Chapter Text
By eight in the morning, the entire academy is acting clinically insane.
Katsuki knew Ferrari management visiting U.A. would cause chaos.
But he did not expect:
support course students sprinting through hallways carrying carbon fiber parts like religious offerings
instructors screaming about garage presentation
first-years suddenly pretending they understood sponsor etiquette
The racing division looks like it’s preparing for war.
“Why is everybody standing straighter?” Kaminari whispers while they walk through the paddock “Because they’re scared,” Jirou answers immediately.
“They should be,” Midoriya mutters while aggressively flipping through research notes beside them.
Katsuki stares “You researched them?” Midoriya looks genuinely offended “You DIDN’T?”
“No because I’m mentally stable.” Midoriya points dramatically at his notebook “Do you realize how important this visit is?”
“Yes.”
“Ferrari currently oversees six development pipelines globally and their junior acquisition rate—”
“Midoriya.”
“Three active Formula drivers came through their academy structure and—”
“MIDORIYA.”
Midoriya finally stops.
Katsuki rubs his temples.
Around them, academy crews move at double speed, garage floors shine. Display screens loop academy highlights.
Cars sit perfectly aligned beneath fluorescent lighting.
Even upperclassmen suddenly look more polished than usual. Everybody wants to be seen.
Ashido practically vibrates beside Uraraka.
“I heard a rumor that Touya Todoroki’s coming too.”
Several students immediately react.
“THE Touya Todoroki?” Kaminari blurts.
“There’s multiple?” Jirou asks.
“Wait,” Uraraka says carefully, “wasn’t he the one who won Monaco in his rookie season?”
“And crashed into a yacht,” Kaminari adds.
“That was alleged” Kirishima says.
“It was on LIVE television.”
“ALLEGEDLY.” Katsuki vaguely remembers that race actually.
Mostly because the footage became meme material for months.
“You know what’s crazy?” Kaminari continues. “Imagine your BROTHER being a world-famous disaster.”
Midoriya pushes his glasses up dramatically “He was one of the fastest wet-condition drivers in modern Formula.” “Yeah and one of the least stable mentally,” Jirou says.
“Relatable king honestly,” Kaminari replies, Katsuki ignores them while glancing across the paddock.
Still no Todoroki. Weirdly noticeable.
Then the giant paddock doors slide open. The entire garage quiets instantly.
Ferrari Management have arrived.
Students stop talking, support crews straighten immediately. Several academy instructors move toward the entrance at borderline military speed.
Ferrari personnel enter first.
Black uniforms.
Red insignias.
Sharp posture.
Professional enough to make the academy suddenly feel very young.
Then
Endeavor walks in.
And the atmosphere changes completely.
Katsuki understands immediately why the entire motorsport world still talks about him.
Not because he’s loud. Because he doesn’t need to be.
Massive presence.
Sharp eyes.
Completely controlled posture.
The kind of person who walks into a paddock and automatically becomes the center of it.
Several first-years visibly panic.
Then chaos walks in directly behind him, Touya Todoroki enters the academy holding sunglasses, coffee, and absolutely no professionalism whatsoever.
“Why’s everybody standing like we’re armed?” he asks immediately, like he's hurt.
Several Ferrari engineers visibly die inside.
Touya notices.
“Oh no,” he says with delight. “You briefed them.” “You are impossible to brief,” one engineer says flatly.
“That sounds like a skill issue.” Kaminari looks seconds from fainting “That’s actually him.”
“Unfortunately,” Jirou mutters, Touya notices the staring instantly “Oh this is terrible,” he says casually. “They’re terrified.”
“You crashed into a yacht,” Endeavor says without looking at him.
Touya points immediately “ALLEGEDLY.”
“It was internationally televised.”
“Deepfake technology is getting scary.”
Katsuki immediately likes him against his will. Which is probably a bad sign.
Ferrari staff continue moving through the paddock reviewing garage setups while academy instructors attempt to maintain order.
Touya, meanwhile, ignores literally all of that.
He walks directly into Garage Three like he owns the place.
Which-
to be fair-
he kind of does.
“You’re the wet-session class,” he says while looking around.
Nobody answers immediately. Mostly because everybody’s intimidated.
Touya squints “Oh wow you’re all socially terrified.”
“We’re being respectful,” Iida says immediately. Touya looks horrified “That’s worse.”
Katsuki snorts accidentally. Touya’s eyes snap toward him instantly.
Oh no.
“There it is,” Touya says, pointing dramatically. “The aggressive one.”
“The hell does THAT mean?”
“You drive like the car owes you money.”
“That’s because it usually does.”
Touya grins immediately “Oh I’m keeping this one.”
“No,” several Ferrari engineers say at once.
Then-
“Oh my god.” Ashido grabs Uraraka’s arm hard enough to nearly break it.
The entire garage turns automatically.
And Katsuki’s brain immediately stops functioning.
Shouto walks into the paddock adjusting an earring casually like she hasn’t just caused a medical emergency across half the academy.
No oversized hoodie.
No academy jacket swallowing her whole.
No disappearing into layers.
She actually looks-
Katsuki’s internal system crashes violently.
Oh.
Okay.
That’s-
...shit.
She’s dressed simply.
Which somehow makes it infinitely worse.
Dark fitted long-sleeve tucked cleanly into black pants.
Silver jewelry at her ears and wrists.
Ferrari jacket tied around her waist.
Boots instead of sneakers.
Nothing flashy.
Just expensive enough to feel effortless.
And for the first time since arriving at U.A. Academy-
Shouto looks completely comfortable being seen.
Not hidden.
Not protected.
Visible.
The class collectively malfunctions.
“Oh my GOD,” Ashido whispers.
“WHAT,” Kaminari whispers back aggressively.
“LOOK AT HER.”
“I AM.”
“RESPECTFULLY.”
“NOT RESPECTFULLY.”
Even Yaoyorozu looks impressed.
Jirou slowly lowers her coffee.
Midoriya nearly drops an entire tablet.
Meanwhile Katsuki’s experiencing psychological warfare.
Because this isn’t:
Todoroki looks nice.
This is:
Todoroki is hot. Catastrophic realization.
Absolutely unacceptable.
And somehow worse-
she’s confident.
Not trying to impress anybody.
Not performing. Just existing comfortably.
That’s what destroys him.
Touya notices her first.
Then grins immediately.
“There she is.”
“Don’t start.”
“You dressed up.”
“You crashed into a yacht.”
“ALLEGEDLY.”
Endeavor finally looks over.
And unlike the rest of the academy-
he doesn’t react dramatically at all.
Just observes “You changed your jewelry.”
Shouto touches one earring automatically.
“...You noticed?”
“You always wear smaller silver.”
Touya points immediately “See? Creepy.”
“It’s called paying attention.”
“It’s called terrifying behavior.”
Katsuki blinks once.
Because somehow this family dynamic is WAY louder than expected.
Shouto walks closer while Touya immediately starts circling her like a problem.
“You curled your hair.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“It’s humidity.”
“You own three different hair oils.”
“TOUYA.”
Ashido is moments from ascending spiritually “Oh my god they’re a REAL family.”
“What did you think they were?” Jirou asks.
“Ferrari cryptids..?”
Honestly fair.
Meanwhile Katsuki’s still trying not to stare too obviously.
Which becomes impossible when Shouto stops beside him casually.
Close enough that he catches:
expensive shampoo
engine oil
faint rainwater still trapped in the Ferrari jacket around her waist
The combination nearly kills him instantly.
“Why do you look stressed?” she asks “I’m surrounded by Todorokis.”
“That’s fair.” Touya immediately appears beside them like a demon summoned through embarrassment.
“Oh this is INTERESTING.”
“Leave,” Shouto says immediately.
“No.” Touya looks between them once. Then grins slowly.
Katsuki suddenly understands fear “You’re Bakugou.”
“The hell gave it away.”
“The homicidal energy mostly.”
“Fair.”
Touya studies him openly now. Not rudely.
Curiously.
Then:
“You kept up with her in rain.”
Shouto folds her arms immediately “Don’t start evaluating my classmates.”
“I’m evaluating recreationally.”
“That’s worse.” Touya ignores her.
“What’s your background?”
Katsuki shrugs “Local tracks. Karting. Sim work.”
“No private wet training?”
“No.”
Touya whistles low “Oh that’s disgusting.”
“What does THAT mean.”
“It means your instincts are terrifying.”
Katsuki feels weirdly proud of that which is probably unhealthy.
Endeavor finally walks over then, and suddenly the entire atmosphere shifts again.
Not because he says anything.
Because his presence changes the space around him automatically.
Ferrari engineers straighten. Academy instructors stop talking. Several students visibly panic.
Endeavor looks directly at Katsuki. Sharp.
Observant.
Like he’s reviewing telemetry instead of a person.
Katsuki refuses to look away, interesting silence settles.
Then:
“You adapted too quickly.”
Straight to the point.
Katsuki shrugs.
“The track started making sense.”
Endeavor studies him another second.
“Hm.” now he sees where that hum comes from and that somehow feels more dangerous than a full conversation.
Touya immediately leans sideways toward Shouto dramatically “Oh he’s doing The Talent Evaluation.”
“Stop calling it that.”
“That’s literally what it is.”
“You sound evil.”
“I AM evil.” “Correct,” Endeavor says calmly.
Touya looks delighted.
The rest of the afternoon dissolves into complete chaos.
Absolute chaos.
Ferrari engineers review academy setups while Touya wanders through garages causing emotional damage recreationally.
At one point:
he steals Kaminari’s sunglasses and somehow convinces three first-years he still secretly races under fake names.
At another:
he and Katsuki argue over wet driving lines for twenty straight minutes while Shouto repeatedly threatens violence from the background.
“You rotate too aggressively entering wet apexes,” Touya says.
“It works.”
“It SHOULDN’T.”
“Sounds like a skill issue.”
Touya looks genuinely emotional “Endeavor I found another one.”
“I can see that.”
Shouto physically covers her face with one hand “You’re both exhausting.”
“Wrong,” Katsuki says immediately
“We’re inspirational.”
“You crashed into a yacht.”
“ALLEGEDLY.”
Then Aizawa makes the worst decision of his career.
“Ferrari requested controlled interview footage with select first-years,” he says while already sounding exhausted. “Dorm access has been temporarily approved.”
Silence.
“Oh no,” Shouto says immediately.
Touya lights up like a supervillain “Oh YES.”
“You are absolutely not going into my room.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
“It’s NORMAL suspicious.”
“No such thing.” Unfortunately for everyone involved, Touya ignores her entirely.
And somehow thirty minutes later Katsuki finds himself standing in the first-year dorm hallway watching one of the most famous racing families in the world commit crimes against privacy “This feels illegal,” Jirou says “It IS illegal,” Shouto replies “Technically,” Touya says while opening another cabinet, “it’s investigative journalism.”
“That’s my closet.”
“And now it’s MY closet.”
“Get out.”
The dorm room itself immediately explains a lot about Shouto.
Unlike her academy image-
it’s lived in.
Not messy. But personal.
Books stacked beside telemetry binders.
Ferrari caps tossed carelessly across shelves.
Old paddock passes pinned beside race photos.
Half-built model cars near the desk.
And everywhere-
memorabilia.
Years of it.
Katsuki notices immediately.
Helmets. Gloves.
Old race badges. Signed photos. Tiny trophies.
A lifetime of racing packed into one room.
Then Touya makes a dangerous noise.
“Oh my GOD.”
Shouto freezes instantly.
“No.”
Touya’s already holding it.
Tiny pink helmet.
The tiny pink helmet.
Katsuki immediately recognizes it.
“Touya,” Shouto says with terrifying calm.
“You still HAVE this?”
“Give it back.”
“You used to refuse taking it off.”
“TOUYA.”
“You cried for three hours when you scratched it on a barrier.”
Katsuki physically turns away trying not to laugh. Which unfortunately makes it worse.
Touya notices immediately.
“Oh this is incredible.”
“Give me the helmet.”
“She used to sleep with this beside her bed,” Touya continues gleefully.
“Touya.”
“She also made father buy matching pink gloves.”
“I WAS FIVE.”
“She threatened murder when they got dirty.”
“I STILL WILL.”
Katsuki finally loses the fight and laughs.
Actual laugh.
Sharp and sudden.
Shouto whips toward him instantly looking betrayed “You’re enjoying this.”
“A little.”
“You’re the enemy now.”
“Worth it.”
Touya nearly falls over laughing “OH I like him.”
“This is your fault,” Shouto tells Katsuki flatly.
“How.”
“You encouraged him.”
“I literally did nothing.”
“Your existence encouraged him.”
Honestly? Fair.
Then Endeavor quietly picks up one of the old photographs sitting near the shelf.
Young Shouto in oversized Ferrari gear holding the tiny pink helmet almost bigger than her torso.
Huge smile. Missing front tooth. Absolutely soaked in rainwater.
Katsuki recognizes the smile instantly.
Same one from Wet Conditions.
Endeavor looks at the photo quietly for a second “She refused to leave the track that day.”
Touya snorts “She was hypothermic.”
“I was winning.”
“You were SIX.”
“I was STILL winning.”
The entire room breaks laughing, even Aizawa looks seconds from smiling.
Barely.
And for the first time since meeting Todoroki Shouto-
Katsuki understands something important.
She didn’t become obsessed with racing because of pressure.
She loved it first.
The room completely dissolves after that.
Actual chaos.
Ashido drops dramatically onto Shouto’s bed clutching her chest “You had a PINK phase.”
“I was a CHILD.”
“You had MATCHING GLOVES.”
“I WAS FIVE.”
Touya’s still holding the tiny helmet like he just uncovered classified government secrets “She used to make engineers compliment it before races.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“She cried when father suggested changing the paint scheme.”
“TOUYA.”
“She called him emotionally unsupportive.”
The entire room loses it again. Even Endeavor looks vaguely amused now.
Which is honestly terrifying.
Katsuki’s still staring at the old photo in Endeavor’s hand.
Tiny Shouto looks absolutely soaked in rainwater. Helmet nearly bigger than her head.
Huge grin. Missing front tooth.
Completely happy.
“She really liked rain conditions,” Endeavor says casually.
Touya snorts loudly “She was psychotic in rain.”
“I won.”
“You were in kindergarten.”
“I still won.”
“That’s unfortunately true,” Endeavor admits.
Shouto groans into her hands “This was a mistake.”
“No,” Ashido says immediately. “This is the best day of my LIFE.”
Meanwhile Kaminari’s discovered another shelf and immediately starts spiraling “WHY DO YOU JUST HAVE REAL FORMULA DRIVER HELMETS SITTING HERE.”
“They’re gifts.”
“FROM WHO.”
Shouto blinks once “...Mostly family friends?”
Kaminari looks seconds from fainting.
“YOUR FAMILY FRIENDS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS.”
Touya points immediately. “Hawks still owes me fifty euros.”
“That is NOT the point.”
Kirishima carefully picks up an old Ferrari pass hanging from the shelf “You’ve literally been inside Formula paddocks since you were little.”
“Mostly,” Shouto says “Mostly?” Jirou repeats.
“There was a period where father tried keeping me away from garages during race weekends.”
Touya bursts out laughing immediately.
“Oh my god there was that time when She escaped.”
Silence.
Katsuki looks up slowly.
“...Escaped?”
“She climbed through a hospitality fence,” Touya says proudly.
“I was eight.”
“You bribed a mechanic with candy.”
“He let me into the pit lane.”
“You STOLE a scooter.”
“It was temporary borrowing.”
Endeavor rubs his temples “She drove directly into Ferrari hospitality.”
The class collectively explodes.
Midoriya’s physically crying from laughter now.
“No because THAT’S actually insane.”
“I got caught immediately,” Shouto mutters.
“You crashed into a tire cart,” Touya adds helpfully.
“It was parked badly.”
Touya nearly falls over laughing “Oh my god you still blame the tire cart.”
Katsuki physically has to sit down before he chokes.
Because somehow-
somehow-
this version of Todoroki feels completely different from the quiet girl sitting beside him during telemetry reviews.
Not colder.
Not softer either.
Just-
alive.
Loud, competitive, chaotic.
Like all the energy she usually keeps folded neatly away suddenly exists everywhere at once.
And honestly?
It’s kind of addictive. Unfortunately.
Across the room, Touya’s still snooping aggressively through shelves despite multiple threats on his life.
“OHHHH this is evil.”
“No,” Shouto says immediately.
Touya pulls out another framed photo, young Touya and tiny Shouto sitting on a garage floor in oversized Ferrari jackets while covered head-to-toe in grease.
Touya’s grinning at the camera, Shouto’s asleep sitting upright against his shoulder still wearing the tiny pink helmet.
The room collectively melts “Oh my GOD,” Uraraka whispers “That’s adorable,” Yaoyorozu says softly. Shouto looks genuinely horrified.
“Put that DOWN.”
“She used to follow me everywhere,” Touya says proudly.
“You drove illegally at sixteen.”
“And you thought that was cool.”
“It WAS cool.”
“Thank you.”
“You crashed into a marina.”
“ALLEGEDLY.”
Endeavor finally sighs heavily “It was not alleged.”
“Your negativity hurts me.”
Meanwhile Katsuki’s brain short-circuits again because-
Shouto’s laughing.
Not polite little laughs.
Actual laughter.
Bright.
Open.
Uncontrolled.
And suddenly he understands why the rain session unsettled him so much.
Because THIS is the same girl.
The one smiling through flooded corners.
The one who stopped holding herself back.
The academy version of Todoroki-
the quiet oversized hoodies and controlled expressions-
might actually be the performance.
Oh.
That thought hits weirdly hard.
Then Touya ruins everybody’s emotional moment instantly.
“WAIT.”
Oh no.
Touya squints toward another shelf dramatically.
“No way.”
Shouto freezes.
Absolutely freezes.
“...Don’t.”
Touya’s grin grows slowly “YOU STILL HAVE THE FAN LETTERS?”
The entire room SCREAMS, “THE WHAT?” Ashido yells.
Shouto lunges across the room instantly.
“TOUYA.”
Too late.
Touya’s already holding a massive stack of old letters tied together with ribbon, “Oh this is EVIL.”
“Give those back.”
“She kept fan mail?”
“SHUT UP.”
Touya flips one open dramatically.
“‘Dear Todoroki Shouto, I think your rain driving is very cool-’”
“I WAS NINE.”
“‘-and I also think you are pretty.’”
The room completely collapses.
Katsuki physically turns around trying not to die laughing. Ashido’s crying. Kaminari’s on the FLOOR.
Even Aizawa leaves the hallway briefly because he’s visibly losing the fight against smiling.
Shouto looks one inconvenience away from murder.
“You organized them,” Touya says through laughter.
“They were gifts!”
“You alphabetized them.”
Silence.
“...No I didn’t.”
Touya flips the stack over.
Perfect labels.
The room explodes again.
Endeavor actually laughs this time. Tiny, brief.
Still terrifying somehow.
Shouto points accusingly at Touya.
“You literally kept every newspaper article about yourself.”
“Because I’m iconic.”
“You framed one.”
“It was a good picture.”
“You signed it yourself.”
“That increases value.”
Katsuki’s stomach hurts from laughing now.
This entire family is insane.
And somehow it makes perfect sense.
Eventually the chaos settles enough for people to spread around the room naturally.
Ashido and Uraraka dig through old race photos, Kirishima argues with Touya over aggressive driving philosophy, Midoriya’s having a religious experience over vintage Ferrari telemetry binders.
Meanwhile Katsuki ends up near Shouto’s desk while she aggressively reorganizes everything Touya touched.
“You’re smiling,” she says suddenly.
Katsuki immediately scowls.
“No I’m not.”
“You laughed.”
“That sounds fake.”
Shouto snorts softly while fixing a crooked stack of old race magazines.
Katsuki watches her quietly for a second. Still no oversized hoodie.
Still visible.
And now-
surrounded by years of racing history-
she suddenly makes more sense.
Every helmet.
Every photo.
Every garage pass.
Racing isn’t something Todoroki was pushed into.
It’s stitched into her life completely.
Then Katsuki notices another framed picture sitting near the back of the shelf.
Shouto younger again.
Maybe twelve this time.
Standing beside a soaked kart after a rain race.
Tiny pink helmet clipped against her hip instead of on her head now.
Growing out of it.
But still keeping it close.
Katsuki points vaguely toward the photo.
“You really never got rid of that thing.”
Shouto glances over. Then surprisingly smiles a little.
“It was my first custom helmet.”
“Still pink.”
“I liked pink.”
“You still like pink.”
“I absolutely do not.”
Touya appears behind them instantly like a curse.
“She still owns pink gloves.”
“TOUYA.”
Katsuki grins immediately “Oh that’s embarrassing.”
“You drive like a violent criminal.”
“Yeah but I’m not color coordinated.”
Shouto narrows her eyes.
Then without warning-
she throws a small Ferrari keychain directly at his head.
Katsuki catches it automatically.
The room quiets for half a second.
Because the keychain is pink.
Tiny. Ferrari logo in the center.
Katsuki looks up slowly.
Shouto immediately looks mildly regretful.
Touya absolutely loses his mind “OH MY GOD.”
The room never recovers after the pink keychain incident.
Absolutely never.
Ashido physically collapses onto the floor clutching her stomach “Oh my GOD.”
“I hate all of you,” Shouto says immediately, Touya looks one inconvenience away from tears.
“She gave him the emotional support Ferrari keychain.”
“I THREW it at him.”
“Emotionally.”
Katsuki still has the tiny keychain dangling from his fingers.
Mostly because the entire room exploded before he could react properly.
Small.
Pink.
Ferrari logo in the center.
The fact that it’s obviously old somehow makes it worse.
“Wait,” Kaminari says suddenly, staring dramatically. “So she actually had a pink phase?”
“I WAS A CHILD.”
“She still owns pink gloves,” Touya says instantly.
“TOUYA.”
“She color coordinated her helmets.”
“TOUYA.”
“She once cried because a mechanic called salmon pink ‘light red.’”
“That was a valid emotional response.”
The room collectively loses it again.
Even Katsuki laughs.
Which-
honestly-
might be the most humiliating part of today.
Shouto points directly at him from across the room.
“You’re especially banned from laughing.”
“Why.”
“You’re holding the evidence.”
Katsuki looks down at the keychain still looped around his fingers “...Oh.”
For some reason he doesn’t give it back immediately.
Problem.
Big problem.
Touya notices instantly.
Of course he does.
The grin spreading slowly across his face is genuinely evil “Oh this is becoming a THING.”
“It’s not a thing,” Katsuki snaps immediately.
“That sounded defensive.”
“That’s because I’m defending myself.”
“From what?”
Katsuki opens his mouth. Closes it.
Shouto watches the interaction with narrowing eyes before physically snatching a pillow off her bed and throwing it directly at Touya’s face.
“Stop talking.”
Touya catches it one-handed “Violence. Just like father.”
“Wrong,” Endeavor says calmly from near the bookshelf. “My aim is better.”
The room goes silent for half a second.
Then completely explodes.
“No because THAT was actually crazy,” Kaminari wheezes.
Endeavor looks vaguely confused by the reaction, Touya points dramatically.
“See? This is why she became competitive.”
“YOU raised her.”
“We all make mistakes.”
“You literally taught me trail braking at eleven.”
“And look how well that turned out.”
“You crashed into a marina.”
“ALLEGEDLY.”
At this point even Aizawa looks exhausted from trying not to laugh, which honestly feels more cursed than anything Touya’s done all day.
The rest of the evening dissolves into increasingly unhinged chaos.
Meanwhile Shouto spends most of the evening trying unsuccessfully to regain control over her own room.
Every five minutes Touya discovers something else embarrassing.
“OH MY GOD YOU KEPT THE STICKERS.”
“Those are collectibles.”
“You alphabetized your racing magazines.”
“That’s normal.”
“You labeled your kart trophies by weather condition.”
Silence.
"...That sounds fake.”
Touya flips one around.
“MUDDY.”
“LIGHT RAIN.”
“SEVERE CROSSWIND.”
The room detonates again.
Katsuki laughs hard enough his stomach hurts.
And somehow-
every time he looks over-
Shouto’s looking back too.
Not annoyed.
Not really.
Bright-eyed from laughing.
Hair slightly messy now.
Jewelry glinting beneath the dorm lights.
Alive.
Way too alive.
At some point Ferrari staff finally begin dragging Touya and Endeavor back toward the paddock before the academy suffers permanent structural damage.
“Your students are weird,” Touya says while walking backward through the hallway.
“You encouraged them,” Aizawa replies flatly.
“Correct.”
Endeavor pauses briefly near the dorm entrance before looking once toward Shouto.
“You’re settling in well.”
Simple sentence.
But Katsuki notices immediately:
the tiny shift in her posture afterward.
Comfort.
“...Yeah,” she says quietly. “I am.”
Endeavor nods once.
Then glances toward Katsuki briefly.
Sharp.
Observant.
Like he’s noticing something.
“Hm.” Still terrifying.
Then the Todorokis finally leave.
And for the first time all day-
the dorm floor goes quiet.
The class slowly disperses afterward still laughing and replaying moments from the evening.
Ashido nearly dies hugging Shouto goodbye dramatically “You had MATCHING pink gloves.”
“I’m deleting your number.”
“You gave Bakugou a pink keychain.”
“I threw it at his FACE.”
“Emotionally.”
“I hate this class.”
Katsuki escapes before the conversation gets worse.
Barely.
The dorm hallway feels strangely quiet after hours of chaos.
He reaches his room exhausted.
Still vaguely smelling:
garage air, rainwater
and weirdly Ferrari hospitality coffee somehow
Katsuki drops onto his bed immediately while pulling random junk from his pockets.
Phone.
Gloves.
Locker card.
Then-
Clink.
Small pink Ferrari keychain lands against the sheets.
Silence.
Katsuki stares at it.
Oh.
Right.
He forgot to give it back.
The tiny Ferrari logo catches dim light from the bedside lamp while memories slam directly into him one after another:
Shouto laughing openly in the middle of her room.
Tiny pink helmet.
Rainwater.
Old race photos.
Her throwing the keychain at him without thinking.
The way she looked today-
comfortable enough not to hide.
And somehow that last thought hits hardest.
Because until now,
every version of Todoroki Katsuki’s seen has been:
racer
rival
academy prodigy
Ferrari legacy
But tonight?
Tonight she just looked:
real.
Katsuki groans loudly before falling backward across the bed dramatically.
“This is bullshit.”
The keychain sits quietly beside him.
Tiny. Pink.
Very, very stupid.
Katsuki stares at it another second.
Then-
without really thinking about it-
hooks it onto his dorm key anyway.