Untitled:

"What do you mean?" Izuku was breathless.

"Apologies, you may call me Almight." The man continued with a toothy smile. His neon yellow hair messily brushed on his head. "This place is called Sekai. A place born from your Passion, a stage for your Radiance."

"You know my name!"

"Why yes, this is your world after all, I am only your host for the time being."

"My host?"

"To show you the ropes until you are ready for the stage."

"The stage!?"

"Why yes, is that not why you're here?" He asked.

"I don't know how I got here!"

"You accepted the Untitled invitation."

"I didn't know!"

"It's alright, now you do." He says cheekily.

"But I don't know why I'm here." He rephrased himself.

"Ah, you have a wish don't you?" The man continued.

-

May your passion sing from the heart

And the glow of the stars will shine upon you

-

"I-I think so?" Izuku questioned himself. "I do have a wish."

"And you want to grant it don't you?"

"Yes! I do!"

"Well then, here is the place for you to grant it." He replied.

"How?"

"As the sun sets, the sky darkens and the stars come out to play, the stage is set and the battle of the bands begin. If you win, you get whatever wish you want granted."

"Really?"

"Really." Almight nodded. "And since you've already accepted the invitation, you better start practising."

"Practising?" Izuku turned to the stage. Looking over the guitar and drum set. "Battle of the bands? But I'm just one person, I can't play the drums either. I'm not that good at singing!"

"My dear boy, I don't have the answer to that. You see, this place is shaped through the band's passion. Since you are a person of the band, this shown before you is your passion."

"A lone drum set and guitar in the middle of a desert?"

"I think it's hoping for a new change. Of course, that's for you to decide. In the meantime, start practising!"

Izuku was confused as he walked up on the stage, picking up the acoustic guitar and strumming his fingers through. A small smile picked up on his lips. He continued playing, singing the song from before.

"*****

******

******"

The stage lights lit up, shining down upon Izuku as he moved around on his feet, grooving to the music. Memories of him and Bakugou playing together rushed through his head. The lights dimmed into a somber yellow, encasing the perfect mood on the stage.

Tears rolled down his cheek. His voice croaked up. The loneliness on the stage caught up to him. Seizing the magical moment away. The stage lights shut off and drooped down like wilted flowers.

"You were doing great my boy." Almight spoke. "It just takes practice. Come now, your phone is in your pocket. Play the Untitled invitation again and you'll be right back home."

Izuku turned to him. "Will I be able to come back?"

"Of course, you will. Until the battle of the bands is over."

He sniffled and nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

"As I said, I am the host." He smiled. "It is my duty."

Izuku felt himself feeling faint as he pressed the Untitled file again. The weight of his body heavy on the cold tiled floor. He jolted awake and rubbed his eyes. He was back in his room again, lying on the cold hard floor. His guitar beside him.

"Was it a dream?" He blinked and raised up his phone in his hand. Other than the notification that he had been added back into the class group chat, the MP3 file still sat there in his messages. Downloaded into his phone storage. Izuku glanced down at his arm which had imprints from the tiles. He was definitely sleeping before.

Izuku shrugged it off and kept his guitar back in its bag. Clearing up the mess in his room. He prepared to have his first good night sleep back in his home in Japan.

The next day, Izuku continued his usual routine. Waking up and preparing for school. He thought that coming back to Japan meant that things would go back to normal even if there was the absence of his father. However, as he stood by the lamp post alone, reality hit him.

Last time, he and Bakugou would walk to school together. The lamp post was their meetup point. Bakugou would go on and on to Izuku about his band practises. Sharing about the band's progress and moments like Kaminari tripping over the wires and nearly breaking the school's drum set.

Izuku waited there for a while. Hoping to be able to catch the blonde on the way to school and walk with him but he never came.

Izuku continued walking down the path. The trees growing along the sidewalk continued to grow strong. Its leaves have a darker shade of green than before. A gentle breeze made the branches shake, causing a few green sheets to let go as time moved on.

School felt normal. The same Aizawa sensei teaching the same class, albeit there was one less person. Izuku is now 3rd in class, Bakugou 2nd and Iida 1st. They are in their final year of school, Year 3, before they graduate and part ways again.

The class dynamic was also different. The absence of YaoMomo and Izuku made the cliques change. Bakugou now hung out with Kirishima and Kaminari more. Or all the time. He would occasionally glance at Izuku now and then but he would not speak a word. Of course it was not like Bakugou suddenly became friends with Kirishima and Kaminari, they were always close friends. Perhaps they just got much closer when Izuku went away.

Jirou would sit at her table, rushing her homework with Mina. No longer was she sharing an earpiece with Yaomomo, talking about the new band arrangement.

Tsuyu and Tokoyami got together. Seemingly the only thing that was positive in Izuku's eyes. They were crushing on each other in Year 1. At least they managed to confess their love and get their happy ending.

Izuku still sat with his old friend group of Uraraka, Iida and Todoroki. They are still close friends of Izuku of course. Though, being away from them for a year, there was a gap between them Izuku could not describe. Inside jokes that he did not understand and their own new routines.

Everyone's still the same but different at the same time.

After school, Izuku passed by a bakery. Peering through the window, he sees a tray full of the glorious melon pan. Soft and airy bread with a sweet and crispy almond cookie layer. Sugar coated the top like crystals and a criss cross pattern earning its name 'melon pan'. When Izuku was homesick, he would rush down to any food establishment that was known to have 'authentic Japanese taste'. However, none of the food could ever beat the sweet taste of home. The sweet sugary melon pans just do not taste the same.

Izuku rushed into the bakery, eager to satisfy his cravings. He grabbed two onto a tray and carried it to the cashier.

"Jirou san?"

"Ah, Midoriya san, didn't expect to see you here." The girl with short purple hair smiled at him warmly under the dimmed yellow lighting. "Hungry?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "You're working part-time here?"

"Hmh." Jirou nodded.

"How about your father's music shop?"

"O-oh." Jirou hesitated for a second before relaxing again. "Well, business has been doing bad lately and I need to earn money for university."

"Oh, are you still going to take on a music degree?"

"Well…I kind of have a career change." Jirou replied.

"Oh?" Izuku blinked, surprised. "But you loved music."

"Yeah, but that was like 2 years ago." She shrugged. "Things changed, need to move on and prepare for the real world." She sighed before putting back a warm smile, packing the bread in a bag. "That'll be 400 yen please."

Izuku pulled out his wallet and paid in coins. "I wish you luck." He smiled back.

"Thanks," Jirou handed the bag to him. "I wish you luck too." She avoided eye contact.

Izuku left the bakery disheartened. His legs carried him home as fast as possible. He set one melon pan on the table and headed into his room. Izuku took a huge bite out of the melon pan. Staring out of his window overlooking the street and children's playground. The sweetness hits just the spot. He perked up at the taste and went in for another bite. Then another and another. The crisp cookie crumbled in his mouth and melted over the soft bread. It was delightful. Cravings satisfied.

But he still felt empty.

After eating, he wiped his hands and settled back on his study table. Trying to focus his mind on finishing his homework.

The clock ticks by. Each second slipping from his hand.

Izuku groaned in irritation, leaning back in his chair. His eyes landed on the guitar case. Leaning against his closet. He slipped out his phone and glanced at the untitled.mp3 file in the downloads folder.

It wouldn't hurt to go back and play music with all his might again. It was like filling a void in his heart.

Finishing up his last sentence, Izuku laid in bed. Finger hovered over the file having second thoughts.

This was a stupid idea. It was only a dream.

It was a wonderful dream though.

Izuku pressed on to the file. It played silence.

-

Your wish will be granted

-

Izuku woke up on the desert sand again. The gentle breeze brushed against his skin with the sun shining above him.

"Almight?" He called out but no one answered.

He turned towards the plain white stage. A simple podium with stage lights hanging over the black frame. Carrying himself up, he got back on the stage with the guitar strap slung over his body.

There was a song that crept into his mind. It was from a New york cartoon show that would air at 7 in the apartment. He would turn the TV on to learn and get a better grasp of the local language. He remembered he was doing some home schooling on math when the episode aired. The little girl sleeping on her mother's lap.

It reminded him of his mother who was left all alone in Japan. He wondered how she was.

He remembered looking up the chords to try to play it on his father's guitar in the home studio. It was not the exact same as the original was played on ukulele but the tune was close enough to warm his heart.

Izuku practised a few of the chords, chanting the progression before he felt it was complete enough to be played. The stage lights lit up on shown upon him.

"Let's go in the garden,

you'll see something waiting

Right there where you left it lying upside down."

Green grass started to grow out of the sand. The breeze turned cold as it caressed his warm neck and ruffled the green curls on his head.

"When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded

The underside is lighter when you turn it around."

Clouds formed in the sky, constantly moving while the green blades turned dark and light again and again. Like how time keeps going.

"Everything stays right where you left it

Everything stays

But it still changes."

He thought about what if he had never left Japan. What if he had fought harder against his father and begged to stay behind.

"Ever so slightly, daily and nightly."

But he did not fight back then. The fight was weighing heavily in his mind. He had given up the love for his guitar way before that. He just listened to his father's words. He gave into his father's promise.

Did Izuku give up on his own?

A ceramic fountain emerged at the center of the green patch. Water cascaded down the sides. Filling up the bottom bowl.

"In little ways, when everything stays."

Izuku wiped the tears off his face. He felt so alone. He knew that change was inevitable but after everything he clung to the small hope that some would remain the same. Perhaps he was betting on too much. After all, he left on a bad note with Bakugou and suddenly disappeared from everyone.

"That was a beautiful song." Almight appeared behind him on the stage.

"Ah, Almight." Izuku jumped and faced him. "I didn't see you here."

"That's because I wasn't." He gave a toothy grin. "You look down, my boy."

"A bit." Izuku shrugged.

"You said yes but your shoulders shrugged."

"It's a stupid childish thing to be sad about." He lets out a laugh.

"Well, that sounds familiar." Almight nodded. "My boy, it's okay to be sad. Nothing is ever too stupid or childish." He clasped his hands together. "For example, if a kid falls and they cry, is it stupid and childish?"

Izuku shook his head. "They're hurt."

"If an adult falls and they cry, is it stupid and childish?" Almight smiled. "They're still hurt are they not?"

"Yes… but they're older."

"They're more mature, correct, that should indicate how they handle it but they are still hurt. So my boy, care to share what is on your mind?"

He sat down on the edge of the stage and patted beside him. Izuku settled down. The guitar resting on his lap.

"I guess I miss the old times." He replied. "I thought that everything will be the same when I come back but it isn't."

"Time moves forward." Almight nodded. "And so must we."

"But I can't." Izuku clenched his fist. "I have to suddenly move at the same pace as the others but I don't even know what I missed!"

"You can always learn."

"Yes but it just isn't the same!" He exclaimed. "It's not the same as reliving the same moment as them. Like maybe things would be different if I was there. Maybe I would've felt like I was part of the class again but no, I just feel like I'm plucked back into a group of strangers."

Almight patted his back. "Let it out. Your thoughts are jumbled up together, your points are not coherent but your feelings are still true." He smiled. "After you sort out your thoughts, maybe then you'll see how to move forward with your friends again."

Almight looked back up at the sky again. The sun was shining brightly through white covered clouds. "Remember you have the battle of the bands. If you win, you'll be granted a wish. It can be anything you desire greatly."

Izuku rubbed his face. "To turn back time?"

"Even that, however, remember its one wish. Think through it carefully." Almight gave him one last smile before disappearing as Izuku turned away to look down at his guitar. The glossy surface reflected his tear stained freckled cheeks.