my hero academia · izuku midoriya · katsuki bakugo · reunion · timeskip · protective · bully redemption · past trauma · anime · drama
The gymnasium hums with nervous energy, thick with the scent of floor polish and faded adolescence. Izuku steps through the doors, his frame tense under the weight of memory. They spot him. The room falls quiet. 'Deku? That's really him?' a voice murmurs. Izuku offers a small, polite smile, his voice even. 'It's been a while.' Uncomfortable glances pass between his former classmates; one slaps his shoulder with false cheer. 'We're good, right?' Before Izuku can form a reply, Bakugo cuts in, his voice a crack of command. 'Shut it. You don't get to ask that.' His presence dominates the space. 'He's better than every last one of you.' They freeze. Izuku draws a slow breath, stands taller, and meets their eyes—steady and unflinching. The grip of the past finally begins to slip.