Teachers pet (COMPLETE)

Chapter 65: Tensions rise again

Mailin's POV

The final round ends with the announcement I’ve been waiting for: Team 5-A wins with a perfect score of 4-0. Midnight’s voice rings through the arena, declaring Class 1-A the overall winner of the joint training. Relief washes over me, but it doesn’t settle as comfortably as I thought it would. My heart is still racing, my hands trembling with leftover adrenaline. We did it. I did it.

But a knot forms in my stomach as I glance at Midoriya, who stands with Ochaco and Hitoshi, recounting how his Quirk spiraled out of control. The black tendrils, his panic—I can still feel the weight of that moment. We managed to rein it in, together, but something nags at me. I was there, I helped, I protected my team...

So why do I feel like it wasn’t enough?

---

Aizawa's POV

I stand at the edge of the field, my eyes moving over my students. Their victory is hard-earned, but my thoughts are on Mailin. She’s lingering at the outskirts, her posture tense even as she tries to appear relaxed. Always like this after a battle—she never knows when to stop thinking, never lets herself relax.

Mailin used Magical Splash Flare twice today. I could see the strain on her body each time, the exhaustion settling in her limbs, but she didn’t give up. There’s something admirable in that, but also... concerning. She’s growing, yes. Stronger. But how long can she keep pushing herself like this before something breaks?

My eyes narrow as I watch her, her head down, lost in her thoughts. For now, I’ll let her be. But later—we’ll need to talk.

---

Mailin’s POV

The feedback session begins, with Eraser Head and Vlad King addressing the students. My heart pounds as Eraser Head questions Midoriya about the new power he unleashed. Midoriya shifts uncomfortably, explaining the black tendrils, how they came out of nowhere, how he lost control. His voice wavers just slightly, and I can feel the tension radiating off him.

I know that feeling—the overwhelming weight of your own power, threatening to drown you. I know what it’s like to be consumed by something that’s supposed to be yours to control.

Midoriya thanks Ochaco and Hitoshi for stepping in. Mina teases Ochaco, who blushes, and the tension in the group lightens. A faint smile pulls at my lips, but the unease in my chest remains. I glance down at my hands—still trembling, still uncertain.

---

Aizawa’s POV

As Midoriya explains his loss of control, my gaze shifts to Ochaco and Hitoshi. I commend Ochaco for her quick thinking, for the heroism that shines through her actions. Hitoshi, too—driven by rivalry, yes, but his instincts were sharp. He’s grown. They both have.

But my attention keeps flickering back to Mailin. She’s silent, standing apart from the group, her thoughts far away. She’s always too hard on herself. Always retreating into her own mind after battles like these, questioning whether she did enough, whether she could have done more.

It’s that relentless self-doubt that worries me. She pushes herself so far—not to win, but because she feels like she has something to prove. To me. To her classmates. To herself.

And that’s what makes her so strong, but it’s also what makes her vulnerable.

---

Mailin’s POV

The feedback continues, with Hitoshi looking genuinely bewildered when Vlad King announces that he will officially join the hero department next year. The class erupts into cheers, and I clap along, smiling faintly. He’s earned it. He deserves this moment.