Chapter Text
Katsuki, for as long as you have known him, has always been impulsive. He’s never been known for being careful, considerate, or thoughtful in any way by anyone around him. Especially by the adults in his life. Teachers and parents alike have since long stopped expecting to see such a side of him. You guess that to them, hoping Katsuki Bakugou will ever be responsible and calm is a lost cause. Instead, they seem to shift this expectation to you. You’re supposed to balance him out, you’re supposed to be his impulse control. Both of your parents think the two of you work as friends because Katsuki is intense, so you serve as the ”collected” one. When teachers pair the two of you up it’s partly because they know you’re good friends, but it’s also abundantly clear that they expect you to keep him in check or something. Of course, you both think this is stupid. Especially the latter thing, since he is in fact better in school than you are.
Katsuki is standing silently behind the door of your locker. You can’t see him and you obviously can’t hear him, but you can still practically feel how slow he thinks you’re being while you’re gathering your things. Math is one of your later classes, so the hallway is completely empty, save from the two of you. The rest was of your class was very quick to disappear out the school doors, eager to get home on a Friday afternoon. Katsuki, as well, promptly shoved his binder into his bag, before he flung it over his shoulder and slammed his locker shut. Probably not with the specific intention to slam it, he’s just oddly forceful in general. You, as opposed to him and the rest, have not been as fast.
”You really need to clean out your locker,” he mutters, despite the fact that he can’t even see it.
”I find what I need, though,” you respond as you put back the probably fifty papers you’ve spent the past minutes rummaging through.
”Yeah and it only takes about an hour.”
You have a math test next week, something you have been aware of for awhile at this point even though you haven’t started studying for it yet. Katsuki have told you to, multiple times, but that’s easy for him to say considering he barerly even has to study. Math comes very easy to him. You, on the other hand, absolutely suck. You also definitely lack the energy to even attempt improving, no matter how much Katsuki tells you to just ”fucking ask him for help”. It’s an unstable system where you don’t study until you absolutely have to and then somehow scrape by. Thus, all the hundreds of messily sprawled notes you’ve thrown in your locker and never glanced at again. Until now. At least you can find comfort in the fact that Denki, who is also in your math class, hasn’t started studying either. He doesn’t even have notes, so you honestly could be doing a lot worse.
Katsuki gives you a blank look once you’re finally ready to go, obviously displeased at how long he’s had to wait. You tell him that it wasn’t like you forced him to wait for you or anything, at which he rolls his eyes at you and starts walking.
The sound of your footsteps echoes and bounces slightly off the walls, with no other students around to muffle it. It’s almost four and the hallway is filled with soft golden light. For a moment you get the slightly off feeling of being alone in a place usually full of people, even though you know that there are students still in class somewhere. It’s a feeling where time seems slower than usual, with only the sound of your footsteps and the distant slamming of a door somewhere else in the building. It’s like, for a moment, you get to step back and observe the backdrop of your everyday life. Then you open the glass doors and everything goes back to normal the instant a light breeze sweeps through your hair. Despite the glowing afternoon sun, it’s pleasantly cool outside. You and Katsuki keep your comfortable silence for awhile.
They’re wrong, your parents and teachers. While you are not as impulsive or driven as Katsuki, you’re also not very good at ”balancing him out”. At least not in the way they want you to. Compared to him you are more careful and thoughtful, but their high ideas of your responsibleness are misplaced. Most of all you’re just shy. When you were a kid you were so shy and introverted that there were periods of your early childhood where you barerly talked to people at all. Over the years you’ve developed as a person and it’s not like that anymore, but you’re still pretty quiet around a lot of people. For some reason, this gives them the impression of maturity. In reality, you and Katsuki are similar in more ways than they think. Different in a lot of ways, but similar enough to fit together.
In their eyes, you’re sure the two of you are seen as complete opposites. They’ll talk about balance, but you’ve always gotten the sense that they don’t actually want any kind of balance from the two of you. They think Katsuki is too much in every way and that you are supposed to serve as some type of anchor. It’s unfair to the both of you. If anything, he has helped you be bolder. The bottom line is that you definitely have not impacted his impulsiveness much. Usually, a part of his impulsive track record is simply him dragging you along with him somewhere. Not that you mind.
The same thing seems to be happening today.
He suddenly breaks the silence right after the school has disappeared behind you. ”We should try using the school gym.”
”For what?”
”Boxing, obviously.”
”How was that in anyway obvious? What?”
”Training at home sucks,” Katsuki sighs as if this really has been weighing him down. ”So, the school gym.”
You furrow your eyebrows, not seeing why that is such an announcement. ”Alright? You can just go now, it’s still open.”
”I mean tonight, after it’s closed. I don’t want a bunch of fucking kids running around.”
Your school gym is used by your high school, but also the middle school almost right next to it. It’s shared by the entire community, essentially. After both schools close, it’s used for a bunch of other classes - mainly sports for all different age groups.
You turn to look at him. ”...You’re suggesting that we break into the school?”
”I’m not saying that we should smash a window or whatever, just like,” he shrugs, ”check if a door is open or something. Is that breaking in?”
”Uh, yeah.”
”Their fault if they leave the school open.” He walks with his face nonchalantly turned towards the sun and his hands casually in his pockets, as if he didn’t just suggest committing a crime.
”I don’t even box. Am I supposed to sneak into the school with you just to sit and watch you the entire time?”
He throws you a slightly teasing gaze. ”What, got something better to do?”
Math, actually, but you won’t.
Boxing is Katsuki’s thing, not yours, and he is really good at it. It was his way out of getting into fights every other recess with some kid who said the slightest mean thing to him, to then end up in some talk about his behaviour that his parents were called into. No one actually seemed to care where his behavioural problems stemmed from, but eventually some smart teacher suggested that some type of martial arts might work as an alternative outlet. It was your english teacher, actually, who you had up to 6th grade. She was good, never forced you to speak during class when you didn’t want to. Anyway, Katsuki chose boxing with the reasoning that he likes using his fists. Of the two of you, he is the one who is good at fighting. You’re only experience is tagging along for practice sometimes, mostly when he goes during the weekends to practice on his own. Usually you bring something to do - homework, for example - and usually you end up distracted because he is actually pretty entertaining to watch.
About a week and a half ago they closed the gym. Something about how not enough people were using it and that maintenance was too expensive. It hasn’t shut down for good yet, but they’re keeping it closed until further notice. Katsuki was, surprisingly, not very happy at this. He has grumpily walked home from school the days he would have gone to the gym and it’s obvious he misses it. Admittedly, this doesn’t have much to do with you further than the fact that you are his friend.
But you do want to see the school when it’s closed. You have never minded when he drags you along for things and you have done it many times with him as well, because you’ve always loved exploring places. He knows this. A lot of your childhood consisted of the two of you exploring the woods where you live.
”Okay, but what if the alarm goes off or something? I swear, if I ruin my grades this close to summer.”
He scoffs. ”It won’t, they’re lax as hell. I doubt anyone’s even checked the security cameras since 2006.”
”Yeah, but what if?”
”No one’s checking anything,” he argues. ”The older kids used to get away with shit all the time, right? It’s some small town high school with bum ass teachers, it’ll be fine.”
”Some of them are alright,” you weakly try to defend them. They’re really not that good, your teachers. You’ve had a few alright ones, but most of the ones that are nice enough people are still definitely not good teachers. ”But yeah, I guess so…”
You take a moment to think, to try imagining what your mom would say if you got caught on school grounds when you weren’t allowed to be there. That’s definitely not a conversation you would like to have. Though, honestly, teachers are pretty lenient with you since you’re well behaved and if you managed to make it seem like an honest mistake, you doubt she’d care much.
He glances at you. ”Look, if it’s not open then we’ll just go back home. And you want to get into the school, don’t you?”
”…Yeah,” you admit. You see him smile a little. ”If something happens I guess we can just say that we forgot something and thought the janitor might still be there.”
He nods in approval. ”Nice. Tell them you forgot something for math.”
You don’t live on the same street, just pretty close to each other. Your neighbourhood is located south of the school, technically, but everyone just calls it the old side. In actuality it’s not that old. It looks like any other small town neighbourhood, it’s just called old because there is also a newer one. The streets between your houses are pretty narrow, about the width where cars can pass each other but they have to drive to the side and almost out into the grass to do so. The houses are decently sized and are placed pretty close to each other, you have lawns but they’re not huge and not very picturesque. Except the ones belonging to old people. The area is structured in a way where it’s not crowded. It’s close to the forest and it’s very clear that the forest used to extend to where you live, because they’ve kept little groups of trees between the streets. The layout goes: street, cross street, a small group of trees and forest floor that can’t be called woods or forest, another street. That’s essentially all there is to it, if you look at the neighbourhood without having lived there.
The new side is where Denki, Hanta, and Mina live. Their houses look a little more modern. They also all look almost the same, since they were built with an aesthetic theme in mind. The streets are a bit wider and their lawns a bit bigger, but they don’t have the forest close by. Denki likes to describe your neighbourhood as more ”naturey”. They also have a convenience store. One, and it’s small, but still.
The new side is closer to the highway and closer to the city. The kids there got about 20 minutes to school by bike, ten minutes if they take the buss which they always insist on doing because they get to ”sleep in, then”. Katsuki and you live closer to the school, about a ten minute walk away. You’ve been walking to school since you were old enough to get to do it on your own, which was pretty early since you could walk together. Plus, neither of your parents are the type to worry much. It’s stuck since then, because it’s nice to walk. It’s nice to get that calm moment in-between.
You stop where you usually part ways.
”See you after dinner,” you tell him.
”Yeah. Bring a flashlight or something.”
”We could just use our phones?”
He shrugs. ”Flashlights are cooler. Text me when you’ve eaten.”
”I can eat at any time, really. Your mom’s probably gonna cook so just tell me when you start eating and I’ll eat too.”
”Sure.” With that Katsuki takes a few steps backward in on his street and raises a hand in a goodbye, before he turns around and puts it in his pocket again as he starts walking home.
You get home about three minutes later and is met by a silent house. All of your shoes are placed orderly right by your door, your coats hang neatly beside each. When you open the closet door to leave your backpack, a mild smell of lavender fresheners reaches you. The stillness might make your house seem empty, but the open window in the kitchen tells you that your mom is home. You shout ”I’m home!” to her as you walk up the stairs and head towards you room. Inside, you settle down on your carpet with the intent of studying at least a little bit. Your phone is placed out of reach on your bed as a weak tactic to ”remove all distractions”. Sometimes in school they’ll show you Youtube videos of study motivation and study help, but most of them assume that the only problem with studying is getting distracted. They’re not much help, you suspect that the teachers mostly show them so they won’t have to come up with study techniques themselves.
It works moderately well. You manage to at least pick out some of your notes to revise, until you’re fortunately interrupted by Katsuki’s call.
Your mom comes down while you’re heating up dinner and tells you to check what has to be written down on her grocery list. After you tell her that you have been studying she also asks how it went.
”Fine!” you smile at her, thankful that she doesn’t know when your next test is.
* * *
When you meet by the cross road again Katsuki has, just like you, changed out of his school uniform and is instead dressed in his usually preferred attire of black. Black basketball shorts, a black hoodie, and you can tell he’s wrapped his hands. Personally, you chose jeans and a hoodie - when Katsuki called before dinner he said that you could put the hood on when you pass the security cameras. Again, not that he thinks anyone checks them, but still. It’s also nice because the air has gotten slightly colder during the past hours. The sun hasn’t fully set, but you can no longer see it in the sky and the sunlight that fell over the street earlier has been exchanged for a light blue color. You didn’t bother to bring more than a flashlight and your phone because you figured you’d just watch videos if you get bored. Katsuki brought his sports bag with him.
”Did your mom ask where you were going?” he wonders somewhere on the way.
”Nah, I just said I was gonna see you.”
They’re not huge fans of him, either of your parents. They moved here before they had you because it seemed like a good area for children’s families, especially since many other families seemed to think the same thing. When they saw an opportunity for you to make friends it probably was not a fiery and defiant kid like Katsuki they had in mind, but after you found him you never tried making more friends so they simply had to get used to it.
”My mom did, so if anyone asks we’re at your place right now.”
His parents like you a lot, though. Especially his mom. You both suspect that she has a bit of a soft spot for you simply because you’re a girl. Not that she doesn’t like having a son, but she was always very quick to coo over you when you were little, especially since your own mother liked dressing you up in cute dresses and glitter hairpins. You think she mostly just liked all the cute clothes, since her own child hated them. Katsuki thinks she secretly wants a daughter.
You furrow your eyebrows at him. ”You could have just said we were going out, it’s not like she usually wants proof of where we go.”
”It’s called an alibi,” he answers and you roll your eyes.
”So what is your plan again?”
”They never lock the doors to the gymnasium since it’s constantly in use. That is my plan. Also that shitty window by the library.”
Your school is actually pretty big, at least considering the small area you live in. Your neighbourhood is, however, far from the only residential area near the school. The others are just further away. The second closest high school for most people is in the city. Many of the students at your school could attend that one, but it happens to be a private school that is both expensive and hard to get into unless you apply years in advance. Most middle school graduates therefore choose to use the buses going in and out of town to get to your school instead. That’s how Denki and Hanta got there. The school campus has one middle school and one high school close by, both long and low buildings. The gym is connected to the high school building.
When you get to the school it’s completely empty and pretty dark. You pull your hoods up before walking across the familiar schoolyard. The doors aren’t unlocked, of course, but you try anyway.
”I mean, it’s comforting knowing they’re not that stupid, right,” Katsuki says after harshly tugging on the handle a few times. ”Come on, let’s try the window.”
Your sneakers scratch against the asphalt as you walk around the building. You find everything about the school looks much prettier at night. You’ve been here after school hours before, of course - to talk, to go to the playground meant for the younger kids - but each time you note how prettily the windows reflect the evening sky.
The window by the library is a window with a broken hatch that can’t be closed properly. Since it’s on the first floor, it’s a pretty good spot to sneak out during class after you’ve told the teachers you’re going to the bathroom, because the window can’t be seen from any of the classrooms. You haven’t used it, but it’s pretty known amongst students. Most teachers probably know as well, or at least the janitor, but no one has bothered to fix it.
”Idiots,” Katsuki mumbles when he easily pulls the window open.
From the outside it’s a bit higher off the ground than on the inside. To climb up you have to step out into the grass right beneath it and get up on a small ledge, before trying to heave yourself up.
”What if the alarm is actually on and the police show up or something,” you say half jokingly while you wait for him to climb inside.
”As if the cops would care about coming all the way here because someone walked into the school. A security guard or something, maybe.”
”Yeah, one that would identify us as students and then inform the school. And your mom, also.”
He turns around to hand you his bag and then leans against the wall. ”We’ll just have to run. If we choose the way through the school you could stop and barricade the doors with some tables or something if you’re so worried.”
You smile a little. ”Why does it sound like you want me to distract them so you can get away?”
”You think I’d leave you? If anything they’d give you a slap on the wrist and, like, put me in prison.”
”Yeah, probably. At least if Kitano gets a say in it.”
”He’d fucking drive me there personally.”
You’re joking, of course, but it is true that Mr Kitano seems to have som kind of vendetta against Katsuki. After all his behavioural issues when he was younger he’s not exactly popular amongst the teachers, but your history teacher seems to especially have it out for him. Although he is strict and harsh towards everyone, a typical conservative teacher who would probably hit you with rulers if he could. On the bright side: he’ll probably retire soon, so you manage.
Getting through the window turns out to be pretty easy for Katsuki and he lands at least somewhat gracefully inside the school. Then he freezes for a few seconds. As you (and mostly he) predicted, there is no alarm. In fact, there are barerly any noises to be heard. You hand him the bag and then wait beneath the window until he grabs your wrists to help pull you up.
The lights are off in all rooms and hallways you can see, which means that the janitor has left as well. You know you are alone this time at that there are no students anywhere else in the school. Whatever you were feeling earlier during the day returns tenfold. It’s the same building you spend almost everyday in, but there something suddenly mystical and exciting to be found in the dim hallways and cold blue light. It reminds you of the map in some horror game where you find traces of something tragic that happened to the students.
You suspect that Katsuki doesn’t share all the fantasies you’re starting to conjure up about the school, but he does look at you with an excited gleam in his eyes before he sets off towards to gym, clearly energised now that he knows you’ll really get in.
Generally, he’s not one to be late to things - he’s never late for school and it’s even uncommon for him to skip lessons, his attendance has really improved over the past years. Still, you don’t know of anything he takes as seriously as his training. When you were younger you’d sometimes find it scary when he got angry at people because he got so intense, and you didn’t like how hard he punched or the sound of his fists colliding with whatever student had pissed him off. He’d get berated for it whenever it happened - not only because he got in a fight, but because they always said he took it too far. Nowadays, his intensity has turned into something positive. It’s what made his boxing teacher instantly see potential in him, and he seemed to cling onto that.
The gym is located in one end of the school. On the way there you pass by multiple dark and locked classrooms, as well as a bunch of posters that look significantly sadder in the dark than they’re meant to. When you reach the english classroom the year below you use, you stop in front of a cork board filled with identical flyers. Pink text in what is obviously some Microsoft Paint font advertises auditions for a dance crew or something.
”Are these Mina’s? When did she make these?”
Katsuki stops beside you and scoff. ”Why did she put them all in the same place?”
”And she didn’t even ask us to join.” You shake your head. ”What the hell.”
”As if I would ever join her dance group,” he all but spits out. ”I’d rather go with Denki and Hanta to Comic Con or whatever it’s called.”
”You already did, though?” you call after him as he continues on, done with the flyers.
”Yeah and it sucked.”
The last hallway leading to the gym lacks windows. It’s remote and not really used for anything other than walking to and from P.E, so the walls are all a naked white. Katsuki’s flashlight sweeps over the walls around you and casts a cold light on the closed door in front of you. He turned it on once you realised how dark this corridor gets without natural sunlight falling in.
You barerly have time to doubt that the door will open before it does so with a firm click and is slowly pulled open by Katsuki. It opens with another small scratch being made into the floor beneath it. He stops with his hand on the door and gestures for you to go in first.
Your gym is neither particularly big nor small. It’s big enough that it can be split in the middle sometimes when your P.E teacher spits the class up into boys and girls. There are a few doors leading to connected rooms. Notably, a smaller work out room with the grand total of three punching bags. But instead of being met with a squeaky floor when you walk through the door, you’re met with the smell of chlorine.
Your public pool holds quite a few memories - for everyone in your friend group except Mina. You and Katsuki went there many times when you were younger, and were regulars the year you both learned to swim properly. The visits consisted of you two competing for who could hold their breath the longest and consecutively who could swim the farthest under water, while Mitsuki Bakugou would start throwing worried glances at the pool when you wouldn’t resurface for so long. When you got to know Denki and Hanta, these competitions were exchanged for (by your standards at the time) wild games with the pool noodles. It was fun as hell and you still talk about it sometimes during the summers, much to Mina’s dismay since the pool closed before she moved here. Not that it was much of a sight to behold - not while it was open and especially not now.
The indoor pool you are greeted with is dim, pale, and most of all empty. The few times you’ve seen the place with the lights off before, the lights in the pool have still been on and you have memories of standing outside the windows watching it dance across the ceiling. Now, it’s darker than usual and the pool has become a long hole in the floor with pastel blue tiles. There is an empty board on one of the walls that would have showed the temperature of the water, had there been any. It’s not sad in any way, it’s not like any of you have been walking around actively missing an old public pool. It’s just different. The pool is dark and still instead of bright and loud.
”What the fuck?” Katsuki exclaims after following you through the door.
The pool is also located twenty minutes away from your school.