The afternoon sun beat down on the inside of the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. The plaza was packed with weekend shoppers, but Katsuki Bakugo stood near the fountain with his arms crossed tightly over his black skull t-shirt, scowling so intensely that people naturally avoided walking too close to him.
"Those damn extras are late." Bakugo growled, checking his phone for the fourth time.
Kirishima had spent days begging him to come along on a manly weekend shopping trip to look at new training equipment, and Ashido had joined under the excuse of buying new athletic gear. Bakugo only agreed because Kirishima wouldn't shut up about it.
"Bakugo~! Over here!" Mina's voice cut through the noise of the plaza. Bakugo looked up, already prepared to curse out and complain about why they're lateâ
But he froze on the spot, the words died before they even left his mouth. While his red eyes widened as his brain completely stopped working for a few seconds.
What the hell is she doing here?!
Walking a few steps behind Mina and Kirishima was you⌠You weren't even paying attention to where you were going. Your head was slightly tilted, focused on the sweet smell drifting from the bakery section inside the mall.
He looked at Kirishima and Mina. The two of them were standing side-by-side with the biggest, most suspicious grins he had ever seen. Mina was practically vibrating with excitement while nudging Kirishima with her elbow, and Kirishima just gave him an overly enthusiastic thumbs-up. And then something clickedâ
The conversation in the common roomâŚ
Kirishima suddenly wanted to go to the mallâŚ
The two of them are acting way too innocentâŚ
Heat rushed straight to Bakugo's ears as he glared at Kirishima, his fists clenched inside his pockets. I am going to kill you, Shitty Hair.
"Hey, Bakugo!" Kirishima called out, completely ignoring the murderous stare. "Sorry we're late! Look who also joined in our hangout!" He gestured toward you. "(Y/N) said she needed to buy some pastries, so we thought she should just join us!"
Hearing your name, you turned toward him. "Good afternoon, Katsuki." Your calm voice cut through his anger. You walked toward the group, completely unaware of the internal disaster happening inside of his head. "Mina texted me that the four of us were going together."
Bakugo blinked. The four of us?
His eyes slowly moved toward Minaâ the pink-skinned girl only winked. They had told you it was a group outing so you wouldn't hesitate to come. Meanwhile, Bakugo had been completely clueless.
"Tsk. Whatever." He turned away quickly, hiding the small flush on his face. "Stop standing around. If we're going, let's go."
"Aww, look at him. He's so eager!" Mina teased, then she grabbed your arm and started walking with you. "Come on! Let's check out the pastry shop. I heard they have those imported tarts you like!"
"That sounds wonderful." Your smile grew slightly which Bakugo noticed. And somehow⌠that annoyed him more than it should have.
The automatic doors of the bakery opened, releasing the warm smell of butter, caramel, and freshly baked dough. "Wow! It smells amazing here!" Mina gasped, immediately looking at the display cases.
Kirishima nodded happily, but his arm was blocking Bakugo from leaving. "See? Told you it was a good idea to come inside."
"Tch. It's just overpriced sugar." Bakugo shoved his hands into his pockets. His eyes, however, went toward you. You were completely focused on the pastries and seeing you so serious about choosing one somehow made him stare longer than he intended.
He flinched and slowly turned his head toward you, you were already looking directly at him. "Come here for a second." His heart kicked painfully, as he walked over with a forced scowl. "What? I'm not a food critic." You laughed at his aggressive response.
"Can you help me decide?" You pointed toward several pastries. "I'm having a minor crisisââ Behind you, Mina immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming, while Kirishima silently celebrated with both fists slightly raised. Bakugo ignored them as he looked at the pastries, then at you. "If you want something actually worth eating, you're looking at the wrong ones."
Then he pointed to the other side. "That matcha-miso croissant." His voice became more serious. "It balances the sweetness unlike the other ones which are too heavy. You'll like this one." You blinked, then your smile widened. "Alright, I'll trust you since you're my friend." Bakugo froze for half a second, then he looked away while you went in front of the counter.
"I'll take one matcha-miso croissantâ" you told the cashier. "And one anpan cornet, please." The cashier smiled. "Coming right up."
Meanwhile Bakugo walked quietly and stood beside the two. You had just listened to his recommendation, and you just called him your friend. Behind him, Mina and Kirishima looked like they were witnessing the greatest event of their lives, completely oblivious of the conversation.
Mina was practically vibrating with excitement as she watched you pay and gently take the bag containing the pastries. The second you stepped away from the counter, she grabbed your arm. "Okay, my turn!" Her antennae twitched as she pointed dramatically toward the escalator. "We are going to the athletic apparel section! I need new compression shorts, and they just released a new neon-pink line!"
"Compression shorts?" Bakugo repeated, his eyebrow twitching. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "Why the hell do we need to follow you around for that? Go buy your neon garbage yourself."
"Stop being a party-pooper, Bakugo!" Mina pouted, pulling you toward the escalator. "(Y/N) needs to come with me, after all I need her expert advice! Right, Kirishima?"
"Absolutely! A hero's gear has gotta look sharp and manlyâor, uh, flashy!" Kirishima cheered, deliberately stepping into Bakugoâs personal space to shove him along. He leaned in his ear, whispering in a low, teasing voice. "Plus, bro, you're doing great. Don't ruin the moment now."
"Die, Shitty HairâŚ" Bakugo gritted his teeth, though he didn't pull away.
The group arrived at a large sports outlet on the second floor. The store was filled with advanced training equipment, hero support gear, and athletic clothing. The moment they entered, Mina rushed toward a wall covered in colorful compression wear. "Look at these!" She held up two pairs: one was bright neon pink, the other was black with purple accents. "Which one screams Alien Queen more?"
You looked carefully at both and analyzedâ not at the colors though, but at the structure. "The black and purple ones."
You touched both the clothing. "The stitching around the hips is reinforced. It would handle your acid secretion better during movement without damaging the material."
There was a short silence and Mina stared at you for a moment before laughing. "Wow⌠I asked for a fashion opinion and got a full tactical analysis. It's been awhile since I saw that side of you, girl." She turned toward Bakugo. "What about you, Blasty?"
Bakugo crossed his arms. "Like I care." His eyes moved between the two options. "The pink one is too loud. It's annoyingâŚ" Despite the harsh comment, Mina just knowingly grinned.
"That's not what I said."
She grabbed the shorts. "Give me five minutes!" She disappeared into the fitting room. Silence settled in for a minute. Then suddenlyâŚ
"Oh!" Kirishima snapped his fingers. "I just remembered! They have those heavy-duty grip trainers near the weight section!"
Bakugo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Shitty Hair, don't you dareâ"
"Stay here for a moment, bro! I'll be right back!â Kirishima flashed him a giant grin and before Bakugo could react, Kirishima was already gone.
Then, the silence returned. Bakugo stood beside a pillar, arms crossed, trying his hardest to look normal. Which was a bit difficult⌠However, you seemed completely comfortable as you held the pastry bag in your hands while quietly looking around the store. After a moment, you glanced at him. "You're remarkably quiet, Katsuki." Bakugo glanced at you too when you mentioned his name. "Usually when Kirishima runs off like that, you yell loud enough for everyone in the mall to hear."
He looked away. âTsk⌠He's an idiot. They both areâŚ" Then his eyes moved back to you again. "You⌠you seriously didn't notice what those two were doing earlier?"
You smiledâ a small, amused smile. "Of course I noticed."
Bakugo froze. "You knew�"
You nodded. "They weren't exactly good at it."
Before his expression could even shift, you didn't give him enough time to process. âI just didn't mind.â He looked at you with a face that said he didn't understand what you just said. But still, you smiled. âI wanted to spend time with you too, y'know.â The words hit harder than any explosion.
"And besides⌠You're the only one who actually knows what I like." This time you face him with a smile on your face. Bakugo went completely silent. For once, he didn't know how to respond to that.
His eyes moved toward the bagâ the pastry he recommended, the one you trusted him to choose then back to you. That strange but annoying warmth in his chest returned. Though it was confusing, he didn't want to get rid of it.
He clicked his tongue, then quickly looked away. He reached out and took the bag from your hands, with a rather gentle precision. "Damn right, I do." His usual aggressive tone was back again, completely hiding how flustered he felt. You laughed softly at his response. And for some reason, that giggle made his chest feel even tighter.
A few minutes later, the fitting room curtain opened.
"Done!" Mina proudly walked out holding the black and purple compression shorts. "The tactical choice won!" She looked toward you. "Your analysis was right, (Y/N)!"
Before Bakugo could say anything back, Kirishima returned carrying a surprisingly large shopping bag. "Guys! They had a huge sale! Grip trainers and weighted wristbands!" He held them up, proudly showing it off.
Bakugo stared. "You actually bought them."
"Of course! I couldn't resist the temptation." Kirishima grinned.
After Mina paid, the four of them left the apparel store and wandered around the mall for a while. The afternoon sun was still burning. After that, they walked through the open corridor near the mall entrance. But then you suddenly stopped in your tracks, Bakugo noticed immediately. Mina and Kirishima followed.
You checked your phone then looked at the three. "You three can go ahead. I need to shop for one more thing." The moment the words left your mouthâŚ
Mina and Kirishima exchanged a look, and a silent conversation passed between them. Perfect opportunity! Bakugo noticed and immediately became suspicious. "No."
Neither of them listened, apparently. "Oh wow!" Mina suddenly said dramatically. "My legs are so tired from shopping!" Bakugo stared. "We were walking for about fifty minutes."
"Exactly! So exhausting!" She grabbed Kirishima's arm. "And I promised Hagakure I'd help her study before dinner!" Kirishima nodded quickly. "Yeah! Important hero business!"
Bakugo narrowed his eyes. "You two are terrible liars."
"Anywayâ We're leaving!" Mina smiled brightly. Kirishima grabbed his bags, then shoved Bakugo gently toward you. "Bakugo, you're staying."
"A real man doesn't let someone carry everything alone." Bakugo's face turned red and aggressively gritted his teeth. "Who the hell made you the boss of me?!"
Mina and Kirishima ranâ their laughter echoed through the mall. "GET BACK HERE, YOU DAMN IDIOTS!" Bakugo shouted after them which made the people nearby move away. He stood there, completely frustrated.
Then slowly, he looked at you while you were just there, completely amused. "They really are terrible at pretending.â Bakugo blinked when he saw you held out the pastry bag. "Well, Katsuki?" You tilted your head. "Are you going to hold my bag, or are you going to complain the entire time?"
He stared then clicked his tongue. "Shut up."
He took the bag carefully. "Where are we going?"
You smiled. "The animal accessories section."
You shook your head lightly, a soft smile appearing on your lips. "Come on, Katsuki." You lightly tugged his arm, guiding him away from the main corridor and deeper into the mall's specialized boutique wing. Bakugo clicked his tongue but followed anyway. He still held the pastry bag tightly in one hand, carefully not to crush the delicate boxes inside.
He expected a normal pet store, something with dog toys, cat food, and random animal supplies. But the place you brought him into was much bigger than he expected. The high-end store was filled with accessories and supplies for all kinds of animals. The moment you entered, you immediately walked toward the front counter.
"Excuse meâŚ" You asked politely. "Could you please direct me to the accessories section specifically for birds? Raptors and owls, if possible."
The staff member blinked before smiling. "Of course. The avian and raptor care aisle is straight ahead and to the left."
"Thank you." You nodded and headed toward the section. Bakugo followed beside you, his red eyes scanning the shelves. He watched as you carefully looked through the different items, checking labels and materials.
Eventually, you reached a display filled with specialized perches, leather straps, small bells, and wooden toys. You began examining the accessories one by one. Bakugo leaned against the shelf while crossing his arms.
"Hey..." You glanced at him. "Why the hell are you shopping here?" He looked around. "You got some kind of pet or shit?"
"I don't." You picked up a small leather strap and inspected it. Meanwhile Bakugo just looked at you with furious but confusion. "My cousins do." You turned the item around in your hand. "Apparently, the egg they were taking care of finally hatched. I'm buying supplies for the fledgling."
"I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not sure what kind of bird it is." You placed the strap down and looked over the toys. "But they did tell me that young birds need proper stimulation. Otherwise, they can become stressed. They also added that they need safe toys and comfortable equipment."
Bakugo stared at you, not because of what you were saying. Because of how serious you lookedâ the same way you analyzed a battle strategy. Except now, you were talking about a tiny bird and somehow, that made his chest feel strangely warm again.
"Tch." He quickly looked away, then his eyes landed on a small wooden bell toy hanging nearby.
"If you're buying a toy, get this one." You looked at him. Bakugo reached out and tapped the toy. "The wood is polished properly. The bird won't hurt itself." He pointed at the bell. "And the metal isn't cheap garbage. It won't break easily."
You blinked, then smiledâ a bright, genuine smile. "You're right." You picked it up and placed it in the basket. "That's a much safer design." You looked back at him. "Thanks, Bakugo. I'll make sure to take a nice picture of the baby bird just for you." Bakugo immediately looked away. "I don't care about some stupid bird." But he didn't leave yet.
By the time you finished shopping, the two of you decided to head toward the mall's open-air cafĂŠ patio. Bakugo had expected from the start that the entire trip would be annoying. He expected shouting, complaining, a headache. But instead...
He was sitting across from you, watching you happily drink your iced coffee latte while he ate his spicy chicken wrap. And the strange thing wasâŚ
The mall was still loud, people were still everywhere. But somehow, sitting there across with you made everything feel quieter. Your presence had always been like thatâ you didn't try to overpower his personality, you didn't tell him to calm down, you didn't treat him like some kind of impossible problem to fix.
You just existed beside him.
And somehow, that was enoughâŚ
Bakugo looked down at his food. "Tch." He hated admitting it but Kirishima was right. This wasn't annoying, this wasn't a waste of time.
It was easy. Your calm and steady presence somehow made the noise around him disappear. Except for one dangerous problemâ the first time it happened was when both of you finished eating and started to walk around the mall again. While the two of you wandered through the mall, chatting and looking around, something in a nearby display suddenly caught both of your attention.
"Katsuki, look!" Your excited voice caught his attention, but before he could answer, your small fingers slipped into his rough palm. You grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the glass display.
Bakugo's entire brain stopped working. His eyes immediately dropped to your joined hands, then his face turned completely red. The feeling of your hand against his palm made his thoughts completely disappear, and for the next few minutes, he stayed frozen while desperately hoping you wouldn't notice how fast his heart was beating.
But you were too focused to realize what you were doing. You kept holding onto him, completely unaware of the effect you were having on him.
After that, thankfully the tension between the two of you died down when you entered the mall's massive arcade area. Instead of the simple claw machines, you two went toward a realistic tactical shooting simulator.
"Move over, extra! I'm taking points." Bakugo grabbed the plastic rifle, his competitive side finally showing. "Your blind spot is at a 45-degree angle on the left side, Bakugo." You calmly explained while watching the screen. "I'll handle the front. Just keep up!"
"Like hell I will!" The two of you completely dominated the game. Your quick analysis and planning combined with Bakugo's fast reactions and aggressive fighting style turned the simulator into a complete battlefield.
By the time the screen flashed: 'NEW HIGH SCORE: 1ST PLACE'
A small crowd had gathered behind you, cheering. Bakugo let out a victorious laugh, putting the fake rifle down with a proud smirk. "Hah! Not even close! We destroyed that!" You looked up at him with a bright smile. "We make a great team."
As the sky slowly changed into a beautiful mix of orange and purple. Bakugo carried your bags without complaint, his steps matched yours naturally. The comfortable silence between the two of you felt strangely natural. As the two of you finally walked toward the train station to return to the UA Heights Alliance, Bakugo caught your reflection in a passing store window. If he actually stopped and thought about everything that happened todayâŚ
Walking around the mall while holding handsâŚ
Anyone who saw the two of you would probably think the same thing.
âAh, is that Dynamight? Wow, he brought his girlfriendââ
His ears turned a darker shade of pink as he tightened his grip on the bags. You two weren't dating. You were just classmates. Just rivals⌠Just friends.
But when you stepped a little closer to him to avoid the crowd, your shoulder lightly brushed against his arm. Bakugo realized somethingâŚ
For once, he didn't care what anyone else thought. He just wanted to keep walking beside you.
Later that evening, the doors of the Heights Alliance opened, and the warm noise of the third-year common room immediately filled the lit hallway.
"We're back." You announced calmly, though the happiness in your voice was obvious. "Welcome back, (Y/N)! Kacchan!" Midoriya called from the table while holding a textbook. "Hey, what's in the bags?"
"Did you bring food?!" Kaminari shouted from behind the sofa. "Yes." You smiled as you took the bags back from Bakugo. You walked toward the table and started unpacking the bakery boxes. "I brought baked croissants and cream cornets. Please, help yourselves everyone."
The common room immediately became chaotic, Class 3-A quickly surrounded the table. "Oh my god, these are from that expensive bakery at Kiyashi Mall!" Uraraka said happily after taking a bite.
"This is way better than instant ramen." Sero said while eating his croissant.
While everyone was distracted, Bakugo stood near the door. He removed his shoes with unnecessary force and shoved them to the side. His expression was annoyed and his jaw was tight. And his ears were still slightly red from the entire day.
Then two shadows appeared beside himâŚ
Both of them were wearing proud smiles.
Mina leaned against the wall. "Well, well, wellâŚ" She whispered. "Look who finally came back. It's already past six, Bakugo. What took you guys so long?"
"Yeah, bro." Kirishima added, nudging his shoulder. "We left you two around two, that's more than four hours. Did you two get lost?"
"Shut up, Shitty Hair! We weren't lost!" Bakugo snapped.
"Oho~? So you actually stayed with her the entire time?" Mina teased. "How sweet. Did you have fun?"
"I am a normal human being, Pinky! I'll blast you!"
But his eyes moved across the room, you were still laughing with the others. You looked happy, relaxed, and completely comfortable.
Bakugo's chest tightened, he looked away quickly and grabbed his bag. "It was annoying as hellâŚ" he muttered, his voice becoming quieter and calmer. "She kept dragging me around by the hand like an idiot. My palm is still tingling."
Kirishima and Mina froze, their eyes widened. She held his hand?
Before they could react, Bakugo stopped at the stairs and looked back. His usual angry expression was still there but his eyes were serious. "But⌠yeah." His ear turned bright red. "It wasn't the worst way to spend a Saturday." He looked away. "Now stop bothering me before I blast the two of you." He walked toward the elevator.
Leaving Mina and Kirishima frozen for five seconds. Then after a moment, Mina grabbed Kirishima's arms and started silently jumping in excitement, Kirishima joined in with her. While the others looked at the two with confusion.
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