MHA: Yellow Flash of U.A

Chapter 15

As the door to the nurse's office creaked open, the faces of Ryo's classmates filled the room with a blend of concern, curiosity, and relief. Mina was the first to rush in, her expression a mixture of worry and joy. Her eyes met Ryo's, and she smiled, but there was a lingering tension there, a fear that hadn't quite left her since the battle. Kirishima followed closely, his demeanor bright and encouraging as always, but there was an extra intensity in his gaze, a deeper respect after seeing what Ryo had done. And then, more surprisingly, Bakugo walked in, his hands shoved into his pockets, his face set in his usual scowl.

Ryo blinked in surprise at Bakugo's appearance. "Bakugo?" he asked, a slight grin on his lips. "Why are you here?"

Bakugo snorted, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't get any stupid ideas, you teleporting loser," he snapped, his voice dripping with his usual brand of impatience. "I'm not here 'cause I want to be or anything."

Ryo's grin widened. "Really? If I remember correctly, you actually used my name when my clone was fighting with you. Maybe we're friends now?" There was a teasing lilt in his tone, but the look in his eyes was earnest, hopeful even.

Bakugo's face turned red, and he immediately turned away, his expression somewhere between embarrassment and irritation. "You're imagining things," he muttered, his voice low. "I just didn't want some weakling messing up my fight." But there was a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

The room filled with a warmth that cut through the tension, a feeling of camaraderie that had begun to knit them all together. The other students clustered around Ryo's bed, asking a barrage of questions all at once.

"Are you okay, Ryo?" Mina's voice was the loudest, and she reached out, her hand lightly brushing his arm. "You looked so different out there... like, you were glowing. What was that red aura? It was like you were... an animal."

Ryo's expression grew thoughtful as he tried to find the right words. "I... I don't really know," he admitted, his voice quiet but steady. "It felt like I was filled with this indescribable rage, like something inside me just snapped. But it gave me so much power... more than I've ever felt before. It was almost like a drug... addicting in a way."

Mina's eyes widened, a hint of fear flickering in them, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she squeezed his arm tighter. "You remember everything?" she asked softly, searching his face.

Ryo nodded. "Yeah, I remember every moment. But it was like... I was on autopilot. I could feel myself doing all these things, using jutsus I didn't even know I could do, but I wasn't... in control. Not really."

Kirishima frowned, his brows furrowing as he considered Ryo's words. "You mean you just... acted on instinct? Like something was guiding you?" He paused, a note of admiration in his voice. "Dude, that was insane. You were like a beast out there."

Bakugo grumbled from his spot against the wall, but there was no real bite in his tone this time. "Yeah, well, don't get too cocky about it," he said grudgingly. "You lost control. What good's power if you can't control it?"

Ryo chuckled, nodding. "You're right, Bakugo. I need to learn how to control it. If I can figure out what triggered it... maybe I can use it to my advantage, especially with all those jutsus I was using. It's like I was tapping into something deeper, something I didn't even know was there."

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone processing what Ryo had said. The reality of the battle, the stakes they had faced, and the unknown power that Ryo had accessed. There was a gravity to the moment, a shared understanding of just how much things had changed.

Mina leaned closer, her voice gentle but insistent. "Ryo... just promise me you'll be careful," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "I don't want to lose you to something you don't understand."