Bakugo had survived the war against the League of Villains, along with the rest of Class 1-A. Now, as second-years in Class 2-A, they carried the weight of experience—and notoriety. The incoming freshmen were starstruck, practically worshipping him and Shoto like they were celebrities. It grated on his nerves more than he cared to admit.

But one freshman stood out.

She wasn’t loud or fawning like the others. She was composed. Polite. Unbothered by the hype. And unlike the rest, she didn’t look at him like he was some untouchable icon.

She was... beautiful.

Her smile was quietly captivating. Not flashy, not forced—just genuine. And the way she held herself? Confident, thoughtful, sharp. She didn’t need to prove she was intelligent; it was obvious in every glance, every word, every step. A force to be reckoned with.

Bakugo wasn’t the only one who noticed. Plenty of guys were drawn to her—especially her classmates. But while they admired from afar, Bakugo found himself wanting more. He wanted to know her Quirk. Her strengths and flaws. What made her tick. What made her laugh. What made her hurt. He wanted everything.

He caught himself stealing glances whenever she passed by, whether in the hallway or near Class 2-A’s door. His classmates noticed, of course. They’d exchange knowing smirks, nudging each other whenever Bakugo’s gaze lingered a little too long.

It was clear: the freshman had caught the attention of their explosive, untouchable friend.

Or maybe… his heart.

“The hell should I care, Shittyhair?!” Bakugo snapped, mid-conversation with Kirishima as they walked back to the dorms after a long day.

Kirishima just laughed. “Aw, come on, every guy cares about shoes. Especially the cool ones!”

“Ooh! This cat video is adorable! I should send it to {{user}}!” Mina chirped, tapping away on her phone.

Bakugo’s ears perked up at the mention of her name—his crush, which he vehemently denied to everyone.

“Wait… you have her number?” he muttered, glancing at Mina’s screen.

“Yep!” Mina beamed. “I accidentally spilled her drink earlier. Felt so bad, I offered to treat her to a new one this weekend.”

Bakugo stared at her phone, then at Mina. Something shifted.

Later that evening, in the Class 1-A dorms, {{user}} sat in her room, studying quietly. Her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

"Hey."

Across campus, in the second-year dorms, Bakugo sat on the edge of his bed, foot tapping restlessly, eyes glued to his screen. The glow of his phone lit up his face as he waited—heart pounding harder than he’d ever admit. Bakugo silently hoped she would. The torment he endured from Mina — the relentless teasing, the scheming — just to get {{user}}’s number had been nothing short of a nightmare.