Classroom A-1
Aizawa stood at the front of the room, watching his students as they made final checks on their preparations. Yet, something kept gnawing at the back of his mind, refusing to leave him in peace.
Aizawa (thinking):Where the hell did that kid go?He sighed inwardly. The class vice-rep had explained earlier that the boy had taken leave to handle some personal business—but still, this was taking far too long.
Aizawa: "Alright, everyone, take your—"
Beep!A sharp tone cut through the room.
"Attention, homeroom teacher of Class A-1. Please report to the principal's office immediately."
The announcement echoed from the school's PA system, and the room fell dead silent. Every pair of eyes turned to Aizawa with questioning looks.
Aizawa: "Yaoyorozu, I'll leave the rest to you."
He said briefly, striding out of the classroom with a growing sense of unease. He hated interruptions like this during class
Principal's Office
As he pushed open the door, Aizawa saw Vlad King and Midnight already there, standing beside Nezu, who sat calmly at his desk.
Aizawa: "What's going on, Nezu?"He furrowed his brows. A cold dread slowly crept into his chest. An announcement like that was nearly unheard of.
Nezu let out a soft sigh before speaking.
Nezu: "Young Kazuma... was attacked by a villain."
Aizawa froze. The image of the crowd of reporters swarming the school gates that morning still lingered in his mind—but he never imagined a villain could actually sneak in. Not in this fortress of a school with its top-tier security.
Vlad King: "The boy's in the infirmary now."His tone was grave.
Vlad King: "When the students dragged him in, he was barely clinging to life—looked more like a corpse than anything."
Nezu: "Before you go, take a look at this first."Nezu said, handing Aizawa a tablet.
The screen lit up with a video—Kazuma, locked in a ferocious battle against... something. Something not human. Something that shouldn't even exist in this world.
Aizawa stared in stunned silence. He had never seen anything like this before.
Nezu: "You should go check on your student now, Aizawa."
Aizawa nodded, turning on his heel and hurrying out of the room—without another word.
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Within Ryojin (Shin)'s DreamThailand, February 3rd, 2xxx
On a quiet night, at a roadside bar in Thailand rarely visited by anyone, the air was heavy with silence and loneliness—like an American dive bar buried in melancholy. There were no laughs, no chatter, no signs of life's vibrant joys.
In a dim corner of the bar, a young man sat alone. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes like someone who hadn't slept properly in days. He lazily raised his glass, sipping his drink with a dull gaze, uninterested in the world around him.
Soon, another man entered the bar, walking slowly and without urgency. He approached the lonely man at the table.
Otto: "Hey. Long time no see, Shin…"
The man at the table looked up—it was Shin. His expression was blank, indifferent to everything. He nodded faintly but said nothing.
Otto: "You used to be the cheerful one. Why so quiet now? Still mourning?"
Shin glanced at Otto with emotionless eyes, then spoke in a low voice.
Shin: "…And what about you? Have you gotten over it?"
Otto fell silent for a moment, shaking his head slowly.
Otto: "Never… Not even close."
Shin didn't reply. He kept staring at his drink, seemingly lost in thought.
Shin: "Even though it's been three years… I still can't forget."
Otto paused, as if weighing his next words carefully.
Otto: "I get it. I was there too… with all of you."
Shin went quiet again. A creeping sense of guilt began to take root in his chest.
Shin: "…And what about Vee? He's not coming?"
Otto fell silent again, his voice lowering.
Otto: "He's not coming anymore…"
Shin looked up at him instantly, a sinking feeling growing inside him.
Otto: "Vee… took his own life yesterday."
Those words hit Shin like a punch to the gut. He froze, speechless.
Otto: "His wife and kids… found him hanging in the bathroom."
Shin remained silent. The world around him seemed to crumble. Guilt and grief crashed down upon him all at once. He never knew… that his beloved friend was already gone.
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Shin: I'm sorry…
He inhaled sharply, trying to hold himself together. But the words came out anyway—fragile, broken, and trembling—just like him. And then came the tears.
Shin: I'm sorry... I'm so damn sorry...
He tried to fight them back, but the tears burned, heavy and hot. The guilt—so raw, so loud—it crushed him from the inside out.
Shin: If I hadn't taken you there... If I'd just shut the hell up that day... maybe none of this would've happened...
A single tear dropped onto the table. His voice fell silent. But silence didn't mean peace—not when the weight in his chest never left.
Shin: It's on me. All of it. I'm the asshole who dragged you into that nightmare... You guys... you probably would've made it if it weren't for me...
His voice cracked, like something inside had finally snapped. There was no redemption here. No fixing what was broken.
Shin: After that day... everything just fell apart. I became... just another desk job nobody. Just another name on a company ID card.
He let out a hollow laugh. No warmth in it—just bitterness and a void eating him alive.
Shin: And those promises? "It'll get better," they said... Bullshit. Just pretty lies from people in suits who never got their hands dirty. Who've never lost anything real.
He stared down at his hands like he didn't recognize them anymore. What did he have now?
Shin: Where's the damn medal? The "hero" badge? A pat on the back from someone higher up? That's it? That's all we get?
He gritted his teeth. Everything he gave—every sacrifice—meant absolutely nothing.
Shin: My friends... the ones I grew up with, since high school... The ones who survived that day didn't even survive the aftermath. PTSD took the rest of them. One by one...
His voice shook harder now. The sadness was relentless, curling around him like smoke—suffocating.
Shin: In the end... all we got were shiny medals, some hollow praise, and a bunch of damn gravestones... That's it. That's all that's left.
His breath hitched. And then... he broke.
Shin: I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry... For all of it...
The apology grew louder—more desperate—like he was trying to claw his way out of his own regret. But deep down, he knew. No matter how loud he cried, it wouldn't undo a thing. The past had already buried everything.
"KAZUMA!!!"
The voice cut through the air like thunder, making Shin turn sharply, startled.
"KAZUMA!!!"
His head throbbed. The world spun around him. Everything blurred.
"Kazuma... it's okay now..." Aizawa's voice spoke softly, almost like a whisper.
"Kazuma!!!"
Slowly, he opened his eyes. There were tears at the corners... but he didn't understand why.
"Finally awake, huh, little one?" Recovery Girl's voice reached him as she stood on her stool, gently patting his head.
Shin turned and saw Aizawa standing beside him, gazing down with gentle eyes.
Ryujin: God... I thought I was dead...
His mind was a storm of confusion. He looked at his bandaged body, and his heart felt unbearably heavy. He was alive—but barely able to accept it.
Aizawa: You've been out for two full hours.
Aizawa spoke softly as he reached over to ruffle his hair.
Aizawa: The whole time... you kept crying, muttering "I'm sorry" again and again...
He spoke with warmth in his voice.
Ryujin fell silent. He didn't know what to say. How could he even begin to explain? If he told them he had "come back to life"... they'd think he'd lost his mind.
Recovery Girl: How are you feeling now?
Shin: I feel okay... still sore when I move though.
His voice came out hoarse as he slowly sat up.
Both Aizawa and Recovery Girl nodded in quiet understanding.
Aizawa: Alright. I won't ask what happened just yet... but when you've recovered, I want the whole story.
Shin: What about those people... the ones who attacked me?
Aizawa: We never found them. From the security footage, the moment before they almost stabbed your head—they vanished.
Shin: It's like they disappeared into thin air...
Aizawa: Yeah. I don't know what they were... but I'm certain they weren't human.
He handed Shin a glass of water.
Aizawa: Drink this. Then come back to class with me.
Shin nodded silently as Recovery Girl began to remove his bandages. Her eyes widened in surprise—his recovery was astonishing. But the scars that remained were deep, and not just from today. His body was a map of old wounds... remnants of pain that memories refused to let go of.
Recovery Girl sighed quietly, her heart aching for the boy.
Ryujin (Shin): His body carried pain that never truly faded. Like life itself wanted him dead and done with.
He made a silent vow.
Ryujin (Inner thought): "If something wants to drag me down… I'll drag it with me. I don't care what kind of world this is—I'll fight till the end. Let's see if I make it out alive."
Shin didn't say another word. He put on the clothes Recovery Girl gave him, acting like everything was normal—even if it clearly wasn't.
Shin (to himself): Lucky they didn't mess up my face... I'd hate to die ugly.
He laughed at his own dumb joke, but the shadow of sorrow never left him. Even with her healing quirk, the exhaustion was too deep—physically and emotionally.
Outside Classroom 1-A
Aizawa: Got your cover story ready?
Shin: Born ready, teach.
He smirked playfully, earning an eye-roll from Aizawa.
Aizawa: Good. Get in there.
He opened the classroom door and stepped in with a wave like some kind of celebrity.
Ryujin: Miss me, guys?!
Class (except Bakugo and Todoroki): Kazuma! / Ryu!
Only Bakugo and Todoroki stayed silent—though they did glance his way.
Mineta: Where've you been, boss?
Kirishima: Dude, we thought you were missing!
Tooru: We were gonna come look for you!
Mina: Are you okay?
Iida: Do you realize missing class is unacceptable?! chop-chop hand motion
Everyone talked over each other, questions flooding the room. He couldn't keep up—until Aizawa shut them all up with his quirk.
Ryujin gave a small smile, then answered in his usual cheeky street-thug tone.
Ryujin: Whoa whoa, chill out, people. You're all so damn intense.
He grinned at everyone, genuinely touched by their concern. Maybe... coming back made him realize just how many people still cared.
Ryujin: Alright, alright, so here's the thing...
He spun a story about his new motorbike being stolen and misused, leading to police questioning and hours of red tape. He kept the tale just wild enough to be believable.
Everyone bought it—mostly.
But some weren't convinced.
Momo could tell he was lying. But she said nothing.
Others also sensed it—but chose not to press. Some truths... were better left unspoken.
Still, they couldn't help but worry. He'd vanished for two whole hours—and the day was nearly over.
Aizawa: Enough. Back to your seats.
The class quieted down again and looked to him.
Aizawa: Today, we're going to the USJ facility for a field lesson.
Kaminari: Yo, we're going to Universal Studios Japan?!
Aizawa: One—sit down and shut up. Two—it's not that USJ. It stands for Unforeseen Simulation Joint. It's a facility for simulating natural disasters or emergencies. Your next hero training lesson will take place there.
He pulled out a card from his coat.
Aizawa: Rescue missions.
The class lit up with excitement—only for Aizawa to shut them down again with a look.
Aizawa: You may wear your hero costumes. Or not. Your call.
He walked out the door.
Kaminari (once he's gone): Dude, this is gonna be sick!
Shin walked over to Sato and Tokoyami, throwing his arms around their shoulders.
Shin: Don't mix up your suits again, fellas. Last time, Tokoyami almost put on Sato's pants. Hilarious.
The class burst into laughter as the two turned red with embarrassment. He chuckled, grabbed his bag, and headed toward the locker room.
His hero costume hadn't changed—except the mask was missing. And both his elbow and knee guards were broken. It was just... a normal suit now.
"Oh right, I forgot—Toru's headband! Gotta send it to Recovery Girl to get it washed, or else we're screwed if someone finds out."
Sigh "He really likes that bandana though… it suits him well."
Even so, while he could move again now, there was still some lingering pain. He had to keep a straight face so no one would notice anything was wrong.
Before long, everyone had gathered in front of the bus that would take them to USJ.
"Alright, everyone!! Line up and sit according to your assigned numbers!"
Iida announced loudly, chopping his hands through the air with his usual intensity. Ryujin couldn't help but grin at the sight—this guy could probably keep that up all day.
"Just chill, Glow Stick-kun," Ryujin muttered, then turned to the rest of the class.
"Sit wherever you want, folks! Go wild!" he shouted, earning a look of disapproval from Iida, who was clearly sulking a bit.
Seeing that, Ryujin tried to lighten the mood. "C'mon, relax a little, Glow Stick-kun."
Iida, not one to drop formality, began again, "I am Iida Tenya, from the Ro—"
"See? Chill out, man. You never play along with my jokes," Ryujin cut him off with a smirk before stepping onto the bus
[Side Story – On the Bus]
On the bus, Aizawa sat silently, thinking back to what had happened earlier at lunchtime when the reporters had come causing a scene.
Background Reporter (Female #1):"Excuse me, could we please speak with the 'Virgin Sage'?"
Background Reporter (Male #1):"A boy with black hair on a motorcycle said All Might's been single forever. Is that true?"
Background Reporter (Male #2):"We want to talk to All Might—the Sage himself!"
Background Reporter (Male #3):"Is it true he became a teacher just to find a girlfriend?!"
The absurd questions nearly made both Aizawa and Present Mic burst into laughter—but they had to keep their composure.
"We already told you, he's not here," Present Mic replied flatly, then leaned over and whispered to Aizawa,"That new nickname for All Might is comedy gold, man."
Aizawa gave the reporters a glare and said firmly,"Alright, please leave now. Or we'll have to report you for trespassing."
Then he muttered back to his friend,"Looks like All Might's become a sage now, huh?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Aizawa's lips. He was trying hard to keep a straight face, but deep down, he really wanted to laugh out loud.
"Thanks, Kazuma. You actually made my day more entertaining."
He murmured softly, before turning his gaze to the bus window, watching the scenery pass by.