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Izuku was a very mature ten-years-old kid which was why, when the train he was waiting for reached the platform, he confidently made his way on board. His mom was so stressed about this trip already, Izuku just wanted to make it all a bit easier on her!
Of course, that plan failed when Izuku settled himself on the closest free seat, settling his back underneath his legs, and glanced out of the window to see his mom still standing on the station, busy making a phone call. He waved at her, trying to catch her attention. When she looked up at him, she blanched, putting the phone away and rushing towards the train, gesticulating in a way which Izuku understood to mean "no, come back!".
He intended to get out and return to her, but before he could react, the doors to the train had closed — leaving his mother on the other side — and the train began to move.
That was when Izuku remembered that they were meant to meet up with his father at this station. That's why they took that first train, from the airport to here, and they were meant to take the last leg of the journey together, ending up at the hotel. His dad was likely running late (that was usually the reason behind why mom looked tense while on the phone) and they would have taken a later train.
But Izuku was on the right line, he was certain of that! So, since there was nothing to be done about it, he'd just follow the plan — getting out on the seventh stop — and wait for his parents there! Sure, he could have gotten out on the first stop, maybe even figure out a way to get back to the original station, but what if his parents followed after him, and they ended up missing each other? No, it would be safer to just wait somewhere they would surely have to pass through eventually.
Not to mention that Izuku didn't really have any money. He took his wallet, but he only had yen inside of it; His mom was the one with any yuan between them. So, unless there was a currency exchange willing to trade with a child, he did not have the funds to buy anything.
He was a bit anxious — he was all alone on a train in a foreign country! — but Izuku figured that he'd see his parents again soon enough. For now, he decided to focus on enjoying the scenery passing behind the window and counting the stops.
There was one thing he didn't account for in his plans: the passage of time. It was starting to get dark around the sixth stop, and the sun had set fully by the time the train pulled into the seventh station. Izuku got out, his small bag rolling on the tiny wheels behind him.
It wasn't a very large station, giving off a very rural vibes, and the ticket office was already closed. There was only one working lamp, around which moths and mosquitoes swarmed feverishly.
The train whistled and started moving again, leaving Izuku alone on the platform. The next train — the one his parents would have taken, assuming that his dad was on time — would arrive in an hour.
Having no other choice, Izuku settled down on the bench and decided to wait.
It had quickly became apparent that an hour was an awfully long period of time. At first, Izuku tried to occupy himself with writing in his notebook, but the lamp was at an odd angle and he had to squint too much to make drawing feasible. And there was nothing really interesting to write about. So he settled for playing with his All Might plushie.
When the next hour arrived, Izuku jumped up excitedly. This was it! His parents would arrive here soon!
But... No train came. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen, and yet there was still nothing. Izuku was still alone, in the middle of a foreign country's rural area at night.
"Hey, kid," a stranger's voice sounded from behind him. "What are you waiting for?"
Correction: Izuku was alone with a strange man. He turned to face the stranger, hoping to present an undesirable target. The man didn't seem like a creep — he was wearing ancient-style robes, his hair tied up in a high ponytail, pulling a wooden cart full of vegetables and other shopping behind himself — but Izuku was aware that appearances could be deceiving.
"I'm waiting for my mom and dad," he answered, his voice tight as he guessed at what the man asked. He wasn't sure how much the man could understand, but if he just spoke confidently enough... "They're supposed to come any minute now!"
"The next train's in the morning." The man frowned, speaking in lightly accented Japanese. "You plan on spending the whole night outside?"
Izuku... had no answer to that. He hadn't known the train he took was the last one; He was certain that there would have been another one!! Waiting for an hour would have been okay, but spending the entire night outside...
"Tell you what," the man continued, still holding onto his cart. "My husband and I live just down the road. Why don't you spend the night there, and we'll bring you back here before the first train?"
It would be a stupid thing to do, Izuku knew as much. But... He really wasn't dressed for spending the night outside, and he couldn't get into his bag; The clothes were vacuum-sealed, if he unpacked anything, he wouldn't be able to get it back inside again.
"Alright," he decided to take a leap of faith. Still, he took a moment to write a note for his parents and leave it in a fairly visible spot on the platform.
Then, he let the man direct him to put the bag on the cart, but protested the idea of sitting there himself. He could walk just fine! The man smiled at that proclamation, making Izuku feel like he's made the right choice on a test.
Once they were walking down the road, it was time for introductions. Izuku figured that it couldn't hurt to share his name, not when he was already planning on spending the night at the stranger's house. In return, he learned that the stranger was called Cheong Myeong, and his husband was "a-Jiu".
It took a while to reach their house — it was located up on a mountain, and it took quite a bit of climbing to get there — but with all the chatting, the time passed by in a flash. Cheong Myeong seemed to mostly wax poetics about his husband and the best alcohol and cuts of meat available in the nearest villages. But when it was Izuku's turn to speak, he also seemed to take some interest in what news of Japan Izuku could share, and seemed rather fascinated by quirks.
When they finally reached the house, Izuku wasn't surprised to find it was built in the style reminiscent of ancient pagodas. Cheong Myeong definitely gave off the vibes of someone who liked traditional things.
As they approached, there were the sounds of a string instrument drifting on the breeze towards them. Cheong Myeong smiled at the sound of them.
"That's a-Jiu playing his guqin," he said for Izuku's benefit. "It's one of his favourite things to do!"
It definitely sounded like it was something he did a lot! Izuku might not have been an expert in music, but the melody sounded beautiful.
He helped Cheong Myeong gather some of the groceries and they left the cart outside of the house as they entered. Seated behind a long, wooden instrument was Cheong Myeong's husband. He was also wearing ancient-style robes, ones which looked even more elaborate with the white and green fabrics stitched with golden embroidery, and he was wearing an actual guan in his hair.
"Welcome home." The man said something with a smile, raising his head to look towards the entrance. His expression stuttered as he noticed Izuku.
"Hello!" Izuku greeted, inclining his head. His hands were full of groceries at the moment, but he hoped that would be polite enough.
"Husband" the man focused his attention on Cheong Myeong. "Did you kidnap that child?"
"Nope," Cheong Myeong sauntered towards another room, moving to deposit the groceries. Izuku obediently followed after him. "I found him at the station! Poor thing arrived on the last train. What was I supposed to do, leave him out the whole night?"
A-Jiu sighed, but did not protest. He had Izuku sit down on the table even though there were still groceries to be carried in, and poured him some tea. Izuku learned that his full name was Shen Qingqiu, but Izuku was allowed to call him Lao Shen. They didn't have many guests but the guest room was readied just in case, and Izuku could spend the night without worry.
Once the groceries were all put away, Cheong Myeong approached the table, reaching for one of the tea cups. Lao Shen slapped his hand away with a fan.
"You are going to cook dinner," he declared.
Cheong Myeong groaned at that, though it was obvious that it was playful. He sneakily pressed a kiss against Lao Shen's forehead, and escaped towards the kitchen before he could retaliate with the fan.
Clearly unsure as to what to do with a child, Lao Shen produced some calligraphy brushes and paper, having Izuku take dictation of some poems he's never heard before. It was... An interesting exercise, even if somewhat frustrating. Izuku was certainly not used to using a brush, and most of the kanji he had to write down were something he hadn't even seen before, let alone write. But it was certainly a fun challenge!
The dinner arrived soon after that, a lovely spread of cooked vegetables and meats. Izuku ate happily, but the adventures of that day started catching up to him mid-meal. He nearly nodded off into his bowl when Lao Shen elected to dismiss him early, helping Izuku get to the side room.
He barely managed to get his shoes off before collapsing on the bed and sleeping like the dead.
It felt like no time had passed at all before someone was shaking him by the shoulder, prompting him to get up.
"Uhhhh, what?" Izuku asked, his brain taking a moment to get online. He startled at Lao Shen's face standing above him.
"The first train will arrive shortly," the man said. "Cheong Myeong is out training. I shall take you."
"Oh! Okay!"
After a quick detour by a very traditional bathroom and a light breakfast, Izuku left the house, coming to a stop by Lao Shen's side. The man took Izuku's bag and- Put it in his sleeve. The entire thing! And the sleeve didn't even bulge a little!
Then, the man gestured with his hand, and a real sword appeared out of nowhere, hovering over the ground. Izuku stared at the sight, his mouth hanging open. Was that the man's quirk? That'd make the most sense, but what was it, exactly? Simple telekinesis? Metal manipulation? Or something more specific?
"Come along," the man stepped onto the blade, gesturing at Izuku to join him. "We must make haste."
Izuku carefully got onto the blade behind Lao Shen, holding on to his robes. He trembled as they rose into the air, but thankfully, they didn't go very high. Just barely cleared the ground, in order to move as fast as a scooter.
It had been no time at all before they were already at the station. Izuku could even see the first train approaching, off in the distance. He stepped off the sword and accepted the bag back from Lao Shen with heartfelt thanks for everything. Then, he bounced towards the train station, planning on settling down on the bench again.
But... What if his parents weren't on this train? What would he do then?
He turned back towards Lao Shen, but the man had already disappeared. If Izuku squinted, he could even make out the tiny dot of his robes, disappearing high in the sky.
Thankfully, the train did have his mom on board. She had reached Izuku in record time, hugging the stuffing out of him even as she sobbed about how he had worried her.
"I'm really sorry," Izuku apologized, contrite. "I just wanted to help..."
"It's okay." His mom patted him on the head. "Just stay by my side for the rest of the trip, alright?"
It was an easy promise to make. They managed to get back onto the same train — apparently, Izuku had miscounted last night, and got out a stop before the correct one. As the train began to move and the landscape moved around them, he wondered about the pair of husbands living in such a distant place. He'd likely never see either of them again — what would be the chances of stumbling upon them again? — and Izuku couldn't help but feel a bit sad about that. But he'd always have the lovely memories of that evening he spent with them!