Ripples of Fate

Chapter 13: Years Later, A Reunion

Shota’s POV

The usual chaos of Class 1-A swirls around me—students chattering, Midoriya’s endless muttering, Bakugou’s shouts—but I barely register any of it. My body is on autopilot as I go through the motions, my mind half-focused on the task at hand, half on nothing at all. Another day, another morning of managing these kids. It’s routine now. I don’t expect surprises.

Then, there’s a knock at the door.

My attention flickers toward the sound, and Nezu steps into the classroom, wearing that ever-present smile of his that usually grates on my nerves. “Aizawa-sensei,” he chirps, his voice almost too cheery for this early. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest staff member.”

I barely glance up. Another teacher, probably. Or some assistant. Either way, it doesn’t concern me. I nod absentmindedly, already preparing to tune out whatever unnecessary explanation Nezu has in store.

Then she steps into the room.

And it’s like time stops.

My gaze snaps to her the moment she walks in, and for an instant, the air shifts, the weight of the room changes. Everything around me—the students, the noise, the buzzing energy—fades into the background, until it’s just her.

Mizuhana Mailin.

My breath catches, my pulse quickens, and something hits me, like a jolt of lightning straight to my chest. It’s like the world tilts for a moment, everything sharp and clear, yet unreal all at once. She hasn’t changed. She’s still stunning in that quiet, unassuming way, but there’s more to her now. She’s more... grounded. Her golden hair shimmers in the sunlight filtering through the window, framing her face like some ethereal force brought to life.

And her eyes—those sharp blue eyes—lock onto mine.

The moment our eyes meet, there’s this shock, this jolt, like an electric current zips between us, crackling in the air. It’s intense, magnetic, like nothing I’ve felt in years. It’s not the shock of surprise. No. It’s something deeper, something that punches through my chest and leaves me breathless. A good shock. A dangerous one.

The room is still moving, but I feel frozen in place, staring at her like I’ve forgotten how to breathe. There’s something between us—something so thick, so charged, it feels like the air could snap. I know this feeling. I recognize it. It’s the same pull I felt back at U.A., but stronger now, like it’s been simmering under the surface all this time, waiting for the moment to resurface.

And now it has.

It’s overwhelming. Unnerving. I should look away, pull myself together. But I can’t. My body refuses to move. There’s a gravity between us, an unspoken understanding that goes beyond words.

I feel like I’m losing my grip on everything I’ve worked so hard to build—every wall, every defense. All of it is crumbling just from one look.

Mailin’s POV

The second I step into the classroom, I feel it.

That pulse of energy, that invisible force pulling at me, dragging my attention to him.

Aizawa Shota.

It’s like the air shifts the moment I see him. The noise from the students fades to a distant hum, and my vision narrows until it’s just him. For a split second, time seems to freeze, locking me in place as my eyes meet his. It’s like everything slows down, like in those anime moments where the world stops and the characters are caught in this intense, electrifying connection.

I wasn’t prepared for this. I wasn’t prepared for him.

His dark hair is still messy, falling around his face in that effortless way that suits him. His eyes, half-lidded but sharp as ever, seem to pierce right through me. And it’s not just his appearance—it’s the way he looks at me. Like he wasn’t expecting me. Like seeing me again after all these years has knocked the wind out of him.

But then it hits me. That feeling.

The same pull I felt back at U.A., the same connection we had. It’s back, stronger than ever, like no time has passed at all. There’s this shock—this deep, overwhelming jolt—that zips through me when our eyes meet. It’s like the air between us is alive, crackling with energy. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat louder than the last, as if my body is reacting to something bigger than I can process.

It’s like the room disappears. Like it’s just me and him, standing there, locked in this moment that neither of us can break. And in that second, everything makes sense. The years apart, the silence, the distance—it all feels irrelevant because he’s here. And I’m here. And that connection, that tension that’s always been there, hasn’t gone anywhere.

In fact, it’s stronger now. Too strong.

I can’t breathe, can’t think. I can only feel—the weight of his gaze, the intensity of this moment. The electricity in the air is almost unbearable, the kind of tension that’s thick, suffocating, but in the best way possible. My skin tingles, and a flush spreads across my cheeks, though I try to remain composed.

I can’t help it. There’s something so overwhelming about him. So undeniable. His presence, his energy, the way he looks at me. It’s like he’s stripped me bare with just one glance, and I’m not sure what to do with it.

And then he looks away, blinking, breaking the spell, but I can still feel that connection, still feel the heat from his gaze like it’s seared into me.

Nezu’s voice filters back into my awareness. “Mizuhana will be joining us as our new teacher and nurse,” he announces, but it sounds so far away. I nod, acknowledging him, but my mind is still on Shota. I can’t help but glance back at him as I’m led out of the room, catching his gaze one more time.

And just like that, the air crackles again. That good shock—the one that makes my heart skip a beat, the one that fills me with something I can’t quite name, something dangerous—hits me all over again. His eyes hold mine for a second longer than they should, and I feel it, that undeniable pull.

It’s like nothing’s changed. And yet, everything has.