Chapter Text
~FRESHMAN YEAR~
Katsuki Bakugou scowled as he shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. While his Frosted Flakes tasted fine, he couldn't bask in its sugary goodness with a camera flashing in his face.
"Can't I eat in peace?"
Standing by the counter, his mother Mitsuki lowered her camera. She frowned as she dropped her shoulders. "Come on," she said. "Just one smile for your Mom?"
"No."
Mitsuki whined, but raised the camera again anyway. Katsuki bared his teeth as she snapped several shots, his irritation appearing more prevalent with each picture taken.
"I swear to God, Katsuki," she said, voice raised, "if you don't put that finger down right now I'll cut it off."
Katsuki dropped the obscene gesture, though not without emitting a grunt. The type of grunt that could only be mastered by an agitated fourteen year old boy.
He turned to the other person seated at the kitchen table. "Dad?"
Masaru Bakugou pushed up his glasses and buried himself in the classifieds section of the local newspaper. "I'm not getting involved."
Another grunt. Katsuki's cereal laid abandoned on the wooden table, only half eaten. Breakfast was officially ruined.
"Just one smile and I'll put the camera away," Mitsuki said.
Katsuki leaned back in his chair, the muscles in his neck hurting as he tilted his head back. "Why are you even making this a big deal?"
"Because I'm a mother. Sue me."
Just then, the doorbell rang. A miracle in the form of what was now Katsuki's favorite sound. He leaped from his chair, snagged his backpack tucked away in the corner, and sprinted for the door.
When he opened it, any frustration he had regarding his mother's antics had vanished and was replaced with a mixture of happiness and relief. A pair of dual colored eyes, one blue and one gray, met his gaze. The innocence that reflected in them was endearing to the point of being humorous. If Katsuki wasn't so desperate to leave, he'd laugh at how oblivious his best friend and neighbor was to the chaos he just interrupted.
Shouto Todoroki offered a sweet smile. "Hi."
Katsuki smiled back, much larger than the one on Shouto's face. "You're a lifesaver." He then addressed his parents, calling out to them over his shoulder. "I gotta go, see you guys later."
"Have a great day, honey," Masaru said.
"Wait, Katsuki," Mitsuki pleaded. "I still didn't get a good-"
Katsuki cut her off. "Sorry, can't hear you. Love you Mom, bye!"
He suppressed his laughter as he grabbed Shouto by the wrist and made a haste exit. The two of them rushed down the front steps of the Bakugou residence, slowing their pace only when they reached the bottom of their shared driveway.
Shouto was still smiling. "First day of school pictures?"
"Yes," Katsuki said. "AKA my own personal hell."
Shouto snickered. "Yeah, I went through the same thing this morning. I guess it's a mom thing."
Katsuki nodded, then darted his eyes toward Shouto's colonial style house. "You two are the only ones home, right?"
"Yeah, you're safe. For now at least."
"Good."
As they started their walk toward their new school, Shouto gripped the straps on his backpack. "You can't avoid him forever, Katsuki."
"It doesn't have to be forever, Halfie," Katsuki responded. "Just for the next four years."
"That'll still be pretty difficult to do."
With his chin tilted up, Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Not really. I got a guy named Ishiyama as my gym teacher this year. I have to trust I'll be just as lucky for the other three."
"If you say so," Shouto muttered, not sounding the least bit convinced.
Katsuki wasn't convinced either, though he kept that to himself. Regardless, he refused to let any apprehension he had over what was to come dampen his mood.
A new layer of tranquility enveloped his heart each time he and Shouto passed a sakura tree. This was Katsuki's favorite time of year, and not just because his fifteenth birthday was two weeks away. April was a time for new beginnings, a chance to start fresh. Today offered change in the form of a new school, though Katsuki hoped this year would allow him room for personal growth as well. The chance to become somebody he could be proud of.
After what transpired last month, he was desperate for change.
However, there was one element of Katsuki's life that he never wanted to change. It was too rare, too important. Looking back on his younger years, most of his greatest memories tied back to one particular thing.
Or, more specifically, one particular person.
Katsuki smiled as he ruffled Shouto's impossibly soft hair. No matter how many times he ran a hand through that red and white mane, it never got old. Shouto's lips always curved into the same tiny smile, even on the rare occasion he scolded Katsuki for messing his hair up. That little smile always forced Katsuki to smile even bigger.
Though he wasn't pleased with how it played out, Katsuki was relieved he and Shouto were going to the same high school together. Talking to each other through a phone every day wouldn't have been the same. There was no one on this planet who understood Katsuki the way Shouto did, and Katsuki knew the opposite was just as true. And while a friendship like theirs was strong enough to endure any distance, Katsuki would choose his best friend living only one house away every single time.
Their new school was ten minutes further away than their last one. As they neared in on their destination, a hoard of students came into view. Some quickly settled into small cliques on the lawn, some linked up outside the entrance and walked in together, and others headed inside without as much as waving at anyone.
Katsuki and Shouto stood outside the main arch, taking in their surroundings. The fifteen story main building, the massive courtyard adorned with a marble fountain, and the sports arena off in the distance. This looked more like a palace than a learning institution.
UA High School. This was Katsuki's last stop before he was thrown out into the real world. Four more years, then he was on his own. But if the size of this place was any indication of how elite it was, he figured that'd be enough time to prepare.
"It's..." Shouto said, "big."
"Yeah," Katsuki added, refusing to blink.
Shouto sucked in his lip as he peered around. "See anyone you recognize?"
"No. You?"
"Uh uh."
Katsuki studied his friend's expression. Shouto wrinkled his little button nose, a nervous habit of his.
A lopsided grin formed on Katsuki's face. "You're not scared, are you?"
Shouto furrowed his brows at Katsuki's amusement. A sakura petal landed in his dual colored hair as he puffed his cheeks out. "No."
Katsuki snickered as he threw an arm around Shouto's shoulder. "Come on, idiot. We'll be fine."
Their friendship was one between equals, but Katsuki often served as the leader for situations like these. Partly because it was second nature to him, but also because he hated seeing Shouto sad or worried. If there was ever anything he could do to cheer his friend up, Katsuki would do it, no questions asked.
So off they went through the main entrance of UA, Katsuki's arm still hanging off Shouto's shoulder. Shouto was still nervous, Katsuki could tell, but he was smiling at least, and that was good enough for now.
The interior of UA resembled that of a school more than the exterior, but it was still difficult to navigate through. Especially with so many kids around. Katsuki swore some of these people with backpacks were way too old to be high school students. Some even had fully grown beards. Others already had receding hairlines.
"Should we ask someone for directions?" Shouto said.
Katsuki finally dropped his arm from around Shouto. "No way. That's too embarrassing."
"Then how are we supposed to find our homeroom?"
There were over ten rooms in this wing alone. Katsuki and Shouto both had a man named Mr. Aizawa as their homeroom teacher this year, though Katsuki hadn't a clue which way to go. All he knew was Aizawa's classroom was on the first floor, so they were on the right track at least.
They opted to go left. It turned out to be a smart decision. Not because they found Aizawa's classroom, but because of a certain someone they ran into.
"Oh, hey!"
Momo Yaoyorozu's face lit up as her eyes landed on the two boys, especially Shouto. In true Momo fashion, her hands were already full of encyclopedia sized textbooks. Even on the first day of school, Momo was ready to learn.
"Hi," Shouto said, offering a sheepish smile. "Do you want me to carry those for you?"
"Aww." Momo handed her books to Shouto before squeezing his arm. "Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're the best."
Shouto's face flushed a light pink. Katsuki fought back a smile. While he wasn't the biggest fan of couples engaging in PDA, the few interactions he witnessed between Shouto and Momo were always entertaining due to how awkward Shouto was, both as a boyfriend and as a person.
Katsuki turned to Momo. "Did you find Aizawa's classroom?"
"Not yet." She gestured to the books Shouto took off her hands. "I wanted to put these in my locker first."
"We can do that," Shouto said.
Katsuki paused to curse at some kid that brushed shoulders with him as he passed. Once he calmed down, he addressed his friends again. "You guys go. I'll go this way."
A frown tugged at Shouto's lips. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. We'll cover more ground that way. Whoever finds Aizawa's room first can text the other."
Momo smiled. "That's a good idea." She glanced back at her boyfriend. "Ready?"
Shouto pressed his lips together and nodded, that rosy hue once again overtaking his complexion. Still, he exchanged goodbyes with Katsuki and went off with Momo to put away her belongings.
Katsuki chuckled once they were out of earshot. Shouto and Momo had been dating a little over a week. While he was happy for his friend, Katsuki wished getting a girlfriend would've smacked some sense into Shouto. The poor boy was still so oblivious, he didn't even realize Katsuki suggested they split up so Shouto could have some uninterrupted time with Momo.
Shaking his head, Katsuki's grin remained on his face as he strolled through the UA halls, searching for his homeroom. He didn't find it, though he exchanged high fives and fist bumps with a few older students he knew such as Mirio Togata and Yo Shindo. They both told him Aizawa's room was in the direction he was heading, so that was reassuring. Katsuki pulled his phone out as he rounded the corner. He sent a quick text to Shouto, then slid it back into his pocket.
It was a good thing too, for if he chose to keep his eyes glued to his phone instead of in front of him, he would've missed her.
There she was, the one person Katsuki had hoped he'd bump into on his first day of high school. She'd been on his mind since their encounter at Mirio's party last year. It'd been months since he'd seen her. She was even prettier than he remembered.
Her gaze met his, a flirty smile forming on her freshly glossed lips. Katsuki's heart pounded against his chest as she got closer. The confidence she carried in her steps caused Katsuki's own confidence to diminish. He secretly hoped this exchange would be quick as his throat was closing up and he wouldn't be able to talk much anyway.
And quick it was. She eyed Katsuki up and down as she strutted past him, kept that same seductive grin on her face, and offered three simple words to him.
"Looking good, Katsuki."
And then she was gone. All Katsuki could do was stare, admire, fantasize. Her baby blue sundress fell at her mid thigh, a sight all too enticing. Katsuki was reminded of how he grabbed them as her legs wrapped around his waist while they made out in Mirio's basement closet. How their hands wandered all over each other as she kissed down his neck. How she tied back her gorgeous fawn colored hair before she dropped to her knees and gave Katsuki his first-
"Katsuki Bakugou."
Katsuki immediately snapped out of it. No matter how badly he wanted more of Camie Utsushimi, any impure thoughts he had needed to wait until after school hours.
He would've been thankful for the man who broke his concentration had it been anyone else. Unfortunately, to balance out his luck for seeing Camie, the universe decided to curse him with the last person Katsuki wanted to see today.
He scoffed as he surveyed the man before him. Katsuki had never been fond of him or his stupidly swept back hair, but Katsuki's distaste for him reached exponential levels in this particular setting.
"What do you want, Keigo?" he muttered.
"It's Coach Takami at school," Keigo replied.
"Whatever."
Keigo Takami. Katsuki had known him for years. He was dating Fuyumi, Shouto's sister, so Katsuki often saw him hanging around the Todoroki household. Katsuki always thought Fuyumi could find someone better, but they'd been dating for almost five years at this point, so Katsuki figured Keigo and his dumb carefree attitude were here to stay.
Still, that didn't mean he was enthused about Keigo getting a teaching job at UA. And, given recent events, he knew Keigo would try to track him down to have this very conversation. A conversation Katsuki really didn't want to have.
"We missed you at tryouts," Keigo said.
Katsuki clenched his jaw. "I heard."
He already received several lectures. From Eijiro, from his parents, from Shouto, the list went on. Katsuki heard every argument, he suffered through the begging, but his feelings never wavered.
He didn't want to have to deal with Keigo as well. But now that Keigo was UA's new baseball coach, Katsuki knew he'd have to eventually. He just wished it didn't have to be right now.
"We had two openings for pitchers this year," Keigo said. "Your friend Neito filled one of those spots, as I'm sure you're aware. Kid's good, but it certainly won't hurt to have someone else."
Katsuki shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know what to tell you."
A long pause elapsed before Keigo spoke again. "The spot's yours if you want it. All you have to do is ask."
"Forget it," Katsuki said. "It's over."
Keigo sported a look of concern. "Katsuki, I know rejection is hard, but-"
"I said forget it, Keigo," Katsuki said, then realized his slip up. "Coach. My mind's made up. I don't want to play baseball anymore."
Keigo sighed as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his tracksuit. "You're a heck of a player, Katsuki. It'd be a shame if you threw it all away."
Katsuki had no response, so he simply tilted his head down. Neither of them said anything, though any exchange of words would've been arbitrary. This discussion was over, evidenced even further by the sound of the bell, signifying the official beginning of the school day.
Katsuki's eyes were still focused on the ground as he broke the silence. "I have to get to class."
"Understood," Keigo said. "Just so you know, our first practice is today after school. Come if you want."
Katsuki shook his head. "I won't be there."
"Very well, then. Good luck."
Katsuki only looked up when he was certain Keigo was gone. He exhaled, alleviating some of the tension in his chest. He took a moment to compose himself. The last thing he needed was showing any signs of stress on his first day of high school.
With that, he sped off for homeroom so he wouldn't be late. He ignored the words Keigo said to him, even though they tried hard to cement themselves into his brain. But he fought them off. He had to.
For if he allowed them to fester any longer, Katsuki might've actually changed his mind.