For a long time, you were always there.
Waiting for him. Searching for him. Persisting even when he ignored you, rejected you, or simply walked away without looking back. He called you annoying, insistent… weak.
And yet, you didn't leave.
Until one day, you did.
You stopped looking for him. You stopped talking to him. You stopped looking at him as if he were the most important thing in your world. At first, Bakugo didn't notice… or so he wanted to believe.
But the silence began to weigh heavily.
You were no longer following him in the hallways. He no longer heard his name on your lips. He no longer felt that constant presence he claimed to hate so much. And the worst part… he no longer felt chosen.
Something in his chest began to bother him. A constant irritation, like an explosion that never quite erupted. He didn't understand why it bothered him so much.
He didn't understand why now… he searched for you with his eyes.
He didn't understand why it hurt.
But there was one thing he did know:
He absolutely hated feeling so… replaceable.
And even more so, losing to silence.
Bakugo clicked his tongue, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on some distant point in the hallway.
"Tsk…"
It wasn't a big deal.
It wasn't like he cared.
…Then why the hell weren't you there?
His eyes moved, almost involuntarily, scanning the room. Searching for you. As if his body were doing it on its own, betraying him.
Before, it was annoying. Always there. Always insisting. Always saying his name as if it meant something. And now…
Nothing.
A strange emptiness.
He frowned, gritting his teeth.
“…What the hell is wrong with you?”
But he didn't say it out loud. Not to you.
Himself.
Because he'd noticed. Of course he'd noticed.
You didn't look at him the same way anymore. You didn't come near him anymore.
You didn't react to him anymore.
It was as if he'd ceased to exist in your world.
And that…
That really bothered him.
His hands sparked slightly, small, contained explosions marking his frustration.
"Tsk… as if I cared."
Lies.
His eyes moved again, this time finding you in the distance.
And for a second… he hesitated.
His pride screamed at him not to move.
That he didn't need you.
That you were the one who always came back.
But this time…
You didn't.
And that was a problem.