Unspoken // Bakudeku

chapter eight

As I take out my water bottle and lunch, my thoughts can't help but drift to the scene Kacchan and I caused in class. Just as I'm about to turn around, I feel a light tap on my shoulder. "Hey—" I start, but before I can finish, a smaller girl with messy blond hair tied up in two buns and bright yellow eyes grins up at me, revealing sharp teeth. "OMG HIII!" she exclaims, her energy practically bouncing off her. "Sorry if I startled you! I'm Toga, by the way. I just wanted to say that discussion back in class? Best one we've had in the three years I've been here. And you seem like a pretty cool person!" Her enthusiasm catches me completely off guard, and I can't help but smile at her unfiltered excitement. "And I think you're the friendliest person I've met in my two years here," I reply with a laugh."AWW, THAT'S SO NICE!!" she squeals, almost bouncing on her feet. "How come I haven't met you until now?""Well, it's my first year in literature. I did sports as an extracurricular before," I explain, remembering how I spent last year.Toga looks me up and down with a mischievous glint in her eye before responding, "Makes sense." I shift a little, feeling awkward under her scrutiny. Did I just mess up our first good conversation?"Oh! Oh my god, not like that!" she stammers, her eyes widening as she waves her hands in front of her. "I'm for the gals," she says, striking a playful pose.I laugh, the tension easing. "By the way, I'm Midoriya. What's your name?""You can call me Toga!" she replies, her grin returning full force.We hit it off immediately. As we keep talking, I'm surprised by how much we have in common, especially our shared love for the lecture and the more psychological aspects of the literature. She's got a quirky way of seeing things, but it makes the conversation all the more interesting.Suddenly, the bell rings, signaling the end of our break. Our classmates start filing back into the room, and as they do, I get that eerie feeling of being watched. I try to shake it off, but I notice Toga's focus shifting. She seems distracted. I follow her gaze, and that's when I see him—Kacchan, glaring at us, more specifically at Toga. His eyes are narrowed, and his entire posture screams annoyance.I sigh, feeling the tension rise between us again. I don't want another scene. Thankfully, Miss Midnight calls the class to order, her voice cutting through the silent standoff. For a moment, I'm relieved—glad that her timing prevented anything from escalating. I turn back to Toga, but even as I try to focus on the lesson, I can't help but feel that this whole thing with Kacchan is far from over.

As Miss Midnight continues the lecture, I try to focus, but the tension in the room is impossible to ignore. Kacchan's eyes are burning a hole in the back of my head, and I know the earlier argument is still weighing on him. I shift in my seat, trying to distract myself by talking to Toga, who's animatedly discussing the book with me. "Do you think Tessa was too forgiving?" Toga asks, her sharp eyes gleaming with curiosity.I nod, lost in thought. "Maybe. I mean, she gave Hardin chance after chance, and it was like he never really changed. She wanted him to meet her halfway, but he never did."From the corner of my eye, I see Kacchan stiffen in his seat. His expression darkens, and I can tell he's about to say something. Sure enough, his hand shoots up before Miss Midnight even has a chance to call on him."Deku's full of crap," he says, his voice dripping with irritation. "Hardin wasn't the problem—Tessa just didn't fucking know what she wanted. She expected him to change even when she told him to fuck off and they weren't gonna happen."I turn around, trying to keep my frustration in check, but it's hard. Kacchan isn't talking about the book anymore, and I know it."That's not the point, Kacchan. She wasn't asking him to change who he was. She just wanted honesty. Hardin kept pushing her away, making everything harder than it needed to be."Kirishima, sitting next to Kacchan, looks confused, glancing between the two of us. He's clearly sensing there's more to this than a book discussion, but he stays quiet.Miss Midnight, ever the observant one, jumps in, her eyes flicking between me and Kacchan. "It sounds like this discussion is hitting a little close to home for some of you," she says, smirking. "Do either of you feel like you can relate to the characters?"Kacchan lets out a harsh laugh, leaning back in his seat with that cocky smirk on his face. "Relate? Maybe. But here's the thing, Miss Midnight," he says, his voice lower now, like he's challenging me. "Hardin didn't owe Tessa anything. If she couldn't handle who he was, that's on her. And that's what people don't get—they want someone to fit into their world instead of accepting them for who they are."He's glaring directly at me now, and I can feel the heat rising in my chest. This isn't just about the book anymore. He's talking about us—about the act he's putting up."Well, maybe Tessa had a right to expect more," I fire back. "She wasn't asking for the world, Kacchan. She just wanted him to stop playing games. But I guess some people don't know how to stop messing with others, do they?"Kacchan's eyes narrow, and the smirk fades. He leans forward, his voice barely above a whisper but somehow cutting through the air like a blade. "C'mon, you know we could never be friends, Deku."The words hit like a punch to the gut. For a moment, everything else fades—Miss Midnight, the classroom, Toga sitting next to me. It's just me and Kacchan, and the weight of everything we've left unsaid for so long.I open my mouth to say something, but he cuts me off. "You wanna act like this is some storybook shit where we can just walk away from this? Fine. But don't pretend like Tessa didn't know what she was getting into with Hardin. Just like you knew what you were getting into with me."His words sting, and I can feel my temper flaring. "Maybe Tessa did know what she was getting into, but that doesn't make it right! She wanted more, Kacchan. More than just some back-and-forth bullshit. But I guess you think Hardin's right to just push her away whenever he feels like it?"Kirishima looks like he's about to step in, his expression torn between confusion and concern, but Miss Midnight seems oddly fascinated, letting us keep going."At least I'm not the one running to someone else when things get hard," He says, his voice rising and I know he means what happened with Shinsou.