Updated: 26/09/21 – spelling and grammar corrections using Grammarly.

My Dear Copycat
Chapter 4

The Class 1-A had gone back to their dorms that late afternoon buzzing from the day's events and set on having a proper celebration. Mina, Kaminari, Sato and Sero burst into the building, excitedly running to the showers to claim the few stalls before anyone else. Ida, Momo, Ojiro and Jiro went online to order food for delivery for later while May, Ochaco and Toru disappeared to the latter's room whispering and giggling to themselves. The rest of the group just lingered, chatting and laughing while they waited for their turn in the showers. They had been given the next day off -except for those that failed the exam- so the classmates had a full night of fun planned. Something they did not get to do very often.

Only, Bakugo and Todoroki were less than enthusiastic to take part as they had both failed their exam. They had been told they would need to go on a three-month training program at the weekends and their first briefing at UA was tomorrow. Bakugo had failed due to his extremely poor treatment of the victims and lack of any disaster management - May's intervention had been too late as the damage had been done and there was no way to get lost points back. Todoroki had failed due to arguing with a student from another school during their fight with the head villain, which put others at risk.

Todoroki was attempting to make conversation, but despite his disappointment in himself, he was happy for his classmates while Bakugo had to be stopped by Kirishima from going straight to his room. They were discussing how the League of Villains no longer stand a chance against them now that Class 1-A can legally protect themselves – except for the two of course and even that would change in just a few short months.

Mineta came along to tease Bakugo, with a pretend distraught face and a clenched fist, "I saw you with my sweet darling May, how could you! I thought we were friends…"

"What are you talking about you little weirdo?" Bakugo's eyes narrowed as his anger began to rise. He has a death wish I swear! The attention of everyone left in the communal area was now on them, Bakugo could hear snickering and snide remarks.

"Don't play dumb with me Bakugo! I saw you two in the crowd at the end of the exams. You looked like you were going explode before she got to you and then you left together before everyone else! So, what gives eh?" Mineta pointing another accusation finger at the guy reaching his boiling point.

"Nothing like a woman's touch eh Bakugo?" Kirishima laughed, jabbing his friend in the ribs with his elbow.

"SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS! It was some weird quirk thing!"

Kirishima stopped laughing as he realised something, "oh that's right! She touched you before when she found us during the second exam. You were all shouty and she did something then too. Calmed you right down. It was really weird to see, what was that all about?"

"I don't know! She said that it was her father's quirk. Some relief hero called Mellow or whatever. That's all I know," he grumbled. The sound of the hero's name made Deku butt in from where he was sat at the dining table with Tokoyami and Koda, making Bakugo bitter that he thought to join their conversation.

"Mellow? May is Mellow's daughter? Aaaawesoome!" with stars in his eyes, Deku went on the whole speel no one could understand about a hero that no one has heard of before. He stopped, noticed all the raised eyebrows that his classmates were giving him. "Mellow was a relief hero from Japan, he retired a couple of years ago though. He would travel the world to help people following disasters and large-scale villain attacks. His quirk affected the mind, so he wasn't a fighter, but he was great at helping and managing civilians. He worked with All Might several times on rescue operations," he gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck when he noticed everyone staring at him like he had grown an extra two heads.

"Do you know how his quirk works?" Kirishima quizzed, if anyone would know, it was Midoriya.

"Sorry no, I don't. Not much is really known about him, he preferred to stay out of the limelight and very rarely spoke with the press."

"You will have to ask May then Bakugo. I'm sure she will tell you if you ask…"

"Yeah…" Bakugo sighed, he did not know how to feel about talking with May right now. He needed to know what she had done to him. The feeling he got after was phenomenal. It didn't last very long, but both times he felt like he was floating, and he had no care in the world. Yet, everything also seemed clearer, like he could sense and think about everything properly without obstruction. He needed to know more, and if she could do it again if he lost his temper. But right now, he felt nervous and apprehensive about speaking with her, he had treated her so horribly so he had no right to ask for her help. Get over yourself Katsuki, you don't get nervous. Just ask the damn nerd. But…after how I have treated her…and she's great at the one thing I failed at. Great.

Several minutes earlier…

Ochaco, May and Toru entered Toru's dorm room. "It's so pink!" May was surprised, she didn't realise that others had customised their rooms so much, "mine is so boring," she made a mental note to put some effort into her room as it currently just had her clothes in and personal laptop with very little personal effects. If anyone walked into her room right now, they would not be able to tell it was hers. She thought about asking the girls for help on their day off to pick stuff up from her father's house, which thankfully was not far from the UA Campus. If she was going to be staying here until they graduated, she needed to make it like home.

Toru shut the door behind her two friends and clapped her gloved hands together, "We will get yours looking perfect in no time! But for now…you two must tell me what is going on with you and the boys!" in unison May and Ochaco's eyes enlarge, and they waved their hands in protest. They rambled over their words, saying they didn't know what she was talking about and boys what boys? "I may be invisible but I'm not blind! Something is definitely going on between you two and Midoriya and Bakugo! Spill the beeeeans! Oh pretty pleeease!" she begged as she jumped around them, pulling at their hands to sit down. She got May to sit on her chair and Ochaco to sit on the bed. Both girl's faces were bright red, and May used her costume's hood to hide her burning face.

"Please keep your voice down Toru! The others will hear you and get the wrong idea!" pleaded May.

"Nothing is going on between me and Deku. Really!" Ochaco covered her pink round face with her hands, curling into her legs to hide from the others. May and Toru both had raised brows and laughed.

"It is literally the most obvious thing ever," came May and Toru agreed. "I've seen you two together, your such good friends but there is something else there. I can tell!" Ochaco peered over her knee with one eye at them. "Aaaaand I think he likes you too!" wiggling her brows, May and Toru giggled at their embarrassed friend who suddenly perked up, surprised at May's last statement.

"You think so?" both of her friends agreed with huge smiles – not that they could see Toru's, but the gestures of her gloves, boots and her enthusiastic voice always gave her away. Ochaco held her breath, wanting to change the conversation away from herself and Deku, he doesn't like me-like me, does he? "Well…what about you and Bakugo huh?!" this surprised May and it was her turn to hide her embarrassment behind the back of the chair.

"It's not like that at all. The guy doesn't even like me-" May began but Toru cut her off.

"Buuuuuut…do you like him?"

May hid face again and she mumbled her response, her voice muffled by the satin cushion, "I don't know…maybe? A little crush?" her voice was slow and quiet as if she was trying to make it so the others couldn't hear her. But they did and squealed they knew it. "But I'm pretty sure he hates my guts! He has a look of pure murder in his eyes whenever he looks at me. He's mean to everyone though, not just me. Best just to ride the crush out, it'll pass." She shrugged, straightening again. She could not believe what she just admitted to her friends, and herself. I must be crazy. How could I be crushing on that lunatic?

"Yeah sure he's a grouch to everyone, but he's meaner to you than any other girl here," Toru leaned forward, Ochaco realised that she was not the only one that drew that same conclusion. "So-!" Toru pointed up a gloved finger, "I think he is compensating for something." If May could see Toru right now, she would have thought she was nodding to herself. As much as May felt mortified by this conversation, she loved having female friends to talk with and be close to. Things were very limited back home in terms of her social experiences, and May suddenly felt what it was like to be a teenager. She had her future looming over her, intense studies and training, a proper group of friends, secret girly chats about boys and boy-crush drama. Proper teenage stuff.

"Compensating? What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how little boys are mean to little girls because they like them? I think that is exactly what is going on! He doesn't realise what he is feeling, from what I can tell Bakugo has never been in a relationship before. He is always so fixated on being the best hero but completely dumb and useless when it comes to girls! Being mean is the only way he knows. Not that I agree with his tactics, just too toxic, so that has got to stop! In fact, some of the others and I were speaking about what happened during training, and we vowed to protect you! You are our little cinnamon roll, and you must be protected! You have nothing to worry about anymore, trust me!" Toru hugged May because she had started to well up when Toru told her about the others protecting her from Bakugo's wrath. She couldn't believe she had friends now that would do such a thing, "are you okay?"

She clung to Toru, "I'm just not used to having proper friends," she sobbed with happiness, how did she get so lucky?

"Aw May!" Ochaco joined in on their hug.

May's little voice spoke out from between the two girls, "but what about you and Ojiro?"

Toru jumped back and fumbled, dismissing her claims and Ochaco giggled giving Toru a taste of her own medicine. Toru quickly pulled a box from under her bed to distract the two. Toru never answered the question and instead lifted the open box to reveal a few board games, card games and a game console that required physical movement to play properly. "It's game time!" May and Ochaco jumped up and squealed in excitement. The three girls then jogged back into the commune area where everyone was, lifting the box of games above their heads and called out together, "game niiiiight!"

Bakugo was surprised to see May acting so bright and bubbly, had she always been like that? Where was the timid little weakling he knew and despised? She was like a completely different person now. At least, she was like this with everyone else. Was she only timid with him? The thought made his heart drop, had he been that horrible to her?

"What do you have?" asked Ida, as Toru placed the box on the table.

"Something for everyone!" Toru began to unpack the box of games.

"We have refreshments coming in about two hours. So, plenty of time for us all to get ourselves settled in." Just as Ida finished speaking, Sero from the first group to shower came out and said the showers were free for the next group.

Bakugo, Midoriya, Todoroki and Ojiro went next. Once they were done some of the girls went, including May. As May was entering the showers in her fluffy white dressing gown and slippers, she noticed that Bakugo and Midoriya went outside together. Bakugo looking a different kind of serious, he looked…indifferent? Sad almost, but most shockingly he was calm. May didn't know whether or not to be worried for Midoriya's safety – as she knew that his feelings towards Midoriya were on par with his hostile feelings towards her. Bakugo had this unspoken and one-sided competition with him that she just could not understand. Did he see Midoriya as a threat to his future standing as a pro hero? She sighed and entered the shower room, whatever was going on between them was none of her business. But since Midoriya was also her friend, she hoped that Bakugo could keep his temper in check.

May tried to be as quick as she could, as she knew there were still others waiting to go in, but unfortunately, her long hair was pretty high maintenance – and thanks to the exam scenarios, her hair was full of dirt, soot and rubble which took even longer to get rid of. By the time she left, some of her classmates were getting ready to go in. She left the shower room the same way she went in, wearing just her dressing gown, slippers and now a towel wrapped around her head to stop her wet hair from dripping. She scurried to her dorm room, hoping no one -especially Mineta- would realise that she was running about in just a dressing gown. She hated taking her change of clothes with her to the showers, there was always a risk of them getting wet or worse…stolen. She much preferred the risk of walking about in this state.

With relief she reached her dorm without incident, she pulled off the towel from her head and began to brush her burgundy hair with her back to the door. She sprayed her hair with a protective spray and continued brushing out the stubborn knots. A click behind her from the door closing made her ears twitch, making her turn and jumped back with a shriek at the sight of someone else in her room. Hands going up to pull the top of her dressing gown together for decencies sake. Her eyebrows furrowed as her temper starting to fire, "What the hell are you doing in here?"

Bakugo rubbed the back of his neck and seemed almost nervous, "look, we need to talk…" he looked her in the eyes, his narrow red eyes glaring down into her big green ones. He was still calm, just as he was when we went out to speak with Midoriya. "Congratulations on passing the exam…" he put his hands deep with his pockets and his fingers fiddled with each other.

"Thank you?" she was unsure about what was going on and why exactly he decided to sneak into her room at a time like this. Before she could even get dressed! Plus, she hadn't even heard him come in until the door closed, this guy is like a ninja, so quiet sneaking in like that. Her temper simmered as she watched him, he had not yet noticed or not shown he had noticed the precarious time he decided to come in here for a chat. He was showing her a softer side that she had never seen before, and he looked almost cute. He was always so intense, and never knew when to stop but here he was. Showing a fragile side of himself to the new girl.

"So…you are pretty good at that whole rescue operation stuff. How did you get so good?"

She blinked, what the hell is going on? Forgetting about her current predicament, she humoured him, maybe I could flirt a little? Would he notice? "I have a lot of experience in it. My father was a relief hero, and I would go with him a lot to lend a hand," she gripped on her dressing gown breast tighter, thinking back to the scenes that she has witnessed and the reasons why she should always go with her father instead of staying home.

"Did you need a licence?"

"No, we operated under the British government, so the rules are a little different. Because I wasn't going to be fighting anyone with my quirk and I was only ever at operations my father was at. So, my father was responsible for me in a way, I could volunteer under his licence with his supervision," she leaned back on her desk with a soft smile, no chance to flirt yet, would be funny just to see his reaction, relaxing her grip on the fluffy fabric, "and that is exactly what I plan to continue doing when I become a pro hero. I'll do relief and rescue operations, just like him!" she was so proud. Her father was -is- a great man and worked tirelessly to help others until he had to retire due to injury, and he expected nothing in return. He did not ask for fame or glory, he wanted no merchandise or interviews, he just wanted to live a modest life and help others.

"You may have realised during the exam that I never put much care into such things, but to pass…I need to." He bit his lip and took a deep breath as he swallowed his pride and ego to finally ask "will you help me?" his gaze never leaving her face. he felt so stupid. He couldn't believe himself, that he would just walk in here and ask this nerd for help. After how he has treated her since she started at UA, he wouldn't be surprised if she laughed in his face, but he had to ask and be a fool regardless. He needed that provisional licence, and to know what she did to him. He waited for an unfavourable reaction, preparing to clap back if she mocked him. But it never came. Instead, she seemed surprised, but she had a look of understanding and a softness that made his heart skip a beat. What is wrong with me? His hands forced their way out of his pockets and into fists. He gritted his teeth, his pride coming back to the surface with full force, and it made him turn on his heel and head towards the door, "fuck, forget I said anything-"

"Bakugo wait. Let's make a deal, shall we?" he turned back, she had that understanding look again. "You suck pretty bad with civilians and rescue, but I suck just as bad at fighting. We can help each other out. I help you study and practise rescue, and you help me train in combat. Deal?" she held her fragile, pale hand out to him. How did she know what would work? She knows me better than I thought. He gave her a small smile and accepted her hand.

"That would work. Deal…"

"Wicked, but err…Bakugo?" she smirked at him, a glint of mischief sparkling in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe next time let me get dressed before you come in here," she laughed.

Bakugo realised then that she was only in her dressing gown and her bare legs were a stark reminder of what that actually meant. His eyes widened in shock, and cheeks burned crimson as he turned to face away from her. For both their sakes. He couldn't let her see him traumatised like this. He fumbled apologies, tripping over his words, how embarrassing. He pinched the bridge of his nose, angry with himself for being so stupid. That will teach him to knock before entering a girl's room. "Is tomorrow evening good for you?" he forced out through grinding teeth.

"Sure, my session first. So, library?" she got a nod from him in response. "Will you be joining us tonight for food and games? Should be a lot of fun…" he grunted something, but she could not make out what, it almost sounded like 'sure' but she could never tell with him. He left before she could get a better answer "I look forward to beating you!" She was left smirking to herself; tonight is going to be fun.