There was a question that pressed against young Midoriya's chest, like so many others had done before and as many others would surely had done in the future.

There were so many things he wanted to know, understand, reflect about his childhood friend, so close and unattainable.

There was the fierce desire to build a bridge of true friendship, because it was undeniable that although he tried to call him with the graceful 'Kacchan' nickname, so dated and unsuitable for a ferocious beast like the blond Katsuki, there were no prerequisites for a nickname so intimate and trusting.

He, the Explosive Boy, had discovered his secret and had vomited all his insecurities on him; a question, so simple and radical, had taken shape in his mind.

The sunset of another school day had come, and the green-haired boy's heart began to run exactly like his legs: he had to ask him that question, their relationship could had changed thanks to those words.

"Hey, Kacchan!"

"Hm? What do you want?"

"Ask you a question."

The blond was standing in the middle of the street, his ruby eyes fixed on his rival.

"Move, I don't have the whole evening."

"Here... what would you have done if I had been kidnapped by the Villains?"

This then... what did he want, point out the fact to him?

With his hands already steaming, he replied:

"Probably nothing, because I would have probably been dragged into some daring rescue mission as happened for me."

No... that answer didn't satisfy him; he decided to overplay his hand.

"And... how would you have reacted if I had accepted their offer?"

That question had profoundly affected Bakugou, even though the idea of seeing a Deku among the ranks of Villains seemed inconceivable to him at least as much as that of knowing him as All Might's heir, he and his Quirk rained on his head like that.

Nevertheless, he answered him sincerely:

"I would have treated you like any Villain, I would have pretended to be a stranger for you; this is what traitors deserve."

Having said that, he turned his back on him and left without another word.

Kacchan couldn't had known, but his answer had brought great joy to Midoriya's heart: first, because upon considering him hypothetically a traitor he had expressed his disgust for the idea, and second, because the concept of indifference was something totally alien to his friend, at least in battle.

Smiling, he went to his dorm.

Once there, he paused for long moments to contemplate the posters and action figures of his hero, the one who had taken him under his wing while not being a prodigy with an exaggerated Quirk or important athletic characteristics. He was like a father to him, since his had vanished for years and didn't appear in any photograph. If he tried to ask his mother, he clashed against a wall: for her, Hisashi was still a husband and a parent.

He clenched his fists: he had picked up All Might's torch and had to feed it, but to do it, in addition to the others' souls, he would had to save his own. And that was a very first step.