Chapter Text
Ochako winced as she checked the time on her phone. It had been over an hour since she’d bolted from the common area, tears streaming down her face. She now sat on a cold bench behind the U.A. dormitories, staring blankly at the ground. Her chest still ached from Deku’s brutal rejection, even though she knew it wasn’t fair to call it “brutal.” Deku had let her down as gently as possible, apologizing profusely and stumbling over his words, but it didn’t soften the blow.
He’d told her he was interested in someone else.
That phrase echoed in her head, slicing through her heart every time. What made her different from the others? Why wasn’t she enough?
Ochako sighed, burying her face in her hands. She knew her thoughts were selfish. Deku had every right to his own feelings, to choose who he liked. But after harboring feelings for him for so long—since their first year, even—it stung more than she thought it would. She had always assumed there was a mutual spark, that maybe, just maybe, they were moving toward something more.
Now, she wasn’t sure how she’d face him.
“Hey. Round face. What the hell are you doing?”
Ochako flinched at the sharp voice. She glanced up, her puffy, red eyes meeting Bakugo’s unimpressed glare. Great. Of all people, he had to find her.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him, it’s just that it would have been better if it were someone else. Still, better than Deku finding her here.
Bakugo crossed his arms, his usual scowl softening slightly as he took in her disheveled state. “You look like shit,” he said bluntly.
Ochako let out a humorless laugh. “Thanks. I hadn’t noticed.”
She didn’t bother explaining herself, hoping he’d just leave her alone. But Bakugo didn’t move. Instead, he stepped closer, his shadow falling over her.
“The hell happened to you?” he asked, his tone less harsh this time.
Ochako hesitated. She didn’t owe him an explanation, but the weight of her emotions was suffocating. “Deku rejected me,” she admitted quietly, her voice trembling. “He said he’s interested in someone else.”
How’d you even find me?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.
“I come here to clear my head,” he said with a shrug. “Could hear you crying from a mile away.”
Ochako winced. Great. That’s embarrassing.
She stood abruptly, brushing off her skirt. “I’m just gonna go—”
“Wait.” Bakugo’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. “Let’s train.”
“What?” She blinked up at him in confusion.
“You heard me. Let’s spar. You look pathetic sitting here, crying over some dumbass like Deku.”
Ochako opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw the determination in his eyes. He wasn’t teasing her—he was serious.
“Curfew’s in two hours,” he added, already turning toward the direction of Ground Gamma. “You coming or what?”
__
The walk to Ground Gamma was awkward, to say the least. Bakugo didn’t say much, other than grumbling about needing to text Aizawa for permission. Ochako trailed behind him, still unsure why she’d agreed to this. She wasn’t in the mood to train, but maybe a distraction was exactly what she needed.
When they arrived, Bakugo set a timer on his phone and tossed it onto a nearby crate.
“We’re sparring. With quirks,” he announced.
Ochako barely had time to process his words before he lunged at her, throwing a punch. She dodged instinctively, activating her quirk and sending him floating into the air. With a flick of her fingers, she released him, watching as he crashed to the ground with a grunt.
He grinned, a wild glint in his eyes. “Not bad, Round Face.”
The timer went off, signaling the end of the first round. Bakugo reset it without hesitation. “Again.”
He grinned, a wild glint in his eyes. “Not bad, Round Face.”
The timer went off, signaling the end of the first round. Bakugo reset it without hesitation. “Again.”
They continued sparring, each round more intense than the last. Ochako surprised herself with how well she was keeping up. It had been a while since she’d fought Bakugo, and she could tell he’d noticed her improvement.
After nearly an hour, they switched to practicing their quirks. Bakugo discovered that Ochako’s ability to make him weightless enhanced his explosions, allowing him to move faster and hit harder.
“Don’t puke on me,” he warned when she started looking pale from overusing her quirk.
She laughed weakly, taking a break to sip some water.
“Uraraka? Bakubro? What are you two doing here?”
Ochako turned to see Kirishima approaching, his usual grin in place.
“Shitty hair,” Bakugo growled, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
“I was just training,” Kirishima said innocently. “But I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to see you two here together.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “What’s going on, huh? Secret date?”
Ochako felt her cheeks flush. “It’s not like that!”
Kirishima laughed. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. Oh, by the way, Uraraka, Midoriya’s looking for you. He seemed worried.”
Ochako stiffened. She’d almost forgotten about Deku.
Before she could respond, Kirishima gave them a knowing smirk. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your little… rendezvous.” He turned and jogged off, leaving them alone again.
Bakugo scowled after him. “Idiot.”
Later, as they sat down to eat, Ochako couldn’t help but replay Kirishima’s words in her head. Why was Deku worried about her? Did he regret rejecting her?
“Stop it,” Bakugo snapped, breaking her train of thought.
“Stop what?”
“That stupid look on your face. You’re overthinking it. Move on.”
Ochako frowned. “Easier said than done.”
Bakugo leaned back, crossing his arms. “You’re not the first person to like someone who doesn’t like you back.”
She tilted her head. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
He didn’t respond, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Wait… do you like someone?” she pressed.
“None of your damn business.”
“Come on, I told you about Deku!”
“Yeah, and I didn’t ask you to,” he shot back.
Ochako smirked. “Is it Kirishima?”
Bakugo’s silence was answer enough.
“You should tell him,” she said gently. “I think he likes you too.”
“Tch. He’s into Racoon Eyes,” Bakugo muttered.
“I’m serious. He just needs a little push.”
They both were silent until she saw Bakugo’s eyes light up with an idea. “A push, huh? I know what’ll make him jealous. And what’ll make stupid Deku jealous too.”
Ochako blinked, and there was a moment of silence. Was he implying what she thought he was implying? “Wait, are you saying we should pretend to date?”
“Only if you’re up for it.”
She hesitated, then smiled. “Let’s do it.”