Second Thoughts

Chapter 2: Differences

It was a calm day within the city of Musutafu. The sun shining down brightly at the earth below, countering the pleasantly cool breeze of early autumn. Leaves rustled gently with each gust, forming a strangely melodic backdrop for the serene songs of birds and warm laughter of children. It created a tranquil ambience for the small kindergarten.

A young grassy haired boy sat by himself under a tree in the yard just beside the colourful playground, where most of the other kids were happily playing. Instead of running around with his peers, the freckled boy had decided to draw quietly in a small notebook he liked to carry around with him.

His tongue peeked out from his lips in concentration as he tried his best to draw the figure of his greatest idol, small hand mildly trembling from the pressure he placed upon his pencil.

'I still don't get it, he seems boring to me.'

The boy stopped his shaky attempt at art as the voice in his head commented, clearly uninterested in the intrigue his counterpart had for the muscular man. Izuku balked at Mikumo's distaste of his favourite hero, causing him to quickly jump on the defensive.

"Wh- b-boring?! He's th-the greatest hero in the world!"

'Someone who can do whatever they want without fail? Sounds pretty dull.' Mikumo responded, sounding slightly annoyed at his partner's unwavering loyalty for the man they've never met.

Izuku puffed out his chest and pouted at what seemed to be thin air, a look of determination settling on his chubby features, "All Might is the Pillar of Hope! He beats up villains and saves people with a smile!" He exclaimed, closing his notebook and gently placing it off to the side, then standing up from his place on the ground.

Once he was on his feet, he slid into a flimsy fighting stance and started weakly punching the space in front of him, his dual-toned eyes burning with stubborn resolve, "And one day, I'm gonna be just like him!"

The boy seemed to roll his eyes at his own conviction, not noticing the strange looks he was starting to receive from the seemingly one-sided conversation.

Mikumo internally huffed in irritation, 'But why? I don't like the idea of us with his body... That's nightmare fuel,' Mikumo shivered in dread as the image crossed his mind, while Izuku seemed to just blink in innocent confusion.

"Huh? Wh-what's wrong with being super st-strong and muscly?" The freckled boy tilted his head, causing Mikumo to shake it in astonishment. There was no way his counterpart thought their chubby head would look natural on top of a body like All Mights.

"You're kidding, right?! Have you looked at us?! There's nothing wrong with getting some muscles but I don't think we should aim for All Might's level!" Mikumo voiced his concerns out loud, waving his arms around like a baby bird trying to fly. This caught the attention of those not already watching in confusion.

Izuku frowned in response, putting his left hand up to his chin, "I d-don't get it, why not?"

Mikumo couldn't help but facepalm with his right hand, causing his counterpart to flinch at the sudden action. "M-Mikumo! Don't do th-that!" The green-eyed boy squeaked, prying his own hand off his face and pouting, "I never exp-expect it, and it scares me!"

There was no response for a few moments, causing him to feel slightly uneasy.

Suddenly, Mikumo forced their body back onto the ground, causing Izuku to squeal in surprise, almost smacking their head on the tree behind them. Just as he was about to lecture him about how they could have hurt themselves, the red-aligned boy cut him off.

'Don't, Izu. We've got some unfriendly attention.'

This made the freckled boy stiffen, finally noticing all the eyes that bore into his tiny form. He stared at the grass below him and started to tremble, a cold sweat starting to bead on his forehead. He heard multiple footsteps coming towards them, and he instinctively grabbed his notebook, protectively cradling it to his chest.