Summery: It's Bring-Your-Ghost-Child-To-Work Day! Also, Izuku tries to get answers… Key word being tries.

"Why is her s-soul yellow?"

The question tumbles out of the boy's mouth the moment we arrive in a crowded hospital room where a bright yellow sunburst of a soul hovers over the body of an old woman.

It had not taken me very long to learn that the boy never seemed to stop asking questions.

"I do not know." I quickly take in the large group of teary eyed people, the cards and flowers decorating the room, and the gentle smile that graces the now empty body. This woman had a peaceful death so I do not have to worry about any negative emotions.

I have been particularly anxious about that ever since the boy. It turns out having a human soul tag along with me wherever I go is very distracting, especially when it will not stop talking. I do not want to add on anymore. One is already too much.

"I thought at first that it m-might represent a person's eye colour." The boy starts talking again, floating closer to the yellow soul to inspect it. "Mine is green and you said b-before that my soul had been green, r-right? But her eyes" it points to a picture by her bed, "were blue. So souls aren't represented by eye colour. Perhaps then th-the colour represents a person's quirk! I didn't have one so does that mean that green represents quirkless souls? Of course, the colour of a soul could have to do with a person's character. Or is it more about what they were feeling right before they died? With all of her family around and how much they all seem to care about her, . ."

I am not actually sure what all it is saying. The boy tends to mumble a lot.

It is all so different from before where I just stepped in, did my job, and stepped out and onto my next appointment. Now every job becomes a chore as the boy somehow manages to find more questions to ask. You would think it would run out of questions or things to say, but a week (according to the boy. It keeps track of the days. I have never had need to pay attention to human's passage of time) has already passed and I see no end to its talking.

I come up to the soul and snap its last tether, the white string flashing in the setting sun shining through the window behind us before it disappeared. I begin to call to the soul.

"I n-noticed that you always start singing right before you absorb the souls. What are y-you singing? Is it an incantation? I don't think it is because it d-doesn't sound like you are using words. It's more like a melody. My guess is that you have to sing in order to absorb the souls, but why? Why singing? Also, if singing is supposed to accomplish the same thing every time why is the tune always different? It would make sense if the song was different because each soul different. That would mean only certain songs would work on certain souls. Or perhaps it is more like each soul has it's own song. If that is the case then how do you know each soul's song? Is there a way to tell? Maybe it has to do with their colo-"

I am only half listening to the boy. My main focus is the soul which I am pleased to see response immediately to my call and comes to me. Once that is done I turn to the boy and interrupt its mumbling before it gets unintelligible. "I am calling to them, not singing."

"It always s-sounds like you're singing." The boy remarks.

"I do not know what singing is. I am calling them. When they respond they come to me."

"O-oh, okay." The boy's face scrunches up as it takes in this new information. I do not think it finds my answers very satisfactory. "But then w-why is your call d-different every time?"

I think about this for a moment, then nod to the boy. "You were right before in your string of words." The child's cheeks take on a red hue. "Each soul has only one call it will resonate to. I must use their call in order for them to respond."

"How do you know which call is the soul's?" It asks.

"I just do."

I know my answer does not satisfy the boy, but it stops asking questions so I think I did well enough. The child now turns its attention to the hospital room, mumbling about everything it notices.

I appreciate hospitals. It makes my job easier when most of my appointments are in the same building. Sadly I only have one appointment in this hospital today and the next is rather far away. That means I will have to drop this soul off before my next appointment.

"It is time to go." I tell the boy.

"Yeah, o-okay." It nods and begins to move back toward me, but hesitates. It looks wistfully back into the sunlit room where humans are still crying.

"I-I know it's sad." The boy says in a soft tone. "But I can't help a-and think how b-beautiful this moment is for everyone. You can just tell that they all love her s-so much. The fact that everyone gathered to say goodbye is wonderful. Her children and grandchildren, her whole legacy was here to send her off. I think it's poetic, you know? None of them would exist without her so it's only right that they are here to honor her last moments. And even though everyone is sad there is a kind of peace in the room as if no one feels regret or guilt."

I look at the people around the empty body and notice that the boy is right about everything. They are all related to the woman who now peacefully floats in my grasp. They all are feeling sadness, but there is peace and tranquility nestled in their souls.

I can see their souls. The boy, as far as I can tell, cannot. It only seems to see souls once they have left their vessel. So I find it impressive that it managed to garner all that information just by noticing the outer appearance of the humans here. I am coming to learn that the boy is very observant and keen on seeing detail.

I allow us to wait a moment more so the boy can soak up the serenity of the room. Liquid is already misting its eyes and a tentative smile wobbles on its face.

In my line of work I come across few of these scenes. This, I am discovering, is a bad thing now that I have the boy. It is so very susceptible to other people's emotions and I know that many of my appointments put heavy strain on the child. It hates seeing others suffering. Unfortunately, that is what I see all the time.

I wonder if it is possible for a soul to break after death? I have reaped many souls broken from life, and those shattered pieces always reform into something twisted, ugly, or damaged beyond repair. But those souls all broke during their time alive. Would it be worse if it happened after death?

I do not know. But I suppose I might find out in the future.

Time is up. I have already warned the boy that we were going and it had stopped, so now I just wrap myself around it and step into the In-between (again, named by the boy. I find that the child has a strange need to give a name to everything). The boy gives a surprised squeak and flails for a moment, but goes still the moment it feels the shift from its world to the In-between.

The first time I stepped into the In-between with the boy I discovered that this place is actually harmful to human spirits. I am near positive that I almost lost the boy that first time. Even now as I use my body to shield it from the destructive atmosphere of this place, I feel the child flicker momentarily and hiss in pain. I wrap myself more tightly around it. We are almost there.

A moment later I step out. Now I stand in a place devoid of anything. It is dark, but not the kind that blinds your sight. Far ahead of us is a great white light, a beacon of huge proportions. That is my destination. The boy calls this Soul Station and the light it calls Portal of Lights.

I unfold myself from around the child who immediately shoots out and away from me to then turn around and scowl.

"Ichijorei-sama!" The boy whines (I have never had a name before, but of course the boy felt I needed one). "You know I d-don't like it when you grab me without warning. It's kind of scary."

I suppose it might be.

"I did give you a warning before you stopped to watch the crying people."

"W-w-what?! No, that doesn't count!" The boy shakes its head vehemently and then settles into a pout, slinking behind me. I have little doubt it would have said more, but we have drawn closer to the beam which also means we are closer to others. The boy always gets quiet and nervous whenever we are around any of the others. It draws closer to me, using my huge size as a hiding place. Its form also instinctively dims until it is completely transparent beside me. I can still perceive where its soul is, so it is not completely hidden from me or the others, but for the most part this is effective as very few ever seem to notice its presence.

Those few that do take note of it just stare curiously for a moment before returning to their job. The others and I are, of course, like minded. The job is important and anything not pertaining to it matters little to us. So really the boy has no need to be anxious around any of the others.

But I do not discourage its behavior toward them either. In truth, I am nervous. I do not know if taking the boy with me had been the right choice, The surprise and confusion a few of the others have exhibited when they spot the boy worries me. The fact that none of them have shown recognition or understanding when they see the boy is bad. Maybe this truly is the first time this has happened and I made the wrong choice.

I have never made a mistake in my existence, nor have I heard of any of the others ever messing up. Before that fated appointment under the bridge, I never considered it would be possible for my kind to make a mistake.

Now it seems all too possible.

I fear that the boy might be my first mistake.

Does that mean I am capable of making more?

I do not want to display my mistake, if it is one, for the others to see. So it is better for everyone if the boy draws as little attention to itself as possible.

At this point I, with the boy hiding beside me, have reached the Portal of Lights. Reaching into my pocket dimension, I take out the shining yellow human soul and place it directly into the light. The moment I release it the soul begins to slowly float upward. Around us others are doing the same thing.

The boy releases its anxious grip on me and floats forward, staring in reverent awe as the yellow soul and a hundred others all slowly rise within the white light. Looking down I can see the wonder sparkle in the boy's eyes (an emotion I have recently learned existed). I know what is going through its mind, it has told me before what it thinks of the Portal of Lights. It is beautiful, according to it. The white light streaming upward in darkness, filled with dancing colours like fairy lights. It says it looks magical.

I do not know what fairy lights or magical are.

I have seen this Portal of Lights all of my existence so it does not please me the way it does the boy. I ponder for a moment if I had shown such wonder when I beheld the portal for the first time. I do not remember. It was so long ago.

We watch at the Portal of Lights for a few more moments. The boy soaks the sight in as if it was going to be its last time. I watch the boy's face, bathed in white light with a colourful glow flicking past now and again. I decide to appreciate this moment. Each time I look at the boy its expression and the glow of its eyes is always slightly different. It is so interesting.

In time I do not doubt that such a sight will lose its effect on me and become as uninteresting as the Portal of Lights. Not to mention I believe its soul will eventually answer my call and I can place it in the Portal of Lights, so it will not be by my side forever.

None of this will last. So for now I will make this count so that I can remember this feeling (which I cannot find a name for) when it is gone. Is it possible for me to forget the boy as well? I certainly do not remember any of the souls I have reaped in my existence, so it is possible.

I call to the boy's soul again, but once more the only response is a flash of its eyes. It is still not ready. I consider trying to just put it in the portal despite being fully formed, but I already tried that. The Portal had actually rejected the boy, pushing its soul out of the light. That had been annoying.

"Ichijorei-sama?" The boy's voice calls my attention to it. It is looking up at me, its eyes incredibly huge. "Where do you think the souls go?"

The first time I took the boy here it had asked me this question. I said I did not know.

I am about to give it the same response until I realise that it is not asking me what I know but rather what I think. So I think for a moment.

"Judgement, I suppose." I remember once being told that all the souls we gathered are judged. So it does not seem that far fetched to assume that the portal would be taking them there.

"Do you know how they are judged?"

"No."

"Do you know who judges them?"

"Yes."

The boy must not have been expecting that answer because its eyes light up and it gets excited. "Who?!"

"The Judge." I say.

The boy's expression falls. "But who is the Judge?"

"The Judge is the judge."

"Okay, but do they have a name?"

"Yes."

"What is it?" The excitement is in its voice again, though it looks a little more guarded. I think it must like the word yes more than no.

"The Judge." I answer.

"Do they go by any other names?" The boy asks- no, more like pleads.

I pause to think for a moment, then say "Yes."

"What is it?!" It is excited again. I have a feeling my next words will just disappoint it once more.

"I do not know. I only heard the other names once and it was long ago. It does not affect my work, so I did not care about the names."

The boy sighed. "You never care about anything outside of your work."

"Yes." I agree.

The boy turns around now, watching the Portal of Lights with a critical eye and mumbling again. It is trying to deduce the Judges other names on its own. I consider listening in but in that moment I become aware that I am being watched.

Others are watching us. Nearly all of them here have noticed the boy. It is, after all floating uncloaked in front of the largest, and only, light source in the Soul Station

We have gathered too much attention.

I tap the boy's shoulder. It turns around and grins up at me, a question balanced on the tip of its tongue.

"We must go." I say before it can speak.

I must have sounded urgent because the boy becomes alert and worry permeates its green orbs.

Then it notices all of the others looking at it. The boy's eyes widen, its cheeks turn bright red, and it squeaks in surprise before turning invisible almost instantly... Not that it matters since their attention is already on it.

The boy presses itself close and I feel its hands clutching me. Embarrassment and insecurity bubble out of it causing the others to twitch as they sense its change of emotions.

I begin to move away from the Portal of Lights. Many have already returned to their business, but there are a few others who still watch me and the soul hovering by my side. No one comes forward to tell me the boy was a mistake. I am relieved.

At the same time, no one comes forward to say that I have made the right choice. Or that this strange circumstance has ever happened before. That does not relieve me.

Once far enough away from the portal I gather the boy in my embrace, covering it completely, before stepping back into the In-between.

We both sigh in relief when the howling desolate atmosphere of the In-between cuts off the many stares from the others. I am eager to begin my next appointment, and for the first time I believe the boy is as well.

Ichijorei-sama

The kanji of the narrator's name is 一助 (Ichijo) and 霊 (Rei).

一助 is a noun which means help, assistance. 霊 means spirit. The 霊 kanji is usually used for positive spirits such as yūrei 幽霊 (common term for spirit or ghosts), sorei 祖霊 (deeply honoured ancestral spirit. Think of the Mulan movie), and eirei 英霊 (spirit of a war hero).

So basically Izuku calls the narrator Helper Spirit. This is because Izuku sees the narrator not as an unfriendly spirit such as an onryō (vengeful spirit), akuryō (evil spirit), or yuki (demon spirit) but rather a helpful one whose job it is to assist the newly departed souls and ferry them to where they need to go.

Also, I listened to the pronunciation of the kanji together and found it is super cute sounding… At least it does to me.

Sama is an honorific that shows high respect. It is used for royalty, gods, deities, or spirits. It can also be used as flattery or an insult (depending on the context), but it's pretty safe to assume that Izuku isn't trying to be insulting.