The classroom erupted into chatter, but Bakugo Katsuki didn't join in. He remained staring at the door Riha had just exited through, his eyes narrowed.
Inside him, a storm of fury was still raging. But he already understood that the source of that rage was his own inadequacy. That was why he remained outwardly still.
Today, he had lost. To "Deku"—the pebble on the side of the road, the person he had looked down on his entire life. That was an undeniable, objective fact.
But it wasn't just Deku.
There was Todoroki Shoto, who had frozen an entire building in a heartbeat. Bakugo had felt the chilling thought that he might not be able to beat him.
There was Yaoyorozu Momo, who had provided a clinical, perfect analysis of the match. He had found himself agreeing with her critiques before he could even think to snap back.
And above all, there was Masue Riha. She hadn't just overwhelmed her opponents with minimal effort; she had ended the entire conflict with nothing but words. He had looked at her and, for the first time in his life, felt the crushing weight of someone he might never surpass.
He felt pathetic. Looking at his own reflection in the locker room mirror, he'd felt a sudden, violent urge to destroy himself.
Because he'd lingered in the locker room while everyone else headed back to class, he'd ended up running into Deku—Midoriya Izuku—who had arrived late after being discharged from the nurse's office.
Midoriya had looked awkward—frightened, even. Despite having technically won the match, he still looked at Bakugo with that trembling, cowardly gaze. It had rubbed Bakugo's nerves raw. He'd wanted to scream, to blast him, to vent his frustration—
"Kacchan... I felt like I had to tell you this, at least..."
Midoriya's words had stopped him cold. It sounded like something out of a bad fiction novel.
He'd said his Quirk was "given" to him by someone else.
He'd said that one day, he would make it his own and surpass Bakugo with his own strength.
Seeing the "Oh no, I said too much" look on Midoriya's face had sent Bakugo's anger over the edge. The emotions he'd been simmering like magma finally boiled over into a roar.
"This is where it starts!! I'm...!! From here on...!! Listen up! I'm going to be Number One!!"
He had made his declaration. He told Deku he'd never win again. And with that, he'd stormed back to the classroom.
Katsuki Bakugo was, without question, a prodigy. Some mocked him for it, but his talent was an absolute, objective reality. However, because of that talent, he had never once had a rival who could actually push him. Those around him had done nothing but shower him with irresponsible praise. He was the undisputed King of a very small hill. In a way, it was a tragedy.
His ego had ballooned until he was convinced of his own untouchability... and today, that ego had been shattered by the elite students gathered from across the country.
But his spirit hadn't broken. While acknowledging his defeat, he had sworn to grow and eventually claim victory. His outburst at Midoriya wasn't just a threat—it was a vow to himself.
And because he had made that vow...
(The Number One, All Might... he's still so far away.)
Because he realized how far he had to go, he didn't turn down Kirishima's invitation. He had almost said "No" out of habit, but he swallowed the words and agreed to stay. If he wanted to reach the top, he needed every advantage.
To him, the fact that Riha was younger didn't matter. In the pursuit of the top spot, age was irrelevant. All that mattered was her power, her gear, and her temperament.
He wanted to win. He wanted to become a Hero who surpassed even All Might.
And that was why—
"Hey! If you extras aren't gonna start talking, I'm going home...!"
He let off a small, threatening spark from his palms. Stop wasting time.
"Oh—! Right! You're right!" Kirishima jumped in, naturally taking the lead as the moderator. "Alright, let's go in order, starting with the first match!"
Bakugo clicked his tongue, sitting heavily on his desk. He ignored Iida's scolding about "proper sitting posture."
"Though, for the first match, was there any problem other than Bakugo going rogue?" Kaminari asked.
Bakugo's growl was drowned out by the rest of the class. Midoriya, watching his childhood friend, had an expression strangely similar to Bakugo's—a look of pure, unadulterated resolve to reach the top.
"No, I was full of problems too..." Midoriya said with a wry smile. "If Kacchan had been calm, I probably would have lost ten times out of ten."
"You think? I thought you were great, Midoriya!"
"Yeah, you held your own against Bakugo! That was huge!"
"Tch...!"
Bakugo's tongue-click was audible across the room. Midoriya gave his classmates a sheepish look.
"Thanks, but... my final move was reckless."
"It really was a bit much," Yaoyorozu agreed.
"Kero. If you'd slipped, you could have hit Uraraka-chan, Toga-chan, or even the bomb," Tsuyu added.
"I know..." Uraraka sighed. "Listening to Yaoyorozu's critique made me realize I shouldn't have just been happy that we won. There was so much we did wrong."
"Me too," Midoriya said. "Though... I think I finally found a clue on how to handle my Quirk."
He let out a dry, nervous laugh, but the rest of the class perked up.
"Wait, Izuku-kun, really? You found a lead?" Toga asked.
"For real? Nice going, Midoriya!"
"Well... it's actually thanks to Masue-san. Yesterday in the nurse's office, she gave me some advice on how to visualize using my Quirk... I tried it today, and I think it's going to work. I'm not there yet, but... I feel like I can do it now."
"That's wonderful, Midoriya-kun!"
As the class showered him with unaccustomed praise, Midoriya blinked rapidly, blushing with a mix of embarrassment and joy.
Only Bakugo watched from the sidelines, looking utterly displeased.
They were childhood friends whose relationship had twisted and warped into something unrecognizable over the years. But now, that relationship was finally beginning to shift.
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