Back at Saitama's apartment, Genos and Tanktop Master took the initiative to wash the ingredients. Bang prepared the hotpot broth, while Metal Bat and Saitama argued over the perfect moment to drop the meat slices into the pot.
Sol arranged the bowls and chopsticks.
Tatsumaki floated in the living room, watching everyone bustle around, or more accurately, make a mess of the kitchen. Saitama and Metal Bat nearly came to blows over a box of sliced meat, making her click her tongue in annoyance.
"A bunch of idiots..."
Before long, the rich aroma of hotpot filled the apartment.
Everyone gathered around the table, and the room quickly became lively.
While tending to his meat, Metal Bat finally found an opening. He nudged Sol's arm and lowered his voice, though everyone at the table could still hear him.
"Hey, Sol, nothing happened on your trip, right? You and Tatsumaki... huh?" He gave Sol an exaggerated wink.
Tanktop Master remained silent, but he also looked toward Sol with quiet curiosity.
Bang smiled faintly while cooking a piece of leafy vegetable. He acted as though he wasn't listening, though his chopsticks had noticeably slowed.
Saitama was focused on eating, but hearing the conversation, he looked up with a smear of sesame sauce still at the corner of his mouth.
"Hm? Trouble? What happened to Sol?"
Genos immediately answered.
"Teacher Saitama, Mr. Metal Bat is asking about the progress of Mr. Sol's relationship with Miss Tatsumaki."
"Oh..."
Saitama nodded in understanding before looking between Sol and Tatsumaki.
"Right, Sol. When are you coming back to live with us? You've been staying at Tatsumaki's place for quite a while now."
Saitama's completely unfiltered honesty instantly froze the already delicate atmosphere.
Metal Bat stopped chewing, his eyes darting between Saitama, Sol, and Tatsumaki in complete disbelief.
Tanktop Master coughed into his fist and suddenly became very interested in the bubbling broth.
Bang quietly picked up a piece of tofu, pretending not to hear anything, though the slight shake of his shoulders gave him away.
Genos nodded seriously.
"Yes, Teacher Saitama. According to my records, Sol moved into Miss Tatsumaki's residence after his previous injury, and he has indeed been living there ever since."
Tatsumaki's face instantly turned bright red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.
She slammed her chopsticks onto the table.
Her psychic power flared uncontrollably, causing the dishes to tremble.
"Baldy! What kind of nonsense are you saying?!"
She glared furiously at Saitama.
"Who... who said he's living with me?! I only let him stay temporarily while he recovered! He's just handling paperwork there for the time being!"
The explanation sounded unconvincing.
Everyone present knew S Class heroes enjoyed excellent living conditions. There was no reason Sol would need to stay at someone else's home just to process paperwork.
Saitama shrank back with an innocent expression.
"Eh? Isn't that right? Genos said so..."
"Genos!"
Tatsumaki immediately turned her fury toward him.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Tatsumaki."
Genos bowed without hesitation.
She spun back toward Sol.
"You! Aren't you going to say something?!"
Sol had just dipped a slice of lamb into sesame sauce and placed it in his mouth.
He calmly chewed, swallowed, then looked up at the crimson-faced Tatsumaki before glancing around the table at everyone pretending not to listen.
"Hm."
His voice remained perfectly steady.
"The bed at Tatsumaki's place is very comfortable."
Silence.
The entire apartment seemed to freeze.
The slice of meat in Metal Bat's chopsticks slipped back into his bowl with a soft splash, sending droplets of sauce across the table.
Tanktop Master remained frozen in place, still pretending to study the broth.
Bang's hand stopped halfway through stroking his beard.
Even Genos's internal processors seemed to pause for a moment.
Saitama blinked, looked at Sol, then at Tatsumaki, whose entire body was glowing with brilliant green psychic energy.
"Oh... so you really are living together."
"You... are... all... idiots!!!"
Tatsumaki's scream nearly blew the roof off the apartment.
Terrifying psychic power erupted throughout the room.
The dishes rattled violently.
The bubbling hotpot shook so hard that Saitama hurriedly grabbed the pot.
"Hey! The soup's going to spill!"
The next instant, everyone except Sol was blasted out of the apartment along with their chairs by an irresistible wave of telekinesis.
Bang!
The apartment door slammed shut.
Outside in the hallway, Metal Bat rubbed his aching backside.
"Tch... was that really necessary...?"
Tanktop Master stood up and adjusted his tank top.
"We were being intrusive."
Bang dusted off his clothes with a warm chuckle.
"Youth can be quite shy."
Genos spoke in his usual analytical tone.
"Miss Tatsumaki's response appears to be an excessive expression of embarrassment and anger."
Saitama leaned toward the door, peering through the narrow gap with a disappointed look.
"My meat... I didn't even finish eating. It's not often we all get to have hotpot with Sol."
Inside the apartment, Tatsumaki hovered in midair, breathing heavily.
Her emerald eyes were locked onto Sol, who remained seated as though nothing had happened, casually picking up another piece of food.
"You! What kind of nonsense were you saying just now?!"
Her voice trembled with frustration.
Sol placed another piece of cooked meat into his mouth, slowly chewed, swallowed, then looked up at her.
"I was stating a fact. It's very comfortable sleeping with you."
===
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