Chapter 5: Katsuki's Perspective
The air hung heavy with tension as I stormed into the kindergarten, an unsettling feeling gnawing at the pit of my stomach. The events of the past year had changed everything, and not for the better. My once-best friend, Izuku Midoriya, was now nothing more than a shadow in my memory.
I pushed through the entrance, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of the quirkless green-haired kid. There he was, standing alone, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and sadness. As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't shake the guilt that lingered within me.
The whispers and laughs of the other kids surrounded him, an invisible barrier of rejection that he seemed oblivious to. I clenched my fists, a surge of anger boiling within me. Why did he have to ruin everything? Why did he have to be so damn stubborn about his hero dreams?
I approached him, the words bubbling up like molten rage. "Hey, Deku! Still dreaming of being a hero? Pathetic."
His eyes flickered with a mixture of hurt and defiance, but he didn't say a word. I smirked, relishing the discomfort in his eyes. But deep down, a part of me, a tiny voice I refused to acknowledge, whispered that I was the pathetic one.
The teacher called for circle time, a chance for each kid to share their dreams. My eyes locked onto Deku, his hand hesitantly rising as if challenging the storm of laughter and mockery that awaited him.
"I want to be a hero, like All Might," he declared, his voice wavering but unwavering.
The room fell silent, and for a moment, I wondered if the others were actually buying into his nonsense. But then the laughter erupted, a tsunami of ridicule crashing over him. I joined in, unable to resist the current, the satisfaction fleeting but potent.
The teacher moved on, and the room buzzed with whispers. But in the midst of the chaos, Deku remained resolute, his dream undeterred. It infuriated me. How could he stand there, facing all this mockery, and not break?
As the day unfolded, I found myself avoiding him, unable to shake the nagging feeling that I had crossed a line. I scoffed at the sentiment, convincing myself that he deserved it. But in the depths of my soul, an uneasy truth lingered—an uncomfortable awareness that our friendship had shattered, leaving behind nothing but regret and resentment.