AN: Welcome back! First and foremost, let me just say here and now that I cannot express how floored I was to read the reviews this time around! I am... just absolutely humbled and grateful for the feedback! You guys are just amazing! I love you all and I thank you for your help, your support, and your presence, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I'm not gonna lie, it's definitely mounting the pressure to finish this off in a satisfying way, but I'm not running from this anymore! I'm in way too deep! Truly, thank you!
Now, it's not vital for this chapter, but before you read the next... three maybe? I'd definitely peek through the first 11 again. I've finally gotten around to updating all of the older ones (more or less). If you don't wanna do that, that's fine. The most notable changes about those is the improved grammar and formatting, and I pretty much removed mentions of the "shadowy organization" from the first few. It was really clunky, and at the time I had no real vision for what I wanted Code to be, so it just didn't mesh with the story. When I fully finish, I might find some way to insert some foreshadowing in there for future readers, but as of now, I don't think it's necessary.
That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Again, thanks a lot for the feedback! I received the best advice from a few of you, and know that I agree with everything you guys have critiqued! A lot of you are obviously well-versed in story structure and it's just so flattering to hear you're enjoying the story!
One thing I would like to point out about those critiques, however, is about Saitama's characterization in this story. We all love and admire the caped-baldy, so I'm sure we all know how righteous he is! I guess I could've made it a little more obvious, but he's a little different in this story for a narrative purpose. I'm not gonna spoil it, but there were a few people who pointed out how... callous he seems... and yeah, haha! That was intentional, and that's all I'll say for now!
Thanks again and enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.
"... Finally," King said with a sigh as he sat across his kitchen table from Genos and Bang. They had just explained the interesting situation that happened last night at the meeting, the conversation that had a number of S-Class heroes buzzing with suspicion.
"I don't think I've ever seen Tatsumaki smile at something other than her own insults before," Bang said. "It really reminded me of courting Miss Kimiko on the simulation."
"Didn't you guys fail that?"
"Oh-... Yes, I believe so... but I think we started well."
"Heh," King chuckled and rubbed his chin in thought. 'So... Saitama is starting to notice his feelings, huh...? It's still too early to blatantly ask him, but perhaps if we were to bring her up in a group conversation, he'll let something new slip...' He looked up at the two across the table. Bang was reviewing his note packet from the game and Genos was brooding in his seat for some reason. 'It's nice to see the training's paying off, but... it feels like Genos is still hesitant... Does he really just not like Tornado, or... is there something else...?'
"Another thing I noticed," Bang said, "before Saitama-boy came in, I saw that Tatsumaki was quite upset, so her sudden mood shift when they were talking also reminded me of Miss Sakura from the beach missions."
"Really?" King asked.
Genos sat back in his seat with his arms folded, hardly listening to their discussion. He agreed with all of it, but he couldn't see past that moment. The apparent reunion of Saitama and Love. 'That woman... The way she spoke to Master Saitama was endearing... caring...' On the other hand, 'Tornado has always berated him for his baldness...'
His own personal conclusion was almost too easy until he thought about the very moment that they just explained to King. '... Master... smiled at her...' That moment definitely reminded him of the Kimiko storyline as well. And at first glance, it looked like a shot he remembered seeing in one of their film studies.
In complete contrast to that moment, he also recalled watching Saitama listen to the story about Love's journey and the first time they met. It was like he was re-watching a movie he'd seen a thousand times. That was why he was debating on whether or not to tell King and Bang. There was a chance they'd likely never see her again, anyways.
"Genos," King called out to him.
"I apologize," the cyborg said. "I wasn't listening..."
"Oh, uh... w-Well, Bang was just saying that Tatsumaki was mad about something before she was talking to Saitama... Any idea what she was mad about?"
'... Mad...?' Then, he remembered seeing her trail fleeing at the end of that mission. She was there when they saved that woman. "... Amaru Hamada," he muttered.
"Uh... what?" King muttered with a confused look. That was the name of another character from the Heartbeat Hotties game. Why was he thinking of her? 'Her storyline is from the Halloween special edition pack where she tries to kill you at the end out of...' Realization suddenly sunk into his expression and he locked eyes with the cyborg. "Jealousy...?"
"... Jealous?" Bang asked. "Tatsumaki...?"
Genos looked down in thought for a moment until he explained. "There was another girl," he said. "Love..."
"l-Love!?" King exclaimed.
"Saitama-boy has a lover?"
"No," Genos stopped them both. "That is the name of the girl those monsters were hunting yesterday."
"... Oh, yeah," Bang said. "I remember Sitch saying something about that last night."
"Who is she?" King asked.
Genos leaned up and, from his eye, cast a projection view of the scene he witnessed the previous day on the table. The moment she unexpectedly ran up and hugged Saitama.
"w-.. Whoa!" King shouted in disbelief. 'I didn't know he could do that...' He put that aside when he really examined the image before them. 'Whoa... that woman's... incredibly beautiful...' For some reason, he blushed at the intimate way she stared into his eyes with her arms around his waist. 'Are they... former lovers!?'
Even Bang felt like he was prying into a private moment watching the embrace. 'Saitama-boy is quite the casanova himself, huh...?'
"We don't know much about her, but apparently, Master Saitama saved her life two years ago, and she has been trying to make it back to him after seeing his press conference."
'Romantic... and dramatic,' King mulled, staring at the still shot of their face-to-face with her arms around his body. It looked like a wedding picture, only Saitama seemed completely confused with his arms hovering out as if he didn't want to touch her.
"... That could be quite problematic, no?" Bang asked, directing his question to King who already seemed to be pondering the situation.
He stared down at the table considering how something like this could fit into his story. 'This... Love woman has an obvious thing for Saitama and to be candid, she's probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen... It could be very problematic for my own personal goal, but... taking that out of it... maybe it's good for Saitama... It's gotta be an easier route than trying to whoo Tornado...' He looked across the table again to see Genos staring at him intently as if waiting for directions. "... It... It can be an issue... if we're committed to Tornado..."
"My thoughts exactly," the cyborg agreed.
Bang shifted his confused look between the two of them. "... Are we not...?"
King sighed and leaned back in his seat. "... I don't know... I mean, gleaming from what you guys have just told me, Saitama has finally opened up to Tornado... If we do switch the plan up now, then we'd be starting from scratch..." He stretched out a kink in his neck and shrugged his shoulders. It would hurt the original idea of his story, but, "... If you guys think we should switch, I don't mind at all... This is about repaying Saitama for all he's done for us, so what's best for him should always come first..."
For a long moment, no one spoke. The buzz of King's window-installed AC unit, and the low-volume chatter of the news report on his TV, almost amplified the tenseness of their silence. Bang was the one to break it with his withered but wise tone. "... I suspect, given what we've just seen of this Love girl, it would be a far easier task if we did switch it... but... if the decision was mine alone... I wouldn't..."
King smiled at the sincerity of his answer.
"But... I don't think my vote should count here... I've been around for many years..." Bang's gaze settled on nothing in particular at the center of the table. "As you know, I'm... quite familiar with Tatsumaki, hm-hm-!" he chuckled. "... She's someone I've grown to... care quite deeply for... I cannot be unbiased with my decision, therefore, my vote shouldn't count... But, after seeing what I did yesterday, I couldn't imagine trying to ruin that..."
King accepted his bow out with an appreciative nod. He then looked over to Genos who still seemed stuck on his decision. It suddenly made it a lot harder when it was his, alone.
The cyborg shut his eyes and considered everything from Bang's words to what he saw yesterday. He knew what he wanted to say, but he was starting to suspect he didn't know enough about the man he pledged his studies to. How could he make this decision and put his all into it if he had doubts about his answer? 'Master... If I asked you... what would you say...?'
(Three days later)
(On a big screen)
"What would you say, huh...?" a crying woman asked, staring at a handsome man who seemed to be in deep thought. In the scene, they were standing in the middle of a field having a serious conversation. The sky was dark and murky and the swelling orchestral music amplified the tension in the background. "If I told you I loved you... If I let you in like that... would you hurt me?"
"I don't know," he said dramatically, wiping the lone tear that rolled down his cheek. "I wouldn't try to, but... it feels like I end up hurtin' the things I love the most... That's why I try not to love anymore... I'm trying to protect y-.."
"I don't need your protection, Cho!" she suddenly shouted. "I am not a child...!"
The man rubbed his face and shook his head in irritation.
"You think I'm new to this shit!? You think I've never been hurt before!?"
"What do you want from me!?" he finally snapped. "Huh!? I care about you, Nami! I... fucking love you...! But, I'm not right for you...!"
"Yes, you are... I'm just not right for your public image, right...? Because I'm just a maid."
"Nami..."
Tatsumaki couldn't have been more lost than she already was sitting at the back of that movie theater with her sister. They were both disguised in oversized hoodies and baseball caps, and Tatsumaki had a bright orange wig on to further hide her extremely recognizable look. 'How the hell is this supposed to help me? This movie sucks...' Her gaze shifted over to her sister to see her in tears, sniffling at the cheesy climax of the movie. 'Urgh, Fubuki,' she mentally grumbled, rolling her eyes.
She wasn't alone in her captivated reaction. All around them, Tatsumaki could see people in tears.
Apparently, Fubuki thought it'd be a good idea for her to get a feel for how romance is supposed to go, that way she can notice the signs... but everything in this movie was completely ridiculous. Cheesy fluff with a terrible plot and awful dialogue, and the main girl annoyed her more than anything. She was curvaceous, pretty in the face, and completely nice, yet somehow she was treated like a disease because of her social status. It wasn't that stuff that irritated her. It was just her personality in general. She was just so ditsy and clumsy... as if she were determined to be the butt of the joke in every situation, completely incapable of asserting herself without looking like an idiot. And the guy was some kind of rich CEO with a horrible fiance.
'Pfft, cookie-cutter rom-com... This is so stupid. I can't believe Fubuki actually likes stuff like this.' She glanced over to her again to see her smiling lovingly at the screen, completely captivated by this dramatized relationship. It admittedly made her smile a bit to see her so happy, though. 'She's always been like that... Maybe she's the wrong person to ask for advice.'
That was something she had been considering since the moment she asked her. So much so that she deliberately withheld a few things when they were making plans. Tatsumaki clued her sister in on a lot of things, including the fact that Saitama lived across the hall from her, but she never got around to talking about that woman... Part of her was hoping they'd never see her again, but... remembering that hug, she seriously doubted that.
Her eyes traveled back up to the screen when she heard the music start to swell.
(On the big screen)
It was raining now, and they were still standing out in the field watching each other intently. The woman wiped her eyes clear so she could see him. "...w-.. What did you say?"
"You heard me," the man said with a stern look in his eyes.
"... Say it again, please..."
"... Marry me... right now... I don't know why I keep destroying things... Even now, I think about running before I tear you down too... but... it feels like the further I run, the less I can breathe... I don't wanna hurt you, Nami... but I'm weak," he said with a well-placed voice crack. "I can't leave you... I need your hands to catch me when I stumble... and I need to hear your voice when the whole world's screaming at me... I need... you..."
They were both in tears as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. The music hit its last crescendo and the two plowed their faces together in a steamy kiss.
Tatsumaki wasn't in tears like her sister, but she did blush. Though, not necessarily at the actual scene, but the one she saw in her head. '... What would I say if... he told me something like that...?'
An hour later, Tatsumaki sat in a small outdoor food court in the shopping district of City B. She was still disguised in her oversized hoodie and bright orange wig beneath a baseball cap. The popular street was buzzing with guests, and the tables near her were completely filled. Still, no one seemed to notice her.
Fubuki went to order some food from a restaurant nearby. Though her disguise was good, it wasn't smart for Tatsumaki to lock eyes with cashiers. She was noticed that way once before, and it took her an hour to leave without looking like a total bitch.
With a deep breath, she crossed her arms on the table and watched the people in her view... and again, there was no escape from seeing that plain look of Saitama. His face was on T-shirts, backpacks, sneakers, and a slew of other things all around her, including the giant billboard on the side of one of the surrounding buildings. Oddly enough, it didn't really bother her anymore. If anything, it was better than seeing her own face everywhere. She still saw a few, but definitely not as much as before.
Even though she hated that movie, she kept playing the scenes over in her mind. She wasn't big on romance films, but that wasn't the first one Fubuki dragged her out to see. Back then, she would've just forgotten all about it as soon as they left the theater. Now that she had a crush, it kind of lingered with her. It raised a very important question that she had never thought to ask. '... What type of girl does Saitama like...?'
Hopefully, it wasn't the type of girl from the movie. If it was, then she had a pretty good idea who he'd probably choose in the end. The image of that hug came to mind in a flash, wavering her confidence...
But then she remembered their conversation and the way he smiled at her. That, more than anything, had been on her mind all day. '... Was I nice enough that time...? Is that why...?'
"Attention everybody!" a cheery voice shouted nearby. "Just a few seconds of your time, please!"
Tatsumaki looked over to see a young man with a One-Punch-Man shirt on and... for some odd reason, a bald cap, passing out flyers of some kind.
"You're all welcome to the first official meeting of the One-Punch-Man Fanclub! It's sure to blow you all away!"
"... Fanclub?" she muttered.
"We've got live music, a professionally edited showcasing of One-Punch-Man's greatest victories to date, with never-before-seen angles, live testimonies from a few people our favorite hero has saved, and an appearance from the most senior member of the fastest-rising Fanclub in history!"
He came by her table and spared her a quick glance, tossing a pamphlet on her table.
"Everyone's welcome! Come show support for the strongest man alive!"
Tatsumaki picked it up and stared at the cover art. It was obviously fan art of Saitama with a big cheesy grin on his face, punching a hole through a wall. "... Hm-hm," she chuckled lightly. 'To think, just a few weeks ago he was a dummy I met at a corner store... I knew it wouldn't take long, but... you really blew up fast...'
That thought slipped away when Fubuki set a bag of their food down on the table. "Okay," she said with a sigh, sliding into her seat, "so, I've been thinking it over, and I think we're in a really good spot regarding Sai-... i-I mean, regarding you-know-who."
Tatsumaki nodded and struggled to get her food out of the plastic bag. It kind of sucked not being able to use her powers for little things like that, but it was all for the sake of maintaining their anonymity.
Fubuki helped her out and dug her own food out as well. "I think the biggest advantage we have right now is the fact that we know where he lives, and it just so happens to be right across the hall from you, so that should make things a lot easier."
"... Okay," she muttered, nodding again.
Fubuki watched her searching around for something until she spotted their chopsticks clinging to the inside of the bag. She grabbed them out and passed hers over with a curious look on her face. "... Yeah, so... I think the main focus should be on just kinda crowding around him until we can slip into his inner circle. From what I've read online and stuff, that's like... probably the easiest way to get a man's attention. The more time you spend around him, the more you can present yourself."
"Mm," Tatsumaki hummed, taking a bite of her food.
"I... kinda tried to do that as soon as I found out how strong he was," she said with a chuckle, picking around her own plate of noodles. "I mean, not for the same reason, obviously. I was gonna recruit him to my organization, but uh... yeah, his house got destroyed and I... didn't have his new address so..." Fubuki stopped talking when it started to feel like a one-sided conversation. "... Um... are you okay?"
"Hm?" Tatsumaki hummed, slurping up a bite of noodles. "I'm listening..."
"Yeah, but... you're not responding... Do you not want to do this anymore? I thought you wanted my help."
Tatsumaki sighed and rolled her eyes. "I do, Fubuki. I jus-... I heard everything you said, okay? Crowd around him, inner circle, and all that. Just keep going..."
Fubuki watched her with a curious glare. She seemed kind of spacey today. "... Well, that's just a way to get his attention. When it comes to actually... you know... i-It's gonna take more than just standing next to him." Again, she watched her roll her eyes. "It's important that you know exactly what your top womanly qualities are so that you can really emphasize those traits and... hide the bad ones."
"Like what...?"
"Hm?"
"What bad traits?"
"... Um... heh-heh," she chuckled awkwardly. "We'll... save that for later. First, let's focus on the positives. Like... your cuteness, your strength, your... ch-charm...?"
"My charm?"
"y-Yeah, there's some... charm to your words, sometimes... It's... admittedly rare, but..."
Tatsumaki scoffed and took another bite of her noodles with a shake of her head.
Again, Fubuki was confused by her reaction. She watched her look around the crowd for a second and thought of what to say next. This wasn't any easier than it was the other night. At least then she seemed more eager to hear her advice. She figured there had to be something that her sister wasn't telling her. "... Honestly, I... really don't think this is gonna be as hard as you think it is. I mean... I don't know Saitama that well, but... I'm guessing he has to like you just a little. You said he smiled at you, and I don't think I've ever seen him smile at anything."
"Like you said," she shrugged, "you don't know him that well..."
Fubuki sighed and dropped her chopsticks down. "Okay, what's the deal here?"
"What?" Tatsumaki snapped back with a frustrated look.
"Why are you being so difficult about this?"
"I'm not! You said something I just didn't agree with! He smiles all the time!"
"Okay, but you're being rude for no reason! I'm just trying to help you!"
"I'm not being rude! I'm listening to everything you say!"
"You're listening, but you're clearly not hearing me!" Fubuki yelled.
Tatsumaki tossed her chopsticks down on her plate and sat back in her seat with a huff. "What the hell does that even mean!?"
Fubuki looked around in a slight panic when she noticed a few people shoot them concerned glances. "o-Okay, calm down," she said in a softer tone. "People are staring..."
Tatsumaki sealed her lips and angrily tucked her arms over her chest. From an outside view, they sort of looked like a mother and her moody teenage daughter.
Fubuki waited until the shady looks dissipated before she continued. "... Look... I feel like there's something you're holding back... I don't know why you would when you asked for my help, but I..." She huffed out an irritated sigh and fed her a line she always seemed to say when talking to her older sister. "I can't help you unless you let me..."
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes...
"You want me to make a plan and all that, but how am I supposed to do that if you won't-.."
"There's another girl," Tatsumaki blandly cut her off with a scowl on her face.
"... What...?"
Her frustrated glare flickered to Fubuki a few times but she couldn't hold her gaze. "... I don't know who she is... Those three monsters that attacked the other day were all chasing her..."
"... o-Okay...? I don't... understand what that has to do with Saita-.." she stopped herself before she said the full name and looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "... with 'him'..."
With a hefty sigh, Tatsumaki shook her head and thought about how to word it. "... I don't either... Me and Sai-.." she caught herself and grimaced when she nearly made the same mistake. "Me and 'him' were tracking her and... when she saw him, she just ran up and hugged him..."
The realization sunk into her expression. She finally understood the reason for Tatsumaki's sudden urgency for her help. It was beyond just that little conversation they had. 'Is she... jealous...?' It was hard to believe, considering Tatsumaki was likely the most sought-after woman in the world: the only female S-Class member who just so happened to be in the number 1 spot. Why on earth would she be feeling insecure? "... Well, that... that could mean anything. I mean... maybe they're just old friends?"
Immediately, she shook her head. "... I don't think so... It wasn't that she hugged him, it was... the way she hugged him..."
"What do you mean?"
Tatsumaki shrugged her shoulders. "... I don't know... It was... intimate... familiar... Like they were old lovers or something..."
Fubuki took a deep breath and nodded her head. That definitely made things more interesting, and not for a good reason. "... Was that before or after you guys had that talk...?"
Tatsumaki thought about it for a moment, not because she didn't remember, but because she was already seeing what she was hinting at. "... Before."
"Okay... so, why would he suddenly get all talkative with you if he just reconnected with an old girlfriend?"
Tatsumaki shrugged in response giving her sister very little to go off of.
Fubuki thought long and hard about the limited possibilities. She wasn't there to see it, so part of her just figured Tatsumaki was likely just blowing it out of proportion. '... It was probably nothing. She's so head over heels that she just assumed the worst...' Fubuki picked around her food again. "... Well... i-I'm sure it's more innocent than you think..." She took a bite and waited for a reply, but Tatsumaki didn't look like she had anything to say. "... What did she look like? Was she cute...?"
Again, Tatsumaki held her tongue, but from the way her eyebrow twitched at the sound of that question, Fubuki knew what her answer was.
'Makes sense... She probably wouldn't be jealous, otherwise,' she figured. With a deep inhale she thought hard about what to say. She's never had to boost her sister's confidence before. "... Well, you're cute too, ya know... Heh, I mean... there's no way she can be cuter than you, right...?" Yet again, the silence said enough. "... o-Oh... Uh... w-Well, is it like... a body image issue you're having or-.."
"What?"
"i-I mean, like... are you feeling insecure about your... size...? Because, from what I've heard, guys really don't care about that... too much..."
Tatsumaki furrowed her brow as if she really didn't understand. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Fubuki was blushing, trying her hardest to put it lightly. "... y-You know what I mean, heh..."
Tatsumaki watched her eyes flicker nervously down to her chest before she understood. Immediately, her face heated up in a nasty mix of anger and embarrassment and she covered her chest. "No! It has nothing to do with that!"
"i-I was just saying," Fubuki immediately sputtered. "Most guys don't care about that! You may not be super curvy, but you do have nice hips!"
"Fubu-...!" Again, she stopped herself when she nearly shouted her name and looked around to see if they drew another audience. Thankfully, they hadn't. She was beet red in the face when she turned back to her with a daring look in her eyes. "Shut up!" she whispered in a harsh tone. "I said it's not-..!" Tatsumaki suddenly went dead silent when she saw some strange man approach their table.
"Um... excuse me, heh."
Fubuki turned to see a handsome man approaching her with a nervous look. She peeked back to Tatsumaki to see her hiding beneath the brim of her hat. "... Yeah?" The man stuck a hand out for a greeting and she awkwardly accepted the gesture.
"s-Sorry, I don't mean to bother you or take up too much of your time, but... I... honestly, I saw you at Fujin's back there and I just... uh-heh-heh," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, uh... My name's Sota, and I... just thought you were really beautiful and uh... I was just wondering if you'd like to grab dinner sometime or... something like that..."
"... o-Oh uh... No, thank you...? I'm really flattered, but I've... i-I'm married, actually, so-.."
"o-Oh, of course, heh-heh," he said nervously. "I kinda already suspected that, because you're so beautiful, and... I saw you were here with your daughter and all..."
With a frightened gasp, Fubuki flinched at his words and timidly peeked over at her sister. She was gripping the sleeves of her jacket in a death grip.
"i-I actually have a niece her age, I think-.."
"o-Okay! Heh-heh!" Fubuki cut him off before he went too far. "m-Maybe, but I don't think-.."
"She's about to graduate middle school this year, actually. Do you live around here? Maybe they go to the same sch-.. w-Whoa!" he suddenly tripped, even though he wasn't moving, and landed right on their table with his cheek in Tatsumaki's plate of noodles. "o-Oh shit! I'm so s-..." He suddenly stopped when he locked eyes with the smaller woman beneath the shade of her hat. He froze in fear at the crazed look she had.
Tatsumaki stared at him with an unspeakable rage in her blank expression. "... Go away... Now..."
"o-Oh! Of course!" he scrambled, climbing off the table and wiping his face. "Heh-! i-I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay!" Fubuki nervously reassured him. "Thank you, but-..! y-You should go!"
He was already backing away from them in a panic with his terrified gaze plastered on Tatsumaki who still hadn't moved. "Okay! I'm... really sorry...!"
Fubuki watched him take off at a brisk pace and again checked around to see if anyone was watching that awkward moment. It drew a few interested looks, but it seemed they were more interested in the awkward man scrambling away. She looked back at her sister to find her staring right at her with an angry blush on her face. "... heh-heh," Fubuki timidly chuckled.
The two esper sisters weren't the only heroes out and about that day. Genos walked down the busy street alongside Saitama and King. All three of them were in some sort of disguise. Genos and King had hoodies on with the hoods pulled up, and Saitama wore what seemed like a vacation outfit for a dedicated fisherman, including a sleeveless beige vest with multiple empty pockets over a white t-shirt, matching beige cargo shorts, a pair of boots, and a bucket hat. He looked like he got the outfit straight from the cover of an outdoor magazine.
"Uh... You sure no one's gonna recognize me?" he asked King as they weaved their way through a crowd of people who were standing in the middle of the sidewalk watching a news story about Saitama through the window of an electronic store.
"Maybe, but I doubt it," the taller man said. "People tend not to notice what they're not looking for."
"Mm..." Saitama glanced at the screen on the way by when he saw it was footage from way back during that whole invasion incident. More specifically, the very moment he saved Tatsumaki and sat her down with her face in front of the camera.
"Master," Genos called out, drawing his gaze back as they walked by. "Thank you, for agreeing to this. I apologize for the sudden invitation."
"... Nah, it's cool," he waved him off. "I wasn't doing anything special, and it's kinda been a while since I've left the house... For something other than work, I mean..."
"Yeah, we... kinda noticed that, heh," King chuckled. "That's why we thought you could use a little fun."
"Cool," he said blandly. "... But where are we going again?"
"A dive bar that's usually pretty discrete," King said. "I used to go there every once and a while when I was in the association. It's not a heroes-only bar, but it's usually not very busy on days like this."
Saitama raised a curious brow at his statement as he looked around the street they were on to see it packed to the brim.
"Are you sure?" Genos asked. "It seems there are many people out today."
King looked around, himself. "Yeah... it's kinda strange, really... Maybe there's some kind of convention going on."
'... Convention?' Saitama wondered. It was then he noticed an increase in merchandise with his face on it all around them. He was somewhat getting used to it at this point, but just up ahead, he could see two men wearing bald caps. One of them was passing out the skin-colored headwear they had on while his partner handed out some kind of flyer. '... I really hope that's unrelated...'
"Get your bald caps here!" the vendor shouted, waving them around to the passing people. "One-Punch-Man bald caps! Grab 'em while they're shiny!"
'Wow...'
Just before their group passed, the man with the flyers shoved one into each of their hands. "You, you, and you sir are all invited to the first official meeting of the One-Punch-Man Fanclub! The show starts in three hours! It's sure to blow you all away!" He hardly spared them a quick glance as he gave his drive-by pitch before he started advertising to the people behind them.
Saitama loosely kept up with Genos and King as he examined the pamphlet a bit. "... Fanclub?"
"It would appear they are hosting a Fanclub meet-up, Master," Genos explained the obvious. "I knew you had amassed many admirers, but I had no idea your Fanclub was so popular, already."
"Oh, yeah," King said. "The news says you're setting records with the pace of your popularity growth."
"... huh," he uttered as they were approaching the corner. His eyes were still focused on the pamphlet, so he didn't see Genos and King round the way until he bumped into someone. "Oops, sorry," he said immediately without looking up.
"Watch where you're going," an oddly familiar voice snapped out at him.
"... Hm...?" Saitama stopped and pulled his eyes away from the flyer. He turned around and spotted the person just as they were walking away. It was a girl with orange hair spilling out the sides of her baseball hat following who he could only guess was her mother or older sister. '... Oh... I thought that was-..'
"Master," Genos said, snapping him from his thoughts and drawing his gaze. "You coming...?"
Saitama looked back to the girl again until he lost her in the crowd. "Uh... yeah..."
As soon as he followed Genos around the corner, Tatsumaki stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder.
Fubuki eventually realized she wasn't following and backtracked through the passing crowd a bit. "Hey, what's wrong...?
Tatsumaki kept searching for a beat before timidly turning back around when she didn't spot anyone of interest. "... Nothing..."
"Wow," Saitama muttered as the three of them stood in the doorway of the dive bar King was talking about. It was kind of old-fashioned, and there really weren't too many patrons.
"See?" King said with a grin as he stepped in front of them. "It's not too flashy, but they have great food. I normally sit at the bar."
"Is that a good idea?" Genos asked as he and Saitama followed along. "The bartender could notice Master if we sit too close."
"Heh, that's the great part," King said. "The owner's partially blind, and he doesn't care too much about heroes."
Saitama got that vibe when he, oddly enough, noticed a lack of his face on the surrounding walls. There were still a few patrons around sporting something, but not many.
They took their seats at the corner edge of the bar and King flagged down the old man to order their drinks. True to King's claims, he didn't recognize a single one of them even after they shared a small moment of idle chatter while he opened their bottles. He simply bid them farewell and walked back into his storage room for some reason.
"Geez," Saitama said under his breath, "shouldn't he retire, already? He's pretty old."
"Heh," King chuckled. "I asked him why he hasn't before, and he told me he was waiting on the wings to finish cooking..." King took a sip of his beer before he noted the silence. When he turned back to the group, Saitama and Genos both looked completely confused. "o-Oh, uh... A couple of years ago he used to sell hot wings, but he lost his contract with his wing provider so he had to take them off the menu. For years before that, he had a long-time customer that would come in every single day for wings, even long after they were stripped from the menu. So, the old man just started tellin' him they were still cooking, every time he asked, heh-heh."
"Heh," Saitama chuckled lightly. "Who the heck would come in for wings every day? Were they really that good?"
"Hm-hm" King giggled as he swallowed a mouthful. "Well, it's a dive bar. Nothing's really THAT good, heh-haha!"
Saitama hummed a small chuckle into the rim of his bottle as he took a drink.
"You said the food was great," Genos pointed out, looking just as serious as ever.
"o-Oh," King sputtered. "I mean... for dive-bar standards, at least."
Saitama swallowed a gulp and readjusted himself on his stool. "Is that the whole menu?" he asked, looking up at the chalkboard on top of the wall.
"Yup," King said, checking over everything to see if it had changed since before. "That's pretty much everything..."
"Ooh," Saitama hummed in an impressed tone. "They have Yakitori. I really liked the ones they had at that meeting the other day."
King and Genos immediately locked eyes as if they were suddenly alert. 'Perfect,' King mulled. 'Play it cool, Genos. We need him drunk before we ask the serious questions.'
Genos examined his mentor with a keen eye. 'He is not drinking fast enough. Should I expedite the process...?'
"... Mmm," Saitama hummed, still trying to decide. "... I guess I'll try the Yakitori. It's usually good with beer."
"Master," Genos drew his attention. "Would you like for me to order some shots, on my tab?"
"Hm...? n-No, that's cool," he said with a confused look. "You can just leave it on my tab." He turned in the direction of the door to the back room. "Hey, old man? Can we get some shots, please?"
"a-Are you sure, Saitama?" King asked. "We were the ones who invited you. We expected to pay for the whole thing."
"... Nah, it's fine. I can pay... Actually, I'm kinda eager to... I really haven't spent a lot of that money I made. They kinda spoil the heroes in the S-Class a lot. It's almost like getting paid just to live for free, sometimes."
(In the distance)
"Keh-...!"
"Is that how it feels?" King asked, jumping into a conversation with him about the perks of an S-Class hero.
Genos tuned them out momentarily. His gaze drifted just behind Saitama's head. At a table in the far back of the room was a curly-haired man facing the wall. He noticed him when they walked in, but didn't think much of him...
Just then, he could've sworn he heard him snicker at what Saitama was saying... but on closer inspection, he noted the phone in his hands and figured he was reacting to something funny he saw. His gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before he returned his focus to the group as the bartender set small glass cups in front of each of them, filled with a clear liquor.
They were about to initiate a very risky plan. Genos still hadn't made his decision on whether or not to switch targets. There was too much at stake, so he requested this activity himself. If they could get him just the right amount of drunk, hopefully, they could get a glimpse of how he really feels about Tornado. So far, it was going well. In fact, it was going better than he thought.
Genos watched Saitama's lighthearted back and forth with King. He wasn't really hearing their words, though. He was distracted by the feel of the situation. He had never seen his mentor so relaxed... and not in a bored way. His entire demeanor felt different than usual. Genos even noted the small grin on his face as they all clanged their glasses in the air. Even if today's mission turned up nothing of value, he was glad they did this... He smiled and downed his shot with one gulp when he heard something.
(thud...)
Genos looked back to the corner of the room where that curly-haired man was sitting to see that he was gone... His beer bottle was spinning and wobbling from side to side as if it were about to topple over before it settled down. His gaze shifted around the room on the way to the exit. He assumed he must have just stepped away, but he was nowhere to be seen. Genos thought about it for a few seconds more until he shook himself out of his stupor and returned his focus to the mission at hand.
Garou walked down a dark hallway, barely lit by the dim lamps lining the walls. At the end was an unmarked double-wide door. It felt like his chest tightened with every step he took as he tugged at one of the black wraps around his neck. Code had prepared this outfit for him. It was oddly reminiscent of his 'ninja look' from that whole Monster Association business. 'What the fuck is with this guy?' he wondered.
After Yoru went off to confirm his change of mind, Code came and pulled him from that strange world. He didn't even seem surprised at his shift in attitude to the situation. In fact, he acted like he knew Garou would come around eventually.
"Tch," he scoffed. 'Can't wait to take your fuckin' head off your shoulders...' He glared at the door as he approached and stopped just before he entered. '... If I can't do it, then... I know 'he' can...' That image of Saitama's blank expression came to mind. It was kind of odd that he was starting to miss it. '... But, not yet...' He took a deep breath and stepped inside. 'Just play along...'
To his surprise, it was an empty office space with a large meeting table. There were three lamp-style lights hanging from the roof casting a very dim light, but darkness still swallowed the room on all sides.
"... Hello?" he called out, stepping up to the edge of the table and out of the shadows. It was completely silent for a long moment.
Then, code stepped out of the shade at the head of the table, intently reading some kind of journal. "Great, you're dressed," he said, not looking up. "That's a badass look for you, huh? Definitely my favorite."
Garou watched him plop down in his seat at the head of the table with an angry scowl. He still hadn't looked up from whatever he was reading.
"I'm still thinkin' about what I'm gonna wear, to be honest," he said. "Heh, I'm so fuckin' excited. It's not every day you meet your hero, ya know...?" Code's gaze shifted over to Garou when he rubbed at his neck as if he were irritated. "Hey..."
Garou sighed and locked eyes with him. There was a curious look on his face.
"What's he like...?"
"What?"
"One-Punch-Man," he said, turning back to him.
Garou furrowed his brow in confusion. "Who the fuck is that?"
Realization sunk into Code's expression and he chuckled. "Oh, heh... Yeah, I forgot how long you were in there. That's Saitama's new hero name." He looked back to the journal he was reading and flipped a few pages. "One-Punch-Man... heh-heh... It's not the shittiest I've ever heard, really, but damn... not what I would've picked..."
'... One-Punch-Man, huh?' Garou pondered. If nothing else, he could say it definitely fit.
"So, what's he like?" Code asked again with an impatient tone. "Is he funny?"
"Funny...?"
"Yeah, any good quips? Any one-liners?"
"No," Garou said flatly. "... He ain't that kinda hero..."
"Ahhh," Code drawled out as if he understood what he meant. "So, he's the quiet type."
"I can't beat him..."
Code looked over at him with a confused look.
"... If that's why you saved me, then you wasted your time..."
"Hm-hm," Code chuckled. "Come on, kid... You really think I saved your ass just so you can help me beat a hero you couldn't before? Let's have some common sense here. You're not even in the same fuckin' league as he and I."
Garou narrowed his gaze and clenched his fists at his words.
"You're just a... side-character, really, but... I do think you're a cut above the rest..." Code shut his book and kicked his feet up on the table, casually leaning back in his seat as he stared him down with a mocking grin. "Just barely, though... Heh, I noticed it during that fight, and I'm sure Saitama noticed too... You're more than just an excellent martial artist. This power of yours to adapt and survive... it only exists within your desperation... and the more desperate you become, the more you evolve, the more you thrive... I was really interested to see its limit, but... unfortunately, you just so happened to cross paths with a real motherfucker... You flew too close to the sun and he burned a hole in that piss-poor conviction of yours... Nearly changed your mind, didn't he...?"
Garou held his tonge.
Code watched him for any crack in his look of disinterest. When he held firm, it was almost amusing to him. "Heh-heh... Well, you should be fuckin' grateful I got your ass outta there before he could... You almost gave up, Garou... You almost lost the game... But, then again, that's what you expected, isn't it?"
"Tch," Garou ticked. "Yeah, whatever. I don't give a shit about any of that. Just tell me what I have to do..."
Again, Code stared at him for a long moment as if he were trying to decide something. Then, with a smile, he took his feet off the table and leaned forward. "Okay, that's fair... What I want from you is actually pretty simple... I need you to evolve..."
"... This is so stupid," Tatsumaki muttered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror of a changing room.
"No, it's not," Fubuki said, sitting on the bench behind her, scrolling through her phone. "That's probably the cutest outfit you've tried on today."
"Not the outfit, Fubuki," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Why are we clothes shopping? How the hell is this supposed to help me?"
"Well, according to dating experts, changing your look is one of the best ways to draw a man's attention," she explained.
"Okay? And when exactly is he ever gonna see me in any of this stuff? We only ever see each other on missions."
"Heh, dude, he's literally your neighbor," Fubuki said with a chuckle. "There's no way that's true."
"Well, it is. It's not like we just bump into each other in the hallway every day."
"That's probably because you always come in through your balcony," she pointed out. "And that's not the point, anyways. These outfits aren't for just attracting his attention. We have to think long-term, like when you guys start dating. You'll need something to wear."
"If that ever happens," she muttered under her breath.
Fubuki sighed and looked up at her. "It will, Tatsumaki... If you're willing to put yourself out there, it will."
"What the hell does that even mean? You keep saying that."
Fubuki rolled her eyes. "It means... like... Okay, I don't really know what it means, either, but that's something I keep reading..."
Tatsumaki watched her scrolling through her phone in the mirror with an annoyed look. It was starting to seem like all of her 'help' was coming from internet blogs, rom-coms, and self-proclaimed 'dating experts', which really wasn't a shock. As far as she knew, Fubuki's dating history was as scarce as her own, and that reminded her to ask something that had been on her mind since they left that food court. "... Hey..."
Fubuki looked up at her through the mirror. "Hm...?"
Tatsumaki almost struggled to hold her eye contact, so she settled on checking her outfit again as she spoke. "Why'd you turn that guy down, earlier...?"
"w-What guy...?"
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes back over her shoulder with a dumb look. "Seriously...? The idiot that asked you out!"
"o-Oh..." Fubuki stood up and walked over to the hook holding Tatsumaki's outfits. "I don't know," she said, as she rummaged around to seem busy. "Just... didn't feel that spark, I guess...?"
"What spark?"
"Heh," she chuckled. "y-You know what I mean..." She ran her fingers down the fabric of a plaid coat with a dazed look in her eyes. "The spark... That feeling you get when you... when you want something..."
Tatsumaki watched the side of her sister's face as she spoke and noted the blush creeping in on her cheeks.
"People say it's like nothing you've ever felt if you never felt it before... Like, breathing for the first time, after drowning for so long..." With a blink, it was like she kicked herself awake and remembered where she was. She pulled one of the outfits off the hook and held it up to her sister's body as if to imagine what it would look like if she wore it. "i-I assume that's... how you feel about Saitama, right?"
Tatsumaki stared at the outfit in the mirror with a weird look. "... I don't know... Maybe..." If she were honest, 'It kinda feels like... I'm still drowning...'
Fubuki watched her expression sink for a moment before she turned around and put the outfit back on the hook and rummaged through a few more. It always seemed easier to talk to her when they weren't staring right at each other. "Hey... can I ask you something...?"
"What...?"
"Heh... It might seem like a dumb question, really... considering how popular he is, but..." She looked up at her through the mirror and momentarily hesitated. "... Why Saitama...? What do you like about him...?"
"A crab man?" King asked as he, Saitama, and Genos still sat at the bar, now a few drinks deep. There were beer bottles and shot glasses all around them. The old man wasn't too on top of things when it came to cleaning.
"Uhuh," Saitama replied. "I think it was a crab... Though, I guess it could've been a lobster or something, too, heh-heh! It was actually kinda funny now that I think about it. I mean, he had underwear on, hahaha!" He and King howled a laugh together.
"That's hilarious! Heh-haha! And with marker nipples? I can't believe you actually fought something like that!"
"I never knew that story," Genos said flatly. The other two were nearly wasted already, but thanks to his less-than-human form, alcohol really didn't affect him much. He was only drinking for the appearance.
"w-... What?" Saitama asked in a disbelieving tone. Genos noted how his eyelids drooped at slightly different levels and the light blush that ran across his nose. "Weren't you there?"
"I was not. You said that happened before your training."
"Oh-.. pfft-haha!" Saitama laughed again, scratching the back of his head with a bashful smile. "That's right! That was that long ago, huh?"
"Haha!" King laughed. "You're totally wasted!"
"Heh-ha! No way," Saitama waved him off. "I'm fine! In fact, we should do another shot! Hey, old man! We need..."
Genos eyed him with a suspicious look. 'I wonder if now is the right time... King seems to have forgotten the plan, completely.' His gaze slid over to the man in question to see him stacking their used shot glasses as high as he could with an intense look of focus...
(Clatter!)
"Ah, damn it!" King exclaimed as he watched his tower of thick glasses tumble down. Surprisingly, nothing broke. "Where's the bathroom...?"
Genos watched him stagger out of his seat in search of relief. The uneven steps he took on his way through the maze of tables behind them were telling enough. King was absolutely hammered, himself. Luckily, they had planned for this very situation. 'He said if he were to go overboard, I should wait for the conversation to naturally evolve... but they've only been telling jokes...' He looked back to his mentor who had gone silent for some reason. 'Master Saitama... Please... I need to know...'
"Hey... Genos...?" Saitama suddenly called out to him, still staring at something with a dazed look.
"Uh-!" Genos gasped. "Yes, Master..."
"I... gotta ask you something..."
Genos furrowed his brow in confusion, wondering what it could be until he followed his gaze. Immediately, he was alert to a possible opening when he saw the tv that split the chalkboard menu showing a highlight reel of Tatsumaki's battle a few days ago. The battle where she uprooted entire buildings to protect the civilians inside. "y-... Yes," he fumbled out. 'Like King said... play it cool...'
Saitama watched it as if he were lost in his own mind. The camera kept zooming in on Tatsumaki's face in intense moments, and he was enthralled by every frame. "... n-... Nevermind... I... forgot my question... heh..."
Genos watched the small, forced, grin on his face slowly slip away. The look in his eyes as he stared at that screen was almost telling in itself, but it wasn't enough. "Master... you can ask me anything," he prodded him further.
"Yeah... I know," Saitama replied. "I just... forgot, I guess..."
Still, his eyes hadn't left the screen. To Genos, it almost looked like he was caught in a trance. As if he physically couldn't look away if he tried. He looked down at the toppled-over shot glasses for a moment and thought hard about his next move. 'King said to play it cool, but... I may not get another chance...' He took a deep breath and prepared to make a risky move. "... Mast-.."
"Before my training," Saitama suddenly cut him off before he could, "... I used to be a businessman..."
Genos stared at the side of his face, wondering where he was going with that opening line. That was exactly how he started his earlier story about fighting a crab monster. Was he just gonna repeat it?
"... I worked in an office... and I didn't have a single friend, even after three months... I used to hear my co-workers making plans to go out together and stuff... and I always wanted someone to invite me..."
Hearing that gave Genos an unexpected flash of empathy. His gaze, again, fell to the scattered shot glasses as he listened in.
"I used to want a lot of things... but... every time I got something I wanted, it was... never as good as I thought it would be... So, I stopped wanting things..." He furrowed his brow in confusion at his own words. It was strange that he was explaining this again, but it almost felt necessary this time. "When you invited me, today... I kinda expected it to be terrible, somehow..."
"Is it...?"
A small smile slowly crept its way into the corners of his lips. "... heh-heh..." He almost seemed to think about it for a moment until he lightly shook his head. "No... Actually... I think I'm having fun," he said, turning to him with a smile.
Genos couldn't help but mimic the sentiment with a soft grin of his own.
"I guess... I just wanna say thanks," he said. "I know I'm your... master or whatever, but... you're the first friend I've ever had... and I'm glad you actually showed up at my door that day..."
His words somehow had Genos's mechanics going haywire. It almost felt like he could feel his core thumping in his chest. Never did he think he would hear those words from the man he admired more than anyone in the world. It was far from what he was hoping to hear today, but mission be damned, he was happy with the outcome. "m-... Master..."
Saitama's soft grin suddenly shifted into a look of concern when he noticed something off. "... Uh... Genos...? Is that... oil...?"
There was a single line of a black tear that dribbled down his cheek. "... Uh-!" he gasped, wiping at his face. "s-.. Sorry...!"
Again, Saitama's visage shifted back into that soft grin when he realized what it was. He looked away so that he could compose himself privately. His gaze found its way back up to the screen above. There was even more footage of Tatsumaki being played. "... o-Oh... and uh... I remembered," he said, timidly, shifting his gaze back to him a few times. "... What I was gonna ask you..."
Genos kept wiping his face until he was sure the tears had stopped. He looked back at his mentor, intently waiting on his question. It was kind of hard to tell, but his face looked slightly redder than it was a moment ago. "... Anything," he said. "... Ask me anything..."
He stared down at the surface of the bar as he thought of how to word it. "... Do you..." After a moment, his gaze drifted back up to the screen. "... Do you think it's wrong to... like a co-worker...?"
AN: Thank you for reading!
Now this chapter was meant to be a lot longer, but it would've been too long if I had finished it (even by my standards) so I decided to make it a two-parter! Hopefully, there was enough in there to keep you entertained! Again, thank you for your amazing reviews, and I hope you return for the next chapter! And for those waiting on the action? It's definitely on the way!