A/N: Real talk: It blows my mind that this still gets so many views despite my slow updates. Granted, it might be because this is one of the few multi-chapter fanfics out there for Katsuyu or because I post my updates on Tumblr and occasionally Twitter, but at the end of the day, it means that Katsuyu fans are out there, which makes me really happy!

As always, thank you for all your wonderful reviews and for taking the time to read this fanfic! I know I update slow, but this is mostly because I'm busy with the way my life is right now, so I can only write and revise in whatever spare time I happen to have. It means a lot to me to know that each and every one of you enjoy how I'm writing Change of Heart and the relationship between Katsuki and Tsuyu so far, too.

Also, Horikoshi released a new Katsuyu sketch he did on 6/9/2019 on Twitter, and the Japanese Katsuyu fandom has already drawn a few fanart and doujinshis based off it, and I just... I inwardly died and couldn't sleep last night because (1) the sketch seems like it's based on a typical shojo cliché, so my imaginative brain kept wondering if Horikoshi could be implying something and (2) I was extremely happy to see new OTP content, so I felt like I had to finish revising this chapter and post it already. (This chapter is a bit longer than the previous one, which hopefully makes up for the long wait!)

With all that said, enjoy!

Change of Heart

Chapter 4: A Heavy, Lonely Heart

Before Katsuki knew it, two weeks had passed by, and it was already Saturday, September 1. A part of him initially felt weird over the idea that he and Tsuyu were now "friends," as she wanted, but every time he recalled her face, his gut feeling told him that he had spoken the right thing—that he agreed to this friendship—and he'd reassure himself that it'd be no different than what he usually did. Well, aside from the fact that he was now used to greeting Tsuyu and spoke words instead of grunting as usual because she started to get all smart with him.

To be honest, even though they were now friends, he hadn't been able to see her much lately. All he could recall since the last time he had spoken with her, which was having that heart-to-heart conversation regarding college and their backgrounds, was him continuously working overtime and doing double-shifts. Katsuki seeing himself have eyebags whenever he looked at himself in the mirror had already become the norm because of his sleep deprivation from school, but this time, he had much darker eyebags than he normally did. Still, he knew this was worth it because he needed the money. Besides, he could handle staying sleep deprived for a while longer since school wouldn't start until Tuesday, September 25.

Last evening, Katsuki had confessed to Izuku on LINE about working so many hours because Izuku had kept inviting him out to hang out with him and Eijiro, which Katsuki would continuously turn down due to work. Unsurprisingly, Izuku lectured him because of Katsuki's workaholic tendencies, especially when finances were involved, and he reminded Katsuki that he shouldn't work to the point where he'd become exhausted. Of course, confessing to Izuku meant that Eijiro found out, and Eijiro ended up lecturing Katsuki as well, stating the same points as Izuku and how even if Katsuki needed the money, his well-being came first.

Katsuki knew all that, of course, but his rationale argued that once school started, he'd have to cut down his hours again, which would mean less money, and he needed to be prepared in case anything unpredictable happened.

Katsuki sighed, thankful that he didn't have overtime work earlier today, but even though he slept from morning to evening, nearing almost 6:30 P.M. now, there was a part of him that still felt exhausted—physically and mentally.

Just then, Katsuki heard his door bell ring, and immediately, he furrowed his brow. When he heard another ring and some knocking, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly got up from his bed to his door. After he looked through the peephole, Katsuki blinked in surprise.

Without hesitating, Katsuki unlocked the door and swung it open as he sent a glare. "What do you want?"

Tsuyu stood in front of him, raising an eyebrow in response.

Katsuki finally took notice of her attire: a gray big, baggy hoodie that covered her figure entirely, black leggings, and dark green slippers. Her hair was entirely down, which he wasn't used to seeing since she always had some part of her hair tied up.

When Katsuki caught himself staring at her because she hadn't said anything, he frowned. "Well?"

"Bakugo, you should know better than to greet a friend like that at your doorstep," Tsuyu coolly said.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at her, knowing fully well that she was most likely teasing him again, and his suspicions were confirmed when she gave him an amused smile. "For your information, Asui—"

"Tsuyu."

Katsuki groaned. "Okay, for your information, Tsuyu, I greet all my friends like that."

"No wonder you have such few friends, then."

"Are you going to keep sassing me with that mouth of yours, or are you going to tell me what you want already?" Katsuki retorted dryly.

"Have dinner with me."

Katsuki blinked a few times before finally furrowing his brow in confusion. "What?"

"Have dinner with me," Tsuyu repeated in the same calm, collected manner.

Katsuki blinked again, and he tried to assess the situation in his brain as quickly as he could. The last time a girl invited him out to something was…shortly before he met Tsuyu again, now that he thought about it, and he turned that girl down once he had realized that she was asking him out on a date. But, Tsuyu was inviting him this time, so would that mean…?

Katsuki's eyes immediately widened, and he tried his best to not let Tsuyu know about his thought process as he pursed his lips.

"Bakugo?" Tsuyu called out, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you thought I was asking you out on a date."

Katsuki scoffed, trying to mask his facial expression with nonchalance. "And why the hell would I think that?"

"Because no matter how much you try to hide that facial expression of yours, your body language is a dead giveaway."

Katsuki immediately flinched and frowned. "Hey, I did not think you were asking me out—"

"Good, so you're okay with coming over for dinner as just friends?" Tsuyu interrupted with an amused smile. "Of course, if you're that tired, you don't have to come over. It just means, you know, more food for me."

Katsuki sent her a small glare. "You're bribing me with food."

Tsuyu nodded.

"Why?"

"Come over in thirty minutes, and you'll know why," Tsuyu coolly replied, and without even giving Katsuki a chance to reply, she walked away and went inside her apartment next door.

Katsuki sighed and frowned, but he decided to go along with it anyway. He didn't understand why she was inviting him over for dinner, especially since it was out of nowhere, but hell, he may as well get changed and go. Besides, free food was always a plus in his book.

After he had gotten ready, wearing just a black t-shirt, red shorts, and his regular sneakers, and waited until it was exactly thirty minutes, he locked his apartment door and went to hers, knocking on it twice before the door opened.

"Took you long enough," Tsuyu said before she stepped aside to let him in.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Katsuki replied, raising an eyebrow while taking off his shoes at the doorstep as she locked the door.

"I thought that you wouldn't need to take so long to prepare yourself since, you know, you're right next door."

"The hell? You're the one who told me to come over in thirty minutes."

"I know," Tsuyu said, walking past him. "Food's on the table, by the way."

Katsuki followed until they both arrived at a small table with two chairs. On top was two small bowls with cooked fresh, hot white rice and vegetable soup and spoons to the side. Katsuki could see remnants of carrots and other leafy greens within the orange soup in his bowl as they both sat down.

"You came just in time, too, so it's still hot," Tsuyu said as she grabbed her spoon, preparing to eat. "If you came any later, your portion would've been cold."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "You would've left my portion out in the open like that?"

"Maybe."

"Jerk."

Tsuyu let out a small laugh before she began eating.

Katsuki, however, couldn't help but stare at his bowl, not even bothering to pick up the spoon.

Tsuyu paused in her eating. "You're not going to eat?"

"Why?"

"Well, your food's going to get cold soon—"

"No, not that, you smartass," Katsuki interrupted. "I meant, why did you invite me over for dinner? Especially out of nowhere."

Tsuyu didn't respond. Instead, she pursed her lips and dropped her gaze to the table as she placed her spoon into her bowl.

"Well?"

When Katsuki's eyes met with Tsuyu's, he resisted the urge to flinch. He was reminded again with that piercing gaze of hers—as if she could see right through him and what he was thinking—and he didn't dare say anything further, pursing his lips as he waited for her to talk.

Finally, she said in a soft voice, "You seemed tired."

"So?"

"I was worried." Tsuyu paused, her eyes finally showing her concern for him as she frowned. "You know, about you."

And just like that, Katsuki resisted the urge to shudder because of that tone of hers, so he frowned and glanced away—just away from those eyes of hers. "It's none of your business—"

"It is my business because we're friends, Bakugo," Tsuyu interrupted.

Katsuki looked at her, and surprisingly to him, she looked peeved.

Tsuyu sighed, her concerned gaze returning. "I can tell that you haven't been sleeping much with those eyebags of yours, you know."

"I'll be fine," Katsuki said, still resisting the urge to shudder. "Look, I get you're concerned, but I don't need your pity for stuff like this—"

"It's not pity. It's called inviting my friend over for dinner, so he can have a chance to vent about what's been going on in his life because he's been working overtime, which explains why I haven't been seeing him often."

Katsuki blinked in astonishment. "How—"

"Based on our last long conversation, Bakugo, it wasn't too hard to figure out," Tsuyu replied dryly as she raised an eyebrow at him.

Katsuki sighed in response.

"So, care to explain?"

Katsuki groaned. "I already got a lecture from Deku and Kirishima last evening. I don't need one from you, too, Froggy."

"Tsuyu."

"I'll call you Froggy if I want to, damn it."

"Okay, then I have the right to give you a nickname as well."

"What?"

"How about Blondie?"

Katsuki's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You know, because you're blond."

"How about no?"

"Keep calling me Froggy, and I'll start calling you Blondie."

Katsuki groaned. "Fine. I'll stop calling you that. Just don't fucking lecture me."

"Only if you explain why you're willing to exhaust yourself just to get more money."

Katsuki frowned. "I need the money. You know that."

"That doesn't justify working to the point of exhaustion."

Katsuki sighed in exasperation. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Tsuyu—"

"Which means whatever you had spent that money on must've been pretty important."

Katsuki's eyes immediately widened in shock. "What?"

"You're obviously a frugal person, Bakugo, so whatever it was must've been really important to you if you were willing to spend that much money."

And just like that, Katsuki resisted the urge to gulp inaudibly and look away from her piercing gaze. She managed to guess why he needed money with such ease that it made him feel...exposed, but looking away meant that her guess was on the mark, and he refused to let her know that.

"Have you at least eaten?" Tsuyu asked, breaking his train of thought.

Katsuki was startled to hear her change the subject, but he was thankful she did. "No. I was asleep and woke up shortly before you came, actually."

"Well, now's your chance to eat a nice, hot meal, right?"

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at Tsuyu, frowning.

Tsuyu blinked, tilting her head slightly in confusion. "What?"

"Are you this considerate to your friends?"

Tsuyu blinked, not responding for a few seconds, despite the calm look on her face. In fact, it…almost looked like she spaced out a bit.

Katsuki furrowed his brow. "Tsuyu?"

"Yes?"

"Are you this considerate to your friends?" Katsuki repeated. "Like, you're willing to just casually invite them over for dinner if they're having a bad day."

"Well, yes, if it came to it, but it all depends. You literally live next door, so it's easy to invite you over for anything, really."

Katsuki frowned, not fully content with that answer. "So, you're telling me that there isn't another reason why you invited me over?"

"Yup."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, their gazes not faltering in the slightest.

Katsuki eventually sighed in defeat and began eating his food. He didn't know whether it was his hunger talking, but the food tasted damn good, and within seconds, he began to eat it eagerly. When he finally noticed her smiling at him, he paused in his eating after swallowing his recent bite and sent her a small smirk.

Having her around really wasn't that bad.

Katsuki had difficulty sleeping after dinner with Tsuyu, mostly because his sleeping schedule was now different, making him practically nocturnal. Instead, he did things that could keep him busy around his apartment.

Before he knew it, it was already 10 A.M., and just as his eyelids were beginning to shut, he heard his doorbell ring and someone knocking on his door, which made his eyes widen and his brow furrow. A part of him debated on ignoring the ringing, so he can go to bed, but when the ringing continued, he groaned, dragging his feet to his door, and just then, he heard clear, but slightly muffled voices.

"Hey, Bakugo, open up!"

"Kirishima, I don't think that's going to make Kacchan answer the door any faster…"

Immediately, Katsuki swung the door open, and there, standing in front of him, was none other than Izuku Midoriya and Eijiro Kirishima.

"It's about time, man!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"Oh, hey, Kacchan!" Izuku greeted.

Katsuki grunted. "Come in."

Within seconds, Eijiro and Izuku brushed past Katsuki and entered, taking off their shoes in the doorway as Katsuki shut and locked the door.

"Now, what do you want?" Katsuki asked as the three of them headed to his living room.

Once they all settled down, sitting on the floor, Eijiro and Izuku gave each other knowing glances.

Katsuki immediately frowned. "What's with those looks?"

"We were just worried about you, Kacchan," Izuku said. "Kirishima thought it'd be a great idea to come visit you today, but I said it probably wasn't since, you know, I figured you'd be sleeping."

"Well, at least one of you is considerate enough," Katsuki said, sending a pointed look at Eijiro. "And you're right, Deku. I was just about to go to bed."

"That's all the more reason for us to come, then!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"I'm supposed to rest, you asshole."

"Yeah, but at this rate, are you going to be okay when school comes around?" Izuku asked, his brow furrowing in concern. "If you keep overworking yourself, your sleeping schedule really will get messed up to the point where you can't focus in school anymore."

"I'll be fine."

"As in, 'don't give me your pity because I'm such a badass,'" Eijiro muttered.

Izuku immediately snorted.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Hey! I can kick you both out, you know!"

Izuku and Eijiro, however, started to laugh, even when Katsuki's glare intensified.

After realizing that Izuku and Eijiro weren't going to stop laughing despite his glare, Katsuki clicked his tongue in defeat. "Anyway, since you're both here, do you want anything to eat? I got instant noodles. If you want anything else, I'll have to check the fridge and see what else I got."

Eijiro frowned. "Why don't we go out—"

Izuku immediately elbowed Eijiro, who then grunted in pain.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Deku…"

Izuku smiled as if nothing happened. "Yes?"

Katsuki sighed. "If you both want to go out to eat, I have money to spare to do so."

Izuku frowned. "But, aren't you trying to save up?"

"Look, Deku, I know you're trying to be considerate of my financial situation—"

"Yeah, especially since you splurged on my birthday present."

Katsuki's mouth stayed open, completely in mid-sentence, for a few seconds before he glared at Eijiro, who began to whistle inconspicuously while looking away. "You told him? What the hell, Kirishima?!"

"It's not his fault, Kacchan! I asked him to tell me because I knew you wouldn't."

"Well, yeah, because if you fucking knew, you wouldn't even take it!"

"But—"

"No, don't you dare! I know how much you love superheroes, especially those American comic books, so it's really not a big deal!"

"Kacchan, you got me the entire series and a limited-edition action figure—"

"Which you well deserved, so shut it, Deku!"

Eijiro sighed. "Dude. Come on, Midoriya kept asking me because he was concerned with how much you've been working… Obviously, you wouldn't work this much overtime unless you were that short of cash."

Katsuki scowled and grunted in response.

"Kacchan, you really didn't need to splurge," Izuku said, a look of concern appearing on his face again. "I mean it. You coming to celebrate my birthday would've been enough."

"I came late, you dolt," Katsuki grumbled.

"Which still counts, Kacchan. You know that."

Katsuki grunted, ignoring that knowing look on Eijiro's face, and he pursed his lips since he knew that Eijiro was thinking of the reason why he didn't come to celebrate Izuku's birthday as originally scheduled—all because he couldn't dare face Ochaco, not when his heart still plummeted and fell into pure, utter shambles around her.

Katsuki then shut his eyes and let out a long sigh, forcing himself to drown out those thoughts of her and her smile into the back of his head. "Anyway, if you guys want to go to a breakfast joint, I'm down. Although, I guess it counts more like an early lunch for you both at this point."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Midoriya here hasn't eaten breakfast either," Eijiro said.

Izuku's jaw dropped. "Kirishima!"

"Okay, then we're definitely going," Katsuki said, sending a small scolding glare at Izuku, who grinned sheepishly in response. "So, where to?"

"Well, Uraraka told me about this place she went to recently. Apparently, Asui works there. It's a café, but she said the pastries and drinks there are really good."

Katsuki pursed his lips, remembering Tsuyu's warning that he should avoid that café unless he wanted to encounter Ochaco. "Ah. That place."

Izuku blinked in surprise. "You know that place, Kacchan?"

"Yeah, I stopped by there once when Tsuyu was working. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known about it at all. Hell, I didn't even know it was that popular to begin with… Anyway, you two got any other places in mind? Because if all that café has is pastries, then that sure as hell won't fill any of us up."

When Katsuki realized that neither Izuku or Eijiro had given a response, he finally noticed that they were staring at him with wide eyes, almost in complete shock.

Katsuki frowned. "What?"

"Oh, my God," Eijiro muttered.

"What?"

"You just referred to Asui by her first name," Izuku replied softly, his eyes still wide.

Katsuki blinked, and then, he pursed his lips, realizing his God damn mistake, but fuck it, they were going to find out eventually. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Yeah, I did. So, what?"

"Have you two been seeing each other?" Eijiro asked, scrutinizing his eyes at Katsuki.

"Yes, but not in the way you're suggesting," Katsuki deadpanned.

Eijiro raised an eyebrow, sending him a doubtful look.

Katsuki groaned. "We're just friends, damn it."

"But, when did you two become friends?" Izuku asked.

"Shortly after she moved into this apartment building," Katsuki grumbled.

Izuku's jaw dropped while Eijiro's eyes widened.

Izuku blinked a few times, still surprised. "Wow, Uraraka told me that Asui recently moved, but to think that she moved here out of all the apartment complexes in the city…"

"Yeah, and she moved in right next door," Katsuki grumbled.

Eijiro whistled. "Wow, that's a really big coincidence."

"Well, I guess that explains why Uraraka setting up a blind date for Asui next Saturday…" Izuku muttered.

Katsuki's and Eijiro's eyes widened in shock.

"Uh, what?" Eijiro finally managed to say, blinking a few times.

"With whom?" Katsuki asked, still trying to overcome his shock.

"Oh, uh, I actually don't know. Uraraka said she wanted to try to keep it as much of a secret as possible until the date happens." Izuku paused. "Although, she did tell me that it was with a guy Asui used to like…"

Eijiro blinked in astonishment. "Huh… I had no idea Tsuyu used to like someone. I wonder who he is."

Katsuki, however, knew who it most likely was, which made him frown and avert his gaze. He recalled his heart-to-heart conversation with Tsuyu two weeks ago, remembering that she mentioned how she used to like someone who she had moved on from—the same person who had liked her best friend.

A part of him wondered why Tsuyu would agree to the blind date, but to be honest, there was a larger part of him that wondered why Ochaco had that person be the blind date when she should've known that Tsuyu had moved on from him a long time ago…unless Tsuyu had never moved on from him in the first place.

Just like that, Katsuki felt a part of his stomach begin to churn, and he didn't know if it was due to this epiphany of his or the possibility that Tsuyu had lied to him this entire time.

Katsuki knew he had to confront Tsuyu about it, mostly to calm his uneasiness over the possibility that Tsuyu had lied to him. She didn't seem like the type of person to lie, of course, but if she never moved on from that guy, then that would've meant that…she was in the same boat as him—probably even worse, since he didn't know how long she had liked that guy.

Unfortunately for him, he couldn't confront her about it until later that week on Saturday, September 8, a week just before her supposed blind date.

Katsuki had invited her over for dinner yesterday because hell, she invited him on Sunday, so he may as well return the favor. Besides, he wanted to use this as an excuse to finally cook, considering the numerous days he could easily recall he just didn't have time to cook…or lacked the energy to, especially when he had school.

When it was 6:30 P.M., Katsuki heard the doorbell ring, and he ran to the doorway, giving a moment to himself to calm down and appear normal, before he opened the door.

Tsuyu stood there, wearing a baggy long-sleeved dark green sweater, red leggings, and cognac slippers, and her hair was in a low ponytail.

"What's with your outfit?" Katsuki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You look like Christmas threw up on you."

"What's with your face?" Tsuyu coolly retorted, brushing past Katsuki before he closed and locked the door. "It looks like something that only a mother could love."

"Okay, now that's just harsh." Katsuki paused. "And unoriginal as hell."

Tsuyu let out an amused snicker as she took off her slippers, raising an eyebrow at him. "Hey, you started it."

"Yeah, but you are wearing Christmas colors, and it's way too damn early for that," Katsuki replied as they entered his living room and walked to his kitchen.

Tsuyu shrugged. "I like green."

"I can tell."

Tsuyu glanced at the large pot on the stove. "What did you make?"

Katsuki grinned. "Pasta."

"Oh, so we're having Italian now?"

"You bet your ass we are," Katsuki replied, grinning as they both walked to the pot. He stirred and glanced at Tsuyu, who took a whiff and smiled. "If you don't think my pasta's delicious now, then you'll be eating your God damn words once you take a bite."

Tsuyu let out a laugh. "That confident, huh?"

"Hell yeah I am." Katsuki shut off the stove after giving a final stir and mixing the pasta further with the sauce. He then opened a cabinet, grabbing two large-sized bowls, and handed one to Tsuyu. "Here. Help yourself."

"Thanks," Tsuyu replied before she used the ladle to begin putting pasta from the pot into her bowl.

Katsuki couldn't help but stare at Tsuyu, his mind wandering to how he was going to ask her about her blind date.

Finally, Tsuyu handed him the ladle. "Here. And thanks for the food and inviting me over."

"Hey, we're friends now, right?" Katsuki replied, sending her a small smirk.

Tsuyu blinked before her face slowly dissolved into a soft smile. "Yeah."

Katsuki's face faltered, his lips pursing, and when he noticed Tsuyu's face dropped, a curious gaze on her face, he asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, as long as it's before the pasta gets too cold."

Katsuki opened his mouth, closed it, and then let out a sigh. "Uh, I heard from Deku that you…have a date coming up?"

Tsuyu blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh… You heard about that."

"Yeah." Katsuki frowned. "He said it was a blind date."

"Oh, it's not a blind date anymore."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Ochaco couldn't wait to tell me any longer who it was, so she spilled the beans that it's Tokoyami."

Katsuki squinted his eyes, feeling like that name was familiar, but he couldn't recognize it off the top of his head. "Who?"

"Fumikage Tokoyami. Remember? He was in our class back in our first year of high school."

Katsuki blinked a few times, his lips pursing. "Yeah, I got nothing."

Tsuyu let out a sigh. "He's the person who you kept calling Bird Boy."

"Oh, him. Right, I remember him now. He was obsessed with birds." Katsuki paused before he raised an eyebrow at Tsuyu. "Just like you and your frog obsession."

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow at him back. "Excuse me?"

"It's why I gave you those nicknames in the first place. You know, Bird Boy and Froggy."

"I'm well aware of that."

Katsuki then frowned. "So…"

"Yes?"

Katsuki didn't know why it was so difficult for him to try to ask her further about it, but damn it, he needed to get it out of the way now. He then cleared his throat, pausing for a few seconds. "So, is Tokoyami the guy you used to like? You know, the…one you told me about last time—the one who liked your best friend."

"No."

Katsuki blinked in surprise. "Oh. But, Deku mentioned he was someone you used to like?"

Tsuyu nodded. "He was."

Katsuki frowned, still curious because really, how in the world did Tsuyu end up liking someone like Fumikage? And if it wasn't Fumikage, then who was it that she talked about?

"You should get pasta for yourself," Tsuyu said, breaking Katsuki's train of thought.

"Ah, right," Katsuki grumbled before he grabbed a big enough portion from the pot into his bowl and turned off the stove.

Tsuyu then settled herself to a nearby counter and began eating her pasta before giving out a low hum of satisfaction.

Katsuki stood next to her, placing his bowl down and smirking. "See? Told you it'd be good."

"You definitely put your money where your mouth is," Tsuyu said as she nodded. "If we made a bet, I would've lost."

Katsuki's smirk grew before he began eating.

"But, Bakugo, why ask?"

Katsuki gave a questioning hum as he continued to eat, raising an eyebrow at her.

"About my blind date and Tokoyami. Why?"

Katsuki shrugged before he swallowed his recent bite. "I was just…curious, I guess."

"Curious?"

"Yeah. I mean, you never told me who you liked. I thought Tokoyami was the one you had recently moved on from, and if that was the case, then, well…" Katsuki's voice trailed off, and honestly, he wasn't sure how to continue, so he immediately began eating again to avoid continuing further, hoping that Tsuyu wouldn't see through his actions.

"Then, what?" Tsuyu asked.

Katsuki frowned, pausing in his eating again. "Well…Tokoyami was someone you liked, right?"

Tsuyu nodded.

"But, he's not the one who you recently moved on from?"

Tsuyu nodded again.

Katsuki frowned, his curiosity still not satisfied. "What drew you to Tokoyami in the first place?"

Tsuyu blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

Katsuki shrugged, feeling the awkwardness begin to simmer in his body. "Uh, you know, why…did you like him? Like, what drew you to him?"

Tsuyu blinked again, this time tilting her head as she hummed softly.

Katsuki sent her a deadpanned look. "Don't tell me you don't know why you liked him."

"No, I do."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

"But, the thing is, Tokoyami was just a middle school crush of mine, and looking back on it, it was just pure infatuation. It wasn't really going to go anywhere because I never really had the courage to talk to him back then, and eventually, I got over him."

Katsuki frowned. "Just like that?"

Tsuyu nodded slowly. "Yup, just like that." She paused. "He…never really showed interest in anyone romantically back then. I didn't know much about him except some things here and there, like how he was into birds."

"So…when did you get over him?"

Tsuyu hummed softly. "I think…by the time eighth grade started. I had a big crush on him the first year of middle school, but by the time eighth grade came around, I sort of came to my senses and just moved on from him naturally since we never interacted much. Once high school came around, I started to see him as more of a friend because of school festivities. He and I aren't close, but I like to think that we're friends to some degree."

Katsuki nodded slowly, staying silent as he let everything digest into his mind. Honestly, he didn't know how to react, but there was that small curious part of him that came out again, so he asked, "Do you think you'll fall for him during the date?"

Tsuyu blinked in surprise before she tilted her head, pondering.

Katsuki felt his breathing begin to hitch, so he tried to calm himself down, despite his pounding heart. Honestly, he didn't know why he was reacting this way.

Finally, Tsuyu said, "I'm not sure."

Katsuki blinked, his train of thought now broken. "What?"

"I'm not sure if I'll fall for him." Tsuyu paused before she let out a sigh. "Honestly, I feel like I'll still just see him as a friend."

Katsuki frowned, pursing his lips. "And if you don't?"

Tsuyu shrugged. "It's just one date, Bakugo. Even if we don't see each other romantically at the end of the date, at least we'll still have fun together and be friends. Besides, I've only ever liked two people before: Tokoyami and…the boy I told you about last time."

"I see," Katsuki mumbled, his gaze lingering at the way her eyes softened. The longer he stared at her, the more he could begin to see the pain in her eyes, so he wanted to say something to take her mind off this boy, but he couldn't think of anything—not even when she finally let out a small sigh that broke the silence between them.

"What I felt for him was…a lot more different than what I felt for Tokoyami. With Tokoyami, it was infatuation. With him, it was…different." Tsuyu paused as she smiled. "That's the best way I can describe it, honestly, and it's why I feel like I won't fall for Tokoyami."

Katsuki couldn't help but stare at the genuine look on Tsuyu's face, silently processing what she said. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn't want to be…alone in feeling the way he currently felt regarding Ochaco. Izuku and Eijiro couldn't empathize with his situation; Tsuyu was the only one who could because she had been in the same position he was. Hell, judging by how she had reacted just now, maybe she even suffered more than he did…

"All right, if you say so," Katsuki managed to finally say, but despite those words he uttered to her, it didn't lift the heaviness growing in his heart, no matter how much he knew he should be wishing her the best.