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Inside a small classroom, Ethan and his two friends sat among the new recruits.At the front stood a middle-aged man in a snake-patterned suit, his face sharp and cold as if he'd slithered straight out of a swamp.
"First off," the man said, voice dripping with contempt, "congratulations on passing the hero exam. Some of you, apparently, just barely scraped by. I hope your luck doesn't run out anytime soon."
It was the classic rookie lecture — part orientation, part intimidation.The whole point was to make sure the newcomers didn't get too full of themselves just because they could call themselves "heroes" now.
Ethan yawned, eyes half-lidded as the man went on and on about discipline and humility. Saitama, sitting next to him, was blowing bubblegum like he couldn't care less.
Still, no matter how dull the speech was, the fact remained: the three of them were now officially heroes.Genos had made it to the bottom of the S-Class. Ethan, the last spot in B-Class.And Saitama… dead last in C-Class.
When the lecture finally ended, they said goodbye to Genos and headed home.
"Hey, Saitama," Ethan said as they walked. "You look kinda down. Is it because you barely passed and ended up ranked last in C-Class?"
Saitama shook his head. "Nah, it's not that. It's just… I thought being a hero would feel different. You know? Like something more." His voice trailed off, a little lost.
"Yeah," Ethan said after a pause. "I get that feeling too. A hero should be, like… Spider-Man or something."
"Spider-Man?"
"Oh, it's from this superhero comic I've been planning. I'll show you once I've drawn it."
"Sure! I didn't know you were that good at drawing, Ethan."
"What, you've never read my comics before?"
"Nope. I mean, we've been neighbors for a while, but money's been tight. Couldn't exactly afford to buy manga. But when I saw Hammerhead reading yours like it was gospel…"
"Wait—don't tell me you stole it from him."
"Ahem! Of course not! I just, uh, found it. On the ground. Totally not stealing!"
"Right. The guiltier you sound, the less I believe you."
"Shut up, chrome dome!"
"Excuse me? You're literally the bald one here! Look at that shiny head!"
"Shut—up…"
The two kept bickering and laughing as they walked, until someone suddenly stepped into their path.
"Hey, wait—aren't you that guy… uh…" Ethan squinted at the man. "Sorry, I'm terrible with background character names."
It was the same man who'd lectured them earlier — the one with the snake-patterned suit.
"Watch your mouth!" the man snapped. "I'm Snake, A-Class, rank thirty-eight!"
"Whoa, an A-Class hero?" Saitama said, genuinely impressed. "That's amazing!"
He was still sitting at the bottom of C-Class; there were two whole tiers between them.
"Hmph. I'm here to continue your education, rookies."
"Oh, so basically you're here to bully the newbies,"Ethan said flatly.
Snake's face twitched.
"Enough talk! You two are going to learn your place — in a hospital bed!" he shouted, launching himself forward. His arms moved like twin vipers, striking straight at them. He clearly targeted Saitama more, probably remembering the insane results from the physical test.
Boom!
One punch. That was all it took. The A-Class hero went down like a sack of bricks.
"Uh… wow," Ethan said, blinking. "That was pathetic. A-Class heroes aren't supposed to be that weak, right? Maybe he pulled some strings to get promoted?"
"Could be," Saitama nodded. "Human society's complicated — connections, money, influence. All that stuff matters."
"Makes sense. No wonder I'm stuck at the bottom of B-Class."
"Hey, I told you — you're last because you're bald."
"Shut it! Don't discriminate against bald people!"
"Sorry, man. It's not me. It's society."
Days passed after that little scuffle.Life as a "hero" wasn't much different Ethan's daily routine stayed the same.Saitama and Genos's too… probably.
Genos had officially moved into Saitama's apartment, calling himself Saitama's "disciple."He spent every waking hour studying his teacher — seriously studying. He sketched Saitama's sleeping posture, sitting posture, even how he used the toilet.
When Ethan saw the notebook, he laughed so hard he almost choked. Then he patted Genos on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Nice work. That's true training — Saitama's mastered turning daily life into discipline. Every move, every word, is part of his training."
Genos nodded earnestly. "I see! No wonder Master Saitama is so powerful. I'll record everything more carefully from now on."
Saitama sighed. "You realize Ethan's totally messing with you, right? And you—" he pointed at Ethan— "maybe try actually training instead of lounging around all day?"
"Training, huh?" Ethan stretched, then flopped onto the floor in a big star shape under the window. "You're right. Time to train my ability to absorb sunlight."
"Enough already, you two idiots!" Saitama yelled.
"..."
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