Amethyst. (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

PART 24 - Faint Traces

Momo's villa was breathtaking, but I couldn't focus on the luxurious surroundings. Everyone else was marveling at the decor—Denki was trying out every button on the fancy remote for the sound system, and Mina was bouncing around the room, taking selfies with the gold-framed windows in the background.

But me? I felt out of place.

It wasn't the house. It wasn't even the lavish way Momo had set up the study session with snacks and materials that made UA's library look amateur. No, it was the way people acted around me.

Ever since the Sports Festival, something had shifted. Jiro and Momo still smiled and laughed, but there was something different—like a barrier between us I couldn't name. Their politeness was just a little too careful, their laughter a little too forced.

I thought back to the way they'd looked at me that day—when I lost control and unleashed the dragon. They had seen the raw, terrifying power of my quirk. And even though they tried to hide it, I could tell they were scared.

"You good, Y/N?" Mina's voice cut through my thoughts, light and bubbly as usual. She plopped down next to me, her sharp eyes scanning my face.

I forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired."

"You sure?" Sero chimed in from across the room, his head tilted like a curious puppy. "You've been kinda quiet today."

"Don't mind me," I said quickly. "I'm just... thinking."

Mina exchanged a look with Denki, her expression unreadable. "Hey, Jiro, Momo—come over here for a sec!"

"What is it?" Jiro asked, pulling out one of her earphone jacks as she walked over with Momo trailing behind her.

Mina waved them closer, motioning for me to speak. "I think Y/N's got something to say. Right?"

"Mina—" I started, but she cut me off with a firm shake of her head.

"Come on. Spill it. Whatever's bothering you, we're all here to help."

I hesitated, glancing at Jiro and Momo. They both looked surprised but didn't object. If anything, they seemed curious—maybe even a little guilty.

Taking a deep breath, I finally said, "I know I scared you. At the Sports Festival."

Jiro's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked it with a nervous laugh. "What? No way! We weren't scared."

"Jiro," Mina said sharply, her usual playful tone replaced with rare seriousness. "Be honest."

Momo stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "We weren't scared of you, Y/N," she said carefully. "We were scared for you. That Quirk—it was overwhelming. And it didn't seem like you had control."

Her words stung more than I expected, but I nodded. "You're right. I didn't have control. And I'm still working on it. But it's hard to feel like I'm part of the group when I know you're all pretending everything's fine when it's not."

The room fell silent, the weight of my words settling over us.

"I'm sorry," Jiro said quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I guess... we didn't know how to talk to you about it. It's not like we don't trust you—it's just... hard to forget what we saw."

Momo nodded, her expression earnest. "But that doesn't mean we don't care about you, Y/N. We're all friends here, and we want to help you however we can."

I looked between them, my chest tightening. "I don't know how to fix this," I admitted. "I'm trying so hard to control it, I don't want anyone to be scared of me and Aizawa will help me too."