"That's cute, but."

"Hmm. Google 'XKCD girlfriend', it'll probably be the first result."

"I know the one you mean," giggles Haru.

"It did not last just a week last time and I have no expectation that it'll last just a week this time either. Or ever."

"Well, unfortunately we have various constraints. At least you have the knowledge of how everybody would've reacted?"

"Surprisingly chill! ...with, uh, two very big and notable exceptions."

"Your dad and the... sports... guy?"

"—no. The Kobayashi twins. I guess my dad is a third."

"Oh, I was conflating - outness and boyfriend-having-ness."

"From experience, I clearly wouldn't have been out if it weren't for you, so, they're about the same thing, but it's just the latter that made them upset, yeah. They would've been chill if I'd just up and decided to be out for no reason, Akira's out and besides it was an open secret that I'm gay anyway back at Nada."

"Sorta weird that open secret is so different from open."

"Well, if everyone knows but no one's ever really seen me with a guy, and I've never said I was, and no one'll ever admit to having been with me, then anyone trying to do—whatever it is Iwasaki Iemasa's worried about to his name—will just have at best a bunch of teenagers swearing up and down that Iwasaki Yutaka's gay without any proof to back it up."

"I guess, but like, you weren't exactly going on camera, were you?"

"No. But I was kissing you in view of literally anyone on the street."

"Ah."

"I'm a victim, here, a victim! How could I not kiss you when you look at me like that? Only traffic laws are preventing me from being victimised again."

"Sorry, I don't know how to micromanage my facial expressions, should I put a bag on my head?"

"Absolutely not. Sometimes we must eat the cost of the occasional accident because the cost of enforcing rules that would prevent it would be much higher. Unfortunately I am just another casualty in the cold hands of statistics."

Squirm.

Aaaand here's the restaurant. Or rather, here's this fancy-looking glass building in a corner, but with the way Yutaka parks in front of it, walks around the car to open the door for Haru, and leaves his keys with a parking valet, that's probably where the restaurant is.

Haru again clings to his arm so he won't fall.

Yutaka walks him into the building and they take the lift up to the sixth floor.

Stepping out of the lift they're in a hallway with a stone pavement reminiscent of that used in gardens, with mood lights and bamboo next to the walls enhancing the experience. Past the hallway, the restaurant has a clean, bright wooden vibe, with twelve seats around an L-shaped counter table in the center surrounding the area where the chef is making the customers already there their sushi. The maître d' takes them to a side corridor when they give their names, though, and they're shown to a spacious booth (or a small room) with a table that seats four. "Will you want anything to drink?"

"Just water, thank you."

"I'll just have some tea, thank you."