Hazuki's blind date was a year older than her, and just like in the photos they had seen before, he looked refined and gentle.
Out of concern for this senior colleague he had worked with for so long, Ichin had even used some of his university connections to ask around about the man. The feedback he got was that he was indeed a good person, with a strong reputation among both teachers and students.
Only then did Ichin feel a bit more at ease. At the very least, things would start off smoothly, and if anything came up later, they could step in to help.
Closing the group chat that was currently running a rather questionable image contest, Ichin and the others quietly observed while also chatting in a temporary group they had created. Kō Yagami and the others were in it too.
Kō: He showed up pretty early. Looks decent.
Ichin: His appearance passes. As for personality, from what I've gathered, he's well regarded at university, but I don't know about his private life yet. Needs further observation.
Nene: You even went to check on him? How did you do that?
Ichin: Don't forget, I graduated from the University of Tokyo. Just asked a few professors to help inquire. Pretty simple.
Rin: That's actually necessary. Even though Hazuki-san is smart and won't be easily deceived, knowing in advance can prevent her from suddenly going full lovestruck.
Hazuki becoming irrationally lovestruck was hard to imagine…
But not entirely impossible.
After sitting down, the university teacher straightened his clothes. His outfit was clearly something he had carefully prepared. He looked a bit nervous, but also somewhat expectant, as if he already had a good impression of his blind date.
Haruno whispered, "Even though Hazuki can be a bit unreliable sometimes and likes taking photos of cute girls, overall she's definitely a beauty. Great figure, glasses, and excellent in every aspect. As long as his orientation is normal, any man would like her, right, Ichin?"
Ichin nodded in agreement. "That's true. Ah, Hazuki's here."
Hearing that, everyone looked toward the café entrance and saw Hazuki walking in.
Her outfit today wasn't much different from usual. She already dressed well on a regular basis, so there was no need for any special changes.
As soon as she entered, she spotted her waiting date. While walking toward him, she also scanned the café and quickly noticed Ichin and the others hiding in various corners. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
She knew everyone meant well, but being watched like this during her blind date still felt a bit strange.
However, she had agreed to it herself, so there was no backing out now. She could only brace herself and go through with it.
After exchanging greetings, Hazuki sat down across from her date with a polite smile.
Although the café was relatively quiet, no one could hear what they were saying.
Watching the two begin to talk after ordering, Utaha grabbed Ichin's arm and said anxiously, "Ichin, what are they talking about? We can't hear anything!"
Ichin calmly took a sip of coffee. "Isn't that normal? We're just here to observe, not to eavesdrop."
"But just watching without hearing anything makes it so much more intriguing!"
After Utaha said that, Haruno nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I miscalculated. If I had known today would be this interesting, I would've brought someone who can read lips."
"Read lips…"
Ichin gave Haruno a speechless look, then beckoned Yukino, who was sitting next to her.
"Yukino, come sit over here with me. Let's squeeze in. Don't sit too close to your sister, you might get infected."
Yukino obediently nodded and moved over to sit beside Ichin, leaving Haruno sitting alone across from them.
"…"
Haruno glared at Ichin, gritting her teeth. "Just you wait until we get home!"
Ichin merely smiled faintly, completely unfazed by her threat.
Aside from Haruno, Kō and the others were also quite curious about Hazuki's situation. Although they couldn't hear the conversation, judging by their expressions, things seemed to be going quite well.
After sitting for more than half an hour, the two of them paid the bill and left the café under everyone's watchful eyes.
Two minutes later, Ichin and the others also left.
Outside, several cars were parked along the roadside. After everyone gathered, Kō Yagami asked, "What's next? Any plans? Should we keep following them? They seemed to be getting along well, chatting and laughing."
Ichin rolled his eyes at her. "You can already tell things are going well, so can you stop thinking about interfering? Let's go back to my place. Hazuki told me yesterday she won't be having dinner outside with her date. After they finish this afternoon, she'll come over. You'll have plenty of time to ask her questions at dinner. For now, let's go buy groceries."
"Alright, that works."
So everyone headed to the supermarket together. After getting into the car, Ichin sent Hazuki a message.
Hazuki, I'm taking everyone to buy groceries. Take your time and enjoy yourself. Get to know him properly, and come over for dinner tonight.
Walking through the mall, Hazuki glanced at her phone and smiled.
"What is it?" her date asked.
Hazuki put her phone away and replied with a smile, "Nothing, just my family reminding me not to forget to go home for dinner tonight. Let's go, we still have some time to look around."
At 6 p.m., just as Ichin finished preparing dinner, Hazuki arrived right on time.
"Everyone, I'm back~~~"
The moment she entered, Kō, who had been sitting on the sofa, jumped up and rushed over eagerly.
"Well? How did it go?"
Hazuki set down her bag, took off her coat, and sat down with a smile. "It was just our first meeting, so it's still early to say. But my first impression is pretty good. We can keep talking and see how it goes."
Ichin, who had just brought dishes out from the kitchen, felt relieved hearing that. "That's great. Hazuki, go wash your hands. We're ready to eat."
Once all the dishes were set on the table, everyone took their seats, poured drinks, and began their gathering.
Taking a sip of cola, Eriri asked curiously, "Hazuki-san, what did you talk about today? You look pretty happy."
Eriri had also known about Hazuki's blind date. But she had been grinding ranked in Apex Legends these past few days and had even stayed up all night yesterday, so she didn't go along. She had been waiting for dinner to satisfy her curiosity.
...
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