One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

Chapter 128: The Relationship Between Us

Shinji felt that in the original story, Psykos probably never doubted the authenticity of that future. At least, she had never shown it. So then… was this change also because of his influence on her?

For now, he had no way to know the answer and could only speculate.

"Maybe it really is for the same reason. Which means we should all the more try to uncover the truth behind it." Shinji said.

He definitely couldn't mention anything about "God." Psykos clearly had no knowledge of such an existence. For now, he could only let it pass and look for another way to investigate.

"Mhm~. With Vice President Shinji by my side, I feel much more at ease." Psykos smiled and nodded.

At that moment, a couple passed by them, the woman holding onto the man's arm. Out of the corner of her eye, Psykos noticed.

"..."

After a brief moment of thought, she suddenly linked her arm with Shinji's.

The sudden gesture caught Shinji off guard, his eyes widening slightly as he glanced at her in surprise.

"Doesn't this look more like the kind of relationship we have?" Psykos said with a smile.

To an outsider, it would naturally look like she was referring to something intimate and romantic. But Shinji's instincts told him it couldn't be that simple. This was Psykos, after all. Her mental common sense, especially about romance, was a little weird. Remember she 'slept' with him. No, literally, she just slept with him and nothing else.

Shinji was anticipating the magic to take place, but Psykos came out denser than many harem protagonists.

"I feel like I should ask first. What kind of relationship are you talking about?" he asked seriously.

"?" Psykos looked at him like he had asked a strange question. "Of course, as 'understanders'… or as close friends?"

"As expected..."

Psykos' reply didn't surprise him. If he thought otherwise, it would only be his own wishful thinking.

"Is something wrong?" She raised a brow.

"Well…" Shinji paused for a moment, then said bluntly, "I just think… neither an understander nor a close friend would normally do something this intimate… right?"

"Really?" Psykos tilted her head slightly.

"Or… does Vice President Shinji not want me to be this close?" Her tone dropped a little, her expression faintly disappointed.

"??"

Shinji was stunned by how she had taken it. "That's not what I meant… you know what, never mind. Just pretend I didn't say anything…"

He gave up explaining. When it came to matters between men and women, Psykos was strangely dense. He had thought about saying that men and women should keep a certain distance, but figured she still wouldn't understand. In the end, explaining would only create bigger misunderstandings.

…

After wandering around the streets for a long time, Shinji and Psykos finally returned to the deserted zone.

"It's about dinnertime, isn't it? Why don't you eat at my place before heading back?" Shinji offered.

"Sure. I'd like to taste Vice President Shinji's cooking again." Psykos agreed with a smile.

When they returned home and opened the door, they found Boros sitting in the living room.

"Oh, it's Shinji. I was just…" Boros began to speak, but his eyes immediately shifted to the unfamiliar woman at Shinji's side. "And she is…"

Psykos's gaze also turned toward Boros, her attention caught by his appearance.

This man looked exactly like the cosmic overlord she had once seen.

"He's Boros," Shinji introduced to Psykos.

Then he turned to Boros. "This is my… close friend, Psykos. She's an esper."

"An esper? Like that little kid from before?" Boros asked. He was already familiar with psychic abilities, since one of his former subordinates had called himself the "Number One Telekinetic in the Universe," Geryuganshoop. It showed that espers weren't rare in the cosmos.

"...That's right," Shinji replied with a slightly awkward smile. Hearing Boros call Tatsumaki a little kid again made him uneasy. Luckily, Tatsumaki wasn't here, or things would have turned ugly fast. Psykos, not knowing Boros was referring to her, had no reaction. She simply gave a polite bow.

"Since you're here, want to try some Earth food?" Shinji offered.

"Sure. I don't need to eat, but absorbing nutrients helps speed up energy recovery," Boros said with a nod.

....

Less than half an hour later, dinner was ready. Four dishes, a soup, and rice, more than enough for three people… or rather four.

Because, as usual, Saitama dropped by to freeload a meal. He had gotten into the habit of storing his groceries at Shinji's place and would just come over when it was time to eat. It wasn't exactly mooching if both of them shared supplies.

"Oh! Cosmic Dentist Boros, and… uh… Miss Psy… Psycho?" Saitama greeted as soon as he stepped in and saw the guests.

But his memory wasn't great, and after not seeing her for a while, he couldn't recall Psykos' name clearly.

"I'm not Psycho. My name is Psykos," she corrected calmly.

"Oh, oh! Sorry, I just couldn't remember for a second," Saitama said with an easy, sheepish grin.

"It's fine," Psykos replied, unbothered by something so trivial, especially since he was Shinji's friend.

"So you're here for dinner at Shinji's too?" Saitama asked.

"That's right," Boros confirmed. Psykos nodded as well.

"Great. A lively table is better." Saitama brightened up. "I bought some discounted beef today. The supermarket had two packs left, and I snatched them both. Should be enough for four people."

Even now, with money no longer an issue, Saitama still had an obsession with supermarket sales. After all, fighting for discounts was the only fight that could give Saitama a challenge.

Before long, Shinji came out of the kitchen with the dishes.

The four then sat down at the table.

"I'm digging in."

"..."

Seeing Shinji and the others put their hands together and bow slightly before eating, Boros, who didn't understand the gesture, quickly mimicked them.

"I'm digging in," he echoed.

Thanks to the support of the Rinnegan, Shinji's cooking skills had leveled up again. The food he served was even more delicious than before.

After tasting it, Boros couldn't help but remark, "Delicious. This planet's… no, Earth's food is even better than I imagined."

"Right? Shinji's the best cook I've ever met. Way better than most professional chefs," Saitama praised.

"You think this is surprising? He's my vice chairman," Psykos added with pride, her mood lifting at hearing the compliments directed at Shinji. For her, Shinji was just better at everything. She had no doubts about Shinji's abilities.