One-Punch Man x Reader

Humble Hero | Mumen Rider

[Name] smiled, looking back at the large white building she'd just been in. She just started off her morning by visiting her dear unrequited love; the Mumen Rider. The Deep Sea King dealt with him rather harshly, as shown by the injuries he sustained. Letting out a heartfelt sigh, she walked even further away from the hospital before boarding her bicycle and paddling away.

-----

He groaned in pain as he tried to sit up, his vision focusing on the plain white ceiling of the hospital room. He turned to his side to check for time; 8:47.

He smiled weakly, recalling the Deep Sea King incident and regarding himself weak for not being able to do more. Heaving a sigh of defeat, he suddenly noticed that there was a vase on the sidetable by him and that it contained fresh flowers.

Spotting a nurse nearby, he politely asked who'd been his visitor and the nurse gave a warm smile, saying that it had been an adorable young lady who seemed very worried about him. He pondered about whoever it could have been but nobody came to mind. He didn't really think that any of his so-called "fans" were that devoted to visit him when he was down at the hospital and especially when he'd bound himself useless in the recent tragedy.

Looking at the time again, he let out a huge yawn, deciding on another nap to try to forget the pain that spread in every nook and cranny of his body.

-----

2 weeks later

After a couple of days of readjusting from being discharged from the hospital, Mumen was finally back on track. Though for a short period of time, he would be out paddling around the cities wearing casual wear instead of his signature hero outfit.

Needless to say, it felt different. The wind tickled at his skin like never before and he was thinking that he was starting to like this whole casual wear scheme.

Stopping at the red light, he noticed his old and favorite bookstore down the road to his left and decided to drop by.

As he parked his bike outside, a woman in a flashy outfit came up to him with an unsettling grin. Her hand rested on his shoulder in a rather over-familiar way as she seemingly innocently ask for directions. Mumen sweatdropped, stepping aside and pointing at the intersection then straight ahead whilst trying to put on the most polite smile he could muster.

Down the road was [Name] clutching books on mythology while looking around aimlessly.

Her eyes fell upon Mumen's figure, and even more: in casual wear. Even from the distance, anyone was sure to be able to spot her rosy cheeks as all of her composure flew out the window.

She found herself mesmerized by his smile, caught in a heavenly trance until her eyes slowly fell upon the unknown woman Mumen was talking to. [Name] found it difficult not to notice her curvaceous figure and foreign beauty, and that was when she'd lost her spirits.

Suddenly realizing the situation, she clutched the books in her arms even tighter, speedwalking to the bookstore.

Mumen quickly locked his bike to try and divert the woman's attention. When his efforts proved futile, he politely cleared his throat and excused himself before the woman could object, and marched straight into the bookstore.

-----

[Name] waved and smiled at the tall man on the counter, showing him the books she had in hand.

The tall, green-eyed brunet grinned and ruffled [Name]'s hair, taking the books she'd offered. The wind chimes from outside rang as someone walked in, but as [Name] was too occupied, she failed to notice just who the new customer was. She handed in more books to the guy at the counter, subsequently exchanging farewells and turning to leave.

Clumsy like she is, [Name] bumped into the person in line and she somehow found herself in the arms of none other than Mumen himself.

Mumen held her by her waist with one arm as he fixed his glasses up with his free hand. Apologizing in his usual soft and gentlemanly tone of voice, he gazed at the damsel in his arms.

[Name] stood there in his arms, completely baffled. The extremely close proximity of her dear beloved instantly made her heart race and her blood rush to her face. Just how did she possibly end up being in his arms? And worse, as they continued to awkwardly stand there so close to each other, the scent of his cologne began to spread onto her as well, and she knew that that was her cue.

Clearing her throat and fixing her clothes and posture, she quietly apologized to Mumen, looking off to the side in embarassment with heavily tinted cheeks.

Mumen chuckled, shaking his head as he apologized, taking fault for his clumsiness. The man behind the counter, who just so happens to be [Name]'s older brother, returns to the sight of [Name] awkwardly standing right before Mumen.

Before the two could sense his presence, he hid behind one of the back shelves, observing his precious imouto and, well, everybody's Cyclist of Justice.

As the silence consumed [Name] and Mumen, she bowed once again, excusing herself and running out of the bookstore.

Mumen's line of sight lingered at the direction she'd just left, slightly frowning. Did he perhaps scare her away? If so, then he's got to work on things for sure.

Turning around, he grinned at the man behind the counter and asked for mythology reference books. The brunet smiled and handed him the books his sister dropped off. Mumen unknowingly accepts the books and leaves a special pass behind, walking out of the bookstore then as well.

-----

After a few more weeks of a bit of relaxing and a relative amount of hero work, Mumen noticed that he seemed to have run into [Name] a lot for the past couple days. The image of her flushed cheeks and adorable posture now refused to leave his mind, and now he just had to absolutely know who she was.

So one day, no matter how ridiculous or wrong he felt about it, once Mumen spotted [Name] from his usual bookstore, he decided he would very quietly trail behind to maybe get a chance to know her better.

After some distance, she happily jogged into a ramen shop, and he followed along.

Once inside, he noticed that the damsel was nowhere in sight, but a middle-aged woman sat behind the counter with a questioning look.

Mumen built up the courage to ask her if she knew about a young brunette who just went in.

Brimming with joy, the lady nodded vigorously, looking at a hall down to her left.

"Perhaps you are looking for [Name]-chan? What business do you have with her?"

Mumen cleared his throat and explained that he had some questions for her, nervously fixing the collar of his suit as he did so.

The middle-aged woman laughed and gave him a small sheet of paper that was like a coupon for the shop. He gladly accepted.

-----

After minutes of waiting on [Name], Mumen didn't prove to be successful so he decided to ask the lady instead.

She seemed to know of [Name] very well, even calling her a daughterly figure. As she told him stories and stories about [Name], he came to find out that it'd been her all along: The visitor at the hospital, the little thank you letters every once in awhile addressed to him after some really tough missions and well more obviously, the damsel that the gods of fate seemed to put out for him.

His cheeks grew warm with shyness as he heard the stories of unrequited love for him, the well known Cyclist of Justice.

Thereafter to interrupt their conversation was [Name] herself, tying an apron to her waist.

As she looked up, her shiny [e/c] eyes met with his own gorgeous brown pair.

She immediately grew flustered once again, wondering what Mumen was doing in such a secluded ramen shop and especially since he rarely came around this area.

Smiling with pink-tinted cheeks still, Mumen took a seat, staring straight at [Name].

"[Last Name]-san, can I please have your best bowl of ramen?"

Smiling back shyly, [Name] nodded and laughed along as she served the warmest and tastiest bowl of ramen to the one and only man and simultaneously, the hero of her dreams.