The Pussycats had come to visit the students in their dorms after the training camp incident, bringing a sense of warmth to the otherwise tense atmosphere. You stood a little off to the side, watching the kids from Class 1A excitedly swarm around Mandalay and the others. The sight made you smile, but your attention kept drifting back to her.

Mandalay caught your gaze from across the room, her eyes lingering on yours for just a second longer than necessary before she turned back to the kids. The unspoken tension between the two of you had been growing since the training camp. As pro heroes, and with you being a teacher at UA, there was a line neither of you could cross. Not yet, at least.

You shifted slightly, trying to focus on anything but the way her presence always made your heart beat just a little faster. Before you knew it, Mandalay had slipped away from the crowd and walked over to you.

“Hey,” she said quietly, her voice soft but steady. “How’ve you been holding up?”

You gave her a small smile, the weight of everything unspoken hanging between you. “Doing what I can. The kids are tough.”

She nodded, her gaze searching yours for a moment, as if looking for something more in your words. But then she pulled back, the tension still there but unspoken. “We’re all doing our best.”

The kids called for her again, and Mandalay turned, her hand brushing lightly against yours for just a brief moment before she pulled away completely. It was fleeting, but the warmth of her touch lingered, a reminder of what you couldn’t have. At least, not yet.