Rivals and Rejections

The sun was shining bright as we stepped into the classroom, the excitement of almost being on summer break palpable in the air. Bakugo, Izuku, and I had been friends since we were kids, and now, as we entered our final year of middle school, we were all focused on one thing: getting into U.A. High School, the most prestigious hero academy in the country. Our teacher, Mrs. Hoshi, stood at the front of the classroom, a warm smile on her face. "Alright, class, settle down. I'm sure you all want to become heroes, but I have some important news to share. Three students from our school have applied to U.A., and I want to give them good luck. Those three students are Bakugo, Vesper, and Izuku." The classroom fell silent, with all eyes on the three of us. Bakugo's face lit up with confidence, but Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, and I could sense a mix of emotions within him. Bakugo, however, didn't waste any time glaring at Izuku. "You? A quirkless loser thinks he has a chance in U.A.?" he sneered. The classroom erupted in laughter, and Izuku's face turned bright red with embarrassment. I felt a surge of anger, but I controlled it, not wanting to make a scene. As the class came to a close, Bakugo walked up to Izuku, a mocking grin on his face. "You think you can go to U.A.? You should jump off a building instead," he said, tossing Izuku's hero notebook into the air. Izuku watched in horror as his notebook spun to the ground. I looked furious, but I bit back my temper, not wanting to give Bakugo the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I walked up to Izuku and said, "Izuku, don't listen to them. Come on, let's go." Bakugo followed us, his eyes fixed on Izuku with disdain. As we parted ways, Izuku going one way and I the other, Bakugo caught up to me from behind. "Why are you always babying him? He's a weakling!" he said, his voice laced with venom. I turned to face him, my eyes flashing with determination. "That's because I think he still has potential," I said firmly, standing my ground. Bakugo's expression darkened, but I didn't back down. For a moment, we just stared at each other, the tension between us palpable. Then, Bakugo turned and walked away, leaving me to wonder what the future held for us, and for Izuku.