The Story Of Us (Todobaku)

Soba

Still, he heard the commotion from everyone behind him. Even Izuku and Tenya, who were at the front, abandoned their spots in line to pester their classmate.

Everyone aside from Katsuki cheered as they greeted Shouto, each of them talking over the other as they relayed to him how glad they were that he was back at school. Izuku muttered what sounded like a highly lame vacation as Tenya filled Shouto in on everything they covered in class during his absence. Even Eijiro ditched Katsuki in line to shower the boy with gratitude.

Katsuki kept his back turned. He figured Shouto was overwhelmed enough as is with all this attention. Besides, he and Shouto weren't even friends. They never said hello to each other at school in the morning. Why should he go out of his way to disrupt the status quo?

He then felt a tap on his shoulder. The touch was so delicate that had it been any softer, Katsuki probably wouldn't have felt it.

"Um, hi Katsuki."

Katsuki, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to, slowly spun around in shock. When his eyes met Shouto's, his chest tightened. The boy was still a few inches shorter than him, yet Katsuki cowered where he stood as if he was challenged by a full grown adult.

"Oh," he choked out. "Hi."

Shouto's eyes darted around, which offered the smallest bit of comfort. At least Katsuki didn't appear to be the only one unsettled by this exchange.

Shouto bounced on his heels before he tugged on his backpack straps. "I'm, uh...sorry."

There was no way Katsuki heard that right. Shouto Todoroki, the one whose brother died mere weeks ago, was apologizing to him? In no universe would that ever make sense.

Katsuki flinched. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry," Shouto repeated. "For what I said at your birthday last year."

He didn't intend to stand there frozen, but Katsuki couldn't manage to do anything else. Of all moments for Shouto to apologize to him over what happened that day, why did it have to be now? Katsuki hardly even thought about that day anymore. Even if what Shouto said about their classmates hating him was true, Katsuki was content with the friends he had in Eijiro, Denki, and Hanta. Anyone else's opinion no longer mattered to him.

Or so he thought.

Because now Katsuki was standing, lips parted, staring at Shouto with a great deal of confusion. Hearing the smaller boy issue him an apology, regardless of the reason, made his mouth dry. He noted the sincerity in Shouto's eyes, how they were desperate but hopeful. Katsuki knew it then. For whatever the reason was, Shouto wanted Katsuki to forgive him.

However, he couldn't say it. He wanted to, even with the voice in his head telling him how stupid of an idea it was, but he stayed silent. He couldn't accept Shouto's apology because Katsuki knew deep down if anyone should've been apologizing, it was him. Shouto didn't hurl those insults at him out of nowhere, he only did it when he was fed up with Katsuki bullying the rest of their classmates.

It didn't feel good, hearing an apology he knew he didn't deserve. And had Shouto arrived at school maybe a minute earlier, Katsuki would've told him that. But just when he worked up the courage to say something, their teacher had shown up to escort them to their classroom.

Eijiro joined Katsuki at the front of the line again, the dark haired boy rambling about what he'd do if he could live as a shark for a day. Katsuki, giving into temptation, peered behind him and caught Shouto staring at him. Shouto immediately looked away, though not before a rosy hue highlighted his cheeks. Katsuki turned back around and muttered a curse word to himself, the same word his father used whenever he stubbed his toe on their dining room table.