In this week’s episode, Hana teases her senpai even more. What? Were you expecting something different?

— Shinichi works at one of those quaint neighborhood cafes that I couldn’t possibly hope to find in my neighborhood. Real estate is just too expensive in the bay area, so either the cafe sucks or it’s super expensive. Like 30 dollars an entree expensive. Speaking of which, I hear certain things are oddly cheap in Japan. For example, 700 or 800 yen is enough to get you hammered for the night. Ah, if only I liked alcohol…

— In any case, Shinichi’s solitude is about to be shattered.

— Not surprisingly, the guy doesn’t want to treat Hana like a normal customer, ’cause he knows that she’ll just tease him if he tries to put on his server persona. Well, he’s not wrong. And when she does inevitably laugh at him, she is summarily tossed from the cafe. Hana amuses Shinichi’s boss, however, so she won’t be barred from the cafe anytime soon. In fact, the old man even considers giving Shinichi a raise just to keep these two around.

— On a somewhat related note, I’ve never worked a customer-facing job in my life, so I guess I’ve lucked out in life. Some people say that everyone should work in retail or something similar for at least a year. This way, they’ll know what it’s like to be on the other end of the exchange. As someone who abhors having to make small talk or put on a fake smile, that sounds like a nightmare to me. This is especially true in America where a lot of bosses believe in the “the customer is always right” credo. Anyways, my point is that although I might project an asshole persona at times on this blog, I sincerely believe I’ve never treated a server poorly.

— The next day, Hana somehow finds herself stuck in a hedge. What kinda idiot dives headfirst after a cat? Well, this one. And she did it all for her senpai too. Why would she go to such lengths for him? Shrug. Needless to say, Shinichi finds himself in yet another embarrassing situation when he tries to pull his junior out.

— What’s the point of this scene? Well, we learn that Shinichi wants to pet cats, but he has no luck doing so. When Hana hears this, she invites him over to her place without any hesitation. After all, she has two cats. In her eyes, he’s a friend, so what’s the big deal, right? And… well, I suppose she’s right. I’ve been to female friends’ houses before just to hang out. But who knows? Maybe this is one of those cultural things that I can’t relate to. Maybe in Japan, single men and women can’t spend time alone together without other people assuming that there might be something lascivious going on. Talk about pressure, though. How are people supposed to form relationships if they constantly have to on the lookout for those dastardly implications?

— At lunch, Hana is shocked to learn that Shinichi actually has a friend… a friend whom the audience won’t even be introduced to. That seems more like an acquaintance to me, but who am I to judge? Still, I’m not sure why Hana is so worried about her senpai. She even signals him from across the cafeteria just to ask if everything is going okay. From last week’s episode, it didn’t seem as though they were all that close in high school, and yet she’s fretting this much over his “lunch date?” Maybe she does actually have a crush on him, but even she doesn’t know her own true feelings. It wouldn’t surprise me.

— Talk about back pain for the rest of your life.

— Near the end of the day, Shinichi is roped into helping Hana rewrite a paper at the cafe, but of course, she always has to put it in a way that makes him feel uneasy.

— Throughout both high school and college, every single English teacher or professor told me to avoid using the passive voice. Maybe that sort of thing doesn’t matter as much in Japan, ’cause Shinichi’s tips would suggest otherwise.

— Hana eventually asks Shinichi to invite her over to his place. Again, he finds her idea embarrassing. The implications, man, the implications! But the thought of anything inappropriate occurring between them doesn’t even cross Hana’s mind. She just wants to play games with him. Plus, his apartment is closer to campus, so she can get to school easier. How innocent is that! She’s certainly an adult woman legally and physically… but she does seem quite oblivious on a lot of fronts. Like the title of the show suggests, Hana just wants to hang out.

— Well, Shinichi usually gives in to Hana, so I’m sure she’ll be sleeping over soon enough. He’s kind of a pushover.