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the library was unusually quiet for a weekday afternoon, save for the faint hum of air conditioning and the occasional rustle of pages turning. y/n sat at her usual corner table, a textbook propped open in front of her and her laptop displaying a half-finished document. she tapped her pen idly against the table, her mind wandering far from her studies.
her phone, sitting face up next to her laptop, buzzed with a notification. she glanced at it, expecting another string of texts from mina, but froze when she saw the sender.
@katsuki.bakugo: cool view from the roof, huh?
her eyebrows shot up. he messaged her? what the hell? she unlocked her phone, rereading the message like it might disappear if she blinked too hard. bakugo had actually gone out of his way to message her? after all the cold looks and sarcastic comments, she hadn't expected this—at least, not so soon.
before she could think too much about it, mina's earlier words echoed in her head: "if sparks happen, they happen."
y/n smirked, typing back: depends. are you asking if the view's good, or if you looked good in it?"
she hesitated for a second before hitting send, then tossed her phone back onto the table. she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and pretending not to care. what was she doing? was she really flirting with the guy who couldn't even look at her without rolling his eyes?
just as she was about to pick up her pen and pretend she hadn't just sent a borderline bold text, her phone buzzed again. y/n picked it up quickly, half-expecting an awkward response. instead, she found herself staring at a single word:
@katsuki.bakugo: Both.
a soft laugh escaped her before she could stop it. was that bakugo trying to... flirt? she shook her head, trying to keep her cool, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. she stared at the screen for a moment, her thumb hovering over her keyboard.
her mind wandered back to their time on the roof. bakugo had been surprisingly... tolerable, even though she had expected him to be more of an harsh mess. sure, he wasn't nice, but there was something about his raw honesty that intrigued her. she wasn't sure if it was his gruffness or just the challenge of getting him to open up that kept her interested.
she typed out a response, trying not to overthink it.
"both, huh? bold answer. you sure you're not trying to impress me?" she sent with a playful smile.
before she could second-guess herself, she hit send, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. her heart was pounding slightly—she wasn't used to this sort of back-and-forth, especially with someone like bakugo. maybe it was the challenge of it all, or maybe she was actually starting to enjoy his company... even in text form.
her phone buzzed again, and she picked it up immediately.
@katsuki.bakugo: i don't need to impress anyone.
y/n raised an eyebrow at the response. it wasn't arrogant—it was just... bakugo. he didn't care about impressing anyone, least of all her. she could almost picture the way he'd say it, all sharp edges and little-to-no-filter.
"good to know. i guess i'm not special, then?" she teased, feeling a little bolder now. she paused for a moment before adding, "guess i'll just have to figure out for myself what makes you tick."
she hit send and sat back again, the rush of excitement almost making her forget she was still supposed to be studying. what was it about this exchange with bakugo that had her feeling so energized? maybe she was getting caught up in the moment. maybe it was just the thrill of having some kind of back-and-forth with him.
as the seconds ticked by, she began to wonder how he'd respond this time. would he keep up with the playful teasing? or would he go back to being his usual blunt self?
her phone buzzed again.
@katsuki.bakugo: "try all you want. You won't figure me out.
y/n couldn't help but grin. there it was again—the challenge. bakugo might not be the easiest person to read, but that just made it all the more interesting.
"we'll see about that," she replied, feeling the thrill of the chase.
as she set her phone down, she realized she was no longer focused on her textbook or her laptop. for the first time in what felt like forever, her mind was occupied with something far more... captivating.
the hours slipped by unnoticed as she kept glancing at her phone, half-expecting another message from bakugo to appear. when it didn't, she found herself irritated. was he done with the back-and-forth? or was he just taking his time, as always?
a small part of her was disappointed. maybe she had gotten too wrapped up in it, in the teasing, in the tension that seemed to hang between them.
her phone buzzed again, snapping her from her thoughts. she picked it up eagerly, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline.
@katsuki.bakugo: don't get ahead of yourself.
y/n chuckled, shaking her head at the simplicity of it all. bakugo was unpredictable, and maybe that's what made him so intriguing. the more she tried to figure him out, the more she realized how little she actually knew about him. but that, in itself, was kind of... exciting.
"guess i'll take it slow then. wouldn't want to rush anything with you."
she sent the message, sitting back in her chair, a smile still lingering on her lips. even if she didn't have him figured out yet, one thing was clear: this was far from over.
as the sun began to set, the library started to empty, but y/n remained at her table, the soft hum of the air conditioning in the background. her phone buzzed one more time before she packed up to leave.
@katsuki.bakugo: good. keep it that way.
she stared at the message for a moment before typing a response. "don't worry. i will."
and just like that, she felt the unmistakable pull of curiosity—of something that had only just begun.
