MHA: SHADOWS IN UA

The second the alarm blared, everything snapped into chaos.

It wasn't a slow-building panic. It was instant.

Chairs scraped against the floor as students shoved away from their tables.

Voices overlapped, some yelling, some screaming as the entire cafeteria turned into a frantic stampede.

The exits? Blocked. Everyone rushed toward them all at once, slamming into each other, moving like mindless animals.

My brows furrowed as I exhaled sharply through my nose. This is annoying.

I didn't care about the alarm. My focus was on Aoyama.

This is when he's supposed to make a move.

Or since the alarm as gone off, he has made the move

If there was ever a time to confirm whether he was the traitor, it was now.

That was the plan. That was what I should be doing.

I need to move.

But this chaos, this absolute mess was making that impossible.

I glanced toward the entrance. No way I was squeezing through that.

Tch.

I turned to move toward the back instead, but just as I did—

"Hey, watch it!"

I felt someone bump into me hard from behind, nearly knocking me off balance. My teeth clenched in irritation.

This wasn't working. The movement of the crowd was erratic.

The sheer number of bodies packed together made pushing forward an actual chore.

My pace slowed to a crawl, and every time I thought I had a clear path, some panicked idiot would shove past and ruin it.

I scanned the area, trying to spot a familiar face through the chaos.

Denki?

Midoriya?

Uraraka?

Nothing.

The commotion had already separated us.

Then—

A familiar flash of pink.

Mina.

She was struggling to keep her balance as the crowd shoved her back and forth, her feet barely keeping up.

I didn't even think.

I reached through the chaos, my hand grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into me before she could fall.

Her breath hitched, and she clutched my shirt, her body pressed against mine as she steadied herself.

"Stay close," I muttered.

I barely noticed her reaction.

Bodies slammed against us from all sides, nearly wrenching her away from me. My grip tightened on instinct.

Mina let out a small noise, something between a gasp and a yelp as the force of the students nearly knocked us over.

"Azaria!"

I gritted my teeth.

Damn it.

The pressure was relentless, like being trapped in a current.

Every time I tried to step forward, another shove came from a different angle, forcing me back.

Mina clutched onto me tighter, fingers gripping the fabric of my uniform.

More pushing.

A shoulder rammed into my back. A foot nearly stomped on mine.

Someone's bag smacked into Mina's arm, making her flinch.

I shifted, trying to shield her from the worst of it, but it was impossible to hold my ground.

I adjusted my grip, my other arm coming up to brace her better, my palm pressing against the small of her back.

Her body tensed against mine, I barely registered it.

I was too focused on Aoyama.

Or at least it was, until I realized something.

Even if I got out of here, I'd be too late. By the time I reached the classroom, he would be there like a normal student.

The opportunity was slipping through my fingers.

I exhaled slowly, frustration creeping in.

Fine. Whatever.

I forced myself to let it go.

I had to focus on what I could control.

And right now, that was this mess.

I looked up and caught Ida's eyes across the sea of students.

Unlike the others, he wasn't blindly panicking.

He was tense, but his brain was still working.

And then I saw it that flicker of recognition as he glanced toward the windows.

I followed his gaze.

The press.

He was slowly realising what it was but I needed him to be faster.

I couldn't really hold long here as I'm shielding Momo.

And if it was possible to hurry it up, I might be able to meet Aoyama.

Or am I giving myself false hope here?

Either way, let's solve this before it becomes worse.

I turned back to him.

"Ida," I said firmly.

He snapped his head toward me. "What?"

"You need to fix this," I told him.

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean–"

"Listen to me," I cut in. "You know what's going on, right?"

He hesitated. Then he nodded. "It's the press."

"Exactly," I said. "Which means the only problem is us. The students. If we calm down, this whole situation is over."

I leaned in slightly. "And you're the only one who can do it."

His lips parted slightly. "Me?"

"You're the only one fast enough to get out of here and tell everyone what's actually happening. You're the only one with the authority to make them listen. You can stop this."

I saw the shift in his expression.

The hesitation faded.

I gestured toward Uraraka. "Get her to make you weightless."

He turned to her immediately. "Uraraka!"

She startled. "Huh?!"

"Touch my fingertips quickly!"

She barely had time to react before he brushed his fingers against hers.

His body instantly became weightless.

"Now use your quirk!" I ordered. "Boost yourself up, get above the crowd!"

He tensed, then nodded.

One powerful kick

And he shot up, landing at the entrance of the hallway, right above the chaos.

His voice boomed as he held onto the pipes for stability.

"EVERYTHING IS FINE!! IT'S JUST THE PRESS!"

The panic halted.

It was like someone hit pause on the chaos.

"THERE'S NOTHING TO PANIC ABOUT. WE'RE FINE!!"

Students froze mid-step, heads snapping toward Iida, realization dawning in their eyes.

"THIS IS UA!! BEHAVE IN A WAY BEFITTING THIS GREAT INSTITUTION!!"

Just like that, the panic was over.

People straightened up, blinking in confusion at themselves and each other.

I was actually impressed at him, although all I did was told him what he would have thought seconds later.

Some students sighed, relieved, rubbing sore arms or adjusting their uniforms.

Others exchanged awkward glances, embarrassed by their own overreaction.

The noise had finally died down, replaced by the awkward shuffling of students moving back toward their classrooms in a single-file line.

The desperation from earlier was gone, leaving behind scattered murmurs and embarrassed glances.

Just minutes ago, everyone had been losing their minds, trying to force their way out, and now they were acting like civilized students again.

I exhaled through my nose, my frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

That was it. The chance was gone.

If Aoyama had done anything remotely suspicious, I'd missed it.

The chaos had gotten in my way, and now, with everything settling, there was no way to confirm anything.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to let it go.

I had no actual proof that he was the insider for this case, just my gut and the knowledge that's he's a spy.

Still, it pissed me off.

I shifted slightly, loosening my grip, only to realize I was still holding Mina.

She was pressed against me, hands flat against my chest, and my arm was still wrapped securely around her waist. .

I should've let go earlier, but my head had been too caught up in the Aoyama situation to even register it.

Now, though, now that my mind wasn't distracted, I was suddenly very aware of everything.

Her scent, sweet but fresh like strawberries and vanilla filled my nose.

Her fingers curled slightly against my shirt, like she was hesitant to move just yet.

And her chest…

Soft.

Pressed against me.

My brain stuttered for a second.

'What the fuck?'

It was like I short-circuited.

I wasn't the type to get flustered over something like this, but the realization slammed into me out of nowhere, hitting me harder than expected.

Her body was warm against mine, her waist fitting easily under my grip.

The way she shifted slightly only made it worse, because all it did was remind me just how close we actually were.

Damn.

I needed to let go. Now.

"Uhm…" Her voice was quieter than usual, almost hesitant.

I looked down just as she glanced up at me, and for the first time, I noticed the way her cheeks were tinted pink.

She was avoiding my gaze, her fingers twitching slightly against my chest.

"Y-you can let go now," she mumbled.

…Right.

I stepped back smoothly, letting my arm drop to my side like nothing happened. "Y-yeah. Hope you're okay?"

She nodded as she quickly adjusted her uniform.

"W-well I-I'm heading back to class" she muttered, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before turning away.

She walked fast—too fast.

I watched Mina walk away, her steps quick and almost stiff, like she was trying to escape what had just happened.

Her pink skin still carried a faint blush, and she didn't look back.

I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair.

On the outside, I kept it cool, expression unreadable, posture relaxed.

But inside? Damn.

I was still a little dazed, she's fucking hot.

The warmth of her body, the scent of her perfume, the way her fingers had clung to mine, it all lingered longer than I wanted to admit.

My fingers twitched slightly, almost like they could still feel the curve of her waist beneath them.

I rolled my shoulders and shook my head.

'Focus.'

Ahead, Iida was already gesturing for everyone to move.

"Let's go to class" I muttered under my breath and started walking.

***

"Pay attention, the representatives have something to say."

Aizawa's voice cut through the usual classroom noise, dragging everyone's attention to the front.

Midoriya stood beside me, visibly tense.

He took a deep breath, stepping forward like he was about to address a stadium of thousands instead of a classroom of twenty.

"I-uh-so," he started, voice unsteady. His fingers twitched at his sides. "W-we… uhm… after thinking about it… we decided…"

His words tripped over themselves, his face already turning pink. "T-that is, we think… uh, it'd be best i-if someone else… s-should…"

I sighed.

Midoriya was a good guy, but public speaking wasn't his strong suit.

I let him struggle for a few more seconds, then stepped in.

"We'd like to drop the positions," I said, voice even. "And we feel the best people to handle it are Iida and Momo."

A few heads turned in surprise.

Some people murmured amongst themselves, but no one objected outright.

Midoriya, relieved to be out of his verbal maze, finally managed to speak properly.

"Ida really showed leadership during the alarm situation," he said, his voice steadier. "He didn't panic. He took initiative and helped restore order. I think that's the kind of person who should be our representative."

Iida visibly tensed. Uraraka beamed. "Yeah! He totally acted like a leader."

As agreement spread through the room, I leaned back slightly, feeling the attention shift off me.

Then, my turn.

"Honestly, the whole class rep thing is too much stress for me," I said, slipping my hands into my pockets. "I'm not interested in the role. I don't like dealing with unnecessary attention, and I definitely don't like–"

My eyes flicked across the room—

And landed on Mina.

She was already looking at me.

The moment stretched, just enough to make me feel it.

A memory surfaced—

The press of her body against mine. My arm wrapped around her waist.

The subtle warmth between us.

Her perfume.

Light, a little sweet, still lingering in my mind.

Her hands. Soft.

Too soft.

For just a second, my focus wavered.

It wasn't anything dramatic. Just… a flicker. A moment of heightened awareness.

I shifted my weight slightly, breaking the eye contact first.

Cleared my throat, voice smooth as ever.

"Momo's sharp, organized, and has the temperament for the job," I continued, my tone never changing. "She's the obvious choice."

Momo blinked, then straightened in her seat, accepting the responsibility with her usual poise.

Ida, on the other hand, still looked like he was processing.

"You're the only ones fit for it," I added lazily. "So it's decided."

Mina didn't react much.

Didn't say anything, didn't smirk.

Just watched.

Iida finally stood, adjusting his glasses. "If the class agrees, I will do my utmost to uphold this responsibility!"

Scattered cheers followed. Some people seemed excited, others just nodded along.

Momo gave a small, confident nod. "I'll do my best as well."

Aizawa stretched, yawning. "Great. Now sit down."

Just like that, it was over.

I had put the storyline back on track, at least.

I made my way back to my seat, pushing the moment aside.

But as I sat down, arms crossed, the scent of her perfume still lingered faintly in my mind.

Not distracting. Not annoying.

Just there.

———

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