After the incident with Uraraka that one day, things were different in class. I wouldn't say Uraraka was the most popular girl in the class but she definitely had a few close friends to whom she told the whole story of that incident. Those few people started smiling at me and inviting me to sit with them at lunch. Her boyfriend, Iida Tenya, the class rep, went out of his way to boost my popularity too. He would assign me little chores like gathering the homework and collecting the fieldtrip dues. At first, I was annoyed by the extra chores but then I realized that those tasks helped me meet people in the class and learn their names.

This school semester was already turning out so differently. When I arrived at school, my classmates would greet me with smiles and offer me pieces of gum. Everyone talked to me and invited me to clubs. I thought I didn't want any friends, that they were all pretentious, fake, boot-lickers… but being liked changed my whole perspective. I was good to be liked, I felt really great to be accepted and popular.

People started saying I was cool. Cool…they thought I was cool…."Katsuki," my classmate Kaminara said, "I want to do my hair like yours, it looks really cool!". I smirked and played it off in a smooth way.

"Psh, Thanks but don't bother with the hair. I wouldn't tell you my secret styling technique so just stick with your own style. I suits you better anyways." I said, dripping with confidence and collectedness.

Midoriya always sat in the group with me and my new friends but he hardly spoke, he just watched everyone and smiled. We didn't talk at school anymore, not before class nor at lunch. He was invisible to me between the school bells. When school ended, however, we would take our backpacks and walk to my house. He used to tutor me every day after school but soon enough, I caught up on the material and I really didn't need the tutoring so much. Still, we were in the habit of it so we would still go up to my room and lay around and do nothing for a few hours.

One such day, after finishing our homework, we sat together in my room in silence. I sat on the floor, reading some hero comics he had lent me and he laid on my bed, scrolling through his phone. We were pretty relaxed together. "Hey, I heard Momo-chan invite you to the debate club's Bar-b-que. Are you gonna go?" The greenette asked. His voice gave off a casual feel but I sensed that he was a little anxious.

"No. I have to go to my little cousin's birthday party that day." I replied.

"It seems like you get invited to a lot of stuff recently…" He mentioned.

"Yeah, I guess." I answered.

"You're getting along with everyone really well now." His voice held some hesitation.

"So? What of it?" I asked.

"Nothing." He backed off, putting his nose back in his phone. I knew what was wrong. After the incident with Uraraka, I had made a lot more friends but he still hadn't. It was flu season, he was already uncomfortable in class not to mention that he hated people getting close to him during this time of the year especially. While I was making more friends, he was getting lonelier.

"Were you invited too?" I asked. I could feel his embarrassment. Shit… I felt bad for him.

"No." His voice was small and hesitant.

I looked down at the comic book in my hands and took a deep breath. Now was a good opportunity to practice being a hero. "Good, so you'll be free that evening? After going to my cousin's party, I'll really need some time away from my family." As I was learning, lying could be used as part of being a good hero.

Midoriya crooked his mouth up in a little smile. "Yeah, I don't think I'll be doing anything. Whadya wanna do?"

"Dunno, anything I guess." I replied.

"Captain America 3 is coming out this weekend." He mentioned.

For a brief moment, I was excited. I had grown to like the patriotic hero too. My smile fell as a realization hit me. "You wanna see a movie? Isn't that something you do on a date?"

Midoriya rolled his eyes. "Anyone can see a movie any time, it's not just a date thing."

"Do you know friends who go to see movies together?" I asked.

"Uraraka and Iida go all the time."

"They're dating." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but they've always gone to see movies together, even before they were dating."

I shook my head frustrated. "Yeah, but two guys never go together right?"

"That's not true. I saw The Avengers with my two cousins. They're both guys."

"Oh my god, you're insufferable."

"Do you want to see the movie or not?"

I thought about it for a while. It was okay, right? Sometimes guys go to see movies together, that's fine, right? I mean, neither of us were gay so it wasn't like that at all. Besides, no one would even see us. I was overthinking this. If I wanted to go see the movie, I should just do it, right? Midoriya would be cool and I would be cool, so it would be fine. "Yeah…" I agreed. His smile grew.

"I'll get the tickets, okay? That way, it's the opposite of a date."

"Hold up, you think that I would actually buy your ticket if it were a date?" I said, outraged by the assumption that I was one of those chivalrous tools.

"You wouldn't? So… are you the girl in this situation?" He asked with a chuckle. He was enjoying picking on me.

I picked up the pillow I was sitting on and climbed up on the bed, trying to suffocate him with it out of rage. He laughed so hard and loud as he tried to fight me off. "DIE!" I yelled.

"Katsuki! S-stop!" He cried between fits of laughter. "Stop! I take it back! I forfeit!"

I rolled off the bed with a triumphant humph. "You better god damn watch that mouth of yours if you want to live to see your next birthday."

He giggled. "Hey, everyone in class calls you Katsuki now, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"So, can I call you Kaachan?"

"What the fuck? No! Why would I agree to that?"

"Well, before, I was calling you Katsuki while everyone else was calling you Bakugo-san. Now that everyone calls you Katsuki, it's not special anymore."

"What makes you think you have the right to a special name?"

"Because I'm your closest friend."

"Who says?"

"Aren't I?"

I scoffed. "As if." I picked the comic back up and searched for my page.

"Who do you like more than me?" He asked.

I tried to think of someone I was closer to than Midoriya but there was no one. "That's not how it works! I don't have a place system."

"So it's me?"

"I just said I don't have a favorite friend!"

"I know you. If there were someone you liked more than me, you would have told the truth."

"Shut the fuck up! You're always saying stupid shit like this, I don't even know what the hell you're talking about!" I barked. I could feel him smiling and it pissed me off.

"Okay, Kaachan." He replied.

"Fuck you!"

"I thought that wasn't the kind of relationship we have~" He teased.

With fire in my veins, I got up on the bed and again tried to suffocate him to death unsuccessfully. Most times, we got along great. We were comfortable with each other and could sense each other's thoughts but sometimes, Izuku made me want to kill him.

The week passed easily. At school, I was the popular kid. I pulled solid Bs and got invited to tons of shit. After school, I went back to being myself with my only classmate who knew the real me. I never asked to go to his house and he never offered. I didn't really understand his germ thing but I grasped it well enough to assume that his house was a safe place for him, away from everyone and everything that caused him discomfort throughout the day.

I noticed that, at school, he could sometimes get a little nervous and twitchy. It was the worst when people would cough or sneeze during class. When we were at my house, he was more relaxed and we had developed a system to keep it that way. I had one sheet just for him that I kept in a box under my bed. When he came over, he'd put the sheet over the bed so he could lay down comfortably and before he left, he would put it away. I already knew better than to offer him food or drinks. He ate and drank only what he brought from home. I also moved my bedroom trashcan into the bathroom because he had complained about the smell.

I didn't really know what he was going through. I had asked once while we were hanging out. "So this germ thing…" I said, "So… what is it? What'll happen if the germs get to you?"

He looked up from his phone. "Nothing much, hopefully. Maybe I'll get a cold or a stomach bug. I know it's not the end of the world, I don't have any misconceptions about that. It's really just a matter of comfort. Imagine if there were spiders in your clothes," He explained casually, "You know you're going to live and you could deal with it for a while but you would really, really, really just want to get them out. You'd think about it all day and your skin would twitch. That's what it feels like. I can see and smell and sense germs. I know they're on me and my clothes and in my hair and on my eyelashes, it drives me crazy. I really just want to wash them away with scalding water but I can control those desires. Most of the time, I can stay calm and act normal."

When he explained it like that, I came to see that he wasn't just fussy or crazy. I tried, within reason, to reduce those anxieties when we were hanging out. Making a huge deal out of it was just embarrassing for both of us. Mostly, I just let him do what he wanted to do without judging him and listened when he said something was bothering him.

The weekend came and so did my cousin's birthday party. The kid was a complete snot brain and there was no one my age there. I was happy to get home and out of the house. Midoriya and I met on the subway platform seeing as the theater was over 15 miles from both of our houses. It was my first time seeing the happy greenette out of his school uniform and I rolled my eyes at his outfit of choice. He was wearing a Captain America t-shirt with long khaki shorts and red sneakers. He looked like a middle schooler.

"Dressed for the occasion?" I asked mockingly.

He smiled brightly, not picking up on my tone. "Mm-hm! The movie doesn't start for an hour, can we walk around a little first?"

"Fine." I agreed, walking ahead. He quickly caught up. We went into the store of his choice. I didn't care where we went, I just figured window-shopping would keep me from having to entertain the energetic kid for a whole hour. The store was an assortment of trinkets and books, plenty to look at.

Midoriya looked at everything, curious and excited. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. When I first met him, I dismissed him as naive and fake but upon getting to know him, I realized that that wasn't it at all. He was authentic in everything he did. He didn't smile so much because he was stupid, it was because he was genuinely happy.

"Kaachan, do you know this book?" He asked, holding up a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

"I didn't say you could call me that." I reminded him.

"Fine, I take it back, do you know this book?" He retorted.

"No." I replied dryly.

"Really? Then I really want to give it to you. It's about someone who was born with a heart full of kindness and empathy but people hated him and treated him badly so his heart became rotten and he hurt them back. Even after all of the hurting and hatred, though, he still hasn't become the monster they say he is. Underneath all the scarring, his heart is still warm and alive. I think this book would resonate with you."

My face blushed bright pink. "H-hold up! Resonate with me!? What are you trying to say!? Don't compare me to a hideous monster."

"You're completely missing the point, he's not a monster." Midoriya retorted quite sternly as if I had offended him. "He is as much of a person as anyone is. People just treat him poorly because of bad first impressions and misconceptions."

I looked away, my face burning and my arms crossed stubbornly. "You always say the stupidest things. Honestly, do you even think about what you say before you say it?"

"Always." He responded firmly, carrying the book away. I shook my head and started looking around the store, searching for a distraction that would give my face enough time to return to normal color. I read the back of a few books and inspected a few porcelain figures before finding something that caught my eye. It was a little pastel green bunny sculpture. The rabbit held up a carrot with its two front paws, looking directly at the viewer. I smirked.

'So stupid,' I thought. 'Who made such a stupid thing? It's giving up its carrot to… to no one.' That's what made it so stupid. It wasn't keeping the prize to itself nor sharing it with a loved one like its bunny mother or bunny friends, it was just out there in the open for any random stranger to take. It was so naïve and trusting and selfless, it was exactly like the emerald-eyed boy I came with. I picked it up and looked it over.

For a brief moment, a thought crossed my mind. 'I should give this to him' I thought. No! What the hell was I thinking!? I put the trinket down and walked away only to return a minute later and pick it back up. I wanted to at lease buy it. I wasn't going to give it to him but dammit, I liked it. I took it up to the register while he was in a different part of the store. It was cheap and small enough to slip into my coat pocket. When I next saw him, I couldn't help that there was a little twinge of pink resting on my cheeks. I kept thinking about the stupid little bunny.

We went off to the theater and found our seats, waiting in the lowly murmuring theater for the film to start. Midoriya sipped from his water bottle. "If you don't want me to call you Kaachan…" He said, his quiet voice drawing my attention, "Then I won't. It's just… you were my friend first. I know that sounds really petty and childish. It is petty and childish but I can't help how I feel. I always knew you'd get popular and be well liked, they just had to see through their misconceptions of you." He looked down to his lap and blushed. "Even though I knew that… it still feels too soon. I worry that they'll get even closer to you and close me out-"

"Shut up" I interrupted. I was glad that the theater was dark because it hid my blush. "You know it's different… so are you really going to make me say it? How I am at school isn't all of me. We…you…" I grumbled. It was really hard for me to speak my mind. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that we know each other and that's why it's different. I know about your germ thing, you know about… well, everything. That's why it's different, got it? So stop worrying about stupid shit, you'll kill off your dwindling braincell population." I finished. A moment of silence followed before he replied.

"Thanks, Kaachan."

Thank God, the movie started and we didn't have to talk to each other anymore. I glanced at Izuku from time to time. He was exactly the target audience of this film. Each action sequence boiled his blood so intensely that he bounced in his seat. I smiled. 'So stupid…' I thought. 'He's acting like a little kid. If Captain America were real, he'd probably love Izuku as much as Izuku loves him. Any hero would, he's the kind of person that heroes think about when they go risk their lives. Innocent and kind and naiive. Any just person would want to protect someone like him. Those smiles can be too easily ruined and his naiive kindness can be taken advantage of. All heroes, even aspiring heroes like myself, want to protect the Midoriyas of the world.'

Izuku's eyes stayed dilated and his blood remained fiery long after the movie ended. He wouldn't stop summarizing his favorite aspects of the film and praising Captain America's bravery. For the first few minutes, I thought it was kind of cute but I soon grew irritated. I'm a hero too, a real one, isn't that what he said? He said I was cool and praised me like that too. Didn't he remember how I beat up those drug dealers? And how I put on that show for Uraraka to spare her feelings? I don't know why but it was kind of pissing me off that he was saying those same things about Captain America. I wanted him to say that only for me because that made it feel so much more authentic. I scowled at him. He was confused by my expression. "Kaachan? What's wrong?"

"Where was your Captain America when Uraraka was getting blackmailed? Or when you were thrown to the ground by a thug? Doesn't seem that great to me…" I grumbled lowly. I knew how pathetic and petty I was being but that didn't change the fact that I was annoyed.

"He obviously isn't-" Izuku started but quickly realized the real reason for my anger. He smiled and nodded. "You're right. He's just a comic book character. The best and bravest heroes are the ones who risk their real lives for others. You're much cooler than Captain America, Kaachan!"

My blush returned and my scowl stayed firm though, inside, his words made me happy. We walked back to the subway station and waited on the platform together. I put my hands in my pockets and was reminded of the little figurine that I had purchased impulsively. I wanted Izuku to have it, it only seemed right that the toy stay with the one who would understand it best. I just didn't know how to give it to him.

We rode the subway in silence. When we got out and began walking in the direction of our homes, I decided to just hand it over. I didn't understand why I had been so embarrassed around Izuku recently. I pulled it out of my pocket with one hand and hoisted forward his free hand with the other, placing the figure forcefully into his palm with a red face. The boy curiously studied his prize. "Is this for me?" He asked. I didn't answer, my heart was beating in my throat. I thought that, if I opened my mouth, he would hear its blaringly loud thumping. He looked over the toy. "Are you giving this to me… because it reminds you of me?" He asked. I again refused to answer. We were coming up to the point where we parted ways. Perfect, then this horribly confusing and embarrassing situation would end. I picked up the pace of my walking, hurrying for that split in the road when a little hand grabbed my sleeve. I stopped and turned around.

Midoriya was giving me a smile I'd never seen before. I could feel the warmth of his heart just by looking into his eyes. "Thank you… it makes me really happy to get this from you…" Just then, he took my hand and put the figure back in my palm. "I want it to stay with you. If it really reminds you of me, then I want you to keep it so maybe you'll look at it and think, 'how is Midoriya today?'. That's all I want." He said. That voice was so sweet yet rich and filling like pure maple syrup. My ears drank it in hungrily.

I was frozen on the spot so Izuku was the first to leave, thanking me for the trip and turning his back on me. My eyes missed the sight of his smile once it was gone. After I had watched him go, I numbly turned and went on my own way home, the toy clutched safely in my hand. As I thought about that incident later that night, I still didn't understand. All I knew was that I was frustrated. Midoriya always managed to confuse be and surprise me and fill me with feelings I didn't understand. I placed the little trinket on my desk and laid in bed, staring at it.

'I don't know anything anymore…' I thought. 'What did we really do today? It felt comfortable, it didn't feel like a date at all… but I can't dismiss this idea. He suggested the movie… and when we were parting ways… what he said… is that normal? He made it sound so normal but when I think of anyone else saying that, it gives off a completely different feeling. That's not something friends say, is it? But we are friends! We hang out so comfortably, we don't even talk. That's not what a relationship is like, is it?'

I tried to imagine having a girlfriend to picture how that would be different. I imagined sitting on the floor, reading a comic while she lied on my bed. I pictured a generic, cute, brown-haired, girl. She kicked her legs lazily and played with my hair. 'Stop that' I imagined saying.

'But Katsuki, I'm bored~' Her imaginary feminine voice replied. When she spoke again, her voice was deeper and more familiar. 'Can't we go do something outside?'

I turned around and my imaginary girlfriend had been replaced by Izuku. He gave me a soft smile as haphazard green locks fell on his face. 'Kaachan? What's that expression for? You said I looked cute this morning, you're not going to take that back, are you?'

My eyes shot open as I desperately woke myself from my day dream. 'No… no!' I thought. 'What the hell! What the literal hell!? Why did my mind go there!? Fuck… fuck it all… fuck! That was so messed up….'

I tumbled out of bed and put on my shoes. I really, really, really, needed a good, long, run to clear my mind. The more I avoided thoughts of the green-haired boy, the more they persisted until finally my body was too exhausted and my mind could only focus on the physical strain. The relief from my own thoughts was bliss.

On Monday, I arrived at school with a rubber band around my wrist. I had devised this technique for when I couldn't up and run to clear my head. When I thought about those things that really confused and upset me, I snapped the rubber band until my mind had no choice but to forget those happy emerald eyes. I ignored Izuku as always, which was a little easier to do due to the whole class being abuzz about the new transfer. One of our classmates had moved schools, opening a seat for the top ranked freshman to move up. Today was his first day in our class.

He was a weird-looking kid. There was no one trait that disturbed me the most. Every part of him worked together to produce an aura of intimidation and danger. He wore a head of platinum blonde hair styled neatly above deep, penetrating, crystal blue eyes. His smile was the most unsettling part. Unlike the smiles I had received when I first entered class, his was wholly authentic but not in a good way. As if he was smiling at a joke only he knew. Iida, of course, was the first to approach him.

"Welcome to the class, Monoma-kun." The class president said in his authoritative and friendly voice. "We understand you were just promoted here from your freshman class so don't worry if it takes you a while to adjust. If you find the material difficult, mention it to anyone and they will help you."

"Who?" He asked plainly in a sweet voice, still wearing his creepy smile.

"Huh?" Iida asked.

"Who should I ask? Who's the top of this class?" He asked again, his tone eerily cheerful.

"Well, Momo Yaoyorozu is the top of the class followed by myself and then Midoriya over there." He explained. Midoriya offered a small smile and wave. He wasn't as excited about this new student as he had been about me. Maybe he sensed the same creepiness from this guy that I did.

"Ah, I see~" Monoma replied. "So you three will be my biggest competition in this class~ After all, you're currently in the place I want to be. There can only be one first place, right?"

Some students laughed dryly, assuming he just had a bad sense of humor. Monoma's expression didn't change at all. He locked eyes with the intimidated Midoriya. "Fight hard to keep your spot, okay? I'll do the same to take it away from you." With that, he looked down at his textbook and started highlighting in it as if he was oblivious to the shocked crowd.

I became unexplainably possessive after his comment to Midoriya. I knew how hard that kid worked for his grades plus I absolutely hated how the new kid looked at him. I really, really, wanted to punch him. I sat down at my seat and looked over to Midoriya who was clearly a little startled. "Kaachan…" he whispered. "I'm not really good with jokes so I can't tell but… do you think he was joking?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it." I replied in an equally quiet voice. When lunch began, I went to the freshman classroom that Monoma had belonged too before his transfer. When I asked about him, the faces of the students dropped in horror.

"They're not moving him back, are they?" One girl asked. Another student joined in. "He didn't have any friends and… he really didn't care. He looked at everyone with eyes that said, 'I'll kill you'. He really scared everyone". More students added to the discussion. "Do you know how he rose to first place in the class? Ibara was first place before him…" "You can't tell that story!" One student objected. "Yeah! Think of Ibara!" Another supported. "Hey, you're from the sophomore class, right? Yui… you should tell him… they should know what kind of a person he is. Ibara would want them to know."

One brave student, Yui, agreed and stepped forward. "Ibara was my friend… she was really smart, better than Monoma and he knew he could never catch up to her. He would have been second place forever but he couldn't accept that… There was a boy she liked, a senior. He liked her too, I'm sure of it, but out of nowhere, he started receiving scandalous photos of Ibara. We never saw them but I know Ibara and I'm sure they were taken without her permission… I'm sure it was Monoma who was sending them. The boy she liked was so repulsed and when she tried to explain, he didn't understand at all." Yui's voice began to tremble. "Ibara walked into the street because of what Monoma did! It was all his fault! He even had the audacity to visit her in the hospital! He's sick… he's really messed up… Her parents transferred her to a different school. When we found that out, he laughed. Who ever is in his way, he tramples on. He meets all obstacles with indifferent brutality. He's a dangerous person who shouldn't be at our school."

Yui's story shook me down to my core and made me realize that his threats were far from empty. I didn't think people like that existed outside of TV dramas. I quickly thanked them and rushed back to my classroom. Just as I had feared, Monoma had chosen to eat his lunch beside Midoriya. He was all smiles while the green-haired boy uncomfortably looked down at his lunch. I approached them, towering over the blonde with an aura as dangerous as his own. I was reminded of those teenagers I had taken on weeks ago. I really wanted to hurt him.

"Kaachan?" Midoriya asked in a small, relieved voice.

That little fuck smiled up at me calmly. "Oh, is this your seat? Sorry, I just saw it was empty. Kaachan, is it? Hi, I'm Neito Monoma."

"You can't call me that." I replied sternly, neglecting all efforts at being polite.

"Huh? I can't? But Izuku calls you that. Is it a special nickname?" He asked.

I hated hearing him speak Midoriya's name so casually. "Hey, freshman, what happened to your manners?" I snarled. "Shouldn't you be a little more respectful? Call him Midoriya-san."

The blonde retorted with a chuckle. "You really seem to care a lot, don't you? Don't you think it's weird to care so much about a friend's name? That's weird, right? And you came all the way over here wearing that scary face… just what are you trying to accomplish? Why do you have to protect him?"

My face burnt red and my hands closed into tight fists. I was restraining myself, only seconds from loosing it. My aggressive demeanor only slightly amused Monoma while Midoriya, on the other hand, immediately became aware of the impending danger. He quickly stood and pushed on my chest, trying to move me back as he looked up to me with desperate eyes. I took a step back but didn't loose eye contact with the blonde. "Kaachan," That familiar, calming, voice said. "You're shaking. Come on, let's go to the roof. Come on." He pushed more until my anger simmered enough for me to turn with a huff and storm out of the room followed by the greenette.

"Interesting…" a faint voice commented as we exited. Midoriya followed me out to the roof. He watched me silently, waiting for me to decide what I wanted to do. I was still furious. My blood boiled, my hands trembled, my muscles tensed. I looked back at the boy who watched me patiently with a concerned expression. I felt the tightness of my heart loosening. A cool breeze swept by, reminding me that I was outside and away from Monoma. The breeze tussled Izuku's bouncy hair. After a few breaths, I felt calm.

"I don't like that guy." I explained.

He nodded. "I know."

"I met some of the people from his last class. He's a real psycho. I'm not kidding, he's the real thing. He made the girl at the top of his last class try to kill herself." I explained.

"So… do that he'll hurt people in this class too?" The boy asked.

"He won't hurt you." I promised sternly. My words clearly shocked Izuku as evident from his gasp and gentle blush. "I'm the coolest hero, right? You said I was even cooler than Captain America. Do you really believe that?" I interrogated with a scowl. The boy nodded seriously. "Then don't worry. A hero doesn't let people get hurt. I'll protect everyone in our class. If you really believe that, Izuku, then don't be afraid of Monoma anymore."

I had never used Midoriya's first name to his face. His blush intensified as he nodded. "I'm not afraid." He confirmed. His eyes looked at me with complete faith and trust. I snapped the rubber band, trying to get those weird thoughts out of my head.