C H A O S || Katsuki Bakugo x OC

Kyofu sat at her usual spot in the cafeteria, a tray of food in front of her but her focus miles away. The usual chatter filled the air, students talking about their upcoming tests, new missions, and what they had done over the weekend. She barely heard any of it. She hadn't really spoken to anyone since the festival, her mind still tangled with the aftermath of her match—the guilt that clung to her like a shadow.

"Hey, Nishimura!" A loud voice cut through her thoughts.

Kyofu looked up to find Monoma standing in front of her, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. He held a piece of paper in one hand, waving it around like it was something important. The eyes of several students turned toward him, intrigued by whatever drama he was about to stir up.

"What's up, Monoma?" she muttered, not in the mood for his usual antics.

Without skipping a beat, Monoma cleared his throat dramatically and raised the paper in front of him. "Kyofu Nishimura, you think you're cool after winning a sports festival?" He paused for effect, the cafeteria now falling into an expectant silence. "Well, let me remind you of something."

The grin on his face grew wider, the look of someone about to relish in someone else's discomfort. "I found an old article about you. It says you killed someone when you were twelve, right? That's a fun little fact, isn't it? You're just a murderer playing hero."

The words hit Kyofu like a punch to the gut. Her heart skipped a beat, her fingers trembling slightly on the edge of her tray. The entire cafeteria was now silent, all eyes on her.

She stood slowly, her chair scraping against the floor as she locked eyes with Monoma. Her voice was low but steady, filled with an unsettling calm. "I don't think I'm cool, Monoma," she said, her words cutting through the tension. "I know it."

A murmur ran through the students. Some of them had heard whispers about her past, but hearing it out loud like this, in front of everyone, made it all too real. Kyofu's fists clenched, nails digging into her palms as she tried to keep her composure.

But Monoma wasn't finished. His smug expression only grew, the satisfaction on his face making Kyofu's blood boil.

"Yeah, sure, you know it," he mocked, taking a step closer to her. "I bet everyone's just so proud of you for getting that medal, huh? What does it feel like to be a murderer with a shiny new gold medal around your neck? You're nothing but a freak pretending to be a hero."

He was getting too close. Kyofu could feel the old anger stirring, the rage that always threatened to explode when people dug into her past like this. Her breath came shallow, her heart pounding, her quirk flickering just beneath the surface. She had to hold it back.

But then, a voice sliced through the tension.

"That's enough, Monoma."

Bakugo stood up, his chair crashing against the floor as he stalked toward the table. His eyes were locked on Monoma, burning with an intensity that could melt steel. The room seemed to freeze as Bakugo's presence filled the space, his anger palpable.

"You really wanna keep running your mouth, huh?" Bakugo's voice was sharp, a low growl that made the hairs on the back of Kyofu's neck stand up. "You're gonna talk shit about her like you know what it's like?"

Monoma took a step back, but his grin didn't fade. He looked between Bakugo and Kyofu, clearly unafraid of the explosion that was about to happen. "What? You think she's some kind of saint now just because she won the sports festival? She's a freak. A killer."

"I don't give a damn about what you think, Monoma," Bakugo snapped, his fists clenching at his sides. "You don't know shit about her, and you sure as hell don't get to talk down to her like that."

Kyofu was silent, her eyes flickering between the two. Part of her was grateful for Bakugo's defense, but another part of her wanted to shut everything down. She didn't need anyone to fight her battles. She didn't need anyone to protect her. Not anymore.

"Do you have any idea what you're talking about?" Bakugo continued, his voice rising. "I don't give a shit what kind of past she has, she's here now, and she's a hero. You think you can just throw people's mistakes in their faces and think it means shit? You're nothing but a little punk who's too scared to actually face anyone head-on."

Monoma's expression flickered with something between annoyance and nervousness, but he refused to back down. "Whatever, Bakugo. I'm just saying the truth. If you think she's so great, go ahead and defend her. But everyone here knows who she really is."

Kyofu, her anger bubbling over, took a step forward. "Enough, Monoma. You don't get to do this anymore."

Monoma flinched, but there was something in her tone that made him pause. Kyofu took a deep breath, the rage subsiding for now, but the lingering sting of his words still burned.

"I'm not here to explain myself to anyone. You want to know about my past? It's mine. Not yours. And I'm not letting you use it to tear me down."

Bakugo glared at Monoma one last time, then turned toward Kyofu, his expression softening slightly. "You okay?"

Kyofu nodded, her throat tight but her voice steady. "Yeah. I will be."

Monoma scoffed, clearly not getting the reaction he wanted, and turned to walk away, but not before throwing one last remark over his shoulder. "You'll regret it."

Bakugo stood next to Kyofu, his body still tense, but his posture protective. The cafeteria slowly returned to its usual din, but the tension was thick in the air, like a storm waiting to hit.

Kyofu glanced at Bakugo, a small, appreciative smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks."

Bakugo shrugged, his usual cocky smirk returning. "Tch. Don't mention it. That guy's a pain in the ass."

Kyofu chuckled, the tight knot in her chest easing just a little. She didn't need anyone to fight for her, but for the first time in a long while, it felt nice to have someone standing beside her.

As the conversation settled into a quiet hum again, another voice interrupted the tense atmosphere.

"That was really uncalled for, Monoma."

Kyofu turned to find Jiro standing beside her, her arms crossed with a sharp look directed at the retreating figure of Monoma.

"I don't get what you think you're doing by dragging someone's past into this," Jiro continued, her voice firm but calm. "People don't deserve to be judged for things they did when they were kids, especially not for something they had no control over."

Monoma, clearly caught off guard by the sudden defense, narrowed his eyes but didn't respond right away. Jiro was standing beside Kyofu now, offering her quiet support in the face of his cruelty.

"You're just an asshole who can't handle someone being better than you," Jiro added with a smirk. "Kyofu's been through enough. She doesn't need someone like you stirring up shit just to make yourself feel better."

Kyofu blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Jiro to speak up on her behalf, but there was something comforting about hearing her friend defend her.

Monoma sneered, clearly frustrated. "Whatever," he muttered, turning his back and storming off.

Kyofu let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, feeling the weight of the moment lift just a little. She looked at Jiro, who offered a small but genuine smile.

"Thanks, Jiro," Kyofu said, feeling a sense of warmth she hadn't expected.

"No problem," Jiro replied, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "You're not alone in this. We've got your back."

Kyofu glanced at Bakugo, who was still standing beside her, and gave him a small, appreciative smile. The tension in the air had died down, but there was something new between them. Maybe, just maybe, she was starting to realize that she didn't have to carry all of this weight alone.