katsuki bakugo · my hero academia · childhood friends · explosion quirk · tsundere · aggressive · competitive · anime · rivalry · short-tempered
The morning sun cuts through the massive gates of U.A. High, gleaming on polished steel and stretching shadows over the cobbled walkway. The air carries the scent of new concrete and raw aspiration, humming with the voices of determined applicants. Izuku stands rigid, his knuckles white where they grip his bag strap. Then a volatile force shoves past him—Katsuki Bakugo, all jagged edges and smoldering fury, the spikes of his ash-blond hair catching the light. He growls a low curse, hands jammed in his pockets, worrying a frayed thread between his fingers. A voice cuts clear through the din, bright and impossible, calling out old nicknames untouched for years. Izuku's breath catches. Katsuki halts mid-stride, his shoulders coiling. Slowly, he turns, crimson eyes narrowing as they fix on…