The next few minutes were oddly tense. Ryo had given the boys tea and as Saitama sipped his as he read manga, still laying back on his elbow. Genos, on the other hand, didn't relax at all. Instead, he pulled out a notebook and began to take detailed notes on Saitama's posture.
"What are you writing?" Saitama asked, finally acknowledging Genos.
"My dairy," Genos replied blankly. "I am recording your teachings and training exercises."
Ryo nearly choked on her tea. Surely he wasn't serious! Saitama was doing nothing but reading manga. Maybe he was being sarcastic, attempting to get Saitama to take him more seriously. But Ryo just couldn't tell. Saitama seemed even more stressed than Ryo about Genos' comment. Rightfully so, he had promised to take Genos on as his student, but so far he had taught him nothing.
Saitama looked as if he was going to explode. Thankfully Genos spoke before Saitama broke. "By the way, according to the seminar," Genos started, looking up from his dairy. "A class C hero who remains inactive for a week is dropped from the hero registry. Will you be alright?"
"What?"
Ryo gasped. "You haven't defeated any monsters in a while Saitama!"
"They actually said that?" Saitama asked with dread dripping from his voice.
"Yes," Genos answered, confirming both Saitama's and Ryo's worries. "There are tons of Class C guys, and the bar is low, so they weed them out."
"But nothing has come up on the T.V."
"The media only reports incidents such as disasters requiring evacuation, terrorism and the appearance of monsters." Genos used his pencil to gesture to Saitama. "You may not be aware of it because you have only confronted super villains and evil organizations that no one else could handle. But Class C heroes mainly address purse snatches, robbers and street assailants."
Saitama's face was drained of color, looking utterly shocked. Genos continued, "Most Class C heroes do not last long unless they keep themselves active. They grow discouraged and change jobs. If they do not pound the pavement and drum up results like salarymen, nobody pays any attention to them."
Saitama jumped to his feet. "This is no time to be reading manga!!" Saitama ran around the apartment, carelessly undressing in front of Ryo who sighed and covered her eyes.
"Shall we go then?" Genos asked, closing his dairy on the table.
"Don't come with me!" Saitama demanded. "If I am with a Class S guy like you, you'll get the credit for anything I do!"
"But as your pupil..." Genos sounded desperate. Ryo peaked through her fingers at him and saw his disappointed frown
Ryo looked to Saitama who was now dressed in his super suit. He seemed to have an epiphany. "Genos! My strong desire to be a hero led me to train and get strong. Maybe if you too live as if aiming for the heights of herodom, something will change."
"Herodom?" Ryo repeated with a dumb look on her face. What he said made no sense. Was he going to try and sell this bull shit to Genos?
"To put it bluntly," Saitama continued. "You're a cyborg, so physical training means nothing. You may be able to get stronger with simply the right attitude. In other words, train your spirit before worrying about strength through power or technology. To that end, fight it out in the strict world of professional heroes. Aim to make the top ten of the Class S ranking. That is the training for now."
Ryo stared in absolute shock, her jaw was slack and she glared up at Saitama. He was making this up as he went, he was going to try and bluff his way through teaching Genos. Ryo looked over at the boy, sure that he wasn't buying a second of this. but to her surprise, he agreed!
"You are right!" Genos announced. "I will do it!" He then slammed onto his knees, furiously scribbling down Saitama's words.
Ryo watched in awe as Saitama strutted away. She couldn't see his face, but she knew it was one of pure befuddled joy.
Ryo stuck around with Genos for a while, waiting to see if Saitama would make it. But eventually, Ryo had to leave to catch a train to an appointment with a hero looking for a new costume.
"I will walk with you," Genos said, pulling his shoes on with her.
Ryo basked in the warm sun that beamed down on City Z.
"Who is the hero you are meeting today?"
"Jet Nice Guy," Ryo told him. "He's only a Class B hero, but he's getting pretty popular."
"Have you had any big clients recently?"
Ryo shook her head. "I'm having trouble getting my name out there you know?"
"I will be sure to tell everyone that I am wearing a Ryo original," Genos comforted.
"Thank you," Ryo grinned. She hadn't changed the way he dressed by much, simply giving him a shirt that better contorted with his robotic muscles and did not burn when he used bigger guns. She also gave him pants that specifically brought attention to his masterfully sculpted ass. Ryo really did want to meet the man that made Genos, just to say thank you. "Are you happy being Saitama's pupil?"
"Why do you ask that so suddenly?" Genos asked.
"It's just..." Ryo didn't want to call Saitama out, but she needed to know that Genos understood what was happening. "You know he has no idea what he's doing right?"
Genos sighed. "Master Saitama does not even know how he gained his superpowers. But surely, something about him has to lead him to gain such strength. If I can figure that out, then I'll become stronger!" Ryo looked up at him worriedly. Genos seemed to realize that she was not fully satisfied with his answer. "Master has also been able to help me focus my energy into productive activities. I am now fully employed. If he had not pushed me to register, I would have never thought of joining the Hero Association. I am thankful to have Saitama as my Master."
Ryo grinned at that. Satisfied, Ryo then changed the topic to Genos' new upgrades. They stayed passionately talking about the new additions to Genos' exoskeleton until they reached the train station.
The next day Ryo was walking around City Z gathering groceries for Saitama and Genos. Now that the boys lived together, they needed more food in the house. Ryo didn't mind picking up a few things for them either. Coincidently, she saw a yellow suited, bald man anxiously looking around the town.
Ryo grinned and tapped on his shoulder, Saitama whipped around and grabbed her finger, raising his fist in a threatening manner. When he saw that it was just Ryo he groaned.
"I was hoping you were a villain," Saitama mumbled.
"So you didn't catch anyone yesterday, huh?" Ryo sighed looking around the city too, trying to find a purse snatcher to help Saitama.
"The city was completely quiet! What was I supposed to do?" Saitama complained. Ryo was about to say some words of comfort when Saitama whipped around and plucked a blade out of mid-air that was headed straight for his head. "You!" he shouted at a boy with dark hair tied back in a bun. "What was your name again?"
Ryo stared between the two of them. Were they friends? The boy seemed to be armed, carrying a sword on his back. She had never seen him before.
"I got it!" Saitama said, "Joints-o-Pain Panic!"
"No," the boy responded. "Speed-o-Sound Sonic!"
"Hey!" Ryo interrupted knowing that name. "Genos said you were the guy who took care of those Paradisers! Man, you must be really strong to take down all of those guys."
Speed-o-Sound Sonic ignored her, focusing his energy on Saitama. "Saitama," he droned. "Today, I am going to kill y-!"
"Sorry," Saitama interrupted. "But I'm busy. Some other time."
Saitama turned quickly and made his way down the street. Ryo looked between the two of them. She wasn't sure if Saitama wanted her to follow. When she looked back at Sonic, he was drawing his blade.
"You think you can run from me?!" Sonic launched into an attack. Ryo tried to call out to Saitama but by the time his name left her mouth, Saitama had bitten through Sonic's blade. She almost couldn't see what had happened, but his clenched teeth and the broken sword at his feet was answer enough.
"I told you I'm busy damn it," Saitama spoke ominously. "I'm irritated so stay outta my way! Or I'll punch you."
Ryo was almost taken aback by how scary Saitama looked in this instant.
"He's the one!" A lady shouted out of nowhere.
"You!" a muscley man dressed in a tiger print tank top yelled. "You look suspicious!"
Saitama and Sonic looked equally guilty.
"But now Tank Top Tiger is here!" the muscley man shouted. He was a hero?
"That guy's dangerous, do something about him!" She pointed towards Sonic and Saitama.
"Bwaha! This is what you get for picking a fight!" Saitama teased. "Maybe a good beating will cool your head!"
Tank Top Tiger placed his hand on Saitama's head. "She was talking about you."
"Ever since yesterday, he's been running around town with the most awful look on his face," the woman explained.
Ryo then found the energy to move, running to Saitama's side. "No, you don't understand!"
"Yeah!" Saitama yelled. "I'm a professional hero too!"
"What's your hero name?" Tiger asked. "I've never heard of a hero like you."
"So what?! I've just started!" Saitama shouted.
"Cut him some slack, please!" Ryo begged the hero. "He's just trying to meet his weekly quota."
"Stay out of it civi," Tank Top Tiger loomed, pushing Ryo out of his way. "You're bothering people, so scram. Or do you want to cross a Class C hero rank 6? A hero shouldn't bother people. You'll ruin other heroes' reputations!"
That was his motivation? Not to help civilians who felt threatened, but to protect his own name? Ryo was starting to have a real problem with these so-called 'Heroes'
Saitama stood his ground so Tank Top Tiger continued. "Why are you looking at me like that? I told you to get lost." Tiger sneered. "But if you want to fight then fine."
The crowd started to recognize the Class C hero. People were gathering and pointing at Tank Top, wondering who he was going to beat up.
Tank Top Tiger snickered, "Even Class C heroes get recognized if your rank is high enough." He broadened his stance and shouted down at Saitama. "Hey, newbie, what say you get rowdy and make me look good."
"Saitama we should go," Ryo tried, tugging his shirt towards a new direction. "It won't look good if you destroy another hero."
Saitama didn't have the time to reply. Sonic shouted "Exploding Shuriken!!" as multiple explosives landed and went off on Tank Top Tiger.
"What are you doing," Saitama started, staring down at the fallen hero. Ryo stared back at the assassin stepping away from Saitama. "Sonic?!"
"He was in my way so I took him out," Sonic answered with an intimidating smirk. Civilians started to run, screaming 'Call a hero' as they searched for cover. "Saitama! So you have one of those stupid hero titles too, huh?" Sonic squatted down and grinned a murderous smile. "I'll make you have to fight me, Hero Saitama!"
Sonic moved as fast as light. Ryo didn't even realize her feet had left the ground. When she opened her eyes she was looking down on City Z, Sonic's arm wrapped around her waist. Sonic threw four more shurikens then shouted, "Hail of Carnage!" the shuriken landed and destroyed random buildings, throwing the city into chaos.
"Stop it!" Saitama yelled. "Hey!"
"Let go of me!" Ryo shouted, trying to push Sonic away from her, despite the fact that she would surely fall to her death. "Saitama!"
"Fight me!" Sonic shouted, throwing more bombs. "You're a hero right? Can you stop their deaths?!"
Ryo gasped as an explosion sent a car crashing onto a crying little boy. Saitama saved the boy with a street lamp.
"Guh," Saitama grumbled. "Everyone is getting in my way."
"Does he have a hostage?!" Someone shouted.
"A hero!" another person begged. "Someone get a hero!"
"Saitama!" Ryo shouted struggling against Sonic's iron grip. "Get your head out of your ass!"
"I am right here," Saitama said calmly, grabbing her arm, landing a hard chop to the top of Sonic's head, sending him flailing to the ground. "Guess there was a bad guy right here."
Ryo wrapped her arms around his neck as the two landed on the ground. "You're a bit of an idiot, you know that?"
"Do you think this counts as work?" Saitama asked. Ryo pinched the bridge of her nose. This man was going to be the death of her.