In spite of the fact that your so-called "discussion" with Katsuki hadn't gone over very well, you decided to try and focus on the upcoming round. You'd returned back to the mess hall—Izuku had also made his way back, and was sitting with your friends. Uraraka asked you both where you'd gone, and each of you forced a shaky smile and told her that you were just getting a breather. As usual, she frowned, unconvinced, but decided not to press you any further.

Before long, it was time to commence the final event—a tournament.

Back inside the stadium, Midnight briefly explained that you'd be taking part in one-on-one battles, in separate brackets; the winner of the finals would be crowned the "champion" of the Sports Festival. She had you all pull lots, and before long, the results were displayed up on the board.

Your first round would be up against Ashido, the bubbly, pink-haired girl in your class. If you recalled, her Quirk had something to do with acid, so you'd have to steer clear of her palms. You'd also heard that she had pretty good reflexes, which worried you a little. But the biggest issue was—

"U-ra-ra-ka...?"

A little distance away, you spotted Katsuki staring up at the board with furrowed brows. It was evident by the stupefied look on his face that he had absolutely no idea who his first opponent was, even though you'd introduced her to him before. Well, that much was to be expected. On her end, the brunette looked horrified by being pitted up against Katsuki in the first round. Her usually flushed cheeks had all but turned white, and she couldn't keep from letting out a soft whimper.

Normally, you would've sympathized with her, but as things were, you just couldn't. Because the fact of the matter was that if Uraraka lost, you would also have to face Katsuki in the second round, and you had a feeling that he wouldn't hold back on anyone—not even his soulmate.

"Well," you sighed, slumping your shoulders. "This sure sucks."

"Tell me about it," Uraraka whined. "Best case scenario, we'll have to face each other, which means there's no way that both of us can advance. Worst case, well...we both get utterly destroyed by Bakugou-kun."

"Someone tells me it's going to be the latter."

"D-don't say that, [Name]-chan! You're making me even more nervous...!"

She playfully slapped you on the arm, and you let out a soft chuckle. It really was a shame that you and your best friend were stuck in the same bracket; against the most intimidating student in your class, no less.

I'm probably just overthinking things. I doubt Katsuki-kun even cares who his opponent is.

You were given a short period of time to partake in recreational activities, so as to take your mind off your nerves, but you had a feeling that it would just be counter-productive. Sighing loudly, you decided to actually take a stroll through the forested area this time.

"[Name]."

You jolted in surprise. A hand had clamped down onto your wrist, belonging to none other than the infamous blonde. Katsuki was staring back at you with narrowed eyes. He didn't look particularly irritated or mad; more so solemn.

"What is it?" you answered calmly. As things were, you were still feeling much of the tension from earlier. You were surprised he'd actually gone out of his way to approach you first.

"We're in the second round together," he stated matter-of-factly. "So...you better not fuckin' lose right off the bat. I wanna fight you fair and square."

His fingers pulled away from your skin, and he shoved both hands into his pockets before walking away. You just stood there motionless. You wanted Uraraka to win, that much was obvious, but you also...wanted to show Katsuki that you could be strong.

This time, you were going to challenge him.

—

The rec activities ended quickly enough, and before long, it was finally time for the main event.

You were the second-to-last battle of the first round, but it wasn't really much of a relief. If anything, you'd been hoping that you could be more near the start, to hurry up and get it over with. The wait only added to your ever-building nerves.

"Good luck, Deku-kun!"

Uraraka smiled brightly, patting her friend on the back as he prepared to enter the stadium. His was the very first battle—up against someone named Shinsou—and it was clear as day that he was freaking out a little. You, Uraraka, and Iida had all opted to stay with him in the waiting room beforehand, doing your best to calm him down in any way you could. But now you would have to let fate run its course, and either way, you were certain he'd manage to score a win. You made sure to flash Izuku a smile of your own, waving back at him and heading for the stands to watch the battles unfold.

Luckily, Izuku's match had gone over easily enough, although you'd had quite a scare when he almost stepped out of bounds. One way or another, he'd managed to overthrow his opponent; he'd broken his finger in the process and was taken to the infirmary to rest up before the next round.

This next battle—between Todoroki and Sero—had been slightly more...jarring, to say the least. You remembered everything he'd spoken about with Izuku, and how he was determined not to use his left side. It might've been from the conversation they'd had, or maybe something else had happened in that time frame. Either way, he'd gone into his match looking cold and ruthless. He'd unleashed a pillar of ice that encased nearly half the stadium, even reaching close up to the stands. Poor Sero had became a human ice cube, and his only real option was to surrender.

From then on, you were slightly less attentive. You did tune into Iida's match, but it seemed like he was mostly just been played for a fool by his opponent, Hatsume; a girl who was intent on using him to advertise her inventions. When all was said and done, she happily stepped out of the arena, giving Iida the win.

Other battles elapsed—yours against Ashido included. At first you'd been a bit nervous, especially since she was quite agile herself, but you were able to use your speed of light to quickly zip over to her side and knock her out of bounds. She whined a bit, dejected by the short-lived match, but your attention was elsewhere. And before you knew it, it was already time:

Bakugou vs. Uraraka: [MATCH START]

If your friend had any chance of winning, you knew—as well as she did—that the preemptive strike would be the most important. Put simply, there was no way of beating him unless she managed to come in contact, and you hoped that Katsuki was ignorant enough that she'd be able to get the first in hit. That would have ideal. Unfortunately, even with how disinterested he was in his classmates, he'd done his due diligence in finding out his opponent's powers.

With your breath hitched in your chest, you watched as Uraraka frantically rushed forward—only to be blown back by explosions time and time again. You winced, almost as though you were experiencing her pain second-hand. Already, you could feel your chest tightening at the notion of going up against him.

Uraraka, however, was far more resilient than she looked, and you knew better than anyone of her strength. A torrent of explosions continued to head her way, yet still, she refused to back down—even as her body became laced with bruises and burns. She was definitely cool; you only hoped that you could show such bravery if you ended up going against Katsuki. The crowd, unfortunately, didn't see it that way.

"Hey! What the hell, man?! Are you seriously trying to become a hero by acting like such a brute??!"

"If you're strength is so much bigger, just blow her out of bounds already!"

"How dare you toy with a girl like that?!!"

Pretty much everywhere you looked, the audience in the crowd had stood up to boo him. Sure, the sight of Uraraka being battered to such an extent definitely wasn't pretty, but they were all missing the point.

He's not toying with her. If he didn't think she was a threat, he wouldn't have been on guard at all. Right now, he's pretty much showing her the most respect he's capable of...by not underestimating her.

You pursed your lips. He might've been foul-mouthed and hotheaded, but even he could take things seriously, when they mattered. Besides, it seemed like some people hadn't noticed that yet—the meteor-like collection of debris that Uraraka had floated upwards during Katsuki's attacks. It was clear what her plan was, and you couldn't help but clench your fists in anticipation.

Go...Uraraka-chan!

The brunette rushed forward, fingers pressed together. The debris was raining down from the sky, and even if Katsuki tried to avoid it or blow some away, it would still leave him vulnerable to attack. She could do it. If it was like this, she could do it. She just had to touch him once; just once, and then—

You paled.

"No. No way..."

With just one attack...?

As much as you couldn't believe it, all it took was one attack. In one fell sweep, he'd blown away ever single clump of terrain that Uraraka had thrown his way; not a trace was left behind. The brunette's expression all but crumpled, realizing that all her effort had been for nothing. You didn't want to pity her, but...the difference in strength was just too great. It was daunting.

Moments later, she passed out from exhaustion and because she'd gone over her weight limit. Thus, Katsuki had won—much to the great displeasure of the crowd. You were upset that Uraraka hadn't been able to secure her victory, but she'd put up an amazing fight, and you were proud of her. But you were also sad.

Because your loss had all but been assured.

—

Not long after the fight, you were on your way towards the waiting room to go check in on Uraraka. Izuku had left earlier, since he was the very first fight of the next round, but you'd assured him that everything would be okay. She was sure to be upset, but it was normal. At the very least, she could tell herself that she'd done her very best.

You sighed, now thinking about your own match. "This is gonna suck."

"The hell are you whining about?"

The sound of the gruff voice made your stomach lurch. You'd barely turned the corner when you saw Katsuki creeping up the stairs, having returned from the arena. You briefly contemplated whether or not you should even respond, after the way your last conversation had ended.

"Oh, hey," you mumbled out; already, you were regretting this meeting. "I was just talking to myself. Think it's the nerves."

He finished mounting the rest of the stairs and came to hover by your side. "Because of our battle, huh?"

"Well...obviously."

"You that nervous?"

"I think that goes without saying." You sighed loudly, shaking your head. "You're a strong guy, and I think pretty much anyone would be nervous to go up against you. Nevermind the fact that I'm not the most physically strong in the first place..."

Katsuki frowned. "You callin' yourself weak?"

"Weaker than you, yeah."

He held back the urge to scoff, opting instead to roll his eyes. You were pretty close against the wall in the first place, but he'd been slowly shuffling towards you more and more, as well. Katsuki stopped a scarce few inches away; so close that you could feel his breath hit your skin when he leaned forward.

"Stuupid," came his taunting voice—along with a flick to the forehead. You winced, giving hit a quick rub before looking up at him with a frown. Katsuki was smirking. "If you think of yourself that way, then no shit you're gonna be a loser. I'm not saying you're not weaker than me, but no soulmate of mine is gonna have that kinda mentality. If you wanna win, then you gotta fight for it. Don't go into our battle with all your insecurities; don't you dare hold back on me."

You smiled. "I wouldn't hold back on you. I can't afford to do that. If anyone were to do such a thing I think it'd be you, because of the difference in strength."

"There you go again, acting like a weakling."

"...Didn't you just admit that I was weaker than you?'

He snorted, but said nothing else. You remembered what had happened back in the stands, and your expression lit up.

"Speaking of not holding back," you murmured, "I wanted...to thank you. For taking Uraraka-chan seriously. People were yelling and talking badly about you for it, but I could tell that you just weren't underestimating her. So, thanks. I'm sure she appreciates you fighting her with all you had."

"No shit. I never go easy on anyone."

You chuckled awkwardly.

That's what I'm afraid of...

"What?" Katsuki mused, a twinkle passing through his eyes. "You scared I'm gonna hurt your pretty face?"

"I'm not—wait. My pretty what?"

The second you'd repeated his words back, Katsuki all but flushed the shade of a tomato. Maybe he was used to talking down to others, and teasing them nonchalantly, but it was clear that he hadn't meant to let that little remark slip. It was flattering, though. This whole time, you'd been wondering what he thought of you as a person, but at the very least where your appearance was concerned, well...he liked it.

"J-just forget I said that," he huffed. "I didn't mean it. I was just saying stupid shit."

"You didn't mean it?" you questioned, baring your eyes into his own. Katsuki flinched, the apples of his cheeks still flushed a heavy red. He averted his gaze almost immediately.

"I'm just—ah, fine. Yeah, you're pretty. Whatever."

You couldn't help but giggle. The moments where he got flustered like this were rare to come by, and you greatly enjoyed them. Even with how unfriendly and hostile he usually was, he could actually be pretty cute.

"Thanks for the compliment," you smiled. "For what it's worth, I also think you're very pre—I mean, handsome. It's less embarrassing if we both say it, right?"

Katsuki bit down on his lip. "Sure."

"I like it when you blush."

"You little—! Fuck off already, will ya?!"

Seeing as your snickers of amusement had yet to desist, Katsuki had taken to lightly pinching your cheeks. You winced a bit, but it only made you giggle even more. His expression was pouty and annoyed, but he was very clearly not trying to hurt you. Otherwise, you were sure your cheeks would have ripped off by now.

"S-stop it," you chortled, trying to swat his hands away. "Katsuki-kun, please stop it—ah! C'mon, give it break already!"

With a determined huff, you shoved him back by his chest. Katsuki staggered on his feet for half a second, eventually smirking at you.

"S'what you get," he chuckled. "That'll teach you to say dumb shit. And stop worrying about our match already, for fuck's sake. The only thing I wanna see is that you push yourself as hard as you fucking can. You're still pissed at me, arent'cha? Well, it's a good opportunity to punch me in the face." He paused, grinning " —If you manage to get close enough, of course."

You pursed your lips. One way or another, he was acting more approachable. It wasn't much, but you appreciated the little moments in which he called out to you. Although today had been so terribly full of ups and downs—you just hoped this wasn't gonna be one of the latter.

"Well, I'm going now," Katsuki started, shoving a hand in his pocket. "Go see your little friend or whatever you were gonna do."

He began to walk away, but you snatched up his free hand almost immediately. Katsuki's eyes widened; your fingers were tightly clasping his own.

"Umm...good luck," you finally managed. "I know that sentence is kind of wasted on you, but it seemed like the right thing to say in this sort of situation. The both of us, let's have a fair fight."

Katsuki's crimson eyes raked down your frame. You noticed his cheeks flush a bit, although not as profusely as before. You also couldn't help but feel a little warm, simply because his fingers were locked around your own. That fluttery feeling people would get in their chest—it turned out it wasn't just a myth.

And just when your heart felt like it couldn't take any more, Katsuki gave your hand a tight squeeze.

"Yeah. Let's."

The words were dry and succint, but they made your face hot all the same. He pulled away to head back towards the stands. You watched him walk away from you, and even though you should've been focusing on the fated match, all you could do was think about the lingering warmth on your fingertips.