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Most people expected the boy without a Quirk to fade into the background.
U.A. wasn’t a place for the weak. It was the top hero school in the country—home to the strongest students, the brightest talents, and the boldest dreams.
So when Midoriya Izuku stepped into Class 1-A without a Quirk and without fear, he was immediately the weirdest person in the room.
“Wait, he’s the one who placed in the top ten for the practical exam?” Kirishima whispered, elbowing Kaminari.
“Wasn’t he, like, running toward the explosions instead of away from them?” Kaminari replied.
“I heard he passed on a recommendation,” Yaoyorozu added, glancing at her papers. “Something about his rescue analysis and leadership in a hostage simulation.”
“Still quirkless, though,” Jirou murmured. “How long do you think he’ll last?”
Katsuki Bakugo was the loudest one to scoff, arms crossed and scowl set deep into his face.
“Don’t you extras get it yet?” he barked. “Nerd doesn’t need a Quirk to wipe the floor with half of you.”
The class turned. Silence.
Bakugo rarely defended anyone. Actually, Bakugo rarely acknowledged anyone.
“You mean… you respect him?” Sero asked, cautiously.
“I didn’t say that!” Bakugo snapped. “I said you’re all weak. He’s just… less weak.”
From the back, Izuku groaned and dropped his head onto his desk.
“Thanks, Kacchan. I guess,” he muttered. “That was so touching.”
“Shut up, nerd.”
Everyone tensed. There it was. The infamous Midoriya-Bakugo tension. A long-standing feud, they assumed. Some sort of deep-seated hatred.
“Do they always talk to each other like that?” Uraraka whispered.
“I think Bakugo’s trying to kill him with words,” Tokoyami intoned.
Later, during combat training, the class finally saw Midoriya in action.
He didn’t have flashy powers or superhuman strength. But he was fast—dodge-rolling through attacks, calculating moves, laying traps with training foam, and barking orders like a seasoned sidekick.
And Bakugo?
He didn’t hold back—but when his explosion knocked Midoriya off balance, he was also the one to shove him back up and yell, “Focus, nerd! You’re the brains, remember?!”
“Then maybe you listen to me for once!” Izuku shouted back, sweat beading down his brow.
They glared at each other. Sparks (literal and metaphorical) flew.
Then they both grinned—sharp, proud, and infuriatingly smug.
“What just happened?” Mina muttered.
“…I think they’re into violence-based affection,” Kaminari whispered.
When the training wrapped up, the class buzzed with gossip, trying to piece the puzzle together.
Aizawa didn’t say a word about it. He just glanced over the two boys bickering on the sidelines and smirked under his scarf.
They had no idea what was coming.
^^^
U.A. life wasn’t easy for anyone—but it was especially not easy for a quirkless kid and his explosion-happy best friend.
“Don’t trip on your own feet this time, Deku,” Katsuki barked as they entered the gym for combat class.
Izuku rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Kacchan, I’ll try not to break all my bones today just for you.”
Class 1-A watched the two like they were observing a pair of wild animals during mating season—cautious, quiet, unsure if approaching would get them blown up.
“This is what they always do,” Jirou said. “Yell at each other like they’re about to throw hands, then walk side-by-side like besties.”
“Maybe it’s some elaborate rivalry,” Todoroki said, frowning in deep contemplation. “Like Endeavor and All Might.”
“No offense, Todoroki,” Kaminari said, “but if this is your definition of friendship, I’m worried for your social life.”
Training went about as normal—for them.
That meant: yelling, posturing, insult-trading, and perfectly synchronized teamwork.
Izuku ducked low as Bakugo launched an explosion overhead, clearing a path for the quirkless boy to dash through and snatch the “target.” Then, when an obstacle triggered and sent foam spewing across the floor, Katsuki actually grabbed Izuku’s collar and yanked him to safety.
“Don’t get hit, dumbass! You’re squishier than everyone else!”
“Oh my god,” Mina muttered from the sidelines. “Was that… protective?”
“He’s worried,” Uraraka whispered like she’d just seen a unicorn.
“Impossible,” Iida declared. “Bakugo does not express concern. He explodes people.”
After training, everyone headed to the locker rooms, and Izuku limped slightly.
“Hey, you okay?” Kaminari asked him as he peeled off his gloves. “You took a nasty fall during the first round.”
“I’m fine,” Izuku said quickly. “Just twisted my ankle a little.”
“Then sit down, idiot,” Katsuki growled as he stomped over, grabbed Izuku by the arm, and forced him to sit on the bench. “You’re gonna make it worse, and I’m not dragging your limp nerd body all the way to Recovery Girl again.”
Izuku mumbled something about “drama queen” under his breath.
Katsuki heard. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, Kacchan.”
Their argument faded into the background as the rest of the class exchanged very concerned looks.
Kirishima finally said what they were all thinking: “Okay, do they hate each other, or are they just like this?”
“No idea,” Jirou sighed. “But Bakugo just tied Izuku’s shoe. While yelling.”
“…That’s love,” Kaminari decided. “Explosive, yelling, shoe-tying love.”
Outside the gym, Aizawa leaned against the wall and sipped from his juice box as he watched the pair shuffle out—still arguing.
“Izuku, I swear, if you twist your ankle again before midterms, I’m gonna throw you in a vat of bubble wrap—”
“Do it, coward.”
Aizawa shook his head and muttered, “Teenagers.”
^^^
It all started with a whisper.
“I bet they’ve been cursed,” Mina declared one morning, sipping her strawberry milk like she was dropping ancient wisdom.
The rest of Class 1-A blinked at her.
“Midoriya and Bakugo,” she explained, gesturing vaguely with her straw. “No way they actually chose to hang out with each other. What if it’s, like, a Quirk side-effect? A binding spell? A soul contract?”
“Mina,” Yaoyorozu said gently, “we live in a world where people have engine legs and literal black holes for faces. Maybe just… ask them?”
“I’m not ready for the truth,” Mina said dramatically. “We need evidence.”
So, naturally, they made a plan.
Operation: Frenemy Surveillance was born.
It was simple. Follow Izuku for a day. Observe his and Katsuki’s interactions. Write everything down. Report back.
The suspects had no idea.
08:01 AM – Dorm Common Room
Izuku walked in carrying two bentos—one neatly wrapped in green cloth, the other in a familiar, aggressively orange bag with tiny explosions printed on it.
Katsuki stomped in thirty seconds later, grumbling.
“You’re late,” Izuku said, holding out the orange bento.
“You’re annoying,” Katsuki grunted, taking it and turning away.
“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku sing-songed.
“Shut your damn mouth, nerd.”
The class watched from behind the couch. Mina scribbled:
- Note: He made him lunch. Called him a nerd. Possible affection???
12:30 PM – Lunch Break
Izuku sat with Iida, Todoroki, and Uraraka, eating calmly.
Until Katsuki dropped down beside him with all the grace of a grenade going off.
“You left your notes on the floor, dumbass,” he growled, slapping a notebook onto the table.
“Oh! Thanks, Kacchan—wait, did you read them?!”
“I ain’t got time to read your chicken scratch!”
“You totally did.”
“You’re welcome for me not setting them on fire!”
Everyone blinked as the two launched into a quiet but rapid-fire exchange of sarcasm and mock fury—Izuku gesturing wildly, Katsuki throwing food wrappers like throwing stars.
Todoroki, chewing solemnly, said, “I think this is flirting.”
Iida choked on his juice.
6:00 PM – Gym
Izuku jogged slowly around the track, muttering notes into a small recorder.
Katsuki stood nearby with his arms crossed, tossing a water bottle up and down.
“Don’t push yourself, nerd,” he snapped. “I’m not babysitting you when your quirkless legs give out.”
“Wow, I feel so supported right now,” Izuku replied, not even looking up.
“I swear, if you collapse, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and telling the whole school you cried.”
“You would cry first,” Izuku shot back.
The class, peeking from behind gym equipment, watched with slack jaws.
“Are they okay?” Kirishima whispered.
“Do we stop them?” Kaminari asked.
“Do we film this?” Mina countered.
8:42 PM – Dorm Hallway
Katsuki was found kneeling in front of Izuku’s door, aggressively tying a bandage around his foot.
“You overextended it again, you moron,” he hissed.
“It’s just a bruise!”
“It’ll be a cast if you keep acting like it doesn’t hurt!”
“Okay, dad!”
Mina peeked from around the corner and snapped a photo.
9:00 PM – Operation Debrief
They gathered in Kaminari’s room, flipping through notes, comparing screenshots, and generally panicking.
“So… do they hate each other or not?” Sero asked.
“I genuinely have no clue anymore,” Jirou said.
“Bakugo tied his shoe again,” Kirishima said. “That’s… emotional.”
“Are we witnessing a slow-burn bromance?” Kaminari asked.
“No,” Todoroki said seriously. “We’re witnessing two people so emotionally stunted they’ve replaced human affection with violent banter.”
Everyone stared at him.
“…I’m not wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, back in Izuku’s room, Katsuki sat on the bed, arms crossed, grumbling.
“Idiots were following us all day.”
Izuku looked up from his notebook. “You noticed too?”
“They’re not even good at it.”
“…Should we tell them?”
Katsuki smirked. “Nah. Let ‘em suffer.”
^^^
The attack came out of nowhere.
One minute, Class 1-A was doing a routine outdoor rescue simulation.
The next? Smoke, shouting, and two villains warping in through a cracked security barrier.
“Midoriya’s on the far side of the field!” Iida shouted, scanning for his classmates as teachers rushed to intercept.
“Bakugo’s too!” Kirishima added, eyes wide. “They’re right in the middle!”
It was chaos.
Pro Hero Thirteen was already pulling students to safety while Aizawa dove straight into the action.
Katsuki had been separated from Izuku by a falling debris wall and wasn’t taking it well.
“Where is he?” he snarled, smoke curling around his hands.
“Bakugo, wait—!” Cementoss tried to stop him, but Katsuki blasted upward, skidding through rubble and flames.
“DEKU!” he roared. “Where the hell are you?!”
Meanwhile, Izuku was cornered.
One of the villains had a powerful strength-based Quirk—cracking the pavement with every step. The other? Some kind of mist-based ability that obscured vision and muffled sound.
And Izuku had no Quirk.
He crouched low, chest tight, heart hammering.
But fear didn’t stop him.
He scanned the layout, spotted a broken comm, a downed training dummy, and something shiny near the debris pile. His fingers flew as he yanked wires, rigged a trap, and baited the villains with a thrown pebble.
BOOM!
Smoke erupted from the trap, and one villain stumbled straight into the taser plates he’d wedged beneath the rubble.
“Score one for the nerd,” Izuku muttered.
Then he turned—and froze.
The other villain stood behind him, hand raised.
Izuku had no time to move.
WHAM!
An explosion knocked the villain clear across the field.
Izuku gasped as a familiar hand grabbed his arm and shoved him behind a wall.
“You stupid, reckless, suicidal nerd!” Katsuki yelled, chest heaving. “You got a death wish or something?!”
“You found me!” Izuku laughed, voice breathless. “I knew you’d—”
“Shut up!”
Katsuki grabbed the front of Izuku’s uniform and practically shook him.
“I thought you were gone, Deku. I couldn’t—I couldn’t see you through the smoke, and I thought—”
He stopped, jaw clenched.
Izuku blinked up at him, stunned.
“…Kacchan?”
Katsuki dropped him like a sack of laundry and turned away with a huff.
“Don’t make me save your dumb quirkless ass again.”
“…Were you worried about me?” Izuku asked, grinning.
“I’ll explode you, I swear.”
They returned to the class later—limping, bruised, soot-covered.
Everyone stared.
Mina, horrified, whispered, “Did Bakugo hug him?”
“No,” Jirou said slowly. “Worse. I think he almost cried.”
“Midoriya,” Iida asked gently, “are you… okay?”
“I’m fine!” Izuku beamed. “Kacchan got there just in time!”
“…You’re smiling,” Kaminari pointed out.
“Bakugo’s not yelling,” Kirishima added.
“I’m fine, okay? We’ve been through worse,” Izuku said. “Kacchan always finds me.”
Bakugo looked away, muttering, “Dumbass.”
“I’m starting to think they’re in love,” Mina whispered.
“I’m starting to think we’ll never understand them,” Yaoyorozu replied.
In the staff lounge, Aizawa sipped his coffee and sighed.
“They’re going to break their classmates’ brains before final exams.”
^^^
It was movie night in the Class 1-A dorms.
Popcorn everywhere. Blankets draped over the couch. Kaminari arguing over which film to pick. Typical chaos.
Izuku and Katsuki sat on the floor near the coffee table—far too close, if you asked anyone.
“Bakugo,” Jirou whispered from her beanbag, “is sharing his popcorn.”
“With Midoriya,” Uraraka added, eyes wide.
“He passed him the remote,” Iida said, scandalized. “Willingly.”
“They’re… laughing,” said Todoroki, blinking slowly.
By the time the credits rolled, half the class had lost their minds.
The silence was broken by Mina loudly clearing her throat.
“Okay. That’s it. Intervention time.”
“Huh?” Izuku blinked up from where he was leaning (completely casually, definitely not affectionately) against Katsuki’s shoulder.
“Don’t ‘huh’ us!” Mina stood, hands on her hips. “You two have been acting like this weird, growly married couple for weeks, and we demand answers.”
“Speak for yourself,” Sero muttered. “I like the mystery.”
“NO! I need closure!” she shouted.
Katsuki scowled. “Tch. You idiots are being so dramatic.”
“I watched you tie his shoelaces, Bakugo,” Jirou said flatly. “Twice.”
“And you brought him lunch!” Uraraka added.
“You threw a villain through a wall for him,” Todoroki said. “That one was impressive.”
Everyone stared at the pair.
“Just tell us,” Kirishima pleaded. “Are you guys dating, fighting, married, soul-bonded—what is this?!”
Izuku opened his mouth.
Paused.
Then started laughing.
Katsuki grumbled, “Don’t you dare—”
“Oh my god,” Izuku said, beaming, “you really thought we hated each other?”
“Well…” Uraraka said slowly, “I mean…”
“You call him a nerd every day!” Kaminari pointed out.
“You call me a walking light bulb!” Kaminari cried.
“That’s because you are one!” Katsuki barked.
“See?!”
“But it’s not the same,” Izuku said. “Kacchan’s been calling me a nerd since I was five.”
“And he’s been exploding people since birth,” Jirou added. “It’s not comforting!”
“Okay, okay,” Izuku said, laughing harder now. “We’ve been best friends since we were little. We don’t hate each other. This is just… how we talk.”
“You’ve been best friends… this whole time?” Yaoyorozu asked, incredulous.
Katsuki shrugged. “He’s annoying. But he’s my annoying.”
Everyone went quiet.
Izuku blinked.
“Did you just admit you like me?”
“SHUT UP, DEKU.”
Uproar.
Screaming. Shouting. Kirishima falling off the couch. Kaminari shrieking “I KNEW IT.” Todoroki nodding solemnly like he’d just confirmed a scientific hypothesis. Mina actually tearing up.
“This is better than any romcom I’ve ever seen,” she whispered.
“You guys are… weirdly sweet,” Uraraka said, wiping her eyes.
“No, we’re not,” Katsuki snapped.
Izuku grinned. “You totally are.”
Later that night, as the chaos died down and classmates returned to their rooms still whispering in awe, Izuku and Katsuki sat on the roof under the stars.
“I told you they’d freak out,” Izuku murmured.
“They’re idiots,” Katsuki replied.
A pause.
“…Thanks for saving me again, Kacchan.”
“Always will, nerd.”