The walk back to the assembly point felt like the longest few minutes of Ryuu's life. Other student pairs were already gathering, some celebrating successful missions while others looked frustrated with their performance.
The chatter and laughter that normally filled these post-exercise gatherings seemed muted to his ears.
Mina walked beside him, close enough that their arms occasionally brushed as they moved.
Each contact sent small jolts through him, reminders of the intense connection they had just shared.
Her breathing had returned to normal, but there was still a flush to her pink cheeks that hadn't completely faded.
"That bot was way tougher than the others" Kirishima called out as they approached the group. "How did you guys handle the big one"
"It's Teamwork" Mina replied, shooting a sideways glance at Ryuu. "Turns out we make a pretty good combination"
Sero whistled appreciatively. "Your acid was glowing white hot near the end there. That was some serious firepower"
Ryuu noticed how Mina's eyes lingered on him when Sero mentioned the power boost.
She was trying to remember the sensation.
The way her pupils dilated slightly is already a fact that the quirk's effects is still on her...even though it looks minute.
"Resonance quirks are pretty useful" Denki said with his usual silly grin. "Maybe I should partner with Kazama next time. Imagine how much electricity I could generate"
"You'd probably fry your own brain even faster" Jiro said dryly, earning laughs from the group.
Aizawa approached with his tablet, ready to deliver their performance evaluations. His tired eyes scanned the assembled students before settling on individual pairs.
"Most of you performed adequately" he began in his characteristic monotone. "Some exceeded expectations. Others failed to utilize their quirks effectively as a team"
His gaze moved to Ryuu and Mina. "Kazama and Ashido. Your civilian rescue time was the fastest recorded today. Your coordination during combat showed significant improvement over previous partnership exercises"
Ryuu felt a mix of pride and anxiety at the praise. Success meant they had worked well together, but it also meant people had noticed their effectiveness.
"However" Aizawa continued, "I observed some concerning fluctuations in your emotional states during the final confrontation. There was heightened adrenaline which is normal, but what I witnessed went beyond standard combat stress"
Mina's face reddened further. Aizawa's analytical skills were legendary among the students. Of course he had noticed something was off.
"Quirks that affect brain chemistry require careful monitoring" Aizawa said, his eyes boring into Ryuu. "Especially when used on classmates. We'll discuss this further during individual consultations"
'Great'. Ryuu's stomach dropped. Individual consultations with Aizawa were never pleasant under normal circumstances.
"For now, return to the locker rooms and prepare for afternoon classes" Aizawa dismissed them.
As the group began to disperse, Mina caught Ryuu's arm. Her touch was light but he still felt that spark of awareness.
"Hey" she muttered softly. "Don't worry about what sensei said. What happened out there...it felt right to me"
Her golden eyes were sincere, but Ryuu could see something else lurking beneath the surface.
A curiosity that hadn't been there before. His quirk had awakened something in her, and he wasn't sure either of them understood what it was yet.
"Mina" he called out to her, but she was already walking away toward the girls' locker room.
"~See you in class~" she called over her shoulder, her voice carrying a musical quality that made several male students turn to look.
Ryuu headed to the boys' locker room, his mind was still racing.
He needed to figure out how to handle this situation before it spiraled out of control.
Inside, the usual post-exercise chaos greeted him. Steam from hot showers filled the air while students discussed their performances and compared notes.
"Dude, what was that thing you did with Ashido" Kaminari (Denki) asked, appearing beside Ryuu's locker. "When we were reviewing each fights, her acid was like nothing I've ever seen. You totally amplified her beyond normal limits"
"That's what support quirks do" Ryuu replied, trying to keep his tone neutral as he changed out of his costume.
"Yeah but most support quirks don't make the person look like they're having a religious experience" Mineta said with his typical perverted grin. "Ashido looked like she was really enjoying your boost, if you know what I 'mean'"
Ryuu's hands clenched involuntarily. "It's not like that"
"Hey now" Kirishima interrupted, stepping between them. "Don't be weird about it, Mineta. They were just working well together as partners"
"I'm just saying what everyone was thinking" Mineta shrugged. "The way she was moving around that bot, all graceful and fluid. And the way she kept looking at Kazama like he was the most interesting thing in the world"
"Drop it" Ryuu said, his voice carrying a warning edge.
Mineta raised his hands in mock surrender, but his grin suggested he had noticed more than he was letting on.
As Ryuu finished changing, his phone buzzed with a text message. The sender made his heart skip a beat.
Mina: *That was incredible today. I've never felt anything like that before. Can we talk after classes*
He stared at the message for a long moment before typing back.
Ryuu: *Sure. What about*
Three dots appeared immediately, showing she was typing.
Mina: *Everything. Your quirk, what happened during the fight, what sensei said. I have so many questions*
Ryuu: *Meet me on the roof after final period*
Mina: *Perfect. And Ryuu... thank you for trusting me today*
He put his phone away, but not before noticing that she had used his first name in the text.
'When have we moved past surnames?'. He dtared at his screen, unable to hide his astonishment.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of lectures and note-taking.
Ryuu found it difficult to concentrate, especially during the classes he shared with Mina.
She kept glancing at him during lessons, and each time their eyes met, he felt a faint connection, one that he knew from the training ground.
During Modern Literature, she passed him a note when the teacher wasn't looking.
*Do you always feel everything your partner feels when you use your quirk*
Ryuu hesitated before writing back.
*Depends on the strength of the connection. Today was unusually intense*
*Why was it so intense with me*
That was the question he had been dreading.
How could he explain that emotional resonance worked both ways.
That her natural warmth and openness had made it impossible for him to maintain his usual barriers.
*Some people are easier to connect with than others*
*Is that good or bad*
Ryuu looked at the question for a long time before responding.
*I don't know yet*
When the final bell rang, Ryuu's nerves were stretched tight.
The conversation waiting for him on the roof could go several different ways, and most of them ended with complications he wasn't ready to handle.
He climbed the stairs slowly, trying to organize his thoughts.
How much should he tell her about the real nature of his quirk.
About why he had transferred to the hero course so late. About what had happened with his mother.
The roof door was already open when he arrived. Mina stood near the railing, looking out over the UA campus.
The afternoon sun cast her in golden light, highlighting the curves of her figure in her school uniform.
She turned when she heard his footsteps, and the smile she gave him was soft and genuine.
"I was starting to think you might not come"
"I said I would" Ryuu replied, joining her at the railing.
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, watching other students move across the campus below.
"So" Mina said eventually. "Your quirk. It's not just amplification is it"
Ryuu's hands gripped the railing tighter. "What do you mean"
"I felt it, Ryuu. During the fight, when you boosted my acid. It wasn't just my quirk that got stronger. Everything felt more intense. My heartbeat, my breathing, the way I was aware of you watching me"
She turned to face him fully, her golden eyes searching his face.
"It felt like I could sense your emotions too. Like there was this connection between us that went both ways"
Ryuu closed his eyes briefly. She was too perceptive. Too willing to dig deeper when most people would have accepted the surface explanation.
"Resonance is more complicated than I usually tell people" he admitted quietly.
"How complicated"
This was it. The moment where he either trusted her with the truth or built another wall between them.
Looking into her earnest face, seeing the genuine curiosity and care there, Ryuu made his choice.
"My quirk doesn't just amplify abilities. It creates emotional and physical resonance between me and my target. The stronger the connection, the more intense the effects become"
Mina nodded slowly. "And the side effects"
"Can include heightened sensitivity to all stimuli. Enhanced emotional responses. In some cases..." he paused, struggling with how to phrase it.
"In some cases what"
"Increased attraction and arousal" he said quietly, his cheeks burning. "Especially between opposite genders"
Mina was quiet for a long moment, processing this information. When she spoke again, her voice was thoughtful rather than shocked.
"Is that why you transferred to the hero course so late. Because of problems with your quirk"
Ryuu nodded, not trusting his voice.
"And that's why you're always so careful around girls. You're afraid of accidentally affecting them"
Another nod.
Mina stepped closer to him, close enough that he could smell her shampoo again. When he looked at her, there was no fear or disgust in her expression. Only understanding.
"Thank you for telling me the truth" she said softly. "That must have been difficult"
"Aren't you worried" Ryuu asked. "About what you felt today. Whether it was real or just my quirk influencing you"
Mina was quiet for a moment, considering the question seriously.
"I've been thinking about that all afternoon" she said finally. "And I realized something. I was already attracted to you before today"
Ryuu's breath caught.
"I've been watching you since you transferred here. The way you're always so careful with everyone, so thoughtful about how your actions affect others. Your quirk might have made me more aware of those feelings, but it didn't create them"
She reached out and took his hand, her touch warm and steady.
"Besides" she added with a small smile. "If your quirk really did influence my emotions, wouldn't the effects have worn off by now"
Ryuu realized she was right. It had been hours since their last physical contact during the exercise. Any artificial emotional amplification should have faded completely.
"So what happens now" he asked.
Mina's smile widened. "Now we figure out what this is between us. Without your quirk complicating things. Just us"
Mina held his hand gently. "If you want to, that is"
Looking into her golden eyes, seeing the hope and nervousness there, Ryuu felt something shift inside him. Maybe it was time to stop running from connections and start embracing them.
"I'd like that" he said quietly.
The smile that spread across Mina's face was radiant enough to rival the setting sun behind her.
For the first time in years, Ryuu allowed himself to believe that maybe his quirk didn't have to be a curse. Maybe, with the right person, it could be something beautiful instead.