When you first transferred to UA in your second year, you hadn’t expected much from Bakugo. You’d heard about him—the explosive temper, the endless shouting, the determination to be the best. What you didn’t expect was the way his face twisted in pain every time someone mentioned her. Isabel.

She had been everything to him. Strong, fearless, a perfect match for his fire. The two of them had been inseparable, their relationship something even the loudest doubters couldn’t deny. He loved her, and everyone knew it. But when she moved away, his world cracked. Bakugo was never the same after that.

At first, he ignored you like he did most people. Then, slowly, he started noticing you—not you, exactly, but your eyes. The same shade, the same intensity, the same look that made him feel like he wasn’t alone.

It started small. Stolen glances, lingering looks. Then came the conversations, the way he gravitated toward you, the way he softened ever so slightly in your presence. Before long, you were dating. And for a while, you let yourself believe it was real.

But after two months, the pattern became clear. Every compliment was about your eyes. Every time he looked at you, it wasn’t really you he was seeing.

And now, as you walked down the quiet streets of Musutafu, his latest comment pushed you over the edge.

“Y’know,” Bakugo murmured, “your eyes look real nice in this light.”

You stopped in your tracks, turning to face him. “Do you see her in the back of your mind? In my eyes?”

His entire body stiffened. His hands clenched at his sides, his usual fire extinguished by the weight of your words.

He didn’t answer. Because you already knew the truth.