"Deku~! C'mon, Deku, wake up~!" With a low groan, and an ever softer squeak of a yawn, I lazily fumble beside my lamp for my glasses as I'm shouted awake, the malachite wisps of my hair tickling my eyelashes. Uraraka really knows how to get me up in the morning, huh? Then again, after the intense studying I've been doing the past few weeks leading up to midterms, I'm surprised I've woken up at all.
"I'm coming, Uraraka!" I call, shoving my round spectacles onto my face and practically falling out of bed and into my slippers, throwing my dressing gown around my shoulders. What time even is it, I wonder to myself, knuckles rubbing along my waterline whilst my other hand scoops up the clock. 11am. Wait- "YOU NEVER TOLD ME IT WAS SO LATE!" I yelp, panic instantly filling me. She is so lucky I don't have any classes to get to today!
For the next five minutes, to say I'm nothing less than a speeding green mess would be a massive lie; it takes everything I have to keep on my feet as I grab the closest graphic tee I own, stuffing it over my head. Of course, my hair explodes out of it and my glasses nearly tumble to the floor, but I don't have time to worry about that, juggling brushing my teeth with sorting the tangled strands out.
"Sorry, Deku. I came in earlier, but you looked so comfy. I didn't wanna wake you," she innocently hums, just standing in the corner of my room, watching me fall over myself to get ready. "How can you brush your teeth before eating?"
"The chemistry scores go up today! If I'm late I'll be a laughing stock!" I cry, squeaking and flopping onto my bed as I jam on some fresh boxers, nearly breaking my neck in the process. Even that would be less painful than showing up late. Nerds are a tough crowd to please, and we'll literally take anything we possibly can to make ourselves feel better. So, like I said, laughing stock. Being late isn't an option.
"You nerds are so uptight."
"Y-Yeah well... Yeah," I sigh, finally slinging my backpack over my shoulder with a satisfied chirp, beaming a confident smile at my best friend. Only to quickly notice that she's blushing, a frown knotting onto my eyebrows. "Uh, something wrong?"
"I think you forgot something," she points out, arching a brow and glancing down at my legs. Which just so happen to be bare. Gasping, I find my face immediately igniting with an embarrassingly bright crimson colour, the pigment reaching my neck by the time I've managed to dress myself properly.
"Better?"
"Anything beats boxer city," she giggles, still a little flustered herself. It's adorable, but I don't really get why she's acting so prude; it's not like she hasn't seen me naked before. That was uh... Yes that was my first time getting drunk. And kissing a girl. And sleeping with a girl. And crying about it for an hour straight the next morning. She's seen it all, so a bit of thigh really shouldn't offend her.
Thankfully, the moment seems to fade the second we abandon my dormitory, excitement quickly replacing it. I'm finally getting my results back, and I have to say I'm kinda looking forward to the smug grin I get to wear every year. Top of the class is a nice place to sit, no matter how humble you are. Of course, I don't brag about it, nor do I rub it in- I never feel like that's good for anyone. It's more rude, if anything. Besides, I like to actually have friends.
"We don't have much time to get there."
"We're fine, Deku. If anything, we'll get there and everyone will start bowing at your feet," she hums, curtsying with a beaming smile, the pair of us letting out a laughter that chimes in unison. She may be a bit crazy, and we may have had the most awkward history to ever awkward, but she's still my best friend. I think we've seen too much of each other, and know too many of the other's secrets, for that to end any time soon anyway.
"More like a bunch of jealous glares. I heard university students are much more competitive than kids at school ever were," I chuckle, scratching my cheek with a coy sigh, feeling as though I'll itch the freckles off eventually. In response, she just nods and tilts her head up, glancing at the puffs of white floating through the cyan sky. She's obsessed with clouds for a reason I still don't really understand. She says the thought of something just floating around is amazing to her.
"That's true. But you've got some awesome people in your class. I wish I was that lucky."
"Hey, you've got Mina. And there's Momo too. They're cool girls," I hum, tilting my head a little, trying to gauge her reaction before she even gives me one. Call it a little quirk I have. One of very few. As expected, she suddenly breaks out into a wide grin and softly nods, glancing my way.
"I guess you're right as always, Deku~"
"I'm not always right. Just 96.72 percent of the time," I shyly chuckle, eyes falling down to my hated crimson sneakers as the stones crackle beneath them. Uraraka hates them. My mom hates them. Everyone pretty much despises them, but they just stand out. Maybe that's why they're unpopular as the colour they hold. I don't know why so many people don't like red.
Well, a lot of people, minus one. Who just so happens to be waving to Uraraka and I as we approach, a huge smile stretching across his face. Almost as bold as the ruby hair he's got standing taller than a building.
"Yo, guys! What took you so long?"
"Deku slept in," Uraraka giggles, nudging me the second I start blushing. Because of course she does. Why am I like this? Why does everything have to embarrass me?
"Oh, well-"
"-Th-That's not true! I didn't sleep in, I just... Didn't wake up," I immediately stammer, obviously taking Kirishima off guard, the redhead stumbling back a little with a small uwah sound.
"Uh, alright, I believe you. Chill," he chuckles, nudging my arm with that signature grin of his. It must be nice to be so laid back, but I just never seem to be able to give myself that luxury. No wonder I'm so tired all the time. "So, you excited to see where you placed? Even though I think we all know already," he hums, hooking an arm around my shoulders.
Kirishima and I went to school together, so he's been there to see my constant success. Whether he's enjoyed it or not is beyond me, but he doesn't seem too jealous about it. See what I mean? The uni nerds have made me paranoid that everyone sees me as competition! "I mean, I don't expect to get too far in this exam. I kinda flunked it."
"Y-Yeah... But you did amazing in the geology exams!"
"Hell yeah I did~! Hard stuff is my speciality!" With that, we all laugh, the innuendo going right over our heads. Or does it? With the cocky grin he gives me, I guess he knew full well what he was saying. And I'm blushing. Again. Don't get me wrong, Kirishima is a great guy, but really not who I have in mind for a long-term partner. But he still knows how to give me moments of doubt sometimes.
"Well ah- You're not wrong."
"Mhmm. And hey, I think I finally found a guy I'm actually interested in. He's real intense, I bet he goes like a firework."
"K-Kirishima!" I yelp. Now I'm the one acting prude, shrinking down on myself when a couple people look our way. "You can't just come out and say something like that in front of everyone. It's great you've found someone but-"
"-Alright alright, I'll tone it down. I always forget that everything makes you blush." Now he's just teasing. Acting like I don't remember fresher's week, when he dragged me to that gay bar in the middle of town and got me drunk out of my mind. I never forgot! And trust me, I've tried. I've tried very hard.
"Awh, Deku. Stop teasing him, Kirishima. He never forgot fresher's week."
"Now that was a good time."
"I-I'm gonna go see if the scores are up yet!" And with that, I'm gone like a whippet, unable to take any more. Why do all my friends have to relentlessly tease me? I can't help being easily embarrassed, so I obviously can't stop them from exploiting it either.
Thankfully, by the time I reach the board on which the scores are going to be displayed, my blush has gone and my humiliation has dwindled. Everyone's here, just waiting with baited breath, huddled around in a big pile of pop culture references and dad jokes. I'm both proud and ashamed to be part of this band of geeks.
And then my mind jolts to a stop when I see my tutor stride over to the board, his insane, black hair tumbling over the sloppy scarf draped around his shoulders. And, as usual, he's got a coffee in his hand, clearly struggling to stay awake. Nothing new there. However, what is new is the look he flashes my way as soon as he spots me in the crowd of nattering nerds. I can't be sure, but I swear I just saw pity. That can't be good.
But I do my best to brush it off. Maybe he feels bad because everyone's going to swarm me as soon as they see me at the top of the class. After all, this is the first exam I've taken in university, and these guys are a competitive lot. They're all gonna be after my secrets. Yeah, that's all it is. I mean, of course I placed top of the- WHAT?!
"So I'd like to give a congratulations to the top student. Bakugou Katsuki."
A/N
So for some reason, this idea popped into my head earlier today and I really got excited for it. I don't know why I'm so hung up on writing stories that don't typically do well on my accounts, but I've written a few chapters of this already and just had to get it posted.
Anyhoo, feedback is greatly appreciated, and I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I look forward to posting more if this one does well :)
~Deku