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It was a promise.
"I thought I would be at your heels for the rest of our lives."
Bakugou Katsuki had waited eight years for his dream to become a reality.
His dream to become the no. 1 hero had transformed long ago into something more. What good was the position of no. 1 if the man who taught him what heroism truly was, wasn't there.
Midoriya Izuku.
The man whose heart was that of a hero. What Katsuki lacked after his strength, Izuku made up for with his heart. Win to save, save to win. They were an inseperable pair.
Before he knew it, Katsuki's dream of being the no. 1 hero transformed into competing with Izuku for that spot. Who cares about that stupid popularity contest. A true measure of heroism to Katsuki now wasn't anything like collecting those votes. No, it was Izuku. To be at Izuku's level, to surpass each other, to make each other greater heroes. That's what he wanted to do. For the rest of their lives.
He promised himself that he would bring Izuku back. That he wouldn't chase the position of the no. 1 hero until Deku was there with him.
The three of them—Katsuki, Eijirou, and Izuku—were talking about recruiting heroes for his agency. Katsuki hadn't accepted a single one yet.
"If only one of them told me, 'I want to surpass you,' I would have recruited them."
He thought it was obvious. Izuku was the one who told him that, after all.
But maybe it was a stupid mistake to think that it was reciprocated.
Izuku still hadn't mentioned anything about joining his agency, and Katsuki began to wonder, "You're seriously not going to quit teaching?"
"Yep," Izuku said, smiling, "I'm happy that I get to teach while doing hero work again like old times. Thank you for letting me be able to do this, Kacchan, Kirishima."
Katsuki clenched the steering wheel, deep in thought. How could you be so happy when I'm still like this.
Bakugou Katsuki had waited eight years.
No, it was far longer.
The dream that Katsuki had been preparing for all these years. The wish to compete with Izuku forever. No. To be by his side forever. That's what he really wanted.
Eijirou chimed in, "Wow, seems like you just got rejected, Bakugou!"
Midoriya jolted up, surprised. "Huh?!"
"You know that was Bakugou trying to invite you to his agency, right?"
"What!? No way!" Izuku exclaimed, "Sorry, I can't."
"Shut up, I already got it!" Katsuki yelled before Izuku could say anything else. Before Katsuki could realise to just what extent Izuku's dream had changed. To what extent Izuku no longer cared if he was beside Katsuki or not, if Katsuki were behind his heels. If Katsuki were even chasing after him anymore. No. It seems like Katsuki wasn't in the picture anymore.
"Hey, you..."
Wasn't it your dream—our dream—to chase each other to the end?
He wanted to ask. He wanted to be given an answer. He wanted to know. Just what was their relationship at this point? Just who was Katsuki to Izuku now? What could Katsuki be to him? What was he allowed to be?
But he gave up. Clearly, Katsuki was the only one left clinging to this old dream of theirs.
"What can I say... I don't even know."
Katsuki's hands relaxed around the steering wheel. It was time to stop clinging.
***
After Class A finished drinking together, everyone began to leave.
Izuku and Katsuki exchanged a few words. Just a casual conversation. Like any other classmates would.
"See you," Katsuki said, waving his hand as if he had seen any other acquaintance.
Everyone is special... means no one is really special at all.
He watched Izuku fade into the distance, waving happily, smiling. He seemed truly happy.
But if only one person was special...
It was you.
And to you, whom everyone was special... no one was really special...
Not even me.