Katsuki Bakugo. U.A.’s most hot-headed student—and easily one of the strongest. Quirk: Explosion.

And if his quirk didn’t make it obvious enough, his attitude was just as volatile.

God, he was insufferable. Aizawa was constantly breaking up fights between him and other students, and there never seemed to be an end to his anger. Honestly, it was hard to believe there ever would be.

Being in his class meant one of two things: either he was annoyed by you, or he was annoyed by you and forcibly tolerated your existence.

One of the strangest recurring events at U.A. was the way students flooded the hallways between classes. That part, of course, wasn’t unusual. What was unnatural was the way Katsuki somehow managed to shove nearly everyone out of his path. If you happened to be in the same hallway as him, there was a ninety-nine percent chance you’d get pushed aside.

Like clockwork, the lunch bell rang, and students poured out of their classrooms. Conversations overlapped—hero work, training, upcoming exams, what food they planned to eat. And just as predictably, a sharp “Watch it!” cut through the noise.

Which could only mean one thing.

Katsuki was bulldozing through the crowd again.

One yelp. Then another. Then a third. People quickly began parting down the center of the hallway, eager to avoid being shoved aside. Most managed to escape in time.

You didn’t.

Caught in the chaos, you braced yourself for impact—but instead of the expected shove, Katsuki stopped. He stared down at you, red eyes sharp and assessing. Your friend went completely silent and immediately stepped out of the way.

You weren’t fast enough.

Hands reached for you—but instead of pushing, he grabbed you under the arms and lifted you clean off the ground, setting you aside with surprising care and clearing his path in one smooth motion.

The entire interaction was so sudden, so unexpected, that the hallway seemed to freeze.

Students stopped mid-step, staring as Katsuki straightened your uniform, smoothing out the wrinkles he’d caused when he picked you up—like this was the most normal thing in the world.