MHA REINCARNATION!

The fluorescent lights of the Musutafu University dorm hallway hummed, a monotonous soundtrack to Mina Ashido's internal panic. Or, rather, what was now Mina Ashido. He, as in he, stared at the reflection in the cracked mirror propped against the wall. Gone were the signature pink skin, the bubbly horns, the cheerful, feminine curves. In their place was… this. A lean, awkward frame, a sharper jawline, and close-cropped black hair dusted with the faintest hint of the pink that used to define her.

"Rio," he mumbled, testing the name he'd chosen. Rio Ashido. It felt alien, a costume he couldn't quite inhabit.

The transformation had been sudden, inexplicable. One morning, he'd woken up like this. A doctor's visit had yielded nothing but bewildered shrugs and vague theories involving rare quirk mutations. The truth was, Mina had no clue why she was suddenly a he, but she knew one thing: she needed to keep it a secret. College was already hard enough. Being known as the girl who suddenly turned into a guy? Social suicide.

Taking a deep breath, Rio adjusted the oversized hoodie he was wearing, trying to hide the way his clothes hung on his newly angular frame. He was late. First day of second semester, and he was already running behind. He'd deliberately chosen courses that put him in classes with Kirishima and Sero. Familiarity was a life raft in this swirling sea of uncertainty.

Bursting into the lecture hall, he scanned the rows of students. He spotted Kirishima's spiky red hair and Sero's perpetually grinning face near the back. He slipped into the seat beside them, nodding a hurried greeting.

"Yo, Mina! You're late, dude!" Sero quipped, earning a glare from the professor.

Rio winced. "Call me Rio, guys. I'm trying out a new… you know… a nickname." He hoped his voice didn't betray the anxiety gnawing at him.

Kirishima, ever the perceptive one, raised an eyebrow. "Rio? That's… cool. What's up with the hoodie, though? You trying to start a new trend?"

Rio shrugged, pulling the hood further over his head. "Just… feeling a little under the weather, bro."

The lecture droned on, a blur of complex chemical equations and sleep-deprived students. Rio struggled to focus, acutely aware of Kirishima's occasional sideways glances. He knew his best friends. They weren't stupid.

The charade lasted a week. A week of strained explanations, awkward evasions, and mounting pressure. One evening, after a torturous gym class where he'd been forced to shower with the other guys (a near-traumatic experience he never wanted to repeat), Rio found himself alone in the dorm's communal kitchen, furiously scrubbing at a stain on his borrowed jeans.

A shadow fell across the table. He looked up to see Kirishima standing there, his expression unreadable.

"Rio," Kirishima said, his voice low. "We need to talk."

Rio sighed, the fight draining out of him. "I know."

He poured out the entire story, the words tumbling out in a rush of panic and fear. He described the confusion, the fear of being ostracized, the desperate attempts to maintain normalcy. By the end, he was a mess, tears stinging his eyes.

Kirishima listened without interrupting, his brow furrowed in concern. When Rio finally fell silent, he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude," Kirishima said softly. "That's… that's a lot to take in."

He paused, searching for the right words. "But listen, Mina… or Rio… whatever you want to be called, it doesn't change anything. You're still our friend. You're still… you."

Sero, who had been lurking in the doorway, stepped forward, a rare serious expression on his face. "Yeah, man. We've been through too much together for something like this to break us up. We got your back."

A wave of relief washed over Rio, so intense it almost knocked him off his feet. He hadn't realized how much he'd been carrying until he finally shared the burden.

"But… how am I supposed to… be?" Rio asked, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

Kirishima grinned, a flash of his usual optimism. "We'll figure it out together! Like we always do."

Sero nodded in agreement. "First things first, we need to get you some clothes that actually fit. And maybe a decent haircut. That bowl cut is not doing you any favors."

Rio couldn't help but laugh, the tension finally easing. He knew it wouldn't be easy. He had a long road ahead of him, full of challenges and uncertainties. But he also knew that he wasn't alone. He had his friends, his ride-or-die best friends, who were willing to stand by him no matter what.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of awkward moments and unexpected discoveries. Kirishima and Sero helped Rio navigate the intricacies of the male world, offering advice on everything from shaving to talking to girls. They took him shopping for clothes, patiently enduring his endless indecision and aversion to anything even remotely masculine.

Rio began to experiment with his new identity, trying on different personas like clothes. He tried being tough and stoic, like Kirishima, but it felt forced and unnatural. He tried being quick-witted and charming, like Sero, but it didn't quite fit either.

One day, while practicing guitar in his dorm room (another new hobby he'd picked up), Kirishima and Sero walked in. They listened for a while, their expressions thoughtful.

"You know," Kirishima said finally, "you sound pretty good."

"Yeah," Sero agreed. "But you look like you're trying too hard. Just… relax and have fun."

Rio took a deep breath and started playing again, this time letting go of the pressure to be anything other than himself. He sang along, his voice still a little shaky, but filled with a newfound confidence.

As he played, he realized that he didn't have to be a perfect imitation of Kirishima or Sero. He didn't have to be anyone other than Rio Ashido. He was still Mina, deep down, but he was also something new, something unique. He was a work in progress, a blend of his past and his present, a boy who was still figuring out who he was meant to be.

The journey wasn't over. There were still going to be difficult days, moments of doubt and fear. But now, Rio knew he had the strength and support to face them. He had his best friends, his chosen family, who loved him for who he was, no matter what form he took. And that, he realized, was all that really mattered.

One afternoon, Rio, Kirishima, and Sero were walking across campus when they ran into a group of girls from their class. One of them, a girl named Hana, blushed as she looked at Rio.

"Hey, Rio," she said shyly. "I really liked your presentation in class the other day. You're really smart."

Rio felt his cheeks flush, a sensation he wasn't quite used to. He looked at Kirishima and Sero, who were grinning at him encouragingly.

He smiled back at Hana. "Thanks. Maybe we could study together sometime?"

As they walked away, Kirishima clapped him on the back. "See? You're doing great, man!"

Sero chimed in, "Yeah, you're a natural! Just be yourself, and everything will be alright."

Rio grinned, a genuine, heartfelt smile. He still had a long way to go, but he was finally starting to feel like himself. He was Rio Ashido, and he was ready to face the future, whatever it might hold. He had his friends, his family, and a whole lot of potential. And that was all he needed. He was home.