Trigger Warning:
- PTSD
- panic attack
- mention of sexual assault
July was always a great month.
It marked the start of summer break.
Beaches, sunshine, greenery, vacation, and all that good stuff.
Well, summer break was still about two weeks away. Semester exams were going on right now, but Izuku had done really well on his hero practical exam. He decided to reward himself with a little outing. And after hearing from Kamiko that she passed her musical theory test, he wondered why not they celebrate their achievements together. Why not capture their celebration in time, too?
Izuku's mother had a hobby of taking photos of the most important moments of her life. After Izuku had been born, she had been doing the same for him. Many times, she urged him to do the same for himself. "When you are old with too much time to spare on your hands, you will look back on these memories with fondness and share them with your grandchildren," she used to say. Izuku had amusingly declined her suggestions, but now that he was dating Kamiko, he understood the compulsion. Marriage and children were unfathomable this early in their relationship, but he was serious about Kamiko. No matter what the future held in store for them, it was undeniable that Kamiko had become an important part of Izuku's life.
He wanted to honor that.
So here they were, awake early this morning, hoping to watch the sunrise from the needle building. Fate had other plans, though. A signboard at the entrance of the nearly 500-meter-tall building wrote that the building was closed for the week for repair purposes.
"That's a shame," Kamiko lamented. "I heard the city view was beautiful from the tower."
Izuku glanced at Kamiko from the corner of his eye. She appeared genuinely upset at the unexpected change of events. Determined not to let one hindrance ruin this date, he thought of an alternative. He said, "Are you afraid of heights?"
"Not really. If there is a solid, opaque surface beneath my feet, then I'm fine for the most part. Why do you ask?"
Izuku levitated himself until he could look at Kamiko without having to strain his neck up. His embrace caught her by surprise, but she reciprocated almost immediately. "I suggest you don't look down in that case," he whispered before sweeping her off her feet.
Kamiko squealed instinctively at the loss of solid ground beneath her. As a courtesy of One for All, Izuku was using his float quirk to carry both himself and her into the air. Her hold on him tightened. She buried her face in the crook of his neck to avoid looking at the skyscrapers shrinking in the distance.
One hundred meters, two hundred meters, three hundred meters.
Izuku and Kamiko rose higher and higher. Izuku had enough practice with this ability to not feel nauseous or lightheaded, but Kamiko did not. If her occasional squeak and mumbled statements about how it was fine to skip one thing on their schedule were anything to go by, she was scared. However, Izuku was confident that her fear would dissipate once she saw the spectacular sight.
Now at five hundred meters above sea level, he stopped. "Take a look."
Slowly, she lifted her head just enough to peer past his shoulder. Her ears perked up and tail straightened.
She gasped.
The view was brilliant.
Dawn just began to creep up the skyline. The sun was no more than a speck of yellow, but its light was enough to set the sky alight in flames. Clouds were colored in vibrant reds and oranges, ready to rain down fire instead of water. Kamiko caught a glimpse of the river bordered by the city. It looked like molten lava coursing through to meet the ocean.
Unaware, she breathed out, "It's magnificent."
"Yeah, it is," Izuku replied. She felt blood rush up her cheeks as she realized she had spoken that out loud. "Nature is pretty awesome. The sunrises and sunsets at the beach are beautiful, no doubt about it. But sometimes, watching a new day begin or end at the level of the clouds feels more profound. Almost as if you are a part of the sun itself."
Kamiko understood that. People talked about how small their problems seemed miniscule in comparison to the vast universe. Izuku's idea was more or less the same. The sun brought him hope and passion. It reminded him of his purpose in life, he added. It reignited his sense of being a hero.
"Say, could you do me a favor, Kamiko?" he asked. She looked at him with questioning eyes and replied that she would. "There is a camera in my left jean pocket. Could you take a picture of us with the sunrise?" She was astonished. Kamiko had not lied about being unafraid of heights, but they were so high. What if she fell? As if he could read her thoughts, Izuku told her not to worry about that. "I'll be holding onto you the entire time."
Slowly, she reached for the pocket Izuku indicated. Indeed, she felt the bulge of something hard and rectangular. Pulling it out, she turned on the small camera. It had the option of switching perspectives, so Kamiko did just that. Using the image produced by the photo screen, she oriented the camera at an angle where the light would hit their faces just perfectly.
Doing her best to smile, she took a selfie with Izuku.
"Okay, one with the needle background." Kamiko took a picture of that, too.
Confidence was contagious. Izuku's sense of faith rubbed off on Kamiko, so when he recommended taking more photos, she felt less and less inhibited. She almost forgot that they were hovering midair.
When they descended, Izuku suggested that they go to a shrine. Still giddy from earlier, she readily agreed.
The sun was fully up by the time they arrived. Kamiko wished to purchase a talisman for herself and Izuku. After climbing a set of stairs and crossing the torii, they spotted a small amulet shop. Two monks were running the shop, one just a few years older than Kamiko and Midoriya, the other well into seniority.
It was the younger one who saw them approach. Pausing midway in his work, he raised a hand and said, "The green-haired man can pass through; the mutant must stay behind."
It did not take a genius to understand the discrimination that was taking place at a temple. Kamiko believed in the Shinto religion; Izuku did as well. So why were devotees being prevented from entering? Kamiko debated between pushing for entry and retreating. It was then that the attention of the older monk landed on them.
"I think we are running out of fabric for the talismans," he spoke to the young monk. "Could you go check in the storage if we have extra?"
The young monk seethed at Kamiko before glaring at the older monk. "But she is-"
"Check for colored strings as well!" The older monk dismissed the younger's complaints. "We'll lose devotees if you tarry any longer."
Unable to refuse his superior's demands, the young monk left, simmering with rage. Kamiko was stunned at the older monk's generosity. She had assumed that since he was two generations older than her, he would have been more intolerant of mutants. Both Izuku and Kamiko thanked him. He shrugged it off.
He asked, "Are you here to buy an amulet?" Izuku nodded. The monk ripped a piece of paper and began writing something on it. Giving it to Izuku, he said, "If you walk a little farther, you will find another store like mine on your right. That store specializes in omamori kits. Show them this note, and they will give you the materials you need to make your own talismans."
After bidding him goodbye, Izuku and Kamiko did as he told them to do. Indeed, there was another amulet shop and the owner beckoned them to choose two do-it-yourself talisman kits. Each little packet appeared identical. The surprise was inside. All charms had an equal likelihood of containing a blessing for happiness, luck, love, marriage, health, success, and wealth. Some of them could have been a ward against curses, demons, and evil spirits.
Izuku quickly chose one, while Kamiko spent a little more time choosing hers.
She opened hers. It was a blessing for luck. The omamori design itself was ready-made. The shop workers must have created it. Customers simply had to thread the design into the talisman shape and add a knot. Kamiko had enough experience with a needle and thread from her hobby of sewing animal plushies. However, it seemed Izuku was less versed in the art.
After four attempts to stick the string through the needle loop, he laughed weakly. "Sorry. It's my first time trying to stitch."
Kamiko was amused. She felt pleased, seeing firsthand how Japan's most respected hero struggled from time to time. He was imperfect, just like everyone else. It made him more human.
Smiling, Kamiko showed him to stitch the omamori together. "In and out, like this. Sew around the message. Then fold it in half and stitch the halves together." Izuku tried to follow her directions, showing her his work after one portion was complete. "Just like that! Keep going!"
Ten minutes later, he finished with the stitching. It was a long time for a simple task, but Kamiko was a patient teacher. All that was left was to loop the thick cord through the holes in the omamori to complete the look. The knot was a bit unusual, so she guided him through that as well.
The owner offered stone carving handicrafts to go with the amulets. Since Izuku had bought the omamori, Kamiko decided to buy the carvings. Giving one to Izuku and keeping one for herself, they descended the stairs to the torii, pausing to take a picture at the gate with their talismans.
Well past noon, the two of them went somewhere else.
Their date comprised of wherever the other wanted to go. Kamiko wanted to go to the tower; Izuku wished to go to the shrine; now Kamiko recommended checking out an animal café. Cat cafés and dog cafés were quite popular, and inspired from them, business owners adopted different animals to increase variety. Such was the café Kamiko desperately wanted to go to, and Izuku was willing to cater her interests.
This one domesticated hedgehogs and otters.
Neither too hungry for a drink, Kamiko paid the fees for simply interacting with the mustelids and erinaceidaens. "It was my suggestion," she explained. "So I should be the one to pay."
Izuku understood the logic behind that. Katsuki had taught him that the invitee must cover the expenses. Technically, while this date was mutually decided by both of them, each of them were choosing the next place to go. So a series of mini-dates comprising an overall date.
"The café charges hourly. How long do you want to stay?" she asked.
Izuku thought about it. With the season currently being summer, daylight hours were long. But that did not mean they had all day to spare. He was sure they would get hungry in a few hours, and if they were not going to eat here …
"Two hours should be enough," he answered.
Kamiko gave cash to the staff member. The worker guided them inside a play room and provided instructions on how to treat the animals. "Each one has a unique personality," the worker explained. "But all of them are pretty tame. Occasionally they might scratch or bite, so we trim their nails and check their teeth every week. As long as you interact properly with them, you'll be fine. Keep in mind that the otters and hedgehogs are small; be careful that you don't hurt them."
The staff member left, reminding them of the time they should exit the room by.
Izuku lifted a hedgehog. No bigger than his palm, it curled up and began to doze.
Kamiko giggled, "Your presence must be really soothing to animals."
"Is that so?" he murmured, staring at the little ball of life in his hand. "That's nice."
Though the praise was for Izuku, Kamiko was the one who found herself slightly embarrassed. Masking her self-consciousness by stroking the back of an otter, she distracted herself with the softness of its fur. Another otter approached her. It sniffed her hand. Then nipped her finger.
Instinctively, Kamiko pulled her hand back. She felt her ears and tail belay her alert. Like the café worker had said, it did not hurt, but the action was surprising, nonetheless.
Izuku laughed as he tickled the belly of another hedgehog with his free hand. "They must think you're dinner!"
"That is the weirdest compliment I have ever received," she retorted with a blank face.
Izuku chuckled again. "Okay, okay. I think they like you. Try touching the otter once more."
Kamiko was hesitant. She summoned enough courage to brush its tail. The otter swerved around to smell her palm again. This time, it rubbed its muzzle against her. Kamiko was overjoyed. The first otter joined in, too, to play with her tail. She entertained it by moving her tail back and forth, laughing at how the otter leapt to catch it between its paws.
At some point, Izuku and Kamiko exchanged animals. Two hours flew by, and neither realized how.
As Izuku had expected, their stomachs were growling when they left the café.
It was his turn to choose where they should go next. Luckily, he had prepared for this possibility a long time ago. After taking her to that restaurant where Kamiko devoured plate after plate of meat months ago, Izuku researched the addresses of other various establishments that were mutant-friendly. Such an establishment was located ten minutes away from their current position.
Just like how the theme of the café was unique, so was the theme of this restaurant. It was interactive in a way.
The exterior of the establishment was unassuming, but the interior was most certainly not.
As Izuku and Kamiko crossed the doors to the reception area, they had a clear vantage of the structure beyond. Aesthetics designed to resemble a boat lost on sea, the whole place was covered in shades of blue, green, and brown.
It was enormous to accommodate all the novel features. A stationary boat in the center of everything, large enough to support twenty dining tables and four times as many guests. Almost like concentric circles, other amazing sights surrounded the boat. Closest to the boat was a moat of water, teeming with a variety of fish. Izuku watched customers with small fishing rods throw the fly line into the water and wait for an unsuspecting fish to latch onto the bait.
One of them hollered in delight at catching a particularly big one. As he rotated the lever of the fishing rod to pull the fish up, a group of restaurant employees played the taiko drums and applauded the customer. He asked for a photo to be taken with his catch.
It seemed fun. Izuku turned to Kamiko to gauge her reaction. Her swishing tail and squeals of interest was all the confirmation he needed to catch the attention of the reception desk worker. She detailed the rules of the restaurant. "We rent rods for 110 yen, so you can go to whichever pool you want. We offer red snappers, flounders, sea breams, and many other varieties. This sheet here will tell you all the species we have and their prices. You can request the chef to prepare the fish any way you like and dine. If you don't catch anything, you can simply order from the menu, like in any regular restaurant. Just remember one thing: if you do catch a fish, you cannot release it. You must eat it and pay the full cost for it."
Izuku glanced briefly at the items. Instantly, he was stunned. Prices ranged from as low as two thousand yen to over four thousand. That was for an individual fish. If Izuku and Kamiko were to have an entire meal, the total cost could have easily reached six thousand to sixteen thousand. And that was just for the dinner. Additional fees to sit in the boat, rent a rod, and cook the fish to specifications. He wondered if he had enough cash in his wallet.
But it was his idea to bring Kamiko here. There was no doubt how enthusiastic she was about coming here. "I've always wanted to come here!" she beamed.
That settled it.
The receptionist made the two of them sign a form, acknowledging that they were familiar with the terms and conditions of the place. He asked the receptionist to give them a seat on the center boat instead of the less expensive options bordering the pools. And since the bill was already going to plenty high, he figured that not renting two fishing rods was not going to make a significant difference.
After finding their table, the two of them leaned over the edge of the boat to begin fishing. Kamiko had a natural talent for the act. Her miss rates were close to zero. Izuku wondered if it was in part of her fox abilities. Foxes were known to be excellent hunters, with a keen sense of hearing and smell. Perhaps those skills were enabling her to have an almost one hundred percent success rate.
Because Izuku, on the other hand, was having a much harder time. Either Izuku was baiting the fish the wrong way, or they were ridiculously fast. He assumed it was a combination of both.
By the time both of them told the chef how they would like to consume the fish, Kamiko had caught three times as many as Izuku. In fact, it was Kamiko who helped him collect his portion of seafood. It bummed Izuku a little that he was a failure at water tag, but seeing how Kamiko did not seem to mind, he decided to enjoy the evening, too.
Sea bream, salmon, flounder, lobster, shrimp. Sashimi, grilled, boiled, deep-fried, sushi. Izuku and Kamiko consumed all sorts of marine delicacies.
"I've noticed this before, but you really like meat," Izuku commented, seeing the growing tower of empty plates by her side.
Kamiko's chewing halted halfway. Chopsticks hovering in midair, she hummed her confusion. Swallowing, she asked him to repeat what he said.
Izuku shook his head. "I didn't mean to offend you. Just pointed out that you enjoy eating meat."
"Oh," she whispered. "Sorry if I come off as rude. It's just that an important portion of my diet is protein. And meat is an excellent source."
Izuku brushed off her apology. He did not think she was being rude in the slightest. Actually, she had been the complete opposite of rude this entire time. Assisting him with the omamori and fish, taking an active role in the date, and expressing her sentiments time and time again. It was what he had hoped for. She was having fun; so was he. What more could he want?
That joy was short-lived after seeing the bill.
Twenty-two thousand five hundred and forty-six yen.
The total cost surpassed what Izuku had imagined. And he had less than half of the price in his wallet. Kamiko was equally dumbfounded at the number.
"I'm the reason the value is so high," she muttered. "I should pay for my share."
Izuku whipped his head toward her. Waving his hands, he told her that was unnecessary. "It was my treat! So I should be the one to cover the bill. Don't worry about it!"
But she was just as insistent. Neither one noticed the receptionist's gaze alternating between both of them. Watching him bicker, then her. Realizing that their politeness would get them nowhere, she intervened. "We accept credit card, or you can call someone to help you pay."
An idea struck in Izuku's mind like a flash of lightning. He pulled out his phone and dialed his superiors at the Hero Public Safety Commission, the government's law enforcement agency responsible for overseeing the Pro-Heroes. The call went through immediately.
"Good evening," a man greeted from the other end. He sounded as though he just woke up from a pleasant nap.
The man's lovely evening was about to take a bad turn, Izuku thought to himself. With what he was about to say, the man would not sleep for the rest of the night, "Hello, Sir, I am Midoriya Izuku speaking."
The man's mood soured immediately. "Oh, it's you, Deku-san. Whenever you call, it's always something bad. What is it this time?"
"I need a loan," Izuku responded with a wince.
"How much?" the man asked, just as disappointed as before.
Izuku emptied his wallet of cash, and so did Kamiko. After counting how much they had paid, he hesitated before replying to the man. "Ten thousand three hundred and seventeen yen."
For a long moment, silence followed. Izuku braced himself for the inevitable scolding that was about to come. Then it did.
"Do you think we are made of money?!" he howled so loudly that Kamiko and the receptionist heard, despite the call not being on speaker. "A bank where you can extract money like juice from oranges! This is people's tax money we are talking about! What do you need that much money for anyway, huh?"
With a weak laugh, Izuku told him that it was for a restaurant bill. That sent his superior into rage. Kamiko mimed an apology for her appetite, and the receptionist had the decency to not express her emotions. Perhaps she was familiar with this sort of scene.
Izuku clarified, "I already signed a document that compels me to pay."
"I'm deducting ten thousand three hundred and seventeen yen from your next mission payment! With fifteen percent interest!" he retorted.
The call ended with the man grumbling that he was on his way with cash. Izuku put his phone and breathed a long sigh.
Kamiko placed a hand on his forehead. "You look like your soul left your body."
"It did," he heaved.
Then, as if sharing an inside joke, both of them erupted into peals of laughter.
Though Izuku's superior was understandably irritated with both of them, he had brought enough cash to ensure transport to their respective homes.
Izuku insisted on escorting Kamiko to the nearest mutant-friendly bus stop. Though the sun was still out, it was about to wink out of existence in less than an hour. Kamiko watched the shadows cast by the buildings and other structures elongate in the setting sun.
"I know a shortcut," Izuku said. "We should take it while there's still daylight." She agreed.
Soon later, though, she regretted it.
In her defense, she could not have anticipated what was about to happen. Izuku had been making light conversation, telling her how he would forward the photos taken today to her. They were crossing an alleyway as he said so. At that moment, the last dredges of sunlight faded away. The precipice between day and night – twilight – had befallen.
It was only a random glance. Nothing meant of it. But that changed immediately. The darkness of the alleyway reminded her of that night. That night when she was assaulted by the gang of masked men.
Dark, dark, dark, so dark. A bottle against the back of her head.
Damp, damp, damp, so damp. A gag in her mouth.
Dead, dead, dead, so dead. A shattered leg.
Dreary, dreary, dreary, so dreary. A knife through her hand.
Depraved, depraved, depraved, so depraved. A hand raking up her dress.
Kamiko felt her breath quicken. She tried to steady it, but Izuku had noticed.
Carefully touching her hand, he spoke, leaving no room for argument. "Let's take another route. It's longer, but well-lit. Lots of people around, too."
Trying to shove the fear in the deepest recesses of her mind, Kamiko put on a smile.
"Lead the way."