AN: Hey guys, sorry for that super long break. I've had a lot on my plate recently with work and some personal stuff, and my PC has been a little questionable for the past few weeks, so it was a struggle getting this thing typed out. I haven't really given it my two or three read-throughs, so there are bound to be some weird areas that I'll have to come back and clean up later. I just really wanted to get something up as soon as possible. I know how annoying it is to wait on a story. Not gonna say too much about this one, here. Just thank you guys for reading and supporting me, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.
(tap... tap-tap... tap-tap-tap)
Saitama sat at King's dining table with a dazed look in his eyes, mindlessly tapping his pen on the empty notepad in front of him. Across the way, King and Genos were giving yet another long and boring lesson. They had a whiteboard covered in notes and stacks of binders piled on the table, filled to the brim with their collected research. Today's lecture had something to do with how to properly show your interest in a romantic way. He was listening as best he could, but their voices felt muffled somehow as if they were talking underwater. His mind was a million miles away...
He couldn't stop thinking about that practice date. It had been on his mind since they parted ways, and every second of every day that passed seemed to drag on longer than usual.
That was a week ago...
An entire week had passed, and he hadn't caught a single glimpse of Tatsumaki beyond the few times he saw her on the news, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. He went out to every high-level monster attack he caught wind of (as few as there were), he randomly popped up at HQ, and a few times, he needlessly sat out on the edge of his helipad waiting for her to potentially pass by. If she wasn't intentionally avoiding him, then it had to be his terrible luck keeping his literal neighbor out of reach.
The only time he knew exactly where she was was at night when he could hear the sounds of chatter and the murmur of her TV through her door on his way to the laundry room. There were a few moments where he almost threw caution to the wind and knocked, but he always pulled back when he couldn't think of a legitimate excuse.
His current situation presented loads of things that Saitama just didn't understand; lots of stuff that left him wondering if he was anywhere close to doing this whole having-a-crush thing right. The last time he let his hopes rise like this was so long ago that nothing felt familiar about how he felt or about how Tatsumaki made him feel; even when she wasn't around. He was hoping Genos or, more likely, King would drum up an answer for him in one of their lessons, but they only ever seemed to talk about what he should do, not how he should feel.
So for that part, it felt like he was learning on his own, and so far, the one, and only, thing he learned is that there is something that happens to you when you're away from someone you really want to be with. Something that affects every little thing you do. How you sleep, how you eat, how you speak... To him, it all felt weighed down or slightly off somehow like he couldn't exactly function right.
Tatsumaki was the first to come to mind when he woke up, and honestly, the last person he thought about right before he struggled to sleep. Though she wasn't exactly invading his dreams, she was damn sure snaking her way through his every other thought throughout the day.
And, lately, there was this tight feeling in his chest, sometimes, when he thought about her. It wasn't really a 'sad' feeling, but it felt somewhere along those lines, and the only way he could bear it was by thinking about the very last time he saw her. He got flashes of that small smile she gave him as a goodbye gift, just before she ducked into her apartment that night.
Or the other one, when he was joking about her height and she couldn't hold her laugh in.
He replayed those memories repeatedly, in his head, like watching a movie he could never get tired of, but as the days droned on, it just wasn't enough. He wanted to see her again, but there were so many obstacles. One of his biggest happened to be the pair lecturing him from across the table.
Now that he was part of their secret alliance, King called for a meeting nearly every day. Saitama didn't have the heart to say no, considering all they'd been trying to do for him, but he was pretty much over these random lectures. To be fair, they weren't necessarily useless, but he felt like the lessons were becoming more and more redundant every day, and most of it was common sense. On top of that, even when they weren't scheming their mission, Genos was stuck to his side more than usual.
Saitama's absence that day had him under heavy scrutiny, just as he thought it would. The morning after, the first thing Genos did was grill him on his whereabouts. He wanted to tell him about the plan he had pushed in motion regarding his new body, but Doctor Kuseno and Child Emperor advised him that it'd probably be best not to mention it until they were at least sure it was possible. And he ultimately decided against telling the group about his surprising evening with Tatsumaki. So when he couldn't give him anything close to the truth, Saitama just waved him off, saying he was on patrol. Genos didn't make a big deal out of it, beyond that, but it was clear he was a lot more cautious about leaving him alone.
There was also the distraction of helping Child Emepror and Doctor Kuseno with the building process. Any chance he got to slip away from Genos and King he made that long trip to City-Y just to sit aside and watch them work. So far, they had met three times, and each time, Saitama just lounged around and ate whatever snack he could find. Child Emperor figured it only made sense for him to have some hand in the process, considering it was his idea. (But truth be told, that was just his excuse to keep Saitama coming back, every day.)
It didn't really bother him. If nothing else, it gave him a nice excuse to lounge around and daydream about his crush for a few hours. The crush that felt further away from blossoming into something more with every day that passed.
Somewhere along the way, he started to wonder what it would be like if they weren't who they were. If they were just two normal people living normal lives, would it be as simple as asking her out? Was it really as difficult as King and Genos were making it seem, just because of their job?
"What do you think, Saitama?" King asked, startling him awake.
"Huh?"
"... i-I uh... I said, what do you think...?"
"... Oh, uh... Yeah, sure... Sounds good," he muttered, hoping that made sense to whatever he was talking about.
It did not. King and Genos shared a hesitant look before turning back to their bald student who was again staring down at his tapping pen. "... Master," Genos called, getting his attention. "Is there... something wrong?"
"Hm...? No, why?"
"y-You seem a little... distracted, today," King noted. "I mean... more than usual, at least."
"... Really?" he wondered. "I'm listening. I was just... thinking about lunch, I guess."
"You are hungry," Genos said in a stern tone. "I will retrieve you a snack from King's pantry."
"Wha-! Hey!" King shouted, watching him jet over to his limited food supply.
"He doesn't have much, Master." The cyborg rummaged around at a rapid pace before pulling something out. "Only cereal and cup noodles."
"Get outta there!" King ran over and tried to push him away, but Genos put a hand to his face and effortlessly held him back. "I haven't gone shopping, yet!"
Saitama watched the two with a small smile creeping in. "Hmh... Nah, it's fine," he said. "I can wait till we're done."
"uh-!" Genos lightly gasped.
King pushed him out of the way, now that he wasn't resisting, and glared at him for being so inconsiderate in someone else's home.
"Are you sure, Master? I can go retrieve something else if you'd like."
"No~no," Saitama waved him off, sitting back in his seat with a stretch. "Urgh...! I can wait. What else is left?"
Genos studied him from a distance, watching as he went back to staring blankly at his empty notepad. He could tell he just wanted to get this out of the way. To be fair, that really wasn't out of the ordinary, but it just felt glaringly obvious today. In fact, for the past week, he's been just slightly off-beat, somehow. Genos couldn't put his finger on how, exactly, but he could just feel it in his core. It was like he was hiding something important. '... Whatever it is, I must find a way to force it out of him. I shouldn't be so direct. I should use quick witt and walk him into a comfortable situation in which he feels free to-..'
"Saitama, if there is something bothering you, you should let us know what it is," King said, shutting his cabinet with a stern face.
"Uh-!" Genos gasped and turned back to him with an astonished look. Usually, King was pretty good at reading the situation. Was it really as easy as just plain asking him?
"We're here to help you, however we can," the host continued. "Retaining your internal struggles could potentially delay our mission."
"I just said I'm hungry," Saitama muttered his response.
"That can't be why you're so gloomy," he denied. "... If it's something personal that you'd... rather not talk about, that's fine. You just gotta let us know, or... we'll just keep pressing the issue..."
Saitama sat back in his seat and rubbed his eyes. Having friends was great, but it sure was exhausting sometimes. With a sigh, he looked ahead and decided he'd try to get an answer to one of his main inquiries, directly. "... Uh... Okay... What does it mean when... you feel kinda sad when you don't see your crush in a while...?"
King reeled at his words. That was a lot heavier than he was expecting. He turned to Genos who was staring back at him with a stern look, clearly waiting for him to answer. "... Well, I think it means that... you really like that person," he shrugged. "Hmph, it's not uncommon, if that's what you're worried about."
"... It's not?"
"Nope," he said. "I actually know exactly what you mean. I had a similar feeling years ago when I was in grade school. There was a girl who I really liked. Our last names were similar, so we were always in the same class. I had a crush on her for years, and anytime spring or winter break came around, I remember how depressing it felt that I was gonna have to wait until school started back up just to see her again..." He watched the bald man deeply consider his words with a confused look. It made him smile a bit. "Hmh... Are you feeling that way, now?"
Saitama looked back at him and briefly thought it over. "... Mmm... Yeah, I think so... I mean, I wouldn't say 'depressed'," he air-quoted, "but... I do feel something..."
King was shocked by how open he was being. He always assumed Saitama was the stand-offish type, but apparently, he just never really had an emotion to share before. It was nice seeing him so vulnerable for once.
"Hey, how long is this gonna take, anyways?"
King was startled from his thoughts. "... u-Uh... Well, we can be done for today, if that's what y-.."
"No," he cut him off. "I mean, like... all of this. When can I just... You know...?"
"... Oh," King muttered. He glanced over to Genos as if to ask him for help.
The cyborg thought about it for only a moment, calculating a timeframe from his collected data of their many meetings. "... Considering where we are in our newly established itinerary, taking the first step toward courting Tornado will occur an approximated three weeks from now."
"Three weeks!?" Saitama exclaimed.
(Thud)
They all turned at the sound of King's front door closing to see a familiar face.
"Oh, Bang," King greeted the elderly man who came walking in with his hands behind his back and a kind smile on his face.
"Evening, everyone," he said in his polite and withered tone. "I do hope I'm not intruding."
"Not at all," the homeowner waved him off. "Where've you been, actually? We haven't heard from you in a while."
Bang went on to explain that he had been searching for that bullheaded student of his. There were apparently a number of suspicious sightings of a man who resembled the Hero Hunter in a number of cities, but everywhere he looked seemed to lead to a dead end.
Saitama couldn't care less about that information. He was still reeling at that absolutely absurd time frame Genos just produced. Why the hell was it gonna take three weeks before he could ask her out? He knew it was likely a little too optimistic to say it out loud, but he really had a feeling that Tatsumaki liked him as more than just a co-worker. What if that wasn't the case in three weeks...?
"Ah, so you've actually joined the group, Saitama boy," Bang said.
He was kicked awake when he was addressed, directly. "Hm...? o-Oh, uh... Yeah, I guess so."
"Hmh-hmh," he chuckled with a kind smile, looking oddly proud. "I am glad. It seems King was correct about his early assumption."
"What assumption?" he asked.
"It was King who first suggested you could be yearning for a romantic connection, master. Bang and I had not considered the possibility when we were discussing the issue of your lack of joy in life."
"... Oh," Saitama slowly nodded.
"i-I mean, I didn't... know it for a fact or anything, Ah-heh-hah!" King nervously blabbered. "I... got to know you a little while we were working at the gas station together, and... I kinda just got that feeling, I guess..."
"Mm," the bald man hummed. What more could he say? It sounded like everyone else here knew he had a crush on Tatsumaki even before he did.
"... Please, forgive me if this is a little odd, Saitama-boy," Bang's withered voice drew his gaze, "but... to be quite honest, I'm... rather glad you've chosen Tatsumaki considering your many options."
Saitama gave him a confused look. '... What options?'
"I've known her for many years," the old man continued. "I've seen much of her rage and... even more of her arrogance... so it's never surprising to me when people consider her a bit harsh."
"A bit?" King muttered. He flinched when Saitama turned his way and awkwardly looked around as if he didn't notice.
Bang chuckled. "Perhaps more than a bit... but, it is a surprise to me when someone comes along and sees the other side of her. To be quite frank, I haven't seen it myself, but considering your attraction to her, I assume you must have at some point..."
Saitama didn't respond.
"Hmh," he chuckled again. "... Despite her rough exterior, I've really come to cherish her as a comrade, and though it may not be my place to say this... should we succeed in our goal, please, treat her well."
Saitama stared at him with a flat expression, wondering why he was talking like he was her father or something. "... Um... Yeah, sure," he muttered in an uncertain tone.
"Hmm, I didn't realize you two were so close, Bang," King said, voicing the thoughts of the others.
"Oh-hoh-hoh," the old man laughed in his jolly way. "I wouldn't quite say that." He walked over to the table and finally took a seat with a hefty groan. "Mmrgh...! In fact, if you were to ask her, we are probably not much more than mere acquaintances... but I've been around since she was quite young... I've watched her grow, and... change... Change into something quite worrying... And then, after she met you, I watched her change again." He turned to Saitama and wondered if his words were getting through. He could never really tell when speaking to that plain face of his. With a deep breath, he stared into the middle distance with a longing look. "You're all quite young, and there is much about the world you will only ever come to realize after you've missed it. So, take it from an old man who's missed plenty... I wish I had paid more attention and learned more than I did, but... what I did learn is the reason I'm glad you've chosen Tatsumaki..."
The other three were surprisingly attentive to the old man's rambling words. Even Saitama endured the awkwardly dramatic pauses, awaiting this sage wisdom he was partially expecting to be something stupid. What he got, instead, actually surprised him, a bit.
Bang shut his eyes as if he were thinking of some way to phrase it. When it finally clicked, he smiled and looked up at that plain face again. "... There isn't a person alive who doesn't deserve to love and be loved..."
His words hung in the air for a long moment and Bang gauged their reactions. '... Hmph! My delivery was flawless, there.' He could tell by the look on Saitama's face that it had him thinking, which was ultimately the goal. 'But that wasn't just meant for you, Saitama-boy...' His powerful statement had the other two stuck, as well. They were all in very different situations, but at the end of the day, they were all young men.
Genos had given Bang the rundown on his overall mission on a number of occasions. He was so focused on revenge that Bang could just assume he had likely never even thought of life after the fight. And after spending so much time with King, it was easy to tell he had given up on those things for himself. Sure, they were here to help Saitama, but if he could depart some of his wisdom on them all, why not?
"Some people go through life thinking that they don't want it, or need it... or they may even think they're not worthy of it, but that's not true... It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done in the past," he added. "Everyone deserves to be loved..."
Before anyone could say anything else, the three heroes in the room all got a message at the same time.
"... Uh-!" Saitama gasped.
King noticed his expressive look and immediately assumed the worst. "... w-.. What is it? Is there an attack?"
"No," Genos said. "Just a meeting..."
(On a television)
A cellphone recording of a monster attack took the main focus of the screen. The caption attached to the video read: "She does it again!"
The attacking creature looked like a giant monsterized turtle trudging its way down a chaotic street. Then, from the corner of the screen, a silk-like cloth came shooting out, tangling its massive legs until it tripped and face-planted into the road with a heavy crash. The camera-wielder ran from the commotion for a bit before re-establishing a view a moment before the hero in question ended the fight. With an audible 'poof' sound, the creature's head exploded in a cloud of bright pink flower petals.
"And again, another stellar outing for one of, if not, the most stunning female hero to appear in a long while!" the voice of the reporter said as the petals fell away, revealing Love who stood proud in her hero costume, trying to catch her breath. "The currently unaligned hero, only known to the world as 'Love,' has caught the attention of many across the world! This victory against a monster people are calling the 'Tower Turtle' was no less impressive than her many previous battles! She has been sighted in a number of heroic victories over the past week, and her popularity has been on an aggressively growing pace! In the eyes of many, her dream of one day reaching the status of an S-Class hero in the Hero Association doesn't seem as far-fetched as it did before."
"... Pfft," Fubuki sputtered, watching the girl in question smile and wave at the crowd of civilians that came rushing out from their hiding spots to thank her for her efforts. "She definitely loves a spotlight, huh...?" Her muttered sarcasm was met with silence as she sat alone at her dining table, watching the television from a distance.
The table was set up to look like a perfect replica of a fancy dining experience. Her lesson for her sister today was all about presenting one's self as a proper lady during a meal. Tatsumaki wasn't wholly unruly when it came to eating, but for the sake of being confident in this type of situation, Fubuki thought it'd be a good topic to cover before they rolled their true plots into motion. She just wished they didn't have to do it at her apartment. Tatsumaki always ended up breaking something.
She peeked back to the bathroom door, across the room, wondering what was taking her so long. "Hello~!" she called out in a singsong voice. "Are you done in there? We don't have all day."
(muffled)
"Shut up!" Tatsumaki replied. "I'm... a-almost done."
Fubuki rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat with a sigh...
In the bathroom, Tatsumaki stared at herself in the mirror, tossing her hair around as if she were trying to get it to fall a certain way.
(muffled)
"What the hell are you even doing?" Fubuki asked. "Are you having stomach issues?"
"No!" she immediately denied. "I'm-... brushing my teeth! Just wait!"
"For ten minutes?"
She rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff and gave herself one more look before she was satisfied.
"Finally," Fubuki said in a sarcastic tone, watching her float out of the bathroom and back to the seat across from her. "Ya know, that'd probably be a pretty rude thing to do on a date. You should keep your bathroom breaks to a minimum."
"Tch," Tatsumaki scoffed and shook her head while she settled back in. "Whatever..."
Fubuki gave her a curious look, watching as she continued to push her hair around with her hands. There was definitely something a little off about her. Fubuki started to notice after their little 'stalking Saitama' mission. It was a subtle change in the things she did and the way she spoke.
The first day after that, she had come over to see what Tatsumaki had uncovered in her continued pursuit. Apparently, she happened to 'overhear' a conversation between Saitama and Child Emperor about building Genos a new body. (She claimed to "overhear it" because it sounded better than admitting she was eavesdropping through an open skylight.) Then, after that, she said that she just went home, but Fubuki knew that wasn't true for a number of reasons.
For one, she had called her several times over the course of that night. If Tatsumaki was really just lounging around the house, what was stopping her from answering the phone? Plus, she had come over out of worry when she didn't respond and waited around until damn near midnight before going home. At the time, she figured her sister had gotten called off on a mission of some kind, but the morning that followed made her think otherwise.
Tatsumaki was this floating ball of joy that seemed even more dedicated to their mission than ever before. She was actively asking questions about what to expect on a first date. Things she had never really expected her to ask like, 'What should I do if I forget what to talk about?' Or completely hypothetical situations, like, 'What if we go out to like... an arcade or something, and he gets mad if I beat him at all the games?'. Fubuki answered her inquiries as best she could, but most of them were so off the wall that she had no idea what to tell her. It was a very odd change of pace considering how bashful she had been up until then, but Fubuki was just glad to see her finally ready to dive into their mission, wholeheartedly... or it seemed that way, at first.
In the days that followed, her mood seemed to sour, little by little, until she was back to her usual stand-offish attitude. Every meeting they had seemed like such a chore for her to sit through, and she put hardly any effort into their practice runs.
And then, there was the hair thing...
For some completely unknown reason, Tatsumaki was suddenly incredibly infatuated with her own hair. It felt like every time Fubuki saw her these days, she was fluffing it out, twirling it between her fingers, or just shaking it around. She was combing through it with her fingers, even now. "Do you have head lice or something?" she accidentally blurted out.
"What!?" Tatsumaki snarled. "No!"
Fubuki reeled at her tone. "w-Well, why do you keep shaking your hair out?"
"Because, I-...!" Tatsumaki scowled and tucked her arms over her chest when she couldn't think of an excuse. "Hmph! Just get on with whatever this lesson is about, already! Like I said, S-Class has a meeting!"
Fubuki stared at the side of her face with a pensive look. She also had one other piece of information brought to her attention that all but discredited her sister's lie about the end of that stalking outing. She originally just wrote it off as something small that happened, but considering all of these recent oddities, "... Hey, did something happen when I left that day?"
"uh-!" Tatsumaki gasped, lightly. She looked over to see those big searching eyes of her sister, ready to pick her words apart. Why was she bringing that up again? "... I told you, he just talked to Child Emperor about-.."
"After that," Fubuki cut her off. "i-I meant... after that..."
Tatsumaki knew exactly what she meant. They locked eyes for a very intense moment as if they were caught in a stand-off. "... Nope," she said with a mocking confidence.
Fubuki narrowed her eyes, slightly... Then, she lifted her hand up, telepathically bringing her phone to her palm. "Hmh... Are you sure about that?"
Tatsumaki glanced over to the device with a slight waver to her mocking grin. What the hell did she have on her phone that could discredit that? She looked back at her and re-established a little confidence. "Hmph...! Of course, I'm sure. I-..."
Whatever lie she had prepared was caught in her throat when her sister flipped her phone around. It was a very high-quality picture of her and Saitama; specifically, the picture taken by that girl in the building after she 'saved' him from that monster attack. "... th-That was just... We were working," she shrugged.
Fubuki's lazy glare said all it needed to. "I called you 23 times."
"And I was busy! I am the number 1 S-Class hero, ya know! It's not exactly the same as being number 1 in Class-B!"
She dusted the underhanded slight off without a care. "So you were doing missions, then..."
"Obviously!"
"You really expect me to believe that you were suddenly so enthralled in your work that you couldn't take a phone call!? Keh-! That'd be a first!"
"Well, then it's a first!" she yelled, slipping out of her chair. "a-And you know what!? I don't have to tell you everything I do all day! I'm older than you!"
"Mhm," Fubuki muttered. "You're such a liar! Why'd you tell me you just flew home after that when you were clearly with Saitama!?"
"Because, I-...! i-I was only with him for like two seconds!" she denied. "And that was a week ago! You expect me to remember everything that happened on some random ass day!?"
"Ah-Hahah!" Fubuki laughed. "Dude, it's okay if you were with Saitama! You just need to tell me!"
"So, I can't talk to him, now, unless I run home and tell you everything he said!?"
"Obviously!"
"Oh-hoh, wow," she rolled her eyes. "Doesn't sound like I have a lot of privacy!"
"What the hell are you talking about!? I'm helping you!" She watched her scoff and turn away. "... Are you saying you don't need me anymore!?"
"No, that's-...! Oh my god," Tatsumaki muttered. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down and pushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "That's not what I'm saying. I do want your help, I just... don't feel like I should have to tell you every little thing that happens between us."
"Well, that's... kind of a problem," Fubuki chuckled. "I know it may not seem like it, but when it comes to relationships, the little things matter the most. If you don't tell me about them, then how are you gonna know what to do?"
Tatsumaki slumped her shoulders and shot her an annoyed look. "... I'm not dumb, Fubuki."
"I know you're not dumb," she said, "but, as far as this whole dating thing goes, I just-... don't think you're really prepared for it, yet."
"Why are you doing that!?" she suddenly yelled, startling her sister.
"w-What!?"
"You keep trying to make this seem like some huge thing! It's not that serious!"
"... w-Well, it actually is that serious," she said. "If you really want it to work with Saitama, it is... and the fact that you think it's not is exactly why you need my help."
"Keh-! I don't NEED your help, Fubuki," she disputed. "I want your help. There's a difference."
"Hoh, yeah, okay," she rolled her eyes. "So, what? You think you could land a date with Saitama by yourself?"
"Maybe!" she shrugged. "And probably a lot faster than following your stupid 'Date-Training-Plan'!"
"i- wha-..! You said it was a good plan just a few days ago!" Fubuki yelled in a rage.
"Yeah, well, it's not," she mockingly waved her off with a satisfied grin. "It's stupid, and it's taking forever. You'd probably know that if you were any good as a leader. That must be why none of your so-called Blizzard Bunch can make a jump in their rank."
Fubuki gasped at the audacity. "... I have an S-Class member!"
"Oh, would you stop with that!? You just told me yesterday that you haven't heard from him in weeks!"
Fubuki was clearly getting offended with every stinging word. She didn't mind her sister talking down on her from time to time, but attacking her hard-working underlings was taking it a step too far. Her eyes flickered to the TV when she caught a glimpse of someone of interest. "w-Well... there's no way you'd ever land a date on your own before she does!"
"uh-!" Tatsumaki followed her point finger to the screen where she saw Love doing an interview. Just as always, the reporter was stumbling over his words trying to question her. Her head snapped back to her sister with rage in her eyes. "Yes, I could!" she protested. "She-... s-Saitama barely even knows her! He'd never... go for a girl like that..."
"Pfft-! Haha! Yeah, right! Just look at her!" Fubuki pointed her bitter smile at the screen. In all honesty, she hated propping this woman up on her looks, especially considering the narrative that she was taking over as the best-looking female hero in the association; a title she had held for the past two years. (Not that she kept track) But she was just trying to hurt her feelings a little. "She's beautiful... She probably only has to bat her eyes to drop a man to his knees... Hmph, and as much as she talks about him, Saitama is definitely on her radar." Her gaze shifted to her sister with a mocking glint. "Who knows...? They're probably already having s-..!"
(CRASH!)
Fubuki's TV suddenly imploded, completely. "... Huuuuurrrgghhh!" she gasped.
Tatsumaki looked surprised, herself. "... w-.. Why'd you do that!?"
"WHAT...!? YOU JUST BROKE MY-.."
"THERE WAS A BUG ON IT!"
"NO, THERE WASN'T! YOU DO THIS EVERY-SINGLE-TIME!"
"SHUT UP! I'LL BUY YOU ANOTHER ONE!" Tatsumaki quickly rose from her seat and swooped toward her sister's balcony.
"HEY!" Fubuki jetted after her, stopping when she made it to the railing. With a huff, she ran a hand through her hair and watched her sister fly off. "... IT BETTER BE A GOOD ONE!"
Later, in the meeting room, Tatsumaki was one of the first to arrive, just after the oddity that was Watchdogman who didn't say a word to her, as usual. She nervously waited for Saitama, secretly hoping he showed up a little before the meeting started, but he didn't appear to be as eager as she was. One by one, the room began to fill with her co-workers, and with every face that wasn't his, her expression soured.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just the wait that was ticking her off. It gave her too much time to think, and all she could seem to think about was Fubuki's comment from earlier. 'Tch, I don't... need her help,' she thought. 'I could do it by myself... If I wanted to... Hmph, it's like she thinks I'm fucking five or something...'
She sighed and crossed her arms with a longing look on her face. Maybe it was just that practice date boosting her confidence a little too much. When she was asking Fubuki descriptive questions about what to expect on a first date, she described a lot of the things that happened between them that night. Even if they didn't call it a date, Tatsumaki felt a lot more comfortable with what it would feel like when it happened. Of course, that was almost a week ago, and she hadn't spoken to him since that night...
And for clarity, she didn't actually want to do it herself. She just felt incredibly small sometimes when it was her little sister who was trying to mentor her on the subject of romance. That's not how things were supposed to be. All her life, she's been trying to guide Fubuki toward being a strong woman who didn't need to rely on others to get by. So how was it her little sister was now trying to help her with something as simple as landing a date? It was embarrassing to even think about...
But, at this point, Tatsumaki had to endure it...
She had to because of what that dumb baldy, Saitama, said.
'It's just kinda nice... to not be alone...'
Those words had been plaguing her thoughts more than anything he said that night. It reminded her of just how important her relationship with Fubuki was to her, and why she had to do all she could to hold onto it. She had even been trying to change her tune with her sister the past few days, but the little underhanded comments were making that a tougher task than it should be. This 'mission' of theirs was really the first and only thing they've ever truly bonded over. Even though it was annoying at times, and it was taking far longer than she thought it would, it was finally something they could work on together; or more like a reason for Fubuki to want to be around her. But could she not just help her without being so condescending about it...?
And more importantly... could they not just just take the training wheels off, already?
"Why hello, Miss Tornado."
"Uh-!" she gasped and looked up to see Bang taking his seat with an old man groan. "... Hey," she muttered, subtly looking around for a spot of yellow.
"Hmhm," Bang chuckled and took a moment to settle in, discretely eyeing her down. She was clearly waiting on Saitama. "... Your day is well, I hope?"
She sat back in her seat with a shrug when she didn't spot him. "Guess so..."
"Good," he nodded. "Good... It's been rather quiet these days, don't you think?"
"Mhm," she muttered. Usually, that'd be a good thing, but Tatsumaki honestly wouldn't mind a lengthy mission requiring the attendance of all of the S-Class members... Maybe not like a world-ending event or anything, but something...
"oh-! Hey," Bang said, drawing her gaze back. "Please apologize to your sister for me. I've been a bit busy these past few days and I've missed a number of her group gatherings."
"Group gatherings?"
"For the Blizzard Bunch," he said. "I believe I've missed two?"
Tatsumaki gave him a suspicious look. "... Pfft, are you actually in my sister's group?"
"I am," he nodded. "My brother and I... Hmh, not that that sister of yours really gave us any choice... Did she not tell you?"
Tatsumaki turned back to the door when someone entered. To her surprise it was Sitch... and Saitama still hadn't shown. "sh-... She did," she admitted. "I just didn't believe her."
"Mhm-hm! I see," Bang muttered. He followed her gaze to Sitch who was standing around, speaking to a few of the others at the other end of the table. "I must say, she's quite the leader."
"Hmph... Bet she calls a lot, huh?"
"Not as much as I anticipated, actually," he said. "I have assisted in some of her operations, but she doesn't ask much of me. She must be taking my old age into consideration." He took a curious peek at Saitama's empty seat. He also noted that Genos wasn't present either. Bang had left King's apartment early to handle some business at his dojo, but Saitama seemed pretty eager to make it to this meeting.
"You don't have to help her, ya know..."
Bang's gaze drifted back to Tatsumaki. She was still looking around the room with her arms crossed and that stern look of irritation. "... Yes, I am aware..."
"You shouldn't help her," Tatsumaki restructured her words. "Fubuki needs to learn to rely on herself... Having someone like you to bail her out of tough spots will only stunt her growth..."
Bang continued to watch her out the side of his eye. He assumed she would've changed her opinion on that considering all they had been through in the past month, but for as much as things change, some things remain the same. "... Possibly," he said. "Though, in my experience, that is not always the case..."
Tatsumaki lazily shot him a daring look.
"Strength, like all things, can be quite infectious. Everyone at this table was once lesser than they are today. Only through their admiration of the ones who came before could they have come so far."
Tatsumaki audibly huffed an annoyed sigh through her nostrils, making no attempt to hide her annoyance. Bang was always so damn cryptic with his words. "... Whatever," she mumbled and turned back to Sitch who was also taking note of the few empty seats. She looked back to Saitama's chair with a frustrated scowl. 'Where is he...? Did no one tell him about the meeting...?'
"Hmm... I wonder where Saitama-boy could be," Bang wondered aloud.
"Uh-!" Tatsumaki turned back to him with a worried look. Did he catch her looking?
He did, but he pretended not to. "I was with him when we got the message about the meeting. He seemed rather eager to come." He looked back at her and noticed how much more interested she seemed in what he had to say. He couldn't help but smile at how bad she was at hiding her feelings. "Mh-hm... You shouldn't worry. I'm sure he'll be here shortly."
"... eh-! s-So!" she bit back. "... i-I didn't ask..."
"Oh-hoh... My mistake," he muttered...
"Bye, thanks for all the help!" an old woman chirped, waving to the man walking to the door.
(Ding!)
Flashy Flash stepped out of a little family-owned bakery in the heart of City-E. "Sure," he muttered in his stern tone back to the old woman at the counter. "Thank you for the muffins."
"Any time, dear! Please, come again!"
He continued out, checking his phone for the time. 'Hmph... I'm late, huh?'
He had stopped to assist an old woman trying to lugg bags of flour into her shop on her own, and she forced him to wait for a batch of her muffins to finish. It was an annoying obstacle better suited to a Class-C hero, but he wasn't above manual labor. Plus he got some lunch out of it. Now, all he had to do was-..
(WOOSH! FSHHHH!)
"Uh-!" Flashy Flash looked up to the top of the building across the street when he spotted a streak of yellow jet by, swiftly followed by the familiar sight of the rocket-propelled Demon Cyborg. "... Saitama!" He clutched his bag of muffins tightly and took off after them. Today, he wouldn't be losing...
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Saitama yelled as he ran and jumped across the rooftops at blazing speeds.
Genos was flying alongside him, trying to keep his pace, which was easier said than done. "Master!"
"Hurry, Genos!" he shouted back. "We're late!"
"The meeting will have only started a few moments ago! We may not be reprimanded!"
"That's not the point!" he yelled back over his shoulder before kicking up his pace. "You should always arrive on time or early when you agree to be somewhere!"
"Uh-!" Genos was shocked by his intensity. He put full power into his thrusters and tried to catch up with him.
They wouldn't be in this predicament had they declined King's request for Saitama to walk him to the grocery store. His unfortunate condition of being in the wrong place at the wrong time was a real issue, and they ran into a number of unruly creatures on their way. Even as swiftly as Saitama handled them, the venture still took longer than expected. But was it really that bad if they happened to arrive at this meeting a few minutes late? The message specifically stated that, though attendance was mandatory, the gathering was not of urgent importance.
'... Has Master always valued punctuality to this degree...?' The notion was almost laughable considering how often he was late to most of their battles. It was yet another oddity that had Genos watching him just a bit closer...
Saitama maneuvered through the winding halls of HQ at blazing speeds and he didn't slow his pace until the double-wide doors of the meeting room came into sight. "Phew, okay," he muttered. "Hey, there's no blood on my cape, right...? Genos?" He stopped and turned back, only then realizing that his companion was nowhere in sight.
'... Hm...? Wasn't he right behind me?' He thought the diligent disciple was quieter than usual. 'Geez, I guess I was in a hurry... I hope he's not gonna be mad about that."
He turned back and continued on, figuring he'd make it eventually. Saitama couldn't wait another second. Even if they didn't get to talk, just yet, seeing her again was all he needed.
When he made it to the door, he didn't hesitate to step in, and before he looked anywhere else, his gaze shot right to the head of the table.
"uh-!" Tatsumaki gasped under her breath when they locked eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. It was only a split second, but for some reason, it always felt like so much longer between them. Almost immediately her face heated up and she nervously looked away.
Saitama eventually did the same when he noticed the eyes of his other co-workers glaring at him. He briefly scanned the room to see if anyone else was running late. Luckily, there were more than just two empty seats. Metal Knight, Darkshine, Flashy Flash, and Zombieman were all either late or absent.
"-so in the meantime, we're asking that... Ah, One-Punch-Man," Sitch said, momentarily halting the presentation to greet the late arrival. "Thank you for coming."
"Uhh, yeah," Saitama muttered with an awkward head scratch. "Heh, I was helping a friend out and... kinda lost track of the time, I guess."
"That's fine," Sekingar nodded. "I'm glad you're here. Please, take your seat so we can continue."
He nodded back and made his way while the execs got back to their presentation.
Along the way, his gaze locked in on the reason he was so eager to come in the first place. Tatsumaki had her arms tucked over her chest, staring right at Sitch with a focused look. Somehow, she managed to look even better than the last time he saw her. Or maybe it had been so long that he had just forgotten certain details.
Tatsumaki could feel Saitama getting closer, and though she was deadlocked on the speaker of the room, all of her attention was firmly set on that bright yellow smudge in her peripheral. She was just hoping that the tickle in her cheeks wasn't visible on her face. When he finally made it over and pulled his seat out, she looked up at him in a series of quick fidgety glances.
"Uh... hey, what's up?" Saitama greeted in a soft whisper.
Tatsumaki's composure broke almost immediately at the sound of his voice. For the first time in what felt like a while, an uncontrollable grin splashed onto her face as if it had been there all day. "Hm?"
"Huh...? i-I just said what's up," he repeated, slumping down in his chair.
"Oh," she shook her head. "Hey. Sorry, I... didn't hear you."
Saitama smiled and settled into his seat a bit more, finally looking down the table toward the speaker of the room. Sitch was saying something about the campaign that some of them might not be aware of to encourage new recruits. Apparently, they would all be receiving calls throughout the week to shoot commercials or something. A few of the less cooperative heroes seemed upset about the task, calling it a waste of time. Saitama couldn't really care less and quickly lost interest. He leaned back a bit to whisper over his shoulder while they bickered. "So, what'd I miss?"
Tatsumaki leaned up and rested her arms on the table. "Umm... Nothing, really. They were just talking about-.. boosting public favor, or something."
"Public favor?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, it-... means like, how people see us, and all that..."
"Ah, okay" he nodded. "... I didn't even realize that was part of the job."
"Tch, it's not," she said. "They're probably just trying to sell more merch."
"Mm... Well, I guess it's something to do, at least," he shrugged. "Feels like there aren't too many big attacks going on."
"y-... Yeah," she muttered. "I haven't really gotten too many calls."
"Me neither... It's been pretty boring, honestly... eh-! n-Not that I'm waiting for something big, or anything!" he quickly fumbled out, turning in his seat with a panicked look. He didn't want a repeat of their last conversation in this room.
Tatsumaki could tell that's what was on his mind. She remembered that day, vividly. It almost made her feel silly for lashing out over something that she was starting to agree with, these days. "... No, I get it," she muttered, clearly surprising him. "We're... heroes. Fighting monsters is what we do, so... it has been pretty boring, I guess..."
Saitama wasn't sure what to say to that. Did she change her mind about having fun on missions? His confused look slowly melted into a smile before he turned back to Sitch. "... Hmh... Yup... Pretty boring..."
After he turned away, Tatsumaki's gaze lingered on the side of his face. She was so relieved that the awkwardness between them was nearly gone, at this point. They could actually hold a conversation like two regular people, even in a setting like this. If it was gonna be this easy to talk to him now, then maybe...
"Hmh," she softly chuckled, shaking her head and letting that thought slip away. Regardless of her confidence, she still wouldn't do that to her sister. She turned back and tuned into the chatter on the opposite side of the table. It was mainly Metal Bat barking about the situation.
"Tch-!" the teen scoffed. "You can call all you want! I'm not comin' in for some dumbass commercial shoot!"
"Urgh," Sitch sighed in frustration. "Metal Bat, it's really not that big of a deal. It's just a quick-.."
"Who gives a shit!?" he cut him off, kicking his feet up on the table. "We're supposed to be heroes, right?"
Atomic Samurai snapped his fingers and lazily pointed his way, "Gotta agree with the kid on this one. The job description didn't list acting as a required skill."
"Gentlemen, please," Puri-puri Prisoner interjected. "You may be missing the point of this assignment. This is an opportunity to display more of our shining personalities to the people who depend on us. I think it's a fabulous idea, and I can't wait to capture every angle of my beautiful Angel Style for the entire world to see!"
"Does he mean naked?" Child Emperor asked.
(DOOF...!)
The entire room turned to the door again when someone else came rushing inside. To their surprise and confusion, it was Flashy Flash, looking slightly winded. There was a crazed look in his eyes, and he was staring daggers at the bald man at the head of the table.
"... Hm?" Saitama noted his daring look, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. Did he do something to him? Before he could think about it, someone else stepped in. It was Genos who also looked right at him as soon as he stepped in.
"Flashy Flash, Demon Cyborg, welcome," Sekingar greeted. "Please take your seats."
"Look," Sitch continued, drawing everyone's attention back. "This isn't just some random occurrence. Aside from Tornado and One-Punch-Man, all of your approval rates are starting to plateau after the attack a few weeks ago." He tapped on the screen of his tablet until a graph with their faces popped up on the overhead monitor. It was a little chaotic, but it was clear to see that whatever it was measuring, the only two on a continuous rise were their top two heroes. "The sponsors are weary about investing any more of their money now that we are seemingly creeping toward a time of peace. This can potentially affect matters involving payroll and exclusive benefits for all heroes. They just want to ensure a return of profit, should that happen."
"In other words, they think they don't need us, anymore," Child Emperor astutely summarized.
"That's not what he said," Sekingar quickly shot him down. "Please, don't make more out of it than there is. Just show up to the location for ten minutes, get the shots they request, and go on about your day. That is all we are asking of you."
Tatsumaki didn't like it, but she didn't voice her issues. If anything, it was just another opportunity to potentially run into Saitama. She could tell Sitch and Sekingar weren't too hot about it, either. It was likely a request from those money-leeching sponsors.
"Wait-wait-wait," Metal Bat spoke up. "You said other than Saitama and Tornado. So, what? Does that mean they don't have to do this?"
"No, it does not," Sitch quickly shut that idea down. "Everyone will be asked to participate. Tornado, One-Punch-Man, I hope this is not an issue."
The entire table turned back to them, most awaiting an outburst from Tatsumaki.
Instead, the two in question briefly shared a glance as if gauging each other's reaction before they responded. "No, not really," Saitama shrugged. "If it's only a ten-minute thing, then I don't mind."
"Is this really all you called us in for?" Tatsumaki asked in a lazy, somewhat irritated, tone. "You couldn't just send an email or something?"
"No," Sitch said. "There is one other matter to discuss..." The two executive members shared a shifty look. "... The board has informed us that we will have a new member, starting today."
"uh-!" Tatsumaki gasped, lightly. '... No...'
"A new member?" Metal Bat asked. "Tch, so they think they don't need us, but they're adding another hero to the roster?"
"Sounds right on brand," Flashy Flash muttered, still eyeing Saitama down from across the room.
The bald man turned to him when he spoke, and again, took note of that dangerous look in his eyes. '... What the heck is his problem?'
"Sir, is there a reason we do not get a vote?" Tanktop Master asked. "Is someone getting replaced?"
"Relax," Sekingar said. "I cannot stress enough that your positions are secure. The sponsors are simply adding a member that they believe can help us out, not only on the field but also with our public image."
"Tch, public image?" Metal Bat asked.
'... You're fucking kidding me,' Tatsumaki mulled. She knew exactly where he was going with this.
"Some of you may have already met our newest member, but for those who haven't..." Sekingar tapped on his tablet until a freeze-frame of an attack popped up.
"... Uh-!" Tanktop Master gasped. "That's Love!"
"Tch, you're joking, right?" Metal Bat asked.
Sitch readjusted in his seat and shook his head."I'm not. To those unfamiliar, this woman was targeted by two creatures that the public have titled "the Invisible Mutt" and "the Flying Rodent" a few weeks ago. She was once held by an organization that experimented on those with supernatural abilities, and since attaining her freedom, she has staked a solid name for herself as an unregistered hero."
"That attack was three weeks ago," Flashy Flash noted. "You expect us to believe she gained enough acclaim to be considered for an S-Class position in such a short time period?"
"Heh, yeah," Atomic Samurai scoffed. "This ain't addin' up, Sitch. I mean, is she even any good in a fight?"
Sitch and Sekingar shared a concerned glance before the younger executive replied. "She's... capable."
"Keh-!" Metal Bat scoffed.
"It's true," Tanktop Master suddenly backed them up. "I've seen her in action myself. She is extremely agile and impressively flexible. She has a good sense of danger and a graceful demeanor in the heat of battle."
"Hmph," Flashy Flash grunted and sat back in his seat with his arms crossed. "She can handle herself in a fight... Perhaps a little too well."
"What do you mean by that?" Sekingar asked.
He shrugged. "Maybe nothing... Maybe I'm just saying that it's a little suspicious for someone only recently freed from a lifetime in captivity is all."
"Mm," Puri-puri Prisoner hummed when he finally caught onto the insinuation. "You think she's a spy?"
"Or a plant," he corrected.
"She's not," another voice joined the conversation. The group turned to their youngest member who was working on something on his laptop with a sucker in his mouth. "Unlike you guys, I've actually spoken to her before passing judgment. Her story's a little fuzzy, but she's no spy. Not to say she's dumb, but she's a little airheaded. I wouldn't call her 'spy-material'. She just wants to be an S-Class hero, and if you ask me, she can more than just 'handle herself'."
"Care to elaborate?" Sekingar urged him. Hopefully whatever he had to say could ease their worries better than they could.
Child Emperor popped the sucker out of his mouth with the help of a robotic arm sticking out of his opened backpack. "A few days after that attack, she came to me and asked if I could help her become a hero. I didn't really have to do much, considering how her power works, but-.."
"What's her power?" Saitama asked, shocking the rest of the room, specifically Tatsumaki. He was usually never paying attention. "... o-Oh, sorry," he muttered when everyone turned his way. "Did I interrupt?"
"u-Uh... No," Child Emperor said. "Her power is... kinda hard to explain, but... she can basically disintegrate any living creature she touches with her hands. Where she was severely lacking was in her mobility options. She's a lot faster and stronger than your average civilian, but she needed help navigating a city setting. So I designed this cloth-like fabric that she can control with a thought by connecting all these little nano-bots to-.."
"Why did we not get a vote, again?" Metal Bat asked, cutting his rambling off. "That's really the part that doesn't sit right."
"Because you don't," a new voice said.
Everyone turned to the door to see Amai Mask walking in with the topic of discussion following him with a worried look.
At the sight of the pink-haired girl, there was a stunned hush that flooded the room. Those who had met her before were just as appalled by her beauty as those who were seeing her for the very first time.
Love peeked around, not quite sure how to feel about the looks on the many faces watching her.
"It's as simple as that," the pop star continued. "Honestly, you should consider yourselves grateful that the board decided to add another seat instead of replacing one of you. It was discussed."
"Wow," Atomic Samurai said sarcastically. "They must really like us, then, huh?"
"Hmph, more than I do," Amai Mask chided back. He paced the room toward Sitch and Sekingar as if he were taking over the meeting from there, and love nervously trailed behind him. "Do not concern yourselves with the matters of the Hero Evaluation Staff. Your one and only focus should be on your work as a public servant."
"Is that why we're doin' commercials, then?" Metal Bat cut in.
"The commercials are to boost your piss poor public image so that you can sell more merch. More merch means more revenue. More revenue means you can keep your brat of a sister in that school she loves so mu-.."
(THUD!)
Metal Bat slammed his club down on the table with a daring look, clearly warning him about treading too close to a dangerous topic.
If Amai Mask was intimidated in the slightest, he didn't show it. "... Hmph," he smirked.
Love seemed to be the only one worried about the growing tension. Everyone else was just watching the two as if it were an expected conversation, even the executives. She nervously looked around until her eyes landed on the plain face of Saitama who was watching everything happen with a confused look. He must have felt her gaze because his eyes shifted from Amai Mask to her before she could look away. Like a shock to her nerves, it felt like her body seized up, all at once. She flashed him a small smile and shyly waved her hand.
'... Hm?' Saitama slightly lifted his hand in response.
Love's smile deepened just a bit until she glanced over his shoulder at the only other woman in the room.
Tatsumaki was staring at Saitama with irritation written all over her face. Then, she shifted her gaze to what he was looking at and caught the gaze of their newest member...
Love couldn't make heads or tails of the look in her eyes, but it didn't exactly seem friendly. She hesitated for a moment before flashing her an uncertain grin. The gesture was not returned.
"Point is," Amai Mask continued, "if you like your cozy little lives as S-Class heroes, you will show up to the commercial shoot when called... and you will smile for the camera. There hasn't been a major attack worthy of your rank in over a week. You should consider a ten-minute shoot a small price to pay for your," he looked back to Metal Bat with a mocking glint in his eyes, "many luxuries..."
"Are you done?"
The entire room looked to the head of the table at the calm, irritated, tone of their top hero.
Tatsumaki was staring the arrogant man down with a bored expression. "Can we go now, or do you just like hearing yourself talk?"
Amai Mask narrowed his gaze.
"... Eh-heh-heh," Saitama chuckled. "He does kinda talk a lot, huh?"
"Keh-! Right? I mean, why are we still here?" Tatsumaki agreed, immediately breaking into a lighter tone when she turned his way.
"You'd think they'd serve refreshments or something, like last time. I'm starving."
"Tch, yeah," she scoffed. "As if they'd ever take that into consideration. They expect us to just drop everything when they call for these stupid meetings."
"It does feel like this could've been an email or something. They really only told us like two things. It's been thirty minutes, already."
"And you got here late," she reminded him. "I've literally been here for over an hour and a half."
"Wow, really?" he asked. "The meeting started at noon, right...? a-At least that's what the message said."
"eh-! y-Yeah, but... i-I was just in the area, already, so..."
"Ah, okay," he shrugged. "... I thought you were like a teacher's pet or something."
"Keh-! Shut up!" she said, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "You're a teacher's pet!"
"Pfft, what? I just got here late."
"h-Yeah, what else is new?" she muttered.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You're always late! You-... uh-!" Before she could finish, Tatsumaki gasped and looked back down the table to see that everyone was still intently zoned in on the two of them. Her smile slipped away immediately. "... What!?"
Most of them turned away and awkwardly pretended they didn't see what just happened, but she locked in on the few who didn't. Mainly Flashy Flash, Amai Mask, Metal Bat, and that pink-headed bimbo. The boys all had suspicious looks on their faces, shifting their view between the two of them, and Love... well, Tatsumaki couldn't exactly tell what she was thinking.
Saitama noticed the looks himself, but he couldn't really make sense of it. It's not like they were doing something wrong. They were just talking. He almost wanted to break the silence, but one of the executives did him the favor.
"r-.. Right," Sitch said, clearing his throat as he stood to his feet. "Well... o-On behalf of the organization, I apologize for the sudden meeting request, and we will... take your words into consideration, Saitama."
"Hm?"
"We can definitely plan out some catering options or... refreshments and such, should this happen again."
"... Oh, uh... Cool," he shrugged.
"That's all we have for you, today," Sekingar said. "Please, continue to remain alert. Though things are quiet, we must always be prepared for any threat to the lives of the people."
Saitama sat back in his seat when everyone scrambled to leave like children at the sound of the school bell. He turned back to Tatsumaki, hoping to get just a few more words in, but to his surprise, she was already gone. "uh-!" Popping up to his feet, he immediately spun around and caught sight of her just before she slipped out. He made to follow, but as soon as he took a step, his path was blocked by a familiar face.
"Hey, One-Punch," Atomic Samurai said with a smile. "I still owe you that drink, huh? What do ya say? Tie one off?"
"Huh?"
(Doof!)
There was a heavy thud from behind him. He turned around finding Pig God looming over him with a bag of chips in hand. *munch-munch-munch* "Saitama. You are hungry, right? There is a new barbeque grill in the City-B market district. We should go."
"eh-... Uh, hold on a sec-.."
"Yo, Saitama." Metal Bat was next to pop up, alongside Genos. "How bout a match?"
"Right now?" he muttered, peeking back to the door. "I was gonna-.."
(SHWING!)
"... Hm?" he looked down at the ground to see a sword stabbed into the carpet right between his feet.
"Fight me..."
The group looked for the culprit and found Flashy Flash glaring down at Saitama from the top of the table.
"... Huh?"
"Tch," Metal Bat scoffed. "You're gonna have to wait your turn, pretty boy." He twirled his bat around in a flourish before pointing it at Saitama's face. "I got first dibs."
"Master, I too would like a match," Genos jumped in.
"Shouldn't we eat first?" Pig God asked.
"Mhm-hm," Bang chuckled, walking up to the group with his hands behind his back. "It seems you're quite popular, today, Saitama-boy."
"... I... have no idea what's going on," he admitted.
Atomic Samurai stepped around to his side and slung an arm around his neck. "Sounds like we've got ourselves a little group outing, huh? How bout it? Little training session before some dinner and booze?"
Saitama felt like he had his back to the wall. Did he even have the option to say no?
"Screw it, I'm game," Metal Bat agreed. "But I'm first at-bat."
"Tch, not on your life," Flashy Flashy muttered. He stepped over and pulled his sword from the carpet, shooting Saitama one more daring look on the way by. "... You're fast, but you're unpolished. I'll show you what proper training can produce."
"... Okay," he muttered.
"Heh-hah-ha!" Atomic Samurai laughed, pulling him along. "I love this guy! Hell, I might take a cut at you, myself." He took his arm from around his neck and held his sword out as if he had to make sure it was on him. "Truth be told, I have been wondering how I stack up to the top seat... or, the second top seat, I mean, hmh-hmh."
"Uh-!" Saitama stopped in his tracks. That reminded him of the original goal. If this was a group outing, then could he invite Tatsumaki without it being weird? Before he could break away to find her, he felt something poke into his back. "Hm?"
To his surprise, it was their newest co-worker. "Hey, Saitama!" she said in her bubbly tone.
"... Oh, uh... Hey, what's up?"
"n-Nothing, really. I just... wanted to say hi, I guess."
"Oh, yeah... Uh... I see you made it in, huh?"
"Mhm!" she giggled. "Can you believe it? It still doesn't feel real, yet."
"Oh, yeah?"
"h-Yeah," she chuckled. "I mean, I know it's official, or whatever, but... I just-.. used to watch you guys on the news since I was little, so it's just crazy that I'm gonna be working with all of you!"
Saitama's plain visage slowly but surely morphed into a look of confusion. '... Hm? I just started like last month.'
"Hey, Saitama!" Metal Bat called out, drawing his gaze. "Hurry it up! And tell this asshole I'm goin' first!"
"oh-..! Hey, I gotta run," he said, backing up to follow them. "But, uh... welcome to the team or-.. whatever. I'll see you arou-.."
"w-What are you guys doing?" she asked, nearly scrambling to catch up with him before he stopped again.
"Oh, uh... we're going out to spar, or... fight or something, I don't know," he shrugged. "But, then we're gonna go eat somewhere, I think."
"... o-Oh," she slowly nodded, shyly averting his gaze.
"... Yup," Saitama nodded.
Love chuckled at the awkward tension. She was hoping he'd catch on, but he didn't seem to get it. "i-Is it like a... boys-only thing or...?"
He gave her another confused look. "Umm, no... I don't think so." He was actually taken aback by that question. Did it seem like a guys-only event? Would it be weird if Tatsumaki ended up being the only girl? "... Hey, do you wanna go?" he suddenly asked her.
"h-Huh?" she stuttered out.
"You don't have to fight or anything. You can just come and watch, and... you know, meet the team and all that."
Love looked around him to see the group waiting down the hall, apparently arguing about something. "... Are you sure it's okay?"
"Yeah, totally," he said, turning back to continue on. "You don't have to, though. I was jus-.."
"n-No-no!" she cut him off. "I do... If it's really okay, then... i-Ill go with you..."
"... O-kay?" he muttered. Why did she phrase it like that?
Tatsumaki waited in the hall leading to the helipad, watching her co-workers step through the adjacent corridor toward the lobby. She was waiting for Saitama. Honestly, she was hoping he'd follow her out right away, but he sure seemed to be taking his time. It was starting to feel like she was the only one who felt something that night. Sure, they were talking, but it didn't feel like he was as eager as she was to keep it going.
'... Maybe Fubuki was right,' she mulled. 'Maybe I just don't understand anything about... any of this...' Could she really have been misreading all of those moments they had together? Was he just trying to be her friend, or did he actually like her like she thought he did? It was a headache to think about, and if she were completely honest, that airheaded bimbo getting added to the S-Class roster was shaking her confidence.
She had a lot more faith in beating her when she had the advantage of being more likely to run into him, but now it felt like the playing field was even. If this really was a head-to-head between herself and the prettiest girl she had ever seen, then... maybe it was too much for her... Maybe she really did need her sister's help...
'You... have pretty hair...'
"uh-!" she gasped, lightly...
That phrase was the second thing that stuck around from that night. As sad as it was to say, no one had ever given her a compliment that wasn't about how strong her power was before. Not even Blast...
It brought a smile to her face, even just thinking about it now. That clearly wasn't concrete evidence that Saitama liked her as more than a friend, but it was a sliver of hope. Maybe even enough to convince her to do what she was starting to seriously consider. '... I mean... what if I just... ask him out...? What if we went on a real date...?'
It would obviously be a decision that would directly contradict her sister's plan. Fubuki was deadset on this idea of learning every little in and out about relationships before just diving into one, but it was starting to feel like time was of the essence. According to Fubuki, all Love had to do was bat her eyelashes, so maybe it was time to make a move before that happened. If her sister couldn't see that, then, '... Maybe I will do it by myself...'
(muffled voices around the corner)
"-ah-hah-hah! That's bullshit and you know it! You're not even gonna land a single hit!"
"Hmph, don't lump me in with the likes of you."
"Oh-hoh man, you really think you're hot shit, huh? Saitama's gonna lay your pompous ass flat in the dirt. And don't say I didn't warn you."
Tatsumaki pressed her back to the wall and watched Metal Bat and Flashy Flashy step by, arguing about something involving Saitama. What were they talking about? Was there something going on? Genos, Pig God, Atomic Samurai, and Bang went by next, chatting amongst each other as they made their way. That wasn't unusual for Bang and sometimes Atomic Samurai, but it was weird to see them acting so friendly. "... uh-!" she gasped and took a step back. It suddenly felt like all of her breath was snatched away when a spot of pink came marching from around the corner, next... then soon followed by the man she was waiting on...
Love was strutting alongside him with a pretty smile, happily yapping up at his face. It was hard to tell if Saitama was listening or not, but he nodded along every so often. At face value, Tatsumaki knew it could be completely innocent...
She knew that...
But there was a strange ache that sunk into the rhythm of her heartbeat. It was like, suddenly, all of her previous hopes of trying to take action seemed stupid. She wouldn't let it show on her face, but it did not feel good...
She turned away to leave through the helipad entrance, just a second before Saitama caught that familiar green hue in his peripheral.
"uh-!" he gasped, stopping before passing the corridor.
Love's babbling screeched to a halt as soon as he did, and she quickly followed his gaze to the retreating form of the number 1 hero. She watched her float toward the exit at the end of the long hall for a moment before making a suggestion. "... Hey, maybe you should invi-... Uh-!" Before she could even realize he was gone, he was already halfway there. Love thought about leaving them to their conversation, but she was dreadfully curious about the nature of their relationship. Not that it was her business, but... she was curious. She only took one step in that direction before someone drew her gaze back to the group ahead.
"Oh, hello there. Love, is it?"
"eh-..! y-Yes," she said, nearly jumping at the sound of his voice. "Yes, sir."
"Oh-hohoh! No need for that," the old man waved her off. "I may be old, but we are co-workers, now. You can just call me Bang."
Tatsumaki watched the lines beneath her with every slab of concrete she passed leading to the door at the end of the long hall. She wasn't giving up. That was out of the question, at this point, but as far as doing it alone, her confidence was stripped. She couldn't possibly compete with someone like her on her own...
It was stupid to even try...
The only way she could even see herself having a chance was if Saitama somehow actually liked her too, but that was starting to feel like a longshot. Her best bet was to bite the bullet and endure Fubuki's stupid little lessons... and just hope it wasn't gonna take a month before they could make a real move. She had to be patient. With a sigh, she picked her head up as she approached the door. 'I'm tired... I'm going home...'
(scuff-scuff-scuff!)
"uh-!" Just before she made it, she heard footsteps behind her and froze...
"Hey, Tatsumaki," he called out to her.
She hesitated to turn around but eventually worked up the courage. Unfortunately, she wasn't ready to speak. "... m-Mhm...?"
Even with time to prepare, Saitama wasn't really sure how to go about asking what he wanted to ask her. "... Umm." He awkwardly averted her gaze and rubbed at the back of his neck. The words weren't coming as easily as he had hoped when he devised this plan. "That uh... weird sword guy with the long hair? He kinda just challenged me to like... spar or whatever, and uh... m-Metal Bat too, but I spar with him all the time, so that wasn't really weird... But, then uh... Bang and Pig God and uh... some other people, I can't remember... a-Anyways, they wanted to go eat, too. So... We're gonna go spar and eat after..."
"o-Oh... Okay...?" Tatsumaki was lost until he summed it up with that last bit of information. She slowly nodded as if to say she, at least, understood his words, but she didn't understand why he was telling her.
Saitama was hoping it'd be obvious, but she didn't seem to catch the hint. He had to be blunt. "Do you-... I mean, would you like to go?"
She blinked and immediately caught her bearings. He was inviting her. "o-Oh..." And she didn't know what to say.
"It's kinda like a... group thing, at this point," he said in a casual tone. "I mean, not everyone is coming, but... i-I don't know." He looked away and scratched his cheek as if he were thinking about it. "It'd probably be pretty weird if... you weren't there..."
Tatsumaki was absolutely shocked. What did he mean by that? Considering who was in that group he listed, it would likely be MORE weird if she was there. Still... that sent a flutter through her gut, for some reason. "o-Oh... I don't know," she shied away. "Maybe not... I gotta... go buy my sister a new TV."
"... Hm? A new TV?" he asked.
"Because I... i-I mean, it broke, this morning, so..."
"Sheesh, that's a headache," he said in a knowing tone. "How'd it break?"
Tatsumaki opened her mouth to speak, but she hesitated. "... I uh... sh-She just dropped it," she shrugged.
"... Huh? Doesn't she have powers like y-.."
"I know!" Tatsumaki cut him off in a tone of sheer disbelief. "It's crazy, right? She's... super clumsy. Mhm-hm...!"
Saitama slowly nodded his head, still trying to piece together how an esper could drop a TV when all she had to do was think about holding it. "... Yeah, that's... crazy, heh..." He peeked back over his shoulder to see Bang, Genos, and Love were still waiting on him.
And as soon as he did, Tatsumaki rolled her eyes at her own awkwardness. 'She dropped it!? I'm such an idiot!'
"Well, uh," Saitama turned back around and stared at the ground between them as he pointed over his shoulder, "we're probably gonna be sparring for a while, ya know? It kinda sounds like everyone wants to fight me today, for some reason, sooo... Ya know, it might take a while... Maybe you can... meet up with us later, or something?"
"y-Yeah, maybe," she shrugged. "Hmh... I might be free... later..."
"Okay, cool," he nodded. "So, uh... Well, I don't actually know where we're gonna go eat or anything, but... i-I can text you when I get there, if you want."
Tatsumaki nearly gasped. Was this happening, right now? "... y-Yeah, that's fine," she said in a casual tone. "Just text me..."
"Okay," Saitama nodded and pulled his phone out. "Just tell me your number and I'll put it-.."
Before he could finish, she pulled the device from his hand and floated it over to herself. Without looking at him, she put her information in.
Saitama watched her every move with a pointed stare. It took him a second to realize it, but truth be told, this was the first time he's ever gotten a girl's number before. The circumstances weren't really the same as just approaching a random girl on the street and flirting to get the digits, but still. It was his crush and she didn't seem revolted by the thought of him having her number. "... uh-!" he gasped and awoke from whatever day dream he was having when something touched his chest. To his surprise, it was his phone, and Tatsumaki was turning to leave.
"I'll see you later... baldy," she playfully jabbed over her shoulder.
"... Hmh, yeah," he replied, just before she made it to the door. "I... hope you do..."
Tatsumaki lingered in the exit just long enough to hear that. She smiled to herself once more before flying out. Patience be damned. 'Hoh, yeah... I got this...'
Saitama was rooted to his spot, watching her until he couldn't see her anymore. Then, he looked down at her contact page with a growing smile. '... Hmh... I just got her number...' He wasn't exactly sure what it meant, in terms of their mission, but to him it was a sign. '... I'm not waiting three weeks...'
AN: There we go. As I said before. I didn't have a chance to clean things up as I normally would, so hopefully everyone sounds at least a little in character, and there aren't too many spelling errors. If you see any rough spots, you know you can point them out to me and I can get them reading right. Thank you for the support, and stay tuned for the next chapter. It just might take some bitter patience. (wink)