Cat's Rule the world.... since when?!

I Am Not a Pet!

Okay, maybe I'm not dead, but I feel like I've been run over twice—first by a car and now by Kacchan's attitude.

Bakugo looked me up and down, his expression a mix of irritation and impatience. "You still look like crap, Deku. You need to get checked out."

I waved him off. "I don't need a check-up, Bakugo. I'm fine. All I need is a bath and some new clothes. Seriously."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, no. You just died saving a damn cat and woke up in this world. You're getting checked up."

"I said I'm fine!" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. I could feel my frustration bubbling up, threatening to spill over. "I'm not some... some pet that needs to be fussed over!"

Bakugo's ears flicked back, and his tail lashed behind him as he crossed his arms. "Hate to break it to you, Deku, but that's exactly what you are now. A pet. You're in the cat world. And as a human, you need to be looked after."

I felt a surge of anger rise in my chest. "I am not a pet!"

Bakugo's expression hardened, but he didn't back down. "You are in this world. You don't have a choice. You need to get checked out to make sure you're not going to keel over."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn't go through all that—training, pushing myself to the brink, getting into UA—just to end up a pet, Bakugo! I'm not going to let anyone treat me like some kind of animal!"

Bakugo blinked at me, his brow furrowing. "What the hell is UA?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "UA? You seriously don't know what UA is?"

Bakugo crossed his arms again, looking annoyed. "No, I don't. Why should I care?"

Of course. 

He has no idea.

"UA is the best hero school in the world," I explained, my voice still tight with frustration. "I trained for years to get in. I pushed myself harder than anyone else. I'm not just some helpless human. I'm strong. I fought my way into UA, and I'm a first-year student now."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You're telling me you went through all that, and now you're stuck here? You must feel like a real idiot."

I glared at him. "That's not the point! The point is, I worked too hard to be treated like a pet now. I'm not going to let anyone do that to me."

Bakugo let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples like I was giving him a headache. "Listen, Deku. I get it. You're pissed off. You don't like this. But you're not in your world anymore. Things are different here. You don't have a choice."

"I don't care," I shot back. "I'm not letting anyone treat me like some... some thing to be taken care of. I don't need a check-up. I'm fine."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? You think you're fine? You just died, you idiot! You're covered in blood, you're wearing rags, and you don't even know what's happening to you. How are you going to survive here if you won't even let someone check to make sure you're not going to drop dead?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but stopped. He had a point. I did look like a mess, and I didn't exactly know what was going on with me. But still... being treated like a pet? Being forced into some kind of "check-up" like I was some kind of stray?

No. 

No way.

"I'm not doing it," I said, my voice firm. "I'm not a pet. I don't care what this world says. I'm not letting you, or anyone else, treat me like that."

Bakugo's expression darkened, but I could see a flicker of something else in his eyes. Concern, maybe? It was hard to tell with him.

"Deku, you're making this harder than it has to be," he said, his voice low. "Just get checked up, get cleaned up, and then we can figure this out. You can't fight your way through this world on your own."

He's right. 

But I'm still not giving in that easily.

"I'm not fighting anyone," I muttered. "I just need clothes. And a bath."