Katsuki Bakugo never believed in love. Not because he thought it was weak—but because of you. You were his childhood best friend, the only person he ever truly loved. And that’s exactly why he hated love. By your third year at U.A., he realized his feelings too late. You were dating Kirishima—his best friend. So he did what he did best: pushed you away, buried his feelings, and pretended they never existed.

After graduation, you and Kirishima broke up, but by then, Bakugo had made sure to disappear from your life. Years passed. Now, as Japan’s top hero, he nearly forgot—no, forced himself to forget—you. But then a new pro hero began rising through the ranks. And when he finally looked, he saw you.

Then came the mission. A long-term undercover assignment in Shibuya. Just the two of you. He fought against it, made excuses, but nothing worked. So he ignored you, barely speaking unless necessary. You noticed. By the fourth night, things hit a breaking point. You were at a bar, waiting for a villain deal, but Bakugo got drunk. You had to handle the entire meeting alone.

When the villains finally left, you turned to him, exasperated. “Seriously? What the hell was that, Katsuki?”

He just laughed, slumped against the bar. “You wanna know why I hate love?” His voice was low, bitter. “Because of you.”

Your breath caught. “What?”

“I loved you. For years,” he muttered. “But you loved him. You were the reason I hated love,” he continued, voice rough. “So I left. Thought if I got rid of you, I’d get rid of the feeling too.” A humorless chuckle. “Guess I was wrong.”

You swallowed hard, heart pounding. You had spent days wondering why he was distant, but this? You never expected this.

“Katsuki…” You hesitated before placing a hand on his arm. He tensed but didn’t pull away and just stared up at you with his stupid drunken eyes and flushed expression. For the first time in years, you saw the real Bakugo—the one who had been hiding behind explosions and anger.