Chapter 15: Assessment Results

"Does the Association have urgent business?" Kaito asked as he noticed the girl panting, clearly exhausted. "You ran here in quite a hurry."

Chiba Reina quickly set down her drink and clumsily fumbled through her briefcase. In her haste, she accidentally knocked over a seasoning bottle on the table.

"I'm so sorry! I'll clean it right up—"

"It's fine." Kaito caught the bottle with practiced ease, steadying it before it could tip further. His fingertips briefly brushed against hers. "Take your time."

The contact made her flinch, and her face turned crimson. She lowered her head, eyes darting anywhere but at Kaito.

"A-Acutally… it's not anything serious," she murmured. "I just came to deliver assessment results to Mr. Saitama and Mr. Genos…"

Her voice trailed off into a whisper, barely audible over the sizzle of meat on the grill.

"I couldn't find you earlier… I ran through half the district…" she mumbled, almost apologetically.

Child Emperor, chewing on a grilled slice, blinked and piped up innocently, "Sister Reina, your face is really red. Are you overheating? Should I get you a cooling pack?"

"N-No!" Chiba Reina frantically waved her hands—and knocked over a dish of dipping sauce in the process.

The dark soy-based sauce splattered onto her pristine white shirt, blooming into a vivid stain across the front.

"Ah! My uniform!!"

Kaito calmly handed her a tissue. "Here, blot it. Don't rub."

"Th-thank you…" Her hands trembled as she accepted the tissue, only to smear the stain further in her nervous attempts to clean it.

Saitama, still chewing, looked up lazily. "Assessment results? Did I pass?"

Relieved at the distraction, Chiba Reina quickly retrieved a sheet from her file.

"Mr. Saitama… your written test score was 71. You passed—just barely."

"Whoa! I passed?!" Saitama threw his hands in the air, still holding a skewer. "I thought I was toast! Those ethics questions were brutal! Like, what do you do if a monster takes a little girl hostage? I mean, duh, you punch the monster!"

Genos nodded solemnly. "Master's judgment is swift and accurate. A direct strike neutralizes most threats."

Chiba Reina cleared her throat, then continued more seriously. "That said… your physical fitness results broke all previous Association records. After a special meeting, headquarters has decided to grant you an exceptional ranking…"

She paused for effect, her tone growing formal.

"You have been designated a B-Class Hero, ranked 77th."

"Wait, not C-Class?" Saitama blinked, visibly confused. "But they said I bombed the written exam…"

He recalled Yamamoto telling him that his score was so low, he'd probably only make it into C-Class at best.

Reina nodded. "Normally, yes. But you shattered the strength-testing machine. During the speed trials, even our cameras couldn't track you. At first, there were suspicions of foul play—"

She stole a glance at Kaito, then added, "—but because you were personally recommended by King, the committee cleared the doubts."

Kaito simply nodded. As expected, his influence had already begun to change a few things. In the original timeline, Saitama had started from the bottom.

"What about me?" Genos asked, expression intense.

"Mr. Genos," Chiba Reina said, pulling out another form, "You've been ranked as an S-Class Hero, 17th position."

She handed him the document. "Your interview and battle performance received very high praise."

Child Emperor jumped up, nearly knocking over his chair. "Awesome! Another S-Class! This team-up is getting fun!"

Saitama's excitement visibly deflated. "Wait, why's he S-Class? And what interview?! I didn't get any interview!"

Caught off guard by Saitama's outburst, Reina stepped back instinctively, bumping into the waiter behind her.

Kaito gently steadied her by the shoulder before she could stumble, sensing her body stiffen under his touch.

"Relax," he said softly. Then he turned to Saitama. "The rankings don't just reflect power. They consider reliability, discipline, initiative, and reputation."

And, he thought to himself, the Association probably credited Genos with the destruction of the Evolution House.

Reina gave Kaito a grateful glance, then gathered her courage and added, "And B-Class is already amazing! Many heroes work for years without promotion…"

Her voice gradually faded as she noticed Saitama staring at her with his signature dead fish eyes.

"Teacher," Genos suddenly stood up and bowed at a perfect ninety degrees. "If you are not satisfied, I will immediately file a complaint with the person in charge!"

"No need, no need…" Saitama waved it off, stuffing another piece of grilled meat into his mouth. "Since I passed, there's no problem."

Chiba Reina breathed a sigh of relief and quietly leaned closer to Kaito.

The faint scent of gardenias clung to her, mixing with the smoky aroma of barbecue in the air. It created a strangely charged atmosphere.

"Um…" she whispered, barely audible over the background noise, "Headquarters also asked me to convey that they hope King can spare some time to visit the Association. About your… uh… eliminating monsters with your aura today—the higher-ups are very eager to understand the details."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What? The Association has a problem with how I fight?"

"N-No!" Chiba Reina shook her hands frantically, face flustered. "It's just that… no one's ever been able to do something like that before…"

Her voice grew smaller with each word, eventually trailing into a barely audible murmur. "And you looked… really handsome today…"

"Hmm?" Kaito leaned in deliberately, voice teasing. "What was that last part?"

"N-Nothing!"

Chiba Reina's face turned redder than a cooked lobster. She hastily gathered her documents. "I-I'll head back to the Association and report now!"

In her rush, she bowed quickly—and almost tripped over a chair.

Kaito's hand shot out, steadying her by the waist. The sudden closeness brought them face-to-face, their breaths intermingling.

"Be careful," he said softly, letting his warm breath graze her earlobe.

Chiba Reina froze, her blush creeping from her ears down to her neck. She muttered a barely coherent thank you before darting away like a frightened rabbit, leaving her briefcase behind.

Child Emperor tilted his head. "Sister Reina ran off even faster than when she showed up."

Genos noted dutifully, "Data suggests that under certain emotional stressors, adrenaline secretion can spike by over 30%."

Saitama, meanwhile, was staring thoughtfully at the abandoned briefcase.

"You guys… think the Association reimburses taxi fares for people delivering documents?"

Kaito chuckled and shook his head. He picked up the soda Reina had barely touched. A faint lipstick mark shimmered on the rim under the light.

He tilted the cup back and finished it in one go. The cool soda slid down his throat, carrying with it a faint, elusive sweetness.

"I'll drop by the Association tomorrow and return her bag."

Then he turned to Child Emperor, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Hey, Child Emperor—can I ask you to help me develop a remote-controlled robot with full combat capabilities?"

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