That night, you dreamt of something terrible.
It hadn't been long since you'd been banished from your world, but it was clear that this nightmare was more than just homesickness. It was the manifestation of your conscious and subconscious fears, and now that you'd made a friend in Izuku, those fears felt like they were at risk of coming true.
The nightmare was disturbingly simple. At first, there was only darkness all around you, but the scene gradually began to fade in. Actually, you heard the sounds before you saw anything. It was an awfully familiar sound. The sound of blood being sucked straight from a person's body.
That person was Izuku, and his neck was drenched in blood to the point that you could hardly even make out his skin anymore. His green eyes were lifeless, wide open but unmoving. No part of him was moving, as a matter of fact. Even though his lips were slightly parted, no sound escaped. He was paler than you'd ever seen him look before.
In spite of all that, you kept on drinking his blood. You couldn't stop. It was just like when you'd nearly killed your friend back home, except this time, no one was here to intervene.
Izuku was dead, and it was all your fault.
*****
You woke up gasping for breath in the middle of the night. It felt as though your entire body had been seized by tremors. When you blinked, a few tears slipped down your cheeks. You felt cold all over. Normally, you enjoyed cool sensations, but this was different. It was as if your blood had turned to ice. You were petrified by what you'd seen in your nightmare.
By what you might one day go on to do.
You swallowed, and it felt as though a big lump was stuck in your throat. It was okay. Just a nightmare. It didn't mean anything. You were just under a lot of stress right now, which was understandable, considering your entire life had been uprooted.
Still, you were too shaken up to go back to sleep right away, so you quietly crept out of the guest room, doing your best not to wake anyone. You ended up in the kitchen, where you poured yourself a glass of cold water. Quenching your parched throat helped you calm down a bit, although your fingers hadn't stopped shaking since the moment you'd woken up.
"[Name]?"
Apparently, you weren't the only one awake. Izuku stepped out of the bathroom and spotted you standing around. Before you could say anything, he was already walking over to you, and even though none of the lights were turned on, the faint moonlight coming in through the kitchen window must have allowed him to get a good look at your expression.
It didn't take long for panic to settle across his face. "I-Is everything alright? You... look like you've been crying. Oh! I'm really not trying to be insensitive or anything! I'm just a bit worried, that's all..."
You set your glass down and forced a smile. "I'm okay. I just had a pretty bad nightmare."
"That sucks," he mumbled sympathetically. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, I think I'm just overreacting. None of that stuff is real. I just need a few minutes to calm down, and then I'll be able to go back to sleep. Don't stay up on my account. I'd feel bad if you didn't get enough sleep because of me."
"It's really no bother. Unless you mind if I keep you company?"
"Go right ahead."
Instead of just standing there in the dark, you both headed towards the living room, turned on one of the lamps, then grabbed a seat on the couch. You hastily wiped at your eyes before meeting Izuku's gaze again. You didn't know just how upset you looked right now, but you didn't want to worry him needlessly on top of everything else he was already doing for you.
Izuku hesitated before speaking again. "Do you think... it's because we ran into Kacchan earlier today? You're really strong, but I wouldn't blame you if you were a bit frightened. He tends to have that effect on people."
"No way," you chuckled. "I'm not scared of that bully one bit."
"Oh. M-My bad," he said sheepishly. "What kind of nightmare was it, if you don't mind me asking? Was it one of those super random ones where you can't predict what sort of scary stuff might happen next?"
Your lips settled into a grimace.
The very opposite, actually. It was completely predictable, and that's the part that terrifies me. Because it's not pure fiction.
"Kind of," you lied. There was no point in confessing your fears to him. All it would do was probably get you kicked out of the house with nowhere to live. Izuku was a good guy, so you knew you had to tell him about your past eventually, but... you were just too scared right now. You needed a bit more time to prepare yourself.
Then, no matter what his reaction was-even if he was disgusted beyond belief and no longer wanted anything to do with you-you'd have no choice but to accept it.
Izuku offered you a timid smile. "Okay. I get it. Sorry if it felt like I was being too nosy. Nightmares aren't real, even if they sometimes feel that way. Everything's going to be okay, so don't let it get you down... alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Izuku."
You appreciated his kindness, and it hurt that he didn't even realize the sort of risk he was taking just by being around you. But you didn't exactly have a way around it. One way or another, you needed to become strong enough to resist succumbing to your urges. It was the only way forward. You never wanted to be the reason for another person's suffering. Never again.
Izuku stayed with you for a bit longer, and once some time had passed, you were feeling a lot better than before. He walked you to your room and smiled encouragingly, after which you both said goodnight.
You didn't expect to fall asleep as easily as you did. No more nightmares plagued your thoughts, and the next time your eyelids fluttered open, it was already morning.
Izuku really is amazing. He was able to put my worries to rest, just like that.
It was then that you remembered you were actually going to make it to the shopping district today, and the excitement had you jumping out of bed right away. Thankfully, Inko already had breakfast ready, and after calling out to him, a drowsy and yawning Izuku greeted you at the dining table.
You shoveled your food down so quickly that you nearly choked on it. You just couldn't wait to see more of what this world had to offer.
"Wow! So, this is the shopping district...?"
It was so much bigger than you'd been expecting. Your eyes were glossy and wide as you took in the sight before you. Granted, you'd grown up in a castle, but back in your world, there was no such thing as such a grand collection of stores. Most of them were rather small, either family-owned businesses or other private affairs, and there certainly weren't so many of them all in one place.
As always, there were people flocking about in throngs. That was another thing that was vastly different from what you were used to. So many people, nearly all the time. This world was far more densely populated, that much was for sure.
"You don't have these sorts of places back home, do you?" Izuku frowned. "Actually, you seem to be completely out of touch with modern technology, so I guess it makes sense. There's bound to be a lot of differences between our worlds."
You kept on gaping as you looked around. Some people that passed by gave you all sorts of funny looks, since your oohing and awing was making you stand out like a sore thumb. It would obviously take a lot of getting used to, but in a way, it was a lot of fun, getting to learn about so many new things.
"I'll take you to a few different stores to look around," Izuku offered. He paused, then blushed a bit. "But, um... I'm really not good when it comes to fashion and all that, so I'm not sure how useful my opinions will be. It's probably best to just go with your gut."
"That's fine! I'm sure I'll find something I like."
Even the styles of clothing in this world seemed to vary so much more than back in your own. There were various designs of dresses and suits that the royals and nobles wore, but they still followed the same kind of formula. The attire of commonfolk especially was less extravagant, and most wore similar types of outfits. By comparison, you could hardly predict what people might wear around here. There were certain things that you would have never imagined being worn as clothes, but it didn't seem to deter people in the slightest.
In the spirit of being open-minded, you decided you would give almost everything a chance.
"What about in here?" Izuku nudged, pointing towards one of the stores. "It seems like they have a pretty big selection. I-I think, at least. Again, I'm not good with this stuff. If you don't like what they have on display, just let me know and we can go somewhere else, okay?"
You nodded enthusiastically before rushing inside and browsing what the store had to offer. Izuku kept on saying he didn't have much of a fashion sense, but given the fact that you had almost no knowledge of this world, you were certain yours was even worse. But at the end of the day, you could really care less if what you wore was considered stylish or not. As long as you liked your choices and felt as though you looked good in them, that was all that mattered.
Thankfully, the large selection made it almost impossible not to find something that caught your eye. Your excitement was also a big contributing factor. As a result, you picked countless clothes off their hangers and blitzed through the rest of the store at a breakneck pace. Izuku could hardly keep up with you.
"Hi there," a lady smiled at you-presumably one of the staff. "Would you like to try those on?"
"Yes, please!" you beamed.
"Alright. Well, we have a ten-item limit, and it seems like you've grabbed quite a bit more than that, so pick the ones you want to try on first.
You'd never heard of an item limit before, but every world had their own rules, you supposed. You quickly sorted through the clothes draped over your arm and grabbed the ones you were most excited to try out. Then, you were brought back to the changing rooms. Izuku waved at you with a wobbly little smile and said he was going to stay in the waiting area.
There was a mirror inside your changing room, so that you could get a good look at yourself after trying on each outfit. But you weren't content with just that. Since Izuku had come with you, it felt natural to get a second opinion.
"Izuku!" you exclaimed, pulling the curtain back and rushing out. "What do you think of this one? Does it look pretty on me?"
"Huh? O-Oh."
Perhaps you shouldn't have phrased the question that way, because it only took a few moments for Izuku's freckled cheeks to turn red. You'd come to realize that he was on the shyer side, which made it difficult for him to look you in the eyes while you happily twirled around and modeled your first outfit.
"I-It looks good," he nodded, covering his face with his palms and peering out from in between his fingers.
"Just good?"
"Um... better than good! It looks really p-pretty. Sorry! I'm just bad at this kind of stuff, so..."
You chuckled. Perhaps it wasn't fair to keep pushing him. You knew that his responses were genuine though, no matter how embarrassed he was about voicing them. And you liked the outfit as well, so you supposed this one was a keeper.
"Oh," you suddenly realized. You moved closer to Izuku and turned around. "The tags are on the back. How much do all these things cost? I'm not familiar with the currency of this world and what is or isn't expensive, but I definitely wouldn't want to put you out. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I make some money, but I still don't want to borrow too much from you in the meantime."
Izuku shook his head. "No, don't worry about the money! You're already dealing with a lot. Besides, it'll be hard to earn much money at our age. My mom already said she'd cover the costs, so I'm sure it's totally fine-"
For some reason, he didn't finish his sentence. When you twisted your neck to get a better look at him, you realized his expression was stiff as a rock.
"I-It's fine," he managed to breathe out, but it certainly didn't look fine. "What was I saying again...? Oh, right. M-Money's not an issue. This much money isn't an issue... at all... haha."
Ah. The clothes you were wearing were definitely too expensive.
"I'll try something else," you smiled. The outfit was certainly cute, but you didn't doubt that you'd be able to find another one you liked just as much.
"Seriously, don't worry about it!" Izuku spluttered. "[Name], you're... you're literally a princess! It wouldn't be right to let you walk around in cheap material, and, um..."
"Izuku. I really don't mind. Let me know what's within your budget, and I can work with it. We've got plenty of stores to pick from, after all. I know I'll find something perfect eventually," you grinned.
He bowed his head, looking a bit ashamed. "A-Alright. I'm really sorry about this..."
"What are you talking about? You've done nothing but help me since I've come to this world. Please don't ever apologize, not even for a moment."
You patted him on the back to reassure him that everything was fine. More than fine, actually. You'd been terrified of what might happen to you during your banishment, but you'd been incredibly fortunate to meet someone as kind as Izuku. Even though this new situation was still a bit frightening, you'd lucked out big-time.
It turned out that the first store you tried had quite a steep price range, so you decided to look somewhere else. Thankfully, there were so many different styles to choose from that it didn't take long to find more outfits you were excited to try on. You consulted with Izuku each time, and since the cost was reasonable, you proceeded to make your very first purchase since coming to this world. Well, Izuku made the purchase for you, but it was pretty much the same thing.
"Um, just a second," Izuku said shyly. "I... have to use the bathroom. Are you okay to wait a bit? I'll be back quick, I promise."
You nodded happily. "Mhm! I'll wait right here and won't move an inch!"
As it turned out, that was a big fat lie, because after waiting for scarcely more than a minute, your eyes started to wander towards other stores. You hadn't really planned on leaving your post, but you just couldn't help it. Everything here was so new and exciting. Before you even realized it, you'd already walked past countless window displays and ventured far from where Izuku had left you.
"Oh no," you muttered. "I think I'm lost. I should have just stayed put. Stupid me."
You were panicking a bit. Even though your sense of smell and hearing were quite sharp, it was difficult to pick Izuku out from this distance, especially since there were so many people. It was loud and rather disorienting. You did your best to inhale deeply and enter a sort of meditative state, so that you could better focus on locating him, but it wasn't really working out.
It was at that moment that someone bumped into you.
"Oops!" the boy apologized. He collected the bags that he'd dropped, but the second he laid eyes on you, a smile bloomed across his face. "W-Whoa! A super pretty girl! This is my lucky day!"
The stranger who'd complimented you looked to be around your age, an adolescent, at the very least. He had blonde hair with a distinct black lightning bolt streak, and slightly upturned golden-brown eyes. His smell was fragrant, similar to Izuku's. It was flashy, in a way. You weren't sure if that was the right term to describe it, but it certainly left a strong impression.
"Oh," you blinked. "Um... thank you for saying that."
"Ah! She actually responded to me instead of looking at me like I'm trash!" The boy wasted no time in extending his hand out. "I'm Kaminari Denki! What's your name?"
"[Name]," you smiled, shaking his hand. Actually, this was a stroke of luck. Maybe this friendly stranger could help you find your way back to Izuku. "I'm sorry if this is a bother, but do you think you could help me out a bit?"
Kaminari's eyes glinted with excitement. "Sure!" he grinned. "Of course I'll help! What do you need?"
"Well... it's my first time coming here, and I'm actually kind of lost. I was with a friend earlier, but we got separated."
"Oh, is that all? Can't you just message or call your friend to tell them where you're at?"
"How would I do that?"
He gave you a funny look. "Um... with your phone?"
"But I don't have a phone."
"What?! A teenager that doesn't own a phone? I didn't know people like you still existed, in this day and age..." He took a few moments to think things through, then cleared his throat. "It's okay, though! All we need to do is go to a customer service desk and we can put out an announcement. They do this sort of thing all the time for children that get separated from their parents."
You nodded eagerly. "Okay! That would be great. Thank you so much, Kaminari. You're really nice to take the time to do this for me."
"Hehe," Kaminari beamed, a light flush dusting his cheeks. "It's no problem at all! Come on, just follow me."
With Kaminari's assistance, you managed to speak with some of the mall staff, and they promptly put out an announcement helping you get in touch with your friend.
"Midoriya Izuku. I repeat, Midoriya Izuku. [Name] is waiting for you at the customer service desk on the third floor. Once again, this message is for Midoriya Izuku. [Name] is waiting for you at the customer service desk on the third floor."
The freckled boy came rushing over almost immediately. "[Name]!" he cried out. His cheeks were flushed, probably from running, and there was no mistaking the worry on his expression. "I-I'm sorry! This is all because I took too long, isn't it? We could have gotten separated for good. It's really, really busy in here, so let's stick together from now on, okay?"
Kaminari pouted. "He's not your boyfriend, is he?"
"B-B-Boyfriend?!" Izuku spluttered. "No! We're just friends!"
"Phew. So, I still have a chance!" Kaminari pulled out his cellphone, that strange device that pretty much everyone seemed to have, then gestured eagerly towards Izuku. "Hey, man. Is it okay if I give your friend my number? She says she doesn't have a phone yet, but maybe she'd like to stay in touch? What do you think, [Name]?"
"Okay," you smiled. "That'd be nice. I don't have a phone yet, but Izuku can hold onto your number until I get one."
"Sweet! Let's become number bros, Midoriya!"
Izuku looked adorably nervous as he exchanged numbers with Kaminari. Maybe all three of you could become good friends and end up hanging out together sometime.
"Cool, well, I'm glad everything worked out!" Kaminari grinned. "I've still got some more shopping to do, so I'm gonna get back to it. Let's talk soon!"
You happily waved him off, then turned back towards Izuku with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Izuku. You told me to wait, but I got excited and started looking at a bunch of different stores. It sounds like this cellphone thing is quite important. Is it difficult to obtain one?"
"Not really," Izuku chuckled. "Actually, while we're here, it'd be good to buy you a phone. It would definitely help you reach out to me in case anything ever happens."
"Is it expensive?" you asked, brows drooping. "You've already bought me so many things..."
"Some of them can be pretty expensive, but that's only if you go for the latest models. We can start with something basic and easy to use. It won't cost too much, so don't worry. Besides, this is something you need," he added, smiling gently. "I want to make sure you have everything important so that you can feel comfortable in our world."
You nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Izuku. I'm probably going to keep on saying this a lot, because I seem to be getting more and more indebted to you."
"It's okay. Helping people makes me happy. Being able to do this for you... it actually means a lot."
The two of you walked side-by-side, both with beaming expressions. Despite the little hiccup earlier, this was shaping up to be a great day.