Izuocha's Love Stories

66 - BREATHING IN BURNING FLOWER FIELDS

By FaireOchako

Where young love blooms, it can also burn.

WARNING: This is AU and Heavy Angst

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Ochako grew up hearing the stories of a woman so beautiful that she stole the hearts of every man in her village. The woman was from a village not too far away from her own. She appeared one day suddenly and left just so. Once she was gone, every man's pocket was empty and the woman's village was prospering. With no money, no other village wanted to trade with them. The prosperity of their very own village was gone from one day to another.

Even with no money, her village declared war on their neighboring village. They lost, no surprise. There was no food, no clean water, no supplies, and no medicine. Their soldiers died and the village was almost wiped clean of men. So, their chief rose the white flag and both villages remained on bad terms since.

That was a hundred years ago. Not much has changed, regarding the relationship between the two villages, and the lack of wealth in Ochako's village.

Anyone with half a brain could tell that the woman never existed. She was made up by the village chief as an excuse. In reality, the chief used all their money on alcohol, drugs, food, and women. He wasted it all, and the village ended up dirt poor.

Ochako sighs to herself. She's helping her mother wash their clothes just outside their small hut of a house.

The older of the two clicks her tongue. "We used the last bit of water..." she grumbles, scrubbing Ochako's father's trousers roughly. "Ochako, go down to the river, wouldja?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ochako replies, hopping up from her spot on a tub turned upside down. She wipes her hands on her apron and then unties it from her waist. She drops it into the washtub filled with suds of her mother's homemade soap.

"Two buckets worth," her mother adds. Ochako hums and picks up the two metal buckets just behind her.

"I'll be back before the sun sets," the young girl announces, starting her journey with a jog. She likes going down to the river. It's a nice walk there and so beautiful once she makes it to the forest. So many little animals like rabbits, squirrels, blue jays, and red robins, not to mention those beautiful wildflowers that Ochako likes to pick and bring home for her mother.

She swings the two buckets by her side, a casual smile gracing her face. Despite all the hardships they face, she's happy. She likes to see the brighter side of things.

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Izuku sits on the riverside with his feet dipped in the cold, rushing water. He has his notebook in his lap and his big yellow backpack leaning against a tree just a few paces away. He's scribbling down his observations of the nature around him. He isn't sure why his master made him do this, but it's nice. Being away from all the noise of the village in the quietness of Mother Nature's very creations. It's a nice place to think and just... breathe.

Izuku writes about the fish that occasionally tickle his feet as they rush past. It makes him smile each time. Mindlessly, he reaches beside him and breaks a piece of the banana bread his mother packed him and pops it in his mouth. He hums a little tune to himself, bobbing his head to it. The sound of chirping birds accompanies his song, though they don't sync at all.

His curls push to the side of his head with the gentle summer breeze, floating around. The sun grazes his skin, likely turning his skin golden slowly.

He's been here since early this morning. Based on the sun's current position in the sky, it must be about two or three in the afternoon. He'll head out in an hour to make it back for supper.