The debriefing session felt like it lasted forever.
Aizawa and the other instructors reviewed each team's performance with typical thoroughness, highlighting successful tactics and areas for improvement.
Ryuu and Momo received high marks for their coordination and creative problem-solving, but he barely heard the praise.
His attention kept drifting to where Mina sat three rows ahead, her pink hair catching the fluorescent lights in the room.
She hadn't looked back at him once during the entire presentation, her focus seemingly locked on the instructors' analysis of rescue techniques and strategic planning.
When the session finally ended, students began filing out in small groups, discussing their experiences and comparing notes from different scenarios.
Ryuu started to stand, intending to catch up with Mina, but Momo's hand on his arm stopped him.
"We should talk" she said quietly, her dark pupils locking onto his violet ones. "About what happened during the exercise"
"Later" Ryuu replied, still watching as Mina disappeared through the exit with Ochaco and Tsuyu. "I need to-"
"She's not going anywhere" Momo interrupted gently. "But this conversation can't wait"
Something in her tone made him focus on her fully for the first time since the exercise ended.
Momo's expression was thoughtful rather than celebratory, despite their successful performance.
"What's on your mind" he asked, settling back into his seat as the auditorium emptied around them.
"The resonance we achieved today was remarkable" she began carefully, "but I'm concerned about the emotional intensity we both experienced"
"You...regret the kiss??"
"No" she said immediately, then paused to consider her words. "But I want to make sure it happened for the right reasons"
Ryuu appreciated her analytical approach, even as part of him wished they could just enjoy the afterglow of their success without dissecting every component of what happened....
"What do you mean"
"Your quirk amplifies existing emotions rather than creating new ones" Momo explained. "That kiss felt natural and right in the moment, but we were both operating under significant enhancement effects"
"So you think it was....artificial"
"I think it was honest" she corrected, "but possibly premature. We accelerated past normal relationship development because of the intensity your quirk created"
Her observation was uncomfortably accurate.
Under normal circumstances, he and Momo might have spent weeks or months building toward that level of intimacy.
The amplification had compressed that timeline into a few hours.
"Where does that leave us" he asked.
"I don't know yet" Momo admitted. "I meant what I said about being attracted to you, and that kiss was... significant. But I also don't want either of us making relationship decisions while under the influence of quirk effects"
Her mature perspective was both admirable and frustrating.
Part of him wanted to pursue the connection they had discovered, while another part knew she was right about taking time to process what had happened.
"And Ashido" she continued softly. "You care about her deeply. That was obvious even during our resonance"
"It's complicated"
"Remember....most worthwhile things are" Momo repeated her earlier observation. "But complications don't resolve themselves. You're going to have to make some choices"
Before Ryuu could respond, the auditorium door opened and Kirishima stuck his head inside.
"There you are" the redhead called out. "Everyone's heading to the cafeteria to celebrate. You coming"
"In a few minutes" Ryuu replied.
"Cool. Oh, and Kazama? You might want to hurry. Ashido looked pretty upset when she left"
The comment sent guilt stabbing through Ryuu's chest.
While he had been analyzing relationship dynamics with Momo, Mina was dealing with the emotional fallout of watching him kiss another girl.
"Go" Momo said quietly, reading his expression. "She needs you right now"
"What about us"
"We'll figure it out" she replied with a small smile. "But your friendship with her is more important than whatever this is between us. Don't let pride or confusion cost you someone who clearly matters to you"
Her generosity made Ryuu's chest tight with conflicting emotions.
How was he supposed to choose between two people who were both being understanding about an impossible situation?
"Thank you" he said quietly.
"Don't thank me yet" Momo replied. "I'm not giving up on exploring what we discovered today. I'm just suggesting we do it thoughtfully rather than impulsively"
Ryuu left the auditorium with his head spinning from competing priorities and conflicting desires.
The cafeteria was buzzing with post-exercise energy when he arrived, students from multiple classes sharing stories and celebrating successful partnerships.
He spotted Mina immediately, sitting at a corner table with Ochaco and Tsuyu. Her usual bright demeanor was subdued, her responses to her friends' conversation notably brief.
Taking a deep breath, Ryuu approached their table. "Mind if I join you"
"Of course" Ochaco said brightly, but Tsuyu gave him a look that suggested she was aware of the undercurrents.
"Actually" Tsuyu said, standing and gathering her tray, "Ochaco and I were just leaving, ribbit"
"We were??" Ochaco asked with confusion, then caught Tsuyu's meaningful glance. "Oh, right. We were definitely leaving"
They departed with obvious reluctance, leaving Ryuu alone with Mina for the first time since the exercise. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words and hurt feelings.
"Great job today" Mina said finally, her tone carefully neutral. "You and Yaoyorozu looked like you had excellent chemistry"
The comment was clearly loaded with multiple meanings, but her voice remained steady.
"Min—"
"I'm not upset" she interrupted, though her golden eyes suggested otherwise. "I mean, I am upset, but not at you. Not really"
"Then what"
"I'm upset at myself" she admitted quietly. "For thinking I had some kind of claim on you just because we had one good partnership"
"It wasn't just one good partnership"
"Wasn't it" she asked, meeting his gaze directly. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you can achieve that same connection with anyone who meets your quirk's requirements"
The words hit like physical blows. "That's not true"
"Isn't it" Mina pressed. "You and Yaoyorozu had the same intensity, the same synchronization, the same... intimacy that we shared. What makes what we had special if you can replicate it with someone else"
Ryuu struggled to find an answer that would explain the difference without minimizing either relationship.
The truth was that both partnerships had been intense and meaningful, but in different ways.
"What I have with you isn't just about the quirk resonance" he said finally. "It's about friendship and trust an—"
"And what you have with her is about attraction and compatibility" Mina finished. "I get it, Ryuu. I'm not stupid"
"That's not what I meant"
"Then what did you mean" she asked, her composure finally cracking slightly. "Because I watched you kiss her like you meant it, and now you're here trying to convince me that what we have is somehow different or special"
The hurt in her voice made his chest ache. "It is different. It is special"
"But not special enough to keep you from kissing someone else the first time you found a new partner"
The accusation stung because it contained enough truth to be devastating.
He had kissed Momo, and it had felt natural and right in that moment, regardless of his feelings for Mina.
"I'm sorry" he said quietly. "You're right to be hurt. I should have been more careful about boundaries"
"I don't want your apologies" Mina replied, standing to leave. "I want honesty....I want to know....Do you want to be with me, or are you just keeping me around as a comfortable backup.....while you explore other options"
The direct question deserved a direct answer, but Ryuu found himself frozen by the complexity of his feelings.
He cared about Mina deeply, but he was also genuinely attracted to Momo. Choosing between them felt impossible when both connections seemed meaningful and real.
"I don't know" he admitted finally, the words coming out barely above a whisper.
Mina nodded slowly, as if his uncertainty confirmed something she had already suspected.
"Then figure it out" she said simply. "Because I'm not going to compete for someone who isn't sure they want to be with me"
She walked away without looking back, leaving Ryuu alone at the table with the weight of his indecision crushing down on him.
Around him, other students continued celebrating their successful exercises, but all he could think about was how quickly his attempt to help others with his quirk had turned into a mess of hurt feelings and broken trust.
Maybe his mother had been right to worry about the complications his abilities could create. Maybe some quirks were just too dangerous to use freely, regardless of the potential benefits.
As he sat in the bustling cafeteria feeling more isolated than ever, Ryuu wondered if the connections he craved were worth the damage they seemed to inevitably cause.
The joint exercise had been a success, but personally, it felt like his biggest failure yet.