𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 & 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 ミ 𝙠. 𝙗𝙖𝙠𝙪𝙜𝙤𝙪

part 20: care

Class A faced a challenging task in convincing the evacuated people in UA to give Midoriya Izuku a chance to come back. However, Uraraka delivered a heartfelt and genuine speech that touched the hearts of the civilians, ultimately changing their minds.

That happened almost a week ago...

Shizuku and the rest of the class dedicated all their time to training for the day they would face Shigaraki again.

After a training session, Shizuku and Midoriya returned to Class A's dormitory common room. Shizuku had been helping Midoriya refine his control over his smokes, and they realized they made a strong team on the battlefield.

"Shizuku," a voice called out from behind them.

Turning around, Shizuku saw Bakugou and greeted him with a smile.

"Sh- Shizuku?" Midoriya stutters, shocked that Bakugou called her by her first name.

"Don't start, Deku," Bakugou warns, clearly not in the mood for conversation as he had been ignoring Shizuku earlier that morning. Despite this, Shizuku follows Bakugou outside of the building, and they find their usual spot near the vending machine.

"What's up, babe?" Shizuku jokes.

"Stop that shit," Bakugou replies sharply, not amused by the nickname.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Bakugou adds, his voice carrying a mix of accusation and concern. Shizuku's eyes widen at his question.

It was true that Shizuku and Elaine were now set to leave UA due to the extreme danger it posed to them. They couldn't protest the school's decision, especially with Cathleen backing them up, agreeing that Japan's current national crisis posed a significant threat to the two girls. They had kept it a secret from the rest of the class, so Shizuku was puzzled as to how Bakugou knew about it.

"How did you—" Shizuku starts, but Bakugou cuts her off.

"Are you leaving?" he asks again, his voice stern.

Shizuku nods, unable to meet his gaze. "Yes, I am. Tomorrow night, we're set to leave."

Suddenly, Bakugou pulls Shizuku into a warm embrace. She's shocked at first, but then she returns the hug. As Bakugou holds Shizuku in his arms, she feels a rush of warmth and comfort flood through her. They stay like that for a while until Bakugou finally releases her and looks at the ground.

"Oh no, don't tell me you've developed feelings for me," Shizuku playfully teases, a twinkle in her eyes as she meets Bakugou's who only shot her an unimpressed glare.

Bakugou's expression changes slightly as he considers her question, but  the red-haired girl failed to notice it. "I..." he begins. "I don't know why it affects me either," he admits, his voice showing a hint of uncertainty.

"But what I do know is that I never want to see you hurt," Bakugou continues, his tone earnest.  "I got scared when you got decayed in front of me when Shigaraki attacked us." His confession  hangs heavy in the air, revealing a vulnerability rarely seen from the explosive hero. "There are nights when I wake up, and that memory replays in my head," he admits, his gaze shifting slightly to the side as if recalling the traumatic moment once more.

Shizuku was beyond shocked at his words. She was happy that he cared for her.

"So you care for me, yes?" Shizuku asks, her voice playful but with a hint of flustered surprise. "You're a very great friend, Katsuki."

"I'm not your friend, shut up," Bakugou retorts, but Shizuku can see the faintest trace of warmth in his eyes.

"Girlfriend?" Shizuku teases once more.