Izuku loved U.A. high school.

The high-rise buildings, the stadiums, the training fields and gyms.

The school's hero program was amazing, and he excelled.

There was just one thing he hated: modern literature.

Granted, Izuku had a penchant for observation as he frequently took notes and analyzed people for their strengths, weaknesses, and motives. It was just that when it came to doing the same for characters made of pen and paper written in a fashion from more than a century ago, he did not feel so overjoyed.

Such was his predicament now. After first-hour English with Present Mic-sensei came second-hour modern literature with Cementoss-sensei. Izuku did not like the idea of studying language, English or Japanese, for more than an hour. But he did not have the authority to change his schedule, so he endured.

Izuku stared at the chalkboard in the front of the classroom and the words Cementoss-sensei scribbled on it. It was a tanka in honor of the first rainfall of the year.

A faint clap of thunder,

Clouded skies,

Perhaps rain comes.

If so, will you stay here with me?

The next verse:

A faint clap of thunder,

Even if rain comes or not,

I will stay here,

Together with you.

At the mention of rain, he glanced outside the window. Indeed, it was drizzling. Though the monsoon season did not officially start until May or June, occasional showers arrived in March and April. And it was during one such rainfall today that Izuku's thoughts wandered someplace.

Rain brought change. Ample, it brought forth the cultivation of fruit and proliferation of greenery. Uncontrolled, it wreaked havoc and ushered tempestuous floods and tsunamis. Creation and destruction. Life and death. Two sides of the multifaceted nature of nature. And it was now that Izuku had to decide what to do with his life.

Classes had started just yesterday, and the teachers wasted no time on enacting the curriculum. It was strange to sit with twenty students a year younger than him, but that was to be expected after having to redo a year of study. A necessary compromise to achieve his short-term goal: graduate from U.A. and become an official Pro-Hero. By his own merits. Although he gained plenty of recognition from his efforts in defeating All for One and Shimura Tenko, he wished to be valued for his skills and ambition as a hero rather than a vanquisher. That would benefit him for his long-term goal: to become the next Symbol of Peace. Not one like All Might, with his charisma and his signature bold grin. Rather, a gentle and compassionate beacon of hope. Subdued but determined. Because the wars had taught him a crucial lesson: heroes were not as glorious as they proclaimed, and villains were not as wicked as they were scorned. Motives and morality were murkier than he had believed.

People were murkier than he had thought.

They were so simple and yet so complex simultaneously. Just like the rain. Changing on a whim for the better or for worse.

He found himself studying Cementoss-sensei and what he represented. One of the millions of those with mutant quirks. Izuku's vast knowledge of nearly every Pro-Hero in Japan opened the file on his teacher. Not quite rock, not quite human, somewhere in between. His journey to reach the stage where he was now was not easy.

Prejudice toward mutants existed long before the League of Villains arose. Few were lucky to achieve fame. But after the Paranormal Liberation War, distrust sowed between the public and their idealized heroes. Every hero, mutant or not, was subjected to their rejection. The situation became so dire that the general distaste the public had for mutants exploded, and innocent bystanders were accused of being villains. Two years later, undercurrents of that resentment persisted. Izuku wanted to change that. Yes, the heroes made plenty of mistakes. No, there was a chance at redemption. As the future Symbol of Peace, he would bring the concept of heroism in a new light. Starting with the end of discrimination toward mutants.

One of his classmates was called on to interpret the meaning of the tanka. Izuku did not hear what that student said, for he came up with his own interpretation.

It was a promise.

A vow that in good or bad, paradise or storm, Izuku would persist to make a better world. For Cementoss-sensei, for his former classmates, for his quirkless past, and for the friend he was just starting to get to know.

Kamiko loved the rain.

Contrary to the typical nature of vulpes of avoiding rain and bodies of water, Kamiko enjoyed both.

Rain had a unique scent. One that harbored the fragrance of the seasons of vitality. One that carried the scent of hope. Even as she sat behind the counter of her family's supermarket, managing the register, she could not help but gaze out the glass doors at the droplets of water falling from the silver-blue sky.

It was a welcome distraction from the thoughts that threatened to oppress her.

She did not get accepted into any university.

It was not as though that she did not anticipate it. The pending acceptance letters, the euphemized anti-mutant policies, and the overall reception toward people like her. But quiet acception and disappointment are mutually exclusive. None of that acquiescence lessened her grief.

When all the universities she had applied to opened their gates, the doors to her future shut. That pulsating light vanished completely.

And yet, she had to keep going. As unbearable as it was, the world never stopped moving. So Kamiko volunteered to oversee the influx and outflux of customers. She would have referred to take a stroll along the strip of Takoba Beach, but it was working hours, and her parents needed her help. An issue with a new shipment of goods had arisen, and to take care of that matter, her mother and father left her in charge of the business. Being the dutiful daughter she was, she accepted without complaint.

As the next customer paid for their groceries, Kamiko contemplated.

Where would she go from here? A few months from now, the college application process would reopen. She could apply to them again. Different ones, this time. Outside of Tokyo, if necessary. Until then, what would she do?

Kamiko watched the customer exit. Her attention landed on the precipitation once more. Water was a song. Sometimes a lullaby, sometimes a melody, sometimes a tragedy. No matter what form it took, it emanated a symphony of sounds and emotions. That was what she wanted to study. The composition of music and music theory. She respected her remarkable eyesight, but she cherished her impeccable hearing more. Whenever she listened to soothing tunes, her ears would relax. Energetic music, they would perk up; suspenseful, they would prick; sad, and they drooped. Right now, the rain's steady thrum was comforting.

Perhaps she could offer music tuition for now. Join an organization that tutored children in singing and the numerous instruments. A group that would not care about her appearance and instead hire her for her talents. The experience would be enlightening.

So consumed in her thoughts, she almost missed the start of her lunch break. She twisted the sign from OPEN to CLOSED and opened her laptop. Though she had yet to discuss the proposition with her parents, it would not hurt to scour a few opportunities. It was then that she found a promising prospect. A local music school by Takoba Beach. She opened the school's website and navigated through the tabs. It had good ratings and was involved in no scandals. There was a page which had photos of the most memorable moments in the school's history. Those photos depicted a variety of quirks.

Hope surged through Kamiko.

She realized that she had forgotten that when one door closes, another opens. Although, she could not attend college to pursue her dreams, another option was available to her. Even in a world as cruel as this, miracles happened. She made up her mind. Kamiko had no doubt that her parents would support her in her endeavor.

Tomorrow was Eri's first day at school, and she was having second thoughts.

Understandable, given that she was homeschooled after being rescued from her foster father.

Izuku wanted to assure her that everything would be fine.

So after classes ended for the day, he headed toward his former teacher's home to visit Eri. Some injuries are beyond repair. After chopping off a portion of his leg to protect his quirk and losing his right eye during the Paranormal Liberation War, Aizawa-san was ordered to retire. The authorities let him continue acting as a Pro-Hero for a while due to his stubborn insistence, but time prevailed. His declining health and diminishing prowess forced him to submit his resignation letter. He forbid his students to call him Sensei since then. Now, having received legal guardianship, he devoted his time to nurturing Eri.

In fact, it was him that called Izuku over to talk to Eri.

Before arriving at Aizawa-san's doorstep, he made sure to make candy apples. Those were Eri's favorite treats. And that smile on her face when he stepped inside the house was his. She was always eager to see him. It never failed to remind him of how much she bloomed from an abused, afraid child to a cheerful, sunny kid. She was nine years old now.

"Good evening, Deku!" she squealed when she saw him.

Izuku felt a little pinch of hurt at that title. He felt like he as though he was her foster older brother at this point, so she should call him by something along those lines. Then again, he had told her to call him that when they met two years ago, and it was his fault that he did not tell her otherwise. Besides, he could not be upset when she wore that adorable expression of glee.

The corners of his lips turned up. He bent to her level and ruffled her hair. "Hello, Eri! I brought your favorite!" He lifted the bag of apples.

"What about my salted licorice?" came a familiar, monotonous, and exhausted voice.

Izuku laughed. He raised the other bag. "I brought those, too."

It was not that Aizawa-san did not like being a foster father. Rather, he cherished Eri dearly. It was just that being a single parent - or a parent in general - had its taxing days. Now was one of those days. And before he got cranky to the point that he would be too harsh, Aizawa-san needed some salt-sugar combination in his system.

The three of them sat at the dining table, feasting on an assortment of sweets. That was then Aizawa-san brought up the issue at hand. "Eri's concerns are valid, but only to an extent. I've been trying to help her by giving my own experiences from primary school. However, my memories aren't useful. They'll only amplify her worries. But Eri trusts you, and your memory is probably fresher than mine."

Eri looked at Izuku with a cross of trepidation and aspiration. Izuku did not want to disappoint, but how would he go about that? When he was her age, he spent his time either following Kacchan or getting pummeled by Kacchan. Not quite the role model image he wanted to give her. So, even though it stung, he decided to use the story of his role model to motivate her: Kacchan.

"School is like entering a new world," he said with a genuine smile. "Full of its own share of adventures, excitements, and scares. But it all determines on how you approach it. Go in scared, and everything will become all that terrifying to you. But go in with confidence and anticipation, and everything will be awesome. Making friends, having recess, falling from the swings, and taking quizzes is all part of the experience. If you become cool, everyone will admire you. Brownie points from the teachers as well. I'll tell you how."

It seemed to work on Eri. Slowly, the tension from her little body dissipated. She was enraptured with the tale Izuku spun. So captivated that when she reached for the fourth candy apple, she did not complain as Aizawa-san stealthily snatched the treat from her small hands.

Nighttime had fallen by the time Eri's fears vanished, and she fell asleep soundly. Aizawa-san told Izuku to carry to her bed and return promptly. He had something to discuss.

After cleaning up the last remnants of the makedo dinner, Aizawa-san beckoned Izuku to sit on the couch. "So," Aizawa-san spoke as he removed the leg prosthesis. "As your previous homeroom teacher, it is my responsibility to know how you're doing at school. Did you do anything reckless?"

"No," Izuku replied immediately.

Aizawa-san's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you."

Sheepishly, Izuku mumbled, "W-well, I may or may not have neglected my body's capacity during training."

Sliding the prosthesis out of his pant leg, Aizawa-san sighed audibly. "How many bones did you break this time?"

"You'll be pleased to know that it was just one! My collarbone. The only other injury was a torn rotator cuff," Izuku grinned.

Whatever meager serotonin the salted licorice had brought, all of that had disappeared now. "Why are you happy about that? Anyway, have you thought about internships and work-studies. Those are mandatory for third-years. Although I don't like resorting to these methods, you are one of the most remarkable students I have had. I have some contacts and put you in touch with them."

Izuku shook his head. "Thank you, Aizawa-san. But I've already reached out to many. I'm sure their response will come by next week. In the past, I've had two. One died, and the other only accepted because Todoroki-kun invited Kacchan and I. So I'm hoping that my third chance will be better."

He really hoped it did. When he left the household, it was still raining. And he was running late for his nightly patrols. Hurrying home and changing into his hero costume, he strolled the streets of his hometown. With most people being inside at this time and weather, the patrol was uneventful.

Izuku's thoughts were not. He believed that with the tide in seasons, things would look up. Eri would have fun at school. His rejection, which he was still smarting from, would ease. His internship would go smoothly. And this world would change for the better. Rain yielded results slowly and steadily. Izuku would ensure his efforts did the same.

The tanka in this chapter is from the 2013 Japanese movie The Garden of Words, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. In the movie, the tanka has one meaning. It has been adapted to have another for the purpose of Fox Happiness & Green Lightning.