Warning: Spoilers for One-Punch Man Chapter 178 (JP)As One-Punch Man pushes Saitama and Tatsumaki closer to a fight, there is still Fubuki, who's well positioned to interrupt them. Unfortunately for her, Saitama just found the most devastating thing he could say after all this time, and it's just one word: acquaintances.

Fubuki and Tatsumaki were at the bottom levels of the Hero Association to deal with Psykos, whom they have a history with in One-Punch Man, when the place came under attack by men from a mysterious group called Tsukuyomi. The Tsukuyomi intended to kidnap Psykos and kill Tatsumaki and Fubuki as witnesses, but Saitama burst through at that moment and put an end to their threat. Tatsumaki becomes angry with Fubuki's followers and threatens them with her power, as one of the Tsukuyomi had disguised himself as a member of the Blizzard Bunch. Saitama made a move to stop her, which is where the previous chapter ended.

Related: A One-Punch Man Monster Holds The Answer To The Series' Biggest Mystery

One-Punch Man Has Fun At Shippers' Expense

one-punch-man-tatsumaki-fubuki-psychic-sisters

Chapter 178 (by Japanese numbering) returns to the tense standoff between Tatsumaki and Saitama. Saitama continues to hold Tatsumaki by the wrist, even as she begins using her power on him. Tatsumaki doesn't appreciate Saitama's casual tone with her sister, and asks him what their real relationship is. Saitama says that they're not friends or partners, nor is he a follower of hers. Instead, he says, they're simply acquaintances--as in, people who barely know each other. The next panel immediately cuts to Fubuki falling to her knees, with an absolutely crushed expression on her face.

One-Punch Man's Saitama Tells Fubuki They're Just Acquaintances

One-Punch Man: Fubuki's reaction to Saitama calling them acquaintances.

While One-Punch Man may not be what people think of when they think of fandom concepts like shipping--the practice of pairing up characters in a work--it still happens. Given how much focus was placed on Fubuki throughout One-Punch Man's Monster Association arc, and her becoming increasingly more impressed with Saitama, both in action and in personality, there are actually far more Fubuki/Saitama shippers out there than one might expect. Despite enjoying the tease, though, One-Punch Man isn't a romance manga, and one of Saitama's key character traits is his utter obliviousness when it comes to... most things, really. Saitama is unlikely to ever return or even acknowledge Fubuki's feelings in the comic, so a moment like this can really twist the knife for shipping fans, even if it is pretty funny in context. One-Punch Man even takes things a step farther by teasing Tatsumaki/Saitama instead, having her eyes light up in surprise when he grabs her and pulls her out of the building. She's clearly got a variety of feelings going on at that moment, including some she doesn't really understand.

Will One-Punch Man fans be left with the two psychic sisters vying for Saitama's affection, only to be met with his typically oblivious behavior time and time again? Probably.

More: One-Punch Man Proposes A New Theory For Saitama's Strength

One-Punch Man is published in English by Viz, via their Shonen Jump app.