My Hero Academia 180 degrees -
11. Where Midoriya fights Bakugo, and visits Todoroki.
It was another day at the construction site, the sound of hammers, saws, and voices blending with the heat of the sun. Midoriya bent down to pick up a roll of rebar from the ground. As he stood up, he accidentally bumped into Uraraka, who was standing right next to him. Both of them flinched, and as if by reflex, they quickly looked away to avoid making eye contact. The brief contact left a lingering sense of nervousness hanging in the air between them.
—Have you heard from Todoroki? —asked Uraraka, carefully taking the rods and making sure her hands didn't brush against Deku's. With a gentle gesture, she used her quirk to make the rods float up to where Asui was waiting. With the precision of her tongue, Asui caught the rods and placed them deftly in their spot.
—He messaged me yesterday. He said it had been a long day and he had a lot on his mind... but he invited me to dinner at his house tonight after school. He said he had something important to tell me —Midoriya replied, his voice tinged with the curiosity that had been gnawing at him since he'd read Todoroki's message.
—What could it be? —Uraraka mused, a slight smile forming on her lips—. Sounds mysterious.
Midoriya nodded absentmindedly, recalling how Ashido and Hagakure had also commented on how interesting Todoroki could be. But before he could dive deeper into his thoughts, a familiar voice broke through the noise of the construction site.
—Bakugo! What a surprise seeing you here! —exclaimed Kirishima, raising a hand in greeting when he saw his friend walking in through the entrance.
—Shut up! —Bakugo snapped with his usual grumpiness—. I'm only here because some idiot with electric powers fried the gym equipment last night.
Kirishima, far from reacting the same way, laughed and pointed towards where Ashido was mixing concrete.
—Well, it doesn't matter. If you want, you can help us with the mix over there.
—¿And how the hell is that supposed to help me train? —Bakugo barked, scowling in clear irritation.
—Stop complaining and come on —Kirishima said, giving him a friendly nudge. Bakugo immediately shot him a threatening glare.
—Hey! Keep your hands off me, idiot!
Asui, observing the interaction from her position, commented in her usual calm tone:
—He's such a peculiar guy, but together they seem like a comedy duo.
However, at that moment, due to a slight miscalculation, some of the rods began to slip. Midoriya, noticing this, didn't hesitate for a second. He bent his knees quickly, and with an impressive leap, he caught the rods in mid-air before they could fall. With a fluid movement, he secured them safely in the construction structure.
—You've got great reflexes —Asui remarked, impressed.
Midoriya blushed slightly at the compliment.
—Well done, Deku! —Uraraka cheered from below, and Midoriya felt his heart race a little more at the sound of her voice.
—Nice one, Midoriya! —added Kirishima, though his jovial tone was quickly interrupted by Bakugo's growl as he stood beside him with arms crossed and a look of deep displeasure—. Not again.
—Hey, idiot! —Bakugo snapped, stepping forward—. How did you do that?! Last I checked, you didn't have a quirk! And normal people don't just jump five meters like that!
Ashido, who had been listening nearby, chimed in with a confused expression.
—What? Of course, he has a quirk. I've seen him use it today and yesterday.
—Same here —Asui agreed, tilting her head.
Bakugo, increasingly agitated, marched toward Midoriya, his eyes blazing with fury.
—Have you been mocking me this whole time, you jerk?! —he yelled as he advanced, fists clenched.
—I swear I haven't, Kacchan! —Midoriya tried to explain, watching Bakugo climb up a rope towards him—. I'm just using engineering tools to help with the construction.
—Tell that to someone who'll believe it, Deku! —Bakugo shouted, launching a punch that Midoriya agilely dodged.
Bakugo stopped dead in his tracks, surprised.
'He read my movements,' Bakugo thought with a twitch, 'He's imitating that other idiot.'
To his shock, not only had Midoriya dodged, but he had used Bakugo's arm as leverage to flip him over, slamming him onto his back.
'This damn pebble!'
—You always start with your right, Kacchan —Midoriya explained, panting slightly—. And by the way, I wrote that down in the notebook you threw out the window back then.
—Nice move —Ojiro commented as he joined the others watching from below—. But shouldn't we stop them? This isn't the right place for sparring.
Bakugo growled.
—What are you trying to prove, you damn Deku? —Bakugo snarled, his eyes burning with restrained fury.
—Like I told you before, Kacchan... I won't let you hit me anymore. And as far as I'm concerned, the "Deku" from your insults now means... "You can do it!"
Uraraka, who had been watching the scene with growing concern, couldn't help but smile at hearing those words.
As he got closer, still on the ground, Bakugo noticed the strange shoes, knee pads, and gloves Deku was wearing. He wondered if there was some truth to what Deku had mentioned earlier, and he started focusing on that, but...
—I hope you didn't hurt yourself, Kacchan. Are you okay?
Midoriya offered him a hand to help him up, and in Bakugo's eyes, it was all too familiar, a childhood memory he harbored with deep resentment.
—Don't you ever do that again! Do you hear me?!
—Do what?! —Midoriya asked, confused, taking a step back as he saw Bakugo rise threateningly.
—Act like I'm weak! —Bakugo shouted, pouncing on him, slamming him to the ground, and landing a punch straight to Midoriya's face. That was enough to finally break Midoriya's patience.
—¡I've never thought you were weak! —Midoriya yelled, punching Bakugo back—. ¡In case you haven't noticed, I've always wanted to be like you, except when you're being a total jerk!
Bakugo grabbed him by the shirt, and they wrestled on the ground.
—Why don't you just die?! —Bakugo roared, pulling harder.
—You should think before you speak, idiot! —Midoriya shot back, throwing another punch.
—Look who's talking! You're the one who started all of this with your stupid "Are you okay?" at four years old when I fell off that damn bridge! —Bakugo screamed, pulling even harder as Midoriya struggled to break free, finally opting to kick him.
—You tormented me for years over that?! —Midoriya gritted through his teeth, trying to pry Bakugo's hand off him.
—Isn't that enough for you?! —Bakugo growled, letting go of his shirt and now trying to slam him into the ground, grabbing Midoriya's face with his entire hand. At the same time, Midoriya tried to push him away with his feet and pressure his arm.
The fight intensified, and both of them were so absorbed in their struggle that they didn't notice they were dangerously close to the edge of the construction site.
Everyone braced to intervene, but in the end, it was Asui who managed to save them, wrapping both of them with her tongue.
—You two really have some serious issues to work out —she said calmly as she gently placed them on the ground.
Before either could react, a firm voice interrupted them.
—What's going on here? —Uraraka's father arrived at the scene. Seeing Bakugo and Midoriya on the ground, he called them both over to have a word.
—So, will you still be able to go back to the construction site? —Todoroki asked, sitting beside Midoriya as he took his first bite of food.
Midoriya nodded, putting down his chopsticks for a moment to answer.
—Yeah, but with the condition that we don't get into any more fights —he explained, letting out a tired sigh—. They also called our homes to inform them of what we did.
Midoriya's face was still a bit swollen, so he had been forced to explain part of what happened.
The silence that followed left a trace of discomfort in the air, but it was quickly interrupted by Fuyumi, Todoroki's sister, who sat next to them. With a curious smile, she addressed Midoriya.
—So, why does that girl Kachan, always want to hit you? —she asked innocently—. Could it be that she likes you?
Midoriya realized that he had never clarified that to Todoroki.
After a brief explanation, Fuyumi chuckled softly.
—Sorry, I guess I didn't understand my brother very well.
—More like I'm the one who got everything wrong —Todoroki admitted.
Trying to calm his nerves, Midoriya finally took his first bite of the dish, and his eyes lit up.
—It's delicious —he commented, looking at Fuyumi.
—I'm glad you like it —she replied with a smile—. I'll pass your compliments to my brother Natsuo. He stayed at a friend's house to study for finals, but he left dinner ready since we take turns cooking.
Midoriya was surprised to hear that.
—You cook too, Todoroki?
Shoto averted his gaze with a slight gloom.
—Let's just say it's not his strong suit —Fuyumi mentioned with a small laugh.
Midoriya noticed how Todoroki watched his sister with a bit of affection as she laughed.
However, his expression changed radically when the sound of the front door announced someone's arrival.
—I thought Dad had a night shift today —Fuyumi muttered.
Midoriya felt a knot form in his stomach as Endeavor appeared at the doorway. Even though he wasn't wearing his hero uniform, his presence was still overwhelming. Everything about him radiated authority and a harshness that left little room for warmth.
—G-good evening —Midoriya greeted, feeling smaller than usual.
—Welcome home, Dad —said Fuyumi, trying her best to sound natural.
Endeavor barely glanced at them before speaking.
—Shoto, let's talk for a moment —he said firmly, turning towards the hallway without waiting for a response.
Midoriya noticed the flash of displeasure that crossed Todoroki's face as he slowly rose from the table.
—Excuse me for a moment —Todoroki said before stepping out and closing the dining room door behind him.
Midoriya lowered his gaze slightly.
The silence that followed in the room was uncomfortable, and Midoriya stared down at his plate, feeling like an intruder in their family dynamic.
—Maybe I should come back another time —he said, sensing the tension in the air—. I don't want to impose.
Fuyumi, who had been watching the door her brother had just walked through, turned her attention back to Midoriya. She smiled warmly and sat down next to him, gently placing her hand over his.
—Please, don't leave —she said sincerely—. Shoto invited you because he has something important to tell you. I know the tension between my father and my brother is noticeable and can be intimidating —she admitted, her tone softer now—. But I ask that you don't stop being his friend, Midoriya. I think you've been really good for him. Ever since he's been able to talk to you, he seems... more at peace.
Midoriya felt the warmth of Fuyumi's hand, and for a moment, all the discomfort melted away. He returned her a kind smile.
—I won't —he replied, his voice firm.
Author's Notes.-
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