Chapter 19: Back to School
A few days later, U.A. reopened.
The campus felt different, heavier. Extra security drones hovered overhead, and new reinforced barriers had appeared at every entrance. Students moved through the halls in small, subdued groups rather than the usual chaotic rush. Whispers followed them everywhere.
Class 1-A filed into their homeroom in near silence. The empty desk where Toru used to sit was impossible to ignore. No one had claimed it. No one wanted to.
Aizawa stood at the front, bandages still peeking from under his shirt, eyes as tired as ever. He didn't waste time on pleasantries.
"We have an assembly in ten minutes. The whole school will be there, so don't get comfortable"
No one argued.
The auditorium was packed. Every class from first-year to third-year filled the seats, the air thick with a shared, uneasy quiet. Teachers lined the walls like silent guards. The stage lights felt too bright against the somber mood.
Principal Nezu stepped up to the podium, his small frame somehow commanding the entire room. The chatter died instantly.
"Students of U.A.," he began, voice calm and steady, "thank you for gathering on such short notice."
He paused, letting the silence settle.
"Today, we begin by remembering one of our own students and a moment of silence for the loss of Toru Hagakure… She was a bright, cheerful student who brought light to everyone around her. She will be deeply missed."
The entire auditorium fell into a heavy, respectful silence. Heads bowed as everyone sat there.
The moment stretched for a full minute — long enough for the weight of the loss to settle over every heart in the room.
Nezu continued, voice gentle but firm.
"I know many of you have seen the news reports. The attack on the USJ has shaken public confidence in our ability to keep you safe. I will not sugarcoat this: we were caught off guard. That failure will not happen again."
He gestured to the reinforced doors and the visible security personnel stationed throughout the hall.
"Security across campus has been significantly increased. New protocols are in place. Every entrance, every training ground, every dorm building are all now under constant monitoring. Your safety is, and will always remain, our top priority. U.A. will protect its students."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd — relief mixed with lingering unease.
Nezu's small paws clasped behind his back as he continued.
"That said… we refuse to live in fear. The U.A. Sports Festival will proceed as originally planned. It will be held with heightened security measures to ensure the safety of every participant and spectator. This is not just a tradition. It is our statement to the world: we will not be broken. We will continue training the next generation of heroes."
The announcement drew a mix of reactions, applause, some uneasy glances, a few determined nods.
Nezu gave a small, resolute smile.
"You are dismissed. Return to your classes. And remember… we stand together."
The students began filing out in orderly rows. As Class 1-A made their way back toward the main building, a familiar voice crackled over the intercom.
"Cid Kageno. Please report to the Principal's office immediately."
Heads turned. Yui glanced at him, concern flickering across her face. Cid met her eyes for a brief second, gave her hand a quick squeeze, then released it.
"I'll catch up," he said quietly.
He turned and headed down the hall alone, the weight of the assembly still clinging to him like damp fog.
Cid stepped into Principal Nezu's office and closed the door behind him with a quiet click. The room was smaller than he expected: warm wood paneling, a large desk cluttered with neatly organized papers, and a single window overlooking the training grounds. Nezu sat in his oversized chair, paws steepled, expression calm and unreadable.
"Take a seat, Mr. Kageno."
Cid dropped into the chair across from him, posture relaxed but eyes wary. Before he could speak, Nezu reached under his desk and pressed a small button. A low, steady humming filled the room, not loud, but constant, like the distant thrum of machinery.
Cid's brow furrowed. "What's that?"
"White-noise generator," Nezu explained lightly, as if discussing the weather. "It creates a sound barrier. No one outside this room can eavesdrop on our conversation, electronically or otherwise. What we say here stays between us."
Cid nodded slowly, leaning back. He waited.
Nezu's small black eyes studied him for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle but direct.
"I've reviewed the full footage from the USJ incident. Including the landslide zone."
Cid's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away.
"You killed those four villains," Nezu continued, tone even. "The ones standing over Hagakure's body."
A beat of silence.
Cid let out a long, tired sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I did."
Nezu didn't flinch. There was no shock, no condemnation, only quiet understanding in the principal's gaze.
"I won't pretend it was easy to watch," Nezu said. "But I also won't pretend I don't understand the circumstances. You had just survived an ambush meant to kill you. You were bleeding out. You found your friend, someone who had gone out of her way to include you, to make you feel like you belonged, dead and desecrated. In that moment, you were pushed far beyond any reasonable limit."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"I'm not here to punish you, Cid. I'm here to make sure you don't spiral after such an event and make sure you are ok."
Cid's shoulders loosened a fraction. He hadn't realized how tightly he'd been holding them.
Nezu continued, "That said, I would like you to begin regular sessions with our therapist Hound Dog. Not because I think you're broken, but because what you experienced would break most people. You've already started opening up more as of late with your friends. I'd like to give you every tool possible to keep moving forward."
At the mention of therapy, Cid's expression tightened visibly. He shifted in the chair, uncomfortable.
Nezu noticed immediately and offered a small, knowing smile.
"If it would make the sessions easier, you're welcome to bring someone you trust. A friend. A classmate." His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Perhaps Yui?"
Cid's head snapped up, surprise flashing across his face. "You… already know?"
Nezu let out a soft, amused snicker, covering his mouth with one paw. "Come now, you weren't exactly hiding it. the way you look at her, the way you interact and lets not forget you literally walked back in campus and into the dorms holding hands it's rather obvious to anyone paying attention. And I do pay attention."
He leaned forward slightly, voice warm.
"I can already see the positive effect she's having on you. You're carrying yourself differently. Less… of what you used to be. It's good. Hold onto that."
Cid didn't reply, but the faint flush on his cheeks and the way his shoulders relaxed said enough.
Nezu's expression grew more serious again.
"On another note, the HPSC. I know they approached you after the funeral."
Cid's jaw tightened once more. "Yeah. The Director herself was in the limo. Tried to pull me back in, said my new power needed 'proper supervision.' When I told her I was done, she made a veiled threat towards Yui and I took offense to that."
Nezu's ears flicked once, the only sign of his displeasure.
"And what exactly did you do?"
Cid met his gaze evenly. "I showed her exactly why she should leave me alone. Expanded the space around her heart just enough to make her feel the pressure. Told her if she ever threatened Yui or anyone I care about again, I wouldn't stop at a warning. She backed off. Reluctantly."
Nezu was quiet for a moment, processing. Then he gave a slow nod.
"I see. I'll continue to run interference on my end. The Commission still has influence over hero society at large, but they no longer have legal guardianship over you. You're eighteen. That gives us leverage. Just… be careful, Cid. They don't like losing assets."
Cid stood, the meeting clearly over.
"Understood."
As he reached the door, Nezu's voice stopped him one last time.
"And Cid?"
He glanced back.
"Sessions with Hound Dog start next week. Bring Yui if you'd like. Or don't. The choice is yours. But don't carry this weight alone."
Cid gave a small, tired nod.
"Yeah. I won't."
He stepped out into the hallway, the humming in the office cutting off behind him as the door clicked