It was lunch break now, and the entire school had fallen into its usual noisy rhythm, students either sitting in groups eating their lunch, laughing loudly, or whispering in corners as rumors spread like wildfire.
Today, the biggest topic floating around every corridor and classroom was none other than the second-year beauty, Himiko Toga, being seen unusually close to a first-year student named Minoru Mineta.
And of course, like all school rumors, it had already escalated into something far more dramatic, with people claiming things like "He's dating her," or "He already has a harem," or even "That short guy somehow conquered Toga-senpai," and none of it helped Mineta's situation at all.
Right now, the so-called center of all this chaos, Mineta Minoru, was sitting on the rooftop terrace, right between the two girls causing all this attention—Toga on one side, and Toru Hagakure on the other, and despite the calm breeze and peaceful view, the atmosphere around the three of them felt… oddly intense.
Mineta casually smiled as he decided to handle introductions. "Toru, meet Himiko Toga, a friend I made yesterday after we separated to go home," he said smoothly. "Himiko, meet Toru Hagakure, my deskmate in class. I also met her yesterday."
"Hello there, Toru-chan~" Toga said in a cheerful tone, flashing a toothy smile that showed off her slightly sharp canines. "I'm Himiko Toga, your senpai. You can call me Himiko-senpai~"
"Hello to you too, Himiko-senpai," Toru replied politely. "You can just call me Toru."
The two of them reached out and shook hands.
And at that exact moment, Mineta had only one thought going through his head.
'…Why does it feel like there's electricity between their eyes?' he thought as he watched the two girls stare at each other just a second longer than necessary, both smiling… but something about it felt like a silent clash rather than a friendly greeting.
Still, the moment passed quickly.
The trio began eating together, and Mineta took the lead in making small talk, asking simple questions, keeping the conversation flowing, and gradually, his efforts paid off as both girls began responding more naturally, eventually shifting into their own conversation, talking about random things, laughing occasionally, and even starting what looked like typical girl talk.
Mineta leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath of relief as he picked up a piece of shrimp from his lunch box.
'…Handling girls is seriously troublesome,' he thought while chewing slowly.
Time skip — after school.
The school gates opened once again as students poured out, and among them, Mineta walked with Toga and Toru, the three of them side by side while whispers and glances followed them everywhere, the rumors only getting louder now that all three of them were seen together.
"Look, it's them!"
"That's the guy!"
"He really has both of them?!"
Mineta ignored everything completely, his expression calm as if none of it mattered.
Eventually, they reached the point where their paths separated.
"See you tomorrow, Toru!" Mineta said.
"Bye-bye, Toru-chan~" Toga added with a playful wave.
"See you both tomorrow!" Toru replied cheerfully before heading off in her direction.
The moment Toru left—Toga immediately grabbed Mineta's hand.
"Mineta-kun…" she said softly, leaning closer. "I want blood~"
Mineta froze for a second, a small blush appearing on his face, but he didn't pull away.
"…Yeah, I'll give it to you," he replied, trying to stay composed. "But… I also wanted to talk to you about something. Let's go somewhere quiet."
Toga tilted her head slightly but nodded.
Mineta led her to a nearby park, one that was mostly empty at this time of day.
They both sat down on a bench.
Mineta took a deep breath.
"My mom is a lawyer," he began. "I told her everything about you… your quirk… your parents."
Toga flinched.
Mineta immediately noticed and gently grabbed her hand, holding it firmly. "It's okay," he said softly. "Just listen."
She slowly calmed down, her fingers tightening slightly around his.
"She's already working with the police… and some heroes," he said. "They're gathering evidence. If everything goes right… your parents can be arrested."
Toga's breathing hitched.
"And you'll be free."
Mineta looked directly into her eyes.
"But I need your help," he said seriously. "If you give your statement… if you cooperate… this can happen much faster."
He leaned slightly forward.
"I want to take you out of that hell," he said. "Your home… your parents… those aren't things that should chain you down."
His hands tightened gently around hers.
"I want to break those shackles," he continued. "I want you to live freely, without being hurt, without being hated just because of your quirk. Without the need to starve yourself of blood."
His voice softened.
"So… let me help you," he said. "Let me save you."
Tears began streaming down Toga's face. Her lips trembled as she looked at him.
"…Yes…" she whispered weakly.
And then she broke again, crying as she leaned forward and hugged him tightly.
Mineta wrapped his arms around her, gently patting her back as she cried against him.
'This will be the last time…' he thought firmly. 'From now on… I'll make sure she smiles for real.'
Not far away, Hidden from sight, Toru Hagakure stood silently, having followed them without being noticed.
She had heard everything.
Her invisible figure remained still as she processed what she had just learned.
'…So that's it,' she thought.
A small smile formed on her invisible face.
'That's why she suddenly got so close to Mineta… he's trying to save her.'