Chapter 56 - Strike Again: Love Potion?!

Mineta and Kaminari crept through the halls of U.A. at midnight like two badly disguised thieves in matching slippers, whispering way too loudly and shushing each other every few seconds. The school was dark and quiet, every footstep echoing like a criminal confession. Kaminari held a small flashlight that flickered aggressively because he bought it from a cheap convenience store, and Mineta kept tripping over his own shoes because he was nervous.

Finally, they reached the science lab. Kaminari swallowed hard and whispered, "Okay... okay... we're here. Are you sure you wanna do this? We can still back out and pretend this was all a dream."

But Mineta shook his head, dramatic as ever. "No. We're doing this. And I called in reinforcements."

Kaminari blinked. "What reinforcements—?"

The door to the lab suddenly swung open with a metallic THUNK, and bright fluorescent light spilled out into the hallway. Standing inside, goggles on her forehead, tools strapped to her waist, and an enormous grin stretching across her face, was Mei Hatsume.

"WELCOME, CUSTOMERS!!!" she announced loudly enough to wake the dead.

Kaminari slapped a hand over her mouth. "SHHHHHHHH!! Someone will hear us!"

Mei pulled off Kaminari's hand with surprising strength, eyes sparkling with unhinged excitement. "So! You two said you want a LOVE POTION! A real, full-effective, scientifically-enhanced, up-close-and-personal, foolproof LOVE DEVICE! This is PERFECT! I can test a bunch of new baby inventions tonight!"

Mineta practically bowed before her, sparkling with awe. "You're an angel. A hero. The bridge between me and destiny."

Kaminari sighed heavily. "Mei... you know potions aren't really your thing, right? Like... you build machines... gadgets..."

But Mei was already wheeling out a massive cart covered in beakers, flasks, glowing liquids, fumes, gears, spark plugs, tubing, and at least one object that looked like a rocket engine.

"Oh, please," she declared confidently, adjusting her gloves "Chemistry is just science with extra steps. And love is just a chemical reaction! All we have to do is manipulate brain chemistry! Simple!"

Kaminari took a step back. "That sounds incredibly concerning."

But Mineta was vibrating with joy. "SHE GETS IT!"

Mei slapped a pair of goggles onto both boys' faces, not caring if they fit. "Stand back. I need maximum space for SCIENCE."

She flicked on multiple switches. Machines whirred. Flasks bubbled. Something started smoking in a shade of purple that should not exist in nature. The air filled with a strange humming noise.

Kaminari's voice cracked. "Mei... are any of these... safe?"

Mei beamed like she was conducting the world's most dangerous cooking show. "Probably not! But you said you want an EFFECTIVE love potion, not a SAFE one, right?"

Mineta saluted. "Correct."

Kaminari facepalmed so hard it echoed.

Mei grabbed several liquids, poured them through a tube that sent sparks flying, then pulled a lever that released steam across the whole table. She hummed happily as she worked, not questioning at all what this concoction was going to be used for.

"So," she asked casually, mixing glowing liquids that crackled like static, "is this for a specific girl or test trials? I don't need names, just whether she has allergies or if we're trying to enhance physical attraction, emotional bond, or both!"

Kaminari's soul left his body. Mineta answered instantly.

"ALL OF THOSE."

Mei nodded, fully unfazed. "Cool, cool. I'll optimize for maximum effectiveness and minimal bitterness. We want the flavor profile to be appealing."

Finally—after explosive bubbles, pops, smoke, and a small fire that Mei stomped out with zero concern—the room went quiet.

Mei held up a tiny vial. The liquid inside glowed with a soft rosy light, swirling hypnotically like enchanted candy.

Mineta gasped. Kaminari nearly cried. Mei beamed.

"TA-DA! LOVE POTION PROTOTYPE BABY NUMBER ONE!" she announced proudly. "No guarantees, no warranties, probably illegal, but extremely potent! Use sparingly!"

Mineta held the vial like it was the holy grail.

Kaminari whispered, terrified, "We're gonna die. We're absolutely going to die."

Mei grinned wider. "Let me know if she grows wings or starts floating. That could happen. Maybe."

Mineta didn't hear any of the warnings. He only saw opportunity.

The lab lights flickered softly, casting the potion's rosy glow across all three of their faces, and for a moment even Kaminari had to admit it looked... legit. Terrifying, but legit.

Mei clapped her hands together, startling both of them. "Alright, now here's how this beauty works," she said, pacing around them like she was giving a high-stakes presentation. "You need the target to consume it. Doesn't matter how. You can pour it directly into the mouth—don't actually do that, that's creepy—or mix it into a drink, or drizzle it onto food. The chemical compounds activate once ingested, not on skin contact."

Kaminari nodded slowly, trying to act like he understood a single word. "So... so like... sneaky cafeteria poisoning?"

Mineta elbowed him. "Romantic sneaky cafeteria poisoning."

Mei pointed at them both with a wrench. "However, the most important part is what comes next. The potion has an optical trigger. The effects kick in when the drinker looks at the intended love target. So if either of you two are trying to be the chosen one, make absolutely sure she has full visual contact with you the moment the potion settles."

Kaminari choked. "FULL visual contact?? What does that even mean?!"

Mei shrugged. "Just... literally look at her. Make sure she's looking at you. Eye contact. Preferably straight-on. No sideways glances, no blinking at the exact wrong millisecond. If you want her to imprint on you properly, it's gotta be clean."

Mineta puffed out his chest proudly, imagination already running wild. "Oh, that'll be easy. I'll just stand right in front of Yuuki and smile at her like this—" He made a face meant to be charming but instead looked like a confused gremlin.

Kaminari slapped a hand over his eyes. "You're going to traumatize her."

Mei ignored the chaos, rolling out a whiteboard she somehow procured from nowhere. She drew an extremely detailed, overly complicated diagram involving arrows, hearts, brain waves, and what looked suspiciously like a miniature Cupid with a jetpack. "If done correctly," she continued enthusiastically, "the potion will create heightened emotional receptiveness toward the target. Strong, obsessive attachment, amplified romantic interest, possible swooning—I fine-tuned that part—and a temporary boost in dopamine and oxytocin. Science is beautiful."

Kaminari raised a shaky hand. "And if done incorrectly?"

Mei immediately erased part of the diagram. "Anyway! Just follow the instructions."

Mineta leaned forward, eyes shimmering with hope. "So all we need to do is get Yuuki to drink this... and stare at me or Kaminari?"

Mei nodded firmly. "Exactly."

•••

Mei gave them one last energetic thumbs-up before practically skipping out of the workshop, humming to herself and already mumbling about "upgrading the formula next time" and "maybe adding glitter for dramatic effect." The door slid shut behind her with a soft hiss, leaving Kaminari and Mineta standing in the dim, bluish glow of the late-night support lab, holding the potion like it was a sacred relic that could either change their lives or end them spectacularly.

For a long moment neither of them spoke. Mei's footsteps faded down the hallway, replaced by the low hum of machines and the quiet metallic clicking of cooling gears. Kaminari finally exhaled, shoulders slumping as he stared at the tiny vial in Mineta's hands. "Dude... we actually have it. Like—this is real. This is happening. We—are we really doing this?"

Mineta's eyes gleamed with determination that would've been admirable if it weren't aimed at something so catastrophically misguided. He held the potion at eye level, staring into its shimmering pink surface as if he were gazing into a future full of love, happiness, and absolutely no Bakugo-related explosions. "Tomorrow," he said, voice wobbling with excitement, "we're going to win Yuuki's heart. For real this time. No more dumb ideas, no more running from Bakugo—this is our chance."

Kaminari scratched the back of his neck, pacing in a slow nervous circle. "Yeah... yeah. Totally. Our ONE chance. Our single, tiny, fragile chance with a potion that might make her levitate or grow tentacles. She better not grow tentacles. I can't handle that."

Mineta waved him off. "She won't grow tentacles. Probably..."

Kaminari whimpered.

They both looked toward the door again, making sure Mei was really gone, before Kaminari leaned in close. "Okay... so tomorrow. What's the plan? Like the actual plan? We can't just... shove a drink at her and stare at her like creeps."

Mineta tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We need subtlety. Finesse. Charm. Something Bakugo doesn't have."

Kaminari snorted. "He has anger and explosions. That's basically charm for him."

"Exactly why we need to be better," Mineta said dramatically. "We'll start early in the morning. Breakfast. That's the best opportunity. She always gets the sweet bread and tea. We can mix the potion into something harmless. And then—"

"—she looks at me," Kaminari cut in hopefully.

"Or me," Mineta insisted.

They stared each other down for a few seconds, both silently arguing without speaking.

Then Kaminari sighed deeply. "We'll figure that part out tomorrow. If we argue about it now, we'll just end up fighting in the hallway at three in the morning."

Mineta nodded slowly, clutching the potion tighter. "Fine. But tomorrow... we have to be ready. Completely ready. Bakugo is always around her and you KNOW he can smell trouble like a bloodhound."

Kaminari shuddered at the mention of Bakugo. "We'll stay smart. Move strategically. Avoid getting blown up. Maybe wear helmets."

Mineta patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Good idea."

They both looked exhausted by now, but beneath the nerves was a buzzing, reckless hope. A belief—delusional or not—that with a little courage, a little luck, and a very questionable love potion, they might finally win Yuuki over.

Kaminari took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, giving Mineta the most serious expression he could muster "Tomorrow's going to be a long day, man."

Mineta nodded with fiery conviction. "The longest day of our lives. But worth it."

They turned off the lab lights, the potion still glowing faintly between them as they walked out into the quiet midnight halls of U.A., completely unaware of just how many things were going to go wrong once morning came.