Chapter 027 - Protection Service

Saitama and I depart our apartment. I shoot him a quick look. This time, he appears presentable. He's wearing a black suit and a white polo shirt underneath. It's paired up with a black tie and similarly colored sunglasses.

It fills me with joy to know that I can transform his appearance. That thought gives me a boost of happiness that I can't quite explain.

"Can't we just fly to it or something?" Saitama asks.

We can do that, but I answer, "No. We are supposed to be bodyguards, not heroes." Besides, I want to spend more time with him. This ride will also be a novel experience for me—riding a train with Saitama.

"I don't find the difference," he complains.

"Don't forget this mission will last at least three hours," I add. "The client says to minimize the use of abilities unless needed."

We walk toward the central station. We wait in a long queue until a train arrives. We sit beside each other. Thankfully, it's not rush hour.

I am still in a good mood when I catch Saitama looking at me and his suit. His brow is furrowed and there is anxiety in the way he moves his hands.

"What?!" I snap, the warm feeling of joy is slowly dissipating.

"Do we really need to go through all this?" He gestures to the suit he's wearing, his expression pleading.

"No. You need to wear it," I answer. Besides, he looks so good at it.

I sit back in my chair until the doors open. A tall figure, dressed as a white swan, comes into sight and stops in front of us. There is a crown atop her head and an important-looking symbol inscribed with lotus leaves surrounding it. The riders' attention is all on her.

"Hi," I call out, standing up from my seat to offer my hand.

Her cold voice asks, "Who is this person, Fubuki?"

Oh. I clear my throat. "This is Saitama. He will be with me on the bodyguard mission." I answer and give her my best smile.

"Alright then," she says, her gaze shifting around. "He looks a bit fragile."

As Saitama is about to open his mouth to reply, she interrupts him. "No objections, please."

Saitama willingly remains quiet. "So, new hero, will you use lethal force if necessary?"

"If it's a monster. Saitama will take care of it," I answer for him.

I watch as she takes the seat beside Saitama, feeling my heart clench in jealousy. Every gesture is annoying as I notice her arm brushing against his. I also hate that I can't do anything about it. But I couldn't bring myself to tell her to move away.

Eventually, she speaks again, "We have arrived. I will come with you to my boss' office. He's the one you are responsible for defending."

After leaving the train station, Saitama and I follow the woman up a staircase and into a towering office building. We step out of the elevator on the top floor, where some men in suits stand beside a large door. After making our way through a room that is guarded by four men wielding guns, she opens another door and stands aside to let us pass.

The man sitting in the large chair has the look of a mob boss from a previous era, with a black suit and an eye-patch. He shifts his head in my direction as I approach him.

When our eyes meet, he warmly greets me, "Miss Fubuki."

"A good day to you, Mr. Yoji."

My gaze shifts to Saitama, silently urging him to introduce himself. He takes my unspoken cue and clears his throat. "Hello, my name is Saitama." He bows respectfully to the man seated before us.

The boss stands from his chair. "Let's go over your mission tonight," he says in a professional tone. Then he adds with a glint in his eye, "But first, let's have a drink."

"Sure," I say, my eyes on his face.

Saitama and I walk alongside Mr. Yoji to the black lacquered wooden bar in the corner. A glass rack towers over the bar, offering an array of crystal glasses of various shapes and sizes.

Mr. Yoji shouts out to someone behind the counter, "Vint! Bring us another round! We have guests here!"

Mr. Yoji raises his finger and beckons us over to the wooden counter made of golden-hued metal. Vint, on the other hand, grabs an aromatic bottle of whiskey and fills two glasses with the drink, which emits a scent like newly picked tobacco leaves.

"Sugar," Mr. Yoji says to us as he hands the glasses to Saitama and me, respectively.

"We drink while waiting, Miss Fubuki," Mr. Yoji announces with a laugh while Vint pours shots for us. Saitama and I drink at the same time.

"We drink!" Mr. Yoji repeats.

I shiver when the strong taste of whiskey goes down. Ah, this is too much for me! It feels like the warmth and alcohol are heating my body! Maybe this is just because it's the first sip?

"More?" Vint asks.

He refills my glass without waiting for my answer. "Thank you!" I say.

We drink three to four more glasses. Finally, I started to get dizzy. Although, this is only normal, given the high alcoholic content. After the next round, my thoughts get fuzzy.

"Can you feel it? The power of alcohol," the don comments.

"Mmm... yes." I stare into my glass. The taste is becoming better.

Vint refills my glass again. "Well, shall we drink more?"

I nod. I shift my attention to Saitama and say, "You have to drink as well, my dear."

I sip on more liquor, which now feels sweet and wonderful. "You are drunk, Fubuki," Saitama whispers.

I rub the corners of my eyes. I feel my lips touching the glass. This whiskey is making me warm inside. "Mmm."

"I feel so sleepy too," I whisper to Saitama as if it is a secret. I lean my body on him and as a response, his hand reaches for my waist.

"Fubuki, I think you need to rest."

Suddenly, Mr. Yoji claps his hand. The door bursts open, and burly men come inside. This time, the sight of their suit and guns doesn't scare me. Rather, I snuggle closer to Saitama.

"Finally! A bait for Tatsumaki!" The boss chuckles as Saitama allows me to lean on him. One of the men approaches Saitama and grabs his collar.

"Don't tell me this is a trap?" he asks.

"Of course it is! We are mafia! Why would we hire class B heroes?!"

"So, the payment?" he asks.

"No payment! It is just a bait!"

"Saitama…" I whisper. I grab his shoulders and close my eyes. "I think I am losing consciousness."

Saitama groans. He places his hand behind my knees, the other on my back, and then he lifts me. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face in the crook of his neck and shoulders.

"Hey! Fubuki?!"

"Let me sleep for a while," I mumble before completely blacking out.