Zero - A Vigilante Deku Story

Chapter 39 - Big Brothers

POV Zero

With Kacchan at his side, he walked to their friends table. Toshi looked at them with a frown. Zero inwardly groaned. He wasn't a little kid whose big brother had to take care of him.

Mina, on the other hand, smiled knowingly. Did that mean Kacchan had spoken to her? From what Zero had seen so far, the two were good friends.

He headed for one of the two free chairs, put the tray down and sat down on the empty seat next to Toshi. Zero didn't want the atmosphere between him and Kacchan to boil over again.

The lunch break was almost half over, so Kacchan and he didn't take much part in the conversation at the table. The others were talking about lessons or plans for next weekend.

Zero largely ignored the conversation. This made it easier for him not to be overwhelmed by the sensory impressions of the crowded cafeteria. The others left him alone and Zero enjoyed the food. Even after almost three weeks, he still needed to get used to regular meals.

Lunch Rush was a fantastic cook. Since Shouta and Mic had taken him in, Zero had put on some weight and no longer looked half-starved - as Toshi liked to tease him.

Mina sighed heavily, snapping him out of his thoughts. She was reading something on her phone, which had put a damper on her sunny mood from before.

"Let me guess: Still no news?" asked Sero.

"No, no report of a sighting. That's so unlike him. He's never taken such a long break. I wonder if something's happened to him?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Denki.

"Mina has a crush on this well-known vigilante," Sero said with a broad grin.

"I don't have a crush! I admire him for his courage and hope to be just as brave as a heroine myself later on."

Toshi gave him a quick glance. "Which vigilante?"

"Not so loud," Mina hissed, "or do you fancy having to hear the lecture on vigilantism and why we as heroes in training shouldn't support it once again from Iida?"

Denki visibly shuddered. "Just don't! Once was enough."

"That was back in middle school, wasn't it? You and a few other girls were molested on the way home and someone came to your rescue," Kirishima said.

"That's right. We were walking home in the evening after a day at the arcade when some nasty guys tried to pull us into an alley. Then, out of nowhere, a hooded figure appeared and beat the crap out of them. I later found out that it was the vigilante Zero. Because of him, I decided to become a heroine myself and have been following his career ever since."

Zero's mouth fell open in disbelief and heat rose in his cheeks. Mina and he had met before? He thought he remembered. The incident must have happened about a year after he had started patrolling.

"Fangirl," Sero teased.

"When I was in the infirmary after the incident with the house, I heard that Aizawa was on to him. Maybe the caterpillar knows something and will tell you if it's that important to you," Kacchan said thoughtfully.

Denki and Toshi looked around, then at Zero and finally at each other before they started laughing out loud.

Mina crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at the two of them. "I really don't know what's so funny about this. We all have our reasons for wanting to be heroes. My reason is as good as any other."

Zero looked around helplessly. He had assumed his classmates knew who he was. Then again... How could they? It had only been a few days into the term and he himself had barely spoken to the others so far.