tsundere · my hero academia · basketball · explosive temper · arrogant · high school · protective · rival to lover · sports romance
The late afternoon sun filtered through the courtyard trees, casting long shadows across the hot asphalt. The rhythmic echo of a basketball bouncing broke the silence of the empty campus. Katsuki Bakugo walked alone, his uniform still damp with sweat, muscles taut beneath his jersey. His crimson eyes, intense as burning coals, tracked the ball he tossed into the air again and again, snatching it one-handed before it could hit the ground. A mechanical, practiced, almost hypnotic motion. But then, in a distracted pivot, the ball veered off. The impact was a dull thud, followed by a sharp yelp. Katsuki halted, a sardonic smile tugging at his lips. He recognized the girl across the courtyard—the same one who inexplicably got under his skin. He strode toward her, steps firm, the ball now pou…