"Well, have we played all the cards we can?"
"Yeah, I think we've done everything we possibly could."
"The rest is up to Shinomori-san, then…"
They exchanged these words after escorting Shinomori into a deep slumber.
"Alright, what should we do now?"
"Indeed. I was planning to play with Kaede-chan, but now we have to conduct tests so suddenly."
Keiko had promptly decided to run tests on Kaede in response to the changing situation. Just then, Asuna's phone rang with an incoming call from Shozo.
"Hello, Dad? Is something wrong?"
Asuna spoke with Shozo for a while. As soon as she hung up, she turned to Hachiman.
"It seems my brother is coming over here, and he's attending a meeting for a Lecto subsidiary. He wants to introduce me, so he was wondering if you could possibly show your face there."
"It could be good for networking, couldn't it? There might be people there who will eventually be relevant to us. It would be a great help if you could observe them and gauge their personalities, Asuna."
"You're right. Then I'll go for the sake of our future."
"I don't need to go, do I?"
"No, Dad apparently wanted to bring you along and show you off to everyone, but since you're more affiliated with Soleil than Lecto, he seems to have given up on it this time. Besides, if you went, my brother would be overshadowed."
"That would be bad," Hachiman replied with a wry smile at Asuna's words.
"I'll just do some sightseeing. Asuna, you should go ahead."
"Okay, I'm sorry."
Soon after, her ride arrived, and Asuna departed. After seeing her off, Hachiman pondered what to do. He recalled the twin sisters he had met recently and, guided by an instinct, headed towards their room. The two seemed to be bored in their hospital room, and upon spotting Hachiman, they happily rushed towards him.
"Hey, Ai, Yuu."
"Hachiman, you came again!"
"We saw that car arrive this morning, but then it went somewhere, so we thought you wouldn't come today."
"Is that so? Yuu didn't notice. Look, it's parked over there."
"Oh, you're right! Kit! Kit!"
Yuu innocently waved at Kit. To their surprise, Kit responded by opening and closing its doors up and down. Hachiman was pleased with Kit's growth and spoke to the twins, carefully choosing his words.
"How are you two feeling? You'll be going to Tokyo soon, but are you okay with long-distance travel?"
"Yeah, we're fine! Ever since you told us the other day, we've been so excited, we're full of energy!"
"Yes, I think I'll be fine too. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Oh, I'm just going to the restroom quickly!"
"Don't run in the hallway!"
"Hachiman, are you a teacher?!"
Even as Yuu teased him, she obediently followed Hachiman's instruction, walking to the restroom without running.
"It might be the first time she's ever taken to anyone like that."
"And you haven't taken to me, Ai?" Hachiman said jokingly.
Ai puffed out her cheeks and protested.
"Geez, are you talking about the first time we met? From my position, to protect Yuu, I can't easily let my guard down around others, you know."
"You're a good older sister."
"Because… I'll probably be gone before Yuu."
"Hey…"
"But it's probably true. I feel like my condition is progressing faster."
Hachiman looked at Ai with a troubled expression.
"Don't say such things."
"Then will you save us?"
"…I'll try."
"Such irresponsible words."
At Ai's words, Hachiman spoke with a hint of frustration.
"I've actually established a treatment plan for Kaede, you know. I might even be able to save Kaede. I can do at least that much."
"R-really?"
"Yeah."
"So… Kaede-chan has a chance of being saved?"
"It's still just a possibility, though."
"Even so, that's amazing."
Ai thought for a moment, then, with a brighter expression than before, she said to Hachiman, "Then, I'll allow myself to have a little hope."
"Is that so?"
"If you live up to our expectations, we might even let both of us become your wives."
"Unfortunately, I'm already taken."
"Oh, right, that was true, wasn't it…" Ai murmured, then said, "Then… a mistress?"
Hachiman heard this and said in exasperation, "What are you suddenly saying? That makes no sense."
"But there's nothing else left!"
"Isn't 'friend' an option?"
To Hachiman's question, Ai replied flatly, "There's no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman."
"You're strangely dry about things like that…"
"Hehe, it's a connection we've made, after all. You seem like a good person, and you seem to have a bright future, so we have to use this connection for our happiness."
"You're even more calculating, then."
Ai heard this and said with a slightly resigned tone, "Well, what can I do? We've been sick our whole lives, and we haven't had a proper social life. Who would fall in love with people like us?"
"There are plenty of people like that everywhere. You two are both cute, you know."
"C-cute?" Ai's cheeks flushed, as if she was hearing this for the first time. Hachiman continued, "Besides, what's important isn't who likes you, but who you like."
At his words, Ai grinned and said, "Then there's even less of a problem, isn't there? We both like you. After we said goodbye the other day, we talked about you, and we both completely agreed that you're like a prince!"
"Prince treatment again here too, huh…"
"Huh? Do people really call you that?"
"A little bit at school…"
"Haha, so that's it."
"What? You two seem to be having so much fun, what are you talking about?" Yuu returned from the restroom and joined the conversation.
"It seems Hachiman is indeed called a prince at school."
"Really? It was just as we talked about the other day!"
"Even so, don't you two treat me like a prince. I'm actually troubled by it, you know."
"Troubled?"
"Well, you can tell just by looking. I'm not the prince type at all."
"Huh?"
"No matter how you look at it,"
"You look like a prince,"
"Right~?"
"Quiet! Anyway, no more 'prince'!"
Hachiman stubbornly denied it, even as the two identical faces said it to him alternately.
"Also, I asked if you'd marry us in the future, but you flatly refused."
The moment Yuu heard that, she looked very sad and said to Hachiman, "Ehhh? Hachiman, do you dislike us?"
"Do you only have two options: 'like' or 'dislike'?"
"Then, do you like us?"
Hachiman answered that question matter-of-factly.
"It's normal, normal. You should also become a girl who can choose the option of 'friend' soon."
Yuu, hearing this, replied with an exasperated look, "Ehhh? There's no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman!"
The moment Hachiman heard that, he glared at Ai and said, "Hey Ai, you're filling Yuu's head with too many things!"
"Ah, was I caught?"
"Yuu doesn't seem like that type."
"Oh, you understand Yuu well, don't you? You must like her after all, right?"
"It's normal."
"Sigh~" Yuu let out a truly dejected sigh.
Seeing how genuinely sad she looked, Hachiman quickly said, "I-if it's a choice between like or dislike, well, I guess I like you, so don't make such a sad face, Yuu."
Hearing those words, Yuu instantly brightened up and said to Hachiman, "Hachiman is kind after all! You're like a big brother!"
"Oh, I have a younger sister, so my big brother skills are pretty good, you know."
"Really? Then I can treat you like a big brother without holding back!"
As Yuu smiled brightly, Ai said with a smirk, "Oh my, are you giving up on becoming his wife?"
"But Hachiman has a girlfriend, right?"
"You remembered. Then, a mistress?"
"That's a yes!"
"It's a yes, huh…"
"Because Hachiman looks like he'd gently be there for me in my final moments."
Hachiman and Ai couldn't say anything immediately to Yuu's words and exchanged glances. Then, Hachiman said to Yuu with a serious expression, "Yuu, don't say such things. I'll do everything I can for you two too, okay?"
"Really? Then I'll wait without expecting too much!"
"I can't say something irresponsible like 'expect it,' but I promise to do my absolute best."
"Okay. Even if it doesn't work out, will you be by my side in my final moments?"
Hachiman suppressed his frustration and forced a smile as he replied, "Understood. Both you and Ai, I'll let you meet your final moments in these arms of mine. But I'll tell you this: I won't give up, so you two absolutely must not give up either. It's a promise."
The two nodded in agreement at Hachiman's words.
"With this, I wonder if I can die happily even in my final moments."
"Yeah, I feel really happy somehow."
Then, the two said to Hachiman simultaneously:
"And we promise we'll never give up!"
"Yeah. When we go to Tokyo, let's all do our best."
"Okay!"
"Please continue to take care of us, Hachiman."
Meanwhile, Keiko, who had quietly arrived at some point, watched the three of them. Keiko renewed her vow that she, too, would never give up, and then quietly left the scene.
After talking for a while, the two started to look a little tired, so Hachiman told them he would head home for the day. He then went down to Kit, and the two watched him from their hospital room again.
As Hachiman waved goodbye, they happily waved back. Even after Hachiman started the car, the two in the rearview mirror continued to wave until they were out of sight.
Hachiman renewed his resolve and, wondering what to do next, remembered the souvenir Shino had asked him for and headed towards the bustling downtown area.
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