Kaito let out a sigh of relief as he pushed open the glass door to the academy and stepped into the fresh air. He had somehow made it through his first day without anything disastrous happening. For the most part, he really liked his new classmates. Midoriya had obviously won his favor, but both Hagakure and Todoroki had been exceedingly friendly to him for which he was grateful. As the day carried on, he had been able to memorize most of his classmates' names as well-a task he had expected to take much longer.
As he crossed the lawn towards the front gate, he realized just how many students went to the school. Though the area was flooded with other UA kids, Kaito couldn't find even one familiar face. He wondered if he'd be able to meet some of the other classes eventually and see how they compared to his own.
"Oi, new kid," came a rough voice to his left. Kaito turned to see who had called him, his pink-eyes widening as he realized it was the bad-tempered Bakugo. The blonde stood a few feet away, his eyes fixated on the healer and his signature scowl on his face. Katagiri considered pretending like he didn't hear and trying to run away, but he figured it was too late now that they already made eye contact. He slowed in his tracks, pushing his bangs out of his eyes before slowly making his way over to his classmate.
"Bakugo, right?" Kaito asked with a smile, trying to be as friendly as possible. "I'm Kata-"
"Tch, I don't care," Bakugo interrupted, the scowl on his face increasing in intensity. Kaito hesitated, surprised by the sheer rudeness. He'd never met someone like this before. Staring back at the blonde, he remained quiet, wondering why he had been called over.
"You're becoming friends with that shithead, Deku, eh?" the scary blonde asked, taking a step closer to Kaito. The healer was taken aback by the insult to Midoriya. Were these two enemies or something?
"Er...he's been really nice to me! So...yes," Kaito replied, taking a small step back.
"That's what I thought. Then you're on my shitlist too," Bakugo replied, raising his hand in front of him and causing small explosions to materialize in his palm. What was this kid's problem? Kaito had done his best to avoid the boy, but it seemed like he had gotten pulled in anyway.
"I don't want to be enemies! I'm a healer after all. My job is to support all of our classmates!" Kaito replied, unsure of what to say. Bakugo scoffed, his visage becoming even angrier.
"I don't need your shitty healing. Judging from the battle earlier, you can't even use it properly."
Kaito flushed in embarrassment, realizing that his lack of abilities had been obvious during the training. Damn it, he should've paid more attention to make sure he didn't cross paths with Bakugo. Now what was he supposed to do?
"Bakugo!"
Both boys turned to see Kaminari and Kirishima coming towards them. To Kaito's surprise, Kaminari threw an arm around him, pulling him in close. These two were Bakugo's friends, right? That couldn't be good. Were they going to try to beat him up?
"Are you harassing Kaito on his first day?" Kaminari asked, his arm still wrapped around the healer's shoulders. Kirishima shook his head disapprovingly.
"Not cool, bro," the red-head added. "At least give him some time to get used to UA before you go all crazy."
"What'd you say?!" Bakugo exclaimed, taking a step towards the spiky-haired boy in anger. Kaito's eyes widened as he thought they were going to get into a fight, but Kirishima simply laughed. What was this weird dynamic?! Still, he was grateful that the blonde's friends were protecting him.
"Don't mind him," Kaminari stated, giving Kaito's shoulder a pat. "He's pretty crazy towards everyone, so don't take it personally."
Kaito let out a nervous laugh and thanked Kaminari. "Well, nice to meet you all. I'm gonna go now…"
With that, Katagiri turned on his heel and rushed away from the trio, not wanting to get pulled into anymore drama. The healer made his way to the front gate, now on high alert for people that he should avoid. Fortunately, no one troubled him this time and he finally arrived to see Midoriya waiting with his notebook out.
"Oh, are you doing homework already?" Kaito asked, peering over the edge of the notebook to see what his friend was writing. To his surprise, he saw his own name and what seemed like notes scribbled down on the page. His heart skipped a beat as he thought he saw the word "cute" written in the margin. Midoriya jumped in surprise, pulling the notebook to his chest and instantly turning red. Had Kaito read that correctly? There was no way...it had to be his eyes playing tricks.
"A-ah, Katagiri! I just take notes in this. I like to have a record of everyone's abilities-it helps me strategize!" Midoriya exclaimed, stuffing the notebook into his backpack. Kaito let out a chuckle at how easily flustered Midoriya could get. If anything, he was honored that he had made it into the notebook, even if it was just to record his quirk.
"No worries! That's really smart," Katagiri replied with a thumbs-up. "If I was that studious, maybe I would've done better in the battle today."
Midoriya shook his head. "You did do well! But let's not think about school. Shall we go?"
Katagiri nodded happily, following his classmate out of the front gate towards the ice cream shop.
"He did what?!" Midoriya asked as they came to the entrance of the shop and he opened the door for Kaito. The healer nodded, confirming that the story he had recounted had been true.
"Ugh, I can understand picking on me, but it has nothing to do with you," the green-haired boy stated angrily as he followed Kaito into the shop.
"It's alright! Kaminari said he's like that to everyone, so I'm not offended," Kaito replied, trying to ease Midoriya's concern.
"Still...if he gives you trouble, let me know," Midoriya responded, his face suddenly serious. Kaito nodded his understanding, regretting having told the story and ruined the mood.
"What can I get you?" asked the female clerk with a smile, pulling the boys from their thoughts. As he looked at the options, Kaito suddenly wondered if this was...a date. The text he had seen in Midoriya's notebook flashed through his mind, making him even more unsure. He shook his head, denying the thought. Midoriya was just being nice and trying to help him get acclimated to his new life. There was no way his feelings were reciprocated.
"Can I have the mint-chocolate chip?" Kaito asked, pointing at the green ice-cream with a grin.
"Me too!" Midoriya chimed in, his mood seemingly having returned to normal. Kaito let out an internal sigh of relief.
"Aww, it matches your hair," the healer exclaimed, pointing at Midoriya's curly hair and laughing.
"It does!" Midoriya laughed, taking his ice cream from the clerk. Before Kaito could put up a fight, Midoriya handed money to the woman behind the counter.
"W-wha?" Kaito exclaimed, taken aback. "Don't waste your money on me! I can pay!"
"I invited you, so it's only right that I pay," Midoriya responded with a grin. Kaito brought his hands together, bowing slightly and thanking his friend.
It's not a date! It's not a date! He thought to himself, trying his best to not get his hopes up.
As the pair took a seat and began to eat, Kaito turned the topic to Midoriya, his pink-eyes locking onto his friend's face.
"So, you're really good friends with Iida and...Ururaka?" Kaito asked, unsure of whether he properly remembered the girl's name. "I saw you with them a lot today! So they must be nice too!"
Midoriya nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "Yeah, they're my best friends. They're both super nice. I'm sure they'd love to meet you!"
Kaito considered asking if Midoriya had any crushes, but it seemed too early to ask a personal question like that. "I'd like to meet them too! I heard all about your class fighting villains at the beginning of the year. Then passing the hero license exam! And bringing down Stain! You're all amazing. I haven't even had a chance to fight a villain."
"Consider yourself lucky! We've all been fortunate so far to make it out alive. Now that you're in U.A., I'm sure you'll run into a situation soon enough. Make sure you stay safe," Midoriya lectured, the slight look of concern returning to his face. Kaito nodded.
"As long as I'm not caught alone, I think I'll be fine," he replied with a smile.
The rest of the meeting went pleasantly with the boys discussing a multitude of topics. Kaito had convinced himself that Midoriya was simply being friendly, but the idea that it was a date still lingered in the back of his head. Unfortunately, he was unable to ask any deeper questions to get more signal.
"Wah, it's dark already!" Midoriya exclaimed, looking out the window at the dark street. "We should get going, but I'm glad we did this!"
Kaito nodded his agreement, his black bangs swishing lightly. The pair got up and exited the store, stopping at the street curb.
"Do you live around here? Will you be okay getting home?" Midoriya asked. Kaito smiled slightly at his thoughtfulness, then nodded.
"I don't live too far! I should be okay."
"Here, give me your phone," Midoriya said, holding out his hand. "I'll give you my number! Text me when you make it back."
As Katagiri handed his phone over, it was all he could do to contain his thoughts. How was this not a date?! It was totally a date!
"Th-thanks! I'll text you when I get home," Kaito said as he accepted his phone back, squeezing it in his palm.
"Alright, get back safely…" Midoriya stated, lingering for a moment. Kaito hesitated as well, unsure of what to do. Did he give the other boy a hug? Or was that too obvious? He should just walk away. But was that ungrateful? He took a step towards Midoriya, slightly opening his arms for a hug, but lost his will halfway through. Instead, he brought his arms to his side and bowed, thanking Midoriya as his face flushed at his awkwardness. He could hear Deku let out a quiet laugh as he brought his head back up.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" Kaito exclaimed, giving a quick wave before turning and beginning his walk home.
Ugh, so awkward! Get it together, Kaito, he thought as he resisted the urge to facepalm, his face still burning red.
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