✓ | TO PROTECT YOU

003

"You never said why the reunion ended early," Izuku stated, sending his mom a quick text about where he was going.

Ochako and him were headed to the ice cream stand, Cheveyo tucked into Ochako's arms, her book in the small backpack she wore. They had been talking about the project for a while now, and Ochako had honestly forgotten about her uncle's passing, except when Izuku brought it up.

Uraraka lowered her head, sadness filling her eyes. "Since the whole family was there, they decided to go over some details for the funeral...and I didn't exactly want to be there."

Izuku immeadiately felt stupid for asking, scolding himself silently for it.

Of course if would be because of her uncle. What else could it possibly be? He kept blaming himself for Ochako's heartache, knowing he was supposed to be distracting her momentarily.

"Ochako, I d-didn't m-mean to—"

She smiled, looking at him with a small giggle. "You can be such a geek, Deku. You know it's not your fault and that you don't have to apologize to me all the time. I'm fine...really."

Izuku just watched her as she turned her attention forward; he knew very well Uraraka was not fine. If Ochako was so close to her uncle and had so many memories of him, how come she hasn't just broken down in tears yet? How come she hasn't had one of those moments where she cries for hours nonstop?

She's strong, Midoriya concluded to himself. Because she knows that crying won't bring him back. She's accepted it and is already moving on.

That day, Izuku Midoriya found out just how strong Ochako Uraraka really was.

***

Katsuki Bakugo kicked a rock angerily, grumbling about something that a passerby couldn't understand. But he was mumbling about Deku.

Bakugo was still, still, fuming about that Fitness Test. He had come in second in that test, and for Katsuki, being the second best wasn't gonna cut it. He had to go all the way if he was gonna become No. 1, just like many of the students at UA wanted. However, Katsuki wasn't just mad that he had come in second; he was also mad he didn't make Deku pay.

Call it mean (because it is), but that was Katsuki's way of never letting his rival forget that Bakugo was better at him, no matter what happened. If it wasn't for the stupid "baby" project, Katsuki wouldn't be as mad as he was now.

He was actually stomping his way to Eijiro's house right that minute, being he was Katsuki's partner (mostly because no one else wanted to deal with him) and all.

"Where the hell am I going again?" He grumbled, yanking his phone from his pocket.

Reading the address, Katsuki grinded his teeth together when he saw he had missed his turn. Now trudging back the way he came, Katsuki looked down an alley, thinking he had seen something. He looked back down at his phone, seeing the time.

He still had 30 minutes to get to Kirishma's place.

Bakugo pocketed his phone, running into the alley. The sun was high in the sky, letting the Explosion user see where he was going clearly. He slowed to a walk, looking for whatever he had seen.