#Deku is coming in the next chapter!

[cartoonfuel]

Chapter 3: Stupid New Girl

Mind Games (My Hero Academia)

Chapter 3: Stupid New Girl

See Chapter 1 for trigger warnings, rating, etc.

Chapter 4: I Like Her

~~~~~

UA was much smaller than you thought it was going to be. You’d figured it was going to be some glorified campus that appeared larger than most college campuses, being that it was the most prestigious hero academy in Japan.

You followed behind Nezu, beginning to hear more and more thoughts from strangers as you approached the building.

Why can’t I do math? It’s so simple!

I’m going to have a panic attack, these tests are the worst.

What the...? Seriously? This is the easiest exam I’ve ever taken.

This test is making me miss our midterm.

Yep, thoughts were flooding into your mind through the walls now.

“How are you doing?” Nezu asked, glancing over his shoulder at you. Hundreds of comments and thoughts were now flooding into your mind and being processed.

“I feel...very, um, distracted,” you stuttered, trying to get the words out.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost to the nurse’s office!”

Inside the school’s infirmary were two unconscious students and the school’s nurse. You felt a tug at your pant leg and looked down to see Nezu beaming at you once again. “Hawks informed me that your quirk doesn’t work on anyone who is unconscious. Is this true? He wasn’t certain, but he suspected it.”

“Yes, that’s true.” You worked hard to suppress the nearby nurse’s thoughts.

“Excellent! Then I hope you don’t mind the students we have resting in here?”

“No, not at all. I recognize one of them, actually. The Sludge Villain boy we spoke about earlier.”

“Yes, that’s Katsuki Bakugou. He’s gotten himself into a lot of trouble, lately. The other boy is Neito Monoma of Class 1-B. The two of them went a little too hard during one of their occasional combined trainings and ended up here.”

“I see.”

“Now we are not offering you a place in our school as a student, but your quirk is one we are greatly curious about. We hope that you are willing to meet some of the students and staff here, though we plan not to overwhelm you. You will get one, possibly two visitors, at a time. Do you have any questions?” You shook your head. “Wonderful! We will provide you with a school uniform momentarily. Again, you are not a student, but I’m sure it would be nice to get you out of those dirty street clothes and into something nicer.”

“I’ll wear whatever as long as I don’t have to put on another hospital gown.”

“Good deal!” Nezu exclaimed happily. “I have much business to attend to, so I’ll have our school nurse over there, Recovery Girl, get that uniform for you and make sure you’re comfortable. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask!”

“I do have a question, actually,” you chimed in just before he left. He came to a halt and spun around to face you. “What staff and students will be interviewing me about my quirk?”

“While I wouldn’t call your future interactions with the staff and students at UA ‘interviews,’ I will be sure to let you know who you’ll be meeting the moment I find out. We will be holding a staff meeting late this afternoon to discuss many issues and topics involving UA. I’ll be sure to bring your name up. Is there anyone in particular you would like to meet?”

“I’ve heard a lot about Izuku Midoriya,” you suggested. Nezu’s ears perked up in response to your words. He was clearly thinking hard about your suggestion, and it was rare moments like these where you wished you could read his mind. “I admire how he encouraged Shouto Todoroki to use his fire during the Sports Festival.”

“Ah, I get it! Yes, I know several people who can help you understand and properly utilize your quirk. I’ll be sure to talk to Mr. Aizawa about his students and their take on the situation. Maybe there’s even extra credit assignment potential involving your arrival to UA.”

You felt beyond special in this moment. After all, for the most part, you had detested your quirk since the moment it manifested.

~

I love you so much. If only—

“Awe, Mommy!” you had screamed, running up to hug her leg. “I love you, too!”

Your mom was all smiles until she realized that she hadn’t said she loved you, she’d only thought it. On top of that, she had been in the middle of doing dishes and, quite frankly, daydreaming about your father. You hadn’t been on her mind at all. “Oh, honey, I, um, that’s very sweet!” she said as she wrapped you up in her arms.

What the hell?

“Mom, that’s a naughty word!”

Your mom’s eyes widened. “Okay, this is happening. Sweetie, I think you may have developed a quirk...”

“You think? This is so exciting, Mommy!”

Even at six years of age, you knew neither of your parents had quirks. How you’d gotten a quirk was a mystery to you at the time, but not to your mother. Most quirks at this point in time were genetic, but they did happen to mutate randomly as well.

Later that evening, after your father had gotten home from work and you’d gone to bed, you awoke from a nightmare. Heart racing, you hopped out of bed and made your way down the hall to your parents’ bedroom. This was a fairly regular occurrence for you when it came to nightmares. Before you’d knocked on the door to go in, you began hearing your parents’ voices in your mind.

I can’t believe this.

I can’t believe this.

I’m not the father?

I’m sorry.

I’m not the father...

I’m so sorry.

How dare she.

I made a mistake.

She kept this a secret the whole time?!

I’m scared.

She deserves this!

I deserve this.

Damn woman!

Cheater!

I deserve this.

Damn her to hell!

I deserve this.

Damn that child, too!

I’m so sorry, Aya.

I’m so angry. So angry. I need to leave before I—screw it.

A lot of the words didn’t make any sense to you at all. Suddenly, you heard a loud thump on the other side of the door which sent you flying backwards and onto the floor.

The door swung open, your quirkless father staring down at you.

His thoughts mortified you.

“Guess what, Aya?” he said, a strange look in his eyes that you couldn’t identify. You nervously gulped, barely able to focus on his actual words. “For six years, I thought you were my little girl, but...you’re not my daughter at all!”

I wonder what her daddy’s quirk actually is?

Must have something to do with reading minds.

Or maybe her mom lied to me about that, too!

Can you understand me, Aya?

You were frozen.

Aya! Can you hear this? Answer me.

Hesitantly, you nodded. Where was your mom?

Damn her.

Your father grabbed you by the collar and lifted you off the ground.

Damn her!

Tears were streaming down his face.

Damn it!

After a couple more seconds, he appeared to calm down. He set you back on the ground and stumbled down the hallway without another word. Where were heroes when you really needed them?

You looked inside your parents’ room and found your mom lying face-down on the floor, her cellphone in hand. You poked your head back out into the hallway after hearing the front door open.

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” you heard your dad screaming. “It was her! It was her, get off me!”

All in the same day, you acquired a quirk, your mother was sent to the hospital, and your father was taken into custody. The thoughts you heard throughout the following week echoed within your mind for months.

We need to keep her and her quirk away from villains.

Her mother isn’t responding.

Her quirk has potential.

Her mother is unstable.

The girl’s quirk will traumatize most children her age if she goes around reading minds.

Her mother has experienced serious head trauma.

It would be easy to use her...

What are we supposed to do with her?

Easy to manipulate her...

~

After putting your new uniform on, you began hearing the thoughts of Neito Monoma.

Arrogant...Class A...garbage...must...destroy...

He must have been waking up. Weird guy.

Hm. How odd...I’m definitely sensing a pair of eyes on me.

Monoma shot straight up in bed and turned to look at you.

“Who are you?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. Before you could answer, the Sludge Boy rudely interrupted.

“Keep it down, dammit,” Bakugou snapped, rolling over onto his side.

Stupid new girl.

“I’m not stupid, Sludge Boy,” you growled, causing him to leap out of bed and glare at you.

“What was that, new girl?!” he shouted, cracking his knuckles.

Judging by the boy’s thoughts, Monoma was already considering punching the daylights out of Bakugou.

He was also trying to figure out your bra size.

“And stop staring at my chest, Monoma!” you screeched, throwing the nearest object at him—a clipboard.

Recovery Girl finally played a part in the commotion, raising her voice and silencing the boys. “That’s enough, all of you!” she hissed. They listened instantly, Monoma climbing back onto his bed and Bakugou stomping over towards a chair to sit in.

“So when can I go back to class?” Bakugou asked Recovery Girl, practically shouting.

“Whenever you feel up to it, young man,” the lady replied, returning to her computer.

“Well I feel fine, so then I’m out. Thanks for your help.” After sitting in his chair for not even ten seconds, Bakugou got back up and made his way towards the door. “Oh, and new girl?” You turned your attention towards him, working diligently to ignore Monoma’s disconcerted thoughts. “Call me Sludge Boy again and I’ll kill you.”

Dumb bitch.

You went into hysterics, not even trying to suppress your laughter. “That’s an empty threat, Sludge Boy,” you snickered. “You want to call me ‘dumb bitch’ to my face?”

Bakugou visibly stiffened, just before grunting and leaving the infirmary without another word. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He marched out of the room muttering the word “die” over and over.

“Whoa, you’re awesome!” Monoma exclaimed, walking up to greet you. “You can read minds!”

“Long story short, yes, I read minds. And yours is all over the place.”

“Oh, is it? I’m not so sure I know what you mean.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, I, too, need to return to class. Can I get your name?”

You nodded. “I’m Aya.”

“That’s a lovely name!” He reached out to shake your hand. You were about to take it, but his next thought caused you to freeze.

I wonder what her quirk feels like...

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s your quirk?”

“Oh,” Monoma said nervously. “It’s called Copy. It allows me to duplicate and use another person’s quirk after coming into physical contact with them.”

Damn. So much for that.

“You won’t want to copy mine,” you told him, grabbing his hand and shaking it. “My quirk’s unsettling, to say the least.”

“Ah. Well, I’m going to go back to class now. If you ever wish to see me again, I’m down the hall in class 1-B, the best class at UA!” You expected him to be lying, but according to his thoughts, he wholeheartedly believed that. “Goodbye for now, Aya! Oh, and I almost forgot. Call me Neito.”

With that, he exited the nurse’s office and left you alone with Recovery Girl.

A few painstaking hours passed by, though you had to admit you were thankful for the quietness of it all. Eventually, Recovery Girl went home for the night and Nezu returned with two extra visitors.

“I, the precious UA High principal, have returned!” the creature announced as he came into the room. “And I have brought you some friends!”

The first “friend” Nezu was referring to was a tall, muscular boy with blonde hair. His mere presence made you feel like you were wrapped in a warm blanket. The other person with them was a small girl who appeared to be younger than nine or so. Their levels of friendliness were almost polar opposite, with the little girl hiding behind the boy.

“Hi there!” the blonde exclaimed. “I’m Mirio Togata! And her down there? That’s Eri. We’re pleased to meet you!” After looking them up and down multiple times, the corners of your mouth slowly lifted...

...and you smiled.

~~~~~

Chapter 4: I Like Her

[curiousochako]

Just like how Ochaco was able to reach out to Izuku during the vigilante arc and fight for him to come back into UA. It’s really nice to see this scene being paralleled here where this time it will be Deku who will try to reach out to Ochaco (who is suppressing her own feelings for the sake of trying to make other smile). They both seem to struggle with trying to put the feelings of others before themselves. Whether if you ship these to or not you can’t deny how much they care for each other.

[dekusleftsock]

I think that there’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what exactly is…happening with Izuku’s character. Specifically in regards to chapter 425.

I’m glad that a lot more people generally recognize that Izuku is not a character that can be read at a surface level, given that he’s both a repressed person with built up emotion of basically everything and also a very glaringly HUGELY unreliable narrator, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with the ways I’ve seen this most recent chapter spoken about.

I see posts, comments, etc with ideas like “Izuku don’t suppress your emotions! Open up with people! It’ll be okay I promise!” When that’s fundamentally not what is happening here.

There’s always always ALWAYS been a distinct difference in character throughout horikoshi’s writing when he is showing that a character is:

A—Avoiding emotions, thoughts, ideas less than ideal for them. Not opening up when they probably should about their problems given that they’ve been handed the space to do so. Just genuinely not acknowledging, feeling, or expressing emotions that they don’t want.

B—Reflecting on the ways they feel about the world, themselves, or other people given their new perspective on a situation. Not outright reaching out to others to talk about these problems/feelings, but instead waiting until the moment they feel they have the most confidence to do so with their new outlook on their own life.

And genuinely, guys, to grab your BkDk attention rn, this is the exact reason why Ochako’s reflection on her feelings for Izuku and thereafter decision to pull away from them WAS NEVER GOING TO END IN OCHAKO EXPLODING WITH HER LOVE FOR HIM.

This was another common interpretation I saw of Ochako and Izuocha for a long time. That because she pushed these feelings away, they were somehow going to explode in this unbelievable way and she would “get the boy” because of it. That her arc would surround accepting her romantic feelings and that she can’t just push away how she feels for a career.

But yk. That didn’t happen. At all. Nowhere close even.

The same kind of goes for Katsuki, allmight, etc. They all had moments in their arc where it was spent genuinely reflecting, and the only reason we as the audience never connected it in the same ways we do ochako or Izuku was ALWAYS BECAUSE the narrative showed their inner thoughts while doing so (mostly because Allmight’s arc after losing OFA and Katsuki’s arc on what it means to be a hero were so intrinsically tied, both starting at the same time and ending at the same time during the final war. And because they were so tied this caused their own reflections, development, and thought process to be broadcasted to us frequently throughout their arcs… to each other. They also somewhat shared aspects with Izuku, but these were cherry picked more often than not, like dvk2 for example).

To us Katsuki never seemed to be.. idk, suppressing his anger in any way because we were always told what he was doing and why (side note: this is why I’ve always thought arguments against Katsuki were so weird, bc unlike characters like endeavor or Ochako he wasn’t like… hiding who he was and how he was changing. Ever. Like the audience knows at all times past basically season 3 what Katsuki is thinking and doing. Like how do you watch this happen, stare me dead in the eye, and tell me how much of a terrible and awful teenage boy he is. Like damn I didn’t think we were this dumb. This is also my theory as to why he’s most popular, his arc is very… in your face if that makes sense). Katsuki’s entire mini arc on reflecting his mistakes and his childhood and his future is spent TELLING YOU that it’s what he’s doing. (I’m referring mostly to the endeavor internship arc, the provisional license exam makeup, and basically everything in the war arc related to him leading up to bakugou Katsuki rising here)

And see, Horikoshi will stare you dead in the eye, tell you “this girl has taken into consideration that she doesn’t want to waste her time training her career focusing on a boy because he kinda caught her fancy”, and y’all will still say that this will explode in her face.

Y’all this is a series about learning how to manage emotions, maturity in relationship to one’s emotions, how to feel an emotion, but in a way that is helpful. Horikoshi isn’t telling you “go buck wild, feel everything all the time and always express it”, in fact he explores why you DONT do that! Through Toga or Shigaraki, they show how grief and anger can genuinely consume you. But he also shows why you shouldn’t just put everything in a box to never look at or acknowledge, or why you shouldn’t just let your grief destroy the world around you, or pretending that some emotions simply don’t exist.

I can’t say this enough, so let me say it now, mha is about the extremes of your psyche. That you should control something, but not too much. Everything can be harmful. Everything can be good.

Izuku is not controlling too much, he’s expressing just enough.

I LOVE shaming this dickhead at all times in all my posts. I love saying he’s an ignorant dipshit with a weird amount of distaste for a girl who just confessed to him. I’ve joked that chapter 348 is basically an entire chapter spent on Izuku calling Himiko a mean dyke. And yet I also believe he’s doing nothing WRONG here.

In fact, I’ll even say that this moment right here?

ISNT EVEN IZUKU DOING THE SOCIALLY APPROPRIATE THING ABOUT IT! But he’s still TRYING to reach out to someone he thinks MIGHT be able to understand. (And frankly, this moment is far deeper than what it’s being made out to be, to me it reads more like an unrequited friendship that Izuku both desires and has thought of them to have, while simultaneously showing the distance Ochako has successfully wedged between them for her own sake. Maybe it was always there though, maybe in weird, miscommunicated Horikoshi fashion, this is a representation of how Ochako always read all those “fun friend hangouts” as a little more than that, and without those feelings the friendship never really held any substance to her in the first place. Where Izuku saw his first real friend at UA, she saw little more than acquaintance)

Simultaneously, Izuku is genuinely reflecting on what it means for the world to change, to be a hero, to live after loss—and trying and failing to gain the connection he desires from individuals who can not and will not afford him that.

Izuku is ready for the world to change, a few select characters are also ready for the world to change (mirio, for example), but not nearly enough are. So maybe I’ll have to take this back if I’m proven wrong and I accidentally looked into this far past what everyone else did for no reason, but I genuinely believe with moments like this

And this

Aand this

That Izuku has come forward with that aspect of his character development. He’s reflecting on his new beliefs, not repressing his emotions for them.

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 430 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 もう壊したよ… もうこわしたよ… mou kowashita yo... It's already been destroyed...

2 それは明日のおまえら次第だな それはあしたのおまえらしだいだな sore wa ashita no omaera shidai da na That depends on what you people decide to do tomorrow. (Note: This is a flashback to chapters 423 and 424.)

3 人は ひとは hito wa People

4 生まれながらに平等じゃない うまれながらにびょうどうじゃない umare nagara ni byoudou ja nai are not born equal. (Note: This line is a reference to chapter 1.)

tagline 月日が流れーー つきひがながれーー tsukihi ga nagare-- The days pass by--

5 僕らは一人一人形が違って ぼくらはひとりひとりかたちがちがって bokura wa hitori hitori katachi ga chigatte Each of us is different in form,

sign 職員室 しょくいんしつ shokuin-shitsu Staff Room

6 それ故に他者を思う それゆえにたしゃをおもう sore yue ni tasha wo omou and therefore we think of others.

7 形の違うその身と心を かたちのちがうそのみとこころを katachi no chigau sono mi to kokoro wo The differences in our forms [are in both] the body and mind.

8 だからこそ他へ馳せ だからこそほかへはせ dakara koso hoka e hase That's precisely why we go a different [direction]

9 交点を探す こうてんをさがす kouten wo sagasu to search for points of intersection.

10 緑谷兄ちゃん みどりやにいちゃん Midoriya-niichan "Midoriya-niichan*," (*Note: "Niichan" is a title given to young men or an "older brother," whether related in reality or just as a term of endearment.)

11 デク先生！午後の実技ってどこに集まっとけばいい？ デクせんせい！ごごのじつぎってどこにあつまっとけばいい？ DEKU-sensei! gogo no jitsugi tte doko ni atsumattokeba ii? "Deku-sensei! Where should we gather for afternoon practical training?"

12 これが齢17歳にして知った これがよわい17さいにしてしった kore ga yowai 17sai ni shite shitta That's the hard truth I learned at age 17,

13 バス停前USJの行き方も兼ねてるから バスていまえユーエスジェーのいきかたもかねてるから BASUtei-mae YUU ESU JEE no ikikata mo kaneteru kara "In front of the bus stop, since it also serves as the way to go to the USJ."

14 社会の現実。 しゃかいのげんじつ。 shakai no genjitsu. the reality of society.

1 あの日たしかに聞こえた あのひたしかにきこえた ano hi tashika ni kikoeta That day, I definitely heard them,

2 励ましと祈りの声は はげましといのりのこえは hagemashi to inori no kore wa the voices of encouragement and prayer.

3 今も僕を奮い立たせてくれる。 いまもぼくをふるいたたせてくれる。 ima mo boku wo furui tatasete kureru. They still inspire me.

4 誰かに思いを馳せる事がヒーローへの一歩だとしたら だれかにおもいをはせることがヒーローへのいっぽだとしたら dareka ni omoi wo haseru koto ga HIIROO e no ippo da to shitara If thinking of others is a step towards [becoming a] hero,

5 あの日　誰もが最高のヒーローだった。 あのひ　だれもがさいこうのヒーローだった。 ano hi daremo ga saikou no HIIROO datta. then that day, everyone were all the greatest heroes.

6 不相応な夢を叶えて貰った ふそうおうなゆめをかなえてもらった fusouou na yume wo kanaete moratta I had an undeserved dream come true for me.

7 考える前に動いてしまった事で始まった僕の物語は かんがえるまえにうごいてしまったことではじまったぼくのものがたりは kangaeru mae ni ugoite shimatta koto de hajimatta boku no monogatari wa As for my story, which began when I moved before I could think,

book title 敵連合 ヴィランれんごう VIRAN rengou The League of Villains

1 OFAの残り火と共に幕を閉じていく。 ワン・フォー・オールののこりびとともにまくをとじていく。 WAN FOO OORU no nokoribi to tomo ni maku wo tojite iku. the curtain has started to close on it along with the embers of One For All.

2 じゃあ jaa Well then,

3 何でまだコレを書いてるかって？ なんでまだコレをかいてるかって？ nande mada KORE wo kaiteru ka tte? why am I still writing this, you ask?

4 だってまだ datte mada Because, there's still

5 ページは続いているからね ページはつづいているからね PEEJI wa tsudzuite iru kara ne the pages that are continuing. (Note: Contextually, this would read as "There are still pages left to fill.")

1 ８年後 ８ねんご 8nengo 8 years later

2 諸君もいよいよ受験生だ‼︎ しょくんもいよいよじゅけんせいだ‼︎ shokun mo iyoiyo jukensei da!! "All of you are finally [entering the school year when you will take] entrance exams!!"

3 来週までに進路希望を提出する事‼︎ らいしゅうまでにしんろきぼうをていしゅつすること‼︎ raishuu made ni shinro kibou wo teishutsu suru koto!! "By next week, submit your career aspirations!!"

4 俺ぁヒーロー科！雄英だな！ おれぁヒーロー科！ゆうえいだな！ orea HIIROO-ka! yuuei da na! "Mine's the hero course! At UA!"

5 今アツイのはサポートアイテムだよ！ いまアツイのはサポートアイテムだよ！ ima ATSUI no wa SAPOOTO AITEMU da yo! "Support items are what's hot right now!"

6 絶対「ライトリーラボ」のメンバーになるンだ！ ぜったい「ライトリーラボ」のメンバーになるンだ！ zettai 「RAITORII RABO」 no MENBAA ni naruNda! "I'll definitely become a member of the Lightly Lab!"

7-8 あの大天才発目明さんが所属するサポートアイテムデザイン事務所！ あのだいてんさいはつめめいさんがしょぞくするサポートアイテムデザインじむしょ！ ano daitensai Hatsume Mei-san ga shozoku suru SAPOOTO AITEMU DEZAIN jimusho! "The support item design office that super-genius Mei Hatsume-san belongs to!"

9 僕は吉田竜ドクターみたいに ぼくはよしだりゅうドクターみたいに boku wa Yoshida-ryuu DOKUTAA mitai ni "I [wanna be] like Doctor Ryuu Yoshida"

10 回復不可能な人をも治せるような医師になる…必ずな かいふくふかのうなひとをもなおせるようないしになる…かならずな kaifuku fukanou na hito wo mo naoseru you na ishi ni naru...kanarazu na "and become a doctor who can cure even those who cannot recover...definitely."

11 私は5年前に"サイバ・ウォー"で伝説をつくったGeL Inc.に入りたい！ わたしは5ねんまえに"サイバ・ウォー"ででんせつをつくったジーエルインクにはいりたい！ watashi wa 5nenmae ni "SAIBA・WOO" de densetsu wo tsukutta JII ERU INKU ni hairitai! "I want to join GeL Inc., which created a legend with 'Cyber War' five years ago!"

12 プログラミング！パリキャリかっこいいの！ PUROGURAMINGU! PARI KYARI kakko ii no! "Programming! Paris and Cali are so cool!"

1 え⁉︎おまえもヒーロー志望なのかよ⁉︎ え⁉︎おまえもヒーローしぼうなのかよ⁉︎ e!? omae mo HIIROO shibou nanoka yo!? "Eh!? You also aspire to be a hero!?"

2 うわあ見るなよ！ うわあみるなよ！ uwaa miruna yo! "Waah don't look!"

3 おまえの"個性"はさすがにムズくね!⁉︎ おまえの"こせい"はさすがにムズくね!⁉︎ omae no "kosei" wa sasuga ni MUZUku ne!!? "But surely that'll be difficult with your quirk!!?"

4 ダイ！ "Dai!" DAI!

5 それは…わからんでしょ…！ sore wa...wakaran desho...! "That's...you don't know...!"

6 ただでさえ敵発生率も減少傾向で ただでさえヴィランはっせいりつもげんしょうけいこうで tada de sae VIRAN hasseiritsu mo genshou keikou de "Even in the most opportune times, the incidence rate of villains is on the decline,"

7 ヒーローも数絞られてきてンだぜ⁉︎ ヒーローもかずしぼられてきてンだぜ⁉︎ HIIROO mo kazu shiborarete kiteNda ze!? "and the number of heroes has been narrowed down too, right!?"

8 ごっからは真に強ェ奴だけがヒーローになる時代だぜ！ ごっからはしんにつえェやつだけがヒーローになるじだいだぜ！ gokkara wa shin ni tsueE yatsu dake ga HIIROO ni naru jidai da ze! "It's an era when only truly strong guys become heroes!"

9 みんな変わっちゃった みんなかわっちゃった minna kawachatta Everyone has changed.

10 ガキの頃は口を揃えて ガキのころはくちをそろえて GAKI no koro wa kuchi wo soroete When I was a kid, everyone would say it in unison.

11-12 オールマイトやエンデヴァー　ベストジーニスト　デク　大・爆・殺・神ダイナマイト‼︎ショートみたいになりたいって　デク　だい・ばく・さっ・しんダイナマイト‼︎ショートみたいになりたいって OORU MAITO ya ENDEVAA BESUTO JIINISUTO DEKU daibakusasshin DAINAMAITO!! SHOOTO mitai ni naritai tte They'd all say 'I wanna be like All Might or Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Deku, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight!! Like Shouto!'

13 わかってる wakatteru I get it.

14 僕だけがガキのまま ぼくだけがガキのまま boku dake ga GAKI no mama I'm the only one who stayed like a kid.

15 だから不安になった時はいつもここに来る だからふあんになったときはいつもここにくる dakara fuan ni natta toki wa itsumo koko ni kuru That's why, when I feel anxious, I always come here.

1 ダイくん一年生がんばれそう？ ダイくんいちねんせいがんばれそう？ DAI-kun ichinensei ganbaresou? Ready to try your best as a first-year, Dai-kun?

2 うん un Uh-huh! (Note: These two lines are a flashback back to chapter 258.)

3 デビュー以降目覚ましい活躍を見せるテンタコル デビューいこうめざましいかつやくをみせるテンタコル DEBYUU ikou mezamashii katsuyaku wo miseru TENTAKORU "Since his debut, Tentacole has shown us remarkable service."

4 僻地などで未だ見られる形質差別由来の事件に尽力し平和的に解決してきたその功績と影響をたたえ へきちなどでいまだみられるけいしつさべつゆらいのじけんにじんりょくしへいわてきにかいけつしてきたそのこうせきとえいきょうをたたえ hekichi nado de ima da mirareru keishitsu sabetsu yurai no jiken ni jinryoku shi heiwateki ni kaiketsu shite kita sono kouseki to eikyou wo tatae "In recognition of his achievements and influence in peacefully resolving incidents stemming from trait discrimination that still occur in remote areas,"

5 イマムラ平和賞が授与されました！ イマムラへいわしょうがじゅよされました！ IMAMURA heiwashou ga juyo saremashita! "the Imamura Peace Prize has been awarded!"

6 この賞は8年前蜂起した彼らへ このしょうは8ねんまえほうきしたかれらへ kono shou wa 8nenmae houki shita karera e "This award goes those who rose up 8 years ago."

7 俺は彼らの決意の上に立っているに過ぎないです おれはかれらのけついのうえにたっているにすぎないです ore wa karera no ketsui no ue ni tatte iru ni suginai desu "I am doing nothing more than standing atop their resolve."

1 続いてはチームアップニュース つづいてはチームアップニュース tsudzuite wa CHIIMUAPPU NYUUSU "Continuing on, in team-up news,"

2 インゲニウムフロッピー・クリエティそしてウラビティが全国の小学校を巡っています インゲニウムフロッピー・クリエティそしてウラビティがぜんこくのしょうがっこうをめぐっています INGENIUMU FUROPPI・KURIETI soshite URABITI ga zenkoku no shougakkou wo megutte imasu "Ingenium, Froppy, Creati, and Uravity are patrolling at elementary schools all over the country."

3 敵発生率の減少に伴い活動の幅を広げる"ヒーロー"たちその中でもーー ヴィランはっせいりつのげんしょうにともないかつどうのはばをひろげる"ヒーロー"たちそのなかでもーー VIRAN hasseiritsu no genshou ni tomonai katsudou no haba wo hirogeru "HIIROO"-tachi sono naka demo-- "Even among the heroes whose scopes of activities are expanding with the decrease in the villain incidence rate,"

4 ウラビティの打ち出した"個性"カウンセリング拡張計画は今最も必要不可欠な活動と言われています ウラビティのうちだした"こせい"カウンセリングかくちょうけいかくはいまもっともひつようふかけつなかつどうといわれています URABITI no uchidashita "kosei" KAUNSERINGU kakushou keikaku wa ima motto mo hitsuyou fukaketsu na katsudou to iwarete imasu "The quirk counseling expansion plan launched by Uravity is said to be the most essential activity right now."

5 おい緑谷これ見たか？ おいみどりやこれみたか？ oi Midoriya kore mita ka? "Hey Midoriya, have you seen this?"

6 おまえの幼なじみまたチャート落とすぞこりゃ おまえのおさななじみまたチャートおとすぞこりゃ omae no osananajimi mata CHAATO otosu zo korya "Your childhood friend is gonna drop in the charts again with this."

7 かっちゃん… Kacchan... "Kacchan..."

8 なんでこんな近くにおンだてめェ‼︎ なんでこんなちかくにおンだてめェ‼︎ nande konna chikaku ni oNda temeE!! "Why are you this close to me, bastard!!"

9 ひっ‼︎ hi!! "Eep!!"

10 見せ物じゃねンだ死にてーのか‼︎ みせものじゃねンだしにてーのか‼︎ misemono ja neNda shinitee no ka!! "I ain't some spectacle, do you wanna die!!"

11 先生かっちゃん矯正しようと励んでましたよね せんせいかっちゃんきょうせいしようとはげんでましたよね sensei Kacchan kyousei shiyou to wa hagendemashita yo ne "Sensei, you were trying so hard to correct Kacchan, huh."

12 轟とはこれでだいぶ水あけられそうだなあ とどろきとはこれでだいぶみずあけられそうだなあ Todoroki to wa kore de daibu mizu akeraresou da naa "Looks like this'll widen the gap between him and Todoroki."

1 連日連夜事件に駆けつける れんじつれんやじけんにかけつける renjitsu ren'ya jiken ni kaketsukeru "He rushes to incidents day and night."

2 ぎこちないけど分け隔てないファンサ ぎこちないけどわけへだてないファンサ gikochinai kedo wakehedatenai FANSA "He's awkward, but he gives equal attention to all his fans*." (*Note: Literally this says "He does fan service," but the meaning here is more like what we see with Hawks and Endeavor in Kyushu where that little kid wanted Hawks' autograph and that one Endeavor fan was upset when Endeavor offered to shake his hand. THAT'S the kind of fan service this refers to.)

3 最近じゃエンデヴァーの息子だなんだって言われることも少なくなったそうだ さいきんじゃエンデヴァーのむすこだなんだっていわれることもすくなくなったそうだ saikin ja ENDEVAA no musuko da nanda tte iwareru koto mo sukunaku natta sou da "Recently it seems like people don't often mention that he's Endeavor's son."

4 シンリンカムイ・Mt.レディを抜いて シンリンカムイ・マウントレディをぬいて SHINRIN KAMUI・MAUNTO REDI wo nuite "He'll overtake Kamui Woods and Mount Lady,"

5 一気にトップの通形先輩と並ぶ勢い いっきにトップのとおがたせんぱいとならぶいきおい ikki ni TOPPU no Toogata-senpai to narabu ikioi "then right away he'll have the momentum to match Toogata-senpai at the top."

6 物間くんや骨抜くんもすごいし ものまくんやほねぬきくんもすごいし Monoma-kun ya Honenuki-kun mo sugoi shi "Monoma-kun and Honenuki-kun are also amazing,"

7 先輩もこないだ「コエー！」って笑ってましたよ せんぱいもこないだ「コエー！」ってわらってましたよ senpai mo konai da 「KOEE!」 tte warattemashita yo "and senpai* was also laughing and [calling them] 'Scaryyy!' the other day." (*Note: I think he's referring to Mirio here.)

8 ……さびしいか ......sabishii ka "......You lonely?"

9 …… "......"

10 でも demo "But"

11 昔　不和先輩が先生と話してて むかし　ふわせんぱいがせんせいとはなしてて mukashi Fuwa-senpai ga sensei to hanashitete "long ago, Fuwa-senpai was talking with you, Sensei,"

12 その時思ったんです そのときおもったんです sono toki omottandesu "and that's when I thought,"

13 "無個性"には戻るけど経験を活かして誰かを励ませるなら "むこせい"にはもどるけどけいけんをいかしてだれかをはげませるなら "mukosei" ni wa modoru kedo keiken wo ikashite dareka wo hagemaseru nara "I'll return to being quirkless, but if I can make use of my experience and encourage someone,"

14 それはとてもかっこいいかもなって sore wa totemo kakko ii kamo natte "that might be really cool."

15 かっこいいですかね　今僕 かっこいいですかね　いまぼく kakko ii desu ka ne ima boku "Aren't I cool now?"

16 もう少し生徒に厳しくした方がいいな もうすこしせいとにきびしくしたほうがいいな mou sukoshi seito ni kibishiku shita hou ga ii na "It'd be better if you were a little more strict with the students."

17 大事なことだぞ だいじなことだぞ daiji na koto da zo "It's important."

18 この現代でウチに入って来れるような奴は このげんだいでウチにはいってこれるようなやつは kono gendai de UCHI ni haitte koreru you na yatsu wa "In this modern age, those who can get into [UA]"

19 将来ヒーロー確約されているようなもんだからな しょうらいヒーローかくやくされているようなもんだからな shourai HIIROO kakuyaku sarete iru you na mon da kara na "are guaranteed to be future heroes."

20 増長しないように俺たちが厳しくしないといけないんだわかるか ぞうちょうしないようにおれたちがきびしくしないといけないんだわかるか zouchou shinai you ni ore-tachi ga kibishiku shinai to ikenainda wakaru ka "We have to be strict now to prevent them from growing arrogant, do you understand?"

21 先生けっこうやさしかったけどな せんせいけっこうやさしかったけどな sensei kekkou yasashikatta kedo na "Sensei, you were pretty kind though."

1 社会に出てからは しゃかいにでてからは shakai ni dete kara wa After entering society,

2 休みも合わないし集まる機会もなかなか作れない やすみもあわないしあつまるきかいもなかなかつくれない yasumi mo awanai shi atsumaru kikai mo nakanaka tsukurenai we don't have enough time off, and we can't easily make opportunities to get together.

3 男性からの支持圧倒的 だんせいからのしじあっとうてき dansei kara no shiji attouteki "With overwhelming support from men,"

4 漢！烈怒頼雄斗の意外なオリジンに迫ります おとこ！レッドライオットのいがいなオリジンにせまります otoko! REDDO RAIOTTO no igai na ORIJIN ni semarimasu "chivalry*! The surprising origin of Red Riot approaches!" (*Note: Or, depending on how you like to translate Kirishima's favorite word, "Manliness!")

5 レッドだ！ REDDO da! "It's Red!"

6 アンブれいかぶる！ ANBUreikaburu! "Unbreakable!"

7 あっ a "Ah!"

8 皆の活躍を見るのはとても嬉しい みんなのかつやくをみるのはとてもうれしい minna no katsuyaku wo miru no wa totemo ureshii I'm very happy to see everyone in action*. (*Note: This word also refers to one's activities, their service, their successes and contributions, etc.)

9 学生の頃を思い出すとよくここに来る がくせいのころをおもいだすとよくここにくる gakusei no koro wo omoidasu to yoku koko ni kuru When I recall my days as a student, I often come here.

1 いだっ‼︎ ida!! "Ow!!"

2 ひゃん hyan "Oof!"

3 あっぶねーありがとござます！ abbunee arigato gozamasu! "That was dangerous, thank you very much!"

4 デ… DE... "De..."

5 え…デク⁉︎緑谷‼︎出久⁉︎ え…デク⁉︎みどりや‼︎いずく⁉︎ e...DEKU!? Midoriya!! Izuku!? "Eh...Deku!? Izuku Midoriya!?"

6 うわあ⁉︎実在してるんだあうわあ うわあ⁉︎じつざいしてるんだあうわあ uwaa!? jitsuzai shiterundaa uwaa "Waah!? You really exist, wow!"

7 そっか sokka "I see."

8 受験生かあ じゅけんせいかあ jukensei kaa "[You'll be taking] entrance exams, huh?"

9 …時代が急激に変わってって…僕みたいな …じだいがきゅうげきにかわってって…ぼくみたいな ...jidai ga kyuugeki ni kawatte tte...boku mitai na "...They say times are rapidly changing...it seems like that to me."

10 同級生に比べてめちゃ弱い"個性"はついていけなくなっちゃった どうきゅうせいにくらべてめちゃよわい"こせい"はついていけなくなっちゃった doukyuusei ni kurabete mecha yowai "kosei" wa tsuite ikenaku nachatta "Compared to my classmates, with my very weak quirk, I can't keep up."

11 だからここに来てオールマイト像に聞くんです だからここにきてオールマイトぞうにきくんです dakara koko ni kite OORU MAITO zou ni kikundesu "That's why I came here and asked the All Might statue."

1-2 僕もあなたたちのようなヒーローになれますかーーーって… ぼくもあなたたちのようなヒーローになれますかーーーって… boku mo anata-tachi no you na HIIROO ni naremasu ka---tte... "I asked, can I also become a hero like you guys...?"

3 "僕もオールマイトのように"ーーー "ぼくもオールマイトのように"ーーー "boku mo OORU MAITO no you ni"--- Just like me with All Might---

4 髪の皿みたいなモノを投てきする"個性"か かみのさらみたいなモノをとうてきする"こせい"か kami no sara mitai na MONO wo touteki suru "kosei" ka "A quirk that throws things that look like plates from one's hair, huh?"

5 髪由来なら峰田くんの応用で全然いけると思うなあ重ねることで強度も上がるし大きさも変わってたよね？汎用性あるよ かみゆらいならみねたくんのおうようでぜんぜんいけるとおもうなあかさねることできょうどもあがるしおおきさもかわってたよね？はんようせいあるよ kami yurai nara Mineta-kun no ouyou de zenzen ikeru to omou naa kasaneru koto de kyoudo mo agaru shi ookisa mo kawatteta yo ne? han'yousei aru yo "If it comes from hair, I think you can absolutely use Mineta-kun's application. By piling them up, their strength increases and their size changes, right? It's versatile!" (Note: This text bubble is surrounded by the "mutter" sound effect often used for Izuku's mumbling.)

6 コワ‼︎いけど何これ励まされてる⁉︎ コワ‼︎いけどなにこれはげまされてる⁉︎ KOWA!! ikedo nani kore hagemasareteru!? "Creepy!! But also why is this encouraging!?"

7 夢をを叶えた後は ゆめをかなえたあとは yume wo kanaeta ato wa After fulfilling [my own] dream,

8 大丈夫 だいじょうぶ daijoubu "It's all right,"

9 だって君はさっき手を差し伸べようとしたじゃないか だってきみはさっきてをさしのべようとしたじゃないか datte kimi wa sakki te wo sashinobe you to shita ja nai ka "because back there, you tried to reach out your hand, didn't you?"

10 夢を与えていく番だ ゆめをあたえていくばんだ yume wo ataete iku ban da it's [my] turn to offer dreams.

1 君はヒーローになれるよ きみはヒーローになれるよ kimi wa HIIROO ni nareru yo "You can become a hero!"

1 頑張れ少年！ がんばれしょうねん！ ganbare shounen! "Do your best, young man!"

2 さびしくないと言ったらウソになるけど さびしくないといったらウソになるけど sabishikunai to ittara USO ni naru kedo If I said I wasn't lonely, I'd be lying, but

3 こんな風に誰かを励ませるならーー こんなふうにだれかをはげませるならーー konna fuu ni dareka wo hagemaseru nara-- if I can encourage someone like this--

4-5 これは僕たちが最高のヒーローになった物語 これはぼくたちがさいこうのヒーローになったものがたり kore wa boku-tachi ga saikou no HIIROO ni natta monogatari This is the story of how we became the greatest heroes.

text in hand 完 かん kan Complete

1 遅かったじゃないか少年‼︎ おそかったじゃないかしょうねん‼︎ osokatta ja nai ka shounen!! "You're late, young man!!"

2 仰ってくれたら空港まで迎えに行ったのに！ おっしゃってくれたらくうこうまでむかえにいったのに！ osshatte kuretara kuukou made mukae ni itta noni! "If you had told me, I would have gone to pick you up from the airport!"

3 サプライズプレゼントしたくてね SAPURAIZU PUREZENTO shitakute ne "I want to give you a surprise present."

4 タペストウリーですか⁉︎ TAPESUTOURII desu ka!? "Is it a tapestry!?"

5 8年前私とAFOの戦いで取れたデータが 8ねんまえわたしとオール・フォー・ワンのたたかいでとれたデータが 8nenmae watashi to OORU FOO WAN no tatakai de toreta DEETA ga "The data obtained during the battle between me and All For One 8 years ago"

6 なんかすごい可能性を広げるモノだったそうだ！ なんかすごいかのうせいをひろげるモノだったそうだ！ nanka sugoi kanousei wo hirogeru MONO datta sou da! "seems like it's something that opens up a lot of possibilities!"

7 "個性"の深化と共に "こせい"のしんかとともに "kosei" no shinka to tomo ni "With the strengthening of quirks,"

8 技術もまた深化していく ぎじゅつもまたしんかしていく gijutsu mo mata shinka shite iku "technology also strengthens."

9 マルチに個性を使いこなした君で更なるデータを取りたい！ マルチにこせいをつかいこなしたきみでさらなるデータをとりたい！ MARUCHI ni kosei wo tsukaikonashita kimi de saranaru DEETA wo toritai! "I want to collect even more data from you as you have mastered using multiple quirks!"

10 え　でもこんな高いモノ… え　でもこんなたかいモノ… e demo konna takai MONO... "Eh? But such an expensive thing..."

11 ��いつは海外の友と発目少女の協力 こいつはかいがいのともとはつめしょうじょのきょうりょく koitsu wa kaigai no tomo to Hatsume-shoujo no kyouryoku "This one is from cooperation between my friend overseas and Young Hatsume,"

12 そして爆豪少年中心にかつてのA組が共同出資したモノだ そしてばくごうしょうねんちゅうしんにかつてのエーぐみがきょうどうしゅっししたモノだ soshite Bakugou-shounen chuushin ni katsute no EE-gumi ga kyoudou shusshi shita MONO da "and it is something that the former Class A jointly invested in with Young Bakugou at the heart of it."

13 バレてるぜ BAREteru ze "You've been found out."

14 まだ身体が動いちまうんだろ まだからだがうごいちまうんだろ mada karada ga ugoichimaundaro "Your body is still moving."

1 肝に銘じておきな きもにめいじておきな kimo ni meijite oki na "Take this to heart."

2-3 これも君自身が勝ち取った力だ‼︎ これもきみじしんがかちとったちからだ‼︎ kore mo kimi jishin ga kachitotta chikara da!! "You've earned this power fair and square, too!!" (Note: The above three lines are a reference to chapter 2.)

4 皆といつまでも みんなといつまでも minna to itsumademo WIth everyone, forever...

5 来い こい koi "Come [on],"

6 デク DEKU "Deku." (Note: If you want to get REALLY sentimental, just know that together speech bubbles #5 & #6 make grammatically the exact opposite phrase of what Katsuki said to Izuku in the woods at summer training camp before he disappeared in the portal, which gets translated in English as "Stay back, Deku.")

1 前よりは"暇"って感じかな…！ まえよりは"ひま"ってかんじかな…！ mae yori wa "hima" tte kanji ka na...! "It feels like we've got more free time than before...!"

2 星戦道路で崖崩れ交通マヒってます せいせんどうろでがけくずれこうつうマヒってます seisen douro de gake kuzure koutsuu MAHIttemasu "A landslide on Seisen* Road is paralyzing traffic." (*Note: This road's name means literally "Star Wars" in Japanese.)

3 ヒーロー出動お願いします！ ヒーローしゅつどうおねがいします！ HIIROO shutsudou onegai shimasu! "Please dispatch heroes!"

4 いつまでも itsumademo ...forever,

tagline 1 No.430　僕のヒーローアカデミア　堀越耕平 ナンバー430　ぼくのヒーローアカデミア　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 430 boku no HIIROO AKADEMIA Horikoshi Kouhei No. 430 My Hero Academia Kouhei Horikoshi

tagline 2 長きに渡るご愛読心よりありがとうございました‼︎堀越先生の次回作にご期待下さい‼︎最終42巻は12月4日（水）発売予定です!!! ながきにわたるごあいどくこころよりありがとうございました‼︎ほりこしせんせいのじかいさくにごきたいください‼︎さいしゅう42かんは12がつ4か（すい）はつばいよていです!!! nagaki ni wataru goaidoku kokoro yori arigatou gozaimashita!! Horikoshi-sensei no jikaisaku ni gokitai kudasai!! saishuu 42kan wa 12gatsu 4ka (sui) hatsubai yotei desu!!! A long-time favorite, thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts!! Please stay tuned for Horikoshi-sensei's next work!! The final 42nd volume is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 4th!!!

5 手を差し伸べ続ける物語 てをさしのべつづけるものがたり te wo sashinobe tsudzukeru monogatari this is the story of how we keep reaching out our hands.

[bakuhatsufallinlove]

424

All right, listen. It’s pretty damn funny that two weeks ago I posted all like, “oh I don’t really comment chapter-by-chapter, I’m waiting to see what happens next,” but this one broke me.

This chapter was everything I wanted for bkdk, and it’s so much more tender than I ever dreamed it could be.

This post is not going to be like most of my posts, because I am a flood of emotion. If you’re wanting some detailed, well-researched analysis of this scene, that ain’t coming for a while.

I don’t have some kind of comparative linguistics to show you. I just have my visceral reactions as someone who speaks Japanese and has absorbed Japanese media for many years. I have shared my heart with others in Japanese, I’ve sputtered out words between sobs and felt the many kinds of comfort different people try to offer. I have comforted others who let themselves be vulnerable with me.

In all these moments, just as in English, I wondered if my words and feelings reached them. Each time, I felt the warmth of connection when they looked at me, and I decided that they knew I did my best. They accepted me, even if it wasn’t perfect.

I’m gonna tell you the truth, and I wouldn’t normally say this so directly, but it matters to me: the fan translation for this specific scene is not good. The tone is wildly off in some ways and it outright omits a number of very important words.

The official translation gets so much of it right.

But that’s not really what I want to talk about right now. I want to talk about how people are reading this scene.

I have seen a ton of, frankly, oblivious interpretations of Izuku’s side of things.

Listen to me. Izuku is not making fun of Katsuki for crying, he is not telling Katsuki that crying isn’t like him, that isn’t in the text at all. He is not rejecting Katsuki’s feelings, or belittling them, or ignoring them, or any of that.

Izuku has seen Katsuki cry in-canon a number of times, but every time it was over his own personal failures, and the frustration, anger, guilt, and grief associated with them. We see it in the aftermath of Deku vs. Kacchan 1. We see it during Deku vs. Kacchan 2.

Izuku is shocked to see Kacchan cry because this is the first time he has cried for Izuku.

When Katsuki apologized in 322, he looked Izuku in the eye and told him his feelings with conviction and poise. He was gentle and vulnerable, but strong, because he was asking Izuku to trust them and rely on them. To come back with them and believe in them, like they believe in Izuku. He bowed his head to show his remorse. He caught Izuku when he fell, and he accepted Izuku’s own apology.

He embodied dignity, sincerity, and strength of character. He was a true hero.

This?

This is the raw, honest sorrow of a young boy. It is a tender, earnest, unguarded display of how much Izuku means to him.

These are the tears you shed for someone you cherish. These are tears for when you think you are losing something you can’t live without. Because Katsuki isn’t just crying for the loss of Izuku’s dream—it’s their dream, the future they dreamt up together as kids.

Izuku is almost pathologically incapable of understanding how other people see him and feel about him, but this is unmistakable. He is stunned because there is no other explanation.

There is unmitigated heartache and longing at the core of Katsuki saying, “I just thought somehow we would be together like this, competing and chasing after each other, forever.”

And Izuku is reeling, but so, so touched, and filled with fondness. Look at how his shock shifts to this overwhelmed, affectionate smile.

He’s right—this isn’t the usual Katsuki, and that is precisely why it means so much. We as the audience have been privy to Katsuki’s feelings, but until now Izuku himself has never really grasped the depth of them. This is all the tenderness Katsuki has kept locked up inside, and he is letting Izuku see it for the first time.

To see Kacchan—strong, fierce, and absolutely unstoppable—shed these innocent, helpless tears for him and tell him through sobs that he wanted things to stay this way forever, I can’t blame him for being blown away.

I think Izuku expected Katsuki to be shocked and a little sad that he gave up OFA, both for Izuku’s sake and because it is the legacy of their hero. Before Katsuki even starts crying, Izuku has this small smile on his face, like he was ready to reassure him that he had made peace with his own choice.

But he clearly didn’t expect for Katsuki to weep openly in front of him about it or to confess to wanting him by his side. Izuku had so enjoyed just being allowed near Katsuki, allowed in his life at all—to think that Katsuki could want the same and want it this much, to the point that he worries that things would change, that Izuku would abandon him or deny him? How could that ever be?

In what world could Izuku ever stop chasing Kacchan?

Izuku is a bit of an idiot. He has always thought that Katsuki understood how much he cared for and admired him—that’s why he is so shocked during DvK2 to hear that Katsuki thought he looked down on him for years. Izuku thought Katsuki understood his feelings and simply rejected them.

The way he loves Kacchan is natural and unquestionable. Even now, he can’t understand how Katsuki doesn’t know. It’s baffling to him.

But he still accepts Katsuki’s vulnerability and responds to the intimacy.

This is such an affectionate, loving thing to say. Izuku is being so sweet. I cannot convey to you strongly enough how Izuku telling Katsuki, “C’mon, stop it, this isn’t like you!” reaffirms their closeness.

If Izuku had not said this line and instead skipped straight to this nervous, awkward little attempt at comfort here:

It would have read as so much more distant.

With his tears and his confession, Katsuki pleads with Izuku to not leave him. To be with him always.

And in response, Izuku unabashedly stakes his claim on their bond by being bold enough to affectionately scold him and even assert authority on what kind of person Katsuki is. Remember these?

Chapters 202 and 319

This is such a staple in Japanese media for showing close bonds. Your loved ones know you. They tease you. They scold you. They have that right. You gave it to them.

The people you love cheer you up by reminding you that you’re strong and brave and that even if things feel hopeless and like you can’t go on, that they know you can. Everything will be okay, and they know so because they’ll be right there with you. Of course they’ll be there.

Symbolically, throughout the series, Izuku’s response to Katsuki trying to be closer to him has always been: “Of course.”

He has always accepted Katsuki as much as he is able to, as much as he had awareness for. He is wildly lacking in self-awareness, so it’s certainly not perfect, but by god does he try.

What Izuku is really saying is a mixture of “Really? You want that, too?” and “Don’t be silly!”

One part is him being shocked and touched; the other is him being absolutely certain of his own heart, and showing it as best he can.

He does get flustered and self-conscious, though—because it’s overwhelming to see Kacchan this way, and this is kind of new territory for them. So he switches tactics to reassure Kacchan about how things are now, and make sure he doesn’t feel embarrassed about this outburst. He still has the embers, so it’s okay for now. And their bodies are weak, so of course their heads will be in a bad place too, it’s easy to get low spirits. Of course Katsuki would be feeling vulnerable. It’s normal.

He gives Katsuki so many things here. He gives him as much as he can.

Izuku doesn’t know how long he’ll have the embers for and, frankly, he doesn’t have any guarantee that he will be able to satisfy this longing of Katsuki’s after he loses them. This, too, is a staple of promises in Japanese media: “I don’t know if I can satisfy you, but I want to try. I hope you can accept me.”

Things will be different—the future is always uncertain, now more than ever for their world. But what will never change is what they feel in their hearts.

After this scene, I honestly don’t care if we get something other people see as “bkdk canon.”

What Katsuki says is as good as a confession to me. What Izuku says in return is genuine and pure. This is a messy pair of teenage boys figuring out how to reach each other with words, when they have always been so damn bad at it. This is the two of them both reaching a new point of intimacy and reaffirming everything that came before.

[angel-sweets666]

stuck together chapter II

Barbarian bakugo x princess! Reader

Your parents arranged you to the brash and rude prince of the barbarians to save their own skin.

Warnings: suicide of a character, death and dead bodies (flash backs or nightmares) mentions of war, threats of execution. Wet dreams (smut) talks of impregnating, thoughts of breeding. Slight breeding kink, swearing, slight time skip

first chap here

A/n just wanna warn yous deku is not a good person in this AU, think of like a bad ruler. Someone who acts nice and then executed like a bunch of people. A hypocrite

Bakugo tapped his index finger against the wooden table, his eyebrows furrowing. Clear frustration on his face. Staring up at the map then at the two guards before him, a blonde and a redhead. Both large men with equally frustrated looks on the faces.

“well what do you think we do?” Denki asks, staring at his two other companions “that lands too rugged, not good.” Kirishima rubs his chin in deep thought. “You idiots! It’s obvious here!” “Too close to the monoma kingdom, he’ll obliterate it the moment he sees it.” Kirishima interrupts bakugo, trying to knock some sense into the prince. The electric blonde looks back over the map, staring at the multiple empty lands. Most of which were once war grounds.

“we could… go here!” He points to a green patch, several kilometres long and wide. It be perfect, If only it wasn’t where bakugo fought in a bloody war.

flash back

bakugo heaves as he looks to his left over his shoulder, dead bodies. He looks forward. More dead bodies, most of which were of todorokis soilders. “Stand down Bakugo. Your gonna loose!” A tall red headed man booms out, standing next to a once alive horse, now dead and laying down. “No…. I won’t….” Bakugo straightens his back and grabs his sword. Letting out a loud war cry (scream) before lunging at the huge red headed man, his act of bravery to avenge his men who were now cold bloody and dead on the floor. Leaving their wives, children, siblings and parents behind just to fight in this war for him.

back to now

Bakugo snapped out of his flash back , placing a gentle hand on the large burn mark on his side, a scar from a brutal war. The scar now healed over and nothing but scar tissue. "Todoroki battlegrounds, can’t do the plan there " he mumbled to Denki and Kirishima. Neither of them had been at the war; they were still in training at the time. If only katsuki could’ve just trained at that time, he was only 18 where the first war he fought in happened

Denki rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Like everything is Todoroki battlegrounds! It's taken your family, what, seventy years just to get Flamoria to back off? This whole continent is practically Todoroki battlegrounds!"

Bakugo glared at him but couldn't entirely disagree. "There. Still battlegrounds, but fifty nine year-old battlegrounds," he said, pointing to a large plain of land in the distance. The expanse was unclaimed by any kingdom, a constant reminder of the war's devastation.

. “Are you sure bakubro?” Kirishima asks, his pupils turning to slits. A feature almost all purebred dragons have. “It’s fine shitty scales.” Bakugo grumbled as he looks to Denki “huh?! Oh yeah.. it’s uh.. very green!” Denki stuttered, nodding his head “good, here’s final” he takes a pen and circled the large land. Chucking the pen back onto the wooden table “there, done.” Bakugo said as he arose from his chair and began walking out the room, kirishima quickly rolling up the map and grabbing it before scrambling to keep up with the two blondes

You heard the sounds of heavy footsteps echoing through the stone hallway outside your chambers. Curious and slightly annoyed, you peeked out the door to see three men you knew all too well: Kirishima, Bakugo, and Denki. Their boots clomped loudly against the floor, disrupting the quiet.

Frustration bubbled up as you leaned against the doorframe, placing your weight on one hip. "Can you three keep it down?" you shouted, your voice sharp.

Bakugo spun around, his expression already irritated. "What are you on about, woman?!" he yelled back, clearly not in the mood for any complaints.

"Can't a girl sleep?" you retorted, your tone matching his.

Denki and Kirishima scrambled to get on their knees and apologize, "We’re sorry, your highness! We didn’t mean to wake you!" They looked so apologetic and sweet that you couldn't help but smile. "It’s alright, hons. I’m yelling at Bakugo," you reassured them. Sometimes you wondered, "Why can’t Kirishima or Denki be the future king? Then I’d marry them," because they were such sweethearts.

Bakugo grumbled, "You’re not my mother."

"No, but I’m your future wife. Close enough," you teased, unknowing to bakugos already bad mood. You didn’t know that when he had nightmares or reminders of war he got angry and sometimes… physical

His eyes darkened with rage. "Excuse me? I am the future king, and you will not speak to me like that unless you want to end up in the dungeon with your head hacked off! His voice boomed as he got close to your face, causing you to back up in fear.

"Kat…Katsuki?"

"WHAT?!" he roared, his voice filled with venom, making your heart race.

You backed up again, trembling. "S-sorry…" you stammered, scrambling to get back into your chambers, your heart pounding in your chest.

“way harsh man she was only teasing..” kirishima mumbled “I don’t give a fuck she needs to learn her place.” Bakugo spits back, his flared up anger bubbling to a cool. Beginning to walk up the hall again, yanking the map from kirishimas hands and storming away. The two boys looked shocked! Bakugo was always so calm with women, rude? Sure, very. He made fun of and were rude with women, but never yelled at them. Same goes for children and the elderly. what was going on??

bakugo walked up the halls to his bedroom chambers, trying to take deep breaths. “Bakubro what’s going on man?” Kirishima asks “yeah! Ever since we thought of the plan you’ve been acting all funny!” “IM NOT ACTING FUNNY!” Bakugo yelled in response “You just threatened to execute *name* by hacking off her head.”

bakugo sighed “just..! Leave me alone. I’ll see you idiots later” bakugo walked into his chambers and slammed the door in his guards face. “Who put a stick up his ass?” Denki mumbled as the two marched to their posts outside the palace.

You sat in your room, shocked at what had just happened. How could bakugo just threaten you like that? He was rude to you, ignored you ect but never threatened you! You slowly sat down on your bed, staring off into nothing. The way he yelled at you, they were right when they said he was terrifying. You thought you two were warming up to eachother, clearly not.

you laid down in bed and tried to go to sleep, but you were very shaken up from the incident it took you a while to fall asleep. The way Katsuki looked at you like you were nothing more than a block in his way just shook you to the core. Bakugo on the other hand was completely fine! As if he didn't just threaten to kill you. He was sleeping soundly in his bed of furs.

however as time went on and the clock ticked to early in the morning, katsukis once peaceful sleep became that of a nightmare.

nightmare

bakugo heaved on the ground, a todoroki soilder standing over him menacingly. One that was particularly short. He clicked his tongue as he crouched down over bakugo “I thought you were strong? Didn’t you kill lord Izuku? That’s what they all said, you stabbed him right in the chest. Cold blooded killer you are.” He harrassed bakugo, an attempt to scare him “I didn’t fucking kill him he killed himself.” He spat back, unable to move due to the blade of the soilder right near his neck under his jaw. “ then howd they find him with YOUR blade in his chest and you gone?” The soilder asked “I- left him alone for five god damn minutes!” Flash backs of the day Izuku was interrogated and tortured by members of bakugos court, the screams of his once childhood friend turned mortal enemy rang in his ears. In a desperate attempt to escape the torture he stabbed himself with katsukis sword with scary aim

right in the dead centre of his chest.

back in real word

katsuki shot up in a cold sweat, panicking. These nightmares had been getting worse and worse, he knew izuku deserved it! But the boy was once his child hood friend, and an ally to his kingdom. Only for when he took over to put his kingdom in insane amounts of debt, poverty and famine. He was a horrible person as he got older, bakugo had to do something! The man got up, wiping up remaining sweat from his body with a rag. Taking a walk down the hallway, he paused by your chamber doors. you.

the woman who seemed to get in his way constantly.

he felt bad for you, he knew you had no choice in this. You couldn’t control if you were to be married off or not. Neither did he. He bit back his pride, knocking on your bedroom door loud enough to wake you up.

The sound of fur sheets rustling filled his ears, followed by your soft voice. "Come in…"

Katsuki opened the door and saw you in your nightgown, snuggled up in bed. "It’s me," he grumbled in a low voice.

"Oh… Baku—"

"Call me Katsuki," he interrupted, his response shocking you.

"Okay… Katsuki."

The blonde sat by your sleepy form awkwardly. "Sorry about today… I shouldn’t have gone off at you. I won't hack off your head, dumbass," he apologized, a rare occurrence.

You blinked in surprise. "Holy shit, did pigs learn to fly?"

Bakugo scoffed. "No, I'm apologizing."

"So… yes, they have. Okay… I accept your apology," you said, a small smile tugging at your lips.

Bakugo breaths a sigh of relief “you better” he grumbled out “I am! I’ve accepted the apology!” You sat up, staring up at him. Bakugo looked over you, checking you out for a second. A slight blush going over his cheeks but you would never see that in the darkness. You cleared your throat “so… Uhm… when’s the wedding?” You asked to try and strike up a conversation. “When was your gown fitted?” Katsuki asked “2 weeks ago..?” “Then in two weeks.” He replied calmly

“your voice is pretty when your calm..”

“hah?!”

“your voice, your always so loud and gruff…it’s pretty when your calm.” You compliment him

“Oh shut up.“

you giggle “you should get some rest, it’s late.

“early.”

“huh?”

katsuki looked at you “it’s early, it’s 1 am.” His face seemed almost like he was mocking you. “Right… yeah… early…”

katsuki stood from your bed “g’ night..” he makes his way to the door and walks out, closing the large wooden door behind him.

that visit of his was strange and oddly comforting, a late night apology from katsuki? What did kirishima do to make him do that?! You laid back down onto the mattress of your bed, staring up at your roof.

The way he walked in shirtless, he was so handsome you’ll give him that.

sleepily your eyes fluttered to a close and you soon drifted off, having a much opposite dream from katsukis.

your dream

your face was pressed into the pillows by a big hand, the feeling of hips slapping against yours being the second thing you feel.

the first thing would be the monster sized cock sliding in and out of your pussy.

katsuki grabbed your hips and pushed you down on his cock harder

“cmon you can handle… hah… it. How else am I supposed to get that heir huh? I need to.. fuck! Fill you up with a baby first to get a baby…just a little longer…” he grumbles into your neck, biting down onto skin before you feel a hot sticky fluid rush into your womb. Doing just as he said he would do to you.

hopefully one day 🙏

a/n I WONDER WHAT “the plan” ISSSSS. it is shorter but it builds up to what’s gonna happen trust the process🙏

tag list:

@literallyjusta-reader. @augustraine @audreykins45 @i-simp-for-mha-men @applepi25 @gabby-ha @@luv444lay @sillyemanusz @thecutienadq @chimeily @thephantomkid6-66 @mutsu422 @alligator-person @nottherealslimshady @therealsatorugojo

[codenamesazanka]

My prediction on what was Scissors-kun's deal ended up being pretty correct: he was indeed abused - horrifically so, being tied up and locked away - and then abandoned by his family during the war because of his quirk. Except Horikoshi actually exceeded my expectations and revealed that it wasn't because of behavioral issues (not that it would've justified it! Never. but I was imagining a parallel to Toga), it was only because his quirk was a random mutation, and also his family sewn his mouth shut.

Because thing is. The set up for something like this was here all along. I predicted it based on things that were already happening in the story. Continued fear of 'abnormal' quirks; horrific domestic violence enacted due to this; Heroes never catching wind of this because this was from a family that weren't consider 'Villains', so this was Scissors-kun's normal. And this normal broke and the dark secret got revealed only because something extraordinary happened - the country collapsed. Scissors-kun family left him, so he was able to escape.

But... none of this is apparently going to be addressed. The happy ending is Scissors-kun being found and helped, instead of any widespread, far-reaching, systemic change that would prevent shit like this. No, 'but it's obviously going to be addressed off-screen' doesn't count. The story brought up on-page and explicitly that quirk discrimination is a thing, that abusive quirk counseling/treatment is a thing, that abuse and abandonment of children is a thing. I expect the solutions to be on-page and explicit as well, and not just 'if I reach out when it's not my business, then...!'

(Also. it is their fucking business. They're government employees. Their job is to save people and guarantee the welfare of all citizens. it is very much their business.)

I'm not upset that Scissors-kun isn't Shigaraki; never really expected that in the first place. Shigaraki died. Deku fucking failed. I've come to terms with it. I'm not upset that Shigaraki wasn't saved, but this kid was; not even in the meta-, story-, character-sense, because, fine, he's replacement goldfish Tenko, but I'll take the 'we'll do better next time', it's a good thing this kid gets saved, it's what Shigaraki would've wanted, it's what the League fought to destroy for. It's even good that The Old Lady has become a better person.

What baffles me is that this save occurs pretty much because of nothing except the purported 'What Deku Showed The World That Day (When He Killed A Man)'. This save isn't because Heroes and civilians have more awareness of victims. This save isn't because society is promising to stop quirk discrimination. This save isn't because Ochako learns of Toga's abusive parents and so sets out to tackle this issue of quirk-related domestic violence. This save isn't because Deku has lead a new movement to stop bystander inaction. (Moreover, about 'bystander inaction' - Scissors-kun lists 5 other people outside his immediate family of Dad/Mom/Sis who knew about him... and did nothing. His uncle, his aunt, his grandparents, his great-grandfather - if they didn't directly help sew Scissors-kun mouth shut, they still turned a blind eye and never alerted authorities. (Tenko explicitly states this as one of the factors that led to him lashing out, but I guess the story forgot about it long ago, so. Even with the memories sharing of Chapter 417 and 418, Deku never sees this.))

As I said above, none of the issues that lead to Scissors-kun being in the circumstances he was in has been addressed.

This save isn't because any random civilian has decided to help - because any rando can and should help! This isn't even because Old Lady came to the guilt-ridden conclusion herself to do better.

This save is because Old Lady, carrying the burden of guilt, watched Deku kill the kid she didn't save all those years ago (tho she doesn't know it) and is apparently inspired by this act of "I can't help but do something" to finally take action (as helpfully narrated by Hawks). It's not because civilians have done any deep thinking about the rot that permeates their culture; it's because Deku was a hard-working murderer on TV. There were dozens of other people on the street. Real change should've been a whole crowd of people seeing Scissors-kun and wanting to help - someone giving him a blanket or offering him shoes while another calls for an ambulance???

But whatever. I just want to state this: the first thing that truly saved Scissors-kun was Shigaraki's destruction. Without it, his family would've stayed in that house and kept him locked up. It's really only because of Shigaraki's destruction that Scissors-kun even got the opportunity to find freedom and get his hand held.

[habken]

What were your thoughts on MHA's ending?

I know a lot of people didn't really like it, but I think it was actually pretty good! Midoriya was able to become a hero with the support suit his classmates got him, and that's the part I think a lot of people kind of missed? They all pitched in so that he could join them on the field!

Also, Aizawa and Midoriya as coworkers is so funny to me

I think I talked about it already, but yeah I liked it and thought it was good, but wish there’d been More. I feel like a lot of the end of the story was rushed and I wish there’d been slower pacing at parts.

It took me awhile to fully come around to Deku’s ending, and I have mixed feelings about him not being able to be a hero for all those years without a quirk. At the same time, the way I read it made it feel like he decided for himself that with the skills he had at his disposal, the best way to be a hero wasn’t going around catching bad guys. It was fostering a community and teaching the next generation and leaving a legacy of kindness in his wake.

He’s always been someone that rouses the people around him into action, that’s how it’s been from chapter 1 when he inspired all might to act. He’s got all this knowledge on quirks and heroic applications and has a talent for analysis, and I think all that combined makes him perfect for teaching. It’s also very fun to imagine him and aizawa as coworkers lmao

And yeah!! I think people’s interpretation for his friends “abandoning him” or whatever more so comes from looking at leaks and not reading the actual chapter. They’re adults, it makes sense they can’t hang out every day anymore, but it felt like the general vibe I got was they do get together when they have the time, and I feel like he probably does see his friends outside of ‘class get-togethers’ too. And also they love him so much!! They all worked hard to pitch in so he could be a hero by their side again, it’s so sweet :’)))

But like.. I’d wish we’d seen more lmao. I wish we’d gotten just a little bit more on what he was doing during the time skip, it seems like he had ofa until graduation, but did he have it for a bit after that point? Did he do hero work before ‘retiring’? (And also… seeing the class hang out as adults just once or something would have been nice </3)

I guess it’s fun to leave up to our interpretation though, cause now we can decide how the 8 years went and nobody can say “that didn’t happen”

[sugarlywhispers]

ex!b.katsuki x reader ; m.izuku x reader — bakugou cheats on his gf, with midoriya's girlfriend.

☆– warnings; ANGST. mention and description of panic attacks, swear words, cheating (bakugou to reader; uraraka to midoriya), description of a fight. But it ends in fluff~ c;

☆–a.n; honestly, i don't know if i'm going to add another chapter... i still have a bit more of ideas for this, but i don't know ._.

in the meantime, i hope you liked this new part! <3

also, i hope ya'll have a wonderful beggining of 2024!!! may this new year bring lots of good thing for everyone, lots of love and adventures, new amazing things and wonderful people to your lives!

love ya'll so much, wish you all ALL the good things life can bring; no more tears, except happy ones. <3

A few weeks go by, and Midoriya and you keep in touch, texting almost everyday. Talking about random stuff, important stuff, whatever the mood is. But it's mostly cute, random stuff, getting to know each other kind of feeling. It's funny how you both have been around each other for so long and did not actually know one another. 

The texting was cute. Like a picture he sends one afternoon, when his shift is calm and almost finished, when the sun is setting, taken from up high in a building. A beautiful sunset picture that you use as a lock screen wallpaper on your phone. Or that one selfie he sent when he shared patrols with Hero Shoto; you remember thinking how cute he looked posing next to the hot and cold Hero, with two fingers of one of his hands pulled up on a peace sign. Or a picture of a little puppy Hero Deku found on a rainy morning shift. He took it to the closest vet so they could help the little animal, and you find that so fucking heroic it makes your heart jump from the cuteness.

"I wonder… who has you smiling like that? Oh , I know… Mister Greeny," Mineta mocks, his eyebrows shaking up and down suggestively.

"Shut up," you bark and hit him on the upper arm strongly. He simply laughs.

Three months pass faster than you actually realize. You're better, you feel better. You haven't had a single panic attack since Midoriya Izuku entered your life. Which is good… it means good.

He is good.

Since that first Friday you grabbed coffee together, you both decided to make it your day. Each and every Friday morning, Izuku and you would go to grab coffee at that same shop you went to the first time; then he would walk you home as the gentleman he is.

It's Friday and you're waiting for him, it's a bit late already, but you know he is coming. He had a night patrol but he insisted to not break the new tradition - his words. You found it cute, so you didn't protest.

But now you're worried, because it's almost 30 minutes since you have been waiting and he hasn't come yet. Then it becomes 40, 45, 50 minutes. You feel your neck itchy, but you try to ignore it, looking at your phone. Waiting for a notification, waiting for Mid‐ Izuku to contact you. But nothing.

It's already been 1.10 hours long and no sign of him. You sigh and decide to go home, it's been more than an hour already. Probably he had something coming up at the last minute, or he simply forgot. He probably had a rough night and he didn't have time to meet you. You're not as important as his job, obviously.

You grab your things and exit the place, the kind girl behind the counter smiles sadly at you and waves her hand as goodbye. You smile, or at least try, in her direction and leave the coffee shop.

You feel itchy all over. This… This is… weird . Why are you feeling like this? You have no right to feel… disappointed, hurt . He's a Hero. He's freaking Number One, pro hero Deku. His job will always come first. But you can't help it. It's like…

You're not my priority, Y/N. Understand that you'll never be. I have to concentrate in my job if want to fucking be Number one.

You haven't heard his voice in your head for a long time now. And hearing it again is… painful. Hurting. Choking .

Every sound around you feels a hundred times louder as you walk, every light blinds you and you don't realize you're bumping into almost everyone around. The pressure on your neck is getting stronger and you can't breathe. You can't think. Your vision is turning black, like that night at the ramen shop with Mineta. A panic attack . You're having one in the middle of the street. How embarrassing . How pathetic . 

You want the blackness to finally evolve you, and don't let go.

And then you see it, you feel it. Green eyes and strong hands grabbing your shoulders. You know those green eyes, you have seen them before. He's moving his mouth but you can't hear his voice. He looks worried; why is he worried? You feel rough hands that grab your face as softly as he can, and they are cold. You aren't used to the cold, but you like it. It's refreshing.

"...hear me? Y/N, please breathe, okay? Breathe with me," his voice is comforting, so you follow him, you breathe with him. "That's it… You're okay. We are okay."

The sight around you starts to clear, the blackness dissipates and you see clearly. His face is the first thing your eyes find. You know him. "Izuku?"

" Yes! Yes, it's me… Hi, love," he smiles relieved. You look around realizing you're in the middle of a circle, with him. People are watching, some worried, some annoyed. Embarrassing .

You realize then that Izuku's hands are around your face, holding you with no intention of letting go. "Izuku…"

He blinks, realizing then probably your surroundings and nods. "Yes, come one, let's go…"

Izuku helps you stand, his arm surrounding your waist pulling your weight on him so he helps you walk. Everyone starts clapping, clearly recognizing hero Deku even in his civilian clothes.

He walks you to your apartment in silence. Until you walk into the building, "There's no elevator?"

"No, it's been broken since before I got here," you know your voice sounds throaty, and the expression on his face says it worries him.

He sighs looking at the long stairs ahead. He knows you live on the fourth floor. "Okay, then," he says before picking you up, bridal style.

"Izuku! I can walk!"

"No, you can't. You have been putting your weight on me the whole way here."

"Still, I…"

"Shut up. Let me help," his tone it's so authoritative you have no other option than to do that. Shut up and let him help, because you know you wouldn't be able to climb those stairs up on your own even if you tried.

On the way up, you can't avoid watching him. He looks… angry . You have never seen him like that, or better said, you have never experienced his anger, you have seen him angry on the TV, fighting villains.

"I'm sorry," you say, and he stops midway, his eyes traveling to your face.

"You're apologizing for having a panic attack?" He's frowning, his tone incredulous, but serious. It makes tingles run your body.

"I'm… Yes, it's embarrassing ," you feel your voice crack a bit, and you hate that.

"Y/N, it's not embarrassing. It's a trauma response. And it's okay to go through it. But you need to heal…"

You look away from his face, tears already burning your eyes. You can't help but hear his voice again.

Having panic attacks in public is embarrassing, Y/N. You have to control them. Don't be fucking weak.

" He said… he said they were embarrassing."

You know you shouldn't be saying this to Izuku, but you said it even before you could actually think it.

" Who said-…" Izuku stops mid sentence. Takes a deep, deep breath, and continues climbing the stairs in silence. You don't dare look up. He's so tense and angry, you don't really have the courage to witness that right now.

When you arrive at the fourth floor you signal him which one is your apartment. And even when you are in front of the door, he doesn't put you on the ground. He stands there, waiting patiently, as you search for the key card on your bag and when the door is open he enters with you in his arms. He of course takes his shoes off at the entrance and walks inside.

He doesn't say anything as he sits you over the small couch and sits next to you, his arm touching yours and taking almost all the space around you. His smell is around and you like it.

His face is even closer to yours when he asks, worried, "When were you going to tell me you have panic attacks?"

"I… I don't want to bother anyone with them." You tell the truth. You can't lie to him.

"That's what he told you? That they are a bother?" You simply shrug, not really wanting to answer. "Y/N, I'm not angry or feel like this is a bother. I'm worried, you need help."

"I am going to therapy. I've been going since I'm five, Izuku. I had a handle on them, they weren't recurrent until…"

"Until he left you," he finishes for you, slightly shaking his head and you nod.

Izuku sighs, standing up and you watch him. Is he going away? Is he embarrassed and going away, deciding not to involve or do anything with your broken self?

"Do you mind if I make us both tea?"

You shake your head rapidly in answer. He smiles and walks towards the kitchen. You follow his every move, being a small apartment it's easy to do it.

Izuku is… staying . For tea. He's not leaving. He's not leaving you alone after a panic attack. Like Mineta. But he's your best friend, Mineta has always been there; like you have been there for him even after the war he had to be part of at such a young age and he tried to push you away. Izuku doesn't have that obligation. Izuku… is your friend? Well, that's how you like to think of him since you got to know him this past months. But the category of best friend was not there for him yet. You were just getting to know each other. So, why is he here? Why does he stay?

"It's ready," he suddenly says, sitting back next to you with the two mugs of tea. He gives you one and you accept it a bit startled.

The sudden smell of lemon with honey tea that invades your nose as you bring it closer to drink immediately relaxes you. You smile after taking a sip.

You look back at him and he's watching intently at you, like he's waiting for your reaction.

"You remembered," you say and you really want to cry now.

He smiles, a hand flying to the back of his head to scratch it nervously, "You said it was your favorite."

You did. On a text message, when the topic was favorite drinks . But the fact that he remembered that you said it, it is… overwhelming.

Silence again. On your part it's more relaxed, but you can feel him a bit anxious. You decide to give him space, time to say whatever it is that it's inside his mind.

Until he does.

"You're not the only one… struggling still… with all that happened." He says as he sets his mug on the little coffee table in front of you. It's very small, mostly for decoration. Only space for the two mugs you're using at the moment. Izuku then lays his elbows over his knees, fingers fidgeting in the middle clearly showing his nervousness. "I have nightmares. Very bad ones, since the war. Uraraka used to help a lot, she was always there for me when I needed her."

This is the first time he talks about her this willingly, so you just keep silent and give him the space he needs to say whatever he wants.

"I was finally getting better… and then… she wasn't there anymore…"

"The nightmares came back?" He simply nods. You can't help yourself but to direct your hand towards his shoulder in a form of comfort, which he accepts with a small smile.

"I guess… we are two broken people, trying to pick up the pieces left. Aren't we?"

His eyes shine with tears he refuses to set free, probably also what your own looked like. He smiles sadly at you, before patting your hand that still holds his shoulder.

You both stay in silence for a little while before Izuku breaks the silence again.

"I'm sorry about today. I had…" He sighs. "I had a discussion with a partner."

Partner? You know Izuku doesn't have many partners. One is Hero Shoto, who also is his best friend. You doubt he had a discussion with him, you couldn't actually see Shoto in a heated discussion at all. And the other one is… Oh .

"What did he do now?" You don't even have to mention his name. You and Izuku know who you're talking about.

The green-haired man rolls his eyes. "We have been civil. For the sake of everybody around us. And if I'm being honest, we work well together. In fights, we understand each other perfectly. So we decided to just be professional and not bring up anything that happened."

You know this. Izuku had already told you this once, when he called you on his lunch break to talk to you about a cute little butterfly that he would send you the picture of when he was less busy and you heard Bakugou's voice on the back calling for Izuku. They had been on a mission together.

"Until…" Izuku continues, "Until this morning, when he decided to bring up our Friday morning's coffee."

" What?! " You frown. How did he know? Nobody knew, besides Mineta and probably Shoto on Izuku's side. Nobody else knew… unless…

"Paparazzis discovered us. I don't know how. I'm always careful when meeting you. I take a lot of turns and I disguise myself the best I can so they don't recognize me. But they found out." He sighs, a hand sliding his green and black curls back. "They released an article yesterday. About us."

Izuku takes out his phone, searching for something before showing it to you.

NEWLY BACHELOR, NUMBER ONE PRO HERO DEKU, FOUNDS NEW SWEETHEART?

Yes, my readers, this is apparently what it looks like. A young, pretty lady like this caught the attention of the Symbol of Hope quite fast, if you ask for my humble opinion.

We don't have much information about her, sadly. Only that this lady has our favorite Pro Hero on her clutches... Look at the way he looks at her in the following pictures!

Isn't it cute? Let me be honest, as a fan of Deku myself, I can't avoid feeling a bit heartbroken, but I also think that this man deserves all the happiness anyone can give him. Don't you agree? And after that sudden break up with Pro Hero Uravity that caught everyone by surprise, makes me think… Does this lady have anything to do with it? Did she catch Pro Hero Deku's heart from before, causing the break up? Mmm, so many questions, readers, that we don't have the answers yet! But no mind, we will try our best to find them! Be patient, and in the meantime, show a bit of support for our favorite Number One Hero.

You feel like vomiting. Your picture, clear as day, has never been on the front page of a magazine. Bakugou has always protected his privacy so meticulously, and that included you. The media and his fans knew he had a relationship, but he never let anyone get a glimpse of it.

And here you are now, on the front page of Go-zzip Hero magazine, the picture showing you sitting in front of Izuku in that coffee shop, talking so close to his face it practically looks like you're kissing. Oh, shit . You do that? You actually speak that close to him??

You swallow thickly, looking back up at Izuku.

"I am so sorry, Izuku, I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know. None of us did. But I'm sorry I wasn't more careful…"

"Don't be silly. This is not your fault."

"Yours either."

You both smile shyly at each other. This is… chaotic. Being involved with him is… OH, SHIT.

"What? What is it?" He asks as he sees your eyes open wide in fear.

"Your fans are gonna kill me..."

"No, they aren't…"

"Yes, they are! Oh my God!" You stand, after putting your mug over the table next to his, a bit wobbly on the legs which makes him react fast to hold you if you fall, but you don't. You start walking one way to the other of your small living room. "I'm so food for the fishes… they are going to kill me!"

Izuku chuckles. "No, they aren't, Y/N…"

"Don't laugh! Yes, they are! Especially after what that journalist said! They even hinted that probably I was the reason you broke up with Uraraka!"

"Which is not true. I'll call my manager and PR team and ask for an interview with the magazine and clarify this. You don't have anything to worry about. Neither does Mineta. I'll clarify that we are just friends…"

That makes you freeze in place, frowning. "Mineta? What does he have to do with this?"

Izuku frowns too, looking confused at you. "Aren't you… Isn't he… Aren't you dating ?"

"WHAT?!" By Izuku's flinching, you realize you raised your tone a bit louder than you intended. "Sorry…Mineta is my best friend, Izuku. He's like a brother to me."

Izuku looks so confused, "But… But you always speak about him. He cooks for you, he is… he is here almost everyday for you, and he did all that stuff to piss off Bakugou for you, like a…"

"Like a brother would." You smile. "I do think that somehow our souls are connected, because I know I could leave apart from anyone, except him . He's that annoying sticky thing you get used to living with and don't want to unstick, because if you do something will miss. Because he's my brother. I wouldn't be able to live without his annoying ass." Izuku laughs with you. You walk back to sitting next to him as silence comes back. Then, you keep talking, "Mineta has been there when I had no one. Even when we were five years old and my parents died in a car accident, provoked by a hero-villain fight." Deku tenses, but keeps his attention on you. "We used to play heroes when we were kids and fantasize about how we were going to be Number One. Both of us, together. And then the accident happened. I was left alone. I didn't have much family around, only my old great-grandma that was barely suitable to raise a child. So I was given to the state. I went to an orphanage."

You don't know why you're baring your soul to Izuku like this. This was a painful, very intimate part of your history nobody knew but Mineta. Not even Bakugou knew. He never insisted for you to tell him. He simply accepted that you were Mineta's best friend, end of sentence. He never questioned anything. Now you wonder if that was a good or a bad thing.

"That's when your panic attacks began?" He asks a bit timidly. You nod.

"It happened that same day, when I was given the news about their deaths. A kind lady had been there with me, explaining what it all meant. She was kind, but she didn't have much experience. Imagine walking into a room as a kid where your parents are lying dead in two stretchers and being told these are your parents and you're not gonna see them anymore ." Izuku flinches again, a chill clearly running down his back. "A few hours later, I had my first panic attack. I lost consciousness for almost an hour. It was the longest one I ever had and doctors were worried not enough oxygen had gone to my brain, considering that even when I woke up I wasn't talking to anyone."

"Until Mineta and Auntie Asiki came to see me at the hospital. The second Mineta lay down next to me in the hospital bed, I started crying, and he held me. We were kids, not knowing anything about life, and he still understood that I needed him. Auntie Asiki offered to bring me home with her and Mineta, but the forms to the orphanage had already been filled and accepted. It would take a lot of money, lawyers and procedures to let her, a single mother, take my custody. And while her heart and intentions were hugely appreciated for even thinking about it, it was impossible."

"I didn't know Mineta's mom was a single mother." Izuku frowns, probably guilting himself about it, because of everything they, as class A, had been through their years at UA.

"He doesn't like speaking about it. He really has to trust you to tell you about it."

Izuku nods, instantly respecting that decision. He then scratches his neck again. 

"So, you and him are not…"

You chuckle. "Not even if he was the last man on Earth." Izuku laughs too.

" Ouch , that wounds me so deep, bun," Mineta's voice is heard from the entrance as he walks inside your apartment.

Shit , you haven't heard him at all. The worry on your face is visible, because you have been talking about him, about his private life, and you hadn't consulted him before. You feel so bad, so worried he'll get mad at you.  

Mineta sees you and simply shrugs, "It's okay, bun, I trust Midoriya." He then winks at you and you feel the worry disappear completely.

"Thank you, Mineta. I promise I won't speak about it to anyone."

"It's okay," Mineta answers Izuku, pulling his thumb up in his direction. You smile watching their interaction. "I'm not here though to have this conversation." Your best friend gets closer to where you are, a worried expression on his face. "I was told you had another one, in the middle of the street.." You sigh, looking down at your hands that lay in your lap. "Was it because of him again?"

You nod and Mineta is the one who sighs this time.

"About Bakugou?" Izuku asks then, frowning.

You nod again. "My therapist is helping, but yes, they appear after I remember something, random things he once had said to me."

"Why it doesn't fucking surprise me…" Izuku barks as he stands from the couch and walks, just like you had moments ago. Mineta opens his eyes wide, watching amused at Izuku's reaction.

"He's such a fucking jerk… But we already knew that, didn't we?" 

Izuku immediately agrees with Mineta.

"I should have punched him harder," Izuku's comment makes you choke on the tea you were about to swallow.

"You what?!" Both you and Mineta speak at the same time. You look worried about the whole situation, the discussion clearly hadn't been a simple one if there had been fists involved. Mineta looks like a kid given the awaited present on his birthday.

"What really happened, Izuku?" You ask, worry clear on your tone.

"He saw the article, clearly. I came back from night patrol and was changing in the locker rooms, the whole night shift was there preparing to go home at the same time the morning shift was getting ready to start their patrols. And he started making comments about you and me, about how I apparently like his leftovers, about how you are a gold digger and now went for me."

"He did not fucking say that!" Mineta stands up, ready to beat some ass, Bakugou's, specifically.

"He did! I couldn't not do anything. I tried to be civil and only told him to stop talking about us, that he didn't know anything. And I told him to stop playing the victim, because he was none. The only victims in this story are you and me," Izuku looks at you like he's assuring you, "They don't have the right to even comment on this." 

"Hell yeah, Midoriya!" Mineta cheers, raising his hand for Izuku to high five him, and the green-haired does, animated. You shake your head trying to hold your smile back. "What did corn-head say then?"

Izuku laughs at Mineta's nickname for Bakugou, bumping his fist again with the man in agreement.

You roll your eyes. Jesus , men are such idiots with nicknames. 

"He then said that… I don't know if I should repeat it…" Izuku and Mineta both look at you, Mineta already intuitively knows.

"He talked… he talked about our sex life, didn't he?" You ask after a minute of silence.

Izuku nods.

"Tell me you did punch him hard though…" Mineta is fuming, you can see the smoke coming out his ears, metaphorically. 

"Of course I did. Twice, before someone pushed me away."

"Well done, man." Mineta high fives Izuku again.

"You shouldn't… you didn't have to…"

"I won't let him or anybody speak about you that way, Y/N. Now that I know all you've been through, I won't even give them a chance to."

You move before you think, again. One second you're seated on the couch, and the next you're hugging Izuku. Arms around his neck strongly, as your face hides in your arm and his shoulder. It takes him a second, but he reacts by hugging back, strong arms surrounding your waist as delicately as he can, but also firm and securely.

You heard Mineta walk out of the living room towards the kitchen to entertain himself with anything.

And you feel… safe . You feel so safe in Izuku's arms, it's so comforting and nice.

You feel him take a deep breath over your head, as if your smell was comforting to him. You like that idea. That at least in something so insignificant like your smell, he finds comfort and peace. Relax and ease.

"Thank you, Izuku," you whisper only for him to listen.

He shakes his head, "You have nothing to thank me for."

"I do, though. Not only for those punches," you say backing away just a bit so you can see his face. He smiles proudly at the mention of the punches. "But because you helped me with my panic attacks… Twice."

"Twice?" He asks confusedly, but you nod.

"The first Friday we went to have a coffee, remember?" He nods, "I was waiting, and because it was my first time out of my apartment without Mineta I was feeling overwhelmed and… and then you appeared at the door. And all I felt was relief… I felt safe with you there, so it stopped even before it began."

You are looking at his eyes, and you can see the emotion in them as you speak. He then rests his forehead on yours and takes a deep breath, clearly pushing his emotion back in so he can speak.

"I'll be there for you… I want to be there for you, if you want me…"

"I want you," you immediately answer, "I want you to be here."

"Then I will."

"I also want to be there for you," you scratch the back of his head softly, as he bites his bottom lip, taking a deep breath. He looks like he's trying to control himself from doing something then and there, and that makes you smile.

"I want you . I want you to be there too." He repeats your exact same words, making you feel tingles all over your body as you feel his fingertips caress lightly, timidly, the bit of skin showing at your waist.

"Then I will."

You feel him moving, his nose caressing yours in a cute manner. Slowly getting closer, lips barely touching and…

"Sorry to be a cockblock, but your phone is ringing, Midoriya."

The bubble is popped , so you both back away, clearing your throats and fixing your clothes out of nervousness.

"Oh, yeah, ummm…" Izuku walks back towards the kitchen to search for his phone. "It's Shoto. He's probably heard already about the fight this morning. I should pick this." You nod, signaling to your room for his privacy and he thanks you as he walks there.

Your eyes follow him until the door is closed, and then they go towards the kitchen, where Mineta is standing, hip against the counter and a bowl of snacks in his hands he found somewhere, eating them slowly as he looks at you accusatory. A knowing smirk in his face.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything… yet."

You roll your eyes. "Spit it out." You walk towards him, picking some of the snacks on the bowl and eating.

"I have nothing to say, Y/N."

That's impossible, he always has something to say. 

"Or should I call you Ms. Midoriya from now on?" 

Ah, there it is.

You punch him in the arm and he laughs out loud.

PART I - PART II - PART III

[angels-fantasy]

Top Secret Fiction Ch. 6

The Confrontation

Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Description: After meeting the one and only pro hero Dynamight on a dating app, you two begin to see each other. Because of the dangers that come with his hero work, you both promise to be completely honest with each other from the beginning; though you can't help but keep one big secret from him.

You write fan fiction, mostly about him.

Chapter Details: deku makes an appearance here heheh. bakugou lowkey might like fanfics? but only if they're about him. scary confrontation 😟 reader is a bit sad and confused :(

Word Count: 1.4k

previous chapter

As soon as Bakugou got home, he opened his computer and looked up 'Bakugou x Reader'. What came up was a ton of links to different websites, one of the top ones being HeroFiction.Com.

Clicking on it, he scrolled through the sight and found many other original stories about different pro heroes.

While doing this, he learned that this was called fan fiction, which he'd heard about before, but he never paid attention to it because he didn't care.

Keeping the website open, he leaned back and wondered, were you writing fan fiction about him? You must've been, based on your notes. Did you write for other pro heroes, or just him?

A small part of him hoped you only wrote for him.

He sighed and rubbed his hands down his face, trying to think about what the hell he was going to do about this. Clearly, this was something you didn't want to tell him, meaning you kept it a secret.

And he hates secrets, but for some reason, this didn't feel too bad. He was almost... flattered, in a way. He was also curious and he just wanted to know more. But how would he even bring this up to you?

Deciding he'd need help with understanding this website, he called someone he trusted.

"Hey Deku. You know what fan fiction is, right?"

Blushing, Izuku replied with "Why are you asking me that Kacchan?!"

"Because I know you used to write that shit back in high school!" He explained, "Just tell me what you know about this site called 'HeroFiction.com.'"

A lightbulb went off in Izuku's head, "Oh yeah I recognize that name! It's basically a website for pro hero fanfiction. I've seen a few good ones actually-"

"Yeah okay, thanks." Katsuki said, cutting off his friend.

It was time for him to do more of his own research, specifically on this website.

...

When you woke up the next morning, you found yourself in your bed wondering how you got there.

Did I fall asleep? You wondered.

You cringed at the thought of Bakugou seeing you asleep and hoped you didn't do anything embarrassing.

Rubbing your eyes, you grabbed your phone from the nightstand and saw a text from Bakugou letting you know he had left after putting you in your bed.

You smiled at his thoughtfulness and texted him back a thank you, and an apology for falling asleep while he was over.

After tossing your phone down onto the bed next to you, you stretched and blinked away any leftover sleep.

As you were stretching your legs you felt your foot hit something softly. Wondering what it was, you sat up and looked at the foot of your bed, eyes widening when you realized it was your notebook.

But this wasn't just any notebook- this one had all of your notes for fics you were planning on writing.

You thought about how Bakugou brought you into your bedroom, and your heart sank to your stomach when you realized he probably saw your notebook.

"Noooo!" You cried and placed your hands over your eyes. "Kill me now..."

You prayed to any higher power out there that he didn't read anything.

...

Your prayers clearly didn't reach anyone because a few hours after waking up, you got a text from Bakugou that said, "Can we talk? ASAP."

Biting your nail nervously, you texted back "Sure" and asked when and where he'd want to meet up.

Quickly texting back, he told you he'd meet you at a cafe near your neighborhood in a few hours.

A little while later as you got ready to meet up with him you felt like you were going to cough up your stomach and die from your nerves.

You didn't want to accept it, but deep down you knew he figured out your secret. It was already terrifying trying to keep what you did in your free time a secret, but now that the person you wrote about knew, was even more terrifying!

It seemed as though your frantic thoughts made time go by even faster than usual, and it was now time for you to leave so you could make it to the cafe on time.

Taking a deep breath and patting your face, you stepped out of your apartment and began to head to the cafe.

...

As Bakugou sat at the cafe in the outdoor dining area, he tapped his foot anxiously as he awaited your arrival.

After his phone call with Deku and doing his own research (which just consisted of reading other fan fictions he came across), he came to the conclusion that he would accept this hobby of yours, if you were honest about it when he confronted you.

Since he had browsed the website a bit, he came across some stories that were actually decent (but also others that were very, very questionable and he really hoped you didn't write anything like that. ESPECIALLY not a story with him and that damn Deku).

He'd never admit it, but it boosted his ego a bit to know that you wrote about him, and he definitely wanted to read some of your stuff. He wanted to know if it was as good as some of the other ones he has read.

Suddenly, he saw your figure walking towards him and he was snapped out of his thoughts. He sat up straighter and placed his elbows against the table, leaning forward.

You sat down across from him silently with a shy look on your face. "So..." You said softly, "You wanted to talk?"

He cleared his throat, "Yeah. I'll just get to the point..." He said, before hesitating to say, "That night I was at your place, I saw your notebook-"

You grimaced, knowing exactly what he was talking about, and placed your hands over your face in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." You said.

Letting out a deep breath, you uncovered your face and continued to speak while looking down at your lap. "I knew this would come up eventually, I just didn't think it'd be so soon..."

Bakugou scoffed, "So when were you gonna tell me? Never?"

You frowned at his tone, "No! It's just not an easy topic to talk about Bakugou. It's embarrassing and I wasn't just going to say 'Hey Bakugou, did you know I've been writing fan fiction about you for three years?'"

He blinked. He could understand where you were coming from. In fact, he'd probably be more weirded out if you had told him that easily. But, even though you were honest now, it still doesn't shake his uneasiness about you keeping a secret from him.

Sure, it wasn't a huge, life threatening secret, but it was still something you kept from him. He liked honesty, especially in a relationship and it's something he valued heavily. A part of him felt like he should've known about this sooner, since it was about him for gods sake!

He sighed. "Before you go assuming things, I'm not mad at ya, okay?" He said, "I just... I think I need time to think about this alright? A few days at most."

You furrowed your eyebrows subconsciously, making your eyes look big and puppy like. Well damn, how was he supposed to stay away from you when you gave him that look?

"Okay." You spoke sadly, "I understand. I shouldn't have kept that from you, so again, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "'S fine."

You rubbed your sweaty palms on your legs and stood up. "I'll give you time now, alright? Just, call or text me whenever you're ready." You said and gave him a small wave before walking back in the direction you came from.

As you made your way back, you thought about your talk with Bakugou.

If you wanted to keep seeing him, maybe you would have to stop writing. You were starting to really like Bakugou, and you didn't want a silly hobby to get in the way of a potentially serious relationship with him.

You felt your eyes tear up. It was hard to think about giving up writing. You had made friends through your writing, your own little community online. It was great! But realistically, could you keep this up forever?

That same night, you posted on your page.

Hi everyone. I've decided to take a break from writing for a while. I'm not sure how long it will be, but I will still leave everything here for you to read.

Thank you, xo.

authors note

HIII omg im so sorry i haven't updated this fic in a while 🥹 this chapter was actually really fun to write and omg writing readers thoughts at the end lowkey made me sad!! how do you feel about it? pls lmk!!

love ya!

tag list: @doumadono @54fangirl @andysdrafts @dagger-dragger @lovra974 @l4rsun1vrrse @emmab3mma @littlkittenfan @tatiquichi @cloudxluv @seonne @shonen-brainrot @the2ndl @gold24fish @cxp1d @rv19 @gina329

(those in pink couldn't be tagged)

[itsnothingofinterest]

The implication that society at large hasn't learned a thing from its Original Sin (Shigaraki's backstory) is making me ill... Between this and Touya/Dabi's ending, I feel like I'm reading the ending of a tragedy from an Outsider POV or the bad ending path in some video game and being told to Suck It Up Buttercup, because this is a Good Ending Actually!! I've never felt more insulted reading the ending of a story...

Oh same here; a part of me is even beginning to wonder that you might be on to something labeling the whole story a tragedy. The more closely you look into things, the more it looks like every aspect of this ending is a tragedy underneath a thin veneer of “well things are happy and the day is saved now.” I’m almost suspecting if it’s on purpose.

Dabi was beaten, and now Touya is stuck in cenobite cosplay in prison as he lives out the rest of his single digit days letting his abuser talk at him while the rest of the Todorokis wait to hear that the eldest son has died once again.

Anyone considering that the next AFO or Tomura could be out there is taking the exact opposite approach from correct; saying they need to not be sympathetic and instead close their hearts to such a person to better persecute them, driving such folk to villainy faster.

We don't know what happened to Toga but the faces we've seen on Uraraka these past few chapters do not fill me with hope.

We started out with a 4-digit, maybe even 5-digit hero figure when this all started, and the only solution we’ve seen anyone think of (and only as a joke) is to fill the streets with more heroes. Otherwise you can’t fix this; Deku’s talk with AM and Taukauchi ends concluding that you can’t prevent these tragedies.

That sucks when the end of humanity is coming sometime in the next century; just far enough away that no one cares, just close enough that no one can stop it. And though a cure was developed, Deku smashed it to dust and scattered it to the winds alongside the guy he vowed to save; and when the end comes, likely no one will know that Tomura could have prevented this.

It feels poetic how much this reflects hero society as a whole, how much it repeats everything Tomura said in real time. All this present tragedy and future disaster swept under the rug of “but the big bad villain is dead, smashed to pieces by the next symbol, the day is saved, isn’t it?” I once thought MHA was supposed to be optimistic. It has not turned out that way. But it might turn around my opinion on Hori’s writing if that turned out to be on purpose.

...But that might be too much to hope for.

[helga-grinduil]

It's so weird to me that a lot of Shigaraki/LOV fans somehow overlooked and didn't get the fact that chapter 237 was all about AFO convincing Tenko that he has an innate desire to destroy and kill due to his quirk, and that this is why society would never save or accept someone like him (but he would). That THIS is why he believes that he wanted to kill his family, since he must've had that impluse when he destroyed them.

'It's more ReDestro/MLA stuff' - oh, I wonder who could ReDestro possibly be a parallel to? A child who was brainwashed into being a future cult leader and was raised to be the next coming of a great villain of old?

Forget ReDestro, think about ERI. ERI, who is the most blatant, clearest, closest parallel to Shigaraki a character can get. Remember why exactly it was so hard to rescue her? Why Deku and Mirio had to convince her that she deserved to be saved? Because Overhaul taught her that her quirk was cursed, and she was cursed for being born with that quirk.

[sakubabypowa734]

🚨 BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA CHAPTER 423 SPOILERS ALERT! 🚨

Class 1-A is always here to cheer their comrade!

I KNEW IT! I knew it was impossible to Bakugou to not helping Deku just once again during this finale! If we saw Uraraka, even if she wasn't able to help Deku but can encouraging him, we need to see Bakugou! And it is the case!

Kurogiri called Aizawa and Yamada by their name. Shirakumo remembers them but he tells them that he has to be by Shigaraki' side. He really devoted himself for Shigaraki.

This help is important but it breaks his friends' heart...

AFO vs OFA!

One last punch! I KNEW IT TOO! Deku and Tenko will be both to end up AFO! Happy to see for the last time, OFA predecessors helping again.

Shigaraki is decayed... he asks Deku to tell to Spinner that he fight until the end. I am gonna cry! Shigaraki disappears!... Does that mean that Tenko will never come back?...

Everything finally end! AFO disappears in ashes. Deku flies in the blue shiny sky! Who will catch him when he is falling?

Bakugou did a lot of amazing jobs to help Deku until the very end, so...

MIDORIYA HISASHI! DO SOMETHING FOR ONCE TO YOUR SON!!!! SHOW YOURSELF!!!! WHERE ARE YOU AFTER ALL THIS TIME?????

Break next week!

[explodo-smash]

Tenko and Kacchan - Shigaraki and Bakugou as two misunderstood children

Now that we’re in the vestige/memory mindscape for MHA's ending, and Izuku and Shigaraki are sharing memories, this is an analysis I wrote about the connections between Shigaraki and Bakugou, and how I believe Katsuki’s role in this finale will be as another vital mirror for Shigaraki to look at.

[Can also be found on twitter]

Shigaraki and Bakugou have both been denoted uniquely with some similar words/traits:

Overt Childishness/Childlike behavior

Short fuses/tempers

Arrogance

An abundance of power/strength - In general having gross/unappealing personalities etc.

This makes sense.

Because in the original ending where Dk/Bk come together to defeat Shigaraki (as laid out by Heroes Rising) - it’s fair to say the original plan was an story where Izuku and Katsuki alone embodied what society needed as the new foundation for change.

This obviously isn’t the case now, but theoretically it seems like the plan was to make Shigaraki too far gone. His ideals mixed with an enjoyment of destruction.

However, in an ending where he is not, and we’re not getting out of this situation without him being saved, the goals for a new foundation are the same with a different outlook - just the same players.

Shigaraki is seeking to be understood, first and foremost. And he is at the point where he genuinely believes no one can, even if they seek to - however it’s funny because equivalently he severely misunderstands Izuku and Kacchan in his pursuits to be seen.

It’s worth noting that timeline wise - immediately following Deku/Kacchan vs All Might, we transition into the formation of the League of Villains, where Shigaraki is contemplating his interest in Izuku.

He leaves to then go experiment with this interest with the mall, where Izuku disappoints but also inspires him to keep going.

Prior to this, he had left the Toga and Dabi hanging with an answer about whether or not he would accept them, and upon being told again the reason he is not being seen he is not understood, upon being told he has no ideals, his next plan of action was to get Bakugou.

To me, it means something that Shigaraki sought Bakugou out where the other characters had to come to him. Back when these chapters were released, there was a genuine belief amongst readers that Katsuki would fold and join the villains.

This assumption was being made by both Shigaraki, the reporters in the story, and the readers at large despite nothing about Katsuki indicating this but his personality - Shigaraki just happened to make the same mistake readers were making.

When Shigaraki looked at Izuku, he just saw another hero with lofty ideals who was not interested in putting that action to practice with things he did not understand.

However when Shigaraki looked at Bakugou, he saw someone he resonated with being suppressed, forced to change who he is, and unprotected by society at large. Remember, prior to the sports festival the only other thing Katsuki was known for was the sludge villain incident.

And even now, he looks to Bakugou as a mirror of himself, even when AFO was trying to suppress him, the things that started to wake Tenko up were things people said/did on behalf of Katsuki, seeing all the pro heroes work so hard to protect someone already gone.

If I were to give a tentative soft take on the early read, Shigaraki’s failure at being understood by Izuku and Katsuki despite seeking them out (and with the original ending put into context) it seems like the original idea was perhaps that sometimes death is another way of saving, and that Katsuki and Izuku were the main symbolic proof that society can be better when you understand one another.

Now that is clearly being challenged and slightly inverted.

Katsuki/Izuku are still serving the purpose of being the proof and evidence of what change and understanding can do, but now it’s just not as insular.

To me, it’s not a coincidence OFA was borne in the helm of a misunderstanding. Yoichi, the one outcast, suppressed, and unprotected, is still reached out to by Kudou - because he looks like someone who needed saving.

Furthermore, Kudou is the first person to sacrifice himself in the bid to save Shigaraki, betting everything on Izuku who he only grew to understand more after seeing his relationship to himself and Katsuki. Kudou and Shigaraki had similar ideas about him.

Katsuki is consistently the thread that leads to understanding Izuku.

And so while in a lot of ways I do think Shigaraki is going to be able to see Izuku’s childhood and empathize with his own treatment in society, I do think it’d be easy to write it off as Izuku just being a better person than he is, causing him to doubling down anyways.

However, Katsuki is evidence that your origins can be treacherous. You can be a horrible, simple, and destructive child, and still come out of it loved. Katsuki is the strongest evidence everyone has that Izuku isn’t bluffing, both Izuku's persistent and Katsuki's growth.

The biggest difference between Katsuki and Shigaraki is that Katsuki was blessed to have kept love in his life despite everything, and his ideals are predicated on this.

Tenko got to experience this only for a blip in time before being left behind and groomed. Izuku in all his craziness is presenting the opportunity for Tenko to remember it’s possible for him to have love in his life as well without taking the world down with him.

He just can’t do that without seeing the clearest example of that dedication in action with one of the first characters he'd managed to resonate with.

[kuyenshino]

About Deku not getting as much recognition as the others by the people and why he seems so composed about anything ( this can change the next chapters), Horikoshi wrote this comment about "Deku" back in his Dark Hero arc:

The poem in question, Ame ni mo Makezu, written by the japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa:

Also, I recommend the post The Uselessness of Midoriya Izuku go and check it!

An extra note of the poem related to Deku:

"The part of

Higashi ni byouki no kodomo areba itte kannjo shiteyari nishi ni tukareta haha areba itte sono ina no taba wo oi

("If there is a sick child in the east, I go and take care of it. If there is a tired mother in the west, I go and take the bunch of the rice instead")

and Minna ni dekunobo to yobare homeraremosezu kunimo sarezu

("I am called a wooden doll by everyone and not praised or dropped")

was presumed the spirit of the Lotus Sutra’s Sadaparibu Bodhisattva." (*)

A bit about the Lotus Sutra (this is of course a simplification):

"The Lotus Sutra teaches that all people can attain Buddhahood, just as they are, in this lifetime. A person only needs to follow the bodhisattva path: taking compassionate action for others, based on the recognition that true happiness for yourself is impossible while others suffer. Studying and teaching others about the Lotus Sutra makes sure that the sutra will be transmitted into the future, contributing to the peace and happiness of all for generations to come." (**)

Izuku's character is inspired by a poem based in a current/teaching of Buddhism, and I get its too complex for a manga like this, but at the same time, I really REALLY wish Horikoshi would had go deeper into this concept because we all would understand Izuku's character better.

As I said at the beginning, maybe in the few remaining chapters of the manga, it will be shown that Izuku is recognized somehow, but he will probably never be recognized at the level of others because his character represents the pure ideal of the hero.

[todomitoukei]

what’s the spoiler for the final chapter? 🤡

It's a lot of dumb stuff so I'll just focus on the lov, which technically isn't a lot because we don't get any actual info on them.

First of all, there is a time skip of 8 years.

There is a tiny panel of Spinner's book, which is simply titled "League of Villains", next to it is a panel of Compress reading it (where? We don't know). And Shigaraki appears as a ghost in front of Deku in one panel but he just stands there 🕴️without saying anything. Aizawa and Present Mic are seen praying at an altar, suggesting that Kurogiri died (EDIT: it could also be Midnight or anyone else because they don't mention who they're visiting exactly). Ochako started some kind of quirk counseling project (in honor of Toga I guess).

No one actually mentions the lov in any way shape or form.

The chapter starts with the quote from the first chapter: “People are not born equal. Each of us has a different form or shape but, despite of that, we still care for others. And these differences, both internal and external, allow us to run towards other people and search for a point of intersection”

And ends with: "This is the story of how we will continue to reach out."

While these quotes are supposed to come across as inspirational, they ultimately feel shallow as the heroes that committed crimes are continuing to live life while their victims are either dead and/or their ending not even explicitly stated. There is one panel of Endvr in his wheelchair, surrounded by Hawks and his sidekicks, Shouto is a pro hero who is being called Endvr's son less and less these days.

This story about caring and reaching out unfortunately failed at getting anywhere with that as the people that needed help ended up dead/in prison/probably dead.

So while we spent so long arguing about whether Touya would live or die, Horikoshi simply decided to give us the middle finger by not showing him or revealing what happened to him. Is he alive? Did he die? Kurogiri at least had people come visit his altar, however, what happened with Touya, how long did he live if he died, what became of his relationships with his family members? That and more we will apparently never know because why would any of that even matter, right?

Essentially, Horikoshi should've just killed him at the end of the second war and let him go out on his own terms instead of keeping him alive for... what?