Chapter 16 — Sixteenth Punch
Carrying a damaged plastic bag full of discounted oranges, Saitama opened the door to his home.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw his blond cyborg sitting at the table, waiting for him.
"Oh, Genos! You're back?" Saitama brightened immediately. "Did you handle that suspected cyborg crime you were investigating? Oh—wait, looking closer, did you get some new parts installed?"
"Yes, Saitama-sensei," Genos replied, sitting up straight and nodding. "Unfortunately, the perpetrator was just an ordinary criminal—not a cyborg like the one who destroyed my hometown."
"Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter. There'll be other chances to investigate."
Saitama placed the oranges on the kitchen counter. Looking at their golden hue, he suddenly remembered the streets near his home that had recently been burned, and raised his head to warn, "By the way, Genos, something to tell you. While you were out, I saw a naked blue guy running around from the balcony. And there was a street nearby that got mysteriously burned. Looks like things haven't been very peaceful around here lately."
"Saitama-sensei… I burned that street," Genos said.
Saitama froze mid-motion, holding the orange. "Huh?"
"Well, to be precise, it's not entirely my responsibility. That street was damaged because of a battle between me and a strange enemy, which caused it to catch fire."
Genos recalled, "The enemy had a volcano-shaped head, one eye, and pale blue skin. My energy sensors allowed me to see its form, but with the naked human eye, it would be hard to distinguish. It's similar to the type of enemy you defeated before, Saitama-sensei."
"Ohhh, that one!" Saitama said quickly. "I know what that is now—it's called a Cursed Spirit."
"Cursed Spirit… I see," Genos said sincerely. "Truly, Saitama-sensei, your wisdom is remarkable, figuring out this type of enemy so quickly…"
"No, not really…" Saitama scratched his bald head. "While you were out tracking leads, I ran into someone named Gojo Satoru. He told me that if I enter the Jujutsu High school and graduate, I could become a Jujutsu Sorcerer."
"And as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, you get rewarded for defeating Cursed Spirits!" Saitama said excitedly.
"Really?" Genos instinctively leaned forward, half-kneeling, and asked urgently, "Then, Saitama-sensei…"
"Yep. I've decided to enroll," Saitama said as he organized the oranges. "If I can dispense justice and get paid for it, that sounds pretty good. After all, I won't have to waste time on part-time jobs anymore."
"I see."
Genos sat back down and thought carefully. "Although I feel Saitama-sensei doesn't need to be a weaker individual's apprentice, since this is your decision, it must have its reason. If I can't understand it, it must mean I haven't kept up with you, Sensei."
Listening to Genos, Saitama broke into a sweat. "I'm just wondering… Genos, exactly how do you see me in your eyes…"
"Oh, right, Sensei," Genos said, suddenly remembering something. He turned and grabbed a mesh bag from under the table. "On the way here, I passed a fruit shop and remembered it's watermelon season, so I bought a few."
Inside the bag were four large, perfectly round watermelons.
"Ohhh, I didn't expect we'd actually have watermelon!" Saitama's eyes lit up, and he ran over immediately. "And not just slices—you bought whole ones! Watermelons are so expensive!"
"Are they? I think it's fine."
"…You really are rich."
Saitama looked at the four watermelons in the bag, then glanced back at the oranges on the counter, a faint happiness in his voice.
"Looks like we bought a lot of fruit. But no problem—we'll just make sure to eat them all before they go bad!"
"Yes, Saitama-sensei!"
…
Meanwhile, in another inconspicuous apartment in Tokyo…
"Jogo, you really are unlucky."
Inside a steam-filled volcanic hot spring domain generated in the apartment, Geto, lay sprawled across the edge of the pool, enjoying the hot water while lamenting, "Getting severely injured twice in just a few days…"
"Shut up!" Jogo, gripping his small pipe, nearly erupted with anger at Geto's casual tone. "No matter what, I defeated that opponent!"
"Is that so?" Geto said casually.
"Of course! I threw that golden-haired brat into my 'Iron Coffin Mountain,' tore him in half—there was no way he could survive!" Jogo said through gritted teeth. "That golden-haired kid was fast, with firepower that rivaled mine, but he didn't use cursed energy. Looks like he's not a sorcerer. I really don't understand why someone like that would appear in the Ghost City…"
"So that's why you ran back naked again, Jogo?" Geto asked abruptly.
Jogo's hand veins bulged, and the hot spring water seemed to boil with his anger, bubbling rapidly like a pot on the stove.
"Shut up! My clothes were burned by that golden-haired brat!" Jogo shouted.
---
Late at night.
"I'm back." Yoshino Junpei opened the door to his home and froze when he saw his mother sitting in the brightly lit living room, smoking as she waited for him.
"Oh, you're back, Junpei," his mother, Yoshino Nagi, said tiredly, but still smiled at him. "Why so late? Did you eat outside? If you're still hungry, there's stew in the kitchen—I can heat it for you."
"…I already ate."
Junpei had bought bandages and medicine at a convenience store to tend to his injuries before returning home. After paying, he was completely out of money and naturally didn't eat. But he didn't want to eat anything else, so he lied.
"Also, Mom, why are you smoking again?" He waved away the smoke in the air and coughed.
"Ah… sorry, I didn't realize…" Nagi immediately stubbed out the cigarette and opened the window wider.
"Since you've already eaten, take a bath and rest early," she glanced at the wall clock. "It's almost midnight. You still have school tomorrow."
Junpei's fingers twitched slightly at her words.
"Mom," he called out, "can I take an extended leave from school?"
Hiding the cuts on his face behind his hair and the bloodstained shirt under his uniform jacket, Junpei thought that with this, his mother wouldn't notice he'd been bullied.
Although telling her would probably gain her sympathy and make it easier to stay home, Junpei didn't intend to exploit that.
Nagi turned around, slightly surprised. "Why?"
"No reason. I just don't want to go."
"And after that, once your leave is over, will you return to school or transfer?"
"I'll transfer. I already have a school in mind."
There was a brief silence.
"Alright," Nagi nodded. "I'll call your homeroom teacher tomorrow morning."
Junpei was surprised at how easily his mother agreed. "Just like that?"
"What else?"
Nagi looked at him and sighed. "Junpei, I've noticed. Some things have been happening with you lately."
Junpei froze, swallowing hard.
"You probably held back from telling me to protect our situation, thinking it's tough being a single mom. But things that seem world-ending to you are often small problems to adults… If you don't want to tell me, I won't push."
Nagi came closer and patted his head. "If you don't want to go, you don't have to. If you want to transfer, that's fine too."
"I know, Junpei is a good kid. I trust the school you choose. But if you ever need help, don't hesitate—tell me."
Junpei instinctively looked down. After a moment, he murmured, "How can Mom say things like this so casually?"
"Because we're mother and son," Nagi smiled. "I understand."
She walked toward the bedroom but paused and asked, "You don't intend to go back to that school, right? If not, I can skip the leave process and handle your withdrawal instead."
"No."
Unexpectedly, Junpei shook his head.
"I will go back. Definitely."
One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run—he would train with the determination of becoming bald.
Junpei clenched his fists.
If he followed the method of that man named Saitama starting tomorrow, training diligently every day, could he become bald—and strong—too?
Once bald, he would return to Risaka High, take back justice with his own hands, and leave the school with dignity, not like a defeated loser.
Then… he'd head to Jujutsu High.