Chapter Text
Ochako was used to the chaos of battle, but this felt different. She stood on the sidelines, waiting for her turn to be interviewed, her chest still heaving from the last fight. The day had been long, with Class 2-A battling through a group of rogue villains who had tried to disrupt a nearby city. They had succeeded, of course. The villains stood no chance against the heroes of U.A. High. The media had arrived quickly after the dust had settled, eager to catch a glimpse of the next generation of heroes.
The reporters had been hounding them all day, one by one pulling each student aside to ask the same questions. What motivated them to become heroes? What was the hardest part of their training? Who was their greatest inspiration? Most of the answers were predictable, but Ochako couldn’t help but feel a little excited at the attention. It wasn’t every day that the heroes of Class 2-A were in the spotlight like this.
She stood with her arms crossed, trying to steady her nerves. Her interview was coming up soon, but she was more focused on the others. She could see Deku, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke to the reporter, his usual enthusiasm on full display. Nearby, Kirishima and Mina were laughing, clearly enjoying the attention. But then, her gaze shifted to Bakugou.
He was standing just a few feet beside her, his arms crossed, his usual scowl in place. The reporters were giving him a wide berth, unsure of how to approach him, but Ochako couldn’t help but admire the way he stood his ground. He was always so intense, so sure of himself, even when he was surrounded by questions he didn’t want to answer. She’d seen it time and time again—his bravado, his pride, his refusal to show weakness.
She should be happy for her and her classmates about the attention they were getting. But something felt off. There was a tension in her air, something that made her skin crawl. It wasn’t the cameras. Ochako was already used to the media and had done plenty of interviews before, so what was it?
Her eyes kept flicking to the crowd, waiting for something to happen. Then, it did.
A sudden, sharp pulse of energy shot through the air, and Ochako’s heart skipped a beat. The crowd gasped, and before anyone could react, a villain—clad in a dark cloak— stepped out from the group of reporters. His quirk was immediately apparent as a glowing purple aura surrounded him, and he raised his hand toward Bakugou.
The villain’s energy blast hit Bakugou before anyone could react, the purple glow enveloping him like a shroud. Bakugou staggered back, his eyes widening in confusion, and Ochako’s instincts kicked in. She was the closest to him, and without thinking, she rushed forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she used Gunhead Martial Arts to swiftly pin the villain to the ground.
“Bakugou!” she shouted, but his eyes were unfocused, his body stiff. He was under the villain’s trance.
The villain let out a frustrated yell, his voice dripping with malice. “Katsuki Bakugou, what is your deepest secret that can greatly affect how your fellow classmates view you?”
Ochako’s breath hitched. What was this? A truth quirk? She desperately looked around for her homeroom teacher, who had just been watching from afar to avoid the media, to put a stop to this.
But it was too late.
Bakugou’s voice, low and unsteady, broke the silence. “I’m in love with Ochako Uraraka.” It was said so calm— too calm. As if emotionless.
Ochako froze. Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The cameras were everywhere, capturing the moment. She could hear the gasps from the reporters and the murmurs from the crowd. Or were they from her classmates? She could feel her face turn bright red as her mind spun. She had never expected this—never in a million years.
Before she could process the weight of his words, Aizawa finally appeared, his red eyes scanning the scene. Without hesitation, he used his quirk to neutralize the villain, and Bakugou collapsed, unconscious, his body going limp as Deku rushed to catch him. Ochako watched him try to wake the blonde up, as the purple aura around him disappeared.
The villain cursed under his breath, clearly frustrated. “That’s it? That’s the secret you think will shake everyone to their core?”
Aizawa moved swiftly, his gaze dark and unyielding. He quickly used his capture weapon to apprehend the villain and looked around at the chaos the man had caused. “Everyone, stay calm. The situation is under control.” His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it that made everyone fall silent.
But Ochako couldn’t hear him. All she could hear was Bakugou’s confession echoing in her mind. I’m in love with Ochako Uraraka.
Katsuki Bakugou was in love with her.
__
Katsuki’s eyes snapped open, his head pounding. For a moment, everything was blurry—his vision, his thoughts, his surroundings. He blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the haze clouding his mind. His body felt heavy, as if he had just been hit by a truck.
Where the hell was he?
He tried to sit up but was immediately stopped by a sharp pain in his head. He groaned, lifting a hand to his temple, only to realize he was lying on a soft surface. A bed. The infirmary. His eyes darted around the room, and he saw familiar faces—Aizawa, Deku, and Kirishima. The sight of them only made him more confused.
“What… happened?” His voice was hoarse, a little weaker than usual, but he couldn’t be bothered to care about that. He just needed answers.
Aizawa, who had been sitting near his bed, raised an eyebrow, his usual tired expression softening slightly. “You were attacked,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “By a villain. His quirk put you under a trance and made you reveal the truth.”
Katsuki blinked, his mind still struggling to catch up. “A villain?” he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m fine now, right? What the hell did he do?”
Before Aizawa could answer, Deku spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. “The villain’s quirk forces people to answer questions truthfully. You… you said something, Kacchan. Something that surprised everyone.”
“What the hell did I say?” His tone was sharp, though a tight knot of anxiety started to form in his chest. He couldn’t remember much, just flashes of purple light and a strange, heavy feeling.
Aizawa sighed, rubbing his temples. “The villain’s quirk forces the victim to speak the truth. It drains energy from both the person being questioned and the villain. The more intense the question, the more energy it takes.” He paused, his gaze flicking over to Katsuki. “You were targeted because of your… personality. The villain was hoping to expose something that would turn your classmates against you.”
Aizawa wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so how bad was it? Something that would turn his classmates against him— then an idea hit him.
As if reading his mind, Deku quickly added, “You didn’t say anything about middle school, Kacchan.”
Katsuki frowned, but before he could press further, Kirishima spoke up, slightly grinning, “You said something else…”
He glared at the 3 of them, awkwardly sitting in front of him. “Well? Stop trying to make me fucking guess, what the hell did I say??”
Deku and Shitty Hair hesitated, as if trying to figure out what to say before Aizawa finally spoke up, sighing. “You said you were in love with Uraraka.”
Oh.
That.
Katsuki could feel his face heat up. He completely forgot about that— he always kept his feelings for her locked away, acting as if nothing was different. Then this had to happen.
“I—” He stopped himself, his mouth dry. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped, but it came out more strained than usual. “That’s not… that’s not what I said.”
Kirishima, sensing his discomfort, quickly added, “It’s okay, Bakugou. The villain’s quirk made you say it. Uraraka understands.”
“Where is she?”
Kirishima blinked, clearly caught off guard before looking to Deku to answer.
“Uraraka, she um… left when you woke up. She said you would probably get stressed out seeing her, and Aizawa-sensei sent the rest of the class back to the dormitories.”
Katsuki felt his stomach twist. She left? Of course, she would. He had just blurted out something that wasn’t supposed to be said. She probably thought he was some kind of idiot. He could feel his fists clenching at his sides, but the exhaustion still weighed him down.
Aizawa, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. “You need to rest, Bakugou. The villain’s quirk takes a toll on the body. You’re not fully recovered yet.”
Katsuki groaned but didn’t argue. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be lying down, feeling like a damn fool. But he couldn’t deny the fact that his body felt like it had been drained of energy. His body felt like it had been through a battle, but the worst was over. He had no injuries, just a pounding headache and the gnawing sense of embarrassment that refused to leave. Aizawa gave him one last glance before nodding toward the door.
“You’re free to go, Bakugou,” Aizawa said in his usual no-nonsense tone. “You’ve been out for a few hours, but you’re not injured. Just don’t push yourself.”
Katsuki grunted in acknowledgment, pushing the blankets off of him and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He wasn’t in the mood to stay here any longer. The sooner he could get out of the infirmary, the better.
Deku and Kirishima were already standing by the door, and they both gave him a look of concern as he stood up, still a little unsteady.
“You sure you’re okay?” Kirishima asked, his usual grin softened by the worry in his voice.
“I’m fine,” Katsuki snapped, though it came out more tired than usual. “I just want to get the hell out of here.”
Aizawa didn’t say anything more, just gave him a nod of approval before turning to leave the room. As he got up to leave, his eyes caught sight of the notes left on a table by the door. It was a pile of papers from his classmates—some random doodles, some half-written jokes, and some sincere words.
He picked up one note from Mina, her handwriting large and bubbly. It read:
When this blows over, I’m definitely going to tease you about this, Blasty! You can’t hide from me forever! - Mina
Katsuki scowled, crumpling the note in his hand before tossing it aside. Great. More teasing to look forward to.
He glanced at more notes, one from each of his classmates.
Bakugou, I trust you’re recovering well. If you need any assistance or if you want to talk, please don’t hesitate to reach out. - Tenya Iida
dude that was WILDD but im glad ur alright. but im definitely gonna have some fun with this when the time comes - sparky
I’m glad you’re okay, Bakugou. I hope you get some rest. If you need any help, feel free to ask. - Yaoyorozu
Mon cher Bakugou, we are all happy you’re recovering. However, I must implore you, s’il vous plaît, let us avoid any more drama like this in the future.
With all my admiration,
Aoyama
He scoffed, grabbing the papers and shoving them into his bag. His gaze shifted to a note written in neat, simple script.
I’m glad you’re okay. - Uraraka
The words were simple, but they sent a strange warmth through his chest. His fingers lingered on the note for a moment longer than they should have, before he quickly shoved it into his pocket, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding.
“Kacchan,” Deku’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “The press is waiting outside. They’re all over the place right now, and the video of what happened is kind of going viral. You might want to avoid them for a bit.”
Katsuki internally groaned at the thought of the press right now. But before he could respond, Kirishima spoke up with a grin.
“You’re going to have to face them eventually, man. But, hey, we’ll be there to back you up!”
He muttered a curse under his breath but didn’t argue. He wasn’t in the mood for a press conference, but that was the least of his worries right now.
As they approached the dormitory entrance, a crowd of classmates immediately swarmed around him. His classmates’ voices blended into a cacophony of questions and teasing comments, but Katsuki ignored them all, his eyes scanning the room for one person.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his voice rough. He wasn’t even sure who he was talking to, but it didn’t matter. He had to know.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, and then Iida, of all people, spoke up. “Uraraka is in her room, Bakugou,” he said, his tone calm but knowing. “She’s been resting.”
Katsuki ignored everyone else’s words and went to his room. He didn’t want to think about anything else right now, he just wanted to sleep. He opened the door to his room, collapsing onto his bed without bothering to change.