Chapter 044 - Spick and Span

As I walk out onto the street, the cool air hits me like a slap in the face. My heart is still pounding as if I just ran a marathon. My thoughts are racing. How could he not want me? I am one of the most beautiful women on the planet. So why?!

I start walking aimlessly, not knowing where to go or what to do. All I can think about is how rejected and unwanted I feel. As I turn a corner, I see a group of men standing outside of a bar, smoking and laughing. One of them catches my eye. He has a rugged, dangerous look to him. He notices me too and gives me a sly smile.

He moves towards me with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. "Aren't you a pretty thing?" he asks.

I look around. I am already out of the abandoned part of City Z. No monsters, in a technical sense, but monsters dressed in human flesh like him exist too.

"Want to play around with me?"

"No," I reject. Damn, somehow, after being always rejected by Saitama, it feels like a breath of fresh air.

"Why? Do you want a handsome man? I'm not such a bad looker myself."

The corner of my lips pulls up. Since I like Saitama, does he really think I am deciding things based on looks?

"I don't have time for this," I say. Maybe, I will stay in a net cafe and read some manga. Capsule Hotel is not bad either.

So, I turn to walk away, but the man grabs my arm tightly. I try to pull away but he's too forceful.

"Let me go," I warn. "Or you would regret it."

"Come on, little girlie. Don't be shy," he whispers in my ear, his hot breath making me sick to my stomach.

"I said no."

But the man doesn't take no for an answer. He places his arm around my waist and tries to pull me towards him. I can smell the alcohol on his breath, and it's not a good smell.

"I can make you feel good. I can even make you forget about the person who made you cry."

I pause and look at him. He will make me feel good? Allow me to forget about this uncomfortable pain because of Saitama?

"I–" I purse my lips. "I am not crying!"

Suddenly, a powerful force slams into the man, knocking him off balance and causing him to release me. I stumble backward, almost falling to the ground, but strong arms wrap around me, holding me steady.

"Are you okay?" a deep voice asks.

I look up and see a tall, lean, muscular man with blue eyes and black hair tied up in a ponytail. I audibly groan when I realize that it's Suiryu. He's wearing a navy blue Chinese-style martial art uniform.

There's a playful smile on his face as he says, "Oh, we meet again."

"Please, let me go," I say.

Suiryu shifts his attention to the drunkards and says, "I'm not sure if you realize, but this woman here is a class B hero. I would suggest that you scram."

The men don't need to be told twice. I think they got afraid because of Suiryu, though.

"Thank you," I say, still trying to regain my composure, even if I really don't need his help.

"It's no problem at all," he says with a charming smile. "It's not every day I get to rescue a beautiful woman, after all."

I roll my eyes at his comment. "Can you please let me go now?"

He did, and I wipe my clothes, making sure no dirt came into my dress.

"Sorry for holding you too long."

"Right."

"Let me make it up to you. How about I buy you some ramen?"

"How about you stop pestering me?"

"You just cried, didn't you? Why?"

"None of your business."

"I can comfort you."

I shift my attention to him. "What? You want to replace those dirty drunkards and harass me too?!"

"Ah no, I am asking. There's an element of consent."

I frown at him.

"Really," he says, raising his hands in defense.

"Why would you even want to comfort a stranger? It doesn't make any sense. And I don't want any lies."

"If you really want the truth, it's because you are really pretty," he admits.

At that moment, something inside of me snaps. I pause. I am tired of feeling unwanted and unloved. Maybe this man is exactly what I need right now, someone who will desire me and make me feel wanted.

"What? Is that a wrong answer? Did I make you angry? I'm just being honest, though."

I take a deep breath. "No, you didn't make me MORE angry. It's just... surprising."

"So..." he tentatively asks. "Is that a yes?"

"I don't know, but maybe I really do need that comfort."

He puts a hand on my shoulder. "I understand," he says softly. "Sometimes we all need someone to hold us."

"So, how do you plan to comfort me?"

"Hotel–"

I frown.

"–is the last on my list. But we can get that ramen as a start. My treat."

I nod slowly. "Okay, let's get some food then," I say, considering his proposal. It's not every day that a stranger offers to comfort me. It's a huge change from when I am always treating Saitama for a meal.

He flashes me a quick smile. "Great. There's a ramen place just down the street," he says, before leading the way down the street.

We walk in silence for a few minutes until we come across a small ramen place tucked away in an alley.

The warm, savory smell of the ramen hits my nose as we step inside. The shop is small and cozy, with only a handful of tables. We sit down near the back, and he orders for us both.

As we wait for our food to arrive, I can feel his eyes on me. I try to ignore it, focusing instead on the other diners around us. But then he speaks up.

"So, why were you crying?"

I freeze, caught a bit off guard by his question.

"I... it's nothing," I stutter, averting my gaze from him. "Just had a rough day."

He doesn't seem convinced. "How rough?"

"Being rejected kind of rough," I admit. So when the food arrives, I am already hoping that he won't ask more questions.