Seeing Shigaraki speak up for him, Midoriya felt a warmth rise in his chest.
But even so, he instinctively defended the Pro Heroes.
Because to him, becoming a Pro Hero like All Might was his lifelong dream.
And in his heart, heroes were good people.
They had to be.
"No… they weren't wrong," Midoriya said quickly. "I realized afterward that I was wrong too. I'm too weak. I couldn't actually help them."
"If something had gone wrong, I would've just made it harder for them to rescue him."
He lowered his head, voice dimming.
"That wasn't bravery… it was just… reckless."
Shigaraki nearly rolled his eyes.
The kid was far too harsh on himself.
Sometimes, even reckless action was better than standing still.
And what Midoriya did that day wasn't recklessness.
In fact—
In the original timeline, it was precisely that desperate, selfless charge that reminded All Might what being a hero truly meant.
That moment reignited him.
That moment led to the rescue.
Without it?
Who knows what would've happened.
Before he could stop himself—
Shigaraki flicked his hand out.
Thwack.
"Wah—!"
Midoriya clutched his head, eyes watering again as he looked up at the blue-haired boy in confusion.
Shigaraki suppressed the urge to laugh and spoke seriously.
"Listen carefully, unknown little brother."
"When everyone else was stuck…"
"When the heroes were restrained by 'risk assessment'…"
"You stepped forward."
"When that boy was drowning in despair…"
"You stepped forward."
"You knew it was dangerous."
"And you still stepped forward."
He placed a firm hand on Midoriya's shoulder.
"Out of everyone there—only you did."
Midoriya stared at him.
"Yes, maybe it was reckless. Maybe even foolish."
"But sometimes recklessness is closer to courage than cowardice ever will be."
"Even if it was reckless, it doesn't erase the fact that your courage surpassed everyone else there."
Midoriya's breath caught.
Shigaraki's gaze flickered for a moment.
Truthfully—
He respected Midoriya.
If their roles were reversed—
If he had been bullied for years by someone like Bakugo—
He would never risk his life to save him.
Not a chance.
At best, he would've watched.
Maybe even smirked.
That was the difference between them.
One born leaning toward darkness.
The other—
Born to be a hero.
Shigaraki continued.
"I don't know why only two people told you that you can become a hero."
"But there are many ways to measure what makes one."
"If people judge you based on a single shortcoming and deny everything else—"
"That's narrow-minded."
"And they're not absolute truth."
"They don't get to decide your worth."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly shifted toward the far end of the street.
There was something unreadable in them.
Then he turned and began walking away.
His voice carried back over his shoulder.
"The one who gives hope to those in despair—that's a hero."
"The rest… doesn't matter."
Midoriya stood frozen.
"The one who gives hope to the despairing…"
He repeated the words quietly.
Something inside him clicked.
For the first time—
The definition felt clear.
But then he suddenly realized—
He didn't even know the boy's name.
"W-Wait!" Midoriya called out hurriedly.
"Can I ask your name?!"
The blue-haired boy stopped and turned.
A bright, almost gentle smile curved on his face.
"Me?"
"My name is Tenko Shimura."
"And you?"
"I—I'm Midoriya Izuku!"
"Midoriya Izuku…"
Tenko repeated it softly.
"That's a good name."
"I'll remember it."
He waved casually.
"Until next time, Midoriya."
And then he walked away.
Midoriya watched until his figure disappeared at the end of the street.
His eyes shone brighter than before.
Because now—
He knew.
"I'll become a hero."
"The kind who gives hope to the despairing."
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