Altered reality

"So, in other words, you lured Hajime to a prearranged location, took down over thirty thugs, and forced him to confess the corruption within his family?" Misaki summarised, her expression serious as she holds her chin in thoughtful manner.

Hayato met her seriousness with equal intensity, his tone unwavering. "Yeah, pretty much."

Misaki's serious expression remained unchanged as she replied, "I see… I don't get it."

Hayato's head dropped to the table in exasperation. "Are you kidding me?! I've explained it three times already—what don't you understand?!"

Misaki slammed her hands on the table, rising to her feet with a determined glare. "I can accept a lot of things, but how the hell am I supposed to believe that you took down more than thirty thugs—and most of them were adults?!"

Hayato let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. He understood where Misaki was coming from, but he still needed to explain. "Listen," he began, his tone calm but firm, "in a fight, strength isn't the only thing that matters. Things like the environment, tactics, vital strikes, techniques, and weapons all come into play. This time, I had every one of those factors working in my favor. And... I may not look it, but I'm actually pretty skilled when it comes to fighting. You could say that's the only thing I'm really good at."

Misaki gave him a skeptical look, finding it hard to believe given his slim build. But then, a memory resurfaced—when Hayato had hugged her that day, she definitely felt the strength in his arms and the firmness of his chest. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and she quickly closed her eyes, scoffing to mask her embarrassment. "Hmph, I guess I'll have to believe you."

Hayato exhaled in relief. "Thank you very much." But before he could relax, Misaki continued with her next question. "Now, it's time you tell me why Takahashi called you to the rooftop." Her eyes locked onto him, filled with expectation.

Hayato didn't mind sharing this one either, so he cut straight to the chase. "Takahashi confessed to me there, I rejected her, and now somehow we've become friends." He figured it wasn't worth the hassle of going into all the details, so he kept it short and simple.

Misaki's eyes went wide, her mouth falling open in disbelief. "Whyyy? You clearly like her, so why did you reject her?" she asked, unable to comprehend his reasoning.

"Because that's what she wanted, and honestly, it's better for her that way," Hayato explained, his voice steady. "I don't know why you don't believe me, but I've told you multiple times that I don't like her romantically. And to be honest, who I like doesn't even matter. I don't see myself becoming anyone's boyfriend. I'm just not cut out for that, and no one would be happy in a relationship with me. I don't think I could make anyone happy in the way they deserve."

Misaki fell silent, her thoughts racing. She realized something—Hayato has serious lack of self-confidence when it came to matters of love. What could he have gone through in the past to end up like this? As she thought about it, she realized she didn't know anything about Hayato, other than what he showed on the surface. But she had a feeling that if she asked, he wouldn't answer. So, she decided to wait. She'd wait for the day he took the initiative to open up.

However, there was one thing she couldn't keep to herself. "You once said to never make fun of what someone loves," she began, her tone sharp. "Right now, you're doing the same with Takahashi. You're insulting yourself, the person she loves. Even if you don't see any good qualities in yourself, maybe she saw something in you that made her fall for you. The least you can do is respect her choice."

Her voice carried a hint of anger, which made Hayato pause, her words striking a chord deep inside him.

The silence between them grew thick, the weight of Misaki's words lingering in the air. Hayato, sensing it wasn't the right moment to bring up his plan to watch anime together, decided to shift the mood. Without a word, he stood up and headed for the kitchen to grab more juice and snacks for the both of them.

After a moment of silence, Misaki's eyes lit up with excitement. "I got an idea!" she exclaimed, breaking the quiet. "The main reason you rejected Takahashi was because you think nobody would be happy to date you, right? Then why don't you test it? Take her on a date tomorrow and see if she actually enjoys it."

Misaki eagerly urged him to call Yuka and ask if she'd be willing to go. Hayato smirked, knowing he didn't need to outright refuse her idea—after all, Misaki didn't know Yuka as well as he did. Instead of hanging out with him on the weekend, Yuka would probably rather spend the time studying.

When Hayato called Yuka, asking if she wanted to go somewhere with him tomorrow, he was surprised to hear, "Okay".

'Why did you agree? That's not like you...'

Hayato had his head slumped onto the table, meanwhile, Misaki was practically bouncing in her feat, her excitement making it feel like she'd won some sort of bet while Hayato had lost. But for now, there was nothing he could do. A plan had been set in motion.

"Now, let's prepare for your date! First, show me what you plan to wear tomorrow," Misaki declared with enthusiasm.

Hayato let out a defeated sigh. Might as well just go along with it.

His wardrobe was in his room, so they had to move there. However, the moment Misaki stepped inside, she completely forgot why she was even there. Her eyes widened in awe as she took in the sheer collection of action figures, manga, and limited-edition merchandise filling the space.

It wasn't just a room—it was a shrine to "his" passions, and Misaki found herself utterly captivated.

With a trembling voice and shaky hands, Misaki pointed at his collection. "A-Amane… T-That's…"

Hayato scratched the back of his head, giving her a small, sheepish smile. "Surprise, I guess?"

Misaki visibly trembled with excitement before, without thinking, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me before?! I've always wanted an otaku friend!"

Hayato hadn't expected such an overjoyed reaction. Now, he regretted not telling her sooner.

From there, their conversation naturally shifted to anime—discussing their favorite series, beloved characters, and memorable moments. Fortunately for Hayato, anime from his previous world also existed here, making it easy to keep up with the discussion. Misaki was completely immersed, her enthusiasm contagious. Seeing her so genuinely excited made Hayato feel… happy too.

Seizing the opportunity, Hayato brought up his plan to watch an anime together. Misaki, still riding the excitement of their newfound shared interest, immediately agreed.

Instead of committing to a full 12-episode series, they decided on a movie. By the time it ended, it was already noon, and Hayato urged Misaki to stay for lunch. She agreed, and the two headed to the kitchen.

Misaki helped out while Hayato prepared a simple meal, though she was surprised to discover that he could cook quite well, it's not actually that unexpected given he live alone. On the other hand, she… couldn't.

Naturally, Hayato couldn't let that slide. With a teasing smirk, he remarked, "No guy's ever gonna marry you if you can't even cook for him."

Misaki huffed, her cheeks puffing slightly in protest before she gave him a playful punch on the back. Of course, it didn't hurt in the slightest.

Misaki took her leave soon after lunch, and Hayato closed the door behind her. As he turned back toward the living room, a sudden realization struck him like thunder—they had completely forgotten to prepare for tomorrow's date.

He had no idea what to wear or where to take Yuka. Without Misaki's help, he was completely hopeless in this department.

"In the first place, this whole thing was her idea… so it's her responsibility to help me!"

That evening, Hayato found himself in a long video call with Misaki, where she enthusiastically gave him suggestions and even picked out his outfit for the date. She seemed to be enjoying the process way more than he expected.

At one point, she even puffed out her chest proudly and declared, "If you listen to me, your date will be a success!"

That's actually pretty rich coming from someone with zero dating experience.

--------

Hayato arrived at the meeting spot earlier than planned—twenty minutes ahead of their 10 AM appointment. Yesterday, Misaki had gone through his entire wardrobe, and to her dismay, the only outfit she deemed acceptable was a long-sleeved dark grey shirt, fitted black chinos, and a pair of white sneakers. Everything else, according to her, was a disaster—an assortment of unfashionable T-shirts and pants that lacked any sense of style.

Not that Hayato cared. As long as his clothes were comfortable, that was good enough for him. But it seems, there were times when wearing just anything wasn't an option. Misaki had made that abundantly clear with the scolding she gave him. Sighing to himself, he decided it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few stylish outfits for occasions like this—if only to avoid another lecture.

Though the outfit wasn't bad at all—in fact, it actually enhanced his appearance quite a bit. It was casual yet classy, carrying a refreshingly cool vibe that suited him perfectly. The only thing missing was a silver watch to complete the look, but unfortunately, he didn't own one.

As he stood there, waiting, he could feel a few lingering gazes on him. They weren't hostile or filled with any negative intent. Instead, they seemed... curious? His crimson-red eyes subtly swept across the surroundings, and sure enough, a few girls were sneaking glances in his direction, their expressions ranging from admiration to intrigue.

…Were they checking him out?

A sudden wave of nervousness crept over him. He wasn't sure how to react, so, without thinking, he pulled out his phone and started swiping randomly. His fingers moved aimlessly across the screen, opening apps without purpose—at some point, he even found himself staring at the calculator.

…What was he even doing?

He had no idea. He just needed something—anything—to distract himself.

Sure, he was used to being the center of attention. But this? This was different! This wasn't the wary, guarded attention he was accustomed to. It wasn't fear, caution, or even curiosity about his strength. No, this was something entirely new… and he had no clue how to handle it!

To his increasing dismay, a group of three girls started to walk towards him. His heart rate picked up as they closed the distance. One of them seemed slightly nervous, her steps hesitant, while the other two wore playful expressions.

He just hoped they weren't actually approaching him.