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A groan escaped Mineta's lips as consciousness slowly returned to him. The beam of sunlight streaming through the window aided his return to the waking world. Pushing himself up, he looked around to find himself in his dorm room. Only there was something rather… off. Namely, all of his posters and hentai magazines were gone! All in all, it didn't really look like his dorm room. The sight of it confused him, but his mind soon drifted to more pressing matters.
“What… happened?” Mineta groggily asked, rubbing his head as he struggled to remember the events that led him here. “Denki, Sero, and I went to the arcade... Then a villain attacked and… Denki! He got hurt! I gotta see if he's okay!” With his newfound resolve, Mineta ran out of the room and went to the common room where his classmates were assembled.
“Guys, has anyone seen Denki?!” he asked. Immediately, the class stopped what they were doing and turned to Mineta. But the looks on their faces gave Mineta pause. They all had varying expressions of confusion.
“Um, why are you guys looking at me like that?” Mineta asked, himself confused.
“Don't take this the wrong way,” Tsuyu began, “But who are you?”
“Tsu, if that's supposed to be a joke, it's not funny,” Mineta said. “You know who I am.”
“No I don't,” Tsuyu replied. “And how do you know my name? Only my friends call me Tsu.”
“But I am your friend!” Mineta protested.
“But I’ve never met you before in my life,” came Tsuyu's blunt reply. The words hit Mineta like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind clean out of his lungs. “But… but, Tsu…” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “Don't you remember the USJ incident? We kinda saved each other’s lives back there.”
“You were at the USJ incident?” Ochako asked. “I don't remember seeing you there. Are you really a student here?”
“Of course I am!” Mineta shouted. Not just a student, but a member of this class! It's me, Mineta Minoru! You know, the class pervert?”
“Class pervert?” Mina asked, her tone a mix of amusement and disgust. “Trust me, if there were a pervert in our class, we would know. Sure you don't have your classes mixed up?”
“No, I don't!” Mineta said, his irritation growing. “You know who I am! All of you do!”
“What’s with all the racket?” Bakugo's voice rang out as he and the Class 1-A boys walked out of the kitchen. Denki was notably absent among them. But what confused Mineta more was the presence of Hitoshi Shinso. “Shinso?!” Mineta asked, incredulous. “Aren't you in Gen Ed?”
“Um… no?” Shinso replied, raising an eyebrow. “I passed the Entrance Exam. By the way, how the hell do you know my name?”
“I know all of your names!” Mineta replied. “I'm a member of Class 1-A! I'm your classmate!”
“As you can see, we got this weird kid who claims to know us,” Jiro said. “He says he's a member of the class.”
“Young man,” Iida began as he stepped forward, “I fear you have us confused with someone else. None of us have ever met you before.”
“Guys, this isn't funny anymore!” Mineta said, “I’m your classmate! I'm your friend! Ask Mr. Aizawa!”
“I'm right here,” a gruff voice called out. Mineta turned to find Aizawa standing behind him. “And I’d like to know why a kid I've never met is harassing my students. Moreover, how did you get into the dorms anyway?”
“Not you too!” Mineta yelled, exasperated. “I'm one of your students, Mr. Aizawa!”
“Really?” Aizawa asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “I remember every student I've taught, so I'm pretty sure I would remember if you were one of my students.”
“This young man is clearly confused, Mr. Aizawa,” Momo said.
“Clearly.” Aizawa curtly replied before turning to look at Mineta. “Come with me, kid. Maybe Principal Nezu can sort this out.”
Later, at Principal Nezu's office…
“That… that can't be right,” Mineta said, his eyes wide as plates and his face pale as snow.
“I'm afraid it's the truth,” Principal Nezu replied. “There is no record of you being a student here.”
“But that's not right!” Mineta screamed. “I applied to U.A.! I passed the Entrance Exam! I'm a student here!”
“I'm sorry, young man, but the facts are the facts,” Nezu said. “We have no records of a Mineta Minoru here.” All Mineta could do was bury his head in his hands as the horrifying revelation sank in.
Nezu walked towards Mineta and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I understand this must be incredibly distressing for you,” he began. “I don't fully understand what’s going on. Perhaps you're telling the truth; we can't remember you for some reason. As things stand, you’re not a U.A. student, so the best thing you can do now is go home. Your parents must be worried sick.”
“My mom…” Mineta whispered.
Later, at the Minoru Residence...
As Mineta made his way to his mother’s apartment, his mind was still racing as he tried to process everything that had happened. Somehow all of his classmates and even the teachers had just forgotten about him. As if he had never existed at all. It left him questioning everything. Maybe he never passed the Entrance Exam. Maybe he never went to U.A. to begin with. Maybe everything that happened was just a dream. But that didn't make sense! He couldn't have dreamed all that up! The USJ, the Forest Training Camp, he was there when those events happened! They weren't just some figment of his imagination!
Eventually, he reached the Minoru apartment. If his friends don't remember him, then certainly his mother would. Mineta knocked on the door and it opened to reveal a woman who, for all intents and purposes, looked very much like a female version of Mineta. She wore a purple dress, wore glasses, and had purple balls on her head styled in the form of braids. This was Mineta's mother, Mayumi Minoru.
“Hey, Mom,” Mineta greeted. “I'm back.”
Mayumi stared at Mineta with an inquisitive look on her face. “I'm sorry, but… do I know you?” she asked.
Mineta's eyes went wide at the question. “Mom, no… not you too.” he pleaded. “It's me! Your son, Mineta!”
“I'm sorry, but you have me confused with someone else,” Mayumi replied. “I don't have a son.” The words cut through Mineta like a knife. But he didn't have time to reply before he heard another voice. One he hasn't heard in years.
“Everything okay, honey?” the voice asked as a man walked up next to Mayumi. The man looked every bit like an older, taller version of Mineta. Mineta's eyes went wide as the recognition dawned on him. This was Makoto Minoru, his father. Except… his father walked out on the family years ago.
“Wh… What are you doing here?” Mineta asked, his body shaking and trembling.
“Um… I live here?” Makoto replied. “This is my home and this is my wife. The question is: Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“This boy says he's our son,” Mayumi said.
“That's impossible,” Makoto said. “We don't have any kids. Unless...” He turned to Mayumi, a sly grin on his face. “…You haven't been cheating on me, huh?”
“Oh, silly,” Mayumi giggled, planting a kiss on Makoto's cheek. “How could I possibly betray the perfect man?”
Mineta, meanwhile, couldn't believe what was happening. He was hyperventilating, with sweat pouring down his face. Unable to take any more, Mineta turned and bolted. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he ran through the city. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to get away. Eventually, he ended up tripping in an alleyway. Picking himself up, he curled up in a fetal position next to a dumpster crying as he attempted to make sense of everything.
“My friends don't remember me… Mr. Aizawa doesn't remember me… My parents don't remember me! What’s happening?!” he asked himself, looking up to the heavens as if they would provide an answer.
“Mineta?” a voice called out. Mineta looked to see none other than Denki Kaminari standing over him. “D… Denki?” Mineta asked, his voice wavering. “You… Y-Y-You remember me?”
“I'm pretty sure I’d remember my best friend,” Denki replied nonchalantly.
“Oh, thank God!” Mineta said as he hugged Denki's waist. “I don't know what the fuck’s happening, man! Everyone's suddenly forgotten about me! Thank God you still remember me.”
Of course!” Denki replied. “How could I forget someone so pathetic?” The statement caused Mineta to let go of Denki, looking up to him with wide and confused eyes. “…What?”
“Exactly what I said,” Denki replied, a disturbingly cheerful smile on his face that stood in stark contrast to the cruel words coming out of his mouth. “You're pathetic, a weakling, a runt, a loser. Someone who no one would ever care about.”
“You… you don't mean that,” Mineta said, tears stinging his eyes. “W-We’re friends.”
“Yeah… I only hung out with you because I felt sorry for you,” Denki went on. “That, and hanging out with a loser like you made me look better by comparison. Otherwise, I wouldn't want anything to do with someone so disgusting. Especially someone who’d tell a little girl he couldn't wait to see her in 10 years. But don't take my word for it. Just ask everyone else!” Mineta watched as multiple shadowy figures began to materialize behind Denki. The shadows then began to mold themselves into clones of Aizawa, his classmates, and even his parents. All of them had glowing red eyes and wore expressions of pure hatred and disgust.
“I kept you around because I thought you could grow and mature,” the shadow Aizawa hissed, “But you're just a failure I should've expelled long ago.”
"I should've let you die back at the USJ,” Shadow Izuku said spitefully.
“Class 1-A is better without you. Happier without you.” Shadow Tsuyu said.
“That cheerleader prank you pulled humiliated me!” Shadow Momo yelled. “You're a disgusting pervert!”
“You're a disgrace to Class 1-A! And to all of U.A.!” Shadow Iida proclaimed.
“How the fuck did a runt like you get into U.A. anyway?” Shadow Bakugo asked derisively. “Do everyone a favor and take a swan dive off a roof!”
“Shinso's much better than you are,” Shadow Kyoka said. “It's nice to have a classmate who doesn't have his mind in the gutter all the time.”
“To think my son would be such a disgusting pervert,” Shadow Mayumi said. “No wonder your father left us!”
“I knew you were no good the moment I saw you,” Shadow Makoto said. “Glad I left when I did.”
On and on it went, an endless stream of taunts and jeers from the shadows. All the while, Mineta could do nothing but curl into a ball and endure the verbal abuse. Tears streamed down his face as he cried. “Stop… please, stop…” he begged.
“Poor little Mineta,” a far more demonic voice said. Mineta looked up and watched in horror as the shadow clones melted into a towering shadow monster with burning crimson eyes. It resembled Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, but far more demonic.
“Alone… Abandoned… Unwanted…” the creature spoke as it lurched towards Mineta, who scrambled backward to escape only for his back to hit the wall. “No one cares about you. No one needs you. So why are you still here?” The monster then turned its hand into a large scythe. “Maybe you should... DISAPPEAR!!!” The monster swung its scythe arm at Mineta, who screamed as everything went black…
“NO!!!” Mineta screamed as he awoke to reality, breathing hard as sweat poured down his face. Taking a few shuddering breaths to calm himself, he looked around to find himself in the infirmary.
“Awake, I see,” A voice called out, startling Mineta. He looked to see Aizawa standing in the doorway with two cups in his hand. “Welcome back, Problem Child #3.”
“M-M-Mr. Aizawa?” he forced his quivering voice to ask. “Do you remember me? You know who I am, right? Please say you know who I am!”
“You're Mineta Minoru,” Aizawa replied flatly, “Student of U.A. and member of Class 1-A. I’d be a really shit teacher if I didn't remember one of my students, don't you think? Especially with all the harassment complaints I get about you.”
“So it was all a dream,” he thought to himself, burying his face in his hands. Aizawa walked towards the bed and offered one of the cups to Mineta. “Some tea,” he said, “Should help clear your head.” Mineta took one of the cups and started drinking.
“What's the last thing you can remember?” Aizawa asked.
Mineta took a moment to think, to steady the turbulent storm raging within his mind as it tried to separate dream from reality. “I think… me, Denki, and Sero went to the arcade… then a villain attacked… I think I blacked out, maybe?”
“Guess your mind’s still a bit hazy,” Aizawa said, taking a deep breath. “According to Denki and Sero, you guys did go to the arcade and you were attacked by this guy.” He pulled out his phone and showed Mineta a picture of a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks, red eyes, and metallic claws on his fingers. His face was twisted in a manic expression.
“This is Jabber Wonger,” Aizawa continued. “A known troublemaker. His Quirk, Venom, lets him produce and secrete powerful toxins, but they also affect his mind and make him dangerously unpredictable. Normally he's on special medication, but he decided to stop taking it and went on a stabbing spree. You three managed to hold him off until the Pros arrived. However, during the fight, Jabber was about to attack an unaware Denki. But you took the hit instead. Midnight arrived and put Jabber to sleep with her Quirk, after which we rushed you three back here to treat your wounds. Thankfully you only got hit with a low dosage, so we just had to inject you with some antivenom. After that, we just had to wait for you to wake up. Denki stayed with you for a while, but then he left, saying he had to take care of something.”
Mineta listened as Aizawa recounted the day’s events, his words helping to lift the veil of confusion clouding his mind. “What about Denki and Sero?” he asked.
“They're fine,” Aizawa replied. “Some minor injuries, but they’ll live.”
Mineta sighed in relief before he fell silent. “I had a dream,” he began, “Everyone had forgotten about me. It was horrifying.”
“Not surprising,” Aizawa replied, “Jabber's Venom can induce vivid hallucinations, even at low dosages. Must’ve been one hell of a nightmare to have you screaming like that.”
Mineta silently nodded, but his eyes lit up with realization. “What day is it?” he asked.
“October 8th,” Aizawa replied. “You’ve only been asleep for a few hours. Happy Birthday, by the way. Though I guess this is a really crappy way to spend it.”
“So… can I go?” Mineta asked.
“Recovery Girl needs you to stay for a while longer to see if there are any lingering side effects," Aizawa replied. "You'll be free to go after that. I'm sure your friends will be happy to see you.”
“…Yeah,” Mineta said, though his voice had little confidence behind it.
Later That Night…
Mineta made his way to Heights Alliance, his mind still reeling from the day's events. Today would've been his first birthday since coming to U.A. and moving to the dorms, only for it to go horribly wrong. Really, he should be used to this by now. Birthdays were never a source of happiness for him. He didn't have any friends growing up, his father walked out on the family years ago, and his mother—God bless her—was too busy with her job to spend time with him, often leaving him in the house by himself.
Maybe that was the reason he acted out as he did. He just wanted someone to notice him, to know he existed. Even if they didn't like him, he’d make sure they remember him.
So when Denki and Sero offered to take him to the arcade for his birthday, he was happy to spend time with his friends, something he never got to do when he was younger. Of course, it didn't exactly end on a happy note. His mind then drifted back to that dream he had, and it made him wonder: Would the class actually care if he died? Denki would care, yes, and maybe Sero, Midoriya, and Tsuyu. But what about the others? Especially the girls? It's not as though he's given them any reason for them to care with the way he’s acted. So if something happened to him, would they care? Or would they be happy the “class creep” was finally gone and they could replace him with a more preferable option like Shinso?
Mineta reached the door and opened it. The moment he did, the lights suddenly came on accompanied by a yell of “SURPRISE!”, startling Mineta. Recovering from the shock, he looked to see the room decorated with balloons and a banner saying “Happy Birthday”. All of his classmates were here along with a table at the center of the room with a large birthday cake on it. “What's going on?” he asked, still confused.
“It's your birthday party, obviously,” Tsuyu replied.
“It was all Denki's idea, really!” Izuku said.
“You told me that you never had a birthday party before,” Denki explained, “So I got everyone to help me set this up. Sero and I were supposed to take you to the arcade to keep you away from the dorms while the rest of the class set up the party. Of course, things didn't exactly go according to plan with that villain attack. So while you were laid up in the infirmary, we got the party together.”
“So consider this a Birthday party and a Welcome Back party!” Sero added.
“Plus we heard how you, Denki, and Sero stopped that villain!” Kirishima exclaimed. “You even saved Denki from getting poisoned! That was real manly, bro!”
“I still think you're an annoying little pervert,” Kyoka said, trying to act aloof. Though the small smile betrayed her true feelings. “But I guess even you deserve to celebrate your birthday.”
Mineta said nothing. He just listened as everyone explained everything, too stunned to say anything in response. “They remembered…” he thought to himself. “They actually remembered.” He lowered his head as his body started trembling. Tears began to sting his eyes and small whimpers escaped him as he actively fought the impulse to cry.
“Hey buddy,” Denki asked. “You okay?” Mineta responded by throwing himself at Denki, burying his face in the blond's chest as he loudly and openly wept, his tears staining Denki's shirt. This was not the reaction Denki expected. He's seen Mineta cry before, but this wasn't the usual over-the-top crying he was used to. This was something deeper, more raw.
“Guess you really never had a birthday party before,” Denki said as he hugged Mineta back. “Don't worry, buddy, you'll have plenty of birthday parties with us. Now come on, your cake's getting cold, and you're getting tears all over my shirt.”
Mineta, meanwhile, continued to cry. He knew he was likely embarrassing himself in front of the girls, but right now he didn't care. There were just so many emotions pouring out of him: Relief that his friends were okay. Pride that he helped take down a villain. And above all, joy that his friends cared about him enough to remember his birthday.
And that… was the best birthday present he could ask for.
The End!