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The sports festival is far from the first or the last time that Mineta comes running to him, bawling and begging for some kind of help. Mezo isn’t exactly sure why, but on the first day of school, the other boy latches onto him, and they become something like friends from that point on, with Mineta almost feeling like a pesky younger brother. At least, at first, but Mezo has to admit that he’s warmed up to him more and more, even for all his faults.
So he’s used to Mineta crying for help of some sort, and usually, he’s willing to offer it, unless he’s gotten himself in a bad situation because he was doing something he shouldn’t have. “Hide me under your arms so Jiro can’t find me,” is the sort of request he knows better than to grant. He’s so used to Mineta having absolutely no shame when he’s upset by something or needs help that it comes as a surprise when he realizes that something is wrong, but that he hasn’t said a word.
At first, it’s hard to tell; it’s less that Mineta does something to tip him off, and more that he does absolutely nothing . He becomes withdrawn out of nowhere, with none of his usual antics, and, though that’s hard to notice at first- even without Mineta acting up, the class is never peaceful- it soon becomes apparent that something is wrong. Mezo isn’t sure what happened, or why Mineta is being so much less... Mineta , but he can’t help but feel a little concerned. After all, the two of them are friends, and any friend would be concerned, right?
Midoriya even comes to him, asking, “Do you know if something happened to Mineta?”
“So, you noticed too?”
“Well, it’s just, he normally talks a lot more and hangs around after school, but lately, he’s one of the last to get here and one of the first to leave, and I’ve barely heard him say a word. I know you guys are kind of close, so I wanted to ask you before I bothered him. I mean, it might be personal, so I didn’t want to bug him if it was.”
“Honestly, I have no idea what it is. He hasn’t talked to me lately either,” Mezo replies. “But he does seem off, I agree with you there.”
“Oh, I see…” Midoriya looks down, clearly troubled. “Well, if you find out, and there’s anything I can…”
“I’ll let you know,” he says. From that point on, he keeps waiting for Mineta to say something, anything to him, but another few days pass, and nothing changes.
Now, Mezo knows that he can’t just keep waiting for him to say something about whatever is bothering him. It’s the first time he’s ever been the one to go to Mineta, and he just barely manages to catch him after school, before he rushes out.
“Can we talk?” he asks.
“I guess. I mean, I have somewhere I have to be, so…”
“It doesn’t have to take long. Just walk with me, okay?”
“...yeah, okay.”
Mezo waits until they’re not close to anyone before he finally says, “Has something been bothering you lately?”
“No way, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, looking down.
“Can you tell me what it is?”
“This is so not like you, Shoji. Since when are you this concerned?” Mineta asks this in a tone that is almost teasing, like he’s trying to redirect focus.
“Well, since when do you not just come to me when something’s got you upset?” he replies. “I’m not the only one who’s noticed. If it’s personal, I understand, but...don’t just pretend nothing’s happening.”
There is a long pause before Mineta says, “Do you hate me? Be honest, okay?”
“Huh? Why would I bother checking on you if I hated you?”
“So you don’t? You’re sure?”
“I don’t hate you. Why did you think I did?”
“Somebody...somebody told me you did. That everyone hated me, the whole class,” he says so softly it’s barely audible.
“Who did?”
“It doesn’t matter, it just got me thinking...like, is that true? Does everyone just hate me? Are you just nice to me cos you feel bad, but you can’t stand me?”
Mezo has to take a moment to think about his answer, not because he’s realizing the truth, but because he knows better, and he wants to think of the best way to reassure Mineta. “I don’t hate you,” he finally says. “I wouldn’t pretend if I did, and I don’t think the whole class hates you either. Midoriya was worried about you too, you know?”
“Midoriya is nice to everyone.”
“But he doesn’t hate you. I know a lot of people get...annoyed, and, yeah, you can be hard to handle a lot of the time. But everyone hating you? I don’t believe that for a second,” he says. “You’re a part of the class, same as everyone else, and I don’t think anyone would want anyone else gone.”
“Well, I just thought…”
“Don’t believe everything you hear. There’s no way everyone hates you, so just go back to normal before more people start worrying. Well...you might want to tone down some things, but…”
“But you really don’t think everyone hates me?”
“I really don’t.”
“This is seriously not like you,” Mineta says, finally looking up at him and finally smiling. “Usually, you’re so serious it’s almost scary.”
“Doesn’t stop you from talking to me, though.”
“Of course not. I said almost , but you’re not scary. Just cool, mostly.”
He isn’t sure if Mineta meant for that to be so touching, and he isn’t sure why it is, but hearing something like that from him means a lot, more than he knows how to express. Already, he’s talked far too much and he’s running out of things to say, but for the first time in a while, he really doesn’t want this conversation to end.
By now, they’ve been walking together enough that most people have cleared out to go home, and they’re mostly alone. Perhaps that’s what makes him bold enough to ask, “Are you really doing anything after school, or are you free?”
Really, it’s an innocent question for a friend to ask, and he shouldn’t be so nervous. Mineta replies, “I’m free, why?”
“Do you want to...I don’t know, do something?” It’s a completely innocent question, so why does he feel like it isn’t? Why does he hope that Mineta won’t think it is?
“I, uh...I like girls, you know that…”
“So do I.” Which isn’t a lie.
“So, like...Asui, right? Do you remember-”
“Let’s not do that right now. You don’t have to say yes, if that’s what you think this is,” he says, neither confirming or denying that that is what it is.
“No, I…” Mineta swallows hard and says. “It’s whatever, I mean...either way, I want to. But I still-”
“I get it, don’t worry. And it doesn’t have to be like that, anyway.”
“Well, sure, but I...well, maybe that won’t be so bad, you know?” he asks. “I just wanted you to know. Just as long as you aren't doing this cos you feel bad for me.”
“I have no idea why I'm doing this,” Mezo admits, “but it isn't because I feel bad for you.”
So they go out together, neither quite admitting what exactly it is, and Mineta becomes more and more himself, for better or worse. At the very least, Mezo is glad he was able to help him bounce back from that, and wherever this goes from here, he still knows that he will always want to be there to help, in situations like this and in others.