Haunted | Bakugo x Reader

07

You sat alone in one of the small waiting rooms, absently watching the empty space as you tried to clear your head. The quiet should've been comforting, but your mind wouldn't stop wandering. Thoughts of Midoriya and All Might kept creeping in. You'd only met the Symbol of Peace once during yesterday's training, but that brief moment had left an impression. All Might was everything the media made him out to be-charismatic, powerful, and, yes, inspiring. But... his connection to Midoriya was unusual, to say the least.

You'd picked up on similarities between their quirks. It wasn't obvious at first, but watching Midoriya's fighting style sparked something in your mind, a little nagging voice you couldn't ignore. The timing felt strange too; All Might had just started teaching at U.A. this year, which seemed too coincidental to you. The more you thought about it, the less it made sense, and the pieces didn't quite fit.

Just as your thoughts threatened to spiral deeper, the door swung open, and you snapped back to the present as Momo Yaoyorozu entered with the rest of the Class 1-A girls trailing behind her.

"L/N!" Momo's voice was cheerful, her usual poised smile on her face. She held up what looked like a uniform in her hands, and you immediately felt a sense of dread creeping in. "Kaminari and Mineta told us that Aizawa instructed all the girls to wear these during the tournament to show our support for Class 1-A."

She held out a scimpy cheerleading outfit, bright and flashy with a shockingly short skirt. Your gaze settled on it, unimpressed, and you raised an eyebrow. Right. As if Aizawa would ask for this.

"No way," you said flatly. "I'd rather die than wear that thing."

Uraraka laughed nervously, clearly aware of how you felt about it. "I get it, but... if Aizawa-sensei really wants us to wear these, don't you think it might be better to just go along with it? He's our teacher, after all."

You folded your arms, expression unchanging. "If Aizawa wants to expel me over not wearing a cheer uniform, he can go right ahead," you said, crossing your arms with finality. "If this school's standards are that ridiculous, then this isn't the place I want to be, anyway."

The girls looked at each other, quickly realizing you weren't going to budge, and one by one, they let it go. Mina sighed dramatically, crossing her arms as she put on an exaggerated pout, faking tears as she muttered, "My best friend... getting expelled on her second day. This is so tragic."

A smirk crept onto your face, and you shot her a playful look. "You look better in that uniform than anyone else could, though. So if I'm going out, at least you'll look good."

Mina grinned, shrugging off her fake tears. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she joked, giving you a wink. The other girls joined in, sharing a few lighthearted comments, but eventually drifted off to join the rest of the class.

You settled back in the quiet waiting room, not even caring to watch the recreational games. To you, they felt like distractions-pointless events that did nothing to push you forward, especially when you'd come here to surpass everyone else.

You decided to take a break from the chaos and grabbed a quick lunch, treating yourself to your favorite food. The quiet moments were rare, and you didn't mind taking the opportunity to refuel before the real action started. The halls were relatively empty as most of the class gathered for the recreational games, but you found solace in the absence of chaos, enjoying your meal in peace.

Afterward, you headed toward the area where the first-round matches were taking place, hoping to catch the start of the Mina match. As you turned a corner, you nearly ran into a fuming Mina, her cheeks flushed with frustration. She was muttering curses under her breath, clearly having no intention of holding back.