A Delicate Balance

The air was thick with tension as the caretaker stormed over to us, her sharp voice cutting through the chaos of the kindergarten playground. I could feel Bakugou's eyes still blazing with fury as he turned to face her, his chest heaving with exertion. Izuku looked on, his eyes wide with worry, while the other kids watched with a mixture of fascination and fear. The caretaker planted her hands on her hips, her expression reproachful. "I'm deeply sorry, ma'am," I said, trying to sound as contrite as possible. "I joked about Bakugou-chan's quirk, and he didn't like it." The caretaker's expression didn't change, but her tone turned stern. "Well, you shouldn't have," she said. "Bakugou-kun's quirk is very powerful, and he has every reason to be proud of it." Bakugou preened under the attention, his face puffing up with pride. But the caretaker's scolding wasn't over yet. She turned to Bakugou, her expression turning serious. "Although," she said, "precisely since it's so powerful, you should never use it against your friends. Alright, Bakugou-kun?" Bakugou grunted something in response, his face reddening slightly as he looked down at his feet. I was surprised by the caretaker's impartial outlook. I had expected her to take Bakugou's side, to praise his quirk and chastise me for teasing him. But instead, she seemed to be holding both of us accountable for our actions. The caretaker smiled, her expression softening. "Good," she said. "Now come, we'll play outside again later." The kids began to murmur and disperse, but Izuku lingered, his eyes fixed on me with concern. "You shouldn't provoke Kacchan like that," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "He could get really mad and- and use his quirk." I shot him an unreadable look, my expression neutral. Izuku stills, sensing that I was uncharacteristically serious. "Think about this, Midoriya-san," I said, my voice low. "If he hurts another kid without reason, is he truly worthy to become a hero?" Izuku's eyes widened, and he looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. The group of kids began to move away, chattering and laughing as they went. Izuku flanking me, giving me a worried glance before following the others. I watched him go, my expression thoughtful. What had just happened? And what did it mean for the future?