AN: Hello, welcome back. Grab a snack, and relax. Today's chapter will be exploring a bit more of Saitama's budding recognition. Not much action, but there is quite a bit of progress. To address a few comments from the previous chapter, someone stopped reading because I made Code too strong...? Even though we haven't seen much of him yet...? Lol, I hope you continue to read, anonymous user. I have plans for the story. And someone else asked if Code is meant to be God. No, he is not. At this point, everything you will see will likely be non-canon from here on out. Though, if Canon drops something cool, I might find a way to work it in there.

Also, in this chapter I kind of play around with pov's so... I hope it's not too confusing... tired of having to say that, lol! Just trying new things here, I guess. Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.


Tatsumaki stepped into the elevator from the lobby of her apartment complex with her bag of leftovers, her mind still clouded by thoughts of that idiot, Saitama.

After her trip to the clouds, she decided to treat herself to her favorite restaurant. It was somewhere she normally went with Fubuki on special occasions, but she didn't want to hear from her right now. The goal was to get Saitama out of her mind, and if Fubuki was there, that wasn't likely to happen. So, Tatsumaki went alone.

It was a Hero-exclusive fine diner that was built right off the shore of City-J. If you didn't have a Hero license, you couldn't get in. There were a couple of different spots like that, scattered around the cities. Everything from restaurants and motels to bars and bathhouses. It meant relative privacy from any civilian fans. An escape from the leering eyes... for most heroes anyways... S-Class rarely had that privilege, even among other heroes.

When she got there, she was definitely noticed by a number of lower ranks. It felt like the entire room watched her float by on her way to the table in the back. She could feel the awestricken looks, and she could tell they desperately wanted to run up and greet her, but that was technically against the rules. Not officially. It was just that everyone understood the purpose of the exclusivity.

The situation was a usual occurrence to her, of course, but this time, there was an added sense of embarrassment...

Every table she passed seemed to be a couple of some sort out on a date. It was a usual spot for that particular occasion in the hero world, but Tatsumaki had never been there alone. She was always with her sister, so this time, everything was different. The food didn't seem to taste as good, she felt awkward sitting at her table alone, and her view was clogged with happy couples hand-holding and smooching across the table. Plus, every television they had, hanging over the bar, was showing a news story about Saitama. Nothing about this was helping her situation...

All these years and she had never felt this way about anyone. It wasn't like she was planning on dying alone or anything... or maybe she was. Before now, being alone hardly ever crossed her mind, yet these past few days, it was all she could think about. Still, '... why him...?'

It didn't make sense. She's never had a crush on anyone before, but if she did, she had always assumed it would be someone more... handsome... or at least someone with hair. So... why Saitama? Why was he the first man to ever cloud her thoughts like this? What made him so damn special...? Is it how strong he is? Was she just fangirling him like the women on the news...?

'... no...' she thought, staring down at her feet. '... I was fangirling Blast... this is... so different...'

With a huff, she stared up at the lights above the door, slowly ascending to her floor. 'Whatever... I'll probably never see him, anyways...' As the two strongest heroes, it was really unlikely for them to ever be sent to the same call... unless the world was ending again, or something... But, how often would that be? '... out of sight, out of mind,' she told herself. '... out of sight, out of-..'

(Ding!)

"er-!..."

Tatsumaki stared at the man standing in her way with rising irritation. "... what the hell are you doing here!?"

"... t-.. Tornado...?" King squeaked out. "w-... Why are you here?"

She glared at him with her anger rising by the second. "I live here, dumbass! This complex is for heroes only! So, why the hell are YOU here!?"

"uh-! I uh..! I came t-to...!"

"Oh good, you didn't leave yet," a voice behind him cut him off.

King stepped aside with a relieved sigh at the sight of his host. "s-Saitama!"

"Hm...?" he hummed, confused by his panic. "I forgot to give you your cord back for the charger..." It took him a moment, but his gaze eventually drifted into the elevator at the sight of that familiar bright green. "... Oh, hey."

Tatsumaki stared at him with no discernable expression on her face. She couldn't believe her eyes, right now.

"... uh... s-... Saitama...?" King whispered to him, keeping an eye on the violent woman in the elevator.

"Yeah...?"

"... Where's your shirt?"

The bald man looked down at his attire and noticed he only had on a pair of cargo shorts and his house slippers. "... oh," he muttered. "I was about to take a shower before I noticed I still had your cord..."

King's gaze shifted between the two for a moment. 'No way... this is really like a scene from a romcom...' He took the cord from the bald man, offering a muttered, "thanks," as he did.

Saitama raised an eyebrow at his odd demeanor. He was still clinging to the wall as if he were standing on a ledge or something. "For sure..." He then looked back to the woman before him. "... So... what's up...? Did you need something...?"

Tatsumaki narrowed her gaze at him, clearly irritated by the question. "... I live here..."

"Oh, really...?" he asked. "Cool. Looks like we'll be neighbors, then."

"... looks like it," she muttered her reply, still maintaining her stoic glare.

"Heh, small world, huh...?"

She didn't reply. She just stared him right in the eyes... afraid to look anywhere else...

Saitama blinked a few times, completely oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation. "... Well, see ya later," he said, turning around and walking back to his room with a wave over his shoulder. "Thanks for coming, King..."

King watched him leave with fear in his eyes. Sometimes Saitama's obliviousness was an absolute nightmare. He watched him shut the door of his apartment without another glance in their direction, and when it was just them again, he slowly turned his head to see her still standing there, staring blankly down the hall... effectively keeping him from leaving.

Tatsumaki was stuck for a moment, cursing her luck. '...Of course, he lives here... Of course, he does...'

"er-... e-excuse me," King muttered, drawing her gaze. "... you... you goin' down, or..."

She stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head and floating off to her own room.

King shimmied into the elevator as soon as she vacated and quickly mashed the lobby button. As the doors shut, he watched her enter her code into the electronic keypad down the hall, praying she didn't spare him another glance. But, when her door clicked open, she reached for the knob and gave a very hesitant look back at the door across from hers.

When the elevator finally shut, he stared at his reflection in the metal plating of the doors. "... heh... heh-heh," he chuckled for a moment. "... is this what it means... to be lucky...?'


Tatsumaki shut her door and peeked through her peephole for a second before she rested her forehead against the wood. There was that tickle in her cheeks again. Why was this happening to her...? What should she do...?

The obvious answer was to move out. There were dozens of buildings just like this all around the city. '... but... he already saw me...' She turned around and leaned back against her door. 'If I moved... would he think I hate him...?' Wasn't that a good thing? Would that be better than him thinking otherwise? Why didn't it feel like it?

There were so many nuances to this ridiculous feeling inside of her. As it stood, she didn't want to be anywhere near him, or anything that reminded her of him... but she didn't want him to think she hated him.

"... hurgh," she groaned, rubbing at her face. "... stupid idiot..."


The next morning, Saitama finished clamping the belt of his Hero suit on as he stared at himself in the bathroom mirror for a moment. "So... that's where you've been," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stepped out.

Genos stood at attention in his living room, watching the news with his usual intense look. When he saw him step out, he handed him his cup of coffee. "Yes, Master. Doctor Kuseno has made exceptional improvements to my tactical abilities. The data I collected from the attack on the Monster Association has been calibrated efficiently, and I am more prepared than ever before."

Saitama yawned before he took a sip from his mug. "... mm, that's good," he said, either talking about what his student was saying or the coffee he gave him.

Genos smiled as he watched him plop down on the couch. "Thank you, Master. Every day, I strive to get better through your teachings."

"Hm...? Oh, yeah. Good for you, Genos." He took another sip before setting it down on the coaster on his glass table. "So, you're fully repaired, now?"

"Yes, sir," the cyborg replied immediately, examining his new arms himself. "I haven't yet tested all of my new features, but I am certain I've gotten stronger."

Saitama began flipping through the channels for any sign of something to do. He hadn't been called by anyone from the association today, so he assumed there weren't many monsters out and about. "You have," he replied. "I can tell you're a much better hero than you were before... Keep up the good work."

Genos stood behind him, watching the channels come and go as he heard his words. Again, he couldn't help but smile at such praise. If nothing else, that was the true motivation for his continued growth. "Thank you, master..."

That wasn't his only purpose for going to see the doctor, though. He was determined to find a solution to Saitama's problems as well. Dr. Kuseno was an older man with quite a bit of wisdom about life, so Genos often asked for his guidance as well. He figured he may have some sort of advice that he could pass along.


Genos stared at the old man's hands as he finished welding his thigh shut, having finished the wiring he was working on. "... Doctor?" The welding mask glanced up at him before focusing back in, but Genos knew he had his attention. He looked out into the distance, thinking of a way to pose his odd inquiry. "... If you were the strongest hero to ever exist... and no one knew it... what would you want in life...?"

Doctor Kuseno finished the task he was working on before he flipped his mask up to think about the question. "Huh...?" He looked into the young hero's eyes that seemed miles away. "... Is this a philosophical question?"

Genos considered it for a moment. "... It is..."

The doctor began putting his equipment away as he thought about it. "... Hm... I suppose, recognition... right?"

Genos nodded to himself for a moment. "... I thought that too... but, what if that's not enough...? What if you get the recognition... and you still aren't happy...?"

The doctor thought it over as he tossed his welding mask onto the table next to him. "... Hm... That is a tough one..." Genos was always coming to him for life advice, and usually, he had an answer for him. This time it wasn't so simple. " Uh... I can't really say what it is this Master of yours is searching for... That is who you are referencing, yes?"

"It is..."

"Ah... I figured," he mumbled, scratching at his chin in thought. That really only made it harder to answer. "... ya know, I saw him on the news yesterday... He's every bit as amazing as you've claimed him to be..."

Genos smiled at him and nodded in appreciation.

"... As for what he could lack, I can't say I know for sure... but, I will tell you what my father once told me... A man who has everything will always find it difficult to find anything..."

Genos pondered his words for a moment before the doctor stood from his stool.

"There is a big difference between want and need... We always know what we want, but... in my many years of life, I've realized that we hardly ever know what we need." Doctor Kuseno took the crate of scraps from the ground and walked them to the table on the other side of the room.

Genos watched him the whole way. "... How do we find it...?" The doctor turned around and stared at him, clearly waiting for him to elaborate. "... How do we find what we need...?"

After thinking it over for a moment, the doctor smiled at that question. "... Well, that's the thing about life, Genos... What we need eventually finds us, all on its own... if not, we wouldn't need it..."


Genos stared at Saitama who continued sipping his coffee. He had finally stopped flipping channels. The TV was set on another news report, only it wasn't highlighting himself. It was a report on Tornado's actions throughout the mission. There was cellphone footage of her barrier preventing Psychos' jet form from escaping. '... What we need finds us... all on its own...' Did that mean he shouldn't try? Was Master Saitama supposed to keep waiting, or was there something Genos could do to speed up the process?

(Bzzz bzzzzzzzz)

Saitama pulled his transponder from his pocket, still casually staring at the grainy footage of Tatsumaki facing off against the monsterized Psychos. "Hello...? Hm...? Oh... Yeah, sure... uhuh... Can I bring Genos...? Demon Cyborg, yeah... Okay..." Saitama hung up and stood to his feet with a stretch.

"Master?" Genos said, getting his attention. "What is it? Is there an attack?"

Saitama stared at him for a long moment. "... Um... no..."


[1 hour later]

Right outside the entrance of the Hero Association HQ, a crowd of excited onlookers muttered amongst themselves as they patiently waited for the event to begin. There was a podium set up with Association members lining each side. Most of the people crowding the front were News reporters with their cameras and recording devices at the ready. Sekingar and Sitch stood at the mic, whispering back and forth to each other. They hadn't addressed anything yet, but the wait hadn't killed the mood one bit.

Today was the day everyone had been waiting for. In this press conference, they were gonna explain the happenings of the Monster Association mission in full detail, unveil the new rankings of the S-Class heroes, and most importantly, formally introduce Saitama to the world with a proper hero name.

"They're definitely excited," Sekingar muttered, staring around the larger-than-usual crowd... much larger than any other press conference they've ever held.

"Can you blame them?" Sitch replied. "All that's been happening the past few months...? I think we all need a breather..."

Sekingar chuckled through his nostrils. "... What do you think about the name? Think he'll like it?"

"Hard to say. I find it fitting, but... maybe a little over the top?"

Sekingar smoothened out the cuffs of his suit jacket. "Heh... maybe..."

"Sir?" a voice cut them off. They turned around to see one of their female agents with her finger pressing her earpiece deeper so she could hear. "We're ready."

The two shared a glance at each other. "Well," Sekingar muttered. "Looks like you're up."

Sitch took a steadying breath as he stepped up to the podium. "Let's get it done..."


Saitama and Genos walked down the hall in the direction of the lobby, where they were told to wait. All eyes were definitely on the bald man as they passed by the suit-donning agents crowding the halls. Genos noticed the stares, but Saitama was almost completely oblivious as he snacked on the bag of chips he snagged from a vending machine they passed.

"So..." Saitama started, chewing his mouthful down before he continued, "what do you think they'll ask me?"

"I am not sure," Genos replied. "Likely questions about your strength, your goals, and your recent victories. If the rumors are true, they will also present you with an official hero name."

"Mm... I hope I don't mess up," he said, biting down on another chip. "I was terrible at public speaking in school."

"Heh," Genos chuckled. "You will do fine, Master. I'm sure if you just be yourself, they will accept whatever you have to say."

"... Yeah, okay," Saitama replied. They finally made it to the lobby and found it filled with even more agents who watched Saitama with awestricken eyes. Out the big glass door of the entrance, they could already see the crowd of people and Sitch at the podium giving his opening remarks. "Looks like they started already..."

"uh-... excuse me, Mr. Saitama?" The two heroes looked to the woman who stepped toward them from one of the groups of onlookers. "Um... I'm one of the producers of this event. My name is Hana, and i-I'll let you know when you should walk out there."

"Ah, okay," Saitama replied, crumpling up the empty chip bag. "... Sooo, do we just wait around or whatever?"

"Yes, sir," she said. She could barely contain the excitement on her face. "You can just have a seat in the lounge area right there. It should only be a twenty-minute wait, at the most. a-And, I can throw that away for you... if you'd like..."

Saitama was confused until he realized what she meant. "Oh... okay, thanks..."

She averted his gaze with a beaming smile as she took the bag from his hand. Saitama and Genos watched her leave before they made their way to the lounge area. They both plopped down on the couch and watched the broadcast on the television hanging on the wall in front of them.


(On the television)

"The efforts of all participating individuals in the successful assault of the Monster Association have been accurately recorded, and they shall all be properly compensated for their heroic efforts," Sitch said, his gaze sweeping across the crowd that was only half-interested in what he was saying. "As we at the Association understand, there was only minor damage dealt to the neighboring City-Y. Minimal, considering the scale of the catastrophe itself. Damages include two apartment complexes, four local businesses, and six independent residences. Any and all residents and business owners affected by the attack shall be properly compensated by the Hero Association. Those who have lost their homes have been granted temporary living expenses as their abodes are repaired, and when the repairs are finished, they will be granted a five-month period of free rent to assist them in returning to their lives. This concludes the report on the Monster Association operation. We will now take questions regarding this topic if any."

A few hands in the press section shot up immediately, and Sitch pointed to one at random.

"Hello. Makia Guren, City-Y informer," she introduced herself before asking her question. "Has there been any word on surviving Monster Association members?"

"There has not. To our knowledge, the Heroes involved in the assault effectively eradicated any and all threats. We have multiple A to B-class heroes currently stationed in the restricted area to search what remains of the enemy's underground hideout. As of today, they have only encountered one surviving creature and it was effectively disposed of."

Again, more of them began raising their hand, and Sitch picked another.

"Hi, Shinji Nu, City-B news at nine. This was the biggest operation we've witnessed to date. Should there be any cause for concern that we will see another event like this anytime in the near future?"

"I cannot answer that at this time, but I can ensure you that with our current heroes, I have complete faith in our ability to protect this world from any and all threats against it."

Tatsumaki sat on her couch watching the broadcast with a bowl of noodles in her lap. She watched Sitch do as he usually did. Duck and dodge questions with half-truths and encouraging words. They were really building the suspense of Saitama's official reveal. That's what everyone was clearly waiting on. Everyone behind the press line looked completely bored listening to the Q&A of the operation. They were there to hear the new ranks, and to see Saitama. She had never seen a crowd so big.

The reveal of the ranks came as a surprise to the heroes in the S-Class as well. Most of them were still recovering, likely watching from their hospital beds in the building just behind him. It wasn't so much a stressful thing, as most of them really didn't care about their rank anyways. There were too many factors that funneled into the order, and those factors weren't necessarily reliable when it came to who the strongest was. Besides, it was basically like fighting for the third spot, anyways. '... I wonder if they did it...'

(knock-knock)

Tatsumaki turned around to see her sister already flying through the door.

"Hey! You're up!" Fubuki happily chirped. "Did it start yet?"

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes and focused back in on the television. "... What are you doing here, Fubuki?"

She flew over the back of the couch and sat next to her, eagerly checking the screen to see what was happening. "What do you mean? I came to watch it with you."

Tatsumaki peeked over to see her ruffling through a big plastic bag. She pulled out a case of candy apples and passed them to her without looking.

"I got you these from that amusement park in City-F, yesterday... aaaand, this!" Next, she pulled out a bottle of wine and held it up by her smiling face as if she were in a commercial.

Tatsumaki stared at her with a look that said she knew what she was up to. "... Thanks," she muttered, taking the apples.

Fubuki smiled watching her open the plastic container. Two wine glasses floated from the cabinet in the kitchen before stopping right in front of her. "You want a drink?"

"Fubuki," Tatsumaki said with a sigh. "Could you just knock it off, today?"

"What?" she recoiled, filling both glasses. "You're still on leave, right? So, you can drink as much as you want... You're not scared you're gonna say something you don't mean, right?"

"Just shut up, already!" Tatsumaki psychically snatched the glass away from her and sat it on the table next to her with a scowl on her face.

Fubuki giggled and grabbed her own glass out of the air. "Okay," she relented, sitting back in her seat.

They watched in silence for a moment as Sitch began to wrap up the first Q&A. Fubuki kept a curious eye on her older sister. After their talk in the hospital, it was too obvious to both of them what was going on. If only she could've held her water better. Now Tatsumaki definitely knew that she knew. That was gonna make it so much harder to get her to admit it... or even bring it up.

That was why she was here, right now. She knew her sister was going to be watching this. Everyone was. If Saitama was center-focus, it'd give her the perfect opportunity to bring it up. But, from the look on Tatsumaki's face, her plan was clearly already sniffed out. 'Geez... how stubborn is she planning to be?'

(On the Television)

"Okay," Sekingar started, replacing Sitch at the podium. "We will now be moving onto the second agenda of this press conference, the new hero rankings for all who participated in the Monster Association operation."

The crowd finally began to cheer a little.

Sekingar waited for the small round of applause to die down before he started again. "There have been 64 alterations to the Hero Association's official hero rankings. I will start from C-Class and work my way up from there. Please, listen carefully..."

"... What do you think the S-Class is gonna look like?" Fubuki suddenly asked as they watched Sekingar run through the lower classes. He was going name by name, providing their rank and their hero moniker before moving on.

Tatsumaki shrugged and took a sip of her wine. As long as she was moderate with it, she could handle a little buzz.

"... I mean, everyone fought really hard during the mission... And of course, they're gonna push Saitama's rank up..." She made her statement as she watched the side of her sister's face for any sort of reaction. Tatsumaki just took another sip, ignoring her completely. "... How much do you think they're gonna move him...? Top five, maybe?"

"I don't know Fubuki," she finally grumbled out.

"Hm-hm," she giggled through her pursed lips. "Okay... sorry..." There was something kind of fun about teasing her sister about this. She'd never had the chance to have something over her for once.

"-and maintaining her spot at the top of B-Class is Hellish Blizzard. This concludes the Class-B rank report."

Fubuki peeked back at the screen when she heard her moniker.

"They didn't promote you?" Tatsumaki asked.

Fubuki looked back at her and could see the disapproving look in her eyes. She knew all too well that wasn't true. "Well... they offered..."

"... tch," she scoffed, looking back to the screen. "Still wasting time with those B-Class losers, huh...?"

Fubuki held her tongue, staring at the side of her face. There was the sister she knew... and it still hurt when she said stuff like that... but she wouldn't let it get to her today. 'She's just trying to hurt my feelings so I leave... but I won't.' She took another sip and they watched in silence for a while, mindlessly listening to the names of the A-Class members until he got to the last one.


(On the television)

"-and, the Rank 1 hero in the A-Class division is still Amai Mask. This concludes the Class-A rank report," Sekingar finished, flipping to the final page as the crowd roared in anticipation. This was what most of them had been waiting on. His gaze swept around the cheering crowd until they calmed down enough for him to continue.

"Alright... Now, for the new ranks of the S-Class members." Again a wave of applause interrupted him. It died down eventually, and Sekingar took his time reviewing the list to make sure there were no mistakes. "... Rank-16, Puri-Puri Prisoner. Rank-15, Tanktop Master. Rank-14, Metal Bat. Rank-13, Flashy Flash. Rank-12, Superalloy Darkshine. Rank-11, Demon Cyborg..."

"uh-!" Genos gasped when he saw his new rank. "Heh... Master..."

"Hm?" Saitama muttered, leaning in to hear him.

"... I'm almost top ten..."

"er-... oh, yeah... That's... that's great," he muttered, keeping his focus on the screen. '... damn it...'


(On the television)

"Rank 10, Watchdog man. Rank-9, Metal Knight. Rank-8, Pig God. Rank-7, Drive Knight, Rank-6, Zombieman."

Fubuki's eyes shifted over to her sister who had her bottom lip resting on her glass of wine that she was barely drinking. She was watching so intently. It was clear she was worried about something. '... is she afraid Saitama will take her spot...?'

"Rank-5, Child Emperor. Rank-4, Atomic Samurai. Rank-3, Silver Fang..." Sekingar stopped there when the entire crowd went silent, hungrily waiting for him to finish. Here, there would likely be controversy either way, but they had made their decision. "... Before I continue... We here at the Association are aware of the divide among the supporters. We ask that you all understand and accept our decision for the time being..."

The silence that followed his words was eerie considering how many people stood before him. Every now and then he could hear the click of a camera, but other than that, the wind was all that caught his ear.

"Rank-2... Saitama."

Fubuki gasped and immediately looked over to her sister with a smile that slowly melted away when she saw the look on her face. She didn't seem happy about that... in fact, the frustration was slowly settling onto her face.

Tatsumaki watched the camera pan around the crowd that had an obvious split reaction to that revelation. There were sections of people wearing fan gear of herself cheering their heads off, but there were other sections wearing Saitama's merch booing Sekingar as he tried to finish.

"That makes Rank-1, the Tornado of Terror. This concludes the S-Class rank report. I will now be flooring some questions before the next agenda if there are any."

Immediately, the crowd of press junkies was in a frenzy trying to get his attention.

"You, there," he said, pointing one out.

"What was the reasoning for not promoting Saitama to the Rank-1 position!?" They had to yell just to be heard.

Sekingar eyed the man down with no visible reaction. They were expecting these questions. "Though Saitama's feats within the Operation were astonishing, we concluded that Tatsumaki's defeat of Monster King Orochi and the monsterized mastermind, Psychos, was by far the most vital key to our victory." Again, they were in a frenzy trying to get his attention. "You, in the back."

"What of Saitama's defeats during the Invasion and the Sea-King incidents!? Were those not taken into account!?"

"They were," Sekingar quickly responded. They were asking the same questions Tatsumaki had posed. "But, considering those defeats occurred prior to his inclusion to the S-Class, and there was minimal evidence to support his victories, we saw it fit to exclude those particular instances from our decision." He selected another.

"What about the thousands of reports of Saitama's heroics over the past three years!? Are you discrediting those statements!?"

"No," Sekingar replied. "We're not discrediting anything Saitama has done. The Association fully recognizes his abilities, and we don't doubt the validity of these claims, but without evidence, we saw it hardly fair to Tornado to accept them as fact on blind faith, alone."

"So, is this just to appease Tornado!?"

"Excuse me?" Sekingar searched for the source of that question before another one was asked.

"Has she threatened to leave otherwise!?"

"Uh, no. Hold on, let's not-.."

"Has Tornado ever raised concern about losing her rank!?"


Saitama and Genos continued watching, the former still showing very little interest. Genos, on the other hand, was completely outraged. "Impossible!" he shouted, jumping up from his seat. "This must be a mistake of some kind!"

"... A mistake?" Saitama asked, looking at him strangely. "What's wrong with it?"

"uh-!" Genos gasped, looking his way. "... Master... They... they put you at Rank-2!"

"... okay?" he muttered. "Wasn't I like rank 20 or something? That's a pretty big jump, right...?"

Genos couldn't accept that. Just when he thought Saitama was getting the respect he deserved, it was derailed by this blatant act of favoritism. "... but... Master, after everything you've done over the years...? You should be Rank-1!"

Saitama looked back to the screen and watched Sekingar try to wrap it up over the slew of questions they were throwing at him. He really didn't see what the big deal was. Rank-1 or not, he had an apartment, health insurance, and a steady income, so, "... who cares? It's just 1 rank..."

"Uh-!... but, Master...!"

"m-.. Mr. Saitama?" Hana said, sneaking up behind them.

"Hm?"

"They are now getting ready to introduce you," she informed him. There was worry on her face as if she had assumed he'd be mad about this himself. "... If you would please follow me."

Saitama stood to his feet with a stretch, still watching the screen as he did. "ergh," he groaned. "It's fine, Genos... I mean, I at least made the top three. That's pretty good, huh?"

Genos watched him walk away, completely confused as to why he wasn't more upset about this... or why he wasn't upset at all. It was completely unfair, given his many years of unrecognized service. If they had credited him with every defeat they originally cited King with, and taken into account the Invasion and the Sea-King, along with his debut battles, he likely dwarfed Tornado's track record completely. '... Does he really not care...?'


"Those fucking idiots!" Tatsumaki shouted at the screen. "What the hell were they thinking!?"

"um... what?" Fubuki questioned, shying away from her sudden flare of aggression. "This... isn't a good thing?"

"A good thing!? It's BULLSHIT!"

"I-... I don't understand. You don't... want to be number 1?"

"Shut UP, Fubuki!" She shouted before downing the glass of wine in her hand in one gulp. "Urgh... and gimme that bottle!"

"o-Okay!"


Sitch and Sekingar were on damage control at this point as they ignored the rush of follow-up questions that the news vultures were shouting at them. They knew to expect some backlash, but this was ridiculous. A single rank and Saitama's supporters were in an uproar.

"I guess we might have misjudged how popular he is," Sekingar said, watching a majority of the crowd boo their decision.

Sitch shook his head, completely baffled by the scale of the outrage. "You may be right..." It was a good thing they saved the best agenda for last. He stepped up to the podium and immediately became the center-focus for the chanting boos and pestering questions. He ignored it all and raised his hand to the crowd. "Okay-okay," he muttered into the mic. They were still going at it, so he just decided to talk over them in hopes of getting their attention somewhere along the way. "We understand that this decision, not everyone will agree with, but as it stands, this is the official S-Class ranking at this time. As you know, we are constantly evaluating our Heroes and shifting their ranks based on performance. With time, perhaps our decision will change, but as of now, we must move on to our final agenda..."

There was still a fair amount of chatter and booing circulating the crowd, but Sitch could at least be heard by a majority. He peeked back to the door and could see Saitama staring back at him. His visage was as plain as ever, and for a moment, Sitch wondered what he thought about all of this.

He turned back to the crowd and continued on to what most of them were waiting for. "... At this time, we would like to formally introduce the world to the newest S-Class hero himself... Saitama."

Immediately the crowd roared at his proclamation. Everyone had their cellphones out and crammed forward, desperate to get a glimpse of the newcomer. And when he finally stepped out, it was absolute pandemonium.

Saitama squinted his eyes at the beaming sun on his face as he looked around the crowd of cheering fans. It was like a sea of reaching hands, and it was so loud that he couldn't even hear himself think. He just did as instructed by Hana and walked straight toward Sekingar and Sitch who had stepped away from the podium to greet him. They were clapping along with everyone else.


"Ooh! There he is!" Fubuki chirped, pointing him out as if he weren't the only one on the stage wearing anything other than a black suit.

Tatsumaki stared at the screen with her angry cowl still set in stone. She took another swig from the wine bottle before wiping at her chin. Her eyes locked onto Saitama when the camera zoomed in on his face. He was just as unreadable as ever. If he was upset, she couldn't tell, but... knowing him, she doubted it.


"SAI-TA-MA! SAI-TA-MA! SAI-TA-MA!" the crowd chanted.

They were so loud that Saitama could feel the boom of their voices traveling through the concrete steps he was standing on. He was really starting to hate the sound of that chant... but at the same time, he couldn't deny their passion. This felt a little better than just defeating a monster and going home as if nothing happened. At least people were noticing him, now. 'Heh... To think, I was a nobody last week... Just a cashier at the gas station... Now...' His eyes locked onto an odd sight out in the crowd. At first, he noticed the sign that read 'SAITAMA'S FAN CLUB!' The group that was holding it is what surprised him... they were all bald. "... what the hell...?"

Sitch pat him on the back, drawing his gaze. "Overwhelming... isn't it!?"

Saitama looked back to the chaos. "Yeah... It is..."

"Heh... You should enjoy it...! You've earned it!" Sitch gave him another pat before he stepped up to the podium to continue the conference.

Saitama's gaze continued searching through the crowd that was slowly calming down at the instruction of Sitch. How he managed to spot anyone in that mess was beyond him, but he noticed a familiar face in the front row, just behind the group of news reporters. It was Metal Bat dressed down in his civilian clothes with a baseball hat on. 'Whoa... he does he'll fast, huh...?' There wasn't a bandage, bruise, or scratch in sight. "... Oh," Saitama muttered looking down at the girl he had with him. It was his sister, and she was staring him right in the eye. "... uh..." Saitama gave her a little wave. '... whoa... she's red, now...'

"So, before we present the world, and Saitama himself, with his Hero name," Sitch was saying, drawing Saitama's attention back when he peeked back at him. "We would like to give Saitama a chance to introduce himself."

The crowd roared louder. Sitch stepped back and gestured him forward. When he stepped up to the podium, he immediately felt a bit of unease. It was fine standing aside, but actually being in front of the microphones was a different story. He gave the crowd a half-assed wave and listened to them shout his name. After a while, he coughed into his fist to clear his throat. "... uh... Hey... Saitama. I'm 25... I uh... I'm a hero for f-.. i-I mean, I'm a professional hero..." He stopped there for a moment as he thought of what to say. "Uh... thanks for coming and... yeah... that's all..."

No matter what he said, they were still cheering as loud as possible. It was so loud that, for a moment, he zoned out completely. All of the sounds drained away and the smiling faces he could see in every direction seemed to blur together. This was what true recognition felt like. All those years of fighting monsters and saving people... and no one even knew who he was... That was something he used to hate, and he had always thought that he would maybe feel better about hero work if that wasn't the case. Yet, here he is, finally experiencing the other side... and it didn't change a thing...


"Heh-heh," Fubuki chuckled. "Was that all he had to say? He's actually kinda funny, sometimes... Don't you think?" She looked to Tatsumaki for confirmation, but she was transfixed on the screen, staring at the close-up of Saitama. There was a far-off look in her eyes as if she were completely lost in her own head... There was no sign of a blush or anything Fubuki could use to poke the bear. In fact, she almost looked... empathetic for some reason.

Tatsumaki examined every inch of his face. It was as stoic as ever, but... for some reason, it looked different than his usual disinterest. His gaze felt like it was looking through whatever he was staring at. Maybe his eyes were hanging a little too low... or his lips were slightly pouted... For some reason, '... he kinda looks... sad...'

(On the television)

Sekingar stepped up and leaned across Saitama to speak into the mic as things whined down a bit. "Saitama will now answer a few questions from the press before his name is unveiled."

Immediately, the reporters began begging for a chance to ask something.

Saitama, clearly blindsided, looked back to Sekingar who just gestured toward the group. He searched around for a bit before pointing one of them out. "Uh... you, I guess?"

"Mr. Saitama! It's an honor to meet you, sir!"

"Um... okay."

"Heh, uh... So, my question is... How-.. i-I mean, heh... sorry," he muttered, taking a moment to compose himself. "How long have you been doing Hero work?"

Saitama scratched at his temple as he thought about it. "Uh... I guess about three years, now. I mean... it was kind of a hobby before, though." Again, they clamored for his attention. "Right there," he said, pointing another out.

"Hello, Mr. Saitama...! Big fan!" the woman said, clearly excited to be speaking with him face to face. "I wanted to ask you, just as I'm sure many are curious, how exactly did you come about your power?"

"... uh, what?"

"Oh! I mean, we were all just wondering if you... were experimented on or... If you fell from space or something."

"Oh... Nah. Nothing like that. I just... worked out a lot, I guess..."

She seemed shocked by his answer. "Uh-! So, you're saying your strength is natural!?"

"... yeah, pretty much." Again, he looked for someone with a question.

"Mr. Saitama, we have sources saying that you previously took the Hero Association entrance exam earlier this year. Is there a reason you chose to work outside of the organization before that? If so, what made you finally decide to join?"

"Oh, uh... No, no reason. I just... didn't know about it..."

"... the exam?" the man asked.

"The organization..."


"Keh-!" Fubuki scoffed. "He didn't know about the organization? For three years!?"

Tatsumaki just shook her head as she watched them rattle off their stupid questions. Obviously, Saitama was dodging most of them with idiotic answers. 'Heh... just worked out a lot? Didn't know about the organization...? Sitch and Sekingar must've told him what to say...' Though, as dumb as those responses were, she wondered about that.

She took another swig from the wine bottle in her hands and continued to wait for a real question. After the outrage from earlier, she just knew someone was bound to bring it up. They were all vultures of controversy. They needed something for a headline, and Saitama playing dumb wasn't gonna cut it. Sure enough, someone set the trap.


"Mr. Saitama," a female reporter began when she got his attention. "Are you at all upset about your new rank?"

"... Huh?" Saitama uttered, confused by what she was asking. "Why would I be upset?"

"w-Well, there are many supporters that believed you should have overtaken the Tornado of Terror for the rank of the number 1 hero."

"... why...? I mean, I just started working here again, like three days ago. She's been here for a lot longer, right?"

Another reporter picked it up from there. "Yes, but given your many years of unrecognized defeats, do you not find it unfair of them to play favorites?"

"No... That's usually how companies work..."

Again, someone else continued along with the same topic. "That's true," the man began, "but it does seem like you should have been given the top rank... I mean, you've basically saved the world three times already. You even saved Tornado, herself, on multiple occasions."

Sekingar stepped up and leaned over Saitama again to speak into the mic. They were getting too unprofessional for his liking. "Do you have a question, sir?"

"Oh," the man muttered, correcting himself. "Uh... I guess my question is... Do you believe that Tornado should be the number 1 hero?"

(-)

(On the television)

Saitama gave the man a confused look. "... well... yeah. She's really strong, right? I mean... didn't she take out the big bosses in that last mission...?"

"Well... yes, but considering her state, after the fact. She seemed like she struggled quite a bit, whereas you effortlessly defeated Elder Centipede. A creature that seemed to be a similar threat."

"Who cares?" Saitama replied, getting a little annoyed by the topic. "She won, right? Isn't that what matters? And, all I did was throw a punch. I think that twisty thing she did was way cooler, right?"

"You seem to hold Tornado in high regard," another reporter noted. "Is there a reason for that?"

He looked at her for a long moment as he thought of what to say. "... Mm... not really... Just, think she's amazing, I guess..."

Fubuki's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at the screen with shock and awe written all over her face... Did he really just say that? "Heh-Heh-!" she chuckled, her gaze shifting toward her sister. All she saw was her grain trail before she heard the bathroom door shut with a bang behind her. "Tatsumaki!"

"GET OUT, FUBUKI!"

Fubuki felt like a giggling idiot as she flew toward the door to try and force her out. "Did you hear that!? He said you're amazing!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Awww!" she cooed loudly. "But, he said you're amazing!"


Fubuki wasn't alone in her assumptions. The news reporters were all looking at each other as if they had all just unveiled a nugget of gold. Even the crowd behind them was bubbling at his statement.

Saitama was obviously oblivious to the rumor he likely just began, but Sitch and Sekingar were not. They shared a curious glance at each other before Sitch decided it was time to call an end to the last Q&A of the day. They had already been out there for far longer than they had planned.

Sitch stepped up and leaned into the mic. "Okay, thank you, Saitama," he said, sliding him over just a bit so they were both at the podium. "And thank you to everyone who came out today to show your support. We will end the questioning there, and move on to our final agenda of the press conference."

The crowd started cheering again. There was a nervous buzz that ran through the air, yet Saitama was completely unaffected. 'Final agenda...? Was that not it?'

Sitch waited for the commotion to die down a bit before he continued. "... As you all know, heroes come in many shapes and sizes. They are the proud few who step up to the line of duty when the world needs them most... We've seen many rise to the occasion, never wavering at the thought of defeat... We've also lost many, far too soon... And, though they are gone, they live on through the spirits of those they happen to touch in life... They live on in the hearts of those they've saved... and through the legacies they leave behind."

'Oh, yeah,' Saitama remembered. 'Guess I'm about to get my Hero name, huh...? Hope it doesn't suck...'

"In my three years of working with the Hero Association, I don't think I've ever seen a hero quite like Saitama. So, it is an honor for me to present the world to his legacy..." Sitch gave his long-winded speech a breather, just to build the anticipation. With a smile, he continued on. "... Ladies and gentlemen... I present to you... One Punch Man!"

If at all possible, the crowd cheered far louder than they had all day. At last, they finally had a moniker fit for the ultimate hero, a man they'd witnessed make good on that name a few times already. It was catchy, it was powerful, and it was the truth. Soon, the chant kicked up and spread like wildfire until the entire sea of faces was involved.

"ONE-PUNCH-MAN! ONE-PUNCH-MAN! ONE-PUNCH-MAN!"

Saitama once again stood centerstage on the podium, his flat gaze shuffling around the crowd. As far as what he thought of it, '... It sucks.'


AN: Wow, can you believe we're at 20 chapters? Don't wanna jinx myself, but I am kinda liking this pace. Anyways, thanks for reading, and I would appreciate a follow/favorite, and hopefully a comment. Lemme know what you think. Till next time, readers. Thanks for reading.