Making Connections

The rest of the day flew by in a blur as Deku and Ochaco showed me around the school, introducing me to our classmates and explaining the basics of Quirk training. As we walked down the hallway, Deku gestured to a boy sitting on a bench, his eyes fixed on a book. "Hey, Deku's got a friend he wants you to meet," Ochaco said with a smile. Deku nodded enthusiastically. "That's Katsuki Bakugo! He's one of my closest friends, and I think you two will get along great." Deku called out to Bakugo, who looked up from his book, a scowl on his face. Bakugo's eyes landed on me, and Deku took the opportunity to make the introduction. "Katsuki, this is Vesper, our new classmate. Vesper, this is Katsuki Bakugo." I took a deep breath and approached Bakugo, extending my hand in a friendly gesture. "Hi, my name is Vesper. Nice to meet you." Bakugo's expression turned from indifferent to outright hostile. His eyes narrowed, and his voice rose to a yell. "I don't care about you, stupid extra!" he exclaimed, his words cutting through the air like a knife. I was startled, my heart racing as I took a step back, my eyes widening in surprise. Deku and Ochaco exchanged an uncomfortable glance, and Deku hastily intervened. "Hey, Katsuki, that's not very welcoming, is it?" Bakugo snorted, not backing down. "Why should I care about some nobody? You're just a weakling, Vesper. You'll probably be a liability in hero training." I felt a surge of embarrassment and frustration, but I tried to keep my cool. Deku placed a hand on Bakugo's shoulder, attempting to calm him down. "Hey, let's not be too harsh, okay? Vesper's just trying to make friends." Bakugo shrugged off Deku's hand, his glare still fixed on me. "I don't need to make friends with someone who's just going to hold me back." The tension between us was palpable, and I wondered if I had misjudged Bakugo's personality entirely. Deku and Ochaco seemed to sense the awkwardness and quickly excused themselves, leaving Bakugo and me standing alone. As the silence between us grew, I couldn't help but feel that this was going to be a long year. Bakugo's hostility had left me feeling uneasy, but I was determined to prove him wrong and show him that I was more than just a "stupid extra." Little did I know, this encounter was only the beginning of our complicated relationship.