When Heroes Collide - Bakugou X Reader Slow Burn

Chapter 95: The Night Before The Ball

The hum of chatter filled the classroom as the clock ticked agonizingly slow toward the end of the school day. My thoughts were all over the place, bouncing between excitement and this strange mix of nerves I couldn't quite shake off. Everyone seemed to be on edge, fidgeting like me, though we were all trying to pretend like we were paying attention. But really, how could anyone focus? The U.A. Ball was all anyone could talk about, and honestly, it felt like the entire day had been dragging on forever. I couldn't help but check the clock every few minutes, willing it to move faster.

Mina, as always, was the most obvious about her impatience. She was practically vibrating in her seat, eyes darting between the clock and her friends. "I swear, if time doesn't start moving faster, I'm gonna lose it!" she whined dramatically, slumping over her desk.

I smirked a little, relating to her restlessness. Same, I thought. I was just better at hiding it—at least, I hoped I was.

"You're already losing it," Kaminari chuckled, not even bothering to pretend to work. His pencil tapped rhythmically against his notebook, the pages blank.

"None of us have been able to focus," Jirou added with a sigh, leaning back in her chair, her earbuds dangling from her ears like always. "This lesson is pointless. No one's paying attention."

She's right, I thought. Even Iida, who was always the most disciplined, kept glancing at the clock, the strain of trying to stay focused obvious on his face. It made me feel a little better knowing that even the most put-together people were struggling today. I wasn't alone in this anticipation, this weird mixture of excitement and dread.

At the front of the room, the teacher droned on about some hero theory that would normally interest me. Today, though, it was background noise. My mind wandered, swirling with thoughts of tomorrow night. Would I fit in? What if I messed something up? I had this knot of nervous energy tightening in my stomach that just wouldn't go away. What if I said the wrong thing, or worse, did something awkward? What if I made a total embarrassment of myself.

I thought back to my promise to Mina, that tomorrow, I'd tell Katsuki how I felt and that just made me feel even more anxious, how would he react? Would it go well? Would he like me back? Or would it go horribly wrong and I'd just make a fool of myself?

Midoriya wasn't any better off, pretending to take notes but clearly distracted. I could see him glancing around, trying to hide his nervousness. It made me feel better to know I wasn't the only one feeling this way. He leaned over toward Uraraka when she whispered something to him, and I caught snatches of their conversation.

"Are you excited?" she asked. "I've never been to anything like this before."

Midoriya scratched the back of his head, a nervous smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, me neither. It's going to be... interesting, for sure."

I swallowed hard. Interesting. Yeah, that's one way to put it, I thought, trying to focus on something other than the anxious churning in my gut. I'd spent so much time thinking about what I'd wear, how I'd present myself, and whether I'd stand out—in a good way or bad. I had an outfit ready, but the thought of walking into the ballroom, with everyone's eyes on me...

What if I looked ridiculous?

Across the room, Bakugou was glaring out the window, arms crossed. He looked more irritated than usual, though no one dared say anything. It was funny how even he had his own ways of hiding excitement.

"Can't believe we still have another period left," Kirishima groaned, slamming his textbook shut with a sense of finality.

I almost laughed at that. "Who even scheduled to have the ball during term time?" It was torture to keep us here when all we could think about was the ball.