I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.

The next day of their Forest Lodge training camp was no different than yesterday except for one thing... Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Sato, Mina, Bakugou, and Mineta were a bit more sluggish during their exercises. This can be attributed to the remedial lessons the group had undertaken the night before, which lasted until 2 in the morning. Worse still was the fact that Monoma of 1B was also there, annoying them whenever he had the chance.

But, that was all over as evening began, signaling the time for dinner preparation. Tonight's menu was beef stew, which kicked Iida into such a high gear, you'd wonder if his engine was left running.

"Quit idling people! We've got the world's greatest stew to make! Ashido-kun, keep those hands moving!"

"If only I had that much energy… I'd be unstoppable…" Kaminari yawned, his knife still chopping away haphazardly at a potato. Mineta literally had to stop the electric blonde's knife hand before he lost fingers on the other. Kaminari gave a nod of thanks before returning to form. Mineta quickly scooped up the potatoes they've diced so far and added it to the cooking canisters. He noticed two were full, so he quickly dragged them over to the fire pits.

"I've got two ready to roast buddy." Mineta said, setting the things down.

"Already? Iida-kun must really be hungry. Well, he's going to have to wait until the fire's going." Midoriya replied with eye brows raised. He then proceeds to move certain blocks of wood so that the flames would spread quicker. Or at least that was the plan until they heard someone call their names.

"Deku-kun! Mineta-kun!"

Looking over, the duo saw Uraraka jogging over to them while lugging a tank of water. She took a moment to set the thing down before pointing towards the nearest trees. From behind one tree, there Kouta stood observing 1A and 1B running around preparing dinner. But when his gaze caught Midoriya and Mineta's eyes looking back at him, the young boy ducked back into cover. He didn't realize however that his spiked cap was still sticking out, rending his stealth moot.

"He's been watching us all day today. And given what he did to you on the first day here, I thought maybe you knew something?" Uraraka replied, looking to Midoriya. The green haired boy began scratching at his head, his eyes reflecting a hesitance to answer. But as his eyes continue to meet the gentle gaze of the gravity defying girl, Midoriya couldn't help but answer. He did, however, manage to keep it vague

"Well, I've been trying to understand him a little more. I know it's weird to try and bond with someone who attacked my delicates… But maybe he has a good reason for doing that. And I honestly can't blindly judge someone. At least, not before learning who they are and what they've been through." He said, turning his eyes shyly towards the blazing fire pit. Uraraka began processing Midoriya's words before a small smile spread across her face.

"Wow… Even I don't think I could forgive anyone just like that. But I guess forgiveness is something a Hero needs to give too."

"It's cliché, but love can save people. Just having someone there, willing to help, does wonders for the psyche." Mineta replied, as he placed the stew containers above the fire. The shorter boy felt like he had the authority to say that. He was, after all, always there for Midoriya whenever he was at his lowest.

And the same could be said in reverse.

"Love… Love…" Uraraka and Midoriya repeated. Their eyes were drawn together again, brown reconnecting to green. It was held for far too long as a blush slowly began consuming their bodies. Uraraka let out a squeal of confused delight before running away in the opposite direction. Midoriya could only stand stiff like the many trees surrounding them, his pupils practically nonexistent.

Mineta smirked gleefully as he continued watching the aftermath of these teenage wrecks. Or, he would've, had it not been for a small pebble hitting the back of his head.

"Ow! What the–!?"

The shorter boy rubbed at his head, looking behind him to see who on Earth threw that. And in the tree lines, he saw Kouta pointing at him then Midoriya. The boy then went deeper into the woods, almost as if saying 'follow me'. Mineta tapped his partner's arm, forcing him out of his panic, and gestured to Kouta while he was still visible.

"I think he wants us to follow… What's your call?" Mineta asked, looking to Midoriya. The green haired boy quickly swapped from awkward teen to courageous Hero. He took a moment to think about it before grabbing a passing Iida.

"Iida-kun. I know it's sudden, but could you excuse me and Mineta-kun for a bit?" He asked. Iida intently studied his friend's eyes. And though him, Mineta was able to tell what look his partner had. It made their class president let out a contemplative hum as he looked around him. All around, 1A and 1B were buzzing about as several containers of beef stew were finally being cooked.

"I suppose we'll be fine without you two. However! I want you both on clean up duty later. Understood" Iida answered. Midoriya gave an affirmative nod before patting his shoulder, taking off soon after. Mineta gave a thumb's up to him and quickly followed Midoriya. The two eventually made it to where Kouta was spotted before, though he was no longer there.

"Huh? Where'd that kid go?" Mineta asked, scratching at the back of his head. If Kouta was just messing with them, he'd have some choice words for him whenever they cross paths again. Midoriya silently tapped his best friend's shoulder before drawing his attention to the ground. The shorter boy then saw it, a trail of somewhat faint footprints.

The two simply nodded to each other and began following it. This took them away from the lodge and into the depths of the forest. Naturally, Midoriya made a mental note of the path they took. Mineta, on the other hand, made marks on the trees with his baton. It's best not to take chances with forests…

Several minutes passed before the pair found a small mountain. It was a little taller than the surrounding trees and there was a single pathway up it. And Kouta's trail leads up this mountain.

"This place is pretty out of the way. Makes me think this is his secret base or something." Mineta commented as he and Midoriya began hiking up.

"Makes sense, he's still young…" Midoriya replied with a shrug.

"That makes me wonder though, why is the kid leading us here?" Mineta asked as the two reached the end of the path. And there, sitting on the ridge with knees tucked to his chest and eyes out towards the forest below, was Kouta. He didn't say anything to their arrival, let alone acknowledge them. The young boy simply stared at the mountainous horizon.

Midoriya and Mineta approached the boy, minds racking themselves for the right words to say. But as the seconds passed, the two opted to simply sit with the boy. And had it not been for the weight in the atmosphere, Mineta would've enjoyed the view this vista provided. With the lodge in the distance, the greens of the forest dyed in the oranges, reds, and violets of the setting sun, an uninterrupted view of the sky…

This place would make a great landscape piece.

"I don't get it." Kouta said suddenly. Midoriya and Mineta almost fell over to the boy's sudden words, barely managing to catch themselves. The two then looked to Kouta and waited for him to speak again. But as he continued to stare out towards the horizon in silence, Mineta decided to cast out the line.

"If you lead with that, then neither would we."

"I'm talking about your shitty choices. Why a Hero? With those moves, you could go pro." Kouta replied.

"Umm… Pro what exactly?" Midoriya asked, raising an eyebrow at the child's words. Kouta then reached into his pocket and pulled out their baseball, tossing it over to the pair. And seeing Midoriya was the closest one, he effortlessly snagged it out of the air. That's when the earlier question clicked.

"Oh, pro baseball players. Hmmm… How do I put this?" He muttered as he tossed the ball between his hands. Midoriya was no doubt trying to tell Kouta what Mineta said beneath the underpass a year back. But the shorter boy knew those words wouldn't work, not right now. Since Kouta felt, and continues to feel, despair when his parents met their tragic end…

The child had associated Heroes with hopelessness.

"Why do you ask?" Mineta interjected. They needed more information before a proper response could be given. Kouta hugged his knees closer to his body, his scowl becoming a little deeper. Mineta could only wait with baited breath, praying that question didn't close his heart off. The tension even got to Midoriya, with the ball lying still in his hands.

"… Dad's Quirk was called Water Balloon. He could shape water into a ball before throwing it. It wasn't very powerful… That was until Dad learned he could force more water into it." Kouta explained after a moment's silence. Mineta and Midoriya let out a subtle sigh of relief. It seems they were still in business.

It was here that Mineta found a detail that resonated with him and a particular memory. He threw water balloons at several points to see if it would help with his own Quirk. And while that was ultimately a bust, who's to say he was the only one who did that? This line of thinking lead Midoriya and Mineta to their next question.

"Did your Father try baseball by any chance?" Midoriya asked, tossing the ball back to Kouta. The young boy snapped his eyes to it, reaching with both hands out. And while he fumbled for a moment, he caught and firmly held it.

"… Middle School and High School, he was their relief pitcher. Dad said it would help him if he got his Quirk stronger. He also said it was good exercise." Kouta answered, tossing the ball back to the pair. This time, Midoriya didn't move for it. Instead, Mineta simply held out his hand and the baseball fell into it.

"Man knew what he's doing. I pitch because it works great with my Quirk. It's one of my best moves since my Quirk and body isn't meant for a straight fight." Mineta replied, his left hand practicing grips around the ball. Even with all of Fenghuang's training, the shorter boy knew a direct confrontation was still out of the question. In fact, his Shifu warned him to avoid it whenever possible and continue taking the pragmatic approach.

Or, as she puts it… Shore up your weaknesses, but do not make it your focus. For it will never come close to replacing your strengths.

"And that's where we come back… You idiots keep trying to be Heroes, even if you've got shit to work with. Why not take the easy way? Why go through all this pain? You're just throwing yourselves at a brick wall! Or were you hoping that it breaks before you do? I swear, if people weren't so gung-ho about all this, maybe Mom and Dad would still be…" Kouta ranted before stopping. The young boy then buried his face in his knees, arms wrapped around his legs. Mineta could only stare as Midoriya hesitated to put a hand on Kouta.

Given the circumstances, the green haired boy finally abstained from the gesture.

"Kouta-kun, I cannot imagine the pain you're going through… And truthfully, I don't know what words, if any, could help ease it. But at the very least, I want to say that your parents' efforts were for you. All their struggles, their pain, their victories... It was so that they could spend more time with you." Midoriya finally said, resting his hand on the ground.

To those words, however, Kouta began to curl up even tighter.

"If it was about me, they'd still be here… They cared more about being a Hero for strangers than being mine…" Kouta countered quietly. Before Midoriya could respond, Mineta felt his brow twitch as zealous words rose from within his heart.

"Stop right there. Don't you dare say something like that." Mineta said, facing the boy with burning eyes. He didn't know why those particular words provoked him so badly. Perhaps the doubt the boy felt was a reflection, in some way, of Mineta's own self doubt. Or maybe it's because it wasn't right for the boy to think so little of his own parents.

Whatever the case, this ends here.

"We may not be able to help you with your grieving… But I'm not about to let you delude yourself into thinking your parents never cared about you. No matter what you think, they loved you." Mineta continued.

"How would you know? You don't know them." Kouta asked, his glare hardening even further. The shorter boy knew he should be wary, lest they lose the young boy. But with Mineta's courage on the rise, along with his defiant spirit, he met the challenge head on.

"You're right, I don't… But you do. You yourself know how hard Water Horse fought to make things work. You yourself know how they never let things get in the way of being your Mom and Dad. You yourself know that, if they never cared, you wouldn't be so torn up right now. Because the truth is..." Mineta answered, the depths of his emotions flying from his tongue. But as he reached the end of that tirade, he realized he doesn't have a complete answer.

What is the truth? And if he doesn't figure that out in the next moment, all of Mineta's words will lose all their meaning. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. Midoriya picked up his friend's torch and began carrying the flame the rest of the way.

"You know your parents died regretting that they left you behind. That they'll never be able to see you grow into the person they know you'll become… That they're hurting just as much as you are…" He said, eyes casting themselves upon the ground. Mineta reflexively put a hand on his partner's arm, feeling the chills of the past hanging over him.

It always surprises the shorter boy on just how much Midoriya could empathize with others. And while he never lost anyone close, Heaven forbid that… Midoriya shared a lifetime of mutual pain with his Mom. He beat himself up over his Quirklessness. Ms. Midoriya beat herself up over her son's weakness. That, in turn, came back to Midoriya who beat himself up even more for making her worry.

This cycle only ended once Mineta, and later All Might, walked into his life.

And now it was their turn to do the same for others.

Kouta opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. And as his eyes became more and more glossy, the tighter he curled up. Words continued to fail him until the tears finally ran down his cheeks. He stopped talking, Kouta doing his best to wipe away at his face. It was a fruitless endeavor as more came running down.

"Damn it… Why… Why the Hell are you so smart?"

"Everyone says they did a great thing… That they died without regrets… But I know that's not it… H-How could anyone die in peace knowing they left someone behind… Someone… Someone they cared about… How am I supposed to live with that?" The young boy said, struggling to keep his voice from being drowned in tears.

As far as they come, neither Mineta nor his partner had a sufficient answer for him. Kouta knew this too, but he didn't pull away when Midoriya chose to place a hand on his back. It was a small comfort, but the younger boy accepted it regardless. Still, Mineta knew this wouldn't be enough to bring him out of the maze called emotion. More work needed to be done to help Kouta.

Whatever that may be…

And that has been Chapter 70.

I've been thinking about how long I've been making this plot thread. And I've grown unsure if I'm making it too long or it's just enough... I think I went down this path because Midoriya's adventure at the Forest Lodge is heavily tied to Kouta. And having someone, Mineta, help him help Kouta was something I couldn't help but explore... Even if it might make things uninteresting...

How do you feel about this? Am I putting too much focus on the wrong thing here? Or was it a reasonable avenue to explore? I look forward to your responses and will do my best to not make this suck. If it wasn't already...

Any how, that's all I have for this week. Next time, we finish the last of the therapy and set the stage for the next battle. So...

Until Next Time. T1.