[The impression that Zhao's getting from this disconnected rant isn't at all "I was important to him but he wasn't important to me." If anything, it's the opposite. It sounds like Bakugou looked up to this "rival" of his as much as vice versa; you don't get that upset about someone's death, don't break down and claim that he's too powerful to die, that he could help the world too much to die, if you think he's a loser.

It sounds like Bakugou's kind of ashamed of having treated him like shit, actually.

Fuck, does he still think the world's fair and people who try hard enough succeed just because they tried?

Zhao rubs a hand over his mouth, stubble catching and dragging over his callused fingertips.]

I don't know who I knew back when I was alive. [This isn't the time to be flippant, and he's not as good at serious conversations he can't lighten with humor.] So I can't give you personal advice on how to deal with something like that-- on dealing with somebody who forgot you.

But if I were him, I'd want you just to be yourself. Don't say anything about it, but don't try and act differently, either.