High on Sparks || KAMIBAKU

the unwanted pairing

The halls of U.A. High buzzed with the usual morning chatter as students trickled into their classrooms. The sun streamed in through the large windows, casting bright slants of light on the polished floors. It was the last semester of their final year—an intense time for most students who juggled college applications, exams, and the excitement of upcoming prom and graduation.

Katsuki Bakugo, slouched in his seat at the back of the room, scowled at the clock ticking away. He tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently, watching his classmates trickle in. Eijiro Kirishima dropped into the seat beside him, flashing a sharp-toothed grin.

"Morning, Bakugo!" Kirishima greeted, unfazed by his friend's constant scowl.

"Morning," Katsuki muttered, arms crossed over his chest. He glanced over at the front of the room, where their homeroom teacher, Mr. Aizawa, was preparing for the day's announcements.

The classroom filled up quickly. Mina Ashido and Hanta Sero took their seats, already whispering and laughing about something. Denki Kaminari, the school's resident pothead, strolled in last, his signature denim jacket hanging loosely over a band tee, hair tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed. He gave everyone a lopsided grin before sliding into his chair.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "This dumbass looks like he hasn't slept in weeks," he muttered under his breath to Kirishima.

Kirishima chuckled. "Well, it's Denki. What did you expect?"

Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat, silencing the room. "Alright, listen up," he started, his voice as tired as ever. "Today, I'm pairing you up for a project that's going to count for a significant portion of your final grade. It's about planning and executing an event for the end-of-year festival."

Excited whispers broke out across the room.

"Group projects, seriously?" Katsuki groaned. "I can handle this shit better on my own."

Aizawa's sharp eyes caught Katsuki's muttered complaint. "No, Bakugo, you can't work alone. This is a collaboration project for a reason. You'll learn how to cooperate—a skill you could use some practice in," he said dryly.

Mina leaned over her desk to whisper to Sero, "I bet Katsuki is gonna explode when he gets paired up."

Denki yawned loudly, stretching in his chair. "Man, I hope I get paired with someone who actually wants to have fun," he said with a sleepy grin.

"Yeah, good luck with that, Kaminari," Sero snickered. "You're probably gonna get stuck with someone who'll actually make you do work."

Mr. Aizawa ignored the chatter as he continued to list off pairs. "Kirishima, you're with Ashido. Yaoyorozu, you're with Todoroki. Sero, you're with Iida."

Katsuki's attention snapped back to the front, his eyes narrowing. His usual group was being split up.

"And lastly," Aizawa continued with a tone that suggested he knew this was going to be a problem, "Bakugo, you're paired with Kaminari."

A collective gasp and a few muffled laughs erupted in the classroom. Katsuki's hands clenched into fists on his desk. He shot a glare at Aizawa, then whipped around to face Denki, who blinked in surprise.

"Me? With him?" Katsuki snarled, pointing a thumb at Denki.

Denki's grin widened. "Hey, man, I'm as surprised as you are. But look on the bright side—this could be fun!"

Katsuki's jaw tightened. "You better not drag me down with your half-assed bullshit, Kaminari."

"Relax, dude. You might actually have a good time if you lighten up a bit," Denki shot back, leaning back in his chair with an easy smirk.