I'll Love You Forever『A My Hero Academia AU』

Chapter 9: Your Reality

I'll Love You Forever: Chapter 9 — Your Reality

The night grows colder.

The frigid air condenses, leaving the surrounding area more humid than normal.

In the midst of the dreary landscape lies a dark field full of flowers. The illumination of the glimmering moon shines from above, creating the illusion that the very flowers themselves are reflecting the glistening moonlight.

Droplets of water roam and fall against the scenery, though not nearly enough to be considered rain. This causes the surrounding area to be enshrouded in a blanket of wintry mist, yet strangely, everything is clearly visible.

The thriving floral and fungi life infer that this isn't the cause of the seasons changing to winter, rather it appears that what's causing the unusual scenery is being affected by an external force.

...But what does it matter, anyway?

The sound of a pleading young woman rings throughout the night. It's a panicked voice, accompanied by the hurried rustling of greenery from the surrounding plant life. The noises grow louder, harsher... yet the sounds seemed to have been reaching no one.

It's a familiar sight, but at the same time, it isn't. This patch of land hadn't teemed with this much life at all. Has this bleak wonderland been hiding within these hills all along? Regardless, the girl's pleas stop, as she finally seemed to have found who she was looking for...

"Oh my goodness! There you are...!"
The girl sighs in relief, catching her breath having finally caught up to him.

The boy is standing motionless with his back turned towards her.
"...You really came..."

She observes her surroundings, realizing that they were in a forest glade. The encompassing trees accompanied by the darkness of night would have meant that the area should be pitch black... but it's as if the night itself was glowing a beauteous hue of blue.

Noticing she doesn't respond, the boy speaks up.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The girl slowly approaches in accord.
"Yes, but... why exactly did you run off here?"

He chuckles softly.
"Cause I knew you were going to come after me. I wanted... to show you this place."

She freezes in place for a moment.
"Show me... what exactly?"

He takes a deep breath, fondly remembering.
"This was where she and I said we loved each other for the first time. An hour ago, before we arrived, she said she wanted to go here just to relive old memories, but... she isn't here, is she?— You are."

She explains why.
"Of course she couldn't come all this way; she isn't in the right condition. That's why I came all the way here, worried about wheresoever the place you ran off to!"

He stammers quietly to himself.
"Heh heh... That's so like you: worrying too much. It feels like you're the only person I can open up to these days."

Worriedly, she approaches closer.
"But why come here now?! Why after what you just said— a-after... what just happened?"

His smile fades into a soft frown.
"There's something off about this place."

Her voice exudes cluelessness.
"Wh-What are you even talking about?— You're not making any sense! If anything, there's something off about YOU. Ever since the day you asked me to meet you at the café, you've just been... different.

He exhales deeply, admiring the glowing leaves from above.
"A lot can change in half-a-year, you know."

She notices him staring at the environment around them.
"Has this place been here this whole time? How come we've never seen it?"