Izuku felt the subtle weight of eyes on him, even as he skated through the streets toward the park that evening. He had gotten used to moving through the city unnoticed, his movements fluid and relaxed, the rumble of his skateboard beneath him a familiar rhythm. But tonight, something felt off.
As he rounded a corner, he caught a glimpse of movement in his peripheral vision—a flash of familiar uniforms. U.A. students. A flicker of irritation crossed his face. He was being followed.
He gritted his teeth, keeping his pace steady. He didn't need this right now, not when he was finally getting some space from the suffocating atmosphere of U.A. Whoever was tailing him clearly hadn't gotten the message—Izuku Midoriya didn't care about them, their quirks, or their opinions.
As he neared the skate park, he subtly glanced behind him. Three figures stuck out against the twilight backdrop—Bakugo, Kirishima, and Mina. They weren't exactly trying to hide, but they kept their distance, following just close enough to keep him in sight.
"Tch," Izuku muttered under his breath, annoyed. Bakugo, he could understand. The guy had always been competitive, always looking for a reason to prove he was better. But Kirishima and Mina? They were usually chill. Why would they be following him?
He considered losing them—turning down an alley or cutting through traffic. But then he decided against it. If they wanted to follow, let them. He didn't owe them any explanations. He'd go about his business as usual, and if they wanted to pry into his life, they'd find out soon enough that he wasn't the same Izuku they thought they knew.
Izuku rolled into the skate park, the sound of wheels grinding against concrete filling the air. A few skaters he recognized were already there, pulling tricks on the ramps and rails. Kaito spotted him first, waving him over with a grin.
"Yo, Midoriya! Ready to tear it up?"
Izuku smirked slightly, nodding as he kicked his board up into his hand. "Yeah."
Kaito's gaze flickered behind Izuku, noticing the U.A. students lingering near the edge of the park. "Friends of yours?" he asked, his tone light but curious.
Izuku didn't bother looking back. "Nope."
Kaito raised an eyebrow but didn't push the subject. That was one of the things Izuku liked about him—Kaito didn't ask too many questions. He just rolled with it.
As Izuku dropped his board back down and began skating, he could feel Bakugo's heated glare from across the park. The guy was too predictable. Izuku ignored it, focusing on his movements, feeling the wind rush past his face as he picked up speed. He hit the ramps with precision, his body moving in sync with the board as he landed trick after trick.
Kirishima and Mina hung back, watching in silence, clearly unsure of what to make of the scene. Bakugo, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to explode.
After a while, Izuku skated over to the side, taking a break as he sat down on a bench. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling a stream of smoke as he stared out at the park, his expression unreadable.
Kaito joined him, plopping down on the bench with a grin. "You've been killing it lately, man. Didn't know U.A. kids could skate like that."
Izuku gave a nonchalant shrug. "They don't."
Before Kaito could respond, Bakugo stormed over, his fists clenched, eyes blazing with fury. "Deku," he snarled, glaring down at Izuku. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Izuku took a slow drag from his cigarette, not even bothering to look up. "What does it look like?"
Bakugo growled in frustration, his temper flaring. "You think you can just skip out on everything? You're hiding out here like a coward while the rest of us are training to be heroes!"
Izuku finally looked up, his eyes cold and indifferent. "I don't care about being a hero."
The words hung in the air, shocking Kirishima and Mina, who had approached cautiously behind Bakugo. Even Bakugo looked momentarily taken aback.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bakugo demanded, his voice rising. "You've always been obsessed with being a hero!"
Izuku stood up slowly, his movements calm and deliberate as he flicked the cigarette away. He stepped closer to Bakugo, his eyes hard.
"That was a long time ago," Izuku said, his voice low and steady. "I don't care about any of that anymore."
Bakugo gritted his teeth, his fists sparking with tiny explosions. "You can't just throw it all away, Deku! You're acting like a damn quitter!"
Izuku's gaze didn't waver. "I'm not throwing anything away. I just don't care."
The tension between them was palpable, and for a moment, it seemed like Bakugo was ready to start a fight right there in the park. But before anything could escalate, Kirishima stepped forward, placing a hand on Bakugo's shoulder.
"Hey, man, maybe we should chill," Kirishima said, trying to diffuse the situation. "We didn't come here to start something."
Bakugo huffed, stepping back reluctantly, but the fire in his eyes didn't fade. "Fine," he spat. "But don't think this is over, Deku."
Izuku didn't respond as Bakugo stormed off, with Kirishima and Mina trailing after him, both of them throwing concerned glances back at Izuku.
Kaito, who had been watching the whole exchange, let out a low whistle. "Damn, dude. You really don't care, huh?"
Izuku shrugged, picking up his board. "Nope."
Kaito chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, whatever. Let's keep skating."
And just like that, the tension was gone. Izuku went back to skating, his movements fluid and relaxed, the weight of the confrontation already slipping from his mind. He didn't care what Bakugo or anyone else thought. He had his own path now, and nothing was going to pull him back into their world.
As the night wore on, Izuku skated under the stars, the city lights reflecting off the concrete. For once, he felt free—unbound by expectations, unbothered by the opinions of others. And that was all that mattered.
