Bakugou is convinced that the universe has a grudge against him.

All he wants is to pretend that the sludge incident never happens. To go back to the time when everything was peaceful and normal. Of course, life doesn't go the way Bakugou intends. He becomes some sort of a mini-celebrity around his town.

Everywhere he goes, people stare and whisper. Those random people take unsolicited pictures, as if he can't see them. The nerve of some of them to ask him to pose for selfies. It takes a lot of self-restraint to not silently blow them into non-existence right there and then.

It's not any better in school, judging by the increasing number of people greeting him by his name. Some even come up to him asking questions about the incident and how it feels to be saved by All Might. Hello? Why does it seem like everyone in this world is a fan of All Might? Let's just say he does what he has to do to shut them up.

If Bakugou's day can get any worse, the said number one hero thinks it's a good idea to do a house visit. He also brings people with him, a talking mouse and a Hero Commission officer.

Now, Bakugou finds himself trapped in the confines of his living room, an unwilling audience to the duo. Seated beside his mother, he's forced to behave and to listen to their ramblings. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a representative from the Hero Commission is baffling nonsense to his dad.

With a brief introduction, the mouse reveals himself as the principal of the revered UA Hero School. "My pleasure finally meeting you, Bakugou. I'm the principal of UA, and I don't think our number one hero here needs any introduction. I'll get straight to it, we're here to extend an invitation for UA's recommendation student test."

All Might chimes in, "I would be the one to recommend you. You know the green-haired kid that was with you at the sludge incident? He speaks highly of you, believing you have the potential to become a great hero, citing instances where you stand up to bullies and assist those in need."

Fucking Deku! I only did those things out of society formalities.

"Hell no old m-" Before he could retort, Bakugou's outburst was swiftly quelled by a well-timed slap to the head from his mother, a stern reminder to show respect to their guests.

"Language Bakugou!" His mother warned.

Gritting his teeth, Bakugou begrudgingly yielded, a terse "tch" escaping his lips as he crossed his arms and slouched further into the sofa.

Undeterred, the principal continued, "Bakugou, I understand becoming a hero might not be your ideal career path and that you may not want to be in the spotlight. But you never know until you give it a try. Have you ever heard of underground heroes?"

—-

Thump.

Bakugou threw the pliable clay onto the spinning pottery wheel, where it transformed into a malleable canvas under his expert touch. With focused determination, he pressed his fingers into the clay, coaxing it into a smooth, perfectly rounded cylindrical shape. This will be the base for the hand sculpture.

Usually music is on blast whenever he is working in the studio. However, on this particular occasion, the silence prevailed, allowing him to be attuned to the subtler symphony of his own thoughts. Within this peaceful atmosphere, Bakugou's heightened senses detected a gentle rustling of fabric and his mother's approaching footsteps.

She steps in with a demeanor that hinted at a serious conversation to come. "Hey, Katsuki," she began, her tone laced with concern, "we need to talk. I don't think attending a hero school is a bad idea."

Bakugou immediately reacted with frustration. "Is this about the sludge thing again? HE attacked me. HE tried to kill me. All I did was self-defense!"

"So you had to blow up an entire street and erase him without leaving any remains? You know, most of the time, even certified pro heroes don't resort to killing."

A steely glint flickered in Bakugou's eyes as he retorted, "He deserved it for trying to kill me."

"I know you did it to defend yourself. But afterwards you casually moved on to your normal day to day life like nothing happened. You showed no sign of remorse or empathy. That's what scared them. You are not behaving like a normal teenag-."

Bakugou puts his hands up. "Stop. I get it. They are scared of me becoming a villain. Yea? That's why they gave me an ultimatum. Forcing me to choose between attending a hero school or training under the hero commission. They think my quirk is too dangerous to be left alone." With a sigh, Bakugou crushed the pottery he had just crafted, the clay crumbling between his fingers before he disposed of the remnants in a water bucket. "Okay, I'll try the test under one condition."

"What is it?" She raises an eyebrow.

A soft smile curved his lips as Bakugou continued,"If you promise to stop rubbing and messing up my hair after I style it."