The room went quiet again for several moments.
It felt suffocating yet peaceful, strangely comforting.
Like everyone was finally allowing themselves to feel what they had been trying to ignore since USJ.
Tsuyu was the first one to speak after Kirishima.
"...Momo-chan."
Momo stilled slightly inside Akira's arms before slowly looking toward her.
Tsuyu's expression remained calm as always, but her eyes were glittery, her voice lower than usual.
" I'm glad you did it, kero."
Several students looked toward her.
Tsuyu lowered her gaze briefly.
" I didn't even notice him behind me." she admitted quietly. " If you hadn't acted... I probably would've died there."
Momo's breathing hitched again.
" So..." Tsuyu continued softly, " thank you. Thank you for saving me.... You saved me Kero. Even if you are a killer, you are ... A Hero for me... Kero ."
Momo stared at her silently before her face crumpled harder, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. Out of relief or sadness, she did not know. But her heart felt lighter, as if something heavy was removed.
Kaminari looked at Kirishima who was looking down at his hands with frustration.
And a weak laugh escaped his lips in broken breath.
Everyone turned toward him.
" Yeah... Kirishima...." he muttered, staring down at his hands.
Kirishima looked up at him , the tears still clinging to his eyes.
" Same for me." Kaminari added with a forced smile.
" I just wanted to shock them enough to knock them out..." His fingers twitched slightly as he held them infront of him.
" That's all I wanted."
His voice began shaking.
" But then they dropped. There was no movement from them... They had this smell coming from them..... As if ...as if.... something got burned ...."
The room stayed silent. His face twisted into frustration as tears threatened to fall.
He clutched his shirt tightly with one hand as he continued, his body shivering from the tension in his muscles.
Kaminari swallowed hard.
" And then I panicked." he admitted quietly. " Another guy came at me and I just..."
His breathing became uneven.
" I used max output without thinking."
" It hit him..." his voice cracked, "...and the people behind him too."
Momo's eyes widened slightly.
Kaminari let out another weak laugh that sounded far too close to crying.
" Hell... I almost hit Yaoyorozu too."
Jiro immediately grabbed his hand as she looked at him.
" Kaminari..." she whispered.
But he kept going anyway.
Like if he stopped now, he would never say it again..
" I couldn't think properly after that." His other hand moved toward his head shakily. " Everything felt loud. My brain just... stopped working. That happened all time after I used max output... But..... This time.... I could hear others....See everything..... But.. but... I couldn't control anything.... I couldn't move.."
His breathing became harsher.
" And then I saw Shigaraki running at me."
Several students stiffened immediately at the name.
Kaminari stared blankly ahead.
" I knew I should move."
His fingers clenched around his shirt near his heart.
" But I couldn't."
His voice broke completely.
" I just stood there...."
Tears finally slipped down his face.
" And when Todoroki's ice went through him..."
He inhaled shakily.
" For a second, for a second... I was relieved..... Relieved that he died..."
The confession made the room freeze for a few seconds.
Kaminari immediately covered his face with one hand as if horrified by his own words.
" God..." he laughed weakly through tears, " what the hell is wrong with me..."
Jiro immediately moved closer, gripping his hand tighter while her other placing the other hand on his shoulder.
" Nothing is wrong with you idiot..." she whispered shakily.
But Kaminari had already started crying properly now.
Beside him, Kirishima clenched his trembling hands tightly against his thighs.
More tears slipped down his face silently while Sero's hand rested quietly on his shoulder from beside him without saying a word as an anchor.
" Shoto. What about you?" Akira asked as she turned to him. " How are you feeling?" She added knowing full well that he is the one with the highest amount of blood on his hands in the room for that day.
Todoroki took a deep breath as he brought his hands to his face in a prayer position.
He looked down as if he's contemplating something and closed his eyes silently.
A moment passed as nobody disturbed him.
" I don't know. " He said finally breaking the silence. " I don't know what I am feeling. It .... doesn't feel any different from before except that I killed people." He added slowly.
" .... I know this may not sound heroic but... I don't regret it. " His final words came as he finally looked up from his hands.