A/N: Thanks for your patience with this chapter, everyone, and for all the wonderful reviews you left behind!

For all the reviewers who guessed who Tsuyu used to have feelings for, I'm just going to say this now: it was really difficult for me to resist replying because I was so concerned that I might accidentally give away who Tsuyu had feelings for. (After all, I didn't want to spoil the next chapter for you guys!)

On a side note, I'm still low-key internally dying at the lack of Katsuyu content, so I decided I should get around to finally revising and posting this before 2019 is over. It took some time, especially since I'm still pretty busy, but I finally managed to get it done.

With all that said, enjoy!

Change of Heart

Chapter 5: Old Feelings Revealed

Before Katsuki knew it, it was already Sunday, September 16, and Katsuki was having dinner with Tsuyu again, but this time, it was in her apartment. He had insisted on bringing over his own food instead of Tsuyu cooking because he refused to be in debt to her again, even though she had insisted otherwise.

There was a quiet, comfortable silence between them as he sat across from her at her small dinner table. Katsuki honestly didn't mind it, not even when he felt his legs brush against hers every now and then when one of them shifted their position. It was warm in her apartment, thanks to her heater, allowing Katsuki to relax and forget that the autumn weather was steadily getting colder. Despite that, Tsuyu still had her hair tied in a bun, and Katsuki couldn't help but wonder if she had done that out of comfort.

"So, how was the date?" Katsuki asked, breaking the silence after chewing on his recent bite of instant noodles.

Tsuyu paused in her eating, the spoon of rice and vegetable soup left in her mouth, as she pondered. Then, she took it out and swallowed. "It was fun."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Took you a while to answer that."

"I was eating."

"Uh-huh. If it was bad, you could've just said so."

Tsuyu rolled her eyes in amusement. "It was not bad, Bakugo."

"Whatever you say," Katsuki replied, smirking before he paused and licked his lips. "So…are you planning to go on another date?"

Tsuyu shook her head. "We had fun, but we both agreed that we could only see each other as friends and nothing more."

Within seconds, Katsuki felt his heavy heart lessen, and he tried to not let it show by taking another bite of his instant noodles. After he swallowed, he smirked again and raised an eyebrow. "What? Was he not good enough for you?"

"I'm sure he'd be a better date than you, if that's what you're implying," Tsuyu replied coolly as she raised an eyebrow.

Katsuki snorted, his smirk still apparent on his face. "Was it a hell of a lot more fun than hanging out with me?"

Tsuyu hummed for a few seconds in amusement as she pondered.

However, Katsuki caught that playful glint in her eyes and immediately understood that she was just pretending. There was something about her that drew his gaze to her face, so he couldn't help but stare. He knew how perceptive Tsuyu was, so he tried to hide whatever it was he felt deep in his chest by pretending to look nonchalant and hoped that she wouldn't notice.

Finally, Tsuyu sent him a soft smile, breaking his train of thought. "I like hanging out with you, Bakugo. A lot, actually."

Katsuki's eyes widened, and he immediately tried to mask his astonishment at her direct honesty by clearing his throat.

"Now that I think about it, have you ever been on a date before?"

"What? That's one hell of a random question."

"Well, it's just that my date with Tokoyami was my first one ever, so it made me wonder if you had ever been on one."

Katsuki then frowned. "No, I haven't."

Tsuyu blinked a few times in surprise. "Not even a mixer?"

"I got invited to those a bunch of times, but I always turned them down."

Tsuyu didn't respond for a few seconds before she finally said softly, "Because you're still trying to move on, aren't you?"

Katsuki flinched, his grip tightening on his chopsticks, before he let out a sigh. "Yeah. Besides, I'm really not interested in being in a relationship right now. I got way too much going on."

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow as she began eating again, prompting Katsuki to continue.

Katsuki let out an exasperated sigh. "Being in a relationship means you got to take your partner on dates, spend time with them, get them gifts—and honestly, why should I waste all that time when I could be earning money or studying instead?"

"You're spending time with me."

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Because I actually like spending time with you," Katsuki blurted out without thinking, and within seconds, there was a moment of silence as he realized what he said. When Tsuyu continued to stare at him blankly, he quickly added, "Uh, you know, because we're friends."

"I know. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here having dinner with me."

Katsuki grunted before he frowned, his curiosity eating away at him again. "So…that guy you used to like."

"Hm? Tokoyami?"

"No, the other one." Katsuki paused, his frown growing. "Are you ever going to tell me about him?"

Tsuyu frowned before she let out a sigh. "All right. Sure."

"What?" Katsuki said as he blinked in surprise, not expecting her to give up so easily. "Uh, hey, if you still feel uncomfortable talking about him, you don't need to tell me—"

"No, it's okay. You would've eventually known, anyway, especially since we're friends and live right next door to each other." Tsuyu paused. "Ochaco was the only person I ever confided in about this boy. She knew how much I liked him and the effect he had on me… Even though I've moved on from him now, she thought setting me up on that blind date with Tokoyami would help since I had told her about my old crush on him back in middle school."

For once, Katsuki was surprised to see her hesitate to continue. Hell, if he wasn't mistaken, he could've sworn she saw her let out a small, shaky sigh… Finally, he said, "Tsuyu, you don't have to continue—"

"I met him in our first year of high school together," Tsuyu interrupted hastily.

Katsuki blinked in surprise. "Wait, he went to U.A. with us?"

Tsuyu nodded. "I don't think he really noticed me, though—not that I can blame him. He was the type to stick to himself—just an overall loner, really—and preferred to be alone unless it was with his close friends." Tsuyu paused. "To be completely honest, with this boy, he just…drew my attention like how a moth is drawn to flame.

"And what I felt for him—it was just…so much more different from how I felt about Tokoyami. I kept finding qualities about him that increased my feelings for him again and again. You can call it admiration from afar, but it…it meant something to me because…" Tsuyu let out a small sigh. "It was the way he tackled problems—the way he was so determined at his goals—and it was just so…inspiring to me that eventually, it motivated me enough to pursue what I wanted to do instead of going to Todai, like most of our classmates did."

"You sound like you still like him," Katsuki mumbled softly, not realizing he had said that out loud until it was too late, and he could feel the heaviness not only in his heart, but also in the atmosphere, begin to appear.

Tsuyu let out a long soft sigh, pursing her lips. "I don't. Besides, he…never once noticed me." She paused and added softly, "Since, you know, his eyes were always on someone else."

"And you never tried to talk to him?"

"I have. But the way he looked at her… It just made me feel like he'd never look at me the same way, so I gave up." Tsuyu paused. "It doesn't change the fact that he inspired me in a lot of ways. Granted, it took a while for me to move on from him. I had liked him for such a long time… I'm not going to lie when I say that it hurt me whenever I saw the way he looked at her. The first time I saw that look of his directed toward her…was the day my heart broke in shambles."

Katsuki was…speechless, to say the least, because as he watched her facial expressions, a part of his heart began to feel heavy again. Honestly, the way she spoke about this boy reminded him of how he felt about Ochaco. He didn't know how to respond, but that didn't stop his brain from trying to connect the pieces that she mentioned. He tried to remember who else Tsuyu considered as a best friend, but the only person he knew she could be referring to would've been Ochaco. A lot of boys had liked Ochaco during their high school years, but the way she had described the boy she liked…

Finally, he managed to say, "The girl he liked… Was it Uraraka?"

Tsuyu pursed her lips, hesitating to respond, before she finally nodded. "Yeah. He liked her—a lot."

Immediately, Katsuki's felt his heart sink harder than ever, realizing the only person she could be referring to, and he tried to not let his bitterness show as he frowned. "Was it Deku?"

Tsuyu's eyes widened. "What? No, of course not!"

Katsuki then furrowed his brow, his heavy heart now confused. He couldn't really think of who else she befriended who fit the description of the boy… Then again, she mentioned how he was a loner, and Izuku didn't fit that at all. Hell, now that he thought about it, it might even be a guy he never met before.

Finally, Katsuki frowned, feeling stumped. "I don't get it. Who?"

Tsuyu said nothing in response, choosing to take a bite from her rice instead.

"Tsuyu?"

Tsuyu hesitated again, but continued to take another bite.

Katsuki continued to frown, watching Tsuyu eat in silence, before he sighed. "Look, you're obviously not comfortable with talking to me about this, which is fine—"

"No, it's not. You're my friend, Bakugo, and I need to tell you about this."

Katsuki blinked in surprise, stunned at how clear her voice sounded, despite how hesitant she looked earlier.

"There's a reason why I keep hesitating." Tsuyu paused before she let out a long sigh. "And you'll most likely feel awkward about it…"

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would I feel awkward?"

"Because…" Tsuyu's voice trailed off before she closed her eyes and put her spoon in her bowl. She let out another steady sigh before she opened her eyes again, this time looking at Katsuki confidently. "Because he's someone you're probably not even expecting, you know? But, like I said, he inspired me to become a better person, take care of myself, and remember not to be so selfless to the point where I destroy myself—even now. And he's someone that everyone in our class probably would've questioned my taste in because he was just so loud, temperamental, and plain old arrogant, and honestly, sometimes, I wondered how in the world I even ended up falling for that silly old blond."

And just like that, Katsuki's eyes widened as everything clicked in his head.

"So, do you get it now?" Tsuyu asked softly, tilting her head with a small rueful smile. "It was you. You were the one I liked."

To say that Katsuki was shocked was an understatement. It was already the next day, which thankfully was a holiday because his mind still plummeted into pure utter confusion every time he recalled Tsuyu's confession from last night. Hell, his reaction to it was even worse. All he had ended up doing was finishing his meal in silence and then just skedaddling the hell out of her apartment because he couldn't dare to look at her in the eye anymore.

He just didn't understand. How in the world was she okay with even talking to him when he most likely had…broken her heart into shambles so many times? How was she able to come up to him so casually every day, greeting him as if nothing got under her skin? Just…how did she gain the courage to do that? How was she able to move on from how he made her feel—from him and his presence?

He just didn't understand it at all.

"Fucking hell," Katsuki grumbled, groaning as he tried to finish the rest of his breakfast. Now that he managed to get his sleeping schedule fixed, maybe he could go for a run to clear his mind of everything that transpired from last night—from her confession—and within seconds, Katsuki groaned again as he recalled the way she looked at him.

Now that he thought about it, she had mentioned she had moved on from him, but there was a small part of him that wondered whether she still had feelings for him. Wouldn't that explain why she invited him over for dinner and was so comfortable with the idea? But, then again, she considered him as a friend, and she had made it clear before that she considered friendship to be more valuable than pursuing a romantic relationship with someone…

"What am I doing?" Katsuki finally mumbled to himself after he finished the last of his breakfast.

Screw it. He may as well just go jogging because at this rate, he would continually think about it until he confronted Tsuyu again, and right now, he didn't have the courage to face her because for fuck's sake, he just found out someone he had befriended used to like him and that he had broken her heart—most likely multiple times, too.

Katsuki then washed his bowl and spoon in the sink before heading to his bedroom, preparing to get changed into his workout clothes. Just then, however, he heard his phone ding and immediately recognized the sound. It was a LINE notification, which meant either Izuku or Eijiro had contacted him.

Once he had gotten dressed, he grabbed his phone and saw that it was from Izuku. Quickly, he tapped on the notification to open the text conversation.

Hey Kacchan, do you have any plans this weekend? And you better not be working overtime!

Katsuki rolled his eyes before he typed, No, I don't. I'm free on weekends. I wanted to catch up on sleep before school starts. You know I'm not that irresponsible.

Yeah, but you have a habit of being reckless, too.

Shut up, Deku. Why did you ask me if I had plans anyway?

Oh, um…well, Uraraka invited me to go hang out with her at this amusement park.

Katsuki flinched, feeling his heart immediately drop. He forced himself to sigh to release that heaviness in his chest because deep down, he knew that this was bound to happen, one way or another, and he'd be damned if anything would get in the way of these two getting together.

Finally, Katsuki texted, Is this a date?

WHAT?! No, no, no, no, IT'S NOT A DATE. I mean, I…I don't think it is! But it's not a date!

Uh-huh… And this is coming from the boy who's so hopelessly in love with her.

Wha—Kacchan!

What? It's obvious she's got a thing for you, too. Jeez, it's no wonder she made the first move.

KACCHAN! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. IT'S JUST A HANGOUT!

Keep denying it all you want, but I'm telling you, it's your guys' first date.

Kacchan, listen to me! It's just a hangout! It's not a date! Uraraka said she's bringing along Asui!

Katsuki then blinked a few times before he furrowed his brow. What?

Yeah, see? It's just a hangout between friends! So, I'm wondering if you'd like to come with this weekend—you know, since it's our last week of freedom before school starts again.

Katsuki pursed his lips, unsure on how to respond. Going to an amusement park, even for a day, seemed like something that would help distract his mind, but at the same time, Ochaco and Tsuyu were both going to be there. Hell, he had even more of a reason to not go now.

Also, Kacchan, it's okay if you can't go. I know how tired you probably are from work, so it's okay if you want to rest and relax this weekend instead.

Katsuki groaned. "No, Deku, you idiot… It has nothing to do with that…"

He knew that deep down, he couldn't bring himself to go—and yet, at the same time, as every second passed, he couldn't help but think of Tsuyu because she managed to talk to him normally without reacting the way he was right now. Granted, it was always in her nature to be level-headed, but…

"How does she do it?" Katsuki grumbled before he sighed in defeat and looked back at his phone screen.

No, it's fine, Katsuki texted. I'll come.

Before Katsuki knew it, Saturday, September 22 had rolled around, and there he was, standing with Izuku as they were waiting for Ochaco and Tsuyu. Honestly, he didn't know which girl he felt more anxious over seeing, so he tried to mask it by occasionally glaring off into the distance.

"Kacchan, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Izuku asked, blinking a few times after seeing Katsuki randomly glare for the umpteenth time.

"No," Katsuki replied, frowning.

"Then, why do you keep glaring?"

Katsuki groaned. "I'm just…impatient."

Izuku blinked a few times again, this time in skepticism. "For…getting into the amusement park?"

"Yeah."

Izuku hummed, staring at Katsuki, who tried to casually look away and appear normal for once.

Before they knew it, Izuku was immediately tackled and hugged from behind, startling them both as Izuku tried to catch his footing, but once Katsuki's eyes caught a glimpse of that short brown hair and the light pink fleece jacket, he knew who it was, and it took everything in him to calm down.

"Deku!" Ochaco exclaimed happily.

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. "Uraraka, you scared me!"

"Silly, you should've known it was me!"

"Yeah, but I thought I was getting attacked!"

"What? With Bakugo over here glaring at everyone walking past?"

Katsuki felt his breathing hitch as he tried not to react to his last name coming out of Ochaco's mouth, but he stayed silent, averting his gaze from them because this scenario was what he had mentally prepared himself for this past week. Still, he felt his heart drop, despite not witnessing the obvious chemistry between them.

"Kacchan wasn't glaring!" Izuku exclaimed.

Ochaco let out a stiffed laugh. "Yeah, I don't think so. Right, Tsu?"

Within seconds, Katsuki's eyes widened, and he turned around to see Tsuyu, who had finally caught up to them—but no matter how much he stared at her, she didn't look his way. He was reminded again of how things went the last time she had ignored his presence, and he wondered if this was her response to his reaction, so he quickly averted his gaze.

"Honestly, I think his face is permanently like that," Tsuyu replied.

Immediately, Katsuki whirled his head to glare at her. "Hey!"

"See? You should see how he greets his friends at the door, Ochaco—"

"I'm right fucking here, Tsuyu!"

In that instant, Tsuyu finally looked at him in that calm, collected manner as always.

That neutral gaze of hers pierced Katsuki's core immediately. It was enough to shut him up because he realized his wording and remembered how she must've felt back then—specifically when his eyes were always on Ochaco, never her. Still, it took everything in him to not avert his gaze because there was a part of him that still wondered how she was able to move on from him so easily that she could look at him this way.

"Come on, Tsu!" Ochaco exclaimed, breaking the tension between them, as she slung her arm around Tsuyu's shoulder. "Let's go get our tickets!" She immediately grabbed Tsuyu's arm and rushed toward the ticket stand with Tsuyu in tow.

"Wait, Uraraka!" Izuku yelled, already running after her. "We have to stick together as a group!"

Katsuki let out a small sigh before he finally managed to drag his feet forward, bracing himself as best as he could to bear with the eventual interactions between Izuku and Ochaco—no matter how much he knew it'd continually hurt.

It was awkward for Katsuki, to say the least.

Katsuki found himself asking why in the world he said yes to come along. He noticed that Tsuyu had avoided interacting with and looking at him during all the rollercoasters the entire group rode. When lunch time finally rolled around, Ochaco's stomach started growling, which everyone heard and stared at her.

Ochaco laughed sheepishly. "Guess it's time to eat?"

"Shit's here expensive as hell, though," Katsuki grumbled, averting his gaze elsewhere away from Ochaco.

"Kacchan has a point," Izuku mumbled before he sighed and gave a small pointed look at Katsuki. "Still, we should definitely grab something to eat."

Katsuki scowled. "You guys grab something to eat. I'll just wait until we go get dinner together."

"Kacchan—"

"I can pay for you, if you want, Bakugo," Tsuyu interrupted.

Katsuki felt a part of his hand twitch at hearing Tsuyu's voice directed at him, especially when he shifted his gaze to look at her, realizing then that she finally laid her eyes on him. "No, it's fine. I ate before I left."

That was a lie, of course, and he knew well enough that both Izuku and Tsuyu's stares toward him were trying to find any giveaway on his facial expression, but Katsuki continued to scowl, not daring to be the first to break his gaze.

"All right," Tsuyu replied. "Want to go on the Ferris wheel together?"

Katsuki blinked. "What?"

"I want to check out the Ferris wheel."

Izuku smiled. "We can go together—"

"No, wait, let's get food, Deku!" Ochaco exclaimed, suddenly grabbing onto his arm.

And, of course, Katsuki saw how close she was to his arm and how Izuku had smiled gently at her. The looks exchanged between them, despite how naturally pink Ochaco's cheeks were, were enough to showcase there was more than to their relationship than just friendship.

Katsuki immediately averted his gaze and started walking off.

"What—Kacchan!" he heard Izuku call.

"I'm going to the Ferris wheel with Tsuyu, so go eat your lunch!" Katsuki yelled, preparing to call after Tsuyu to come with him until he realized that she was already beside him. His eyes lingered on her neutral expression and how she just stared ahead so calmly before he finally averted his gaze.

"That was rather subtle of you," Tsuyu said.

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Shut up."

It wasn't long before Katsuki and Tsuyu arrived at the Ferris wheel. The cars of the ride were much larger than expected since they were meant to accommodate four people. Surprisingly, the line wasn't that long either, but Katsuki surmised that it was because it was lunch time. Within minutes, Katsuki and Tsuyu got onto the next car and sat across from each other.

Once the door shut, Katsuki let his gaze linger on Tsuyu for a few seconds, watching how she was avoiding making eye contact with him again by looking out the window. Finally, when he heard the ride begin to start, he asked, "Why?"

Tsuyu turned her head to face him. "Why what?"

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Katsuki asked, just loudly enough to be heard over the sounds of the Ferris wheel.

"What do you mean?"

Katsuki groaned. "I meant talking to me, Tsuyu. Why do you talk to me when you know how much I've…" Katsuki didn't dare to continue his sentence; he didn't want to admit to himself out loud that he had broken someone's heart—someone who could empathize with him the most in this situation.

Tsuyu sighed. "I told you that I've moved on—"

"Which doesn't make sense! How the hell are you able to talk to me—someone who's hurt you multiple times—as if…none of that pain happened?"

It was silent, and the atmosphere was tense with Tsuyu's neutral gaze aimed at Katsuki. Still, Katsuki felt a part of his being that was just shaken to the core as every second passed without a response.

Finally, Tsuyu said, "Like I said, I moved on from you."

There was something about the way that Tsuyu said her words that stung Katsuki. He didn't know exactly how else to describe it because all he could think about was how was she able to even have the courage to genuinely talk to him and care about him as a friend? And yet, the way she said how she moved on from him, how she said it with such a neutral face, made it clear that she no longer held any feelings for him.

And thinking about it like that combined with her words made the stinging sensation in his chest feel all the more painful.

"Because I moved on from you, I'm able to talk to you," Tsuyu said. "Even if my feelings did linger, I'd still talk to you."

"Because we're friends," Katsuki muttered.

Tsuyu nodded. "I…initially didn't want to tell you because I knew that you'd try to avoid me or feel awkward around me."

Katsuki cringed because damn, did she hit the nail on the head.

"However, I realized that if I didn't come forth and be honest with you, that wouldn't be fair to you—especially since I know how much you're still in pain because of Ochaco."

Katsuki resisted the urge to flinch as he frowned.

"I know how much you liked Ochaco," Tsuyu said softly. "And I know what it's like to be in your situation, so that's why I don't want you to at least feel alone with those emotions. I know what they're like too well… Sometimes, you don't feel it at all until something triggers you; sometimes, it comes to you out of nowhere, and you feel like your emotions will burst out any second. And, worst of all, you have to appear happy or okay with everything because you want your friends to not suspect anything and be happy with each other."

Katsuki pursed his lips before he let out a long sigh. "Yeah. You're right about that—about all of that, actually—but that doesn't change the fact that you could've just…tried harder."

"What do you mean?"

"We could've been friends sooner if you had tried harder," Katsuki replied, but there was a part of him that didn't feel right with those words that came out of his mouth. It felt as though something was missing—almost as if he should've said more—but he forced himself to keep it out of his mind. There was nothing that could be done about the past, no matter how much he would dwell on it; the only thing he could do now was at least consider what was in front of him and move forward.

"Maybe. But to be fair, you aren't the type of person who likes to make a lot of friends—or even socialize, for that matter."

"Good point." Katsuki paused, his breathing beginning to hitch as every second passed before he finally managed to ask, "Still, Tsuyu, why me?"

"What?"

"Why me? Why…Why did you like me, Tsuyu?"

"I told you why already."

"Yeah, but let's be real here: I was a hot-headed, violent, threatening dude back then."

"And you still aren't now?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Tsuyu."

Tsuyu sighed. "Look, Bakugo, the fact of the matter is that I liked you."

Katsuki felt his heart skip a beat, but whether that was from hearing someone basically confess how they used to like him, he didn't know.

"I no longer feel that way toward you, so that's why it's easy for me to see myself becoming friends with you."

"Yeah, but…I hurt you," Katsuki muttered, feeling his heart slowly become heavy from his guilt.

"Not intentionally," Tsuyu replied gently.

Katsuki scowled. "Bullshit. It doesn't change the fact that I hurt you."

"Bakugo, I see you as my friend. You never hurt me intentionally, and if anything, you inspired me to become better and to take care of myself instead of neglecting myself and being so selfless to the point where I forget self-love. I genuinely care about you and your well-being, Bakugo. Really."

Katsuki didn't know what to say to that. He felt speechless, like the wind had been taken out of him. Just when he realized that the ride was about to come to a stop, he asked, his voice barely coming out past a mutter, "Out of curiosity, would you ever like me again?"

Tsuyu blinked in surprise and stayed silent, averting her gaze to the floor.

"Tsuyu?" Katsuki managed to ask, despite hearing his heartbeat pound louder with every passing second.

Finally, Tsuyu looked at him and gave him a smile that made his heart plummet.

Katsuki recognized that smile. It was the same rueful smile that held regret—the same one he had seen from her when she confessed to him that she used to like him. He watched how her eyes revealed her sadness, and he realized then that her honest feelings were showing—her pain that he caused.

"Honestly, Bakugo?" Tsuyu said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know. But, for both of our sakes and for our friendship to stay the way it is, I'm really, really hoping I don't."