Tuesday.
The day started like any other morning in U.A...except for one particular class...
Class 3—A
The class atmosphere was filled with nervous energy like one of those days students prepare for a major exams or emergency drills.
There were Students huddled in small groups here and there in the classroom...while there were some students who sat alone like Todoroki, Aoyama...even bakugo was sitting alone in a corner like he's prepping for something.
While there was one among the rest that was doing nothing but running his mouth-off...and it was none other than the "grape-headed", the fun-sized menace himself, Minoru Mineta.
Who was trying to convince Kaminari that confidence alone isn't enough to impress girls.
"Blah-blah-blah...confidence this, confidence that!" Mineta waved his hand dramatically.
"Bro, listen to me, girls don't want confidence, they want mystery, danger, and a guy who can stick to walls!"
Kaminari blinked. "You mean like Spider-Man?"
"No, like me, obviously!" Mineta puffed out his chest, which barely moved the air around him. "I'm basically a romantic ninja. Compact, sticky, and emotionally unavailable."
Kaminari stared at him, one eyebrow twitching like it was trying to escape his face, visibly regretting every life choice that led to this conversation.
Meanwhile, the rest of the class buzzed with tension.
Speculation ran wild about the joint exercise partnerships that would be announced within the hour.
Ryuu sat at his desk trying to appear calm while internally cataloging worst-case scenarios.
Getting paired with someone overly aggressive like Bakugo would be challenging but manageable.
Being assigned to work with someone who had unrealistic expectations about his quirk's capabilities would be far more problematic.
"Stop overthinking it" Mina said, appearing beside his desk with two cups of coffee from the vending machine. "Whatever happens, i know you'll be handle it"
"That's easy for you to say" Ryuu replied, accepting the drink gratefully. "You don't have half the school planning how to optimize your abilities"
"True, but I do have half the school watching to see if I'll do something dramatic when the assignments are announced"
Ryuu looked at her with surprise. "What do you mean"
"Come on, Ryuu. Everyone knows I was the first to get that 5x buff, and we've been tight ever since. Now they're all watching to see how I'll react if you get paired with someone else."
The observation she pointed made him realize he had been so focused on his own concerns that he hadn't considered the pressure Mina was facing.
She was being watched just as closely as he was, but for different reasons.
"Any regrets about getting involved with me?" he muttered quietly.
Mina's response was immediate and firm. "None....But ask me again after I've had to watch some other girl experience what we shared during that first exercise"
Before Ryuu could respond, Aizawa entered the classroom carrying a tablet and wearing his usual expression of mild irritation with the world.
"Settle down" he commanded, and the room fell silent immediately. "The joint exercise partnerships have been finalized. When I call your name, join your assigned partner"
The tension in the room was so thick, Ryuu felt like his heart might burst from how hard it was pounding.
His palms grew damp with sweat as Aizawa began reading from the list.
"Bakugo Katsuki, you're with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu from Class 3-B"
A few snickers arose at the name pairing.
But Bakugo just grunted in acknowledgment.
"Midoriya Izuku, from the special training program, will be partnered with Hatsume Mei from the Support Course once he joins," Aizawa announced, adding to the growing list of pairings. "For now, that leaves us one pair short."
Ryuu hadn't met the guy since joining the class, but he still winced in sympathy.
Hatsume's obsession with testing her inventions was legendary...and not always in a good way.
"Ashido Mina, you'll be working with Monoma Neito from Class 3-B"
Ryuu's stomach dropped.
Monoma was known for his Copy quirk and his stupid attitude toward Class 3-A.
Pairing him with Mina felt deliberately provocative.
Mina's jaw tightened, but she nodded professionally. "Understood, sensei"
"Kazama Ryuu," Aizawa continued, his voice as flat as ever. The room instantly fell silent, every student holding their breath, for he's gonna get paired with.
"You're partnered with Yaoyorozu Momo."
The announcement hit Ryuu like a blow to the head.
But before he could even process it, someone else exploded.
"Whaaaa?!"
It was none other than the pint-sized chaos gremlin himself...Mineta.
"B-but we're supposed to pair with Class B! Why does he get t—"
"Language."
Aizawa cut him off mid-rant, eyes narrowing like he could erase Mineta from existence with a blink.
He didn't raise his voice, but the threat was clear on his face...he even got veins bulging at his temple.
"For anyone thinking of complaining," he continued, his voice rougher than before, "Kazama hasn't been paired with a support-type Quirk yet. This is a strategic decision. So zip it."
""Ugh, that lucky jerk…" Mineta slumped back in his seat, grumbling under his breath.
"Why do all the good pairings go to everyone else? I was this close to greatness!" he muttered, kicking the leg of his desk like it was the cause of his problems.
While Ryuu tried to steady his heartbeat.
Of all the possible partnerships, this was one of the most complicated.
Momo was brilliant, beautiful, and had been actively pursuing opportunities to work with him.
The exercise would put them in close contact for extended periods, requiring the kind of trust and cooperation that his quirk thrived on.
Across the room, Momo's face lit up with genuine pleasure at the announcement. "I look forward to working together, Kazama"
"Likewise" he managed to reply, though his voice sounded strained to his own ears.
The rest of the assignments blurred together as Ryuu processed the implications of his partnership.
When Aizawa finished reading, students began moving to meet their assigned partners, but Mina caught Ryuu's arm before he could stand.
"Remember what we talked about" she said quietly, her golden eyes serious. "About the boundaries and comfort levels. Don't let anyone push you beyond what feels right"
"What about you?" he asked, glancing outside the class where Monoma was waiting with his characteristic smirk. "That guy's going to be trouble"
"I can handle Monoma" Mina replied with confidence. "He's all talk and no substance. Just focus on your own partnership"
They separated reluctantly, and Ryuu approached where Momo was waiting near the window.
She had arranged her materials with typical efficiency, her notebooks and tablets were organized in perfect order.
"I've been researching more emotional based support-type quirks since our last conversation" she dropped the first bomb without preamble. "The theoretical applications are fascinating"
"But It's more complicated in practice than it looks on paper" Ryuu warned.
"I understand there are emotional components involved" Momo said calmly. "I'm prepared to establish the necessary trust framework for effective collaboration"
The way she discussed emotional connection made Ryuu slightly uncomfortable, but he appreciated her direct approach.
At least she wasn't pretending the psychological aspects didn't exist.
"What do you know about the exercise scenarios" he asked, settling into the desk beside her.
"It's a Multi-stage rescue operations with increasing difficulty" Momo explained, consulting her notes. "Teams will be scored on efficiency, civilian safety, and creative problem-solving"
"Sounds like it plays to both our strengths"
"Exactly what I was thinking" she agreed with a smile. "Your amplification combined with my creation abilities could be incredibly effective if properly coordinated"
As they talked strategy, Ryuu noticed the growing attention around their pairing.
Most students were focused on their own partners, but a few kept sneaking glances their way...whispering, some were even nudging each other, clearly talking about him and Momo.
While Sero was grinning like he knew what would happen in the future. Kaminari threw him a cheesy thumbs-up, and Mineta… well, Mineta was chewing on his fingernails like jealousy was eating him alive.
Meanwhile, Bakugo and Tetsutetsu were already yelling at each other across the room...something about who could carry more weight....but Ryuu couldn't make out the details over the noise.
Even students Ryuu didn't recognize from other classes were watching.
More concerning was the way Mina kept glancing in their direction while trying to deal with Monoma's obvious attempts to provoke her.
The blonde boy was clearly enjoying the situation, making comments that were just loud enough for others to overhear.
"The famous Ashido, relegated to working with a Class 3-B student while her precious partner gets upgraded to the class vice-president" Monoma was saying with false sympathy. "How disappointing for you"
Mina's response was too quiet for Ryuu to hear, but her body language suggested she was maintaining her composure despite the obvious irritation she felt towards him.
"Is something wrong" Momo asked, noticing his distraction.
"Just concerned about other partnerships" Ryuu replied, like he's choosing his words carefully.
"Monoma can be challenging, but Ashido is capable of handling herself" Momo observed. "Perhaps you should focus on our collaboration rather than worrying about hers"
There was a slight edge to her voice that suggested she wasn't entirely pleased with his divided attention.
Fair enough - she deserved a partner who was mentally present for their planning session.
"You're right" he said, refocusing on their strategy discussion. "Tell me more about your creation speed limitations"
They spent the rest of the period developing tactics and discussing how his amplification might enhance her quirk's effectiveness.
Momo was brilliant and thorough, treating their partnership with the same care she gave her studies.
As they worked together, Ryuu found himself more and more aware of her figure....the subtle curve of her waist and the way her top-buns shifted slightly whenever she reached across the table.
She moved with quiet grace, leaning in to explain complex concepts, her perfume blending with the soft scent of expensive shampoo.
And not talk of the the graceful movements of her hands as she sketched tactical diagrams.
Momo Yaoyorozu was objectively stunning, and her intelligence made her even more attractive.
Under different circumstances, he would have been thrilled to work so closely with someone of her caliber.
The problem was that these weren't different circumstances.
His heart was already involved elsewhere, with a pink-skinned girl who was currently being tormented by a blonde troublemaker across the room.
When the bell rang, ending the planning period, Momo gathered her materials with satisfied.
"I think we have an excellent foundation for success" she said. "Would you like to continue our preparation this evening? I could reserve another study room"
"That's probably a good idea" Ryuu agreed, though part of him wanted to check on Mina instead.
"Wonderful. I'll send you the details" Momo said with a warm smile before heading toward her next class.
As students filed out of the room, Ryuu found himself walking beside Mina and her assigned partner. Monoma was still talking, his voice carrying the kind of false friendliness that set teeth on edge.
"I must say, Ashido, you're taking this partnership reassignment remarkably well" he was saying. "Most people would be upset about losing their 'exclusive' claim on the school's most valuable support quirk"
"There was never any exclusive claim" Mina replied evenly, though Ryuu could see the tension in her shoulders. "Professional heroes work with multiple partners as needed"
"Of course, of course" Monoma agreed with obvious insincerity. "I'm sure watching him develop a VERY good relationship with Yaoyorozu won't bother you at all"
The comment was calculated to provoke a reaction, and Ryuu saw Mina's hands clench briefly before she regained control.
"Kazama is professional enough to maintain appropriate boundaries with any partner" she said firmly.
"We'll see" Monoma replied with a knowing smirk. "I heard his resonance quirk can be so unpredictable when strong emotions are involved"
Ryuu wanted to intervene, but he knew it would only make things worse.
Mina had to handle this herself, and any attempt to defend her would just give Monoma more ammunition.
Instead, he caught her eye and gave her an encouraging nod. She responded with a small smile that didn't quite hide the worry in her golden eyes.
The joint exercises hadn't even begun yet, and already the emotional complications were multiplying.
Ryuu could only hope that his professional relationship with Momo would remain exactly that - professional.
But as he remembered the way she had smiled when discussing their evening study session...or maybe he just imagining it...
But he couldn't stop the sinking feeling that maintaining boundaries was going to be more challenging than he had anticipated.