Love Live! Sparkling Future!!

Chapter 6 ~ Sunset Serenity

"Master... Master, please wake up." A.V.A's sweet yet persistent voice echoes in his ear; her tone is firm yet concerned, "It's time to wake up. Please wake up, Master."

Izuku groans as he stirs awake and slowly opens his eyes. His vision is slightly blurry but gradually becomes clearer as he blinks them a few times. Once his eyes are fully opened, he lets out another groan as he rubs them, trying to rid himself of the haziness from his slumber.

"Uuuughhhhhhh... My head hurts..." He whined tiredly as his face was scrunched up with discomfort and pain.

"On behalf of Dr. O'Morrigan and her team, I am truly and deeply sorry for causing you to feel such discomfort, Master." The avatar bowed apologetically; her voice is laced with remorse, "I should have informed you firsthand before you stepped through the portal."

"N-No, A.V.A. It's... It's okay. Really" The greenette reassured with a slight shake of his head before rubbing his temples gingerly; his lips stretched into a small smile, "I don't blame you, Dr. O'Morrigan, nor the others for this."

"But-"

"No 'buts', A.V.A." He stated firmly but gently, while giving her a warm look as his emerald orbs were filled with understanding and forgiveness, "Like I said, I don't hold any of you responsible for this."

The avatar hesitates for a moment before sighing softly and saying nothing more. Izuku gives her a curt nod before sitting upright on his bed; his arms are resting on his legs, and his eyes are scanning around his surroundings curiously.

The motel room he is in is rather small, but not cramped by any means. The walls are painted a light orange, while the floor is made of wooden tiles. Typical furniture like a desk, dresser, chair, etcetera is placed neatly around him. The bathroom is located to his right; he can see the edge of it through the door that's open slightly. He spots a small refrigerator near his bed, which contains both drinks and food items. There is also a small television hanging on one corner of the wall above him. And judging from what he can see right now, everything seems to be in working condition—nothing is broken or dirty. Overall, it is moderate yet comfortable enough to spend one night here.

"How was your sleep, Master?" A.V.A's voice suddenly speaks up in his ears as she tilts her head at him curiously.

"It was good. My headache is gone now, at least." He answered with a small shrug, and his lips curled into a half smile, "What time is it right now, by the way?"

"It is currently 17:09." The avatar replied briskly before displaying a time stamp on the screen, "You have slept for about 12 hours and 17 minutes."

"Whoa, seriously?" He asked incredulously as his eyebrows shoot upwards in surprise and his eyes are wide open in shock, "That's... That's a long nap."

"Indeed." She agreed wholeheartedly, "The aftermath of your teleportation did take a toll on your body after all."

"Yeah... Guess it did." He hummed as he ran a hand through his messy green hair, "Man, I really needed that nap. Thanks for waking me up, A.V.A."

"Of course, Master." The avatar nods once again, and her tone is tinged with happiness and satisfaction.

Comfortable silence hangs in the air between them for a few moments. Izuku looks down at his hands and inspects them carefully. His palms are slightly calloused from all the training he's done before entering U.A.—both the normal kind and the Quirk kind. The surface of his skin is littered with tiny scars here and there, as well as scratches that have long faded away. But the scars that run along his hand up to his forearm are still vivid to this day, a permanent reminder of his brutal battle against Muscular and the sacrifices that came with it.