Beneath the Bleachers

6. SUNNY BEACH, CRYSTAL WATER

chapter six,
sunny beach, crytsal water.

The results of the physics test were posted on the second-year notice board on Monday morning. You placed your car keys in your bag, walking with your dad through the corridor, stopping within the crowd of students gathered in the hallway.

Mina squealed at you. "[name]! Look!" She pointed to the board, clapping profusely. "You scored the top score!"

"I did?!"

"Yes! You beat Bakugou and Todoroki! Those two always score the top two!"

Your dad turned to you, his mouth forming the usual straight line, but you knew he had suppressed his pride for you. He said, "you'll finally put them in their place. Well done."

"WHAT THE HELL?"

"Good luck with that," your dad added before walking through the crowd of gathering students, disappearing.

"Aizawa!" Katsuki screamed. "Where are you?"

Izuku squirmed from beside the rest of the basketball team, turning around in case their coach thought Katsuki was referring to him. He was not going to be involved in his childhood friend's antics.

You stood beside Mina, sweetly smiling at the enraged Katsuki. "What happened to calling me cheerleader, Star Player? Pissed?"

He stood directly in front of you, eyeing you directly, arms folded over his chest. "Just because you got number one this time, doesn't mean you will next time."

You shrugged, meeting the fire in his vermillion eyes. "Like I said, I'm pretty good at physics."

Katsuki's brow twitched ever so slightly. "Don't start something you know you can't win."

You patted his shoulders, as some sort of light-hearted condolence, and then you walked away. "I like winning. I'm a winner."

Katsuki stared at you as you walked towards physics with Mina, shaking his head. Only by one point, he thought.

Hitoshi scratched his neck, watching Katsuki watch you walk away. "His ego is hurt."

Shoto agreed. So did everyone else. "Most definitely."

"What are you idiots saying?" Katsuki asked, spinning around. "Get your asses into your classes."

Neito chuckled. "Bars."

"Shut up!"

Katsuki walked through the doors of Mr Kan's classroom, rolling eyes when he noticed you sitting in your seat, holding back your obvious smirk at his reaction to not being first.

Mr Kan looked at him as he made his way over next to you, tutting. "Someone finally took you down, Mr Bakugou. I heard the conversations after I posted the results this morning."

"She got lucky."

"He's angry, Mr Kan," Tenya said from his seat behind Izuku. "It is best to not poke the bear."

"Who are you calling a bear, Four-eyes?"

"The bear is angry," you teased, opening your physics book.

Katsuki turned to you, eyes narrowing as he spoke in a harsh yet simultaneously soft voice, "listen, I'll bring you down next time, you'll be crying."

"You really don't like losing," you stated.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't push it."

"I'm just getting to know you." You repeated the words he said when you first met each other, laughing lightly. "And I like competition, you seem to be a worthy opponent."