Sero's sister

Chapter 3 : Cracks in the Armor

The sparring session was over, but Y/N's mind was still spinning.

The way Bakugou had looked at her—like he was challenging her, like he saw her—left her feeling off-balance. He wasn't just trying to break her defenses physically; it was like he was testing her in a way no one else had before.

But Y/N wasn't the type to dwell. After all, she had been through worse. Much worse.

As she headed back to the locker room to change, her body still buzzing from the intensity of their fight, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Kaito. She clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms as memories surfaced—the way Kaito had tried to control her, the way he made her feel like she wasn't enough unless she followed his lead. She hated how easily those memories resurfaced, especially when she felt challenged or vulnerable.

This was why she couldn't let herself get close to people like Bakugou. He had the same fire Kaito did—the same intensity, the same drive for control. And she wasn't about to let anyone have that kind of power over her again. Not after what happened last time.

"Yo, Y/N!" Hanta's voice broke through her thoughts as she stepped out of the locker room, her hair still damp from the shower. "You alright? You looked pretty intense out there."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, forcing a smile.

Her brother raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Bakugou didn't push you too hard, did he? He can be a bit... you know."

"A jerk? Yeah, I noticed," Y/N said with a half-hearted chuckle, trying to shake off the weight of her thoughts. "But I can handle him."

"Of course, you can," Hanta said, patting her shoulder. "Just don't let him get under your skin. He's like that with everyone."

Y/N nodded, but deep down, she wasn't so sure. It wasn't just that Bakugou pushed her physically—it was the way he looked at her, like he could sense there was more to her than what she let on. That unnerved her more than she'd like to admit.

Later that evening, as Y/N sat alone in her room, the day's events kept replaying in her head. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being tested. Not just by Bakugou, but by her own past. The same old fear started creeping in—that she wasn't enough, that she'd never be able to shake the doubts Kaito had planted in her mind.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw it was a message from one of her classmates, offering to hang out after a long day of training.

Normally, she'd be down for it, but not tonight.

Y/N leaned back in her chair, her eyes tracing the ceiling. She needed to clear her head. She needed to get away from everything for a while. Without thinking too much about it, she grabbed her jacket and slipped out of her dorm room, heading for the training grounds. They'd be empty by now, and that was exactly what she needed.

The cool night air hit her skin as she made her way toward the grounds, the moon casting long shadows across the campus. As soon as she reached the edge of the training field, Y/N felt the tension in her shoulders start to ease. She activated her quirk, feeling the familiar hum of energy ripple through her fingertips. With a quick burst, she sent a controlled shockwave through the air, watching as the grass rippled beneath the force.