"To put it another way, only those who can produce results can stay by his side. But if you can, the environment he provides is top-tier."
"Exactly. I'm truly glad I came here. Now, shall we get back to it? I'd love to hear your unvarnished opinions."
"Understood."
Inside the Virtual World
"Ai, Yuu, I'm coming in."
"Wait! We're getting dressed!" Ai shouted.
"Fine. Call me when you're ready."
"Okay, come in!"
"That was fast."
"Wait, Ai—!"
Ai swung the door open herself. Hachiman caught a glimpse of two bare bodies and slammed the door shut instantly.
"Ai! You're taking the jokes too far!" he yelled from the hallway.
"Tch. I missed him."
"Don't 'tch' me! Cut it out already!"
"Fiiiiine."
A few minutes later, Ai called out again. "You can come in now."
"I'm trusting you this time."
"I wish you'd trust me every time."
"Not when you're the one saying it."
Hachiman opened the door and stepped inside. He blinked in surprise. Both girls were wearing the Sobu High school uniform.
"Oh? What's with the outfits?"
"We had Megurin wear the real thing and used it as a reference for our designs," Ai explained.
"It might be a little different from the real one, though," Yuu added timidly.
"I wouldn't know the difference," Hachiman admitted.
"Specifically, I opened up the neckline a bit, and Yuu just changed the shape of the ribbon," Ai noted.
"Now that you mention it... maybe."
"Here's the original photo."
Ai showed him a picture of Meguri in the uniform. Meguri was twenty-two now, and the photo had a slightly... strained feel to it.
"This is... Hey, Ai, send this to my phone. I'm going to use it to tease Megurin later."
"Understood! With pleasure," Ai chirped, tapping away at a virtual menu.
"Thanks."
"Hehe, make sure you give her a hard time," Ai said with a mischievous grin.
"But really," Hachiman said, looking them over. "It suits you both. You look cute."
"I wish I could have gone to school with Hachiman in these clothes," Yuu sighed.
"Yeah," Ai added. "Then Hachiman could have achieved the legendary feat of getting a girlfriend while still in high school."
"Yeah, yeah, very funny."
"Hmph. Your attitude is so cheeky."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
"Mmmgh!"
The two girls looked frustrated at being brushed off, but they quickly settled in, flanking Hachiman on both sides.
"So, who was that person from earlier?"
"Earlier?"
"The one with the slightly dark red hair."
"Ah, Kurisu?"
"I think that was it."
"That's Makise Kurisu. Look her up if you're curious."
The girls looked at each other. "Is she famous?"
"In certain circles, yeah."
Ai pulled up a search window. Her eyes widened at the results.
"Genius neuroscientist...?"
"She skipped grades to become a university researcher? At seventeen?"
"She's the same age as us..."
"Whoa, she published a paper in Science? She's the real deal."
Hachiman watched them process the information. "I brought Kurisu here to check the MediCuboid from a neuroscience perspective—to make sure there aren't any hidden risks. Meeting her was a stroke of luck."
"Oh, I see."
"But after seeing you two, she decided to get more involved in helping you."
"...Really?"
"Whoa, that's great!"
"I know it might be annoying to rely on someone your own age," Hachiman said, noticing Ai's quietness. "But try to bear with it, Ai."
Ai blinked at him, startled. "Annoying? I don't feel that way at all."
"Oh? You seemed a bit cold, so I thought..."
"That's not it..." Ai looked down, a bit embarrassed. "It's just... when I realized how much Hachiman is thinking about us, I suddenly felt like tackling you to the ground. I was being 'cold' because I was trying to restrain myself."
"Way to ruin the moment... Anyway, I have a message from her. She said: 'I was only going to be an advisor at first, but I've decided to get more actively involved. So, let's all walk through the city together someday.'"
The girls nodded slowly, absorbing the promise. Hachiman decided to change the subject.
"So, how's the combat training going?"
"Mmm, the fourth floor is a bit tricky..."
"The fourth floor? Oh, the one with the flood traps where you have to keep timing the doors?"
"Yeah. There are only two of us, so it's hard."
"I can't stay long today, but I'll help you out next time."
"Really? Thanks!"
"Can I pay you back with my body?"
"I told you to stop saying that!"
With a little time left, Hachiman decided to give them a lesson.
"Ai, Yuu. Try to do a standing forward bend."
"Eh?"
"Doing that won't make Yuu's chest jiggle, you know," Ai teased.
"Hey! That's mean, Ai!"
"Just do it," Hachiman commanded.
"Fine, fine."
The two girls tried to reach for their toes, but they were incredibly stiff.
"Whoa."
"I've never been very flexible," Ai admitted.
"Me neither..." Yuu added.
"That's just a mental block," Hachiman said.
He demonstrated a bend himself. Hachiman was disturbingly flexible—his body folded so effortlessly it almost looked unnatural. The girls, impressed, took the opportunity to jump on his back.
"Whoa, you're like a noodle!"
"But what does this prove?"
"Just watch."
Hachiman picked Yuu up and suddenly started spinning her around in circles.
"Wha—! Whoa! My head is spinning!"
The moment she was dizzy and disoriented, Hachiman sat her down and pushed her back down toward her toes. While her brain was too scrambled to "remember" her stiffness, Yuu folded forward just as deeply as Hachiman had.
Ai gasped. "W-what?! How?!"
"Think about it. These avatars are just like reality in that the joints won't bend backward. But they can perform any movement a human is capable of. Thinking 'I can't do this in real life, so I can't do it here' is just an illusion. If you empty your head, your body follows."
Hachiman patted Yuu's cheeks to wake her up. "Yuu, look at yourself."
"Huh? Ah! Wait, was I always this flexible?"
"Yeah. You were always capable of this. Now that you've felt it, try doing it again on your own."
"Okay!"
Yuu stood up, took a breath, and reached down. She succeeded with ease.
"I did it! I really did it!"
Hachiman and Ai shared a look.
"Yuu really is a 'Choroin' (easy heroine), isn't she...?"
"I wouldn't put it like that, but... yeah."
Yuu didn't mind. She was busy experimenting with her newfound range of motion.
"Alright, Ai. Your turn."
"I've got the hang of it," Ai said confidently. Without needing Hachiman to spin her, she emptied her mind and folded her body like a piece of paper.
"Nice. You're a quick learner."
"Of course I am... Wait! DARN IT!" Ai yelled suddenly.
"What now?"
"I should have pretended I couldn't do it so Hachiman would spin me around too!"
"What are you, a grade-schooler?!"
"My chest is 'adult' enough!"
"And that's why your constant self-promotion is annoying!"
Ai laughed. "So, by expanding our range of motion, we can expand our variety of attacks, right?"
"Listen to me when I'm talking! But yes, you're exactly right."
After a few more pointers, Hachiman told them he'd be back soon and logged out. Long after his avatar had vanished, the two girls remained, waving at the spot where he had been.
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