After smoothly completing his morning rehab session, Hachiman apologized to Asuna for not being able to join her for the afternoon session.
"It's not a big deal," Asuna said, tilting her head. "But do you have something going on?"
"Yeah, actually, I'm meeting Klein later about that introduction we talked about."
Asuna's eyes sparkled. "So, Klein's finally getting his springtime romance…?"
"Sorry, but I've gotta head out for a bit."
"Sure, be careful! Oh, Hachiman-kun, I'd love to meet Hiratsuka-sensei sometime!"
"Got it. I'll bring you along next time."
"Sweet! I'm looking forward to it!"
Hachiman and Klein—Ryotaro—had arranged to meet at Daishi Café that day. As Hachiman stepped inside, Egil greeted him with a warm grin.
"Yo, Klein's waiting for you."
Ryotaro was already there, seated at the counter, waving casually. Hachiman nodded and slid onto the stool beside him.
"Hey, sorry for dragging you out here, Hachiman," Ryotaro said. "I could've driven, you know."
"You've got a license?" Hachiman raised an eyebrow. "That's handy."
"Not so much in the city, but it sure changes how you see the world."
"Yeah, I get that…"
This offhand exchange, unbeknownst to Hachiman, planted the seed for him to later decide to get his own driver's license.
"Anyway," Hachiman continued, "this is about that thing, right?"
"Yeah, about that…" Ryotaro scratched his head. "You know how we talked about you introducing me to Hiratsuka-san? I, uh, need to ask if we can put that on hold for a bit."
Hachiman blinked, surprised that Ryotaro, the self-proclaimed ladies' man, would request a delay. He studied his friend for a moment before speaking.
"Why? Found someone else you're into?"
"Hell no!" Ryotaro laughed, waving off the idea. "It's just… work's been kinda rough."
Hachiman, who had yet to enter the workforce, nodded thoughtfully. "Work keeping you busy?"
"Not exactly. The problem's with me." Ryotaro's tone grew serious. "You know I've been through two months of rehab, right? My body's fine, more or less. But work… it's not just about being physically capable."
"Hm?"
"I've got a two-year gap in my career. Stuff that used to come easy—things I could do without thinking—now it's like I'm fumbling everything. It's frustrating as hell."
"I see…"
Hachiman started to piece together what Ryotaro was getting at. It wasn't just about physical recovery—his finesse, his confidence, was off. Maybe he needed to rebuild relationships with clients from scratch, too.
(Man, hearing this makes me really not want to work… but for Asuna's sake, I can't just slack off. Gotta step up.)
Egil, who'd been quietly listening, broke the silence. "So, what's that got to do with delaying the introduction?"
"Yeah," Hachiman added, "how's that connected?"
Ryotaro flashed a sheepish grin, his cheeks tinged with embarrassment, but his voice was firm as he answered.
"Look, if I'm gonna date someone, I want them to see me as a guy they can rely on, you know? I can't meet her while I'm still leaning on the company, playing the victim card. It'd be pathetic."
"Klein…" Hachiman murmured.
"Right now, I'm half-baked, barely keeping up at work. If I met Hiratsuka-san—a strong, dependable woman—in this state, I might end up leaning on her too much, and I'd never move forward. I've gotta become a man who can stand tall beside her first!"
Hachiman looked at Ryotaro with newfound respect. "Got it. I hear you loud and clear."
A bright, irrepressible smile spread across Hachiman's face as he clapped Ryotaro on the shoulder. "I'm heading to Hiratsuka-sensei's right now. I'll tell her every word you just said, exactly as you said it. Your sincerity's gonna reach her, trust me."
"Thanks, man. I'm counting on you."
"You got it!"
With that, Hachiman left Daishi Café. Egil, still at the counter, turned to Ryotaro, who was practically buzzing with determination. "To think so seriously about a woman you haven't even met yet… you've changed, Klein."
"Huh?" Ryotaro blinked, then chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I don't even know anything about Hiratsuka-san…"
"Might wanna learn a thing or two. Preferences matter, don't they?"
"Yeah, you're right…"
Ryotaro groaned, realizing his oversight, and buried his face in his hands. "I'm asking her to wait for me, but not even knowing the basics about her? That's a whole different issue. I should've asked Hachiman something—anything—before he left…"
Egil laughed. "At this rate, it's gonna feel like an arranged marriage."
"An arranged marriage…" Ryotaro's face clouded with hesitation. "That's not bad, but… I kinda want the real deal, you know? A proper romance…"
Egil shook his head with a wry smile and gave Ryotaro a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just ask Hachiman later. For now, focus on getting your work back on track."
"Right! I'll sort it out, pronto!"
"That's the spirit. Keep at it."
"Thanks, Egil!"
Ryotaro's doubts seemed to melt away as he muttered to himself, psyching himself up. Egil watched him warmly, hoping things would work out.
Just then, two women entered the café.
"Welcome!" Egil called out.
The pair nodded politely, their eyes scanning the place with curiosity.
"Wow, this place is so cool!" one said.
"It's quite calming, isn't it?" the other agreed. "Shall we sit at the counter?"
"Yep!"
Despite empty tables, they made a beeline for the counter and sat down.
"Two ginger ales, please," one requested.
"Coming right up," Egil replied, sizing them up. A couple of beauties. He prepared the drinks deftly and set them down.
"Here you go—ginger ales."
"We heard about this place and had to stop by," one of the women said. "It's just as lovely as we were told."
"Totally! It's got such a great vibe!"
"Thanks," Egil said. "Mind if I ask who told you about us?"
"Hachiman-kun," the dark-haired woman answered, while her pink-haired companion nodded enthusiastically.
"Figures," Egil said with a grin.
"You're not surprised?" the dark-haired woman asked, amused.
"Well, we just reopened, and we haven't done any advertising. Pretty much only insiders know about us right now, so I had a hunch."
"I see."
"First time meeting, right? Yukino-san and Yuiyui-san?"
"Nice to meet you, Egil-san. I'm Yukino," the dark-haired woman said. "Is that Klein-san over there, getting all fired up?"
"Yo, Klein! Snap back to reality!" Egil called.
"Hi! I'm Yuiyui!" the pink-haired woman chimed in. "Wow, Klein-san's here too? What a coincidence!"
Ryotaro, startled by Egil's call, finally noticed the women beside him. "Egil, what'd you say? Oh—sorry, I didn't see you there!" He bowed hastily, then looked up, his face flushing as he glanced between them and Egil.
Egil, reading his friend's expression, clarified, "This is Yukino-san and Yuiyui-san."
"No way…! Uh, hi, I'm Klein!" Ryotaro stammered.
"I'm Yukino."
"And I'm Yuiyui!"
Still not used to talking to women, Ryotaro scrambled for something safe to say. "So, uh, what brings you here today?"
"We were shopping nearby," Yukino explained, "and thought we'd drop in."
"Yeah!" Yuiyui added. "Since we'll probably be coming here a lot, we figured we'd check it out!"
"Nice, what a coincidence! Hachiman was just here, but you just missed him."
"Oh, really?" Yukino raised an eyebrow. "What was he doing here?"
"Well, you see…" Ryotaro recounted the whole story about Hiratsuka-sensei.
"I see," Yukino said thoughtfully. "So, Hiratsuka-sensei might finally have her springtime moment, too."
"Awesome!" Yuiyui cheered.
"If Hachiman-kun gives the okay," Yukino continued, "would you like us to tell you a bit about Hiratsuka-sensei?"
"Seriously? That'd be great!" Ryotaro's eyes lit up.
"Hold on a moment," Yukino said, pulling out her phone to call Hachiman. After a brief conversation, she nodded. "He says I can share whatever I think is appropriate."
"Thanks!" Ryotaro said eagerly.
"Here, take a look at this first," Yukino said, showing him a photo of Hiratsuka.
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