One Punch Man: Heroics Start with Dual Kamui

Chapter 174 174: Strange Thought Process

"Secretary and maid...?" Shinji blinked, stunned for a moment. The words didn't even register at first. What was this supposed to mean? He had never asked for a secretary, much less a maid. Then the obvious answer came to him. This had to be another one of Dr. Genus's odd ideas, his tendency to overthink taken to its usual extreme.

"Wait... does Mr. Shinji find her unsatisfactory?" Dr. Genus asked carefully, noticing Shinji's lack of enthusiasm.

"No... it's not about satisfaction or anything like that. It's just that I never asked for something like this..." Shinji replied, a touch embarrassed.

"This was my assessment. After losing her blood sac, Mosquito Girl's combat power became unstable, which makes her unfit to serve as a proper fighter. Still, she requires a role. I thought this position would suit her best." Dr. Genus explained in his usual calm tone, as though his reasoning was perfectly sound.

Mosquito Girl, however, showed no reaction to the discussion at all. She was too busy enjoying the fruit in front of her, happily chewing away with the carefree attitude of someone who had not a single concern in the world.

"Honestly, it doesn't need to be this complicated. Even if she only had Wolf-level strength, it wouldn't be an issue..." Shinji said, his tone edged with exasperation.

He had no plans to go to war with the Hero Association, so why would he ever need an army of fighters? From the start, he had never once considered making the [House of Takoyaki] join the Monster Association. It was all Dr. Genus spinning needless scenarios in his head.

But Dr. Genus wasn't hearing any of that. Instead, he smiled knowingly, convinced he understood Shinji's true intent. "Don't worry. We won't let you down, Mr. Shinji."

In his mind, Shinji's words couldn't possibly be taken at face value. Obviously, this was some test. To believe otherwise and withdraw now would have been, to him, an unforgivable mistake. For Dr. Genus, interpreting the hidden meaning behind his superior's words was more than just instinct, since it was survival itself. No matter how straightforward or casual Shinji tried to be, the doctor would insist there was something deeper behind it.

Shinji stared at him in silence, unable to come up with a reply. There was simply no way to have a normal conversation with this man.

"Well then, I suppose Armored Gorilla and I should take our leave. Someone has to keep the shop running." Dr. Genus rose from his seat, already preparing to go. "Come on, Armored Gorilla, let's go."

"Got it, boss," Armored Gorilla replied with a firm nod.

...

When the two of them left, the room felt quieter, leaving only Mosquito Girl behind.

Although Dr. Genus had declared she would now serve as Shinji's secretary and maid, Shinji couldn't bring himself to treat her that way. Instead, he regarded her as a guest. With nothing better to do, he prepared her a cup of tea.

"Thanks." Mosquito Girl accepted the cup, drinking it down in one go. When she finished, she immediately held it out again. "Could I have another?"

Shinji said nothing and quietly poured her a second cup.

It was clear she had no idea what being a maid actually meant.

After finishing off a plate of fruit and two cups of tea, Mosquito Girl looked completely satisfied, her expression radiating the same happiness as someone who had just enjoyed a flawless afternoon tea session.

Seeing her so content, Shinji finally spoke. "Alright, time to head back. Dr. Genus and Armored Gorilla are waiting for you."

"Okay." Mosquito Girl stood at once, ready to go.

But after only a few steps, she suddenly froze, a delayed realization finally sinking in.

"Wait! That's not right... I can't go back yet." Mosquito Girl suddenly turned around, her wings giving a faint twitch.

Lacking any real idea of how to be a secretary or a maid, she looked straight at Shinji and asked with perfect seriousness, "So, what should I do now?"

"Why are you asking me...?" Shinji stared at her with helpless disbelief. "Honestly, you might as well just go back. I don't actually need a secretary or a maid."

"No way. The boss gave me this assignment." Mosquito Girl shook her head firmly.

She tried to dig through her memories from when she had still been human. Though she had never worked as one herself, she had at least heard about jobs like a secretary and a maid. She had even seen them in manga...

"I see, I'm supposed to call you Master, right?" she said suddenly, a look of realization on her face.

But that word "Master" felt even more awkward than the customer-service tone of "dear customer."

"No, that's not necessary. Just call me Shinji," he corrected her flatly.

"And then..." Mosquito Girl tilted her head, thinking hard. "I think I'm supposed to do pervy stuff...?"

"I'm telling you, you've completely misunderstood from the very start." Shinji's patience was already at its limit. This woman was no easier to talk to than Dr. Genus.

"Moe~! Please don't underestimate me! I can do that kind of thing!" Mosquito Girl puffed up, not showing a shred of embarrassment. On the contrary, she looked offended, as though he had insulted her capabilities.

Getting serious, she abruptly sat on Shinji's lap.

"Is this... how it goes?" she asked uncertainly, clumsily leaning closer. Her tongue flicked against the side of his neck as her hands fumbled with his clothes.

"Oh~! … I mean oh God!" Shinji immediately pushed her away with both hands.

"Alright, that's enough." His voice was calm, but firm. "That's not your job. Your job is to serve tea, pour drinks, and clean."

Since there was no hope of reasoning with her, he figured it would be easier to just assign her some basic chores. That was what a secretary or maid was supposed to be doing anyway.

"Oh, so it wasn't supposed to be pervy stuff?" Mosquito Girl looked genuinely confused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Then those manga I read were wrong...?"

Shinji was left speechless. Just what kind of manga had she been reading?

"Anyway, start with something simple. Clean up the juice you spilled, and wash the teacups you used." He gave her a short list of tasks and returned to his own business.

Scatterbrained as she was, Mosquito Girl turned out to be surprisingly efficient. She still had fragments of her human memories, and she had helped out plenty at the takoyaki stand. The chores were handled quickly. But once they were done, she simply sat there with nothing left to occupy her, bored out of her mind.

The floor was spotless. The cups were washed. Nothing else was left to tidy up.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden sound of someone at the door broke the silence. With no other task at hand, Mosquito Girl stood and went to open it.

On the other side was Crossbow S, though she didn't recognize him at all.

"..." Do-S froze, her eyes narrowing as she studied the unfamiliar woman.

She had never once seen her among the Monster Association's members. Where had she come from? Not only was her outfit odd, but she was also inside Shinji's office!