Bakugo: Well, just so you two assholes know - this isn't over. I'm not gonna be out of the hero course for long. I'm gonna get my spot back, and I'm gonna prove to all you shitty extras that I'm supposed to be the next Number One Hero. It's my fucking destiny. And you two are gonna be stuck on the sidelines while I get to go to the top and -
Izuku: Kacchan, please, just - stop talking. Kacchan, what … what exactly do you want me to say here? 'I'm sorry'? 'You shouldn't have been kicked out'? 'I'm gonna go talk to the teachers tomorrow to help get you back into the hero course, because you deserve it'? You know … maybe … maybe years ago, I might have done that, back when we were little kids, and I followed you around everywhere, I might've gone up to bat for you. But … but now? Now I'm just tired. I don't wanna think about your problems, Kacchan, because … because honestly, I don't really know what your problem is with me anymore.
Bakugo: You -
Izuku: I don't care, I don't care if you have a problem with me anymore. Because honestly? At this point, Kacchan, I think we've both gotta realize we aren't little kids anymore. What happened here -” (He points over at the melted playground)- is something I struggled with for a long time. Back a year ago, I'd have agreed with you that everything that happened here was my fault. I blamed myself for everything that happened here. Hurting my mom. Hurting Yubi and Tsubasa. Hurting you. That's something I had a hard time dealing with. When people called me a villain, as much as I didn't want to, I thought, 'they're right'. (Beat) And … even now, there's a part of me that still thinks that what happened that day was my fault, but it's something I have to get over. If I want to be a hero, I - I can't wallow in self-pity. That's what you called me a coward for, Kacchan, and … and you were right. I was running from actually owning up to what happened, running from trying to do better. And it took - it took someone taking me here and telling me that only I could convince myself to become a hero to do it, but I did. And now … even if I still blame myself for what happened to you, Kacchan, I'm gonna stop letting it define me.
Bakugo: What the fuck has that got to do with -
Izuku: It means, that right now, the only one who's obsessed with what happened here that day is you. You're the only one here that's letting what happened here that day define you. You could've won today, Kacchan, if I had been a little bit slower, or if you had been a little bit faster. That doesn't matter. What does matter, though, is that you're considering yourself the victim of what happened during our match - but do you really wanna know what happened today?” (Izuku suddenly storms up to Bakugo, unable to stop himself in his anger, and jabbed a finger against Katsuki's chest in turn) You hurt Occhan. You hurt me. All because I hurt you all those years ago, and you think that gave you the right to take all your anger out on both of us ever since. Because you 'lost a fight' when we were kids. So you wanna know what? I'm not sorry that you got kicked out of the hero course. In fact, I'm happy to hear it. I don't care anymore, Kacchan, what you think of me. All your attempts to get in my head? They won't work anymore. Because I know Occhan and Kendou - they're better friends than you have ever been. So this - this thing where you try to make me a hiccup in your great story? I'm not gonna let that get to me. I'm done. You wanna get back into the hero course, fine. Just leave me and Occhan and Kendou out of it. So just - just go home, and stop bothering me.
Izuku: Kacchan, please, just - stop talking. Kacchan, what … what exactly do you want me to say here? 'I'm sorry'? 'You shouldn't have been kicked out'? 'I'm gonna go talk to the teachers tomorrow to help get you back into the hero course, because you deserve it'? You know … maybe … maybe years ago, I might have done that, back when we were little kids, and I followed you around everywhere, I might've gone up to bat for you. But … but now? Now I'm just tired. I don't wanna think about your problems, Kacchan, because … because honestly, I don't really know what your problem is with me anymore.
Bakugo: You -
Izuku: I don't care, I don't care if you have a problem with me anymore. Because honestly? At this point, Kacchan, I think we've both gotta realize we aren't little kids anymore. What happened here -” (He points over at the melted playground)- is something I struggled with for a long time. Back a year ago, I'd have agreed with you that everything that happened here was my fault. I blamed myself for everything that happened here. Hurting my mom. Hurting Yubi and Tsubasa. Hurting you. That's something I had a hard time dealing with. When people called me a villain, as much as I didn't want to, I thought, 'they're right'. (Beat) And … even now, there's a part of me that still thinks that what happened that day was my fault, but it's something I have to get over. If I want to be a hero, I - I can't wallow in self-pity. That's what you called me a coward for, Kacchan, and … and you were right. I was running from actually owning up to what happened, running from trying to do better. And it took - it took someone taking me here and telling me that only I could convince myself to become a hero to do it, but I did. And now … even if I still blame myself for what happened to you, Kacchan, I'm gonna stop letting it define me.
Bakugo: What the fuck has that got to do with -
Izuku: It means, that right now, the only one who's obsessed with what happened here that day is you. You're the only one here that's letting what happened here that day define you. You could've won today, Kacchan, if I had been a little bit slower, or if you had been a little bit faster. That doesn't matter. What does matter, though, is that you're considering yourself the victim of what happened during our match - but do you really wanna know what happened today?” (Izuku suddenly storms up to Bakugo, unable to stop himself in his anger, and jabbed a finger against Katsuki's chest in turn) You hurt Occhan. You hurt me. All because I hurt you all those years ago, and you think that gave you the right to take all your anger out on both of us ever since. Because you 'lost a fight' when we were kids. So you wanna know what? I'm not sorry that you got kicked out of the hero course. In fact, I'm happy to hear it. I don't care anymore, Kacchan, what you think of me. All your attempts to get in my head? They won't work anymore. Because I know Occhan and Kendou - they're better friends than you have ever been. So this - this thing where you try to make me a hiccup in your great story? I'm not gonna let that get to me. I'm done. You wanna get back into the hero course, fine. Just leave me and Occhan and Kendou out of it. So just - just go home, and stop bothering me.
— Chapter 34, Clover Rising, Part One
Itsuka: I … I'm … I … I think I know how you feel, Izuku.
Izuku: Y-you do
Itsuka: Y-yeah, I do. I .. I've been …I've been waiting for someone to - to notice that I - I have a crush on them, too.
Izuku: O-oh, I - I see.
Itsuka: Yeah.
Izuku: They, uh … they must be pretty cool, if - if you like them.
Itsuka: Yeah, he - he is.
Izuku: H-he? It's - it's a guy?
Itsuka: Yeah, it is, and he's … someone who's very special to me. He's … amazing, he's probably one of the most amazing people I've ever met.
Izuku: O-oh …?
Itsuka: Yeah, I met him when I had been pretty much beaten to the curb by some asshole, but then this guy … this amazing guy … he came up to me and lifted me back up. Then we spent a bit of time together, and I found out he was … he was the kind of guy that needed my help, and I needed his. He needed to know that there was someone out there who cared for him, who loved him, and … and I didn't know at the time, but I wanted to be that person. Then … then he got into a fight, a really bad fight, with a monster. And I … I realized that I came way too close to losing him. And from then on, I promised myself that I never would. These are … these are feelings that I've had a really hard time coming to terms with. Because I know … I know that this amazing guy was in love with his best friend, and his best friend was in love with him. And I … I love them both enough that I didn't want to get in the way of that. I didn't want to … to force myself in between them, because I - I didn't think I deserved it. And then, when I was trying my hardest not to let my feelings get the better of me … that same asshole from before? He swung by again to try picking on me a little more. And this amazing guy … he didn't even know I was listening in, but he stood up for me. I heard, everything. About how he believed in me. That he saw … all the work I put in to earn One for All. That I earned it. He even - he even called me by my first name for the first time, and - and the fact that he went back to my last name afterwards kind of stung, but it made him calling me by my first name all the more important to me.
Izuku: K-Ken -
Itsuka: And that, was … the day I realized I was in love with him. And even though I tried to suppress those feelings again, I just … I couldn't. Not after today. Not after I saw him … I saw him be the bravest person I've ever met, fighting a stupid asshole who wanted to hurt him for no reason. He's a guy who I'm … I'm really worried about … that I care about … almost more than anything … and … who I'm … currently … sharing a bed with.
Izuku: Y-you do
Itsuka: Y-yeah, I do. I .. I've been …I've been waiting for someone to - to notice that I - I have a crush on them, too.
Izuku: O-oh, I - I see.
Itsuka: Yeah.
Izuku: They, uh … they must be pretty cool, if - if you like them.
Itsuka: Yeah, he - he is.
Izuku: H-he? It's - it's a guy?
Itsuka: Yeah, it is, and he's … someone who's very special to me. He's … amazing, he's probably one of the most amazing people I've ever met.
Izuku: O-oh …?
Itsuka: Yeah, I met him when I had been pretty much beaten to the curb by some asshole, but then this guy … this amazing guy … he came up to me and lifted me back up. Then we spent a bit of time together, and I found out he was … he was the kind of guy that needed my help, and I needed his. He needed to know that there was someone out there who cared for him, who loved him, and … and I didn't know at the time, but I wanted to be that person. Then … then he got into a fight, a really bad fight, with a monster. And I … I realized that I came way too close to losing him. And from then on, I promised myself that I never would. These are … these are feelings that I've had a really hard time coming to terms with. Because I know … I know that this amazing guy was in love with his best friend, and his best friend was in love with him. And I … I love them both enough that I didn't want to get in the way of that. I didn't want to … to force myself in between them, because I - I didn't think I deserved it. And then, when I was trying my hardest not to let my feelings get the better of me … that same asshole from before? He swung by again to try picking on me a little more. And this amazing guy … he didn't even know I was listening in, but he stood up for me. I heard, everything. About how he believed in me. That he saw … all the work I put in to earn One for All. That I earned it. He even - he even called me by my first name for the first time, and - and the fact that he went back to my last name afterwards kind of stung, but it made him calling me by my first name all the more important to me.
Izuku: K-Ken -
Itsuka: And that, was … the day I realized I was in love with him. And even though I tried to suppress those feelings again, I just … I couldn't. Not after today. Not after I saw him … I saw him be the bravest person I've ever met, fighting a stupid asshole who wanted to hurt him for no reason. He's a guy who I'm … I'm really worried about … that I care about … almost more than anything … and … who I'm … currently … sharing a bed with.
— Chapter 36, Clover Rising, Part Three
