude, but with a lingering sense of horror.
"You're... really okay?" Midoriya asked, his voice trembling. "We saw you. Your head... it was..."
"Gone?" Aokiji finished, his voice raspy. He reached up and tapped his neck. "It's a weird sensation. Like losing the signal on a TV for a second. I don't recommend it."
Mineta sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "I thought you were dead! I thought I was going to see a murder! You can't just break apart like that! It's bad for my heart!"
"Sorry," Aokiji offered a tired half-smile. "Next time I'll try to stay in one piece. But that Nomu... It hits hard."
"It was terrifying," Asui added, placing a finger on her chin. "But you were amazing, ribbit. You saved Aizawa-sensei. You saved us."
Aokiji pulled the blanket tighter. "I just bought time. All Might did the heavy lifting."
"Don't be modest!"
The shout came from the side. Kirishima approached, supporting a limping Bakugo. Todoroki walked slightly behind them, his face unreadable.
"We heard!" Kirishima grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "You fought the main boss solo until All Might showed up! That was so manly, Kuzan!"
Bakugo shoved Kirishima's arm off him. He stood in front of Aokiji, his hands trembling—not from fear, but from suppressed rage. He looked at Aokiji.
"Don't get cocky, Ice-for-Brains," Bakugo snarled. His voice was low, lacking its usual explosive volume. "You only got the spotlight because I was warped to the wrong zone. If I had been at the plaza... I would have blown that bird-brain into nuggets before you even finished blinking."
Aokiji looked up at Bakugo. He didn't see a bully; he saw a boy who was terrified that he wasn't the protagonist of this story.
"Sure, Bakugo," Aokiji said softly. "You probably would have. I was just the understudy today."
Bakugo grit his teeth. The lack of pushback annoyed him more than an insult would have. He scowled, kicked a pebble, and stormed off toward the bus. "Damn it! Being late... it pisses me off!"
Todoroki remained. He stared at Aokiji. His gaze drifted to the thermal blanket, then to the lingering frost on Aokiji's suit.
"You froze its cells," Todoroki said. It wasn't a question. "You bypassed the external durability by targeting the internal water content. That requires precision, not just power."
Aokiji met Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes. "It was a gamble. If All Might hadn't hit it at the exact right second, I would have just given the monster a cold shower."
"You took the lead," Todoroki said quietly, his left fist clenching at his side. "Endeavor will hear about this. He watches the news."
"Tell your dad I said hi," Aokiji waved dismissively, closing his eyes. "I wish I will never be in the same place with him. I feel like I'm going to melt if he looked at me.."
The Kuzan Estate
The ride home was silent. When Aokiji walked through the front door, he expected his parents to be asleep. It was late.
Instead, the lights in the main hall were blazing. His father, Soichiro, stood by the fireplace. His mother sat on the sofa, her hands clasped tightly.
For a second, Aokiji thought they were worried.
"The news report," Soichiro said, holding up a remote. "They are calling it the 'Miracle at USJ.' They didn't catch your face clearly, but the description—'a student with freezing capabilities'—is circulating."
"I'm fine, by the way," Aokiji said, dropping his bag on the floor. "Thanks for asking. Almost died. Got my head knocked off. But I'm fine."
His mother stood up then. She walked over to him. She didn't hug him. She reached out and touched his cheek, her hand warm against his cold skin.
"Your temperature is dangerously low," she noted. "Go to the heated bath. I will have the staff prepare a high-calorie meal."
"That's it?" Aokiji asked, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "No 'I'm glad you're alive'?"
"We are Kuzans," his father said from the fireplace. "We do not panic. We survive. You did what was expected of your bloodline. You protected the asset—yourself—and demonstrated value. Well done."
Aokiji looked at his father. Value. Asset.
"Right," Aokiji sighed. "I'm going to bed."
He walked up the stairs. As he passed Sayuri's room, the door creaked open. His sister stood there in her pajamas, holding a stuffed penguin. The white in her crystal eyes was red. She had been crying.
She didn't say anything about assets or value. She just ran forward and buried her face in his stomach, hugging him so hard it hurt.
"This is so warm you know?" He commented.
"You idiot," she sobbed into his shirt. "I saw the news. The article said you were broken many times by that monster..."
Aokiji's expression softened. He rested his hand on her head, finally relaxing his shoulders.
"I'm made of ice, Sayuri," he whispered. "Ice breaks. But I'll always come back. Trust your big brother.."
"I wanna trust you, but I'm afraid. I don't want to lose you.." She replied.
She held him for a long time. And for the first time since the fight, Aokiji felt human again, a warm and small smile appeared on his face.