Chapter 76 – Heart to Heart
"The meal is ready in the large room," After the seven of them came out of the bath, the NPC innkeeper greeted them.
"Hm? Who ordered it?" "I did! Me, me, me!" Klein raised his hand in response to Hachiman's question.
"When it comes to hot springs, of course we should all eat together in the large room, right?" "..." Although a bit speechless at Klein's hot spring enthusiasm, it wasn't a bad idea, so everyone obediently followed him to the large room.
By the way, as part of the package, the inn had also kindly provided yukata (light cotton robes).
Asuna was especially happy, thinking she could wear it at home too.
Hachiman was also secretly pleased, imagining Asuna in a yukata at home, though he kept a completely straight face.
"Wow~ This room's pretty nice too." "Definitely feels like a traditional hot spring inn." "I've never been to a hot spring before, so this feels really fresh and new!" "I see. Once we return to the real world, let's find some time to take Silica to a real hot spring." "Thank you, Hachiman-san!" "Wait, Hachiman, you haven't gone to many hot springs either, right...?" "There's a huge gap between experiencing it and not, right? This works out just fine." "Well, that's true, I guess..."
Hachiman looked around at everyone and asked who had been to a hot spring before. Only Agil raised his hand. Hachiman rushed over to Agil and shook his hand enthusiastically. "As expected of Agil! You really understand the soul of the Japanese people!" "You're acting like you're the ambassador of Japan..."
Agil tilted his head slightly and replied like he suddenly remembered something: "Oh, did I never mention? I'm a born and raised Edokko (native of Tokyo)." "For real!?" "That's how it is." Hearing this, everyone seemed to feel a bit closer to Agil.
This classic Japanese reaction made Agil feel a sense of closeness—Japanese people tend to keep a bit of distance from those who clearly look foreign, but once they find out the person is born and raised in Japan, they quickly warm up.
Seeing Agil suddenly being hailed as a hero, Klein's competitive spirit flared, and he stood up and declared:
"Alright! I'll perform a traditional Japanese naked dance!" "Hey... Klein, that's too much..."
"It's fine, Kirito. Klein just wants to show the spirit of Japanese manhood. We've got no reason to stop him."
As he said that, Hachiman signaled Asuna with his eyes, and Asuna whispered something to Lisbeth and Silica. The boys didn't notice.
"Go, Klein! Express your soul with this dance! Go, Klein!" "Leave it to me! I'll show you my survival style!"
Just as Klein fired himself up and started taking off his clothes—
"Now! Asuna, Lisbeth, Silica—activate the harassment code! Send this idiot to jail!" "Wha—wha—wha—wait!!"
Klein stopped mid-strip just in time. "Ugh, if you'd shouted just a second later, it would've been perfect..." "Hachiman! What were you trying to do just now!?" "No, this time it's clearly Klein's fault..." "Yeah, Klein's the problem here."
Kirito and Agil calmly backed Hachiman up. Klein grumbled in frustration, but seemed to give up on the dance. Suddenly, with tears streaming down his face, Klein began a monologue: "Damn it... What do I have to do to be a hero? My cool moments flop, my jokes fall flat... When will my springtime come...?"
This heartfelt monologue touched Hachiman slightly, and he decided to treat him a little more kindly. "Ah... Sorry, Klein. I may have gone a little too far earlier." "It's fine, Hachiman. This is just the kind of fate I was born with..."
Hachiman scratched his head and then asked the girls: "Hey, honestly, setting aside polite answers—what do you really think of Klein?" "Hmm~ He's cheerful and positive. Pretty nice." "Though he tends to hog the spotlight too much." "I think he's actually a serious and dependable guy."
"Oh? Pretty favorable opinions. What do you guys think?" He then turned to Kirito and Agil.
"Loyal and caring." "A good mood-maker."
Kirito tried to stop him, but Hachiman blocked him.
"All good things... So why doesn't Klein have a girlfriend?" "Well... from a girl's perspective, he gives off a really strong 'I want a girlfriend' vibe." "I see. But overall, he's still a decent guy, right?" "Well... Being called a 'nice guy' doesn't always feel like a compliment to us."
While Silica and Lisbeth said this, Asuna added: "But overall, still a notch below Hachiman-kun." "Oi, Asuna, I know you love me, but zip it for now." "Yeees~"
After thinking a bit, Hachiman asked Klein, in front of everyone: "Klein, how old are you this year?" "About 26." "Do you like older women?" "Actually, I prefer them." "What about women who smoke and are a bit messy?" "I don't mind." "Women with a bit of an old-man vibe?" "That's part of their charm." "Then... what if she's not pretty?" "As long as she genuinely loves me, looks don't matter!"
"..."
'Hachiman pictured his neighb. That last question was actually a test—looks like Klein passed.'
"Got it. If we make it back to the real world, I'll introduce you to a woman who fits that description." "Seriously, Hachiman!?" "Dead serious. But that's based on how she was two years ago. She might have someone now, so be prepared to give up." "Understood!" "Why do I feel no joy from Hachiman saying that! But I won't give up!"
"Then let's turn that hope into motivation and work harder to beat the game. Let's make sure we all return to the real world!" "Yeah!!"
The other five all responded in unison, once again vowing to return to reality.
"Alright, let's eat. Let's go a little extravagant today." "Alright! This one's on me!" "As it should be." "R-Right..."
That night, they held another party and spent a joyful evening together.
They also decided that once they returned to reality, their meeting point would be Agil's store—"Dicey Café" in Okachimachi.
Although it might have shut down, everyone believed the government would handle it properly.
After the party, Hachiman and Asuna soaked together in the private family bath.
"Today was fun, huh?" "Yeah. Let's save the couple's hot spring trip for our homework—to do once we're back in the real world." "Mm!"
"By the way, my family's just your typical dual-income household. What do your parents do, Asuna?" "Hmm... My father is the CEO of RECT Inc." "Uwah... CEO of a major electronics company!? Guess I really need to hit the books hard to gain their approval." "Do your best, my dear husband." "Yeah!!"
Fired up, Hachiman suddenly heard Asuna ask with a gentle smile: "Speaking of which, you live in Chiba, right?" "Yup." "In Chiba... you only know Yukinoshita-san, right?" "Huh? Yukinoshita? Full name?" "I mean someone named Yukinoshita Haruno." "No way..."
Hachiman gave a brief explanation of his connection to Haruno. "What a small world~" "But it's actually a good thing. In a pinch, I can contact you through Haruno-senpai." "Right!" "So anyway, we have to make it back first." "And we need to set Klein up with someone." "Oh yeah, I mentioned it to you, right? It's our neighbor, Miss Takizawa." "I heard she's a beauty?" "Of course. If Klein complains she's not pretty, the deal's off." "Got it."
"..."
As they talked, Hachiman pulled Asuna into his arms. Though their bare bodies touching made her a little shy, the happiness outweighed the embarrassment.
"From here on, I'm counting on you, Asuna." "Me too, Hachiman-kun."
Their lips gently met under the starlit sky, with only the digitally rendered, inorganic stars witnessing the moment.