MANIA - Katsuki Bakugou

━ first encounter

chapter 4

𝟖 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎
𝟏st Year Sports Festival

Shimamura traveled with her hand trailing against the side wall in the interior of the stadium. Underneath the bleachers of the spectacle she could almost feel the vibrations of cheers and boos and the stomping of feet as they jumped up from their seats to see the massive arena below. She brushed a strand of hair from her vision, collecting her jagged bangs and pushing them back behind her ear. Her eyesight cleared to see the beige ground beneath her for all of a few moments before her hair quickly fluttered back to its natural place over her eyes.

Two rounds had come and gone in a flash. The Sports Festival was already shaping up to be a fantastic event, just as the older students had foretold. Even her teacher, Mr. Maijima (aka Power Loader), was adamant on expressing how opportunities like the Sports Festival only come once a year. Shimamura could tell Hatsume definitely took that comment to heart after the last round when she teamed up with some Class 1-A students.

Shimamura was less than excited to be participating in the Sports Festival. But her thoughts and feelings differed greatly from her actions. Shimamura had already made it this far after two rounds and more than dozens of eliminations of her first year peers. She hated feeling like she was about to be in the spotlight like she knew she would be. And yet here she was. Prepping for the third round... the main event in which students might face off against each other for the reigning throne of first place.

Shimamura detested the throne.

But she had been convinced that this was the way to graduate as a hero rather than as a support course student. If she hadn't been convinced of this prior to the event, it would've been more than likely that Shimamura forfeit. Her actions were being pressured by an outside source. Something, or someone, expected her to perform. And so, she will perform—

Shimamura suddenly rammed her shoulder into something but she didn't see them. Her head had been down. Her eyes had been closed. Her attention was elsewhere. They came out of nowhere.

"Oi!"

The shoulder she rammed into rammed back. They shoved her with their hands and she staggered a bit, but didn't fall. Her head popped up, gracing the stranger with a confused, startled, expression. Their fists balled at their sides and she noticed they had a similar U.A. uniform to the one she had on. He was a student, like her.

"Watch where you're going, you damn extra!" He yelled in her face, nearly spitting.

Shimamura winced, squinting. The student was only a few inches taller than her with spiky blond hair making for a good couple inches of his height. His crimson eyes blazed with anger and frustration that someone like her would even think of walking within his radius. Shimamura raised her hands to her chest, as if in a defensive position.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't see you."

He growled and took a step forward, while she took a step backwards. Her eyes lingered from his biting expression to the way his fists clenched and sparked some sort of firework around his palms. Something about him was recognizable to Shimamura... but she couldn't place it.

"How the hell not?! There's no one else in this damn hallway!"

She didn't respond. If anything, she didn't actually hear him. He definitely noticed.

"I'm talking to you!" He yelled louder.

Shimamura's glossy blue eyes peeked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "S-sorry?"