"So, tell me, Chi-chan... exactly what kind of secret training are you really doing?"
Nami's eyes, bright and sharp, held mine. The warmth of her touch still lingered on my arm, a physical echo of the bizarre conversation. My brain, already struggling to process "date" and "beautiful pirate," was now grappling with "enhanced physiology" and "getting caught."
Panic flared, hot and instantaneous. How did I explain this? I couldn't tell her about the AI, the transmigration, the System Points, the enhanced gains... It was too much. It sounded insane. Even to them, the dimension-hoppers. Maybe especially to them; they seemed to be trying to blend in, mostly.
My gaze flickered away for a second, searching for an out. The cafe chatter was a little louder now, people having lost interest after the initial spectacle of Nami's arrival and hand-on-arm examination.
I forced a laugh, trying to make it sound light and mysterious, not panicked. It probably came out a little shaky. "Secret training? Haha, well..." I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice conspiratorially, mimicking her earlier tone. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, right?"
I held her gaze, hoping the attempted playfulness masked the frantic scramble in my mind. Nami watched me, that sharp grin still playing on her lips. She didn't immediately push. Good.
Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly changed the subject, pivoting to the logistical, money-related constraint that was also weighing on my mind. "Besides," I added quickly, gesturing towards the menu I still hadn't properly looked at, "I said this was my treat. Don't tell Kyoko, she'd probably try to make us calculate the optimal cost-per-calorie ratio for our crepes or something." The jab at Kyoko was a safe bet, a shared experience of her unique personality. "You gotta order! My treat, remember?"
Nami's eyes twinkled, and the pressure eased slightly. The bait, the promise of free food, seemed to work. Her attention shifted to the menu in my hand. "Ooh, right! My treat!" She snatched the menu, her eyes scanning it with the intensity of someone charting a course through treacherous waters. "Okay, okay... Crepes are a must, obviously. But they have those fancy parfaits too... And maybe some churros to share... Hmm, decisions, decisions..."
As she happily deliberated, her brow furrowed in concentration over dessert options, I took a moment to breathe, running a hand through my hair. My heart was still pounding. That was close. Too close. She was sharp. Way sharper than I expected, or maybe just more experienced at spotting 'unusual'.
A waitress came over, a friendly smile on her face. "Are you ready to order?"
Nami looked up, beaming. "Yes, please! We'll start with two of the deluxe chocolate-banana-whipped cream crepes, one strawberry parfait, and... oh, let's get a plate of the cinnamon sugar churros too!"
My internal wallet winced. That was... definitely going to eat into the ¥18,500. The waitress scribbled down the order, repeating it back. "And for drinks?"
"Hmm... one iced coffee for me," Nami said without hesitation. "And Chi-chan?"
"Uh, just... just water is fine, thanks," I said quickly, trying to salvage some of my meager funds. Ordering a fancy drink felt like an unnecessary luxury right now.
The waitress nodded and headed off.
"Water, Chi-chan?" Nami raised an eyebrow playfully. "Trying to be healthy even on a date? Dedication! Is that part of the 'secret training'?" She chuckled, not unkindly.
"Something like that," I said, managing a more relaxed smile this time. The immediate crisis was past. We'd ordered. Now I just had to navigate the conversation and the bill.
As we waited for the food, the cafe ambiance settled around us. The light filtering through the windows was warm, the background noise a comfortable level again. Nami seemed perfectly at ease, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, humming a little tune I didn't recognize. It was easy to forget, for a moment, that this wasn't just a date with a high school girl, but an interaction with an entity from another reality, sitting just kilometers away from where another one had just appeared.
Feeling more settled, and needing to keep the conversation away from my 'secrets', I decided to ask about something else she'd mentioned before. "So, Nami-chan," I started, leaning back in my chair, "You mentioned your brother... Luffy, right? The other day at school? What's he like? I haven't actually... seen him around, even though you said he's in the city." I chose my words carefully. I hadn't seen him at this school, which was true.
Nami's face lit up at the mention of her brother. Her eyes got a faraway look, full of exasperation and affection in equal measure. "Luffy? Oh, he's... a handful," she sighed, but a fond smile played on her lips. "Imagine a rubber ball with zero common sense and an appetite that could empty a warehouse. That's Luffy."
A rubber ball. Right. This was it. Hints.
"He's incredibly strong, though," Nami continued, her voice serious for a moment. "Like, ridiculously strong. Bounces off walls, takes hits that would flatten anyone else... It's annoying how he just shrugs everything off. Drives me crazy with worry sometimes, the reckless idiot."
Bounces off walls? Takes hits? Okay, she was definitely describing the rubber-man abilities, but framing it in a way that, to a normal person, might sound like hyperbole about a remarkably resilient, clumsy person. To me, with the context, it was a chilling reminder of the power levels she was used to.
"He's obsessed with finding... well, he calls it treasure," she went on, leaning closer, lowering her voice slightly, as if sharing a slightly embarrassing family secret. "Always dragging people into insane schemes to find something amazing. Doesn't care about money at all, which is maddening! Always relies on me to handle the finances, thank goodness." She winked, and for a split second, the calculating, shrewd navigator from the manga was visible beneath the high school girl facade. "Someone's gotta make sure we don't starve or get completely ripped off."
She laughed again, a bright, genuine sound. "But... he's got a good heart, you know? And he'd do anything for his friends. Fiercely loyal, sometimes to a fault. Just... try not to let him make any decisions. Or cook. Or navigate." She shivered dramatically. "Especially not navigate."
Listening to her talk, seeing the complex mix of sisterly frustration, pride, and deep affection in her expression, it was like peering through a window into her original world. It was surreal, hearing these hints of impossible abilities and grand adventures casually discussed over crepes. It made the cafe, the other students, my own normal-ish clothes, feel fragile and temporary.
"He sounds... unique," I managed, smiling. Unique was an understatement.
"Unique is putting it mildly," Nami agreed, shaking her head. "He's the most frustrating, amazing, impossible brother a girl could ask for."
Just then, our food arrived. The crepes were piled high with cream and fruit, the parfait looked incredible, and the churros were golden and smelled heavenly. My money anxiety spiked, but the sheer visual appeal was distracting.
"Wow!" Nami exclaimed, her focus immediately shifting to the food with genuine delight. "These look amazing! Okay, let's dig in!"
She dove in with gusto, her earlier conversation about strategic ordering completely forgotten in the face of deliciousness. I watched her for a moment, a small, genuine smile on my face. This was nice. Bizarre, yes, but... nice. Sitting in a cafe, eating sweet things, listening to a pirate talk about her rubber brother.
As I picked up my fork to tackle my own towering crepe, I felt a familiar vibration against my thigh where the AI device was pocketed. Not an alarm, just a subtle tremor, indicating new data.
My gaze flickered down, discreetly pulling the AI device out under the table, turning the screen inward. The blue glow came to life, showing the AI's passive monitoring interface. The map was there, Lee Yuri's dot still in the park, stable. No new anomalies.
But a message was scrolling across the bottom of the display, a notification I hadn't seen before. It wasn't an alert about danger. It was... something else.
Analysis complete: Entity 'Lee Yuri' - Physical Conditioning Protocol identified.
Protocol Designation: 'Morning Exercise'.
Originating Narrative Supplement Data: This specific regimen is commonly performed... in conjunction with a partner.
In conjunction with a partner?
My eyes snapped up from the device, darting towards the window, towards the direction of the park Lee Yuri was in. A partner? Like... a training partner?
Who would be training with Lee Yuri in a park three kilometers away, right after she popped into this reality?
Unless... she didn't arrive alone?