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"You know… you have what it takes to become a hero."
Midoriya froze.
For a second, he genuinely wondered if he had misheard.
Him?
Have the qualifications to become a hero?
How?
He was Quirkless.
"Um… what did you just say?"
"I said you have the kind of—eh? W-wait, why are you crying? "Hey—why the waterworks? Is that your Quirk or something?"
Shigaraki's mouth twitched slightly as Midoriya's eyes flooded instantly.
Honestly, he still thought crying suited girls more.
When beautiful girls cried, it could look delicate, even moving.
But boys—especially the full tears-and-snot combo—were hard to watch.
Embarrassing.
In Shigaraki's view, a man should bleed before he cries.
He despised weak-willed men who broke down at the slightest thing.
But—
He didn't dislike Midoriya.
Because Midoriya wasn't weak.
Yes, he cried easily.
He cried out of frustration at his own powerlessness.
He cried when someone acknowledged him.
But he didn't cry when his bones broke.
He didn't cry for his own pain.
He endured.
If that wasn't strength, then what was?
Still—
Watching him cry like this was… not aesthetically pleasing.
Shigaraki suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and instead awkwardly tried to comfort him.
Fortunately, it worked.
After a moment, Midoriya managed to calm down.
Then, remembering he had just burst into tears in front of someone he had just met, he bowed again in embarrassment.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble…"
"It's fine," Shigaraki said lightly. "I was just curious why you reacted so… strongly."
He chose his words carefully.
Of course he knew why.
But he was supposed to be a boy who had only met Midoriya once before.
Knowing too much would ruin the performance.
"…Because you're the second person who said that to me," Midoriya admitted quietly.
"The second person?"
"Other than… him."
He stopped himself before saying All Might's name.
"The second person who believed in me."
Shigaraki blinked.
"Wait. You did something that brave… and no one praised you?"
Midoriya fell silent.
That silence was answer enough.
Shigaraki's brows knit together in exaggerated indignation.
"That's ridiculous."
"You ran in to save someone when even pros were stuck."
"And no one told you that was brave?"
"That's messed up."
He had no psychological resistance to criticizing Pro Heroes.
Their performance during the Sludge Villain incident had indeed been unimpressive.
A hero, by definition, acts when someone cries for help.
Yet they hesitated.
They passed responsibility around.
And when a Quirkless boy broke the deadlock—
They scolded him afterward.
Shigaraki understood their reasoning.
They were afraid.
They didn't want a powerless child risking his life.
But understanding didn't mean agreeing.
Midoriya only acted because the professionals hadn't.
If even one of them had stepped forward decisively, the situation would never have required a Quirkless middle schooler to charge in.
Instead—
The one who caused the explosion was praised for his "potential."
The one who tried to save someone was reprimanded.
Power determined praise.
That was the truth.
Shigaraki watched Midoriya's conflicted expression carefully.
This wasn't about turning him into a Villain.
Not yet.
This was about creating a crack.
A small fissure in the flawless image of Pro Heroes.
Just enough to let doubt seep in.
Just enough for Midoriya to begin questioning—
Not whether heroes were good—
But whether the current system truly reflected what a hero should be.
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