"(L/n) (F/n), naive and optimistic, made the irreversible mistake of confessing to her middle school crush, Bakugou Katsuki. Needless to say, it didn't end well for her. Fast forward to a year and three months later and both of them join U.A."
"And with a new school came new drama."
"(Y/n) falls head over heels for Midoriya Izuku, oblivious to the fact that Katsuki had a huge crush on her and wasn't going to accept that she had moved on from him so easily. And in the midst of this chaos, is a certain candy cane who just couldn't seem to keep his distance from her..."
—The ever-changing summary.
Dear Diary
is a My Hero Academia Self-Insert Fic written by Tcierra_Steph7 on Ao3. It follows the readers' slow burning romance with canon characters Bakugou Katsuki, Midoriya Izuku, and Todoroki Shouto. It chiefly uses Romanticized Abuse for its main pairing between Bakugou and the reader, as well as light canon divergent plotlines.
Dear Diary provides examples of:
- Adaptational Jerkass: All characters receive this treatment. In canon, many characters are seen as likable Nice Guys, especially Midoriya. Here, every single one has that toned down, especially Midoriya. Most notable is Bakugou, which is surprising considering he's already The Bully.
- Alpha Bitch: The reader's designated best friend seems to be one.
- Artifact Title: The actual diary writing is completely removed or not mentioned in some chapters, sometimes for several chapters in a row.
- Beauty Is Bad: Bakugou does have quite the large female fanbase. He also happens to be near-sociopathic in this fanfic. He's actually the closest it has to a main villain of his own romance.
- Butt-Monkey: The reader is usually on the receiving end of bad deals, mainly by Bakugou.
- Deadpan Snarker: Todoroki usually gives this, typically to the reader for various bad things that happened in her life.
- Destructive Romance: There's a developing one between the reader and Bakugou.
- Easily Forgiven: Subverted, somewhat. When the "Bakusquad" hears about Bakugou's various misdeeds towards the reader, they do admit that it'll be hard for her to forgive. The readers have varying opinions on this.
- Extreme Doormat: The reader is prone to tears during many scenarios and struggles to admit her true feelings. But considering her situation, it's not entirely unjustified.
- Fetishized Abuser: Bakugou actually ends up acting worse than he does in the original story. In canon, he doesn't care about women and mainly focuses on bullying Midoriya. Here, he's an outright abuser who is put in a romantic light.
- Foregone Conclusion: It's been spoiled by the author in the comments that the reader ends up with Bakugou.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: The reader usually engages with this trope more often than others, especially considering much of the story is told from her point of view.
- Insecure Love Interest: Both Bakugou and the reader, easily.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Bakugou is definitely this, although the jerk is more emphasized than in canon. The gold comes in very small doses.
- Kick the Dog: The story starts off pretty early with Bakugou horribly crushing the reader's heart.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: The reader actually realizes that Bakugou has a crush on her. She is given the option to treat him as badly as he treated her, but actually subverts this.
- No Sense of Personal Space: Bakugou got hit with this in one chapter where he sexually assaulted the reader. Many readers protested this, causing the author to rewrite the thing because it made him too unlikable. Even in the rewritten version, it's still not healthy.
- "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization: This seems to be implied after Bakugou sexually assaults the reader.
- Odd Friendship: Between Todoroki and the reader, which contrasts with all her other unstable relationships.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The author occasionally incorporates comments from the readers into the story.
- Romantic False Lead: Todoroki and Midoriya definitely count as such. The author already spoiled their story in the comments that Bakugou would end up with the reader.
- Romanticized Abuse: Definitely. So much that many commenters actually wished for the reader to get with Todoroki instead.
- Satellite Love Interest: It's not really entirely clear why Bakugou likes the reader, and many people in-universe and out question whether it's simply based on a rivalry with Midoriya.
- Shrinking Violet: The reader seems to almost resemble one at times.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Downplayed. Midoriya's niceness is not nearly as pronounced as in canon, but the reader still likes him for what still remains.
- This Loser Is You: The reader, basically. They typically get the most trouble from all characters in the story.
- Troubled, but Cute: Bakugou is meant to be seen as this.
