Inko could remember the moment Izuku became infatuated with heroes, especially with All Might. The look of wonder as he watched him rescue those people for the first time. The look of excitement as he was gifted with many All Might merchandises. The look of determination as he pointed to the screen of the clip, a big smile on his face as he declared those words:
"I'm going to be a hero! Just like him!"
She remembered the sinking feeling in her stomach, but regardless, she smiled back at him.
"I'm sure you will, Izuku."
But, deep down, she wasn't sure. Just by looking at the news, she could tell being a hero was not easy. It was a job full of risks, with the large possibility that they could get injured seriously or even killed. And the last thing she wanted was to hear that her baby got killed. Even the thought of such a thing broke her heart.
Deep down, she hoped that would not happen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Then, Izuku was diagnosed as being Quirkless. And Inko could remember the feeling of such guilt and shame within her.
The look of devastation when he was told by the doctor there was no chance of him developing a Quirk. The look of sadness as he sat in his room, in the dark, still watching that All Might clip with large tears in his eyes. And yet, there was a slight glimmer of hope as he asked her:
"Do you think... I can be a hero too?"
It torn her heart as she walked up to her son, hugging him as close as she could while her own tears began to fall. She didn't know what to say. How she could make him feel better. Before she knew it, her words slipped out:
"I'm sorry, Izuku. I wish things were different..."
"...It's all my fault..." She thought as she continued to hold Izuku close. Even if she didn't directly caused this, she couldn't help but feel that if she never had wished for Izuku to not become a hero, to not worry about him getting hurt, to not put his life at risk, that she wouldn't be the one who hurt him the most.
That she would be the one who destroyed his dreams.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inko was surprised at the sudden thought of such a memory. She didn't understand why her mind suddenly decided to conjure it up, allowing her tears to fall. It didn't help that she was shedding some already, about an hour ago.
She wiped them with the hankie in her hand, that she had been abusing so far. Whatever the reason was for her thoughts, she wasn't going to dwell on them. Today was not a day of sadness. It was a day of happiness. Pure, unadulterated happiness.
She looked around the large U.A. courtyard she was in, which was filled with students, parents, and teachers alike, surrounding by chatter from every corner. It was late in the afternoon, so the sun was starting to set over the horizon. She began walking through the crowd, continuing to search the area for someone.
"Mum!"
She stopped in her tracks and she couldn't stop the tears from falling again, this time of pure joy. She turned around where her eyes fell on Izuku in distance, waving at her as he walked towards her, wearing his U.A. school uniform and holding a black cylinder case in his hand. A case that contained his graduation certificate.
The moment he was within reach, Inko didn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around her son and pulling him into a tight hug. Even though he had gotten taller throughout the years, she still managed to wrap her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest as she allowed her tears to fall with no sign of stopping.
"My baby..." She whispered through her tears as she began to caress his hair. It had gotten shorter in the past year, but still maintained its usual messy style. She heard him chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder, tightening their hug.
It seemed like only yesterday, Izuku was running about in their home, pretending to be a hero. Now here he was, having now graduated from U.A. High School. Now on his way to achieving his dream. She wasn't ashamed to admit she had cried through the whole ceremony, seeing all these young students gathered together for the last time. But of course, she cried the most the moment she saw her son walk up the stage to collect his certificate.
The past three years felt like a dream to her, right from the moment she found out Izuku had suddenly developed a Quirk. All the fear she felt from watching him on the news way too many times. The understanding of allowing him to pursue his dream, even if it meant him leaving home for the dorms. So many things they both experienced in such a short time, but in the end, she knew, it was worth it.
Inko finally brought herself to step back from their long hug, looking up at Izuku as she reached out her hand to cup his face. It was still hard to believe how much he had grown. How much taller and stronger he had gotten. But even so, with the smile on his face and the tears in his own eyes, he was still the same. She smiled back at him before noticing a wet patch on his blazer.
"Oh gosh!" She gasped, covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"
Confused, Izuku looked down, seeing the patch for himself. "No, no, it's OK, Mum." Izuku insisted, waving his hands in front. He then went into his pocket and pulled out a tissue, handed it to her.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm already prepared." Inko showed him her soaked hankie, to which he chuckled. She chuckled as well as she wiped her tears, though she was sure she would shed more soon. "I even wanted to take a picture of you, but now with the wet stain..."
"Oh, no! It's OK. The tear patch isn't even that bad, see?" Izuku insisted, showing off the stain for emphasis. Inko was going to object again, but seeing how convinced he looked, she couldn't deny it.
"Alright, then." She replied, which earned a smile from her son. The two walked away from the crowd of attendees, heading towards the edge of the courtyard. Once there, Inko took out her phone and found her way to the camera app.
"OK, Izuku. Give a big smile for me." She instructed, though she knew she didn't have to. Izuku stood opposite her, holding the cylinder case close to his chest with both hands and giving a wide smile. She had to stop herself from tearing up again when she took the picture. His shoulders were slightly stiff, but she knew he was usually camera shy, so it never bothered her.
"Wonderful!" She said, showing him the picture taken, who approved of the image before she put her phone away. "So, are you going to your graduation party soon?"
"Yeah. Everyone's just meeting with their families." Izuku explained. Admittedly, Inko was looking forward in having their own little graduation celebration at home, but there was no way she was going to stop him from celebrating with his classmates, all his friends before they all have to go their separate ways. Besides, she knew there was always the next day, which he agreed to after apologising to her numerous times for leaving her for the night.
"Do you have to wear your own clothes for it?" She asked curiously.
He nodded. "Yeah. We're going to change in our dorms before heading off."
"Ah, I see." She then took his hand into hers, gently caressing it with her thumb. It was the one with many scars and admittedly, she made her heart wearier at the sight of her son already having some, but she knew it only added to his determination into becoming a hero. She would just have to get used to it. "Well, you make sure you have fun, OK? You don't know when you'll get this chance again with your friends."
Izuku smiled. "I will, Mum."
"Hey, Deku!" The two turned around to the sudden voice calling Izuku and in the distance, saw a group of his classmates. While there were some Inko didn't recognise, she did immediately recognise Uraraka, waving her hands above to grab their attention. Izuku did the same in response.
"We're heading to the dorms to get ready now." She called out.
"OK, just a second." Izuku replied. He turned around to face Inko, placing his hand over Inko's and giving her a quick kiss on the head. "I'll see you later, Mum."
"OK. Remember, have fun." She smiled. He smiled back before heading off, meeting up with Uraraka and the rest. He glanced behind once more, waving to her, to which she responded, before watching him disappear into the crowd.
"He's grown so much..." As she expected, she felt her tears falling again, only this time, she wasn't in a hurry to wipe them away. She understood a while ago that Izuku was growing up and that she couldn't hold him back. She would allow him to achieve his dreams. To fight and protect other.
But no matter how much he grows to the hero he worked hard to become, to her, he will always be her baby, through and through. No matter what, that will never change.