Chapter 4 - Studying With Friends

The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of the city mixed with the cool breath of evening. She adjusted the strap of her bag nervously as she walked toward Midoriya's place, clutching a pink box tied with a ribbon—the cookies she had baked earlier for everyone. Her heart fluttered with that familiar blend of excitement and anxiety. She was happy to spend time with her friends, but big gatherings always made her stomach twist just a little.

Her steps were soft, her strawberry-decorated sneakers brushing the pavement lightly as she went. Her cream hoodie with tiny embroidered strawberries on the sleeves made her look even smaller under the streetlights, and the pale-blue skirt she wore swayed with each shy step. When she reached Midoriya's apartment, she could already hear the noise from inside—the laughter, the chatter, and, unmistakably, Mina's energetic voice echoing through the door.

Yuuki hesitated only for a second before knocking softly.

The door swung open in an instant, revealing Mina with her signature bright grin. "Yuuuuuki! You made it!" she squealed, immediately grabbing her by the hand. "We were just talking about you! Come on, get in here before Bakugo starts yelling again!"

Yuuki blinked as she was practically pulled into the living room, her hazel eyes darting around the cozy space. It was filled with life—snacks covering the coffee table, notebooks scattered, and laughter bouncing off every wall. Ochaco was pouring drinks while Jiro was scrolling through her phone, arguing with Kaminari about what movie to watch later. Kirishima and Kaminari were arm-wrestling on the rug, yelling encouragements and insults in equal measure, while Todoroki sat calmly on the couch, spooning ice cream from a small cup like chaos didn't exist.

Midoriya perked up from where he was sitting beside Todoroki, smiling warmly when he saw her. "Oh! Yuuki! You're here! I—I was just about to text you to make sure you were still coming."

She smiled softly, brushing her hair back. "I-I didn't forget," she said, her voice quiet. "I brought cookies." She held out the pink box, and Mina gasped dramatically.

"She baked?!" Mina cried, clutching the box like it was a treasure. "You're an angel! I swear you're the only reason we haven't all starved to death in this class."

That earned a laugh from everyone, though Kaminari quickly leaned over with his usual grin. "Hey, Yuuki, if you ever open a bakery, I'll be your number one customer! Or, you know, your number one taste-tester."

Mineta, who had been lurking suspiciously near the snacks, piped up with his usual mischief. "Forget taste-tester—she should just marry me and bake cookies every day!"

Yuuki's face turned pink immediately, her hands fluttering nervously. "I-I don't—um, th-that's very... um..." She giggled nervously, trying to find words as she fidgeted with her sleeve.

Before she could finish, a loud BOOM came from across the room. Bakugo had slammed his hand down on the counter, sparks crackling faintly from his palm. "Would you two idiots shut up already? You're disgusting."

Everyone froze for a second. Kaminari blinked, half a grin still plastered on his face. "Wha—dude, we're just talking."

Bakugo shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "You're flirting like morons, that's what you're doing. Knock it off before I knock you through the damn wall."

Mineta squeaked, ducking behind the coffee table, and Kaminari immediately decided the snack bowl was suddenly very interesting. Yuuki blinked, startled, but also... a little relieved. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, though she still looked down shyly at her shoes. "Um... th-thank you, Bakugo," she murmured softly, her voice trembling. "For, um... helping me."

Bakugo turned his head just enough to glance at her, his expression unreadable. "Tch. Didn't do it for you. Just can't stand idiots."

Yuuki blinked, her cheeks pink. "O-oh. R-right."

Mina groaned dramatically, plopping onto the couch. "Bakugo! You could try being nice for once. Yuuki's literally the sweetest person alive, and you're treating her like she just set your bed on fire!"

Bakugo smirked faintly, crossing his arms. "Sweetest, huh? That's the problem. She's like a little baby. Probably cries if someone looks at her wrong."

Yuuki's mouth fell open slightly. "I-I do not!" she protested softly, her hazel eyes wide.

"Oh really?" Bakugo drawled, clearly entertained now.

Midoriya quickly stepped in, waving his hands nervously. "K-Kacchan, stop teasing her! You're making her uncomfortable!"

Todoroki, still calm as ever, took another spoonful of ice cream. "It's true," he said simply. "You're being unnecessarily mean."

Bakugo shot both of them an annoyed look. "Shut up, Half-and-Half. And you, Deku—mind your own business."

Yuuki, now flustered and red-faced, tried to find her voice again. "I-I'm not a baby, Bakugo! I-I can be... um... tough!" she stammered, puffing her cheeks slightly as she tried to sound confident.

The room went silent for a beat—and then Kaminari started laughing. "Aww, look at her trying to be fierce! That's adorable!"

Even Kirishima couldn't hold back a chuckle. "She's trying, man. Give her some credit."

Yuuki's face turned even redder, and she covered it with her hands. "Oh nooo," she mumbled, her voice muffled.

Bakugo scoffed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, whatever you say, Baby Yuuki."

That made Mina gasp. "Baby Yuuki?! Wait—that's actually the cutest nickname ever!"

"Don't encourage him," Jiro said flatly, though she was clearly amused.

Yuuki groaned quietly, burying her face in her hands. "Please don't call me that..." she murmured, but even as she said it, her lips twitched into a small smile.

Midoriya chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "I think he was just joking," he said softly, trying to ease her embarrassment.

Todoroki nodded, his tone dead serious. "You do look small enough to be a baby, though."

Yuuki's eyes widened, and Mina burst into laughter so hard she nearly spilled her soda. "Todoroki! You can't just say that!"

Kirishima grinned, slapping his knee. "Man, tonight's gonna be great."

The tension melted into laughter and lighthearted teasing. Soon, everyone was sprawled around the room, sharing snacks and comparing notes, the earlier awkwardness fading completely. Yuuki sat beside Ochaco and Mina on the couch, still blushing faintly but smiling to herself as she glanced around at her friends—the people who made her feel safe, even when she was flustered.

And across the room, Bakugo glanced up from where he sat, his eyes flicking briefly toward her before he quickly looked away again. There was the faintest twitch of a smile on his lips—so faint that no one but Todoroki noticed.

"She's not bad," Todoroki murmured quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

Bakugo grunted. "Shut up."

•••

Books and notebooks covered nearly every inch of Midoriya's coffee table, surrounded by half-empty chip bags, soda cans, and scattered pens. The entire group had settled into a cozy rhythm—some actually studying, others mostly chatting between bites of snacks. Laughter mingled with the sound of scribbling pencils and the occasional groan from Kaminari, who was dramatically sprawled across the carpet as if a single math problem had defeated him.

"Why does this stuff have to be so complicated?" he whined, holding up his notes upside down. "None of this makes sense!"

Mina threw a piece of popcorn at him. "Because you don't listen in class, that's why!" she teased.

"Hey! I listen sometimes!"

"No, you don't," Jiro muttered without even looking up from her paper.

Yuuki sat quietly between Ochaco and Midoriya, her legs folded neatly beneath her. Her notebook was open in front of her, pastel-colored pens scattered around like a rainbow. Her handwriting was small and delicate, each letter perfectly formed, but her brow was furrowed deeply as she stared at the question in front of her. The problem on the page looked simple enough, but her brain had gone blank. Numbers blurred together and her thoughts tangled up with worry that she was falling behind again.

She bit her lip softly, twirling her pen between her fingers as her heartbeat picked up. It's fine, she told herself. You can figure it out. Don't bother anyone. Don't make it weird. But even as she thought that, her fingers trembled slightly, and the eraser of her pencil tapped nervously against the page.

Bakugo, who had been sitting on the floor across from them with his own notebook, glanced up just in time to notice the way she fidgeted. His sharp red eyes narrowed. "Hey," he barked suddenly, making everyone jump a little, "what's with that look on your face? You stuck on something?"

Yuuki gasped softly, nearly dropping her pen. "O-Oh! N-No! I—I'm fine!" she stammered, her cheeks turning pink immediately. "I-I just... um... thinking!"

Bakugo wasn't buying it for a second. "You're not 'just thinking.' You look like you're about to cry."

That made her flinch, her hands instinctively clutching her notebook tighter. "I-I'm not!" she protested weakly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He groaned, rolling his eyes as he stood up. "For god's sake. You're hopeless."

"Umm," Midoriya started nervously, "maybe just let her—"

"Move, Deku," Bakugo snapped, already walking over.

Midoriya hesitated, half rising from his spot. "But—"

Bakugo didn't wait. He reached the couch, towering over Yuuki for a moment before dropping down right next to her with a loud thud, his notebook and pen in one hand. The sudden closeness made her freeze, her whole body tensing as her mind went completely blank.

Bakugo leaned over slightly, squinting at her notebook. "Which question?" he demanded.

Yuuki's breath caught, and she immediately shook her head, her voice shaking. "I-I don't need help! I promise, I can do it!"

"Doesn't look like it," Bakugo muttered, reaching over to pull her notebook a little closer so he could see.

Midoriya, who had been half shoved aside, blinked in surprise as he teetered on the edge of the couch. "K-Kacchan! You didn't have to—!"

"Shut it, nerd," Bakugo barked without even looking at him.

Yuuki's hands gripped the edge of her sweater sleeves so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears, her anxiety flaring like static. She could feel the faint pulse of her quirk stirring deep in her chest—the Tender Pulse responding instinctively to her emotional storm. The air around her almost shimmered for a second before she quickly shut her notebook and stood up, her voice trembling. "E-Excuse me!" she squeaked, nearly tripping over her own bag as she hurried toward the bathroom.

The room went quiet for a beat. Mina blinked. "What just happened?"

Bakugo looked up sharply, confused and irritated. "What the hell—hey! Get back here!" he yelled, standing up so fast his pen moved over.

Everyone jumped slightly at his sudden outburst.

Mina frowned, swatting his arm lightly. "Bakugo! Don't yell at her, you scared her off!"

"I didn't do anything!" he growled, glaring toward the closed bathroom door.

"Yeah, right," Jiro said dryly. "You were about as gentle as a grenade."

Bakugo scowled, jaw tightening, but said nothing. He turned his head slightly, staring at the door where Yuuki had disappeared, his expression flickering for just a second—somewhere between guilt and frustration.

Inside the small bathroom, Yuuki was standing by the sink, her trembling hands pressed against the cold porcelain as she tried to catch her breath. Her reflection in the mirror showed her wide hazel eyes and flushed cheeks, the anxiety clear in every small movement. "It's okay," she whispered shakily to herself. "He just... he didn't mean it like that... probably."

She closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm of her emotions before her quirk could react. Slowly, the trembling in her fingers eased, and she took one deep breath after another.

Outside, Bakugo stood rigid for a long moment before muttering something under his breath and crossing his arms. Midoriya sighed softly and glanced toward him. "You really need to work on how you talk to people, Kacchan."

Bakugo didn't respond—just looked away, his crimson eyes flicking briefly toward the hallway again.