The dining area is spacious, cozy, and masterfully decorated. As a manager, you have the right to one free meal a day, so you figured why not. It’s not every day you have to come to the office and oversee the girls’ 3D. Just like usual, you sat in a corner far from the windows. Again, the room is spacious, and the view is amazing. All other seats are available for the picking.

...so why is that girl walking towards you?

Even with her mob cap and oversized hoodie, you can immediately recognize her as Minato Aqua, the girl under your supervision. Her stature is small, even for a Japanese woman. Carrying a plate of pasta, she awkwardly shuffles towards your table, eyes averted from yours. You can make out a failed attempt to whistle, which stops when she arrives, misjudging the distance and hitting her stomach on the circular table. Some of the oil on her plate flew onto it, prompting her to panic a little until you wiped it off with a handkerchief. She sits across from you and sets her plate with a clatter before speaking.

“C-Can I sit here?” One. Two. Three. Three seconds pass before she realizes she is already sitting and immediately stands up, mouth open and closed, as if trying to decide if she should apologize or not. A small ‘awawawa’ can be heard as she periodically switches her sight between you and a nearby pillar with several animal ears poking out of it. It’s getting kind of painful to watch. “It’s fine. Be my guest.”

Aqua sits back down, and you resume eating. Yesterday’s dinner was bread, so you went with pasta for lunch. It’s free, so you decide to choose one with the fanciest name on the menu. You twirl the noodle on your fork and take a bite. The girl in front of you does the same before making a scrunched-up face — too garlicky for her taste — and reaches for her drink, a straight black coffee. You don’t like judging people, but she doesn’t seem to be the kind of person to enjoy that, and you are correct. She takes a big gulp and immediately covers her mouth; her panicked eyes looking left and right for somewhere to eject the bitter liquid before finally bracing herself to swallow the drink.

That was… amusing, to say the least.

Aqua’s little performance ends with her getting all worked up by herself. After calming down, she takes her cap off and places it on the table, exposing her bluish pink hair. “So, what are you having?”

Isn’t it a bit late for that?

“Pasta.” You don’t even remember the exact name. All you know is that it is oily and garlicky. Looking at her again, you notice her staring at your ceramic cup. “And coffee, I guess.”

“What a coincidence, I also happen to like akuri... aga… agurioreoreo and amerikano koffi myself.” She looks at you with a face of victory after finally managing to not stumble over her words. You’re no Italian yourself, but pretty sure that’s not how it’s pronounced, and saying ‘Americano coffee’ in English wasn’t necessary. You’re paid to make the talents stable and happy, though, so you will let that smug face stay for a little longer. “Is that so? You really have an exquisite taste, Miss Aqua.”

Her smug grin gets even wider. Maybe you shouldn’t have said that.

“Anyway, do you have any hobbies, manager-san?” It comes off smoother this time. You ponder for a second. “Well, I like to do a little gardening in my spare time. Homegrown tomatoes are way better than the ones in supermarkets. Ripe tomatoes are fragile and won’t survive transportation, so you would have to grow them yourself.” Aqua tilts her head. Whoops, this seems to be too out of her depth. Does she even know what tomatoes are? You jog your brain. Something more familiar for both of you… “I suppose I enjoy some Valorant in my free time, too.”

“Ah, yes. Valorant! You see, manager-san. Despite the sound effect being louder, the Vandal actually has exactly the same wall penetration as the Phantom! And, and, shotguns actually weigh you down the most and make you slower than even the bulkier machine guns! So, manager-san, what rank are you?” Aqua blurts out an encyclopedia’s worth of information, excitedly explaining things without realizing she is now standing up from her chair. You unconsciously move back a little.

Now you’re the one being overwhelmed.

“I… don’t play ranked.”

“Ah… is that so.”

The lunch continues in silence. You can tell it’s making Aqua a little agitated. There’s only about a quarter of a portion left on your plate. Aqua pulls out something from her sleeves, a roll of paper, and puts it under the table to read it, unaware that the table is see-through and you can see all that happening. Suddenly, she raises her gaze. “S-So, nice weather today, eh?”

There’s not much to see from your seat, but the view outside shows a clear sky. “I suppose.” You reach for your coffee, downing the rest of it as Aqua watches in amazement seeing what an overworked adult male is capable of. “At least everyone can go home without worrying about the rain.”

“You’re going home?”

“Well, not yet. It’s not like there is anyone waiting back there, anyway.”

Aqua’s hands stop moving. Hurriedly, she produces another scrap of paper from her sleeves. How many things can she fit there? “So, so, manager-san. You don’t have a girlfriend?” Her gleaming eyes give you this kind of weird pressure. It is as if your cousin is asking if you have games on your phone.

“I do…” Aqua’s shoulder sinks, and you can almost hear her heart sinking, too. “...not.” Hope visibly comes back into her eyes. She looks at your empty plate. “So, manager-san...”

She gulps down air.

“S-since the weather is nice and bright…” She breaks eye contact for a while before forcing herself to engage back in it. “Y-You…” Her breathing gets heavier. The hands below the table are clutching on her little notes so hard the palms are turning white. “Maybe we can go together to a m-mo…” Aqua’s face is turning several shades redder. Her eyes are once again avoiding visual contact. Breaths are getting shorter, hands shakier, and words more jumbled, but she is determined. “Manager-san. Us. Movie date. T-together after this...?” That’s what she finally says before putting on her best smile. You might be hallucinating, but you think you can hear cheers from behind a nearby pillar.

“Aqua.” Hearing your voice almost made Aqua drop her coffee. You stare right through her eyes, full of anxiety and expectations. “I like brave girls, you see.”

You can almost hear her heart coming apart. She steadies herself, grabbing the rim of the table. In her mind, she is the furthest thing there is from bravery. “Wha-ah… yeah… I see… I-” Tears wells up her eyes. If she went one word further, she would have cried. Her breaths are already turning into quiet gasps. You take her cap from the table and put it on her head, whispering close to her ear. “And that was the bravest thing I’ve seen someone done in a while. Thank you.”

After all, doesn’t bravery mean overcoming one’s fear?

You pull her close into your arms. Aqua was stiff at first, but gradually relaxed as she broke into tears. Of happiness, obviously. You don’t know what she saw in someone like you, but you know you just had to make this asocial little onion who tried her hardest happy.

***

Epilogue…?

Breaking out of the hug, you wipe off the tears from her eyes. “Come on, now. The movies aren’t going to stay open forever.” Aqua still stands there, dumbfounded. “Does that mean… You…?” Oh, come on. Is that not obvious already?

Her soft cheeks are ripe for gentle pinching. “Yes, Aqua. I like — no. I love you, too.” Her face turns even redder hearing it straight from your lips. “So, let’s go.”

You take her hand to lead her. The oversized hoodie sleeves are long enough to cover her palm, so you roll it up a little to hold her hands. “Wait, ah-no!” She yelped.

A pair of rings falls to the floor with a clink. You freeze in place, still discerning what just happened. Aqua is the first to break the ice and swipe the rings off the floor. “Wait, it’s not what you think- I just-” You pinch her cheek for the second time. Did she really just do that? Bringing a pair of rings with her everywhere. Just how much more adorable this girl can be?

“Neeeeeeee, stop pinching my cheeks!”

There is no such thing as a free lunch, after all. This cute little criminal just swiped your heart while you’re having a meal!