Worry spread across the girls' faces. Momo eventually told her friends about these moments of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. However, this was the first time they had heard how much it troubled the usually mature and capable girl.
Momo, sensing the tension in the room, cleared her throat. "I confronted him after the exams had finished, but he didn't care to hear what I had to say."
"That does sound like him," Mina said, annoyed. The other girls nodded, feeling a similar sentiment.
"As I said before, it was nothing grand or romantic. We've rarely spoken since that night."
"But wait," Jiro said, remembering something important. " Wasn't that around the time you started to get close with Todoroki?" All eyes were back on Momo, who fidgeted under their gaze.
"Okay, I think she's talked enough," Ochako said, drawing their attention. "If no one else has any Bakugo stories, then-"
"I do," Toru said. The sleeve of her shirt was at an angle that indicated she was raising her hand. "There was this one time he accidentally touched my boob, and he got so embarrassed it was hilarious!"
"I don't think that counts," Tsuyu said, slightly confused.
"Hold on, there's more. He got all red and started shouting, and it was just so cute that I had to tease him. So, anytime I was in costume, I made sure to sneak up on him and press my boobs against his back and watch him flip out."
She couldn't stop laughing as she recalled his face back then. The explosive teen showing any expression other than anger and annoyance was nothing short of a treat. And then the laughing began to die down.
"I used to get bullied back in first year." Shock flashed across the other girls' faces. "It was never anything direct, but there were so many awful rumors being spread about me in the other classes. Honestly, with everything we had gone through, I had almost forgotten about it."
Momo wrapped an arm around the invisible girl, and Jiro set her hand on her shoulder. Toru knew why she had never told them about this. She was ashamed and wanted to move on from it all. But these were her friends; they loved her and would never believe such awful rumors.
She took a deep breath and told her story.
Toru's POV
"Why do they have to have hero training after lunch?" I had left class and rushed to the nearest restroom, hoping that if I were quick, no one would notice I was gone—one of the many benefits of being invisible. However, one of the many drawbacks of walking around naked as a hero costume was that I had to take extra care of my hygiene.
I was just finishing when a couple of girls walked in. "Did you see 1-A's training on the field?"
"The boys are so hot; I wish I were in their class."
"But then you have to compete with the other girls. Like how am I supposed to stand out next to Uraraka and Yaoyorozu?"
"Right? And then there's Hagakure." I lift my feet at the mention of my name. "She's literally walking around naked. Like, how much of a slut do you have to be to do that?"
"I heard she's even tried to seduce some of the teachers."
"What an attention-seeking whore!" The girls start to cackle. "It must be so easy for her too. Not having to worry about how you look."
"Honestly. She could be butt ugly, and all she'd have to do is rub up against the guy, and he'd be all over her.
They start to cackle again as they leave the restroom. I wait a moment before flushing the toilet and exiting the stall. I set my gloves on the sink and carefully scrub my hands. When I rinse, I watch the water run over them, taking in their translucent shape.
The empty mirror stares back at me, taunting me just as it's done since my quirk developed all those years ago. I know what I'm supposed to look like based on the photos my mom took when I was little. I should be blonde, and my eyes should be blueish-green. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to imagine what it'd look like, but I just can't. I have no way of knowing whether I'm pretty or ugly. I'm nothing.
I feel the stinging in my eyes and make no effort to wipe away the tears. I walk back to the dorms, not having the energy to deal with the rest of the school day. There are a few stupids wandering about, but no one pays me any mind. When I enter the lounge, I toss my shoes to the side along with my gloves and collapse onto the couch.
I was beginning to fall asleep when I heard the front door open. I glanced towards the clock and knew that it was too early for classes to be over. I held my breath and waited for them to pass. But then Bakugo, of all people, walks into the center of the room and just stands there, not looking at anything in particular. He sniffs twice like a hunting dog and then snaps his head in my direction. No, he's looking directly at where I lay on the couch.
"I know you're there, Casper," he says, annoyed. "Hurry up and get your ass back to class, or I'll drag you back there myself."
"By are you here, Bakugo?"
"To look for you, dumbass. You can't just up and disappear without telling someone."
"Well, that's kinda my thing," I joked. The irritation on his face grew, and I knew that he wasn't going to leave that easily. "Just tell them I'm not feeling well, and I came back to rest."
"If you're sick, why didn't you go to Recovery Girl?"
"Why do you care!?"
He didn't have anything to say to that. No matter the reason, he was still the self-centered Bakugo he'd always been. I make my way for the elevator, but as I walk past him, he grabs my wrist. I look and am shocked to see his crimson eyes glaring at me.
"I'm not in the fucking mood, Ghosty."
That's twice now that he's looked at me, really looked at me. No one else has ever stared at me this intensely before, let alone when I'm completely naked. I started feeling self-conscious and tried to cover myself up even though I knew he couldn't see anything. But why does it feel like he can?
He lets go of my wrist and goes to where I tossed my shoes and gloves. He tosses the shoes directly at my chest, and I barely manage to catch them. I prepare to catch the gloves, but he doesn't throw them. Instead, he extends his hand for me to grab them.
"Hey, can you…" I stop myself because I know it's stupid to say it out loud.
Irritation flashes across his face again. "Shit it out, Ghosty. I ain't got all day."
"Can you… see me?"
Now, there was confusion on his face. "Of course, I fucking can't." That's right, nobody can see me, not even me. He grabs my wrist again and drops the gloves in my hand. "I can smell your perfume."
"My… perfume?"
"It's got a strong floral scent that none of the other girls have. For a stealth hero, you should do better at masking your scent. Also, you're so fucking loud I can hear you stomping even without your boots."
"B-but no one else has noticed that before!"
"That's because I'm going to be the Number One Hero. Those extras can never measure up to me." I want to smack the smug look off his face. "And I got plenty of practice with all the shit you've been giving me these last few weeks. What will I do against an invisible villain if I can't stop you from sneaking up on me."
That's it? He did all this just so that he could one-up me? I want to kill him, wring his neck, and bury the body where no one will find it. I hate him so damn much right now!
So why is my heart fluttering?
"You're such an idiot, Bakugo." I rush towards him, ready to smother him in my chest, but he blocks me with his hand.
"Don't you fucking touch me!" He screams red-faced. I try to struggle, but I just can't contain my laughter anymore. He's just so cute when he's flustered like this.
