Chapter 15 - Playful Night

By the time everyone made it back to the dorms, the afternoon sun had already begun to dip behind the trees surrounding U.A., painting the sky with streaks of gold and soft orange. The air felt a little lighter now — the tension from the cafeteria incident was gone, replaced with that familiar hum of laughter and chatter that always followed Class 1-A around.

As they walked through the hallway, Kirishima and Kaminari stuck close to Yuuki, both of them looking comically guilty.

"Yuuki, we're seriously sorry," Kirishima said for the fifth time, scratching the back of his neck. "We didn't mean for that to happen. We were just foolin' around, and it got outta hand."

"Yeah," Kaminari added, his tone soft and sheepish. "If Bakugo hadn't stepped in, he probably would've murdered us already. You sure you're not mad?"

Yuuki smiled shyly, shaking her head. "I'm not mad. Really, it's okay. I know you didn't mean it. And besides... Midoriya saved me before I even hit the ground."

Midoriya, walking just ahead of them, froze a little when he heard that. His cheeks went faintly pink, and he turned around quickly, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Ah, it was nothing! R-Really! Anyone would've done the same thing! I just, uh... couldn't let you fall, that's all!"

Uraraka laughed softly, bumping his shoulder. "You really do have that hero instinct, Deku."

Midoriya blushed even harder. "I-It's just... reflexes!"

By the time they reached the common area, everyone seemed relaxed again. The earlier drama felt like a distant memory as the group spread out across the room, some flopping onto couches, others digging through snacks, and a few arguing over what video game to play first.

Mina grabbed the controllers from the table and held them up triumphantly. "Alright, people! Who's ready to lose at Mario Kart?"

"Not me!" Kaminari grinned, jumping over the back of the couch dramatically. "I've been training for this!"

Yuuki smiled at their banter, settling onto the couch beside Uraraka, but as everyone began arguing over who got what controller, her attention drifted away. Something else caught her eye.

Off in the corner of the common room — a little separate from the noise and chaos — Bakugo sat at his drum set, twirling a pair of sticks in his hands with practiced ease. Jirou stood next to him, her earjacks plugged into a small speaker as she strummed her guitar. The two of them were completely absorbed in what they were doing, the rest of the room fading into background noise.

Bakugo's rhythm was sharp and precise — every hit of the drums was powerful, controlled, and full of energy. It wasn't just noise; it was music. Yuuki had never seen him like this before, so focused and... calm. His usual anger seemed to melt away when he was playing.

Jirou was grinning as she played along, nodding to the beat. "Not bad, Bakugo! You've actually got pretty good timing!"

"Tch, 'course I do," Bakugo muttered, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "I'm not half-assing this."

Yuuki found herself standing before she realized it, quietly walking over. She didn't want to interrupt, but she couldn't help watching. There was something mesmerizing about the way Bakugo played — his movements were confident, deliberate, every motion flowing into the next.

Jirou noticed her first and gave a friendly smile. "Hey, Yuuki! You came to listen?"

Yuuki blinked, caught off guard. "O-oh, um, yeah... you both sound really good," she said softly, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

Bakugo didn't look up but muttered a gruff, "Hmph," as he continued tapping out a quick rhythm on the cymbals.

Jirou leaned on her guitar, glancing between the two of them with a teasing grin. "You wanna join in? We could use another set of hands — maybe tambourine or keyboard?"

Yuuki's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly, blushing. "O-oh no! I-I can't play anything... I've never learned."

Jirou chuckled. "That's fine, we can teach you sometime! It's easy once you get the hang of it."

Bakugo finally looked up, one brow raised. "You can't play any instruments? Not even a little?"

Yuuki smiled shyly, her cheeks pink. "N-no... I've always liked music, but I was too nervous to try."

Bakugo huffed, turning his attention back to his drums. "Tch. Figures."

Yuuki blinked. "F-Figures?"

He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "You're always scared of everything. Guess that includes trying new stuff too."

Yuuki's lips parted, unsure whether to be offended or embarrassed. "I'm not scared of everything," she muttered quietly.

Bakugo gave her a side glance, his usual challenging smirk playing on his face. "Prove it, then. Sit down and try something."

Yuuki's eyes widened again. "W-What? Right now?!"

•••

Yuuki's face turned bright pink the moment Bakugo stood up from his stool, the drumsticks still twirling in his fingers with casual ease. The air between them felt charged, and even though the music had stopped, Yuuki could still feel the rhythm pulsing in her chest.

"I—I really can't," she stammered, shaking her head quickly as her fingers gripped the hem of her sweater. "I don't know how to play anything. I'll just mess it up and ruin your song!"

Bakugo scoffed, setting his drumsticks down on the snare with a click. "You won't ruin anything," he said, his voice low but firm. "You can play the drums."

Yuuki's eyes widened. "Wh—what?!" she squeaked, looking horrified. "N-no, no, I can't play the drums! Those are your drums, Bakugo! I—I shouldn't even touch them!" She backed up a little, flustered and panicky, clutching her teddy bear-patterned phone case like it was a shield. "I might break something!"

Bakugo let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to summon patience. "You're not gonna break anything, idiot. They're drums, not glass." He took a step closer, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly — not angry, but focused, like he was already thinking about how to teach her. "You said you liked music, didn't you? Then sit down."

Yuuki froze like a startled rabbit. "S-sit down?"

"Yeah. Sit," Bakugo said simply, pointing at the drum stool like it was an order. "You're not gonna learn by just standing there fidgeting like a scared cat."

Jirou chuckled under her breath, clearly amused by the dynamic. "Easy there, Bakugo. You're gonna scare her before she even touches a stick," she teased, gently setting her guitar down beside her. "Yuuki, don't worry. We'll start small, okay? Nothing too extreme. I promise."

Yuuki blinked between the two of them — Jirou's friendly, reassuring smile on one side and Bakugo's intimidating determination on the other. Her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely think.

"I... I really don't know if I can..." she whispered, twisting her fingers together nervously.

Bakugo groaned dramatically and rolled his eyes. "You can. You just don't believe it yet." He stepped around her, pulled the stool out slightly, and gestured again with a sharp jerk of his chin. "C'mon. Sit. I'll show you what to do. It's not that hard."

Yuuki hesitated for a few long seconds, looking at the shiny black drum set — it looked so... official, like it belonged on a stage somewhere, not something she should touch. She took a shaky breath and finally, slowly, lowered herself onto the stool. Her legs dangled a little above the floor, and she looked up at Bakugo with nervous, wide eyes.

"There. Not so hard," Bakugo muttered, crossing his arms. "Now, pick up the sticks."

Yuuki bit her lip, carefully reaching for the drumsticks. They felt heavier than she expected, smooth and cool in her trembling hands.

"Okay," Jirou said kindly, kneeling beside her so she wouldn't feel alone. "Let's start easy, like I said. Just try hitting the snare — this one right here — in a steady rhythm. Don't worry about the rest yet."

Yuuki nodded shakily. "O-okay... like this?"

She lifted one stick and tapped the snare. The sound came out light and uneven, a nervous little tap-tap that barely echoed. She flinched like she'd done something wrong, glancing quickly at Bakugo for approval.

Bakugo sighed again, but this time there was a faint softness in his tone. "You're hitting it like it's gonna bite you. You gotta use a little strength." He stepped behind her and reached around, adjusting her hands gently but firmly, making sure her grip was right. "There. Like this. You wanna feel it bounce a little, not just smack it."

Yuuki's breath caught — her face went scarlet the instant she realized how close he was. His voice rumbled low and steady near her ear as he guided her wrists.

"Don't overthink it," he murmured. "Follow the beat. One, two, three, four. That's all."

She nodded faintly, her focus completely split between the rhythm he was counting and the fact that Bakugo was standing right there. She tried again — this time hitting a little harder, letting the stick rebound naturally.

The sound was crisper, more confident.

Jirou grinned. "Hey, that's actually not bad!"

Yuuki blinked in surprise, looking down at her hands. "R-really?"

"Yeah," Jirou said, nodding. "You've got good timing. See? Not scary at all."

Bakugo smirked slightly, stepping back with his arms crossed. "Told ya. Not hard, right?"

Yuuki looked up at him, still pink-faced but smiling shyly. "I-I guess not... but only because you helped."

Bakugo snorted. "Heh. Don't get used to it."

Jirou laughed softly, strumming a playful little riff on her guitar. "You two are actually kinda cute when Bakugo isn't yelling at you."

Both Yuuki and Bakugo turned to her in unison — Yuuki flustered and Bakugo scowling.

"W-we're not—!" Yuuki stuttered, waving her hands.

"Shut it, Earphone Jack," Bakugo growled, but there was a faint pink dusting his cheeks as he looked away.

Jirou just chuckled, standing up and stretching. "Sure, sure. Anyway, you did great for your first try, Yuuki. Maybe next time we can do something a little trickier — like adding the bass pedal."

Yuuki smiled softly, setting the drumsticks down carefully as if they were made of glass. "I'd like that," she said shyly.