Mineta jumped from one sticky ball and shot towards the ceiling at high speed, before twisting his body and bouncing off another ball stuck above him.
His small figure became a purple blur as he rebounded from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, constantly changing direction while trying not to think too much.
Every time he started calculating too hard, his movement became stiff, so he forced himself to trust his instincts instead.
His body slammed sideways through the air as he bounced again, purple lightning-fast movement carrying him across the unfinished building floor.
Dust blew around from the pressure of his movements while the sticky balls attached across the construction site acted like springboards.
'Don't think too much. Trust your body. Trust your instincts.' Mineta repeated inside his mind while sweat dripped down his forehead.
He jumped again, but this time his angle was slightly off.
"Oh crap—!"
His body tilted downward and he shot toward the concrete floor face first.
Before he could crash, Manami suddenly appeared beside him like a blue flash. He grabbed Mineta by the back of his shirt and effortlessly stopped his momentum.
Manami landed on one of his sticky balls before bouncing lightly onto the floor. "Careful there, speedster."
Mineta panted heavily while his legs shook from exhaustion. Sweat drenched his shirt as his chest rose and fell rapidly.
Manami looked at him with an impressed grin. "You made good progress with Blueberry Dash. Or Mineta Bounce, in your case."
Mineta blinked tiredly while trying to steady his breathing.
"Being able to bounce around the walls and floors for two whole minutes at high speed is already amazing." Manami crossed his arms proudly. "You know how long it took me to do that when I was your age?"
Mineta wiped the sweat from his forehead. "How long?"
"A month."
Mineta stared at him in surprise. Manami laughed loudly. "And here you are already doing it in a few days. My son really is talented."
Mineta's cheeks heated a little from the praise, but he still clenched his fists. "Let's try again."
Manami's smile stilled slightly. Mineta tried taking another step toward the building interior, but his shaking legs almost gave out beneath him.
Manami grabbed him by the collar before he could move further. "Nope."
"Dad, I can still—"
"You can barely walk."
"I just need one more try."
Manami deadpanned at his trembling legs before sighing dramatically. "Youth really is wasted on the young."
He started dragging Mineta away despite the boy's protests.
"W-Wait! Dad! Put me down!"
"Nope."
"I was getting the hang of it!"
"And you're also getting the hang of collapsing."
Manami kept pulling Mineta until they reached the completed first floor of the construction building. He sat down against a wall before pulling Mineta down beside him.
The area became quiet for a moment except for Mineta's tired breathing.
Manami glanced sideways at him. "Alright. What's wrong?"
Mineta blinked. "Nothing."
"Bullshit."
Mineta froze slightly as Manami leaned back casually. "You've been pushing yourself way harder than usual lately. Your movements are desperate. Like you're trying to catch up to something."
Mineta looked away quietly. "I just feel like I can keep going," Mineta muttered. "I think I can use Mineta Bounce longer if I stop overthinking and let my instincts take over properly."
Manami patted Mineta's head gently. Mineta stopped talking and looked up at him in surprise as Manami smiled softly. "That's not what I asked."
Mineta's throat tightened a little. "What is bugging your mind?" Manami asked quietly.
Mineta opened his mouth. "I..." He stopped.
Manami waited patiently as Mineta looked down at the dusty concrete floor beneath them. His hands clenched slightly.
"Dad..." he said slowly. "Can I really become stronger?"
Manami didn't interrupt as Mineta swallowed hard before continuing. "Hero work is dangerous. There are villains out there so powerful that normal people probably look like ants to them."
Images flashed through his mind.
Shigaraki.
All For One.
Cities destroyed.
People dying.
"There will always be moments where the people I care about could get hurt because of me," Mineta said quietly. "Mom... you... Himiko... Toru... Mei..." His fingers trembled slightly.
"There might be times where I know I can stop something bad from happening... but I can't do anything because of rules or consequences or things that could happen later."
'USJ. Bakugo's kidnapping. Iida's brother. Eri. Sir Nighteye.' His thoughts spiraled silently.
"And all of those things can only be stopped if I'm strong enough."
Manami quietly listened as Mineta lowered his head further. "What should I do? Even if I keep improving, there will come a time where my strength won't be enough."
His thoughts darkened further. 'And even if I somehow get One For All... that'll just paint a giant target on everyone I love.'
Mineta's eyes started watering. "Dad..." His voice cracked slightly. "Can I really become a hero? A strong person... someone who can push through all the horrible things that happen in hero work?"
Silence filled the room for a few seconds. Then Manami placed a hand on Mineta's head.
"You already are one."
Mineta's eyes widened slightly as Manami smiled warmly. "You're already a hero."
Mineta stared at him silently while tears slowly stopped falling.
"You may not realize it yet," Manami continued, "but you've already saved someone."
"Himiko..." Mineta muttered as Manami nodded.
"You pulled a broken girl out of hell with your own hands. You didn't ignore her. You didn't fear her. You saved her." Manami smiled proudly. "That's what heroes do." Mineta bit his lip slightly.
"As for dangerous villains..." Manami leaned back against the wall. "Nobody can predict the future unless they have some crazy future sight quirk. The only thing we can do is train you hard enough to face whatever comes."
He smirked confidently. "And villains targeting your family? That's already expected if you become a hero."
Mineta stiffened slightly. "But don't worry too much." Manami waved casually. "I've already made arrangements for the future."
Mineta blinked. "Arrangements?"
Manami grinned. "And even if those arrangements fail..." He cracked his knuckles. "Your dad is strong, you know? I can give even the Top 10 heroes a run for their money."
Mineta sweatdropped slightly. 'Dad definitely has buried yakuza energy.'
"As for rules stopping you from doing things..." Manami pointed at him, specifically his head. "You're Umeko's son. Use your brain. Find loopholes."
Mineta blinked as Manami chuckled. "Don't keep worrying about whether your present actions might mess up future events. Nobody knows what'll happen tomorrow."
He tapped Mineta's chest lightly. "Instead, ask yourself one thing. Is what you're doing right or wrong?"
Mineta quietly listened. "As for your strength..." Manami grinned proudly. "You're underestimating yourself way too much. You think lasting two minutes at high speed while changing directions constantly is bad?"
He snorted. "I needed a whole month to reach what you just did today."
"And if the day ever comes where your power alone isn't enough..." Manami's voice softened slightly. "Then lean on others."
Mineta looked up slowly. "That's what friends are for." Manami smiled. "Make so many friends and comrades that if you ever fall into a bad situation, they'll have your back." He laughed loudly. "Just like my gang."
Mineta couldn't help letting out a tiny laugh through his tears.
Manami looked directly into his eyes. "So yes, Minoru. For every question you asked..." He placed a hand on Mineta's shoulder. "The answer is yourself."
"Only you can decide what's right or wrong."
"And no matter what you choose..." Manami smiled warmly. "Me, your mother, and your friends will always support you."
Mineta finally broke down crying. Manami immediately pulled him into a hug and gently patted his back.
"It's alright," he murmured quietly. "You're carrying too much on those tiny shoulders."
Mineta cried into his father's shirt while Manami quietly stayed there with him.
After some time, Mineta eventually fell asleep from emotional exhaustion.
Manami looked down at his sleeping son quietly. Mineta's face still had tear marks on it, but there was also a small relieved smile now.
Manami smiled softly. "He really has grown up..." he murmured.
Manami carefully lifted Mineta onto his back while grabbing his bag with one hand. He held Mineta securely with the other before slowly walking out of the building.
The evening sunlight shined across the construction site as the father quietly carried his sleeping son home.