The two emerged from the series of alleyways back onto the streets, but not the one they had been walking down initially. It took them a minute or two to figure out where they were, but before long they were on their way back home.
The crowds were starting to thin as the sun slowly set over the city. People on their way home for the night, or else out drinking with co-workers. After a few minutes of walking, Izuku cleared his throat and glanced at Ochako.
"So... what happened in the restaurant?" Izuku asked carefully, keeping an eye on her, gauging her reaction. "Did someone recognize you?"
"No. No one recognized me. I just... heard some people talking at a nearby table." She said, eyes fixed on the ground as they walked.
"I've isolated myself from the media since... the incident, I knew it wouldn't be kind. So I never knew what rumors were spreading about me; about us," she said quietly.
Izuku squeezed her hand. "No matter what they might say or think, just remember that you have people who love you, who know you, and will never abandon you. Besides, rumors like that come and go, and happen to everyone who's in the public eye long enough. It'll all fade into obscurity eventually." Izuku said earnestly.
Ochako couldn't help but smile, it was a true blessing that Izuku could still be so optimistic, despite everything that happened in the world. His constant optimism always proved to be a source of great comfort to her. Ochako meanwhile struggled not to get dragged down by the hellscape that was public opinion and reality. She knew such thoughts were often cyclical, making it difficult to break from such thoughts on one's own. Yet, Izuku's presence and that almost childlike optimism he possessed; that things would work out one way or another, acted like a light in the darkness. At times it was blinding to her, and she often wondered how she had survived up to now without Izuku.
"Do you think All Might had problems like this?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't know. Naomasa spoke about him a few times, but never about his personal life in much detail. I remember he told me once, that he admired All Might, but that he had to remind himself that All Might was still just a man in the end, that he wasn't perfect. He said that it helped put things into perspective for him, and helped him become a better cop. If he kept comparing himself to the "idea" of All Might rather than the man, then he would always come up short." Izuku said, his mind drifting to the past.
"If I had to guess though, I think he faced a lot of hardships that few knew about. He wasn't born great, no one is. So, even if he had great power, it also meant he needed to overcome greater challenges, both public and private." Izuku said.
Ochako's thoughts went back to when All Might explained about One For All, about how it had taken eight generations of the quirk before All For One was finally defeated. She couldn't even begin to fathom the weight that must have rested atop All Might's shoulders. She didn't know if she could have withstood it, and she didn't know how All Might had managed it.
"He was the greatest hero ever to live." She said after a few minutes of quiet walking.
"I dunno," Izuku started to say.
She looked up at him and saw he was looking at sidelong.
"You think there's someone else?" She asked, surprised and curious who he thought could match, let alone be better than All Might.
Izuku just smiled at her. "Well... I think if he were here right now. He'd have some stiff competition." He said, his eyes never leaving hers.
She felt herself start to go red and hastily looked down.
"I'm nowhere near that great..." she mumbled.
Izuku suddenly stopped and she almost walked into him. She looked up and opened her mouth to ask why he'd stopped, only to have Izuku kiss her suddenly.
She froze in surprise, Izuku broke the kiss quickly, and smiling he said, "Well I think you're the best hero ever."
She felt herself go even redder and looked down before he could see she was starting to cry.
Without saying anything more, Izuku took one of her hands and continued leading her down the street. Oblivious to the curious gazes, smiles, and smirks, that Izuku's action had prompted from those nearby.
"Meanie..." she whispered, quietly enough that Izuku couldn't hear.
After another few minutes, she managed to calm her heart and looked around her. It took a few seconds but she eventually realized where she was.
"Everything looks so different from above when flying," she thought.
As she continued to scan her surroundings she noticed a particular building. Not because it stood out in any meaningful way, but because she recognized its address.
"Isn't that the place where that workshop thing was being held?" she asked, pointing.
Izuku looked to where she was pointing and pulled out the flyer. He checked the address on the flyer against the building and nodded.
"I think so, yeah," he said, looking back at her.
"Do you want to attend?" he asked, with a slight frown.
Ochako just sighed and cocked her head to one side as she thought about it.
"I mean... It's something like a self-help thing, right?" she asked.
Izuku looked down at the flyer again.
"It doesn't specify, but from what is on it, I think it might be?" he said questioningly, unsure himself.
"I... maybe it might be worth a quick peek? Dr. Kouta said I shouldn't discount outside help. That he won't always have the answers I want or need. Maybe this is something along the lines of what he meant?" she half said, half asked.
"Maybe..." Izuku said, thinking about it.
"I... guess, we could go and see what it's all about at the very least." Izuku eventually said.
With that, the two of them made their over to the building, where someone else was already opening the door. Upon seeing them, he held the door open with a smile.
"I don't recognize you, new to the group?" He asked, following them inside where he quickly pulled ahead and started to walk just ahead of them.
"Yes, not sure if we'll stay for the whole thing though," Izuku said.
The man nodded, still smiling. "Well don't feel pressured. If you don't want to stick around or return in the future, that's okay. That being said, I will say you chose quite the night to check it out." He said.
"Why's that?" Ochako asked, while the man slowly guided them through the hallways.
"The man who founded all this has come to Mufustafu to speak at a couple of the meetings that will be happening, including this one. He even plans on hosting a larger event in the coming weeks, no one knows what the details are, but it's going to be a big outdoor event according to rumors." The man said brightly, opening a door and gesturing them inside.
The two of them walked into the room to realize that this wasn't just a simple workshop, the room was much larger than they anticipated. It was wide, with at least a couple hundred chairs set up, facing towards a lectern and projector screen.
"We don't normally use such large rooms, but as you can see, the founder has attracted more people than normal. Looks like there are a lot of new faces too, they went all out with the adverts. Well, feel free to get yourselves situated. Refreshments are over in the corner," The man said, gesturing toward a large table set up in a secluded corner, before slipping into the crowd.
Izuku and Ochako milled around for a little bit, before heading over and getting themselves some water and grabbing a few seats in the back. They didn't talk much, both were engrossed in just observing the crowd as it shifted and grew larger from people slowly filling into the room. After a few minutes of observation, Ochako turned to Izuku.
"The people here seem pretty happy," Ochako said.
Izuku nodded, "A lot of the people are excited about the founder coming to speak," he said.
Before they could talk more, however, someone walked up to them.
"Excuse me, you seem familiar, do we know each other?" The voice asked.
They turned and it took Ochako a few seconds, but then she gasped.
"MIRIO?!" she said, shocked.
Mirio Togato looked at her, surprised and confused, but as he focused on her face, recognition dawned on him, and smiled broadly.
"Ocha-" He was cut off from speaking though, when Izuku violently shook his head.
"Ah... right," Mirio said, taking a seat next to Izuku and turning the seat so he could better see them both.
"What are you doing here?" Ochako asked, equal parts shocked and delighted by his appearance.
Mirio laughed, his smile broadening even more. "Well, I'm here accompanying Yasu." He said.
When neither Izuku nor Ochako showed any sign of recognizing the name, he elaborated.
"Yasu is the founder of the Ikoraiza, the group that's meeting here today. I ran into him during the early days of his trying to get things together. He impressed me, so I stuck around. Before I knew it, we had become friends and he asked for my help in getting things set up here in Mufustafu." He said.
"What kind of person is he?" Ochako asked.
Mirio checked his watch, "Well, why don't you find out for yourself? He should be speaking here any second." he said.
As if on cue, the talking in the room slowly started to die down, people started to face the lectern and started sitting in chairs. Ochako could see the lectern properly now and the person standing behind it.
He was a man who looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, his hair was slicked, back, and was dressed in a sharp-looking, well-fitted suit. He had a pin on it, the same as the logo of the group. Nothing about him was particularly unique, he looked like so many other businessmen, and politicians.
Hikari fiddled with the microphone for a second before speaking, only to discover the mic wasn't working. There was a brief period where he fiddled with it some more and Ochako saw a few people smile as he struggled. Eventually, however, he seemed to figure out the problem, and smiling began to speak again.
"Good evening everyone!" he said jovially.
There was a small chorus of greetings before he continued.
"My name is Hikari and I am the founder of Ikoraiza. To those of you unfamiliar with our group, we started up during the War on Villany. We started as a small group in Toyama, aimed at helping members of our community. This included making temporary shelters, passing out food, and ensuring essentials were available," He said.
Ochako recalled the events that occurred at Toyama. Its ports had been hit by villains, intent on limiting whatever aid was coming into the country from its allies. While it hadn't been devastating damage, the tsunami that hit it shortly afterward devasted the shoreline. This prompted another strike by villains, destroying a vast amount of its infrastructure, leaving it as one of the hardest-hit cities in the country, and shutting down its ports for more than a year. She'd never been there personally during that time, but the accounts of heroes who had been there painted a bleak picture.
"When the war was over, and aid was able to make it to the city safely, we expanded our operations. Working with the local governor we were able to do more. Eventually, though, we realized that what we were doing wasn't enough, we had to do more to help our fellow countrymen." Hikari said passionately.
"So I and several of my fellows left the city and went to different corners of the nation, setting up new chapters and helping wherever we could. Now, several years after the war, the times have started to change, and so we have changed with them." He said, taking on a serious expression.
"You all know the name of the workshop occurring tonight, but in case you don't or you forgot, it's titled, "YOURSELF AND WEAKNESS IN AN INCREASINGLY POWERFUL WORLD." Our country is changing, the rebuilding of our nation after the war has seen a surge in speed and efficiency. A rate no one thought possible." Hikari finished, taking the moment to take a drink from a water bottle.
The small break in his speech let his words sink into the people assembled, and Ochako found herself focusing on him more.
"However, this rate of progress has not just been limited to the rebuilding of our cities and infrastructure. We've seen it start happening in multiple different industries, and the effects of this spike in efficiency and progress are starting to become felt. Now this all sounds fantastic, right? The country is on its way to recovery, infrastructure that was once destroyed is being rebuilt, better and stronger than ever. Outside aid is flowing in, ensuring our government has the tools it needs to focus on fixing the problems. So what's the problem? Why am I here, talking about it?" He said, adopting a questioning tone at the end and scanning the crowd as if looking for an answer.
"Tell me, how many people here have in the past two years, experienced an unusual amount of workplace difficulties, financial difficulties, or social difficulties? Difficulties not directly tied to the damage done during the war?" Hikari asked, looking around.
A few people raised their hands, but many did not. Hikari gave them a disapproving look before continuing.
"Come on now, raise those hands, you are likely here to try and find help because you're likely experiencing problems like those." He said, now raising his hand.
Slowly, more and more people raised their hands, until a vast majority of the people present had raised their hands. Ochako didn't raise hers, but the point of social difficulty hit home for her.
Hikari nodded now, smiling once more. "You see? You aren't alone in these struggles. We all experience hardships like those, especially in times of strife. However, some of you may have started noticing a pattern emerge in why these problems have become more pronounced as of late." As he said this, his smile started to fade, shifting back to one of seriousness.
"There is a reason for this, and if you are not aware, you will be now. Just over two years ago, the nation was struggling to rebuild. We had precious few heroes, and precious few police, and the crime was out of control. The government had implemented various policies aimed at improving laborers' lives as a means of expediting the process of rebuilding by enticing more people to join the construction industry. While this worked, progress was still very slow. So a group of young politicians came forward with a solution. The Increased Freedom Bill. This bill served one purpose; to lessen workplace restrictions on hiring by quirk and allow employees to use their quirks more freely within their work. All cleverly worded so as not to draw too much attention. Employers have begun hiring not based on merit, but on how an individual's quirk might best help their business grow. This, in turn, has led to experienced workers being laid off or fired. Worker counts shrink as one person may be able to do the work of several." Hikari said, taking another drink from his water bottle.
"This explains workplace and economic difficulties for many. But what about social difficulties? Well, this rise of quirk supremacy in the workplace has started to bleed out into the wider society. Quirk discrimination has seen an unprecedented surge in recent years, and now people are being ostracized simply because they might have a quirk that has no practical use. But this isn't the only demographic hit. The quirkless have faced the greatest amount of hardships out of all of us. With no quirk to rely on, many are left homeless and destitute, as they are coming to be seen as worthless and expendable. Then there are those with mutation quirks. While some have seen great success, others have become more ostracised than ever before. Either due to having a "weak" or "useless" quirk or their quirk changing their appearance and some calling them "villains" or "monsters" all because of something they had no control over." Hikari said darkly.
Ochako glanced at Izuku and saw his expression had become stoney, starting at Hikari, his attention fully on him.
"Ikoraiza has started to shift its focus to help these increasingly marginalized groups. We try and find work, however small for these people. And for you who have avoided financial ruin, we seek to offer you advice and guidance on how you might navigate these trying times to ensure you are not left behind. Until a time when the bill is repealed and equality is returned, we are here to help you however much we can." Hikari said, smiling a dazzling smile, radiant even.
"I'm afraid though, that this is all the time I have to spare. I still have other meetings to speak at and still have to put the finishing touches on our big event here in Mufustafu. We will conduct a large outside event in All Might Park in the following weeks, and I sincerely hope to see you all there. Thank you for your time." He said, bowing to the crowd.
There was great applause and as Hikari started to make his way through the crowd to the exit, they crowded around him, intent on speaking to him.
"So what do you think?" Mirio asked, looking at them.
"I can see why you respect him, he seems to be a good man," Ochako said, still thinking about what Hikari had said.
Something seemed to dawn on Mirio all of a sudden and he turned to Izuku, an apologetic look on his face.
"I just realized that I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Mirio Togata!" Mirio said, looking at Izuku with a sheepish expression and giving him a small bow.
Izuku bowed back smiling. "I'm Izuku Midoriya, Ochako's boyfriend." He said.
Mirio's sheepish expression changed to one of surprise and delight.
"Then it's an even greater pleasure to meet you! I was worried about Ochako for a while, especially after I heard about all the things surrounding Zeus and the attack on Mufustafu." He said smiling brightly.
"Thank you," Izuku said looking embarrassed.
"Izuku is working at U.A. in the support department with David Shield," Ochako said, a little proudly.
"That's incredible! Nezu must value your abilities greatly! What quirk do you have?" Mirio asked.
Ochako felt herself go a bit stiff, but to her surprise, Izuku answered easily, if not a little sadly.
"The same you do right now," Izuku said quietly.
Mirio looked confused for a few moments before what Izuku was hinting at dawned on him and his expression fell.
"I see... Were you born that way, or were you hit by the drug as well?" Mirio asked quietly.
"Born that way. I've seen every recording of your performances while you were at U.A. You were incredible. While it might not be the same, perhaps we could discuss our experiences at some point in the future?" Izuku asked.
"Thank you, both for the compliment and the offer. It... would be nice to have someone to talk to about it." Mirio said.
Ochako could tell something had passed between the two, something she couldn't understand. There had been rare moments over the past two years where she had seen Izuku wearing a melancholic or pensive expression. Moments she suspected, when Izuku thought she wasn't present, as he gazed out over the city. Every time she saw the expression, she knew there would be parts of Izuku that she could never truly understand, and every time it hurt. In this instance, however, she felt both sad and jealous that someone other than her could understand a part of Izuku better than she could.
As quickly as the feelings swept through her, they left her and she was left feeling happy that the two got on well. She had always admired Mirio for the skill and dedication he had put into turning his quirk into something so incredible, it had been inspiring and made her want to explore her powers more. She never did discover what had happened to him after he had lost his quirk though. While the event had made international news, it had been promptly swept aside by catastrophe after catastrophe, and eventually the beginning of the War on Villainy. Mirio wasn't seen at the school again, and she had never felt close enough to Nejire and Tamaki to ask.
Izuku and Mirio continued their casual talk until Hikari walked up to them.
"So how'd I do?" Hikari asked after he had finally extracted himself from the crowd.
"I told you, you'd do great. You held everyone's attention very well, even I was sucked into it, and you'd already run your speech by me!" Mirio said laughing.
"Well if you think so, I guess I at least did okay; who are your friends though? I don't recognize them." Hikari asked, looking over at Izuku and Ochako.
"I think it would be best if we got moving, we can't hang around here forever, you still have to give your speech another two times," Mirio said smiling and standing up.
"We were just about to leave anyways," Ochako said, also standing.
The four of them made their way out of the building and outside where the sun set substantially more and dusk was in full swing.
"Hikari and I are going this way, but real quick, what's your number Izuku?" Mirio asked, pulling out his phone.
While the two exchanged information, Hikari turned to look at Ochako.
"Well if you haven't guessed my name is Hikari," Hikari said.
"I... I'm Ochako," she said quietly, intent on ensuring no errant passersby would hear, though the street was much less crowded than before.
She expected Mirio would mention it to him eventually anyway and she didn't mind telling him who she was. She trusted Mirio's judgment.
"Ochako? You mean you're-" Hikari started to say before
"Yes," Ochako said, forstalling his question.
"I... Well, it's an honor to have had you here today! I never in my wildest dreams thought one of the most famous heroes in the country would stop by one of my small gatherings! Tell me, what do you think about it all?" He asked earnestly.
"I think you made some interesting points, and I think what you're doing in trying to help people affected by the war is very heroic. I think the country needs more people and more organizations like yours," she said, meaning every word.
"Your words honor me more than you know," he said, giving a deep bow.
"But Mirio was right earlier, I should go, lest I be late. Thank you again for stopping by, and I hope to see you again in the future." He said before turning to Mirio.
When Ochako and Izuku said they're goodbyes to Mirio the two groups turned and went their separate ways. Ochako and Izuku decided to hop on a bus rather than walk to U.A., so they got off at the nearest stop and before too much longer they were back in their apartment.
"I'm sorry about today," Izuku said as they ate the pizza they had grabbed on the way.
"I don't want to hear you apologize about things that aren't your fault. I was the one that wanted to go out, and... and even if it didn't work like we'd hoped I still enjoyed myself." Ochako said, managing a smile.
"If the city isn't good, then maybe we should take a vacation sometime, somewhere out of the city," Izuku suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Ochako said, perking up at the thought. Then an even better idea struck her.
"And I know the perfect place!" she said excitedly. "We can stay at my parent's house and just explore the countryside. No one but you, me, the outdoors, and nosey neighbors!"
Izuku laughed just as he was taking a drink of water and splashed himself in the face. This caused Ochako to laugh, and before long they were both laughing over their meal.