M-Side (Part 3)

And maybe it's because he's practically perfection personified, one does not help but get enamored by him.

"So today, this little girl comes to our house and hands me this flower," Mitsuki shared. That day, the Bakugos and Midoriya-Yagi family is out eating dinner together. "She then proceeded to ask my permission if she could ask for Katsuki's hand in marriage!"

"Maaaa!" Katsuki stabbed his tomato with a fork. Sadly, he missed and it only made the berry bounce and hit Deku straight in the eye. "It's embarrassing...!" He seemed totally unaware of what he did to the other boy.

The curly top winces, clutching his face in agony.

"My, my, young Katsuki is already collecting hearts at such an early age!" All Might laughed heartily, slicing his medium rare steak.

"At that age, Mitsuki was already receiving marriage proposals, too." Inko chuckled, "It must run through the blood."

"Katsuki got my looks after all," Mitsuki flashed a pearly white smile, making a thumbs up at her son's direction.

"I do not!" Katsuki whined.

"He does," Bakugo Masaru, the Bakugo patriarch, timidly agreed with his wife.

"Hey, Deku!" He turned to his friend and the only person who was the same age as him dining at the table. "Don't you think I don't look like my... Oi, why is your right eye all red?"

"Mitsuki-obaasan is a former fashion model," Deku says, forest green eyes tearing up a bit. "It's given that Kaachan would also look attractive."

The blond boy blushed furiously. "You..." He grabbed a tissue from the tissue bin on the table and proceeded to wipe his tears off. "How can you say such embarrassing things with a straight face?"

"But you are!" Izuku insisted, earning him a soft punch on the shoulder.

The two couples stared at their sons, amused at their adorable exchange. At that moment, both Inko and Mitsuku were sure that great things will happen between them in the future.

***

When Kacchan promised that no one will bully Deku but him, Deku didn't really put much meaning into it. He thought it was Kacchan's promise as a start of a new friendship, he's offering protection as being part of his henchmen. But it became clearer with each passing day that the reason why no one bullied Deku anymore was that Kacchan is the bully. No one dared to go against him.

"Katsuki!" Their homeroom teacher shouted.

"Oh, shoot! The teacher is here!"

Katsuki and his minions squealed as they ran for their lives. They left behind the kid they were ganging up on, bawling in the playground. And sadly, poor Deku was too much of a slowpoke compared to his friends. Accepting defeat, the Midoriya raised his hands up.

After checking the condition of the cornered boy (thankfully, they were just verbally ganging up on the kid and no bruises were found) and escorting him back inside the class, the teacher shifted her attention to Izuku.

"Sensei," He said. The curly-haired boy might've looked calm on the outside, but in the inside, he's already imagining All Might's look of disappointment once he hears about this.

"Izuku," The teacher knelt down, making sure that they'll talk to each other eye to eye even if he was nervously avoiding contact. "Izuku," She repeated. "I know you're a kind gentle boy, and you don't have a single mean bone in your body. What I don't understand is why you're tolerating such actions by your friends. In the first place, I don't understand why you're friends with Katsuki."

"You're making it sound like Kacchan's the bad guy!" He covered his mouth, realizing it wasn't in his place to argue with the teacher. "I'm sorry, sensei. Kacchan is my friend and I'm afraid he'll get angry at me if I tell them to stop."

The teacher smiled sadly, patting the boy's head. "But if you're Kacchan's true friend, you would stop him from doing bad deeds."

Izuku sobs, wide green eyes were soon moistening. "Please don't tell Okaa-san and All Might."

"Don't cry, Izuku. Just promise me that if ever they get too far, you got to stop them, okay?"

Once the teacher was out of sight, Kacchan stealthily ran back to him. The three other boys were nowhere in sight, they probably decided it'd be better to completely abandon their comrade than return to the scene of the crime.

"You fucking idiot!" He screamed, punching Deku on the shoulder, making the smaller boy yelp in pain. "Are you okay? Did the teacher say he'll report us to the office?"

Izuku shook his head, sniffling.

Kacchan sighed in relief. "Sheesh, you should really learn how to run faster, Deku. Next time this happens, I won't come back for you."

Even if he said that Kacchan would still continuously run back to Deku every time he gets left behind and say the exact same words. But Kacchan would always return for him. Always.

That day, Deku promised to be Kacchan's 'limiter'. But even if Deku promised that he still couldn't stop Kaachan whenever he was in his tormenting spree. After all, Kacchan was like the Sun, while Deku was like a measly plant. He was Deku's source of light, and Deku can't help but crave it as if his life depended on it. Even though sometimes, Kacchan tends to do some questionable things. Even if Kacchan tended to burn him whenever they stayed together for too long.

Deku didn't want to do anything that could possibly lose Kacchan's favor.

***

But Deku wasn't the only one. He was not the only plant in the field.

"Katsuki-kun, you really are the best!"

"Wow, good job, Bakugo-kun. If you keep having these great marks, the school might give you some recognition."

"Please join the volleyball team!"

"Man, I wish I was as cool as Bakugo!"

Obviously, Deku isn't the only person to notice how much of an amazing person Kacchan is. Everywhere he goes, Kacchan is showered with praises and admiration. And maybe that's the reason why Kacchan changed. Kacchan stopped being confident, he became arrogant. His henchmen became slaves. Slowly, his attitude changed for the worse.

It was this particular event where Deku realized Kacchan was no longer...

Kacchan.

They were waltzing around the forest, playing follow the leader. As you might've guessed, Kacchan is the de facto leader, while Izuku, being the last boy to join their party, stood at the end of the queue. They were crossing this fallen log that served as a makeshift bridge when Kacchan slipped and fell down on the stream. Deku, being the kind boy he was, hurried down to help his friend back to his feet.

"Are you okay, Kacchan?" He said, offering his hand to the soaked boy.

Instead of thanking him, Kacchan looked at him with fiery eyes. Deku suddenly found himself lying on the stream, the blond boy pinning him down.

"Don't you dare look down on me!"

Deku never really understood what he did wrong. All he knows, after that incident, Kacchan started acting cold toward him. But Deku would still follow them around and he didn't say anything against it so Deku thought it was fine.

And yes, it was fine.

But the more Midoriya hung out with them, the more disillusioned he became. Kacchan's bullying leveled up from verbally abusing a person to ordering them around like slaves until it reached actual violence. Deku knew what it felt like to be bullied and his conscience is eating him up.

But he didn't want Kacchan to dislike him.

"All Might," Izuku was 10 years old when he finally gathered enough courage to ask for advice from his hero. "May I come in?"

It was already 11 in the evening yet All Might was still in his study area, grading some papers. Deku glanced at the stocks of paper piled up on the table, he couldn't help but wince. "Wait, never mind. It seems I caught you in a bad time—"

"Nonsense, my boy. There's nothing more important than my son asking for quality time with me." All Might face his rotating chair in the younger man's direction. "What's troubling you?"

"T-t-t-troubling? Nothing's troubling me..." He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his ears. Even though Inko and Toshinori have been married for 2 years now, Deku was still startled upon hearing the older man's words.

"Izuku, you have the habit of scratching the back of your ears whenever you lie."

Izuku flushed a bright red, dropping his hand down to his side. All Might laughed heartily (making Izuku's heart flutter, he mentally slapped himself for feeling that way), tapping on the spare seat next to him. Izuku took it as his cue to sit on it.

"So what can I do for you?" He said, resting his back on his chair.

Midoriya took a deep breath before he opened his mouth.

"It's about Kacchan."