Chapter Text
The train ride to Kyoto had been long enough that half the class had either fallen asleep or completely lost their minds. Kaminari belonged to the second category.
The moment they stepped out of Kyoto Station, however, even he became quiet for a few seconds.
The city felt completely different from Tokyo. Tokyo had been loud and overwhelming, filled with giant screens, endless crowds, and buildings that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.
Kyoto felt older.
Warmer. More peaceful.
Traditional wooden buildings stood beside modern stores, and narrow streets disappeared between rows of old houses. Colorful lanterns hung above certain shops, and in the distance, mountains framed the city. For a few moments, everyone simply looked around.
Even Bakugo. Though he would never admit it.
"Wow..." Uraraka slowly turned in a circle. "It's beautiful."
"Indeed," Yaoyorozu agreed. "The architecture is incredible."
"I wanna live here," Kaminari announced.
Jiro immediately looked suspicious. "You said the same thing about Tokyo yesterday."
"Tokyo had cool lights."
"And Kyoto?"
Kaminari pointed dramatically. "Kyoto has cool vibes."
Nobody knew what that meant. Not even Kaminari.
Their guide led them through several streets until they reached one of Kyoto's famous temples. The path leading up to it was lined with trees whose branches swayed gently in the breeze. Small stone lanterns stood beside the walkway, and visitors moved quietly around the grounds.
The atmosphere was almost peaceful.
Almost.
Because Midoriya had stopped walking.
Again.
Bakugo noticed after about three minutes. Everyone else noticed after seven.
The green-haired hero was standing in front of a large information board.
Reading. Very seriously.
"Deku."
No response.
"Deku."
Still nothing.
"DEKUU."
The boy finally jumped. "Huh?"
Bakugo pointed at the sign. "You've been reading that thing forever."
Izuku blinked.
Then looked at the sign.
Then back at Bakugo.
"It's interesting."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Todoroki walked over. Read part of the sign.
Then nodded. "I agree with Midoriya."
Bakugo stared at him. For several seconds.
"Of course you do."
The two of them immediately started discussing temple history. Actual temple history.
For fun.
Bakugo looked horrified. "Are you listening to yourselves?"
"It's fascinating," Izuku insisted.
"It's a sign."
"It explains the cultural significance."
"It's a sign."
"It dates back hundreds of years."
"It's. A. Sign."
Kirishima laughed so hard he had to lean against a tree.
Meanwhile Kaminari had somehow wandered off.
Nobody noticed until Sero pointed. "Guys."
"What?"
"Where's Kaminari?"
Silence.
Everyone looked around. Then they spotted him.
The blond was standing beside a vending machine. Again.
"Seriously?" Jiro asked.
"There are seventeen different teas."
"Why are you obsessed with that?"
"Because there are seventeen."
Nobody could argue with such flawless logic.
The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion.
Beautiful scenery. Interesting history.
And Class 1-A somehow making fools of themselves wherever they went. Throughout the entire afternoon, Bakugo found himself repeatedly ending up beside Midoriya. Not intentionally.
At least that was what he told himself.
Yet somehow, whenever the group stopped somewhere, Izuku was nearby.
When they crossed a street, Deku was nearby.
When they entered another temple, Deku was nearby.
It was probably a coincidence. Probably.
-------------------------------------------
The next destination was a famous shrine district.
The streets leading toward it were packed with tourists. Small shops sold traditional sweets, handmade crafts, and souvenirs. The smell of freshly grilled food filled the air. Everywhere they looked, there was something interesting.
Which meant Mineta immediately became a problem. "Guys."
Everyone groaned.
Whenever Mineta started a sentence with "guys," something bad usually followed.
"Guys."
"What?" Jiro asked suspiciously.
Mineta pointed.
The girls immediately narrowed their eyes.
"Oh no," Ashido muttered.
"Oh yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Several women wearing beautiful traditional kimonos were walking through the shrine area.
Mineta stared.
The girls stared at Mineta.
The boys slowly backed away.
They knew exactly what was about to happen.
"Mineta..."
Jiro's voice was calm. Dangerously calm.
"I'm just looking."
"Mineta."
"Respectfully."
"Mineta."
"Very respectfully."
The next thing anyone knew... Mineta was flying through the air. Nobody was entirely sure how.
One second he had been standing.
The next he was face-first in a puddle.
The class exploded into laughter.
Even Todoroki laughed. Actually laughed.
Sero froze.
Kirishima froze.
Kaminari froze.
Everyone froze.
"...Did Todoroki just laugh?"
"I think he did."
"No way."
"I literally saw it."
Todoroki blinked. "What?"
"You laughed."
"No I didn't."
"You absolutely did."
Todoroki genuinely looked confused. Which somehow made it even funnier.
Meanwhile Mineta was still lying in the puddle. "I hate this class."
"Good." Jiro replied.
--------------------------------------
By evening, the group was allowed several hours of free time in one of Kyoto's busiest traditional shopping districts. Colorful lanterns illuminated the streets as the sun slowly disappeared.
The entire area looked magical.
Small shops stretched endlessly along the roads, selling everything from handmade fans and sweets to traditional clothing and decorative masks. The atmosphere was lively.
Comfortable.
Exciting.
Izuku loved it.
Which became obvious very quickly. Every few minutes he stopped to look at something.
A figurine.
A poster.
A display.
A book.
A charm.
Bakugo eventually grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Move, nerd."
"I'm looking."
"You've been looking for twenty minutes."
"There are cool things here."
"There are things."
"You're impossible."
"Tch."
Then Izuku spotted a mask shop and everything got worse.
"Kacchan!!"
Bakugo immediately regretted turning around.
The green-haired student was standing in front of a mirror. Wearing a white fox mask.
His eyes practically sparkled. "How do I look?"
Bakugo looked. For a moment longer than necessary. Then immediately looked away.
"Stupid."
Izuku laughed. "You're such a liar."
"Tch."
His cheeks flushed slightly.
Unfortunately... someone witnessed the entire interaction.
Mina Ashido.
The most dangerous person in Japan.
"Ohhh.."
Bakugo froze.
"Oh nooo."
Mina's grin widened.
"OH MY GOODD."
Both boys immediately knew trouble had arrived.
"What?" Izuku asked.
"What do you MEAN what?"
"I don't like that face."
"You shouldn't."
Kirishima appeared.
Then Sero.
Then Kaminari.
As if summoned by chaos itself.
"What happened?"
Mina pointed dramatically. "He looked away."
Silence.
"What?"
"He looked away after Midoriya smiled."
The group immediately exploded. "NO WAY"
"SERIOUSLY?"
"BAKUBRO."
"THAT'S CRAZYY."
Bakugo's eye twitched.
"NOOO, SHUT UPP."
"YES."
"NOO."
"YEESS."
"YOU'RE MAKING THINGS UP."
"Then why are you red?"
Bakugo nearly combusted. "I'M NOT REDD!!!"
"You totally are."
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOUUUUU."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone ran. Immediately.
Kaminari screamed.
Sero laughed.
Kirishima nearly fell over.
Mina was running while pointing at Bakugo and shouting:
"HE'S CHASING UUSS, THE DEMOONN CHASSING USSS!"
"OF COURSE I'M CHASING YOUUU, STUPID ALIEN!"
Tourists turned around in confusion as Class 1-A sprinted through the shopping district.
In the middle of the chaos, Izuku doubled over laughing. Actual tears formed in his eyes. The kind of laughter that hurt.
For a brief moment, Bakugo stopped. Just for a second.
Because seeing Deku laugh like that... without stress, without fear, without hospitals, without injuries..... felt surprisingly nice.
Then Mina noticed and unfortunately, Mina had eyes.
She pointed dramatically.
"LOOKK GUYSS!"
The entire group turned.
"He was staring at Midoriya again!!!!!!"
Dead silence.
Bakugo looked absolutely horrified.
Then he exploded the ground. "ASHIDOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The chase resumed immediately.
Meanwhile, several meters away, Aizawa watched everything unfold. He stared at them. Then sighed.
Then turned around and walked away. Because there was no amount of teacher salary that could possibly prepare someone for Class 1-A.
------------------------
By the time the group finally left the shopping district, the sky above Kyoto had turned a deep shade of blue. The sun had disappeared behind the mountains long ago, leaving only the glow of lanterns, streetlights, and illuminated shop signs scattered throughout the city.
Kyoto felt different at night. Almost magical.
The crowded streets were still full of people, but everything seemed softer somehow. Traditional lanterns cast warm golden light onto the stone pathways, and distant conversations mixed with the sounds of music coming from nearby restaurants and food stalls.
Class 1-A was currently making their way toward a large riverside shrine area.
That was where tonight's fireworks festival would take place.
Naturally, everyone was excited. Very excited.
Perhaps too excited. Especially Kaminari.
"I CAN ALREADY HEAR THEEMMM!"
"You literally can't," Jiro replied.
"I can hear them spiritually."
"What does that even mean?!"
"No idea.." Kaminari seemed proud of that answer.
Ahead of them, Mina and Kirishima were arguing over which food stall they wanted to visit first. Behind them, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were discussing local history. Iida was trying desperately to keep everyone together.
And failing. Horribly.
"PLEASE WALK IN AN ORDERLY MANNER!"
Nobody listened. As usual.
The streets became more crowded the closer they got to the shrine district. Families walked together carrying festival bags. Children ran through the crowds wearing colorful yukatas. Couples stopped to take pictures beneath rows of glowing lanterns. The entire city seemed alive.
Izuku found himself looking everywhere at once.
The lights.
The decorations.
The people.
The atmosphere.
Everything felt amazing.
"This is incredible....."
His smile widened.
"I've never seen Kyoto at night before."
Bakugo glanced toward him. Only briefly.
"Tch."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"That wasn't a nothing tch."
"It was."
"No."
"Shut up, deku."
Izuku laughed softly.
That sound made something strange happen inside Bakugo's chest. Again.
Which immediately annoyed him, but not in a bad way.
For the next twenty minutes, the class continued walking toward the festival area.
The crowd grew thicker. The noise grew louder. The streets became increasingly packed.
Eventually they reached a large stone staircase leading toward the shrine grounds. Thousands of people seemed to be gathering nearby. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Everyone knew the fireworks would begin soon.
Mina practically bounced in place. "OH MY GOD THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZINNGGG, SOO ROMANTICC."
Kirishima laughed. "You've said that like twenty times."
"Because it IS."
Sero looked around. "There are so many people."
"There are way too many people." Bakugo immediately agreed.
Entirely too many people. People everywhere.
Children.
Tourists.
Families.
Groups of friends.
The crowd moved slowly. Painfully slowly.
And after another ten minutes... Bakugo finally reached his limit.
"Tch."
The sound came out sharper than usual.
Izuku looked over. "Kacchan? Are you okay?"
"What."
"You've been grumbling for like fifteen minutes."
"Because this sucks."
"The festival?"
"The crowd."
"Oh."
The crowd really was enormous. People kept bumping into each other. The pathway narrowed. Movement slowed.
And Bakugo looked increasingly close to committing several crimes.
Izuku wisely decided not to comment further. For about thirty seconds.
Then: "At least the fireworks will be worth it."
Bakugo stared at him.
Then at the crowd.
Then back at him.
Something in his expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Before Izuku could ask what he was thinking... Bakugo suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Firmly and started walking.
Fast. Very fast.
"K-Kacchan?!"
"Move."
"What?!"
"Move, nerd."
"WHERE ARE WE GOING?"
"Somewhere better."
Izuku nearly stumbled trying to keep up.
"KACCHAANN!"
"What."
"YOU CAN'T JUST DRAG PEOPLE AWAYY!"
"I'm literally doing it right now."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!!"
Bakugo ignored him completely and continued pulling him through the crowd.
The strange thing was.. nobody noticed.
Not Mina.
Not Kirishima.
Not Kaminari.
Not anyone.
The class was too busy arguing over food, taking pictures, and trying not to lose Mineta.
Meanwhile, Izuku and Bakugo disappeared into the sea of people. Completely unnoticed.
----------------------------------
By the time Bakugo finally stopped walking, the sounds of the festival had become distant.
Not gone.
Just softer.
Far away.
Izuku bent forward slightly. Trying to catch his breath.
"Kacchan..."
"What."
"Are you trying to kidnap me or kill me?"
"No."
"Then why are we here?"
Bakugo finally released his wrist.
The two of them stood near a small hill overlooking part of the river. It wasn't crowded. Not even close.
Only a handful of people had discovered the spot. Most were sitting quietly beneath the trees. Watching the city lights below. Waiting for the fireworks.
A gentle breeze moved through the branches overhead. The sounds of the festival drifted through the night air.
Soft.
Distant.
Comfortable.
Izuku looked around.
Then froze.
The view was incredible.
Below them, Kyoto glowed with thousands of lights. Lanterns illuminated the riverside pathways. The shrine stood proudly among the trees and beyond everything, the mountains stretched across the dark horizon.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then: "...Wow. It's beautiful Kacchan...."
Bakugo glanced toward him.
Izuku's eyes were shining. Not because of the lights. Not because of the city.
Just because he looked genuinely happy.
And for some reason.. Bakugo couldn't look away.
"...Tch."
Izuku laughed softly.
"You found this place?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"I have eyes, nerd."
"That's not an explanation."
"It's enough."
Izuku rolled his eyes. Some things never changed.
For several moments they simply stood there together. Watching the city below. Listening to the distant sounds of the festival. Neither in any hurry to return.
For once there was no arguing.
No shouting.
No competition.
Just silence.
Comfortable silence.
Then suddenly... the first firework exploded.
BBBOOOOMMM.
A burst of brilliant gold illuminated the sky.
Izuku's head snapped upward.
The second firework followed.
Then a third.
Then dozens.
Red.
Blue.
Gold.
Silver.
The entire sky came alive. Reflections danced across the river below. Light illuminated the trees around them. The distant crowd cheered. For a moment, everything seemed to stop.
Izuku watched the fireworks with a huge smile.
Completely captivated.
And without realizing it... Bakugo wasn't watching the fireworks anymore.
He was watching him.
Watching the way the colorful lights reflected in his eyes.
The way his smile appeared every time another explosion lit up the sky.
The way he looked completely at peace.
Then Izuku turned and caught him looking.
For a brief second neither spoke.
Bakugo immediately looked away. "...,Tch."
Izuku blinked.
Then smiled.
A small smile.
Warm.
Soft.
The kind that made Bakugo's heart suddenly forget how to function.
Above them, another firework exploded. Brighter than all the others.
Neither of them noticed.
Because for that brief moment.... the fireworks weren't the thing holding their attention anymore.
--------------------------
The fireworks continued to bloom across the sky.
Gold.
Silver.
Blue.
Yellow.
Each explosion painted the night in a different color before fading back into darkness.
Yet neither Izuku nor Katsuki was paying much attention anymore.
The city below them had become distant. The cheering crowd had become distant. Even the fireworks themselves had become distant.
Because somehow, without either of them fully realizing when it had happened, their entire world had narrowed down to the space between them.
The small hill.
The cool night air.
And each other.
Izuku sat quietly beneath the tree.
His hands rested in his lap.
His eyes remained fixed on the fireworks. At least that was what he was pretending.
In reality, he had become painfully aware of one thing.
Kacchan was closer. Much closer.
At first they had been sitting with a reasonable amount of space between them. Then that space had slowly disappeared.
Not all at once.
Little by little.
So slowly that neither of them had commented on it. Now their shoulders almost touched.
Izuku swallowed.
His heart was beating strangely.
Fast. Far too fast.
Kacchan's really close.
He could feel his body heat. Could hear his breathing. Could even smell the faint scent of cinnamon that always seemed to follow him.
It should have felt awkward.
It should have felt uncomfortable.
Instead.. it felt natural.
Which was somehow even more terrifying.
Another firework exploded overhead. The bright light illuminated Katsuki's face.
For a brief moment Izuku caught sight of an expression he had never seen before.
Not anger.
Not annoyance.
Not confidence.
Not pride.
Something softer.
Something vulnerable.
Something human.
The expression disappeared immediately. But Izuku had seen it and suddenly his heart beat even faster.
"Kacchan?"
No response.
"Kacchan."
"...What."
Izuku hesitated. "You've been acting weird."
"Tch."
"See?"
"See what?"
"That."
"That doesn't explain anything."
Izuku laughed nervously. For some reason his hands were shaking. Just slightly.
"Kacchan..."
The blond finally looked at him and whatever Izuku had been planning to say immediately vanished.
Because Katsuki was already looking at him.
Not glancing.
Not staring.
Looking.
Like he was trying to memorize every detail.
The eight freckles.
The messy curls.
The green eyes.
Everything.
And suddenly the world felt far too quiet.
The fireworks continued exploding overhead. But neither of them seemed capable of hearing them anymore.
Slowly..
almost hesitantly...
Katsuki moved.
Izuku froze.
Then felt warm fingers brush against his own.
His breath caught.
Katsuki took his hand.
Not forcefully.
Not the way he grabbed someone's wrist during training.
Not the way he pulled people through crowds.
Gently.
As though he was afraid Izuku might disappear.
The contact sent a shock through both of them. Neither pulled away. Neither could.
"Kacchan..."
For the first time in years... Katsuki Bakugo looked scared.
And somehow that hurt Izuku's heart more than anything else. Because Kacchan wasn't supposed to look scared.
Yet here he was.
Holding his hand.
Trembling slightly.
Trying to find words that refused to come.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Katsuki laughed once. A quiet laugh. Bitter.
Almost disbelieving. "You're really an idiot."
Izuku blinked. "Huh?"
"Do you know how long I've been trying to figure this out?"
"What?"
Katsuki looked down at their joined hands.
Then up at the sky. Then finally back at Izuku.
And when he spoke again... his voice was softer than Izuku had ever heard.
"Years."
----------------------------------
The word hung between them.
Years.
Izuku's eyes widened. "Kacchan..."
"Let me finish."
For once, there was no harshness in his voice.
No anger.
No command.
Only fear and honesty.
The honesty frightened him more than any villain ever could.
Katsuki looked toward the city below. His grip tightened slightly around Izuku's hand.
"....You've always been there..." The words came quietly. "...when we were kids..."
Another firework exploded overhead. Golden light illuminated his face.
"When we got into U.A..."
Silver sparks filled the sky.
"When everything went wrong..."
A burst of blue followed.
"When everything went right..."
Izuku couldn't speak.
Couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.
Because Katsuki sounded like someone opening a wound that had existed for years. Someone finally allowing himself to be vulnerable.
And it hurt.
God, it hurt.
"I kept telling myself it wasn't anything-g....." His voice cracked slightly. "That it was because we'd known each other forever."
Izuku felt his chest tighten.
"That it was because you're my rival."
Another colorful firework exploded.
"That it was because you're my friend."
Friend.
The word lingered.
Then Katsuki shook his head. "But every time you got hurt..."
His voice became quieter. "I couldn't breathe."
Izuku's eyes widened.
"Every time somebody made you smile, I noticed." Katsuki laughed weakly. "Every time somebody made you cry, I noticed."
His eyes lowered.
"When you almost died......." The sentence broke.
For a moment he couldn't continue. The memory still hurt too much.
The intersection.
The blood.
The ambulance.
The fear.
The nights spent sitting beside a hospital bed.
Watching.
Waiting.
Praying.
Something Katsuki Bakugo had never done before. "I thought I was going to lose you."
The confession was barely louder than a whisper.
"But the thing that scared me most wasn't losing my rival."
Izuku felt tears gathering in his eyes.
"It wasn't losing my best friend." Katsuki looked directly at him.
And for the first time in his life... there was absolutely nowhere to hide.
"It was realizing I never got the chance to tell you."
A tear rolled down Izuku's cheek.
Neither of them acknowledged it.
Above them the fireworks reached their finale. The sky exploded into thousands of colors. The entire city cheered. Yet it felt like the universe had gone silent.
Because Katsuki was still looking at him. Still holding his hand.
And finally said the thing he had spent years running from.
"I love you."
The words were simple.
No grand speech.
No dramatic declaration.
No perfect poetry.
Just truth.
Raw.
Honest.
Terrifying.
"I think I've loved you for a long time." His voice shook. "And I don't know when it started."
Another tear slid down Izuku's face.
"I don't know why it's you." Katsuki laughed softly. "Actually, that's a lie."
His eyes softened. "Of course it's you."
The night breeze moved through the trees.
"Because somehow you're in every important memory I have."
Izuku's heart hurt.
"Because every future I imagine has you standing somewhere in it."
The tears wouldn't stop now.
"Because no matter where I go..." Katsuki's voice dropped lower. "...I always end up looking for you."
Silence followed.
Beautiful.
Painful.
Silence.
Izuku stared at him.
Unable to speak.
Unable to think.
Unable to process the overwhelming emotions crashing through him and Katsuki understood immediately. Because he knew that look.
Knew that confusion.
Knew that shock.
Slowly, reluctantly, he released Izuku's hand.
The loss of contact felt colder than either expected.
"You don't have to answer."
"Kacchan.."
"You don't." His voice was gentle. "I mean it."
Izuku looked heartbroken.
But Katsuki smiled.
A small smile.
A sad one.
"For once, let me be patient."
The final fireworks exploded overhead. Brighter than all the others. Lighting the entire sky.
And beneath that brilliant sea of light.. two hearts beat wildly in the darkness.
One finally spoken.
One still trying to understand itself.
Neither of them knew what would happen tomorrow.
Neither knew where this path would lead.
But tonight.. beneath a sky full of fire and stars... Katsuki Bakugo finally told Izuku Midoriya the truth.
-------------------------------
For a long time after Katsuki's confession, neither of them moved. The fireworks had ended. The crowds below were cheering. People were laughing. Taking pictures. Beginning the walk back home.
Yet up on the hill, beneath the dark Kyoto sky, it felt as though time itself had stopped.
Izuku could still feel the ghost of Katsuki's hand around his own. Could still hear those three words echoing inside his head.
"I love you."
The words refused to leave him.
Again.
And again.
And again.
His chest hurt.
Not in a bad way.
Not like an injury.
Not like the pain of battle.
This was something different.
Something deeper.
Something that made it difficult to breathe.
Because suddenly memories were rising to the surface.
Hundreds of them.
Thousands.
Years of memories.
Kacchan.
Always Kacchan.
The little boy running ahead of him.
The angry teenager shouting at him.
The rival who challenged him.
The friend who understood him better than most people ever could.
And suddenly.. he realized something terrifying.
Every memory that mattered seemed to have Katsuki somewhere inside it.
Izuku lowered his head. His hands trembled.
"Kacchan..."
The blond looked up. Immediately.
As if he would always look up when Izuku called his name.
"What?" His voice sounded calmer now.
But Izuku could see the tension in his shoulders.
The uncertainty in his eyes.
The fear.
Fear.
The fucking fear.
The realization nearly broke Izuku's heart.
Because Katsuki had been terrified. Terrified of losing him. Terrified of saying those words. Terrified of being rejected.
And he had done it anyway.
For him.
A tear slipped down Izuku's cheek. Then another.
"Kacchan..."
"Why are you crying?"
The question came immediately. Almost instinctively.
Izuku laughed weakly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." The answer was so quick.
So automatic.
For some reason that made Izuku cry even harder.
His shoulders shook.
His vision blurred.
"Kacchan..."
"What?"
"I think..."
The words caught in his throat. Because suddenly he was scared too.
Scared of being wrong.
Scared of saying the wrong thing.
Scared of hurting him.
But most of all.. scared of the truth.
The truth he had been avoiding.
The truth he hadn't wanted to examine.
The truth that had quietly grown inside him for years.
Slowly, Izuku looked up.
Green eyes meeting crimson ones and for a moment he saw something he had never noticed before.
Hope.
Small.
Fragile.
But there.
And suddenly everything became clear.
"Kacchan...." His voice trembled. "When I was a kid..."
Katsuki remained silent.
Listening.
Waiting.
"You were my hero."
The blond froze.
Izuku smiled sadly. "You probably hated that."
"I did."
That made both of them laugh. Just a little.
The laughter faded.
But the warmth remained.
"You were always ahead of me..." Izuku looked toward the city lights. "..always stronger."
A small smile appeared.
"Always louder."
"Tch."
"Much louder."
"Watch it."
The familiar exchange made something inside both of them relax. Just enough.
Then Izuku continued. "I spent so much of my life chasing after you."
His voice softened. "Trying to catch up."
A breeze moved through the trees.
"And somewhere along the way..." He paused. ".. I stopped noticing how much you meant to me."
Katsuki's breath caught.
Because those words sounded familiar. Far too familiar.
Izuku wiped at his eyes. "I told myself you were my best friend."
A painful smile appeared. "Then I told myself you were my rival."
The smile disappeared. "Then I told myself we were family."
Katsuki stared. Unable to look away.
"Every explanation made sense." Izuku laughed quietly. "At least for a while."
Another tear rolled down his cheek. "But every time something happened..."
His hand moved to his chest.
"It always came back to you."
The night seemed impossibly quiet.
"When I succeeded..." His voice shook. "You were the first person I wanted to tell."
Katsuki felt his heart pounding.
"When I failed..." Izuku swallowed. "You were the first person I wanted to find."
The words hit harder than any explosion.
"When I got hurt..." A small smile appeared. "I always looked around for you."
Katsuki's eyes widened.
"And when I woke up in that hospital..." The smile became softer. Warmer. "The first thing I saw was you."
The blond froze.
Because Izuku didn't know. Didn't know about the nights.
The waiting.
The hours spent sitting beside his bed.
Yet somehow.. he still sounded grateful.
"As soon as I saw you..." Izuku laughed weakly. "I felt safe."
Something inside Katsuki shattered.
Not painfully.
Beautifully.
Like a wall finally breaking apart.
"I don't know when it happened." Izuku's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I don't know when you became the most important person in my life."
The city lights blurred through his tears.
"I don't know when your smile started mattering this much."
Katsuki looked away. Immediately embarrassed.
"I don't know when hearing your voice became my favorite part of the day."
His chest tightened.
"But somewhere..."
Izuku smiled through his tears. "Between childhood and now..."
His gaze found Katsuki again.
"I fell in love with you too."
Silence.
Complete silence. Even the city seemed to disappear.
For several seconds neither of them moved.
Neither breathed.
Neither spoke.
Because some moments are too important for words.
And this was one of them.
Katsuki stared at him. Actually stared.
As though he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"You..."
For once in his life... Katsuki Bakugo couldn't finish a sentence.
Izuku laughed softly. A beautiful sound. "I know."
"You idiot."
The words came out broken.
Emotional.
Affectionate.
Something they had never been before.
"You absolute idiot."
Izuku smiled. "You too."
Neither looked away.
Neither wanted to.
And beneath the stars of Kyoto, with the city glowing below them and the last traces of fireworks fading into the night, they sat together in the quiet darkness.
Not quite ready for tomorrow.
Not quite ready to define what came next.
Not quite ready to change everything.
But for the first time in their lives... nothing was left unsaid.
And somehow, that felt like the beginning of something beautiful.
----------------------------
The walk back toward the meeting point should have been normal. It should have been.
Unfortunately forBakugo, absolutely nothing about him was normal right now.
The fireworks festival was slowly ending. People were leaving the shrine grounds in large groups. Lanterns illuminated the pathways. The cool night air carried distant laughter through the streets.
And somewhere among the thousands of people walking through Kyoto... two idiots were smiling.
Actually, one idiot was smiling.
The other was trying very hard not to smile.
And failing. Horribly.
Izuku walked beside Katsuki.
His cheeks were still slightly pink.
His heart was still racing.
His thoughts were a complete disaster.
But somehow he felt lighter than he had in years.
Meanwhile Katsuki looked calmer than usual. Not relaxed.
That would be impossible.
But calmer.
And most importantly, he wasn't yelling.
Which was suspicious.
Extremely suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Dangerously suspicious.
The moment they arrived back at the agreed meeting spot, Mina immediately noticed.
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh no.."
Kirishima looked over. "What?"
"Oh no."
"What?"
Mina pointed dramatically. "There."
Kirishima followed her finger.
And froze.
"..."
"..."
"...OH."
Because walking toward them were Midoriya and Bakugo.
Side by side.
Not arguing.
Not insulting each other.
Not trying to kill each other.
And worst of all, Bakugo looked happy.
Not obviously happy.
Not smiling like an ordinary person.
But happy for Bakugo.
Which was somehow more terrifying.
Mina grabbed Kirishima's arm.
"DO YOU SEE IITTTT?"
"I SEE IITTT."
"I TOLD YOUUU."
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YET."
"I KNOW EVERYTHING."
"You absolutely do not."
"I ABSOLUTELY DOO."
"You still owe me 10,000 yen", Ashido shouted.
"No, I don't owe you anything yet. They're not even together, or are they? I don't know!" Ejiro shouted back.
Meanwhile, Todoroki glanced over.
Then blinked. "Hm."
"Hm what?" asked Yaoyorozu.
"Bakugo looks different."
Several heads immediately turned.
Katsuki noticed.
The class froze.
Mina nearly screamed. "OH MY GOD!!"
Kirishima slapped both hands over her mouth. "MINAA!"
"MMMMMM!"
"STOP."
"MHHMMMMMM!"
Bakugo narrowed his eyes. "What are you idiots doing?"
"Nothing!" Mina replied immediately.
"Nothing?" Bakugo repeated.
"Absolutely nothing."
"You're terrible liars."
"I learned from Kaminari."
"HEY!"
Everyone ignored him. As usual.
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. Trying not to laugh.
Which only made Mina even more suspicious.
Because Midoriya was smiling too And not his usual smile.
A different smile.
The kind people got after something important happened.
"Oh my god." Kirishima immediately groaned.
"Don't."
"Oh my god."
"Mina."
"OH MY GOD."
"Mina Ashido."
"SOMETHING HAPPENED."
Bakugo looked ready to throw her into a river.
"What happened?" Kaminari asked.
"I DON'T KNOW YET."
"Then why are you yelling?"
"BECAUSE MY INSTINCTS."
"Those aren't instincts."
"They absolutely are."
The group began walking back toward the station. The teachers led the way. The students followed behind
And Mina spent the entire walk trying to gather information. She failed spectacularly.
Mostly because Bakugo threatened murder every five minutes.
At one point she attempted to walk beside Izuku.
"KATSUKI."
"What."
"Can I borrow Midoriya?"
"No."
Mina blinked. "...You don't own him."
"Tch."
"That's not an answer."
"It is now." Kirishima immediately bent over laughing.
Bakugo ignored him.
Izuku's face turned bright red.
Todoroki quietly appeared beside Yaoyorozu. "Interesting."
"What is?"
"They're acting like a married couple."
Yaoyorozu nearly choked. "Todoroki!"
"What?"
"You can't just say things like that."
"Why?"
Nobody had enough energy to explain. Eventually they reached Kyoto Station.
The building glowed brightly against the night sky. Thousands of travelers moved through the massive hall. Announcements echoed overhead. Shops remained open despite the late hour.
Kaminari immediately pointed at a vending machine. "I want snacks."
"You had snacks ten minutes ago," Jiro replied.
"Those were emotional support snacks."
"And now?"
"Travel snacks."
"You're impossible."
"I've heard that before."
The class boarded the late train heading back toward Tokyo. Most students were exhausted. The excitement of the day had finally caught up to them.
Within minutes, Kaminari was asleep.
Then Mina.
Then Sero.
Then Kirishima.
Even Iida eventually stopped trying to enforce train etiquette.
The train became quiet, Peaceful.
Only the soft rumble of the tracks remained.
Izuku sat beside the window. Watching city lights pass outside.
A few moments later, Katsuki sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
Neither needed to.
For now, simply being together was enough.
Across the aisle, Mina slowly opened one eye. Then another.
She looked at Kirishima.
Kirishima looked back.
Neither spoke.
Then both silently turned toward Bakugo and Midoriya.
Still sitting together.
Still suspiciously close.
Still looking happier than usual.
Mina slowly grinned.
Kirishima groaned.
"This is bad."
"This is amazing."
"You're never going to stop, are you?"
"No."
"Thought so."
And as the train carried Class 1-A through the sleeping night toward Tokyo, Ashido became more convinced than ever that something had happened.
She just didn't know what. Yet.
And for once, Bakugo didn't seem angry enough to care.