Liked it? Support the story with Power Stones! Really liked it? The next chapter (The Battle of the Strongest (1/2)) is already available on Patreon!
Link Patreon: patreon.com/Subaru710772142
***
Walking out of U.A., Bakugo adjusted his backpack over one shoulder with one hand, while the other rested in his pants pocket. 'The next few days are gonna be hectic…'
"Bakugo-kun! Wait for me!"
The cheerful voice broke his concentration, and he stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder. There came Uraraka, running with hurried steps.
She stopped beside him, catching her breath before speaking. "You're heading to the station too, right? Let's go together!"
Bakugo raised an eyebrow, looking at her for a moment. "...Okay, just don't slow me down," he muttered and started walking again.
"Of course!" Uraraka replied, completely ignoring his harsh tone. She adjusted her backpack and began walking beside him, trying to keep up with his fast pace.
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything, letting the comfortable silence be filled only by the rhythmic sound of their footsteps and the wind gently rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees.
"So… the first day was intense. U.A. really is different," Uraraka commented, trying to break the ice.
Bakugo let out a short sigh. "Indeed."
"Oh, and I forgot to congratulate you on breaking Endeavor's record." She continued, her smile widening as she recalled that day. "I wasn't surprised at all, you know? Especially after what you did… What was it again? Inferno Blastwave?"
She tried to mimic the movement, dramatically extending her arms and making an exaggerated explosive sound with her mouth. It was, without a doubt, a rather comical performance.
"What was that?" he asked, unable to hide the corner of his mouth threatening to curve upward.
Uraraka chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "I was trying to imitate you. Was it bad?"
"You insulted my technique in at least ten different ways."
"Hehe, my bad."
***
A car moved through the city streets, the nearly inaudible hum of the engine blending with the silence inside the vehicle. The afternoon sun cast golden rays through the windows, illuminating Momo's pensive face as she gazed outside but didn't seem to see the scenery.
"How was your first day, my lady?"
The driver's question pulled Momo from her thoughts. "It was… intense, Kazuya-san," she replied with a reserved smile. "But overall, I think it was good."
Kazuya nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "You have always been dedicated to everything you do, my lady. I'm sure this is just the beginning of a brilliant journey."
Momo thanked him with a subtle nod and returned to looking out the window. The car was now passing through quieter, tree-lined neighborhoods, far from the noise of downtown. Gradually, the scenery changed, giving way to large estates surrounded by high gates and well-kept gardens.
When the car entered the grand gate leading to the Yaoyorozu mansion, Momo felt a mix of familiarity and weight. 'Home sweet home.'
The car stopped in front of the main entrance, where two staff members were already waiting to help her with her backpack and greet her with a bow. Momo stepped out of the car with elegance, automatically adjusting her posture—a reflex from years of discipline.
"Thank you, Kazuya-san," she said, inclining her head slightly in gratitude.
"It is always a pleasure, my lady," he responded with a polite smile before driving away.
As she crossed the grand entrance hall, with its gleaming floors and imposing chandeliers, Momo was greeted by the familiar figure of Mikoto-san, the mansion's head maid. The woman bowed respectfully, her posture impeccable as always.
"My lady," she said, her voice soft yet filled with formality. "It is a joy to see you return safely."
Momo responded with a small smile, nodding. "Mikoto-san, thank you. It's good to be back. Are my parents home?"
"Yes, my lady," Mikoto confirmed, keeping her gaze lowered. "They are in the sitting room. They asked to be informed the moment you arrived."
Momo straightened her shoulders. "Thank you. I'll go see them right away."
Mikoto bowed again before stepping aside, allowing Momo to proceed down the main corridor. Reaching the double doors that led to the sitting room, Momo took a deep breath before pushing.
Inside, her parents were seated in luxurious armchairs, speaking in low tones. Upon noticing her presence, both stopped talking.
"Momo," her mother was the first to speak. "Welcome back."
"Mother," Momo replied, maintaining her impeccable posture as she walked across the room.
"Sit down and tell us about your first day at that school," her father said, gesturing to the sofa in front of them. Although his voice was calm, there was an underlying tone that did not go unnoticed by Momo.
She quickly walked to the sofa and sat with elegance, placing her hands neatly in her lap. "My first day was… completely different from what I expected, Mother, Father," Momo began, carefully choosing her words. "My class, for example, didn't attend the opening ceremony. Instead, we had a practical lesson."
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "They didn't attend the ceremony? How strange. I thought a school of that caliber would value tradition and formality."
"Exactly," her father added, crossing his arms. "That sounds… disorganized, to say the least."
Momo straightened her posture even more, feeling the weight of their words. "I know it's not what you expected, but their approach is very different from other schools. They prioritize putting students in difficult situations so that we can learn from the very first moment to develop a strong mindset."
Her mother sighed softly, exchanging a glance with her husband. "And what exactly did you do?"
"Our teacher gave us a Quirk apprehension test," Momo began, detailing each stage of the practical lesson for her parents.
When she finished recounting everything, Momo paused, waiting for some kind of reaction. For a moment, silence hung in the air before her mother finally broke it.
"Well... that was interesting, but—"
"You must have done well, Momo. The tests were diverse, and your Quirk is perfect for situations like that," her father said, interrupting his wife before she could finish her sentence. "I hope you had the highest score?"
Momo hesitated, lowering her head slightly, unable to meet her father's gaze. "No, Father. I was second."
Silence filled the room again for a moment, and the disappointed look on her father's face made her stomach tighten. "Is that so? Then who was first? He must be very strong, right, dear?" He looked at his wife, who nodded slightly, keeping a neutral expression.
"He is, Father," Momo replied, trying to maintain a firm tone. "I've never seen anyone with such control over their Quirk. It was impressive."
"I see..." her father murmured. "If even my daughter was impressed... what's his name?"
"Bakugo Katsuki."
Her father's eyes narrowed slightly at the name. "Bakugo Katsuki? That name doesn't sound familiar. Does he come from any—"
"He doesn't come from a well-known family, Father," Momo quickly explained, anticipating the next question. "But his talent is undeniable. And I found out today that he broke Endeavor's record in the practical exam."
"Oh? Is that so? Seems like we're falling behind on the country's news, dear," her mother said to her husband, who had pulled out his phone.
"Indeed." He lifted his eyes from the screen and looked back at Momo. "You must be tired. Take a long bath and get some rest"
"Thank you, Father," Momo replied, inclining her head slightly in respect before standing up.
She turned and walked toward the stairs, feeling her parents' watchful eyes on her back. Upon reaching the second floor, Momo entered the hallway leading to her room, passing walls decorated with family portraits and achievements of previous generations.
Entering her room, she closed the door and let out a long sigh, finally able to relax.
***
"She seems quite impressed with this boy," Takashi Yaoyorozu commented to his wife.
"Indeed," Himeko Yaoyorozu responded, watching her husband browse on his phone. "Found anything?" she asked, already predicting that he wouldn't waste time gathering information about this Bakugo Katsuki through his sources.
Takashi sighed, furrowing his brow as he scrolled through the screen. "Nothing too promising," he said with a look of disapproval. "He has a history of rebellion and being a troublemaker at his previous school. Seems like the type who doesn't follow rules and disrespects his elders. In every sense, a bad influence on Momo."
"I see... this is what we feared."
***
[The next day]
'This is hell on Earth,' Bakugo thought as Present Mic's high-pitched voice still echoed in his head.
As soon as the teacher dismissed them for lunch, he practically flew out of the classroom.
Running a hand through his hair irritably, Bakugo walked with firm steps toward the cafeteria, ignoring the murmurs and pointing fingers of the other students in the hallway.
"The class was… a bit too normal,"
Bakugo abruptly stopped and turned to glare at the owner of the voice. 'How did you follow me so fast?' he wondered, finding himself face to face with Uraraka.
"What?" she asked after he just stared at her. "Oh, do I have something on my face?!" Uraraka turned her head to the side, checking her face with her hands.
"No..." Bakugo replied flatly, spinning on his heels and resuming his walk with his hands in his pockets.
The two reached the cafeteria and got their meals. Then, with trays in hand, they chose a table near the window, where the sunlight streamed in softly.
Uraraka sat on one side, and Bakugo on the other. The atmosphere at the table was relaxed, but Bakugo seemed distant, his eyes fixed on his tray as he chewed.
"…it's good that the prices are cheap," Uraraka murmured to herself, unaware that Bakugo could hear her clearly.
A little curious, he leaned slightly toward her. "Why's that?"
Uraraka flinched, letting out a small "Ah!" as she straightened up in her chair. She blushed slightly, realizing that Bakugo had actually heard what she said.
"I-I just thought the food would be more expensive, you know," she said, raising a finger in an explanatory gesture.
"Hmm… you're a terrible liar," Bakugo replied, going back to eating without looking at her.
The comment made Uraraka's shoulders slump. "I… I just didn't want it to be a problem," she admitted, staring at the table while her fingers nervously played with the napkin. "It's just that I try to save money whenever I can. My family… well, we don't have a lot of it."
She hesitated, her eyes lost in thought. After a few seconds, she decided to continue. "They have a construction company, but things aren't going well. It's been years since we got a big contract, and we're on the verge of bankruptcy."
Uraraka let out an awkward laugh, scratching her head. "Ah, sorry! I shouldn't be talking about this while we're eating, right?"
'So that's why she got the smallest plate…' Bakugo stopped eating, his eyes shifting to her from the corner of his eye.
The silence that followed was almost palpable, and Uraraka felt the weight of having opened up so much hanging in the air.
"Yeah, you're right," Bakugo finally broke the silence, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This isn't mealtime conversation. Now I lost my appetite because of you."
"Oh… sorry." Uraraka lowered her head in embarrassment, her voice coming out as a nearly inaudible whisper. 'I… shouldn't have said anything.'
Bakugo scoffed and pushed his tray toward her. "I'm not throwing all this food away. If you feel so guilty, then finish this."
Uraraka's eyes widened, and she lifted her head to look at him. Tears started to spill down her cheeks, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window.
"Hey, don't start that now," Bakugo grumbled in a low voice.
"You… are you sure? Won't you be hungry?" she asked, quickly wiping her tears away with her hand.
"Tsk, just eat."
She nodded and picked up her chopsticks, but before taking a bite, Uraraka looked at Bakugo with the brightest smile he had ever seen. "Thank you, Bakugo-kun!"
"…whatever, pink cheeks."
At that moment, Uraraka didn't even care about the nickname.
***
[One hour later]
"Aren't you guys nervous?" Kaminari asked from his seat.
"Why would we be?" Momo asked back.
"I mean—" He looked around for support. "Am I the only one traumatized after Aizawa-sensei's class?"
"Yes, just you," Kyoka replied beside him, idly twirling one of her jacks in her hand.
"No way!" Kaminari exclaimed, his eyes widening as he leaned toward Kyoka. "Did you see the way he looked at us? Like he was planning our total destruction? That didn't scare you even a little?"
Kyoka shrugged, a playful smile forming on her lips. "Maybe you're just more cowardly than the rest of us."
"Hey, that was rude!" Kaminari protested, placing a hand on his chest as if he'd been truly wounded.
"I'm excited to see who'll be teaching the class," Kirishima commented, completely ignoring Kaminari's whining.
"Me too!" Uraraka exclaimed, raising her arms with a bright smile. Deep down, she hoped it would be Thirteen, her favorite hero.
"I just hope it's someone who doesn't waste time with useless theories," Bakugo muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
"You mean 'essential theories so you don't blow things up by accident'?" Kyoka shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"You teasing me, earphones?" Bakugo asked in a mocking tone.
"What do you think, Blasty?" Kyoka replied, a challenging smile appearing on her face.
'Wow, so this is what a conversation between friends looks like?' Momo wondered, watching everything with curiosity.
Everyone stopped talking when they heard heavy footsteps near the classroom door.
"HEEERE I COME—"
At the back of the room, Izuku's face lit up as he recognized the voice.
"ENTERING LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!!" All Might threw open the door, his presence filling the class. And despite his words, his entrance was anything but normal.
"I-it's really All Might!" Kaminari stammered, his eyes wide.
"Now THIS is a real teacher!" Kirishima exclaimed, raising his fist enthusiastically.
'All Might…' As much as he had prepared himself mentally, Bakugo felt his chest tighten and his eyes sting upon seeing him again—tall, strong, and unshakable, just as he should always have been.
Instinctively, his hand went to his chest, where he felt the All Might card—the same one he always carried… the same one he held before he died in front of the hero's specter.
His jaw clenched as the weight of the memories hit him. 'Not now,' he thought, tightening his fingers around the card.
"-Bakugo-kun?"
He snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a small hand on his shoulder. Lifting his head, Bakugo found himself staring at Uraraka's concerned expression and noticed that everyone was already standing up, grabbing their uniforms.
'How long was I—?'
"Are you okay?"
Hearing the worried tone, Bakugo took a deep breath and quickly pulled his hand away from his chest. "I'm fine, just got lost in thought."
Uraraka didn't look entirely convinced but stepped back. "If you say so." She didn't push further, understanding that he didn't want to talk about it.
Bakugo got up and went to where his case with his uniform was. 'I... think I'm not feeling well...'
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.