Prologue 2: Spring is the Start of Stories

Spring was in the air, the early morning breeze scented by dew. The day was beautiful, the sun was rising in the distance, the birds were beginning their song…

And a young boy with green hair was moving through the streets in a stiff walk, his face slightly flushed and sweating in anxious anticipation. All around him, other students bickered and joked about one thing or another, while he was walking alone, not prepared for the day whatsoever.

Oh, school was no trouble to Izuku Midoriya. By all accounts, he was fairly capable in both his academics and athletics—the former because he was a nerd, hence making studying and revision a fairly simple task when he knew how to make notes (courtesy of his experience with his hero observation journals), and the latter because of his regular routines with his childhood friend in preparation for their U.A. enrolment.

Thinking that last bit put a slight damper on his emotions. The single best hero school in the entirety of Japan, where great heroes like All Might had come from… Could he even make it there? He didn't even have a Quirk. There was no way he would be able to get in.

…No. He shook his head, unwilling to let himself be daunted. Thoughts like those weren't what he needed right now. Katsumi had believed in him from the very start, and his parents and hers had fully supported him through and through. He needed to see their trust in him fulfilled, no matter what!

Arriving outside of his classroom door, he took a moment to steel himself, both to face his classmates and to face her. If, by all accounts, nothing come out of this, then that would be for the best. He just needs this to be a calm, typical school day!

Once he was fully psyched, he put on a smile and grabbed the door handle, sliding it open. "Good morning—"

A chalk was rapidly flying towards him, its trajectory decidedly on his forehead. Izuku, wide-eyed as he was, quickly tilted his head to the side in a fast jolt, allowing the offending thing to smack against the wall behind him, a puff of white on the grey paint.

Inside, a couple of groans sounded, coming from almost everyone there. "He dodged again?" Someone remarked, sounding almost annoyed and… impressed?

"Those are quite the reflexes, Midoriya. What's up with that?"

"A-Ahaha. It's nothing. Um, if you'll excuse me…"

Whatever confidence he had earlier faded away as he shuffled over to his place, not wanting to meet the eyes of anyone staring at him. The whispers were still there, some about how unlucky they were, while a couple few were probably planning some other prank to pull on him.

Welp, that was just how it was whenever Katsumi wasn't around. Because she was the top student with an amazing Quirk, she was practically worshipped around these parts, both by the teachers and students. So no one dared to go against her, and since he was her friend, that meant they couldn't mess with him.

…Though, that didn't stop them from trying a few times whenever she wasn't around. She always did act as a ward, and even when she threatened them should they ever try anything against him, that wasn't enough of a determent.

'It's not her job to enforce the rules, though. That should be the teacher.'

A shame that even the teachers don't like him. Or, well, they just didn't really care about him all that much. Nothing to be done about that.

On the bright side, they'd be leaving this place behind in a couple more weeks as everyone headed off for their respective places. He already knew people would be lauding Katsumi for wanting to go to U.A. High, but laugh in his face once his name would be mentioned alongside her.

Not like it would matter. He just needed to prove his worth and get in, and that would be enough for him! He didn't need to rub it in their faces like Katsumi told him. Just taking that first step of getting into his dream school would be more satisfying.

Before he could fall deeper into thought, the door opened. He looked up, and promptly froze alongside the rest of his classmates as their eyes fell upon her.

Long blonde hair fell down to her shoulders, her ruby eyes sharp and powerful. The black of her girl's uniform contrasted so well against her creamy skin, bringing to mind her strong hands that packed an explosive punch (literally). Complete with a slim figure and modest disposition—he dared not think further on that other part—and she was practically one of the most beautiful girls in their year, despite how rough she may come off to some. He could imagine the light dancing around her.

And then she opened her mouth. "What are you fucks looking at? Got some problem?"

And the magic fell apart. Everyone either muttered greetings or stuttered denials to her statement. The girl huffed, perhaps disappointed by their cowardice, and made her way over to her table, whereupon she sat just one table in front of him.

Quickly, Izuku forced himself to pretend as if he was jotting down some notes in his book, counting in his head while he listened to her footsteps get closer to his position. It was only when she was looming over him did he finally look up, smiling wobbly. "A-Ah. Morning, Kacchan!"

"Mm, yeah."

Without much else said, the girl dragged her seat back and plopped herself down on it, already kicking her feet up on her desk. Inwardly, he sighed in relief. From the looks of things, she wasn't bothered by whatever he wrote to her last night, which had taken so much courage from him to write, followed by a lot of screaming as he questioned why he even sent it to her at all.

Look! It was embarrassing, alright? He'd genuinely meant to say something about it back then during dinner, but with the grilling Auntie Mitsuki had put him through, the chance just wasn't there! Plus, if he was to say something, then everyone would hear him! That would be too much!

So, he'd thought to let her know by text, just because he did think she was pretty in that dress. Not like she wasn't pretty otherwise, though! She is pretty. Beautiful, even! But that was the first time she'd ever worn something much more girlish than usual, and that clash between elegance and tomboyishness was…

Crud, he could feel himself smiling just thinking about it! He wrested control over his lips and buried his face into his arms, sighing lightly to do away with the thoughts. He couldn't be weird. Otherwise, Katsumi would feel weird, and then it'd be awkward.

'But if she's this calm about it, maybe everything is fine.'

Well, that's the story he was going for, but if he had ventured to look at her properly, he would have seen just how flustered the girl was that morning, unwilling to say anything to anyone as her heart did somersaults in her chest. Such was their dilemma, one could say.

When physical fitness tests come to mind, most people go back to their school days, usually dreading the exhaustion of the exhausting class. It was always a chance for the jocks to show off and for the girls to moon over them or whine about the tiring portions. You know, the typical song and dance.

Izuku kind of liked it, though, providing an incentive to perform better and better so that his consecutive reports would come out even neater than the last. Plus, he could always use it as reference on where he needed to put more focus into during his next gym outings with Katsumi, so that was a nice benefit.

Stepping onto the field in his gym clothes, he came over to Katsumi, who stood some ways away from the rest of the group. "Yo," she greeted.

"Hey, Kacchan," he said in turn, looking around. "I think this'll make it our second last evaluation before we graduate, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," she hummed. "Well, school was a bore and all, but these aren't so bad," and then, she grinned. "Plus, we get to compete with one another, and that's pretty fun."

"Heh. Kacchan, you're way better, though. I don't see what you mean by compete."

"You kidding? Your run time's been getting better! Heck, I think it's close to mine, barring a single millisecond!"

"Well… I suppose."

And yeah, the two of them were the best in their class when it came to sports, though that was expected at this point. Since they'd started going to gym together since… what? A year ago? They'd just been constantly pushing themselves to the point where school had become a simple endeavour. Nothing unlike what they put themselves through on a weekly basis.

Though, that also made him wonder just how much more draining the real thing in U.A. would be. He'd heard stories from graduates of how they had the best equipment readily available in their gyms, and that they even had landscapes capable of being manipulated by a teacher to fit their students' needs. That was incredibly interesting, and he wanted to see for himself how that worked.

"Alright then! Today are your physical fitness tests," a collective groan broke out amongst the students. Their teacher steadfastly ignored them. "We'll start with the fifty meters run. You'll run in pairs, and I'll be timing you. Who'll be going first?"

Looking at one another, the two shrugged before raising their hands. So started the mutters amongst their classmates on who amongst them was faster, with everyone hedging their bets on Katsumi, which even he had to admit was the right bet.

They took their positions behind the chalked line, Izuku pressing the tip of his shoe against the ground a few times to orient himself. He rolled his shoulders, then positioned himself for a straight dash, Katsumi silently doing the same as they stared ahead.

Just a straight run. No turns, no tag teaming, no other nonsense.

With a breath taken, he lowered his position, waiting quietly…

"Ready, set—"
Fweeeeeeet!

It was akin to a wound spring snapping into position, his legs and arms already moving as his body bound forwards in a dash for the finish line. The air whipped at his face, the jolt of adrenaline surging him onwards as the girl beside him ran just as fast, their shoes dragging on sand and gravel and his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Their classmates' roars sounded all around them, turning into a point of nothingness.

And just as quickly as it came, so too did the moment end, his right foot breaking through the finish point and reaching the other side.

"Midoriya makes five-point-seven seconds! Bakugou makes five-point-nine seconds!"

The words were followed by a loud Whaaat?!, courtesy of both his classmates and Katsumi, whose head snapped towards the teacher. Her mouth and eyes were wide open, staring at him in stupor alongside the rest of the class.

And then, she turned towards him, grinning widely. "Yo, you actually beat my record?! Shit, Izu! Nice one!"

"A-Ah, yeah!" He breathed out, shocked. And… happy, as he quickly realized, laughing breathily. "That's insane..!"

"Alright! That's one point to you! I'd better not fall behind here!"

Unfortunately, that was the extent of his capabilities, Katsumi deftly beating him and everyone else in every other category. Some complained of her great athleticism, though he knew it was simply a result of her hard work. She took her training far more seriously than anyone he'd ever met, her dedication on par with a hero's diligence in his job.

Between the two of them, it wasn't a clean sweep as he expected, however. Their points were relatively close, and he'd managed to claim one more win in the form of standing long jump.

That was more than he'd expected, last year's results having been squarely in her favour. The knowledge of that made it very clear that his efforts had definitely bore fruit, and though he was somewhat tired by the end of it, he couldn't help the wide smile on his face as he clapped his hand against Katsumi's.

"Pfft, this is nothing bad. We've done way worse."

"Haha… Yeah, we have."

"Alright then, everyone! We're done with the fitness tests!" Weak, exhausted cheers were his response. He snorted. "Now head back inside so you can get changed. And I mean it! Even if this is the second last class of the day, you're not allowed to stay in your PE clothes! Now get a move on!"

Every time after PE, the chance to just sit down was always nice. It sounded weird to think about, but because the body was always going to end up exhausted by the end of it, just sitting down back in the classroom felt great, although the alternative of going home and lying in bed was certainly more desirable.

Sure, he wasn't that tired, but it was the thought that counts. And even his body appreciated the moment when he found himself back on his stiff, wooden chair, sighing in relief.

"So, what's happening next?"

"Probably the teacher coming to talk to us about our future plans."

Katsumi snorted at that. "Uh-huh. Sure. Like there's anything else for the two of us. We're a shoe-in for U.A. High! We aced the mock exams! What else is there to worry about?"

The entrance exams, whatever those would be. He'd gone on the net to see what graduates had to say about U.A., and it seemed like the exams were changed every once in a while to spice things up. And it seemed like this year was going to be different, so that was that.

Nevertheless, there was no time to further ponder on that because the teacher had already entered the classroom. He looked serious, and sounded serious, and when he began rambling about the importance of finding the careers that suited them and their Quirks, Izuku had to wonder if there were any jobs out there that would even take a Quirkless like him.

And there were plenty enough, thankfully. The arts and music industry came down to creative talent, cooking would be doable, and some other things like journalism and the like. Other specialized jobs like doctors and policemen would do just as well, but he understood that physical work like labourers and construction workers might be tougher since those with strength-enhancing Quirks (or anything that offered longer resilience) would be invaluable in those fields.

Hmm. Now that he thought about it, any job that wasn't superhero work was possible for a Quirkless like him. Sure, it'd be difficult, but who's to say that it was impossible, right?

The world didn't use to have Quirks, after all, long ago. And humans had made do, working as per normal and living their lives with nary a concern. The only difference now was that a vast majority of the population had superpowers, but outside of that? Ehh. Probably nothing much.

"…but let's get real! All of you will just be going into the hero course, right?!"

The teacher's shout was accompanied by everyone's cheer, Quirks coming to life and making him smile appreciatively at the diversity. And he was curious in how their Quirks could be geared towards hero work, be it rescue operations or unavoidable combat.

Those thoughts promptly died when someone's foot slammed the table, his eyes darting to the girl in front of him who was now standing with one leg propped on the table, the other on her chair, and throwing her fist in the air with the confidence of a champion.

"Hah! All you losers think you have what it takes to become heroes? Then don't expect anything easy if you face off against us!" She poked a thumb against her chest, grinning savagely. "Me and Izuku aced the mock exams and gunning for U.A.! If you think you're ready to face off against us, then do your worst!"

Murmurs broke out amongst the group, reverie in equal measure alongside envy. U.A. High was no joke, and when someone like Katsumi said she was going to get in there, most people had to believe her.

The same couldn't be said for him, which was reasonably fair. Getting into a hero school without a Quirk—you know, that superpower that almost ninety-nine percent of the population has?—was akin to throwing a baby into the ocean and expecting it to be as good as a professional swimmer. It was just unrealistic, and it begged the question of whether or not he'd make it in.

But hey, he'd gotten this far already. No point in doubting himself when he still had the firm belief of his family and his friend.

Two hours later and the bell had rung, signalling the end of the day. Izuku promptly put away all his stuff into his bag and met Katsumi's grin with his own. "Hey."

"Yo. So, you busy or what?"

"Nah, not really. Though I was thinking about messaging my mom and asking her if there's any groceries she needs picked up."

"Ah. Right," the words had her hunching her shoulders, grimacing. "Pretty sure the hag asked me to do that today, too… Graaah! I wanted to check out that Korean place that recently opened downtown!"

"Let me guess. It had some spicy food and you were interested in giving it a try?"

"Yeah! Plus, I've never tried Korean food, so I was looking forward to it! Fucking hag…"

"A-Another time, then. It's not going anywhere," he chuckled weakly as she grumbled profanities underneath her breath. And then, after a while, he asked her: "Do you want to go together, then? Grocery shopping, I mean."

"Huh? Oh," she blinked, then shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Alright! Then let's text our families. Wouldn't want to worry them."

"Pfft, the hag can drop off a cliff for all I care!" Weakly, she added: "But the old man would worry too much… Raah! Fine, fine! I'll do it!"

Texts sent and their plans made, the two childhood friends made their way to the local shopping mall, the air-conditioning quite appreciated. People were buzzing about as they looked at stores and chattered with one another with food or drinks in hand. And there were a couple of students hanging out with their own friend groups, laughing energetically over one joke or another.

Izuku smiled fondly at the sight. It brought back memories of a time long past, when he and Katsumi used to play with all the other kids in the playgrounds, overall just having fun as they explored and ran and did dumb stuff together. Simpler times. Purer times.

And then the doctor gave him what was essentially a death sentence, and it was unavoidable. The other kids had seen him as something different, and ostracization became inevitable. No one would invite him to play or hang out since then, and he'd always been on his own.

Well, not on his own, per se.

His eyes moved to Katsumi, who was checking her phone for the list of groceries her mom just sent her, her annoyance visible. He smiled softly, telling her that he was going to get the grocery cart. She waved him off in the meantime, and he went on over to grab one.

He'd been so confused why Katsumi, someone who was so fervent in Quirks and power and openly berated others for being weaker than her, had stuck to him so closely since then. Maybe it had been pity at first, not wanting to leave the poor cry baby all on his own lonesome. A reasonable explanation, but it didn't explain all the other parts.

Like them always having birthday parties, or the nights they would stay up playing games together, or talking about their future careers as heroes, or training together.

It wasn't pity, he would come to know, but the fact that she appreciated him for who he was. Plus, the fact that they shared so many ideals made it all that easier for the two of them to bond with one another.

A part of him had to wonder if Katsumi would have ventured out to find friends of her own had he never existed. She was so incredible, and a lot of people admired her, even if a couple of them envied her somewhat. It would be easy for her to find her clique. She was popular in school, and she'd be popular anywhere else too.

She didn't need Quirkless Izuku.

And that… that scared him.

But there was nothing to gain from entertaining that thought. She had made it clear that he was her only friend—and it was evident, to this day, that she wasn't going back on her word anytime soon. And he couldn't lie to himself when he felt elated by her words.

He returned with a cart. "Alright, got your list?"

"Yeah. It's a little long. Urgh. Couldn't she just do this herself?"

Izuku chuckled. "It's fine. We're here now, so we might as well get to it. Plus, seems like there's a bargain going on today. Best we make good use of this stroke of luck!"

While he pushed the cart, Katsumi did the work of inspecting each item and choosing which to put in. Sure, she was a self-proclaimed 'bad girl who would never be caught dead in the kitchen' (and any attempt to have her make something edible often did end up with the kitchen getting burnt), but she could get just as picky as his mom does when it came to choosing their ingredients.

Let's see… Vegetables, done. Fish and meat, done. His mom wants some rock salt, whereas Auntie Mitsuki wants some spices and coffee beans, the latter of which he could only imagine was a request put in by Uncle Masaru, who had a weird love-hate relationship with coffee. The less he knew, the better.

Humming to himself as he put in a jar of pickles into the cart, he checked his phone when he got a notification. Sakasuke-san was the name that popped up, and he had to wonder what the chief of the community service department had needed of him.

Without wasting a moment, he dialled the man, bringing his phone to his ear. "Sakasuke-san, good afternoon. Is something the matter?"

"Izuku! Hey, sorry for calling. Are you busy?"

"Mm, nothing much. Just out buying groceries."

"Ah, okay. Well, I don't wanna' bother you, so I'll make it short. I tried calling in some help to accompany you later this Friday, but it seems like everyone's either got their work in different places, or they're too busy with stuff. Sorry, but you're the only one I can rely on."

"That so? Well, it's fine. I've done plenty of these kinds of jobs on my own, so it's no trouble."

His response was met with a sigh of relief. "Good to hear. Sorry again that I can't help you out beyond that. All I can do is send you the navigation to the place later on, and I'll have some supplies sent there so that you won't need to carry anything with you there and get started right away."

"Say, is the place dangerous? I heard it's pretty secluded, so…"

"Oh, it's fine! If you're lucky, maybe you'll spot a deer or two, but no bears or the like. Maybe bring some bug spray if you want."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Just the usual; bring some clothes that you don't mind dirtying. You're also free to bring your own food and water, but make sure you bring them back with you to throw away. There aren't any bins there. And don't go too far. There's only so much coverage you can get out there that it'd be a little difficult to reach out to one another."

"Got'cha. Standard fare, then."

"Yeah. Thanks for this, Izuku. It means a lot that you're willing to help me on this one. If anything, the place you're heading to meant a lot to my ma, long when she was a kid," oh? Sakasuke had never spoken much about his family before, having stated how they hadn't been on good terms before he left the house. But from the fondness he spoke of her, it seemed like his love for his family still lingered through the years. "Told me that she met my pops there when they were young. One thing lead to another, and he decided to ask her out during their high school dance. The rest is history."

"Aww..! That's such a sweet story."

"Heh, yeah… Personally, I was never much for romance, but it always so fun to listen to them talk about their love life. A shame that those days are long behind us…"

"It's never too late, though. Maybe you should try and talk to them again. I'm sure they'd be happy to hear from you," despite himself, he couldn't help but felt like he'd overstepped his bounds, quickly backtracking. "Err, only if you want to! I-I'm not telling you to force yourself to do something. But… family will always stick with you, no matter what."

His did, after all. Quirkless as he had been, neither of his parents had ever given up on him. Never had called him a waste of space. Never seen him as anything but their son. Their family.

In every sense of the word, they had saved him with their love, just as Katsumi had saved him through their friendship.

"…Hah. You know, you might be onto something. Maybe… Maybe it's time I actually bury the hatchet. No point holding onto some petty feelings forever, am I right?" Sakasuke chuckled, sounding a little lighter on the other side. "Thanks, kid. You're a godsend, I'll tell you that. When I meet my parents, I'll tell them all about you."

Really? He flushed a little at that, but the smile on his face couldn't be mistaken for anything else. "T-That would be an honour. And I hope things go well for you."

"Thanks, kid. I'll need the luck for sure. Well, I'd best leave you to it. I've bothered you plenty enough, so I'll take my leave first. See ya'!"

Once the call was ended, he pocketed his phone, only for Katsumi to bump her shoulder against his. "That the douche who called you out for work?"

"Kacchaaan…"

"What? If he was any smarter, he'd actually thinking about hiring help from some adults, rather than ask some teenage high schooler to do his dirty work for him!"

"It's fiiine. Seriously. Besides, quite a few members have left his organization, and he's looking to finding some new volunteers to help out. Give him time. I'm sure he'll figure something out."

"He'd better, or else you'll be stuck doing it for the rest of your life!"

While she grumbled some profanities under her breath, Izuku laughing all the while, he couldn't help but wonder if that was so bad at all.

When classes came to an end, Izuku had gone back home after splitting ways with his friend, who had fervently demanded that he call her when he got there. Any promises made with Katsumi Bakugou was practically a blood pact, and breaking it would come with a number of repercussions that he didn't have the energy nor courage to deal with, so he quickly relented.

Once he'd gotten out of his uniform, he'd changed for a simple undyed tee, track pants and a green windbreaker that he'd gotten as a birthday gift from the Bakugo's last year. He had to hold back the smile from popping onto his face as he remembered how it had been handpicked by Katsumi, who had blushed up a storm as she angrily denied such accusations, falling into that typical argument she so often had with her mom. It was cute.

Nevertheless, once he'd had his backpack filled with some light food, his favourite water tumbler, insect repellent and sunscreen, he made his way to the door. "I'll be heading out now, mom!"

"Alright!" She waved back at him from where she was sitting in the living room. "Take care!"

Stepping out of the door greeted him with bright rays and a cool breeze, enough to invigorate him for the lengthy walk and the upcoming task. He took a deep breath in, and began his trip to his destination on foot.

It wasn't too far from his prefecture, which was probably an act of deliberation done on Sakasuke's part. He'd always been careful not to choose places too far for Izuku, knowing that his mom couldn't exactly drive and wanting to go easy on him on the bus and train fares. He appreciated that, and deigned to work his hardest in each task.

Although, the place he was heading to this time certainly made him think as if he'd stepped into a different place altogether, surprise and awe melding together as he quickly looked back at his phone, then at the path he was about to walk down.

'Talk about a place straight out of a storybook.'

It was a road leading into a forest. He might have seen it in passing, but had never actually come close enough to check it out himself, too afraid that it'd be dangerous. As it was, though, heroes had patrolled this area and reported it safe for visitors to walk about, though it was safe to stick to the road and head back if there were any uncertainties.

Without wasting more time, he began his walk into the forest, where green dominated the scene as far as the eyes could see, mingling with oaken brown that brough a sense of serenity that he had never felt before. The air smelt of wet wood and leaves, gravel shifting as his shoes pressed upon the earth and twigs. The song of birds was a melody pure and unfiltered, and he allowed all five of his senses to absorb every detail for as long as he could.

It was mesmerizing. If he'd been stressed before, such feelings of weight would have ebbed away like the waves on a beach, leaving him more renewed than anything else. His spirit achieved a calm unlike anything before, and that carried all the way until he reached a torii.

Yes, it was an honest-to-goodness torii, painted red with ornaments attached to a rope that hung loose from where it was attached to either pole. There was a scroll at the top where the name was meant to be, but the writing had weathered away, leaving it an unreadable mess. Flowering vines had also crept along the poles, and that made him wonder if it was an abandoned shrine.

His questions were answered when he climbed the mossy steps behind the torii gate. Soon, he came upon an old shrine, the kinds of which one would go to to pray for good fortune at the beginning of a new year, with its red paint and its impressive arch. Or, it may have been impressive once upon a time, but now its colour had dulled, and the paved road leading up to it cracked to let grass grow in between. Dead leaves were scattered about on the ground, and there was dirt and grime on the floor and walls of the shrine.

Izuku hummed. Sakasuke had mentioned that he was thirty years old, which meant that this shrine went a long way back to his parents' time. That it had fallen to a state was a bit of a shame, but it was nothing unsalvageable. If some work was done, then this place could look brand new once again.

"Well, nothing to it, then," he nodded his head, grinning. He quickly messaged Katsumi, set his bag down by a stone pillar, then took off his windbreaker and folded it atop his bag along with his phone. He rolled up his pants and pumped a fist. "Let's get to tidying this place up!"

One might question the need to clean up a clearly abandoned site, but if it meant that someday it could become a tourist attraction once more, then Izuku would be honoured to have played a part in its restorative efforts. Plus, he couldn't just not do anything now that Sakasuke had told him about its importance in relation to his parents.

With that, he quickly checked out his surroundings. There was a well nearby to draw water with, and there was already an assortment of tools put on the steps outside of the shrine to work with; buckets, mops, brooms and rags. The few rock pillars would also need some wiping down, as did the shrine interior, for whatever he could help with.

Nodding, he got to work, beginning the long and arduous process of cleaning the area. Sweeping the leaves was nothing new to him, and he made sure to pile up every single leaf before moving to the pillars to wipe them down with a wet cloth, happy to watch as the crusted grit slowly faded away, revealing the old grey stone underneath the layer. Even the weeds growing about were plucked and disposed of into a separate trash bag.

Then came the shrine, which was admittedly the hardest part. Fortunately, none of the walls or floorboards had broken apart, which made the job of wiping them down manageable. He could work his way down every inch meticulously, the muscles in his arms tensing with every cycle and stroke.

Granted, it wasn't like the floors would glisten like mirrors at the end of his job, but it was still nice to see the return of colour, faded as they were. He worked a brush along the corners of the walls to get rid of webs, the sounds of psh-psh-psh constant throughout.

Eventually, as the shade shifted directions and the trees rustled, Izuku sat on the steps and plucked his tumbler, taking a sip of his water. He then tore apart the bread he'd brought along, chewing on it slowly before drinking his water again.

"Shouldn't take too long now. I've probably just got to do the back side afterwards, and maybe make a quick check for any more leaves on the ground."

It was surprising enough that he'd managed to do this much by himself, though that was probably thanks to his experience in doing these kinds of jobs before. It was a refreshing change of pace from the occasional back-breaking regimens, though this one was no less tiring. Already, he could feel his body heating up from the work, and his legs and arms were beginning to ache a little.

Still, it was all good exercise at the end of the day, and he appreciated that, if not for the betterment of this shrine. And he couldn't wait to see the end product, of which he could then take a photo of to share with Sakasuke. It wouldn't be anything impressive, but it would be a start.

And then someday, when the officials would finally take charge in the reparations, this place would be revitalized as a tourist destination. He could already see it; families, children and couples, perhaps in casual wear or in festive kimonos and yukatas, flocking to this area in cheer to celebrate the new year. Perhaps they'd set up small stores to sell little treats too, like candied apples and yakisoba and…

A single blink, and the imagined scene faded away like bubbles. He leaned back, resting his weight against his hands flattened against the wooden boards, and spoke out to empty air.

"The whole point of work like this is to help others. Sometimes in the littlest ways, sometimes in obvious ones. But at the end of the day, people's lives are made better."

It seemed absurd to imagine that his work here today, that in cleaning some shrine abandoned in the woods, could possibly help society whatsoever, but that hadn't been his only work so far. He'd done his part in neighbourhood clean-ups, in volunteers' workshops, in the school cafeteria, in painting murals on the walls of local alleys.

If that could help provide a better ambience to the people overall, and perhaps if his habit of doing community service would inspire others to then do the same, then he was certain that that was the best thing one could possibly hope for.

He looked once more at the road before him. The stalls and the children and the lights existed once again, and the music was a festive kind of drums and whistles. He could see himself in there, walking amongst the crowd in a kimono alongside his childhood friend, both of them enjoying the festival.

The only difference, then, was that she was the only one who succeeded.

"Plus, if I don't make it into U.A., I'd at least have a second option to fall onto."

It hurt just saying that out loud, but that was a reality he had made peace with years ago. Even if Katsumi had vehemently egged him into joining her in her exercises, and both of their parents had offered him words of encouragement, he wasn't blind to the possibility that all his hard work might not just be met with the desired outcome.

And that was okay. Some people had bad cards dealt onto them. And he was just one amongst hundreds of them.

If anything, he counted himself lucky. Quirkless as he was, he'd still gotten the opportunity to be involved in all of these kinds of work. And judging from how well he'd performed in every one of them, he could see a future where he committed himself fully to this position, which wouldn't exactly be saving people in the grandest of ways as heroes do, but in helping the people in their daily lives, bit by bit.

Yeah. That sounded nice. Even… Even if he really wanted to become a hero with Katsumi…

"Indeed, you are not meant to remain in the shadows, young boy. For you are destined for something far greater than that. As a hero…"
"I mean, that would be nice if it happens, but I just don't want to put the cart before the horse and end up with disappointing myself and—Hmm?"

The greenette perked up, then turned his head to look for the source of the voice. It was that of a woman's, gentle and loving that it reminded him of his mom for a second. And yet, the shrine was empty, and looking around, he found no one.

Quirking a brow, the boy rose to his full height. "Hello?" He called out. "Is anyone out there?"

Naught but silence met him in return. That left him tense, eyes suddenly scouring his surroundings in search of something out of the ordinary. Heck, he was hoping he'd see another living person, yet all that laid around him was the sea of trees, almost endless that the darkness blended into the creaks without failure.

Now, he was sweating, and he couldn't help but inch himself back towards the shrine entrance. "T-This isn't funny. Come out, already!"

"Be not afraid, oh child of man," the voice spoke once more, and his eyes shot wide as he turned around. "For in you, I have found a saviour of the land. And I shall be your benefactor."

"Who—"

The earth rumbled. Izuku barely had time to do anything before hundreds of birds took to the air, their beating wings a cacophony of noise that sought to drown out all other sound. And yet, to his shock, they weren't flying away, but instead had spun in a cyclone in the sky above the clearing, practically blocking all sunlight and casting the grounds in darkness.

The tremors grew stronger. And then there was an actual stampede headed his way, making him stare in the direction of the surrounding woods, the trees themselves swaying with the rush of incoming… animals?

If one had said that there was some deer rush or something, he might have believed it. But nothing could have prepared him for the splendour that was the charge of every freaking animal in existence! Boars, rabbits, deer, foxes, raccoons, snakes, bears—they pushed past the trees and surrounded the shrine of which he stood nearby, and birds of all colours of the feathers dropped to perch upon branch and structure like a rain of paint, the vast greens now dotted with a spectrum of reds, blues and more.

Had the mere sight of prey and predator standing side-by-side not have been impressive enough (and how not a single wolf was tempted by the hares sitting upon its back was mindboggling to him), it was then to the trees 'coming to life'; flowers bloomed within seconds, as if time had sped up for just that single moment, even more colours dotting the area. Even flowers that were never meant to grow in Japan just came into existence.

Izuku's jaw dropped. What the heck was happening? Where had all these animals come from? And why were they all looking behind him? Wait, that was probably a sign, wasn't it?

Gulping, he slowly moved forwards, turning his body around to stare at the shrine. On the plus side, there was no way things could get even stranger than this, right..?

Light flooded the inside of the shrine, anticipation at its peak as he wondered just what could possibly emerge from within—

Footsteps. Soft and measured, and a warmth seemed to seep outwards. It wasn't a tangible sense of heat, per se, but the new presence's aura just made him feel… soothed. As if everything was going to be.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Izuku Midoriya," the voice that he'd heard moments ago was now clearer, no longer ringing in his head. His eyes looked up to her face, and for a moment, his heart seemed to stop beating for a second.

Not a single word could truly describe the immaculate beauty of the woman before him. Nothing but a Greek-esque dress covered her body, of which her buxom figure would have evoked treacherous thoughts in even men of the strongest of wills. To designate her hair by a single colour was almost impossible, as it seemed as if a rainbow had flowed into a river that cascaded down her back, pooling at her feet where the hem of her dress hid her feet. Her eyes were of equal spectrums, her smile beautiful, and he could swear her very body was aglow.

While his brain was too busy taking her in all of her glory, the woman spoke up once more. "He who walks the road of a hero, who shall face countless obstacles in his path to achieve such a lofty dream… I speak to you now as your aide, and shall see you reach heights unlike anything seen before."

"Ah-bhuh-wah?"

"Indeed. And it is you that I have found worthy to take my power, that it may bolster you in your fights ahead to shine light upon a world tormented by the sins of man. To make this world a better place for all."

Brain frozen as he was, there was still enough clarity to recognize her words, and his features morphed into confusion. "Wait… Your power?"

"Indeed!" Her arms swung outwards, her aura's illuminance growing in intensity, the animals around them going loud and filling the space with sound. "I am Ai, the goddess of love! And by my grace, Izuku, you shall save the world… with the power of love!"

Through the abnormalities and the chaos, through the revelations and his own 'destiny', through the chorus of the animals, Izuku Midoriya stood there to stare at the supposed goddess. And for so long did he remain that way, until his brain was finally capable of generating a single response befitting such an occasion.

"What the fu—"