For a moment, the air stopped moving.

  ?The lights slid down her shoulders like warm breath, and the white tips of her ears caught the glow, trembling faintly.

  ?A few seconds of silence—someone drew in a breath.

  ?Then—

  ?A single pair of hands clapped, followed by a wave of cheers that spread like a tide.

  ?“Mirko! Mirko!”

  ?Mirko smiled, the expression as familiar as sunlight.

  ?“It’s been a while—as Rabbit Hero, anyway.”

  ?Just one short line, but it broke the air wide open. Laughter and applause burst beneath the chandeliers all at once.

  ?Mirko stepped naturally toward the center table, where the Big Three were waiting. Mirio reached out first.

  ?“Congratulations on your return, Rabbit Hero.”

  ?Mirko clasped his hand and tapped his shoulder lightly. “Hah, when the No.1 Hero says that, how could I argue?”

  ?Tamaki raised his glass. His smile was quiet, but it carried the steadiness of long-held resolve. Then Nejire approached, her eyes glimmering with the light gathered at their corners. Her voice trembled as if holding back a breath.

  ?“It’s amazing… you’re really just the same as before. Rabbit Hero—Mirko.”

  ?She pulled Mirko into a hug. Tamaki watched from beside her and smiled faintly. Mirko blinked, surprised for a heartbeat, then her face relaxed into a teasing grin.

  ?“What’s this? That’s not like you.”

  ?Her gaze moved between them.

  ?“Guess wedding prep made you sentimental, huh?”

  ?A short beat—then laughter broke out. Not roaring applause this time, but warmth—a softer kind of celebration that filled the hall.

  The chandeliers swayed overhead, scattering light across her smile—bright enough to make the whole hall breathe again.

  ?Just then, Hawks stepped forward.

  ?“Come on—how about a few words?”

  ?He offered the mic with an easy smile. Mirko blinked once, lightly.

  ?“Didn’t even prepare a speech…”

  ?With a shrug, she stepped forward. Then, she thrust her left fist high into the air—mimicking the Symbol of Peace.

  ?“I am here!”

  ?The hall erupted. Laughter, cheers, and shouts of joy collided, spilling outward in a burst of light. With one hand on her hip, Mirko’s face broke into a grin.

  ?“Not as 'Bunny the Weapon'—but as 'Rabbit Hero'. Not just back…”

  ?She drew a breath, lowering her head. Light spilled over her ears, making them tremble like silver flame.

  ?“I’m stronger than ever!”

  ?As she raised her head and declared it, the applause burst like thunder. Best Jeanist smiled and began to clap; Mount Lady and Nejire followed with cheers, and Wash’s bubbles burst like applause in the air.

  ?Mirko crossed her arms, laughing.

  ?“See you all on the field soon!”

  ?That line was the spark. The hall shook again with another wave of cheers.

  ?“Mirko! Mirko! Mirko!!”

  ?Amid the roar, Mirko’s laughter spread like light. Everyone felt it—tonight, Rabbit Hero had truly returned.

  ?Laughter and chatter overlapped, and the small hall pulsed like the heart of a festival. Mirko walked slowly toward the cluster of younger heroes.

  ?“Ah—there you are.”

  ?Her eyes swept across the familiar faces.

  ?“Komori, Kendo, Pony… you’ve all grown.”

  ?Unfolding her arms, she smiled. “Let’s team up again sometime—like the old days.”

  ?Komori clasped her hands together. “It’d be an honor! shroom!”

  ?Her face flushed bright red, but her eyes still sparkled.

  ?“Hmph… getting noisy again,” Kuroiro murmured, arms folded. “Every light throws a shadow somewhere.”

  ?“Come on, just go with the mood for once,” Komori puffed her cheeks, pouting.

  ?Mirko chuckled. “Speaking of which—”

  ?Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Tell me—are you two the next Nejire and Tamaki?"

  ?Both Kuroiro and Komori turned crimson at once.

  ?“S-Shroom! It’s not—!”

  ?“Kuroiro… you’ve gone from black to red.”

  ?Laughter burst around them. Pony covered her mouth, giggling, while Kendo shook her shoulders. “That’s our Mirko.”

  ?Mirko laughed with her arms crossed. “So what? If you’re dating, you’d better aim for marriage!”

  ?Her laughter rippled through the air. Pony bounced in place, her voice bright.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ?“It’s just like before! Amazing! Mirko, you look so strong again!”

  ?English and Japanese tumbled together, and the room filled with laughter once more.

  ?“Mirko’s kicks—still unforgettable!” Ojiro’s tail flicked with excitement.

  ?Mirko raised her glass with a wide grin. “Guess I’ve got plenty of time—my body’s back to its prime.”

  ?Kendo shot back immediately. “Then we’re basically the same age now! Guess it’s getting hard to call you senpai, huh?”

  ?Laughter burst out at once. Kendo’s timing, as always, was flawless. Mount Lady swirled her glass and gave a playful wink.

  ?“Guess I’d better stay on my toes—can’t have you stealing my spot.”

  ?Her signature dramatic tone made the room grow even livelier. Mirko spread her shoulders wide and laughed heartily.

  ?“Who knows? Maybe tomorrow I’ll kick Shigaraki’s face in—take your spot and the No.1 title too.”

  ?“Oh, come on!” Mount Lady’s eyes went wide with laughter. “Shigaraki’s been gone for eight years!”

  ?The laughter faltered, thinning into silence. Even the chandelier light seemed to hold its breath as every gaze turned toward Mirko.

  ?A beat later, she laughed—just a touch too loudly.

  ?“Haha—right, right! Of course.”

  ?She tapped her temple with a finger, as if to lighten the moment.

  ?“Must be one of those recovery side effects. My memories keep tripping over each other lately.”

  ?Mirko added playfully.

  ?“So don’t even think about it, Takeyama. Hoping this treatment’ll make you younger? Don’t even think about it. The side effects are no joke.”

  ?Mount Lady’s eyes went wide. “What? I never said anything like that!”

  ?Before she could finish, Monoma tilted his head, wineglass in hand.

  ?“Eh? I could’ve sworn I’ve heard it a few times— ‘If I could be young again, maybe I’ll get the same treatment as Mirko~’ Sound familiar, perhaps?”

  ?Mount Lady flushed bright red and waved her hands frantically. “That was a joke! Just a joke!”

  ?Monoma smirked. “Should’ve written it down for the record.”

  ?His teasing sent a ripple of laughter through the heroes around them. Wash burst a stream of bubbles, and Pony bent over, laughing. “That’s too funny!”

  ?Mirko folded her arms, watching the scene with a crooked grin.

  ?“Hah. Heroes aren’t heroes if things ever go quiet.”

  ?The chandelier light flickered over her ears, warm. The heaviness from a moment ago vanished, as if it had never existed—and laughter once again filled the hall.

  ?Mirko walked over to the Big 3 and joined their conversation.

  ?“That’s our Mirko-senpai—back for a day and already running the room.”

  ?Mirio's playful tone drew laughter from everyone around. Nejire’s blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Mirko.

  ?“I’m so glad you’re here… it’s really, really real now.”

  ?Beside her, Tamaki nodded gently. His gaze dropped, his fingers tightening gently around hers—steady, like an anchor beneath the noise. The soft warmth between them seemed to seep into the air of the hall.

  ?Mirko lifted her glass high.

  ?“Let’s take on a mission together soon—just like eight years ago.”

  ?The chandelier light caught her glass, scattering across it in shards of gold—and for a moment, even time seemed to hold its breath.

  ?In that instant—

  ?…No…

  ?A breath brushed her ear—ragged, trembling, too close to tell if it was a scream or a prayer.

  ?What… what was that—?

  ?Mirko blinked once, twice. Tamaki was smiling, speaking softly.

  ?“We’ll be ready.”

  ?Laughter. Lights. Music. Everything was as it had been. But an echo still lingered by her ear, thin as a film stretched over silence.

  ?As Mirko turned toward Mount Lady’s table, she raised her glass.

  ?“Hey, Takeyama!” She smiled. “Congrats on hitting No.3 in the hero rankings!”

  ?Mt. Lady tilted her head, cheeks faintly flushed. “Heh, I’m in my prime these days. Even you’d have a hard time beating me.”

  ?Mirko let out a small laugh and clinked her glass against hers.

  ?“Good. It’s more fun when there’s competition.”

  ?The moment the glasses touched—something deep inside her cracked and rang.

  ?…Why are you still whole…?

  ?Her eyes widened, just slightly. The glass trembled in her hand; golden light rippled over the rim and slid down her fingers. Mirko turned her gaze away, startled.

  ?In the center of the hall, Nejire, Mirio, and Tamaki were laughing, their glasses clinking together. The lights wrapped their faces in gentle warmth.

  ?We fought together… so why—

  ?The light wavered. Her vision wavered, thin and brittle—like light seen through cracked glass. The laughter around her dimmed. Her breath caught—her rabbit ears trembled as if hearing something no one else could.

  ?Then—a voice rippled through the haze.

  ?“Hey, Mirko… are you okay?”

  ?It was Nejire.

  ?Mirko froze for a moment. Her pupils flickered, then she forced her lips into a smile.

  ?“Ah—must’ve been the drinks… or maybe the fatigue just hit me all at once.”

  ?Her voice carried a trace of laughter—one that thinned and vanished before it could reach anyone else. The air froze for a heartbeat; even the clinking glasses seemed to fall silent as worried eyes turned her way.

  ?“Uh… this treatment, you know—it’s got some side effects. Headaches, fuzzy memory, that sort of thing.”

  ?Mirko let out a laugh—louder than it needed to be.

  ?“Haha! Please, some folks get knocked out by cold medicine! This is nothing!”

  ?She flung both arms up—then even kicked her right leg high, grinning wide.

  ?“See? Compared to this, it’s nothing!”

  ?Laughter rippled through the room, quick and relieved.

  ?Kendo clapped her hands together. “That’s so like you, Mirko!”

  ?Pony waved brightly, eyes shining. “Strong! Mirko, so strong!”

  ?Nejire exhaled in relief, her smile returning. Amid their cheers, Mirko laughed too.

  ?Yeah… just tired, that’s all.

  ?She told herself that, and raised her glass again—as if the motion alone could hold the cracks together.

  ?Soft music drifted through the hall as the last bits of conversation faded away. Hawks approached, a glass in hand. There was something different in his eyes—less of the usual teasing glint, more of something long held back.

  ?“You really did great tonight,” he said quietly. “Everyone seemed stronger tonight—just knowing you’re back.”

  ?Mirko let out a short breath, smiling faintly. “Please. I just make too much noise.”

  ?Hawks shook his head.

  ?“No.”

  ?The glass settled between his fingers.

  ?“You didn’t just come back, Rumi. When you’re here… people remember that there’s still hope."

  ?The word cut through the air.

  ?Hope.

  ?It echoed somewhere deep inside her head. The wine in her glass rippled, the crimson deepening until it looked like ink swallowing the light.

  ?—shhhhhh—

  ?A low, drawn-out ringing scraped through her ears—half hiss, half whisper. Followed by a string of sounds that weren’t quite words—a voice, mocking, just beyond sense.

  ?Hawks’s mouth moved, but his voice was gone. Mirko’s fingers trembled. The surface of her glass quivered, and the wine inside began to shake.

  ?“Rumi.”

  ?A dry, steady voice brushed against her ear. Under the light stood Aizawa Shota, the white bandages around his neck swaying slowly, one visible eye catching the glow.

  ?“You alright?”

  ?Just a few quiet words—steady, grounding. And the ringing stopped.

  ?The lights slowly returned to their place. Mirko tried to smile, but it caught halfway—more strain than warmth.

  ?“My head’s a little fuzzy. Guess that’s the price of rewinding eight years, huh?”

  ?Hawks stepped in right away. “If you’re tired, you can head out and rest first.”

  ?“The doctors already said I’m fine.” Mirko forced a laugh, her tone rougher than usual.

  ?Best Jeanist moved between them. “Still, take it easy. This is your first appearance since the restoration.”

  ?Mirko paused for a moment, then set down her glass and nodded. “Guess I don’t have a choice…”

  ?As she started toward the exit, several heroes watched her with worry in their eyes. Mirko planted her hands on her hips and let out a loud laugh.

  ?“Relax! I’ll be fine in no time—still Rabbit Hero that never stops running!”

  ?The tension in the air melted at once, replaced by small, relieved smiles.

  ?As Mirko stepped out and the doors closed behind her, Hawks slowly lowered his glass, eyes fixed on the doorway, and sighed.

  ?Jeanist exhaled softly, eyes lingering on the closed door. "...She doesn’t look fine.”

  ?Aizawa took out his phone. The screen lit for a second—then went dark again.

  ?“I’ll check in tomorrow.”

  ?“Me too,” Jeanist said with a nod.

  ?Hawks lifted his head without a word. That look alone was enough—words weren’t needed.

  ?The chandelier light dimmed over their shoulders.

  ?From a short distance away, a pair of wide blue eyes watched in silence—light catching faintly in them, uncertain, searching.

  ?After a moment, the gaze shifted toward the door. The eyes, caught in the light, wavered faintly. The focus slipped once, twice—as if repeating something under the breath.

  ?For an instant, the light flickered in those eyes—something fragile, gone before it could be named. Then the reflection blurred and faded away.

  ?The air in the hall had cooled. The music lingered, but the laughter was gone.