Chapter 1: The Unexpected Encounter
The day was dragging on at U.A. High School. Katsuki Bakugo sat in the far corner of the cafeteria, his scowl as deep as ever. His classmates knew better than to disturb him, especially when he had that dangerous glint in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya stumbled through the lunch line, his tray precariously balanced with steaming bowls of rice and miso soup. He had been engrossed in notes he'd taken during class about the Hero Rankings and almost didn't notice when—
"Hey, nerd, watch it!" Bakugo barked as the smaller boy collided into him, sending the contents of Midoriya's tray tumbling. Rice splattered onto Bakugo's boots, and the entire cafeteria seemed to freeze in anticipation of an explosion.
Midoriya immediately dropped to his knees, gathering up the mess. "I-I'm so sorry, Kacchan! I wasn't looking where I was—"
"Of course you weren't," Bakugo snapped, though his usual venom was slightly diluted by something softer, almost imperceptible.
As Midoriya scrambled, Bakugo crouched and roughly grabbed his wrist. "You're pathetic, but stop groveling. You're embarrassing both of us." He paused, his eyes locking with Midoriya's for a moment longer than either expected.