Archive of Our Own

Did you ever hear the saying, The Devil Wears Prada?

It was kind of a cliché, Ochako Uraraka had to admit that. But at UA High, clichés were practically part of the curriculum.

Their school had a hierarchy. Not the typical high school drama where the self-proclaimed Queen ruled with a stone-cold fist and left a trail of broken hearts behind.

UA’s Queen wasn’t a tyrant.

But nobody could deny that Izuku Midoriya could be cruel if he wanted to be.

Which was, frankly, what made it interesting.

And Ochako Uraraka lived for interesting.

Being a junior and the main reporter for the student paper came with perks—perks she fully intended to weaponize. If she wanted her name under “Most Likely to Be a Professional Reporter” in the yearbook, she needed a magazine spread that would outlive her. Something future students would whisper about like a legend until she was old and wrinkly and still complaining about deadlines.

So she decided to investigate.

Because everyone loved Midoriya.

And most people feared him.

Not in the “he’ll push you into a locker” way. More like… the way you feared a beautiful thing you didn’t quite understand. The way you feared a smile that didn’t reach someone’s eyes.

Midoriya dressed daringly—sharp lines, soft fabrics, jewelry that caught the hallway lights like it had its own spotlight. He carried himself like he had been born on a stage. His voice was gentle. His expression was sweet.

And he could end you socially with three words and a blink.

Everyone adjusted themselves around him like he was the weather.

If Midoriya decided yellow was boring today, nobody wore yellow.

If he threw a party, everyone begged for an invite.

If he walked into the cafeteria and sat at a table, that table instantly became The Table.

Except for his friend group, obviously. His orbit: Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Iida, Mina Ashido, Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu… and, somewhat inexplicably, Bakugo Katsuki.

Bakugo Katsuki: football team captain, permanent scowl, shoulders like a door, and a mouth that should probably come with a warning label.

Also Midoriya’s boyfriend.

Feared by most. Worshipped by the rest. And somehow… pathetically soft around Midoriya in ways nobody was brave enough to say out loud.

Ochako had a notebook. A pen. A deadline.

And a mission.

She wrote the title across the top of the page in bold, dramatic letters.

WHO IS IZUKU MIDORIYA, REALLY?

Ochako wasn’t unpopular or anything. In fact, she had plenty of friends in her year. But she wanted something more than that—she wanted the school paper to finally get some recognition.

The Magazine Club survived on embarrassingly bad funding, most of the time not even enough to print a hundred copies. The school magazine had its prime twelve years ago—back when Izuku Midoriya didn’t rule the school yet.

Now?

Now it was mostly used for writing random notes, as a spare coaster in the cafeteria, or crumpled up and thrown at people’s heads during class.

It made Ochako furious.

None of these kids truly enjoyed reading anymore.

They had tried everything.

An outfit ranking section.

“How to Cheat on Your Next Exam.”

Absolutely everything.

And still, nothing worked.

Ochako tapped her pen against her notebook, staring at the empty page in frustration.

If there was one thing everyone at UA High paid attention to…

…it was Izuku Midoriya.

Which meant there was only one person in this entire school who could save their magazine.

“You’re not seriously thinking about writing about Midoriya, are you?”

Tsuyu’s voice came from across the club room.

“He’s the answer, Tsuyu.”

Ochako’s head dropped onto the table with a soft thunk, her frustration oozing out of her like a black cloud of despair and hormones.

“I refuse to live another year with this shit printer and a half-broken laptop.”

Tsuyu sighed long and dramatically as she took the seat across from her friend.

“And how exactly does our main reporter plan to get information on our school queen?” she asked, folding her arms on the table.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Midoriya is more guarded than the president.”

Ochako slowly lifted her head from the table, a determined spark returning to her eyes.

“We investigate.”

Tsuyu blinked.

“…Ochako.”

“Real journalists gather evidence,” Ochako continued, already grabbing her notebook again. “We observe patterns. We analyze behavior. We follow leads.”

Tsuyu stared at her.

“You want to stalk him.”

Ochako pointed at her with the pen. “I prefer the term investigative reporting.”

Tsuyu sighed again, quieter this time, like someone accepting their inevitable fate.

“…What’s step one, then?”

Ochako flipped to a clean page in her notebook and wrote something down in big, determined letters.

Then she turned the notebook around so Tsuyu could read it.

OPERATION: IZUKU MIDORIYA

Step One: Know his timetable.

Tsuyu stared at the page.

“You’re serious.”

“If we know where he is,” Ochako explained, tapping the paper, “we know when he’s alone. If we know when he’s alone, we can observe him.”

Tsuyu tilted her head.

“And by ‘observe’ you mean… follow him around the school like extremely suspicious background characters.”

Ochako smiled brightly.

“Exactly.”

Tsuyu stared at her for a long moment.

Then she reached forward, pulled the notebook a little closer, and grabbed a pen.

“…We should also map out his lunch schedule,” she said calmly.

Ochako gasped.

“Tsuyu!”

“If we’re going to stalk the school queen,” Tsuyu continued, completely serious, “we might as well do it properly.”

Ochako immediately started scribbling again.

Operation Izuku Midoriya had officially begun.

Did they overdo it with the sunglasses and the suspiciously nonchalant posture while leaning against the drinking fountain at exactly seven in the morning?

Probably.

But if Operation Izuku Midoriya was going to work, they needed information.

And information meant knowing everything.

Including when Izuku Midoriya even entered the sacred halls of UA High.

Ten minutes passed.

Ochako checked the clock on the wall again.

Nothing.

Students trickled in, sleepy freshmen, stressed seniors, someone loudly arguing about missing homework, but none of them were the person they were waiting for.

She slowly lowered her sunglasses.

“Maybe he’s absent today,” she whispered.

Tsuyu didn’t even look up from her notebook.

“The school queen missing a day without anyone knowing?” she said flatly. “Unlikely.”

Ochako sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.

This was supposed to be Step One of their brilliant master plan.

And right now Step One was looking a lot like standing around a water fountain like two extremely suspicious students.

Then, at exactly 7:20, the front doors opened, and the entire hallway seemed to shift almost imperceptibly.

Ochako straightened immediately, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose as her attention snapped toward the entrance…because there he was.

Izuku Midoriya walked into the building like mornings personally belonged to him, completely at ease despite the early hour. His outfit was already unfairly stylish for someone arriving at school before eight: high-waisted jeans paired with a soft pink turtleneck, delicate jewelry catching the hallway lights whenever he moved.

The overall effect was effortless.

Investigation Note #1: Subject arrives at UA at exactly 7:20 a.m. Appearance: suspiciously well-dressed for someone awake before coffee.

Beside him walked Bakugo Katsuki, football team captain and walking bad attitude, hand shoved into his pockets and shoulders loose in that careless way that suggested he might start a fight with the nearest available person if the mood struck him.

They were holding hands.

The contrast between them was almost ridiculous, Midoriya looking polished and composed while Bakugo walked beside him like a particularly dangerous bodyguard, yet somehow the two of them together gave off the unmistakable impression of royalty moving through their court.

Reporter’s Observation: Bakugo Katsuki present. Physical contact established immediately.

Behind them trailed the rest of their usual orbit: Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, Mina, and Iida, already laughing and bickering about something that had clearly started long before they reached the school doors.

Ochako immediately ducked her head over her notebook.

“Entry time,” she whispered urgently. “Seven twenty.”

Her pen scratched rapidly across the page.

“Outfit…pink turtleneck, high-waisted jeans—”

“Bakugo present,” Tsuyu added calmly beside her, writing just as quickly.

Ochako nodded without looking up.

As Midoriya walked down the hallway, the student body reacted almost automatically, people shifting their positions without even seeming to realize they were doing it, like water quietly moving around a stone in a stream.

Someone stepped aside to let them pass.

Someone else leaned closer to their friend to whisper something under their breath.

Midoriya smiled politely at a passing student, and the poor person looked like they had just received a personal blessing.

Investigation Note #2: Noticeable social response. Students visibly react to Midoriya’s presence.

Ochako scribbled faster.

“Noticeable social response,” she muttered while writing. “Hallway population adjusting—”

Midoriya laughed softly at something Mina said and squeezed Bakugo’s hand in passing.

Bakugo rolled his eyes like he found the entire world irritating. But he didn’t pull away.

Reporter’s Note #3: Bakugo Katsuki appears to maintain constant physical proximity to Midoriya Izuku. Further observation required.

Tsuyu closed her notebook with quiet finality.

“They’re moving.”

Ochako snapped hers shut too.

“Field research,” she whispered dramatically.

And the two of them immediately started following.

Subtly.

Or at least… that had been the plan.

Following them turned out to be far more difficult than expected, mostly because Midoriya and his friends walked like people who had absolutely no reason to hurry, while Ochako and Tsuyu were trying to move both quickly and discreetly at the same time—which, as it turned out, was a surprisingly difficult combination.

“Slow down,” Tsuyu murmured under her breath.

“I am slow,” Ochako whispered back urgently, nearly bumping into a sophomore who had stepped out of a classroom at the worst possible moment.

Up ahead, Midoriya turned the corner toward the senior lockers.

Tsuyu immediately grabbed Ochako’s sleeve.

“Corner.”

They slipped behind the wall just before the hallway opened up again, carefully peeking around it like two extremely committed characters in a low-budget spy movie.

Down the corridor, Midoriya had stopped in front of his locker.

Conveniently, or perhaps intentionally, the entire friend group had their lockers along the same stretch of hallway.

“Strategic positioning,” Ochako whispered, already scribbling quickly in her notebook again.

Tsuyu leaned a little closer to the corner to observe.

“Group locker cluster,” she added calmly. “Suggests daily meeting point.”

Midoriya spun the dial on his locker and pulled it open, humming softly under his breath while Mina launched into what sounded like a very dramatic story involving a group chat. Kirishima laughed loudly beside her, while Iida was gesturing with impressive seriousness about something that probably did not require that level of seriousness.

Bakugo leaned casually against the lockers next to Midoriya like he owned the entire hallway.

Still holding his hand.

Ochako’s pen scratched rapidly across the page.

“Physical contact continues,” she muttered.

“Constant proximity,” Tsuyu added.

Investigation Note #4: Subject and Bakugo remain within approximately one meter of each other at all times.

Midoriya pulled a book from his locker and turned slightly toward Bakugo, saying something quietly.

Bakugo snorted in response.

But when Midoriya absentmindedly reached over and adjusted the sleeve of Bakugo’s jacket, he didn’t protest.

Tsuyu nodded slowly.

“Concerning levels of domestic.”

Ochako wrote very domestic across the page in large, dramatic letters.

And just as she finished the note, Bakugo looked directly at them.

Not in a vague, passing way.

In a very specific, very dangerous way.

Ochako felt her stomach drop.

“…Tsuyu,” she whispered without moving her lips.

“Yes.”

“I think we’ve been spotted.”

Tsuyu followed her gaze.

Across the hallway, Bakugo’s eyes had narrowed into a suspicious glare that looked capable of detecting criminal activity from three buildings away.

There was a long pause.

Then Bakugo leaned down and muttered something to Midoriya.

Midoriya turned his head slightly. And looked straight at them.

Ochako immediately ducked back behind the corner like a startled pigeon.

“Oh my god,” she whispered.

Tsuyu slowly leaned back against the wall beside her.

“…We have been discovered.”

“Abort mission,” Ochako hissed.

They both peeked around the corner again.

Unfortunately, the universe had decided to make things worse.

Because instead of looking annoyed, Midoriya looked amused.

He said something quietly to Bakugo. He scoffed, clearly grumbling about something.

Then Midoriya reached up, grabbed the front of Bakugo’s jacket…and kissed him.

It wasn’t long, and it certainly wasn’t dramatic. The gesture was quick and casual, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Ochako’s pen nearly ripped the page.

Investigation Note #5: Unexpected public display of affection confirmed.

Secondary Observation: Reporter experiencing emotional distress.

Tsuyu leaned slightly around the corner again.

“Bakugo appears flustered.”

Ochako scribbled faster.

“Bakugo reaction: mild embarrassment. Possible ear redness.”

“Confirmed.”

Ochako cleared her throat again, her face noticeably warm.

“Very… informative observation.”

Across the hallway, Bakugo looked like he was about to say something extremely loud and aggressive.

Ochako snapped her notebook shut.

“RUN.”

They scrambled away down the hallway like two extremely guilty cartoon characters, hearts pounding and shoes squeaking slightly against the floor. Neither of them stopped until they had turned two corners and ducked into an empty stairwell.

Ochako leaned against the wall, breathing hard. “…Okay,” she said after a moment.

Tsuyu looked at her calmly. “Step One was successful.”

Ochako slowly opened her notebook again and, underneath the frantic notes already covering the page, added one final line.

Observation: Midoriya Izuku may be even more powerful than previously suspected.

The bell rang, cutting through the hallway noise, and thankfully Ochako and Tsuyu shared the same classroom that morning.

Unfortunately, that did absolutely nothing to help Ochako concentrate.

She tried, she really did, but her brain refused to cooperate. Too many thoughts kept racing through her head at once. Strategies. Observations. Possible interview targets. 

Operation Izuku Midoriya had officially taken over her entire nervous system.

By the time the teacher had finished explaining the first assignment, Ochako had already filled two more pages in her notebook.

Tsuyu leaned slightly toward her and nudged her shoulder.

“What are you writing?” she whispered, one eye still trained on the teacher at the front of the classroom.

Ochako immediately angled the notebook closer to her chest.

“I’m writing down everything I know about Midoriya,” she whispered back urgently. “We should ask other seniors first. If we keep following him around like this, we’re definitely going to get caught again.”

Tsuyu considered that for a moment.

“…Reasonable.”

Ochako flipped to a fresh page and quickly wrote a title across the top in large letters.

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Then she began listing everything she knew so far.

Subject: Izuku Midoriya

Age: 18

Year: Senior

Position: President of the Debate Club

Academic Status: Top of the class. (Obviously.)

Athletic Background: Apparently won three national championships in track during middle school.

Need to verify.

Relationship Status: Dating Bakugo Katsuki.

Duration of relationship: unknown.

Tsuyu leaned closer, reading over her shoulder.

“That’s not very much information,” she whispered.

“I’m building a profile,” Ochako whispered back defensively, already adding more notes.

Rumor #1: Possibly extremely rich.

Evidence: Expensive clothes, Never repeats outfits

Status: unconfirmed.

Social Influence: If Midoriya attends a party, it becomes the party. Students actively compete for invitations.

Fashion Reputation: Students tend to copy Midoriya’s outfits within twenty-four hours.

Example: Three people wore green cardigans last week.

Debate Club Reputation: Known for ending arguments politely. Opponents rarely recover.

Rumor #2: Midoriya once rejected three confession letters in a single day.

Outcome:

Two people cried.

One transferred schools.

Status: unconfirmed but highly likely.

Rumor #3: Teachers occasionally ask Midoriya to mediate student arguments.

Possible reason: He is terrifyingly persuasive.

Important Observation: Bakugo Katsuki appears permanently attached to Midoriya.

Tsuyu pointed at the last note.

“That will complicate the investigation.”

“Exactly!” Ochako whispered, underlining the line three times.

Current Investigation Problem: Bakugo Katsuki. Constant presence makes direct observation difficult.

Tsuyu leaned back slightly in her chair.

“If you want more information, we should interview people who know him.”

Ochako’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Thats what i was saying!”

She flipped to another clean page and started writing again.

Next Step: Interviews

Potential Sources:

Mina Ashido — gossip

Iida Tenya — reputation / academic information

Kirishima Eijiro — Bakugo related intel

Todoroki Shoto — unpredictable but honest

Tsuyu watched her scribble furiously. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”

Ochako looked up with a grin. “This is investigative journalism.”

She tapped the notebook dramatically.

“And Midoriya Izuku is the biggest story this school has.”

All of this sounded very convincing in theory.

Ochako had notes, observations, and a carefully constructed investigation plan sitting neatly inside her notebook. On paper, Operation Izuku Midoriya looked like the kind of strategy that would make any respectable journalist proud.

Actually pulling it off, however, required a level of stealth and observation skills that Ochako was only just beginning to realize she might not fully possess.

Which was how she currently found herself wandering the halls with a hastily signed hall pass in her pocket.

Lying about needing the bathroom, it turned out, was significantly easier if you were a girl.

The senior classrooms were located on a completely different floor, which made this part of the operation far more complicated than she had originally anticipated.

Still, Ochako pressed forward.

Notebook tucked under her arm, she moved quickly down the hallway, pausing every few seconds to peek around corners or flatten herself briefly against the wall whenever another student passed by.

Everyone knew what classroom Izuku Midoriya was in.

The problem was simply getting there without drawing attention.

She turned another corner a little too quickly and nearly collided with a janitor pushing a cleaning cart.

“Oh! sorry!” Ochako blurted, jumping aside.

The janitor barely glanced at her before continuing down the hallway.

Ochako waited until the cart disappeared before exhaling slowly.

“Stealth,” she muttered to herself. “Very professional.”

A few turns later she finally reached the senior hallway.

The atmosphere here felt different somehow, quieter, more focused. Most of the classroom doors were closed, the low murmur of lectures drifting faintly through the walls.

Ochako checked the numbers beside each door as she hurried past.

3-C.

3-B.

Her heartbeat sped up.

Then she saw it.

3-A.

Ochako slowed her steps and approached the door carefully before leaning just slightly toward the classroom window.

And there he was.

Izuku Midoriya sat near the center of the room, looking completely composed as he listened to the teacher speaking at the front. Even seated at a desk, he carried himself with the same quiet confidence he had in the hallway earlier that morning, posture relaxed but attentive, one elbow resting lightly on the desk as if the entire classroom naturally revolved around him.

Next to him sat Bakugo Katsuki.

Of course he did.

Bakugo looked far less interested in whatever was being taught, leaning back slightly in his chair with the kind of loose, casual posture that suggested he tolerated school purely out of obligation. One arm rested across the back of Midoriya’s chair in an easy, familiar gesture that looked less like a deliberate display and more like a habit he had long since stopped thinking about.

He wasn’t just “the angry football captain,” like most people simplified him to be.

From where Ochako stood, it was obvious that Bakugo was watching the room, even while pretending not to care. His gaze flicked lazily between the teacher, the other students, the door, the windows.

Observant. Protective.

And very obviously comfortable sitting exactly where he was.

Midoriya leaned slightly toward him and whispered something.

Bakugo responded with a quiet snort, clearly unimpressed.

Then Midoriya reached over and absently brushed a speck of dust from Bakugo’s sleeve.

In the middle of class.

Bakugo didn’t even react. No teacher said anything. No one in the room seemed surprised.

Ochako blinked.

They were just… allowed to do that.

Her pen moved quickly.

Investigation Note #6:

Subject located: Class 3-A.

She hesitated for a moment before writing another line beneath it.

Additional Observation:

Bakugo Katsuki present…As usual.

Inside the classroom, Midoriya shifted slightly in his chair and rested his hand against the back of Bakugo’s neck for a moment, an absent, affectionate gesture that lasted barely two seconds before he returned his attention to the lesson.

Bakugo didn’t move.

He didn’t shrug him off. He didn’t even look surprised.

If anything, he leaned a fraction closer.

Ochako stared through the window.

“…Oh my god,” she whispered.

Her pen immediately started moving again.

Investigation Note #7: Public displays of affection appear to be… permitted. Or perhaps simply tolerated.

She underlined the sentence twice.

Then she added one more observation.

Secondary Note:

Bakugo Katsuki may be significantly less intimidating when Midoriya Izuku is involved.

Ochako leaned slightly closer to the glass.

This investigation was becoming far more interesting than she had expected.

“What are you doing?”

Ochako nearly jumped out of her skin.

She spun around so quickly she almost dropped her notebook, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest.

Standing behind her was—Shoto Todoroki.

Up close, he looked… unfairly handsome.

Maybe that was the mysterious Senior Charm everyone talked about. Or maybe it was just the way Todoroki carried himself, calm, composed, like nothing in the world could possibly surprise him.

Either way, Ochako suddenly became painfully aware that she had just been caught spying through a classroom window.

She clutched her notebook to her chest.

“I—uh—”

Todoroki tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting past her toward the classroom door.

“…Are you watching Midoriya?”

Ochako blinked.

“…No?”

There was a pause.

Todoroki slowly looked down at the notebook she was holding.

Then back at her.

“…You’re definitely watching Midoriya.”

Ochako inhaled sharply.

“This is investigative journalism,” she whispered defensively.

Todoroki considered that statement with complete seriousness.

“…Why?”

Ochako hesitated for a moment before leaning a little closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

“Because,” she whispered, “Izuku Midoriya is the most interesting person in this entire school.”

Todoroki followed her gaze through the window.

Inside the classroom, Midoriya had shifted slightly in his chair while the teacher continued talking at the front. Beside him, Bakugo leaned over to mutter something under his breath.

Midoriya smiled faintly.

Todoroki watched them for a few seconds.

Then he nodded once.

“…That’s true.”

Ochako’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh!”

Her reporter instincts immediately kicked back into gear.

She flipped open her notebook again, pen already poised above the page.

“Since you clearly know him,” she said quickly, “would you mind answering a few questions?”

Todoroki blinked.

“For… journalism.” She tried again.

He looked mildly puzzled.

“You’re interviewing people about Midoriya?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ochako straightened slightly, putting on what she hoped was a very professional and charming smile. “For the school magazine.”

Todoroki looked thoughtful.

Then he said, very calmly,

“You could just ask him.”

Ochako stared at him like he had suggested something completely unreasonable.

“That would defeat the entire point of an investigation.”

Todoroki seemed to accept that explanation surprisingly quickly. “…Alright.”

Ochako’s pen hit the page immediately. “Perfect. First question.”

She leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice again.

“How long have Midoriya and Bakugo been dating?”

Todoroki thought about it. “…A while.”

”Can you be more specific?” she asked hopefully.

Todoroki tilted his head slightly. “I think it started in middle school.”

Ochako’s pen froze mid-sentence.

“…Middle school?”

“Yes.”

She scribbled furiously.

Investigation Note #9: Relationship appears to be long-term.

Then Todoroki glanced toward the classroom window again.

“…Also,” he added.

Ochako looked up.

Todoroki gestured slightly toward the door.

“Midoriya noticed you about thirty seconds ago.”

Ochako froze.

“…What.”

Todoroki gave a small nod toward the classroom window.

Ochako slowly turned her head.

Inside the classroom, Izuku Midoriya was already looking directly at her through the glass.

And smiling.

A small, knowing smile.

The kind of smile that suggested he had been aware of her presence for quite some time.

Ochako made a small, high-pitched noise.

Then she spun around so fast her chair legs would have squeaked if she had been sitting down.

Instead she grabbed Todoroki’s wrist in mild panic, fumbled with her notebook and pen, and hastily scribbled a number onto the back of his hand.

Todoroki blinked down at it.

Ochako was already backing away.

“Please text me!” she squeaked.

Then she turned and hurried down the hallway at full speed, nearly tripping over her own shoes.

“I have more questions!”

Her footsteps disappeared around the corner a moment later.

Todoroki remained where he was, staring quietly at the phone number now written across his hand.

After a moment he looked back toward the classroom window.

Inside, Midoriya was still watching the hallway.

Still smiling.

Todoroki considered this for a moment.

“…Interesting,” he said to himself.

Then he calmly walked back toward class.

“He looked at me, Tsuyu! He totally knows!”

Ochako practically groaned into her sandwich before taking another dramatic bite.

“If he gets the wrong idea, my entire reporter reputation will be absolutely ruined!”

Tsuyu sat beside her on the bleachers, legs stretched out comfortably in the afternoon sun.

“I scribbled my number on Todoroki’s arm,” Ochako continued miserably.

Tsuyu slowly leaned her head back against the metal bench behind them, staring thoughtfully up at the sky.

“…That’s bold.”

Ochako buried her face in her hands for a moment.

“I panicked!”

Tsuyu hummed softly.

After a few seconds she said, “We need to approach this differently.”

Ochako dropped her hands and sighed dramatically, leaning back beside her.

“Fine,” she said, sounding completely defeated. “What are the next events? Where will he definitely be?”

Tsuyu pulled out her phone and scrolled calmly through something.

“Well…”

She tilted the screen slightly.

“This Friday there’s a seniors-only pool party.”

Ochako sat up immediately.

Tsuyu continued casually, “My brother is one of the lifeguards there. I could ask him if he could sneak us in.”

There were many perks to having Tsuyu as a best friend.

This was definitely one of them.

Ochako practically vibrated with excitement.

“Yes!” she whispered loudly. “Oh my god—yes! Please, please ask him!”

Tsuyu glanced at her.

“You’re very invested in this investigation.”

Ochako grabbed her notebook again with renewed determination.

“This,” she said firmly, “is the breakthrough my journalism career deserves.”

She flipped to a fresh page.

Operation Izuku Midoriya: Phase Two

Location: Senior Pool Party.

Then she underlined it three times.

Had Ochako ever attended a pool party before?

Technically, yes.

As a kid.

Back when pool parties meant plastic cups of juice, inflatable toys, and someone’s parents watching from a lawn chair.

As a sixteen-year-old teenager, however?

Absolutely not.

Which meant tonight was completely uncharted territory.

And preparing for it came with its own set of complications.

“Okay… bikini? Check. Notebook? Check.”

Ochako rummaged through her bag for what had to be the third time, pulling things out and stuffing them back in while glancing nervously at the clock above her bed.

Every time she looked at it, she felt a little less composed.

Her heart was beating far too fast for someone who was supposedly just going to a movie night.

“Sweetie?”

Her mother’s voice floated up the hallway.

“Tsuyu is here to pick you up!”

Ochako froze for a second before grabbing her bag and hurrying downstairs.

Tsuyu stood calmly in the doorway, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket as if she had all the time in the world.

Ochako’s mother greeted her warmly.

“Oh, Tsuyu! It’s nice to see you again. Are you girls watching movies tonight?”

Tsuyu nodded without hesitation. “Yes, ma’am. Ochako is sleeping over at our place.”

“Again?” her mother laughed lightly. “You two are practically sisters at this point.”

Ochako forced a casual smile while slipping on her shoes.

“We might marathon something,” she added quickly.

“Nothing too late,” her mother said. “And text me if you need anything.”

“We will!” Ochako promised.

A moment later they stepped out onto the porch.

The door closed behind them.

They walked quietly down the front path, and only once they reached the sidewalk did Ochako finally exhale.

“That was terrifying,” she whispered.

Tsuyu glanced at her. “You almost confessed to the crime before we even left the house.”

Ochako wheeled her bike toward the street.

“I get nervous under parental supervision!”

Tsuyu leaned casually against her own bike.

“My brother already texted,” she said, checking her phone. “He’ll meet us there and get us through the side entrance.”

Ochako’s eyes lit up.

“Perfect.”

She slung her bag over her shoulder and climbed onto the bike.

Operation Izuku Midoriya was officially entering its next phase.

Tsuyu pushed off first, and the two of them began riding down the quiet evening street.

“Okay,” Ochako said as they pedaled. “New strategy.”

Tsuyu glanced over.

“We observe from a distance. We do not get caught spying again. And we definitely do not panic and write our phone number on anyone’s arm.”

Tsuyu looked at her.

“…That rule seems very specific.”

Ochako groaned.

“Just ride.”

Ahead of them, the faint glow of pool lights shimmered through the trees.

The senior pool party had begun.

And if Ochako Uraraka was lucky.

This might finally be the breakthrough her investigation needed.

The closer they got, the louder the music became.

By the time they turned the final corner, the entire pool complex was glowing.

String lights hung across the fences, and speakers blasted music loud enough to echo across the water. Groups of seniors were scattered everywhere, some sitting along the pool edge with their feet in the water, others gathered around coolers or lounging in deck chairs.

It looked exactly like something out of a teen movie.

Ochako slowed her bike, staring.

“…Oh.”

Tsuyu parked beside her calmly.

“My brother said the side gate should be open.”

Ochako glanced toward the main entrance, where a group of seniors were checking people in and joking loudly with each other.

Which meant that entrance was absolutely not an option.

Tsuyu gestured toward a darker path along the fence.

“This way.”

They walked their bikes quietly along the fence until the noise of the party swallowed the sound of their footsteps. The heavy bass from the speakers masked the crunch of gravel beneath their shoes.

A moment later the side gate appeared.

It wasn’t fully closed, just slightly pushed inward, the latch resting loosely against the frame.

Tsuyu peeked through the narrow opening.

Inside, the pool deck buzzed with light and movement, but the corner near the gate was empty.

Her brother had clearly done his job.

She pushed the gate open just enough for them to slip through.

“Quick.”

Ochako squeezed sideways through the opening, carefully pulling her bag after her while trying not to let the hinge creak.

The gate clicked softly shut behind them.

Both girls froze.

No one turned. No one noticed.

The music continued.

Ochako slowly exhaled. “…We’re in.”

Now the real challenge began.

The pool area was packed with seniors, which meant the easiest way to stay unnoticed was to move like they belonged there.

So they did.

They walked casually past a group arguing about music near the speakers, then slipped behind a row of deck chairs where several students were talking loudly enough to cover their movement.

Every few steps, Ochako glanced around to make sure no one was paying them too much attention.

Fortunately, most people were far too busy having fun to notice two girls quietly weaving along the edge of the party.

By the time they reached the far side of the pool, they had blended almost completely into the crowd.

And that was when Ochako spotted him.

“…There,” she whispered.

Across the pool, Izuku Midoriya sat at the water’s edge with his feet dangling in the pool, completely relaxed, as if he had always belonged there.

He wore a dark green bikini that somehow looked both simple and effortlessly stylish. His curls were slightly damp from the humid air, and a thin gold chain rested against his collarbone, catching the glow of the pool lights whenever he moved.

Several people sat nearby, talking and laughing, but it was obvious who the center of attention was.

Midoriya leaned back on his hands, listening to Mina tell an animated story while he laughed softly.

And nearby, Bakugo Katsuki was a completely different person.

He wasn’t scowling.

He wasn’t lurking silently like the terrifying figure most students expected him to be.

Instead he stood near the pool with Kirishima and a few other football players, laughing loudly while someone splashed water at them.

“Bullshit!” Bakugo barked, shoving Kirishima’s shoulder. “You cheated!”

“I didn’t cheat!” Kirishima shot back. “You just suck!”

Another teammate splashed them.

Bakugo immediately grabbed the guy’s arm and shoved him straight into the pool, earning a burst of cheers.

The whole thing dissolved into a brief wrestling match at the water’s edge while everyone shouted over the music.

Ochako stared. “…That’s weird.”

Tsuyu glanced at her. “Which part?”

Ochako pointed subtly. “Bakugo is… having fun.”

Across the pool, Midoriya had turned slightly to watch the chaos unfold.

He didn’t intervene.

He simply smiled, clearly amused, as Bakugo eventually pushed Kirishima fully into the water and raised his arms in victory.

“See?” Bakugo shouted. “Weak!”

Midoriya clapped lightly from the pool edge.

Bakugo looked over at him immediately. And the grin on his face softened.

Ochako’s pen was already flying across the page.

Investigation Note #10: Bakugo Katsuki behaves very differently around teammates.

Secondary Observation: Midoriya appears to enjoy watching the chaos.

Then she lowered the notebook.

“…This might be the best investigative opportunity we’ve had all week.”

Tsuyu nodded calmly. “Just try not to get caught this time.”

Ochako crouched slightly behind a pool chair. “I learned from my mistakes.”

For a few minutes, Ochako and Tsuyu stayed tucked safely behind the row of deck chairs, observing.

Ochako added two more lines to her notebook while doing her best to look like someone casually enjoying the party rather than conducting a covert investigation.

Eventually she lowered her pen and scanned the crowd again.

“…Okay,” she whispered.

Tsuyu glanced at her. “You have that look.”

“The brave look?”

“The reckless look.”

Ochako chose to ignore that comment.

Her eyes had locked onto a girl leaning casually against the fence a few meters away, dark hair falling around a pair of headphones resting comfortably around her neck.

“…I think that’s Jirou,” Ochako whispered.

Tsuyu followed her gaze. “That is Jirou.”

Perfect. A senior.

Someone close enough to the group.

Time for field journalism.

“I’m going in,” Ochako announced quietly.

Tsuyu nodded. “Good luck.”

Ochako slipped out from behind the pool chairs and crossed the short distance through the crowd, weaving carefully between groups of students until she reached the fence.

“Hi!” she said, putting on her most polite reporter smile.

The girl looked up. “Uh… hi?”

“You’re Jirou, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Great!” Ochako opened her notebook immediately. “I’m working on a piece for the school magazine and I was hoping to ask you a few questions about Izuku Midoriya.”

Jirou blinked. “…About Midoriya?”

“Yes.”

Jirou glanced across the pool where Midoriya still sat with Mina and a few others, then looked back at Ochako.

“…Why?”

“It’s investigative journalism.”

Jirou shrugged. “I mean… I don’t really know much about him.”

Ochako’s pen froze mid-air.

“…You don’t?”

“Not really,” Jirou said. “He’s nice. We’ve talked a few times. Debate club stuff.”

Ochako deflated slightly. “Oh.”

Before she could ask another question, a voice suddenly cut in.

“Wait! Midoriya?”

Ochako turned.

Denki Kaminari had appeared beside them as if summoned by the word itself.

“Are we talking about Midoriya?” he asked, already stepping closer with obvious interest.

Jirou sighed. “Of course you heard that.”

“I hear everything,” Kaminari said proudly.

Ochako blinked at him. “You know him?”

Kaminari grinned. “Yeah! Same class.”

Ochako’s pen immediately hit the page again.

“Oh my god.”

Jirou leaned her head back against the fence. “This is going to take a while, isn’t it.”

Kaminari leaned casually against the railing beside them.

“I mean, he’s not like my best friend or anything,” he said. “But I know him pretty well.”

Ochako leaned forward eagerly. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Kaminari continued. “I talk to Kirishima all the time, and he’s basically glued to Bakugo. So you end up around Midoriya a lot.”

Ochako scribbled furiously.

Investigation Note #11: Kaminari Denki, Classmate. Potential information source.

“So what do you want to know?” Kaminari asked.

Ochako flipped to a clean page. “Everything.”

Kaminari looked delighted. “Well first of all,” he said, lowering his voice slightly, “Bakugo is obsessed with him.”

Jirou snorted. “That’s not exactly a secret.”

Ochako looked between them eagerly.

“How long have they been dating?”

Kaminari thought for a moment.

“…Honestly? I think since middle school.”

Ochako’s pen practically flew across the page. “That’s insane.”

Kaminari shrugged. “They act like they’ve been married for ten years.”

Jirou nodded. “Pretty accurate.”

Kaminari leaned a little closer again. “Oh! And before you ask!  Midoriya isn’t rich.”

Ochako paused mid-note. “…He isn’t?”

“Nah,” Kaminari said. “That rumor’s wrong.”

Ochako frowned slightly.

“Then why does he dress like that?”

Kaminari pointed across the pool where Bakugo was currently trying to drag Kirishima into the water again.

“That part is Bakugo.”

Ochako blinked. “…What?”

“Bakugo’s parents are huge in fashion,” Kaminari explained. “Like… actual designers.”

“They run a design company,” Jirou added.

“So Bakugo basically has insane fashion taste,” Kaminari said. “And Midoriya benefits from that.”

Ochako’s pen moved again.

Investigation Note #12: Midoriya not rich.

She added another line.

Correction: Bakugo family connected to fashion industry.

Ochako looked up again. “So Bakugo dresses him?”

Kaminari shrugged. “Something like that.”

Jirou smirked. “Bakugo claims Midoriya has terrible taste.”

Kaminari laughed. “Which is hilarious, because Midoriya clearly doesn’t.”

Ochako wrote faster.

Investigation Note #13: Midoriya fashion possibly influenced by Bakugo.

“Next rumor,” Ochako said quickly. “Track championships.”

“Oh yeah, that one’s real,” Kaminari said immediately. “Three national wins in middle school.”

Jirou shrugged. “And then he decided debate club was more interesting.”

Ochako shook her head while writing. “Unbelievable.”

Kaminari leaned closer conspiratorially. “You want the craziest one?”

Ochako nodded immediately.

“He once made a guy cry during debate club,” Kaminari said, “without raising his voice.”

Ochako scribbled.

Investigation Note #14: Midoriya destroys opponents politely.

Then she lowered her voice slightly.

“…What about Bakugo?”

Kaminari glanced toward the pool again, where Bakugo had just shoved Kirishima back into the water.

“Ah,” Kaminari said.

“The Bakugo situation.”

“Yes,” Ochako said intensely.

Kaminari leaned closer. “Here’s the thing.”

He pointed subtly toward Midoriya. “Everyone thinks Bakugo is the scary one.”

Ochako nodded. “Isn’t he?”

Kaminari shook his head. “Not really.”

“Bakugo’s loud,” Kaminari continued. “He fights people. He’s intense.”

Then he pointed again. “But Midoriya?”

His grin widened. “He’s the one in charge.”

Ochako’s pen stopped. “…What?”

Kaminari shrugged. “You didn’t hear it from me,” he said. “But Bakugo basically does whatever Midoriya says.”

Jirou nodded again. “Pretty accurate.”

Ochako slowly looked back across the pool.

Midoriya still sat calmly at the water’s edge while Mina talked beside him.

Bakugo had just hauled Kirishima out of the pool again.

Her pen moved slowly.

Investigation Note #15: Possible power imbalance in relationship.

Suddenly Kaminari slung an arm around Ochako’s shoulders like they were old friends.

“Come on,” he said cheerfully. “You should just meet them.”

Ochako nearly dropped her notebook.

“WHAT?”

“Yeah!” Kaminari said, already trying to steer her toward the pool. “You can ask Midoriya directly.”

“No!” Ochako hissed, digging her heels into the ground.

Kaminari blinked. “Why not?”

“This is an investigation!” she whispered urgently.

Jirou watched with mild amusement.

Ochako grabbed Kaminari’s arm. “No introductions,” she said firmly. “No social interaction.”

Kaminari looked confused. “…Then how are you investigating?”

Ochako raised her notebook dramatically. “Questions.”

Kaminari stared at it.“…You’re spying?.”

“Journalism.”

Kaminari grinned. “Alright, reporter.”

He leaned closer again.

“What else do you want to know?”

Across the pool, Bakugo shoved Kirishima into the water again while Midoriya laughed.

Ochako flipped to another page.

“Oh,” she said quietly. “I have many questions.”

She had been so sure she had everything under control.

She had believed in the plan, firmly, confidently.

And yet here she was.

Hiding in a bush.

Trying to eavesdrop on a single conversation between Izuku Midoriya and Momo Yaoyorozu.

The leaves scratched softly against her arms as she leaned forward, straining to hear anything over the music and laughter coming from the pool.

As it turned out, Denki Kaminari hadn’t been completely useless.

But…

She hadn’t actually gathered much from him in the end.

Tsuyu had vanished somewhere into the crowd, and with every passing second Ochako felt the opportunity slipping further through her fingers.

Another investigation attempt.

Another almost-breakthrough.

Another moment where she got close but not close enough.

Her grip tightened slightly around the notebook in her hands.

If she could just hear one thing.

One real piece of information.

Something she could actually use.

Across the pool, Midoriya stood beside Yaoyorozu near the edge of the lights, their conversation quiet compared to the chaos of the party around them.

Ochako leaned a little farther out from the bushes.

Just a little closer.

If she could catch even a single sentence! Then maybe tonight wouldn’t be a complete disaster after all.

“Is there someone in that bush?”

Ochako froze.

Her entire body locked up like a startled animal, every muscle suddenly refusing to move.

They were not talking about her.

Right?

Right.

“Hey! Is everything okay over there?”

No.

No, no, no.

This could not be happening.

Maybe, just maybe, if she stayed perfectly still, they would assume the bush was simply… a bush.

A very normal bush.

One that definitely did not contain a panicking teenage journalist clutching a notebook.

Unfortunately, the universe had other plans.

The branches suddenly parted.

Ochako shrieked softly and threw her notebook up in front of her face like a shield.

After a moment she cautiously peeked over the top of it.

Two very large figures were staring down at her.

Eijiro Kirishima.

And beside him, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu.

Both of them looked deeply confused.

Kirishima blinked slowly. “…Why are you in the bush?”

Tetsutetsu crossed his arms and leaned forward, squinting suspiciously. “Yeah. That’s kinda weird.”

Ochako’s brain scrambled desperately for an explanation that didn’t involve the words spying or investigation.

“I—uh—”

Her eyes darted around the pool area.

Izuku Midoriya was nowhere to be seen.

Great.

Perfect.

Fantastic.

“Nature?” she offered weakly.

Kirishima looked at the bush.

Then at her. “…At a pool party?”

He paused. “…Wait a second.”

Ochako froze.

“You’re not a senior, are you?”

Her brain stopped completely.

Tetsutetsu leaned closer, studying her like he was trying to solve a complicated puzzle.

“Oh yeah,” he said slowly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

Ochako’s thoughts raced.

Think.

Think fast.

Because if they reported her, the entire operation was over.

She straightened slightly, smoothing her hair and putting on the most charming smile she could manage.

“You’re right,” she admitted.

Kirishima crossed his arms, though he didn’t look angry, just curious.

“…So what are you doing at a seniors-only pool party?”

Ochako lifted her notebook.

“I’m a reporter for the school magazine.”

That immediately caught their attention.

Kirishima’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Like journalism?”

“Yes!” Ochako said quickly.

Tetsutetsu leaned closer. “So the bush thing was… journalism?”

Ochako nodded with absolute conviction. “Observational journalism.”

“And since you’re both seniors,” she added smoothly, flipping open the notebook, “maybe you could help me with a few questions?”

Kirishima seemed tempted.

“Oh yeah, sure—”

“Wait,” Tetsutetsu interrupted, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Questions about what?”

Ochako leaned forward eagerly. “Izuku Midoriya.”

Kirishima blinked and glanced toward the pool.

“…Deku?”

Ochako scribbled immediately.

Investigation Note #16: Kirishima uses nickname “Deku.”

“Yeah,” Kirishima continued casually. “He’s great.”

“And what about Bakugo?” Ochako asked quickly.

Both boys reacted immediately.

Kirishima laughed. “Oh man.”

Tetsutetsu grinned. “That guy?”

Ochako’s pen hovered over the page.

“Yes,” she said carefully. “What’s their dynamic like?”

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu exchanged a glance.

Kirishima scratched the back of his neck.

“Well… great,” he said slowly. “But that’s kinda personal stuff.”

Ochako blinked.

“Oh— I mean, it’s just for a school article—”

Kirishima smiled apologetically.

“Yeah, but you gotta understand,” he said. “He’s my friend.”

Tetsutetsu nodded. “And Bakugo’s scary.”

“Also that,” Kirishima admitted.

Ochako hesitated.

Right.

Of course they wouldn’t hand over information about their friends to a stranger who had been discovered hiding in landscaping.

Which,

Now that she thought about it,

Was a very suspicious position to have been discovered in.

Kirishima crouched down slightly so they were eye level.

“So,” he said thoughtfully, “you’re writing about Deku.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re hiding in bushes.”

“…Observational journalism.”

Tetsutetsu crossed his arms. “That still sounds suspicious.”

Kirishima nodded slowly.“Yeah. A little.”

Ochako tightened her grip on the notebook.

“I swear it’s just for the school magazine!”

Kirishima stood up again.

“Well,” he said cheerfully, “then we should just talk to them.”

Ochako blinked.

“…Them?”

“Yeah,” Kirishima said, gesturing toward the pool. “Deku and the others.”

Her soul briefly left her body.

Before she could protest, Tetsutetsu gently but firmly grabbed her wrist.

“Come on,” he said. “If it’s journalism, it should be honest.”

Ochako dug her heels into the grass.

“No no no no—”

Too late.

They were already escorting her out of the bushes, through the crowd, and toward the group by the pool.

Her brain screamed the entire way.

This was a disaster.

A catastrophic disaster.

As they approached, the group came into view.

Mina Ashido sat cross-legged on a pool chair, talking animatedly.

Momo Yaoyorozu stood beside her holding a drink while listening patiently.

Iida Tenya stood nearby, gesturing intensely as he explained something.

Shoto Todoroki leaned casually against the fence.

Bakugo Katsuki sat at the edge of the pool with his feet in the water.

And beside him..

Izuku Midoriya.

Kirishima waved. “Hey guys!”

Several heads turned.

Mina immediately perked up. “Kiri!”

Then she noticed Ochako. “…And this is?”

Momo blinked politely.

Iida stopped mid-gesture.

Bakugo frowned immediately.

Ochako just saw Tsuyu.

She was sitting on one of the pool chairs beside them.

Very calm., Very relaxed.

And very obviously not missing.

Ochako stared at her in horror.

Tsuyu blinked back.

“What are you doing?!” Ochako whisper-yelled.

Tsuyu tilted her head slightly.

“They caught me talking to Mina,” she said calmly. “So they brought me here too.”

In other words

They had both been captured.

Kirishima guided Ochako forward.

“Found her hiding in a bush,” he explained casually.

Mina burst out laughing. “In a bush?”

Ochako wanted the earth to swallow her whole.

Bakugo squinted suspiciously.

“The hell?”

Momo looked politely confused.

Tsuyu leaned back in her chair.

“She’s my best friend,” she explained calmly. “We’re investigating for the school magazine.”

Ochako covered her face with her notebook.

“This is a nightmare.”

Shoto tilted his head as he studied her. “…I remember you.”

Ochako slowly lowered the notebook. “…You do?”

Todoroki nodded.

“You were looking through our classroom window.”

He paused.

“And you wrote your phone number on my hand.”

Bakugo’s head snapped toward her.

“…She WHAT?”

And Ochako realized with absolute certainty,

This investigation had just entered extremely dangerous territory.

“Please, sit.”

The voice was gentle. Bright, almost cheerful.

Ochako looked up.

Izuku Midoriya, school queen, most popular and most talked-about student in UA High, was smiling at her.

After an entire week of research, rumors, and questionable investigative methods…

She was finally hearing him speak.

“ Me?” she asked faintly, pointing at herself.

“Who else, moron,” Bakugo sneered from beside him.

Midoriya turned his head slightly.

“Kacchan,” he said softly, the smile never leaving his face, “don’t be mean.”

At the same time, he reached out and rested his palm lightly on Bakugo’s thigh.

The effect was immediate.

Bakugo clicked his tongue in irritation, his scowl deepening, but he didn’t argue. He leaned back slightly instead, clearly deciding the comment wasn’t worth fighting about.

Ochako noticed that.

She noticed it very carefully.

Midoriya’s attention returned to her, bright and curious, like this whole situation was simply fascinating to him.

“So,” he said, “now I finally have a voice to go with the person who’s been watching me all week.”

Around them, the group had gone quiet.

Ochako could practically feel every pair of eyes on her.

Her notebook suddenly weighed about ten kilograms.

“…Research,” she said weakly.

Midoriya’s smile widened just a little, like he found that answer genuinely charming.

“Of course,” he said warmly.

Then he tilted his head, studying her with obvious curiosity.

For a brief moment, Ochako seriously considered fainting.

Professional journalists probably didn’t do that.

But the option was very tempting.

“Uhm—”

Ochako’s voice came out much smaller than she had intended.

She glanced frantically toward Tsuyu for help.

Tsuyu, unfortunately, was no help at all.

She simply raised both thumbs in the air with complete confidence. Was that supposed to be encouraging?

Ochako swallowed. “I would like to write… a spread about you,” she said, clutching her notebook a little tighter. “For the school magazine.”

For a moment, the group was quiet.

Then Izuku’s eyes lit up. “Omg!”

He clapped his hands together in delight, practically bouncing where he sat.

“That’s so sweet!” he said brightly. “I would love to be featured in your article!”

Ochako blinked.

Her brain struggled to process what had just happened.

Wait.

…What?

She had mentally prepared herself for rejection.

Suspicion. Possibly being thrown into the pool by Bakugo.

She had not prepared for enthusiasm.

Izuku leaned forward slightly, clearly excited now.

“A school magazine feature sounds really fun,” he continued cheerfully. “I’ve never been interviewed before.”

Bakugo snorted beside him. “The hell you haven’t.”

“Kacchan,” Izuku said gently, nudging his leg again, “that was for sports. This is different.”

Bakugo rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

Meanwhile, Ochako was still staring at him like the conversation had taken a very unexpected turn.

“You… want to do it?” she asked slowly.

Izuku tilted his head, smiling at her like the answer was obvious. “Of course!”

Then his expression softened into curiosity. “But you’ve already been researching me for a whole week,” he added thoughtfully. “So now I’m very curious.”

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.

“What kind of things have you learned about me so far, Uraraka?”

Ochako opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Her mind had completely blanked.

The silence stretched for a few seconds.

Bakugo clicked his tongue. “Tch. See? I told you she’s weird.”

“Kacchan, stop being mean,” Izuku said gently.

Then he looked back at Ochako, still smiling.

“You can answer,” he encouraged softly.“I promise I won’t get mad.”

For some reason, that was even more terrifying.

Ochako slowly opened her notebook.

This interview had just become a lot more dangerous.

She cleared her throat.

“Well,” she began cautiously, glancing down at the notes, “according to my research…”

Several heads leaned slightly closer.

“…Bakugo dresses you.”

Silence. Absolute silence.

Then Mina burst out laughing. “Oh my god, she figured it out!”

Bakugo’s head snapped toward Ochako so fast it was almost impressive. “I don’t!”

Ochako flinched.

“You literally do,” Mina said, wiping tears from her eyes. “You threw away his yellow sweater last week.”

“It was ugly!”

Izuku laughed softly beside him. “Kacchan has very strong opinions about fashion.”

“Tch. Just because you'd be walking around like a dork otherwise“ Bakugo crossed his arms, scowling at the pool water.

Momo covered her mouth politely, clearly amused. “That is… not entirely inaccurate,” she admitted.

Ochako scribbled furiously.

Investigation Note #17: Bakugo fashion influence, confirmed by witnesses.

Izuku leaned closer, peeking at her notebook with open curiosity.

“What else?” he asked brightly.

Ochako flipped a page.

“Well… you won three national track championships in middle school.”

“True!” Mina said.

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “That was a long time ago.”

“And,” Ochako continued, gaining a little confidence now, “there was also a debate incident where someone cried.”

Iida nodded immediately. “That was a very unfortunate but educational experience.”

Bakugo snorted. “Dumbass couldn’t even argue properly.”

Izuku looked mildly embarrassed. “I wasn’t trying to make him cry…”

Ochako wrote faster.

This was incredible.

Actual confirmations.

Then she hesitated slightly before reading the next line.

“…And there is a strong social consensus that Bakugo is extremely intimidating.”

Bakugo looked pleased with that. “Damn right.”

“But,” Ochako added carefully, glancing between them, “there is also evidence suggesting Midoriya might actually be the one in charge.”

The reaction was immediate.

Mina wheezed.

Momo choked on her drink.

Kirishima laughed loudly.

Bakugo turned bright red. “The hell he is!”

Ochako froze. Had she just..

Midoriya giggled. Actually giggled.

“Kacchan,” he said sweetly, resting his hand lightly on Bakugo’s arm again, “don’t scare the journalist.”

Bakugo clicked his tongue but didn’t argue.

Ochako’s pen scratched across the page.

Investigation Note #18: Physical calming behavior observed.

Izuku leaned a little closer to her notebook, eyes sparkling. “This is really interesting,” he said.

Then he looked up at her with a warm smile.

“But I think your article is missing something important.”

Ochako blinked.

“…What?”

Izuku rested his chin on his hand again. “Your sources,” he said brightly.

Then he gestured around the group. “You should interview everyone properly.”

Mina gasped dramatically. “Oh my god we’re doing interviews.”

Iida straightened immediately. “I would be delighted to provide accurate testimony.”

Ochako stared at all of them.

Her investigation had just gone from covert operation to official project in about thirty seconds.

Ochako scribbled furiously in her notebook while the group continued talking around her.

Everything she had written suddenly felt… slightly different.

Not wrong. Just different.

Izuku leaned closer again, trying to peek at the page.

“Can I see?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Ochako instinctively pulled the notebook closer to her chest. “Classified.”

Izuku laughed. “That makes it sound way cooler than it probably is.”

Mina leaned over the back of the chair.

“What kind of stuff did you write about him?” she asked.

Ochako hesitated.

Then she flipped a few pages and read carefully.

“Subject: Izuku Midoriya. Social center of UA High.”

The group immediately reacted.

“WHAT?” Mina barked.

Kirishima burst out laughing. “Deku? Social center?”

Ochako blinked. “…What?”

She looked between them.

“But everyone follows him,” she insisted. “The hallway shifts when he walks through it. People copy what he wears. If he throws a party, everyone comes.”

The group exchanged looks.

Then Mina snorted. “Oh my god.” She pointed at Izuku. “Dude, she thinks you’re mysterious.”

Izuku blinked. “…Mysterious?”

Kirishima laughed harder. “Deku, you literally spent lunch explaining frog migration patterns to Todoroki.”

“That was interesting!” Izuku protested immediately.

“It was forty minutes long,” Mina said.

Todoroki nodded calmly. “It was very detailed.”

Ochako slowly turned back to her notebook.

“…Frog migration.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I just like learning things.”

Momo smiled politely. “Deku reads a lot.”

“A LOT,” Mina corrected. “Like… scary amounts.”

Ochako’s pen moved slowly.

This was not matching her theory.

“But the debate club—” she started.

“Oh he’s terrifying there,” Kirishima said.

Izuku looked embarrassed. “I just prepare a lot.”

Bakugo snorted. “He studies like a maniac.”

“Kacchan,” Izuku said softly.

“I’m complimenting you, nerd.”

Ochako looked back down at the page.

All her notes about social manipulation and quiet dominance suddenly felt… off.

She looked up again.

“But the way everyone reacts to you,” she said slowly.

Izuku tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Ochako gestured vaguely at the entire group.

“People treat you like you’re… important.”

There was a brief pause.

Then Mina shrugged.

“You are important.”

“Yeah,” Kirishima agreed easily. “You’re our friend.”

Shoto nodded. “And you’re good at stuff.”

Izuku blinked at Ochako, visibly confused. “That’s… a normal reason to like someone.”

Ochako stared at them. Across the pool, another group of students waved excitedly at Izuku.

He waved back automatically. Then he turned back to the conversation like nothing special had happened.

Ochako slowly wrote another line.

Investigation Note #19: Subject possibly less mysterious than previously assumed.

Izuku leaned forward again, peeking curiously at Ochako’s notebook.

“Wait,” he said, squinting slightly. “What do you mean school queen?”

Ochako looked up.

“You know… the social hierarchy,” she said carefully.

Izuku blinked. “…The what?”

Ochako gestured vaguely toward the pool, the party, the entire school system she had spent a week analyzing.

“The hierarchy,” she repeated. “Every school has one. The social center. The person everyone orbits around.”

Izuku listened politely. Then he pointed at himself. “…You think that’s me?”

Ochako stared at him. “Yes.”

Silence.

Then Mina wheezed. “Oh my god.”

Kirishima bent over laughing.

Bakugo looked offended.

“The hell kind of system is that?”

Ochako flipped through her notebook, pointing at the notes she had taken all week.

“You control the aesthetic trends,” she said.

Izuku looked horrified. “I do not!”

“Last Monday you said yellow was ‘boring today’ and nobody wore yellow for three days.”

“That was a joke!”

“You host the most attended parties.”

“I just invite people!”

“You walk into a room and everyone moves.”

“I thought they were being polite!”

Mina had to grab Kirishima to keep from falling over laughing.

Momo was wiping tears from her eyes. “This is amazing.”

Ochako turned another page. “You influence the football captain.”

Bakugo exploded immediately. “LIKE HELL HE DOES—”

Izuku was still staring at her, deeply confused.

“…People actually think that about me?” he asked.

Ochako nodded slowly. “You’re the most talked-about student in the entire school.”

Izuku looked genuinely stunned. “But I’m in debate club,” he said.

Like that explained everything.

Mina wiped her eyes. “Dude.”

Momo smiled softly. “Well… you are quite admired.”

Kirishima clapped him on the back. “And you’re nice to everyone.”

Izuku looked between them.

Still baffled.

“But that doesn’t make me a… queen.”

Bakugo snorted. “Makes you a nerd tho.”

Ochako leaned forward slightly.

“Then why does everyone follow you?”

Izuku thought about that very seriously.

Then he said the most honest thing in the world.

“…I thought we were all just hanging out.”

Mina lost it again.

Ochako slowly lowered her pen.

Her entire investigation had been built on the idea that Izuku Midoriya was some kind of brilliant social strategist.

Instead.

He might just be the most oblivious popular person in UA High.

Izuku tilted his head again. “…Is that bad?”

Ochako stared at him.

Then she wrote one more note.

Final observation: Subject has absolutely no idea he is the most influential person in school.

For a moment, Ochako simply sat there.

Then suddenly it felt like someone had opened a window in her brain.

Fresh air rushed in. Clarity. Ideas.

An entire article structure assembling itself at lightning speed.

She shot up from her seat so fast that several people flinched. “I’ve got it!”

Everyone stared at her.

Ochako pointed dramatically at Izuku. “You!”

Izuku blinked. “…Me?”

“Yes, you!” she said, notebook clutched in one hand like it was official documentation.

“You’re giving me a full interview on Monday.”

The group watched her with growing amusement.

“A real one,” Ochako continued, already pacing slightly as the plan formed in her head. “I’ll talk to the photography club about doing a proper shoot, and then I’ll write the article about the real Izuku Midoriya.”

Izuku tilted his head, clearly entertained. “The real one?”

“Yes!” Ochako said triumphantly.

“Not the rumors. Not the myths. Not the ‘school queen’ nonsense.”

She pointed at him again. “You.”

Then she tapped her notebook. “The debate nerd. The frog migration expert.”

Ochako grinned. “And I’m going to show the whole school who you actually are.”

For a moment, Izuku looked genuinely thoughtful. Then he smiled.

Bright. Warm. Completely unbothered.

“…Okay,” he said simply.

Bakugo snorted. “Good luck writing anything normal about this idiot.”

“You like me like that,” Izuku said gently, nudging him again.

Ochako was already writing again.

Interview scheduled: Monday.

Then she looked up, determination shining in her eyes.

This wasn’t just an investigation anymore.

This was going to be the best article the school magazine had seen in twelve years.

A whole weekend to wrack her brain.

That was exactly what Ochako needed.

And yet, somehow, it still didn’t feel like enough.

She still couldn’t quite believe it.

Izuku Midoriya.

“…How did all this even start?” Ochako wondered aloud.

She was sprawled dramatically across Tsuyu’s bed, staring up at the ceiling as if the answers might be written there somewhere.

Tsuyu, meanwhile, was far less dramatic about the situation. She stood near her closet, calmly trying to fold and sort the mountain of clothes Ochako had pulled out earlier in a frantic attempt to find something perfect to wear on Monday.

Half the wardrobe was currently draped across the bed.

The other half had somehow made it to the floor.

“Good question,” Tsuyu replied, a little distracted as she folded another shirt. “Midoriya’s been the Queen since we started high school.”

She placed the shirt neatly into a pile.

“I just didn’t know he wasn’t aware of the title.”

Ochako hummed thoughtfully.

Her notebook lay open beside her on the bed, pages filled with observations and theories that now felt… unreliable.

Almost embarrassing, actually.

“I mean,” Ochako said slowly, turning her head to stare at the notebook like it had personally betrayed her, “how could he never question the way everyone treats him?”

Tsuyu shrugged slightly as she gathered another armful of clothes.

“Maybe he just thinks everyone’s being nice.”

Ochako groaned softly and rolled onto her back again, throwing one arm dramatically over her face.

“That’s impossible.”

Tsuyu glanced over.

“Why?”

“Because people practically roll out a red carpet when he walks into the cafeteria!”

Tsuyu placed another folded shirt onto the stack.

“Maybe he thinks that’s normal.”

Ochako lowered her arm and stared at her friend.

“…Tsuyu.”

“Yes?”

“That is not normal.”

Tsuyu simply shrugged again.

“Well,” she said calmly, “you can ask him on Monday.”

“Why is Bakugo here as well?”

Ochako stared at the doorway in mild disbelief.

Izuku Midoriya had arrived at the Photography Club room at the exact time she had asked him to. Not a minute early, not a minute late. His punctuality alone had already impressed her.

But the real surprise was the second person standing beside him.

Katsuki Bakugo.

Exactly where Ochako had expected him to be, too.

Never more than a meter away from Izuku. Her observations had been correct.

“This is actually none of your business,” Bakugo replied flatly.

Ochako blinked.

It… kind of was her business.

Considering she was about to conduct a literal interview with Izuku Midoriya.

But she decided not to push it.

They needed photos for the magazine spread, after all, and if Bakugo wanted to lurk in the background like a very aggressive bodyguard, that was apparently something she would simply have to accept.

Izuku, meanwhile, looked perfectly cheerful.

“Good morning, Uraraka!” he said brightly, stepping into the room. “Thank you for organizing this!”

Ochako straightened immediately. “Of course! Journalism requires preparation.”

Only then did she properly notice what he was wearing.

Her eyes dropped for a second, and then slowly traveled back up again.

Izuku wore a brown plaid skirt paired with a soft cream turtleneck tucked neatly into the waistband. Over it hung a loose brown jacket, slightly oversized, the sleeves pushed back just enough to show his wrists. Tall black boots finished the outfit, giving the whole look an effortless sort of style that looked like it had been carefully put together without appearing that way.

Ochako blinked once.

Then she glanced sideways. “…Did you help him pick that?” she asked cautiously.

Bakugo scoffed immediately. “Tch.”

Which, based on the tone alone, sounded suspiciously like yes.

Izuku looked down at himself in mild confusion.

“Kacchan just said the other outfit looked weird for photos,” he explained casually.

“Because you were about to show up looking like a substitute teacher,” Bakugo muttered.

“I liked that sweater.”

“It was ugly.”

Across the room, Sero had been adjusting one of the lights, but he had completely stopped working now.

He stared at Izuku for a moment.

Then straightened suddenly.

“Oh! Midoriya! Hey!”

Izuku waved politely. “Hi!”

Sero hurried over to the camera, suddenly much more focused than he had been a moment ago.

“No problem, no problem,” he said quickly, fiddling with the lens. “We’ll get you some really good shots.”

Izuku leaned forward curiously.

“Oh, cool. How does that lens work?”

Sero froze for a second.

“…You want me to explain it?”

“Yes!”

And just like that, Sero launched into a detailed explanation about focal lengths and lighting while Izuku listened with complete, genuine interest.

Bakugo leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching the whole thing with his usual scowl.

Ochako slowly opened her notebook again.

Observation: Subject continues to receive special treatment without noticing.

Across the room, Sero finally gestured toward the backdrop.

“Alright, Midoriya, if you could stand right here for a second—”

Izuku walked over obediently.

Sero immediately started fussing with the lights.

“No, wait—actually stand a little more this way—yeah, yeah, perfect.”

Bakugo clicked his tongue. “You’re acting like he’s famous.”

Sero paused.

Then slowly looked at him. “…He kind of is.”

Ochako smiled quietly behind her notebook.

This article was practically writing itself.

By the time the photoshoot wrapped up, Ochako had already claimed one of the long tables in the corner of the Photography Club room.

Her laptop sat open in front of her, several documents already pulled up, her notebook lying beside it like supporting evidence for a very serious investigation.

Across from her sat Izuku. And, of course, Bakugo.

Some patterns, it seemed, were simply reliable.

Ochako typed rapidly for a moment, the soft clicking of her keyboard filling the brief silence while she organized her notes.

Then she looked up. Her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

“I actually can’t believe you’re unaware of what you’re perceived as,” she said, leaning forward slightly.

Izuku blinked. “…That still sounds a little dramatic.”

Bakugo scoffed beside him. 

Ochako pushed her laptop a little closer to herself and straightened in her chair.

“Okay,” she said, clearly trying to contain her excitement. “So I’m going to explain that first.”

Izuku tilted his head. “Explain what?”

“What people think you are,” Ochako said matter-of-factly.

“…A debate club president?”

Ochako stared at him.

She slowly turned her laptop so the screen faced them.

“No,” she said.

“You’re the school queen.”

UA SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Special Feature

THE DEVIL WEARS UA

How Izuku Midoriya Accidentally Became the Most Influential Student in School

By Ochako Uraraka

Every high school has a social hierarchy.

There are athletes.

There are overachievers.

There are popular students.

And then there is Izuku Midoriya.

For the past three years, Midoriya has quietly existed at the center of UA High’s social ecosystem.

People move out of his way in hallways.

Students copy his outfits.

When he hosts a party, the entire senior class shows up.

Many students refer to him as the School Queen.

So naturally, the first question of this investigation was simple:

Does Izuku Midoriya know?

The answer was no.

But someone else did.

The Interview

The interview took place after a photoshoot for this article.

Midoriya arrived exactly on time.

Football captain Katsuki Bakugo arrived with him.

He later insisted he was “not part of the interview.”

He was wrong.

Question One

The Social Hierarchy

Uraraka:

“When did you first realize people treat you differently at school?”

Midoriya looked confused.

Not “pretending to be modest” confused.

Actually confused.

Midoriya:

“…They do?”

I explained the situation.

The rumors.

The hallway reactions.

The trendsetting.

Midoriya listened very politely.

Then he said something extremely concerning.

Midoriya:

“I thought everyone was just being nice.”

At this point Bakugo groaned loudly.

Question Two

The “School Queen” Title

Uraraka:

“Many students refer to you as the School Queen of UA High.”

Midoriya blinked several times.

Midoriya:

“That sounds fake.”

“It isn’t,” I said.

He thought about it for a moment.

Then he shrugged.

Midoriya:

“I mean… if people like me that’s nice.”

Bakugo dragged a hand down his face.

Question Three

Fashion Influence

Midoriya’s outfits are widely discussed at school.

Students frequently attempt to copy them.

When asked about this, Midoriya seemed surprised.

Midoriya:

“Kacchan usually helps me pick clothes.”

Bakugo immediately interrupted.

Bakugo:

“He has terrible taste.”

This statement caused Midoriya to protest.

Midoriya:

“I do not!”

Bakugo ignored him.

Bakugo:

“The first week of middle school he tried to wear a green hoodie with orange shorts.”

Midoriya looked embarrassed.

Midoriya:

“…I liked those shorts.”

This appears to confirm that Bakugo has been styling him for several years.

Question Four

The Beginning

At this point the conversation became more interesting.

Uraraka:

“When did all of this start?”

Midoriya tilted his head.

Midoriya:

“What do you mean?”

Bakugo answered instead.

Bakugo:

“Middle school.”

Midoriya looked at him.

“…What?”

Bakugo crossed his arms.

Bakugo:

“You were getting picked on.”

Midoriya blinked.

“I was?”

Bakugo stared at him.

Then looked at the ceiling like he regretted ever opening his mouth.

Bakugo:

“You didn’t notice.”

Midoriya looked genuinely shocked.

Midoriya:

“…Oh.”

Bakugo sighed.

Bakugo:

“So I fixed it.”

The Strategy

At this point Bakugo reluctantly explained the system.

His plan was surprisingly simple.

Make Izuku Midoriya untouchable.

Dress him well.

Walk with him everywhere.

Make people think approaching him required permission.

As Bakugo explained it:

Bakugo:

“People don’t mess with things they can’t reach.”

Midoriya:

“You did all that?”

Bakugo immediately looked defensive.

Bakugo:

“Don’t make it weird.”

Debate Club

Midoriya’s reputation in debate competitions is significantly less mysterious.

He simply knows an alarming amount of information.

Midoriya:

“I just like learning things.”

His favorite subjects include:

• Politics
  
  
• History
  
  
• Biology
  
  

During the interview he explained frog migration patterns in detail.

This was unrelated to the question.

Relationship Status

Midoriya and Bakugo have known each other since childhood.

When asked how long they have been dating, Midoriya answered easily.

Midoriya:

“Since middle school.”

Bakugo did not disagree.

Personality

Midoriya is often described as mysterious.

He is not.

He is curious.

He asks questions constantly.

He smiles a lot.

And when someone says something incorrect, he politely dismantles their argument while still sounding friendly.

It is deeply unsettling.

Final Question

Before ending the interview, I asked one final question.

Uraraka:

“If people remember one thing about you after reading this article, what would you want it to be?”

Midoriya thought about this for a moment.

Then he smiled.

Midoriya:

“I hope people are nice to each other.”

He then added something else.

Something that explains the entire situation surprisingly well.

Midoriya:

“School is easier when someone is looking out for you.”

Bakugo looked away.

Reporter’s Conclusion

When I began this investigation, I believed Izuku Midoriya was a social phenomenon.

Someone carefully constructing his influence.

Instead, I discovered something much simpler.

Izuku Midoriya isn’t the architect of his reputation.

Katsuki Bakugo is.

The aggressive football captain who walks beside him everywhere.

The one who picks his outfits.

The one who decided, years ago, that nobody would ever hurt him again.

Izuku Midoriya may be the School Queen of UA High.

But every queen, it turns out, has a very loud bodyguard.

The magazine came out on Wednesday morning.

For the first time in over a decade, the school printing room had to run a second batch of copies before lunch.

At 8:05 a.m., Mina Ashido slammed a copy onto the cafeteria table.

“OH MY GOD.”

Everyone looked up.

She flipped to the center spread dramatically.

“‘The Devil Wears UA’,” she read aloud. “Ochako, this title is insane.”

Ochako sat across from her, trying very hard to look professional and not like someone who had been awake until three in the morning editing the article.

“It’s journalistic branding,” she said.

Tsuyu sat beside her, calmly sipping from her juice box.

“I told her it would work,” she added.

Momo, much calmer, adjusted the magazine so she could read the text properly. “This is actually very well written.”

Beside her, Todoroki was quietly reading the article with serious concentration. “This seems accurate.”

Tsuyu leaned slightly toward Ochako.

“The diagram is my favorite part,” she said.

Ochako beamed. “Right?”

Later that afternoon, the magazine club room was quiet.

Sunlight spilled across the tables through the tall windows. Ochako sat at the desk, staring at the final printed copy of the magazine.

Twelve years.

That was how long it had been since anyone cared about the school paper.

Tsuyu sat beside her with her feet tucked under the chair, calmly flipping through another copy.

“We did it,” she said simply.

Ochako smiled. “Yeah.”

Behind them, the door creaked open.

Izuku stepped inside, holding the magazine in one hand.

“I liked the frog section,” he said cheerfully.

Ochako groaned. “That was supposed to be a footnote.”

Izuku laughed. 

Bakugo leaned against the doorway behind him.“Told you she was weird.”

Tsuyu looked up from the magazine.

“She spent six days stalking you,” she said calmly. “That is technically correct.”

Ochako looked up at them.

Then she grinned.

“Next issue,” she said.

“I’m writing about the football captain.”

And just like that, the legend of the School Queen of UA High became a little less mysterious.

And a lot more real.

Izuku Midoriya rarely felt stupid.

Mostly because he had always been good at things.

Good grades. Great friends. A mom who loved him more than anything. The best aunt and uncle anyone could ask for.

And, somehow, against all odds, he had ended up dating the love of his life.

There was nothing stupid about that.

But on this Wednesday evening, Izuku Midoriya felt a little stupid anyway.

He lay stretched across Katsuki’s bed, curled comfortably on his boyfriend’s chest like he had a hundred times before. Katsuki was propped up against the headboard with a controller in his hands, his thumbs moving automatically as his character spawned into another lobby.

It was a familiar routine.

After school they always ended up here.

Katsuki played video games if he didn’t have football practice.

Izuku read a book.

They talked sometimes.

Sometimes they didn’t.

Mostly they just existed together.

But today Izuku had been staring at the same page of his book for ten minutes.

He sighed.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Katsuki murmured without looking away from the screen.

Izuku hesitated. “Why did you never tell me?”

Katsuki frowned slightly. “Didn’t tell you what?”

Izuku shifted so he could look up at him.

“That you were worried about me.”

Katsuki’s character got eliminated in the game.

He didn’t even react.

“That you built… a whole story around me existing,” Izuku finished quietly.

The room went silent.

The only sound left was the faint menu music from the paused game.

Katsuki stared at the screen for a moment.

Then he dropped the controller onto the blanket.

“…It wasn’t a story,” he muttered.

Izuku raised an eyebrow. “How?”

Katsuki finally looked down at him.

His expression was the familiar combination of annoyed, defensive, and very obviously embarrassed.

“You were getting picked on,” he said bluntly.

Izuku blinked. “I didn’t notice.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki grumbled. “That was the problem.”

Izuku’s fingers slowly curled into the front of Katsuki’s shirt.

“So you decided,” he said carefully, “to… invent a social hierarchy?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t invent it.”

“You kind of did.”

“I just made sure people knew you weren’t someone they could mess with.”

Izuku thought about that.

The clothes.

The way Katsuki always walked beside him.

The way people treated him like he was untouchable.

All the little things he had never questioned.

And suddenly it all made sense.

“You made me look special,” Izuku said softly.

Katsuki snorted. “You are special.”

Izuku smiled. “You’re biased.”

“Yeah,” Katsuki said immediately. “Obviously.”

Izuku laughed quietly and buried his face against Katsuki’s chest again.

For a moment neither of them spoke.

Then Izuku mumbled into his shirt. “You know I wouldn’t have minded.”

Katsuki frowned. “Minded what?”

“The bullying.”

Katsuki went completely still.

Izuku lifted his head again and met his eyes. “I would’ve figured it out eventually.”

Katsuki stared at him.

Then he gently flicked Izuku’s forehead. “Idiot.”

Izuku laughed again. “You still did all that for me.”

Katsuki looked away. “…Yeah.”

Izuku’s heart felt warm in his chest. “Kacchan.”

“What.”

“You made me the school queen.”

Katsuki groaned.

“Don’t start.”

Izuku grinned. “It’s kind of romantic.”

“It’s not romantic.”

“You built a reputation around me for years.”

“Because people are idiots.”

Izuku leaned closer. “And because you love me.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “…Obviously.”

Izuku’s smile softened. “Thank you.”

Katsuki looked down at him again.

There was a softness in his expression now that he rarely showed anyone else.

“Stop thanking me for stuff like that.”

Izuku tilted his head. “Why?”

“Because,” Katsuki muttered, reaching up to tug lightly at a curl near Izuku’s temple, “that’s just what you do when you love someone.”

Izuku’s chest squeezed.

He shifted up slightly, resting his weight more fully against Katsuki.

Then he leaned forward. Their kiss was soft. Slow.

Comfortable in the way that only came from years of knowing each other.

Katsuki’s hand slid to the back of Izuku’s neck automatically, keeping him close.

When they finally pulled apart, Izuku was still smiling.

“You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I still don’t really understand the school queen thing.”

Katsuki snorted. “Good.”

“Why?”

“Because if it ever goes to your head,” Katsuki said, pressing another quick kiss to his forehead, “I’ll have to bully you about it.”

Izuku laughed.

Then he settled back down onto Katsuki’s chest again, finally opening his book.

The game menu music was still playing quietly in the background.

And for the first time all day, Izuku Midoriya could concentrate again.

After all, it turned out he had never been alone in the story everyone else believed about him.

Katsuki Bakugo had been there the whole time.

Exactly where he always was.

Right beside him.