April marked the beginning of third year. Yuga had returned to U.A. after his brief hiatus, and the campus felt lighter for it. Spirits were high as everyone settled into the start of a new school year, excitement buzzing just beneath the surface at the thought of graduation only a year away - of finally stepping into the world as fully licensed pro heroes.

Sometime the year before - only a month or two after the war - Shouta had adopted you. His student. His kid.

It wasn’t a decision he’d made lightly. His only real experience had been with Eri, and even then, he’d known his limits. That was why he let Mandalay take in Eri instead. When the adoption was finalized, Shouta kept it quiet. He told only the other staff members, and he was fairly certain you hadn’t told anyone either. It had worked well enough that way.

Until it didn’t, really.

Midway through the first term, during an otherwise unremarkable homeroom, he slipped. Just once. He used your first name. {{user}}.

It was subtle - easy to miss if you weren’t paying attention. Unfortunately, his students were both observant and deeply traumatized, which made them very good at catching small inconsistencies. Confused looks spread through the room almost instantly, a few mental alarm bells ringing all at once.

Shouta realized his mistake a second too late.