Viel Of Scales: The Dragons Ascension

U.A [ before USJ ]

It was a typical day at U.A., but the air around the school buzzed with excitement. Word had spread that Midoriya and Bakugo, already infamous for their explosive sparring sessions, were drawing more and more attention from their peers. Izuku Midoriya, in particular, had become somewhat of a celebrity, thanks to a few business course students who from Aldera managed to get into U.A and started spreading baby pictures of him—specifically the ones from when he’d just hatched.

At the same time, Bakugo was enjoying his share of fame. Thanks to Kirishima, the label of "manly" had become synonymous with his name, much to his mixed irritation and secret pride. Everywhere he went, someone would pat him on the back, exclaiming things like, "Manly move with those robots, Bakugo!" or "That explosion? Peak manliness!"

This morning, however, Bakugo’s mind was blissfully focused on reliving the memory of his brilliant prank. Just last night, he had dumped half a shaker of salt into Izuku’s katsudon, laughing his lungs out as Izuku nearly spat flames. The dragon-boy's betrayed look was the cherry on top.

As they strolled through the U.A. halls, Bakugo was pulled aside by a group of boys from Class 1-H.

“Yo, Bakugo!” one of them called out.

“What the hell do you extras want?” he barked, but his tone lacked its usual venom—he was in a suspiciously good mood.

“Man, we just wanted to say, you’re a total beast!” another boy said, clapping him on the back.

“Yeah, that explosion during the exam? You practically erased those robots from existence!”

“Damn right,” Bakugo said, smirking as his chest puffed up.

“And honestly? You’re probably the manliest dude at U.A.,” one added, grinning.

Bakugo’s smirk widened, and he laughed, a rare, genuine sound. “Of course I am, dumbasses. Took you this long to figure it out?”

While Bakugo basked in the attention, Izuku noticed a group of girls approaching him. He wasn’t in the least surprised—this had been happening all week. Normally, he’d politely thank them for their kind words and go about his day, but this morning was different.

Time for payback.

The memory of last night’s salted katsudon still burned in his mind, and a mischievous idea took root. Smirking to himself, he straightened his posture, his dragon pride kicking into high gear.

“Midoriya-kun!” one of the girls greeted, her face flushed.

“Good morning,” Izuku replied smoothly, flashing a charming smile that made the group giggle.

“We just wanted to say, you were amazing during the entrance exam,” another girl added. “The way you saved that brunette.... Uraraka was it? and destroyed the Zero Pointer—it was incredible!”

“Oh, that,” Izuku said, rubbing the back of his neck with practiced modesty. “I guess I just couldn’t let someone get hurt on my watch.”

The girls giggled again, their cheeks growing redder.

One of them hesitated before blurting out, “You’re also really… um, cool.”

Izuku tilted his head, feigning curiosity. “Cool, huh? That’s kind of you to say. Though I wonder…” He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough to feel personal. “Would you say I’m cool enough to maybe skip training for a little while? You know, for something more fun?”

The girls gasped, and one stammered, “L-like what?”

“A date,” Izuku said casually, his smile turning sly.