"Come on, run faster! When I was your age, I was called the second coming of Usain Bolt!" Manami shouted loudly as Minoru Mineta ran as fast as he could, struggling to keep his balance while carrying a microwave on his back.
Manami rode beside him on his bicycle, casually pedaling while throwing out what he called 'encouragement', which honestly just sounded like exaggerated stories about how amazing he was in his teenage years, claiming he was basically the best at everything back then.
'Why do adults always say such ridiculous things to their kids…?' Mineta thought, completely unconvinced as he focused on running, his shoulders burning from the weight of the microwave pressing down on him.
He ignored his father's voice and kept moving forward, his breathing getting heavier with each step as he pushed himself harder.
Mineta had asked Manami to train him, and surprisingly, his father had agreed instantly without even asking why.
Though convincing his mom had been a completely different story.
Umeko had been against it at first, clearly worried, but Manami somehow managed to convince her. That being said, she made one thing very clear.
"If Minoru even shows a single sign of injury because of your negligence, you are dead."
Manami, without missing a beat, swore on the spot that if Mineta got hurt, he would sleep on the couch for an entire month.
Only then did Umeko allow it, mostly because she knew exactly how incapable and horny her husband was of sleeping alone without her beside him.
And that's how Mineta ended up in this situation.
Hellish training.
Running, lifting, throwing, repeating.
EVERY.
SINGLE.
DAY.
Honestly, this part is boring, so let's just skip it.
Time skip — three days before middle school.
Mineta stood in front of the mirror attached to his cupboard, staring at his reflection before striking a pose he had seen bodybuilders and pro heroes do on TV, flexing slightly while turning his body to get the best angle.
"I am hot," he declared confidently while showing off his biceps.
"Minoru! Come down for dinner! And stop doing those poses again, it's kind of cringe!" Umeko's voice echoed from downstairs.
"Mom! Those poses are not cringe!" Mineta shouted back immediately. "Look, Dad looked cool when he showed me his poses!"
"Your dad was the biggest cringe delinquent in his school! Don't walk in his footsteps or no girl will ever fall for you!" Umeko fired back instantly.
From the bathroom, Manami's voice joined in loudly, "Oi! You fell for me because of those cringe things! So don't worry about it, Minoru! Sad girls and nerdy girls love cringe boyfriends, they lighten the mood and make them happy!"
Mineta deadpanned slightly as his parents immediately started bickering, which quickly turned into their usual lovey-dovey nonsense that he had absolutely no interest in watching.
He turned away and walked toward his closet to change, deciding to completely ignore whatever was going on downstairs.
'Still… I've made good progress,' he thought while putting on his clothes.
His body had changed noticeably. His stomach now showed the early signs of six-pack abs, and his stamina, speed, and strength had all increased by a huge margin compared to before.
'And I'm getting taller too… finally,' he noted, clearly satisfied with that part.
As for his quirk, the improvement was just as clear.
His throwing accuracy had improved a lot thanks to Manami teaching him how to properly grip and throw the balls at different angles.
His father had proudly claimed that he used the same techniques back in the day to take down an entire delinquent gang.
'Yeah… sure you did,' Mineta thought, not fully believing him but still appreciating the results.
He had already gotten the hang of Grape Rush and Super Grape Rush, being able to spam multiple balls quickly and trap targets effectively.
Right now, he was working on Mineta Bounce, trying to combine his movements with styles similar to Gran Torino and Edgeshot, though it was still a work in progress.
After finishing up, he walked downstairs.
And immediately froze.
His dad and mom were making out on the sofa.
'I don't want to watch them make love!' Mineta thought instantly as he bolted toward the dining room without looking back.