"Oh, Hachiman-kun. No, don't worry about it. I'm actually having a great time."
"You don't play many games, do you?"
"No... though I've been thinking about trying ALO."
"Let me know when you're ready. I have a feeling you'd be surprisingly strong."
Karen blinked, puzzled. "W-Why do you think that?"
"I saw how easily you handled Miyu when she was rampaging earlier," Hachiman said. "The moment I saw that, I just knew."
"Oh... I guess I don't really see it myself."
"That's normal. No one goes through their daily life thinking, 'Wow, I'm really built for combat.'"
Karen let out a soft laugh.
"I'll tell you what—I'll gift you a copy of ALO. If it doesn't suit you, no big deal. We can just 'convert' your character to another game."
"Convert?"
Hachiman took a moment to explain the Amusphere's data conversion system.
"I didn't know you could do that," Karen murmured.
"Yeah. So, no pressure. Just have fun with it."
"I hope... I hope I can become a small, cute character," Karen whispered to herself.
Hachiman looked at her, choosing his words carefully. "Does your height still bother you that much?"
"Yeah. In all my years, nothing good has ever come from being this tall."
"Maybe," Hachiman said, looking away. "But... if you were a 'normal' height, I probably wouldn't have noticed you when I picked up that wallet. And if that hadn't happened, we wouldn't be standing here talking right now."
Karen froze. The realization hit her like a physical weight.
"Oh... You're right. Something good did come of it."
"I don't know if meeting me counts as a 'good thing,'" Hachiman muttered, scratching his head.
"It definitely does," Karen said firmly.
She turned away, her voice a tiny, fluttering thing as she whispered to herself: "I think... I've already been repaid for all the things I hated about myself."
"I thought your face looked familiar. It was the lecture in America, wasn't it?"
"Yes. We spoke briefly at the reception afterward. It's been a long time, Kurisu-san."
Kurisu and Meguri Shiromeguri were deep in their own conversation. It turned out they were old acquaintances, though they had only met once.
"Are you based in Japan now?" Kurisu asked.
"Yes, I'm currently working in the Medicuboid division at Soleil."
"The Medicuboid... how is it?"
"If we can bring it to full practical application, it's going to save countless lives," Meguri said, her expression turning serious.
"I see. Hachiman asked me to help because he wants to ensure total safety, but I wondered if there was a specific concern."
Meguri considered this, choosing her words with a professional's care. "I can't speak for Hachiman, but if I had to guess, he's worried about the psychological stress of long-term VR immersion."
"Ah, I see. How the brain perceives reality when confined to a digital environment for extended periods... Yes, that is certainly my area of expertise."
"I think he plans to recruit experts from other fields as well," Meguri added.
"That's helpful. While we're on the subject, can I ask you one more thing? About Kizmel and Yui..."
Meguri realized they were moving into Kurisu's true passion. She recalled the title of one of Kurisu's past lectures: 'Analysis of Neural Pulse Signals Related to Memory Accumulation in the Temporal Lobe.'
"That's my research," Kurisu said, looking impressed. "You remembered."
"And you want to apply that to Kizmel and Yui? Are you planning to copy analyzed memories into Kayaba-style AI?"
"I'm surprised. That's exactly what I'm working on now. Don't you find the prospect fascinating?"
"It's certainly groundbreaking."
"We call the project 'Amadeus,'" Kurisu explained. "We've completed a simulated version, but the responses... there's a certain 'uncanny valley' feel to them. It doesn't feel alive. That's why I'm pinning my hopes on this meeting with Hachiman."
"I see. Well, I hope your research goes well!"
"Thank you. And of course, I'll be giving my full cooperation to your side as well."
The party eventually began to wind down, ending on a high note with a closing speech from Miyu.
"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" Hachiman asked Karen and Miyu at the door.
"It's fine," Karen said. "Miyu said she wanted to walk through the city at night for a bit."
"Fair enough. Just passing through in a car can be boring."
"Exactly!" Miyu chimed in.
"Alright. I'll be in touch once I've got that copy of ALO ready for you, Karen."
"Thank you, Hachiman-kun. Really."
A few days later, Karen would attempt to log into ALO. However, because the avatar generated for her was once again tall, the shock to her system caused a neural pulse irregularity that the Amusphere flagged, preventing the login. When she called Hachiman in tears to tell him what happened, he would immediately decide to implement a "Race and Physical Appearance Change Service"—but that is a story for another time.
Back at the party, Miyu approached Hachiman to say her final goodbye. Hachiman stared at her for a long moment.
"W-What? Do you finally crave Fuka-chan's body!?" Miyu teased, blushing. "Sorry, Kohi, you'll have to go home alone! I have to go ravish the Leader now!"
"Shut up," Hachiman said, but his hand reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"L-Leader!? Wait... I'm happy, but this is actually kind of embarrassing..." Miyu looked down, her face turning crimson.
Hachiman leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.
"You're annoying, yeah. But don't you dare change. I had a good time today. And for the record, I have zero intention of being 'ravished,' but you'd better come see me again."
He handed his contact information to both Miyu and Karen. Miyu kept looking back, waving frantically with a bright red face until she and Karen disappeared around the corner.
"Well then..."
Hachiman looked around. Asuna and the other girls were headed off for an "after-party" of their own. Daru had a specific shop he wanted to hit up nearby. That left only Hachiman, Kazuto, and Kurisu.
"Hey, Kazuto. Want to crash at my place tonight?"
"Oh, sounds good. I'm in."
Hachiman turned to Kurisu. "Kurisu-san, why don't you come over too?"
"Meaning?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I've got spare Amuspheres and copies of ALO at my house. I thought you might want to log in and talk to Kizmel and Yui properly. I'll drive you home afterward."
"That would be perfect... but are you sure?"
"It's no problem. I don't live alone; my family's there. I'll set you up in a separate room to log in, so you don't have to worry about your 'physical safety' while you're under."
Kurisu giggled. "I'm not worried about that with you two."
"Good to know. Let's get going, then."
And so, Kurisu and Kazuto followed Hachiman back to the Hikigaya residence, the night still full of possibility.
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