After helping Miss Hinata with lunch preparation at the Uzumaki Ramen Stand, Izuku found himself covering the lunch breaks at the Vongola Boutique. The place was run by a man named Tsuna, who looked like he needed a nap, but considering the man's friends/co-workers were very rowdy, it made sense. Tsuna told Izuku that they had been his Guardians on his Earth when he ran something called the Vongola Familigia. Tsuna had brown hair and eyes, and seemed to be a few years older than Izuku and Asta.
The shop had a lot of clothes that didn't look out of place on the runway, as Izuku had seen Katsuki's parents' workroom at the Bakugou house. The clothes were organized by style the best Izuku could see, not that Izuku was good with fashion, as in his off-hours, he used to wear a t-shirt that said shirt on it. The height of fashion, everyone would tease.
"So," said Tsuna, as the shop was empty at the moment. He heard the bickering of Tsuna's Guardians in the backroom. "Being a Pro-Hero, what was that like?"
"Oh, it was great! I got to save and protect people. And I got to work with some of my best friends," said Izuku. "It was hard work to get to be the Number One Hero but it was worth it to see everyone's happy and content faces."
"I wasn't so lucky," said Tsuna, smiling bashfully, though he was a grown man, Izuku could see the hesitance and youthfulness in Tsuna's face. "Seems like you were mean to be a hero. I kind of just fell into it. I was meek and useless as a kid, and I hated fighting."
Izuku looked at Tsuna and said, "My hero name was Deku."
Tsuna gave him a weird look. "Seriously?"
"My childhood friend used to use it as an insult, but then someone told me that Deku sounded like dekiru, like "I can do it,"" said Izuku, "so I made it my hero name."
Tsuna laughed. "That's pretty awesome. I think that if there was a hero out there like you when I was kid, I would have definitely been inspired."
"Thanks," said Izuku. "Do you mind if I ask you questions about the town? I'm curious to know where all the clothes come from. And the food? And does this place run on a barter system and not monetary system. And does everyone train still? Why start shops and restaurants and cafes?"
"You're a curious guy, Izuku," said Tsuna. "Um, let's see. There's no money, so everyone trades goods and services. Like how I'm paying Gintoki in parfaits for your help today. The food can be grown in the ground, but I don't know the details how that works without animals."
"Makes sense," said Izuku.
"Yeah, I mean supplies and goods come on a ship that appears once every thirty days or so," said Tsuna. There's a path on the south side of town that leads to a bay where it arrives. There's no crew or anything. We figured it was a deity or something that runs this Hero's World."
"Oh, has anyone tried to figure out what was behind it," asked Izuku, deep in thought.
"Yeah, many of us over the years, but if we get close we just appear back in town," said Tsuna, shrugging. "It's better not to look too close."
"I suppose," said Izuku.
"As for the shops and cafes, I think if most of us don't have anything to do, we'll just get depressed about being dead and forced to retired," said Tsuna, grimly. "It's why everyone tries to help new arrivals so quickly. It's never good to let all those bad feelings fester inside you."
Izuku didn't respond. Tsuna was correct. While it was great staying with All Might and Nana and meeting other deceased Pro-Heroes, Izuku hadn't been idle since the last year of middle school. He had been happy to see Asta again. Izuku had worried that Asta was feeling similar things to him, but the other man seemed to be cheerful.
"And everyone trains in some way, though being dead means that most of us don't have our powers in the same way anymore," said Tsuna. "On my Earth, me and my people used something called the Dying Will Flames to use in conjunction with weapons. But we're dead, so we can't have them since he relied on our willpower to not die."
"So, it depends," said Izuku. "My quirk was one that was passed down so it makes sense that I'm Quirkless again."
"Yeah, I'm not sure how it works," said Tsuna. "You'd have to go those smarter than me for a better explanation."
"Thanks for the info," said Izuku.
"It's hard getting your bearings," said Tsuna, nodding knowingly. "Now, while I'll be paying Gintoki in parfaits, would you like new clothes so you don't have to wear your hero outfit anymore?"
"That would be appreciated, yes, thank you," said Izuku. He had been wondering if he'd be stuck wearing his hero uniform forever.
"We can pick something out before your next odd job," said Tsuna.
Then, suddenly the door's bell chimed and in entered Miss Rei from a few days ago and a pretty blond-haired woman. Tsuna smiled at them when they entered. "Miss Rei, Miss Minako, here for your weekly fashion show?"
"Tsuna, hi! Of course, you know it," said Miss Minako, the pretty blond-haired woman. She winked at Tsuna and Izuku. "Oh? You must be Izuku, one of the new arrivals! Rei, you didn't tell me he was so cute!"
"Don't harass the boy," said Rei, deadpan. She had a camera attached to a strap, which was hanging around her neck. "Tsuna, if you would let her at one of the collections, I'd appreciate it."
"Sure," said Tsuna, smiling, shaking his head fondly. "Go for it. Get ready, Izuku, it's about to be a storm."
And Tsuna didn't lie. Miss Minako took three hours to try on every outfit in the store. Tsuna, Izuku and Tsuna's friends who returned from lunch watched the entire store torn apart. Izuku had gone shopping with his female friends and he had never seen something like this. Miss Rei was taking pictures, while apologizing for the mess, though she made no move to help clean up.
But it was fun to see someone enjoy something so thoroughly and Miss Minako was a very sweet woman, who complimented everyone, though she was a little flirty towards one of Tsuna's Guardians (the tall dark haired one who had been smiling the entire time, Izuku thought he heard Tsuna call him Yamamoto). And then when Tsuna mentioned that he was giving Izuku a new outfit for all the help, Miss Minako and Miss Rei jumped at the chance to help dress him.
His new outfit reminded him of the time that his class at Yuuei did a play in a fantasy setting. They were comfy clothes. He bid goodbye to Tsuna as he had to get to his next job at a game shop. His hero uniform was in the Vongola Boutique's bag.
Izuku had been very glad to be busy, but as he walked to the next place, Izuku wondered if Kacchan and the rest of his friends were doing okay without him. He woke up this morning, thinking that he was back in his apartment that he shared with Kacchan and that he had work at the agency. It was jarring to remember that he was dead.
Everyone was really nice here and very welcoming and it was wonderful seeing All Might and the heroes that his world lost over the years, but Izuku longed to be home. He wanted to call his mom to check up on her. Izuku wanted to hear Kacchan's loud yelling and have Todoroki's stoic support. He missed Iida and Uraraka and the rest of his friends.
Sighing, he reached the game shop where a tri-colored haired man in too much leather was at the counter organizing cards. Izuku took a breath and put a smile on his face as he entered the shop. "Hi, I'm Izuku. I'm from Odd Jobs Gin-chan, here to help!"
"Hello, Izuku. I'm Atem. What do you know about card collections," asked Atem, who had actual violet-colored eyes.
"I used to collect hero trading cards," said Izuku, bashfully.
"Excellent, help me organize these."
Two hours later, Atem promised to get Gintoki his cakes to him by tomorrow as Izuku bid the former King of Games goodbye for the day. Izuku's eyes were burning as he headed back to the Odd Jobs' office. Who knew organizing cards would make his eyes hurt so much?
He entered the office to find Asta and Gintoki eating dinner and Izuku forgot that he was supposed to get food for his new temporary boss.
Thankfully, Asta was a good guy and said, "Izuku! I got some for you too! Man, was today busy or what?"
Izuku sat next to Asta on the couch opposite of Gintoki, as he seemed to like his space. Asta launched into telling Izuku about his day. Asta worked on the Son Farm with Goku, the same man whose training lead Izuku and Asta to town in the first place. Then, Asta met Miss Makoto at her shop and then worked the counter at the Cat's Eye Café. Asta seemed to have a good day.
In turn, Izuku told Asta about his day. Gintoki seemed to be half-asleep, but shoveling food in his mouth at an alarming rate, and not interjecting once.
"Oh, I have the receipt copies, Boss," said Izuku. "They're bringing their payments tomorrow."
"Me too," said Asta.
"Good work," said Gintoki, nodding, as Asta and Izuku handed the slips of paper to him. Sighing, the white-haired man said, "But you know, you two ain't gonna find what you what to do working for a guy like me. You're enthusiasm physically pains me, you know? If come again tomorrow, that's fine, but seriously think about what you like to do outside of training or fighting. Now, get out so I can sleep."
Asta and Izuku were effectively kicked out of the office. Standing outside of Odd Jobs' office, Izuku realized that he was still hungry. "He's kind of lonely, isn't he?"
Sighing to next to him, Asta said, "Yeah. But I think that if there were the people he cared about here, he'd get mad about it, because he seems like the type to sacrifice himself for the sake of others."
"I mean, that's why we're all here, isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Asta, nodding. "You wanna get some ramen?"
"Sounds like a plan since he took the rest of our food and kicked us out."
Notes:
Cameos:
Sawada Tsunayoshi from Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Yamamoto Takeshi from Katekyo Hitman Reborn
(the other Guardians were mentioned in passing from KHR)
Sailor Mars/Rei and Sailor Venus/Minako from Sailor Moon
Atem/The Pharaoh from Yu-Gi-Oh!
Sakata Gintoki from Gintama
