Meanwhile, as Ashido talks some sense into Uraraka, Todoroki tries to calm Bakugo down. In the elevator, the two-tone questions him point blank. "Katsuki, what happened? You were trying to ask Midoriya to call you by name, right?"

"…Yeah," he grumbles.

"Then…" Todoroki tries to guess what happened. "Did you forget what you were going to say partway through?" he asks as if it's a perfectly understandable phenomenon.

"No, I didn't forget!" Bakugo snaps.

"…It's okay to admit it."

"I'm sayin' I didn't forget!"

In an attempt to believe him, Todoroki asks, "Then… why?"

Bakugo grits his teeth as he stares into those innocently questioning eyes. He knows Shoto doesn't mean anything bad by it, and that makes it all the more difficult to answer him. Bakugo himself doesn't know why. All of the sudden he just… couldn't.

"I don't… fuckin' know, okay? He… He just… Forget it. It happens… sometimes…"

"…Does Midoriya make you nervous? Is there something about him that scares you?"

"Course not! I'm not scared of him!" He's had enough of people implying that! Well, "people" actually meant Kirishima since he accused the blonde of being afraid a week or so ago, back during their sparring match in one of the training halls.

Todoroki looks closely at him. "But you look really red, and you're sweating."

"So?! That doesn't mean I'm afraid of him!" Then remembering what else Kirishima had accused him of, Bakugo also blurts, "And I'm not in love with him either!"

Todoroki blinks at him, surprised that he's brought it up again. "Yeah, I know. You said that." Well, according to Kirishima, that might not be 100% true, but when Bakugo says it so forcefully, Todoroki can't help thinking he can believe the blonde for now and still keep believing in him even if he changes his mind later and admits that he does really like Midoriya. Todoroki doesn't really mind or care either way. Unbeknownst to him, when Todoroki thinks about love, he's only referencing the occasional romance movie he's seen his sister watching, and the couples there are usually very straightforward and passionate. "Besides, I don't think people look this nervous when they love someone."

"I'm not nervous!"

"You're shaking."

Of course he's shaking! Shaking with rage at the accusation!

Todoroki thinks for a few seconds more as the elevator finally reaches the 4th floor where Bakugo's room is and the two step out. He asks, "Do you just not want him to call you by name? Did you change your mind?"

Bakugo pauses. Part of him wants to say that no, he didn't change his mind, but in a moment of weakness, he says the opposite. "Y-Yeah, I changed my mind. We… We've known each other too long. Doesn't feel right. That's… That's all it was. It just felt weird." The more he talks, the more it makes sense to himself. Yeah. Of course it would feel weird. Midoriya has called him "Kacchan" all their lives, for as long as he can remember. Of course it would feel unnatural to tell her to suddenly change it. Just like how it still feels unnatural for him to call her "Midoriya".

"Ah. I see." Deciding to drop the matter there, he goes silent again and turns back around to re-enter the elevator and head up to his own room.

But still, it nags at Bakugo. "Hey." Todoroki stops and glances back to listen. "Isn't it weird that everybody keeps thinking that?"

"…That you like Midoriya?"

"…All we've done is yell at each other. What makes people think we'd…?" As much as he hates the accusation itself, what Bakugo hates even more is that he can't understand why people would say that in the first place. It's yet another thing that everyone else seems to understand instinctively, but not him, and he just can't stand the feeling that he's inferior to all of them in some way. He wants to—no, needs to—understand it.

"I don't really know either."

Hearing that makes Bakugo somewhat relieved. He's not the only one who doesn't get it. But it's still two against almost 20, which means he and Todoroki are actually the weird ones. He can feel his patience starting to slip. Though he doesn't want to admit it, he knows that as stupid as some of his classmates are, there's no way so many of them would come to the same conclusion without something to base it on. That means that either Bakugo or Midoriya did something that would draw them to that conclusion. But what? Again, what did everyone else see that he didn't? Just thinking about it is pissing him off more and more.

Gritting his teeth, Bakugo finally replies, "Then I'm gonna set things straight once and for all. You don't have to tell anybody anything."

"…I see."

"…But thanks, Shoto." Even if he doesn't like people fighting his battles for him, he still can't stop the surge of gratitude he feels when he remembers what Todoroki did for him. Todoroki is pleased to hear him say it again and nods before finally heading back into the elevator, hoping that everything works out in the end.

Sauntering back into his room, Bakugo sees an unwelcome sight. "Yo! Bakugo!" Kaminari energetically yells. He, Sero, and Kirishima are there waiting for him, notebooks out and spread all over his table. They watch him pause for a moment, then see a vein slowly start to bulge out of his temple as he starts taking deep breaths. The three flinch. "W-What's wrong?! Are you mad we started without y—MMPH!" Sero slaps a piece of tape over his mouth, and they wait a minute for Bakugo to officially calm down.

When he's finally (somewhat) calm, he growls, "What're you idiots doing here?"

Kirishima tries to explain. "Well, we, uh… We haven't had time to talk lately because we've all been busy with the team assignment so…"

"Mmmph Hmhm Hmph Hmmm Mmph!" We thought we'd surprise you! Kaminari tries to say.

Sero argues, "Told you guys he'd be mad."

"Get out," Bakugo orders, wishing that the doors in this place had locks.

"Wait! Wait!" Kirishima yells, "There's another reason, Bakugo! They wanted to—"

"Katsuki," Bakugo reminds him bluntly, staring straight into his eyes.

"Ah. K-Katsuki. Right." Kirishima knows it'll take some time to get used to it, and he blushes a little in embarrassment. "Th-They wanted to apologize."

Bakugo glances at them. Sero confirms the statement and removes the tape from Kaminari's mouth so he can apologize too.

"We're sorry," Kaminari starts, "We weren't making fun of you or anything, and we didn't mean to make you that mad. We were out of line."

Sero adds, "Iida and Todoroki both warned us that it'd be a bad idea to start jumping to conclusions, but we didn't listen."

Bakugo stares at them both, seeing their sincerity. His gaze floats down as he thinks for a moment, which the other three interpret as a good sign. But then he looks back up at them and asks, "Then why do you guys think I like Midoriya like that in the first place?" Maybe this is the fastest way to answer his question, assuming they'll be honest with him (which they better be if they don't want their faces blown off).

The three of them freeze. Immediately, Kirishima realizes what's happening. By the curious, somewhat vulnerable look on Bakugo's face, he can tell. Bakugo is testing them. But unfortunately, it's not like the redhead has time to take the other two aside and warn them that their answers here are really crucial to gaining the blonde's trust. However, he might not need to tell them, because the two suddenly feel the pressure of Bakugo's gaze and realize that maybe this is important. They look to each other uncertainly for a moment and then look down to think. Bakugo takes the time to sit down and start pulling the books out of his bag.

Finally Kaminari, "Well, Bakugo—" He freezes as Bakugo's eyes dart up at him, half glaring and half listening intently. Kaminari flinches and actively resists the urge to hide behind Sero. Swallowing, he continues, "You, uh… You act really different around Midoriya, y'know? You treat him differently than everyone else."

A solid argument that didn't sound too idiotic. Bakugo, temporarily satisfied a bit, argues, "But that doesn't mean I like him like that. We've always had a rough time with each other growin' up. I don't know any'a you like I know him. Obviously, I'd treat him different."

"Well, yeah, but it's… it's more…" He can't really put his thoughts into words and waves his hands around in ambiguous motions. And the more he fumbles, the more Bakugo glares, until he bursts, "S-Sorry! Nevermind!" Kirishima feels his pain. He can tell Kaminari really did his best.

Sero's turn. And he handles it a bit better. "We all get why you treat him different, but it's how you treat him. Plus, aren't you forgetting the time he called you cute? If any of us had done that, you would've blown us up!"

Kaminari regains some confidence. "Yeah! When I said it, you definitely looked like you were gonna hit me! What're we supposed to think when you looked so happy after Midoriya said it?"

Kirishima praises them in his head. That was a good, logical argument that would force Bakugo to think. Sure enough, Bakugo goes silent for a moment, thinking to himself. He really didn't want to remember that day. It was humiliating. But sure enough, as he remembers it, his heart aches as he starts to blush again.

"See?" Kaminari interrupts his thoughts. "You're remembering it, aren't you?"

"Shut up! That doesn't mean anything! It was just weird! That nerd… having the nerve to call me…" He clutches his chest. "That's got nothin' to do with it. That doesn't mean I wanna do weird stuff to him! That's just gross! Why do I gotta want to do that kind of shit with him?"

The three pause questioningly at that. Then Kirishima remembers, "Baku—er, Katsuki, you still think that liking him means you wanna do couple-y stuff with him?"

Bakugo also looks at him questioningly. "Isn't that what all of you are saying?"

Well, technically yes. None of them could deny that. Kaminari asks, "So you're saying you don't want to?"

"A'Course not!"

"Ehh?! Why not?! Midoriya's totally cute like this right now! You won't get another cha—" Sero smacks him upside the head to silence him.

Bakugo stares at him incredulously. "You… You sayin' you want to…?" Bakugo's voice quickly turns to a low growl as bloodlust starts to seep out of him. "You little…"

"Ah! I mean, I wouldn't if you wanted to—"

"'Cuz of you… 'Cuz of scumbags like you, he can't even fucking sleep at night…" Bakugo slowly starts to stand up, and they could swear he's almost breathing fire, noticing that his anger is different from usual. It's darker, more menacing, like he really might… kill somebody…

Sero grabs Kaminari's shoulder and pulls him away from the blonde a bit. "Okay! Okay, we get it! None of us are gonna touch Midoriya! But Bakugo, you see what you're doing? When you react like that, obviously, people will think you're just jealous!"

"HAH?! You think I wanna be a scumbag like you?!"

Kirishima recognizes that when Bakugo's temper has gotten the better of him, he goes past the point of listening to reason, so he jumps to his feet and grabs the blonde's shoulder to try to talk him down. "We get it! We get it, Baku—Katsuki!" And this time he's determined to get the correction right once and for all. "No one's saying you're like that! We know you'd never do anything to Midoriya! You…" He remembers how devastated Bakugo was when he thought he'd destroyed Midoriya once and for all, saying that he wasn't a hero after everything he's done to his friend. That's when the redhead realizes something and takes a shot in the dark. "You just wanna protect him, right? Like a hero! Like a good friend would!"

Bakugo looks at him. Finally, his breathing slows as his anger melts away, and his eyes reveal his pain. Every time something like this happens, Kirishima's never sure if he'll get it right. Each attempt is a total gamble, which is why he considers himself lucky that he hasn't guessed wrong yet. Grasping another small victory, he continues, "Don't worry. None of us think of you that way."

Taking a few more deep breaths to steady himself, Bakugo asks, "Then why? Why do they keep…?" Even after all this, Bakugo still feels lost, like he's missing something. The only thing he thinks he understands is that this whole issue isn't as black and white as he thought, but he can't even begin to imagine what a grey area would look like.

Kirishima relaxes a bit, then turns to the two on the ground, seeing their half terrified, half worried faces, and makes an executive decision. He pats Bakugo on the shoulder again. "Yeah, man, we get it. We're sorry. We won't bring it up again. It's a promise between men."

Despite feeling like he lost somehow, Bakugo doesn't argue with him. This whole mess is just too much for him to think about. He goes quiet, with a mixture of pain, frustration, and sadness written all too clearly on his face, and the three leave to give him time alone.