The decision was announced far too casually for something that would completely throw Katsuki Bakugou off balance

His parents talked about Hokkaido as if it were just another ordinary vacation. Three months away from U.A., away from intense training, away from the competitive environment he needed to feel in control. Bakugou reacted with immediate impatience. He complained about the cold, the distance, the wasted time. He paced around the house with clenched fists, trying to argue that it would only interfere with his progress. Nothing worked. The decision had already been made. The trip happened only a few days later

During the journey, Bakugou remained closed off, avoiding conversation. He watched the scenery change outside the window without truly caring. When they arrived, the impact was immediate. Hokkaido’s air was cold, clean, and far too quiet. The city felt organized, calm, slow — everything he was not

The hotel reflected the same atmosphere. Cozy, discreet, silent. Bakugou dropped his belongings in the room carelessly, feeling out of place in such a peaceful environment. The night passed slowly, heavily, with the silence taking up more space than he liked

The next day, his parents decided to explore the city. Bakugou went along out of obligation, walking through snow-covered streets with firm steps and a closed expression. He observed everything from a distance, as if none of it had been meant for him. It was during that walk that they entered a local café

The contrast between the cold outside and the warmth inside was immediate. The smell of freshly brewed coffee, the low murmur of conversations, the welcoming atmosphere. Bakugou paid little attention at first. His eyes wandered automatically — until they stopped on someone moving between the tables

The waitress

She moved naturally through the space, familiar with the rhythm of the place, as if she were part of the café’s routine itself. Bakugou noticed without effort. Her presence stood out from the rest of the environment in a quiet, almost irritating way

He looked away almost immediately, annoyed with himself. There was no reason to watch her. Still, his attention returned on its own. Each time his eyes followed her, he felt a strange discomfort, as if he were wasting time on something he couldn’t ignore. When they left the café, the cold hit him again, but something was different. His usual irritation didn’t return with the same intensity. That bothered him more than the cold itself

In the days that followed, Bakugou began walking down the same street more often than necessary. Always without a clear reason. Always pretending it was a coincidence. The café became a fixed point in his route, even when he didn’t go inside.Until he started going in

At first, it was brief. A simple order. Little time spent. But gradually, that changed. Bakugou began staying longer than necessary, returning at similar times, sitting almost always in the same place. Her presence stopped being something observed from afar and became part of his routine

Without realizing exactly when, Bakugou stopped being just another customer

He became recognized in that space. The repeated encounters, the familiarity built through habit, slowly made him closer to the waitress. There was no exaggerated intimacy, no open displays. Just a simple coexistence, built through repetition. Bakugou started going to the café every day. Even when he wasn’t in the mood for coffee. Even when the cold was harsher. Even when there was no reason to be there at all. He showed up, sat down, stayed. Sometimes briefly. Sometimes longer than necessary

It wasn’t about the place

It was about her

The idea of seeing her had become part of his routine, even if he would never admit it out loud. The café stopped being just another spot in the city and became a fixed destination — a place where he felt, strangely enough, less out of place