Hey everyone, I apologize that it's been so long since I've last updated this story. I'm not gonna make any excuses and I'm just going to jump right in to the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
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Finally, the day for summer camp had arrived. Everyone else who wasn't on I-Island saw what happened on the news, but the class couldn't dwell on this, as the summer training camp was just around the corner. Michael also was pretty concerned for Midoriya after his encounter with Shigaraki. He hadn't been at the mall when it happened, but he heard about it from the others. He had just finished packing his things for the summer camp, save for one item he saved for last. A picture frame. He stared at the photo for a moment, before packing it into his duffel bag.
When he arrived at U.A. he was the only student from his class there, which didn't surprise Mr. Aizawa in the slightest. The kid was always the first to come to class and the first to leave. While Michael DID annoy him with his personality, he at least conceded the American was punctual, a good student, and more than likely his best quality, he had a good heart, which was crucial to being a hero. "First as always, huh?" he asked the blonde. "Of course!" Michael replied. "Life doesn't wait, so why should I?"
Shota Aizawa had seen plenty of students eager to finish school and make it out into the real world, and Michael was no different. But he knew sometimes rushing wasn't always the best idea. "You don't always have to go through life at mach three. I know saying that is ironic with your quirk, but don't forget to enjoy your youth as well. You're still a child." Michael pondered this for a moment, and smiled. But it wasn't his usual wide grin. It was more contained, more calm. "You got a point, sensei." Aizawa was a bit surprised at how quickly the boy calmed down. "You suddenly seem more calm. What brought this on?" Michael looked at his duffel bag in his hand. "Just thinking about home," he replied. The raven-haired man looked at Michael with concern, but just then a few other students arrived, and Michael got swept into talking with them about the trip. He made a mental note to talk to Michael more about his home at a later date.
On the bus, Michael was busy chatting with the other students. "I hope there will be tent camping! That's how we did it back home!" While Sero and Kaminari grumbled at the idea of sleeping in a tent, Uraraka had a thought. "What is America like, Michael?" He stopped and thought for a moment. "While I can't tell you what the whole country is like, I can talk about my home state. Michigan, the one shaped like a hand."
He suddenly had a very zoned-out look. " The wildlife is beautiful there. Tons of tall trees like maple and pine, and so many different animals. And there's so many lakes. We have more lakes than any other area of the world. Of course there's also great places to see like the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, Mackinac Island…" he trailed off, looking out the window. The other kids who were listening were surprised. "Wow, sounds like you really like your home, huh?" Ashido asked. Michael turned to face her "Yeah, I love it. Can't help but feel homesick sometimes, but I guess that's common for anyone who travels for a while, huh?" Then he thought of something. He looked up at a screen hanging from the roof of the bus for watching movies. He then turned to Momo. "Do you think you could make a translator that puts the words it hears on the screen? I wanna show everyone something." The girl blinked for a moment, before a small flash drive popped out of her hand. It had a microphone at the end. She plugged it into the screen, and Michael asked her to set it to translate English into Japanese. He then quickly went to his phone and looked through his songs, before finding the one he was looking for. By now, the entire bus was paying attention to him. "This is a song that I listen to whenever I want to reminisce about home. It's called 'Half-Acre'." He then turned up the volume, set the phone on the armrest of his chair and closed his eyes. A soft melody began to play. As they listened to the song and looked at the translation on the screen, a few of the students noticed Michael gently swaying while listening, his eyes closed and face at what could only be peace. A look none of them EVER thought they'd see him make.
I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
And folded in this scrap of paper
Is a land I grew in
Think of every town you've lived in
Every room, you lay your head
And what is it that you remember?
Do you carry every sadness with you
Every hour your heart was broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with you
A man is walking by the highway
A woman stares out at the sea
And light is only now just breaking
So we carry every sadness with us
Every hour our heart were broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with us
But I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
I am carrying this scrap of paper
That can crack the darkest sky wide open
Every burden taken from me
Every night my heart unfolding
My home
As the song finished Michael stopped swaying, and a single tear emerged from his eye. He wiped it away. "That's what home is like."
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Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Fun fact: Half-Acre is a real song by the artist Hem, go check it out! This chapter my aim was to flesh out Michael's character to make him more three-dimensional instead of just generic energetic kid. I have no idea when the next chapter will be uploaded, but I will try to get it out a bit faster this time.
Until then, Netherking out.