Thank you, @Sylphid for joining the memberships.
I'm truly grateful.
Bonus (1/1)
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Chapter 77: Tatsumaki: "He's My Man!"
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After leaving the shelter, Genos was taken away by a mechanical drone for repairs.
Kihara had just started his motorcycle when Saitama suddenly called out to him.
"Kihara… what you said back there—was it just said in anger?"
Kihara rolled his eyes.
"Of course not. You already know I was planning to quit the Hero Association anyway. Those people just… sped up the process."
Saitama opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped.
"…Yeah. Well… never mind. When you've got time, come over and hang out."
In the end, he swallowed his words and gave his usual calm smile.
He understood.
Kihara hadn't become a hero out of passion like he had.
If Saitama were misunderstood like that, he'd be angry too—but he would never give up being a hero, because it was something he genuinely enjoyed.
But Kihara was different.
He had his own life. A family. Strength. Money.
Being insulted and misunderstood like that—why endure it?
Better to walk away and live freely.
To put it bluntly, Kihara never even needed to come to City J in the first place.
A disaster that had already defeated S-Class heroes.
No one would have blamed a mere B-Class hero for staying away.
And yet, he came.
Only to be repaid with suspicion… and scorn.
Saitama let out a quiet sigh.
"…Good thing Kihara's a decent guy. Being a hero… is harder than it looks."
Following the Deep Sea King incident in City J, the biggest headline wasn't the defeat of S-Class heroes.
It was Kihara's resignation.
And the controversy surrounding whether he had "stolen the kill."
Media outlets latched onto the narrative:
"Scarlet Rider, unable to bear the accusations of kill-stealing, voluntarily withdraws from the Hero Association."
Online, mockery and ridicule flooded in.
The few voices defending him were quickly drowned out, labeled as nothing more than "fanboys of a credit-stealer."
Inside the Hero Association.
In a solemn black conference room, the upper management of the Hero Association convened.
One executive slammed a document onto the table with a cold snort.
"Given the negative impact caused by Scarlet Rider, I propose not only removing his name—but also pursuing legal action. He should be imprisoned."
"That seems… excessively extreme, doesn't it?"
"Extreme?" The man sneered. "He's caused the Association severe losses! Are we supposed to ignore that? What if other heroes follow his example? We're not running a playground here!"
"I agree. The impact of this incident has been disastrous—for both heroes and the Association."
"Then it's settled—"
BANG!
The conference room doors were violently flung open.
A small figure floated in—her expression ice-cold.
Tatsumaki.
"Lady Tatsumaki… do you need something?"
The executives immediately stood up, their voices tinged with unease.
"Nothing much," she said flatly. "Just here to inform you—I'm quitting the Hero Association too."
"…What?!"
The room erupted into panic.
"Y-You can't joke about something like this! Even if funding is unstable right now, S-Class heroes' benefits won't be affected—!"
Tatsumaki let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Who said anything about money?"
Her gaze sharpened.
"You people decided to throw my man into prison without even asking me. Did you get my permission?"
"…Y-Your… man?"
The executives were completely dumbfounded.
They wouldn't dare offend her even with a hundred lives.
Tatsumaki crossed her arms, chin raised proudly.
"Kihara. Scarlet Rider."
"He's my man."
"AH???"
"Message delivered. Bye."
With that, she turned and left without another glance, leaving the executives frozen in shock.
That very afternoon, Tatsumaki—who normally avoided the public eye—held her first-ever press conference.
She publicly confirmed two things:
She was leaving the Hero Association.
Kihara was her man.
The world exploded.
Media outlets scrambled to reverse their stance overnight, rushing to defend Kihara and shower praise in an attempt to win Tatsumaki back.
But no matter how much they tried.
Tatsumaki disappeared completely from public view.
The emergencies she once handled were redistributed among other S-Class heroes.
The pressure on the Hero Association skyrocketed.
Saitama's House.
"Sensei! That Miss Tatsumaki is actually Mr. Kihara's wife! No wonder he said they rarely spent time together!"
Genos rushed into Saitama's apartment, waving a newspaper excitedly.
He had witnessed the injustice Kihara suffered firsthand.
But as a newly promoted S-Class hero, he lacked the influence to clear his name.
Now that public opinion had shifted—
He couldn't be happier.
"…Weird," Saitama muttered. "Didn't Kihara say his wife's surname was Nan?"
Shrugging it off, he stood up and started changing clothes.
"Sensei, where are you going?"
Saitama waved the newspaper.
"To see Kihara, obviously. Now that the misunderstanding's cleared up, we've gotta celebrate with hot pot."
"That makes sense! Please allow me to join in congratulating Mr. Kihara!"
"Yeah, let's go together."
"…By the way, Sensei, do you know where he lives?"
"Q City. He told me before—said if hero pay wasn't enough, I could crash at his place for meals."
With Genos carrying him through the air, they quickly made their way to Q City, saving on travel costs.
As they descended near their destination, they spotted an elderly man with white hair and a neatly groomed mustache.
He smiled warmly.
"Oh? Demon Cyborg and Caped Baldy, is it? I thought you were Drive Knight."
"S-Class Rank 3, Silver Fang—Bang. What are you doing here?" Genos asked, frowning.
"Who are you calling Caped Baldy?! I've got a name—it's Saitama!!"
"Hoho, my apologies," Bang chuckled.
"What brings you two all the way to Q City?"
"Visiting a friend."
"What a coincidence. I'm here to visit a junior who lives nearby as well. If you don't mind, shall we walk together?"
The three of them soon arrived at their destination.
Outside a luxurious villa, they were greeted with quite the scene.
A girl stood protectively in front of Kihara.
Minami Yume—blocking someone behind her.
That someone…
Was a furious Tatsumaki, stomping around like an angry child.
"Miss Tatsumaki," Minami Yume said calmly, "Kihara and I confirmed our relationship first. Don't you think it's a bit too much to try and monopolize him?"
"I don't care!" Tatsumaki snapped, her face flushed with anger.
"He did that to me—so he has to take responsibility!!"
....
Thank you for reading.