Far Apart, Part 1

After dinner, Izuku and Inko sat across the table from Ochaco and her parents. The Midoriyas see that her father is a tall man with short dark tan hair while her mother has the same bob brown hair as their daughter but much longer.

"Thank you so much for taking good care of our daughter while we are gone." Mr. Uraraka said as he and his wife bow to Izuku and Inko with gratitude.

"You're welcome, Uraraka-san." Inko replied as she and her son bow back to them.

"Things were very hectic over at our company's branch in America, and my husband and I never expect it would take us more than half a year to help them settle down." Mrs. Uraraka added as everyone look back at each other.

"Why didn't you contact me that the both of you are returning home?" Ochaco asked her parents.

"Because we had some things to take care of as soon as we return to Tokyo. And after we're done, we decided that we wanted to surprise you by coming down here and wait for your return." Mr. Uraraka said.

"Besides, we wanted to take a look at our new home anyway, and Miss Midoriya was kind enough to give us a tour." Mrs. Uraraka added.

"So, you two are the ones who are going to move into this apartment along with Ochaco later this year?" Izuku asked.

"That's right." Mrs. Uraraka replied.

"Your daughter told me all about you. But may I ask, if you are all so rich, why do you still prefer living in a small apartment like this?" Izuku inquired.

"To save money, of course!" Her mother smiled at him.

"Yup. It's like what my father always told me. It is easy to spend money, but hard to earn it. And because Ochaco is becoming an adult soon, we want our daughter to have as much money as possible when she enters society." Her father explained.

"Not to mention, this house is a lot nearer to our workplace in Shinjuku." Mrs. Uraraka added. Ochaco lets out a sigh. Even after returning home and not seeing their daughter for nearly a year, her parents still see their work as their utmost priority.

"Speaking of the house, Ochaco, we have-" Her father is suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his smartphone. He bows his head to Inko and Izuku as he said apologetically, "Please excuse me."

As Mr. Uraraka stands up from the chair and gets his phone out of his pocket, he said to his wife, "Dear, can you tell Ochaco about the transfer for me?"

"Transfer?" Izuku and Ochaco uttered as her father now answers his phone.

"Hello, Sagawa-san." Mr. Uraraka greeted his caller as he makes his way out of the Midoriya household. After watching him temporarily leaving their home, Izuku and Inko look back at Mrs. Uraraka.

"Ochaco, what your father was trying to say is that we and Miss Midoriya had a discussion earlier today, and we have decided on the date of transfer to this household, which is the 23rd of November." Mrs. Uraraka said to her daughter.

"What?" Izuku and Ochaco both said incredulously.

"It's true. And I have also informed our agent that we'll be moving into our new home by the 22nd of November." Inko said to Izuku.

"That's only three weeks away." Izuku said to his mother.

"But I thought you said we will move by the end of the year?" Ochaco said to her mother in bewilderment.

"Doesn't necessarily had to be in December, right?" Mrs. Uraraka asked, oblivious to her daughter's look of shock. "Anyways, you should start packing your stuff now too. Your father and I will be coming back here tomorrow morning to pick you up."

"Tomorrow…morning?" Ochaco murmured.

"Just wait till you see the gifts that your father and I have bought for you from Boston." Mrs. Uraraka said to her. "Oh, that reminds me. Miss Midoriya…"

As Inko and Mrs. Uraraka continue their conversation, Izuku and Ochaco momentarily gaze at each other. Everything is happening so fast right now that both are unsure of what to say. Izuku never expect he would be leaving Tokyo sooner than expected, and as much as Ochaco wanted to stay with him a little longer, she just…could not do a thing. She could not bring herself to say no to her parents. She knew full well that they are too busy to listen to anything she had to say anyway. And even if she does get them to listen to her, they will just come up with a long-winded explanation why they cannot give into her demands at all. No matter how much she wants to object and fight it, she knows it will be hopeless.

"Izuku, Ochaco, is there something wrong?" Inko asked as she and Mrs. Uraraka noticed the frowns on their faces.

Izuku closes his eyes for a moment before he manages to give a broad smile to his mother when he turns his head to her.

"It's okay. Everything is fine." Izuku said.

"Yeah." Ochaco chuckled as she lifts her head back up with a forced smile. "You don't have to worry about us at all."

"That's nice to hear, dear." Mrs. Uraraka said as she places her hand on Ochaco's shoulder. "Your father and I look forward to live with you again after all these months."

Just then, Mr. Uraraka returns into the apartment and walks over to his wife and daughter. "Is everything good?" He asked.

"It's all good." Ochaco replied to him.

"Great. Then we better get going, honey. Sagawa-san has some more things for us to do." Mr. Uraraka said to his wife.

"Understood." Mrs. Uraraka said.

"Well, I guess I better start packing so that I can wake up early in the morning without any problems." Ochaco said to her parents with fake enthusiasm as everyone get up from their chairs.

"That's right, my girl." Mr. Uraraka smirks and winks an eye at her. Everyone leaves the dining area and while Ochaco walks into Izuku's bedroom, the others go over to the main door. Izuku and Inko stand at the doorway as they watch Ochaco's parents step out of the house and put on their shoes.

"Thank you so much again for the dinner." Mr. Uraraka said as he and his wife bow to the Midoriyas.

"It is our pleasure." Inko said as she and Izuku bow to them again. They watch the Urarakas leave for a moment before they close the main door to their apartment. Inko turns to her son and sees him frowning again.

"What's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"Nothing." Izuku said softly to her with a weak smile. "I'll go check on Ochaco."

As Inko walks back to her room, Izuku heads over to his own. He stands right in front of the door for a few seconds before he slowly turns the knob. When he opens the door, he finds Ochaco sitting down on his bed with her head lowered.

"Ochaco?" Izuku asked apprehensively. However, his roommate did not respond as she kept staring down at the floor. Izuku closes the door behind him and walks over to his bed to sit beside her.

"Ochaco?" He asked again gently as he turns his head to her.

"Izuku…what should I do?" Ochaco asked morosely. Sniffling, she looks back at Izuku as tears start to form in her eyes. "It…It doesn't seem right. Once…Once I leave this place tomorrow morning…e-everything will go back the way it is again…"

Izuku could feel her words tore furiously through his heart as he stares wordlessly at her. The two of them continue staring at each other before Ochaco suddenly throws her face onto Izuku's left shoulder and sob uncontrollably.

"Izuku…I don't want to leave you…but I can't…" Ochaco whimpered.

As his body shook, Izuku slowly wraps his arms around her in a futile attempt to comfort her. But as he grits his teeth, Izuku soon felt tears forming in his own eyes. The pair stayed in their miserable embrace, lamenting how helpless they are to stand up against their parents and how things are going to return the way they are before Ochaco moved into this household again.

"O-Ochaco…" Izuku choked out as he fails to fight back the urge to cry. He closes his eyelids and allows his tears to flow freely down his cheeks. "I-I'm sorry…I'm s-sorry…"

After some time has passed, Izuku and Ochaco manage to stop crying and they proceed to help each other put her stuff back into her silver luggage. When they are done, Ochaco closes the luggage and brings it up into an upright position. She pulls up the handle and drags it out of the room. Izuku opens the door for her and Ochaco makes her way to the living area. After placing it in front of the couch, she and Izuku head to the bathroom to take turns to brush their teeth. When they are done, they return to the room and Izuku closes the door. He turns around to see Ochaco flashing a weak smile at him.

"This brings back some memories, doesn't it?" Ochaco asked.

"Yeah." Izuku replied softly. "I was really embarrassed of showing you my room back then, as well as sharing it with a girl. But…I've really gotten used to having you around."

"Me too." Ochaco said. "I was unsure of having to leave my old room for nearly a year, but I've grown attached to this household ever since. But even if I moved here again later this month...it doesn't seem right not having you around."

Izuku frowns as he lowers his head in shame. "To think…if you haven't come into my life…I would never feel the same way as well." He said.

Ochaco also looks down at the floor as the two of them stood there in a moment of dead silence. Izuku eventually looks back up at Ochaco, walks over to her and pulls her into another embrace. Ochaco rests the side of her head against his shoulder as she hugs him back.

"I love you, Izuku." Ochaco said softly.

"I love you too, Ochaco." Izuku replied. The two of them pull away from their hug a few seconds later. "Goodnight, Ochaco."

"Goodnight, Izuku." Ochaco responded before she turns to his bed and lies down on it. Izuku goes over to his futon and lies himself underneath its sheets. It would take nearly an hour for them to fall asleep as both were thinking that this would be their last night sharing the same room together.

The next morning, Izuku, Inko and Ochaco quietly ate their breakfast and waited until they heard the doorbell. Inko goes over to the main door and opens it to reveal Ochaco's parents who have return to take their daughter home. Izuku follows Ochaco as she grabs the handle of her luggage and drags it over to the doorway.

When she finds herself standing in front of her parents, Ochaco looks down at her feet for a moment. She lets out a heavy sigh before she steps out of the Midoriya household to put on her shoes. After doing so, she turns around to face Izuku and Inko. She stood between her parents and they all gave the Midoriyas a solemn bow.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Ochaco and her parents said in unison.

"You're welcome." Izuku and Inko both responded as they bow back to them.

When everybody stand back up, Mr. Uraraka places his hand on Ochaco's shoulder and gestures her to the elevator. "Let's go home, dear." He said.

Ochaco nodded to her father before looking back at the Midoriyas. "Take care, Izuku, Inko." She said.

"Take care, Ochaco." Inko said, smiling sadly at her.

"Take care…Uraraka-senpai." Izuku said dishearteningly to her. Ochaco widens her eyes for a brief moment before she dejectedly lowers her head.

"Let's move." Mrs. Uraraka said gently to Ochaco.

"Yeah." Ochaco replied dully before she turns away from Izuku and Inko. She drags her luggage along with her and follows her parents to the elevator. As the Urarakas make their departure, Inko finally closes the main door.

"I'm really going to miss her. She is such a nice person." Inko said to her son.

"Yes. She is." Izuku replied flatly. Before his mother could question him, Izuku briskly walks over to his room and closes the door behind him.

Izuku took a moment to look around his room before he lands his vision on his bed, which is neatly tidied by Ochaco before she leaves his room for the last time. He clenches his fists as he remembers how awkward he originally felt having to sleep on the floor while the student council president takes over his bed. But he had gotten used to it over time, and he did not mind Ochaco sleeping warmly on his bed as long as she feels comfortable living in his home. But now that he has regained possession of it after her departure, it just does not seem right to him anymore. He walks over to the side of his bed and gets down on his knees. And after slamming his fists on the mattress, Izuku buries his face onto it and began sobbing in sorrow and frustration.

"This isn't right…" Izuku whimpered, his sobs muffled by his bed. "It's not right at all…It's not…Ochaco…I miss you…"

Izuku spent an hour crying in his room, grieving over the departure of his roommate and the tragic future that lies ahead of him. No matter how much he cried, the intense amount of pain could never leave him. Izuku knows that there is no turning back, and he could do nothing but accept the sad reality.

Ochaco has left. And soon, so will he.

Later that day, Izuku ate lunch with Inko at the dining table. It was awfully silent as Izuku never said a single word or look back at his mother for even a second. It was as if with Ochaco gone, so does a part of Izuku and the Midoriya household.

Inko could not help but feel worried over the current state of her son. For the past eleven months, she was happy to see how much her son's behavior had greatly improved. But now, it seems as if he is starting to act the same way he did before Ochaco came into their lives all over again. She temporarily places her bowl of rice down on the table and asked, "Izuku, are you alright?"

"I'm alright." Izuku replied flatly as he kept eating his food.

"Are you sure? You have been acting like this ever since Ochaco left." Inko said concernedly.

"Mom, I really am fine." Izuku said half-heartedly.

"Izuku…" Inko said.

"I'm fine!" Izuku bellowed as he slams his bowl onto the table. His sudden outburst caused Inko to widen her eyes as she stares back at her son in shock and pained confusion. Izuku's frustration quickly vanished a moment later when he realized what he has done. He frowns and lowers his head in shame as he said apologetically to his mother with his voice softened, "I'm sorry."

"Izuku, I really miss her too." Inko said gently as she places her hand on his shoulder. "But no matter what happens, if you ever need anything, I'm still here for you."

Izuku stayed silent as he finishes eating the last bits of his food and gently removes Inko's hand from his shoulder.

"Mom, I'll help you buy the groceries today." Izuku said to her as he gets up from his chair.

Inko sighs heavily as she lowers her head. "Alright."

After buying the groceries his mother wanted, Izuku slowly makes his way home, drooping his shoulders as he carries the bags in his hands. As he walks down the streets of Nerima, he remembered all the times he and Ochaco went to the grocery store together, each buy a popsicle with the extra money his mother gave them, and eat them as they make their way back to the apartment. Although Ochaco did not had to go out of her way to help him because she is the student council president, he was incredibly grateful towards her every time she wanted to do so. Those were good times, and it gave Izuku another reason to cry again.

As Izuku could feel tears forming in his eyes again, he came to a halt and lean his back against the lamppost beside him. With his head lowered, Izuku spends a few minutes weeping and wiping away his tears. Without the presence of Ochaco, and soon everyone he had made a connection with in Nerima, Izuku is starting to lose his will to continue moving forward, and he could not help but hate himself right now.

Despite vowing to himself that he will be a better person back in the Skytree, it seems now it is a promise that he could not keep. Ochaco is back with her parents where she is once again being ignored by them and have no one to accompany her. And when he leaves Tokyo, he would probably rely heavily on his mother for help and happiness all over again. Have all the times when Ochaco helped him build up the courage to open to others and confessing the truth to Shouto, Eliot and all the other friends he made during the last eleven months been for nothing then? Izuku could not help but feel he has been going through a circle all along, and everything will go back the way it is again when he moves to his new home.

Izuku felt ashamed of himself. He truly is hopeless after all. And with Ochaco gone, there does not seem to be anyone who can help him anymore.

"Izuku?"

When Izuku heard the familiar voice, he manages to regain control of himself, turns his head and look up to the person who is standing only a meter away from him, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Bakugo?" He murmured.

"Dude, you look like crap." Bakugo said. Izuku could not bring himself to give some sort of response to him as he looks away and sadly lowers his head again. Bakugo walks up to him and places his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, tell me what happened."

Sovereign: I would like to thank LayLay lives, Guest, AshPli, AquaBluey, RaudomGny, bobbyman910, Altair the Black Dragon, Willbear43 and puppyslipers for reviewing, favoriting, and following my story. Thanks everyone!