I May Be Sorry

Fresh Starts and Old Scars

Izuku Midoriya shifted his books under one arm, glancing at the campus clock tower looming overhead. Fall semester had just kicked off, and the quad was alive with students moving between classes. It felt different from high school—there was an anonymity, a space to finally breathe. But that didn't mean everything was left behind.

He felt someone nudge his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. Todoroki Shouto walked beside him, hands in his pockets, his gaze sharp but calm.

"You spaced out again." Todoroki remarked with a slight smile.

Izuku shrugged, offering him an apologetic grin. "Guess I'm still getting used to being here. It's... nice."

They walked together toward the main building, passing clusters of students lounging on the grass or tucked into study groups. As they approached their lecture hall, the peace Izuku felt started to slip away. A few figures leaned against the wall, exchanging glances as they noticed Izuku and Todoroki. A snicker or two slipped out as Izuku tightened his grip on his books.

"Midoriya," called a voice Izuku recognized, heavy with condescension. It was Tatsuya Nakashima, a face Izuku had hoped to avoid. Tatsuya was in one of his classes, but that wasn't the problem; it was the words he'd toss at Izuku whenever they crossed paths.

Todoroki's eyes narrowed, and he placed himself subtly between Izuku and Tatsuya's group. The others—just shadows with smirks—echoed Tatsuya's sneer.

"Still hanging around, huh?" Tatsuya muttered, not hiding the derision in his tone. "Not gonna quit, even with your... reputation?" He smirked knowingly, almost triumphantly. The lingering impact of Izuku's middle school days, of the way he'd been outed against his will, still cast a shadow. Even years later, Bakugou's careless words had a hold on him.

Izuku straightened his shoulders, forcing himself to keep walking, Todoroki a quiet but solid presence at his side. As they entered the classroom, the tension finally lifted, and Izuku took a deep breath.

"Ignore him," Todoroki murmured. "They only care about making noise."

Izuku smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Thanks, Todoroki."

_______________________________

Across campus, Katsuki Bakugou dropped his duffel bag onto a common room couch and rubbed a hand over his face. His roommate, Eijiro Kirishima, looked up from his spot with a welcoming grin.

"Rough practice?" Kirishima asked.

"Shitty," Bakugou muttered. "Coach's got us doing double laps."

Kirishima chuckled, tossing him a water bottle. "Hey, makes you a better fighter, right?" But he paused, noticing Bakugou's distracted expression. "You okay?"

Bakugou sank into the couch, running a hand through his hair. "Ran into... Deku today."

Kirishima frowned, nodding slowly. He knew all about Bakugou's history with Izuku—the unresolved tension, the silent guilt Bakugou never fully admitted to.

"What happened?" Kirishima asked carefully.

"Nothin'," Bakugou said quickly. "Just... saw him, and he walked off with Icy-Hot. Again."

Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "You do realize they're friends, right? It's not weird for them to hang out."

Bakugou scowled, looking away. He couldn't explain why it bothered him so much, seeing Izuku with someone else—especially someone as close as Todoroki. It was like Izuku had created this world for himself where he didn't need Bakugou. And maybe that was how it should be. After all, Bakugou had pushed him away hard enough back in middle school.