?:
Hey.
Ayano:
Do I know you?
?:
I've noticed you've been doing a lot of strength training lately. But not just average strength training. You've been punching bags until you bled. You've been running until you've collapsed. Plus, I saw you stalking Unagi Denkashiza from the sports club. As well as that, it seemed you were actively competing with him. Whenever he'd run, you'd strive to run even faster.
Ayano:
So? Do you have a problem with that?
?:
It seems you're interested in becoming strong.
Ayano:
The strongest.
?:
If you really want to become 'the strongest', you're going to want more than just physical strength under your belt. After all, the top Class S heroes didn't get to their places with just physical strength - they got there using brain-power, too.
Ayano:
Why are you telling me this?
?:
I have a favour to ask of you. But to complete this favour… you'll need to become remarkably strong. From what I've gathered, you are the perfect person to complete this
favour.
Ayano:
What is this favour?
?:
I won't tell you just yet. But I will say, there are much stronger students than Unagi. The rest of the sports team, for example. The Martial Arts club. The delinquents. Would you be willing to do anything to become stronger than them?
Ayano:
Yes.
?:
Good. I'll give you a hint: there are knives in the cooking club's clubroom. If you don't want to bother with that, send me a panty shot and I'll get one for you.
Ayano:
… who are you?
?:
I'm the person nicknamed 'Info-chan' at school.
Ayano:
I've heard rumours about you. You sell panty shots to boys and blackmail girls. Nobody knows your real name.
Info-chan:
The rumours are true. If you ever need a favour, text me a panty-shot, and I'll give you whatever support I can. If you want to know personal information about anyone at our school, or a superhero, if you might, send me a photo of their face and I'll tell you everything I know about them.
Ayano:
You're disgusting.
Info-chan:
And you're a stalker. If you want my help, text me. If you don't care, ignore me. Either way… I hope you make them all suffer. By the way, keep an eye on that reputation of yours. If it gets too low…
Well… I think you already know what will happen, don't you?
...
The cooking club was the homiest club in school. The kitchen was a pleasant pink, with a pink oven, white cupboards, checkered floor, and a window at the back. Beside it was the dining room, situated on a tan floor, which had a large, white table covered in a pink table cloth. Seated at the table were six white chairs with pink cushions. It was a gentle, relaxing, and fun place, full of happy people.
It was also one of the only places you could find knives lying around.
Ayano Aishi, on a fine Monday morning, made her way to the Cooking Club. Standing there at the entrance was Amai Odayaka, the club's leader. Amai had short, light brown hair pulled back by a light, mint green chef bandanna and mint green eyes. She wore a light mint green apron with a front pocket, along with white striped stockings of the same colour. She wore the "Red Armband of Leadership" on her left arm with a cupcake on it.
Ayano took a photo of Amai's face. The girl gave her a sweet smile as she posed. Ayano then sent the photo to Info-Chan.
Amai Odayaka. Age: 17. Crush: Taro Yamada. Persona: Lovestruck. Self-defence: Incapable. President of the Cooking Club. She is at the bottom of Class A. Hero name: Sweet Muffin.
Her culinary skills are said to be far beyond her age, and that nothing makes her happier than seeing people enjoy the food that she has prepared. She's seen as a caring, 'big-sister' type of girl, and focuses on the positives in people rather than the negatives.
I also hear she has a dark secret of some kind.
"Hi there, welcome to the Cooking Club," Amai said, still smiling. "How can I help you?"
"I would like to join your club," Ayano replied. So I can destroy you.
"Really?" Amai asked, eyes lighting up. "We'd love to have you!"
Ayano nodded.
"Great!" Amai said, cheerfully. "Welcome! You're now a member of the club! I hope you'll like it here!" She paused. "Oh! And you'll need to wear this."
She handed Ayano a lilac bonnet. Ayano put it on. It sat on her hair, holding it back.
"I'll introduce you to everyone else," Amai said. She walked over to the dining table, where the rest of the club was seated. "Hey, everyone! This is Ayano Aishi! She's our newest club member! Make her feel welcome."
The rest of the club gave Ayano a chorus of friendly waves and greetings.
"Thank you for having me." Ayano bowed.
"Let's make some food, guys!" Amai said, brightly.
For the next hour, the club worked together to prepare a delicious meal, and enjoyed it together. Ayano used the time to 'bond' with the other members. She especially became 'close' with a girl named Saki Miyu.
"You're already really good at cooking, Yan-chan," Saki told her. Saki had cyan twin-tails, cyan eyes, and a purple headband. A kind smile adjourned her face. According to Info-chan, she loved sweets and desserts.
"Thank you," Ayano replied, politely. "Same to you."
"Really?" Saki asked. "You like my cupcakes?"
Ayano nodded. But in reality, she couldn't care less.
"They're lovely," Ayano lied, a sweet smile on her face.
"I'm glad to hear you like them," Saki said, cheerfully. "Your octo-dogs are great as well."
"How are you going, Ayano?" Amai asked Ayano, turning to face her.
"Great," Ayano answered, brightly.
"Oh!" Amai grinned. "Well, I'm really happy to hear that…! Are you enjoying the food?"
Ayano nodded.
"Fantastic!" Amai replied. "I'm so happy you feel welcome here!"
Ayano just nodded again. She was starting to get antsy. There was a knife in her skirt pocket, and it had a target.
"By the way…" Amai played with her fingers. "Are you friends with Taro Yamada?"
Ayano nodded for a third time.
"Oh…" Amai's cheeks went pink. "Um… well… I…"
"She has a crush on him," Kenko Sukoyaka, vice president of the club, blurted.
"K-Kenko!" Amai spluttered. He gave her a sheepish grin.
Ayano tilted her head. "Really? It seems a lot of girls do."
"I'm thinking of… asking him out," Amai admitted. "Do you think I should, Ayano?"
"Go ahead," Ayano shrugged, "if he does not already have a girlfriend. He seems to be a nice person. You're also a nice person, so I'm sure he'll say yes to you."
"Oh…" Amai blushed. "Thanks for the advice!"
"Of course," Ayano smiled.
A few minutes later, Ayano left the club room. She walked down the hall, and ran into some familiar faces.
"Oh hey, Yan-chan!" Taro Yamada waved. He was holding hands with Osana Najimi. Ayano remembered her conversation with Amai. The poor girl would be heart-broken. Oh well.
"Hello," Ayano said, politely, though in reality she wanted to stab the both of them for getting in her way. "Are you two in a relationship?"
Osana nodded, proudly. "I finally confessed to this dummy!"
Taro laughed. "Yeah, it was about time, huh? Anyway, where are you headed, Ayano?"
"Just to the gym," Ayano said.
"Working out again?" Taro asked.
Ayano nodded.
"Oh, well, have fun!" Taro chorused.
Ayano smiled. "I will."
She walked away, leaving Taro and Osana to their friendly banter. Ayano didn't notice Shiromi Torayoshi standing in the shadows, watching her.
"Hmm…" the Student Council's treasurer mused. She kept her eye on Ayano. She was… an interesting one.
Unagi was getting that feeling again. The girl was back.
She was smiling sweetly at him, but her eyes conveyed no emotion. It was… a little creepy. She was like a doll of some kind. She was looming in the corner, but staring directly at him.
"You need something?" he asked her, breaking the ice.
"Yeah," she replied, brightly. "Follow me! I want to show you something cool!"
"Uh, sure," he said. He followed her to one of the storage rooms. She discreetly closed the door.
"What did you want to show me?" He asked.
Ayano turned around. A creepy smile adjourned her face.
"What the…" Unagi muttered, taking a step back.
Ayano was wielding a knife. She approached Unagi with incredible speed, aiming the knife at his chest. He held up his arms defensively, managing to push her back. However, she got up instantly and advanced on him. She slammed him into the wall, holding up the knife. Before he could scream, she dug it into his chest.
"No one is allowed to be stronger than me," she hissed. "No one!"
And then everything went black.
Itachi Zametora, temporary president of the sports club, walked around the gym with a frown on his face. He couldn't find Unagi anywhere. Had he gone home early? Usually he made a point of saying so…
He hadn't checked all the storage rooms yet. He had a feeling Unagi wouldn't be in any of them, but decided to check anyway. He walked over to one of the rooms, and opened the door. Inside, there was a girl mopping the floor. Itachi had seen her before. She was the girl that did tons of training and working out. She was strong, but she gave Itachi a… weird feeling.
"What are you doing in here?" Itachi asked her.
"Sorry, senpai," the girl bowed. "I came here to get something, and accidentally spilled my drink."
"Be careful," Itachi grunted. "Have you seen Unagi Denkashiza?"
The girl shook her head.
Itachi sighed. "Dammit. That guy's a pain." He walked out, muttering to himself. Ayano smirked. In her pocket was a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. With it, no one would ever know of the blood spilled. And with him gone, the Sports Club would officially close its doors.
"Yan-chan! Have you seen the news?"
Ayano was leaving the school when Midori and her other friend, Kuu Dere, ran up to her. The green-haired girl was holding out her phone, while Kuu had her arms folded, and looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.
"Look!" Midori cried. "All these bald men were attacking City F!"
Ayano looked at the news report on Midori's phone. It was talking about a group of villains known as the 'Paradisers', who had indeed been terrorising City F. Supposedly, they were trying to get out of work, or something like that.
"Horrifying," Midori exclaimed. "Imagine being bald!"
Ayano wondered what her sensei would say to that.
Midori grinned. "Thankfully, Mumen Rider managed to deal with them all!"
Mumen Rider, Ayano thought. The top Class C hero. She took a closer look at the article, and saw Saitama in the background of one of the images, a furious look on his face. She frowned.
"I have to go," Ayano declared. "See you tomorrow."
"Aww, okay," Midori pouted. "See ya, Yan-Chan!"
"Bye." Kuu said, emotionlessly.
"Hey, Kuu," Midori turned to her friend, "did Yan-chan look kinda... weird to you?"
"No," Kuu responded.
"Yeah," Midori chuckled. "Not like she killed someone! Ahaha! She would never do that!"
There was a silence.
Midori grinned again. "C'mon, let's go play some Miyuki!"
Some time later, Ayano made it to Saitama's apartment. Her thoughts had drifted, but they always came back here. Saitama was sitting in front of a table with Genos, drinking tea.
"Oh hey, Ayano," he said, as she came in.
"Good afternoon, Sensei," she replied, bowing. "Genos."
"No need to be so polite," Saitama said, waving his hand. "It's kinda awkward. Like a job interview or something."
"My apologies, Master," Ayano replied, bowing again. Saitama sighed.
Ayano joined Genos and Saitama at the table.
"So, anyway, that Speed 'O Sound Sonic guy declared we were rivals and took off," Saitama said.
"Excuse me, but who are we talking about?" Ayano asked.
"You are aware of the Paradisers, correct?" Genos asked. "The villainous group that terrorised City F?"
Ayano nodded.
"The media credited Mumen Rider as the one who defeated them, but it was actually Master Saitama who did so," Genos explained. "Master, while fighting the Paradisers, encountered some fool by the redundant name of 'Speed O Sound Sonic'. This Sonic character attempted to fight Master, but lost severely and left." His face hardened, and he returned his attention to Saitama. "If he is bothering you, Master, I will deal with him."
"You're not much better," Saitama replied. "Actually, why are you guys here again? Go home, it's not like we're related."
"You could legally adopt me," Ayano pointed out.
"Not a chance." Saitama grimaced.
"Master," Genos held up a hand. "I must become stronger to-"
"SHUT UP!" Saitama yelled. He put his hands over his head. "The incidents from today made me aware of a serious problem and I'm reeling from shock. So I beg you, just go home."
"A serious problem?" Genos asked, leaning forward. "For someone as great as you are? But what could it possibly be? Please, tell me!"
Ayano herself was intrigued now. If something could actually bother the strongest person she'd ever seen…
"No one knows who I am." Saitama admitted.
Genos gasped.
"It's been three years since I first became a hero," Saitama explained. "I've defeated a lot of monsters and evil organisations in that time. Come to think of it, I've never heard of any other heroes doing as much as me. Not even close! Everyone in the world should know my name by now. I mean, isn't it kind of weird that I don't have any fans or anything? You know what he said to me today?" His eye twitched. "Never heard of you. Ever. On top of that, everyone in town thought I was one of those terrorists. They forgot how I beat all those monsters and all the other stuff I've done for them!"
Ayano knew he was right. She thought about the news report she'd seen earlier, the one where Mumen Rider had been given all the credit.
"Hold on," Genos said. "Master… are you registered with the Hero Association?"
Saitama frowned. "Huh?"
A few minutes later, all three of them were standing around Saitama's computer, staring at the Hero Association's website.
"Take a test at any local branch of the Hero Association," Saitama read. "If you score above the cutoff, you will be fully registered within the Association and be allowed to officially call yourself a hero. Once officially recognised, you'll be deemed a pro and will be paid for your work through donations given to the Association. All the heroes in the public are fully registered, accredited, and professional. You may be doing plenty of hero work, but if you're only a self-proclaimed hero, you're really just some… weirdo…"
"Some weirdo spouting nonsense and viewed with great suspicion, it says," Genos finished.
That explains why I didn't recognise him when I first met him, Ayano thought.
Saitama put his head in hands. "Ugh, I had no clue…" He sighed. "So, are you guys registered?"
"No," Ayano answered.
"Me neither," Genos said. "Should we be?"
Saitama gasped, sitting up. "Hey! Let's sign up! You guys register with me and I'll make you my official disciples!"
Genos grinned. "Sounds like a plan."
Ayano, on the other hand, frowned.
"What's wrong, Ayano?" Saitama asked her.
"With all due respect, Master," she bowed, "I am not interested in joining the Association."
Saitama frowned. "Huh? Why not?"
"I'm not really interested in becoming a hero," Ayano responded. "I just want to get stronger."
If I become a hero, people will recognise me, Ayano thought. It'll be so much harder to get away with murder. The only thing important here is getting stronger. Until I get strong enough, I have to stay incognito. There are too many threats around right now. Even Unagi was a threat. If I get caught too early…
"Oh, well," Saitama shrugged. "I understand. You can still be my disciple."
"Thank you for understanding, Sensei," Ayano bowed.
"And stop bowing," Saitama replied. "It feels like you're my servant or something…"
"Sorry, Master," Ayano bowed again.
Saitama sighed.
As Ayano headed home, she got a text from Info-chan.
Info-chan:
Hey. I have a question for you. Are you registered with the Hero Association?
Ayano:
No. Why?
Info-chan:
I strongly recommend that you register. It will offer you a lot of benefits.
Ayano:
No thank you. I want to stay incognito. If I register, it'll become harder to get away with crimes and such.
Info-chan:
While that is true, there are also a lot of benefits. For example, if you carried a weapon around at school, you wouldn't be considered suspicious. As well as that, your reputation would increase steadfastly. No one would suspect you of being a criminal.
Ayano:
It'd draw attention to myself.
Info-chan:
It'd be good attention. People will let their guard down in your presence. And besides, it'd be much easier to get in contact with other heroes and annihilate them.
What do you think?
Ayano:
...
Info-chan:
How about this. You can't be considered the strongest person alive if no one knows who you are.
Ayano:
I will think about it. But I have a question of my own. Why do you want me to join so badly?
Info-chan:
That is confidential. For now, work on your stats. You're going to want to aim for at least A Class.