"I'm back!" Bakugo announced loudly as soon as he stepped through the front door.
"About time!" Mitsuki burst out of the hallway like a hurricane, her firm steps making the floor tremble. Her sharp gaze locked onto her son, brimming with reproach. "You think it's fine to keep us waiting for dinner, you brat?"
Bakugo rolled his eyes, letting out an irritated sigh. How many times did he have to tell them not to wait for him to eat? "I was training."
Mitsuki planted her hands on her hips, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I hope that training of yours is paying off, because if I find out you got beaten by some low-level villain again, I—"
"HUH?!" Bakugo exploded, his face turning red with indignation. "Say that again, you—"
Before he could finish, Mitsuki grabbed his head with both hands. "Don't interrupt me, you little punk!" she snapped, shaking him like a rag doll.
"Let me go, you crazy old hag!" Bakugo shouted, struggling in vain to break free.
At that moment, Masaru appeared in the kitchen doorway, a dish towel draped over his shoulder and a calm smile on his face. "Dinner's ready. Come eat before it gets cold."
"Hmph! You're lucky, brat." Mitsuki huffed, releasing Bakugo with a shove that made him stumble slightly. "Come on, let's eat!" she ordered, already marching toward the dining room.
"What a pain," Bakugo muttered, rubbing his head with a grimace before starting to follow her. But before he reached the table, a heavy, unsettling feeling squeezed his chest. 'How did they feel... when they found out I died?'
******
Sitting at the table, Bakugo found himself lost in thought as the aroma of hot rice and grilled fish filled the air.
That simplicity — his mother's teasing, his father's calm and welcoming tone, the taste of homemade food, the three of them sitting at the table — all of it felt so... he had never noticed how much he missed it. Maybe all the rush that happened after he moved into the dorms had kept him from realizing how... good it was to be there with his parents.
"Hey, Katsuki, what are you waiting for? A formal invitation?" Mitsuki teased, casting a sharp look as she piled another generous serving of rice onto his plate.
Bakugo snapped back to himself quickly. "I'm eating already! And stop putting more food on my plate!" he grumbled, trying to push her chopsticks away.
"You're training hard for the college entrance exam, so you need to eat well, son," Masaru said gently, joining Mitsuki and placing an extra piece of fish on their son's plate. "We just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself. It's our way of supporting you."
Bakugo paused, eyes fixed on the plate nearly overflowing with food. Those words caught him completely off guard. He had to take a deep breath, hiding any emotion that might show on his face. "Alright, alright... I'll eat. But if I explode from too much food, it's your fault." he said, shoving a piece of fish into his mouth.
Mitsuki let out a short laugh. "Explode? Then make sure you explode forward and pass the exam."
"As if I could fail," Bakugo huffed. "I'll crush everyone who stands in my way. And you'd better be ready to see my name at the top!"
Masaru chuckled softly, shaking his head. "That's our Katsuki. Just don't forget that being the best also means helping others, son."
'I know, Dad,' Bakugo thought silently, keeping his eyes on the plate as he continued eating. "I won't waste time on extras!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full, you rude boy!" Mitsuki shouted, ironically enough, with her own mouth full.
********
When dinner ended, Bakugo gathered everyone's dirty dishes and stood up to take them to the sink. But before leaving, he paused in the doorway, hesitating for a few seconds before deciding to express at least part of what he felt. "I... thank you for supporting me," he murmured, his back to his parents who were talking animatedly about tending the garden.
They both stopped speaking, and by the sudden silence that followed, Bakugo almost thought they had fainted from shock or something. But before he could really start to worry, his mother's voice reached his ears. "Why are you thanking us, you fool? We'll always be by your side."
"...." Bakugo nodded, a quick, almost imperceptible gesture, and hurried to the kitchen, biting his lip hard to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. 'I swear... this time... I won't come back dead to you.'
*********
"Hi, Bakugo."
"Good morning, Bakugo."
"B-Bakugo, you look so... so handsome today."
If there was one thing pushing Bakugo over the brink of insanity—more than walking among people who might be dead and wondering what could've happened after his own death—it was having to go back to that damn elementary school.
The stares followed him like sticky shadows, filled with admiration and reverence. Before, he used to feed off that — savoring the feeling of being seen as the best, the guy above everyone else. But now? Those looks felt so... empty. Undeserved.
'I'm not someone who deserves this...'
"Bakugo, can I carry your books?" The hesitant voice of a girl cut through his thoughts. She smiled nervously, her cheeks pink, as if he were some kind of untouchable hero.
Bakugo sighed, shaking his head and quickening his pace, leaving the girl behind. "I don't need help with that."
*********
"Class dismissed, everyone!"
As soon as the teacher ended the class, Bakugo stood up — outpaced only by Izuku, who was already heading for the door.
'Tsk, how did I not notice that suspicious behavior before?' Ignoring a group of boys inviting him to go to the arcade, Bakugo walked straight to the exit, eyes fixed on the path ahead. 'Either way, I need to train my ass off too.'
********
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.