Short Stories | BakuDeku

Gift Exchange [A]

     Izuku's perspective

I pondered about what to give to my friend on Christmas Eve. My classmates came up with the great idea to do a gift-exchanging activity one day before Christmas. Iida and Yaomomo organized the little papers with everyone's name to draw from a hat a week from Christmas Eve.

When I approached the stand in class, I looked at both my classmates with a smile before reaching for a paper. I get along with everyone in my class, including Bakugou. We had a rocky start at first, but after much training, we fought against each other. We decided that whoever wins acknowledges defeat and compromises to a settlement.

Kachaan was my first friend. We hung out together until we got our quirks. Well, when he got his quirk. Kachaan bullied me until I cried, punched me until I bled, and hurt me till I couldn't even be near him. As time went by, we changed. Kachaan was slightly less temperamental, and I...became distant. Eventually, we crossed paths one day and stared at each other. Bakugou's eyes were hard to read; his glare was frightening. But my past with him rose to the surface, and I held no grudge against him, and I only nodded at him before walking past him.

I step back from the podium and approach my seat behind Bakugou. He turns to look at me with the weirdest look I've ever seen. It looked like he wanted to ask me something, but his eyes were angry. One by one, my other classmates approached the stand and picked a piece of paper. And once everyone was done, the class was dismissed.

We grabbed our belonging and headed out the door, ready to leave the school grounds. I hadn't opened my paper yet, fearing someone would read it and know who I got. I safely fold the paper and place it in the front pocket of my jacket's school uniform and begin to walk to the bus stop.

A day before the gift-exchanging, Ochaco texted me to meet her at the mall by the school—the mall where I got assaulted by a villain, which at the time, was very frightening. Since then, I haven't stepped foot in the place, but I feel the time has come to move on.

"Hey, Deku! Over here!" Ochaco yells from across the room filled with people; she waves her hand to greet me.

"Hey, Ochaco. How are you?" I say with a lovely smile. She reciprocates and nods her head before walking.

"I'm great, and I'm thinking about getting something meaningful to our friend," Ochaco replies. "Maybe like a Christmas card with a nice note and a cute box with many memories and treats. What do you think?" She asks me.

"That sound...amazing. Defiantly go with that idea," I reply with a short smile and squinted eyes.

In the distance, I notice a familiar spikey-haired boy approaching us. I knew it was Bakugou, and since I didn't want to be associated with him, I grabbed Ochaco's bicep and pulled her in a different direction.

We enter the first store and go our separate ways. We couldn't know what we were getting from each other since it was supposed to be a secret. I place my arms behind my back and slowly walk between the small aisle to see if anything catches my eye. I found a unique necklace that speaks to me: they'll cherish this forever. Without thinking about it, I snatched the jewelry, went up to the counter, and bought it; I asked the cash register to wrap it.

After getting what I wanted, I stood outside the store and waited patiently for Ochaco. I pull out my phone and see a missed call from Todoroki. When I brought my phone to my ear, I heard Bakugou's voice from a distance.

"Oi, dipshit!" Bakugou called out to me, and I ignored him until I hung up the call before approaching.

"Yes?" I answered, a little bit annoyed. "Is there something you need?"