A Merfolk's Tale

Chapter Six

Green eyes were wide with both excitement and wonder as Izuku looked around the village market which was packed with humans and different stalls of business as they went about their daily lives, buying, bargaining, working. It awfully reminded Izuku of his home, however, merpeople did not need to work so they can go about their lives as the sea has provided them enough for them to live and survive on their own.

"This is a terrible idea, I tell you. We've been testing the king's patience for roaming around outside the castle walls  just as we please despite his warnings,"

It was Tenya who spoke, but Izuku was too busy admiring the view laid before him to even pay attention to what he was saying.

"You're too tensed, Tenya," Eiji said with a grin. "Lay back a bit and just enjoy the festivity today! Look at Izuku, all excited and fascinated at everything he sees just like a little kid,"

A whack on the head stopped Eiji from teasing the clueless greenhead. "Stop teasing him," Shoto said, the hood of his cloak covering his unique hair as to not attract any attention.

It had been days since they found Izuku on Cove Gamma and he had been staying at the castle where Momo was assigned to be his mentor and have him help out around the castle the moment he was able to walk around.

However, the cut on his leg was too deep and despite him being able to walk around with no problem, Shoto knew it would take him a few weeks to fully heal-- one which the prince dreaded as he knew his father would stop at nothing to hitch a ride for the greenhead to take him back to his home... wherever it was.

Children's laughter brought him back to reality and he saw a group of children playing with a ball to an area where there was less crowd. He saw Izuku staring at them, a vibe radiating from him that he wanted to try what they were doing.

"Izuku," Shoto called, calling the greenhead's attention. "You can join them if you want,"

Eiji heard this and started laughing. "Eh? But Izuku's already old enough to p--"

He was cut off when Izuku smiled at them then started to run for the children, who cautiously backed away upon seeing the green-haired stranger.

"Hey, you kids mind if we play with you?" Eiji asked with a wide grin. "We promise we're not bad guys,"

But the mischievous grin and the red hair wasn't that convincing at all that the children fled in an instant, forgetting the ball they were playing with.

"You scared them," Shoto said, quite amused while Eiji glared and pouted at him.

"It wasn't my intention at all!" Eiji whined but Izuku had been more than happy to have the ball to himself. He turned with a wide smile and showed the ball to Shoto who nodded with a small smile.

"You can have it, it's yours now," Shoto said.

"Now that's just a criminal act," Eiji said, "Using me to scare the kids to get your boyfriend here a ball of his own. Just how stingy are you to not buy him a ball himself?"

Shoto shot him a glare and it was Eiji's turn to look amused-- an act of clean revenge.

Not paying any mind to his companions, Izuku put the ball down and then sat down across it-- studying the structures on how it was made into a circular object and tried to think of different materials he could use back home to make one for him and Ochako.

"What is he doing?" Tenya asked, finding Izuku's hobby a bit weird as the greenhead studied the world as if the greatest war strategy exists within the rubber object.

"Maybe he doesn't know how to play a ball?" Eiji said, unsure of the answer then approached Izuku. "Hey, you know you're supposed to kick the ball right? Not stare at it as if its grown a head on its own?"