The Fallen Angel [OPM]

12. Serotonin

The destruction of A-city by alien forces has been reported as a big historic event for days.

The spaceship was retrieved by Metal Knight and moved elsewhere. The hero association headquarter has been reconstructed and strengthen into an iron fortress.

Saitama counted every change in his wallet. He had just received his salary from the hero association, his first salary since being promoted to class B.

Class B's salary is not much higher than that of Class C.

Genos: Teacher, what's your relationship with [Y/n] ?

That came out of the blue.

It's been two days since they defeated the aliens, now Saitama is lying in his apartment reading manga, and Genos is recording his teacher's every move in a notebook.

Saitama: We're good friend.
Genos: After several days of watching, I found out that every time [Y/n] is with you, she doesn't smile as much as she usually does. She always looks tired and depressed. Why is that ?
Saitama: She's just relaxing. No big deal.
Genos: After scanning [Y/n], I discovered that the amount of Serotonin hormone in her body is very low.
Saitama: Seno...what now ?
Genos: It's Serotonin. If you don't know Serotonin, it is a signal transmitter for neurons, regulating cognition, motor regulation, emotion, mood maintenance and appetite. Serotonin is also a stimulant for smooth muscle contractions, making us feel happy and many other emotions.
Saitama: Hey, hold up. I didn't ask.
Genos: Okay, then I'll talk about the problems with low serotonin. Studies have shown that as many as 85% to 90% of the public believes that depression is caused by low serotonin levels or a chemical imbalance.

Saitama had lost track of their conversation. His facial muscles began to twitch.

Genos: Anxiety, including obsessive-compulsive forms of anxiety, may indicate a person has low serotonin. Anxiety that comes on suddenly and appears unrelated to something else, such as a recent trauma or stressor, is often due to a serotonin issue. Chronic stress and anxiety may also deplete serotonin....
Saitama: ENOUGH !

He threw the manga in Genos' face.

Saitama: SUMMARIZE IT IN 20 WORDS !!!
Genos: Yes, teacher. So in short, [Y/n] is suffering from major depression.
Saitama: Yeah, I already know that.
Genos: As expected of my teacher. How long have you known this ?

Saitama remembers the day they first met. [Y/n]'s eyes were lifeless then, as if she had just come out from somewhere worse than hell.

Saitama: She doesn't like anyone else knowing about her illness so I won't tell. You shouldn't say anything either.
Genos: I understand, teacher.
Saitama: And stop talking about that topic from now on.

Saitama returned to reading the manga, but his mind was no longer thinking about the contents of the story.

He remembers the time when [Y/n] was still living with him.

Flashback
One evening, he returned from defeating monsters and didn't find her at home. Maybe she was working overtime and would be home late, but something prompted him to find her.

[Y/n] was a kitchen assistant at a restaurant during this time. He went to her workplace, only to find it closed an hour ago.

'Where could she have gone ?'
*Saitama*

He remembers it was the first time in his life he felt so scared.

He went looking for her on the way home, checking every train and bus station. She didn't answer any calls or texts.