"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Haruno called out.
"Thanks for coming out on your day off, Haru-neesan," Hachiman said. "That's one hell of a car…"
"No worries, I was curious myself!" Haruno replied. "And as requested, I brought the fastest ride we've got!"
Hachiman had specifically enlisted Haruno as their driver for the day, with the condition of lifting her "Asuna ban" from earlier. Today's crew consisted of Hachiman, Asuna, and Yukino. Yukino, staring intently at the car, tugged lightly at Hachiman and Asuna's sleeves, signaling she had something to say.
"Yukino, what's up?" Asuna asked.
"You two better brace yourselves," Yukino said gravely. "Nee-san bringing this car out means she's dead serious."
"That bad, huh?" Hachiman asked, wary.
Yukino's face paled slightly as she explained. "This car's a Trans Am, with a six-liter engine. And Nee-san's driving it to compete with Hiratsuka-sensei. You can imagine what that means, right?"
"Six liters…" Hachiman muttered.
"I'm sure Haru-neesan's driving will be fine. Probably," Asuna said, trying to sound optimistic.
"Accidents aren't the issue," Yukino clarified. "It's the G-forces during acceleration and corners you need to worry about."
"G-forces? Are they that intense?" Asuna asked.
"Yes. So, just… be ready," Yukino warned.
Hachiman and Asuna nodded vigorously, taking her words to heart. The context for today's outing was this: a few days ago, Klein—aka Ryotaro Tsuboi—had finally gone on a date with Shizuka. Worried, Hachiman's group had tried tailing them by car, only to be utterly outpaced by Shizuka. She'd left them in the dust the moment they hit the suburbs. Hachiman, still a novice driver despite his decent skills, could only keep up in city traffic.
That date had been a partial flop. After the initial meetup, Shizuka noticed the tail and floored it once they left the city, turning the outing into an impromptu long-distance drive. Still, Ryotaro seemed to have a blast, and their car-ride banter had clearly brought them closer. Today was their second date—a do-over—and Hachiman's crew was determined to keep up.
"Been a while since I drove this beast," Haruno said, eyeing the car. "It's the only one we've got that can match Shizu-chan's ride."
"True enough," Yukino agreed, then dropped a bombshell. "Oh, and this car's got an AI. It talks."
"What?!" Asuna gasped.
"No way… Is this thing straight out of that old American show?" Hachiman asked.
"You know your stuff," Yukino said, impressed. "Yes, Father built this car as a full-on tribute to that show, down to the modified exterior. Its official name is QUEEN2000, but we call it KITT—after Mother, obviously. The acronym's technically wrong, but for Father's sake, please call it KITT."
Hachiman and Asuna exchanged awkward glances.
"Call it KITT, huh…" Hachiman muttered.
"Um…" Asuna hesitated.
"Please, feel free to call me KITT," the car chimed in.
"Eek!" Asuna yelped, instinctively clinging to Hachiman, who caught her reflexively.
"My apologies for startling you. Are you alright?" KITT asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Asuna said.
"Whoa… it really talks. And it's polite!" Hachiman marveled.
"This is so cool!" Asuna added, eyes sparkling.
They turned to KITT with enthusiasm.
"Guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Hachiman. Nice to meet you, KITT," he said.
"I'm Asuna. Hi, KITT!" Asuna added cheerfully.
"Hachiman, Asuna. A pleasure to meet you both. I look forward to today," KITT replied. To Hachiman's eyes, it seemed almost excited to be out and about.
Asuna, grinning, patted KITT like it was a puppy. Haruno, sensing the moment, approached. "Alright, KITT, time to roll. How's your condition?"
"All systems green, Haruno. No issues. Please, everyone, hop in."
With that, KITT's doors swung upward—gull-wing style.
"Wait, this thing's got gull-wing doors?" Hachiman asked, stunned.
"Father's idea when he redid the exterior. One hundred percent his hobby," Yukino said dryly.
"No kidding…" Hachiman muttered.
"KITT, you're so cool!" Asuna exclaimed.
"Thank you, Asuna," KITT replied, sounding pleased.
As they prepared to board, Haruno stopped Hachiman from taking the front passenger seat. "Uh, maybe everyone should stick to the back."
"Why's that?" Asuna asked.
"I just thought the front might be… scarier," Haruno said with a sly grin.
Hachiman laughed it off. "Scary? I've faced death plenty of times. No problem here."
"Really?" Haruno said, fixing him with a knowing stare.
Intimidated, Hachiman backpedaled. "W-Well, it's my first time in this thing, so maybe the back's fine for now…"
"I thought you seemed confident enough for the front," Haruno teased.
"Haha, no issue at all! Just, you know, playing it safe," Hachiman said, hurrying to the back seat to avoid further prodding.
Yukino, lingering behind to ensure Asuna sat next to Hachiman, was nudged forward by Asuna herself. "Yukino, sit next to Hachiman-kun!"
"B-But…" Yukino stammered.
"No buts! I'll take the other side," Asuna insisted.
"Okay… thanks," Yukino said, blushing slightly as she slid in beside Hachiman.
Haruno muttered under her breath, "The confidence of the main wife…"
Asuna, unfazed, climbed in from the other side. With all four aboard, they set off for Ryotaro and Shizuka's meeting spot. After a ten-minute drive, they spotted a familiar sports car ahead and pulled over, discreetly observing.
Ryotaro was chatting with Shizuka, who'd just arrived. Her face flushed red at his words, but she looked delighted.
"I don't think I've ever seen Hiratsuka-sensei like that," Yukino remarked.
"I've seen it before, but damn, Klein's got game," Hachiman said.
"They look so good together!" Asuna added.
The couple climbed into Shizuka's car, ready to depart.
"Alright, everyone, here we go!" Haruno announced.
"Please drive safely," Asuna pleaded.
"That depends on Shizu-chan," Haruno said with a grin.
"So, we're definitely not driving safely…" Hachiman muttered, his face unreadable.
"Don't worry, Hachiman. I'll ensure we avoid any accidents," KITT reassured.
"Thanks, KITT. Asuna, if you get scared, grab onto me," Hachiman said.
"Okay! Yukino, don't hesitate to hold onto Hachiman-kun either!" Asuna added.
Yukino flushed. "I-I'll be fine. I don't rely on others so easily."
"Really? Hmm…" Asuna said, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. "This isn't about 'main wife confidence' like Haruno-san mentioned. I just have a feeling this seating arrangement might come in handy. So, Yukino, if the moment comes, don't hold back, okay?"
"You heard that, Asuna-chan?" Haruno said, surprised.
"What are you, a prophet?" Hachiman muttered.
Seeing Asuna's earnest expression, Yukino relented. "Fine. If it comes to that, I promise I won't hesitate."
"Good!" Asuna beamed.
Minutes later, as they left the city, Asuna's prophecy came true.
"Waaaah! Scary, scary, scary!" Asuna wailed.
"Nee-san! Slow down, Nee-san!" Yukino cried.
Both girls clung to Hachiman from either side, teary-eyed and shrieking. In contrast, Haruno hummed cheerfully as she drove, and Hachiman, though outwardly calm, was braced low, feet planted, gripping both girls tightly. His face, upon closer inspection, was slightly pale.
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