"I'm quite confident in our blended coffee," the mustached café manager said with a confident smile.
"To balance taste and aroma, I use five different coffee beans."
"To flexibly combine their individual flavors, this café has put a lot of effort into the blend."
Listening to his introduction, Hachiman became interested.
"Since it's your specialty, I'll have a cup of blended coffee."
"Of course, no problem. Please wait."
With Hachiman ordering a cup of blended coffee, the mustached manager left, looking satisfied.
In no time, the manager returned with a cup emitting a rich aroma of coffee.
"Blended coffee, please enjoy."
The manager wore a confident smile, and his slightly narrowed eyes held a hint of anticipation.
Hachiman lifted the cup of blended coffee. The black coffee rippled gently in the cup. He brought it to his nose, and the aroma was incredibly rich.
Taking a sip without adding milk or sugar, the coffee tasted a bit bitter but incredibly rich. Upon careful tasting, various coffee beans intertwined on his tongue, creating a unique flavor.
"The taste is quite good. It's undoubtedly your specialty," Hachiman praised with a smile, setting down the coffee cup.
The mustached café manager wore a faint smile. He pursued the satisfied smiles his customers displayed after tasting his coffee.
"For someone your age, I recommend adding some sugar and milk. It'll enhance the flavor."
"Thanks for the suggestion."
For Hachiman, a sweet tooth, bitterness wasn't his preference. He added a few sugar cubes and a small cup of milk to the coffee, stirring it lightly with a spoon.
Lifting the cup, he took another sip, and indeed, the flavor was much improved.
Time passed by minute by minute, but Hachiman wasn't in a hurry. He sipped the coffee slowly.
Shortly after 9 AM, the café door swung open again. A young girl in a sky-blue dress walked in. Her long, black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, framed by a white headband. Her beautiful thighs, encased in black stockings, seemed flawless to even the most discerning eyes.
It wasn't anyone other than Utaha Kasumigaoka.
The girl with wine-red eyes scanned the café and quickly spotted Hachiman sitting by the window. She gracefully approached his table, her enticing black stocking-clad legs carrying her over.
"My apologies, Hikigaya-kun, for keeping you waiting."
"Not at all, Kasumigaoka-senpai. You were punctual; I arrived early. Please, take a seat," Hachiman smiled, shaking his head, signaling for her to sit.
Utaha nodded and adjusted her dress before taking a seat across from him.
"What can I get you, miss?" At this moment, the mustached café manager arrived at their table once again, holding the menu.
After perusing the menu, Utaha contemplated her order.
"The manager's blended coffee is excellent. Kasumigaoka-senpai, you should give it a try," Hachiman recommended, putting down his coffee cup.
"Well, if Hikigaya-kun recommends it so strongly, I'll have one too. A cup of blended coffee, please."
Handing the menu back to the manager, Utaha smiled and placed her order.
"Of course, please wait a moment." After taking the menu, the mustached manager left contentedly.
Not long after, he returned with their freshly brewed coffee.
"The taste is indeed excellent."
Sipping her coffee gently, Utaha Kasumigaoka praised.
"Thank you for the compliment. I'm quite confident in my blended coffee."
The mustached café manager beamed with a smile and delivered his classic line.
He then returned to the counter and started wiping glass cups.
Hachiman, getting straight to the point, asked, "I wonder what kind of material you'd like me to help you with today?"
Utaha smiled and said, "Well, Hikigaya-kun, you're quite impatient. In that case, I'll be straightforward. I want you to be my boyfriend."
Hearing her words, Hachiman nearly choked.
What's this? Is it a free offer?
But this black-stockinged senpai didn't seem like someone who would give it away for free.
Although in the original story, she desperately wanted to give her love to Aki, that was because Aki had done her a big favor, and she didn't want to admit defeat.
He had only met her a few times, and she shouldn't be the type to give it away for free. Just to be sure, Hachiman decided to confirm.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai, are you joking?"
"I'm not joking, and you didn't mishear me. I want you to be my boyfriend," Utaha Kasumigaoka said with a flirtatious smile, then changed the subject.
"But it's just for today."
"I need to write a dating scene, so I'd like Hikigaya-kun to be my boyfriend for a day and let me experience what it's like to date."
Exactly, it's for research, but it's also a unique chance to spend time with such a beautiful senpai.
"This kind of job is no problem. It's just a bit of a shame that it's only for one day," Hachiman expressed, tinged with a hint of regret.
Hearing his response, Utaha Kasumigaoka raised an eyebrow.
"It seems Hikigaya-kun has some thoughts about me."
"Naturally, anyone would want a beautiful senpai like you to be their girlfriend, and I'm no exception," Hachiman shrugged, not hiding his thoughts.
Girls usually liked hearing compliments, and when he praised her beauty, Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn't help but smile.
"Well, it will depend on your performance today."
"If I perform well, I'll consider making you my real boyfriend, Hachiman-kun."
The girl leaned forward slightly, her tone filled with allure.
"Then you can watch my performance, Kasumigaoka-senpai," Hachiman chuckled.
"Now that we're boyfriend and girlfriend, you should call me Utaha, Hachiman..."
Is it starting now?
Does this make me a probationary boyfriend?
"Today, let me be your knight, Utaha."
"Then I'll trust you with myself today, My knight."
Utaha Kasumigaoka smiled, blinked at him, and extended her hand.
"Rest assured, you can trust me, My princess."
Holding the girl's delicate hand, Hachiman's tone was filled with confidence.
Twenty minutes later, they stepped out of the taxi and in the distance, the slowly rotating giant Ferris wheel came into view. Inside the carriages, you could glimpse pairs of people enjoying the ride.
"This is the amusement park, Utaha," Hachiman said, offering a warm smile to the girl by his side.
"Indeed," Utaha Kasumigaoka replied with a nod. An amusement park was unquestionably an ideal place for a date, and for gathering material, it was a prime location.
Since it was a weekend, the amusement park was bustling with activity. Families with parents and children, as well as young couples, could be seen in the lively crowd.
While Hachiman might not have been the kind of strikingly handsome man to turn heads, his female companion was undeniably stunning. She wore a sky-blue dress that gracefully emphasized her figure, with black stockings accentuating her thighs. Her skirt fluttered elegantly as she walked, drawing discreet glances from onlookers.
As they strolled, Hachiman received numerous glances, many filled with envy and jealousy. The girlfriends of those who couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the striking girl were naturally not pleased.
They employed a universally recognized skill known to girls worldwide - executing a 180-degree rotation from the waist to deliver a sharp pinch.
Suddenly, cries of discomfort echoed through the amusement park. Among them, Hachiman even heard a few middle-aged men groaning.
It seemed that men were universally loyal, whether they were eight years old or eighty, they only had eyes for one type of girl.
They soon reached the ticket booth, where Hachiman purchased two tickets from the lady behind the counter.
Finally, he let out a sigh of relief. The relentless stares from passersby had certainly put pressure on him.
As they ventured further into the amusement park, the crowd grew denser. Couples were scattered everywhere, from passionately feeding each other to taking photos together.
Some were even indulging in public displays of affection, making it abundantly clear that amusement parks were not particularly welcoming to single individuals.
"Utaha, what would you like to do?" Hachiman decided to be a gentleman and let the girl choose from the various rides and attractions.
"Well... let's start with the haunted house. I've heard it's the ultimate test of a couple's bond."
Hmm...
Was she serious?
Upon further consideration, her suggestion did make some sense.
What if the guy turned out to be a scaredy-cat and, upon entering the haunted house, got so frightened that he abandoned his girlfriend? In that case, most couples who emerged from the haunted house would probably break up.
If there were cases where couples continued to stay together despite such harrowing experiences, aside from the girl having a few screws loose in her head, it would undoubtedly be a testament to true love.
Nevertheless, since the young lady suggested it, Hachiman saw no reason to decline.
"Alright then, let's start with the haunted house."
"Just don't disappoint me, my knight," Utaha said with a hint of mysterious meaning in her tone.
"Fear not, I will protect you well, my princess."
Holding the girl's delicate hand, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the haunted house.
The haunted house was designed to resemble an abandoned hospital with shattered windows, ivy-covered walls, and glass panels still bearing traces of bloodstains...
The terrifying appearance of the haunted house seemed to be of no concern. The young couples standing before it were even more excited, exuding an air of indifference to the direst of challenges, as if demons and monsters were mere trifles.
Haunted houses like these were places where it was easy to make girls scream, but whether the screams were due to genuine fear or intentional shrieks remained a mystery.
As the pairs of lovebirds in front of them entered the haunted house, it soon became Hachiman and Utaha's turn.
Unsurprisingly, shortly after they entered, they heard the distant sounds of screams coming from ahead.
They exchanged glances.
"Are you frightened, my knight?" Utaha Kasumigaoka tilted her head, looking at her male companion.
"It's all just pretending, nothing to fear," Hachiman replied confidently.
Indeed, the horrifying ghosts and monsters inside the haunted house were all portrayed by staff members in costumes.
The haunted house mainly relied on dim lighting and scene arrangements to create a terrifying atmosphere.
If you were to see those staff members in their ghostly getups in broad daylight, they wouldn't be nearly as frightening.
For those with heart conditions, it was strongly advised not to seek thrills in haunted houses.
Hachiman and Utaha continued through the haunted house, hand in hand, as the eerie atmosphere and terrifying sound effects surrounded them. So far, they hadn't encountered any ghostly attacks, making Hachiman wonder if they needed a warm-up.
However, their curiosity was soon piqued as they heard unsettling crunching and munching sounds. They exchanged glances and carefully circled around a dilapidated bookshelf that obstructed their view.
Before them stood a figure dressed in white, hunched over, and engrossed in gnawing on something. As they approached, the white-clad figure turned toward them, revealing a horrifying sight.
Its face was devoid of skin, with grayish eyes that seemed on the verge of falling out of their sockets. One eye dangled precariously below its eye socket, and its mouth, filled with inhuman teeth, still had shreds of flesh clinging to them.
Two long canine teeth protruded through the corners of its mouth.
The creature, with its grotesque appearance, charged menacingly toward Hachiman and Utaha Kasumigaoka. But when it approached them closely, it abruptly halted. It seemed perplexed by the unflinching demeanor of the two.
In a somewhat embarrassed tone, the creature, still in its menacing guise, spoke with a male voice. "Could you two please react a bit? Aren't you scared at all?"
Hachiman quickly realized the need to play along; otherwise, it might be disrespectful to the worker behind the mask.
"Oh, how utterly terrifying! A spine-chilling sight, indeed," Hachiman exclaimed, though his expression remained stoic.
Utaha Kasumigaoka joined in with equal nonchalance. "Yes, absolutely petrifying. Hachiman, you must shield me from this frightful fiend."
Their calm response left the worker inside the monster costume feeling more than a little embarrassed.
"Is my costume not scary at all?"
Hachiman offered a playful smile as he replied, "To be honest, I have excellent eyesight. It was quite evident that you were wearing a mask, and the quality of that latex mask leaves much to be desired."
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