Angel: This is one of my absolute favorite episodes of the anime, and not even just because of what happens. Expect more Izuka-Katsuki development too! I know I'll get some dislike or hate for it, but I regret nothing!
The doors closed behind the team of three, Izuka standing between her brother and Katsuki. Smoke flew in front of them, Izuka placing a hand on her chest and letting out a deep breath.
'Those are my moves! And that's my smirk!' Katsuki gritted his teeth while watching the twins during rescue training. 'While I spent all my time getting groomed at that useless internship, they...dammit!' He clenched an angry fist.
Suddenly everything got really quiet since everyone knew how tense things could get with any of the three. And it was no different here.
"...I don't know what's up with your powers...but I saw the way you're using them and you should know..."
Izuka faltered a bit while staring at him.
"It's seriously pissing me off..."
He gritted his teeth while glancing towards the two of them. The both of them flinched as they remembered something. "I won't have another half-assed win like the festival." The two of them saw his intense stare, Izuku giving an anxious look. "We'll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals. New rankings."
Izuka then bit her lip at Katsuki while finally looking up into his eyes.
"In order for people to notice your hard work, you need to push back harder," Katsuki turned around so that his back was facing her.
The two continued to look at each other, knowing full well what he did for Izuka. And yet, today felt like a regression of that...almost anything between them seemed like they were always scaling back towards their previous relationship. Katsuki then stepped forward without saying a word.
"So we'll all know exactly where we're standing."
Izuku gulped, running after him. Izuka sighed heavily while walking after them. "I'll show you how much better I am!"
Izuka stared at his back silently. So he keeps reminding us, and it feels like he wants me to show him I'm capable of even challenging him. I really don't get Bakugo-San. After all, he helped me train for the practical. And it's not like he's entirely heartless...
The buzzer then sounded for their exam to start. "Team Midoriyas and Bakugo: Practical exam. Ready? Go!"
Katsuki continued walking in front of the twins, not wanting to be around them. "We have to talk to him," Izuku whispered to his sister while glancing over his shoulder. "We're a team. We should be discussing this."
"We? Izuku, look at him. There's no we to him," Izuka crossed her arms in annoyance.
"Don't say that. I'm sure he knows deep down it's the only way to pass this test," He glanced at her in disbelief. "Whatever happened, you guys should talk it out."
Izuka scoffed in bewilderment a bit at his suggestion, looking at him like he was crazy. "Communication is the key here, you know that." Before she could argue, he ran off ahead of her to catch up to the blond. "Kacchan, listen. For this exam, the teacher's the villain and we're the heroes, so we need a solid plan. Normally, I'd suggest that we analyze the villain's combat ability and choose to fight them or run away based on that. But in this case, the villain is All Might, so we don't need to think about it because combat is out of the question. It'd be impossible to beat him in a fight!" Katsuki sped up his walking and he turned around to his sister. Izuka gestured to Katsuki in acknowledgment that her hunch was right on this one. And that he shouldn't try to convince Katsuki because his mind was made up. "It's a really bad idea, Kacchan!"
"Stop following me," Katsuki snapped at him, causing Izuku to freeze for a few seconds.
"If only he would," Izuka glanced up towards the sky in exasperation. "Izuku, let's just-"
"All Might is probably waiting for us on this main road," Izuku interjected and she sighed, running to catch up to both of them. "We should take another route."
"I'm not gonna run away from this fight. It'll look better if we blast that smile off his face. Why do you think I helped short stack control her Quirk? It's so she doesn't make me look weak," He looked over his shoulder.
"Uh!" Izuka flinched while coming to a stop. ...Now I get it. Even if it wasn't All Might, he still wants to see me as the person I was in middle school. That, or he doesn't want to believe that I'm not the same Izuka.
Izuku sighed, now exasperated himself. "No, and we'll touch on that later. We should avoid fighting him no matter what it takes."
"I'm gonna toy with him until the time is almost up, and then knock him unconscious for real," Katsuki insisted and continued walking off. Izuka continued staring after him in silence.
"Why do things always have to be so difficult between the two of us and Kacchan?" The green-haired boy muttered to his sister as she walked up to his side.
"Because he just prefers it that way. I don't think we can change his mind...not even about me," She gripped her arm tightly.
"We don't have time to worry about upsetting him," Izuku frowned and ran after Katsuki again.
"Izuku, hold on!" Izuka held out a hand, but he didn't listen.
"Think about this!" He called out after their classmate. "You know what All Might can do! Even with those handicap weights, it's impossible for you to win in a fight against him."
Katsuki growled and turned, hitting Izuku so hard in the face that he ended up on the ground. Izuka gasped sharply at this as the boy was shaking. "I don't wanna hear another word," He growled out at the green-haired boy. "Just because you think you're getting stronger doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do."
He flinched as he felt a hard rock hit his back. He then growled while looking towards an angry Izuka. "I don't care what you want or what you'll do in this practical...but you're not gonna do that to my brother again," She hissed with a fierce look in her eyes, not too different from Katsuki's right now.
"Is that so?" He mocked a bit, turning towards her with his hands sparking. "You wanna take me on, short stack? You standing up to me makes you really annoying, you know that? You-"
"You don't get to order him around either if you believe you're so much better! And I don't wanna fight you. I'm just trying to get you to focus on what we're doing," She looked away while closing her eyes.
"I don't need you or Deku, so just stay out of my way! You don't know what you're talking about."
"You can't say that when you're not taking the time to really look at me! Just because we've known each other almost all our whole lives, doesn't mean you can honestly say that you really see me for who I'm becoming," He recoiled back a bit in shock as she gave a small glare. "I won't wait around for you to get pummeled by Mr. All Might if you won't listen, or for you to continue being in denial. That's what you want, but it's not something we can pull off—either with Mr. All Might or me," She gestured to herself in frustration.
What is her deal? Katsuki narrowed her eyes and stayed silent for a few seconds. "...Even if that is what I'm trying to do...you're not gonna stop me. And it's none of your business."
"You made it my business now whether you like it or not," She glared at him and the tension was very high...
"Oh, dear," Recovery Girl commented, their other classmates looking concerned. "There's absolutely no teamwork between those three. Don't they realize the trial ahead of them?"
All Might was still waiting in front of the escape gate with a big grin. "Here we go," He then prepared his arms. "I am here to test them."
"Wait, Kacchan!" Izuku shouted as the boy walked off yet again. He looked up from the ground, Izuka looking away with a huff. "All I'm trying to do is get us to pass the final! This is for all of us!"
"Why can't you just put away your hatred for once so that we can pass?!" Izuka shouted while clenching her fists, Izuku looking up at her in surprise. "Is it really so bad that you can't work with us? Or maybe that's too much to ask for someone as arrogant as you!"
"I told you, we don't need either of your dumb powers to pass!" Katsuki screamed at the both of them. "I can win it all by myself, and I don't need to do anything just because a damn mouse asks me to!"
"Will both of you stop yelling?!" Izuku shouted back at the both of them. "This is why none of us never have real conversations or why you two can't get along for even a week!"
All Might punched the air, sending a huge wind blast. The three turned towards up ahead, seeing a gust of sand heading towards them. They were then sent flying as a huge shockwave occurred. Izuka gasped sharply and jumped to grab Katsuki by the hand while in mid-air, to his shock. She wrapped her arm around her brother's waist, using her left hand to flick a shooting star with a string attached towards a pole. Izuku squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged her neck, holding on for dear life. Once it wrapped around the pole, all of them braced themselves as they were flying above the ground, but weren't moving any further thanks to her.
Once it was over, she dropped the star, and all three fell on their stomachs in unison, panting. Izuka let out a few coughs as she wasn't expecting that level of intense power. Katsuki then noticed he was still holding Izuka's hand. He flinched in anger and forcibly took his hand back. The blond slowly stood up first.
"Who really cares if I destroy this city?" All Might's voice boomed from the smoke, alarming all of them.
What? Sweat dripped down Izuku's face. When did he get...?
Katsuki had a grin on his face, but was questioning this behavior too. What? How is he...?
What? Izuka looked up while still on the ground, examining the smoke in disbelief. I know it's for the exam, but why does he have to be...
So intimidating? All of them thought in unison as All Might finally revealed himself, grinning widely.
He then stomped on the ground, and even that was enough to send another gust of wind. The three braced themselves from it. "If you think of this as an exam and not a real fight, you'll be sorry." All of them gasped while looking up. He had an evil-like glint in his eyes. "I'm a villain now, heroes. Remember that. You'd better come at me with everything you've got. I won't pull my punches!"
Izuku winced after seeing this display, giving him even more reason to flee. "It's over if we fight him head on. Let's run!" He turned around to do just that.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Katsuki screamed at the boy.
Izuka herself was conflicted on this one as she could see both sides to the options. But at the same time...she didn't know which choice would be the right one. Katsuki glanced down at her to see her conflicted face. Before he could comment, All Might rushed forward right towards Izuka, causing her to gasp.
"Kacchan, no!" Izuku held out a hand.
Katsuki grunted and then stood in front of Izuka. "How about a Stun Grenade?" He held up his hand to fire a blinding light. All Might covered his face with his arm. Izuka grunted from the amount of light, glancing up at Katsuki in shock for his actions. "You want everything I've got, All Might?" He then jumped up into the air. "Like that wasn't my plan. I never-" All Might grabbed him by the face. "Hold back, dammit!" He muttered, holding out his hand to the hero's face. He sent a blast of fire into All Might straight ahead.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Normally if you grab someone's face, they reflexively try to pull your hand off of it. Guess this kid really is concerned only with defeating me, no matter the cost. He then grabbed Katsuki's arm, turning around to slam him hard into the mud. Izuka covered her mouth in horror, her eyes shaking. The only reason why that happened was because she didn't react in time...All Might removed his hand from Katsuki, who let out a few gasps. "Your rapid-fire blasts were weak—hardly more than a sting." He then looked at the twins behind him. "Where are you going?"
He moved so fast that sand covered their sight. The two then felt a presence behind them, gasping and looking back to see the man right behind Izuku. "Don't think I've forgotten about you both already, Young Midoriya and Mido. Are you really going to leave your teammate here and run away?"
Izuku shook in fear as Izuka let out a few short breaths, her heart racing. Why does he remind me of the Hero Killer right now? He powered himself up and then jumped backwards. Izuka used a shooting star underneath her body to send herself flying into the air.
"Uh-uh. Do you think that's going to work?"
"Ah!" Katsuki was flying right towards All Might from behind the twins. "Move it!"
"Kacchan!" Izuku gasped as all of them crashed into each other with a yelp, flying in different directions. One wants to defeat All Might. The other thinks only of running. And the last is too distracted on other things instead of either option Recovery Girl thought to herself with a deep frown. Midoriya probably admires the man too much. To Izuku Midoriya, All Might is like a god. Untouchable. All of them landed on their backs with a thump. Mido holds respect for All Might, but is also trying to figure out what to do. To her, Bakugo is a devil, someone she doesn't want to work with, but struggles to see past his faults. Izuka slowly sat up, holding her head. Katsuki panted while trying to collect himself. It's true that I don't know much about this other boy. But based on his grades and the Sports Festival, he has amazing combat sense. And no matter how much he doesn't want to say it, he does care about Mido's well-being. I wonder why he's in such a rush to win this, or to dismiss Mido's potential.
Katsuki got up, storming towards All Might. "Kacchan!" Izuku stood up in alarm.
"Out of the way," He growled, walking past Izuka. She stared after him with a conflicted look on her face.
"Haven't you been listening to me?! It'd be insane to fight him head on!" Izuku protested at the blond.
"Shut up, scum," Katsuki dismissed him and Izuka growled, clenching a fist. "I will win this. That's what it means to be a hero, Deku!"
Izuku froze and Izuka's face faltered while staring at him, thinking about what he said. "Wow! Look!" A little Katsuki exclaimed in awe, watching a fight with All Might involved. "I can't believe how awesome All Might is!" The boy then frowned, running up to Katsuki.
"At the very least, we should be trying to avoid him!" He tried to argue once again. Izuka snapped out of it and ran towards them. Once Izuku reached him, he placed a hand on Katsuki's shoulder to try and stop him.
"Get your hands off of me!" Katsuki pushed him away.
"Incoming, heroes!" All Might announced, causing them to look up. "I have a special gift for the one who wants to run!" He was flying towards them while having a broken fence underneath his feet. He used this to knock Izuku to the ground, trapping him underneath the fence. Katsuki held up a hand while Izuka summoned her bow. All Might zipped past her and then punched Katsuki hard in the gut before either of them could attack. The boy was sent flying and as he did, he let out some vomit, sliding backwards.
"Bakugo-San!" Izuka cried out and then flinched as she felt a presence. She turned around rapidly and was grabbed by the arm by All Might. She dropped her bow as he threw her into the wall of a building, her back hitting the exterior wall. She landed on the ground with a grunt, shaking as her face was planted into the mud.
"Kacchan, Izuka, are you okay?!" Izuku shouted from his spot.
As the smoke cleared from both areas, Katsuki was shaking. Izuka lifted up her face, coughing a bit. The blond's face was in the ground, so they couldn't see it. "Hey! Did you see what he just did? Man, it doesn't get any cooler than All Might!" He was watching the fight from outside Oshima Electronics. "He'll beat those villains, even though they're fighting him four to one!" His friend and the twins surrounded him. "He's the best! You see that?" He said in excitement as All Might was about to take on the villains. "I bet he'll dodge and then punch! They'll think they've won, and then—ha! Oh! Ah!" He kicked and punched the ground, Izuku giggling in awe of both him and All Might.
Izuka glanced up at him, blinking in surprise at his behavior. It was a rare time to see him...not so full of himself for a change, and it felt nice. "Look! He totally stomped 'em! That's why he's the greatest. No matter how much trouble he's in, he's always the winner!"
Katsuki let out a grunt while slowly forcing himself to get up. You may be a jerk...but...I get it. Izuku clenched a fist as Izuka slowly moved as well. The girl shook as she slowly sat up. You always have one goal that you fight for in everything you do. You make sure that you're the winner! And honestly...I always admired you for that!
Izuka slowly looked up, sweating but wasn't done yet. I don't understand your behavior all the time, and you tend to make me not like you at all sometimes. But your intentions are never unclear...you may have a strong hatred for me no matter what happens between us, but that doesn't change the fact that...I have to change the way I see you.
All Might let out a small laugh. "I know why you're so angry, Young Bakugo. Because of Young Midoriya's sudden improvement, right? And that Young Mido fighting back against you isn't something you're used to. That she's changing every day."
"Uh?" Izuka looked up in confusion while Katsuki froze in place, his body hunched over.
"But you have to remember each of your rankings when the year first began. It's much easier to level up when you're a novice. Or if you have an untouched Quirk while still learning how to utilize it. You're wasting your full potential and want to deny Young Mido's even when it hits you in the face. Do you see that?" He glanced down at the boy, not acting as a villain for the time being. "Do you understand me? You still have so much room to grow stronger, boy. And I don't just mean your Quirk!"
"Shut up, All Might," Katsuki hissed while looking up. "If I'm so bad that I have to get help or sympathy from weaklings like them..." He looked up with sweat dripping down his face and his vomit on his mouth. "Then I'd rather lose this. Do you hear me?!"
Both twins looked up in silence, all of them remaining silent. Izuka gripped the dirt underneath her, but not because she wanted to throw it at him this time. It was because of what he just said. And Izuku felt a little pissed off too as he powered up.
"I see..." All Might then raised a hand. "Just remember that's what you said, hero," He clenched a fist, about to finish the boy off.
Damn it!
A white glove suddenly punched him in the face, and then he got a kick to the stomach. Izuku had broken free while Izuka had gotten up. And she was the one who had kicked him as both her and Katsuki were sent flying.
"Don't you dare say that you'd rather lose!" Izuku hissed at him in defense. "Let's all of us win this, Kacchan!"
Katsuki grunted as both of them came rolling to a stop. Izuka landed in front of him, panting as she had her hands on the ground, her head hunched over. "I can't believe I just did that..." She murmured in disbelief, grateful that Katsuki hadn't reacted to their attacks, not yet at least. Izuku picked the both of them up and then jumped towards an alleyway. The broken fence Izuku was trapped underneath fell to the ground.
"I didn't expect Young Midoriya and Young Mido to swoop in like that," All Might looked towards the direction they went off in. "I let my guard down," He then looked at the weights over his wrists. "Man, did they have to make these so heavy?"
"Drop me, you bastard," Katsuki growled to Izuku, who was carrying both of them over his shoulders.
"Izuku, really, put us down please," Izuka closed her eyes, finding this a little embarrassing. Not because her brother saved her, but because she felt like a rag doll with Katsuki.
"I got you both."
"I told you to put me down, dammit!" Katsuki kneed Izuku so hard that he dropped them both. Izuka was kneeling, panting along with them as they struggled to recatch their breath. Even with those weights, All Might was still a tough opponent...
"Kacchan, Izuka, I really can't think of a way for us to beat All Might. Or to make a clean getaway without him swooping in and stopping us," Izuku spoke up, getting onto his feet. Katsuki looked up in confusion, Izuka straightening up and letting out a small breath. "But before you give up, we can at least try using our powers!" He gestured to Izuka and himself. "You can't say you're okay with losing!"
"In all the years I've known you...even when you're a jerk, you still never threw in the towel," Izuka stared at him, her eyes narrowing. "You were the one who taught me that..." He clamped his mouth shut, knowing what she was referring to: their talk when she was upset over the rumors.
"You're you because you never give in," Izuku continued off, looking away. "You're always fighting. A-And you two, you both know that you can get past this!" Both of them looked at him in confusion. "In fact, I bet that if you just really got to understand each other, you'd see that you and your Quirks can work really well together! And that you guys can salvage whatever it is you need to work out. If you didn't, then Kacchan wouldn't always be the first one to save you," He stared at his sister.
Izuka's eyes shook as they could only stare at him in utter shock and silence.
"And Izuka wouldn't be able to see that sometimes you really can be a nice person!" He gestured to Katsuki, who stared at him wide-eyed. "You haven't forgotten what he did for you in first grade, did you?"
Katsuki let out a small gasp as he realized what Izuku was talking about.
Izuka glanced back at her little brother as he was hiding behind the tree. "I'll be right back, okay? It should take me five minutes to get what I need in there," She pointed at an art store that she frequented sometimes. "Horadam is usually hard to find, but now I have enough to buy them!"
"Are you sure you don't need me to help you?" He blinked and she shook her head.
"No thanks, little brother. They know me by now, so they already realize that socializing is...complicated," She glanced away briefly and then walked off. The girl glanced towards the ground nervously, not seeing 2 fourth graders heading her way. The two boys saw her and grinned maliciously, seeing her as easy prey to bully. One of them then collided his shoulder with hers, catching her off guard.
"Hey," One of them spoke up menacingly as she shook in fear. "Watch where you're going, shorty."
"I-I-"
"Heh. You think you can get away with bumping into us? We're a lot older, so you need to show us some respect," The other one crossed his arms. "Now say you're sorry."
Her mouth felt dry as she grew anxious and words weren't coming out. She wanted to say something, anything, but because they were much more taller, they were more intimidating to her. Even more than Katsuki himself right now. "Ah...b...bu-"
"Hey! You heard him. Apologize," The first one then pushed her and she fell onto her butt with a grunt. "Don't make us ask again." She squeezed her eyes shut in fear of what would happen, since they weren't easing up and she didn't even do anything...
"Ah! Big sister..." Izuku was about to run for her...when Katsuki jumped in from behind, kicking one of them down. Izuka looked up with a shocked gasp at his action. The other one reacted by punching the boy, and Katsuki counteracted by sending an explosion. He landed in front of the girl, fists clenched. The two then got into a physical fight with Katsuki, kicking and punching him.
"A-aaah! Stop it!" Izuka cried out in horror of him getting beat up. Katsuki then gritted his teeth, sending two explosions their way to knock them onto the ground. He then stood in front of her, panting heavily as he now had some scrape marks, as did the two fourth graders.
"Don't pick on the mouse," He narrowed his eyes, Izuka doing a double take that he was actually defending her.
"Stupid!" The shorter one got up. "You're both first graders! You apologize when you bump into someone older! Especially some weak little girl!" He pointed angrily and she hid behind Katsuki, shaking.
"Yeah, we're gonna tell Yocchan!" The other shouted, both boys with tears in their eyes.
"She doesn't have to do anything. You're really gonna waste your time on someone who doesn't even have a Quirk?" Katsuki clenched a fist, Izuka a bit in awe of him. Yes, he insulted her, but he was still standing up for someone he was bullying.
"You'll pay for this tomorrow, both of you!" Katsuki held up his fist in front of them, both of them recoiling back in terror. "You're gonna regret this!" They then ran off crying, Izuka squeezing her eyes shut at the thought of running into them again. She really hoped it wouldn't come to that, especially if they hurt her brother...
Katsuki let out a sniff, wiping his face with his arm. "Ha, she didn't bump into you losers! You were the ones who bumped into her!" He didn't look back at her as she opened her eyes, slowly looking up in disbelief. She didn't even know that he had seen the whole thing.
"Wow, Kacchan!" Both of Katsuki's friends came towards them, not having seen Izuka yet.
"You fought against two big fourth graders and won!"
Izuku let out a small gasp, having hid behind the tree the whole time. Katsuki looked up with tears in his eyes. "The most amazing hero always wins. In the end, they come out on top, no matter what!" The little boy then gasped, his eyes shining. Izuka's eyes shook at the boy in front of her, trying to process everything that just happened. And then the little blond boy turned around to her. She yelped in alarm, her hair standing up a bit as she was expecting him to turn on her next. But instead he stared at her for a few seconds, and reached into his bag, pulling out a small tote.
"Here," Katsuki tossed the tote into Izuka's hands. She closed her eyes from the impact as her hair flew back from the throw. She opened her eyes and then looked into the bag...to see the paints that she wanted to buy. The girl blinked in shock and then looked up at him.
"How...how did you know I was-"
"Just shut up and accept them. Don't thank me either. They're just idiots for thinking you could even fight them," Usually he would sound like a bully, but this time...his voice was much more controlled. "Next time watch where you're walking. Now walk away before I change my mind about letting you go."
"...No, I haven't," Izuka looked away with closed eyes. It was one of the last memories that she had of Katsuki…before he got more arrogant and prideful. But that was a different time that it almost felt like he was a different person.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Katsuki grumbled with his eyes closed. So what if I got those guys to back off her? It didn't matter, all I cared about was getting rid of those bastards because she...was being distracting with that face of hers. He then glanced at Izuka, his heart racing a little. He touched his chest, gripping his shirt tightly. Damn it! Damn her.
"The most amazing hero always wins. You've been saying those words since we were little kids. How can you give up now? Are you really gonna look Izuka in the eye and tell her you're giving up after all those times that you helped her?" Izuku demanded, Katsuki turning around with a yell. Both of the twins gasped and then a small explosion went off. Katsuki had punched the spot right next to Izuku's head, the girl covering her mouth in shock.
"I won't say it again, so listen, you useless nerd," Katsuki started off with a snarl, not even looking up at the twins. "All Might's speed is insane. No matter where you try to run and hide, there's no way you'll avoid fighting him."
"Bakugo-San, even with that, there's no way. But running won't get us out either, he'll take us down in an instant and then we fail," Izuka frowned, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, and we don't stand a chance in combat. I mean, you saw him back there!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP BEFORE I KILL YOU!" Katsuki screamed at the top of his lungs, frightening them both. "...He won't be stopped by anything less than a full-power attack. I learned that earlier with my mini blasts. This is where all that training comes into play, so you better not half-ass it, short stack," He looked over his shoulder to Izuka, who faltered in shock. So it wasn't because he thought she was weak...or at least, he was acknowledging that in some way. All Might was running around looking for them. "So..."
Where did Young Midoriya run off to? Since he's hiding, does that mean he's planning to make a break for the escape gate?
All Might then heard a noise from behind, revealed to be Katsuki. "You're going the wrong way!" He yelled with his hand stretched out.
"That supposed to be a sneak attack?" All Might glanced over his shoulder, seeing Katsuki looking pissed off, more than usual. Mainly because...he was sucking up his pride for once.
This is pissing me off. He sent a huge blast towards All Might, noticeably missing one of his gauntlets. Can't believe I'm working... He fired off again and landed safely. With people like you. He raised his hand to fire another blast. People who shouldn't even be here! He fired again and then looked up.
"DEKU! Short stack!" Izuku appeared from behind, wearing the other missing gauntlet. Izuka jumped from the roof of a building, looking down at All Might.
"So...we give him everything we've got at point-blank range. Our only option is to inflict damage and then put some distance between us!" Izuku swung his arm as Izuka pressed her hands together, a white glow coming from her pointer fingers. Izuku reached out his hand to the pin as Katsuki jumped up using his explosions. Izuka narrowed her eyes, waiting for the right moment.
So that's their game! All Might realized as he glanced both upward and behind him.
"Shoot now!" Katsuki screamed at the twins.
This is our chance! Izuku glared while Izuka moved her pointer fingers down. "I'm sorry, All Might!" He pulled the pin from the gauntlet to fire just as Izuka fired a huge shooting star from above. Izuku yelped as he felt a sharp pain in his right arm, since he wasn't used to Katsuki's gear. Izuka landed and shook off her burning fingers, as that move was something Katsuki taught her, so her hands still weren't used to it. Her brother slid backwards, holding his arm. "My shoulder. Jeez. He really uses this thing?"
"Run, you idiot!" Katsuki screamed while flying using his explosions. Izuka came in from behind while flying on her star platform.
"Come on, while he's distracted!" She glanced down at her brother.
"Oh. Right!" Izuku turned around, powering himself up and taking off.
Katsuki gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare say that you'd rather lose! Let's all of us win this, Kacchan!" He'd never admit it out loud, but for once, Izuku was making sense...
"Ow. They got me," All Might muttered in pain as the smoke started to clear. "A compromise between running and fighting. Just like how Young Mido seemed to desire. That's pretty decent for an impromptu strategy," He then glanced to the damage around the buildings. "They also limited the damage to the city by aiming towards places I'd already demolished when the exam started. I think I taught them to do that in their very first combat training." He then coughed while standing up. I see now...all three of them are actually pretty darn clever. The problem is that they lose all sense when it comes to each other.
The trio continued get further away from All Might. Envy. Hate. Competition. Awe. Rejection. Pride. Empathy. Tolerance. Compassion. From what I can tell and what I've been told...they have so many complicated feelings about each other piled up that they don't even know how to interact anymore. Not even Mido and Bakugo, who seemed to be less complicated for a while up until now... All Might let out another cough, looking at his hand to see blood. It's not the kind of thing that can be resolved in a single test. But I'm sure their cooperation here will mean big things for them in the future. This is just the first step. A starting point.
He then slowly got onto his feet. "Now then, students..." His eyes glinted again as he did when he first saw them. "Your teacher's going to do his best to school you."
The trio continued going towards the escape gate together. Izuka was flying between the boys above their heads. "We're almost there," Izuku panted out to his teammates. "We just have to make it to the gate. A little further!" They could see the gate in their sights. "It looks kinda ridiculous, but if we can get through, we pass the final exam!"
Damn Katsuki thought to himself. All Might's first attack was from the middle of the fake city, but it reached all the way to the gate? What the hell is that power? Is this why short stack wouldn't talk about it?
"Can't believe we're really pulling it off," Izuka murmured a bit optimistically. "If we can just push a little further, we'll make it!"
"It doesn't look like All Might is chasing us. Don't tell me we actually knocked him out back there."
"Of course not!" Katsuki shouted at them both. "You're the ones who keep crying about how it's impossible to actually beat him," He then looked towards Izuka. "And you had the guts to try and stop me?"
"Uh," She looked at him with wide eyes and then they narrowed a little. "Whatever the reason you're thinking is, you're wrong," She dismissed while looking up ahead. She already knew Katsuki would get hurt, and for some reason, she didn't want to see it. Maybe because it reminded her of what he did to those fourth graders when they were little...
"Tch," Katsuki shook his head rapidly. Damn it. She's doing it again, distracting me! "There's no way that attack KO'd him. When he catches up to us, it'll be my turn to blast him to hell with a gauntlet."
"Interesting," All Might appeared underneath Izuka's star platform, catching her off guard. "And then what will you do?"
Katsuki gasped and swung his arm to fire. All Might punched the gauntlet to pieces. "Don't tell me you're surprised," He gave a quick punch to the gauntlet Izuku was wearing, breaking that one as well.
He's too fast for us! Izuku looked at him in a bit of alarm.
"Izuku, Bakugo-San!" Before Izuka could react, All Might punched upwards right through her star platform to break it. She yelled as the force was enough to send her flying.
"Izuka!" Izuku looked back at her.
Unfortunately, I've got these weights on, so I'm nowhere near my top speed. He let out a laugh while Katsuki looked back at the girl in alarm. She landed a few feet away, tumbling to the ground roughly.
"You bastard!" Katsuki growled at the man.
"All right, heroes! It's time for you all to die!" All Might kneed Katsuki in the chin so hard he sent the boy flying into a building.
"KACCHAN!"
"Bakugo-San!" Izuka screamed in alarm just as All Might grabbed Izuku's arm. The girl stood up, running over to the two. All Might swung his arm around just as Katsuki emerged, spinning around.
"That's my line!" As he got closer, All Might threw Izuku into his sister just as she appeared. This caused her to fall back hard into Katsuki, the back of her head hitting his shoulder gear. Then all of them landed in a huge crash.
Tsuyu and Ochaco whimpered in fear for their classmates. Tenya and Momo gasped, as they didn't know that All Might was even capable of all this...and they knew that this was an impossible task to do, running or fighting him...
"Ah," All Might was holding both twins up with both arms. "Well, isn't that wonderful, students." Katsuki was underneath his shoe. "You cooperated, however reluctantly, and faced me together," He then pushed the blond into the mud. "Sadly, that's not enough. Cooperation wasn't an option, it was a prerequisite for this exam."
Katsuki shook while gritting his teeth, acknowledging now that he...couldn't win this fight, no matter how much he tried. He's got overwhelming speed...with strength and stamina I can't hope to match. He's not just powerful. He is power. I realize that even more now that I've faced him myself. This man is the most unstoppable force in the world. He's the greatest hero on Earth!
The twins struggled to get free, Izuka moving her legs around to try and loosen the man's grip on her. "Damn it!" Izuku grunted in frustration, and All Might just smiled a little.
"What kind of face is that to make, Young Midoriya and Mido?"
"What?" She looked at him in confusion and then watched the man throw Izuku aside. He still kept his grip on her wrist, though.
"You planned to get away from me using maximum firepower and then make a run for the escape gate. It wasn't a terrible strategy, all things considered. But now that I've destroyed Young Bakugo's gauntlets, and I have Young Mido in my grasp, you've lost your heavy attack. You're helpless. This is over."
"Let me go!" Izuka grunted and Katsuki looked up, blinking in alarm. From his position, he could see that she had blood dripping from the back of her head. He glanced at his shoulder gear...and saw red dripping from one of them. He deduced what happened from there, and his rage built up even more. He could imagine she was fighting back the pain. Looking up at her confirmed it as she was holding back tears.
"Shut up...!" Katsuki shouted in rage, his hand sparking. All Might flinched, Izuka looking back at him in surprise.
"Bakugo-San...?" She murmured before a huge explosion occurred, a bunch of debris flying everywhere. All Might groaned as this caused him to release Izuka as he was sent flying backwards. Before she had the same fate, she was grabbed from behind and pulled back down by Katsuki himself. "What was that-"
"Not now," He growled out while Izuka looked up, trying to process what just happened. Katsuki then grabbed Izuku by the collar, holding him up so he could face the blond.
"You mind letting him go and explaining what's happening?!" Izuka screeched in alarm, but was ignored.
"Get ready to fly."
"Huh?!" Both of the twins looked at him in confusion.
Katsuki then held up Izuku's arm, still holding onto his collar while heaving him behind his back. "I don't like the idea of running, but with the crapfest we're in right now, this is the only way to pass the practical."
"Hey, wait! What are you doing?!" Izuku shouted in a panic.
"Now die!" Katsuki screamed, Izuku looking terrified for his life.
Die?
"Wait, stop, please don't kill him!" Izuka yelled and before she could stop them, Katsuki threw Izuku across the battlefield. Izuka looked up at him in shock, unable to react.
What? Are you serious?! He was heading right for the escape gate. Katsuki's arm twitched as he felt a sharp pain in his arms. Izuka glanced down at his right arm, noticing it and looking up at him in disbelief. Wait. All Might is still flying through the air. I might be able to reach it! He reached out his hand as he got closer.
It was then that Izuka realized the plan and then turned to Katsuki fully. "As concerning as that was, we have a good chance! So what do we do when All Might-"
"You're staying here," He interrupted, and she leaned her head back in confusion.
"What? Wait, why?" She wondered and he glanced up at her head. Some of the blood was dripping down her hair, and if she had noticed it, she would've expressed so. Meaning that she was hiding the injury for some reason. And he felt like he was that reason, which he didn't agree with.
"Stay here. If you move, I'll kill you," He stared into her eyes with a glare.
"You can't keep ordering me around, that's not how this works," She frowned deeply at the boy.
"Just do it!" He screamed and ran off, to her frustration.
"New Hampshire Smash!" All Might punched the smoke away, his back flying towards Izuku as he slammed into his student hard.
"Izuku!" Izuka shouted in alarm and ran after Katsuki.
"Damn it!" Katsuki snarled while running and then moved his arms down, sending himself into the sky.
Izuku yelped in pain from his back feeling like it was shattering. "Come now, you're being too naive, heroes!" All Might scolded while Izuku crashed into a bus, landing near the escape gate roughly.
"Those gauntlets were only so I could use maximum firepower with no risk," Katsuki revealed, keeping himself in the air with his explosions. All Might turned around in confusion as the boy grinned. "But now I see that was stupid," His arms continued to throb in pain thanks to now overusing his Quirk. "If I don't take any risks, there's no way I can beat you. Right, All Might?!" He then yelled as he sent a big explosion, Izuka gasping while her eyes shook. Katsuki only created explosions like that...when he was close to limiting himself...
Izuku and Izuka braced themselves from the bright light. Another huge blast like he used at the Sports Festival! That's two of them!
Katsuki was shaking as Izuka looked up at him. "Deku, go! Hurry up!"
Izuku tried to move, grunting in pain as his back reacted. My back is messed up.
Izuka looked between the two boys, conflicted on what to do. She could either help her brother, or she could help Katsuki as both of them needed assistance. She was equally worried about both, for different reasons. So which one was the safer choice...?
"I can still move better than either of you," Katsuki spoke up as he slid to a stop, snapping her out of it. "Even if you are learning to use your pathetic powers," He then rushed towards All Might. "At least try to make yourself useful, you morons!" Once All Might flew out of the smoke, he fired another huge blast, grunting in pain as that was now three times, and it was taking its toll on him...
Izuka finally reacted on instinct, running towards the both of them. Katsuki glanced back at her. "I told you to stay back-"
Izuka slid across the ground, ignoring him as he looked at her wide-eyed. She moved her arms up, her bow appearing as she fired once up towards All Might. He moved out of the way, distracting him long enough for her to run past them to get to Izuku. He was willing himself to move.
I'll keep going...even if it hurts. If I head toward the gate, then All Might will have to stop me before I can get there. His vision was blurred as he stumbled towards his destination. Which means Kacchan can take advantage of that.
"Little brother!" Izuka finally reached him, placing his arm over her shoulders. "I've got you."
All Might was heading towards them, and Katsuki popped in between the three. He yelled as he swung his arm, sending an explosion. All Might dodged and grabbed him by the face. He then fell towards the ground, slamming down Katsuki with him. This caught their attention as they looked back, gasping.
"It's time to sleep. Good night, Young Bakugo. I'm sorry," He said regrettably as Katsuki's hand wasn't moving. "I may be the villain, but I'm still your teacher, and it pains me to see you sacrifice your own body in a fight." The words Recovery Girl said to the twins during the Sports Festival came to mind, and he couldn't let it happen a second time. Katsuki then moved, grabbing his wrist. "What the-?!"
"Hurry up," He mumbled softly, taking All Might by surprise. "Go, you damn nerd and short stack. I'll keep fighting," His hand sparked a bit, his face underneath All Might's hand. "I'll break myself. Even if there's nothing left of me, I will win the way I want to. I'll destroy myself before I accept defeat at your hands!" He bit at All Might's hand. "You got that?!"
The twins squeezed their eyes shut after hearing this. No...he can't do that...not like this. He's a jerk, but...he's still done so much for me, even when he doesn't know it. I can't let him... Izuka shook a little, a small tear running down her face as they both powered up.
Kacchan! Green energy came from Izuku and All Might flinched.
"Don't tell me-"
The twins came rushing back towards them. "Whenever you're scared or nervous about a fight, just try and deal with it by smiling!" And so they did, because that was exactly how they felt in this moment.
"Please get out of the way. Move, All Might!"
"I don't care if you're a villain right now…you'll get away from him!" Izuka threatened the man as Izuku punched him in the face.
"SMASH!"
Izuka swooped down to grab Katsuki while the hero had moved to the side. Once the smoke cleared, Izuku was helping his sister carry Katsuki to the escape gate. He coughed and stood up. "I won't-" He kneeled a bit as he was getting to his limit, smoke coming from his body. Katsuki wasn't moving anymore in their arms.
He's unconscious. I'm sorry, Kacchan, but this is just who we are.
Izuka looked down in worry at the blond. All we can do is hope that they're not serious injuries...
"Jeez. They easily could have shot through the gate themselves and passed the exam for them all," All Might commented while still coughing. He looked at the blood that came from his mouth. "You hit me with everything you had, huh, kids?" He grinned while looking up, not even going after them. "I shouldn't be surprised. This is how you've been from the beginning. You can't help but save those who need rescuing. Even if they aren't asking you for any help. And Mido can't help but feel some semblance of caring for Young Bakugo despite their tension."
Tenya, Momo, Ochaco, and Tsuyu all looked happy at the twins. "And at times like that, there isn't an obstacle hard enough to stop you." The twins passed through the escape gate, ending the final exams. "That's right, Young Midoriya and Mido. That's the kind of heroes you've always been."
Tsuyu and Ochaco jumped up happily. Recovery Girl, Tenya, and Momo all smiled. "Team Midoriyas and Bakugo have passed the exam. All matches for the practical portion of Class 1-A's final have now been completed."
"Smoooooooooch!" Recovery Girl pulled away from Izuku in her office, the sun starting to set outside. She let out a small sigh as she had to overuse her Quirk a little just to heal them.
"Thank you very much, Recovery Girl," Izuku groaned in pain. "I think I feel better."
She didn't respond to this and grunted, turning to the side. "All Might, you really don't know how to hold back. If you'd hit these children any harder, they'd have permanent damage!" She smacked him a bit with her cane. Izuka was laying between the boys, a bandage wrapped around her head. Katsuki was still unconscious from the fight. "Midoriya's back was horrible! I was barely able to heal it! And Izuka's head wound was just as bad, she's lucky she didn't suffer any major blood loss! Bakugo probably won't wake up for a while. For now, the three of you should stay here and rest."
"Yes, ma'am. Thanks again," Izuku commented as All Might coughed.
"Yes, thank you very much," Izuka sighed a little, turning to Katsuki. She still couldn't believe he was fighting that hard...then again, it shouldn't surprise her, and yet, she still felt like he shouldn't be doing that...
All Might looked down at the twins as Izuka closed her eyes, her hands over her stomach. You're so much stronger than when we first met that sometimes I hardly recognize either of you, Young Midoriya and Mido. He then turned to the unconscious Katsuki. And the same goes for you. Young Bakugo, do you realize that you were able to smile in the face of defeat? He then looked out the window. I can't wait...to see how much stronger you all get.
So much happened this school year. Some of us found our weaknesses, and learned to move past them. Some of us learned what it really takes to be a hero. Some of us tasted failure. We struggled with our own powerlessness. Then we moved toward bright new goals. And so, with these bittersweet feelings, our final exams ended.
I honestly couldn't believe that this year changed a lot within me. I learned how to use my Quirk to what I want, and that I need to be my own hero. And while I struggled to get to this point...I still want to move forward. So that I can continue to improve like everyone else has. My own feelings of bittersweetness...actually only came down to one person.
Katsuki slowly opened his eyes in Recovery Girl's room. He was currently alone, Recovery Girl had stepped out for a bit. What...happened? He then blinked as he recalled the exam. Oh. Right. I was working together with them. He heard a knock and glanced towards the door. "Yeah yeah, come in."
The door opened and he was slightly surprised to see Izuka coming in. At this point, she had already changed out of her hero costume and was wearing her school uniform. "Oh good. You're still here," She was holding a wrapped box.
"What the hell? Why are you here?" He asked in utter confusion; he knew that after what happened, seeing him was the last thing that could be on her mind.
She then scratched her cheek, not knowing how to go about this. "Ah...well, I thought since you didn't kill us...and that you've been here a while, that I should bring you something to eat. I know you like karakarakuo tsukemen-"
"Extra hot?" He interrupted with a raised brow.
"Mmhm," She nodded and held it out to him.
He let out a small scoff as he sat up. "Heh. Now I know where Deku gets his information skills..." He took the box from her, noticing that her look suggested she didn't come here for just that. In fact, she could've waited until after they saw each other again in class to give him this. "Something else brought you here. Out with it."
"Did you…did you overexert yourself out there?" She got down to the point, rubbing her arm nervously.
"So what if I did?" He scoffed while turning away and Izuka let out a deep frown.
"You can't!" She protested angrily and he looked at her wide-eyed for her sudden reaction.
"Huh?"
"You need to take care of yourself. Otherwise you won't be able to fight as hard. You might be limiting yourself faster…" She hugged herself with a worried look. She shouldn't even care, but...if he was gonna do it just for her or Izuku, then she was going to have an issue. She didn't want him to risk his life for anyone, no matter what happened. And the girl had a feeling that something trigged the first huge explosion from him during the exam.
"I'll be fine," He rolled his eyes. "I'm not you. Uh…" His eyes widened as she blinked. "…Forget I said that, or...I-I'll kill you."
She then sighed, closing her eyes. "It's not even just that. Back there...did you save Izuku? Or did you wanna just beat All Might? I honestly couldn't tell..."
"Why does it matter?" He replied defensively while opening up the box. The sharp scent of spice hit him from the ramen filled to the brim with chili pepper.
"Because you could've killed him anytime you wanted considering you hit him earlier in front of me. And yet you didn't even seek him out after our recovery. Why?" She looked at him curiously. He blinked and then scoffed from her face.
Why is she pushing the issue? That damn cute face...ugggh, it pisses me off sometimes.
"It wasn't just for Deku. He's still a weakling...but he's your brother too. Think of it however you want. I couldn't give a damn honestly," He took a bite out of his food, glancing at the bowl. "Did you get this from the cafeteria?"
"No, I got Kaminari-San to pick it up for me," She revealed to the boy and he simply hummed in response. It tasted decent, but not terrible, so he would eat it. She then cleared her throat to get his attention. "Thank you...for putting your feud with my brother aside for the exam. But you didn't have to push your Quirk to prove a point. Or even save him just because you were thinking of sparing me the stress if you had hurt him."
"Would ya stop analyzing me, god damn it?" He groaned towards the girl. "You want me to admit it? Yes, I didn't hurt him as much as I did so you wouldn't freak out. Because your whining gets on my damn nerves. You happy now?"
She placed a hand on his shoulder, catching him by surprise as she wouldn't let him see her eyes. "Uh? ...What the hell are you doing?" He murmured quietly while looking at her in confusion.
Izuka then leaned in and kissed his cheek. His cheeks were a flushed red as he couldn't process what just happened, a breath lightly escaping him. "W-what...what the hell was that for?" Katsuki stammered in disbelief after a few seconds.
"Saving my brother," She then stood up, taking her bag from the floor. "But that's the only time I'll express my gratitude with that. See you tomorrow in class," Izuka then walked out the door, and when she closed it, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Ah..." Katsuki slowly put a hand to his cheek. Her lips were...very soft on his skin.
At the hideout of the League of Villains, Shigaraki was looking at the photos of the twins again. "Are you curious, Tomura Shigaraki? About these children? Twins Izuku and Izuka Midoriya."
Before Shigaraki could answer the question, the door opened to reveal Giran, an associate of theirs. "Shigaraki. Your League of Villains has been the talk of the town for the last several days. Word on the street is you're about to start something big."
"And?" Shigaraki decayed the photos to pieces. "Who did you bring?"
Giran let out a small chuckle, turning away. Kurogiri and Shigaraki both turned to see the newcomers. "So it's really you, huh?" A male voice spoke up. "I've seen you in pictures. But I gotta say, you're way grosser in person," His face was stitched up in most places, same went for his skin. Almost as if he went through a tragic accident.
"Wow, it's the weird hand guy!" A girl in a school uniform and messy blonde hair in buns shook her arms excitedly. "You're friends with my hero, Stain, right? Cool! Let me join the league! I wanna be in your group!"
Our enemies are gearing up for the third round. Every time we drive them back, they return stronger.
And unfortunately...when they struck...they would strike hard. Harder than any of us would imagine...
Izuka walked down the steps to leave school with her brother this time since they were both healed enough to go home. Izuku gave a small frown and held out a hand as she walked past. "Izuka, wait."
"Hm?" She glanced over her shoulder in confusion.
"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry if I pushed you and Kacchan too hard during the exam," Izuku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just that...we all have so much complicated things going on, and then I-"
"Izuku," She interrupted with a small smile. "Really, it's fine. I think we needed it, honestly," She rubbed her arm sheepishly. "So I should be thanking you for bringing me back to reality. Come on, let's go-"
"Uh, wait," He stopped her again, closing his eyes. "I actually have a question for you."
"Okay," She blinked while turning back to him. "Go ahead."
Eijiro walked up to the entrance of UA, seeing the twins. He blinked as he looked up ahead. "It's the Midoriyas...maybe they know if Bakugo went home. H-" He raised a hand, about to call out to them.
"What about...you and Kacchan? Do you...like him in a more...deeper way?" Izuku wondered and her mouth opened a bit in surprise. Eijiro faltered from the question, slowly putting his hand down as he stared at the two. "Because that'd be a little weird for me to get used to, if I'm being honest."
She didn't say a word as she bit her lip.
He bent down and grabbed her cheeks with both hands to examine her face. She blinked incredibly as he stared at her.
Izuka froze in surprise, waving a rapid hand as they stood at the entrance of UA. "Oh! N-No, you don't need to take me home, really, I-I'll just call a cab."
He narrowed his eyes at her, staring her down. She flinched while dropping her hand, cringing. "I-I mean...I appreciate that and all, but...y-you don't need me getting in your way, is all. And...you probably have things to do, so-"
"Don't make me resort to using my Quirk," He grunted in annoyance, closing his eyes. "We're gonna take the train home and I don't wanna hear any more excuses from you."
Izuka looked up, flinching in alarm to see Katsuki standing over her, his hands pressed to the wall on both sides of her head. He almost towered over her since she was barely 5 feet tall, her back against the wall. "With how short you are, mousy, you'd get trampled," He muttered as her eyes widened at his answer.
"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Izuka shouted as she stood up, Katsuki flinching. All of her classmates, Izuku, Class 1-B, even the teachers...everyone stopped to look at her as she spoke clearly and with a fierce tone. Katsuki let out a small breath to hear her project like this all of a sudden.
"Your number!" He demanded with a straight face.
"Huh?" She murmured with wide eyes. "What?"
"Put your number in my phone...s-so that I know when you're being an idiot!" He gritted his teeth, a small blush on his face.
"Huh? Were you...worried that I'd be dead?" Izuka blinked slowly while staring at Katsuki.
"N-No! Shut up," He turned away with a growl. "I didn't care."
Izuka turned around to her brother slowly. "...No," She answered hesitantly to him and he frowned a bit as he noticed it immediately. "No, Izuku, it's not like that. We gotta head home before Mom starts worrying." Izuku let out a small laugh and she glanced away in a bit of annoyance that he wasn't listening.
"Izuka...no matter how hard you try, with everything you have, and even your heart, you can't help it. I know you," He told her with a small smile and she looked towards the ground, her eyes closed. "Sis, look me in the eyes and tell me. That you honestly hate Kacchan at all."
She looked away, biting her lip. Even when that word was tossed around, she couldn't bring herself to say it still...
"...I'm trying. I'm trying not to, okay?" She admitted and he nodded slowly. "I can't admit it...I don't hate him...I honestly don't know what I feel. He's still a jerk, but...I...can sense a little something. I just...have to understand it more, with time," She reminded at that last word while giving him a dirty look. Even if she came to that conclusion eventually, she couldn't forget that Katsuki had a lot of issues and things to work out with Izuku, not just her. And right now...she wasn't sure if she could get over that. "So we never had this conversation, okay little brother?"
"Oh, don't worry! I promise I won't tell anyone," He stated as they walked off. "Although I did tell Kacchan something I shouldn't have, so maybe I need to work harder on my secrets..."
Eijiro stared after them with a small smile, deciding to not say anything for her sake and Katsuki's.
Izuka laid on the left side of her bed, her hair underneath her as she stared up ahead. She had a small frown on her face as she replayed the conversation with her brother in her head...and it was honestly keeping her awake. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could think about was Katsuki...she still couldn't understand why she couldn't hate him. Honestly, she used to not be able to stand him, especially most of his actions with Izuku. And yet...everything he did with her lately felt so different and...a bit nice. The girl couldn't fathom why for even just a little bit, she couldn't bring herself to feel hatred towards someone who bullied her and Izuku for years. Not even back before they went to UA, she never once felt that way about Katsuki. Hate wasn't a word she used to describe her feelings towards him, not even when he told Izuku to jump off a roof.
"Ugh," She groaned to herself, a hand over her face. "Am I just crazy or what? This is Katsuki Bakugo I'm thinking about of all people..." Sensing something different and the fact that it was him out of everyone else just felt...she didn't even know how to describe it. But that was the only way right now she could explain any of it...
Meanwhile, Katsuki was lying on the right side of his bed, looking towards the opposite side just like Izuka was. He gritted his teeth a little, thinking about what Izuku said about him and the green-haired girl during the exam. He would've written it off easily, but his mind wouldn't let him. She used to piss him off so much, but then she'd do things like kiss his cheek or defend him during the Sports Festival. And when she explained herself, he would forget that she made him angry sometimes and then he couldn't remember what started it off. She knew exactly what to say...so that he couldn't feel that way for a bit. And he didn't know if that was a good thing or not. It wasn't fair...and he couldn't see himself not being affected by her since her contact against his cheek felt...nice. It honestly...made him a little weak.
He narrowed his eyes thinking that and then threw his pillow against the wall in frustration. "Damn it, mo—short stack," He cursed underneath his breath. No one went out of their way to get him something that was his favorite just because he didn't hurt Izuku. Or even leave him alone during a fight for the sole reason that he gained trust from that person.
Izuka clutched at her blanket with a small frown, still looking towards the right side of her bed. I should hate his guts. It'd be easier to do that. And yet...
Katsuki squeezed his eyes shut, shaking a bit. Why is it...
That I can't stop thinking about the two of us? Both of them thought in unison. Izuka squeezed her eyes shut with a sigh. Katsuki was gonna be the death of her one of these days...she just hoped she'd be able to get at least a little bit of sleep...