Lisbeth, hammering away at her forge as usual, was summoned by Asuna.
"Liz, Hachiman's been acting weird lately," Asuna said.
"Isn't he always kinda shady?" Lisbeth replied.
"Yeah, but this is… different," Asuna insisted.
Asuna explained that Hachiman had been frequenting shops for trinkets and furniture—places he'd never bother with normally. Lisbeth initially brushed it off as his usual odd behavior, but listening closer, she agreed it was unusual.
Hmm, a girl? No way, not Hachiman. What's he up to? Lisbeth thought.
"It's the opposite of his usual suspicious vibe," Lisbeth said.
"Right?" Asuna agreed.
"Alright, Asuna, let's tail him," Lisbeth declared, suddenly hyped.
"What? Follow Hachiman? He'll totally notice!" Asuna protested.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan!" Lisbeth said with a grin.
"What's up, ladies?" Argo asked.
Lisbeth's "plan" was, apparently, Argo.
"Just checking—any info on why Hachiman's acting weird lately?" Asuna asked.
"Nothin' specific. Haa-bo doin' somethin' shady?" Argo replied.
Asuna recounted Hachiman's odd shopping sprees.
"That's definitely not Haa-bo's style. Super suspicious," Argo said.
"So, we're hiring you to tail him," Lisbeth said.
"Sounds fun. I'm in," Argo agreed.
Unbeknownst to Hachiman, a surveillance net closed around him. Oblivious, he gleefully furnished his tower, unaware Argo was watching his every move.
Days later, Argo reported back.
"Haa-bo's been hangin' around a tower in Coral Village's safe zone. But when he gets close, poof—he vanishes," Argo said.
"Something special about that spot?" Asuna asked.
"I checked. Nothin' there," Argo replied.
"See? Super suspicious," Lisbeth said.
"What do we do?" Asuna asked.
"Only one option: stake it out and catch him red-handed," Argo suggested.
"Won't he spot us?" Asuna worried.
The trio brainstormed, landing on a plan.
"Here's the deal," Argo said. "Worst case, he spots us from afar and bolts. So, we hide obviously—make it clear someone's there, but not who."
"Huh?" Lisbeth said.
"Cover yourselves with a flashy cloth. It's too obvious for a trap, so he won't ignore it. He'll come check, and that's when you grab him," Argo explained.
"Got it! Let's try it!" Lisbeth said.
"When he gets close, pounce. Done," Argo said.
"Let's do this, Asuna," Lisbeth said.
"Tell me how it goes if you can," Argo said.
"Thanks, Argo!" Asuna called.
The duo timed their move, creeping near the tower.
"This it? Looks like a random decorative tower," Lisbeth said.
"There's gotta be a secret," Asuna said.
"He's coming soon. Let's hide," Lisbeth urged.
They crouched, waiting. Soon, Hachiman appeared, startling at the sight of the cloth but approaching cautiously.
"He's being careful," Lisbeth whispered.
"Yeah, we can't jump too soon or he'll run," Asuna said.
"Let's pull him in close," Lisbeth said.
They held their breath as Hachiman edged nearer. After what felt like ages, he reached for the cloth.
"Now, Asuna!" Lisbeth shouted.
"Go!" Asuna replied.
They lunged, but Hachiman was just out of reach.
"You guys?! Damn, a trap!" he yelped, turning to flee toward town.
Asuna, prepared, equipped her rapier and unleashed Linear at his back. In the safe zone, it dealt no damage, but the knockback sent him sprawling. Lisbeth pinned him, striking a smug pose.
"Alright, Hachiman. Behave, or it's harassment jail for you," she declared.
"You guys are ruthless…" Hachiman groaned.
"So, what were you doing here?" Asuna asked.
"I-I was gonna tell you eventually, if I got the chance," Hachiman stammered.
"Eventually, huh? Was that chance ever coming?" Lisbeth teased.
"P-Probably?" he said.
"Sorry, Hachiman. Did that hurt?" Asuna asked.
"No pain, but that Linear was serious," he said.
"Your imagination," Asuna said, smiling sweetly.
That smile wasn't sweet at all, and Hachiman instinctively switched to polite speech. "R-Right, sure."
"What's here, anyway?" Lisbeth asked.
Hachiman sighed. "Fine, this way."
He opened a window, and a door appeared on the tower's side.
"What? Evil organization hideout?" Lisbeth gasped.
"It's… my house," Hachiman admitted.
"Your house?!" Lisbeth exclaimed.
"Your house?!" Asuna echoed.
Shocked by the reveal, they decided to explore. Inside, a spiral staircase wound upward.
"Pretty stylish," Lisbeth said. "Asuna, hold him so he doesn't bolt. If he tries, I'll trigger the harassment code."
"Oh, sorry, Liz. I turned off harassment alerts for Hachiman ages ago," Asuna said.
"What?" Lisbeth said.
"Huh?" Hachiman said.
Both froze, dumbfounded.
That's why I didn't get a harassment warning when Asuna touched me before… Hachiman realized.
Lisbeth snapped back. "Hachiman, you heard nothing. Got it?"
"G-Got it…" he said.
"Let's head up. Lead the way," she ordered.
"Y-Yes, ma'am…" he mumbled.
Upstairs, the duo marveled at the spacious layout, top-notch amenities, and detached shed.
"When did you get such a fancy place?" Lisbeth asked.
"You bought this?" Asuna said, awed.
"That night after our walk, I got carried away. Found this hidden spot by chance. Had to buy it," Hachiman explained.
"I'd buy this too," Lisbeth admitted.
"The view's amazing," Asuna said.
"Why keep it secret?" Lisbeth asked.
"It's a secret base. Guy's dream, y'know?" Hachiman said.
"Not secret anymore, Liz," Asuna said.
"Nope, not anymore," Lisbeth agreed.
"Not anymore…" Hachiman sighed.
Asuna and Lisbeth whispered, reaching some agreement, then extended their hands with smiles.
"Uh, what's with the hands?" Hachiman asked.
"I want a key, Hachiman," Asuna said.
"I wanna use the shed as a workshop," Lisbeth added.
"Uh… veto power?" Hachiman tried.
"You can say no, but Argo's dying to know about this place," Asuna said.
"And I've got my harassment code active," Lisbeth added.
"Fine… here," Hachiman relented, handing over keys.
They beamed, thrilled.
"Don't move in permanently," Hachiman warned.
"We'll be reasonable!" Asuna said.
"Come as a pair if you stay," he added.
"Got it! You're generous, Hachiman!" Lisbeth said.
"There's three spare rooms. Share or take separate ones, bring whatever furniture you want. I'll set them to owner-only access," he said.
"Sweet! Let's shop, Liz!" Asuna said.
"What to get… Oh, Hachiman, can I put forging gear in the shed?" Lisbeth asked.
"No plans for it, so go ahead," he said.
"Thanks! Let's go, Asuna!" Lisbeth said.
And so, Hachiman's hideout was exposed in record time.
Well, this isn't so bad… maybe, he thought.
Reflecting on his old pushover self and his newfound ease with others, Hachiman wondered how he'd change moving forward, his mind drifting to the future.
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