Chapter Text
Izuku remembered the last time he had seen this road. He had been around ten years old and he had been crying. He had always been crying when he had to leave this place behind, but the last time had been the worst. His father had already announced that it would be the last time they’d go off for weeks at a time to visit Izuku's grandpa and that Izuku should focus on more important things, like his education. On top of that, he and his best friend Kacchan had had a huge fight and up to this day, Izuku wasn't sure what had caused it.
And at last, after ten years he was finally back. But this time his grandpa wouldn’t be the one waiting for him, nor the animals he had loved so much, not even his friends. Nothing would be the same, because his grandfather had passed away. His health had already been declining back when Izuku was still a child. After he and his mother hadn't been allowed to visit anymore it had steadily gotten worse until the moment had come when he needed constant medical treatment in a hospital. Since his father wasn't willing to move closer to his father-in-law, he’d decided to move Izuku's grandfather into a hospital near the mainland where Izuku and his family lived. In the end, his grandfather had been forced to leave his home and everything he had known behind.
Izuku and his mom had tried to make his stay in the hospital as painless and happy as possible but it simply wasn't the same. The last blow had been when his father had announced that he had sold the farm his grandfather had loved more than anything else to pay for the medical bills. Izuku had never been this angry at his father. Their family didn't lack money and there had been no need to sell the farm. Shortly after his grandfather had died in the hospital, Izuku and his mother prepared to take a trip back to Musutafu to bury his ashes next to his wife’s final resting place at the church cemetery in town, just like he had wanted. His father, however, deemed it a waste of time. He wouldn't allow them to take such a long journey just for the sentimental value of it. Inko needed to stay at home to support him and Izuku needed to prepare for the start of his master's degree.
That was when Izuku simply couldn't take it anymore. Without telling anybody he gathered his things and stole away in the middle of the night. He had left a note for his mother but he knew she wouldn't betray him.
And all of this brought him here, on the road leading from the small city Shizuoka towards the even smaller port town Yuei in the region Musutafu, his dead grandfather's ashes in his backpack. Yes, he was also creeped out by this. But the biggest part of him was simply relieved. He was doing what he knew was right and he would honor his grandfather's last request. And maybe this trip would also help him get clarity for what he should do with his future. He knew what his father wanted him to do, but Izuku wasn't sure if he wanted to follow in his footsteps. He and his half-brother Tenko had been groomed by their father to one day inherit his business. However, while Tenko was more than eager to please their father, Izuku had never felt like he fit into those plans.
Maybe he had been too hasty in his departure. He hadn't thought ahead and now he had no transportation towards Yuei. There was no bus line and he hadn't been able to find a car that could take him. So now he was forced to walk all the way there. He had stocked up on water and food and now he felt like his backpack was trying to drag him to the ground because of how heavy it was. But he needed to push on if he wanted to reach Yuei before nightfall. He wasn't fond of the idea of being forced to sleep outside, even if the spring temperatures were mild.
Suddenly he heard the sound of hooves from behind him. When he turned around he could see a cart being pulled by a horse getting closer. The cart was loaded with crates and at the front, a big, burly man was sitting on the bench. As soon as their eyes met the man smiled and waved at him.
"Hello, Traveler! Where are you headed?"
"Good day!" Izuku replied and half-bowed to the man, careful not to dislodge his heavy backpack. "I'm on my way to Yuei."
"Well, seems like today is your lucky day. I'm heading there, too. Hop on in the back, I'll take you."
Izuku gaped up at his savior before bowing again, this time more enthusiastically.
"Thank you so much, sir!"
"Not a problem!"
He hastily made his way around the cart and climbed in the back. He carefully put down his bag before sitting down himself.
"Ready?" the man asked and Izuku nodded.
"Yes!"
The man clicked his tongue, lightly shook the reins and the cart started moving again. Izuku could cry in relief. He felt his feet and back relaxing and leaned back against the crate.
"Thank you again. I don't know if I would've arrived before nightfall."
"Not a problem," the man answered and threw him a quick grin over his shoulder. "My name's Koda Kenji, I own the Horn Ranch over in the Flute Fields."
"My name's Midoriya Izuku, it's nice to meet you."
"Midoriya?" the farmer asked and Izuku could hear the recognition in his voice. "Like old Midoriya, the farmer that left over ten years ago?"
"He was my grandfather," Izuku said.
"No way!" Koda laughed. "How is he these days?"
"He, uhm, he died recently."
Koda fell silent.
"I'm sorry, kid."
"Don't worry about me. He had been sick for a long time already. We were just glad he didn't suffer in the end."
There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes before Koda cleared his throat again.
"So, why are you here then? You want to relive some of your memories with him?"
"No," Izuku said and shook his head even though the farmer couldn't see him. "I actually want to arrange for him to be buried here next to my grandmother. It was his dying wish and I want to make sure it happens."
"That's nice of you," the older man said and Izuku could hear a new fondness in it. "To go to such lengths to make sure your grandpa can rest in peace. You're a good kid."
"Thank you," Izuku said again. It was probably best if he didn't mention that he was carrying his grandfather's ashes around with him. He was sure Koda would look at him a lot less friendly if he found out.
The two men fell silent again but this time it was a lot more comfortable than before. Koda didn't seem like the type for many words and Izuku was for once fine with not filling the silence with mindless chatter. Instead, he took in the scenery around him and relived his childhood memories. His mind drifted back towards his childhood friend. Would Kacchan and the Bakugou family still be living in Musutafu? Or did they move away as many other families had done? His grandfather had told him about how many older families had packed their belongings and moved away from the coast. The cost of living there had outweighed the rewards and many houses were empty.
He wasn't sure what would be worse though: Seeing Kacchan or not seeing him.
"Should I drive you into town?" Koda asked as they reached the outskirts of the district. "Or do you wanna look at the old farm before going to see the mayor?"
Izuku perked up at that.
"Would it be possible for you to drop me there? I'd really appreciate it."
"Sure thing, kid!"
It didn't take long for them to get to their destination and Izuku jumped down from the cart. He turned back around and bowed one more time towards Koda.
"Again, thank you so much!" he said but the farmer only waved his words away with a smile.
"It was my pleasure. If you're going to stay in town a bit longer, we're probably going to run into each other again."
"I hope so!" Izuku said and waved as Koda urged his horse on and drove back towards the Flute Fields.
And then he was alone in front of the place where he had spent the happiest years of his life.
He slowly approached the old farmhouse. He could see the fields that had once been overflowing with vegetables and flowers. Now they were barren, except for a few stray plants and a lot of overgrown weeds. The cherry trees his grandmother had planted were still there though. The house and the coops themselves were run-down, the facades in need of a new coat of paint, and the roofs overdue for a new set of tiles. But even though everything looked sad and lonely, Izuku couldn't help but smile. It was still his grandfather's farm after all. Over there under the tree had been his favorite spot to read. And behind the coops was still the old hot spring that he and Kacchan used to swim in when the ocean water was too cold.
Everything was still here and even though Izuku and the farm both had changed their looks, they were still the same in the way it mattered most.
His eyes drifted over to the small dirt path leading away from the farm and up into the mountains. He still had time. It wouldn't take long to get up to the mine and it wouldn't hurt to take a look, would it? Before he had even finished his thought his feet were already carrying him past the farm and the small pond next to it and up the dirt road. It only took about twenty minutes for him to reach the top and the bridge leading to the mining district, but for Izuku it felt as if he had traveled ten years into the past.
He was stopped from reaching his final goal by an unforeseen roadblock. The wooden bridge that connected this side of the river with the other one had been damaged. Several boards were missing and there was no safe way across. He looked around for another way to cross over when his eyes landed on a figure lying in front of the bridge. His heart rate spiked in fear and he hurried over to the figure.
"H-hey!" he said and crouched next to the woman. "Are you okay?"
The woman opened her eyes and let out a shrill scream. Izuku let out a high-pitched yell in response and fell back onto his ass.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" The woman said while sitting up. "You startled me! I didn't mean to yell!"
"It's fine!" Izuku answered, still confused by the whole situation. "I just saw you laying here and wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Ahahaha, I was just taking a little break from work!" the girl said and rubbed her head in a sheepish gesture. Before Izuku could answer her or ask what she was working on, the two of them were interrupted by a loud rumbling. At once, the girl turned a deep, dark red and covered her face in embarrassment.
"Oh my god, please forget you heard that!"
"Are you... hungry?" Izuku asked, unsure if he should or not. The girl nodded shyly.
"Yeah... I just wanted to fix the bridge as soon as possible. It broke in the last heavy downpour. Since the mine carts aren't working right now there's no way for the people up in the mine to go down to town and vice versa. So in my hurry to get here I kind of forgot my lunch..."
Izuku nodded in understanding and opened his backpack. He pulled out a bottle of water and the two sandwiches he had bought at the train station this morning. He held them out to the girl with a smile.
"I'm not that hungry and can probably grab a bite later when I'm in town. I'd be happy to give this to you!"
"Really?!" she exclaimed her eyes sparkling in joy before she reeled herself back in. "I, I mean... are you sure? You don't have to! I'm sure you're hungry too!"
"It's fine!" Izuku assured her and handed over the sandwiches and the bottle. Immediately, the girl started eating, her face flush with happiness.
"These are so good!" she sighed out, her eyes blissfully closed. "You really saved me there..." She seemed to realize something and turned around to smile at him.
"God, where are my manners? My name is Uraraka Ochako, pleased to meet you! Thank you so much for the food!"
"Nice to meet you, too," Izuku smiled back. "My name's Midoriya Izuku."
"Midoriya? Like the old farm downhill?"
"Ah, yes. It used to belong to my grandfather."
"Ohh, so you're here to visit someone?"
"Not exactly," he said and looked away. He didn't want to hide his grandfather's death but he also didn't want to tell every random stranger he met about it. Thankfully, Uraraka dropped the topic and continued eating. After a few minutes, she drained the bottle of water and jumped to her feet.
"Yosh! I feel refreshed and ready for battle!"
She held out her hand for Izuku to take and help him up to his feet. He gratefully took it and was surprised by how strong her grip was.
"Thank you so much, Midoriya-kun!" she said again with a smile and Izuku could feel his cheeks heating up. He couldn't help but notice that she had a very nice smile, especially from this close. "After the bridge is fixed you should come to visit me sometimes! My parents own the carpenter shop!"
"Sure! I wanted to go up to the mines anyway while I'm here!" He was tempted to ask her about the Bakugou family but decided against it in the end. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. The two said their goodbyes and went their separate ways; Uraraka went back to her woodwork and Izuku went back down the path he’d come from.
When he passed the farm on his way back to the main road he stopped one more time. The happy memories and feelings from earlier were still there but the longer he looked at this place in its desolate state, the sadder he became. It was a shame that no one seemed to take care of it. Izuku didn't know why the farm hadn't been sold to someone else in the last ten years but maybe he could ask in town.
He was just about to walk away when he heard a sound in the wind. It sounded like a little child was crying. Had someone played between the old farm buildings and gotten stuck? He was hit with the memory of when he and Kacchan had climbed the old water tower together. According to Kacchan, it was a way cooler place to let their bath duckies float, and Izuku was the one stuck in the end, who needed help to get down. His grandfather had laughed at him for days.
He followed the sound towards the abandoned chicken coop. Was someone in there? It was entirely possible for a child to squeeze in and then not be able to open the door again. He reached for the handle when a voice interrupted him.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? This is private property!”
With a small shout, he whirled around and came face to chest with an enormous man. His eyes traveled up until he found hard, blue eyes and a large burn scar on his face. Izuku recognized him immediately: Todorki Enji, the mayor of Yuei.
"Todoroki-san!" he exclaimed and the mayor gave him a confused look.
"Do I know you?"
"Oh, uhm, no," Izuku answered and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while falling into a half-bow. "My name is Midoriya Izuku. My grandfather used to own this farm."
The suspicious look on Enji's face cleared up and something like recognition replaced it.
"Ahh, so you're Inko's child."
"Yes, Sir!"
"How is she? And how is your grandfather?"
Izuku frowned, but he quickly explained that his mother was fine and the reason for his visit. Enji nodded in understanding.
"My condolences. Your grandfather was a good man. I'll help you with the preparations. But first, let's head back to town before it gets dark."
He turned around to leave, but Izuku looked back to the coop. The crying had stopped. Had he only imagined it? It had been a very long day after all.
He shrugged to himself before hurrying to catch up with the tall form of the mayor.