It goes without saying, Bakugou Katsuki was ticked off. Him meeting someone he thought was dead was unthinkable, but he could process it.

However, now that same boy - he hasn't seen since they were nine years old - was pretending that nothing happened after what went down in the past. It was as if that cursed incident never happened.

Instead, he walked around with his head hung low, eyes targeting him and mocking him in every way possible.

He send subtle hints:

"I see you've made some new friends that don't just follow you around," he had said, "are they your friends though?"

"Are you going to send them after me?"

"Why are you ignoring me? I had all your attention before."

"I'm happy to see you've become such a good student."

"You're so quiet. I don't remember you being so quiet. You were always speaking on and on about yourself."

But some of what he said wasn't subtle. They were said quietly, in a tone he thought was something close to irritation.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it was always Iida or Kirishima who would interrupt their problematic situation. Kirishima stopping Bakugou from exploding out of rage and Iida scolding Izuku to not provoke his classmates. Occasionally, Kaminari and Uraraka were caught in the crossfire.

This time he wasn't going to hold back.

He wasn't stopping.

Katsuki Bakugou ignored Kirishima's attempts to calm him down and grabbed Izuku by the collar. He slammed him against the wall with a force enough for Izuku to wince.

He wanted to scream and insult him. He wanted to hurt him. He wanted to pay him back for all the nonsense he'd said. He wanted to say a lot, but what came out of his mouth was something else.

"What's your problem!?"

Izuku grinned, seeming excited about something that no-one could figure out. "I don't know what you mean? My problem?" He feigned innocence too well. It ticked Bakugou off even more. People who tended to lie even after being victims of his violent rages were the ones who annoyed him the most.

It was something close to squishing a bug only for it to start moving again, in your direction.

"You know what I mean," he said through clenched teeth. He barely held himself back.

Izuku tilted his head; his grin changed into a closed-eyed smile. "Do I?" He asked slowly.

That very scene played in slow motion in Bakugou's mind. Playing over and over like an echo.

Snap - went the thin rope of patience. No-one, not even Katsuki himself, registered his right arm being raised or when his fist slammed. The same could be said for Midoriya's mad-grin and dull-yet-glowing green eyes.

But that unnerving expression was quickly gone. A genuine surprised look was in its stead.

His head moved, while his eyes locked-on the fist beside him.

A small crack decorated the wall.

"I don't know what you expected to get out mocking me, but I ain't here to pick a fight with someone clearly weaker than me," he said. His tone wasn't calm nor showed any triumph. Voice rough with anger, he was just... tired.

"'Weaker'? Sounds like the same Katsuki to me," Izuku remarked. He let pure irritation lace his tone in the slightest.

Ignoring his comment, Bakugou leaned back and his hand returned to his side. But he was far from letting Izuku go. "You're acting like nothing happened!"

"I don't get what you mean," Izuku denied stubbornly. His lips pursing in a pout, he looked away. Despite that, the other three males could tell he was hiding some sort of explosive emotion too. "You're the one acting like nothing happened - not me."

"Oh yeah, then what about your mom?" Izuku's shoulders tensed, Katsuki noticed as he spoke, "Not once have you worried enough to ask me or anyone how she was?"

The green haired boy slumped; he stared at the ground he could see in Bakugou's grip. "She has nothing to do with this," he mumbled.

Bakgou pulled him by the collar. "Aren't you the least bit worried about her! Why did she have to hear about her supposed-dead-son being in jail! Why did I have to be called-in, of all people, by you!? Do you even care about her!? Don't you want to see her!?"

Bombard by all those questions, Izuku didn't have time to think rationally as he always did. It was all so overwhelming. He had to calm down.

Calm down.

Calm down.

Calm down!

My eyes are on fire. I feel hot. Why am I so ho--

Izuku grabbed Bakugou's collar with both hands. "I am!" He shouted back, "I'm worried. I'm worried sick, okay!? But I can't see her! I won't see her!"

"And why not, huh!?" He rebuked with some cursing words in-between.

"That's... that's none of your business! Why do you even care!? In the first place, why are you so concerned with my life? Acting as if you didn't do anything wrong! Like you're not one of the reasons why my life was so messed-up back then." His shouting outbursts were reduced to barely suppressed anger.

"You say that I'm acting like nothing happened. That's far from it. You're the one living a good life; you're the one becoming a hero; you're the one making genuine friends; you're the one that moved on with your life."

"You're the one who never..." He trailed off. Izuku was glad he came to his senses before he said it. His hands - that hadn't had a strong grip in the first place - slipped off.

"You're right." Bakugou admitted hesitantly. Izuku, and the spectators, were taken aback by yet another unexpected action from the blond.

Did the proud Bakugou Katsuki admit he was wrong?

"What?" Izuku looked at him, but only saw his side view.

"I'm not innocent. I've done some stupid things before. I know if you didn't bring this up, I probably would never have said this, but," Bakugou made eye contact abruptly, "I'm sorry."

Then, just like that, he turned away again. "I don't care if you forgive me or about redemption. I know what I've done wrong and plan on improving - doing better. So don't talk about my problems. I'll deal with my own problems from now on."

"You deal with your own. Like you said, it is none of my business. But I... care about Aunt Inko, so get your act together too."

He walked away, leaving a speechless Izuku Midoriya and a nonchalant Shinso.