Friday evening. In a room in Green Heights Z, a building on the outskirts of Z City, Saitama—resident of room 203—was hunched over his low kotatsu table. In his hands, three flyers. Special sale announcements for the Maruzen Z City branch. "……Pork scraps, one hundred grams for sixty-eight zeny. That's three zeny cheaper than last week." He glared at the flyers with a serious expression. On his otherwise blank face, only his deep brown eyes held a faint gleam. Close-cropped black hair, a yellow jersey, and a white cape. At a glance, he looked like an ordinary man you might find anywhere. He glanced out the window. Ruins stretched out before him. Collapsed buildings, cracked roads, abandoned cars. What had once been a bustling downtown had been hollowed out by monster disasters, becoming a ghost town. The only people living here were him and King, his neighbor. But the rent was twelve thousand zeny a month. He wasn't in a position to complain. He was a professional hero registered with the Hero Association. His rank was currently B-Class. The ranks were four tiers: S, A, B, and C. S-Class was an elite group of only seventeen people, apparently granted extrajudicial authority. C-Class was just a meager salary with a once-a-week activity requirement. Well, he didn't know or care whether S-Class was all that great. As long as he made it in time for the special sales, that was enough. Even with the strength to defeat monsters in a single blow, his heart was never truly satisfied. But the small sense of accomplishment he got from snagging the pork scraps on sale—that wasn't so bad. He was thinking this as he flipped through the flyers. *Ding-dong.* A lazy electronic chime echoed through the room. "Hm?" He rarely got visitors. At most, King from next door would occasionally come by to borrow a game controller. Saitama stood up and headed for the entryway. He opened the door. "……Huh." Standing there was a petite girl. Fluffy, curled emerald-green hair in a two-tone long style. Sharp, golden eyes. She was probably around 145 centimeters tall. She wore a black dress that clearly showed her body line, with white gloves on her hands. Tatsumaki, the Terrible Tornado. S-Class Rank 3. The strongest esper. A celebrity. Even he knew who she was. But why was she at a rundown apartment like this? And more than anything— Her face was bright red. "Oh, Tatsumaki-san. Another monster?" He asked in his usual listless voice. Tatsumaki shook her head rapidly. "[angry]N-No! It's just…… um……" She was stumbling over her words. Her usual venomous tongue, the one that always seemed to say "I don't even see you," was completely absent. She fidgeted, clenching and unclenching her hands. She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. (*What's this? A cold?*) Saitama tilted his head. Tatsumaki's mental state and her psychic powers were deeply intertwined. She had been lonely since childhood, and strength had been her everything. She had lived with her heart tightly shut. But the intense feelings of first love she was experiencing for the first time were beginning to gradually break down that control. And then— "[scared]You've been acting weird lately! The reason I'm getting a little strange is your fault!" The moment she raised her voice. A sensation like static noise, *bzzzt*. And then, a clear voice flowed directly into Saitama's mind. *'Look at me more…… just you is enough……'* (*Huh?*) *'I want you to touch me…… with your hands…… hold me……'* Saitama's eyes widened. Telepathic waves. Tatsumaki's psychic powers were running wild due to her emotional turmoil. Her inner voice was being broadcast directly to him alone. But Tatsumaki herself didn't realize it. "[angry]I hate you so much! What's good about a baldy like you anyway!" *'Hate you hate you hate you…… but…… I love you……'* "[angry]I don't even know myself why it has to be you!" *'If your fingers…… touched my cheek…… what would it feel like……'* The abuse coming from Tatsumaki's mouth, and the sweet whispers leaking from the depths of her heart. At that gap, Saitama involuntarily took a step back. (*Wait, am I the only one hearing this? Seriously……*) Inside Saitama's mind, there was a small panic. A wall he couldn't defeat with his invincible fists—the heart of another person. That very thing had now appeared before his eyes. "[surprised]Oh, is that so." He replied in a monotone. He had absolutely no idea what to do. *'Why is my heart pounding like this…… it's your fault…… it's all your fault……'* The telepathic waves wouldn't stop. Tatsumaki, her face still bright red, glared sharply at Saitama. "[angry]What! You're making a weird face! It's not like I came here because I wanted to!" *'I'm coming in! I'm definitely coming in! I want to be in your room!'* Her inner voice was far too direct. "……Wanna come in?" When Saitama asked, the telepathic waves let out a cry of joy. *'I want to come in! Right now!'* But out loud— "[tsundere]I-It's not like that's what I…… well, just for a little bit." Tatsumaki looked away and muttered quietly. Once inside the room, Tatsumaki looked around intently. A kotatsu table covered in flyers. An old jersey hanging on the wall. A room that went beyond simple to just empty. "[surprised]Wait…… do you even have a proper life?" *'But…… it smells like you…… it's calming……'* The telepathic waves echoed sweetly. "I do." Saitama answered curtly. (*What am I supposed to do with this.*) Still holding the special sale flyers, he froze. For Saitama, insensitive to romance and a chronic slacker, this was an unknown situation. He wanted to feign indifference. But being confronted with feelings this directly wasn't something he could just ignore. Tatsumaki sat down in front of the kotatsu table. "[gentle]……Do you always read stuff like this?" *'Pork scraps…… I wonder if he'll make something with these tonight…… for me too…… no no no, what am I thinking!'* Her inner voice spun in circles. "[sad]……Hey." Tatsumaki's voice grew just a little quieter. "[serious]Why are you so strong? I never felt like I could lose to anyone before." *'You're the only one who's special…… so, I want to be…… closer……'* Saitama thought for a moment. "……Strength training." "[angry]Hah!? There's no way that's true! What's that supposed to mean!" *'Jeez…… you're really an idiot…… but, that part of you is……'* The telepathic waves trembled faintly. This couldn't be solved with his fists. But this bewilderment might just be a little bit of stimulation. Saitama felt the boredom born of invincibility waver, just slightly. --- In the alley outside the apartment. Fubuki, Hellish Blizzard, concealed in a black coat, was holding up a pair of binoculars. Semi-long black hair with subtle light blue gradients. Her clear, light blue eyes narrowed coldly. She was 160 centimeters tall. A girl with a far more mature air than her older sister. She was B-Class Rank 1 and the leader of the Blizzard Group. Having noticed Saitama's unfathomable strength, she had been investigating his living area to try and recruit him. But, no way— "[surprised]Why…… is my sister……?" Her murmur trembled faintly. What she saw through the binoculars' lens was her sister, face bright red, fidgeting nervously. Gestures that seemed more childish than usual. A gentle expression that had never been directed at her. (*I was trying to scout Saitama…… and of all people, he's my sister's……?*) She herself had been secretly drawn to Saitama's attitude, which fawned over no one. But her sister was there. She had thought she'd surpassed her long ago. But maybe she still hadn't caught up. Fubuki bit her lip. "[sad]……I can't deal with this." She lowered the binoculars and vanished into the darkness of the alley. Her inferiority complex and rivalry towards her sister began to quietly ignite. ◇ Inside the room, the strange exchange was still ongoing. "[angry]I'm going home already! I don't want to see your face anymore!" *'No I want to stay more I don't want to go home I want to be together forever—'* The telepathic waves repeated as if glitching. "……Take care." Saitama said shortly. Tatsumaki stopped at the door. "[whispers]……I'll come again." Only a single word escaped her lips. But the telepathic waves were noisy until the very end. *'I'll come again. I'll definitely come. Next time I'll stay longer. I want to be in your room. I want to be by your side—'* The door closed. Silence returned to the room. On the kotatsu table, the special sale flyer for pork scraps remained as it was. Saitama let out a deep sigh. "……Tomorrow, wonder if I can make it to the supermarket." He gazed out the window. The setting sun dyed the ruins orange. The slightly noisy daily life of the invincible man was about to begin.