I own nothing. May contain Out of Character moments.
When Mineta regained his bearings, he realized the kind of situation was in. He was in a girl's room. It was dark. There was also a girl in here. Alone… With him…
Alone…
This 'discovery' threw the two halves of his mind into conflict, with one trying to express something over the other. But despite this turmoil, Mineta knew he had to escape before anything happened. And he needed to be quick. Otherwise all the time he spent meditating would've been wasted…
For Mineta could feel his mental strength slowly weakening.
"Just focus on leaving…" Mineta repeatedly thought as he began to slowly feel his surroundings. While none of the lights were on in the room, the shorter boy didn't want to risk opening his eyes. The less he knew, the less fuel his 'pants' could work with. His hands were currently on a rather soft rug, so Mineta continued to feel around. One of his fingers on his right hand then grazed something, forcing him to stop.
"… Tsuyu?" Mineta asked, facing the direction of whatever he touched. His eyes were still closed.
"I'm here… I apologize for being rough with you… I just didn't know how to get you in here…" She replied, her voice sounding incredibly tired. This caused one growing worry in the shorter boy to be replaced by another. Just hearing Tsuyu sound so disheartened caused numerous questions to invade Mineta's mind. Like what caused her to be like this?
…
No, that wasn't right. He knew what it was. He knew it all too well…
"I'm at a loss for words… And there are things I need to say…" Tsuyu said. Mineta then heard her shuffle closer to him, causing him to sweat. He could then feel her hand touch his right, slowly picking it up before both of her hands clasped around it.
"Could you please help me?"
"I'll do my best." Mineta replied, somehow keeping his words isolated from his panic. And considering how numb his mind was and how hot his right hand feels… That was an achievement unto itself. Doubly so now that Mineta could feel just how soft and smooth Tsuyu's hands were…
"Thank you…" She whispered as she slowly released his hand. Mineta retracted his hand, slamming it into his chest. But the sudden action couldn't shake the tingling that now covered it. Much to the confused pleasure of the shorter boy…
"S-So… What's up?" Mineta asked as he internally thanked the darkness around him.
"I've been thinking about what happened at the Hospital on that day…"
Again, the mood whiplash Mineta was experiencing within himself was staggering. He took a deep breath and thought back to his fight with Midoriya. The arguing, the resolve that burned within Midoriya, the fury that burned within Mineta… It all came back. But for Tsuyu's sake, he went back to Kirishima and Todoroki's debate with 1A.
And to what Tsuyu said about them…
"Not the best day of our lives… And that's saying a lot, considering what we've just been through." Mineta commented as he slowly opened his eyes. And as he expected, it was really dark in the room. His eyes, however, had adjusted enough so he could now see a vague outline in front of him… Wow, Tsuyu was a lot closer than Mineta initially thought.
"Yes… Both of us said some harsh things… Things we can't take back… Things that could break friendships…"
"Tsuyu, no… You were just concerned about Kirishima, Todoroki, and Midoriya. I guarantee you that they wouldn't hold it against you." Mineta said, reaching out for Tsuyu's arm. But even with the weight of his emotions in his hands, the shell around her heart didn't budge.
"But what kind of person calls their friends Villains? It doesn't matter what the situation is, what I said wasn't normal. I was ready to treat my friends like criminals Mineta-chan… Ready to turn my back on them because I couldn't choose between what's right and what's legal. In just that one moment, we became bystanders… I became a bystander…" She replied as her other hand rested on Mineta's.
The shorter boy wanted to pull away, but he willed his arm to stay in place. This was not the time to retreat. Her words, however, did weaken some of his resolve. Because even he couldn't refute the truth she spoke. He and Tsuyu, as well as a majority of 1A, WERE bystanders. When trouble came, they just stepped aside and allowed someone else to solve it.
Even Iida, who was against the rescue, still went, proving he was more of a Hero than the rest of the class. More of a Hero than Mineta, a complete reversal from the Stain incident…
"You're right... It's funny though, because I'm normally on Midoriya's side when it comes to this stuff. No matter how scary it was or how beat up we got, I always toughed it out with him… That's how deep our bond goes…" Mineta admitted as he felt her tremble even more.
"I'm sorry… If I hadn't said anything… You two wouldn't be in this situation…" She said. Based on the brief gasps between words, the shorter boy could tell she was on the verge of tears.
"Tsuyu please, this isn't your fault… I believe that, no matter what anyone said, an argument between us was inevitable."
"… How do you know that?"
"… I spent a lot of time meditating before we moved in, asking myself several questions… Why did I disagree with Midoriya? Why did Midoriya disagree with me? And most importantly, why did it happen at that exact moment? And I think I know my answer…"
Mineta slowly released his grip and slowly went down Tsuyu's left arm. He traced down her skin until he found her hand, gently holding it as she returned the gesture. The shorter boy then took a deep breath as he remembered the various revelations he had.
"I was about to lose my best friend Tsuyu… When the lodge was attacked, we fought a really strong Villain. Even though we hit him with everything we got, he was only knocked out for a moment and got up crazier than ever. Midoriya's arms were completely pulverized… And it was only a matter of time before the rest of him suffered the same fate. I went to save him the only way I could… Blinding the Villain with a torch I made…"
The amphibious girl noticeably twitched before her grip around Mineta's hand tightened, restoring some of his resolve. He was gradually getting through…
"… Was it really you who did that?"
"Yeah, it was me… I won't blame you if you feel disgusted… But I don't regret doing it, and Midoriya's life was well worth the price. Even then, it wasn't enough to stop the Villain from cornering us. And when Midoriya told me to run with Kouta, who we were protecting, I listened. For the first time, I fully turned my back on him…" Mineta replied, casting his eyes to the floor.
He won't lie. That moment was going to stay with him for a very long time. And how could he possibly forget it? Mineta willingly abandoned his partner.
"… Even though we survived, the fear and doubt rooted itself within me. I started to think; never again will we go through that… And that mind set only reinforced itself when I talked to Midoriya's mom. She was just as afraid of losing her son as I was to lose my partner… So when Midoriya decided to go with Kirishima and Todoroki, all that negativity finally poured out of me." Mineta continued after a moment. He then felt Tsuyu's other hand rest on his shoulder, a mixture of warm and heavy emotions filling him.
"Then we are the same… We couldn't stop those nasty feelings from building up inside us… And even though I now know your argument with Midoriya-chan was inevitable… I still can't help but feel responsible for it and useless for being unable to stop it…"
"Tsuyu…"
As both her hands pulled away, Mineta found that he couldn't muster the will to reach out to her. And how could he? His half-hearted words couldn't get through. Thus proving Fenghuang's wisdom true, something Midoriya's actions only reinforced. Because he didn't even try to save Bakugou then, he couldn't save Tsuyu now.
It was slowly becoming a cycle that was bound to repeat if Mineta didn't do something. But what could he do now? Mineta racked through every fold of his brain for answers. He needed to find a way to bring order to the chaos in their hearts.
"Mineta-chan?"
"Meditate with me." He blurted out. Mineta didn't know why, but his first thought was his first meditation session with Fenghuang. And since he only grew from that moment, maybe it's the push they needed to get out of this darkness. Tsuyu didn't answer, but he did hear her shift around in place. And then silence…
"Shifu said meditation is the exploration of our thoughts… So let's search deep within ourselves and find what we want…" Mineta said as he closed his eyes. Let's start from square one again.
"I already know what I want. Or at least I think I do… I want to move forward with everyone, go on chatting like nothing happened… But every time I worked up the courage to speak, no words would come out… So here I am, hiding with you until I figure out what to do…" Tsuyu answered. As Mineta processed those words, memories of the past came to the surface. Specifically, he remembered moments where a weak, vague, or no answer spoke louder than resolute ones.
That was how Mineta and Midoriya discovered Kouta's pain.
That was how Fenghuang recognized Mineta's fear and self-loathing.
That was how Midoriya obtained his answer to Todoroki's hatred.
That was how Mineta identified Shinso's despair.
…
That was why Tsuyu comforted Mineta when he doubted himself after the USJ attack.
"I think that should be enough for our friends. Everyone knows you're an honest girl Tsuyu. By admitting you don't know what to say, they'll understand just how hard this whole situation has been on you, on all of us." Mineta replied as he tried to search for Tsuyu's eyes. And despite the dark, he could feel his gaze meet hers.
"But I'm afraid they won't accept me like they did before…"
"Tsuyu… Do you remember what you told me after the USJ attack? That nobody would blame me for freezing up? It's the same thing here; no one would blame you feeling the things you feel. We all know what it's like to regret our decisions... We all know what it's like to wish for another chance…"
With the weight of his emotions in his hand once more, Mineta reached out to Tsuyu.
"But we're all still young, both as Heroes and as people. And by scrapping through situations like this, we can grow from our mistakes instead of being dragged down by them. That's how students like us could become true legends like all the greats." Mineta finished, feeling his hand rest on Tsuyu's shoulder.
Silence took over as Mineta felt his heart slow down to a crawl. Honestly, he was flying by the seat of his pants here. And if he thought about it, every other time he helped out was very much the same. He just hoped this will turn out just like those times and Tsuyu will stop beating herself over this.
"… It's strange. The words I needed to hear were already with me the entire time…" Tsuyu said as the shorter boy felt her shift around. Based on how she moved, the amphibious girl was wiping at her tears.
"I know what that's like, happened to me three times already. For some reason, we don't learn the lessons we teach until we sit down to actually think about it. I think that's why I meditate... To help me find the light that's buried within…" Mineta replied as he pulled his hand back before placing it on his chest.
"The light within… I do like the sound of that… Finding my best self through all the pain and doubt…"
"And you know what the best part of that is? It's something we could do together. Just as I grew with Midoriya, so will you and I. And it all begins when you face our friends…" Mineta replied. And despite the dark that still surrounded them, the shorter boy could see the small smile on the amphibious girl's face.
"I'm still afraid of what they might say… But if everyone accepts me despite everything, accepts me like you did, then I'll take that leap of faith." Tsuyu replied as she shuffled closer to him. Mineta didn't know why, but he just ignored it and continued to respond to her.
"How could they not? We laughed together. We fought together. We bled together. We dug a hole together. That's got to mean something for our bonds as a class."
"I suppose it does… Thank you…"
But before Mineta could answer that, a sudden warmth enveloped him. And as his mind processed the different sensations… He soon realized what was happening. He was being hugged… Tsuyu was hugging him… The tension that shot through him froze every last muscle in his body. But in turn, it had also made every nerve overtly sensitive to everything around him.
There was a faint smell of fragrant rain surrounding Tsuyu.
Locks of her hair were gently brushing against Mineta's cheek.
In the crook of his neck, he could feel Tsuyu's chin resting there.
And something soft was pressing up against Mineta's chest.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Mineta thought, his mind losing all semblance of rationality. Even the 'pants' half of his brain was too shocked to even articulate anything. Everything about the shorter boy's existence was either on high alert or on the brink of shutting down. Such was the effects of Tsuyu's sudden embrace… He was simply powerless before it…
But when Tsuyu held him a little tighter, Mineta got a second dose of her warmth. And with it came two profound feelings from within his heart. The first was an unusual calm that betrayed the storm he felt moments ago. And the second was a profound clarity he never experienced before.
Though he didn't know why…
All Mineta knew was that he returned the hug, accepting her warmth by sharing his own.
"… Mineta-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you need help with Midoriya-chan? You could come with me when I make my apology…" Tsuyu whispered. Mineta slowly loosened his hug, just as Tsuyu did, but neither of them released their hold on the other. And for the first time since entering this room, the shorter boy could see her face. Her tear stained but hopeful face…
"Thanks, but this is your moment Tsuyu. I don't want to take away the power of your words with my own. But don't worry, I'll find the right moment. And I'm sure that's what Midoriya wants too…" Mineta replied.
Based on how they interacted earlier, Mineta knew Midoriya was in the same boat as he was. Both of them wanted to apologize, but neither could go through with it. They didn't know where to start or how to even say what they wanted to say… And before they could even utter a single word, they lose their nerve and retreat.
Midoriya and Mineta were looking for the right moment, the right time where they were on equal terms. Where they could face each other as partners…
"Hmm… Sounds antithetical to what you just told me…" Tsuyu replied, a frown forming on her face. And honestly, he doesn't blame her. All of this was way too complicated for his small teenage brain to handle.
"I know…" He answered simply, hanging his head in defeat. But that changed when Tsuyu readjusted her placement of her hand. It soon rested on his cheek, the weight of her emotions running through it as she gently lifted his face.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing. Not all of us get to choose how our problems are resolved… Even Heroes need a Hero's help…" Tsuyu said, the smile returning to her face. She then began to stand up, pulling Mineta up with her. And though they were back on their feet, the amphibious girl still held onto the shorter boy's hands.
"And I'm grateful I had yours… Again, thank you."
"You're welcome. And if you need anyone to meditate with, you know where to find me. Now, are you ready?" Mineta asked before leading Tsuyu to the door. He assumed the girl nodded as she followed him quite easily. And once the shorter boy felt his hand on the doorknob, he threw open the door with unyielding confidence.
Only to come face to face with Uraraka, arm raised as though she was about to knock.
Her eyes first went to Mineta, then to Tsuyu, then back to Mineta. That's when her eyes went between them, staring at something they both neglected to resolve. Mineta was still holding Tsuyu's hand, just as she was holding his. The two wordlessly let go, allowing their arms to naturally fall back to their sides. Though that didn't stop Uraraka from asking the only appropriate question at the moment…
"I wasn't interrupting anything… Was I?"
"No."
"Of course not Ochako-chan. We were just… Talking."
"In your room, alone, and in the dark?" Uraraka asked, her brows furrowing in suspicion. That was when the reality of the situation hit Mineta again. He was in a Tsuyu's room… Alone with Tsuyu… In the dark… Holding hands… Alone together… With him… In the dark…
Alone…
"Just kill me…" Mineta replied as he buried his reddening face into his hands.
And based on the embarrassed croaking next to him, Tsuyu was thinking the same thing.
And that has been Chapter 82!
Wow, there's so much fuel here, I'm surprised no one has tried to claim it.
But in all seriousness, this was a very difficult chapter to right. I must capture the emotions that both Mineta and Tsuyu are facing while the former is trying to work it out with the latter. And I think I did a pretty good job. But, I am my own worst judge, so I await your responses, my dear readers. Just leave what you think in the usual place and I will respond if needed.
I have no other news so...
Next update, as Mineta figures out what to do about Midoriya, 1A starts their training for the Provisional License.
With all that said...
Until Next Time. T1.