Izuocha's Love Stories

25 - IN ORBIT (CHAPTERS 1-2)

By Uraraka-mysocksoff

CHAPTER ONE

Ochako lay gazing up at the stars.

Outside in the courtyard of Heights Alliance, on the bluff up from the city with most of the campus lights off, she could almost make out the way the starlight twinkled as it made its way down to earth.

The courtyard wasn't small, but Ochako wouldn't call it large either. Centered in the middle of the dorms, a couple of short bushes and plants lined the quaint grassy area. During the day, the high walls of the dorms bordering the space helped block harsh sunlight and cold breezes, making it an ideal place for extracurricular quirk training. At night, the tall walls made the perfect frame to view the night sky. Or at least Ochako thought so. It had been over an hour since curfew. Everybody else in the dorms had retired to their rooms for the night, and the windows lining the space were dark, the hallway lights off.

This wasn't the first time Ochako had evaded curfew to visit the courtyard. She had come out here many times on her own. Just to stargaze, breath, and relax after another demanding day at U.A. "It's important to find ways to decompress." That's what Ryukyu had advised Ochako and Tsuyu during their work-study at the Dragon Hero's agency. Burnout was a real problem with young Pros. Better for them to learn how to unwind and manage their energy now—when their biggest concerns were exams and mastering their quirks— instead of later when lives were on the line.

Ryukyu—one of the Top 10 heroes in Japan—relaxed by binging crime dramas. Nejire Hado—another work-study at the Ryuku agency and one of U.A.'s Big Three—unwound by visiting flower gardens and tea shops. Tsu would video chat with her siblings to decompress. For Ochako, all she needed was to look up at the night sky.

Since she was young, Ochako had dreamed of using her quirk to fly through the stars. Every night she'd ask her parents to take her out stargazing. The show was always free. No additional costs, no breaking the bank. No matter how bad things got, no matter how many bills she saw piling up on the kitchen table, the stars always hung in the night sky, a bright future just out of reach.

Then Ochako saw heroes in action, and she thought just maybe that bright future wasn't out of reach after all.

When she saw the way everyone lit up around heroes, all the abundant smiling faces, Ochako began to dream. Heroes shined like stars. Being a hero was something she could strive for, something obtainable. That dazzling, brilliant radiance was something she could give to others. Ochako could save people.

The world was full of dangerous things—disasters, villains, and who knew what else. There were plenty of reasons for people to be scared. Heroes were the stars that gave people hope. They kept people smiling. So, Ochako thought, she could become a hero! She'd shine like a star, save the day, bring smiles to people's faces. That was the dream.

Ochako's dream was for her parents, too. Her mom and dad had fully endorsed their daughter. Growing up, they provided everything Ochako needed, from quality education to hot meals and loving home. They'd sacrificed and toiled and provided an unyielding pillar of support. But despite her parents' best efforts to hide it, Ochako knew finances were tough. Little Ochako saw the weariness on their faces. She saw the long hours and skipped meals. As she got older, she'd thumb through the bills and peek through the family finances. Ochako would run the numbers back and front and sideways, but no matter how she tried to sum it up she just couldn't see how her parents managed to keep their construction business going while still providing for their daughter. She could only imagine the sacrifices they were making.

Her parents told her countless times not to fret over it. Follow your dreams, they'd say. "Don't worry for our sakes. We just want you to be happy." Ochako knew they truly meant it. She had heard the adage, "Money doesn't buy happiness." Maybe that was true. Maybe money didn't buy happiness. But happiness was certainly easier to find when the bills were paid and there was a pantry full of food. So she'd made up her mind. Ochako would become a hero, for her and her parent's sake. She'd help people feel safe and make them smile. She'd help support her parents and give them the comfortable life they deserved.