269 Yakiniku

His action to play around without care seemed like an insult, especially for those who worked so hard.

Even though he didn't do anything and seemed quite lazy, he was able to become the best of the best.

While the rest didn't matter since they were okay with the status quo, and the adults didn't overthink it since he was a teenager. There was limited time he was able to play around when he became an adult, especially when he was dubbed as the next symbol of peace.

Everyone gave him leeway, and no one stopped him from doing anything which he wanted to do, especially after he retired as an All-Tuber.

Yet, for those who worked so hard, but their hard work didn't pay off, it brought them frustration and anger.

The students in the General Department aside since they had never seen Mineta closely, so they had a lot of imagination about him, thinking that he was the one that worked the hardest, but Midoriya was different.

Midoriya was in the same class as Mineta, and he had seen Mineta's conduct.

As he kept failing and letting All-Might disappoint him many times, he knew that he couldn't fail any longer. He didn't want to make everyone disappointed in him, especially when he was entrusted with this power.

If he couldn't become the next symbol of peace, he couldn't look into All-Might's eyes. He could only lower his head and cry at his helplessness, so when he saw how bright Mineta was, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

Mineta was different. He was talented, and he was dubbed as the next symbol of peace.

It was also because of this, Midoriya couldn't stand to see Mineta playing around.

If Mineta had time, Midoriya felt that Mineta should have trained harder, so he could save more people.

If Mineta had time, he should do something to become a better hero.

Midoriya felt that Mineta was wasting his time, and watching him do all of this made him angry.

Why?

Why couldn't you be serious?

Why couldn't you work harder?

If you have so much time, you should train even harder!

Midoriya wanted to scream, but with his personality, it was impossible for him to say such words. He could only lower his head and bury that feeling in his heart. Yet, even if Mineta was playing around, he just couldn't see how he could become a number one hero even if he worked so hard.

As he clenched his fists, he started to cry again, wondering whether he was fit to become All-Might's inheritor.

Shouldn't there be a better person?

Midoriya didn't look at Mineta. Instead, he looked at the person who fought with him last night.

Still, if Mineta knew what Midoriya was thinking, he could only roll his eyes since this guy hadn't seen the mirror.

If you have time to fight and clean up the dorm, shouldn't you train even harder?

However, Mineta had never thought of Midoriya that much since he really couldn't understand why All-Might would make Midoriya his inheritor.

Unlike All-Might, who wished this country to be peaceful and for people not to have fear in their lives anymore, Midoriya only wanted to become a hero.

With such a superficial goal, how could one become the number one hero?

Anyway, after spending a night with Nejire, he left the dorm the next day to meet someone. He also took permission, so he could live outside, which made Nezu and Aizawa sigh, thinking that this guy was quite free-spirited. They weren't stupid, and they knew that even if Mineta was perfect as a hero, as a person, he had imperfections.

However, Mineta was good at dividing his private and hero life. He was also good at keeping a secret since even if there were many secrets that had been told to him, he had never told anyone and kept it in his heart.

In conclusion, as long as Mineta didn't cause trouble, everything was alright.

That was his special privilege.

It was unfair, but this world was an unfair place, right?

"Onii-san..."

When he arrived at the luxurious yakiniku restaurant, he entered the private space and saw five people inside. The moment he entered, the little boy with a red hat watched him with tears before he leaped into him.

"Yo, Kota."

Mineta greeted Kota, who was Shino (Mandalay's cousin).

"You... didn't you promise me that you would return?" Kota hugged Mineta's leg and was still crying. Mineta had promised to return when he left him on the mountain, but Mineta didn't go back.

Kota knew he couldn't blame Mineta, but when he met him, all the emotion he had kept in his heart exploded, and he couldn't control it anymore. However, he was glad that Mineta was alright.

"Geez, don't cry. You're a man, right?"

Mineta rubbed Kota's head, causing him to wipe his tears.

"I-I am not crying!"

Mineta only smiled before looking at the Wild, Wild Pussycats members.

"It's been a while. Mandalay. Tiger. Pixie-Bob. Ragdoll."

Shino had called him before since everyone wanted to thank him, but they could only meet now.

"Congratulations on your exam!"

"Yeah, you have gotten your licenses now!"

"Come here! Come here! Let's eat! We'll treat you to whatever is here!"

While Chatora (Tiger), Tsuchikawa(Pixie-Bob), and Tomoko (Ragdoll) gestured for him to sit down, Shino was relatively silent, but she kept glancing at him from time to time, watching how close he was with her nephew, which made her feel conflicted.

"Thanks."

Mineta walked to Shino's side and asked, "Can I sit next to you?"

"...yeah," Shino answered in a low voice.

"Thanks." He sat on her side without much hesitation.

Shino blushed before she chugged all the beer into her glass. To be honest, her mood was extremely complex toward Mineta, especially after what had happened at the training camp. Even if the incident on the Kamina Ward might have changed everything, it didn't change the fact that their act was seen by many people.

Watching the two of them, Tomoko and Tsuchikawa blushed. After all, the two of them also happened on the side, watching how Shino and Mineta enjoyed their moment, but when they thought about what they were going to do after this... they felt a bit nervous, but they had made up their minds.

However, Chatora sighed since she knew it was impossible for her to join them.

The four of them were a group, and even in the future, they planned to be together, so Chatora was quite sad when she saw that Shino, Tomoko, and Tsuchikawa could be together, yet she couldn't

*Shudder!*

Mineta wasn't sure, but he got a goosebump.

Kota also sat by Mineta's side since, even if he didn't say it, he was already a fan of Mineta, especially when he saw his battered figure, standing straight while folding his hands to protect everyone.

When Kota saw his figure at that time, his cry couldn't stop.

It was also why everyone thought of him as the next symbol of peace since someone who was able to do such a thing was definitely suitable to become their protector, the next symbol of peace.

Yet, Mineta was too lazy to do it, but even so, he had to say the privilege he got from this position was great.

"Cough! Cough!" Chatora raised her glass and said, "Anyway, it's all thanks to you that we can sit here and enjoy this dinner. I, we, are all grateful to you. Thank you."

Shino, Tsuchikawa, Tomoko, and Kota also felt the same and also thanked him from the bottom of their hearts.

"It's okay. You don't need to get so exaggerated. I just do what I should do."

Yes, to become a god, he had to deceive everyone.

Whether they were his family, lovers, friends, or many others, he had to deceive all of them since, for his goal, everything was worth it.

"But even so, thank you. I-I am so glad that everyone can sit here while enjoying a yakiniku. Thank you, Mineta-kun." Chatora wiped away her tears, then shouted, "But anyway, enough with the gloomy talk! Let's start the party!"

"OOOOHHH!!!" 4x