The Emperor's Dragon

Middle School

"Little Dragon, is everything okay?" Ochaco asked carefully

It was the first day of school, and while Izuku had been happy to see them, there was a sense of sadness hanging around him. She had no idea what might be causing it. It was too early in the year to be melancholy about High School.

She'd asked Hitoshi earlier but the other teen didn't know what was bothering their friend.

"It's nothing," Izuku said.

She shared a look with Hitoshi. They silently agreed it was definitely something. She leaned forward and gave Izuku a hug. "It's so good to see you!" Ochaco said. It wasn't a lie.

Izuku wasn't able to see them over summer. His dad was too sick and had been for the last few years, ever since they were ten. She tried to remember if he was like this last year but couldn't.

He returned her hug and once again Ochaco was surprised at how strong Izuku was. "It's good to see you too, Ochaco. I'll be okay. It's just that..."

She felt Izuku take a deep breath.

"It's just what?" Hitoshi asked softly.

"It's just that, ever since I was five, Dad's told me that he wanted me to follow in his footsteps. That he wanted me to help him." Izuku pulled back from her hug and looked to the side, into the distance.

"I didn't understand what he wanted at first. Then I got that he wanted me to work at his businesses, and work with him."

"Did something change?" Hitoshi asked.

Izuku sighed and then he nodded. "He said... he said over summer that he was letting me go," their friend said. He laughed, but it sounded hollow. "I'm not even employed so he can't let me go!" he joked, except it was obvious that Izuku didn't find it funny.

"Did he say why?" Ochaco asked carefully. She wasn't entirely sure what Izuku meant with what he was saying.

He gave them an odd smile. It was one of those smiles that wasn't really a smile. "He said he wants me to be sure," Izuku told them.

"Ah," Hitoshi said, and it actually sounded like he understood.

Izuku picked up on that as well. He looked over at the purple haired teen.

Hitoshi picked up on the unspoken question. "I've seen it happen before," he murmured.

"Seen what happen before?" Ochaco asked.

"You know how some businesses are inherited?" He asked.

Both Izuku and Ochaco nodded. Ochaco especially knew that. Her parents had never expected her to take over. They had made that clear almost as soon as she was old enough to understand it.

"I've seen them go bad before," Hitoshi said. "Sometimes, it's just expected that the kid will take over the business, but it's not really what they want to do. When they do take over, things go badly."

The way Izuku looked at Hitoshi told him that he was wondering what it had to do with him.

"Izuku, your dad has told you since you were young that he wants you to take over, or at least work with him in his business, right?"

"I said that," Izuku confirmed.

"But that's what he wants. By saying that he's letting you go, he's making sure that it is what you want."

"Oh!" Ochaco sighed as she nodded. She got it now. "Yeah, he is," she confirmed for Izuku. "He loves you, so he wants you to think about what you actually want," she told her friend. "When you decide that, I'm sure he'll support you, no matter what it is!"