𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠

A #Kacchako Farmer AU

#kacchakothread #FarmerBakugou

Summary:

After an incident on the job, Katsuki finds himself needing to lay low from the hero world he loves at the advice of his PR. Little does he know that laying low doesn’t mean the same as taking it easy.

A Kacchako Farmer AU where Ochako turns down her dream of being a hero to help manage her family’s struggling farm. While in dire need of extra hands around the farm, she never expected she’d be working alongside the explosive hero, Ground Zero

Hello! This is my take on the Kacchako Farmer AU. I began thinking about this AU in my head last summer while (shockingly) working on a farm collecting data for work! This is my very first fic/thread so please be kind. I am by no means a writer, just wanted to test the waters

I want to thank @sakuramochi2593 for giving me the push to try this out and @ChibiCherryBlsm for supporting the antics!

I will also be posting this to AO3 if that is more your style!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24258802/chapters/58462177

Relationships to be explored:
Kacchako
Tododeku
Kirimina

Warnings:
Bakugou swears a lot
There may be eventual smut, no promises, but we shall see

Chapter 1 - Until the Smoke Clears

Bakugou Katstuki always knew that his journey to the top wasn’t going to be a simple one.

He understood that there would be hurdles that he would face and extras to brush off, but he never would have predicted that he would be stuck in his office forced to listen to his PR lecture until his ears bled.

“... Zero! Ground Zero! Are you listening to me?”

Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time Sakuta.” It had only been 10 minutes into the spiel, but he was already over it.

“Ok, good. Like I was saying, the public’s opinion of you at the moment is at an all-time low and the Safety Commission isn’t going to be able to let this slide. There is talk of suspension,”

Sakuta explained before preparing for the ramage that was soon to be followed by a certain explosive blond.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Everyone in that whole city should be grateful to me! Who was the one who arrived at the scene first? Who was the one who took charge of said scene once the other extras showed up? Who was the one who apprehended the villain?

Did they forget that I was the one who did all that? What the hell!” Kastuki roared in declaration. “Ungrateful motherfuckers,” he mumbled.

“Why yes, it is true that you accomplished all of that however, the damage to the city still plays a factor. Half of the Minato Ward was almost wiped out in the attack.

Luckily casualties were kept to a minimum, and the Safety Commission thanks you for that, but that doesn’t mean they are turning a blind eye to the destruction you played a part of.” Sakuta inhaled deeply before he relayed the next part of the news to Kastuki.

“The Safety Commission and I, along with the rest of the PR department at the agency believe that the best option is for you to step out of the spotlight for a little and lay low until the public can move on from this.

The people need time to forgive and they can’t do that if you are always in the headlines.”

Kastuki knew that he had been a little reckless in his latest fight, but he needed to in order to avoid the complete destruction of Tokyo. That bastard of a villain had stopped at nothing to escape the city with his newly stolen riches of quirk enhancer drugs and support items.

Trying to evade capture, the laser wielding thug cut down buildings left and right to buy distance between him and the explosion hero. Little did the villain know, that wouldn’t be enough to stop Ground Zero.

Katsuki was quicker and was able to catch up in no time to deal a finishing AP Shot to immobilize the bastard. What no one could have foreseen was the devastating last-ditch effort the villain made, firing off laser projectiles in every direction before losing consciousness.

Katsuki was able to defend himself against this final attack, but the same couldn’t be said for the surrounding structures. Homes, shops, and company buildings were destroyed (by the villain of course), but who was taking the blame for the destruction of the ward?

The public turned their attention to Ground Zero, blaming him for not doing more to limit the villain’s path of havoc. What was he to do, no other hero in the area was as quick as him?

If he hadn’t gone after the fucker, more quirk enhancing drugs would be littering the streets, putting more lives at risk. But no, he’s at fault because he pursued. Guess that’s the thanks one can expect for being a servant of the public.

Katsuki groaned in irritation, “So what the fuck am I supposed to do? Being a hero is my life, I can’t just drop it at a bat of an eye.

The Safety Commission knows this, the public knows this, hell anyone who has ever heard of me knows this! I’m the fucking Number 9 hero and stepping out of the game because some people are 𝑢𝑝𝑠𝑒𝑡 is going to hold me back from being Number 1 as soon as possible!”

Katsuki was getting more irritated by the minute. “What do they want me to do, go shack up in a barn in the middle of nowhere until their 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 aren’t hurt anymore?”

“That’s not a half-bad idea”

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡? Did Katsuki hear him right? He knew that his explosions were loud and sometimes fucked with his hearing, but sadly had the pleasure of listening to Sakuta ramble on about disciplinary actions when he could be doing literally anything else.

“What the fuck did you say?” Katsuki quipped back sharply.

“I said that’s not a half-bad idea,” Sakuta repeated himself. “Let’s put you to work on a farm while you lay low. We can give the public time to heal you while you show them and the Safety Commission that you can still help the community outside of hero work.

We can highlight you growing and making things that people need to survive instead of destroying. Working on a farm could showcase involvement in pressing issues like food security and impoverished areas of Japan.

Oh, if we could get you on a run-down farm, I bet that would score even more brownie points. Yes, this is good, this is a good direction.”

Sakuta fanned his hand in front of him, “I can see the headlines now, ‘Pro Hero Ground Zero Not Only Has Explosive Hands But Green Thumbs Too: Number 9 Hero Sheds Light to the Importance of Agriculture and Community Outreach!’

I’ll have to get in touch with the rest of the PR department right away” Sakuta exclaimed.

“Wait, hold the fuck up! Who said that I was going to a fucking farm? Did you not understand my tone, I wasn’t being serious, I was being fucking sarcastic,” Katsuki bellowed while crossing his arms into a more defensive position.

Was this guy for real, did he even hear the nonsense that just spewed out of his mouth? He was not going to let this stand. Why the fuck would he one, go work on a fucking farm and two, help them with their own damn work.

That was their fucking job, not his! He did not graduate UA at the top of his class to work on a country bumpkin farm. “I’m not agreeing to this!” He refuted.

“Well, unless you have a better idea, this is what we are going to submit to the Safety Commission as your intermission from hero work. It’s either this or you sit at home and watch your rankings drop because you’re suspended and twiddling your thumbs doing nothing.

It’s your choice, you have 48 hours until the department takes this up the chain of command,” Sakuta responded with a smile on his face. “I hope you think about this seriously Ground Zero. Remember, this would all be temporary, just until the smoke clears.

Now if you excuse me, I have some calls to make.” And just as Katsuki had wished Sakuta had left ages ago, the PR representative left him alone in his office.

𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒. Sakuta’s words played back in Katsuki’s mind.

Yeah, fucking right like he had a choice in this. He was basically backed into a corner in this whole mess. Katsuki wasn’t stupid, he knew that his ranking was going to take a hit either way, with one option hurting him more than the other.

He was actually going to have to do this, wasn’t he? “This blows,” Katsuki huffed. Why was he stuck in this position? Why couldn’t it be fucking Deku or that Icyhot bastard? Nope, the universe just liked to fuck him over like that.

It didn’t help that the nerd ranked one spot above him in the polls and his scarface boyfriend was close behind Katsuki. If this didn’t blow over soon, he was going to fall behind them even more.

“Shit!” Katsuki growled as he packed up his things before leaving the agency.

He knew the decision that he needed to make, but he wasn’t going to give the PR department the satisfaction of being right just yet. He was going to do this his way, and his way meant that he was going to get tanked first with his shitty losers.

End of Chapter 1/?

Chapter 2 - Fireball

On any given evening, Katsuki kept himself busy by filling out paperwork detailing the cases he worked that day, or by working out at the agency’s private gym until the building was basically empty.

However on this particular evening, Katsuki found himself at his favorite hole in the wall bar, surrounded by his “favorite” idiots.

“Bakugoooooou, I can’t believe out of all of us you were the first one to get suspended,” Kaminari directed to the grumpy blond.

Katsuki had already downed three drinks but was still fairing better than the sloshed Stun Gun Hero. “Like, I know that I do a lot of stupid things all the time, but you? You are always going on and on and on about being the best at everything.”

Kaminari laughed, “Wow, I guess this just means that times are changing.” Taking a long sip of his drink, he continued. “Back me up on this Sero, this must mean we are finally better at something then Bakubro, right?”

“If you want to live to see the morning I wouldn’t fucking respond, Soy Sauce Face.” Kastuki regretted even texting them asking if they wanted to get together at their usual hangout joint. He also regretted telling them the news he received earlier that day.

He figured it would be better if they learned it from him rather than the press or those annoying gossip blogs. But alas, here he was with the idiots he called his friends. Why he ever put up with their constant ragging was beyond him.

“Come on man, we’ve been over this. My face isn’t that plain looking. How can you say that when I have this sweet new haircut, huh? And why am I getting yelled at, Kaminari started it, where’s his directed ‘bakurage’,” Sero quipped.

He sighed, reaching for his drink to finish and to accompany his freshly received berating.

Katsuki had to give it to him, he wasn’t as nearly as plain as he was before, now that he cut his hair shorter and ditched the bangs. But he just couldn’t come to terms with calling him anything else, not after using the nickname for eight years.

God forbid him from calling him by his given name, that would make him look weak. He supposed that he could come up with a new descriptive nickname, but that was too much work and in the end Sero still responded to it, so why fix something that isn’t broken.

He held this same mentality towards the rest of the merry band of idiots. If anything, they should see it as a term of endearment.

“Look, just because you went and copied me by cutting your hair doesn’t mean that I’m going to change my ways. Pikachu, you better fucking watch it. I was nice enough to call you guys out here, so you better not ruin a good thing,” Katsuki retorted.

“I didn’t copy you, all I did was cut my hair. I didn’t go all the way and get an undercut as you did. Ugh nevermind this isn’t worth the hassle. Where’s Mina when you need her, she’s better at dealing with this,” Sero huffed. “I’m getting another drink, you guys want anything?”

“Ohhh, I’ll take a mojito Sero! Hey guys, what did I miss?” A feminine voice spoke.

Kaminari cried in relief, “Mina, you’re finally here! We need you to help cheer up Bakubro. He’s a little down,” he added slyly.

Ok, that was it. Katsuki knew that Kaminari was drunk, but he had it up there with his taunting remarks. If the alcohol hadn’t fried his brain by now, Katsuki was sure going to make sure to see that through by the end of the night.

Have fun dealing with a hangover while being short-circuited, asshole.

Mina turned her attention to the fuming six foot three explosion hero.

“Aw, don’t be like that Bakubabe. Don’t forget that you were the one who invited us out here tonight.

We all have to get our jabs in now before you’re shipped off to the middle of nowhere and leave us all by our lonesome selves,” said the pink-haired hero while embracing Katsuki in a forced hug.

“Who said that you could fucking touch me!” Katsuki yelled back. He was really regretting inviting these idiots now.

“You know that you secretly like affection, and so do we, so no hope in hiding it now. We won’t be able to see you for god knows how long,” Mina cried.

“Hopefully long enough for you idiots to learn to keep out of my fucking personal space!” Katsuki declared, but with an added hint of defeat. She had a point, it was going to be some time before he would come back to the hero world he loved.

Might as well put up with their antics before he entered his new unknown terrain. Sure he was going to have other people to interact with (most likely annoying), but at least his self proclaimed “Bakusquad” understood the life of a hero.

How were some farming extras ever going to relate to him and why would he ever want to try to do the same with them?

“You all better thank me, ‘cause I come bearing gifts. A mojito for Mina, a long island iced tea for Kaminari, and a whiskey for our fearless leader.” Sero returned with full arms of glasses.

After passing them out, he began a toast. “To Bakugou’s final days of freedom!” Sero cheered, raising his glass.

“To Farmer Bakugou!” Mina exclaimed.

“To “Mr. I Got Shuspended!” Kaminari added with a slur.

“I hate you all,” Katsuki relayed with a smirk. He guessed that it wasn’t a completely terrible way to spend his night.

“Shoto, I think I see them over there!”

No! He knew that voice. He wasn’t that drunk and his head felt fine, but why did it sound like the damn nerd was in this bar. Katsuki threw back his head and downed his whiskey. It was fine, everything was fine.

Tonight was a good night, it's still a good night. No need to jump to conclusions. Who knows, maybe he was a little tipsier than he thought. That could have been anyone’s voice and not one that belonged to a certain green-haired pain in his ass.

“Oh hey Midoriya, over here! How have you been man? Great, Todoroki came too! Now it’s really a party!” Kaminari yelled across the table.

Fuck. Nevermind, this was a completely terrible way to spend his night. He was wrong, he’ll have to blame it on the alcohol for his slip up. What time was it?

9:58. That’s a good time to leave, right? He was already out later than he usually would like to. Perfect, the idiots shouldn’t bother him too much if he left right there and then.

“Hi Kaminari, not too bad. Kacchan! Hey guys, long time no see! It’s great to get out and see everyone. It’s been too long, right Shoto?” Greeted Midoriya.

“Yes,” Todoroki responded dryly.

Did that half and half bastard ever show any emotion or know how to speak in more than one-word sentences? Wait, nevermind that. He was getting sidetracked. He needed to figure out how to get out of here.

The last thing he wanted to do was talk with those two. It was bad enough that he had to interact with them from time to time through hero work, but this wasn’t work, so he was free to leave as he liked.

“Why are you guys here Deku?” Why did he ask that? He’s supposed to be working on leaving, not making small talk. Damn alcohol really must be messing with his brain now.

“Kaminari texted me and invited Shoto and me to your send-off party tonight,” Midoryia answered quickly.

“I heard about your suspension Kacchan, and I’m really sorry that the Safety Commission is making you take a break from hero work.

It’s not like it’s your fault that the villain went sporadic with his attack on the city. Sure you had the biggest impact in apprehending with him, but they shouldn’t be putting all the blame on you, heroes are people too and-”

“I get it, ok. You can quit your rambling.” Katsuki interjected. “And I don’t need your pity.” That settled it, Kaminari was a dead man.

Katsuki had already begun to let his earlier actions of the night slide, but this was a new low of stupidity. He would be lucky if he woke up the next morning hugging a toilet bowl and not in a ditch in the outskirts of Tokyo.

“Oops, sorry Kacchan. Sometimes I forget that my thoughts usually end up coming right out of my mouth,” Midoriya replied sheepishly.

“So what are you going to do with your time off if you can’t do hero work? Geez, I couldn’t even imagine taking a break, that feels like a whole different world.”

“He’s becoming a farmer! Ha! Can you imagine that? Hahahaha! Farmer Bakugou!” Mina answered with a cackle in her voice before Katsuki had the chance to brush off the question.

Scratch his plans on destroying Kaminari, Mina had just signed her name on the chopping block in bold pink letters. Both Kaminari and Mina were going to share their hangovers together thanks to their own undoing and to an unforgiving Katsuki.

Screw going home now, he was going to stay and he was going to wreck them.

“Don’t tell him that Raccoon Eyes-”

“You’re going to work on a farm Kacchan? How exciting! That’s pretty cool actually. You’ll still be able to get a good workout while you do that. I’ve always wondered how farms operated.” Now it was Midoryia’s turn to cut Katsuki off.

“Do you know where you are going? I bet it’s probably a top of the line rice paddy field, or maybe a farm that specializes in growing all different kinds of peppers,” Midoriya wondered.

“No, I don’t know and even if I did, I wouldn’t fucking tell you in the first place. PR hasn’t settled on a place to send me. They mentioned looking into pity farms to bolster brownie points with the public’s opinion or something,” Katsuki regretfully answered.

At this point he was convinced that the alcohol was really starting to affect him. There was no way in his right mindset that he would willingly give up information to the damn nerd.

“Oh, so you don’t know where you are going yet? If a location hasn’t been settled on yet, I may be able to help,” Midoryia said with excitement.

“I have a friend from college that has a family farm. I bet she could use the extra help. I’ll send the details to your agency, I’m sure that will help them out with their selection process,” Midoriya continued on while typing away furiously on his smartphone.

“Listen here Deku, I don’t anyone's help and I definitely don’t need any help from you. So you and your little farm extra can go and-”

“Done! Your agency says that they appreciate the information I sent their way and they are going to start working on your transition,” Deku cut him off again. When did everyone get the idea that they could keep interrupting him that night?

Did no one fear him anymore? Was he in an alternative universe? What the fuck was going on?!? He needed to start sobering up soon if everyone thought that they could keep walking over him just because he was a little buzzed.

“This is great! She’s going to be so happy to have the extra help around the farm!” Deku beamed at a bewildered Katsuki.

“I’m going to have to call her, it’s been a while since I last talked to her,” Midoriya mumbled on. “Oh, maybe we could make a trip to go visit her Shoto!”

“I’m sure she would love that Izuku,” Todoroki replied with a smirk directed at Katsuki.

At this point Katsuki was lost for words. Not only had his whole life turned upside down hours before at the agency, but now Deku of all people was making himself a part of this whole fiasco. Katsuki took in a deep breath, remembering his techniques to try to calm himself down.

He had come a long way from how he would behave as a teenager, but he still had his moments. Tonight was his declared night and he wasn’t going to let Deku ruin it. If anything, all this would be tomorrow’s problem, mostly since he needed to talk to PR again.

“If you guys are going to hang out, what kind of drinks can I get for you?” Sero questioned the couple. Nevermind, all three of the idiots had a death wish tonight apparently.

“Oh no, that's ok Sero. We just wanted to swing by. Shoto and I both have early shits tomorrow, so we’ll have to sit this one out. Actually, we should start heading home.” Midoriya replied with a blinding smile.

“Thanks for inviting us Kaminari! It was great to see you guys, we’ll have to all get together again. Good luck Kacchan! I know you will do your best and will be back to trying to top me in the hero polls in no time!”

Midoriya finally said while leaving the group of heroes, making his way out of the bar with Todoroki.

“Goodnight,” Todoroki said on his way out following closely behind Midoriya.

Good, they were gone. Who knows what else could have happened if the nerd had stuck around any longer. He could have started to offer more help and Katsuki might have accepted it, ugh.

At this point, Katsuki didn’t trust himself to keep his walls up around Deku. But he did trust himself to finish the night off with a bang. Katsuki left the table to begin devising his plan on destroying the idiots.

“Where are you going man? Come on, don’t be a grandpa, it’s not bedtime yet!” Sero called out.

“Oh I’m not leaving yet, just wait a damn minute would ya!” Katsuki yelled back.

Katsuki returned with a tray full of his poison of choice. “Since you guys wanna act like you're all invincible tonight, we’re going to have fun my way,” Katsuki explained deviously.

“Pikachu, get your head off the table! Raccoon Eyes, stop dancing like an idiot and get your ass over here!”

“Oooohhhh, what’d you get us Bakubabe?” Mina asked as she returned to the group.

“Sweet deliverance. Drink up chumps,” Katsuki answered willingly.

Sero looked at the tray of shots and gulped. “Did the bartender mess up your order? There is no way that these are all for us right?”

Katsuki surveyed the tray lined up with his payback. “No he heard me right. Triple shots for all of us. You wanted to party, here’s your party. To ‘Farmer Bakugou’, right?”

“Is that fireball? I looooove fireball!” Kaminari exclaimed with two thumbs up.

Katsuki grinned. “You bet your ass it is.” Kaminari was not going to love the taste of it coming back up, Katsuki thought.

Sero reached for his first shot. “Might as well get this over with now I guess.”

“Woohoo! Yes! To Farmer Bakugooooouuuuu!” Mina cheered as she threw back her shot.

Kaminari went ahead of the group and took two of his shots at once. “Wheeeeeeee!”

“Yech! Poison! Why couldn’t you have gotten something better to do shots with?” Mina whined while scrunching up her nose.

“If you want something else, I can go get more. Tonight has only begun,” Katsuki laughed as he passed out their remaining shots.

He was going to miss his idiots, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to put them through hell. He is a man of convictions after all.

End of Chapter 2/?

Chapter 3 - Where the Green Grass Grows

Mornings were always serene in Japan’s countryside. They offered a peaceful quietude that one couldn’t find in the bustling city. Congested rush hour traffic noises were replaced with the quiet hum of tractors, revving up to start their morning routines.

Barnyard animal squawks and squabbles instead of packed metro car conversations. The days began with the earthy smell of field crops rustling in the wind, picking up the morning tunes of songbirds announcing the start of a new day.

Ochako loved every part that her small-town could offer, but it didn’t matter where she woke up. She would always hate mornings with a burning passion.

Like every morning, she was rudely awakened by sequential blaring beeps, greeting her without missing a beat. Ochako groaned as she squinted her eyes, avoiding opening them to adjust to the darkness that still occupied her room.

If she were to peak out her worn down curtains, she could see the sun begin it’s rising journey, but Ochako would rather stay under her many blankets that served as her cocoon. She unwillingly stretched as she began her daily battle with herself to get out of bed.

The alarm that lived on her bedside dresser continued to remind her of her prolonged procrastination.She would think that having to follow that same morning routine of waking up at 5 am would break her of her bad habits, but alas she was stubborn when it came to her beauty sleep.

“I need to get up before the chickens start to get antsy,” Ochako spoke out loud as she forced herself to sit up. Reluctantly peeling off her layers of blankets, she shifted to the edge of the bed to finally stand and stretch her body once more.

“Let’s see, today we need to make sure the fields are cleared for this season’s plantings, finalize plots maps, confirm seed counts...hmm, what else? There’s probably that will jump out at me throughout the day,” Ochako thought as she dressed for the day.

It didn’t matter what season it was for her since her field clothes were essentially the same all year long. She always made sure to cover her arms and legs to protect herself from the sun’s rays and the roughness of farm life.

She settled on one of her pairs of jeans with patches littering the knees and a lightweight plaid shirt that she rolled at a quarter arm’s length.

“Ah! The chickens! I also need to feed the chickens!” She remembered as she fastened the last button of her shirt.

Finalizing her outfit with a beat-up baseball cap that sported a university’s logo that was too worn to be easily recognized, Ochako made her way to the kitchen to really start her day.

Her mornings were never complete without her freshly brewed cup of tea. Inhaling the aroma of the steeping leaves, Ochako instantly began to perk up. It was almost like she was fully awake and hadn’t just yanked herself out of bed some moments ago.

Enjoying the view of her family’s land outside of the kitchen’s bay window, she reminisced on the family business itself.

Her family had operated their small farm for the past three generations, raising it from the ground up.

They were humble in what they did, happy to live off the land and have a relation with the community.

It was never a booming business, which they understood that reality. Ochako’s parents and grandparents were content with getting by with what little they grew, given the size of their land and their inventory of farm equipment.

They never knew any other way of living, as this was s all they had known.

But now, times were tough. Local businesses throughout the town were closing up shop as people began to move away, many looking for work in the neighboring cities.

Her town was a close-knit community, but its people understood that finding work in a place this small was no easy feat.

Sure, there were the staple stores that served the members of the community, but they all can’t compete with the competition that looms in the nearby developing cities.

Ochako sighed into her mug as she thought of what could have been for her if she didn’t decide to help out her folks and begin the transition of taking over the farm. Her dream was to become a hero.

After seeing her own townspeople suffer from accidents or small-scale disasters like minor earthquakes or severe storms, she decided that she wanted to make a difference and branch off from the usual way of life of where she grew up.

So, when she graduated high school, she packed up her things and ventured to Tokyo to begin her education in the hero course.

She was fortunate to be even granted admission to a heroics college, given she was late to the game compared to the many students who enrolled straight out of high school hero courses.

Unfortunately for Ochako, her small high school didn’t have the funds or resources to provide that type of education. Her parents offered to pay to send her to a more privileged high school in the city, but she declined.

Ochako couldn’t live with herself if her family became bankrupt after spending their money on a possibility of something that wasn’t guaranteed. After saving up some money of her own, paired with scholarships she received, she was able to attend UA University for Heroics.

Sadly, this dream was short-lived. After finishing her first year, she found out that her parents were struggling, and that there was a possibility that they could lose the farm. Ochako’s worse nightmare was coming true.

While her parents didn’t pay for her to go to college, Ochako couldn’t help but feel guilty that the trouble was caused by her absence.

Sure, she could support herself and her family once she became a pro hero, but that was years away, time that she didn’t have the luxury to afford.

She once again packed up her belongings, however, this time to head back home.

She said goodbye to the friends she had made and promised to keep in touch, dropped out of the heroes course, and walked away from what could have been, her dream nothing more than just that, a dream.

But that was all behind her now. By being back, she was able to help her parents with the extra labor around the farm and assist them in coming out of the red.

There was always a level of uncertainty of the overall stability of the business to this day, but at least there was no longer the overhanging threat of losing everything anymore.

Finishing reminiscing on the past, Ochako drank the remainder of her tea and set out to begin her daily tasks on the farm.

“Hey, Ei! Can ya get the flags from the storage barn? I wanna mark what’s goin’ where,” Ochako asked the burly man headed in the opposite direction from her.

“Sure thing Boss! Ask and you shall receive,” the six-foot-two, redhead replied with a playful bow and a rolled wave of his hand. Spinning on the heel of his feet, he turned away to do what he was asked.

“Eijiro! How many times do I have to tell you to stop callin’ me that?” Ochako yelled out and whined simultaneously, ending on a defeated note with a huff.

She knew Eijiro meant it in the name of fun, but it still didn’t sit right with her that she was essentially the head of operations.

Her parents still helped out around the farm, but Ochako was taught the ropes of the business and was “handed the keys” when she returned home after her first year at college.

“Sorry ‘Chaks, won’t happen again!” The mountain of a man yelled to sound as if he was standing beside her. Ochako couldn’t see his face, but she was sure that he was sporting a smile that couldn’t be trusted to its fullest extent.

Ochako wiped the sweat off her brow as she looked across the field she and Eijiro were about to flag.

“It’s a new season, it’s a new chance to succeed,” Ochako reminded herself. It was hard to stay positive during these times, but Ochako knew better than to dwell in the past.

/Just only if we had some extra hands. I feel bad relyin’ on Ei all the time when he has his own life and business./

/Then there’s Ma and Pa gettin’ up there in age as well, can’t have them gettin’ hurt, we would really be in trouble then. I guess I could try to hire some outside help, but I don’t think we could support that given our profits from the last season./

Ochako continued to work out her thoughts of the farm’s current situation, as she did every day when she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket.

“I bet it’s Ma callin’ to say that one of the chickens escaped again,” Ochako guessed as she retrieved her pink flip phone. Flipping it open, she answered, “Ma, I know that there’s a loose board in the coop, Ei and I are-”

“Ochako! Hey, it’s-”

“Izuku?”

Ochako was surprised to be greeted by the voice on the other end of the line. It had been so long since she had last talked to him. Guilt immediately flooded her mind, wishing that she had done a better job of keeping in touch.

“Yep, it’s me! Sorry for calling you out of the blue, I’m sure you’re busy with everything on the farm and all,” Izuku apologized.

“No, no, that’s ok Izuku. Just doin’ the same old stuff around here like usual. It’s good to hear from you though! I feel so bad that I haven’t called. I miss you,” Ochako apologized in return.

“I miss you too Ochako, and I know everyone else does as well. Please don’t feel bad, I also need to be better about reaching out, communication is a two-way street you know.”

Even though it had been some time since they last spoke, Ochako couldn’t help but begin to tear up. She was so thankful for the friends she had made during her short time at college.

Izuku was the first person she met at UA University, where the two instantly clicked after Ochako prevented him from tripping over himself at orientation. From there, Izuku introduced her to some of his friends from high school, and Ochako immediately felt at home with them.

Ochako blinked away the tears that had started to collect in the corners of her eyes. “So, what’s new with you? I feel like I’m always seeing headlines about you on the news. How are you and Shotou?” Ochako asked while she twirled some of the strands that framed her face.

“Shotou and I are good. We stay pretty busy, but it helps that we work at the same agency. Hmmm, let me see. Oh! I had to chase after this guy with a magnetism quirk the other day, that was pretty exciting.”

“Oh yeah, I saw that on the evenin’ news! And don’t be so modest Mr. Number 7, that shot you up in the ranks! I still can’t believe it!” Ochako marveled over her best friend.

“Well, it was all in a day’s work. But enough about me, how are things going on the farm? How are your parents doing?”

“Things...are going. Ma and Pa are good and are helpin’ out how they can. Ever since I took over the reins, I had them scale back on work.

I would be beside myself if either one of them got hurt, plus I don’t think we could afford it financially.” Ochako answered as she kicked the patch of dirt by her feet.

“I thought things got better after you left school. I mean, that was the whole reason, right?” Izuku pressed on, a hint of worry in his words.

“Yeah, with me back home we were able to get out of trouble. But I don’t know Izuku...I don’t know how long we are going to be able to keep this up. We’re short on labor, but we can’t afford to hire extra farmhands.

And it’s not just us, other businesses are struggling. It’s like the whole town is reaching out for help.” Ochako explained as she paced in a circle near the kicked up earth.

She could hear Izuku hum on the other side. “I wanted to stay positive for the sake of you, but I kind of had a feeling that you were going to say something along those lines,” Izuku replied.

“Lucky for you, I may be able to help you out, in a sense. Or maybe more like I already have something in the works,” Izuku said with a hesitant chuckle.

“What do you mean, something in the works Izuku?” Ochako stopped in her tracks.

“Well, you see...a friend of mine recently got into a little trouble at work. Long story short, he has to take a break and find something else to do in the meantime.

So, I suggested that he could help you out on the farm.” Izuku said. Ochako could picture him grimacing on the other side of the call.

“Hold on, back up, and rewind. What exactly is goin’ on here? You usually aren’t the one to skip out on the details.” Ochako questioned.

“I’m going to need you to trust me on this one Ochako. The details are a little sensitive, but I promise that this can help both you and him out. Kacchan is having a hard time at the moment and I think him helping out at your farm will be beneficial for both of you.

Look at it this way, you get some extra help around the farm, he gets a chance to fix things with work, it’s a win-win!”

Ochako began to rub the side of her temple. She was in desperate need of extra help, but was she really going to let some random person fill that role?

/I guess if Izuku trusts them, then I should too. He’s always had a good judge of character/, Ochako thought to herself.

“This ‘Kacchan’ person, do you really think that he will be ok working here, on the farm? I mean, I know nothing about him.

Plus I can barely pay Eijiro for all the hard work he does around here, I couldn’t possibly pay another person.” Ochako wondered, anxiety working its way into the features of her face.

“Kacchan is a little rough around the edges, but I think everything will work out. I’ve known him since I was a kid, plus I work with him, so no need to worry. I wouldn’t have suggested him otherwise.

Kacchan has his own reasons for this opportunity, so you don’t need to fret about paying him. He should be fine as long as you provide him room and board on the farm.” Izuku explained.

/What kind of person doesn’t need monetary compensation for manual labor, is this person even human? Is this a good idea, am I actually considering having this person work here?/

“Well when you put it like that Izuku, it’s almost impossible to say no to that kind of offer,” Ochako replied, contrasting her previous thoughts.

“I know that it’s kind of sketchy since I can’t say too much as far as details go, but I really think this can be good. Ah shoot, my work line is ringing! I have to go, but I’ll send you the details for when he should show up.

It was great to talk to you, and I know everything will work out Ochako!” Izuku said in a rush.

“Oh ok, sounds good. I’m so happy we got to talk! Bye Izuku and thanks for everything!” Ochako said as she flipped her phone closed.

Ochako let out a breath she didn’t know that she was holding in. She removed her cap to smooth out the hair that caressed her face, wiping away the thin layer of sweat that had begun to gather at her hairline.

She was nervous to be essentially housing a stranger at her family’s home, but at the same time excitement coursed through her body, ready to finally have the extra help she desperately needed.

Ochako tapped her feet on the ground as she moved in a circle, jumping with knees bent in the air, her arms raised above her head after completing a full rotation.

Her anxious jitters slowly began to fade away as promising thoughts of having a successful season for once flooded her mind. She couldn’t help but make the biggest smile her mouth and cheeks could accomplish.

“Well someone looks happy,” a returning voice made notice of her actions.

“Are you dancing? ‘Cause if you are, I wanna join. What’s the occasion?” Eijiro questioned as he approached the gleeful girl with an arm full of colorful flags.

Ochako laughed at his request. “You know that’s not how I dance Ei,” she quipped with a smirk and secured her cap back on her head.

“And don’t I know it! Had to dedicate that area at Red Riot just for you,” the redhead retorted with a wink and a click of his mouth.

“But seriously, what’s up? You look brighter than my cousin Ushi on the first day of harvest.”

Ochako couldn’t help but smile at his expression. “You know how things have been a little shaky around here, and how we could use the extra help, even though it’s not really in the budget?”

“Yeah...”

“Well, an old college friend of mine just called and may have offered a way to help us get back on our feet. And to be honest, the whole thing sounds too good to be true, but at this point, I don’t think I really have the luxury to be picky when life throws you a bone and-”

“Chaks, spit it out already!”

“We’re gettin’ an extra farmhand and I don’t have to pay him a penny! Only room and board! Isn’t that amazing Ei!” Ochako finally said, ending with a squeal.

“I don’t know how you did it, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me!” Eijiro exclaimed as he picked up Ochako to spin her in a circle. The two laughed as they celebrated the positive news. As Eijiro set her down, he questioned about the newcomer.

“So do we know anything about him? Is he a city kinda guy like your college friends? Or true country grit like us?”

“I have no idea, I forgot to ask. It all happened so fast. I guess we’ll find out who he is soon though, at least that’s what Izuku said. All I know is that he called him Kacchan.”

“Well whoever he is, Kacchan better be ready ‘cause we both know that you aren’t gonna go easy on him. Let’s get these flags in the ground before another chicken gets loose and your ma starts chaisin’ it around.”

For Ochako, the day couldn’t be any better. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and she had just gotten the best news she could ever ask for.

Once again, Katsuki was reminded how much the world loved to fuck him over. It was ten in the morning, the birds outside his window were too loud, and even though he had blackout curtains, it was still too fucking bright in his room. Not to mention he was also hungover as hell.

“Shit,” Katsuki managed to get out as he awoke from what felt like death.

The events from the past day slowly crept into his thoughts.

He was suspended, getting sent to a farm in only gods know where. Well not yet officially, he still needed to confirm with his PR, but they both knew what he was going to do. He also went out with the ragtag team of idiots and drank both his and their weights in alcohol.

Drawing back on all this, something still didn’t taste right and it wasn’t the leftover taste of fireball.

“Deku,” Katsuki growled the Number 7 Hero’s name with hatred.

Now Katsuki remembered, that nerd and his pain in the ass boyfriend ended up stopping by the bar last, no thanks to Pikachu. That messy mop of green hair just had to stick his stupid nose into everything like he always did.

Not only did he have to give Katsuki his two cents about his suspension, but he also had the audacity to reach out to /his/ PR and set /him/ up with one of his loser friends.

Shit, even if he was getting out of the city for a while, he was still going to be reminded of shitty Deku.

Katsuki groaned as he forced himself to get up and head to the shower to rid himself of the previous night’s smell. He always felt like he had a clear head after taking a hot shower.

As he finished washing up, he wondered if the idiots ended up puking their guts out in a bathroom at whoever’s apartment they ended up at, or if they were even alive for that matter.

Katsuki smirked at the thought. /Nah they were fine, nothing like a little payback for all the shit they pulled last night/, he reasoned.

Stepping out of the bathroom with a fresh pair of sweats on and a towel over head to dry his unruly hair, he made his way to his bedside table for his phone.

No point in dragging this out. Katsuki picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he reached the name he was looking for, pressing call to seal his fate.

“Oi, Sakuta. It’s me. I made my decision.”

End of Chapter 3/?