Red and Green
Other medical staffers hurry up to him as he approaches the exit. His hand is throbbing, so he submits to them without much complaint (he only tells them to fuck off twice). As they take him to Recovery Girl, he has time to think about what Shinsou said. You must really love him. It bothers him that Shinsou–someone barely knows, has barely seen him–knows. He clenches his fists. The day isn't over, and he has a feeling that something important is still yet to happen.
Recovery Girl heals him enough to be functional, but it's not complete. With his hand bandaged and a couple of painkillers to keep the pain reasonable, he makes his way back to the seats above the arena. He comes back in the middle of a match that results in Kaminari shorting out his brain and losing spectacularly. Then he watches Todoroki freeze half the stadium and Kirishima knock heads with someone scarily similar to him in both quirk and personality. Katsuki taps his foot impatiently, ready for them to announce the matchups for the second round.
When the last match of the first round is done, the winners are called by name and their opponents are set. Katsuki's next fight is against Uraraka, and Izuku's is against Kirishima. At first glance, Katsuki thinks his next fight will be boring. Uraraka hasn't stood out to him, but he knows–he remembers–she is stronger than she looks at first glance. He sends a look her way every so often as the other matches play out. In this lifetime, she has never met Izuku. He wonders if she'll be weaker for it.
Kirishima makes his way over. It's almost time for Izuku's fight, and Katsuki knows he won't be cheering for his classmate this time.
"How strong is he?" Kirishima asks.
"I'm not telling you," Katsuki says, but he can't keep the smile entirely off his face–he knows Izuku is strong.
Kirishima rolls his eyes, muttering something along the lines of "I don't know why I asked."
When Izuku next walks out into the arena, Katsuki is glad to see that any evidence of his previous match's injuries are gone. Where Izuku mostly attacks, Kirishima defends. Katsuki's grip on the bench tightens before the match even begins. They circle each other once. Izuku is unfamiliar with Kirishima's quirk, so he has to analyze as he goes. He throws a punch first, and Kirishima is forced to step backward, but Izuku's knuckles come away bloodied.
Fighting with only his bare hands puts him at a disadvantage. If he tries to attack, all Kirishima has to do is block properly, and Izuku will get injured. Izuku blocks an attack with his forearms, but he flinches. His arms are scratched now, too. He distances himself. Katsuki can almost see the gears in his mind working. Izuku knows that the way he'll win this match is by knocking Kirishima out of the designated area, not by knocking him unconscious. Behind those bright green eyes, he knows some sort of strategy is forming.
His thoughts are interrupted a few times, when Kirishima takes the offensive. Izuku returns the hits blow for blow, but if things continue at this rate, he won't win. He backs away again. He wipes the sweat off his forehead, and his hand leaves behind a red smudge. Katsuki fully believes that Izuku will win. He just wants it to happen a little faster, and with a little less getting blood everywhere.
Izuku clenches his fists, and Katsuki tightens his jaw. Izuku attacks again and, ignoring the newly inflicted injuries, steps back toward the edge of the platform. Kirishima follows. They stand only a small distance away from the edge. Izuku has his back towards it, but doesn't hesitate for a moment. Kirishima goes for another punch, but this time, Izuku dodges to the side and throws an attack of his own.
It's now Kirishima with his back to the edge. All Izuku has to do is push him. Katsuki sees the evidence of his quirk light up. Even though Kirishima is strong and his defense is damn strong, anyone who takes a punch with that kind of power behind it will be sent backward. Izuku comes away the winner, but with bleeding knuckles and a couple fractures in his right hand–the one he used for his last punch.
Once again, Katsuki has to watch Izuku being guided off the arena by medical staff. If Izuku has any instinct for self preservation, he has yet to see it. Katsuki slowly loosens his hands. His nerves are going to be dead by the end of the day, and it's all Izuku's fault.
Katsuki closes his eyes and tries to clear his head. His own match is coming up, after all. He glances over to where Uraraka sits. She has her hands clenched in her lap. Asui, who sits next to her, looks like she's trying to give her a pep talk. Last time, it probably would have been Izuku or Iida. Katsuki stuffs his hands in his pockets and makes his way to the waiting room. He has three more fights, and the day will be over.