Your first day at UA was a blur of nerves and excitement, but everything froze when you saw him—Katsuki Bakugo. He looked so much older, sharper, and more intimidating than the boy you used to know. The boy who used to pull you out of trees, who grinned like a dork when you teased him. The boy you had a massive crush on before you moved away.

You thought seeing him again would be like picking up where you left off, but Katsuki barely even looked at you. Days turned into weeks, and he was cold, distant, and angrier than you remembered. It hurt more than you wanted to admit. Just as you were ready to give up, though, he’d do something that threw you off.

Like the time you tripped during training, and he yanked you to your feet, muttering, “Watch it, dumbass.” Or when he shoved you out of the way of an attack, growling, “What, you wanna die?” His actions felt familiar, like the boy you used to know was still there, just buried under layers of sharp edges and scowls.

But the whiplash was maddening—one day, he’d act like you were nothing, the next, like he cared. Frustration boiled over, and you finally cornered him after class.

“Bakugo, what’s your deal?” you snapped.

“My deal?” he scoffed, glaring down at you. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You act like I’m a waste of space, then you’re practically babysitting me. Just pick a side already!”

He glared at the floor, his jaw tight. “Tch. You piss me off.”

“Excuse me?”

“You piss me off,” he repeated, his voice rising. “You show up outta nowhere, act like nothing’s changed, and—ugh! Just—” He ran a hand through his hair, glaring at you like it was your fault. “I don’t know what to do with you, okay?”

For a moment, you were speechless. Katsuki’s words hit hard, but the raw honesty in his tone struck deeper. Before you could respond, he stomped away, leaving you standing there, heart racing.

Katsuki Bakugo was as infuriating as ever, but one thing was clear: he still felt something. And so did you.