Amethyst. (Katsuki Bakugo x Reader)

PART 25 - Walls We Build

I bolted through the front gates of UA, my heart pounding in my chest. The morning sun had long since risen, and I could already hear the distant chatter of students filtering into their classrooms.

"Crap, crap, crap," I muttered under my breath as I darted through the hallways, ignoring the curious stares from passing students. My bag bounced against my back, and I cursed myself for not waking up earlier—though, to be fair, sneaking out of Bakugo's window and dodging his mom hadn't exactly left me with much time to plan.

When I finally reached the door to Class 1-A, I paused, trying to catch my breath. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside and was immediately met with the sharp gaze of Aizawa. He stood at the front of the room, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his expression unreadable but definitely unimpressed.

"You're late," he said simply, his voice as dry as ever.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Aizawa," I said quickly, bowing my head. "It won't happen again."

Aizawa sighed and motioned for me to take my seat. "It better not. Now sit down, and let's continue."

As I hurried to my desk, my eyes flicked to Bakugo. He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, with an amused smirk plastered across his face. His crimson eyes met mine, and I could practically hear his thoughts: Late, huh? Wonder why.

I glared at him, willing him to stop grinning, but that only made his smirk widen.

"Y/N," Mina whispered as I slid into my seat beside her. "Why do you look so... rushed?"

I froze, my mind racing for an excuse. I glanced at Bakugo, who was now watching the exchange with a smug look, clearly waiting to see how I'd dig myself out of this one.

"Oh, you know," I said, my tone light as I waved my hand dismissively. "Had to deal with a wild animal this morning." I turned to Bakugo with a pointed look, smirking. "Don't worry, I'll keep it away from your house next time, Bakugo."

His grin faded instantly, his eyes narrowing as Mina snorted quietly beside me.

"Wild animal, huh?" she whispered, clearly amused but thankfully letting it drop.

_________

The days passed in a blur. We were finally finished with the theoretical exams, and I couldn't help but hope that all my study buddies—Mina, Denki, Sero, Ojiro, and Jiro—had passed. They'd worked so hard, and if anyone deserved to get through, it was them.

But, of course, the relative peace couldn't last.

As the class began packing up their things, Bakugo suddenly stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. The sound cut through the chatter like a knife, drawing everyone's attention. He crossed his arms, his glare sharp as ever, but there was something restless in the way his fingers tapped against his biceps.

"Deku," he barked, his voice dripping with disdain. "I don't care if you've figured out your Quirk or not. Just stop being so damn annoying. I don't need another pathetic result like the Sports Festival. In the next exam, I'm gonna show you just how much better I am."

The room went silent. Izuku's shoulders tensed, his wide eyes darting nervously between Bakugo and the floor.

I felt my stomach twist at the sight of his panicked expression. Without thinking, I moved to step forward, but before I could, I felt a hand on my arm.

"Don't," Shoto said softly, his calm voice grounding me. I glanced at him, and he shook his head, his mismatched eyes steady.

Meanwhile, Katsuki wasn't done. He pointed at Izuku, his voice growing louder, but now his gaze flicked briefly in my direction before returning to his target. "I'm gonna crush you. You'll see. I'll leave you in the dust, and then I'll wipe the floor with you!"