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The Sports Festival might have a bigger media coverage but the amount of stalls in Cultural Festival easily outnumbers the ones in the former event.
The stalls exist in the Sports Festival for the sole purpose of giving enough food and drinks for the guests. Maybe, there’s some carnival games here and there but honestly, who needs those games when you have students from all departments (excluding the business department) battling each other, right?
In the Cultural Festival though, the stalls, both by the sponsors and the students, are the life of the event. It lines from the gate to the selected hallways inside their building.
Izuku takes it all in: the scent of food, the chatter of students, pro heroes, and civilians, and the feeling that reminds him that there is a world outside of the gruesome heroics.
“Hey, Deku. What are you waiting for, Christmas?”
Katsuki stands just a few steps ahead of him, his hand slightly reaching for him.
He grins and takes Katsuki’s hand as they walk together.
So, they’re a thing now. It’s a recent development and it took some adjustments in their routines but all is well.
There’s stolen kisses, sneaking into each other’s rooms for cuddles, and now, hand holding. They would’ve also gone out for a date but with Izuku’s internship, Katsuki’s remedial classes, and various safety issues, they just couldn’t find the time or are simply hindered.
The Cultural Festival is the closest thing they could have in having a date.
He glances at Katsuki and when the blond returns it, he smiles. “I really like you, Kacchan.” He blurts out. Izuku doesn’t really have any reason. Katsuki surely already knows it but it’s somehow comforting to say from time to time.
Katsuki abruptly turns his head to the other side, cursing under his breath that Izuku almost didn’t catch it. Then, he looks back at Izuku and leans in to press a quick kiss.
It took only a second but it already earned them some wolf whistles.
Behind them is Kaminari, Kirishima, and surprisingly, Todoroki.
Izuku’s face warms at having an audience, even if it was only a simple kiss. He isn’t really good with the whole PDA thing, preferring the enclosed and private spaces only the both of them could share. Katsuki is more comfortable with it but thankfully respects Izuku’s boundaries.
“How are our lovebirds doing?” Kaminari laughs as he nears them, faltering when Katsuki narrows his eyes at him.
Izuku nods at the two that is trailing Kaminari. “We’re doing fine, Kaminari-kun.”
“What do you guys want?”
Kirishima leans on Kaminari, grinning. “There’s a spicy noodle contest and we thought hey, maybe Bakugou would like this!”
“And what is half-and-half doing here?” Katsuki gestures at Todoroki with a condescending frown. Todoroki matches it with an unimpressed look.
Kirishima moves towards the mentioned guy and wraps an arm around his shoulder.
“Well, Todoroki here generously volunteered—”
“I did not.”
“—to satisfy our curiosity. Does the cold really help in relieving the spice or does it actually make it worse?”
Katsuki pinches the bridge of his nose. With a sigh, he grips Izuku’s hand tighter and starts pulling him away.
“Wait! Bakugou!” Kaminari protested.
“I’m not interested. Get lost.”
“There’s a prize of a limited edition All Might bundle from the Golden Age. If I remember correctly, it is the Kyoto Hero Gala version and the posters are signed.” This time, it is Kirishima that calls.
Izuku stops at his tracks, making Katsuki sigh again, with greater exasperation.
“Deku, you know you can make All Might sign every piece of merchandise you have in your room, right?”
He meets his boyfriend’s judgemental stare steadily. “I know but it’s the Kyoto Hero Gala bundle , Kacchan! There’s only three hundred bundles produced in total and only a hundred of those have signed posters. I gotta have it. ”
Izuku pulls him back to the trio.
“What, you’re gonna join that contest?”
He looks at Katsuki then rolls his eyes.
Katsuki snorts then tugs Izuku towards him, ignoring Izuku’s indignant squawk, and flicks him at the forehead. “You’ll already start crying from the first bite. I know— You know you’re a baby when it comes to spicy food.”
“No, I’m not!” Izuku asserts.
“Yes, you are.”
“I’m gonna win that contest, Kacchan.”
“No, you won’t, Deku.”
Izuku scowls at him and Katsuki stares him down.
It was not long until the blond groans in frustration.
“I will win that All Might bundle.”
“No, I’m gonna win it for you. ” Izuku stops at Katsuki’s words, his heart beating faster. “You’re not gonna last even just a few bites of something spicy so I’ll join the contest.”
Izuku looks down at his shoes, cheeks yet again warm, as they resume walking, completely missing how Kirishima and Kaminari make heart gestures at them both to tease Katsuki. Todoroki hangs at the back of them, ignoring the world in favor of scrolling on his phone.
“I’m gonna win it for you.”
The rest of the group bickers, unaware of Izuku’s flustered internal screaming.
“Hello! Welcome to U.A.’s spicy noodle challenge!” The emcee, a female student Izuku is not familiar with, energetically greets the audience. Izuku, along with Kirishima and Kaminari’s hollers, cheers for Katsuki and Todoroki.
“For those who don’t know what the spicy noodle challenge is: the challenge is basically ‘who can finish this spicy noodles faster?’ or ‘who could finish this bowl of noodles at all’.” The emcee starts walking in front of the contestants. ”But, here in U.A., we will of course go beyond.”
It earned her a chorus of ‘Plus ultra!’ from the audience.
“These brave guys and girls would not only have to race to finish one spicy noodles bowl, but four .”
On cue, a few people from backstage come out to put four steaming bowls in front of the contestants. They even color coordinated the bowls. Pink for the lowest level and brick red for the highest level. A single cup of milk is also given.
“First bowl is on your left, it is mildest and cheese flavored. Next to it is the original flavor. The bright red bowl has the original flavor but it’s spiciness level is doubled and the last bowl is quadrupled.”
“Another condition we applied to this challenge is that once you ran out of milk on that glass, you are out. Also, no quirks. Any quirk use is accountable for disqualification. You can forfeit any time though.”
Todoroki, who’s seated beside Katsuki, slightly leans forward and turns his head slowly to their group. Izuku isn’t sure if their classmate is glaring at Kirishima and Kaminari or silently asking for help.
“Oh no.” Kaminari mumbles.
The emcee turns to the contestants. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” The contestants answers, some are already looking more nervous than earlier.
“You may start…. Now!”
He doesn’t like cheese.
It isn’t even that spicy, not even close to how spicy he usually have in his food.
But Katsuki keeps putting and chewing the noodles in his mouth because there is a nerd with big green eyes that is watching him, hoping he would come down that stage with that damned limited edition All Might bundle in his hands, hoping that he would win.
And he will.
He finishes the first bowl easily and immediately starts the second bowl, ignoring the commentary by the emcee. Half-and-half beside him finishes the cheese-flavored noodles not long after and tries to exhale some of the spiciness from his mouth before continuing. There isn’t any cold mist that came out his mouth.
At least half-and-half plays by the rules.
Katsuki finally feels the kick of the spice at the final bite of the second bowl, but it is nothing he couldn’t handle. Putting the two first bowls aside, he starts at the third bowl.
Two other contestants forfeit, gulping the milk that is given to them. He pays them no mind and continues on eating.
That is until half-and-half starts coughing beside him. Katsuki turns to him, not stopping at eating, and watches him take a long sip of the milk before going back to his bowl. After three bites, half-and-half leans on the table with one hand flat on top of it and starts crying as he chews with his eyes closed.
Katsuki forgets to chew for a moment and just sat there, watching the stoic (soon former because Katsuki will make sure he would replace him) top of the class cry because of spicy noodles.
He couldn’t help it. He laughs at half-and-half’s misery.
Heterochromatic eyes opens just to glare at him as he reaches for his glass of milk to down the rest of it. Half-and-half elbows him not too gently.
Katsuki sets the third bowl to the side harshly, scowling at him. “You little shit—”
Half-and-half only rolls his eyes, an annoying habit Deku is already picking up.
Katsuki turns back to the final noodle bowl, but not without kicking the shitstain beside him because he’s petty just like that.
First bite of the last bowl and he already feels the harsh burn. He takes his first sip from his glass and continues on eating.
Half way through the last bowl, Katsuki is the only contestant left and they are all waiting for him to finally finish. He drinks again and hurries at eating the remaining because he can already feel his eyes watering.
When he, at last, swallows the final scoop of noodles, he gulps the rest of the milk as the emcee and audience clap for him.
He stands when the emcee walks towards him, several paper bags in her hands.
“Everyone, give a round of applause for Bakugou Katsuki!” The audience claps again but this time he can hear those idiots yelling.
“Way to go, Bakubro!” That was Shitty Hair.
“Hell yeah! That’s my friend! Woo!” Pikachu.
“Congrats, Kacchan!!” At the nerd’s cheer, he searches for those wild hair and green eyes.
When he finds him, Deku brightens up even more and bounces on the soles of his feet. He smirks as he lifts the paper bags up. The nerd’s smile became even bigger.
Great, now he’s brighter than the sun.
“Congratulations, Bakugou-san! Are there any thoughts you would like to share to us?”
“The noodles taste like shit.”
Izuku waits at the side of the stage.
He is the only one left from the group aside from Katsuki after Kirishima and Kaminari ran when they saw Todoroki marching towards them with a dark expression on his face. He could only pray for his friends’ fate.
Finally, the event organisers let Katsuki go after a photo-op.
Katsuki is still sweating and sniffling as he approaches him. With a fond smile, he reaches at his back pocket for his handkerchief.
“Told you I’ll win”
Izuku sighs, a smile still in his face. “Yeah, yeah.” He steps closer, reaching to wipe the sweat on Katsuki’s face.
Katsuki snatches his handkerchief from his hand. “Stop that. It’s embarrassing.” He whispers as he towels himself. His cheeks are still tinted red and his eyes are shinier than it was before the competition. The most distracting though are how seemingly more plump and red his lips are.
It’s irresistible.
He reaches up to kiss Katsuki, making it last longer than earlier. Izuku hears the bags jostling at their side and feels Katsuki’s hand at the back of his neck.
Then, he remembers that they’re in public and pulls away, blushing for the nth time from embarrassment. Katsuki still steals one final kiss.
He licks lips and instantly gags at the sting of spice that he got from Katsuki.
“What?”
“I tasted the noodles, oh my god.”
Katsuki chuckles. “And, you wanted to join the contest.”
He pushes the blond back. “Shut it.” Izuku says but it doesn’t have any bite. Katsuki leans to kiss him again but he moves away. “No kisses.”
“Well, no All Might for you then.” Katsuki counters, already stepping back.
Izuku lets out a scandalised gasp. “No…” He reaches for the bags but Katsuki holds it above his head. “You won that for me.”
Katsuki smirks. “Nothing’s free nowadays, Deku. Kiss?” He bends down for a kiss again but Izuku covers his mouth with his hand with a protesting noise.
“I don’t wanna taste the noodles!”
“Ugh…”
He pinches Katsuki’s cheeks. “Brush your teeth first then we can kiss.”
Katsuki slaps his hands away from his face and starts to drag him towards the direction of their dorms.
“Deal.”