What It Means

by HorrificallyDreadful

After a brush with near-death, Tatsumaki realizes she cannot be the pillar of hope the people need. For the first time in a long time, she is afraid. The only one who can save her from that fear doesn't understand the concept of responsibility. There's more to hero work than a good fight and more to bravery than strength alone. The world needs a true hero, but what does that mean?

36. Love is War

AN: HELLOOOO! And welcome back! So sorry for the long hiatus. I've had a rough go at it the past few months, but things are starting to swing back in my favor, so I've had a good amount of free time to crank out this chapter.

Unfortunately, I've been away for so long that sitting down to write this one was a task in itself. From writer's block to random spurts of aggressive procrastination, it was a hefty workload. To be completely honest, I'm still not a thousand percent sure I like everything about it, yet. There are some muddy spots here and there that I sort of want to polish, or rework altogether, but I've literally been done with this draft for about three weeks now, and every day I come back to read it, I find something else to edit. Today, however, was the first re-read that didn't just piss me off afterward which has me hopeful it's at least decent, at this point. So, I'm cautiously releasing it, now. Though, I may rework it in spots down the road.

As always, I rely heavily on your feedback, so please continue to give it, and thank you so much for sticking around. I know I probably make it easy to leave this story for dead with all these breaks, but for those of you hanging around, and all of you new readers popping up, I can only, humbly, beg you for your continued patience. That being said, please, 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.

---

(Two Days Later)

'I've never seen a duck fly.'

"... Mhm-hmh, what?" Tatsumaki whispered, staring at the message on her phone.

'Ducks fly all the time, you idiot! Why do you think they have wings?' she sent back.

She re-read her own message a few times, and sort of winced at how harsh it sounded. It came off more playful with the laughing emoji attached, though.

'Don't flamingos have wings, too?'

"Oh-hoh, my g-..!"

Again, she furiously typed, 'Flamingos fly, too!' with a slew of laughing emojis. 'Please tell me you're joking right now.'

At this point, she couldn't tell. She nibbled at the nail of her thumb with an aching grin, eagerly awaiting whatever stupid comment the baldy was stirring up next. Saitama said she was pretty gullible for someone so smart, and throughout their conversation, he used every opportunity he could to try and prove it...

Or... was she actually wrong, maybe? She backed out of her messages and clicked into her web browser to look it up. He was taking so long to respond that she knew he had to be doing the same. Much to her delight, she was right on both counts, and it almost made her feel stupid for even having to question those facts.

'Okay, you're right,' he sent back with a laughing emoji. 'What's that bird with wings that doesn't fly? I can't think of what it's called.'

'There's way more than just one, you dummy. (laughing emojis) Like penguins and emus?'

'(laughing emoji) Penguins aren't birds.'

Tatsumaki smacked her lips and rolled her eyes as if that one really annoyed her. She got back to typing and continued to ignore the deep rumbling sound echoing in the surrounding area; that rumbling being the voice of a monster knee-deep in a monologue in the middle of a destroyed intersection in City-C.

"-and it was this kindness that ultimately broke me in the end... The love she showed me as a young boy gave me my first taste of acceptance... and the look in her eyes when she saw this hideous creature I became was too much for me to take... So, that's why I had to destroy her!"

It's dramatic speech fell on deaf ears. Tatsumaki peeked over to the blabbering beast with a completely uninterested look. In a way, the creature didn't have a true form. It was some sort of ungodly mixture of many different animals fused into a giant blob of weird shifting features and textures, continuously changing its face every time she looked up at it.

Absolutely repulsive...

(CHIME~!)

Her ringtone blared. It startled her until she saw her sister's name on the caller ID. With a roll of her eyes, she swiped 'ignore'. Fubuki had asked her out to lunch, but she was definitely not in a rush to get there. Being in her presence just made it so annoying to text.

(ding!)

'Okay, you were right, again,' Saitama texted back with the awkward sweat-drop emoji. 'They're birds that swim, which totally makes a lot of sense.'

Tatsumaki scoffed and flipped her hair out of her face as she replied. 'Of course, I'm right. That happens a lot, ya know...'

'Okay.'

"Mhm-hm!" Tatsumaki giggled at his lackluster response before another one came through.

'You know a lot about birds. Is that how you learned to fly?'

'(laughing emojis) No!' she texted back. 'Maybe you didn't notice cause I'm so angelic, but I don't have wings.'

'Wow,' he wrote back.

Tatsumaki giggled again. She could almost hear the sarcasm.

'You're right. I never noticed.'

'Yeah, it's easy to miss.'

"Hey!" the monster shouted, pointing one of its grotesque arms in Tatsumaki's direction. "You're not listening at all are you!?"

The esper, in response, raised a finger in the air, as if telling it to wait while she read the next message. Saitama was suddenly very interested in how her flight worked.

"eh-...! Hurgh!? Hey! Take this serious! We're fighting to the death here!"

'It's pretty much the same feeling as when I carry you,' she explained. 'Only, a lot easier, obviously.'

'So I'm fat?'

"Ah-hahah!" she shamelessly laughed out loud and shook her head. "You idiot."

(CHIME~!)

Fubuki called again. Ignored.

The creature's face was shifting between a pig and a bull as it narrowed its gaze at the disrespectful woman. "Hergh...! Fine, then!" It took off, charging on all fours, thundering down the abandoned road, trampling the vacated vehicles with little grace. "If you take me lightly, that just makes it easier for me! Hraaaarrrggghhh!" It grabbed a truck along the way and launched it as hard as it could.

(Woosh!)

Tatsumaki swerved out of the way without even glancing away from her phone. 'Well, I can pick up Pig God no problem, sooo...'

'Really? I'm heavier than him?'

'Haha, not heavier. It doesn't matter how heavy you are. That's not really how my power works.'

"HRAARRRGGGGHH!" The monster lunged at her with its bear-like clawed hands. Tatsumaki flew up, just out of its reach.

'Well, how does it work?'

She sighed and thought about how to answer that. Using her powers was second nature at this point. Her gaze shifted back to the monster that was now trying to propel itself off the side of the nearby building.

"HRRAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

She watched it lunge right at her until it was halfway before snatching it in her invisible grip.

"Hurghh!? h-Hey!" The creature struggled, flailing its limbs around as if it were looking for the ground.

Tatsumaki thought it over a bit more with a pensive look before looking back to her phone. 'It's kinda like I imagine something happening, and then it does,' she sent. 'Have you ever had a lucid dream?'

'A what?'

'It's like when you're in a dream, but you know it's a dream so you can pretty much imagine anything,' she explained.

'Oh, yeah actually,' he sent back. 'Not too long ago I had this dream where I was fighting these earth-dwellers or mole-people or something. Does that count?'

"h-What?" she chuckled. 'Did you know you were dreaming?'

(CHIME~!)

Fubuki again. Ignored.

'No, it felt totally real.'

"Eh-heh-hah! You dumbass!" she chuckled. 'Then that's definitely not what I mean! I said a dream you can control!'

'Oh, Haha! I guess I've never had a lucid dream before,' he wrote back. 'But I think I understand. It's like the whole world has to do what you say, right?'

'No, not really. When it comes to stuff that's not living, then yeah, the weight is the only factor. But when it comes to controlling living things, I have to be stronger in more ways than one... Does that make sense?'

'Like physically?'

'Haha, well, yeah, kinda, but it's more than that. It's mental, physical, and spiritual, in a way... That's why I can only pick you up when you want me to...'

'Oh, okay,' he replied. 'For sure.'

Tatsumaki pursed her lips to suppress a smile. He always sent that exact message right before he changed the subject because he didn't understand.

"HRAAAARRGGGHHH!" The monster in her grip somehow grew a set of giant tentacles and reached down to grab a vacant car.

(CRASH!)

It swung it up at Tatsumaki who didn't even flinch when it exploded against her barrier. With a snap of her fingers, the creature was sent crashing into the ground hard enough to partially shatter the few surrounding buildings. 'Geez, can this thing just die already?'

(ding)

'Hey, can I ask you something kinda personal?'

"uh-!" she gasped...

Was this it? The escalation of their texting journey? She twiddled her thumbs over the keyboard for a moment before replying, 'Sure.'

Their newly shared hobby was sort of addicting. They were technically still having the same conversation that started after she lied about her phone dying, two days ago. It was still embarrassing having to pull that out in the first place.

Truth be told, she had actually decided to go that day but ran into a bit of a problem; a problem that Fubuki had warned her about in one of their earlier lessons. At the time, it sounded stupid, like a complete non-issue that her clueless sister was blowing out of proportion, but...

When it was time to get ready, she genuinely couldn't find a single thing to wear...

She must have tried on everything in her expanded wardrobe in search of something that felt appropriate for a group outing, but everything made her feel either way overdressed or just downright silly. And she didn't want to just show up in her regular hero clothes, especially knowing Love was there. Not that she was planning on competing with her in looks, but...

It just felt like a lose-lose situation, so she decided not to go about an hour or two after his second text came through... And it wasn't long after that when she realized that she had overthought the whole situation. Clarity always seemed to hit her when it was just too late.

Not finding anything to wear was just a stupid excuse. An excuse that she couldn't even trust Saitama to believe. So she told him her phone died, and to her shock, he didn't seem to mind. He said he was just glad to know she had given him the right number for some reason. From then on, they had been texting back and forth, non-stop.

The only gaps in their conversation were during the late night hours after one of them had fallen asleep, and even then they were right back on topic first thing in the morning. They hadn't spoken about anything with any real substance, yet. It never got personal. It was really all just a bunch of random topics like what television shows or movies they liked or more obscure subjects like, whether a human can survive in space without a space suit. That was a pretty heated debate spawned when Saitama claimed he had been to the moon, but Tatsumaki didn't believe him.

It was all very uninteresting from an outside view, but being lost in those conversations was like nothing she had ever felt before. It made the wait of not seeing him for days at a time seem bearable, yet it also somehow fed her desire to see him even more. And with every silly conversation that came and went, the mystery of Saitama only grew. There were so many questions about him that she wanted to ask; so many mysteries that only he could solve, but the moment just never felt right.

Now, he wanted to ask a personal question? She wondered what it could possibly be while she swerved out of the way of another flying truck. Her eyes drifted back to the beast below with an annoyed squint. "Tch, please." She flicked her pointer finger in its direction, and the truck that missed her came firing back over her shoulder like it was shot out of a cannon.

"Huuuurrrrgghhh!?"

(CRASH! BOOM!)

It hit the creature directly in its shifting face before exploding like a warhead. Not enough to kill, but it knocked it back into the nearby building.

(Ding!)

"uh-!" Tatsumaki gasped and immediately sunk into her phone again. She was honestly afraid of what he was going to ask... so his message, though confusing, came as a bit of relief.

'What do you think I should get Bang for his birthday?'

"... h-What?" she chuckled. 'How the hell is that a personal question?'

'Oh, I don't know,' he said. 'I guess I just figured you guys were pretty close, somehow.'

'Umm, no?' she sent back. 'Not really. I've known him for a long time, but we're not like friends or anything.'

'Oh, okay,' he replied.

She chuckled at his odd assumption and went to thumb a response but another message popped up before she finished. And again, it left her completely confused.

'So, not close like you and that Tanktop guy?'

'... What?'

'That Tanktop Master guy we work with,' he clarified. 'The super buff one?'

She rolled her eyes, 'I know who you're talking about, dummy. And we're not friends either.'

'... Really? So is he your ex-boyfriend or something?'

"... Pfft-HA-HA-HA!" she blurted out a laugh at the ridiculous question. 'No! You idiot! Who told you that!?'

'No one,' he replied. 'I guess I just assumed that's what it was.'

Tatsumaki nervously nibbled on her bottom lip before she texted back a single-worded reply, 'Why?'

...

She waited for an answer that never came. What could have possibly made him think that? They hardly ever spoke, and never in front of Saitama, as far as she could remember...

Except maybe that one time on that mission...

'Wait... Did he get jealous because I told that blockhead to be careful!?'

"Heh!" she chuckled in disbelief. No way that's what it was. Saitama may not be the brightest tool in the shed, but not even he could be that dumb. She was clearly just being nice.

(CHIME~!)

Tatsumaki's rage flared up when she saw it was her sister, again. This time, she answered. "What!?"

'Where the hell are you!?'

---

(20 minutes later)

"I was working!" Tatsumaki yelled across the table at a very classy-looking restaurant. "Why the hell would I answer a phone call while I'm fighting!? That's poor etiquette! Everyone knows that!"

Fubuki sat across from her with a pompous look as she powdered her nose, using her phone as a mirror. "Oh-hoh, please," she scoffed in a snarky tone. "As if that's ever been an issue before. Just the other day you called me in the middle of a fight to remind me to replace your milk. Remember that?"

"That-..! That was different," she muttered, sinking back in her seat with a stubborn pout.

"Of course it was." Fubuki shook her head and stashed her phone. Then, she sighed and leaned over the table with a smile. "I just didn't want you to bail on lunch, today. Okay?"

"Keh-! Why?" Tatsumaki used her powers to spread some butter on a piece of the bread they were given for appetizers. "It's not like I need a reservation."

"i-It's... not that," Fubuki waved her off. "It's... kinda hard to say, honestly. But..."

Tatsumaki sighed at her dramatic pause. "What is it, dear sister?" she asked in a mockingly sweet way. "Why is it hard to say?"

"Cause you're probably not gonna like it." Fubuki's reply was quick and flat.

"... Like what?" Tatsumaki asked with a dangerous squint.

Fubuki could almost feel her reaction boiling in the air. It felt pretty hard to breathe. "... o-Okay, you remember a few days ago when I told you about a big mission for the Blizzard Bunch?" Tatsumaki made a face as if she couldn't recall. "i-It was that day that you said Saitama asked you to go and train er-.. something."

"o-Oh, yeah," she said in a hurrying tone. "I remember."

Fubuki definitely felt rushed. She sat back in her seat and uncomfortably folded her arms. "w-Well... during that mission we were kinda... in a pretty bad spot, a-.."

"Someone hurt you?"

"er-!" Fubuki flinched at her question. It was asked in a very soft and concerned tone, but she knew what followed that look depending on her answer. "n-No-no-no! I wasn't hurt...! th-That bad, at least, but-.."

"So, you WERE hurt!" Tatsumaki yelled. "Damn it, Fubuki! Why didn't you call me!? I would've-..!"

"I did call you!" Fubuki cut her off. "Twice, actually!"

Tatsumaki reeled at that information... and then she realized it must've been those two calls she rejected right when she and Saitama started their little texting spree. "... w-Well, you should've called again!"

"Hoh, yeah," Fubuki rolled her eyes. "Obviously, right? Whatever, that's not important. That's not what I was talking about when I said you won't like it."

"Well then just tell me already! Stop with this stupid building suspense crap! You know I hate that!"

"FUBUKIIII!"

Tatsumaki's entire body tensed up at the girly squeal of her sister's name from someone behind her. It had a sort of... spine-chilling shrill, like nails on a chalkboard...

And when she turned around, it made perfect sense. It was Love, of all people, rushing up to their table with a giddy skip and a beaming smile. Everyone in the room seemed to be watching her glide over like some cheesy movie scene. It even felt like it was happening in slow-mo, somehow...

Then, Tatsumaki's heart nearly dropped to her stomach when she saw her very own sister zip by her with an equally excited squeal of, "LOVEYYY!"

Her world was spinning...

The two clashed and hugged each other like old friends, reuniting, and the only thought that came to mind was, '... What the fuck!?'

---

(Through the lens of a camera)

A man in a black hoodie and cap, with the word crew on it, held out a clapperboard with the title of a scene written in the white box. "Muscle Beach, take 23," he said, snapping it shut and pulling away.

The scene revealed was exactly as described. There was a fake beach set up on a green screen, littered with oddly placed weight benches and workout machines being used by a familiar group of heroes. A specific selection of S-Class members all wearing swimwear of some kind.

The camera zoomed in on Tanktop Master as he performed a perfect power clean with an ungodly amount of weight on the incredibly flexible bar. It panned all around his muscular form before slowing down when it got to the stern look on his face. "Strength is no secret..."

Then it swooped over to the speedo-wearing Puri-Puri Prisoner who was flamboyantly doing pull-ups, posing like a model every time he made it up. "Oof!" he winked at the camera. "There are no shortcuts to this beautiful gift...! Mwah~!" he blew a kiss.

Next was Metal Bat who slightly struggled on the squat rack, but quickly powered through a rep to get his line out, albeit in a very strained and agonized tone. "It's-.. n-never easy!"

The camera did a sweeping shot, all the way to Bang who was seemingly going through some sort of tai chi routine. "But, it is always worth the effort."

"The only question you should ask yourself," Darkshine continued, flexing directly into the camera, "Do you have what it takes to shine beyond your limits?"

"If your answer is yes," Pig God said from the bench press station, "then you're right for the cause..."

The camera then swept around the entire group until it landed on the hero sitting on an inclined bench, center stage, with a heavy-looking dumbbell in his hand that he lazily did curls with. Saitama was staring right into the lens for a second with a confused look. "... o-Oh and... you should join the Hero Organization, and uh... together we can punch evil to... obsidian?"

"h-Okay," the director chuckled from behind the camera. "Cut!"

Immediately, there were ticks and groans of displeasure, all around, as if this was a persisting issue. Everyone sluggishly started resetting their positions while the man in charge barked out his many grievances through a megaphone.

"Okay, again, I love the enthusiasm, Darkshine," he said, staring at the bulky man who was being rubbed down in body oil by a few of the crew members, "but the line is, 'do you have what it takes to rise above your limits,' okay? I'm not looking for improv today." He felt ignored, staring at the S-Class hero's blank expression, but continued on, shooting his look to their youngest star who was huffing and puffing with his hands on his hips. "And Metal Bat? Again, if that's too much weight for you, please take some off. This isn't a competition, I just want the shot to look smooth and effortless, okay?"

The teen scoffed and swatted the hands of a crew member away when they tried to oil his bare chest for the hundredth time that day.

"We can even bring in the prop weights if y-.."

"Just get the damn shot already, you idiot!"

"Yup," he quickly relented. "Just work with me, please." He stood to his feet and zoned in on the biggest issue of the day.

Saitama was sitting on his bench, discretely looking at his phone.

"h-Hey, Saitama?" the director called. "I need your full attention for just twenty more minutes, my man."

"uh-!" he gasped and stuffed his device back into the pocket of his swim trunks. "Huh? I was just checking the time."

"It's three minutes after the last time you checked, okay?" he said, sarcastically. "Please, just give me one good take and I can get you all out of here a lot sooner."

"... I thought that last one was okay," he shrugged.

"Your line is 'So join the Hero ASSOCIATION,'" he emphasized, "'and we can punch evil to OBLIVION...' i-I don't know where you got obsidian from."

Saitama hummed I-don't-know and shrugged his shoulders.

"o-Okay, jus-... remember what we talked about yesterday. Say it with passion, like you really mean it."

"Umm... okay," he shrugged. Though, he still didn't exactly know what that meant. He watched with a disinterested look as the stressed-looking man turned his attention to a few more issues. When he was sure he was off the hot seat, he immediately pulled his phone out to stare at the message he could not think of a reply for...

'Why?'

What excuse was there for clearly thinking about her romantic history? He honestly didn't know why he brought it up in the first place...

Without even realizing it, his gaze found its way to the source of their awkward road bump, Tanktop Master, who was consulting with one of the crew members about not getting any oil on his tank top.

Even now that Tatsumaki denied them ever dating, Saitama still couldn't get over that apparent moment they had before that mission. He wasn't imagining things, right? She showed genuine concern for his well-being, and she seemed so nervous when doing so. Why would she do that if they're apparently not even friends...?

'Maybe I should ask him... But I guess if it's really not true then that would be kinda weird, right...? Well, it'd probably be even weirder if it is, though...'

He zoned out at some point in his racing train of thoughts, so he didn't notice they were making eye contact until a second too late.

Tanktop Master's look of confusion melted into a smile when he could tell Saitama was just waking from a daydream. He gave him a smile and a respectful nod.

For some reason, to Saitama, the gesture read more like he was mocking him, and he hesitated before he slowly turned away.

That was awkward...

He could practically feel the big man's confused glare on the side of his face. Luckily, his attention turned to a tap on his shoulder where he found one of the girls from the crew shyly standing next to him with a bottle in hand. "m-.. More oil, sir?"

"Oh uh-.. Sure," he shrugged and awkwardly held his arms out.

The girl smiled and fumbled with the bottle before she squirted a good amount in her open palm. Then she dropped it and eagerly started rubbing it into his exposed chest with both hands. Saitama blushed at the oddly intimate feel and aimlessly looked around the room to further ponder his life.

This whole having-a-crush thing was starting to feel like a pain in the ass. Yet, it still wasn't the major issue on his plate.

Not anymore, at least...

Apparently, he's a bad hero, and the whole world was starting to talk about it. Someone leaked a crappy-looking video of his encounter with this 'Blue' guy on the internet. It was one of the lower-class heroes recording from the crowd. They surely recorded the entire conversation, but they at least had the decency to clip it so that none of that 'sensitive information' got out to the public.

It started when Blue called him a bad hero and there was an outcry of discussion going on through the news circuit. Not to say he didn't care about it, but it was starting to get annoying. He made up his mind about how he felt about it yesterday after talking it through with his group. He made his mind up about a lot of things, actually...

---

(Flashback)

(Thud!)

Genos slammed a heavy hand down on Saitama's sturdy dining table, startling the others in the room. "This is unacceptable!" he barked at Bang who sat across the table from him.

Saitama and King were on the couch in the living room area playing a co-op game, but the host turned at the unexpected outburst. "Hey! Don't break my table again!"

Genos ignored him and defensively stood to his feet. "Master, someone has disgraced your name! This bastard disrespected you in a public manner!"

Saitama shook his head and turned back to the television with a sigh. "Yeah, I know. I was there..."

"So, what do you plan to do?" the cyborg asked. "I suggest we find a lawyer and sue for defamation of character! I can search for the best prosecutor available and-!"

"Genos," Saitama groaned in a somewhat annoyed tone. "Just forget it, already. I'm not gonna sue that guy. All he did was have an opinion of my work."

"But his opinion is wrong!" Genos countered.

"And quite dangerous," Bang suddenly tacked on. "To claim you yourself were the sole reason for the breach of that bunker is an accusation that cannot be overlooked. If it were to get out to the general public, I do believe it would become quite troublesome for the organization as a whole."

Saitama hardly looked as if he were listening. He aimlessly controlled his character on the screen, giving it little thought until he felt his phone vibrate against his thigh. Then, he discretely checked the new message from the girl across the hall.

"They may have a point," King said in a flat tone. "I... know it's not really my place to say, but that kind of negative press tends to spread like wildfire if it does happen to get out. Suing that guy might at least show the public that you dispute his claims... and also, stock up on bandages before we head for the tower."

Saitama sighed through his nostrils before lazily shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know... I really don't think it's that big of a deal."

"Master!" Genos exclaimed. "I understand you are a man of nobility and honor, but for him to place the blame of genocide on you is unacceptable! Please, reconsider!"

Bang stood from his seat and stepped up behind the couch to give him some more helpful information. "Blue is a prominent figure in the hero world. Though the organization he now represents is relatively new, he is the son of the former number-one hero. His words carry weight. For him to spread this false information there could be-.."

"What if it's not false...?" The words of their host stunned the group into a lengthy pause, and Saitama knew he had to get an explanation out. "I mean, he had some... pretty good points, I think... It's not like his theory is impossible."

"Master," Genos called his name in a harrowing tone. "... What are you saying?"

Saitama looked back over his shoulder when King suddenly paused the game. They were all staring at him as if he had said the world was ending.

"He had some good points about which part, exactly?" King asked. "About some maniac orchestrating that entire devious plot to test you? Or about you being a bad hero...?"

Saitama shrugged. "w-Well... If one is true, then... there's probably a good chance both are true, right?"

"Saitama-boy," Bang said, setting a hand on his shoulder. "What happened to those poor souls is a tragedy, but it is not something that can be blamed on you alone. There were many factors in play at that battle. You were directly involved in putting an end to the whole ordeal."

(Thud!)

Genos slammed his hand down on the table again. "And I was there as well..."

"Hey!" Saitama shouted.

Again, the cyborg ignored him in place of an emotional monologue. "I was there outside of Tornado's storm wall... I couldn't withstand the pressure of her attack, and I... just stood aside and... watched!" He lifted a hand to vent his anger with another pound of the table, but before he slammed down-..

(SMACK!)

Saitama threw his controller at the side of the cyborg's head hard enough to knock him from his seat. "Stop doing that!"

"Gah-! My controller!" King cried, watching it shatter.

Saitama sighed and hopped over the back of his couch to grab a drink from the fridge. "Look, I get what you guys are saying, but... there's just a little more to it than what you know. It's not just what that Blue guy said. It's... also how it feels..."

"You blame yourself for a tragedy that you could not have foreseen," Bang reasoned. "I can't imagine how this would make anyone feel..."

They all watched the bald man closely as he opened the fridge and blankly stared inside. "That's... not really what I mean," he said reaching for the carton of orange juice. "It feels like... whether it's true or not, I definitely could've done more than I did... I could've... been faster, I guess..."

"Mhm-hmhm," Bang chuckled in an understanding way. "I'm sure you did all you could, Saitama-boy. I would never doubt your abilities, but you are only one man. With the spread of that attack, I believe that the only reason it didn't last for days was due mostly to Tatsumaki's presence."

"You're wrong..."

Saitama raised a brow and let his gaze drift over to the one who said that.

It was Genos, looking stern as ever. "Master Saitama was in fact the one to deliver the killing blow. Tornado admitted it in her official report. I saw a headline about it a few days ago."

Bang looked mildly surprised to hear that, and when he turned back to their host, he wasn't alone in his shock.

That day felt like such a blur to Saitama at this point. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what happened back then. All he knew was that he caught her, and their game ended.

"Master, do you see?" Genos continued with a shine to his eyes. "Who knows what could've happened if you hadn't been there? You can't blame yourself for not being fast enough when no one could've done better...!"

Saitama stared at him with a lost look as he filled his cup with juice.

He felt so conflicted about the entire conversation. They definitely had a fair point to make, but he was also privy to more of the story, so he knew what they were missing. He couldn't tell them that the reason he wasn't fast enough was because he was too busy playing a game with Tatsumaki...

Or that he was willing to let the guy suspected of being responsible for that massacre go with a warning just so he could make it to her...

If he were completely honest, the only reason he was even there at all was because he wanted to see her again. If he didn't know she was there, he probably would've gone home...

Those hidden details were what pieced it all together. He did blame himself... because he could've done better. '... Because I'm... a bad hero...'

With a sigh, his eyes tracked over to Bang who was apparently departing even more of his sage wisdom, but Saitama couldn't really hear him anymore. He had been thinking about this dilemma since Blue called him out, and no matter how he looked at it, every wrong step he took was because he was focused on something other than doing his job. Love was wrong. He wasn't expecting too much from himself. His expectations couldn't be lower... because there was something else he was focused on...

This crush on Tatsumaki was all he could think about. Somehow it's become his biggest problem; the main focus of his life's story, and truth be told... he just wasn't sure if he wanted to play this game anymore.

"-and it's because of you that I know I can redeem myself, one day," King was saying in a very serious tone.

Saitama took a drink of his juice and quietly strolled over to the big whiteboard set up in his dining area, covered in prompts and notes for his 'Lessons in Love' classes.

"You're more than a hero, Saitama. You're an inspiration. You... give people hope when they're hopeless, but like Bang said, you are only one man. The weight of the world just can't be yours alone to bear."

"h-Hey," Saitama stopped him there. He had no idea what he was talking about, but he had something to ask. "What if... What if this just doesn't mix?"

His question froze the room in a thick quiet as the other three tried to decipher what he meant.

Saitama's gaze was locked on the impressively documented itinerary for their meetings. King had every lesson charted and precisely dated, all the way up to what they had apparently titled 'Graduation Day' when he could finally move on to the first stage of actually asking her out... and it was four and a half weeks away. "What if... being a hero means that... you're not supposed to fall in love with someone...?"

"uh-...!"

Saitama turned around at the sound of a gasp to see three surprised looks glaring at him. Did he say something wrong?

"s-.. Saitama," King muttered. "You... think you're in love?"

"uh-!" he gasped and immediately went red in the face, waving his arms around as if to physically swipe the idea away. "n-No, of course not! Hah-! That'd be crazy, right!? I mean, we haven't even gone out on a date or anything like that...!"

The other three shared suspicious glances before he spoke again.

"i-I just meant like... metaphorically, I guess..."

King and Genos were at a loss for words. It was a really good question that they couldn't possibly answer given their shared lack of success or experience. So, they looked to the true veteran hero who seemed to be struggling to collect his thoughts.

There was no simple answer, because, so far, Bang had no example to draw from. Not one of their co-workers was currently in a stable relationship as far as he knew. There was no proof...

"Maybe... we're supposed to be alone," Saitama added. "Because when you're alone, you only focus on work... and you never get distracted... And that's... probably pretty important in a job like this."

"Saitama," King finally spoke. "a-Are you... saying you don't wanna do this anymore?"

"uh-!" he gasped. Was that what he was saying...? It didn't click in his head until he heard that question, but... considering his current situation, "I... I don't know," he shrugged...

Again, his response plunged the room into a thick silence. Being in love sounded nice, and in his younger days, it was something he really craved, but... now, it felt like his life was no longer his alone. He was being pulled into a different story where his choices were bigger than what to have for dinner... And this whole crush thing was... distracting...

"Hmh-hmh," Bang suddenly chuckled, drawing everyone's attention as he strolled over to the balcony. He made it to the sliding glass door and spread the curtain so they could see the view of the setting sun...

Then, he just stood there and stared out into the city...

Saitama watched him with a very confused look. Was he not gonna say anything? He made it seem like he was about to solve the problem with another rambling monologue or something. They were usually annoying and Saitama often tuned them out, but he wouldn't mind a new perspective on this.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like he was getting one...

"You don't mind being alone," Bang finally spoke, "do you...?"

'Oh... I guess that was just for dramatic effect,' he mulled.

"I don't mean to assume things I don't know for certain, but... I get the feeling that you've probably been alone for a very long time..."

King and Genos shifted their eyes to Saitama as if they expected him to answer. He just stood leaning against the island counter of his kitchen with his arms crossed.

"Hmh," Bang chuckled. He turned around to face him directly. "I admit that it has its advantages... The free time, you can focus on your work... self-improvement, hmh..." Only he snorted at his sly joke about the bald man's strength. His expression hardened shortly after when he saw the look on Saitama's face. For once, he had his full, undivided, attention. "... And you're right," he said. "With the job we have, focus is absolutely vital... but quitting in your attempt to pursue your heart's desire will not do you any good..."

King and Genos shared confused looks before turning to Saitama who also seemed lost. His list of 'advantages' didn't exactly support that last line.

"It won't help you, because that particular emotion isn't exactly based on a logical decision," the old man proclaimed. "You could count the odds mathematically and come up with a thousand reasons why you should quit, but it wouldn't matter... When you see her again, you will imagine what could be, and you will be clouded with dreams of a different life... Love is a decision of the heart and the heart alone... It cannot be ignored..."

"Well... I mean, I could jus-.. keep being friends with her," he shrugged, "not make it weirder than it has to be, and all... And if that's what I decided, I... I feel like I'd probably focus a little better... Maybe take a day to go out and look for that guy that disappeared a-.."

"Overworking yourself is not the answer, Saitama-boy," Bang stopped him. "I know that, despite our words of reassurance, you blame yourself for the fall of that bunker..."

Of course, he didn't wear it on his face, if he did.

"Just being accused of it alone would make anyone feel the weight of that guilt... but you should not punish yourself..."

"What? Punish myself?" he voiced. Was that really what he was doing...? 'I thought it was the stress of it all.'

"Maybe it's not a conscious decision, but I have a feeling it's somewhere along those lines," Bang explained in a wishy-washy tone, as if he really wasn't sure, himself. "You blame yourself for the fall of that bunker, and you are trying to strip away a joy in your life as penance, but... I think you should consider everyone involved in that decision before you make it..."

Saitama sighed and rolled his neck out. "Yeah... i-I mean... I know how hard you guys have been working to help me, and I... I really appreciate it, bu-.."

"That's... not exactly what I meant," Bang stopped him. "I see why you would think that, but at the end of the day, this venture is not about us... It's about you and Tatsumaki."

"Uh-!" he gasped when he finally caught on. Of course, that's who he meant. "w-Well... I still don't even know if she likes me, though, so... if she doesn't then, there's no problem with quitting, now, right?"

"She does like you."

"Mh-!" he gasped again and looked over to King who said that with such confidence, as if he knew. "Huh? How do you know? Did you hear something?"

King flinched at his intense look of desperation. For someone so eager to quit, he was surely excited to hear that. "w-Well... i-I mean, I assume she does, from... you know, the research we've gathered, and... stuff."

"Master," Genos finally spoke up. "You... really want to quit...?"

Saitama couldn't make heads or tails of his expression. He almost looked disappointed. "... I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe..."

Again, a hollow silence filled the room, and for a moment, it felt like they were all creeping toward the realization that the goal of their group was coming to end... Saitama couldn't exactly describe how it felt, but it didn't feel nice... But then, Genos asked a question. A question that brought his entire goal back into perspective...

"If you did quit... would you be happy?"

---

Saitama didn't get a chance to respond that night before the moment was killed by a request for Genos' help with a mission, but the answer came easy. '... No... No, I wouldn't...' That was the point of it all, in the first place. To regain that lost feeling. That emotion that was starting to come back to him in small doses, these days. For every strife popping up in his life due to this whole 'crush' bit, there were just as many moments where things were different. Where he felt something other than the numbness of overbearing strength. Something... that he just wasn't sure he was ready to give up on without a fight...

"So, join the hero uh... association," he read his line out, staring right into the main camera that was now in his face, "and we can punch evil into..."

"-to oblivi-.."

"- to oblivion!" Saitama exclaimed, cutting the director off before he could give him the full line. He watched him slump down in his seat with an irritated huff.

"Cuuut!"

Again, Saitama looked around the room when a few people smacked their lips. So, he forgot a word, big deal?

"Saitama?" the director called. "That was... better, but you gotta remember the timing, okay? It's one line, so... just SAY THE LINE, eh-heh-heh... And Metal Bat, please rack the weight during a cut," he said, looking over to the teen who was stuck in a half squat.

"Hmrgh-...! i-I can't!" he struggled out.

"What's wrong?" Tanktop Master asked. "Would you like a spot?"

"sh-.. Shut the hell up! I...!"

The musclehead watched him with a confused look until Pig God suddenly stepped up beside him, munching on a bag of potato chips. "What's wrong with him? *munch* *munch* *munch*"

"He seems to be struggling with the weight." Tanktop Master clapped his hands and threw out a few words of encouragement. "Come on. You can do it. Push beyond your limits."

"sh-.. Shut-..!" the teen struggled to even speak. He looked down at his feet and gave it all he had. To his surprise, the ground was starting to crack beneath his weight.

"*munch* *munch* *munch* I'm surprised the weights are real this time," Pig God said. "We used props in my solo shoot."

"Yes, I believe that was the plan," the brute said, stepping back around to his spot at the power clean station. "But I insisted on bringing my set from home, instead."

"Your set from home?"

"Yes, they were a gift from Child Emperor... Hnrgh!" He performed a perfect power clean with minimal effort. "Each plate is approximately one ton."

The bar was stacked with five plates on each side and was bending like it was made of rubber. Pig God watched him start doing shoulder presses with an unenthused look. "Hm..." It was impressive until he remembered this was the man who threw an entire apartment complex in one of their previous missions. "No wonder I struggled a bit."

"Really?" Tanktop Master asked as he effortlessly held the ten-ton set above his head. "I tried to pack the bars for higher reps."

"Tch-! h-..Higher reps!?" Metal Bat shouted, drawing their attention again. "Are you nuts!? Someone gimme a fuckin' hand over here!"

As soon as he said that, he was shocked when a strong pair of mits suddenly snaked their way under his armpits, gripping his bare chest for support. Then, he felt something extremely unpleasant against his naked back. Like cold, dull, razor wire. "Don't worry, dear Bat," the deep voice of Puri-Puri Prisonser whispered in his ear. "I have two."

"HUUH!? NO-NO-NO! NOT you! ANYONE but you!" The teen struggled in his strong grip before he spotted Saitama sitting on his bench with his phone in hand. "MASTER SAITAMA! GET HIM OFF ME!" He watched the bald man glance over for half a second before he immediately turned away with a goofy face, apparently trying to act like he never saw.

"I can feel your strength!" Puri-Puri Prisoner yelled and pulled him away from the rack. "I won't let you fail! TWO MORE!"

"MASTER! PLEASE!"

"Mhm-hmhmhm." Bang chuckled at the funny situation from his mark while calmly running through his relaxing stretch. "Try not to strain yourself, Metal Bat. I wouldn't want this to get rescheduled." He stood up straight and stretched the tightness in his back out with a groan. This was already eating up a large chunk of the day.

"Excuse me, Bang?" a deep voice called him.

"Hm?" He turned around to find Tanktop Master leering over his shoulder, staring at something toward the center of the room.

"My apologies for interrupting your stretch," he said, "but I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Why, of course," he said with a kind smile. "What is it?"

"You're... rather close with Saitama, right?"

"Hm?" The old man turned over his shoulder to see the hero in question still glaring at something on his phone. "... Well, I would consider myself a friend of his, yes... Why do you ask?"

The big man continued to stare Saitama down with an uncertain look. "I'm... curious about something," he said. "I can't be sure, but... for some reason, I get the feeling that he's upset with me about something..."

"Saitama?" he said in a surprised tone.

"To be honest, I have my doubts as well... I mean, we've rarely ever spoken, and... as far as I know, we've always been at least civil... And yet, all morning, it's felt like he's sort of given me the cold shoulder..."

"Oh-hoh," Bang waved him off. "You shouldn't worry yourself too much. I'm quite familiar with Saitama, and I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding at play here. You should approach him after the shoot to ask him personally. He's quite understanding."

Tanktop Master seemed uncertain about that advice, but he eventually gave the old man a curt nod. He was probably right. Saitama seemed like a level-headed man. What did he have to fear from striking up a conversation? Besides, there was something he wanted to ask him. Something quite personal, and in the back of his mind, he feared that maybe it was the reason for this sudden tension between them. Perhaps on some... primal level...

---

"-annnd that's when Doctor Konami shut the force field down so I could escape," Love was saying, again recounting her story for the two Esper sisters. More so toward Fubuki who was leaning over the table with an enthralled look on her face.

Tatsumaki didn't seem interested. She was listening, but she made it clear that she didn't want to as she sat slumped down in her seat with her arms crossed like a moody teen who couldn't wait to leave, twirling the pasta on her plate with her powers.

The other two noticed her apparent annoyance, but Love told her story, nonetheless. Fubuki found her sister's childish antics to be an absolute eye-sore, but her new friend's story so enthralled her that she couldn't be bothered by her negativity. "Oh, my gosh," Fubuki said in a sympathetic tone. "That's so amazing. What a great man... I bet you miss him."

"y-... Yes," she nodded. "I-... I do..."

Fubuki grabbed her hand from across the table and gave her a comforting smile. "Well, I'm glad he was there... Otherwise, I'd probably be dead, right now. Ah-haha!"

Tatsumaki sneered when the two started laughing. What the hell was funny about that? Apparently, Love was the one who showed up and saved her from that 'tight spot' they were in. That was how the two met, and for some reason, they bonded right away. Tatsumaki couldn't help but feel a little betrayed, considering the situation they were in. Her so-called 'mentor' was literally befriending her rival in love.

She watched them talk with an unapologetic pout; chatting away like little gossiping teenagers. 'Bleh!'

It didn't make sense. They've only known each other for two days, yet they seem like best friends. All she did was save her life. Tatsumaki couldn't even fathom the amount of times she'd bailed Fubuki and her little 'Blizzard Bunch' out. It's not like it didn't happen all the time or anything. 'What the hell is my life, right now...?'

"Ugh," Fubuki groaned when her phone rang in the middle of a rambling story. At first, it looked like she was just going to decline the call, but she hesitated when she saw who it was. "... e-Excuse me, Lovey. I gotta take this. It's my assistant."

"o-Oh, okay," she stammered. "No problem..." Admittedly, it made her nervous to be alone with Tatsumaki, but... maybe she could take this opportunity to strike up a friendly conversation. She peeked over to see her still pouting and twirling her noodles with her powers. "... Hmh, that... looks fun," she said.

Tatsumaki's eyes rolled over to her and she immediately stopped. "Why are you trying to be friends with my sister?"

"eh-!" Love reeled at the brash question. "i-I-.."

"What, did she try and recruit you or something?"

"No," Love said. "She's... just really nice, I guess..."

Tatsumaki made no attempt to hide her scrutinizing glare. "'She's just nice...' Keh," she scoffed and looked away.

"... She is... a-and, she... told me a lot about you, actually. And... y-you seem pretty nice, as well..."

Tatsumaki gave her a mocking smile. "Keh-..! Right. So, does that make us friends, too?"

Love could hear the sarcasm, but chose to ignore it. "m-.. Maybe not, but... I'd like to be friends with you."

"uh-!" Tatsumaki gasped. She stared at her with a completely baffled look. There was just no way that was true. What kind of angle was she working on?

"i-I know that... you don't really like friends. According to your sister, I mean, but... w-Well, you're friends with Saitama, so I just thought tha-.."

"What?" she stopped her. "... Who told you that?"

"w-... Well, the other night, we were talking, a-.."

"What night?" she cut her off again.

"th-.. The night after we went to do group training? I think Saitama thought you were going to meet up with us?"

"Oh... I was busy, that day," she waved her off in a defensive tone. That was just another bitter reminder that she should've gone.

"r-Right," Love smiled. "I assumed that's why you couldn't make it, but... Saitama seemed to be waiting on you, is all... Then, after we talked I... saw you texted him."

"Mh-!" she gasped. "... You did?"

"w-Well, to be honest, I'm not sure, but I... figured it was you because..."

"Because what?"

Love flinched at the hurrying tone of her voice. "b-Because... I guess I just figured you guys were pretty close friends, heh..."

Tatsumaki narrowed her gaze suspiciously. Why did that feel like an insult coming from her? "We are not friends," she said, crossing her arms.

"oh-... i-I'm sorry," Love apologized. "i-I didn't mean t-.."

"You said, in your story, that Saitama just forgot about you?" Tatsumaki cut her off, her question oozing with a tone that implied suspicion.

"... y-Yeah, heh," she chuckled. "He... i-I guess he forgot about the whole thing, apparently. Heh-heh."

"Mhmm," Tatsumaki tried to match her vibe, but her attempted chuckle just felt really mocking. "That's a little strange, ya know. He's an idiot, but I don't think he's dumb enough to forget about a girl he just saved from a... giant bear, or whatever."

"i-It was a gorilla," she corrected. "And... y-You really shouldn't say that. Saitama's not dumb. He's just... kinda oblivious sometimes, hmh."

Tatsumaki's face scrunched in disgust. Who the hell was she to tell her something like that? "I know," she said in an icy tone, clearly scaring her a bit.

Love shrunk in her seat with a fading smile. It was crazy how small she felt under that piercing gaze considering their size difference. Luckily, she was saved when Fubuki finally returned.

"Phew," she said. "Sorry about that. I ordered new curtains for my office like three weeks ago, and they sent the wrong... size..." Her tone faded when she could, somehow, feel a sliver of the lingering tension. "What happened? Love, did she try and scare you?"

"No," Tatsumaki said in a stern tone. "I was just asking her more about her 'amazing story'."

"Hoh, my gosh," Fubuki rolled her eyes. "Could you stop? Her story is amazing, and I figured you of all people could relate to her struggle."

"Pfft," Tatsumaki sputtered, turning away with a childish pout. "Whatever! I'm just saying it's weird that Saitama just forgot all about it!"

"Keh-! Yeah, right!" Fubuki shouted. "That's what's unbelievable to you!? I have to remind him what my name is every time we talk!"

"So!? He's bad with names!"

"Ah-Hah-hah-hah!" Fubuki laughed.

Tatsumaki couldn't help but smile a bit herself. She couldn't even remember the ridiculous name Saitama called her when he couldn't remember hers. Her smile soon sank into another childish pout when she finally took note of Love laughing along.

"h-I really hope that's true," she said in a giddy tone. "I think he called me Dove like five times before he remembered mine!" Again, she and Fubuki shared a hearty laugh that felt extremely awkward when she could feel Tatsumaki's icy glare barreling into the side of her face.

Fubuki was oblivious. "Hoh, don't worry it's absolutely true. Sometimes I'm not even sure if he remembers his own name, anymore! Haha!"

"Mhm-hmhm...! y-Yeah," Love said. "He's so cute."

"Uh-!" Immediately, her words killed the mood of the table, and she found both Esper sisters staring at her with shocked looks.

Fubuki watched her shrink under the pressure before peeking over to her sister. Tatsumaki's look was actually unreadable in that moment. It was flat, yet there was a subtle rage boiling in the sheen of her eyes.

"i-.. I mean, heh! He's... i-I think he's really great!" Love stammered out as if to mend her words.

Fubuki gave her a reassuring smile. After their conversation at dinner the other night, she got the feeling that Love was interested in Saitama, but she wasn't expecting such a brash confession from her so soon. "So, do you... like him?" she cautiously asked.

Love visibly reeled at her question before her visage ran through several expressions, ultimately ending in a bashful smile. "i-I... It's kind of embarrassing, honestly, but... I just think he's really handsome and funny, and... th-there's a lot more to him than what people might think... Like... some people think he's dumb or... an idiot, but... i-I just think he seems that way when he's just... not really interested in what you have to say..." Her eyes flickered to Tatsumaki when she said that, but she didn't dare to hold her gaze.

The smaller woman was glaring at the side of her face the entire time, so she caught it, and she also picked up on the underlying meaning.

Fubuki's worried eyes shifted between the two before she quickly tried to mask her rising concern with a smile when Love looked her way for a response... or, more likely, help. "u-Uh... that's... really sweet, heh," she said, briefly glancing back to her sister who was still blankly glaring at the pinked haired woman. Then, something changed...

Tatsumaki's face scrunched up as if she were confused about something... then slowly sprouted a suspicious grin. "Hmph... Really...?"

Love's heart was beating at a rapid pace when she found herself trapped in the grip of Tatsumaki's unwavering glare.

"w-Well, I... I think so, eh-heh-.."

"You think so?" Tatsumaki cut her chuckle short.

"w-Wow," Fubuki jumped in when she was starting to get the picture of where this was going. "It's getting pretty late, huh? h-Where the heck is that waiter?"

"So, what's your plan, then?" Tatsumaki asked, ignoring her sister's antics.

"uh-!" Love flinched again at such a brash question. "m-... My plan?"

"You said earlier that you assumed he and I were friends, right? Is that what this was about?"

"... w-What what was about?" Love stammered.

"This," Tatsumaki said in a slightly irritated tone. "All of this. Was it part of your plan?"

"i-I... h-I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I don't really know what you're talking about."

"You can cut the nice act," she waved her off. "I'm not like my sister."

"Tatsumaki!" Fubuki protested.

Again, she was ignored. Tatsumaki glared at the pink-haired woman without a shred of remorse. "I'm not nice to you because I don't-like-you," she coldly stated, accenting her words for emphasis. "So you trying to be friends with me because I 'seem nice too' is a stupid lie. You tried to wiggle your way into Saitama's friend group by being friends with me, right...?"

Ironically, Love looked like a frightened child in her seat, and she couldn't drum up the words to defend herself.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes with a scoff, "Tch!" She floated out of her chair, intending to leave, but not before she delivered a final warning. "I don't care if you like Saitama... Don't take advantage of my sister by using her as a step in your plan..."

Love swallowed the lump in her throat, nearly crumbling under the weight of her heavy glare. She held her breath until Tatsumaki finally floated off.

Fubuki watched her sister leave with a racing mind. Was that really what Love was planning? Or was Tatsumaki just overreacting? She peeked back to Love who had her eyes on the table as if she was lost in thought. "... h-Hey," she called out, grabbing her attention. "I told you she wasn't gonna like it, heh..."

---

Back at the film studio, the group of S-Class heroes finally got a good enough take for the director to call it a day. There was a very apparent sigh of relief, and most of the heroes were quick to exit. Saitama was trying to sneak away himself, but he was stopped by a deep voice calling his name.

"Excuse me, Saitama?"

Much to his growing irritation, he turned around to find Tanktop Master leering over him with a small smile on his face.

"Hi," he said in a very unnaturally friendly tone. "I see you're probably in a hurry, but I was wondering if I could chat with you for just a moment...?"

Saitama made little attempt to hide his displeasure. He looked down at his phone to see that Tatsumaki had texted him again, but he felt kind of weird about checking it in front of people; him especially. "... Uh, o-okay," he shrugged. "What is it?"

Tanktop Master seemed shocked as if he had only planned out how to ask him, not what he would say if he accepted. "Uhh... w-Well, i-I... saw your battle from yesterday on the news this morning, hmph!" he fumbled out with a smile and a nod of respect. "You were amazing, as always."

The response was not as welcoming. "Hm? Which one? I think I was in like four or five fights, yesterday."

"o-Oh uh... I believe it was your battle against a bull-like creature with a golden tooth?"

He scrunched his face up trying to recall the beast, but it never came to him. So, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Umm... Thanks, I guess..."

"Hmh," Tanktop Master awkwardly chuckled and scratched at his neck. Saitama's disinterested glare added a whole new level of tension to the conversation, and it flustered his thoughts more than he anticipated... Probably because he wasn't even making eye contact.

Instead, Saitama stared at his mouth as he started to ramble on about some nonsense. He never took him for the super talkative type. This felt like the first time he'd had a chance to see him face-to-face since that little moment happened between him and Tatsumaki. They didn't run into each other very often, if ever. So, maybe this was his only chance to confirm or dispute his worries about the nature of their relationship... but he had to be smooth about it, or else it could definitely get awkward.

"Do you have a favorite brand?" the big brute asked, bringing him back into the conversation. "Because sturdy threading and breathability should also be taken into account. You have a fantastic physique for a man of your stature, and after giving it some thought, I think I can recommend you a really good line."

"... Huh? Line of what?"

"Uh-!" he gasped when he realized he wasn't listening. "Of... tank tops..."

"Hoh, uhh... yeah, I think I bought my last pack from like a corner store or something. They were on sale," he shrugged. "But, hey... can I ask you something?"

Tanktop Master visibly cringed at the mention of his choice in sleeveless shirt-wear, but his attention was caught by that question. "Uh... sure," he shrugged.

"Do you remember that mission we were on a few weeks ago? The... multiplying monster thing?"

For some reason, the big man sighed with a knowing nod. "I do, and I think I know what you're going to ask."

"Uh-!" Saitama gasped. "... You do?"

He nodded again. "As I understand it... you were accused of being the cause of the bunker that was breached by a member of the Neo-Hero organization."

"... Hm? You know about that?"

"Only the gist," he admitted. "I was told by Flashy Flash and Atomic Samurai who were here to do their duo shoot for swordsmen this morning."

"Wow... guess they like to gossip, huh?" he muttered.

"If it's any consultation, I agree with the words of the others. You were not at fault for the delusional plan set in motion by a criminal. If this Blue kid's theory turns out to be true, I won't think any less of you as a hero. We can only do all that we can."

'Geez, sounds like he knows more than just the 'gist' of it,' he mulled. His words had Saitama caught in his own head for a moment; specifically that last bit. 'We can only do all that we can...'

"r-.. Right," he finally muttered. "Uhh... thanks..."

"Hmh," Tanktop Master chuckled through a grin and gave him a short nod of respect. There was a strange relief that followed that casual moment. It suddenly felt like the previous animosity was gone, but he couldn't be sure, yet. He had to keep him talking and hopefully find out what it was all about in the first place. "I saw that you were credited with the defeat of that monster as well, on the news. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could blame you for something as awful as inciting genocide. If it were me, I'd find a lawyer and sue for defamation of character."

Saitama rolled his eyes before he could even finish. "You too, huh? You don't think that's a bit much for something as small as some trash talk? I mean, that's a hassle for everyone involved, I'm sure."

"Well, honestly, those claims are a bit more than just some 'trash talk'. His theory is a dangerous implication, given the other information provided."

"... Hm? What information?"

"Like the fact that there was no carcass recovered," Tanktop Master said with a mulling tone. "If the truth is as laid before us, then that means that there is potentially someone who can survive your punch. Someone devious enough to stage a genocide just to piss you off. If that is the truth and we choose to ignore it, we are only welcoming future hardship... Who knows what a man like that will do next...?"

Again, Saitama's blank stare drifted off into space. That was... something he didn't even think to consider...

What would a man like that do next...?

More importantly, what the hell did he do to deserve such a headache?

(SMACK!)

"But hey," Tanktop Master said, slapping him on the shoulder a little harder than he meant to. Saitama didn't budge. "There's nothin' to worry about with you around. If that guy is still alive somehow, you'll get him next time. We may lose a few battles, but the hero always wins in the end."

"... Hmph," Saitama forced a grin. "Yeah... Guess that's true..."

Tanktop Master gave him one more smile and nod before he turned to gather his equipment, but Saitama stopped him.

"Uh, hey," he said. "I uh... actually wanted to ask you about something else, if you have a minute."

"Of course. What is it?"

For a moment, he couldn't find his words. He didn't know how to go about doing something like this, but they were pretty much on friendly terms, now... right? "Back at that mission, with the uh... multiplying thing..." His words fell short when he couldn't exactly finish that thought. Eventually, he just shook his head and got down to what he wanted to know. Ripping it like a bandaid has never failed him before. "Have you ever liked a co-worker?"

"Uh-!" Tanktop Master gasped at such a brash question. "... i-I'm sorry?"

Saitama could feel his face heating up in embarrassment. "i-I... was just curious because... w-Well, I was..."

"I see," the brute said.

"Uh-!" Saitama was shocked. Did he already know about him and Tatsumaki? It suddenly felt like his entire demeanor changed to a much more serious tone.

"Yes," he said in a harrowing tone. "I too have my eyes on a co-worker of ours..."

When his words sank in, Saitama slowly drifted into a serious look of his own. "... Oh," he muttered. Now, he was sure of that gut feeling he had... This guy was a problem.

"So, that's what it is, huh?" Tanktop Master spoke again in a gruff tone. "I noticed your apparent annoyance at my presence when we first arrived, but I didn't know the reason, until now... It seems that we are attracted to the same woman..."

"... Yup," Saitama said. "That's what it looks like..." He stared him down with his arms folded over his chest and a plain look on his face. "... Sooo are we supposed to fight now, or something?"

"Mhm-hm-hm," Tanktop Master chuckled at the unexpected outcome before giving him a great big smile. "Well, I think we both know who would win that fight. Ah-HA-HA-HA!"

"Hmh, yeah," Saitama muttered with an uncertain squint in his eyes as he watched him howl his boisterous laugh. "... Probably pretty easily," he added under his breath.

Tanktop Master didn't hear him. "Well... I suppose it's only natural," he continued, turning to collect his equipment. "She is an amazing woman, after all."

Saitama watched him work with a confused look on his face. "Yeah... she is..."

The big man paused in his effort to strip the plates from the bars and stared at nothing in particular with a conflicted look on his face. "Hmh... To be quite honest... I know I am already at a pretty significant disadvantage."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh," he shook his head. "I'm no expert in this stuff, but... even I can tell that she already likes you."

"Uh-!" Saitama reeled. That's the second time someone has said that with such certainty. Was that true? Where did he get that information, if so? Did he happen to overhear something?

"It's fine, though," Tanktop Master continued. "Don't feel bad for me."

'I didn't.'

"Sorry to tell you, but... I'm not giving up just because of something like that. I plan on confessing my feelings sometime soon."

'Uh-! SoMeTiMe SoOn!? What the hell does that mean!?'

"I know my chances are probably slim to none, but... I'm still going for it. I didn't become a hero just to shy away from the things I'm scared of, ya know?"

Saitama couldn't believe his ears. Was he really trying to be some kind of rival in love? "... Yeah," he agreed. "But... I'm not gonna give up just because you like her too. i-I... was actually planning on asking her out sometime soon, myself," he lied.

"Uh-!" Tanktop Master gasped. "What!? When!?"

"i-I don't know!" Saitama bashfully looked away. "But sometime soon!"

"Saitama... Please, just give me one chance to get shot down. I beg of you, postpone your plans until the end of the week."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! How the hell is it fair to let you go first!?"

"Because I know she will shoot me down! Trust me, she already likes you, so just allow me to know for certain!"

"That's dumb," Saitama said, stubbornly crossing his arms. "What do you think this is? Middle school? It's whoever asks her first..."

"So be it," Tanktop Master said in a gruff tone. "Then, I will make you a deal... if you do ask her out first and you happen to get together... then I will not interfere."

He reached for a handshake and Saitama stared at it with a confused look on his face. Did that really count as a deal or was it just basic common courtesy...? And why did this feel so... stupid? "Okay, that's... fair, I guess." They shook on it. "If you get her first, then... I won't interfere..."

"Then may the best man win," Tanktop Master said. "Let Love decide..."

"... Hmm." He liked that. "Yeah... Let love decide..."

---

(THUD!)

Saitama busted through the metal door of the roof that the studio was in, back in his hero costume, looking more intently focused than he had in a long time. 'Okay! Now, all I gotta do is find her!'

He whipped his phone out to finally check her new message.

'Are you still there?'

"Phew..." He thought she'd be mad about how long it was taking to reply. '... Should I call her?' Was he even ready for this? Truth be told, he still didn't know what he wanted to say... but time was now running short. Tanktop Master tried to play it cool, but Saitama could hear him tossing his weights around in a panic the moment he left the room. At this point, it could be a race to find her... Though, he couldn't help but wonder, '... If he does ask her first... would she-..?'

(tap)

"Uh-!" he gasped when something dribbled off his shoulder. His eyes locked onto a small pebble that bounced against the floor of the roof, drawing his attention to a cast shadow of someone behind him.

"Finally," a familiar voice said, sending a shiver down his spine...

As if lady luck was on his side for once, it was her sitting on top of the extra concrete cube that enclosed the roof entrance with a lazy look, like she had been waiting for some time. Only, she wasn't in her usual hero costume. She was in a very pretty yellow sundress that just fit her so well... It was strangely a lot less revealing than usual, yet for some reason, Saitama could feel his face heating up. It was like looking at the cover of a magazine... or a strangely hypnotic hair commercial...

Tatsumaki held her chin up and almost seemed to be sneering as if she were ready to scold him, but the rising smile on her face was breaking through without her say-so. "m-Hmph," she broke and shook her head, finally breaking the intense eye contact...

Her smile, infectious as always, brought one creeping out of Saitama, too. It was short-lived, however. Because when she looked back his way, her face was at a different angle... It was like seeing her again, for the very first time. '... Crap... I'm nervous.'

Tatsumaki internally cursed her poor acting skills. She wanted to at least pretend to be mad about him not responding, but seeing him face to face had her smiling so hard that her cheeks were aching, already. Especially when she could tell her change in outfit had the desired effect. Not everything she learned from her sister was useless. "h-Were you taking a shower in there?" she chuckled.

"... i-I," he stammered over his words until a confused look sunk into his expression when the moment finally caught up to him. "What are you doing here? Were you shooting a commercial today, too?"

"eh-! n-No," she stammered. "Hah, it's actually a funny story. Sooo... I was having lunch with my sister like down the street and then there was this attack not too far from here, and... then I remembered you said you were here so... i-I..."

"Waited for me?" he optimistically finished her sentence.

"n-..!" She almost blurted out a denial but caught herself before she did. 'Remember why you're here... Just play into it. Don't deny it.' She composed herself and casually shrugged her shoulder. "I guess you could say that. i-I mean... I... wanted to know why you 'assumed that', earlier," she air-quoted. "... And you never answered me."

"Oh... a-Assumed what?" He nervously scratched the back of his head and looked away.

Tatsumaki rolled her eyes. "h-Really...? Was I supposed to forget about that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I was hoping so, yeah."

She chuckled and used her power to float an empty plastic bag at his head that he harmlessly waved away. "Tell me. What made you think that?"

"Eh-heh... Uh... Nothing, really," he shrugged. "Honestly, I... don't even know why I brought it up... It's really not my business or anything."

"Mmm," she hummed with a playful tone. He was being really coy about this whole thing. Maybe she really could use it to her advantage somehow. In one of the books she studied with Fubuki, some 'relationship experts' said when a woman has gotten a man into an uncomfortable position, she can really up her flirting level to the max and be more direct if she disguises it as playful ribbing. Make him laugh."Sooo, you just sit around all day and think about who I've dated in the past?"

"Eh-!" Saitama reeled at the accusation. "n-No! I jus—!"

"That's kinda creepy, ya know. What are you some kinda... pervert?"

'Gah-!' Saitama cringed even harder. Were his chances shot already? That definitely did sound weird, considering they aren't dating.

Tatsumaki's every word drove a stake through the heart of the man she was trying to flirt with, but she couldn't exactly tell. Was that too harsh for a joke? "e-Eh-heh! Jus— kidding!" she stammered out in an unusually bubbly tone.

"... o-Oh, heh," he stammered out, clearly relieved.

"Yeah, sorry I jus-..." That was all she could fumble out before she shook her head and turned away in embarrassment. It was definitely a lot easier to be flirty through texts.

The conversation seemed to die out there when neither of them could drum up something more to say. Tatsumaki floated down to the roof, watching Saitama as he bashfully turned away when her dress flew up a bit. She bit back a smile and looked down at her low-cut boots when she landed. This was already a lot harder than she thought it would be, but... she couldn't turn back, now...

After that revealing lunch with Fubuki and that snake woman, she made up her mind on how to move about this. Her sister was a lot of things, but a 'dating expert' was not one of them. And with the threat of Love clearly taking steps to weasel her way into Saitama's life, her time was running out. She immediately rushed home to change and then flew straight here when she saw Saitama wasn't home.

Truth be told, there was no actual plan, anymore. Straight up asking him on a date felt like an overload of embarrassment that she couldn't possibly handle. But she figured maybe if they were just talking face to face, and she dropped a few hints here and there, he'd... end up asking her... So, basically, she was hoping for a miracle.

"... I wasn't lying, ya know?" she finally spoke.

"Hm?" Saitama watched her playfully strut her way to the edge of the building until she took a seat on the ledge.

"About... that question..." She smoothened her dress out on her lap and listened... It took a moment, but he finally took a few steps over.

Saitama stopped just before he got to the ledge when he processed what she said. He stared down at her hair gently swaying in the light breeze. Again, he got a whiff of her scent and dwelled on what it was. It was sweet... His mind said lavender, but that didn't feel quite right... 'My palms are sweating.'

"I... I've never... dated anyone, before," she added with an uncertain chuckle, "hmh..."

"... Oh," he muttered. "Uh... m-.. Me neither..."

Tatsumaki tried to hold a smile in while she continued to stare off into the distance, but it forced its way up despite her best efforts. Then, her heart skipped a beat when he joined her on the ledge, sitting a lot closer than she thought he would. "... w-Why not?" she asked.

Saitama sighed and settled in for a moment while he considered her question. "I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess I've jus-... never really been good at talking to girls..."

"Hmph," she chuckled. "Yeah... That makes sense."

"uh-!" he gasped. "Really!? Am I bad!?"

"Ah-hahaha~!" she laughed at his urgency. "How the hell should I know!?"

"w-.. Well... You're a girl, right?"

"Hah! No, stupid." She daintily smoothened out her dress again in a very mocking way. "I'm a lady... obviously."

"Wow," he replied in a flat tone. She laughed again and he took a moment to admire her. Even the sounds of her joy were pleasant to the ear. Like music...

Tatsumaki calmed down when she realized she was the only one laughing. The baldy was just staring right at her with a bit of a loopy grin on his face. "Heh-heh, I'm kidding... You're okay," she shrugged. "Even though you're... kind of a liar..."

Saitama heard that last comment that she comically tried to mutter when she turned away. It rightfully confused him for just a moment. "... I really was on the moon."

"You were not on the moon!" she protested, almost before he finished. "Ah-hahaha~! That's impossible!"

Saitama shrugged. "It's not, I was literally up there."

"That's literally impossible!" she countered. "Do you even know how long it would take to jump from the earth to the moon and back!?"

"Bout twenty? Thirty seconds?" he guessed. He never even thought of counting.

"Hoh, my gosh," she rolled her eyes. "Okay. I totally believe you."

"It's true," he tried again.

"Okay," she again 'agreed' in a mocking tone.

Saitama chuckled and shook his head. "Okay..." He glanced over to see her staring at him with a playfully suspicious look, and for a moment, he tried to ignore it, but a smile crept out eventually. "I should've brought that rock back."

Tatsumaki bursted into another bout of laughter which got a good chuckle out of Saitama as well.

Just like that, the initial awkwardness of the conversation was gone, and they settled into a comfortable groove. They were so enthralled in the moment that the pesky factor of 'time' that they were so worried was running thin felt perpetually stopped as if they were quite literally frozen in this one moment together. They must have rambled into five or six topics after that which had nothing to do with what they were both so desperately hoping to happen.

Then, before they even realized it, the sun was setting, and their illusion of staying there forever was coming to an end. Saitama had been planning out what to say for the entire conversation. He tried his best to find some topic that would naturally lead him there, but it never came... or if it did, he was too nervous to follow through.

He stared at the side of her face and listened to her explain the format of some kind of baking show she watched all the time. Was it interesting...? No, but for some reason, he was hanging onto her every word. Probably because it gave him an excuse to stare at her.

"So, then, the group has to vote on who has the worst dish, and that person gets voted out."

"Oh," he said. "That... sounds a little cut-throat for a baking show."

"Ah-haha! I know, right!? That's why it's so fun to watch."

"Hmh," he chuckled and listened while she went on to tell him about her favorite contestant this season. '... Maybe I should ask if we can watch it together,' he thought. Was that too forward? That'd be basically like asking her to come over. King made it pretty clear that the first date should definitely not be at your own home. Apparently, it gives off 'psycho-killer' energy. Besides... he already knew where he wanted to take her. Finding a way to ask was the hard part...

He watched her many happy expressions dancing on her face as she blabbered on for a moment. Then, her words faded away when something odd occurred to him and overtook the forefront of his mind...

'Heh... I'm actually terrified...'

This feeling... This heart-thumping pressure in his chest was... distantly familiar...

Saitama hadn't been afraid in a very long time. So long, in fact, that he couldn't even pinpoint the last monster that shook him. Yet, here he was, crumbling under the pressure of asking this woman on a date...

"Hello~!" Tatsumaki sang, waving a hand to get his attention, which didn't make sense because he was staring right at her.

"Mh-!" Saitama blinked away his daze. "Huh? What?"

"... h-What?" she chuckled. "YOU, what!? Why are you staring at me?"

"... o-Oh, uh... you had some salad in your hair, but I think it flew off."

She sucked her teeth and gave him a look that said that-was-dumb.

Saitama still chuckled at his own joke while he readjusted his spot on the ledge, slightly nudging just a bit closer.

Tatsumaki didn't notice as she turned away and tried to nonchalantly run a hand through her hair, just in case...

And with that, their last random topic of the conversation came to an end, and a very peaceful moment of silence lingered between them where the only sounds to be heard came from the gentle breeze that drifted by and the dwindling mutter of the city life, below.

Again, Saitama found himself tracing the outline of her face as she stared into the distance with a beautiful smile on her face...

She was not making this easy...

But the weather was good, she seemed to be in a great mood, and he was honestly feeling more convinced than ever before that this wasn't just in his head...

This next move was a direct violation of the rules set by his secret alliance, but he didn't care. His mind was made up. He was done playing this weird game of romcom mishaps and hijinks. It was time to be an adult about this. '... Right now,' he told himself. '... I gotta do it, right now...'

Unbeknownst to him, Tatsumaki was admiring the opportunity herself. It was perfect. Perhaps the most ideal opportunity he would ever get... so why the hell was he not asking her out?

Her heart was racing...

"Ehm-!" Saitama coughed as if to get her attention. He did but he froze when she turned his way. "er-...!" All he could manage was a terrified smile.

Tatsumaki hesitantly returned the gesture before turning back to the city that was winding down, almost as if it were in rhythm with the darkening sky. Strangely enough, she felt more fear now than she had ever felt before. The anticipation of this silence was absolutely terrifying. So many doubts and worries were stacking up in her mind with every second that ticked by. 'What if he doesn't ask me...? Should I ask him? Would that be weird...? i-If nothing happens tonight... and she makes a move... would Saitama...?' She couldn't even finish that last thought.

There was no way he'd ever fall for that ditzy bimbo. She felt pretty confident in saying that after this conversation. To be clear, her experience with flirting and dating really only boiled down to the movies and shows she would watch with her sister, but even she could tell Saitama was different around her than he was before. It felt a little too optimistic to outright say he likes her, but she was starting to get that picture... So, it left her confused as to why he wouldn't take the shot. 'I'm literally making it easy for you, you dummy! Just ask me already!'

"h-Hey," Saitama called.

Tatsumaki gasped and tried to put on a naturally curious look. Unfortunately, it came off a lot more eager than she was going for. "y-.. Yes?"

"... u-Uh... I uhhh... was wondering if..." He gulped down the lump in her throat when her eyes brightened a bit.

"h-What?" she chuckled. This had to be the moment because he looked absolutely petrified.

He couldn't even hold her eye contact, anymore. He turned straight and nervously stared out into the distance while he scratched his cheek. "u-uhhh! I was wondering if... you... got that notice that the concierge sent to my room?" he folded.

Tatsumaki's rising anticipation fell flat on its face. That was not what she expected to hear.

"i-It was... something about maintenance for the showers?"

"Laundromat," she corrected him with an annoyed head shake as she turned away. "I... got it, too..."

Saitama could hear the shift in her tone, but he honestly didn't know the cause. He figured she may be getting tired. "Right... The uh... washers, I think..."

He peeked over again and stared at the side of her face for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Only, this felt like the first time he wasn't looking at a smile. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but... she did not look happy, anymore...

Tatsumaki almost seemed to feel his eyes on her, because she turned back to him before he could look away. He tried anyway, but eventually realized he was caught and slowly returned her gaze with a nervous smile. She didn't return it, this time. Instead, her eyes floated around his face as if she were deeply examining every single feature...

How could she let this end without something happening? Clearly, Saitama was never gonna work up the nerve to ask her, so... if she didn't do it, herself, she was just leaving the door open for someone else... And that sneaky bitch wasn't very subtle about her intentions...

Saitama was almost hypnotized by her shifting green eyes when they finally came to a stop. They locked eyes for what felt like the heaviest three to five seconds of his entire life... Then, his heart sank a bit when she floated off of the ledge and slowly hovered forward. She didn't go far, but he assumed she was now planning out a goodbye which would ultimately render this entire conversation an absolute waste of time. 'Crap... I guess I really do gotta do it, now.'

He scrambled up to his feet and nearly called out to her, but... something odd caught his attention...

The wind was blowing a lot harder than it was moments ago. What was this sudden pick-up? As soon as it came, it left, and the silence that followed had the heaviest weight to it... as if the entire world had gone quiet for a second... Then, his eyes drifted back to the girl with green hair, floating ten feet away from him with her back still turned...

Tatsumaki couldn't turn around. Her face was beet red. "... Hey!" she called out in a tone that sounded a lot angrier than she was going for.

"h-Huh? i-I mean... yeah?" Saitama replied in a panic.

"... Let's... go on a date."

"Mh-!" he gasped. It came out as a whisper, but he heard it like a roar amidst the thick silence. 'sh-... She asked... me out...?' Suddenly, it was like all of his worries in life slipped away. Like a heavy weight just dropped right off of his shoulders. He had never felt lighter...

Tatsumaki's heartbeat was the only thing she could hear. It was like a ticking bomb that would surely explode in her chest, depending on his answer. She held her breath...

"... Where?" he asked.

"Mh-!" This time, she gasped. That wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no. "i-.. I don't know," she shrugged. "Anywhere..."

"... Heh," he chuckled. "Ya know, it's-.. kinda funny... I was actually gonna ask you if you wanted to go to... an amusement park with me..."

She couldn't even hope to contain the smile that tore across her visage like a wildfire when she heard those words. "... h-Why didn't you?"

"uh-..! i-I... got nervous, hah!" he said with an awkward chuckle.

"Mhm-hm-!" she giggled.

Saitama watched her shoulders bounce with an eager grin. Still awaiting her official response... Even knowing the answer ahead of time didn't help.

Tatsumaki shook her head and almost tried to turn around, but that damned smile wouldn't leave. "... Okay," she finally said. "Let's... go to an amusement park..."

"... Okay," he nodded with a satisfied grin.

"But not in the morning!" she quickly added. "I... have to go see my sister in the morning for... th-This thing, but... after that..."

Saitama had that loopy grin on his face as he watched her start to drift away. "Hmh... Okay," he nodded. "Not in the morning... sh-Should we meet there, or... go together, orrr...?"

"Hmph!" Tatsumaki shook her head. "I'll text you!"

"r-Right! You can jus-..!" She gently blasted off before he could finish, but it didn't matter...

Because there was another one. Another feeling that he thought would forever be lost to someone like him...

The, damn near, euphoric feeling of victory.

(SMACK!)

He punched his palm in excitement and the force accidentally shook the entire building. He nervously winced until he felt it settle. "... Oops."

(CHIME~!)

"uh-!" Saitama dug for his ringing phone and fumbled to get it out. He nearly fumbled it right over the ledge but managed to save it last second. To his surprise, it was Child Emperor calling. Hopefully, with more good news.

(Clatter!)

Before he could answer, he turned to the sound of something dropping, behind him. His eyes traced the source of the noise to an empty cleaning bucket that rolled out from behind the other side of that concrete structure housing the roof entrance. He figured it must have been the wind that knocked it and answered his call with a, "Yo..."

It wasn't the wind. On the other side of that structure, Code leaned up against the wall, smoking a cigarette as he eavesdropped. How long he had been there was a mystery...

(Saitama in the distance)

"wha-.. Already?"

He took another drag before he flicked his smoke to the ground and stomped it out.

"Yeah, okay. We can do it in the morning, then. It's pretty late, right now... Mhm... Alright. See you, then... Keh...!"

(WOOSH!)

Code heard him jump away and took a deep breath that he held for a long moment. "... Huuurrggghh," he let it out in a very hefty sigh. "Saitama... You motherfucker...!"

---

AN: At last, they surrender! As always, thank you for reading, and please leave a review to let me know what you think! No idea when the next chapter will be ready, but I can guarantee it won't take as long as this one... hopefully, lol!