Sorry for the delay. Any more chapters in the future might come much more later.

Chapter 4: Her Proposal

Saitama stared blankly at the ceiling.

…

…

I feel itchy.

Sprawled on his futon, Saitama tried to ignore the physical sensations he was feeling. His mind was empty, like a monk who had transcended from a physical plane, not thinking about the annoying itch that has been there for a while now.

…Normally, he could just scratch and be done with it. But due to circumstances, he can't even move his limbs. Just like the rest of his body.

His body felt too sore. Every single muscle in his body was on fire. Even an errant twitch in him would make him wince in pain. Hell, just breathing makes his chest hurt. It's pretty much the reason why he hadn't moved a single inch after waking up this way.

Which led to this situation.

This, this is hell. This is absolute hell.

...Why the hell did I miss this again?

It was the same feeling from about two years ago. He could all remember it now—waking up like his body was dying bit by bit, trying to even stand up when his muscles are protesting from its movements, the constant pain even in the simple act of walking… It's all familiar. The fight from yesterday must have really done a number on him for him to remember all this.

It certainly does put things into perspective: the more things change, the more they stay the same. He really thought he'd be above things like this in the present… and he guessed this serves him right for getting a bit arrogant. At least he got a good fight for consolation.

"..."

Oh yeah.. there's still school for today, isn't there?

Saitama made a sour face, then sighed.

He grunted as he forced himself up, enduring the pain in practiced ease. He scratched the itch on his way towards the door of his room. Putting a hand on the sliding door's knob, he pulled it to the side and allowed the sunlight in.

He squinted at the sudden bright light.

"Why the hell is it so bright in the damn morning…?" he grumbled as he shambled towards the living room.

As he neared though, he heard the faint sound of the TV and stopped short in the hall. Saitama forced himself to stand up properly, wincing as he tried to make his movement look like he didn't feel sore. A few moments getting used to it, he took a deep breath, then entered the room. There he saw Taiga laid down on her side on the floor while watching some soap opera that was airing.

...Wait, soap opera? He thought idly. That's not the usual show.

"Hey, what happened to the morning anime? It's supposed to be aired during the mornings." he asked as he moved to the kitchens.

Taiga yawned. "It just finished. They aired the finale yesterday."

"Wait really? I got all hyped up too…" he sighed, as he started making breakfast. "And it was supposed to be a final battle between the hero and the villain. Damn it, they better do some re-airs."

"It was pretty underwhelming to be honest. The hero ended up awakening his secret power and ended the world. It's pretty abrupt if you asked me."

"Hey, why the hell did you spoil it? Do you want a fight? I can stop cooking, you know?" he threatened.

She brought down the remote, then sat up. She faced him while clasping her hands together and bowed down. "Please, anything but that."

Then she laid back down on her side again.

Saitama stared at Taiga, before shaking his head and going back to cooking.

They didn't really continue to speak after that. Taiga was more focused on watching TV, while he was more focused on not showing any signs that he was hurting as he moved his body while cooking.

After a few minutes, breakfast was ready.

Saitama turned off the stove and placed the steaming hot food on the table, Taiga didn't seem to notice that the food was already there, as she was completely transfixed on the TV. He took his servings and began eating as he spaced out.

"..."

"..."

"...—Hey, Saitama, are you listening?"

Saitama blinked, then turned his head to Taiga. Looks like she finally noticed that the food was on the table. She sat beside him holding servings of her own, looking at him with an irritated look at her face.

"Not really." he answered, going back to eating. "What were you talking about?"

Taiga's eyebrow twitched. "...Nevermind." she stuffed her mouth with food. "Yuh know, yuh've got to work on yur mannersh." she swallowed. "Just the other day, I heard some bad rumors about you already in the faculty. It's only the first week of school, you know? Can't you at least act decently for, I don't know, a month?"

What?

"W-Wait a minute," Saitama looked at her with wide-eyes. "Rumors about me? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Taiga looked at him skeptically, searching his face for something. Then she blinked. "Huh. So you really didn't do anything."

His eyebrow twitched. "Oi, what's that supposed to mean."

"Come on, Saitama. You're not exactly a model student. Or a person, for that matter." she sighed exaggeratedly. "Why, when I heard my colleagues talk about you being a delinquent and skipping on the first day, I even believed them!" a pause. "After chewing them out for talking that way to you, of course. Because I'm good like that." she winked.

S-skip…? I don't remember skipping—no wait.

He looked at her accusingly. "I wasn't skipping at all! It was because you told me to get your lunch because you forgot it, airhead!"

"Oh, was it?" she blinked as if confused. "Ah, so it was me. Sorry. Tehe~!"

She bopped her fist to her head and stuck her tongue out.

"..."

He looked at her with disgust.

"Don't act cute, hag—"

He yelped as she grabbed his collar and pulled him to her face. "Oi! Who the hell are you calling hag!? Do you want me to skin you brat!? Don't you have any respect!?"

"You don't get to say that when you ruined my reputation!"

"You don't have a reputation to ruin, dumbass!"

"I do, and it's better than yours, you wrinkly Christmas cake!"

"G-Guh!" Those words seemed to have stabbed deep into Taiga, and she shook him by the neck. "W-Why would you say such mean things!? Is it fun hurting your dear Taiga this way!? Is it fun!? Are you having fun!? I'm not that old!"

Saitama withheld a wince as she shook him. O-Ow, wait she's shaking me too much—

He tried to pry her hand off. "Y-Yeah, yeah okay just—ow." he involuntarily winced in pain at the sudden movements.

Taiga stopped abruptly.

She let go of his collar, looking at him in concern and sheepishness. "You okay?"

"Yeah." he rubbed the back of his neck, nursing the pain. "Just slept in the wrong position. Nothing to worry about."

She frowned. "...Well, okay." she said, sitting back down.

They went back to eating their food after that, listening to the sounds of the TV as they ate with silence. No words really needed to be said as the topic was quickly forgotten. It's not like Saitama cared for his reputation that much anyway.

He did notice Taiga give him some looks though, when she thought he didn't notice. She probably thought she hurt him earlier. Kinda feel guilty for thinking she's to blame… but it's not like I can tell her what really hurt me either.

So he acted like he didn't realize what she was doing while he stared squarely at the TV.

And what do you know, the soap opera was actually not half-bad.

…

"I can give you a lift, you know? You don't have to walk to school." Taiga pointed out.

"And what, sit behind you as students watch us? I've got enough of you messing up my reputation. No need to worsen it." he drawled.

Taiga huffed. "Fine, suit yourself."

Saitama heard her footsteps grow distant and the telltale sound of the door opening and closing. A short while after that, he hears the engine of what is undoubtedly Taiga's scooter as she went ahead towards Homurahara.

Just as usual, Taiga leaves first to arrive earlier at the school and Saitama was left washing the dishes as he listened to the background noise the TV offered. He was alone in the manor, one that he took comfort of especially when he can now stop acting like he wasn't hurt. This isn't the first time he hid from Taiga that he was injured by some fight and it doesn't get any less painful every time.

When he finished all the plates, he wringed his wrist after scrubbing one particularly stubborn stain.

A bit after doing that, he went to prepare himself for the day. He washed himself and changed, wincing as he poked and probed some of his injuries as he did so. When he was finally done, he was already standing in the front door slipping on his shoes.

Stepping outside, he locked the door behind him and took a deep breath. He can't help but feel discouraged as he looked at the long road to his school. Just looking at it made him feel the phantom pain that he'll definitely get on his legs.

"...Maybe I should've just taken a ride with her." he lamented.

"It's a hobby." the boy said to her.

Hobby? What the hell does that even mean? Why would you even risk your life for something like that?

Who the hell has a stupid hobby like that in the first place?

Tohsaka's mind was in turmoil.

She was still trying to make sense of the situation that had happened yesterday. It went all so fast, so suddenly, that she can't even process everything that had happened yet. First is the appearance of that one monster, which was already odd on its own… then the other, that boy, that person that she can't seem to make heads or tails off…!

Tohsaka grit her teeth, before exhaling.

Emiya had proven himself to be unaware of things magical, yet even knowing that raises more questions. Like how he managed to get that strong, nor survive so long for that matter, with an inane reason for doing so. She was sure that he was keeping something secret, and that she should be cautious for that reason, but… in all honesty, her doubt that he was being insincere is pretty much gone now. Not after she saw him risking his life to defeat that monster.

In the end, what she got was a powerful mundane citizen who, for some reason, likes tackling dangerous, high-value mage association targets because it's a hobby.

What the hell am I supposed to do with him? Should I stop him?

Should I just let him be?

The sound of the bell ringing interrupted her thoughts. Looking around the classroom, Tohsaka realized that class had already ended and it was break time. Some of her fellow classmates left their seats to go outside the classroom or talk to the others.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, making her turn her head to the side.

There she saw a girl from her class standing beside her seat. She gave Tohsaka a cheerful smile, but Tohsaka didn't need her many experiences in dealing with people to know it was slightly forced and that the girl was nervous.

"T-Tohsaka-san, do you want to eat with us?" she asked.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"U-uhm, it's just that you seem spaced out. I-I thought you might've wanted to chat or…?" she trailed off. "The whole morning you look like you're stressed about something… ah, but I-I wasn't staring at you, or anything, so don't worry Tohsaka-san!"

The girl turned into a stuttering mess as the girl tried to explain herself, and Tohsaka didn't pay much attention to it as she registered what the girl had said. .

Was I really that distracted? Get a hold of yourself, Rin.

She took a deep breath, then gave the girl a polite smile. "Thank you for worrying, though I'm afraid I can't really join you for lunch." she stood up from her seat. "I suppose I can join next time? If you don't mind me, that is."

The girl, who looked down at her refusal, visibly brightened at that. "Y-Yes, it's fine! Ah, you must have something to do right? Don't let me keep you!"

Tohsaka nodded her head, making the girl smile. She watched the girl skip happily to her friends, who were looking at them with a curious look on their faces. The girl immediately got questioned the moment she went back to them. Tohsaka idly wondered what that was about before shaking her head, walking out of the classroom.

"Well… it's now or never." she muttered under her breath.

It was time to look for Emiya.

…

She can't find him.

She tried to avoid drawing attention as much as she could; the last thing she really wanted is to get caught up with other people right now. There were a few that greeted her on her search, with some even inviting her for lunch like the girl in her class earlier, but a polite refusal and a few smiles saw to that.

Though, Tohsaka was growing slightly frustrated that Emiya was nowhere to be found. She tried looking for him in his classroom, but he wasn't there. Going to the cafeteria didn't help either. It's not like she could ask as well, since people would surely raise eyebrows if someone like her would suddenly ask where she could find a known school delinquent.

Did he skip school or…? she pondered as she looked around. She had searched a few parts of the campus, and now she was behind their classroom's building where students don't mostly come by. It was a peaceful place, quite a contrast to the noisy classroom halls. I'm pretty sure I saw him this morning… Wait, there he is!

Just beyond a corner, a boy was sitting on the floor with his back beside the wall, peacefully eating his lunch near a vending machine. A closer look and she could see that it was indeed Emiya, who still sported that same blank-faced look. She moved to march towards him, opening her mouth to—

"Aaah, I'm thirsty. Hey, look there's a vending machine there!"

She stopped as she heard a voice. A quick look to the side and there she saw a group of boys walking to the vending machine. Their uniforms weren't buttoned up properly and a few of them had dyed their hair—Delinquents.

Tohsaka frowned. She was behind a wall near a corner so that they wouldn't be able to see her.

She opted to stay back and not announce her presence for now.

"Hey, did you hear the new rumor?" one of them, who was leading the group, asked loudly.

"You mean the monster attack near Fuyuki Park?" another replied.

"No, you idiot! I meant in school!" he admonished. "Plus that one's debunked! It's a gas pipe in the ground or something."

"Whaat, reeeally~? So what's the new rumor?" a new one spoke out.

"You know that dumbass that tries to steal our shtick? The, uhh… who was it again?" he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, Emiya! That guy."

Suddenly, Tohsaka was listening more closely. She leaned against the wall as much as she could without giving away her presence. She observed Emiya's reactions closely, and aside from a slight pause from him when he heard his name mentioned, it looked like he wasn't planning to do anything about how they were talking about him. The delinquents themselves looked unaware that he was near them.

"Yeah? So what did he do?"

"Well apparently, someone had seen him bring an unconscious girl back in his arms during the first day. Something about her passing out on the road, or along those lines."

One of them snorted. "Like hell anyone would believe that."

"I know right? Others thought so too! And when they asked the girl, she said she didn't remember passing out!"

Tohsaka froze. That was… that was when the wraith attacked.

The fresh thoughts of the events re-emerged in her head, because no matter how much it felt like it, it was only about a week earlier that it had happened. She could remember the despair she felt, the complete defeat in the hands of the monster… and the boy who casted a shadow on the mouth of the alley, as she stared at the defeated body of the monster she had feared in shock.

"You two alright?" he asked in concern.

Shaking her head, she quenched the feelings she felt in the event that day, focusing instead on the current events unfolding in front of her. She narrowed her eyes as she looked on to the delinquents gathered around the vending machine.

I must have forgotten to hypnotize the girl and fill out those memories. She mentally chastised herself. Damn it, Rin. Your carelessness is showing again.

She casted a glance towards Emiya, and she blinked. Unlike her who was listening with rapt attention, he looked like he didn't even care a single bit. He continued to eat at his usual unhurried pace with his expression as blank as before.

"So what happened next?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, you see, that wasn't all of it! The girl had some buttons on her uniform ripped off; something that would've happened if she just passed out on the road, wouldn't it?" the one leading their group continued.

"Yeah that sounds a bit strange."

"Oh shut up with your detective crap already, tell us what already happened!"

"Well, isn't it clear already?" he answered. "When he skipped the morning, he went outside and encountered the girl. Then when he thought nobody was around, that guy clearly tried to ra—"

That—!

—Emiya stood up from his seat, alerting the boys and making them jump a bit at his sudden presence. Tohsaka blinked as she found that she unconsciously clenched her fist tightly somewhere along the line, only now slowly losing tension as Emiya neared the group.

They stepped back a bit when they saw the approaching Emiya, but the delinquent leading the group tried to gather his bravado to stare at him. "W-Where the hell did you come from? What, want to fight ya bastard—"

Emiya stood in front of the vending machine, then pressed a button.

There was a pause as everyone, even her, tried to register what he had just done. Only the slight hum of the vending machine interrupted the silence, ending as the vending machine made a 'clunk' noise as a beverage fell to the slot.

Emiya bent down to take it, then opened the can. "Don't talk behind people's backs." he muttered.

Then he walked back towards his seat.

The delinquents seemed nonplussed, and they looked at each other. Uncomfortable, they moved to leave, with the leader grumbling a "Yeah, run away coward." as they left the area. A few moments later, the place was back to its peaceful silence.

Tohsaka felt something... complex wash over her as she looked at Emiya. In the end though, she can only try to ignore it.

She stepped out of her cover, alerting Emiya of her presence.

"Tohsaka?" he asked in surprise.

She walked, then stopped in front of him.

"Emiya-kun…" she frowned. "I'd like to talk."

"...Sure."

Emiya continued to eat his lunch as Tohsaka tried to gather her thoughts. He was still seated on the floor in the same position just as earlier, uncaring of her sudden silence as he continued to eat. Tohsaka, meanwhile, leaned further on the wall and she crossed her arms as she tried to keep her mind in order.

I suppose starting the conversation first would be appropriate. She thought.

"Emiya-kun, how is your arm?" she asked.

"Hrm?" he paused from his eating, then swallowed. "...It's fine, I guess. It's still sore, but not as sore as it would be if you didn't do your magic thing." he stuffed his mouth with some food. "Thanksh fur that by the way."

His arm was visibly fractured in so many different pieces that it might as well have been pulverized to dust. Still, he didn't show any pain as he stood there, eyes full of life and with a satisfied smile on his face. Even as he faced that terrifying monster.

Tohsaka wondered if he was sane or not.

"...It's the least I can do." Tohsaka stated neutrally. "Though I do have to wonder, Emiya-kun. An injury of that kind usually don't take a single day to heal." in fact, they can never recover from that damage. "Can I ask how you managed to?"

"'Managed to'? I mean, it just heals?" he furrowed his brows. "Though, I guess it's a bit strange at how fast I'm healing. I think… it only became like this after a while in my training."

She froze.

"E-Excuse me, can you repeat that?"

"...I started healing faster after my training?"

Training!? He got this not with magecraft, but with training!?

"A-And what sort of training is this supposed to be?"

The human body had limits, and it's clear that Emiya was going beyond those said limits. Magecraft cannot do that—normal reinforcement can shatter concrete if used properly, or maybe even steel, but it can never reach the level of what Emiya shows. Perhaps during the Age of Gods humanity can reach that strength, but in the present it was already impossible. If training is what it took for him to gain that strength…

Then this might be a never-seen-before expression of magical mystery. Something that many magi spend lifetimes researching to find and discover.

...She won't deny getting intrigued from the thought.

"...Do you really want to hear?" he asked solemnly, which made her pause.

Tohsaka looked at Emiya, who was now looking serious—a far cry from the many occasions where he looked like he barely even paid attention at all. The sudden change in demeanor made Tohsaka uneasy, and she involuntarily swallowed. Just, just what sort of training is this?

She shifted her weight to stop leaning, and stood up straight. She determinedly looked at him in the eyes and nodded. "Yes."

Emiya put his lunch down, then clasped his fingers together. "I'll tell you then… Here's what I did."

"I…"

You...?

"What I did was…"

What you did was…!?

Emiya's face hardened.

"I did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, then jogged ten kilometers every single day." he declared.

…

Huh?

Emiya sighed wearily, and stared blankly at nowhere like he was reliving something haunting.

"Seriously, it was really hell at that time; everything hurts so hard that it's the only thing I can think of. Every single day is suffering, and it was all I could take to not just stop it all." he muttered. "Still, I didn't stop and continued to persevere. It turned into days, then to months, then after two years…I noticed that I became stronger."

"..."

"Tohsaka? ...Something wrong? That's a really weird face you're making." Emiya asked. "No, seriously, what's wrong? Y-You're looking kinda scary there…"

Tohsaka was smiling serenely at Emiya.

Are you an idiot!? That sort of training wouldn't give you the sort of strength you have now! And 100!? Just that!? Others could easily exceed that number, you idiot! Even that shitty priest can do that!

"It's nothing, Emiya-kun." she said in gritted teeth.

Tohsaka forced herself to exhale, then ignored the urge to palm her face. What am I even expecting…?

She really should have expected that what came out of his mouth would be something dumb. Despite her limited interactions with him, she was beginning to think that this was going to be the norm when dealing with Emiya—with something absurd happening, for the dumbest reasons.

In the end, his explanation didn't even explain one bit.

...But that wasn't why she was here, wasn't she?

Forcing herself to calm down, she coughed. "Anyway, that is interesting to know. I'm glad that you're at least recovering."

He raised a brow at her. "Thanks, I guess?" he went back to his food. "So, what did you want? I'm guessing it must be some pretty heavy stuff with how deep you're thinking earlier."

She blinked. ...Was he looking? I thought he was focused on his food earlier. She thought, before shaking her head.

Tohsaka exhaled, leaning back on the wall again as she crossed her arms.

"Emiya-kun, will you still plan to do this… hobby, of yours?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. I do." he says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"I see…"

Tohsaka's lips thinned.

"Then will you still do it, knowing that it puts you, and those around you at risk?"

Emiya paused from eating.

Tohsaka interpreted that as a sign to continue. "Emiya… do you remember what I told you at that cafe? Before that monster attacked?" she asked. "Magi are not normal people that will hold themselves to human conventions. They are willing to do anything for their research, no matter how ruthless that approach is. And you, Emiya, are one that will hold their attention."

"..."

"Unlike monsters, Magi are a different lot that can't be beaten by simple punches. They will find you and capture you, and barring that, chances are they will find those important to you and use them to their advantage." she says darkly. "With your unique circumstance, they'll use you for research and conduct all sorts of experiments like a lab rat."

She stared straight at the quiet Emiya.

"And I may not be an exception to that, Emiya. For I am a magus as well." she says neutrally.

Their small corner was silent, and the air was tense.

What she had just said wasn't quite laid bare, but it was clear nonetheless. If Emiya were to continue in his path, he would be dealing with an unscrupulous lot where morals and virtues are nowhere to be found. He has now entered a different and moonlit world, one that will eat him up and leave him in despair if he were to show the slightest bit of weakness.

One that she admitted being part of.

Tohsaka is a magus, a member of the Tohsaka family line. She never considered herself as good, as beneath the facades she constructed in her life lies a cold-hearted person that will do anything to achieve her dreams. One that wouldn't hesitate to treat Emiya as an enemy if he were to stand in her way.

…She normally wouldn't be this kind enough to warn him of this, but he did save her once. Kindness begets kindness, and it is only right to be repaid so. Which is why she told him.

Emiya, in response to what she had said, looked at her…

...Then smiled.

"...Thanks for being concerned, Tohsaka. But I'll still do it." he said, going back to his food.

"C-Concern—?" she stuttered, before gathering her wits back together.

"Nobody's being concerned, you idiot!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "What do you mean you'll still do it? I've already told you that what you're dealing with isn't what you're normally used to! Sure, you may be strong, but being strong doesn't matter to these people!"

"I'll just become stronger then."

"Did you even listen to what I said!?"

"Well, what else can I do then Tohsaka? I already knew that I'd be risking my life to save others when I did this as a hobby. It's nothing new. Plus, I already committed to this hero thing. No sense in backing out now." he nonchalantly used his chopsticks to stuff food in his mouth. "I don't know about them using the people around me though… I guess I should start living alone in some apartment. Fuji-nee wanted me to act more independent, after all."

Her hands balled into a fist.

Tohsaka stood speechless.

Why? Why is he doing this…?

This person… I, I just…

"I don't understand you at all."

Tohsaka had a complex look on her face as she said it.

"I…" she shook her head. "Tch. You know what? Do whatever you want."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It means you're an idiot for doing this." she snapped at him, before muttering. "And I'm much more of an idiot for actually being glad you'd say that…"

"Hm?" he blinked. "Sorry, didn't hear that last part."

"Nothing." She said tersely. Sighing, she leaned back to the wall.

There was a slight pause.

"...Emiya-kun, since you're not really planning to quit running off and fighting monsters... What if I tell you that I have a way to mitigate the risks? A way so that you wouldn't receive any unwanted attention?"

Emiya looked at her like she was an idiot.

"What the hell, woman? If you're gonna say things like that then say it at the beginning."

Tohsaka felt a vein throb. "Should I interpret that as a refusal?"

He shamelessly raised his hand in surrender. "N-No, wait. Sorry, Tohsaka-san. It's just a joke, you know? I thought it would be funny to make you laugh, h-haha."

"Tch." she looked away.

"So, what is it?" the buffoon asked.

She didn't waste any time telling him the answer.

"Simple." Tohsaka stated.

"You just have to work under me."

"Work under you?" Saitama asked.

"Yes. You have to work under me—this way you'll be under my protection and attacking you would be gaining my offense." Tohsaka explained. "Also as Second Owner of Fuyuki, I have the support of the Mage Association to enact my authority; meaning I have complete jurisdiction over everything in here."

"You're a what?"

"Don't concern yourself about it." she waved off. "So, what will be your answer?"

"...Do you mind if I take a moment to think about it?"

Saitama repeated the conversation again and again in his head. Today was just full of surprises, with Tohsaka coming out of nowhere and dropping out all those bombs to him all so suddenly. He didn't even manage to fully digest everything that happened yesterday with her telling that magic was real.

Now she came up and said to him that he needs to work under her or else there'll be consequences.

Though from the way she described it, the consequences were going to happen in the future anyways. In fact she's doing me a favor. He thought. I mean, I'm thankful for that but…

Do I really want to treat my hobby as work?

The reason why Saitama did his hobby is because… well for a lot of reasons, really. The rush, the fear, even the pain… it's all things that he enjoyed, no matter how weird it sounds. It's something like eating spicy food where even if it hurts you still enjoy it. Being a guy doing this hero thing for a hobby was something he liked.

But can he really feel the same way if he started treating it as work? He's heard plenty of stories, like people enjoying writing trying to become writers and ended up burning out, or people who liked drawing ending up as animators and hating their job with all their soul. What if he ended up like them? What would he do then?

What would happen if I ended up hating becoming a hero? Saitama thought to himself.

A figure sitting on the porch, looking at the sky as the moonlight shined outside. His shoulders, always seemed to be carrying a great weight, looked like it was free from its burden; but even he could see it was anything but that. He looked at him with a smile tinged with bitterness and defeat.

He heaved a sigh and shook his head, dispelling his thoughts for a moment.

He knows that it's silly to worry. There's really no reason not to refuse Tohsaka's offer, but he found himself hesitating nonetheless. So he thought that he should at least first settle his mind towards things before committing to something.

Still, that was already a few hours ago or so. Some time had passed between lunch, and the next thing he knew, class had already ended. Instead of going straight home though, he found himself being hoisted off into doing another one of Taiga's errands.

She probably didn't clean up her table and had to deal with the mess. He thought exasperatedly She was complaining about it at dinner yesterday, after all.

It's annoying how the woman can get away abusing her position to slack off and dump her work to a student.

As he turns a corner in the school hall, he startles as he almost bumps in the way of another student. "Ah, sorry—"

Saitama paused as he realized who exactly was in front of him: the glasses-wearing Student Council President, Issei Ryuudou, standing in shock. He blinked at his sudden appearance, one that was mirrored by the student council president.

Then, his eyes narrowed at Saitama. "Emiya, why are you here? Classes are already over."

"Taiga wanted me to do something for her, probably to clean up her table in her faculty or something." he explained.

"Taiga? Ah, Fujimura-sensei. I see…" his expression softened, before going back up. "Emiya-kun, please don't call sensei by her first name. Refer to her as Fujimura-sensei. I know that the both of you are related, but we are in a professional venue. It wouldn't do good for you to disrespect her that way."

He waved him off. "I'll call her that when she acts as a proper adult." he says, before continuing off towards the faculty. He notices another set of footsteps behind him and he turns around, realizing that it was the president, still. "Why're you following me?"

He adjusted his glasses. "I am not following you—we simply share the same destination. I also needed to go to the faculty for something."

He shrugs, then turns back around. "Okay." Saitama says simply.

A short walk later they were standing in front of the door to their destination. When Ryuudou opened the door, it revealed the faculty room in its complete glory. One thing stood out though— that is, being the lack of any teachers inside.

"Where'd they all go?" Saitama asked curiously as he looked in the empty room. The place almost always had teachers in it during the times he was called here, so it was a bit strange.

"They were called to a meeting this afternoon. All teachers, even in the Middle School division, are included." the council president replies. "I suspect this is the reason why Fujimura-sensei called you here, as she needed something done as she's busy as of the moment."

"Pretty sure it's not that…" Saitama mutters as he enters along with Ryuudou. There, he spots the messy desk of Taiga, internally sighing at the chore he was going to do. I knew it.

With a heavy heart, he went about his work. Though, he idly noticed that the council president had opened one of the nearby file holders, going over some folders and papers inside.

The first few minutes were spent in silence, trying to do and finish their work.

"...Hey." Saitama began.

Ryuudou looked up from his folder. "Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Feel free."

"You ever had a hobby before?" he asked as he arranged some objects on the desk.

"...I do, yes."

"What if someone asked you to do your hobby, but as work? And it's a pretty nice deal, at that."

"..."

Saitama, noticing that he didn't get a reply, turned around to the council president. "So? What do you think… Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"

Ryuudou looks at him with wide eyes.

"Emiya… did I just hear that correctly?" he mutters in shock. "Y-You, managed to get a part-time job?"

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean."

"To think that Homurahara's delinquent is finally changing for the better… I thought I'll never see the day."

His thoughts went back to the morning where Taiga told him his rumors, and Saitama immediately felt embarrassed. "Oi, are your glasses broken? I'm not a delinquent! Don't go believing anything what other people just say!"

His lenses shined as he adjusted his glasses. "I believe I do not. I've learned of how ridiculous the student body can be with their rumors." he shook his head. "I do not believe what they are saying about you, Emiya."

Saitama calmed down. "Well… I guess that's good—"

"But even ignoring what they say, you are improper, misbehaving, irresponsible, and an archetypal example of what not to be as a student." he continued just as swiftly. "In short; a delinquent."

"—or not. You wanna fight, glasses?"

The student council president sighed and went back to looking at the folder he held.

"But going back to your question, what's there to complain about if you had a hobby for work? Plenty of people would like to have the same thing, but they're stuck doing menial tasks they'd rather not do that drain on their soul everyday."

"Well, I guess if you put it like that it does sound kind of whiny." Saitama scratched his head. "It's just that I think I'd grow to not enjoy my hobby, you know? If I come treating it as work, that is."

"I suppose there is also that." he sighed. "But if there is something that I learned from my time living in a temple, it's that the key to most of life is moderation. Never completely treat your work as a hobby, but also don't completely treat your hobby as work. Be stuck in the middle and find balance, and maybe you'll find the answer you'll seek."

Saitama was silent.

"I see. Thanks, president."

"It's fine. I wish you good luck in your work."

…

…

Saitama walked out of the campus, ruminating on what Ryuudou had said.

He easily finished what Taiga was asking him to do and left earlier Ryuudou, who was still busy doing whatever his student council duties were. When he walked outside the campus the sun was already setting, and the sky had turned to a verdant red orange, giving a beautiful view of the Fuyuki horizon as it tinged the beautiful backdrop of Shinto as he walked the road.

Saitama didn't really pay attention to that though, and instead repeated what the president had said earlier.

'Balance', huh…? He pondered. I guess he has a point. Though, it sounds like one of those things that are easy to say, but hard to do.

Then again, when are things worth in life not hard to get?

"..."

Saitama exhaled.

"...I'm probably just overthinking it." he said out loud. "Jeez, what a pain. I'll just see where it goes."

Trying to force an answer would be fruitless, not without jumping into conclusions and ending up regretting whatever he thought was the right answer. In the end, he'd have to face this uncertainty head on, and do his best so that he wouldn't end up hating his hobby and regretting his life actions.

He's done so always in the past, and it's never betrayed him so far. It's what led him to becoming a hero despite all the hardships in the first place.

"—Oi, you."

Saitama blinked, then looked in front of him.

There, just a few meters away from him and casting a shadow as they blocked the light from the setting sun, Saitama saw a bunch of delinquent students as they stood in the street. Oddly, they sneered at him and looked at him with hostility, making Saitama perplexed as to why they were so angry.

One guy pointed at him as he talked to the biggest and roughest-looking one among them. "There he is Aniki! The guy who tried to threaten us earlier!"

The 'Aniki' looked at him up and down. "Ho, is that so?" he cracked his fists. "Bastard, so you think you can try to act like that in one of my turfs and threaten my underlings, huh?"

The delinquent that spoke was a couple of heads taller than Saitama. He had a completely wild look on him, with his uniform being completely sleeveless as opposed to the delinquents beside him, showing the muscles on his arms. It even looked like the sleeves were forcibly ripped off, and observing closely on his clothes, there are some faint splatters of blood here and there. But the most eye-catching thing about him was…

Who the hell is this old guy? Saitama thought.

The delinquent student looked like he was in his thirties.

He stepped forward and glared as he walked towards Saitama.

"Do you know who I am? Ya see, it probably wouldn't be known for fake gangster wannabes like you, but I got myself a reputation for myself in these streets." he declared. "A little name for my accomplishments. A title that I worked hard for."

He stopped just short of front of him, looking down at Saitama from his taller height. A miasma of darkness and intimidation came out from him as the 'Aniki' stared at him that would make a grown man shake in his boots.

"I am Ryuugo Asura, the Bone Crusher." he leaned down until they almost touched their noses. "And you sure are looking for trouble, huh?" he growled out.

"Yeah, tell him Aniki!" one of the delinquents behind him shouted out. "Aniki had defeated countless street gangs already, and he had survived an encounter with this city's Yakuza! He's a fighting veteran in these streets and you'll get yourself crunched by his fists! You have no chance—"

"Shut up!"

The delinquent jerked in surprise.

"You idiots don't have any room to speak when you're the one afraid of taking him on your own!" the 'Bone Crusher' shouted angrily, making the delinquent who spoke cower in fear. "Men treat each other with respect; and right here, right now, in the duel the two of us will have, stupid shit that look down on others when they're not putting themselves on line are nothing but trash!"

He stared at each one of them in the eyes.

"I only accept real men of honor in my gang, so you better act like it!" he shouted.

"A-Aniki…!" they bowed their heads. "We're sorry Aniki! We'll be sure to do that from now on!"

"Tch, idiots." he looked back at Saitama. "Anyway, back to our fight. I don't care whether or not you're causing trouble for my lackeys, but when someone tries to make a name for themselves in my territory that is not affiliated with my gang, then it would be a problem. Ya see, for people like you, I gotta set an example."

"..."

"Speechless? Or are you so afraid that you can't even let out your voice?" the Bone Crusher sneered. "It doesn't matter, since I'll still beat you up despite it." he jumped back a couple meters, then did a weird looking stance where he reared back his hand while spreading his legs wide. "I'll let you taste the power of my fist! Come!"

"That stance—!?"

"C-Could it be—!?"

"T-That is, A-Aniki's—!"

"EAT THIS! THE MOVE THAT FELL THE GREATEST OF GANGS IN THIS CITY!" he jumped high in the air, spinning round and round, then brought down his fist towards Saitama's face. "SKULLBREAKER CRUSHER!"

The fist hit his cheek.

…

A little while later, Saitama was walking away from a bunch of groaning delinquents sprawled on the ground, sporting bruises on their faces while unconscious, with the Bone rusher something buried waist-deep under a wall from just near them.

Saitama himself was quiet as he went back to his thoughts before being rudely interrupted.

I guess I'd have to accept Tohsaka's proposal then. She'll be helping me a lot if I do. Saitama's face frowned as he remembered the tidbit that his enemies might be targeting others around him instead of him. Especially with situations like that.

He guessed being a hero's not just punching the bad guy you meet in the street, and a lot more complicated.

This is probably why the old man was so sad all the time… Saitama looked at the sky. Being a hero must be hard work, huh?

The question was rhetorical, and Saitama already knew the answer.

"Ah crap. I forgot the fridge is empty… guess I'll buy food on the way then."

Tohsaka clicked her tongue as she impatiently tapped her foot.

For the fifth time after sitting down at a table in the same coffee shop she was in yesterday, she brought her arm up to look at her wristwatch.

"Is he even planning on going here?" she grumbled.

Tohsaka has been waiting for Emiya for the past thirty minutes.

She had thought that Emiya would accept her proposal immediately, so when he asked for time to think about it, she was surprised. After all, it was a win-win for the both of them; especially for him who was vulnerable to the machinations of other magi. Having a supporter like the Tohsaka family is a considerable influence that can prove as a deterrent for any curious magus that would want to try their luck on him—but for some reason, it wasn't enough for Emiya.

She wouldn't be lying if that made her question herself a bit, but she still granted him what he asked. In a way, it was fair; It's never really good for anyone to make a decision in just a spur of the moment. Though, she asked him to meet him at the same coffee shop they visited after school to make his decision.

As much as she would like to give him more time, she had already dallied long enough for the past few days back when she observed him. She needed to bring a few things up to schedule.

She withheld a yawn. There's still so much to do; she just had finished hypnotizing the girl from a few days ago, and later she was going to check the monster from yesterday's incident. There's a few unrelated things more to that, but as of now with her having less than two hours of sleep as rest, she was very tired.

Still it made her wonder. Why would Emiya hesitate? From what she could tell, it's not like he'll lose anything. In fact, he gets to lose more just by refusing.

Is it pride? Does he want to do his 'heroing' by himself? It makes some sort of sense, especially since the virtue of wanting to be a hero can be interpreted as a sort of narcissism in a way…

Tohsaka frowned. No, that wouldn't explain why he would risk his life needlessly. And he doesn't strike me as a person who even cares about that.

Then… hold on a second. She might have been assuming something from the start.

Am I even sure that he wasn't working for anyone already?

It sure would explain some things. His hesitation was because he was already working for someone, and the reason why he was so strong was because of his backer! Emiya himself might not even be aware of it and was unknowingly changed by whoever they are, which was leagues better as an explanation as opposed to the nonsense he said earlier!

"Tch, damn it Rin! You got careless again!" she whispered harshly.

I've been making too many mistakes lately… There's too many things to worry about recently and at this point I might be making myself swamped with more work if I continue—!

"Careless about what?"

Tohsaka jolted from her seat, then her head whipped to the direction of the voice. There, in all his dumb glory, Saitama stood next to the seat while holding a plastic bag. She failed to notice that he had just arrived after getting caught up in her own thoughts.

He looked at her weirdly before sitting down.

"Anyway, sorry for being late. I would've wanted to let you know, but I didn't have your phone number. Needed to buy something—"

"Do you work for anyone?" she asked sharply.

"—Huh?"

"Do. You. Work. For. Anyone."

"...No? Well, I don't right now." he answered her, confused. "I used to work at this bar, but I quit some time ago."

Tohsaka stared at him intensely, looking for any traces of lies.

She sighed in relief and leaned back to her seat when she didn't find anything.

"Good, good." she sipped her coffee. The caffeine was to alleviate the tiredness she was feeling. "...I suppose you've decided on what to do now?"

"Yeah, I accept."

Tohsaka put her facade back on and showed him a bright smile. "Great."

She rummaged something from her bag case and took it out, revealing a brown envelope. Tohsaka placed it on the table and slid it towards Saitama, who received it with a confused look.

"What is this?" he asked.

"As of now, you're working under me, but since you're basically new to the supernatural world, there are some things that you need to be aware of first. That's a bunch of rules that I'll be letting you know, and we'll have a geass applied later." she replied. "And before you ask, a geass is something that will prevent you from breaking the contract." a pause. "Well, you can break it technically, but it'll be painful for you. Probably die too." she drawled out.

Saitama nodded absentmindedly, and furrowed his brow as he leafed through all the papers. Tohsaka saw him slightly sweat as he began to skim through all the text crammed inside those pages. After a while of him reading through all the information he jerked up in his seat, surprising Tohsaka, then suddenly looking at the paper intensely.

Tohsaka composed herself, before looking at him curiously. "What is it?"

"What, what the hell is this…!?"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Spiritual Wraith… 50 million Yen… Phantasmal Beast Werewolf… 60 million Yen…!" Emiya held the paper to the point that it was crumpling.

Tohsaka blinked. "Ah, so you saw that. Yes, those are the figures I estimate when getting those targets. It's not the exact amount, but those are the ballpark for the money you can get with the bounties requested by the Mage Association. I think I can bargain to raise the ceiling for one or two digits more, in the right circumstances…" Tohsaka trailed off.

She watched as a visible gloom appeared on Emiya as the papers fell on the table. He turned to her desperately like a mad man realizing that reality around him had crumbled.

"You mean to tell me that I could've gotten all that money after defeating those monsters…?" he asked in despair.

"Well… yes. I suppose."

His gloom intensified and he hunched over, a ghastly horrified expression on his face.

"That money… all that money…!"

Tohsaka watched Emiya, confused. Why is he acting like this? I wouldn't have thought that he was the material sort of person, especially with a ridiculous hobby like becoming a hero. Wouldn't he strive to be as virtuous as possible?

She frowned. I don't understand him. I don't understand him at all.

Though…

She looked at Emiya, and saw all the possibilities that lay before her now that she essentially had a very strong muscle with her. They're going to be working hard on dealing with the various supernatural forces she can't control in this city, and she was sure she was going to need someone like him to assist her.

Unaware even to Tohsaka, her facade slipped and she unconsciously let out an amused smile as she watched Emiya grieve for the money lost with a silly expression on his face.

…I suppose I'll understand him eventually.

At least, that was what she was sure of, amidst the uncertainties that will happen from here on out.

So I've come to realize that writing this story isn't… fun, anymore. It's affecting the quality of the story and I'm becoming less satisfied each time I write. Maybe writer's block, maybe burnout, maybe it's because I was sick and still recovering; but for now I won't stress myself with a deadline. I'll probably try a new project and revisit this next time.

Honestly, I'm new to this author thing, so I can only apologize if my decisions make you readers disappointed. It's only chapter four but I'm already starting a hiatus.

Thank you for reading.