Crab in One-Punch Man

Saitama's room on the 140th floor always carried a mixed scent of instant noodles and kombu broth.

Early morning sunlight slipped through the not-quite-closed curtains, casting a crooked patch of light across the floor. Saitama squatted before the small tea table, holding a chipped porcelain bowl and vigorously stirring the white rice inside with chopsticks. Beside the bowl lay a crumpled packet of braised-beef instant noodle seasoning. The opening had been torn unevenly, leaving only a little brown powder and chopped scallions inside.

"Teacher, you can't keep eating like this." Genos stood at the kitchen entrance, his mechanical eye flashing its standard worried blue light. "That's half a packet of seasoning left over from last night. It's been open for fourteen hours, and oxidized fats can produce trace amounts of harmful substances. I still have fresh eggs and bacon in the refrigerator."

"It's fine." Saitama didn't even look up. He shook the last of the seasoning powder into the bowl, added half a spoonful of boiling water, and stirred until the rice turned light brown. "It'd be a waste to throw it away. It's just right mixed with rice. The tomato-flavored seasoning I had left over last time tasted pretty good with steamed buns, too."

He shoveled in a big mouthful of rice and added indistinctly, "Saves money."

Genos was silent for two seconds. He quietly took a soft-fried egg from the refrigerator and gently placed it beside Saitama's bowl. "I fried one extra this morning. Also, I've reheated the pan-fried dumplings you brought back from the cafeteria yesterday and put them in the insulated bag. The 140th-floor match notification came ten minutes ago. If we leave now, we'll arrive just in time for the opening."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Saitama wolfed down the rice in three bites, licked even