The final school bell echoed throughout the campus, signaling the end of another school day. Students poured out of classrooms and hallways, chatting with friends as they headed home.
Mineta walked through the school gates alongside Himiko and Toru.
"See you at home, Mineta-kun!" Himiko said cheerfully while swinging her school bag. "Don't get into any weird trouble again," Toru added with a laugh.
Mineta immediately looked offended. "Why does everyone act like trouble follows me? I am a perfectly normal and responsible person."
Both girls stared at him.
"..."
"..."
Mineta pointed at them dramatically. "That silence was rude."
Himiko burst out laughing while Toru giggled.
After waving goodbye, Himiko headed toward the Mineta residence while Toru started walking toward her own home.
Mineta waited until both girls disappeared around separate corners. Only then did his relaxed expression vanish.
"Alright." He glanced left and right. Nobody was around. The alleyway beside him was completely empty as well.
"Time for operation: Stalking A Future Big Three Member."
Mineta reached up and plucked two balls from his head. The purple spheres bounced lightly in his palm.
He pulled out two plastic bags from his school bag and carefully placed a ball inside each one. After tying them securely, he crouched down and wrapped them underneath his shoes.
"Special Move..." He pointed dramatically toward the sky. "Bouncing Shoes!"
Boing!
The ground cracked slightly beneath him as he launched upward.
Mineta shot into the air like a cannonball. His body flipped once before landing on the roof of a nearby building.
The plastic bags prevented the sticky balls from attaching to surfaces, allowing him to use their elasticity without getting stuck.
"Perfect!"
Boing!
He jumped again.
And again.
And again.
From rooftop to rooftop he bounced through the city. To an outside observer, he almost resembled a purple pinball.
Wind rushed past his face as he traveled above the streets. 'Thank you, Dad.'
Ever since Manami had started teaching him advanced applications of Pop Off, Mineta had begun discovering just how versatile his quirk really was.
'At this rate, I'll eventually be able to use Grape Dash properly.'
He paused.
'Though maybe I should call it Mineta Bounce.' A proud smile appeared on his face. 'Yeah. That sounds way cooler.'
The search continued for several minutes. Eventually, he spotted a familiar figure walking along a sidewalk.
Nejire Hado.
Mineta landed on a rooftop and crouched behind an air conditioning unit.
Sure enough, it was Nejire. She was walking alone. The same cold expression she had worn in the cafeteria was still present on her face.
Mineta frowned slightly. Compared to the cheerful and energetic Nejire he remembered from the future, this version felt completely different.
Like someone had wrapped layers of ice around her real personality. 'Man, middle school really did a number on her.'
Mineta began following from rooftop to rooftop. Not too close nor too far. Just enough to keep track of her.
As he watched, he tried thinking of a way to approach her. 'Should I just introduce myself?'
'No, Too weird.'
'Maybe accidentally bump into her again?'
'That sounds even weirder.'
'Maybe save her from something?' He immediately deadpanned. 'What kind of protagonist logic is that?'
Five minutes passed. Then ten. Suddenly, Nejire stopped walking.
Mineta froze. 'Did she notice me?' His body immediately flattened against the rooftop.
After a few seconds passed without incident, he carefully peeked over the edge.
Nejire wasn't looking at him. She was staring upward. Specifically—Toward a rooftop across the street.
Mineta followed her gaze, then his eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Near the edge of the opposite rooftop were several tiny kittens. They looked only a few months old.
Worse—Two of them were dangerously close to the edge. One misplaced step...And they would fall.
Mineta didn't hesitate. His body moved before his brain could fully process it.
BOOM!
His bouncing shoes launched him forward.
At the exact same moment, Nejire jumped as well.
The world blurred. Wind roared in Mineta's ears. One kitten slipped and Another followed.
Mineta stretched out his arms. "I got you!" His hands closed around one of the falling kittens.
The tiny animal let out a surprised meow. Mineta immediately bounced toward the rooftop.
Then he blinked. 'Huh?' He turned around in midair. The second kitten wasn't falling anymore. It was safely held in someone's arms.
Nejire!
Yellow spiral-shaped energy rotated beneath her feet. She was floating, or rather—Trying to float.
"W-Whoa!" Her body tilted sideways. The kitten meowed nervously. "I-I'm not used to flying!"
Mineta nearly choked. 'Wait, seriously!?' Future Nejire practically lived in the air. Seeing her struggle with basic flight felt bizarre.
The blue-haired girl wobbled dangerously. One second she floated upward. The next second she dipped sideways. Then backward. Then upside down.
The kitten looked ready to question every life choice that had led to this moment.
Mineta quickly landed on the rooftop and returned his rescued kitten to the mother cat.
The mother immediately began licking it. The other kittens gathered around her.
Good. Mission one complete. Mission two—Don't let Nejire fall off a building.
Mineta bounced off another rooftop. The force launched him like a purple missile. Nejire let out a surprised squeak as she tilted even further.
The moment she began falling, Mineta reached her. His arms wrapped around her waist.
"Got you!"
A second later, both of them landed safely back on the rooftop. The remaining kitten jumped from Nejire's arms and ran toward its mother.
The mother cat gently bonked it on the head with her paw before grabbing it by the neck.
One by one, the cats followed their mother across the rooftop and disappeared.
"Phew..." Mineta wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead. "Crisis averted."
Then he looked down and realized something. He was still holding Nejire. Specifically—In bridal style. His brain blue-screened.
Nejire blinked.
Mineta blinked.
The silence lasted exactly three seconds. Then panic activated.
"S-SORRY!"
He practically teleported backward as he carefully put her down.
"I didn't mean—I was just—you were falling—and the cats—and—"
Nejire stared at him then softly said, "It's okay."
Mineta stopped rambling as the response surprised him. He looked at her properly and paused.
Her expression had changed. The cold mask was still there...but cracks were forming. Her lips trembled slightly as her eyes kept moving.
First to his grape-shaped hair.
Then to the plastic-wrapped balls attached beneath his shoes.
Then to his school bag.
Then to his uniform.
Then back to his hair.
Then back to his shoes.
Then back to his hair again.
Mineta recognized that look instantly. Curiosity. Pure, unfiltered curiosity.
He almost cheered internally. 'THERE SHE IS!' The real Nejire was finally showing herself.
A smile appeared on his face as he extended his hand. "My name is Minoru Mineta." His voice carried genuine warmth. "And also, thanks for helping save the cats."
Nejire stared at his smile. Something in her eyes seemed to waver. Then—She suddenly moved so close that Mineta almost fell backward. "W-What!?"
Her eyes sparkled. "What is your quirk?"
The questions fired like a machine gun.
"It looks like grapes! Can you eat them? Why are your shoes wrapped with grapes and plastic? Why are you so short? Do you go to the same school as me? Are you a first-year student? How far can you bounce? Can your hair run out? Does pulling them hurt? Are they edible? Can animals eat them? What happens if—"
Mineta's brain suffered critical damage. Too many questions. Too fast. He couldn't even process half of them. Still, a giant grin spread across his face.
As he desperately tried answering one question after another, only a single thought echoed inside his mind.
'SUCCESS! Nejire is finally coming out of her shell!'