Chapter 1: The Unlikely Encounter

The streets of Musutafu were always bustling with people, but on this particular day, Katsuki Bakugo felt like he was walking through a sea of nothingness. His eyes scanned the crowds, not really seeing anyone or anything, as he made his way to his favorite ramen shop. It had been a long week of training with his classmates, and all he could think about was a steaming hot bowl of noodles to fill his growling stomach. As he turned a corner, he collided with someone, spilling the contents of his bag all over the sidewalk. Groaning in frustration, Katsuki bent down to gather his scattered belongings. That's when he saw him - a messy-haired, sleepy-eyed Izuku Midoriya, staring up at him with an apologetic expression. "Hey, watch where you're going, Deku!" Katsuki snapped, not even bothering to hide his irritation. Izuku winced at the nickname, but Katsuki didn't notice. He was too busy stuffing his books and papers back into his bag. "I'm sorry, Bakugo! I wasn't watching where I was going," Izuku said, scrunching up his face in a comically exaggerated apology. Katsuki snorted. "You and your lack of attention span. No wonder you're always getting into trouble." Izuku looked down, his face flushing with embarrassment. Katsuki's words stung, but he was used to them. They'd been classmates since U.A. High School, and Katsuki had never made it a secret that he disliked Izuku's clumsiness and general ineptitude. Just as Katsuki was about to stand up, he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the bottom of his shoe. He yanked it off and examined it, his eyes widening in surprise. "What is it?" Izuku asked, peering up at Katsuki with curiosity. Katsuki's eyes scanned the paper, and for a moment, he forgot about his hunger and his annoyance with Izuku. "It's an invitation to the U.A. High School's secret training session," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Izuku's eyes lit up. "The one that's rumored to push students to their limits? I've heard it's super tough!" Katsuki's grip on the paper tightened. "We shouldn't be talking about this here. Meet me at the ramen shop in an hour. We'll discuss it then." With that, Katsuki turned and stormed off, leaving Izuku staring after him in confusion. As Katsuki waited in line at the ramen shop, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his life was about to take a drastic turn. And for some reason, he was glad that Izuku would be right there beside him.