Captain Mizuki

Baicang couldn't let the girl scream here. If someone noticed and mistook him for a pervert, he would be in trouble.

He hurriedly covered her mouth with his other hand and explained, "Don't scream yet! It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

The girl clearly wasn't going to believe a pervert who claimed it was a misunderstanding while still keeping his hand on her. She decided he was the sort of creep who ambushed lone women in deserted corners.

She slapped the groping hand off her chest and threw a punch at Baicang.

Baicang turned his head, narrowly dodging the punch. Her face flushed with embarrassment, the girl kept swinging at him. He dodged while trying to explain, "Hear me out first. There's definitely been a misunderstanding."

"Die! Die!" The girl refused to listen to his explanation and stubbornly kept attacking. When she found that she couldn't land a single hit, she angrily spread her arms and lunged at him. Baicang was about to dodge again, but then he noticed the tears in her eyes.

Forget it. If I did something wrong, I should take my punishment. What's the harm in letting her beat me up?

He hesitated and didn't dodge, letting the girl tackle him to the ground. Looking down at Baicang pinned beneath her, she seemed surprised that her move had actually worked. The embarrassed anger on her face instantly turned to delight.

Instead of following up, the girl simply started laughing to herself. Baicang was baffled too. Is there something wrong with this girl?

"If you're not going to hit me, could you let me go?" Baicang asked, lying speechlessly on the ground.

"Ah!" Coming back to her senses, the girl looked at Baicang pinned beneath her, and her expression immediately turned angry again.

"You pervert! Why did you attack me? I'm taking you to the police!"

Hearing her furious demand, Baicang shot back, "Then why were you following me?"

"Uh..."

"Because I wanted to see what Tanktop Girl's boyfriend was like," the girl answered bashfully.

"What? Tanktop Girl's boyfriend? I don't even know her!" Baicang felt he had been dragged into trouble for no reason. He had never even heard of this Tanktop Girl. How had he suddenly become her boyfriend?

"Huh? Isn't your name Baicang?" the girl asked in confusion.

"Then isn't this you?" The girl fumbled around in her skintight athletic pants, then pulled out a phone under Baicang's incredulous gaze. She opened a picture on it and showed him.

"That is me." Looking at the same photo that appeared on his hero license, Baicang was just as puzzled.

"Then that's right. You're Tanktop Girl's boyfriend." The girl breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought she might have found the wrong person.

"What's right about that? How does that prove I'm her boyfriend?" Baicang asked helplessly.

"It doesn't?" The girl blinked with an adorably vacant look.

Some time later.

Looking at the girl kneeling beside him and apologizing nonstop, Baicang finally understood what had happened.

The girl's name was Captain Mizuki. She was the rank 71 B-Class Hero and Tanktop Girl's best friend. A few days earlier, she had seen Baicang's picture on Tanktop Girl's phone and kept asking who he was and what was going on. Tanktop Girl refused to tell her, so she assumed Baicang was Tanktop Girl's secret boyfriend.

She had been shopping in the area today when she happened to spot Baicang out shopping with Runo, and she thought he was cheating.

Indignant on her best friend's behalf, she decided to observe him in secret and record his wrongdoing. Then she would tell Tanktop Girl and persuade her to break up with him rather than waste her love on a scumbag. That had led to everything that followed.

Utterly baffled, Baicang told Mizuki that Runo was his younger sister and earnestly assured her that he really didn't know Tanktop Girl.

As for Baicang's attack...

Baicang fed Mizuki a story about how he had thought a monster was spying on him, preparing to take revenge. Afraid that innocent bystanders might get hurt, he had lured the monster away alone, intending to fight it to the death here to protect the citizens.

When he finally realized it was Mizuki, he had held back at the critical moment, but hadn't been able to stop all his momentum. That was why he had "unavoidably" touched her.

After hearing Baicang's explanation, Mizuki felt even guiltier.

"I'm so sorry, senior. I've caused you trouble." Mizuki sniffled beside him, wiping away her tears.

"It's fine, as long as we've cleared up the misunderstanding." Through their conversation, Baicang had learned that although Mizuki was taller than him and looked packed with muscle, she was actually a naturally airheaded, rather cute "little" girl.

At that moment, Baicang also remembered the Hero Association's assessment of Mizuki in the manga: a rising star with the potential to reach S-Class. His interest in her grew.

I can't let Mizuki get recruited into the Tanktop Alliance. I have to win her over first!

Baicang pulled Mizuki up from where she knelt and said earnestly, "Mizuki, you're still too inexperienced as a hero. You'll easily get into trouble like this."

"Then what should I do, senior?" Mizuki looked at Baicang seriously.

During their brief fight earlier, she hadn't been able to land a single hit on him. She had subconsciously assumed he was a stronger hero than her, completely overlooking the fact that she was a B-Class Hero while Baicang was C-Class.

"Ahem. Becoming a competent hero takes time and experience."

Baicang put on the air of a seasoned veteran. "How about this? Stay with me for now and watch how I handle incidents."

"Yes, senior! I'll be sure to learn from you!" Mizuki answered excitedly at once.

She's so easy to fool~

As Baicang walked out of the plaza with Mizuki, however, he was starting to regret it.

Mizuki was too tall. Every time he spoke to her, he had to tilt his head up, which made him feel rather undignified.

There was also the fact that Mizuki had an incredible figure and didn't like wearing longer clothes. Her tight athletic outfit put her alluringly defined abs and her lethal assets on full display.

Unless Baicang looked up, he had to stare straight into the "abyss." This is criminal! I'll have to buy a few pairs of insoles next time... extra-thick ones.

Baicang noticed an elderly woman preparing to cross the road. Just as he was about to use this as a teaching opportunity to show Mizuki how a hero should act, he saw that she had produced a relay baton from who knew where.

With a sharp flick, she extended it into a long pole and shouted to the old woman across the road, "I'm coming to help you! Don't be afraid!"

Then she pole-vaulted across the road, scooped up the old woman under her terrified gaze, and pole-vaulted back again.

Looking at the old woman, who nearly collapsed to the ground, Mizuki smiled and said, "No need to thank me. It's what I should do."

The old woman's legs were still trembling. She barely kept herself upright with her cane, one hand pressed to her chest the whole time.

Baicang couldn't help wanting to ask whether Mizuki held a grudge against old people. "Mizuki? You..."

"Yes! Awaiting your orders, senior!" Mizuki suddenly raised her hand and shouted with boundless energy.

Baicang: "..."

Mizuki's shout made the old woman shudder again, and she looked as though she was about to faint.

Baicang hurriedly dragged Mizuki away. If they didn't run now, the old woman's family would show up.