The Story Of Forever (Todobaku)

Dilemma

Katsuki had two reasons to smile. One, it was Friday. After a rigorous week, consisting of two tests and a quiz (he aced all three), he was due for some relaxation. Two, the head chef at UA finally fulfilled Katsuki's request of adding the proper amount of spice to his lunches. When Katsuki said he wanted his food spicy, he meant he needed at least a full bottle's worth of hot sauce mixed into his meal. It might have taken the chef three weeks to understand, but the end result was worth the irritation.

And yet, he had an uncomfortable pit in his stomach.

He wiped his palms along his thighs to rid the excess sweat. Even with the sun hidden behind the clouds, as well as a steady breeze breaking through his hair, Katsuki's blood was on fire. If this was how he reacted before the game even started, he worried for what was to come.

Shouto leaned closer to him. "You okay?" he said, lips barely moving.

"I'm fine," Katsuki said, staring ahead. His hostility reflected in his tone. Katsuki felt bad that his friend was the one on the receiving end of his misplaced frustration, but he also was too overwhelmed to apologize.

Shouto didn't respond and instead went back to talking to Momo. Katsuki appreciated that about his friendship with Shouto. They knew when the other needed space. They weren't offended if the other lashed out as there was always an underlying reason that contributed to it. Shouto was patient and understanding, two traits that made him a top-tier best friend.

Katsuki sulked on the bleachers while the UA Heroes did warm up exercises in the grass. His eyes scanned over each player, sizing up the team he could've been a part of. There were some familiar faces that Katsuki played alongside during his years at Aldera Junior High.

Only two freshmen made the team: Eijiro Kirishima, Katsuki's oldest friend, and Neito Monoma. They were the only reason Katsuki was here. The two honored Katsuki's wishes of wanting to leave baseball behind him, but Katsuki knew they'd want his support at UA's opening game.

So there Katsuki was, squished between Shouto and Denki Kaminari, surrounded by a decently sized crowd on this Friday afternoon. 

A lot of Katsuki's childhood friends were in attendance to support Eijiro. Mina Ashido, Eijiro's girlfriend, even wore his baseball cap as Eijiro was a catcher and didn't need one. It was too bad, Katsuki thought, as it was tortuous to watch Eijiro do warm ups without one. Two months had passed since Eijiro dyed his hair red, but his friend's new look still hadn't grown on Katsuki. Eijiro's natural black hair suited him way better. Just because Katsuki's opinion was the unpopular one, that didn't mean he was wrong.

His thoughts were interrupted as Shouto nudged him.

"Fuyumi's here."

Katsuki fixed his attitude immediately. Not just to save face, but also because seeing Fuyumi always lifted his spirits. In a way, Fuyumi was just as much of a big sister to Katsuki as she was to Shouto. She was nurturing, reliable, and a fantastic cook. And with her away at college, her presence was greatly missed.

Katsuki asked Denki to hold his, Shouto's, and Momo's seats as they excused themselves to chat with Fuyumi. She was off to the side, not noticing them at first as she was waving to Keigo from across the field. When they got closer, she glanced in their direction, a smile spreading across her face as she took turns embracing all three of them.

Fuyumi gestured to Shouto as she addressed Momo. "This one's still treating you right?"

Momo smiled at her boyfriend. "Yeah. Still a gentleman."

"Good." She then turned to Shouto. "Better stay that way."

"Yeah, yeah," Shouto muttered, which caused Katsuki to snort.