"Miyu, are you glad you came today?" Hachiman asked as they prepared to wrap things up at the cafe.
"Yeah, Leader! It was the best! Feyris-san, thank you so much!"
"You're very welcome-nyan," Feyris chirped with a wink.
Hachiman turned to Karen. "And you? Are you starting to feel a bit better about yourself?"
"U-um... hearing you say those things makes me happy, Hachiman-kun, but I don't know if I'm quite there yet..."
"I see. Well, don't rush it. Take your time to find the things about yourself that are worth liking."
"Thank you, Hachiman-kun."
Hachiman explained the situation to the two girls—that he had some business to conclude—and asked them to head to the next location first. He entrusted them to KITT, who whisked them away toward the restaurant where the rest of the group was waiting. He had already messaged Asuna to let her know he'd be slightly late.
With the girls gone, Hachiman rejoined Kurisu, Daru, and Okabe. Since Okabe was seeing Mayuri home, Feyris joined the inner circle for the discussion.
"Is it really okay for Feyris to sit in on this-nyan?"
"Feyris, you're actually incredibly sharp," Hachiman said plainly. "You have a knack for cutting straight to the heart of a matter. I'd value your input. If anything sounds off, don't hesitate to speak up."
Feyris nodded solemnly, her playful persona momentarily replaced by a look of firm resolve.
"Now then," Hachiman began, turning to the group. "The reason I asked Daru to stay is more than just for his opinion. The proposal I'm about to make might sound like a fever dream to anyone else. I need Daru here as a third-party witness to prove I'm not full of it."
"Proof? Of what?" Kurisu asked, leaning forward.
"The proof is calling right now."
On cue, Daru's phone began to ring. He looked at the caller ID and a look of realization washed over his face.
"Hello?"
"Daru-kun. You know who I am, don't you?"
"Of course."
"Then please, give Hachiman-kun the signal."
"You got it-o."
Daru gave Hachiman a sharp nod. Hachiman looked at Kurisu and asked, "Who was that, Daru?"
"The President of Soleil-o."
"What?!" Kurisu's eyes widened.
"I told you before, Makise-shi—I do freelance work for Soleil sometimes," Daru explained. "I can guarantee it. The person on the other end of that line is Haruno Yukinoshita, the President herself."
"Exactly," Hachiman said. "Daru, pass the phone to Makise-san."
Kurisu took the phone with a trembling hand. "Hello... this is Kurisu Makise."
"A pleasure to meet you, Kurisu-san. I am Haruno Yukinoshita. I'll keep this brief: everything Hachiman Hikigaya says is to be taken as the official word of Soleil. He has already been unofficially designated as my successor to the presidency."
"He's... he's the next President?" Kurisu stammered.
"He is. Treat his words as my own. I look forward to meeting you in person soon. Until then."
The line went dead. Kurisu handed the phone back to Daru and turned to Hachiman, her expression shifting from skepticism to professional focus.
"Alright. I understand the situation. I'll listen to what you have to say under the assumption that it's all true."
"Thank you, Kurisu. Do you mind if I call you that?"
"Go ahead," she said with a faint shrug. "It looks like we'll be business partners for a long time to come. In that case, I'll call you Hachiman."
"Works for me. Now, about Soleil... I'm sure you've heard the rumors, even in America."
"I have. The rumors about your proprietary tech are constant in the scientific community."
Hachiman got straight to the point. "Kurisu, how much do you know about the Medicuboid?"
"Quite a bit. Personally, I find it fascinating. It overlaps significantly with my own research into memory and brain functions."
"The Medicuboid technology is currently a Soleil monopoly."
"So the rumors were true," she whispered.
"Yes. We intend to commercialize it eventually, but before we do, I need someone with your expertise in neuroscience to verify its safety. Specifically for long-term usage."
"Safety verification? I'm interested, but why the urgency?"
"There are currently two test subjects who have been in the VR world for an extended period," Hachiman's voice softened. "If anything happens to them, it would be... a major problem for me. I want to guarantee the system's absolute safety for their sake."
Kurisu's eyes narrowed slightly. "A 'major problem' for Soleil? Or for you personally?"
"Personally. They're my friends. They're suffering from illnesses that are currently incurable, but I promised I would do everything I could to help them. I can't guarantee a miracle, but I refuse to leave any stone unturned."
"I see..." Kurisu softened. "What are the names of the illnesses?"
Hachiman told her. Her expression turned grim.
"That's... that's a heavy burden to carry. Fine. I'll help. I'll reach out to my seniors at the university as well. If there's any breakthrough regarding those conditions, I'll make sure you're the first to know."
"Thank you. I owe you one."
"It's for the sake of saving lives," she said firmly. "That's reason enough. By the way, my senior is Japanese, so you can talk to her easily if needed. Her name is Maho Hiyajo."
"Hiyajo-san. Got it. I'll make sure my office is ready to receive any calls from her."
Hachiman then shifted to the matter of compensation. "So, regarding your fee. Is there anything specific you want?"
"When you put it that way, I don't really know what to ask for..."
Hachiman looked at Daru and Feyris. "Any ideas?"
"Something to make Makise-shi happy... Money?" Daru suggested.
Kurisu immediately smacked him across the head. "Shut up, you pervert! I'll kill you!"
"You're supposed to say that before the punch-o! And you've got it all wrong!"
"How is that a misunderstanding?"
"I was going to suggest that Soleil could provide research grants-o! Financial support for her lab!"
"Oh..." Kurisu paused, her anger subsiding. "That... is actually a good idea, Hashida. But I'd need to clear it with Professor Leskinen first. Taking corporate funding can be complicated."
"Aside from being a sponsor," Hachiman added, "I'd like to offer a 'signing bonus' of sorts. Something to sweeten the deal."
Feyris suddenly gasped. She turned to Daru. "Daru-nyan! What about Kizmel-chan and Yui-chan?"
"Huh? Oh! Ohhh!"
"What about them?" Hachiman and Kurisu asked simultaneously.
"Makise-shi," Daru said, his voice turning serious. "Out of all the AI programs in the world right now, which one are you most interested in?"
"The Kayaba-type AI, obviously," she replied without hesitation.
Hachiman smirked. "I see where this is going."
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