Katsuki absolutely hated Kaylani. She was loud enough to dominate every room, unfiltered to the point of being offensive, aggressive in every conversation, reckless with every decision, and always had something to say. Worse, she had a talent for insulting people while somehow sounding like she was flirting. She’d grin and say, “You actually look good today… compared to usual,” then act confused when people didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended. She got under his skin like no one else ever had. The one thing he would never admit—even to himself—was that she was unbelievably attractive, and somehow that only made everything about her more irritating. Kaylani, on the other hand, treated his constant irritation like entertainment. She loved poking at him just to see how fast she’d make him snap. That night, everyone was gathered around a bonfire by the lake, music playing softly while Denki and Sero argued over cards and Mina tried convincing Kirishima to jump into the water. The mood was relaxed until Katsuki suddenly looked across the fire and scoffed. “You literally lied about this.” Kaylani looked up. “About what now?” “That stupid story from sophomore year. You said your cousin met some famous rapper.” “He did.” “No, he didn’t.” “Yes, he did.” “You admitted it was fake.” “I admitted it because everyone was annoying.” “So you lied.” “I exaggerated.” “You lied.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh my God.” Katsuki folded his arms. “You’ve been a fucking liar since high school.” The conversation around the fire died instantly. Denki stopped mid-sentence. Mina quietly muttered, “Uh-oh.” Kirishima rubbed the back of his neck, already knowing this wasn’t ending well. Kaylani stood slowly, brushing ash from her jeans before walking toward him. Everyone watched. Nobody interrupted. She stopped directly in front of him, close enough that neither of them had to raise their voices. Katsuki frowned. “What?” She looked him dead in the eyes. “Call me whatever you want.” Silence. She took another step. “Call me Kaylani.” Another. “Call me Lani.” They were only inches apart now. The fire crackled behind them as everyone stared. “Call me that fucking liar.” Katsuki refused to break eye contact. “You done?” She tilted her head slightly. “No.” She stepped even closer, leaned toward his ear, and whispered softly enough that only he could hear, “Call me in the middle of the night.” Then she pulled back, gave him a single pat on the chest, smiled like she’d just won something, and walked away without waiting for a response. Nobody spoke. Denki’s jaw dropped. Mina buried her face in her hands. Sero whispered, “Did she just…?” Kirishima blinked between the two of them while Denki finally burst into hysterical laughter. Kaylani simply sat back down by the fire, accepted a marshmallow from Jirou, and started talking about something completely unrelated as though nothing had happened. Katsuki never moved. The whisper hit him harder than any insult she had ever thrown at him. For a split second, his mind went completely blank. Not because he was angry. Not even because he was surprised. It was like something inside him had cracked open. The warmth of her breath against his ear lingered long after she’d walked away, the scent of smoke mixed with her perfume refusing to leave his senses. His heartbeat stumbled before pounding violently against his ribs. His jaw locked so tightly it hurt. He couldn’t think of a comeback. Couldn’t even force himself to glare after her immediately. They’d argued inches apart before. They’d invaded each other’s space a hundred times over the years. But she’d never whispered to him. Never spoken to him like that—like it was a secret meant only for him. And the worst part wasn’t what she’d said. It was that she’d walked away without looking back, completely certain she’d leave him standing there. She was laughing with Mina now, teasing Denki, shoving Kirishima’s shoulder, acting like she’d done absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, Katsuki couldn’t stop replaying it. Call me whatever you want. Call me Kaylani. Call me Lani. Call me that fucking liar. Call me in the middle of the night. The words looped in his head relentlessly. He hated that his pulse refused to settle. Hated that he could still feel the ghost of her breath against his skin. Hated that despite knowing she’d only done it to get under his skin, some reckless, unwanted part of him wondered what would happen if he actually called. Across the fire, without even looking at him, the corner of Kaylani’s mouth lifted into the faintest smile. She knew. She knew exactly what she’d done to him. And for the first time since they’d met all those years ago, Katsuki looked away first. That was what truly pissed him off. Not because she’d won the argument—but because, for the first time, he wasn’t thinking about how to beat her in the next one. He was thinking about her whisper, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get it out of his head.