Chapter Text
The brisk morning air nipped at Katsuki's face as he strode across the sprawling U.A. University campus. His scowl was a permanent feature, as if daring the world to challenge him. Why? He hated mornings. A large cup of black coffee was firmly clenched in his gloved hand, his lifeline to surviving the godforsaken 7 a.m. class. The aroma wafted upward, mingling with the faint chill of the autumn morning.
Students bustled around him, but Katsuki barely paid them any mind, his sharp crimson eyes fixed straight ahead. Occasionally, someone gave him a wide berth, likely put off by the intense aura of "don’t mess with me" he effortlessly exuded. Reaching the classroom’s closed door, Katsuki leaned against the wall, sipping his coffee and glaring at his phone. He wasn’t checking messages just pretending to, so no one got any bright ideas about starting a conversation.
“Yo, Bakugou!”
Katsuki glanced up to see Kirishima jogging toward him, his shark toothed grin as bright as ever. Behind him trailed Kaminari, fumbling with his bag and nearly dropping his phone.
“What do you idiots want?” Katsuki growled, though there wasn’t much heat in it.
“Chill out, dude! Just saying good morning,” Kirishima replied, unbothered as usual. He leaned against the wall beside Katsuki. “Rough night or something?”
Kaminari chimed in, “Let me guess, couldn’t sleep because you were too busy working late?” He laughed at his own joke, but Katsuki’s glare made him falter.
“Shut up before I kill you,” Katsuki snapped, his grip tightening on his coffee cup.
It was true though, he couldn't sleep but not because he had been working late but because of a strange dream. It had been intense but soothing and when he woke, it had all but disappeared, slipping from his grasp and memory like silk and it had pissed him off. All he could remember was pink hair and the smell of rainwater and berries.
Before Kaminari could retort, two more figures approached. Deku was practically vibrating with nervous energy, clutching his notebook to his chest, while Todoroki walked beside him, calm and expressionless as always. “Good morning, Kacchan!” Deku greeted, his voice tinged with nervous enthusiasm.
“What the hell do you want, Deku?” Katsuki barked, pushing off the wall and glaring down at him.
Midoriya flinched, fumbling with his notebook. “I-I just wanted to, uh, say hi! And maybe talk about the...uh, the new school year?”
“Don’t care,” Katsuki snapped, taking another swig of his coffee.
“Bakugou, you shouldn’t be so aggressive this early in the morning,” Todoroki said, his tone utterly neutral, as if he were commenting on the weather.
“And you shouldn’t be so damn oblivious, Icy Hot,” Katsuki shot back.
Todoroki blinked, unfazed. “I think you’re unnecessarily loud.”
Before Katsuki could retort, the sound of shuffling footsteps made everyone turn. Aizawa approached, his ever present tired expression somehow managing to convey both annoyance and indifference. He carried a key in one hand, a thermos of coffee in the other. “You’re all here early,” Aizawa muttered, unlocking the door. “Don’t make me regret showing up on time for the first day.”
The group filed into the classroom, Katsuki leading the way. As he passed, he grumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear: “This day better not suck.”
“Knowing you, it probably will,” Denki whispered to Kirishima, who chuckled quietly.
Katsuki shot them a withering glare over his shoulder before settling into his seat, ready or as ready as he ever was for the day ahead.
The classroom buzzed with the soft hum of chatter as more students trickled in, climbing the steps and finding their seats. Katsuki Bakugo sat in his usual spot, dead center of the middle row. It was the perfect position: not too close to the front where Aizawa could single him out, but not so far back that he’d look like a slacker. The area around him was predictably empty. People avoided sitting near him like the plague, which suited him just fine.
The only ones brave or stupid enough to plant themselves nearby were Kirishima and Kaminari, who now flanked him on either side. Kirishima was already digging through his bag, while Kaminari had his elbows on the desk, looking like he was ready to nap.
Katsuki glanced around as he pulled out his laptop, noticing Deku sitting up front with that overly eager, wide eyed expression on his round face.Typical. Beside him sat Yaoyorozu, then their old class rep, who was as put together as ever.
“How is it that Yaoyorozu got even hotter this year?” came the hushed, conspiratorial whisper from behind him.
Katsuki didn’t even need to turn around to know it was the purple headed pervert, Mineta. The twerp had saliva practically dripping from his chin.
Denki, ever the enabler, nodded eagerly. “Right? She’s on a whole new level.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You losers have nothing better to do than drool over people out of your league?” he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.
He turned his attention back to his laptop, pulling up the syllabus Aizawa had emailed last week. The guy hadn’t even let them ease into the semester. No, of course not, Aizawa had to remind them they’d be starting with a quiz on day one. Katsuki had just clicked on the document when Kaminari and Mineta suddenly gasped behind him.
“Who is she?” Kaminari hissed in a loud whisper, practically bouncing in his seat.
“No idea,” Mineta replied, his tone equally obnoxious, “but holy crap, she’s hot!”
“Will you two shut the hell up before I beat your faces in?!” Katsuki snapped, his voice low but sharp enough to make Kaminari flinch.
“Seriously, dude, just look,” Kirishima murmured, elbowing him.
Katsuki growled, debating whether to humor them or just keep his eyes glued to the screen. He begrudgingly decided to look, if only to figure out what the hell had the idiots so riled up.
And then he saw her.
Standing at the front of the classroom was a woman with long, wavy pink hair that cascaded down her back like strands of shimmering rose silk. Her bright blue doe eyes glimmered as she spoke with Aizawa, her glossy pink lips curved into a smile so warm it seemed to brighten the whole room. She wore skinny jeans that hugged her form just right and a soft pink sweater that matched her hair perfectly. Even her backpack, covered in keychains, enamel pins, and a plush white dog, felt like something out of a pastel dream.
Katsuki came to an abrupt stop, his body freezing, something in the air shifted. His scowl faltered, breath catching in his chest as if the world had tilted for just a second. His coffee nearly slipped from his grip, fingers tightening on pure instinct while he forced his gaze away....too late. Heat surged up the back of his neck, warm and unwelcome, betraying him completely.
For the first time in a long time, Katsuki Bakugo looked… starstruck.
She is gorgeous.
The kind of gorgeous that made his brain short circuit.
“Tch,” he muttered, glaring at his laptop screen as if it had personally offended him. “She’s just some chick. What’s the big deal?”
But as much as he tried to ignore her, his gaze kept drifting back.
Her lips moved as she spoke with Aizawa, her expression animated and confident. Her coffee cup, pink, of course had a faint lip gloss stain on the rim, and Katsuki caught himself wondering what flavor it was. Strawberry, maybe? Cherry?
What the hell is wrong with me? he thought, shaking his head.
“Alright, listen up,” Aizawa’s voice cut through the room, commanding instant silence.
Katsuki snapped his attention to the front, thankful for the distraction. Aizawa stood beside the pink-haired woman, his voice softened.
“I’d like to introduce you to Rosie Takahashi,” he said, his gaze flicking toward her with a rare glimmer of warmth. “This is my daughter.”
The word hit Katsuki like a freight train.
Daughter?
The classroom collectively blinked, the revelation sinking in.
Rosie bowed her head slightly, her smile never faltering. “It’s nice to meet you all. I’ve heard so much about you over the years. I hope we can all be friends.”
Aizawa leaned in to whisper something to her, and her eyes widened briefly before she straightened and added, “Well… most of you.”
The subtle shift in her tone as her eyes briefly landed on Mineta didn’t go unnoticed by Katsuki, and he couldn’t help the faint smirk that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
As Rosie turned and climbed the steps toward the seats, Katsuki watched her every move, his coffee forgotten. She was too… pink, too bright, too… perfect. It irritated him how effortlessly she drew everyone’s attention, including his.
She entered the row in front of him, flashing a polite smile at their group before sitting down and pulling out a laptop decorated with colorful stickers. As soon as the screen lit up, Katsuki’s eyes darted to the collage of photos that adorned her desktop background. Her with a fluffy white dog, another woman who must’ve been her mother, Aizawa, and another girl.
But none of that held his attention for long. All he could focus on was the sweet, floral scent of her perfume, soft and warm, a perfect match for her appearance.
It was infuriating.
She is infuriating.
He didn’t even know her, and already, she was taking up too much space in his mind. He clenched his jaw, forcing his gaze back to his screen.
She’s just some girl, he told himself, scowling. Get a grip, Bakugou.
But even as he tried to concentrate, her laugh, her scent, her everything lingered, digging under his skin like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
Three hours later, the class finally ended. Katsuki stretched his arms over his head, feeling the stiffness in his shoulders from sitting for so long. Before he could even stand up, the classroom exploded into chaos as almost every student swarmed the row in front of him, clustering around Rosie Takahashi.
He watched her shoulders tense ever so slightly as the horde closed in. Her polite smile remained fixed, but there was a faint flush on her cheeks, embarrassment or discomfort, he couldn’t tell. Either way, she didn’t look thrilled. Katsuki rolled his eyes, stuffing his notebook and laptop into his bag with more force than necessary. “Idiots,” he muttered under his breath.
The way they acted, you’d think she was some shiny new toy everyone wanted to play with. It was pathetic. They all spoke over each other, throwing questions at her rapid fire without giving her a chance to respond.
He glanced at Aizawa, who was packing up his things at the desk. The man’s gaze was locked on his daughter, his brow furrowed slightly, as though debating whether or not to step in.
Katsuki felt his eye twitch as the noise level in the room continued to rise. It was too early in the day for this kind of chaos. Ten in the morning, and they were already acting like damn preschoolers. “SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET HER BREATHE, DAMMIT! AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!” Katsuki barked, his voice cutting through the noise like a whip.
Small, sharp pops erupted from his palms, and the room instantly fell silent. The crowd of students froze, then began to shuffle backward, putting space between themselves and Rosie as they looked at Katsuki like startled rabbits.
Finally, there was some damn peace.
She let out a subtle sigh of relief, so faint that most people wouldn’t have noticed. But Katsuki did. Even Aizawa looked marginally less tense, his shoulders relaxing as he resumed packing his things.
Rosie glanced over at Katsuki, her lips curving into a small, shy smile. It was brief, but it sent an annoying jolt through him.
He turned away quickly, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over one shoulder. “Damn extras,” he muttered under his breath, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stormed down the steps.
Kirishima fell into step beside him. “You good, man?”
Katsuki grunted, not looking at him. “You know I hate mornings.”
“Yeah, but you seem more pissed than usual,” Kirishima said, giving him a side glance.
Katsuki clenched his jaw. “They’re too damn loud for it being only ten in the morning.”
While it wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t the full truth, either. What really got under his skin was the way she’d looked cornered, overwhelmed, like she wanted to crawl out of her own skin but didn’t know how. It reminded him too much of a scared kitten. But he wasn’t about to explain any of that to Kirishima. “I’m grabbing food and another coffee,” Katsuki said abruptly, changing the subject as they exited the building.
“Good idea,” Kirishima said, brightening. “There’s that café near the library. They’ve got those loaded sandwiches I like. Or we could hit up the food trucks by the quad, heard there’s a new one with killer spicy noodles.”
Katsuki exhaled through his nose, relieved that Kirishima had taken the bait. “Whatever. Just pick a place.”
Kirishima launched into an enthusiastic discussion of their options, listing pros and cons for each spot. Katsuki let him ramble, grateful for the distraction.
For the moment, at least, they weren’t talking about her and Katsuki was fine with keeping it that way.
Throwing his backpack onto the couch, Katsuki dropped onto it with a loud sigh, his head hitting the cushion as he stretched out. The first day of second year at U.A. University had been too damn long. Between the obnoxious classmates, the pop quiz Aizawa had sprung on them, and the swarm around Rosie, Katsuki felt like his patience had been tested all day.
Placing an arm over his eyes, he tried to let his mind go blank, eager for the nap that was calling his name. He was just starting to drift off when his phone pinged with a notification.
He ignored it.
Then came another. And another. By the time his phone buzzed for the twentieth time, his eye twitched in irritation. Grumbling, he lifted his arm and glared at the screen, where the notifications practically spilled off the edges.
Of course, it was the damn group chat. Five years. Five years he’d been stuck in this stupid chat ever since Deku had added him back in their first year of high school. He never asked to be in it, never wanted to participate in their constant back and forth, and yet here he was, dealing with it because apparently leaving the chat wasn’t an option.
Just as the notifications stopped, giving him a sliver of peace, his phone started ringing.
Katsuki stared at the screen, knowing exactly who was calling before he even looked. Only one person dared to call him other than his Mother.
“What the hell do you want?” he snapped, answering on the second ring.
Kirishima’s cheerful laugh rang through the line. “Yo, man! Chill! We’re all planning on heading to Silven’s tonight. You coming?”
Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose. “What makes you think I wanna do that?”
“C’mon, bro, it’s tradition!” Kirishima said, undeterred. “First day of school means we celebrate. You know the deal. Everyone’s going and Rosie’s coming too.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Like I care who’s going.”
“You care enough to argue,” Kirishima teased.
“Shut up.” Katsuki sat up, running a hand through his hair. “What time?”
“Meeting there at nine,” Kirishima said brightly. “Don’t be late, or Kaminari’s gonna call you out like last time.”
“Like I give a damn about what Dunce Face says.” Katsuki’s voice was sharp, but Kirishima knew him too well to be fazed.
“You better show up,” Kirishima added, a hint of warning in his tone. “You know if you don’t, we’ll all just end up at your place and drag you out anyway.”
“Do I even have a choice?” Katsuki muttered.
“Nope!” Kirishima said cheerfully before hanging up.
Katsuki stared at the screen for a moment, then tossed his phone onto the couch with a heavy sigh. He glanced at the clock on the wall it was barely four.
Plenty of time.
He rubbed the back of his neck, already feeling the irritation from the morning bubbling up again. He wasn’t about to sit around stewing in it, though. “Workout first,” he muttered to himself, standing up. “Then I’ll deal with this bullshit.”
Grabbing his gym bag from the corner of the room, he headed out the door. If nothing else, a good workout would help burn off the tension from the day. With any luck, it might even make tonight’s inevitable chaos a little more tolerable.
Katsuki sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared at the glowing neon sign above the entrance to Silven Realm. The three story building stood out against the night sky, its flashy exterior already grating on his nerves. He wasn’t in the mood for this crap. He’d been through it every year, showing up with the plan to stay for an hour, maybe two beers tops, and then heading back home. Somehow, every damn year, they roped him into staying longer than he wanted.
Not this time.
His jaw tightened as he glanced at the dashboard clock. It was already 9:20. Great. Late again. Not like he cared what those extras thought. Shoving his phone, wallet, and keys into his pockets, Katsuki stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut. Kirishima had tried calling, but he’d ignored it. If the idiot wanted him here so bad, he could wait.
Walking into the building, the noise hit him like a tidal wave with pounding music, chatter, and the hum of arcade machines. The first floor was packed, crawling with students from U.A. and a few others from neighboring schools. Katsuki moved through the crowd with purpose, heading straight for the stairs. He knew the layout by heart: first floor, restaurant; second floor, bar and arcade; third floor, karaoke and nightclub.
By the time he made it to the second floor, he spotted Kirishima’s unmistakable red hair in the corner, standing with a group of their classmates at one of the high top tables.
“Bakugou!” Kirishima called out the moment he noticed him, grinning ear to ear. He strode over and clapped a hand on Katsuki’s back. “You made it, man!”
Katsuki shrugged him off with a grunt. “Of course I made it. You wouldn’t shut the hell up about it.”
“I was just about to drive to your place and drag you here,” Kaminari teased, smirking over the rim of his drink.
“Try it, and I’ll murder you,” Katsuki growled, his eyes narrowing.
As he scanned the group, his lips pressed into a thin line. Almost everyone from their class was here, but at least the pink haired new girl wasn’t. Small victories. “I’m getting a drink,” he muttered, leaving before anyone could rope him into conversation.
At the bar, Katsuki ordered a beer, his patience already thinning from the noise and crowd. He was just about to take a sip when he heard a sudden commotion behind him.
“Rosie! You made it!”
Katsuki froze, his beer halfway to his mouth. Against his better judgment, he glanced over his shoulder and his breath caught in his throat.
She was shedding her leather jacket, revealing a fitted pink corset top decorated with white floral embroidery that hugged her figure perfectly. High waisted black shorts showed off her long toned legs, and her black lace up boots jingled slightly from the charms on the laces. Her pink hair was pinned up elegantly with a white flower hair stick, leaving the delicate curve of her neck exposed.
His eyes lingered longer than he’d have liked, tracing the soft lines of her collarbone and the way her skin glowed under the dim lights of the bar. His jaw clenched. She was surrounded by Uraraka and the other girls, laughing easily as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
Katsuki scowled. What the hell is she even doing here?
He forced himself to turn away and move back to where Kirishima, Kaminari, Mineta, and Shoji were standing. His classmates were already deep in conversation, though it was the kind that made Katsuki’s eye twitch with irritation.
“How does Aizawa have a daughter like that?” Mineta practically drooled, craning his neck to get a better view of Rosie across the room. “I mean, look at those legs! And her as—”
Shoji didn’t even let him finish. With one massive arm, he scooped Mineta up like a ragdoll and unceremoniously tossed him into one of the empty booths. “Keep your disgusting comments to yourself,” Shoji said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Katsuki, meanwhile, could feel the heat rising in his neck as Kaminari snickered, leaning closer to him. “Still, though, Rosie’s gotta be the hottest girl I’ve seen all year. You think she’s single?”
“Probably, but you’d have no chance anyway,” Mineta called from where he’d landed, still recovering but apparently undeterred. “Bet she’s into guys wh—”
“Shut the hell up,” Katsuki barked, his voice sharp enough to make Denki flinch. His eye twitched as he gritted his teeth, his knuckles tightening around the glass of his beer.
Kirishima elbowed him lightly, trying to diffuse the tension. “Ignore them, man. They’re just being dumbasses.”
“They’re always dumbasses,” Katsuki snapped, taking a long pull from his beer. He kept his eyes firmly on the table, refusing to glance in Rosie’s direction again. But the faint scent of her floral perfume still lingered in the air, tickling his senses and pissing him off all the more.
This night’s already a goddamn headache.
“Seriously though,” Kirishima said, taking a thoughtful sip of his beer. “How is it that we’ve known Mr. Aizawa for five years and never knew he had a daughter our age? Much less that he was married?”
“Maybe she’s quirkless?” Kaminari offered with a shrug, his tone casual.
Shoji shook his head firmly. “No way. Mr. Aizawa isn’t the type to avoid talking about family just because someone’s quirkless. He respects people for who they are, not their quirks.”
“Shoji’s got a point,” Kirishima agreed, nodding. “Aizawa’s the kind of guy who would’ve mentioned her at least once. Even if she were quirkless, it wouldn’t be a big deal to him.”
Katsuki grunted, swirling his beer lazily before taking a swig. “You idiots haven’t figured it out yet?”
The group turned to him, eyes wide with curiosity. Of course, they hadn’t. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by how dense they could be.
“Seriously? It’s obvious.” Katsuki leaned back against the high-top table, crossing his arms. “Aizawa was never married. He probably hooked up with her mom or she was an old girlfriend and had her. That’s why none of us ever heard about it. She was raised by her mother, probably in the States, which is why her Japanese has that slight American accent.”
The others stared at him, jaws practically hitting the floor.
“How the hell do you know all that, man?” Kirishima finally asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Katsuki scoffed, clicking his tongue. “It’s basic common sense. She doesn’t even have the same last name as him. That means she took her mother’s name and wasn’t raised by him. She’s probably been living in America her whole life and only came here recently. Do I need to spell it out for you extras?”
Kaminari blinked, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Damn, Bakugou. You’re like a detective or something.”
“Yeah, man, that’s some next-level observation,” Kirishima added, still looking impressed.
“Use your brains for once,” Katsuki muttered, taking another swig of his beer. Just as he finished, his gaze flicked across the room to where Deku was setting up a game at one of the billiard tables.
Perfect.
“Oi, Deku!” Katsuki barked, setting his glass down with a loud clink. His classmates jumped slightly at the sudden volume. “You nerd! I’m gonna crush you at pool!”
Deku looked up from his game, startled at first, but then his expression shifted into a competitive grin. “Bring it on, Kacchan!”
Katsuki smirked, pushing off the table and heading toward the billiard area. Anything to get away from the conversation about Rosie and her family. He wasn’t about to waste more time speculating when he could be beating Deku at something instead.
As he left, Kirishima chuckled. “Guess he’s not gonna let Deku off easy tonight.”
“No kidding,” Kaminari added, shaking his head. “But seriously, how does Bakugou figure this stuff out? I can’t even imagine him paying attention to details like accents.”
“Bakugou’s sharper than he lets on. He was the first person to pass the entrance exam in the Hero course back when we were in high school.” Shoji said simply, watching as Katsuki grabbed a pool cue with a determined look. “He notices things, he just doesn’t always share unless it suits him.”
The group exchanged glances, silently agreeing as they turned back to their drinks. Katsuki, meanwhile, was already lining up his first shot, determined to wipe the floor with Deku. Anything to distract himself from the pink haired woman lingering in the back of his mind.