The rain hadn't stopped since morning.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, casting a dull gray over everything. The air smelled of wet soil, of earth soaked in sorrow. The cemetery was silent except for the rhythmic patter of raindrops against the polished casket. A small group of people stood around it, some holding black umbrellas, others letting the rain soak into their clothes. But no one cared. Not today.
Midoriya Izuku's funeral was small. Too small. It didn't seem right.
His mother, Inko Midoriya, stood at the front, gripping a soaked tissue in trembling hands. She was silent. She hadn't spoken since the service began. Those closest to him—his teachers, his classmates, Pro Heroes who had admired him—stood behind her, heads bowed, eyes hollow. Aizawa stood with his arms crossed, the water dripping from his hair ignored. All Might was there, his skeletal frame hunched over, staring at the casket with a look of indescribable grief.
And then there was Bakugou.
He stood toward the back, away from the others, fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. He didn't say a word. He didn't move. He only stared at the casket, his jaw locked, his chest tight. The lump in his throat refused to go away.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
He wasn't supposed to die.
Not like this. Not before he could—
Bakugou tore his eyes away, staring at the puddles forming in the grass. He felt sick. The words of the priest droned on, muffled under the pounding in his ears. He couldn't hear the eulogy. He didn't deserve to.
Because he knew.
He knew what he did.
For the rest of the weekend, Bakugou barely left his room. The news wouldn't stop talking about it. About how a rising hero-in-training, Midoriya Izuku, had been murdered. About how the police were still searching for answers. But no answer would be enough. Not for his mother. Not for All Might. Not for anyone who actually cared about that nerd.
And certainly not for Bakugou.
Because the truth was worse than anything they could report. The truth was, he had already killed Midoriya a long time ago. Not with his hands, no. But with his words. With his actions. Eleven years of torment. Of shoving. Of taunts. Of explosions aimed too close, burning, bruising. Of telling him to jump off a building like his life was worthless.
And now he was gone.
Bakugou imagined it—his classmates learning the truth. Imagined Kirishima's face twisting in disgust. Mina's horror. Jirou's look of betrayal. Even Sero and Kaminari, who had laughed along with him in the past, would turn away, ashamed to have ever called him a friend.
He imagined Iida, fists shaking, calling him disgraceful. He imagined Todoroki, staring at him like he was nothing, like he was the very thing he hated. He imagined Asui's quiet judgment, Uraraka's heartbreak, Yaoyorozu's disappointment.
And worst of all—he imagined All Might.
The Symbol of Peace, who already knew he had bullied Midoriya, but had never learned the full extent of it. What if he did? What if he realized that his precious successor—the one he had called worthy—had spent most of his life being crushed under the heel of his childhood tormentor?
Would All Might even look at him anymore? Would he still believe in him?
No.
And he would deserve it.
Monday came too fast.
Class 1-A was quiet. No one laughed. No one talked. Even Kaminari, who usually had some dumb joke, sat in silence. No one wanted to acknowledge the empty desk. But it was there, like a hole in the room that nothing could fill.
Bakugou barely heard Aizawa enter. He barely heard him clear his throat. But then—
"You're getting a new classmate."
The words cut through the silence like a blade.
Kaminari blinked. "Wait. What?"
"You heard me." Aizawa's voice was as tired as ever, but something else was in it. Something Bakugou noticed, but couldn't place. "You're getting a new classmate. Next week."
The room erupted.
"What the hell?!" Kirishima slammed his hands on his desk. "We're replacing him that easily?! That's the most unmanly thing I've ever heard!"
"Yeah!" Kaminari agreed, his voice almost cracking. "Midoriya wasn't just some guy! He was our friend!"
Aizawa didn't flinch. "He was a student," he said simply. "Nothing more, nothing less."
Bakugou barely heard the rest. His head felt like it was underwater, his heartbeat too loud in his ears. He didn't raise his voice with the others. He didn't say anything.
Because, in some sick way, he understood.
Midoriya was gone. And life kept moving. That was the truth.
Classes dragged on. He barely paid attention.
And when the final bell rang, he didn't go home.
Instead, he found himself walking toward All Might's office.
His hands were shaking.
He clenched them into fists.
All Might had lost his greatest successor. The one person who had deserved One For All. The person who should've had everything Bakugou had stolen from him for years. And now, Bakugou was going to walk in there and—
He stopped in front of the door.
Swallowed.
Lifted his fist—
And knocked.