Prologue 1: It All Begins in Spring
Spring was in the air, and the wind carried the scent of cherry blossoms. The day was beautiful, sunlight bathed them in a wonderful warmth, the birds sang in the air…
And behind the school building, a young boy with energy thrumming in his body and a heart bursting with uncertainty and faux courage met the eyes of the girl standing before him, whose hands were clasped in front of her bosom as she stared at him, a patient gaze belying anticipation, frazzled nerves and undying hope.
This was Elis. A fairly average boy and particularly non-important in the grand scheme of the universe. But each person had a tale of their own to experience—and to live to tell, of course.
But putting that aside, every person was destined for a story's unfold, where every action brought forth a consequence, and shapes the experience into either something meaningless or memorable. And in this very moment, Elis would be facing one of his greatest turning points yet.
The boy took a deep, long breath. Air filled his lungs, and with it, all the nerves were hitting him all over again. Despite that, he steeled himself, knowing that there was no turning back. He had to be a man and face the inevitability of the moment, no matter what!
Thoughts made up, he snapped into a perfect bow before the girl in front of him, who in turn gasped slightly in surprise. Shutting his lips tight, he mentally recited his confession while locking his gaze on his polished black shoes. The spring air drifted softly, warm and comforting; just the right push of encouragement he needed.
"Tomie… Ever since we've known each other as kids, I've always liked you!" His right arm shot up diagonally from his position, holding out a single flower for her. "Would you please be my girlfriend?" Immediately after asking, his breath hitched and he held it, unwilling to break formation.
What would she say? What would she do? Did his breath sound bad? Did his clothes look terrible? He'd checked himself out in the mirror to make sure everything wasn't out of place, but there was always the chance that something was off. Did Tomie know? What if she hated him for that?!
It felt so out of character for Tomie. Logically, he knew this. She was a fantastic girl who, while not popular by any means, was gentle and kind to all around her. Not a single person despised her, and throughout their years of being together, he could testify that she was indeed a noble soul.
But the brain and the heart loved to do that. In terrifying moments such as these, they loved to catastrophise, inventing surreal circumstances and ideas solely to intimidate him. And he dreaded to see them come true.
So many erratic thoughts swirling around in his brain like alcohol in fancy glass, making him second-guess himself over and over again as the silence dragged on. His heart thundered in his chest, almost making him feel nauseous, but he held onto that thin line of power called hope—and willing himself not to throw up over his shoes. That would have just been an instant mood killer.
Seconds turned to minutes. Could've turned to hours. Could've been days, for all he knew. Such was how long he felt that time had gone before, eventually, he heard her breathe deeply.
"You know, I was afraid that you'd just keep silent all this time. We've known each other for five years, after all, and we'd been so close as friends…"
Elis gulped. "T-That's right. We've been friends for a long time now."
"But that isn't what I want!" Her sudden outburst caught him off-guard, though none of that could compare to the words that followed: "I want to be something more than just friends!"
Eyes widening, Elis's head snapped upwards to take in the visage of the girl he'd loved for so long, her teary eyes and rosy blush making her look more beautiful underneath the sun's veil. It was a sight that would be burnt into his very retinas for years to come, especially the words that came forth a moment later.
"Yes, Elis!" She shouted from the bottom of her heart, her smile so wide. "I'd love to go out with you!"
"T-Tomie..!"
If anyone had ever asked what happened afterwards, he couldn't answer them. It had almost felt like a blur. All that he could faintly recall was the immeasurable euphoria that blasted through his very brain, followed shortly by him running at his new girlfriend, catching her in his arms and spinning the both of them. Her giggles were the most beautiful music to his ears, and lost in their own world, the two consummated their newfound relationship with a soft, emotional kiss, electric in the air. They'd found their happy ever after…
To Katsumi, though, the PDA just made her eyes roll.
"Sappy bastards. Couldn't they have just found a room or something?"
"K-Kacchan..! Don't be too loud, they'll notice us..!"
"Pfft. Like they could. Not when they're too busy making out like it's the end of the world."
Seriously. Even though they were behind a school building, didn't they know better than to do these sorts of idiotic things out in the open for all to see? Sure, the spot they'd opted to settle on was fairly secluded, but that didn't mean jack shit if someone was going to coincidentally walk there as well!
Shaking her head, the blonde walked off, her green-haired friend trailing behind her and leaving the two lovebirds to their own devices. To think that taking out the trash would somehow end up with witnessing a bunch of idiots' love scene was not what she had been hoping for. What she'd give for mind bleach.
It was indeed a day in spring, and the air was nice and chilly, though it lacked the cold bites of winter. That meant the wind felt nice on her skin, and even she could appreciate the scent of the blossoms that were carried by the wind.
Unfortunately, all of that was absolute bull when they were out here taking out the trash. And then they had to come upon two horny teens sucking one another's faces out. Really a good way to make them fully appreciate the good weather, huh?
Naturally, where her thoughts on the matter were more pessimistic, her friend seemed happier by the outcome, the smile on his face telling enough. "I dunno'. I think it's cute! Elis and Tomie have been dancing around their feelings for a long time now, so it's a good thing that they finally took that step forwards rather than let it fester forever."
"Yeah. And by tomorrow, I've got a feeling both of them will be insufferable. They'll be singing about it for days."
"A-Ahaha… You're not wrong there…"
'Course she wasn't. When was she ever wrong? In fact, the last time some nobody in their class scored a date with another no-name from some other school, he'd been so over the moon and kept yelling about his relationship to the rest of the class over and over. Wouldn't shut up about it even after a week!
But he shut up afterwards, though. She made sure of it.
And sure, some (Izuku, mostly) would argue that violence was never the answer. But if a person refused to listen, then chances are, violence is the answer. And what do you know? When she threatened to beat him up senseless the next time he opened up his mouth about his stupid girlfriend, he never brought it up again.
The two of them reached their classroom once more. With classes having ended, most of their dumb classmates had already left to go home, so it was pretty empty. Standard desks, standard blackboard, standard windows. There wasn't much to comment about the room. This was the kind of room one would see even in dramas where high school was the primary setting. There was a group of three girls still chatting away at the front. Probably gossiping about some lame celebrity or something.
The moment they entered the class, however, the girls were quick to glance their way, their eyes in particular shooting a dirty look towards Izuku. He didn't notice, though, too enamoured in talking her ear off about some mission that All Might had just finished up a few days ago. Katsumi noticed, however, and promptly growled their way. That scared them, their eyes going wide, and they hastily fled the scene with their bags.
"Kacchan," sighed Izuku, putting away the remainder of his stuff into his bag. "That was unnecessary."
"They were giving you shit again. Like hell I was gonna' let them get away with that!"
"It's fine. It doesn't mean anything to me."
Even if he said that, she doubted she could completely get over it. But, for his sake, she kept any comments to herself, left to only grumble profanity towards them—and maybe a hope that they might just trip down the stairs while they were running. That'd be a good piece of karmic retribution.
Shaking her head, she looked back to him as she tugged her bag onto her shoulder. "Well, you'd better hope that none of them try to bully you outright, then. Otherwise, I might throw them out the window."
"Kacchan!" He cried out, nervous. We're on the third floor!"
"Better. Might finally teach them to adopt a landing strategy."
"Wha—Landing strategy? That… Huh. That actually does sound plausible… Ack! But no throwing people out of windows!"
The exasperation in her tone broke through her anger, making her snort in amusement as she ruffled his hair. "Fine, fine. But just so you know, I only got that from an anime. Pretty insane stuff. Kids training to be heroes or whatever were practically flung into a forest to fight against demonic beasts. I bet if we do that here, everyone 'cept the two of us would probably be mauled first."
"Kacchan, I have no Quirk to protect myself with. I'd be mauled all the same."
"Yeah right."
"There's no arguing that! That is literally the most logical outcome."
"Ehh, you're smart. You'll figure something out. Now come on," she said, cutting off any further remarks. "Since we're done here, let's go check out the ramen place. I heard they've added some new dishes. We hadn't gone there in a while, so I wanna' see what the buzz is all about."
"Oh, right! I completely forgot that. I also heard that they might add more options for spiciness levels, too. Due to popular demand, if I'm not mistaken."
"Wait, seriously?" Her surprise earned her a nod from the boy. A grin came to her right after. "That's what I've been wanting for forever! Come on then! I wanna' see how hot those bastards could make their ramen!"
"Kacchan, the store doesn't close until seven…"
"And I'm not risking it closing up early! Hurry up!"
Jogging out of school grounds, Aldera Junior High was quickly left behind as they headed into town proper. Musutafu always did get busy right around this time, when plenty of people would already be getting off of work, the streets bustling as people walked here and there. The afternoon air was not hot, however, which made their journey a pleasant one, though that would certainly change with time when the heat kicked in.
Not that any of that registered in her mind, however. All that she could focus on was the route that they were taking to reach the ramen store, Izuku being the only one making sure to greet the locals while she homed in on what truly mattered.
Situated between a DVD rental and a florist, the ramen store was red. And by red, she really did mean red; red store label, red banners, red lanterns. Thankfully, it was just the exterior that was mostly red, while the inside was more bamboo-coloured. She didn't pay it too much mind before stepping inside, the sliding doors pushed open as she made her entrance known.
"Seats for two!"
The man behind the counter was large, almost like a bear, with a thick beard and dense hair sitting underneath his cap. He shot her a sharp look, and she fought back with an equal glare. Sparks would have flown if either of them had laser eye Quirks, but thankfully, hers made explosions while his was just making lame graffiti on walls. She had the better Quirk, that was for sure!
A hand on her shoulder gently pushed her to the side, Izuku's nervous chuckle diffusing whatever tension there had been. "H-Hi, Mister Yamoto! We'd like seats for two, and your menu, please."
"Ah, Izuku," whatever deadly look he had on his face evaporated the moment he met Izuku's gaze, going from absolute zero to fatherly warmth in a matter of seconds. "Welcome. Just got finished with school, I take it?"
"Yeah. It was our turn for clean-up duties this week, so we had to stay back a little longer."
"I see. Well, go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. I'll have your menu in a jiffy."
"Thanks, Mister Yamoto."
While the man made sure to smile at him, Katsumi jutted out her tongue at him, making him glare back at her. They went to the backseats, where she promptly deposited herself on a cushion with all the grace of a cat—and by grace, she meant the ferocity of a tiger. She was no domestic cat, that was for sure.
Izuku, on the other hand, sidled carefully into the chair opposite of her, smiling timidly. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to admit that Mister Yamoto's ramen tastes good. That's all he wants to hear from you."
"Pfft, he'd wish. I only come here because the prices are cheap. If he wants me to admit his food is good, then he'd better work for it."
Two menus were set down on the table, the massive man scoffing. "And though I recognize how petty I am, I'll make sure to draw those words out of your mouth someday, brat."
"Oi! Who you calling a brat?!"
"We heard that there're new dishes!" The greenette quickly interjected. "Can you tell us about them?"
Twenty minutes later, with two steaming bowls of ramen placed right in front of them—Izuku's a fairly simple concoction while hers was boiling, lava-red and hot—they dug in without fanfare, enjoying their after-school meal. Her eyes shot wide open at the first taste.
"Mm! Okay, okay, I'm digging this! Not a bad new dish!"
"Right? I'm surprised that both of these are just the same dishes. But just a difference in the spice used has completely changed their flavour profiles. It's incredible!"
Well, incredible wasn't the word she'd be using, but she allowed him to say it, if only so that it pleased that dumb shop owner.
They sat there in silence, her hair tied back as she slurped up her noodles while her childhood friend ate at a more sedated pace. Shoulder to shoulder, most people would have almost thought that the two of them were on a date, though it would have been odd to some that they'd take their date to a ramen place rather than some fancy restaurant.
And honestly? Screw them. So what if they'd chosen to go for some plain ol' street food rather than the posh stuff? Two best friends should be allowed to enjoy whatever the hell they want, and no one was going to stop them! Heck, she was happy that he'd invited her out like this! This meant way more than any fancy stuff in the world!
After a while, Izuku spoke once more, dabbing at his lips with some tissue. "So, Kacchan. I forgot to tell you, but I don't think I'll be available for our afterschool's training this Friday."
His words gave her pause, and she furrowed her brows at him. "What?"
"Just Friday!" He said quickly. "Which is why it'd be nice if we could move it to another day. Maybe Saturday? I'm free at that time."
"I mean, I am too, but what's up?"
"Oh, I'm doing community service after our classes end. Not sure how long it'll take for me to be done, so I'm just telling you ahead of time, just in case."
"Community service? Again? Haven't you been doing that for a while now?"
"Yeah. Sakasuke-san called out to me and said that it's just a small place. A lot of his volunteers wouldn't be available, and he himself would be heading to a different place, so he asked me if I would be free. So I told him that I was down for it."
"Dude, you can just tell him that you're busy training for U.A.'s entrance exams. He'll get it."
In any situation, just saying that one was making preparations for entrance exams to some high school or university would be more than enough reason to give one a free pass from any events, just because a sane person would understand just how important education would be to the growing young man or woman.
But U.A. High wasn't any regular high school. It was the ultimate high school in Japan for those looking to make it to the Pro-Hero scene, and the very dream school she had her sights set on. After all, its alma maters were some of the best in the scene, with All Might, the number one hero and their own idol, having graduated from that place as well. And if she wanted to reach that same height, then she would be targeting for that same school!
Obviously, the requirements to get in were going to be high. Countless people from all over the country would be applying for it. And the more applicants there are, the stricter the guidelines and the higher the bar to separate the losers and the average from the cream of the crop. And Katsumi was determined to prove herself part of the upper echelons, hence her endless endeavour to improve herself for that exact opportunity. She'd stayed in the top of her class rankings since forever, be it academics and physical sports, meaning that she was a shoe-in for U.A. She just knew it!
And if there was anyone else from their class that could make it, well, who else would it be if not Izuku? Guy's already got the brains for the stuff. He just needed to build some muscle and they'll have to take him in, too!
"Hey now, it's just this one time. Usually I do them on the weekends, but this time, it was just bad timing. I'll work hard on Saturday, I promise!"
The blonde pouted back. "I know you will, but… ugh. You're too nice for your own good."
"It's okay. Really. I don't mind doing it," he chuckled. "It just feels nice to help out with work like that. Heck, isn't that the whole job of a hero? To help others out?"
The blonde wanted to argue with him on that, but she understood just how genuine he was on that remark. And he wasn't wrong. Heroes helped people. That was just the basis of a hero, who pushed themselves so that they were well-equipped to both protect people and carry out jobs that were too tough for the average civvy.
And, truthfully, she did admire that part about him. It simply served to strengthen the notion that he, of all people, deserved to become a hero. Quirk or no, he'd make a fantastic one, and that meant the both of them would be getting into U.A. High together!
"Urgh. Fine. Then I guess we'll put Friday on hold."
"Thanks, Kacchan," a small pause. "Do you want to join me? It'd be nice to have you around."
"Ehh. You know that kind of shit isn't up my alley. I'll think about it," she quickly added when she noticed him drooping a little, almost like a kicked puppy, only to perk up again. The girl had to hold in her wince at how cute he looked—wait, no. That wasn't what she was thinking! "A-And, uh, you know. If I'm free, I'll tell you, I guess..?"
"Sure thing!"
"Y-Yeah, okay. Now eat up, or your noodles will get soggy."
Realistically, a hero was going to be involved in all sorts of situations; rescue missions, reconnaissance, beating up bad guys. And one can be sure as hell that it was going to take a lot of smarts and strength to be capable of all those things.
And where she had those in spades, being the top student in their class whether it was in the books or on the running field, the same couldn't be said for her childhood friend. Yeah, he was a genius in his own right—no person could write such meticulous notebooks about the Pro-Heroes like he does without having such a sharp mind—but with his Quirklessness, he had a physicality that was just about as normal as the average civilian. Maybe even less so, since they'd still have the advantage of a Quirk over them.
That wasn't good enough in the line of heroes, though. Sure, there were some who got around by having powers that didn't need them to be the most physically fit person in the world, but if there were situations where they needed to run from danger or hold out against an enemy attack to buy time for their allies, then they'd still need to be strong enough to last out in the first place. No point having shit stamina if they're out of the game so early.
As such, she'd began her training from a young age, throwing herself into the wringer over and over again. And Izuku, while he may not have done the same at the start, eventually joined her with enough prompting and promises that they'd make it into U.A. High together.
That was a promise they'd made as kids. And she was going to see it through, no matter what.
"Come on, Izuku! Get those legs moving! No stopping for even a second!"
"Trying here, Kacchan..!"
Trying wouldn't be good enough to get him even through the entrance exams, but he was more of a doer than a talker. And he was definitely walking the walk—well, running the run, in this situation—as he kept his treadmill's speed similar to hers, which was a round seven-point-zero. A real running speed to put the fire in the calves and chest, but a good way to really build up that stamina.
And it wasn't like they'd immediately jumped into such a high setting, obviously! They'd taken it slow by walking, then jogging, before turning it into an almost-run for almost twenty minutes. Once that was over, she cued for the both of them to lower the speed back to a walk, two minutes, before finally stepping off.
The girl hissed a little at the pins in her feet, but for the burning in her body, she felt great! Nothing like a good sweat-out to really feel healthy, even if Izuku looked close to tipping over and fall on his face. If he did, he was likely going to pass out for good, and they couldn't have that.
"Get some water in you… Then we'll work on our sets. Feeling up for it?" Her question was met with heavier panting and a thumbs-up. Good enough. "A'ight. Let's take five."
There was a plenty of sets they had to get through. A lot of them. Hell, even skimming through them on her phone had her wincing, but she pushed on with the grit of a soldier, determined to never lose to whatever bullshit was thrown her way. And yes, this was bullshit she willingly heaped onto herself, but it was all for a good cause!
Today was leg day, meaning it was all about the lower limbs. Her least favourite, if she had to admit. If the arms were dead tired, the most she wouldn't be able to do was pick things up. Losing her legs to exhaustion, on the other hand, made walking such a painful hassle, but such was the reality of the situation that she just had to accept.
When they were both ready to get started again, they began a fresh new set of workouts to target as many parts of their bodies as possible; squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses and curls. That came down to around six exercises with ten reps each, and it was a fair amount for the both of them to throw themselves into, even if it was pretty exhausting.
And look, one might argue that the regime they were putting themselves through was downright insane. But it had been Izuku who had been the one to look through her suggestions, polish the timeline and adjust the rest periods and the durations, all after reading up on various articles, guides and word of mouth. If there was anyone she trusted more than anyone else, it was him.
Grunting as she finished her last rep of curl, she cracked her back and let the relief flood in her system, sighing before she moved away to take a sip of her drink. Two hours in the gym was pretty good, and there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that that number might just grow once they actually get into U.A. Oh well. Par for the course, if that happened.
Something hit the floor. She turned her gaze backwards, and it was to the sight of her childhood friend lying on the gym floor, his chest heaving up and down as he took large gasps of air. With how much sweat he was producing, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd succeed in leaving an outline on the floor underneath him.
She would have scoffed if she wasn't feeling particularly exhausted herself, panting heavily as she wiped away the sweat from her face with a towel. "Yo…" She less called out and more breathed out. "I'd tell you… not to lie… but we're done."
"F-Finally…"
"Today was… pretty rough, huh?"
"You… got that right…" Despite himself, he was wheezily laughing out loud, a wide smile stretching onto his face. "We were just so… in the flow of things… weren't we?"
Just hearing him say that brought a grin on her own face. "Yeah," she said, pleased to know that even he had enjoyed himself, despite his body likely to feel like shit for the rest of the day, and for who-knows-how-long. "It was great! But… exhausting."
"Exhausting… is an understatement…"
"Yeah, yeah… Now get up. Walk it off and then get changed."
It took a while, but he eventually did push himself up into a sitting position, his breathing a little more steady now that he had the chance to just lie down for a bit. He grabbed his drink and downed it one flow, a loud gasp of relief expelled as he set the bottle down.
"Alright then… Guess it's time to get going. I'll be cooking with mom later too."
"Yeah? Let me guess. Katsudon?"
The chuckle came accompanied with a flush on his face, though that might have been the result of his exercise to begin with. "N-No, no! We're trying to switch things up. We'll probably be making gyudon."
"Heh. Don't pass out in the kitchen while you're busy frying the beef, then."
"I'll be fine!" His laughter made her unconsciously smile wider. "I'm not so clumsy that something as ridiculous as that might happen."
"Says you! I still remember that time in art class when you had the supposed greatest idea to splash paint onto the canvas and expect it to come out great. What happened instead was you coming out to be a rainbow!"
His flush deepened a little. "H-Hey now! You can't blame me for trying! All those artists make it look cool…"
"Snrk… Whatever you say, Izuku."
"It is true, though!"
"Sure, sure."
It was dismissive as it could have been, but really, it was just her teasing him for the fun of it. Izuku probably recognized it too, which was why, even though he was pouting up a storm at her, there was no missing the little quivers in the corners of his lips, trying desperately not to break character and fall into a giggling fit. Having that knowledge made it hard for her to stay serious as well, her teeth clenched hard as she tried not to laugh either.
If she'd ever been in a bad mood before, it had all but evaporated now. Both the workout and the banter between them had effectively left her in a state of bliss, relishing in both the soothing afterburns and the comfort of good company. And it was enough for her to even walk over to his side and just lean against his side, earning muffled complaints but no resistance whatsoever, as he resorted to resting his weight against her in turn, shoulder to shoulder and head to head.
This had been their dynamic as childhood friends for so long ago, and her mind couldn't help but dredge up the earliest memories of their time together. Had they met in the nursery? Or kindergarten? She couldn't perfectly recall things, but she knew that they'd struck it off almost perfectly, and they'd been together since then.
Even when all the other kids picked on him for being so soft and Quirkless, calling him names, she hadn't let any of that get in between her own friendship with him. Not when he understood her in a way not even her parents did, and when he'd been one of the few who truly saw her for who she was.
Not some kid prodigy that their peers and even teachers would continuously fawn over. Not some brutish girl that could probably scare off other kids. Not some hero-wannabe with ambitions way over her head.
She was just Katsumi Bakugou, who had genuine intentions of becoming a hero like her idol, All Might. And Izuku respected her, supported her dreams, and that meant she would help him realize his of taking that same road as the man they equally admired had taken.
A little poke on her shoulder had her humming back. "You lost in thoughts or something?"
"Something like that," she said, a little happy that he knew her too well. "What? Can't have time to think for a little?"
"No, nothing like that. Just wanted to know if you're ready to go back now or not."
"Ehh, sure. Might as well. We both stink."
"D-Don't say that! Geez. Now I'm becoming self-conscious."
His words made her roll her eyes. "Pssh. We both stink from a hard day of exercising. How could that possibly be terrible?"
"I… You know, it's hard to make a solid argument against you sometimes, Kacchan. You know that?"
"Yeah, I'm a genius. Thanks for noticing," she snickered when he poked her again in the shoulder numerous times. "Let's get going then," she pulled herself to her feet. "A good shower sounds nice. And great as working out is, all this sweat isn't. I hate the feeling of my tank top sticking to my body."
"Yeah, same here. Let's go."
If there was one thing Katsumi was pretty bothered by, it was the fact that both she and Izuku lived relatively far away from one another, making it hard to just walk to one another's places to hang out in their home or whatever.
…Not like she'd been thinking about that! Seriously! It would just be really convenient for study sessions and stuff. Nothing else to it.
Today, though, was the usual occasion of one's parents inviting the other family over to hang out. And since they'd finished classes earlier today, her old hag had thought it nice to invite the Midoriya's over for dinner, of which Auntie Inko had all but happily agreed to.
And that meant one thing: Izuku would be coming to her house soon.
"Yo, brat. Just wanted to ask if you wanted carbonara or—"
"Not the time, hag! I'm cleaning!"
Ignoring the old woman's shout about calling her a hag, Katsumi worked as if she was possessed, cleaning up every edge and corner of her room, making sure to leave no spots untouched. It wasn't like it was bad to begin with, but the mere idea of Izuku stumbling into her room, only to find it a mess (even though it wasn't, ninety-nine percent of the times) was enough to leave her sweating buckets.
So that was what she got to doing; making the bed, folding her clothes and putting them away, spraying some air freshener, cleaning her bathroom—all done in a matter of minutes, despite her intellectually knowing that Izuku and her mom would take an hour to get here.
The door rattled as someone slammed their fist on it. "Oi! I'm talking to you over here!"
"And I told you I'm cleaning in here! Look, just make whatever! I'm not picky!"
"Fine, fine! Unlock the door when you're done, and I'll leave some clothes for you on your bed."
"Yeah, sure!" She called back out, taking a step back to quickly scan her room for anything out of place. "Okay, everything looks good. I mean, nothing about it was wrong to begin with, but you can never be too careful…"
She supposed the only things that would count as odd would be the few All Might memorabilia scattered around her room; figurines, posters and merch. Still, none of this would hold a candle to Izuku's room, and if there was one word to describe him based on just that, 'fanatic' seemed just about right.
Not like she was going to mock him for it. He had good tastes in heroes, and they'd both idolized All Might, the number one hero of Japan, since they were kids, so there was nothing there to be embarrassed about (though, one could also argue that maybe Izuku went a little too far in the idolizing department).
Nevertheless, now that her work was done, she began unclothing and throwing it all in a basket, hopping into her bathroom and slipping under the showers. Hot water was always the way to go, and soon enough, she was already lathering her body with soap and working the shampoo in her hair, which was always the most frustrating part of all this since it was a little too long for her liking. Still, just for this occasion, she'd be doing her damned best to make herself as presentable as possible!
By the time she was done with her shower, toweling at her body and hair, she got back into her room and assessed the pile her hag had left for her.
No sooner had she done so did she stomp her way to the door, swinging it open and yell loud enough for the whole house to hear her voice. "Oi, hag! What the hell are you making me wear?!"
"Shut up! That was the only thing that we had washed! Everything else was either dirtied up from your exercises or had some food stains in 'em!"
"And you didn't wash those?!"
"Shut it! I always told you to wash your own damned clothes if you plan to wear them again later, but you never do! Don't drop the blame on you, brat!"
Katsumi winced. Okay, so maybe she'd always forgotten to put her clothes in the washing machine because she had her mind on plenty of other things, but this was just…
Urgh, but it's not like there was any time to get anything ready now! They'd be here any time soon, and she wouldn't want to keep Izuku or Auntie Inko waiting! That'd just be poor manners!
Growling up a storm and making sure that the hag would be paying dearly for this, she shut the door and marched back to her bed, whereupon she had to wonder if this was some kind of divine punishment from above as she locked eyes on the accursed piece of garment. God damn it…
It wasn't so weird to have the Midoriya's come over to visit, being as close as they were since the two of them were born. Heck, it went even further back, as the hag and Auntie Inko had apparently been classmates back in the day, and had stayed connected throughout the years even when they'd settled down with their own families.
As such, was it any surprise that both she and Izuku would end up becoming acquainted with one another as well? That was probably the best thing in her life to have ever happened (not like she'd ever admit to that in any way, shape or form), giving her a best friend who shared her dreams and gave her the motivation to see it through.
So of course, when it came to that level of closeness, it would stand to reason that there was nothing to be ashamed about between the both of them. She knew he was a total All Might geek, and he knew that she was almost tunnel-visioned in becoming a hero. That was all there was to it. Well, barring one secret…
But nothing could have ever prepared her for this moment, when she was the one to pull the door open and meet his gaze, the smile on his face and the words on his lips dying swiftly as he laid eyes on her—and then proceeded to gawk in disbelief.
"K-Kacchan?"
"Don't say a word," she growled, opening the door a little wider and wishing that a hole could open up beneath her feet. Tried as she might, her face felt hot, and she would sooner punch the wall than hear anyone comment about it. "Come in, Izuku, Auntie."
The hag and Auntie Inko were delighted at seeing one another, as expected, and her dad welcomed the Midoriya's with friendly cheer. Izuku had used that opportunity to get over his previous surprise, though he seemed like he wanted to say something at her, but looked too embarrassed to say it. And that made her feel embarrassed and god dang it! Stop looking at her!
By the time they were already at the table, a heaping bowl of Bolognese spaghetti blasted its delicious scent into the air, whetting her appetite. The urge to fill her plate first was tempered by the expectation that, were she to do so, the hag would just nag at her. Plus, seeing that their guests were here, they should be going first.
And yet, it was Izuku who took her plate first, filling it with a healthy portion and a good number of meatballs, before handing it back to her. "Wha—Izuku! You didn't need to, you prick!"
"It's fine, it's fine! It's no trouble," he waved her away with a smile, making whatever retort she had get swallowed up. He then looked towards the hag. "Thanks for making dinner, Auntie Mitsuki. This looks delicious."
"Heh! If there's one thing a mother is most proud of, it's her cooking!"
"True. Nothing's more satisfying than making food for the whole family," tittered Auntie Inko, pushing back some stray strands of hair.
"Yup! Now come on, you're the guests here! Fill your plates! And take more when it's empty. We've got plenty!"
Even when he was the guest here, Izuku had made it his duty to go put the food on everyone else's plates, despite the hag's protests. He just cited the reason being that he was much closer to the bowl of food, making it easier for him to reach it, so he decided to make it his duty to fill everyone's plates.
That was how he was in a nutshell. Nice to others without ever asking anything in return. And funnily enough, that sort of personality shone in the most mundane parts of life, especially here at the table; from the way he helped serve everyone their food, to making sure everyone had all their utensils, to then waiting until everyone had started eating before he dug into his own food. Even when he was done, he'd be the first in the kitchen washing the dishes, just because he wanted to.
Katsumi hummed as she chewed down on her meatball. 'Hasn't changed in all these years…'
"So, Izuku, found a girlfriend yet?"
Red eyes shot wide as she suddenly lurched in her seat, smacking her chest with one closed fist. Izuku panicked, first by the question—"A-Auntie?!"—then by her suddenly choking on her food—"Kacchan?!"—which forced him to grab her glass of water and offer it to her. She used that opportunity to chug down, all while the hag continued with her earlier question.
"Yeah! Your junior high is ending soon. I was just wondering if there's anyone that caught your fancy yet."
While Katsumi did her best to recollect herself, Izuku took a moment to ponder over her question, answering with a timid smile afterwards. "W-Well, no. I hadn't even considered the idea of it, let alone been approached by anyone else."
"Seriously? But you're such a cute kid! Any girl would be lucky to have you!"
"C-Cute?!" If he'd looked red earlier, he was now an absolute strawberry, the freckles helping to add to the imagery. She could almost hear the steaming kettle from his ears. "That's, uhh..!"
"Mitsuki, dear, maybe ease up on the kid…"
"You kidding? I've always wanted to break the question to him, but there'd never been the perfect time for it. Now's obviously the time!"
When she was finally under control of herself, Katsumi levelled a glare at the hag. What the hell was she doing? And what kind of question was that, even?! The most common questions one would level at their own child's friend was how they were doing in school. Not if they were already a couple with someone!
And just the idea of that filled a hole in her gut. Izuku, her best friend, smiling at another girl, holding her hand. They'd be doing all the couple things like sitting underneath a tree, feeding food to one another, gifting each other on Valentine's Day. It just sounded so… so..!
Gross! It was just gross! That was it, really! The image of Izuku being mushy at all was just really gross!
And that wasn't her just being upset that the girl in that vision wasn't her—Not like she wanted to be his girlfriend! That wasn't it at all!
She tried hard to wipe away the urge to growl, yet she could already feel her teeth clenching tightly, boring a hole into the hag's forehead—that is, if she had laser vision. As things stood, all she could do was just glare silently, and that only made her grin smugly back.
"Ahaha… W-Well, no. I mean, I'm not even close with anyone in our class, let alone outside of it. Honestly, Kacchan's like my only friend in school…"
"Wait, seriously?" Any thought of teasing him wavered, genuine concern rising to the fore. Not even her dad was unaffected, and Auntie Inko smiled sadly his way.
"Yeah… But it's okay. It just is. I'm plenty used to it already."
There was no anger there. No bitter sadness or denial. Just plain acceptance of the entire situation. If anything, he didn't sound ashamed of the fact itself, but more so that he had to admit to it at all. Partly because he never did anything to stand out, and partly because of his Quirkless inheritance, which seemed to deter so many girls from entertaining the idea of even being his friend.
It made her feel upset, and she despised the part of her that was actually happy for it, if only because it meant she had him all to herself—
"Plus, it's not like I've anything to complain about!" His smile that came next was the genuine article, more so when it shifted towards her. "Because I've got Kacchan! And that's enough for me!"
The words must have frozen her brain, because it took too long for her to actually comprehend what he'd said before she finally reacted. "Y-You... Huh?!"
And it seemed like the words had only dawned on him after a moment spent in considering her reaction, his happiness morphing into abject shock a few seconds later, horror intertwined with shame as his cheeks burnt anew. "W-Wait! I-I meant to say, uhh! Wait, Auntie, it's not what you think it is!"
"Oho! Looks like my hook's caught onto something!" That line was just the opener she needed, the grin coming back easy as she pushed through the earlier awkwardness. "This brat caught your attention, then? Well well well! Looks like my dreams of having you call me mother-in-law might just come true someday!"
"Mother-in-law?!"
"Hell yeah! I've always wanted a sweet little child like you. Instead, I had to have Miss-Bad-Temper over here—"
Her hands smacked the surface of the table, her face heating up. "And who did I get that from?!"
"Shut it, brat! And don't be rude to our guests!"
"I wasn't being rude to them!"
"You see this kid? But you, Izuku, oh! You're such a gentleman! If you married little Katsumi here, I'm sure she'd actually mellow out into such a lovely lady!"
"Mom!" And never was there a time in her life when she would willingly call the hag her mother. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and this was frankly one of them. "Shut up!"
"Hahaha! Look at you two, blushing up a storm! You two are sooo adorable!"
"Oh, I need to take a photo of you two! Wait, don't turn away!"
"Ahaha…"
Dinner quickly escalated from there, and there was no peace that lasted long until the evening turned to night. Somehow, no explosions were had.
Good sleep was important for good growth, and if there was one thing peculiar about her, it was the fact that she always slept early. Ten thirty-two was definitely waaay too early, but she'd gotten used to that. Hell, she might have even found enjoyment in catching early sleep, knowing that she wouldn't have to deal with that early morning drowsiness other losers would have to deal with.
Stepping out of the shower, the blonde let out a sigh of relief as she towelled her hair, feeling the cold air blow in through her window. She appreciated spring for being the nicest season; not too hot in the morning like summer, and not too cold at night like winter. It was just nice, though tonight definitely felt a little more chilly than usual. If it rained, then her sleep tonight was going to be even more cozy.
And quite frankly, she needed to sleep on today's memories. Especially after the hag had utterly shamed her in front of Izuku and her mom. Seriously! What was with that?!
A ping from her phone on her study made her jump. She looked over to it, and when its screen lit up, she walked over to pluck it from the table. No matter how hard she told herself not to smile, she just did, grinning at the wallpaper—the sight of her and Izuku, sitting side-by-side on a train as they looked into the phone for a selfie with grins on their faces, courtesy of her friend—before looking at the messages.
Izu: can't sleep yet. had some thoughts.
Izu: call?
Not the first time, and definitely not the last. The girl snorted, though she couldn't miss the slight joy she felt at the words he typed out, knowing he wanted to talk to her rather than sleep on it. It was close to her bedtime, too, but she found herself not minding whatsoever, more excited than she'd ever dare to admit to chat with her friend.
And so, after quickly calming herself, she dialled his number and rested her phone against her ear. It took a single ring before she could hear his voice on the other side. "Hey, Kacchan."
"Hey. You in your room now?"
"Yeah. Mom's already asleep. Had to tell her to go, or else she'd be asleep in front of the TV," he chuckled briefly, to which she snorted in turn. "Also, thanks again for dinner. It was really great."
"Mm, yeah. It's cool. You can come on over anytime."
"The same for you too! You're free to visit us whenever you're free."
Just the thought of coming over to his house had her feeling giddy, and she waved her free hand about before smacking it against her bed. "R-Right, right. Cool. Sure, we'll take you up on that offer," she paused to clear her throat and recollect herself. "So, uhh, what's bothering ya'?"
"Nothing serious. I was just thinking about U.A., and got a little scatterbrained just thinking about it."
"Oh yeah?" She moved over to sit on her bed. "Like what?"
"Mostly hero-related stuff. Our hero names, for one," his answer had her snickering. "I've been thinking up one for myself for years, and I haven't the slightest clue. You?"
"You know what my answer is. The Great Explosion Murder Goddess, Dynamight!"
"Okay, I like Dynamight. That play on All Might is actually clever," and he has good tastes as always. "But, uhh, I think the rest of that is… concerning."
"Concerning? You mean kickass and awe-inspiring."
"Kacchan, your name would terrify both villains and civillians. Murder doesn't really scream hero, if you think about it. Plus, imagine having to write all that out on paper when you're making a report. I can imagine that would get tiring at some point."
The image of such had her almost laughing aloud, stuck behind a desk and signing papers in her name. Yeah, that whole name was long, but it was cool! "Sheesh. Fine, I'll rework it."
"Dynamight works, though! You should keep that."
"Yeah, I pro'lly will. And how about you? When do you think you'll find a name for yourself?"
"I don't know. Been experimenting, and none of 'em has resonated with me just yet."
"You could always go for Green Might or something."
"What? No!" His laughter on the other side made her smile easily. "That sounds so weird! It would be so obvious that I'm copying All Might! At least yours works. I would be caught dead using that name."
"Then just keep thinking about it. We still have time before we get into U.A. anyways."
"I guess so…" A small pause, before his voice spoke up again, though softer this time. "Hey Kacchan, I… um," another pause. "Actually, never mind. Sorry, ignore that."
"Huh? Now hol'up, you can't just backtrack like that. Come on, spit it out."
"I just… I'm sorry. I was just having those kinds of moments. Thinking if I have what it takes to make it into U.A."
What? This again? The blonde furrowed her brows, shifting on the bed. "Dude, what are you saying? We've been working hard for this. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now."
"I'm not. Kacchan, I… I want this. I want it so badly. It's been my whole dream."
"Our dream," she corrected. "And it's turning into reality, you know. Just be patient."
"Yeah, but… well, I guess I was just suddenly worrying for nothing. Can't help but fret over what if's and the like."
Sounds about right. If there was one thing that differentiated her and Izuku, it was the fact that he was a great worrywart in just about everything. There was always hesitation, a little reluctance in dedicating himself to things that often seemed so out of reach.
Some called him a coward for it, but Katsumi respected her for that caution. It meant that whatever decision he did eventually take was done with the utmost consideration for all factors, unlike some others who would have committed to things and regretted them later on because they didn't think things through.
Still, they'd been at this for years, so even if Izuku didn't think he could do it, she knew he could, and she made sure to tell him that, no beating around the bush whatsoever.
Izuku, as she expected, seemed hesitant to believe in her completely, chuckling weakly. "It'll just be really difficult, then."
"And you'll overcome it. Nothing ever stopped you from getting this far. Now you just need to continue working hard, and continue believing in your own potential. Okay?"
There was no immediate answer, and she knew it was just Izuku taking the time to really consider her words carefully. Katsumi was glad he wasn't here to see her, lest he would have seen the genuine worry on her expression.
Eventually, however, he did speak up once more. "Yeah. Nothing else to it, is there? I just have to go for it like I have been all this time."
The relief was palpable. "That's it. Stop worrying so much and just focus on doing what you can, okay? You're hero material, Izuku. You need to believe in that."
"Mm. You're right about that."
"Obviously. When have I ever been wrong?" Her words elicited a short laugh from her friend, and her own spirits calmed after knowing she'd gotten through to him. "Seriously, Izuku. You can do this. We'll both get into our dream school together."
"Right. Right, of course. Someday," his voice became muffled as he tried to hide his yawn. "Well, guess it's time for me to go. Sorry to keep you up, Kacchan. I really appreciate this."
"Nah, it's fine. I don't mind staying up for you," it took her a little less than ten seconds before her brain finally caught up with what she said, eyes going wide as she sat up straight. "I-I mean to chat! To chat and help out, Izuku! Nothing else! Don't get the wrong idea!"
"Yeah, I know. You've always been a big help," the honest response cut through her frazzled nerves all at once. "Goodnight, Kacchan. See you tomorrow in school."
"Ah… Right. See you tomorrow."
When the call ended, Katsumi stared at her phone, wondering if a new message might just pop up. Five minutes later, and she eventually put it aside, dropping her head on the pillow and sighing out loud.
When her phone buzzed once, she couldn't have snatched it faster, eyes shooting to the screen. It was from Izuku, just as she expected, but she couldn't have been mentally prepared for it.
It was a picture of her while she was talking to Auntie Inko in the living room. It was a pretty good picture in its entirety; from the angle to the light coverage and the colours, Izuku's photography skills were showing here. As expected, considering he had a knack for drawing, though how that somehow translated to photography skills just as good as his drawing was beyond her.
But beyond the finer details, it was the girl in the picture that really stood out. Because, unlike her typical home outfits, she'd been forced to instead wear something so uncharacteristic of her; the turtleneck sweater and the long flower-printed skirt did not scream Katsumi Bakugou in the slightest, especially when she was still flushed from the hag's teasing and was smiling shyly at Auntie Inko. It was, like, the antithesis of what she stood for, that being awesome and badass. She looked too soft, too girly.
And yet, whatever pleas she could have written to him about getting rid of the image died when the next message popped up below the picture.
Izu: you were really pretty today. like, really
Izu: umthat'sAll I wanted to say okay, bye!
Katsumi stared wordlessly at the messages for minutes on end. She wasn't sure when she'd put it down, let alone turned the lights off and gotten into bed. She lied on her back, kicking away the blankets, and stared up at the ceiling.
And she stared. And stared. And stared. And stared.
Far too awake and absolutely distraught, the girl forced herself to do a quick breathing exercise. In. Out. In. Out… And then, she took in a deep breath—
"KYAAAAAAAAA!"
And let out a high-pitched scream that woke up the entire house, and forced the hag to yell at her to shut up.
Author's Notes:
Happy New Year! A new story to kick things off. More words after the prologue chapters (yes, prologue chapters with an s, plural) are published.