Mineta wouldn't have another chance like this before a longer time than he could wait.
All six victims of his antics gathered in the same place, about to take an elevator but having not pushed the button yet. It was now or never. To prove them wrong, by falling short of the usual expectations, and failing to comply with the pervert label on his forefront.
Upon seeing him rushing, the girls were indeed surprised. No predator eyes, no drool flowing over, no lustful glance or dumb mooing. Nothing but a blank, serious face with no hidden agenda.
"What do you want?" Jiro bluntly asked.
Mineta caught his breath back and stood up right in front of them.
"Apologize."
A wall of doubtful looks pierced through him. All the way up to his brain, stirring up a panic gulping, then down to his heart causing a throbbing pain. Yaoyorozu stepped forward in a haughty way, stretching out her already-tall outline as she came closer. Mineta felt smaller than ever.
"How about that! And for what, exactly?"
"Everything."
"To whom it may concern?" Asui asked.
"All of you. So, yes."
Yaoyorozu looked at him again. Her scornful aura vanished, replaced by a growing disappointment in the boy's apparent failure to sound convincing. At least in her biased opinion.
"Sorry Mineta, but I honestly don't believe you. Try again next time. Let's go."
"Kero."
Yet another chance wasted by a refusal to talk. Mineta would not leave it that way.
"I said wait!" he exclaimed, his eyes frowning. "Why won't you let me finish?"
They abruptly turned back to glare at him with exasperated expressions, mirroring his.
"Is that the way you talk to ladies? Giving us orders now?" Uraraka spoke in turn. "And you WERE finished. It is our right not to believe you."
Were they testing him, checking the limits of his humility and patience? Probably, but not to their conscient knowledge. To them, it was just a matter of agreeing to disagreeing. To the grape-haired boy, his honor hung in the balance.
"So that's it? You done already?" he persisted indignantly. "How am I supposed to ask for forgiveness if you turn your backs on me? Asking me to go kill myself would work just as well!"
He was genuinely mad. His only chance of making his relationship to them less sour and antipathetic was being rejected. Nevertheless, his aggressive tone served him badly.
"The first step to learning respect for women, is to respect their decisions." Hagakure lectured him, the incensed tone speaking for her unreadable face. "Haven't we made ourselves clear? It's a no. Come back later, like, when you can prove your claims are not just fake promises."
The vicious circle was just beginning. Mineta could have won his spurs in patience by proving he could have waited. Halas. He was exhausted too, even more sick and tired of not being given a chance. After such a harrowing day - full of awkward silences, unfair bashing and girls spilling their guts next to walls with good ears - he was running low on patience.
And he committed a first fatal mistake. Without warning, as they walking to the elevator, he approached the girls in the hope of drawing their attention. The physical promiscuity was not for their liking. As a prey reflex when surrounded by predators, they screamed. Not for help but just out of disgust. Asui was the first to use physical force. In no time at all, Mineta's narrow body found itself entangled in her tongue and levitated away to a safer distance.
She couldn't explain it out loud, but it wasn't a self-defense automatism. The frog student actually tried to protect Mineta from her friends' wrath. The five female heroes knew how to defend themselves and smash an opponent to a pulp. Daredevil Mineta somehow had a lucky escape. But his taste for danger was already leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. A deep, pitiful rictus of sadness scarred his face.
"I just…wanted to say "I'm sorry"!" he gasped desperately. "But I guess it wasn't enough for princesses like you. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
A bud of unexpected compassion and understanding was very close to breaking out in their hearts. Mineta's lack of tact and experience in talking to ladies unfortunately ruined it all, and he was doing so well that stopping half-way was out of the question.
As Asui was putting him back down, he erupted with frustration.
"Hiding your true personalities again, huh? I thought you girls were pure, benevolent beings who knew how to forgive, but I guess you don't any better. Or perhaps, it's just me. Am I really that bad a monster? That unforgivable?"
In the depths of his head, another conflict set his mind ablaze with pretty much the opposite speech. What the hell are you doing, Mineta? You still acting like you think they are demons. Stop it, for Mont Lady's sake!
He got lost, to the point of not even grasping the sense of words coming out of his mouth. His anger was wreaking havoc. At the same time, Jiro almost hit the roof as she got seriously mad. Her Earphone Jacks swooped down on Mineta's eyes, stopping barely an inch away. The Grape Juice Hero was on the verge of passing out, when he realized his sense of sight hung by a thread.
"You better feel lucky to be one of our classmates, dude!" Jiro vociferated. "If you were a villain or an intruder, I'd already have stabbed you for being such a cheeky asshole! You have a real nerve pretending that it's our fault."
Such a brute amount of violence rendered him motionless.
"What was I saying?" his jaded voice spoke in resignation. "You see me as a monster…"
Much against his own will, Mineta was manipulating her into reversing the roles and feeling guilty for him. The bait was vicious, unconscious on Mineta's part, but she didn't fall for the hook.
"One more word, Mineta, and I won't need a peephole to impale your skull."
A passive witness of this touch-and-go confrontation up to this point, Ashido had to intervene before the Hearing Hero went for Mineta's throat and the class number receded.
"You two just calm down, please!"
Until Jiro's blood cooled down, she'd do the talking.
"Ashido, I–"
"You are in no position to lecture us on our reaction, Mineta." the Pinky Hero admonished. "For once, just put yourself in our shoes, okay? Since you came to this school, you've treated us like trash, like objects! Every time you did something wrong and hurt us, we could have reacted with much more violence than we did. Can you imagine that? If we had reacted the way we should have from the very first time, you'd be lying in a hospital bed right now! Or close to be."
She hated her own argument, not like violence could solve anything. Mineta's dignity took a bad knock. As he pondered the meaning of this, his mind spiraled out of control, anguish and doubt submerging him. Yaoyorozu got involved in the argument.
"These apologies of yours are insignificant in comparison to what we've suffered because of you. All these times when you subjected us to your perverted acts and remorseless attacks on us, we were left to stew in our humiliation. Days, weeks, months of living in fear because of you! You didn't care about our well-being, only about yourself. Sexual pleasure mattered, making people suffer did not. For months, Mineta! If you truly were sorry as you pretend to be, you'd make yourself so inconspicuous that no one could see you. You'd not be able to chase after us like that, and you couldn't find the strength to look at us straight in the eyes! After…after all you've done…"
Tiny splashes of water flew off her face, contaminating her female friends' aggrieved eyes. Then started the long, dreadful, eternal list of Mineta's past misdeeds. Every girl participated.
First, he heard numbers. The number of times he had made blasphemous comments, talked dirty of their bodies, peeked under skirts or closely checked out basically any erogenous parts of their anatomy. Ample boobs. Slender waist. Floating underwear. Fine body. None of the six heroes had escaped from his predator eyes.
Then came the incidents of eye-feasting on them, counted and recounted one by one.
Like Class 1-A's Mineta-conceived cheerleading fan service during the Sports Festival, a live humiliation in front of millions of viewers. The onsen walls that were meant to be scaled, because naked people of the opposite sex bathing close to each other had to be celebrated, Plus Ultra! style. The long-debated "courtesy of our sempais" peephole event, as Mineta followed the flow of things and rummaged through every nook and cranny to his heart's content.
Waiting their turn, each one of them had a chance to take the edge off, have a say about Mineta's unacceptable remarks and blurt out sordid details of personal trauma. It was like getting eternally scolded for six deadly sins.
"Apologizing to us six isn't enough." Asui commented. "I know it comes from good intentions, or so I should believe, kero. But have you ever considered the consequences of your actions on the full scale? If the answer is yes, then you should also apologize to the audience of the Sports Festival for your behavior that day. To all your classmates as well, including the boys whom you put to shame. It is because of such behavior of yours that some girls hate males."
"Also to your teachers who trusted you, who've been patient but still don't know what to do with you!" Jiro continued. "And to U.A., whose reputation could suffer from having a student like you that is never held accountable for what he does."
The injustice of Mineta not facing deserved criticism from higher authority was no longer unspoken. His excusing for charging girls in a puberty-driven assault had left them abandoned.
"I could add the students' parents, OUR parents." Yaoyorozu went on with the list. "They already have enough worries about what could happen to their children in a Hero Course. Just imagine what'd happen if they learned that their daughters are sexually harassed with impunity? Our beloved academy is already under fire because of the League's assaults against us; it won't survive YOU if you go on like this!"
Unlike him, she still had a family to worry about her sake. Sad reality.
"You sure are right!" Hagakure agreed to Yaoyorozu's claims. "Let's not even talk about the many more people we could suspect of having been victims of your misconduct. Like other girls from the school or even Mt. Lady. Who knows what kind of things you did – or tried to do to her during your internship!"
These allegations weren't true, as evidenced by the traumatic memories of his enslavement as a maid by Mt. Lady's. Besides, the boy with a good memory also had concrete, watertight arguments of his own which were but admissible evidence that it hardly was a bed of roses on either side.
Perhaps time had come to "politely" remind them of the adorable things he had overheard.
Such as the names they had called him, or those pervert-proof Super Moves saved for history on the "list" written by Yaoyorozu to kill both time and his dignity - or what was left of it. Would Mineta ask to see and assess it, so that he could write down pervert's comments in the margin, sign his name and stamp it with a drool seal as a dedication? Would he demand it be deleted at once, or a copy of which to be handed to him and framed on his bedroom wall?
Endless possibilities, but nothing working in favor of conciliation. No! he decided. I can't just pass the buck until they pass it back, or it'll never end. I have more things to be forgiven than they do. I'll let it slide.
For his own sake, the defeated boy chose the voice of silence and held his tongue, until they were done getting everything off their chests. They had done and said questionable things too, but it never would match his level of misdeeds. He could understand how big a grudge they held against him, after all this time silencing themselves and watching him live free of official retaliation.
He kept a lowered head as a sign of shame, humbly listening to their rants.
"When you become an adult, it will be too late for regrets!" Uraraka warned him, a severe glance making her look older. "What kind of reputation will U.A. have because of you? This negative image will be on you, Mineta. Excuses won't work to redeem yourself. As a hero, you'll have responsibilities. And it'll cost you to be a pervert."
Mineta nodded in agreement.
"You…are right."
"Now that we're at it, what about your behavior today?" Asui insisted. "You went from mocking and laughing at us in the morning, to being sorry now. That's suspicious."
The blankness of her oval eyes left no room for doubt. She would not get mad or raise her voice to show how irritated she was. She didn't need to. Creeping the hell out of Mineta was an easy thing with her vacant stare, an emotional no man's land where her thoughts and feelings were as invisible as her pervert classmate's pride at this moment. However deep inside, the rainy season hero had a severe, tropical thunderstorm in store for the grape-haired boy.
It would take a monsoon shower to wipe the slate clean. However this time, Mineta chose to object even though no back-talk was expected.
"Absolutely not. I was just nervous."
"Better keep that dirty mouth shut, dude!" Ashido rumbled to hush him. "You listening to us is the only reason we haven't left yet. If you truly want to make amends, start working on your arguing skills. Denying facts, putting the blame on nervousness…that's nothing short of amateur talk to mollify us."
"Why do you keep bullshitting around the bush like that?" Mineta lost patience. "I said I was sorry. What else do you want from me?"
"That you act like you truly are!" Jiro angrily explained. "You tried to corner us and force us to listen, while you knew very well that we didn't feel like talking. You acted too hasty for us. We were not ready, especially not at this time of the evening. It's been a long day, remember? But you forced your way through, which clearly indicates that you have no respect for our integrity and free will. Talkin' about apologies…"
"But–"
"Shut up!"
None of the involved parties would consider the other's point of view. For their part, the girls still thought he was lying. Being insincere, after all, was his most "valuable" asset. Mineta should have known better than leaping at the chance of hurrying through apologies. Just like he did with everything that moved and wore curvy lines, in the primary sense. Leaping on preys impulsively.
For his part, the boy felt like a cycle was bringing him back to the same point. Him being judged, ordered not to answer back, associated with a notion of faultiness and deemed responsible no matter what. Like his mother did, to shush him whenever they argued on any subject – whoever was at fault. Mineta was now facing six perfect clones of his mother figure. This took a heavy toll on his state of mind, and he started to sob in grief, failing to hide it any longer.
None of the girls took it seriously. They looked down on him like he was acting again. Crying endlessly was another of his talents – cowardly or crocodile tears like the two faces of a coin.
"That's it?" Yaoyorozu rubbed it in. "You can't even stand a lil' telling-off like a grown-up? Just roll with the punches and suck it up, man! It's nothing compared to what you could've earned for your wrongdoings, even less comparable to what we've been through. Stop whining already!"
The exact same sentence his mother had yelled at his father's funerals. Were all women that cruel and insensitive? Did he deserve it?
As for her, Asui understood that things were going too far on both sides. She habitually was straightforward, but felt muzzled by her friends' anger for the first time. Mineta owed them that though. She looked at him in silence, expressing whatever was left of her irritation through a cold, distant stare. For one last time, she'd make him believe that she would never listen to or forgive him. Then, she'd change her mind and let him know.
Unbeknown to her, this decision would deeply affect the young boy.
"Okay Mineta, I think you got the point." Asui said. "We'll talk about it another day."
"You will come to us when we are ready, not before. Understood?" Uraraka sternly warned.
"Only then, we'll forgive you and your mother will be proud that her son turned into a decent human being." Jiro confirmed.
"For lack of a real education…" Hagakure whispered.
How dared they talk about a family she knew nothing about? Coming from people with caring, supportive parents, that was the final straw.
"Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother."
Hagakure couldn't hold her crossness.
"Excuse me?"
"Ever!"
He was back to his snappy, impulsive self. Second fatal mistake.
"Threatening us, now? This just keeps getting better!" she cried out with outrage.
"That's not what I mea–"
"Enough!"
Their rising voices eventually attracted attention from other students going to sleep. Among the boys who rushed to the rescue, Iida naturally came first.
The Class Rep, severe but upright as he was, might have been an optional ally to wriggle his way out of this mess. He was quite a dedicated student, who'd look out for his peers and help them on the road forward to their self-improvement. Mineta had to talk to him, reach the Plus Ultra! hero in his heart, and find a mitigating mediator in him. His only hope.
Unfortunately for the peace-craving dwarf, tough love was on Iida's mind as he had had enough of repeating himself. Without giving the boy in great difficulty time to talk, his slicing hand pelted down and bopped Mineta's head. Much more violently.
"Won't you leave them alone and stop the scandalous desecrating of moral rules?" he screamed at the top of his voice. "This is absolutely inadmissible. I'm sorry, but I will have to send the news to a higher level this time. You had it coming."
When others arrived behind him, they were not looking to know who was guilty or innocent of whatever charges. Iida's authority figure set a precedent. Case law was on the girls' side. As the Class Rep heartily gave the purple sheep hell, Mineta wouldn't react at all. Due to extreme fatigue, he was already defeated, passively withstood Iida's chopping and thereby established his sullen expression as the only kind of interaction one could have with him. And as Mineta's background history and received wisdom about him dictated it, people were quick to judge.
Fumikage, who had arrived shortly after Iida, felt sick and tired of Mineta obviously uncaring about the whole thing. In the dark alley, as the light was going out, he became afraid his Dark Shadow might lash out at Mineta out of anger. He hurriedly left, using the disgust inspired from Mineta's stance as an excuse. Mezo Shoji, who had been observing without a word, ran after him.
Others were more talkative, as the boy brought to bay barely held his sobs.
"You're once again acting like a coward!" Kirishima denounced him. "Taking on girls like this? Such a shame! There's nothing manly about your attitude!"
Mineta started at him stoically with sharp eyes. I don't give a shit, asshole. Just piss off!
"I can't believe you got into U.A. with such despicable behavior!" Sero further condemned. "What the hell are you gonna do with your life, once you become a hero? Touching boobs? You might want to consider getting hired by a hero agency that only saves men. Because very soon, every woman in the world will have a restraining order against you!"
Mineta was close to losing his mind.
"It has nothing to do with that. Don't talk about things you know nothing ab–"
"Oh yeah? Then what about them?" Kirishima pointed at the girls, seemingly frightened by the ongoing dispute. "We hear them scream, we come to check on them and find you here. No need to have a Ph.D. in criminology to know what's going on!"
Mineta was speechless. Such a display of prejudice and bias was too much to bear. Red Riot reading me the riot act…Now we've seen it all!
Soon, most of the class was witnessing Mineta's self-made off-the-cuff trial. Todoroki shot him an icy glare, feeling like the whole scene was a joke. Mineta, a hero? Really? There was someone who doubtlessly would have deserved an unforgiving father like Endeavor, to set whom it may concern straight. Way more than his "Half-and-half of a son". The Earth wasn't turning right. Mashirao Ojiro did little more than looking down on the grape-boy; his small, skinny body was the perfect dummy for disdain practice. Bullies in middle school had already made a successful punch-bag out of him; why stopping now?
Aoyama didn't show up. Criticizing Mineta was pointless, as the walking Grape Juice would never shine enough to mirror the twinkling hero's own reflection. Koda wasn't here neither, too timid to demonstrate that he was also endowed with feelings like wrath. Locked in his bedroom, Rikido Sato was most likely busy baking cakes to bribe the girls for special treatments; these girls whose faces had become unwatchable for shame-riddled Mineta.
Such a big amount that the Freshly-picked Hero lost control again.
"Why don't you guys mind your own business, huh? I was NOT harassing anyone here!"
Without showing it, the girls agreed. Kind of. As perplexed as they were by this twist of fate, things were taking a turn for the worse and beyond what they had hoped for. Asui, especially, feared the marks might be overstepped sooner than wanted.
I don't like your style of rubbing salt into his wounds, she had once reproached Mineta. Now karma had turned the table, but "unfair" was the word to describe it.
After seconds of silence, Kaminari was next to join the heated exchange at this juncture.
"Say something, please! I don't know what to do!" the boy desperately cried for help.
"I'm sorry Mineta, but you're on your own now."
Now he, too, was calling him by his last name.
"W-what? Denki-kun, I–"
"The difference between you and me, is that you don't know when to stop."
"H-how…has this anything to do with–"
"Two things. First, you don't admit that you're wrong when everyone knows you are. Second, you've never respected women. And that's why I don't want to help you no more."
"Wait, we were friends!"
"That doesn't make you untouchable. We are friends, that's true. And we both like girls. But as I was telling you, I respect them while you don't. You caused your own misfortune doing what you did. Sooner or later, you'd have to justify yourself. Despite my warnings, as a friend, you didn't listen. It's not easy to pay for a crime and I feel sorry for you, but it was bound to happen. It's your own fault if you hurt yourself. And it's your job to take responsibility. You're alone on this one."
The Pikachu boy couldn't stand giving up on his friend. He turned back in tears and ran away.
Taking it as desertion, Mineta cast him a half-indignant, half-guilty look. The other students then turned their full attention to the grape boy. He was still mad though, triggering a similar frowning and arm-crossing reaction among them. Meanwhile, the girls observed.
From the outside, they looked like great delight was taken from it; save for Jiro whose boyfriend she had seen crying. From the inside, they were mostly stupefied to see how heavy-handed their classmates were. No one was pulling punches. No matter how sincere – or insincere Mineta had been up to this point. He would truly be sorry following such an earful.
Weirdly enough, Bakugo was – once again – the only one with a mouth shut. Watching Mineta from a distance, analyzing him and surveying his reactions. No anger, no stubbornness. Mineta was weak, defeated. But the weaker he got, the harsher the persecutions. For he didn't stand for himself. Just like Bakugo had taken on Deku. That stupid nerd who, against all odds, still liked him and kept their fragile friendship intact.
The cycle of violence was just going on and on. The Grenade Hot-head was not satisfied with it, despite all the antipathy he equally felt for the Grape Juice antihero.
Talking about the Devil – or the ultimate Saint – Midoriya himself was last to join. This time, the green-haired hero openly displayed his disappointment. Unlike when Bakugo heated him up, Midoriya wouldn't need to talk up in order to drive Mineta into the corner. Giving a disillusioned stare was enough.
"Izuku-kun…please…" the grape boy moaned, his chin stooping lower.
He was desperate for support. His weary voice sounded like when he used to call his dad for help at night. Even after his death. I'm such a coward that I can't fend for myself just as usual.
But the loved hero sided against the hated one, as he felt – too – that his supportive, inspirational speech to Mineta in the locker room had gone in one ear and out the other.
"Don't look at me like that…Mineta. I can't help you if you don't own up to what you've done."
"What is wrong with you all? What the hell do you think I've been doing since…why doesn't anybody believe me? You guys just arrived and saw nothing of what happened!"
Midoriya's eyes scanned the girls in detail. They were worn-out, exhausted and dead-scared. Not too convincing.
"You can't blame me for that, Mineta. I'm probably not the first to tell you that it's a bit…late for that. As a hero, you need to be able to change quickly, evolve into a better person whenever you are given the chance to, and learn from your mistakes. You, however, don't set an example. Many villains were heroes like you, before they became what they are now because they couldn't stop falling without getting back up, and failed to change on time."
Being compared to a villain. The last-level insult. When Midoriya realized how clumsy his comparison was, Mineta was already bored to tears.
"And you set a bad example of misplaced morals!" he crumbled under stress. "But I think I get it, now. It's just…favoritism."
A silent, but noisy What? Took shape on basically every face around.
"You heard me well. Here, in this school, there are people likely to be reprimanded or rejected than others. Here I stand, surrounded like a witch about to be burned at the stake by a pitchfork-brandishing crowd of ignorant farmers. You give me no chance at all, you refuse to hear my apologies out of incredulity, you won't let me make up for my mistakes just because it's "too late", and you say things supposedly related to me but about events that you didn't even witnessed!"
"Mineta, you–"
"BUT…" the wrathful goblin continued "I'm not the only VERY imperfect one here. Some other people have a lot to be blamed for as well. People with short-tempers. People with bad mouths. Arrogant people. Prideful people, to name a few. People…whom you will never blame, scold, threaten and humiliate, just because…they have good Quirks. Or because they are strong, charismatic…or useful! "
"Mineta, for All Might's sa–"
"Is it that? Is it because I'm a bad hero with a useless Quirk? Is it because I look like a disabled dwarf with a bunch of bruised testicles? I know I'm ugly as fuck, far from badass, uncharismatic, everything but sympathetic and absolutely not cool at all. But does it make me unworthier than somebody else? Are you guys trying to ostracize me or what?"
The boy now knew what true sincerity felt like. His heart was bleeding, torn apart by what he interpreted as injustice. For the first time in his hell-of-a-lifetime, he could finally show what he truly had on his mind. No more hypocrisy or pretending, no more putting on an act or beating around the bush. He actually meant what he said.
Sadly for the grape boy, it failed to go off properly and he ended up a damp squid. Normally a collected soul, Midoriya flew off the handle insanely.
"Stop it, you idiot!"
"What? Midor–"
"I said STOP IT!" he shouted his head off, much to the audience's fright. "All I see here is an immature brat that knows no better than victimizing himself. Yes, you are right. Nobody's perfect and everyone has weak points, me included. But these people you're talking about…they want to change. No matter how long it takes, they still want to change and are doing their best. But as far as you're concerned…what have you done, huh? Not quite much."
Mineta would not leave this unfair statement unanswered.
"You're wrong. It's been an hour since I've been trying to–"
"But that's not enough and way, waaaaay too late! Perhaps you actually tried to apologize, at least before we came. But it was about f…freaking time!" Midoriya screamed, within an inch of crossing the swearword border. "It's been months, Mineta. We've met Pro Heroes, learned with the bests of them, stood shoulder to shoulder with professionals, performed in front of masses of people and fought dozens of dangerous enemies. We might still be students, but our heroic life has already started and you've spent yours playing the pervy freak."
This time, Mineta's retort died before being born and he drowned in silence. His head's angle of inclination took a dive, falling defeated. Midoriya himself had exceeded the limits of his patience. He who valued the most heroic traits above all – anything that made All Might the one he was – could no longer bear the whiny complaints of a con hero who had been violating and soiling them all along. Someone had to say no, eventually.
"Do you realize how long we've been waiting for you to STOP behaving that way? Do you understand, NOW, why your classmates keep repeating that it's a bit LATE? Finally, you're waking up to reality! Congratulations, if that's what you wanted. Now, I hope that you realize it would be a - BIT – presumptuous to ask for FULL forgiveness right now, at the first attempt. One step at a time. Don't you think, Mineta?"
And it was the end.
Midoriya's once-in-a-lifetime fit of rage – so intense he had almost burst a blood vessel – was now marginalizing the grape antihero and finishing him off. The whole class rose against him.
But seeing him so miserable and cornered reminded Midoriya of a familiar, red-hot face from his childhood. I know you're watching, Kacchan…what am I doing?
Bakugo hadn't done any better, when Midoriya started out as a hero following his "magical" Quirk transfer. Back at the time when the blasting teen was the most antipathetic sociopath in his middle school, he was Midoriya's personal nemesis in the form of a Mineta with flames – a pain in the neck, with many efforts left to be made to change him. But unlike his purple classmate, Midoriya never had to use a mad voice against his childhood bully to put him back in his place.
Quite the contrary.
As it happened, the One for All holder felt different than usual, nothing like himself. And he was depressed, if not downright ashamed of his treatment of Mineta. But just like for a recently-bashed girl harasser, it was too late. The freckled hero stormed off in turn, exhausted.
Iida was now taking over.
Midoriya was the unofficial mascot of Class 1-A, thanks to a heroic behavior. He had promoted Iida to this Class Rep role that should have rightfully been Midoriya's. Iida was forever grateful to his comrade and made it personal to be up to expectations – kindness, patience and clemency. Although Midoriya hadn't been his usual self that night, it was understandable when dealing with a lost-cause boy and nobody was perfect.
Mineta had been cut down to size. Now was the time to equal Midoriya's optimism-driven leadership skills, by solving the conflict with indulgence and limiting the damages. For all.
"Mineta-san?"
The boy stood erect, his neck going upward in a mechanical way. His humid eyes were devoid of any resistance.
"Iida-sama."
"I suggest you go back to your bedroom, now. It's late. "
In other words, fleeing was his best option. The Path of Cowards, approved by his hero comrades in person.
"Yes…"
"I think you got the point and had your fill, tonight. Now, all I'm asking is that you keep a low profile for a while. Use this time in the shadow to think about what happened, ponder over your mistakes, reflect on your vocation and turn over things. The mission – I know you'll accept it – is to learn how to behave like a true hero, a decent human being and a worthy classmate. Until then, you'll probably need to be on your own. Once the mission is complete, people will talk to you again."
He was done with announcing the punishment. One by one, his classmates cleared out without goodbyes. It could have been worse. Save for the girls, Bakugo was the last to stay.
From a distance, he brooded in the dark like one famous caped Bat Hero. He still was in shock following the confrontation. Never had he seen Deku so mad, even when they vehemently argued with each other. Was Bakugo so dangerous that Midoriya never had been able to truthfully speak his mind, unlike with this tiny small fry of a ball head? Did Bakugo deserve Deku's candor, he who valued brash honesty like a heavenly gift?
Self-reflecting like he knew best, the broody boy had no trouble translating Midoriya's words. The "imperfect man who was doing his best to change" was no other than himself, indirectly mentioned. Deku had thereby figured out and acknowledged Bakugo's own desire to evolve – despite his unchecked pride. Deku somehow was fond of him and his progress, with no regard to their sensitive history and his inability to overcome the bad feelings between them.
Bakugo would not outright realize it, but it moved him. As time passed, Deku – soon-to-be the next Symbol of Piece and a godly exceptional person – was becoming an unavowed mentor. Bakugo would never reach the number one spot, no matter how strongly he settled for it. Deku, who was not done with supporting Bakugo yet - would still believe in him like he could anyway.
That night, Midoriya had taken the charge – in a different way – to change somebody else, whose color was vine instead of fire. It left the Explosive Boy with nothing much to do, except keeping a close eye on Mineta to see how far things would go, and what were the limits of absolution according to Midoriya. A neutral role until Mineta changed and Deku acknowledged it.
Only then would Bakugo know what to do. With this in mind, he left.
The seven students were back as before. Mineta found himself on the verge of fainting. He had just signed for the worst delivery of stress-relieving anger ever acknowledged. The flash flood of like a raging river spilling over its banks, as the dam holding a lake of nineteen people's refrained home truths collapsed and unleashed it at him.
It was understandable. For months, his classmates had said little to nothing to stop him. Out of theoretical "respect" for a classmate and future hero, and because none were teachers, they had held themselves back and not done much, beyond verbal disapproving or petty physical chastisements. Until the marks were overstepped and they all gave him a piece of their mind at the same time. More than a single person would ever be able to handle and bear.
Sleep. Mineta needed sleep. It was an emergency. His legs restarted in manual mode, like a mysterious backup generator powered him. He went to the elevator. No talking. No talking. No talking.
"We heard your apologies, but we can't accept them now." the voice of Uraraka murmured as she was leaving too, in pursuit of her emotionally-down lover.
"Be patient." Yaoyorozu added.
"And think about what Iida said, kero."
He entered the elevator shaft without glancing or turning back. Judging by their tired expressions, the ladies staring at his broken posture were not fully convinced yet.
He'd have to do better.
On a normal day, it was acceptable for a workaholic like Midoriya to study and work out at the same time, late at night following a 14-hour shift. On many occasions, he had proven capable of handling inhuman amounts of pain. That was part of the hero game, for the prospect of improving his acclaimed status of reliable, leading figure. And a necessary step to acquire the strength to dominate the enigmatic Quirk passed to him – before it blows him apart.
This particular night nevertheless, his back-breaking pain proved more untamed than his unpredictable powers. A double layer of tiredness and sorrow made the pressure feel unbearable for the young man.
And quite rightly so. I've been excessively hard with him. This is absolutely not how I hoped it would end like…I sounded like a cocky know-it-all! He just wanted to show how sorry he was, and I just…I don't know…
His memory still had enough willpower to rebroadcast the pictures of his previous, embarrassing quarrel with Mineta like a broken record. Using instant replay as he could, Midoriya froze several frames on the parts that bothered him the most. Notably that very moment when he had lost his way – figuratively – and hauled Mineta over the coal in a manner he already detested.
Why had he? Many, many reasons.
Mineta not giving him a chance to speak. Mineta interrupting him. Mineta victimizing himself. Mineta not changing fast enough. Mineta wanting everything on a plate here and now. Mineta this, Mineta that. Lots of Minetas and lots of bad things about him.
Or…
Mineta not being given a chance at all. Mineta being offended that Midoriya stepped in. Mineta actually being the victim of a misunderstanding. Mineta trying to change, but no shit given. Mineta wanting to be listened, just now, but well, no. Mineta this, Mineta that. Lots of Minetas and lots of bad things done to him.
Two versions of the story. Only one to be believed and it wasn't written in purple font.
Midoriya had lost control. Out of what? Despair? How could someone like him feel desperate about anything? He, of all heroes, heir to an ever-smiling and laughing legend?
Ignorance. It was it, the missing part of the puzzle and key to this unexplainable outcome.
Midoriya was an ignorant boy. His notebook was here to remind it. Each of his classmates had several pages dedicated to them. Mineta was the exception. One only page, though almost filled with several lines of recorded observation, scarce notes, vague comments and imprecise details. It was a rough text going helter-skelter, structured around a rashly-sketched profile drawing that looked funnily better than the original.
Poor and limited was Midoriya's knowledge of the purple boy. Poor had been the quality of his arguing, and more than limited had been the provided help. The green-haired hero had gone too far lecturing someone he knew too few about.
All Might's mantra resounded in his mind. The slight difference between those who always aim for the top and those who don't… It'll come to matter in a big way once you all emerge into society.
Midoriya always aimed for the top thanks to this permanent pep talk going on a loop, dragging his friends along in the process. But what if one of them wasn't ready for it yet?
Mineta Minoru certainly was this slow learner. Or was Midoriya going too fast? Regardless, having this objective in mind, while bringing the grape head back in line, had been a mistake. Instead of opening Mineta's mind to help him fix the issue of his own demons, Midoriya had bluntly belittled him and dug the grave of his self-esteem. Just because he had this hard-shell conviction that one true hero always had to give his full best. Not half of it, the whole and entire.
After all, his idol bore the name of All Might. Not "Little" Might.
Midoriya wasn't anyone. He'd soon become this very idol he swore solely by. But Midoriya wasn't Mineta and Mineta wasn't Midoriya. Just because the 9th One for All Master was inflexible with himself – the top or nothing - didn't mean he had to do the same to others.
He had been too tough on him. Change the record, Izuku! Don't take it personally. You did your best.
Now he was getting contaminated by the guilt as well. It didn't last though. He held himself upright, an enhanced determination back on his face and fist hitting the desk.
"Iida said Mineta would need to be alone for a while. I respect him for his authority, and I won't get in the way just to speed things up. But when time comes for Mineta to engage in a conversation again, I swear I'll be the first to come and talk. And…maybe apologize for what I had to do."
To better encourage himself, he already had the perfect example. Bakugo – his former arch-enemy but an ancient friend – who had been making efforts to change for a very long time.
Midoriya knew him from his earliest childhood – he and his many demons. Had Midoriya listened to the voice of reason, he'd have reacted like a normal person and long broken with him. But he also knew – Bakugo too – that his rival was worth better than that. From the beginning, he had seen both the worst and the best of him. Unbelievable but true. The simple effort to change, even whilst denying it, was a formidable act of courage. Bakugo never had had the humility to confess it, but behind his wall of pride, changing had always been his priority – no matter how convincingly he thought otherwise.
Even since, Midoriya had been relentlessly taking it upon himself – and still did – to help him along this path. It was hard for him, for everyone and Bakugo himself. But it was worth it, for seeing his own efforts finally paying off was the best reward. Bakugo was changing.
The same would apply to Mineta. One step at a time. Be patient, my friend. I promise you will never be alone again. Just hang on.
Red with anger, Mineta violently slammed the door as he walked inside his bedroom. No need to lock it up behind; nobody would ever come to "see something amazing!" anyhow.
The feeling of loneliness had never weighed so much on his shoulder. Gradually, he caved in and lost to his heart's madness. The storm of fury was upgraded to a hurricane. He exploded. His provocative posters were torn away, his horror-reflecting mirror smashed to pieces, his saucy figurines cracked open. Anything with an erotic backstory – more or less – got wrecked beyond recognizable.
"I fucking hate them. I fucking…hate YOU, PURPLE BITCH!"
As if the room set-up wasn't enough to break, he took the fight to his own body. One by one, he plucked the sticky balls and threw them all over the place. They instantly grew back and he instantly ripped them off. His Pop-Off Quirk was put to the toughest of all tests; what he had endured during the Forest Training Camp was a stroll in a park. In a matter of seconds, most surfaces around had round-shaped purple pimples stuck to them.
Finish yourself, Mineta! Get 'em! Aim for the balls! PLUS FUCKING ULTRA!
There were so many of them that their cursed creator ran the risk of bouncing off them, should he set a hand anywhere. With a bit of luck, it'd be strong enough to send him spiraling out of control and crush-land him against a wall to death, or a severe coma. But as the duration of adhesiveness depended on his overall health, they would be rendered useless long before he falls exhausted. They were self-degradable and caused no harm to the environment.
No damn given about the cleanup. I'm trashing the trash pit dwelling of a trash-hole! Trash me!
He eventually calmed down, following five bloody minutes of continuous pulling off. His bleeding scalp had spat bloodstains all over his bed. And he still hadn't found a cleaning lady for hire, bold enough to enter his trashed den. Courageous people made themselves scares. Whatever.
Having seen Midoriya – the great, heroic class' favorite with a golden patience – getting angry at him before his goons of classmates, had destroyed him. Mineta was blindsided, as swiftly annihilated as had been his chance of redeeming himself. This single night out had killed his hopes. It felt like he had taken Kota Izumi's treacherous punch to the groin…in the heart of a porcelain doll, and with the power of a Delaware Smash.
And he cried, falling flat on the floor, curled up in fetal position and rolled into a sphere. Then came sadness, in profuse tears. Then came denial, of his faults. Then came refusal, to concede defeat. Horror. Guilt. Remorse. All leading to an abyssal void. There was nothing left of him.
He was nothing.
Guys like you are only likable if there're dumb! Where's the demand for this?
At one point in his self-destructing fantasies, he came to wish Kaminari's half-joking reproaches, following the announcement of Class 1-A's mid-term grades, would magically merge into reality. Indeed, the law of supply and demand did not work in Mineta's favor. Being stupid meant he wouldn't be aware of any of this. Blessed were the fools.
Or perhaps, damned were the stubborns. Those who never saw the light in time. Too late, asshole.
It all became clear. The girls, the boys, the teachers, the viewers, the villains, the world. It was all against one. All against him. And it was normal. Kaminari was right. Midoriya was right. Iida was right. Asui was right. The boys and girls were right. Aizawa-sensei was right. Even his mother.
They all were.