Yuuta was just about to leave when, after taking only a few steps, he suddenly felt his body go out of control. The next moment, he was lifted straight into the air.
"You're being very rude, kid," Masata said calmly, gripping Yuuta by the shoulder.
"But other people were just trying to greet you."
"Humph!"
Yuuta glared fiercely at Masata and snorted coldly.
"I don't want to hang out with you people who dream of becoming Heroes, okay?!"
Hearing this, Masata didn't feel offended at all. Instead, he almost laughed.
"Hey, kid, how old are you exactly?" Masata said casually.
"And what's wrong with Heroes? Being a Hero is a respectable profession."
Unexpectedly, those words seemed to hit a nerve.
Yuuta suddenly started kicking his legs wildly toward Masata, his arms flailing as well. However, due to the obvious height difference, none of his attacks actually landed.
Seeing this, Masata's smile turned a little mischievous. He simply let Yuuta struggle in midair, making no move to put him down.
"Well… Yuuta really was in the wrong this time," Mandalay Cat said as she stepped forward.
She looked worriedly at her nephew, who was still glaring stubbornly.
"I'll apologize on his behalf."
"Yes, Masata," Yaoyorozu also tugged lightly on his arm.
"Why argue with a child? Just put him down."
Masata had only been teasing him anyway. He slowly lowered Yuuta to the ground—but the instant Yuuta's feet touched the floor, he threw a punch straight at Masata's face.
Masata, of course, wasn't about to stand there like Midoriya earlier. He tilted his head and dodged the fist effortlessly.
"That's enough, brat," Masata said calmly.
"It looks like you've got a story, but that's not a reason for everyone else to put up with you."
"Alright, stop messing around," Aizawa Shouta said impatiently from the side.
"Unload the luggage from the bus already."
He continued flatly:
"After putting your things in your rooms, go eat in the cafeteria. Then take a bath and go to sleep. That's tonight's schedule.
Tomorrow is when the real training begins. Tonight is your last decent night's rest for a while, so move it."
Under Aizawa's urging, the slightly tense atmosphere finally eased. Guided by North American Shorthair, everyone carried their luggage toward the accommodations.
This time, each person had their own room, which was surprisingly comfortable. After washing up briefly, Masata headed to the cafeteria to join the others.
"Wow, this looks amazing!"
Masata arrived a little late. Yaoyorozu was already seated and waved him over.
He sat down beside her, watching classmates devour their meals with enthusiasm. His own stomach growled loudly, and he immediately grabbed the food Yaoyorozu had already prepared for him and started eating.
Dinner consisted of mountain specialties—plenty of meat, of course, along with wild vegetables Masata had never seen before. The flavors were excellent. Yaoyorozu, having burned through a massive amount of fat today, was clearly focused on high-calorie foods.
"Any plans for tonight?" Masata asked through a mouthful of food.
"Swallow before you talk," Yaoyorozu sighed helplessly.
"But it sounds like we're going to the hot springs. Mandalay Cat said there's a natural one here, and it's really good."
"Oh?" Masata's eyes immediately lit up.
"That sounds great. You thinking of bringing me along?"
"Don't even think about it!" Yaoyorozu shot back instantly.
"This is a girls-only group activity!"
While the two were talking, loud voices erupted nearby.
"This rice is incredible! It's not even worse than food made by gourmet Heroes!"
Kirishima shoveled food into his mouth enthusiastically. His bowl was empty in no time.
"One more bowl!"
Beside him, others were eating just as desperately, as if they hadn't eaten in days. Masata honestly didn't understand how they were that tired—after all, in the Warcraft Forest, he had mostly acted as bait.
Maybe it really was exhausting.
North American Shorthair, who was helping serve food, looked extremely pleased. Most of the dishes had been cooked by her.
On the other side, Mandalay Cat was still busy.
"Yuuta, help me move those vegetables!"
"…Oh."
Yuuta, who had been lingering awkwardly at the cafeteria entrance, slowly walked in. His face looked sullen. From time to time, he sneaked glances at the lively scene—only to quickly look away, then peek again later, clearly afraid of being noticed.
That awkward behavior didn't escape Masata's notice.
Masata felt a little conflicted. From everything he had seen, Yuuta didn't seem like an unruly child at all. On the contrary—he felt too mature. It was obvious that something had happened to him, something that shaped him into who he was now.
Watching Yuuta leave with a box in his arms, Masata shook off those thoughts and focused back on his meal.
Everyone had their own painful past. Masata wasn't a god—he couldn't save everyone.
After eating their fill, hearing that there was a hot spring nearby, the boys also decided to relax and wash away the day's fatigue.
"Wow, Kirishima, you actually look kind of handsome with your hair down,"
Masata said in surprise, his whole body submerged in the hot spring.
With his hair soaked and hanging naturally, Kirishima lost his usual explosive silhouette. Without that sharp outline, his tough face looked noticeably softer.
"Hahaha! That's right—hey, miss, are you in the wrong bath?"
Kaminari burst out laughing after turning to look at Kirishima.
"You idiots!"
Kirishima immediately got angry, flailing his arms and splashing water everywhere.
"Are you asking for death?!"
Masata and Kaminari both dove underwater at the same time to dodge the counterattack.
Unfortunately, Bakugo—who had already gotten out to dry himself—was caught completely off guard and took the full splash.
"Huh?" Bakugo turned slowly, murderous aura rising.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Kirishima stiffened—but there was no backing down now.
"Courting death!"
Bakugo finally snapped. He threw the towel aside and jumped straight back into the water.
And just like that, the hot spring erupted into chaos.