Kyoko raised the paper cup of hot coffee to her lips and took small sips.
Her adorable demeanor caught the young police officer's eye, who stared at her fixedly. Her cheerful smile, with hints of maturity and allure, instantly pierced through his defenses.
As his heart raced and breathing quickened, he had already mentally chosen which kindergarten their future children would attend.
"Excuse me, could you help me retrieve my training scores from the system?"
Kyoko's gentle, sweet voice snapped the young officer back from his daydream. Embarrassed, he scratched his head and nodded hastily, his face flushed, "J-j-just a moment, I'll get right on it!"
With that, like a teenager experiencing first love, he awkwardly fled to the control room next door.
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Kyoko's eyes. The special knowledge from her superpower was proving useful — the results of this little experiment were quite satisfying.
Lost in thought, her gaze involuntarily turned to Johnson beside her, "Chief~uh..."
"Tsk tsk tsk, quite the femme fatale, aren't you." Johnson placed his hand on her head, effortlessly restraining his mischief-making subordinate, "But you wouldn't think of using the superpower I gave you against me, would you, Kyoko-san?"
"I just got this superpower and I'm a bit excited, that's all!" Kyoko struggled to free herself from his large hand, pouting, "But it doesn't make sense. This so-called superpower is actually a scientific theory formed after deep research on men, combined with my natural beauty. Shouldn't it have at least some effect on you, Chief? Chief, don't tell me you don't like women? Ouch..."
Taking a solid chop to the forehead from Johnson, she tearfully covered her reddening forehead, presenting a beautiful image of a flower drenched in rain — pitifully lovely.
It was fortunate no one else was around; if even a single male had been nearby, they would have likely transformed into her knight in shining armor, red-eyed and ready to attack the "bad guy."
"Don't try that routine with me. Carelessly slandering your superior — I could report you for defamation in a heartbeat." Johnson dusted his hands off, as if recalling the sensation of that hit.
"Not bad, at least your resistance to physical attacks has improved."
"What do you mean?" Kyoko immediately grew wary, cautiously covering her chest as she said vigilantly, "Chief, did you enhance me just to have a convenient punching bag? I absolutely refuse to submit!"
"Put away those dark thoughts of yours, and frankly, you're far from qualified to be a punching bag." Johnson shook his head in disappointment, "Alright, I have things to do, so I'll be going now. As for you, don't forget to clean up the mess you've made."
Kyoko frowned, puzzled, "What do you mean, 'the mess I've made'..."
"Senior Kyoko!"
A testosterone-filled shout came from outside the door, and Kyoko felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
"I've brought the data you asked for!" The young officer from the training grounds had sweat on his forehead and a slightly trembling voice, "M-may I ask... are you free tonight?"
"Uh..."
Kyoko's scalp tingled as she finally understood what Johnson meant by "mess".
Looking back instinctively, she found Johnson had completely vanished, and her vision momentarily darkened.
The helpless young policewoman held her forehead and laughed dryly, having no choice but to face reality.
The next second, an onslaught of passionate advances came rushing in. The novice Black Widow appeared composed on the surface but was actually trembling with fear.
'I'll never experiment with my superpower on colleagues again!' she thought tearfully.
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Having confirmed that Kyoko had adapted well to the Character Card's abilities, Johnson left the police station satisfied.
Black Widow wasn't a superhero focused on direct combat, but her versatility and comprehensive abilities made her invaluable as support. Giving this role to Kyoko, his deputy, couldn't have been more appropriate.
As he walked, an electronic screen at the base of a commercial building broadcast the midday news.
[...According to reports, three Wolf-level monster incidents occurred in J-City this morning, all successfully repelled by the recently active C-class hero 'Mumen Rider'. Despite sustaining serious injuries, Mumen Rider's popularity and hero support rating are rising rapidly. At this pace, he has a strong chance of competing for the C-class Rank 1 position.]
[...Breaking news: moments ago, the Tiger-level monster 'Debt Rampager' attacking A-City's commercial district was defeated through the combined efforts of A-Class hero 'Smile Man', B-Class heroes 'Crying Man' and 'Spring Mustachio', and C-Class heroes 'Angry Man' and 'Secret Mask'. Citizens are eagerly taking photos with the heroes at the scene...]
The Special Operations Chief had, indeed, left work early again and was now searching for lunch in one of Z-City's few remaining food streets.
Watching the hero-related news all around him, Johnson fell into deep thought. If he had spare Character Cards in the future, helping heroes with average abilities but noble hearts become stronger would be worthwhile.
This approach would allow heroes with limited potential to make a greater impact. The idea of an S-class hero "Mumen Rider" was particularly appealing.
Those who help others shouldn't be left to suffer alone. In this world, justice above all must never be betrayed.
"Special discount hot dogs! Delicious and cheap, only available for the first hundred customers, hurry up and grab them! Special discount hot dogs..."
A nearby voice caught Johnson's attention, making him pause. He had been about to enter a rather nice-looking Western restaurant for lunch when, following the sound, he spotted a young man in a white chef's uniform and hat, pushing a food cart and calling out enthusiastically.
"Special discount hot dogs, I'm hungry, I'll take one."
"I'll have one too."
"Can I buy two? Great, I'll take two then."
Being lunchtime, people nearby were drawn to the vendor's calls, and business appeared to be thriving.
Johnson waited for the crowd around the cart to thin out before approaching, "Let me have a hot dog too, Saitama. Why did you change jobs again?"
"Oh, it's Johnson." Saitama skillfully took the bills Johnson handed over and pulled out a hot dog bun topped with cheese and sauce from under the cart, "My previous boss went out of business, remember? Though I managed to take some usable materials from the ruins as compensation for my wages, daily life still requires money, so I had to find work again."
"Keep up the good work." Johnson said after taking a bite of the hot dog. The springy sausage combined with perfectly balanced sauce was surprisingly tasty, "This is unexpectedly good. Let me have another one."
Saitama smiled cheerfully as he prepared another hot dog, "Sure thing, thanks for your patronage!"
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T/N: Favorite, comment and save to your library of best reads in the world, thank you for reading this far!
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