It is all over the news and media. The UA Sports Festival is just about the only thing anyone is talking about, and what is the primary topic above all else? The villainous boy who the heroes chained on a pedestal because he was a threat.

Throughout the streets, in homes, and online, people talk.

"I don't understand why UA hasn't expelled him."

"Maybe they wanted to try a fix-it case? Looks like it failed, haha."

"Wow. I've never seen someone like that so young.... Honestly, they should put him down or something. He acts like a rabid dog, anyway."

Few stand up for the boy. When they do, the masses shut them down. They make arguments inferring that All Might approved of the treatment, given his own involvement, and, of course, the heroes know what they are doing better than anyone else, right? In the end, many of the few people who had been on Bakugou Katsuki's side were persuaded against him or went silent.

The day after the sports festival, when Bakugou boards a subway, all eyes are immediately stuck to him. People look fearful, expressions disbelieving and worried. Mothers pull children further from him, and men move in front of women protectively. "Tch," Bakugou clicks his tongue, and he shoves his hands further into his pockets, slouching over to stand by the opposite door. The two people who had been there scurry away like rats.

People leave a safe radius of about six feet around him—they would clearly prefer to be further, but the already close proximity of everyone onboard would not allow the space. The subway starts up, and they are on their way. The air is tense and suffocating, seemingly running out quickly inside the close metal walls of the subway.

People continue to stare at Bakugou warily, and he glares at anyone who makes a move toward him, silencing them and making them back away. He feels the bruise blooming on his jaw twinge and scowls. On the way here, some bland extra had thrown a rock at him, and he was out of it enough not to notice. At least it taught him to keep his guard up from then on. He had managed to miss a few other random projectiles since then (someone even threw a sandwich. Really?) and he is cautious enough not to let people get too close in an enclosed space. Some of the people in here with him certainly look generous enough to attempt to get a hit in. Gritting his teeth, Bakugou presses his back into the cold metal behind him, eyeing the people in the seats nearest him.

Suddenly, Bakugou feels a tug on his pants. His eyes widen. So much for not letting anyone get too close, he mentally scoffs. Looking down, his eyebrows raise slightly when he sees a child trying to get his attention, staring up at him with huge eyes bulging with curiosity from a face that looks about six years old.

"Are you Bakugou Kats'ki, mister?" the kid asks eagerly in a high pitch voice. "The one who makes 'splosions?"

Bakugou opens his mouth to respond in the affirmative, but a screeched "Emiko!" beats him to the punch. A woman shoots out from the circle of people and enters what could be called Bakugou's zone, scrambling for her child. She looks terrified as she grabs her into her arms, and the kid, Emiko, looks like she wants to argue. The woman shushes her, however, and apologizes swiftly to Bakugou, not once making eye contact with him. He scowls in response, and the woman hurries away, likely to the furthest part of the car she can reach. Some people glare at him for that, and he rolls his eyes.

The fuck did he do? Those two come up to him, he doesn't even get the chance to speak, and everyone gets mad at him. Fuck all of them, he wants to tell them, but, instead, he finds himself staring at the floor, brows furrowed.

The subway slows again, and he watches the doors slide open, people flooding in and out on the side opposite him. Those exiting seem a bit too rushed, and new people entering quickly pick up on the situation, either running out and to another car or swiftly joining the people a safe distance away from Bakugou.

Until one doesn't.

"Oh, hey, Bakugou!" Bakugou raises an eyebrow as Kirishima walks inside with a massive smile that showcases his sharp teeth, his flashy red hair making him stand out from the crowd of extras. Kirishima waves excitedly and declares, "I've never seen you on the subway before! Lucky I caught you this time!"

The doors close just behind Kirishima, and they are off again, Kirishima not even faltering as the subway jolts into motion. People stare anxiously as the new kid makes his way toward the villain. They know him, too, though not as well. He performed strongly in the festival, and he came off as personable and sportsmanlike. Some almost wanted to pull him away from Bakugou, but nobody had the bravery to interfere.

They are even more shocked, however, as Kirishima reaches Bakugou and leans against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with the spiky-haired menace. Looking around, Kirishima innocently takes in the situation with vibrant red eyes. He whistles. "Everyone's sure giving us a lot of space, huh? That's pretty convenient."

Bakugou huffs. "Shut it, Shitty Hair. It's 'cause they're scared of me," he says, muttering the last part with an angry, slightly downtrodden expression.

Kirishima frowns for just a moment, brows creased in worry as he takes the words in and catches sight of the slowly darkening bruise on Bakugou's jaw. Schooling his face, he chuckles lightly, confusing a large portion of the crowd, which listens in nosily. "Just remember these guys don't know you, bro, so their opinion on you doesn't matter. I'm happy I got to meet you and find out how manly you are, and I've known you longer than any of them, so my opinion is more valid. That's how it works, right?" Kirishima grins at him brightly, and Bakugou scoffs.

"Sure, Shitty Hair."

"Where are you going, by the way?" Kirishima asks with a slight tilt to his spiky head.

"The mall at the the fifth stop," Bakugou responds, looking at Kirishima out of the corner of his eye.

Kirishima visibly brightens. "No way! I'm heading there, too! I've gotta pick some stuff up for my parents," he explains. "We can hang out!" He grins vibrantly, eyes shining, and it almost blinds Bakugou, making him look away.

"Tch, yeah, whatever," he replies.

"Yeah!" Kirishima cheers, pumping a fist in the air.

"Oh, and I almost forgot to ask!" Kirishima exclaims, leaping away from the wall. He bows deeply to Bakugou, hands held out, palms together. "Would you please please please tutor the guys, Mina, and I for the next test?" Kirishima begs, and he peeks up at Bakugou beseechingly. "We did so much better than usual on the last one because of you! Thank you very much!" He bows down again—very aggressively.

Bakugou scowls and yells, "Stand the fuck up, idiot! Jeez, you look stupid." He turns and looks away as Kirishima stands and gives him a questioning look with a smile. Damn puppy dog face. "Dammit, fine," he concedes, speaking like tutoring them is the last thing in the world he would want to do. "Yeah. Just because you're all shit at studying. You need more fuckin' discipline in your lives. Tell them we are meeting on the first day back at lunch."

"You're so manly!" Kirishima exclaims, leaning back on the wall and slipping his arm over Bakugou's shoulders. People gasp, and some flinch back like they expect the blonde to explode, but Kirishima continues undeterred, smiling brightly, "Thanks, man! I know you take a lot of time out of your schedule to help us!"

Bakugou's reply is and eye-roll and a huff, but he looks more relaxed than he had been and perhaps a little pleased.

"Oh yeah! Uraraka texted me, by the way. She said she doesn't have your number but knew I was your best friend, so that's why she messaged me," Kirishima explains, mentioning the best friend part as if it were a known fact. Before Bakugou can deny any of his very much accurate statement, Kirishima plows on, "She wanted to thank you for not going easy on her at the festival even though everyone was booing you. Super unmanly of them," he frowns. "She'll probably tell you herself sometime, but yeah."

Bakugou nods, feeling uncomfortably self-conscious under the stares of the people around him as Kirishima sings his praises. Not that they're even praises, but that is how it feels to him.

It seems like one hundred years have passed by the time they finally reach their stop. Bakugou is the first out, leaving (fleeing) the subway and its spectators. Kirishima smiles as he watches him go. He takes a bit more time, however, and takes a few seconds to really cast his gaze around the crowd.

He makes eye contact with many of the people closer to him, and a number of them avert their gazes. "He's brash, but he's a really good guy, you know," he says genuinely. "He wants to be a great hero—number one—more than anyone else. What they did at the festival was wrong. He didn't feel like he won, and none of the heroes gave him a chance to explain. The heroes were in the wrong on this one," he asserts firmly, but not unkindly. Kirishima looks like he has more he would like to say, but the pause is interrupted.

"Oi, Shitty Hair! Hurry up!" he hears Bakugou shout from outside the car.

"Yeah!" He calls back happily, radiant smile filling his face and putting the shine back in his eyes as he makes a run out of the door, dodging a few confused people trying to enter.

There are far more people than one subway car's worth that think Bakugou is a villain, but, after getting to know him, Kirishima can't stand seeing anyone treat him like that. Who knows. Maybe even that small moment will make a difference.

•••

During a run a few days later, Bakugou decides to make a stop at a coffee shop to grab some tea. Lungs heaving a bit from exertion and wiping sweat from his brow, he approaches the middle-aged cashier, who stares at him with wide eyes. Mid-stride, however, something hits him from the side, and scalding liquid splashes across his lower torso and legs, drenching the side of his pants.

"Hot!" he exclaims, jumping away and sending off a few sparks in his surprise. "Holy fuck!" he curses, setting off a stream of swears as he pats at the scorching clothes and tries to peel it off his skin. As it cools and he gets more used to it, Bakugou looks up and glares in the direction the paper cup of coffee flew from. "The fuck did that, huh?" he screams, baring his teeth and flexing his hands. Customers in the shop cower, and only one man stays standing near where Bakugou had looked.

The man glares defiantly at him. "Get out of here, you damned villain," he yells, flexing his arms. Ah. A strength quirk. Typical.

Bakugou snarls, but he doesn't need to decide what to do next. Rather, the cashier runs around the counter to get to him, bringing a towel with him. "Bakugou-kun, are you okay? Were you burnt?" he asks worriedly, seeming like far too much of a worrywart for such a tall and broad middle-aged man, in Bakugou's opinion. The man has some fear lingering in his eyes, but he pays it no heed as he goes to wipe at the stain on Bakugou's shirt.

Bakugou, utterly nonplussed, sputters, "W-wait w-what?" He flounders, hands not knowing what to do.

Straightening up, the man bows. "If you would like, we have a restroom in the back where you can sort out your clothes. Please have any beverage you'd like on the house. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Bakugou stares at him for a while, unsure what to do. "Why?" The question slips out before he can stop it.

The man smiles, his face kind. "Well, kid, I saw you and your friend on the subway a few days ago and realized that we were wrong about you, or at least that I didn't know enough about you to treat you differently than I would any other kid your age." Bakugou remains still, mouth gaping, and the man motions him forward. "If you'd like to use the restroom, please follow me this way."

Once Bakugou goes inside, quieted by sheer surprise, the man who threw the coffee addresses the cashier. "You can't seriously be ignoring what happened at the festival," he implores him.

The man smiles. "I'm doing exactly that, actually," he says. "Sure, I'm a little nervous, but that kid's friend, Kirishima, who everyone agrees is a good guy, stood up for him. He told me the heroes were wrong. I think more happened than we know, really." He scratches at his head. "He said Bakugou-kun didn't want to receive the award and didn't get a chance to explain. So, yeah." He looks at the customer seriously. "Yes, I'm giving the kid a chance."

The man's brow furrows, and he seems unsure, but he takes a seat to finish his biscuit, not bothering to drag on the debate.

Over at a table by the wall, a few girls chatter. "Hey, I got that on video," one whispers to her friend.

"Woah, seriously? When did you start recording?"

"Right when blondie came in. Got the coffee action shot and everything."

"Let me see! Let me see!" girl three exclaims. She pauses when the cashier intervenes. "Awww he looks so surprised here." She giggles. "He wasn't angry at all for a minute. He's low key cute, actually."

In the bathroom and away from conversation, Bakugou finishes soaking the coffee stains in water. "Fucking dumbass," he mumbles. He'll need to wash the clothes well later.

He sighs as he exits and puts on a stern scowl on his face when he walks back into the shop. The cashier greets him with a smile. "So, what do you want, Bakugou-kun?" he asks.

"A large hot green tea with paprika, please," he grunts, looking away. He is unsure how to act with the man, now.

The cashier raises a brow slightly but nods, turning to prepare it. Bakugou attempts to pay and frowns when the cashier waves it off, reminding him that it is on the house. The man grins, and, after some hesitation, Bakugou accepts and walks away with a skeptical look in his eye.

His gaze immediately pins onto the man who threw the coffee at him, and he glares. The man glares back, but he doesn't look nearly as venomous. Really, the shop's entire ambiance seems to have shifted. His brow furrows, but he decides not to look a gift horse in the mouth, standing warily by the door and rushing out with his tea as soon as it is ready, thanking the cashier, who is also apparently the barista.

Blowing on the hot tea, Bakugou does not know the video from minutes before has just been uploaded online. He does not know how the actions of one person close to him changed the impression of so many, nor how such a thing spreads exponentially. Though many remain skeptical, and many still fear him, considering him a villain, Bakugou unknowingly has far more people on his side than before.

It's all thanks to one friend.

The end.
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I picture cashier barista man (who is the owner; Bakugou just doesn't know that since it didn't come up) as a total beef cake btw 🙈

Hope you enjoyed!

-Angry
Word Count: 2647