Far more than they realized. In humoring him and continuing to allow him to want what he wished, he inevitably shared his feelings with his young classmates. They too insisted that only girls could have babies, but they weren't nearly as kind about it. This very quickly escalated to bullying that grew so bad as he progressed through elementary school that he ended up being transferred from to another school. The painful shock of how the other children so viciously turned on him was enough to keep him from expressing his desire again. By the end of middle school, he'd accepted that it just wasn't possible, but that didn't change how he felt. His dream would always have to be that, an impossible to achieve dream.
As he entered high school, life got a little better. He finally made friends that he felt truly loved and cared about him. They noticed that despite his bright and easy smiles, there was a sadness to him that was subtle, but they could see it. He'd been very hesitant, but when he found himself cornered by all three of his closest friends, he caved and though he was terrified, he admitted his impossible desires. Much to his shock, they weren't upset at him for it.
Even more shocking is how they threw themselves into research to see if there were some way that it were possible. It meant the world to him, it truly did. Sadly, all the good intentions in the world wouldn't change what was and wasn't possible. Science had yet to make it possible for individuals born male to even carry the child, let alone be impregnated to start with. They were devastated for him and that soothed some of the pain, but as the pain of the final nail being driven into the coffin of his dreams was too much for him. Slowly he sunk deeper and deeper into depression as he truly accepted his fate. He graduated high school along side his friends, attended the graduation party their class had thrown, and was found barely alive on the bathroom floor after having downed every pill in their party host's medicine cabinet. Getting your stomach pumped is... Unpleasant.
Needless to say, his friends had been upset at him. Not angry thankfully, but it had definitely frightened them. He felt guilty about it, but a part of him wished they wouldn't have found him on time. As supportive as always, they visited him at the mental ward, making sure that at least one of them was with him everyday. Together they came up with an idea. He'd always been told that he had to accept what he could not be, but no one had ever helped him find what he could be. He was obviously unhappy with who he was, so the obvious answer was to search for the self he could be happy with.
Though his parents weren't happy to see him go, they didn't know how else to help him. With heavy hearts, they gave their son ample money and purchased the equipment he would need for his soul searching journey. He was allowed to select the location and the plane ticket was purchased. He was sent off with a lovely goodbye party, one of the gifts from his friends being a polaroid camera so that he could document his journey for them. With the promise that he would take lots of pictures for them, he boarded his flight and took his first photograph, as promised, writing a message on it once it had fully developed.
The flight was anxiety-riddled, but there was no turning back now. He couldn't let himself. When the plane landed on the single landing strip of a tiny airport, he stepped out and he felt a shift in himself. He was doing it. This was just the first step towards finding himself and by extension, finding happiness. He deserved to be happy. One more bus ride and his journey could actually begin propper. Sadly he couldn't take any photos for his friends here as the bus ride was just way too bumpy. The village he would be leaving from was way out in the middle of nowhere so he spent just as much time on the bus as he had on the plane. He did his best to sleep through the night, even if it was bumpy. Just as the sun was rising, the driver was gently waking him. They'd arrived!
Stepping off the bus, his breath was taken away. The village was like a little pocket of time that had just stopped passing. There were only tiny hints of the modern world here. The single in was literally the only place with reliable internet and the only source of wifi at all. Wild... Booking himself a room, he explained that he was going to go hiking once he'd found himself a guide and the inn keeper assured him that he could pay for the amount of days he stayed once he checked out. They apparently didn't get enough traffic for them to worry about him not specifying how long he would be in the room.
He had what he would swear was the most delicious breakfast he'd ever had. Steamed rice, miso soup, natto, perfectly prepared yakizakana, tsukemono, umeboshi, ajitsuke nori, a couple of kobachi, one of kale and the other of fresh tuna. He'd eaten all of this several times in his life, but it was so much better here! Tummy very happily full, he left the inn in high spirits. Now he just needed to find a tour guide then he would be on his way!
This was significantly harder than expected... While the first couple of guides he approached were very friendly and polite, they quickly panicked and warned him away from traveling to the monastery he'd come all this way specifically to visit. Worse, the little village was quite small. It didn't take long for people to stop talking and even avoid him entirely. By the time he'd returned to the inn for lunch, he was losing hope. Noting the change in his mood, the innkeeper politely asked him why he looked so sad. He was reluctant to tell her at this point, but she'd been so kind and warm so far... Hesitantly he explained why he'd come here, though he left out the exact reason for wanting to soul search.
As he feared, she was alarmed by his desired destination, but unlike the others, she didn't instantly try to get away from him. Instead, she grew worried and sad. Finally it was explained to him why he was getting the reactions he was getting. People who traveled to the monastery were rarely ever seen again. Some even claimed it was a curse. No one would take him to such a place. He was heartbroken by the news, insisting and even begging for help from the kind woman. Seeing he would not be turned away from his goal, she sadly agreed to help him. She explained there was a young man that lived out in the wilderness in that direction. No one knew where nor would he offer even the slightest hint of where exactly his home lay. This young man came to the village every month or two for two weeks to sell his wares and work for a little extra where he could before returning home. He would always stay at her inn and he was due to leave in the morning. While he never accepted visitors once he was in his room, he could be found in the village market selling off the last of his stock. Perhaps he might help.
Thanking her from the bottom of his heart, he finished his meal and hurried off to do as she'd suggested. The village market was little more than a few stalls in a similar circle as the town square. Some merchants didn't even have a stall, simply selling their wares from carts or baskets. He rushed then, trying to spot the young man he'd been told about. How hard could it be to find a Japanese man with fluffy blond hair after all? Just his luck, he managed to spot a man by that description just as he accepted money in exchange for his final pelt. He almost skidded to a stop before the young man, panting hard as he tried to speak. "S-sorry for... Catching you just as... You're leaving, but... Are you Bakugou?" Ugh... Maybe he should have put his stuff in his room before running all over town... He supposed the paranoia of getting robbed was too ingrained in him from living in large cities all his life.