Five days had passed since Saitama started dating Mizuki, and so far, they hadn't done much more than text each other. She was always either training or doing hero work, and he… well, he had way too much free time on his hands lately.
Saitama sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping lazily through an old manga volume that had been left behind by the "original" Saitama. Most of it was slice-of-life fluff or borderline hentai. He wasn't even really paying attention to the pages.
Monster activity had dropped significantly lately—almost eerily so. It was suspicious, yeah, but he'd decided not to torture himself thinking about it. If a giant lobster alien or sludge kaiju showed up, he'd punch it into paste like always. In the meantime, he enjoyed the peace.
The good thing about all this downtime? It gave him more opportunities to talk with his girlfriend. That alone made the slow days worth it.
In fact, over the past five days, he'd learned some unexpected things about Mizuki.
For starters, apparently (and this had shocked him), Mizuki trained for ten hours a day. Ten. Hours. Sometimes all at once, sometimes split up. And then she spent another two to three hours doing hero patrols, helping civilians or taking care of minor threats in A-City.
And when she wasn't doing all that? She was either eating or sleeping. That was her entire life.
Even her diet was intense. Packed with protein—eggs, chicken, beef, pork, turkey. And for carbs? Lettuce and carrots. Only lettuce and carrots.
Saitama flipped a page, his brow furrowing.
Is it a kid's palate? No, I don't think so. I've seen her eat dishes that had other vegetables, just small portions of them. So she can eat them… she just doesn't want to. He thought silently while flipping another page.
Which means... how much lettuce and carrots does she go through every day? Is she buying them by the kilo?
He was still trying to imagine a mountain of shredded lettuce when—
KNOCK!! KNOCK!!
"Ahhggg… Who the hell is it now?!" he groaned as he shut the manga.
Please don't let it be Genos, please don't let it be Genos, please don't—
He stood, grumbling to himself, and opened the door.
Standing there, glinting under the apartment's hallway light, was Genos. His disciple. His very enthusiastic disciple. And strapped to his back was the biggest backpack Saitama had ever seen in his life. The thing was taller than Genos himself. It looked like it had its own gravitational field.
"Good morning, Sen—!"
SLAM.
Saitama shut the door without a word.
Oh hell no. That thing was a backpack?! He brought a damn satellite dish worth of stuff. He's gonna ask to move in, isn't he?! Hell no! I just got a girlfriend, I need space. Peace. Silence. Maybe even… dates. A future! I can't have a chrome toaster third-wheeling me 24/7!
He paced behind the door for a second.
But… I mean… I did agree to be his sensei. Backing out now would kinda make me a hypocrite. And Genos does clean like a maniac… aannd I'm rich now. Worst case scenario, I just buy another place. Out of town. Underground. In another continent.
Grumbling to himself, Saitama opened the door again.
Genos hadn't moved an inch. His glowing yellow eyes blinked once.
"Genos, come on in," Saitama said, scratching his cheek. "Sorry I closed the door on your face. Thought you were, uh… some insurance guy or something."
"It's all right, Sensei. I understand. And if another salesman annoys you, I will incinerate them immediately."
"Yeah, let's… maybe not do that."
Genos walked in, the oversized backpack brushing the top and sides of the door frame. It gave one ominous creak before finally squeezing through. He stepped inside and dropped the thing on the floor.
THUD!!
The apartment shook.
"Sensei," Genos said suddenly, bowing at a perfect 90° angle. "May I live with you?! Please!!"
Saitama stared at the floor, at the backpack, then at Genos' spine-destroying bow.
And all he could think was:
…I really should've just pretended I wasn't home.
"Okay, but on the condition you pay rent and use your own toothbresh!!"
(10 minutes later…)
Saitama had returned to his manga, lounging on the floor in his usual lazy pose, flipping through the pages while sipping from a lukewarm cup of instant coffee. Meanwhile, Genos had unpacked the enormous backpack with mechanical efficiency, creating what looked like a miniature armory crossed with a science lab across one corner of the room. In just five minutes, everything had been unloaded, sorted by type, polished, and carefully arranged with absurd precision.
By the sixth minute, Genos had taken out a slim black notebook and began scribbling into it with such focus that it felt like he was preparing blueprints for war. His metal fingers clicked softly against the paper, his brow furrowed in an almost meditative trance.
Saitama tried to ignore it and return to his manga, but after a few minutes of side-eyeing the cyborg's intense concentration, curiosity finally got the better of him.
"Hey, Genos," he said, lowering the manga and raising an eyebrow. "What are you writing there?"
Without looking up, Genos replied in his usual serious tone, "I'm making annotations in my personal training journal, Sensei. I'm recording every valuable lesson I've learned from you, so I can revisit your teachings if necessary or in moments of self-doubt."
Saitama's eye twitched.
Crap. He's really taking this seriously. I haven't even taught him anything real yet. It's just been basic stuff, like doing groceries and telling him to go hunt monsters.
His expectations haven't dropped at all since I became his "sensei"... Damn it, I need to come up with something to teach him before he realizes I'm winging this!!
His eye twitched again, a little bead of sweat forming on his temple as he turned another page in his manga without reading a word.
Before he could say anything to change the subject or fake a training philosophy on the spot, Genos spoke up again, still writing.
"Sensei, may I ask… did you happen to see the presentation the Hero Association made to announciate you joining their ranks?"
Saitama blinked. "Wait, what? What presentation?"
Genos looked up now, tilting his head slightly. "Yes, they posted a short video across their official channels and social media platforms. It's standard procedure for new high-potential recruits, particularly those with impressive scores or unusual power profiles. Yours has already gone viral."
"You're telling me… they made this whole flashy thing about me and I didn't even know?" Saitama asked, suddenly scratching his cheek, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Why didn't they, I dunno… text me or something?"
Genos tilted his head slightly. "They most likely sent an official email with the announcement and a viewing link. Did you check your inbox, Sensei?"
"Uh… I don't really check my email," Saitama admitted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Kinda forgot the password."
Being honest, I don't know the password because the original Saitama didn't wrote it sooo... I never check his mail. I even had to create a new one for that reason.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter sensei, you can still watch it by searching it or going to the channel of the Hero Association. I admit, I was skeptical at first, but the editing, the music—surprisingly decent. It actually managed to reflect a small portion of your strength and combat expertise."
"Wait, really?!"
Saitama jumped to his feet and practically dove toward his old desktop computer. He smacked the power button, tapping his foot impatiently as it booted up with the speed of a dying turtle.
"Come on, come on…"
Once it loaded, he pulled up the browser and typed into the search bar: "Saitama Hero Association Introduction Video".
Except, of course, this wasn't Google. This was Gogle.
Gogle…?" Saitama muttered aloud. "Wow. That's just lazy. Who the hell drops one 'o' and calls it a day? What's next? Mibrosoft? He snorted to himself, but clicked anyway.
"…They better not make me sound lame," he muttered as he hit play.
From behind him, Genos sat cross-legged, arms calmly resting on his knees as he watched over Saitama's shoulder.
"I have the video memorized," Genos said quietly. "My favorite part is at 1:32 when they replay your punch against the Vaccine Man in slow motion, then cut to the crater you left in A-City. The music swells dramatically."
Saitama blinked, now nervously hovering his finger over the space bar.
"…They better not have used dubstep," he said.
"Actually, it's a mix of orchestra and light metal," Genos replied.
"…Damn. That's kinda cool."
Saitama clicked on the video with the bold, flashing title:
"THE ONE PUNCH MAN RISES: S-Class Rank 10 Hero UNVEILED!!"
The thumbnail showed him mid-air, fist raised, a dramatic shockwave behind him—clearly from the Marugori fight. It looked insanely over-the-top, and he couldn't even remember anyone with a camera being there.
The video began with a thunderous orchestral score, the Hero Association logo zooming into frame in bright gold before giving way to high-energy edits and a booming announcer voice.
"Citizens of every city—behold the arrival of a new legend!"
"After years of operating in the shadows… defeating threats with no name, no fanfare, and no recognition… a new guardian has been brought into the light!"
Quick flashes of destruction—Vaccine Man's purple explosion crumbling into nothingness as a figure stood calmly amidst the smoke. Then: the towering form of Marugori being punched into the atmosphere, his body skipping across mountain ranges before collapsing into a massive crater.
"He is power incarnate. A force of nature. With fists faster than sound and strength that humbles titans—he is the Hero Association's latest S-Class warrior…"
The music surged as Saitama's face appeared in dramatic close-up, deadpan expression and all.
"...Introducing: ONE PUNCH MAN!"
Saitama stared at the screen, mouth slightly open. "Okay… damn."
The montage continued, zoom-ins on shocked civilians, analysts theorizing in front of data charts, slow-motion shots of debris flying as he walked calmly through explosions—one of them clearly footage from the aftermath of Vaccine Man, with edited lightning and storm effects added in.
The narrator wasn't done.
"Already ranked at S-Class 10 after just two confirmed incidents, this man has proven himself as a top-tier hero in mere days. Who is he? Where did he come from? The Association doesn't know—but what's clear is that the era of the unknown is over. The people have a new symbol… and his name is ONE PUNCH MAN."
The video ended on a stylized black-and-white silhouette of him in a heroic pose, cape fluttering, with the words "Power. Precision. Protection." appearing underneath.
Then came the view count: 17.1 million and climbing.
"…Okay, this is ridiculous," Saitama muttered.
Still… he couldn't deny it.
It felt nice.
Even if it wasn't really his.
Out of curiosity, he scrolled down to the comments section on YouTub.
Wait a second…
YouTub.
Saitama blinked.
…That's just YouTube without an 'e'. And Gogle? That's just Google without an 'o'. What the hell is this lazy-ass branding? It's like someone's screwing with me on purpose…
He leaned in a bit toward the screen, eye twitching.
Am I in a bootleg universe?
Still, he scrolled further.
The comments came in waves.
---
@HeroFan77:
Who the hell is this baldy and why is he suddenly in S-Class?! Did he bribe someone?!
@ZennyZen:
Nah bro, look up his history. This dude one-punched the Vaccine Man. That's facts.
@SavedByHim:
HOLY SHIT, IT'S HIM!! This guy saved me and my little sister two years ago when a monster attacked our district! I remember that blank expression and the bald head! Dude left before I could even say thanks!
@NotASimpISwear:
Ok but why is he kinda hot in a rugged, mysterious way tho 👀
@FistOfTheBaldGod:
I always knew this guy was stronger than the others. I saw him solo a tiger-level threat like it was a joke. Took the monster's punch and didn't even blink. Been wondering why the Association hadn't recruited him until now.
@HeroBozoTracker:
S-Class?! From where?! This guy went from nobody to Top 10 overnight. Someone explain!!
@ActualSensei:
All you clowns doubting him, shut it. I saw him destroy a freaking giant.
@RealTalker32:
Lowkey suspicious how the Hero Association took this long to acknowledge him. Like, did they not notice the guy vaporizing calamities left and right?
---
Saitama kept reading, his expression slowly shifting—from amused curiosity to a stunned stillness that crept up his spine.
"People actually… remember him…" he whispered, leaning back in his chair. "He wasn't invisible after all…"
Dozens of comments scrolled by on the screen:
"This guy saved my sister during the giant gorilla attack in F-City years ago!"
"I remember him!! He showed up out of nowhere and took out a demon-level monster in one punch!!"
"Can't believe it took the Association this long to scout him. Guy's been a ghost hero forever."
A dull ache settled in his chest. These weren't directed at him, not really. They were talking about Saitama—the real one. The man whose life he now lived.
He felt a knot twist in his stomach.
So many people… remembered him. Thanked him. Admired him.
And he—the fan who'd only watched it all happen from a screen in his old life—was the one seeing it now.
"Dammit," he muttered, staring at the glowing monitor. "You never even got to see this, huh, baldy?"
There was a tightness in his throat he hadn't expected.
But that thought passed quickly as another comment caught his eye:
"I saw him months ago. He saved me from that snowman monster on the mountains. I'll never forget it."
He swallowed hard.
That memory… that was one of these segments that were on the manga but never appeared on the anime, except by a reference on the first opening.
And here it was, laid bare by a stranger who still remembered.
He hadn't just inherited Saitama's strength… he'd inherited his legacy.
And the man who'd built it with quiet fists and bored eyes… never knew how much people had cared.
He felt small.
"…Sorry, man," he whispered under his breath, guilt suddenly twisting in his stomach. "You should've seen this. You earned this, not me."
"Did you say something sensei?"
"Nothing at all Genos, nothing at all…"
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