the day it stopped raining | midoriya izuku

30 | ghostfalls

TOKYO
19°C
HEAVY RAIN

Two weeks had passed since he last saw Masuyo.

The growing days of sunny weathers gnawed at his stomach when Midoriya knew that the sole reason why it feels like the first day of summer, was because Masuyo is asleep.

However, she's been sleeping for either too long or too often that it worries him. Ever since that day, Masuyo gradually stopped responding to his texts or even read them. Midoriya still stops by her balcony to check on her, but one day, when he was planning on entering—the door was locked. The curtains that were always strayed to the side were now covering the interior of her apartment, leaving him out, shutting him out—completely out of Masuyo's life as if he never existed, but he knows there's a reason behind it. Masuyo would never do anything without reason, so there was nothing he could do except floating by every night after his shift to see what she was doing from the ten-inch gap of the white translucent curtains. Even though there's nothing much to see when it's dark.

Although, it hurts. It does. Not like she were to blame or anything. Midoriya has never felt so down in his life. Part of him missed her. Part of him wants to give her space for her personal problems. He can't meddle with other people's families. He had to respect that. He had to respect her will to be alone. He's a hero who can only do so much.

Despite the sun making its appearance, there are times during the day when it started raining again, though they began at odd hours. Assuming that Masuyo goes to sleep as early as nine, she wakes up at six in the morning. Sometimes she goes to sleep at four in the day, then wakes up at one in the morning. Midoriya keeps track of when she wakes and sleeps because even though she's his Masu-chan, he'll never know what Masuyo Haru could do.

That was the only thing that's always keeping him awake with anxiety chewing at his heart.

Then again, when it does rain, it's normal. And by normal meaning: heavy rain and thunderstorms once in a while. It's not those light showers that lessen the burdens of everyone. It's not a blessed rain anymore. Right here, right now and everywhere else, the world's back to day one. And it really feels like déjà vu to Midoriya because after his shift, he runs under the pouring rain to find shelter, and that shelter was none other than Neoma, the convenience store that sells his favourite pork buns during lunch and dinner.

Neoma's a shitty place in terms of its staff, but it's also where he met Masuyo for the first time. Not much has changed after about a year. Just a few changes in the store's layout. And...ah. Midoriya didn't know whether to be surprised when the store's cashier...was still the same asshole who belittled Masuyo.

"Oh? You still work around here? And I thought rookies don't last for more than a year." Maki comments, smirking a little as he took the bill from Midoriya's fingers. The green boy almost rolled his eyes.

"Um, yeah. Still here..." The younger boy forces out as he clutched the bag in his hand.

Just as he was about to take his leave, the staff held him back. Midoriya almost lets out a groan and rolled his eyes before turning back.

"Yes?"

"Hm...You still remember that kid? The one who used to come here all the time with wet feet?" Maki tilts his head.

Midoriya narrowed his eyes, not knowing what the hell this was about.

"Yeah? What about her?"

"She actually dropped by a few days ago! For the first time in a long time!" Midoriya's eyes widened a little at the information. "Man, I kinda miss her. Not in a good way obviously. Pfft. She made me mop the floor all the fucking time. Thing is, she came here with an umbrella. An umbrella. Can you believe it? What a fucking miracle!"

That's because she was depre—

Midoriya shut his eyes, attempting to keep his cool and his mouth shut from trying to defend her over this not-a-stranger person. Part of him was annoyed and infuriated, yet part of him broke that despite being in the same vicinity as her, he still didn't have a chance to see her.

Midoriya turns back to leave without responding to Maki, letting the rain pour on him again as if everything never happened. His heart dropped to his gut when he realized that everything was played out as if it was intentional—Masuyo ghosting him, buying food at Neoma, heavy rain. Except for this time, the existence of Masuyo is profound in his mind and his feelings for her is prominent in his heart.

He turns to his left to see the same bench she once sat alone, looking as if she were a kid who lost their way home. He walks to the bench, ignoring the fact that his bag of food was tattered by raindrops, and sat down. The rain pours continuously, and Midoriya lets it rain on him as if he was nothing but an empty bowl waiting to be filled up and overflow, the frigid temperature numbing his cheeks.

Was this how she felt?

Midoriya looks up to the apartment across the street, raindrops irritating his eyes as he tries to fix his gaze at the top floor. At some point, he felt his heart ache at the vacant space beside him.

Was this how you looked at the world, Masu-chan?

_________