The weight of all of his classmates' stares was soul-crushing. Glancing briefly out into the crowd, Katsuki found the majority of the others, Professor Aizawa included, looking confused. Daisuke almost appeared worried, Minoru seemed intrigued, and Amaya was looking through him, as though she had it all figured out already. It was all too much, and Katsuki couldn't help but think about how stupid he was. What else could realistically have been expected? To adopt that name was to expose a vulnerability to those in the know, and sow confusion and disappointment amongst those that didn't. It was a terrible move. It necessitated a lame excuse to draw attention away from the truth, at least until the next person chose their name. Shockingly, something plausible did come to mind… though it was indeed a less than satisfying explanation.

"An… atlas… at least, a modern one, it can cover the entire world," Katsuki started, sounding less than confident. "It's full of knowledge, familiar to everyone, and useful the world over. It's a guide, and something unchanging that people can rely on to navigate. I want to be that way. Known the world over, considered useful… a global hero. Not just one that's big in Japan."

Katsuki watched as Amaya shook her head and Minoru squinted while writing something down. It wasn't the fact that the winged girl had already passed judgment on Tsuyu's name that bothered him in regards to her reaction- he knew she didn't buy it. In contrast, Eijiro gave him an enthusiastic grin and a thumbs up gesture.

"Cool!"

"An… interesting notion, if a bit muddled," Professor Aizawa commented. The man looked unimpressed, but also as though he didn't want to shoot the name down immediately. "Keep it, but think on it. There may be a better way to express the same sentiment in the future, and some callsigns evolve over time. Honenuki- you're up."

Katsuki let out a sigh of relief as he passed the marker to the other boy. Honenuki gave him a quizzical look but said nothing before continuing his walk to the board. Katsuki paused a moment and then headed for the door of the classroom rather than his seat, leaving his belongings behind. He hadn't made it twenty feet down the hall before he felt a vibration in is pocket and took out his phone to check the message.

Dai, 7:24 AM

Incoming.

With a roll of his eyes, Katsuki pushed open the door to the nearest restroom and slipped inside. He wasn't particularly in the mood to talk, even if Daisuke had the best of intentions… and he really only needed a minute to collect his thoughts and calm down. As the bathroom door opened behind him, he tensed and clenched a fist.

"I'm fine, Dai. I know it was shit. Just leave it alone, and don't be a pain in the ass."

"Not Dai," came a reply in a higher pitch than that of his friend… though its tone was almost unrecognizable. Katsuki was used to hearing Minoru's voice full of obnoxious, overconfident swagger. Instead, it carried a more subdued, almost hesitant cadence that suggested he was trying to be cautious. "And that name isn't shit… if it means what I think it does."

"I don't care what you think it means," Katsuki denied as he walked over toward a urinal, more to get away from Minoru than anything else. "And your name selection is coming up soon, isn't it? Just get back to class. I'm fine."

Katsuki unzipped his pants and began to relieve himself… only to bristle once again as he heard Minoru do the same at the receptacle right next to his. Upon looking to the side, he found the other boy eyeing him up and making absolutely no effort to hide his gaze. Katsuki turned his hips slightly in an attempt to obscure Minoru's view of his equipment, feeling both embarrassed and enraged.

"Are you fucking serious right now!? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Minoru merely rolled his eyes before bringing them back down to his own urinal.

"…like you've never glanced at another guy out of curiosity. Anyway. Atlas was a titan in Greek mythology. A lot of people think he was burdened with holding up the Earth, but he actually held the celestial sphere representing the heavens… which isn't really important to this conversation."

"Great. Good information to have," Katsuki snarked as he finished his stream and zipped up his pants before heading over to the sinks. "Why are you telling me this random, unrelated mythology lesson while I'm trying to piss?"

"Because what happened to him is important, in the context of what just happened," Minoru insisted, staying before his stall for a moment. "The details don't matter, but he was supposed to carry a heavy burden seemingly forever, until Heracles came along and offered to shoulder it for him. Atlas took Heracles up on the offer, but intended to screw him over by just leaving the entire situation behind."

Katsuki snorted- he was already familiar with the legend… and he didn't like where Minoru was going with it. A bit of panic crept into his voice as he listened to his classmate piecing things together a little too accurately.

"Good to know. Are you done?"

Katsuki continued washing his hands before grabbing a section of paper towel from the nearby dispenser and beginning to dry himself off. Meanwhile, Minoru made his way to the sinks and continued the tale.

"…I'm not. Heracles then asked if Atlas could take the burden back up for a minute so he could adjust his clothing and make himself more comfortable before going back to holding up the heavens. Atlas agreed, whether out of guilt, or overconfidence, or something else… but the point is that Atlas found himself right back where he was before, holding up something impossible all on his own right after he thought he'd finally escaped the massive weight that had been keeping him pinned down."

Katsuki paused, keeping a death grip on the paper towel as the shorter boy turned toward him.

"…your point?"

"My point is that that's you, isn't it?" Minoru asked softly. "Coming to U.A., you thought you were finally free of… something. Probably your situation at home, or some big responsibility that's been weighing on you, or something along those lines… but coming here didn't change things like you thought it would. You're still feeling the pressure. The burden. Whatever was eating at you before is still eating at you now, and it's to the point that you feel like it defines you. That's why you went with Atlas, isn't it? Or am I just talking out my ass and reading too deep into it?"

Katsuki clenched his teeth and stared. Never before had he been read so easily in a way that mattered so personally to him. He already knew that despite how Minoru presented himself, the little pervert was smart… but he hadn't expected such a thorough stripping down of his personal life from a single misstep. There was no point in lying further.

"…well, aren't you fucking smart?" Katsuki asked rhetorically, taking a step forward and tossing the paper towel into the trash as he advanced on Minoru. His voice became threatening as he went and his eyes narrowed. "Now drop it."

"Why should I?" Minoru asked, standing his ground despite Katsuki closing in. "If that's really how you feel, I w-"

Katsuki reached out and grabbed Minoru's shoulders before shoving him back into the wall next to the row of sinks. The back of the boy's head hit the plaster, one of the balls attached to his scalp immediately adhering to the surface and helping pin him against it. He braced and grimaced as if waiting for a punch as Katsuki brought his face in close, nearly spitting as he spoke in a growl.

"I said, drop it!"

"You helped me!" Minoru tried in a panic, unable to wriggle free beneath the larger boy's grip. "You helped me with the whole dorm invasion thing, and now I want to help you, okay!? I know you hate me, but I at least owe you one for going out of your way to deal with a problem that you really didn't have to concern yourself with!"

Katsuki just stared for a moment, stewing in anger. Despite it all, he couldn't bring himself to hit his target- something about the sincerity in Minoru's voice got to him, and he released his grip before shaking his head and backing off.

"…you don't owe me. Our dorms getting broken into could affect everyone. I didn't help you out of altruism."

"Yeah? I don't fully believe that," Minoru replied, rubbing at one of his shoulders. "No matter what walls you put up, I think you really do give a shit about people. I've seen you offering to lend a hand often enough that it's not just a one-off fluke. So… stop being so defensive and angry all the time and let someone else return the favor!"

Katsuki brought a hand up to his forehead and was unsurprised to find it coated with sweat. That feeling of an impeding fainting spell washed over him once again, and his knees began to feel weak. Katsuki's entire body was hot- worryingly so, and there was a distinct churning in his stomach that suggested he was about to vomit. The fact that the clock was ticking back in the classroom didn't help matters at all. The others would be thinking about him- wondering what was going on. Professor Aizawa would have words about the fact that he had just walked out so early into the first lesson of the year. Everything was wrong.

"I'm f-"

"You're not fucking fine, Bakugo!" Minoru yelled, catching him off guard. "You look like hell, and you're acting… I don't even know how to explain what you're acting like. I guarantee you I'm not the only one who noticed you're not okay, but I'm the guy that's here right now. I'm not just at U.A. to get my dick wet, alright? I do care about helping people, whether you believe that or not, and right now, I want to help you. If you just want to go somewhere and talk, or do whatever else, I'm willing to work with you. Just stop trying to keep it all in before you implode."

"…if you want to help, then go back to class and cover for me," Katsuki instructed. "I've got nothing to say to you, or anybody else right now. And I… I do have friends that I've been talking to. You're just not one of them, so back off. I'm not telling you again."

"Or else what?" Minoru challenged as he reached behind himself and worked to slowly unstick his hair from the plaster. The spherical fibers came loose with a wet peeling noise until he managed to take a step forward and free himself. "You'll shove me up against the wall again? Beat the shit out of me and get expelled? Don't be a dumbass just because you're scared of whatever's going on with you."

"I'm not scared!" Katsuki said defiantly. "And I'm not scared of whatever consequences might come from punching you in the face, either! Just… get out of here! Leave me the hell alone!"

Minoru pulled a face and let out an exhausted, rattling sigh.

"Fine, if that's what you want. You've got my number. If you ever come around and want some impartial advice, or you just need someone to hang out with, or like… lean against? Or you just need a hug? I'm game. I'll cover for you."

Katsuki could only stare as Minoru walked past him and out of the bathroom. That feeling bubbled up in his stomach again, and for once, he knew that there would be no fighting it. Without a second though, Katsuki rushed to a nearby stall and got to his knees, throwing back the toilet seat before emptying his stomach into the waiting bowl.

Author's Note:

Thought I'd already posted Mineta's redesign for this story, but apparently not. I'll put it up once he gets his hero suit.

-RD