Break Before You Build

Sparks gathered in Bakugo's palm, and it looked as if the flames were about to shoot out and engulf the Bakugo entrance.

"Stop it right now!"

Kota a roar, Kota slammed the curry rice he was holding at Bakugo, the rice landing on Bakugo's clothes and instantly staining his blue tracksuit with a Hua Hua!

Then, Kota raised his palm and aimed it at Bakugo. In an instant, like a water pipe, a large amount of water sprayed from Kota's hand, enveloping Bakugo completely!

The flames in Bakugo's palm were extinguished, and the accumulated sweat was washed away by the water. An explosion that was about to seal the cave entrance was thus averted!

Bakugo was soaking wet. He was silent for a moment, then withdrew his hand and turned to look at Kota, who had attacked him.

Kota felt a chill run down his spine just looking into Bakugo's eyes, but he still stood trembling in front of Bakugo, his arms outstretched, and said firmly, "This is my secret base, and I will never let you destroy it!"

Despite Bakugo's usual volatile temper—he'd fly into a rage at the slightest touch—he remained calm even though he was covered in dirt. Instead, he sighed, shook his hands, and said calmly, "You bastard, you can still do what you want... I'll respond to what you said earlier. Didn't you say your Quirk is for showing off? Well, let me tell you, yes, Quirk and strength are for showing off, but some people can't even manage that."

As Bakugo pointed his palm towards the cave, a burst of fire erupted from his hand with a loud "boom," Kota into taking a step back!

"Now, can you still stop me?"

Kota's Quirk is the ability to control and generate water. He only awakened his Quirk a few years ago, and that attack just now was his maximum effort. If Bakugo attacks the cave again, he will have no way to stop Bakugo.

"Ha, see? Your parents were just like you back then. They fought, but couldn't stop the enemy because of the difference in strength." Bakugo's words pierced Kota's heart like a string of pearls. "You're not disgusted, you're afraid. Afraid that even if you try your best, you'll end up like your parents. So you're running away, running away from the world of Pro Hero. That's why you didn't go to school at the right age, but instead stayed with Mandalay as a boarding student!"

Kota roared, "I didn't... I didn't run away!"

"Since you didn't run away, are you prepared to shoulder the responsibility for your parents? Are you determined to avenge them?!" Bakugo continued to press on, "Your Quirk is your only asset. Your parents clearly left you a very good Quirk, so why are you abandoning it, abandoning the only tool you have?!"

Kota clenched his fists and roared in resentment, "I didn't abandon my Quirk! You only beat me because you're older! When I grow up to be your age, I'll be a billion times stronger than you!"

"... Then prove it to me." Bakugo grinned arrogantly. "Prove to me that you're not a piece of trash."

Kota threw a punch at Bakugo easily dodged it. Instead of pursuing, Kota ran down the path Bakugo had cleared, shouting as he ran, "You just wait, Katsuki Bakugo! I'll beat you! You'd better get ready!"

As if afraid Bakugo would chase after him, Kota ran away as soon as he finished speaking, without even looking back.

"You stinky brat..." Bakugo sneered, looking at his tracksuit and muttering to himself, "Even if you don't eat, you can't waste food. I'm the one who started this fire."

Suddenly, Bakugo frowned and said in a deep voice, "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"Sorry, sorry... I kept watching because it was so unexpected." A person poked his head out from above the cave, wearing Bakugo's familiar smile, seemingly not ashamed of being discovered.

"I never expected our class monitor to have a penchant for peeping. That's quite surprising," Bakugo said sarcastically to Jilan Jiyu.

"No, no..." Jilan jumped down from above, wearing a pair of tactical goggles similar to those worn by American Shorthair, which looked rather strange.

Jilan took the tactical goggles off his head and hung them around his neck, smiling as he said, "Actually, I came here with that kid. I was worried something might happen to him, so I followed behind. I arrived much earlier than you. It wasn't that I was spying on you; it's just that your senses aren't strong enough to detect my presence. Of course, if you want me to spy on you, I can't argue with that, but I think... Bakugo, you wouldn't want to shift the blame onto someone else, would you?"

Jilan only finished speaking halfway. On one hand, he was worried about Kota getting into trouble, and on the other hand, he wanted to find a secluded place to test whether the tactical goggles made by Yaoyorozu were actually useful and whether the tracking chip could be installed on the evolved Sheer Heart Attack.

The result was that Kihara achieved the effect that Jilan wanted. Of course, this was something that Bakugo couldn't possibly be told.

"Tsk." Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You made that noise on purpose, didn't you? Otherwise, you could have waited until I left before showing up, and I wouldn't have noticed you at all."

Jilan shrugged. "Unfortunately, my stealth skills aren't up to par yet."

Bakugo frowned and said, "Come on, what do you want to ask me? I don't believe you just want to say a few witty remarks."

Jilan smiled and said, "My question is very simple: what's your opinion on Izuku Midoriya?"

Bakugo when he mentioned Midoriya: "That trash... Deku! Why did you bring him up!"

"I just thought of it on the spur of the moment. Since you can be so patient with Kota, why are you so irritable with your boyfriend? That really makes me curious." Jilan stretched. "Of course, it's okay if you don't want to."

Bakugo snorted, crossed his arms, and said, "I'll be straight. I've disliked that guy for a long time. He's been following me around like a shadow ever since. He should be my follower, but he's always going against me. That guy is just a useless Quirk piece of trash. What right does he have to rebel against me? What right does he have to give me opinions!"

"... In short, it's because Midoriya doesn't do things your way that you feel annoyed and unhappy, right?" Jilan nodded thoughtfully. "You really have a typical chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) mentality. Midoriya is more mature than you in this respect."

Jilan now understands the source of the conflict between Bakugo and Midoriya. To put it simply, "Midoriya treats Bakugo as a friend, Bakugo treats Midoriya as a follower or younger brother." Their different perspectives on each other naturally lead to many different viewpoints and conflicts.

However, this cannot be made clear by Jilan. Either Bakugo or Midoriya must break the ice. Only by severing the old relationship established in childhood can a new relationship be built.

To paraphrase a famous Chinese proverb, "No destruction, no construction."

"Jilan Jiyu, who's the chuunibyou here?!" Bakugo to a fighting stance, angrily shouting, "Want to fight? I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Forget it, you've been training for a whole day. That lecture to Kota just now must have exhausted you. Stop pretending to be all high and mighty." Jilan waved his hand, yawning as he turned around. "I think we should head back early. Who knows what trouble might come tomorrow?"

Jilan Jiyu, those guys really love messing with people's mentality.

Bakugo thought through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Jilan stopped in his tracks. He turned around, scratched his head, and said to Bakugo, "Although I don't really want to, it's best to do this so you can develop the right values. You see Kota's Quirk as a tool for showing off, right? But I believe that Quirk are weapons that can make you stronger. I hope you can see all of this as honor, not something to show off."

Okay, I've thought it through. Goodnight.

This time, Jilan did not stop.