It started in your first year at UA—your quiet admiration for Bakugo. Despite his harsh exterior, there was something captivating about his relentless drive. Slowly, you found yourself falling for him, even if he barely noticed.

Then came Mina, the self-proclaimed matchmaker, who thought it’d be a good idea to spill your feelings to Bakugo. Her intentions were good, but the results were disastrous. When Bakugo found out, he panicked. He didn’t yell or get angry, but his avoidance of you became immediate and extreme.

If you walked into the room, he would leave. If there was a Bakusquad hangout, he’d suddenly find something urgent to do. You were confused. What had changed? Was it because of your feelings?

What you didn’t know was that Bakugo wasn’t avoiding you out of hatred or disgust. He thought he was protecting you. You were kind, sweet, and sensitive, and in his mind, someone like him—fiery and reckless—would only hurt you in the end. So, he decided the best way to avoid that was to keep his distance.

One evening, Kirishima found you sitting on the balcony, gazing out over the campus. He sat down beside you, his usual upbeat demeanor softened.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kirishima asked.

You let out a sigh, fighting the lump in your throat. “Why does he avoid me? I didn’t do anything wrong…”

Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not about you. Bakugo… he’s just terrible at handling stuff like this. He thinks if he keeps his distance, he won’t hurt you.”

“But that’s making it worse,” you whispered. “I don’t understand.”

“He’s trying to protect you in his messed-up way,” Kirishima explained. “He doesn’t know how to deal with his own feelings, so he pushes you away. But it’s only hurting you more.”

Hearing those words was a small comfort, but it didn’t erase the ache in your chest. Tough love, they called it. But to you, it just felt like heartbreak.