The phoenix born from the ashes

Chapter 33: Feelings

3rd PoV

It's now 10 am. Stella, along with Tsuyu, Uraraka, Nejire, and Ryukyu are at Nighteye agency, waiting for the operation to start. Everyone is on board. Everyone is ready to attack and free the little girl. 

Almost everyone. Stella is still thinking of her situation with Ikki. What if he hates me? What if he doesn't want to see anymore? Did I mess up everything? Did I lose the love of my life?

Such thoughts were currently running wild in her mind. Hard to think straight when you're about to lose someone dear to you.

As she was sulking, she failed to notice the hand that was on her shoulder. This hand shook her a little, breaking her from her trance. She looked behind her and saw her blue-haired friend, Nejire Hado.

Nejire" Is there something wrong?"

She asked, genuinely worried for her friend. Stella did her best to hide her sadness.

Stella" Ye-Yeah everything is fine. Just a little worried about the mission. That's all." She said, trying to hide everything behind a fake smile.

However, Nejire, even though is considered an airhead, noticed that her friend was lying.

Nejire" You don't have to hide it you know."

Stella" Huh?"

Nejire" I can see that you're sad about something and it seems important, if you bottle up those feelings, it will blow up and cause you to fail something easy. It will mess up your contribution during the mission. We can't let that happen."

Stella" I-I-"

Stella didn't know what to do. She wanted to cry and scream with all her might but she can't, not here, not now. As she was struggling, another hand went to her other shoulder, this time it was Ryukyu.

Ryukyu" I know that look. Follow me."

Without another word, she grabbed the crimson-haired girl's hand and took her to another room, where they could talk in private.

Inside, there was only a couch, with a tv in front of it. It was probably used to relax a little. Ryukyu sat Stella on the couch and she did the same.

Ryukyu" You can let it out here."

Stella, who still didn't understand the situation she was in, looked at her mentor with her mouth slightly open and a trembling look.

Stella" Wh'what d-do you mean Ryu-Ryukyu?"

Ryukyu" There is no one here. No pro hero. No student. No mission. It's just the two of us. What's happening here is staying here. No one will ever know. You can let it out."

The flame pillar finally understood what her sensei had in mind and she was gonna take this chance. No one could judge her here. She wanted to cry until she drowned in it but no. She couldn't. Not now.

She just looked down, squeezing the lower part of her costume.

Stella" Sensei, I did something horrible to the person I love the most in the world. I'm scared that I'll lose everything we built so far. That he hates me now for lying to him. That he no longer trusts me!"

She was doing everything she could to not let a single tears drop. She didn't want to look that vulnerable. There was only one person who could see this side of her, and it was her fiancée.

Ryukyu, who just listened, patted Stella's back.

Ryukyu" I understand your feelings."

Stella, who was still looking down, raised up her head, to look at the dragon hero.