The morning light filtering through the window struck like a spotlight, dragging the purple-haired boy from uneasy sleep. Mineta blinked at the cracked ceiling, still getting used to the feeling of waking up in this short, stubby body. His body.
"Mineta," he whispered to himself. It still felt weird saying it out loud. "I'm really him."
His voice, a little higher pitched than he was used to, echoed in the room. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was just a dream or a freakishly long hallucination, nothing changed the facts. He had died—or something close to it—and woke up in the body of one of anime's most… problematic characters.
He sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of his neck and scowling at the height difference he now had with the doorframe. "This is going to suck."
But he didn't have time to waste sulking. Yesterday, he had made a choice: if he was going to live as Mineta, he would do it his way. No more pervy jokes, no more being the class clown everyone barely tolerated. He wanted to be respected. Wanted to stand out. And above all, he wanted to be someone even a hero like Ashido Mina could look at without rolling her eyes.
And that meant work. Real, focused work.
He shuffled over to the small mirror above the desk and stared at the reflection.
Round face. Puffy cheeks. Big eyes that somehow made him look like a nervous raccoon. His infamous grape hair bobbed lightly with every movement. Even now, he wanted to punch his own face.
"Ugh, you look like you eat glue for breakfast," he muttered, scowling.
He pulled out a notebook—just some scrap paper he found the day before—and wrote down a title at the top: "Fixing This Disaster".
Underneath, he began to list his flaws.
Too short
Baby face
Weak body
Low stamina
Bad public image
Quirk sucks (for now)
Zero discipline
No real goals before now
He stared at the list, lips pressed into a thin line. "Man… you were a walking L."
But now, it wasn't him. Not really. He was someone else. A new mind in an old shell. He had knowledge. Experience. Determination. All things the original Mineta seemed to lack. Sure, he didn't have muscles or genius intellect, but he had something that would carry him further: intent. The will to grind. To get better. To become the version of Mineta this world deserved.
"Step one is improving the body. Can't be a hero if you get winded after walking up stairs." He stretched out his stubby arms and bounced on his heels. "Let's see what this thing can do."
He dropped to the floor and attempted a push-up.
Keyword: attempted.
His elbows trembled immediately, his stomach dropped to the carpet like a sack of flour, and his chin smacked the floor.
"...ow."
He tried again. This time, he made it halfway down before collapsing.
Next was a sit-up. He managed three before his abs burned like he'd swallowed fire.
Squats were a little better—at least his legs could carry his weight—but by the end of ten, he was panting and sweating like he'd just run a marathon.
"Holy hell," he wheezed, collapsing onto his back. "You're a damn liability."
But he didn't stop. Not right away. He sat up, wiped his forehead, and paced the room for five minutes to cool down. Then he grabbed a small bottle of water and guzzled it like a lifeline. His muscles were trembling, lungs still catching up, but deep down he knew—this was exactly where it needed to begin. Not with some overpowered cheat code, not with a magic pill or Quirk evolution. With pain. With effort.
As he lay back down, frustration bubbling inside him, something flickered.
A small chime echoed in his ears.
Ding.
His eyes snapped open. "What was that?"
There was nothing around him. No screen. No device. But then—
A faint shimmer appeared in front of his eyes, like light reflecting off glass. Then words. Glowing white, floating midair.
[Ultimate Training System Activated]—Trigger condition met: Mental and Physical commitment to improvement——Welcome, New User—
Mineta sat up so fast he nearly blacked out.
"A system? Like an actual, legit, anime-ass system?!"
The glowing screen pulsed again and expanded slightly.
Name: Minoru Mineta Age: 14 Quirk: Pop-OffSticky balls are generated from the scalp. They do not stick to the user but attach to other surfaces. Ball regeneration is based on stamina and time. Quirk Proficiency: 6%(Mastery requires complete creative and tactical understanding of the quirk's potential.)
Stats:
Strength: 4 Dexterity: 6 Endurance: 5 Intelligence: 8 Charm: 3 Willpower: 9
"...what in the skill tree-ridden, isekai-decorated hell is this?"
As the shock wore off, a second panel opened.
Training Plans Available Select areas for daily improvement. You may combine stat and skill goals into custom plans. Suggested Starter Plan:
Charm (Physical Grooming, Posture, Speech Practice)
Strength (Bodyweight Exercises)
Intelligence (Memory Drills, Strategic Thinking)
Mineta blinked. His heart was racing. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't some joke. The system was real. And it was tied to him. Only after he tried—really tried—to improve, had it kicked in.
It didn't talk to him. Didn't hand him powers. No AI voice. No cheat codes. Just a clean interface and a way to improve himself, one step at a time.
"…Perfect."
He stood, wiped the sweat from his brow, and grinned. "Let's start fixing Minoru Mineta."
He chose the starter plan, focusing on the three categories that would change his life the fastest. Charm, because he wanted to look in the mirror and not cringe. Strength, because he was tired of collapsing after ten pushups. And intelligence, because if he wanted to survive UA and go beyond, he'd need more than muscles.
He could almost see it now. A version of Mineta that stood tall—not just literally, but with pride. A Mineta that earned respect through work, through heart, through undeniable presence.
Another notification slid in at the bottom:
Daily Routine Locked In.Progress will be tracked based on effort and consistency.Rewards: Stat improvements, trait unlocks, and proficiency boosts.
Mineta let out a long breath, finally feeling something he hadn't felt in days.
Hope.
Maybe he couldn't change the past. Maybe he couldn't undo what the original Mineta had done. But he could change the future.
And starting today, that future was in his hands.
[STATS SCREEN]
Name: Minoru Mineta Age: 14 Quirk: Pop-Off Quirk Proficiency: 6%
Stats:
Strength: 4 Dexterity: 6 Endurance: 5 Intelligence: 8 Charm: 3 Willpower: 9
Active Training Plan:
Charm Training – Basic grooming, confidence drills, body posture work
Strength Training – Daily calisthenics (push-ups, squats, sit-ups)
Intelligence Training – Memory games, hero analysis, tactical puzzle books