You've Gained My Attention

"Too powerful!"

"Student Saikyō is so bold!" Seeing Hiyori's distressed appearance, the students' eyes widened in shock, and their jaws nearly dropped.

He actually... beat Hiyori, his tutor, in front of the whole class!

This is unbelievable!

"Saikyō!"

"Y-You, did you have to hit so hard?"

After finally getting up from the ground, Sarugaki Hiyori looked at her sandals, ignoring the dust on her Shihakusho, with an angry and disbelieving expression.

Her face was flushed with anger, and steam seemed to rise from her head.

She looked like a volcano about to erupt!

"Ms. Hiyori..."

"I didn't mean for things to turn out this way. I hope you won't take it to heart." Saikyō shrugged innocently as he put his fists away.

He was being honest.

He didn't feel like he did anything wrong, but he was forced to fight back.

As for his transformation into "One Punch Man," that wasn't his fault. If anyone was to blame, it was his overly strong passive abilities!

Power Strike!

The effect had activated fully, giving an eight-fold boost based on Hiyori's Reiatsu.

And that led to this result.

"The duel was your idea, too." Saikyō spread his hands helplessly. "Besides, it's just a fall. No big deal, right?"

"Y-You… You still dare to talk back to me?!"

Contrary to Saikyō's and the students' expectations, Hiyori's voice suddenly lost its usual harshness, becoming weaker and quieter.

It was as if she'd been cornered, her voice softening with each word.

"So? Do you want me to make it even stronger?"

As Hiyori stared at him in astonishment, Saikyō quickly approached her, raised his arm, and flicked her forehead again.

Thud!!!

The sharp sound echoed once more.

A second red mark appeared on Hiyori's bewildered forehead.

She'd been struck by Saikyō yet again!

"Actually, I have to admit, this technique is pretty satisfying."

Saikyō lowered his arm with a sense of satisfaction.

As this scene unfolded, the entire training ground fell into a stunned silence.

All the students stood frozen, their eyes wide open, as though they'd just witnessed an incredible spectacle.

"Damn it!"

"Is student Saikyō a devil? He dares to mess with the tutor on his first day of school!"

"This is insane! He's our idol now!"

"I wish I could pull something like that off one day!"

...

Countless admiring eyes turned toward Saikyō all at once.

Beating the instructor with both fists was one thing, but giving her a forehead flick as well?

That took guts!

At that moment.

Sarugaki Hiyori finally came to her senses and glared at Saikyō viciously.

Everyone expected her to completely explode, but surprisingly…

"Wahhh!!!"

Without warning, Sarugaki Hiyori burst into tears, squatting on the ground like a wronged little girl.

This scene stunned everyone yet again!

Even Saikyō was dumbfounded.

"Am I dreaming?"

To make sure he wasn't imagining things, Saikyō pinched his arm.

When he felt the pain, his shock only deepened.

Based on everything he knew about Hiyori, it was almost impossible for her to cry. This fierce and tough girl had never shown her vulnerable side.

Yet here she was, crying in front of him.

"Ms. Hiyori… is actually crying?"

The other students watching were just as incredulous.

They had thought they were dealing with a "demon" of a mentor and feared getting scolded on the first day. Instead, this dramatic scene was playing out before their eyes.

Today's class had turned into a full-blown spectacle!

"What should I do now?"

Saikyō stood there, utterly lost.

He wasn't afraid of Hiyori getting angry, but this... this was new territory.

Who would've thought that her forehead would be her weakness?

Now feeling like a villain, Saikyō truly felt innocent!

"Um... Ms. Hiyori, does this mean the match is over?" Saikyō hesitantly asked.

"You…"

The crying began to subside.

Sarugaki Hiyori raised her head and stared straight at Saikyō, her eyes filled with obvious resentment.

"I might have used a little too much strength earlier. How about I apologize? I promise I won't cause any more trouble in class." Faced with Hiyori's death glare, Saikyō felt a chill run down his spine.

"Who wants your apology!"

Hiyori stubbornly turned her head away, angrily wiping away her tears.

"..."

Seeing her reaction, Saikyō was completely baffled.

She wouldn't accept an apology, and she didn't want to fight either.

It was impossible to know what to do!

"In addition to your regular training, you'll need to do extra training!" Sarugaki Hiyori declared with her chin raised proudly.

"Extra training? What do you mean by that?"

Saikyō eyed her cautiously, wary of any sudden tricks.

"Idiot! You're supposed to be a genius, can't you understand?" Hiyori glared at Saikyō again, raising her voice intentionally.

"You've successfully caught my attention!"

Hiyori sounded like a domineering leader, her words sending a hush over the crowd.

"No way."

"Is she serious? This is unbelievable!"

Saikyō was in full panic mode.

If it were anyone else, he might have enjoyed extra training with the instructor.

But with Hiyori? That was something he just couldn't handle.

With her fiery personality, being targeted by a "tigress" was not something he could easily escape from!

"What's the matter? You don't look too happy."

Hiyori used her piercing death stare once more.

"Actually, I was thinking..."

Before Saikyō could finish, Hiyori cut him off.

"I don't care what you think. What I think is that after class, you stay and keep training." Her tone left no room for negotiation.

"???"

"Hiyori actually cares?"

Saikyō wondered if he had traveled through time into another reality.

Hiyori's demeanor now was like that of a demanding, authoritative figure.

"Alright, class will continue. Let's move on to the next part of the Reiatsu course." Hiyori quickly changed the subject, leaving no space for argument.

"Wow, Hiyori's personality is even stronger than I thought."

Saikyō muttered to himself as he watched Hiyori's back.

After that encounter, he had come to understand her character better.

While she may seem brash, lively, and even strict on the surface, deep down, there seemed to be a vulnerable side that rarely showed itself.

Saikyō wasn't sure if getting Hiyori's attention was a good thing or not.