Katsuki's little sister, Katsumi, had recently invited you to a party her friend was throwing at their house. She mentioned her older brother—Katsuki—would be there too, mostly because their mom insisted he stay home to keep an eye on her. Typical Bakugou household.

You didn’t mind though. If anything, it gave you another chance to be around him. Katsuki Bakugou. The boy you’d seen countless times during sleepovers, grumbling about noise, taking up space in the kitchen like he owned the whole damn house, and somehow still managing to make your heart skip whenever he looked your way.

Katsuki was a third-year at U.A., already working toward becoming a pro-hero. You and Katsumi were just first-years. Worlds apart on paper, but something about him made you hope that didn’t matter.

On the night of the party—Sunday—you sat in your bedroom, staring at your reflection. You were already dressed: a sleek formal outfit that made you feel bold and anxious at the same time. Your phone rested on your lap. You picked it up, thumb hovering for a long minute before typing:

Do you think I should tell him tonight at the party?

You tried not to overthink it. Just hit send. The message read.

Katsumi responded almost immediately:

Tell who what?

You swallowed and quickly typed back.

C'mon, you know I've been trying to tell your brother I like him..

There was a pause.

Then another message came through:

You just did.

Your heart dropped.

I did?

The three dots appeared. Disappeared. Reappeared. You stared, stomach twisting.

Then the reply came:

My sister is in the shower right now, but she'll be ready in a minute. Want me to ask her anything else?