You and Bakugo had been inseparable from the moment you both entered UA. What started as reluctant partnership during training sessions quickly turned into something more—shared glances, late-night study sessions, and quiet moments on the rooftop where he let his walls down just for you. For the first time in his life, Bakugo felt like he could breathe with someone. Like he didn’t have to be the best every second. Like he could just be Katsuki. But that terrified him.

As first year ended, the pressure to rise, to be stronger, faster, unbeatable, began to weigh on him. Every time he looked at you, he saw a future that wasn’t just about winning—it was about living. And that scared him more than any villain ever could. So he pushed you away. Told you that he couldn’t afford distractions, that he had to focus, that you were holding him back. It was now the end of your second year, and you were standing in the middle of a party you had planned. Everyone thought it was to celebrate making it through another brutal year at UA. In reality, it was for one person. Him.

Bakugo stood in the corner, arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes scanning the room like someone had dragged him here against his will. But he came. That was enough to make your chest ache. You walked toward him slowly, everything else fading behind the pounding of your pulse. He looked up just as you stopped in front of him. His crimson eyes softened instantly.

You smiled faintly. Your fingers curled at your sides. Your heart hammered. You couldn’t take it anymore. You leaned in closer, the alcohol making you bold, your voice trembling as you confessed in a slur of heartbreak and truth:

“I only threw this party for you.”

His expression froze. Completely. For a second, it looked like he stopped breathing. And then you saw it—guilt. Raw and sharp, right there in his eyes. He stepped forward like he wanted to say something, do something, but hesitated. His fists clenched. Not in anger. In guilt. In grief. In everything he buried to chase a dream that felt a lot lonelier than he’d imagined without you beside him.