Characters:

Yukimo (OC)
IzukuMidoriya
KatsukiBakugo

XXXXXXXXXX

"Didn't I tell you not to push yourself too hard?!" Hatsumi yelled as she smacked the head of her patient.

"Ow!" Yukimo winced as she took a seat on the hospital bed and rubbed her head,"I didn't—oh wait, I was too mad at someone and had him buried under a lot of rubble."

"Yukimo..."Hatsumi called out her name in a dark voice.

"No, no, really! It's not an excuse! He was thinking about how he had touched my boobs and started to reimagine it like a pervert," she explained, crossing her arms in front of her breasts and leaning back into the bed as if she were trying to escape the conversation.

"He deserved it. I'll let it slide only this once," Hatsumi muttered, hardly trying to hide her smugness.

'That was fast; wait, you already hit my head...'

The day went by really fast. After school, Yukimo visited the hospital to get herself checked, just like she had promised Yukimo sat on the hospital bed, the soft hum of machines and the faint smell of antiseptic filled the air. She was grateful that Hatsumi had caught her after the little scuffle and insisted she come in for a check-up. This was not her first visit, but the beeping monitors and chart-filled walls still intimidated her.

"So, how's the head?" Hatsumi asked, now fully in her role as a nurse, complete with a clipboard that seemed too big for her. Her sunny yellow scrubs made her look less like a stern caregiver and more like a ray of sunshine in a gray area.

Yukimo rubbed her sore spot gingerly. "It's fine. I mean, it's not like I need to be hospitalized for a mild concussion." Yukimo responded, trying to downplay her injuries with humor.

"Don't even joke about that." Hatsumi did her best to keep a straight face.

Today was a very bad day, aside from winning her first battle. Her mask kept cracking piece by piece. For the first time, she had to keep it together. She never had any difficulty keeping her emotions in check. Not only that, but she had to watch the fight between Izuku and Katsuki and there was nothing she could do to help either of them. Those memories haunted her.

Normally, when she wasn't in the mood, she would cheer Izuku up after Katsuki was done bullying him, but that was only because she knew Katsuki wouldn't go further than that. This time, it was an actual battle between them.

"Did something happen at school?" Hatsumi asked worriedly after seeing Yukimo spacing out.

Yukimo shook her head, her gaze lingering on the white hospital walls adorned with motivational posters, the colorful reminders of hope and healing that somehow felt distant to her right now. She focused on a poster that depicted a water lily blooming amidst murky waters.

"Something like that," With a sigh, Yukimo forced a smile, trying to mimic the positivity of the posters around her, but the effort felt heavy, "Izuku-kun had to fight against Bakugo."

Thinking back about their battle, she wished she could forget;Katsuki suddenly ambushed them emerging from an adjoining corridor, ready to blast Izuku. Izuku had managed to barely avoid that and save Ochaco, but he had received some damage, and half of his mask got ripped apart.

Yukimo watched helplessly as the fight unfolded before her, knowing holding down her emotions, would be impossible. She didn't want the others to see her expressions. The weight of despair pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe as she recalled the fury and intensity of their clash. Izuku, with his unwavering determination, had managed to keep fighting despite the odds stacked against him, while Katsuki channelled his rage into every explosive move.

Katsuki prepared to attack once again, but Izuku was able to counter; grabbing Katsuki's right arm and slammed him to the ground. This completely surprised both Katsuki and Yukimo. With eyes widened, she watched the scene unfold.

'Izuku-kun?'

Izuku had taken notes on Katsuki in the same hero notebook Katsuki had burned and tossed out the window. Yukimo always wondered why Izuku would bother and waste his time of taking notes of his bully. Turned out it was a wise decision in the end. Using his notes, Izuku was able to predict Katsuki's opening moves.

Ochaco and Izuku went their separate ways after Izuku shouted something at her. The monitor didn't hold audio, so Yukimo had no idea what they were saying.

Katsuki immediately went after Izuku. After managing to find him, Katsuki raised one of his hands towards Izuku and reached for a pin on his gauntlet.

"Young Bakugo, stop!" All Might yelled through a mic. "Are you trying to kill him?!"

Yukimo flinched after hearing this and, right after that, saw a massive explosion. The explosion was big enough that everyone lost their balance. Izuku narrowly dodged the blast that destroyed a large portion of the building.

Immediately after that, All Might warned Katsuki not to fire another huge blast or his team would lose automatically. Katsuki looked down, his shoulders visibly shaking. He wasn't happy at all, but he listened to All Might. He adjusted and moved into close-quarters combat with Izuku. Izuku tried to fight back, but Katsuki completely dominated in close combat.

Filled with emotions, both rushed at each other for a final clash as Izuku used his quirk which delighted Katsuki as he moves to attack. Katsuki hit Izuku; Izuku however, knowing he couldn't defeat Katsuki at close range, took the full brunt of Katsuki's explosion. Instead of punching Katsuki, Izuku used his Detroit Smash into the ceiling, destroying the ground of every floor above them, including the one Ochaco and Tenya were on. This created an opening for Ochaco to make the winning move.

"Hero Team wins!"

The moment All Might announced the winner, Yukimo raced out of the monitor room and into the damaged building where the battle had taken place.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she dashed down the corridors that echoed with the chaos of the earlier battle. The remnants of the destruction—broken tiles, shattered walls, and a lingering scent of smoke—were reminders of the fierce confrontation she had just witnessed. But all she could think about was Izuku. Was he okay? Had he really taken that explosion?

"Izuku-kun!" she yelled after seeing him all bruised up on the ground. Running towards his unconscious body, she tripped on her own feet and bruised her knees badly.

The sharp sting in her knees was nothing compared to the fear gnawing at her heart as she continued her way to Izuku, panic coursing through her veins. The chaos of the battle felt like a waking nightmare, each second stretching into eternity as she reached out for him. She didn't even care how heavy her breathing had become. Sliding on her bleeding knees next to her unconscious friend, she ran a trembling hand through his hair.

"Izuku-kun..." she whispered, rubbing her thumb over an ash mark on his arm. It looked like he had been burned. Bad. It was from the blast he had received from Katsuki. Tears started to swell up in her eyes.

"Ngh!" Not being able to hold her emotions back any longer, she glared at Katsuki after seeing Izuku's condition. He flinched at her sudden movement, which surprised even her. After seeing him look startled at her, she realized she was glaring at him.

"Please step away from the injured student," two robots rolled up to take Izuku straight to Recovery Girl.

"Come back, young Bakugo," Yukimo heard All Might behind her. After letting go of Izuku's hand, she looked over her shoulder and saw All Might standing next to Katsuki. Unbeknownst to her, Katsuki was almost having a panic attack if All Might hadn't shown up.

"It's time to review the results," he continued and approached Yukimo. Yukimo wanted to stand up but couldn't.

'Huh?'

"It seems that you have used all of the strength you had left," All Might explained while picking her up to carry her.

"Heheh, this is embarrassing," she whispered softly and apologized to All Might. He, however, didn't mind it, and they all headed back towards the monitor room.

XXXXXXXXXX

'I shouldn't have done that,' Yukimo thought while looking out the window, 'I'm sorry, Bakugo...'

"I have strong classmates," Yukimo confessed and looked at Hatsumi."I have to be stronger."

"And you will. I will help you as much as I can," she replied with a smile. With this, Hatsumi excused herself for a minute and left the office. Because Yukimo had become really close with Hatsumi, and due to the fact that she helped the hospital a lot, Hatsumi's office was almost like her own.

Yukimo watched as Hatsumi disappeared down the hospital corridor, her heart heavy with the weight of what had happened that day. It was always easier being the silent support, the one who cheered from the sidelines. But now, after witnessing Izuku and Katsuki's tumultuous battle, she felt an urgent need to step up, to become more than just an observer.

~sigh~

Now, the one thing that had been stuck in her head was the scene she had witnessed after school ended; Yukimo had stayed the whole time by Izuku's side. She didn't care about the afternoon classes.

In the meantime, Recovery Girl cleaned the wounds on her knees and closed them with band-aids. She was also too exhausted to pay attention anyway. While waiting for him to wake up, she fell asleep right next to his bed.

"Y-Yuki-chan?" Izuku called out to her after finally waking up. He blinked a few times, noticed her sleeping with her head resting against his leg. Yukimo shot up from her slumber, her heart racing.

"Izuku-kun!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and worry laced with exhaustion,

"B-baka!" she burst out, throwing her arms around his shoulders—not caring about his bruised body or her own bandaged knees.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and hugged her back with his free hand. Yukimo wasn't the type to show such emotion; luckily, she wasn't crying, but he must have made her extremely worried. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen her cry before, and the thought made his heart ache. He hoped that day would never happen.

Recovery Girl cleared Izuku and told him to return tomorrow for another treatment. With Yukimo's help, they both walked back to their they made their way through the brightly lit hallways of U.A. High School, the atmosphere felt almost normal, a contrast to the chaos of the what happened.

"Aizawa-sensei's gonna wrap me in those bindings again," said Izuku. "How is your headache, Yuki-chan?"

"Look at your state, and you're still worried about me?" Yukimo chuckled lightly, brushing off her worry with a feigned nonchalance. Looking at his torn-up gear, she sighed, "Don't worry. I rested up a bit while waiting for you to wake up."

When they arrived back at the classroom, they were surprised that a few students had stayed behind just for them. They both received compliments from their classmates, making both of them blush enormously.

"Did you see the way Izuku dodged Bakugo's blast? I thought for sure he was done for!" Mina exclaimed.

Ochaco chimed in, beaming at Izuku, "And the way you used your quirk to create that opening for me? That was super smart, Deku!" She bounced on her feet, her eyes filled with admiration.

Looking around, Izuku noticed that Katsuki wasn't among them. Ochaco informed him that Katsuki had already left and Izuku went to find him.

Believing it was best to leave them be and not get in between them, Yukimo took her bag and left the classroom. It was time for her to head toward the hospital to get a check-up done by Hatsumi.

On her way out, she noticed Katsuki and Izuku standing outside the school. That was when she heard everything, including what Izuku was thinking.

The funny thing was that even if she overheard something like that, she wouldn't be able to picture anything. Obtaining a quirk was impossible, but after Katsuki left, that's when she finally learned the truth.

All Might joined them and tried to cheer Katsuki up, but he easily brushed All Might off. Yukimo was about to join them but froze when their conversation began.

"You told him?!"

"I'm sorry! I haven't even told my mom or Yuki-chan," Izuku apologized. "I had a feeling I had to tell him. I'm really sorry."

"Fortunately, young Bakugo misconstrued your words as a bunch of nonsense," All Might replied.

"So I'll let it slide this one time, but please, from now on, not a peep about it! Reflect on the responsibility of becoming a bearer of my power entrusted to you!"

'Huh? Wait... so it really is true?!'

"It's self-evident that if news were to break out, dark forces would flow forth in legions to steal my power!" All Might continued,

"And so it must be kept a secret. Not only for my sake but for the sake of protecting the world..."

XXXXXXXXXX

~Sigh~

With another sigh, Yukimo stared out the window. Today really was a pain in the ass, but on the slightly bright side, she had learned Izuku's secret.

Now she understood why he hadn't told her anything. It wasn't his secret to share. From what she had overheard, All Might was right: such a secret shouldn't ever be exposed.

Yukimo couldn't help but feel a bit stupid for the way she had acted. She had decided not to confront Izuku about knowing his secret and would just pretend she didn't know anything. When the time was right, maybe one day he would tell her.

Maybe.

XXXXXXXXXX

Even though she had accepted the fact that Izuku had kept her in the dark about his sudden quirk, it didn't mean she was ready to see him today. But how could she reject Miss Inko's invitation for dinner because she was worried about Yukimo's and Izuku's health?

"You just came from the hospital?" Inko asked worriedly.

Yukimo nodded, forcing a smile to ease the concern etched across Inko's face. "Yeah, just a quick -san wants me checked up almost daily to see how my body is handling my quirk."

Inko looked her over, seemingly less convinced by her brave front. "You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right? You're practically family."

Yukimo felt warmth bloom in her chest at Inko's words but quickly tried to tamp down the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

"I'm fine, really." Yet, there was a lingering ache in her heart that she couldn't fully voice. Izuku's fight against Katsuki, and the secret she now held pressed heavily against her conscience

"Alright then," Inko smiled, leading Yukimo into their cozy living room where the enticing aroma of dinner wafted through the air. The table was set with care, small personal touches that made the space feel inviting."Let's have a nice dinner."

"Are you sure?" Izuku wondered worriedly. Izuku, who was in worse shape than her, was worried about her? Yukimo chuckled slightly by this. He really need to start worrying about himself first.

Inko, with a motherly gaze, set the table with steaming plates of homemade curry and rice. "Eat up! You both need to replenish your strength after everything that happened today."

"Oh wow, Mom, this looks amazing!" Izuku dove in, his usual enthusiasm returning at the sight of a familiar meal. Yukimo followed suit, the comforting taste of Inko's cooking providing a momentary distraction from the weight of her thoughts.

Dinner continued amid lively banter. They talked about everything from Izuku's latest training sessions to Inko's plans for a family outing, laughter cutting through the tension of the past few days as they found comfort in each other's company.

Hours later, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky faded into twinkling stars, Yukimo found herself in Izuku's room.

"I keep forgetting how amazing your mom can cook," said Yukimo as she flopped down on his bed.

"Your cooking is amazing too!" Izuku replied with a grin, remembering the homemade bento she had prepared a few times back in junior high. It always made him feel energized, like he could conquer anything the day threw at him.

"Not as good as your mom's, though," she replied. "Buuut, thank you for complimenting my cooking."

Yukimo shifted on the bed, her playful demeanor faltering for a moment as she glanced at the posters that adorned his walls. Heroes, dreams, and aspirations danced across the canvas, each telling a story of hope and determination. Yet, within her, something felt amiss, a unable weight that hung between them.

"Are you really okay?" Without breaking her gaze from the ceiling, Yukimo could easily hear the concern in Izuku's voice. He probably meant the fact that she had to go to the hospital.

"Izuku-kun, I already told you, I'm fine. It's just a regular check-up. Besides, I also work there."

"Oh, please keep in mind that this is a secret," Yukimo sat up from his bed and looked at him seriously. "A minor working at the hospital is a big no-no. We use the word 'voluntary' as an excuse, but they pay me behind the scenes."

"But why are you working? Since when?"

"Uhm..." Yukimo thought back on exactly when, placing a finger on her chin. "I think it was when I decided to apply for U.A. Academy and got closer with Hatsumi-san. She suggested it, and I happily agreed."

"I mean, I'm living on my own. I have to earn money in order to eat daily," she finished explaining and silently cursed at herself. Digging her own grave was what she was doing, and right on cue, Izuku asked her the question she feared would come out of his mouth:

"How are you paying for your apartment and school if you just started working?"

"Izuku-kun, that's a very touchy question..." she answered, her voice firmer than she intended.

Izuku felt somewhat nervous as he stared at his friend, who was busy stretching her arms above her head. She had said it with a straight face, but he could feel as if she was glaring at him just then.

'Sorry, Izuku-kun. I can't tell you that. I have to work and earn some money because I might be in trouble over a certain deal with a certain someone.'

"U-uhm, Yuki-chan,"he paused as he clenched his hands into fists. She noticed he was getting all nervous all of a sudden and felt an uneasy shift in the atmosphere between them.

'What should I do? I promised All Might I wouldn't tell anyone, but now it seems unfair that I told Kacchan...not like he believed me...' she heard his thoughts.

'My, my, Izuku-kun, you idiot,' she couldn't help but feel a bit more relieved after hearing that.

"I'm sorry about before," she started before he could continue, "I guess I was just as upset as Bakugo."

That wasn't a lie. In fact, Yukimo didn't even need to lie about anything.

"But keep in mind, I'm not like Bakugo. I never thought once that you had been deceiving us. I was upset because I thought you might tell me when you finally awakened your quirk because you wanted one so badly."

Silence hung in the air, thick and touchable as Yukimo's words settled between them. She watched as Izuku's expression shifted, caught between guilt and understanding. He opened his mouth as if to say something but paused, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

What kind of expression was she showing at the moment? These past few days, she had no clue what kind of expression she was showing when she wanted to use her poker face. Izuku was the one who had broken through her wall. She started smiling more and showing more emotions. That was something she was grateful for, but it also bothered her at the same time after realizing he was also starting to break her mask when she wanted to hide her emotions.

Showing emotions was a weak thing to do; that's what she had learned from one of her foster families. Whenever she did, she would get brutally punished for it.

How could a small boy break her wall so easily? No. Not only Izuku, but even Katsuki began to read her some of the time. He had also seen her at her weakest moments a few times already, which slowly began to increase. Why was that? Was it because Katsuki also hated the fact of showing his weakness in front of people?

"You must have had a good reason for not telling me. I'll wait for when you think it's the right time to tell me," she broke the silence between them. With this, Izuku jerked his head up to his friend, who was finally smiling sincerely.

"I guess we both are on the same path, huh?" Yukimo whispered, a small smile creeping onto her face as a sense of relief settled within her.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Your body is still not used to your quirk just like mine. The only difference is, when I use it too much, I'll end up in the hospital, while you end up in the hospital when you use it once," Yukimo added.

"Yeah, it looks that way," Izuku agreed, his own smile widening.

"We will do our best and get used to our quirks. You better start training to prevent your body from breaking!" Yukimo jumped off from his bed and pointed a finger at him sternly.

Izuku nodded fervently, the tension between them starting to evaporate. He had noticed it had started ever since he had used his quirk in front of her. The expression he saw coming from her...he didn't mean to hurt her, but he never had the opportunity to explain himself. No, that was a lie. He ran away. He pretended nothing worth mentioning happened, and that made it much worse.

"Good night, Inko-san and Izuku-kun," Yukimo greeted them once she was outside.

"You sure you don't want Izuku to walk you home?" Inko-san asked concered.

"Yeah, Yuki-chan. I can bring you home." Izuku offered.

"No, I'm fine. Besides, you need enough rest. You're still injured. I'll see you tomorrow at school." Yukimo waved goodbye with a sense of resolve bubbling within her, the remnants of earlier worries slowly fading into the warmth of the evening.

As she stepped out into the cool night air, she inhaled deeply and let the events of the day wash over her. It felt liberating to finally share her emotions with Izuku even if it was just a first, Yukimo thought it was a bad idea to visit Izuku and his mom, but seeing how the night had ended, she was glad she had made the right decision.

The silence of the streets was comforting, with crickets chirping softly in the background and the distant glow of street lamps casting a gentle light on her path. Looking up at the stars twinkling against the dark canvas of the night sky, Yukimo thought about how life had shifted so dramatically in such a short period.

"What the hell are you standing here for so late at night?"

Yukimo looked over her shoulder and saw a certain ash-blond guy a couple of meters behind her with a plastic bag in his hand.

"Bakugo..?" she called out his name almost like a question, as she took a step back, surprised to see him at this hour. He looked somewhat like his usual self, but she knew that wasn't true at all. At least, not for today and maybe not even tomorrow. She had overheard his breakdown with Izuku and wanted to help him in any way she could, but that wouldn't do any good.

"I just had dinner with Izuku and his mom," she answered. Katsuki stiffened after hearing Izuku's name, which she noticed right away. His name had become a taboo for today, but she didn't care.

"If you're going to say something, just do it," he frowned. "You can mock me. I don't care."

Yukimo raised an eyebrow, taken aback by his dark tone. It was clear that Katsuki was still reeling from the day's events, with emotions simmering just beneath the surface. Yukimo sighed. She wasn't surprised that he would think like that. If it were someone else, he would probably use this opportunity to mock the person who had mocked everyone.

"I'm not going to mock you. Unlike you, I don't look down on people. That's the one thing I hate about you," she replied and heard Katsuki scoff,

"I think, no, I've always known that there are people who are stronger than me, and I've accepted that. Why? Because I will use those people as motivation to become stronger, and when I finally surpass them, I will search for people who are stronger than them and use them next. That's how life works."

"And all jokes aside, even now, you are the strongest person I know," Yukimo said, her voice steady as she met Katsuki's gaze head-on, showing him that she wasn't lying nor mocking. His eyes widened partially after hearing this.

"You never told me that. Not once did you compliment me for being strong," he mumbled as if it bothered him.

"Why should I? From what I've heard from Izuku-kun about your childhood and what I've seen from those two losers who kept following you during junior high, I know you had been praised a lot, and that's what made your attitude like this."

Katsuki's expression shifted, the weight of her words settling in. He clenched his fists, feeling an odd mix of pride and irritation at her statement. Yukimo wasn't sure anymore what she was doing. Was she praising him? Scolding him? She didn't care at all and continued,

"I've already said it, and I'll say it again. Looking down on people, that's the one thing I hate about you, about anyone."

His frown deepened as he wondered where Yukimo was going with this.

"I've never praised you, because there was never a reason to. If you had won the battle against Izuku-kun, I might have."

Yukimo took a deep breath after saying something she didn't expect to say. Katsuki's surprised face made it obvious that he didn't either. She didn't mean to hurt him, but it was the truth. Izuku happened to be the first person he had lost to.

"Don't get me wrong. Izuku-kun happened to be the person who defeated you for the first time, but if it wasn't him, it might have been someone else from our class."

"Then why the hell are you saying that you think I'm the strongest person you know?!" he started to took a step back, slightly startled by the outburst, but she kept her ground. The frustration radiated from Katsuki, yet she felt it was necessary to push through the thick fog of his emotions.

"Because it is true. For the past two years of knowing you, I know you are the type of person who will never back down from a challenge, and you will always find a way to win in the end. Or am I wrong?" she replied, slightly raising her voice,

"Your habit of looking down on people, that's what's holding you back! You've let your emotions get the best of you today, and that's why you've lost!"

Katsuki gritted his teeth after hearing this, eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to retort, but the words caught in his throat. Despite all his bluster and blinding rage, there was a flicker of uncertainty hiding behind that hardened exterior. He was used to being the best, the strongest; failure had been an unthinkable alternative. The conflict twisted in his chest as he shifted his weight from one foot to another.

"Want me to praise you? Then earn it! Move forward! Improve yourself! Prove me wrong, that your boasts aren't just that!"

"Who knows, maybe I'll surpass you," she finished teasingly and continued on her way home with her hands inside her jacket.

"Keep talking nonsense, and I'll toss you onto the road!" she heard him yelling behind her, and she smiled. She waved one of her hands above her head without looking over her shoulder. At least he somewhat returned to his usual self.

At first, she was worried she might have been too harsh, but she felt like she needed to be truthful this time. It might have been harsh, but let's just hope it worked.

'The strongest person she knows, huh?' thought Katsuki as he walked home, her words repeating in his mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

Reaching her apartment, she stepped inside, the familiar creak of the door and the quiet warmth of her cozy space wrapping around her like a blanket. She sank into her couch and stared at the ceiling, letting thoughts whirl around in her head. She was exhausted after having two tiresome confrontations back-to-back.

Yukimo took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment of peace. Her mind drifted back to thoughts of Izuku; Something had caught her mind that she had completely forgotten about until Izuku mentioned it: the reason she had started working at the hospital.

'I somewhat broke the deal... It's going to be a pain in the ass when he finds out...'

With a sudden burst of resolve, Yukimo popped up from the couch and grabbed her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Between preparing for U.A. Academy, working at the hospital, and attending classes at school, she was pretty busy.

'It really has been a long time, huh? I should pay a visit one of these days...'

*-*To Be Continued *-*

Next chapter; February 01 2025