An oddly subtle atmosphere began to spread through the room.
Fang Li quietly stared at the harmless-looking man before him, the man known as Saitama.
Saitama looked back. Meeting Fang Li's unwavering gaze, his expression didn't change in the slightest. Instead, he looked somewhat absentminded, as though he couldn't quite grasp what was happening.
Then Saitama spoke. "Do you want an autograph too? If so, you can go first."
His tone was so casual it sounded like he was chatting with an old acquaintance. He showed no curiosity whatsoever about the sudden visit, nor did he seem interested in asking why they had come.
'This guy...' Fubuki frowned. It couldn't be helped; to an outsider, Saitama's attitude inevitably came across as somewhat dismissive.
"My, my..." Even Sylvia looked at a loss for words. She quietly muttered to herself, "He kind of reminds me of those children from Rusalka... a little airheaded."
That was her initial impression of him.
Fang Li, however, paid no attention to the others' reactions. Deliberately matching Saitama's relaxed vibe, he smiled leisurely.
"We're heroes who happened to be passing through the area," Fang Li said. "Earlier, two Mysterious Beings appeared nearby. We defeated one of them, while the other seems to have been taken care of by you."
"Mysterious Being?" Saitama blinked in confusion before suddenly remembering something. He lightly struck his palm with his fist. "Oh, you mean that dog?"
"That's right." Fang Li shrugged. "So, since the opportunity presented itself, we followed the traces you left behind and ended up here. You could say this is just a little relaxation after finishing our work."
"Relaxation..." Saitama tilted his head, seemingly giving it some thought. After a moment, he asked, "Then... would you like to come in for some tea?"
Fang Li had only one answer. "If you don't mind."
Hearing that, Saitama immediately opened the door wider. "Come on in."
He acted as naturally as someone inviting a next-door neighbor inside. Fang Li wasn't the least bit reserved either; like a neighbor dropping by for a visit, he walked straight into the apartment.
Only Sylvia and Fubuki remained standing at the doorway, staring at each other in bewilderment.
"What?" Saitama looked back at them in confusion. "Don't like tea? Then how about something cold to drink?"
Hearing that, Sylvia and Fubuki instinctively shook their heads. After Saitama went back inside, the two women exchanged another look.
"Is that man really as strong as One-Way Rakshasa says?" Fubuki asked skeptically. "He just seems like an ordinary civilian who has no idea what's going on."
"Well, if Fang Li says so, then it must be true." Sylvia smiled with interest. "Now I'm curious too. Is someone like him really as unbelievably strong as my dear says? Let's go in and find out."
With that, Sylvia took the somewhat reluctant Fubuki by the hand and entered the house.
---
"Please, have some tea."
Genos, who had seemed so cold and distant just moments ago, now looked more like a diligent housekeeper. Not only had he prepared tea for everyone seated around the small low table, but he also carried the tray over before quietly taking his place behind Saitama.
Watching this, Sylvia found it rather fascinating. She addressed Saitama, asking, "So, Saitama-kun, are you really Genos-kun's teacher?" It was a question she had genuinely been wondering about.
From Genos, Sylvia could clearly sense tremendous energy. It flowed through his body like prana, and although it was carefully restrained, she could still perceive just how powerful it was. For that reason, she was truly curious whether Saitama was capable of teaching such an outstanding disciple.
However, Saitama immediately denied it. "He just showed up on his own," Saitama said with an annoyed expression. "He keeps insisting on becoming my disciple. No matter how many times I tell him to leave, he just won't."
"I'm not leaving," Genos raised his head and declared firmly. "Until Teacher agrees to accept me as his disciple, I will never leave."
"See? That's exactly what I mean," Saitama muttered, ending the topic with just a few words before turning curiously toward Sylvia. "By the way, are you really that famous diva? Could you give me your autograph?"
"I can," Sylvia smiled somewhat awkwardly. "I'll prepare one for you before we leave."
"That'd be great," Saitama answered flatly.
Yet his completely deadpan tone made Sylvia wonder whether he actually wanted her autograph or had merely asked on a whim. All she could do was smile helplessly.
'He's... quite an unpredictable person.' That was Sylvia's latest evaluation of him.
Even so, it still had nothing to do with whether Saitama possessed overwhelming strength. If even Sylvia could only reach that conclusion, there was no need to mention Fubuki.
Fubuki didn't say a single word. She quietly sat off to one side with her head lowered, thinking to herself, 'It feels... like I don't belong in the same world as these people...' Feeling completely out of place, she silently clenched her fists and chose to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Fang Li and Saitama continued chatting.
"So, may I call you Saitama?"
"Sure. Then what should I call you?"
"My name is Fang Li."
"Then I'll just call you Fang Li."
"Sounds good."
Their conversation remained as ordinary as could be. Then Saitama suddenly remembered something and looked at Fang Li. "Oh, right. You said you're a hero. Are you working toward becoming one?"
"You could say that," Fang Li replied. "Though calling it a profession would be more accurate. Don't tell me you don't know? There's an organization called the Hero Association. It specializes in dealing with disasters, recruits talented individuals, and fights against Mysterious Beings. We're what they call professional heroes."
"Huh?" Saitama froze. It was obvious that he truly had no idea.
"I mean..." Fubuki finally found an opportunity to speak up. "Aren't you a hero? I've never even heard of you!"
But her question failed to attract Saitama's attention. Instead, Saitama grabbed his head in disbelief.
"Professional heroes... Professional heroes... I've never heard of something like that... So... does that mean I'm an amateur hero? No way... I may have become a hero as a hobby... but does that mean I've been working all this time without anyone knowing? N-No wonder nobody recognizes me when I'm walking down the street!"
The same Saitama who had looked completely blank about everything until now suddenly displayed intense frustration.
Fubuki bit her lip in annoyance, angry at being ignored by yet another man. Meanwhile, Sylvia could only smile wryly once again.
"He really is... an unpredictable person."
(End Of This Chapter)
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