Work Text:
Ochako slowly glanced at Deku’s desk and at some guy with hair sticking out wildly in every direction. The green-haired boy was whispering something inaudible to his unfortunate companion, but she couldn't help noticing how the other boy’s face grew increasingly terrified every time Midoriya opened his mouth. Right. She knew that guy—he was the class’s resident "Crybaby." Even though he was a childhood friend of Deku’s, Deku constantly bullied and threatened him, proving time and again that he was a total nobody compared to him. But what was his name? Ochako never bothered to remember the names of completely unremarkable people—especially ones like him, who always stayed in the shadows, afraid to utter a word of protest. Such people certainly didn't interest her. But right now, that blond guy was bothering her a little too much.
Adorable.
That was the exact word that popped into her mind when she glanced at "Crybaby" again.
During the break, Ochako approached the class’s deputy representative, Yaoyorozu. The girl was sitting with her feet propped up on the desk—unconcerned that everyone could see her black lace underwear—and her fingers were flying across her phone screen; she was likely busy hating on someone on social media again. Midnight, standing by the teacher's desk and packing her bag, kept shooting her looks that said only one thing: she was violating the very school rules the teacher held so dear.
"Yaomomo..."
In response, the black-haired girl made a sound like "Mm?"—which Ochako took as a cue to continue.
"What’s that guy’s name?" The brunette gestured toward "Crybaby." Yaoyorozu reluctantly tore her gaze away from the screen and looked at the boy in question.
“You mean Bakugo?”
Bakugo? She didn’t recognize the name, so she nodded.
“Ah, that constantly whining, blubbering creature…” The girl with the ponytail said this as if speaking of an illness rather than a living person. “Full name: Katsuki Bakugo. Quirk: Explosion. Despite his pathetic behavior, it’s one of the strongest in our class. And if I’m not mistaken, he’s a childhood friend of Midoriya’s—though you’d never guess it from their relationship…”
Ochako stopped listening after that; the new name was swirling in her mind. Katsuki Bakugo. His name, if she wasn't mistaken, contained the word for "to win." That, in truth, didn't seem to fit the person who bore it.
“Bakugo…” She repeated it, wanting to savor the sound of the name. A warm feeling spread inside her. “Thanks, Yaomomo. I knew you’d help.”
Another hum, which almost certainly meant “You’re welcome.”
That was the end of their brief conversation. Or, at least, that’s how it seemed to Ochaco.
“I don’t know why you needed his name—and honestly, I’m not interested—but I wouldn’t advise talking to losers like him.” The girl with the "Zero Gravity" quirk turned her head to look at the class representative's deputy, but the other girl had already buried herself back in her rapid note-taking. Midnight was approaching them—surely displeased by Yaoyorozu’s bout of nausea and the brazen violation of the rules—so Ochako hurriedly stepped away before she could be mistaken for an "accomplice."
During English class, amidst Present Mic’s indistinct mumbling, Ochako glanced at the desk by the window. Katsuki—that was how she had decided to address him; not by his surname, but by his first name. She had once heard her parents say that people liked being called by their given names. The boy kept casting wary glances around, swiveling to look at the desks where Deku, Kirishima, and Todoroki sat. He likely thought it was suspicious that they—and their friends—were being so quiet.
Adorable.
The thought made her feel an unfamiliar heat rising within her—not just warmth, but a searing heat, as if a fire were raging inside her body, consuming organ after organ: liver, lungs, heart—claiming more and more of her. Katsuki’s gaze met hers as he scanned for his "tormentors," trying to figure out what they were up to.
Eye contact lasted no longer than a second. Yet, looking into his tear-filled, red-bean-colored eyes, she held her breath. He was far too charming and sweet a creature for her ailing heart. Katsuki immediately looked away in embarrassment, and she felt her own face flush.
Abruptly turning back to the chart, Ochako tried to focus on the teacher’s monotonous voice, but she kept stealing glances at her frightened classmate, who had already returned to his work.
Adorable.
That word kept running through her mind. It was charming how his shoulders shook when he cried. Charming how he wiped away tears with the back of his hand. Charming how he pressed his lips together to hold back the emotions churning inside him. Everything about Bakugo Katsuki was charming to her.
“Hey, Ocha. Have you seen Kacchan?” The brunette turned toward Deku, who had been standing behind her for quite a while, watching her gather her textbooks and notebooks after a grueling English lesson. “He bolted right after the bell rang—the moment I looked away. What a pathetic coward.” He practically spat out that last part.
The green-haired boy scratched the back of his neck:
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to do anything bad to him.” He offered a reassuring…He smiled, likely noticing her skeptical look. “I just want to talk to him, as a friend.”
A lie. He’d said the same thing last time; after getting an answer out of Mineta, Katsuki had stumbled into class so badly beaten up that he’d had to be taken to Recovery Girl.
Ochako shrugged; she didn’t feel sorry for Katsuki or anything like that—she genuinely didn’t know where the blond had found a new hiding spot, one where even Izuku Midoriya—who had eyes and ears all over the school—couldn't find him. Deku’s expression shifted instantly, and without a word of goodbye, he headed for the classroom exit. Ochaco herself went to the locker room; she needed to change quickly before PE.
The brunette was walking down the stairs when she heard sobs coming from the space beneath them. She already had a guess as to who it might be—or rather, she was almost certain. Reaching the bottom, the girl with the "Zero Gravity" Quirk peered under the staircase. Someone was sitting there in the dust, amidst the trash. And, of course, it was Katsuki. With his face buried in his palms and his legs tucked beneath him, he was pressed against the wall as if, with enough effort, the concrete might swallow him whole. His shoulders would shudder occasionally, accompanied by the sound of sobs and sniffling.
Adorable.
“Hey, Katsu... I mean, Bakugo-kun,” Ochaco called out. “Are you okay?”
The blond jerked his head up sharply—as if scalded—and painfully banged the top of his skull against the low ceiling. He groaned, clutching his head, but he didn't run away. Rabbit-red eyes; puffy, tear-streaked cheeks from all the rubbing; thick, yellow mucus running from his nose; the dirty sleeves of his uniform where he’d wiped away the fluids.
At the sight, her heart clenched, her cheeks flushed, and her pupils seemed to turn into little hearts.
Adorable.
Adorable.
Adorable.
Adorable.
Adorable.
He’s just too cute!
The lovestruck girl sat down on the floor beside him.
“Uraraka-san…?”
Even his slightly hoarse voice was charming.
“You know, Katsuki…” she began softly. “You look cute when you cry… And honestly? It makes my blood boil.”
Katsuki looked at her in surprise. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, she did perhaps the most spontaneous and impulsive thing of her entire life. Her lips—coated in a pink lipstick from collection called Clé de Peau Beauté, a gift from her father just days ago, in a shade reminiscent of cherry blossoms—met his chapped, wind-battered lips. The rough texture and his breath tickled her mouth. To her utter surprise, Katsuki didn't resist at all. In that moment, the world around them went silent; the occasional footsteps faded away, and the bell signaling the end of the break became nothing more than a distant chime.
The moment lasted only a few seconds before Ochako pulled away; her cheeks were burning as she looked at Katsuki. He looked quite funny now—bright red, with patches of her lipstick smudged unevenly across his lips.
Adorable. “P-P.E. class has already started...” the blond muttered, glancing awkwardly at the smartwatch on his wrist—its screen cracked after Deku had “accidentally” stepped on it in the locker room.
Ah, right. That had completely slipped my mind.
“Well then... You can go get changed,” she said, drawing out the words.
Katsuki stood up, brushing the dust from his trousers and jacket, and picked up his bag. Then he paused.
“And what will you be doing, Uraraka-san?”
The brunette smiled.
“Please, call me Ochako, Katsuki-kun.” She paused. “A girl needs to powder her nose.”
“Alright, Ochako-chan.”
The End!