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The afternoon sun was casting long, golden shadows across the pavement of Mega City as Lan Hikari and Mayl Sakurai walked home from school. It was a beautiful, picturesque Friday. The cherry blossoms were blooming, the weather was perfectly mild, and the air was filled with the kind of soft, romantic atmosphere that would make any shoujo manga protagonist swoon.
Lan Hikari, however, was not a shoujo manga protagonist. He was a NetBattler. And his brain operated on a very specific, singular frequency.
"So," Mayl said, her voice entirely too casual, her cheeks dusted with a faint pink blush. "There's this new movie coming out this weekend. The Cyber-Starlight Romance. I heard the reviews say it's really... sweet."
She looked at Lan sideways, waiting for the hook to catch. She batted her eyelashes just a fraction.
Lan kicked a pebble down the sidewalk. "A romance movie? Sounds kind of slow, doesn't it? Is there any NetBattling in it?"
"Well, no," Mayl sighed softly, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "It's about two people who meet on the Net and fall in love across different servers. It's supposed to be really emotional."
"Huh." Lan scratched his nose. "You know what's emotional? When Dex accidentally deleted his favorite GutsPunch chip yesterday. He cried for twenty minutes. That was emotional."
Inside Lan’s PET, dangling from his belt, a blue-armored NetNavi slammed his head against a digital desk.
"Lan, you absolute blockhead," Hub.EXE groaned, though he kept his microphone muted so only he could hear his own suffering.
Across the digital divide, inside Mayl's PET, Roll.EXE was equally exasperated. <"Mayl, sweetie, you have to be more direct. He thinks 'date' is a type of dried fruit.">
"Anyway," Mayl tried again, stepping a little closer to Lan so their shoulders almost brushed. "I just thought... maybe it would be fun to go see it. You know. Together."
Lan stopped walking. His eyes lit up.
Mayl’s heart fluttered. He finally gets it!
"That's a great idea, Mayl!" Lan grinned, flashing his signature thumbs-up. "We haven't all hung out in ages! I'll call Dex, Yai, and maybe even see if Chaud wants to come! Oh, and I bet Rock and Aki would love to take the transit down from Light Labs! We can make a huge group thing out of it! It'll be a blast!"
Mayl stared at him. Her smile froze, slowly cracking at the edges. The romantic atmosphere shattered into a million tiny, frustrating pieces.
"Yeah," Mayl said, her voice suddenly flat. "A big... group thing. Sounds... great."
"Awesome!" Lan beamed, completely oblivious to the crushed hopes radiating from the girl next to him. "I'll start texting everyone right now! See you tomorrow, Mayl!"
Lan took off down the street on his rollerblades, pulling out his PET to draft a mass text.
Mayl stood on the sidewalk alone, letting out a long, heavy sigh. She pulled her PET out. "Roll... why is he like this?"
"I don't know, Mayl," Roll.EXE said sympathetically. "But if I could reach through the screen and smack his operator, I would."
That night, Lan was snoring loudly in his bed, tangled in his sheets and clutching a plush Mettaur.
On the desk, Lan’s PET glowed in the darkness.
Hub.EXE was awake. And he had reached his breaking point.
Hub loved his twin brother. He really did. Lan was brave, kind, and the best operator in the world. But watching Lan stumble blindly through Mayl's incredibly obvious affections was like watching a train slowly derail into a marshmallow factory. It was soft, it wasn't dangerous, but it was incredibly messy and frustrating to witness.
Hub opened a secure, encrypted channel. Thanks to the recent alliance, the doctors had established a cross-dimensional, cross-time, cross-regional chat server for the extended group of heroes to communicate.
Hub cracked his digital knuckles. It was time for an intervention.
He opened the mail client and typed out a new message.
TO: Rock_Classic, Aki_FullyCharged, StarForce_Geo, Yai_Rich, Dex_Guts, Chaud_Elite, Sonia_Strumm
FROM: Hub.EXE
SUBJECT: CODE RED: Operation Clueless.
MESSAGE: Friends. Allies. We have faced viruses. We have faced Dr. Regal. We have faced alien invasions and mad scientists. But we are currently failing at our most critical mission. Lan is an idiot. Mayl is hopelessly in love with him. Everyone knows this. The stray cats in Sector 3 know this. But Lan thinks 'romance' is a brand of rollerblade wax. He invited all of us to crash what was supposed to be a date tomorrow. We cannot let this happen. I am invoking Emergency Protocol: Matchmaker. I need all of your help to make my brother realize that Mayl likes him, and more importantly, to make him realize he likes her back. Because he does, he's just too dense to process the data. Reply with strategies. Immediately. ***
Hub hit SEND.
Within thirty seconds, his inbox started pinging.
FROM: Yai_Rich
Finally! I've been saying this for years! The boy's head is thicker than a defensive barrier. Leave it to me. I'll drop some high-class, sophisticated hints. He'll be reciting poetry by noon.
FROM: Dex_Guts
What?! Mayl likes Lan?! Since when?! ...Wait, really? Okay, fine! I'll teach Lan how to be a MAN! You gotta show her your guts! Give her a flower or lift something heavy! I'll talk to him!
FROM: Aki_FullyCharged
Ooh! A romance mission! According to the soap operas Roll watches, Lan needs to stand outside her window with a boombox playing sad music! Or get amnesia so she has to nurse him back to health! I vote for the boombox, amnesia is hard to fake.
FROM: Rock_Classic
Aki, please ignore the soap operas. Hub, Dr. Light says human emotions are complex. Perhaps we should just talk to Lan logically? Present the evidence of Mayl's affection in a clear, formatted list?
FROM: StarForce_Geo
Are you sure we should interfere? My mom says love has to happen naturally. Though, Omega-Xis says Lan should just bite someone to assert dominance. Please do not let Lan bite Mayl.
FROM: Sonia_Strumm
Geo, tell Omega-Xis he's banned from giving dating advice. Hub, don't worry. I've written like, fifty songs about this exact scenario. We just need to set the mood. I'll handle the ambiance.
FROM: Chaud_Elite
Remove me from this mailing list immediately. I am an Official NetBattler, not a relationship counselor for your incompetent operator.
FROM: Hub.EXE
@Chaud_Elite: ProtoMan says if you don't help, he's changing your PET background to pink fluffy bunnies for a month.
FROM: Chaud_Elite
...Fine. What are my orders?
Hub leaned back in his digital chair, a satisfied smirk on his face. The team was assembled. Operation Clueless was a go.
The next day at school during lunch, the first phase of the plan commenced.
Lan was sitting at his usual desk, eagerly devouring a massive bento box. Yai and Dex approached him from either side, exchanging a determined nod.
"Greetings, Lan," Yai said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder and tapping her fan against her chin. "I must say, it's a lovely day for romance, wouldn't you agree? You know, the subtle dance of two hearts entwining..."
Lan looked up, a piece of egg hanging from his mouth. "Are you talking about the new Tag-Team NetBattle tournament? Because me and Mayl are totally gonna crush it this year."
Yai’s eye twitched. "No, Lan. I am speaking metaphorically. A lady's heart is like a rare, precious Battle Chip. It requires care, attention, and... exclusivity. One shouldn't invite an entire crowd when trying to acquire such a chip."
Lan swallowed. "But Yai, rare chips are found in the Undernet! Are you saying Mayl wants to go to the Undernet?! That's super dangerous! I better upgrade her security programs!"
"NO!" Dex slammed his hands on the desk, unable to handle Yai's subtle approach. "Lan, listen to me! You gotta be a man! A girl wants a guy who can protect her! You gotta flex! You gotta bring her a single red rose, look her in the eye, and tell her she's your favorite person in the whole world!"
Lan stared at Dex like the larger boy had grown a second head. "Dex, Mayl is allergic to pollen. If I give her a rose, she'll sneeze her head off. Are you trying to assassinate her? And why are you acting so weird?"
Dex deflated. Yai facepalmed with her fan.
Inside the PET, Hub banged his head against the desk again.
After school, Lan ran home to log onto the Burning Flames chat server. He needed to coordinate the movie trip with the out-of-towners.
The holographic projector on his desk whirred to life, displaying the avatars of Rock, Aki, and Geo.
"Hey guys!" Lan cheered. "So, about the movie tomorrow—"
"Lan," Rock interrupted, his voice gentle but serious. He was projecting from Light Labs. "We need to talk. About Mayl."
"Is she okay?" Lan panicked instantly. "Did a virus attack her PET?"
"No, no viruses," Geo said quickly, projecting from his room in Echo Ridge. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's just... well, Sonia and I were talking. And we think you might be missing some... signals."
"Signals?" Lan tilted his head. "Like, Wi-Fi?"
Aki threw his hands up in the air. "No! Romance signals! Heart eyes! Blushing! The classic tropes, Lan! The girl invites you to a romantic movie. That means she wants it to be just the two of you!"
"Just the two of us?" Lan frowned. "But... why? Movies are way more fun with a big group! We can throw popcorn at the screen and stuff!"
"Because she likes you, Lan!" Rock tried to explain using pure logic. "Observe the data. She spends all her free time with you. She bakes you food. She worries about you when you NetBattle. These are clear indicators of romantic affection."
"Tell him to bite her!" Omega-Xis roared in the background of Geo's feed.
"Shut up, Mega!" Geo hissed, shoving his Transer under a pillow. "Ignore him, Lan. Look, what Rock means is, Mayl wants you to be her boyfriend."
Lan froze. His face went entirely blank. A faint pink color slowly began to creep up his neck, reaching his cheeks, and finally turning his ears bright red.
"B-b-b-boyfriend?!" Lan stuttered, waving his hands frantically. "Me?! Mayl?! No way! We're just... we're friends! We're neighbors! We're... we're..."
He looked at Hub in the PET.
"Don't look at me," Hub crossed his arms. "They're stating empirical facts, bro. You're the only one who didn't see it."
"But... but..." Lan’s brain was misfiring. The concept was so alien to him, so far outside his usual parameters of Battle Chips and viruses, that he genuinely didn't know how to process it. "What do I do?! If I go alone with her, it's a date! I don't know how to date! What if I mess up? What if I say something stupid and she hates me forever?!"
"Just be yourself," Rock smiled warmly.
"But be the version of yourself that doesn't talk about Battle Chips for five seconds," Aki advised.
Before Lan could panic further, his phone rang. He scrambled to answer it.
"H-hello?"
"Hikari." The voice was cold, sharp, and entirely devoid of emotion. It was Chaud.
"Chaud? What's going on?"
"Listen to me very carefully," Chaud stated, sounding like he was reading a hostage demand off a cue card. "Sakurai requires your dedicated, undivided attention. It is a tactical necessity for team cohesion that you take her to this cinematic event... alone. Do not bring the others. Do not bring me. Execute this mission flawlessly, or I will consider you an incompetent operator."
Click. Lan stared at the phone. "Did... did Chaud just threaten me into going on a date?"
"Yes," Hub said, silently thanking ProtoMan for pulling through. "Yes, he did. And you're going to do it."
Saturday afternoon. The park near the Mega City Lake.
The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, petals drifting lazily on the breeze. It was the perfect setting.
Mayl stood by the fountain, checking her reflection in the water. She had worn her favorite pink sundress, spent an hour on her hair, and was currently chewing on her bottom lip in nervous anticipation.
Lan had texted her earlier: Change of plans! It's just you and me today! Meet at the park!
She couldn't believe it. He finally got the hint.
What Mayl didn't know was that they were not alone.
In the bushes to the left of the fountain, Aki Light was crouching, utilizing his active-camo cloaking upgrade to blend perfectly into the foliage.
"Mini, are the audio sensors picking them up?" Aki whispered.
"Crystal clear," Mega Mini whispered back from inside his chest.
In the branches of an oak tree above them, Rock was hanging upside down, having activated a Leaf Shield to perfectly camouflage himself among the leaves.
And directly above the fountain, floating invisibly on the EM Wave Road, were Geo (as Star Force) and Sonia (as Harp Note ).
"This is so romantic!" Sonia squealed quietly, floating cross-legged in the air. "I'm totally taking notes for my next single."
"I feel like a creep," Geo muttered, hiding behind his shield. "Why did we agree to this?"
"Because Hub asked us to," Harp Note pointed down. "Look! Here he comes!"
Lan came jogging down the path. He was wearing his usual orange vest and shorts, his rollerblades slung over his shoulder, and his PET securely on his hip.
The hidden audience collectively facepalmed.
"He didn't even dress up," Yai groaned from her vantage point—she was sitting in a black SUV parked across the street, using military-grade binoculars. Dex was sitting next to her, stress-eating a bag of chips.
Lan jogged up to Mayl, skidding to a halt. He was out of breath and his hair was a mess.
"Hey, Mayl!" Lan grinned.
Mayl’s heart skipped a beat, even if he was dressed for a marathon rather than a date. "Hi, Lan. You made it."
"Yeah!" Lan nodded vigorously. His mind was racing. Rock had told him to be logical. Aki had told him to be dramatic. Dex had told him to be manly. Chaud had told him to execute a tactical mission.
Lan’s brain short-circuited. He chose none of the above.
"So!" Lan shouted, entirely too loud. "Chaud said you were looking for a tactical challenge! Are we NetBattling before the movie? Because I brought my new folder, and Hub is ready to delete some viruses!"
In the bushes, Aki dropped his cloaking for a fraction of a second just to visibly slap his own forehead.
Up in the tree, Rock sighed so deeply a few leaves fell off his shield.
On the Wave Road, Omega-Xis roared with laughter. "The kid's a disaster! I love him!"
Mayl blinked. The nervous flutter in her chest died instantly, replaced by a cold, familiar wave of disappointment.
"NetBattling?" Mayl’s voice cracked slightly. She looked down at her nice dress. She looked at Lan's rollerblades. "Lan... did you think... did you think I asked you out here to train?"
Lan hesitated. He saw the look on her face. The crestfallen, hurt expression that he had seen a hundred times before but had never truly understood until this exact moment.
Suddenly, all the noise in his head—the advice, the panic, the Battle Chips—went quiet.
He remembered what Rock had said. Observe the data. She spends all her free time with you.
He looked at Mayl. Really looked at her. He noticed how nice her hair looked. He noticed that she had worn the dress he once casually mentioned was his favorite color on her. He realized that whenever he was hurt, she was the first one there. Whenever he won, she was the loudest one cheering.
Lan felt a sudden, terrifying twist in his stomach that had absolutely nothing to do with fighting viruses.
"Mayl..." Lan started, his voice dropping to a normal, quiet volume.
"You know what, forget it," Mayl sniffled, turning away. She gripped her purse tightly. "I'm going home. I'll see you on Monday, Lan."
She started to walk away.
"LAN HIKARI," Hub’s voice boomed from the PET, lacking all of its usual patience. "IF YOU LET HER WALK AWAY, I AM DELETING YOUR ENTIRE FOLDER."
Lan didn't need the threat. His feet moved on their own.
He dashed forward and grabbed Mayl’s hand.
Mayl stopped, surprised by the sudden, warm grip. She turned back, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "Lan, let go."
"No," Lan said firmly. He didn't let go. Instead, he took a deep breath, his face turning a brilliant shade of crimson.
"I'm an idiot," Lan blurted out.
From the bushes, the trees, and the Wave Road, a silent, collective nod of agreement occurred.
"I'm dense, and I'm obsessed with NetBattling, and sometimes I don't listen," Lan continued, looking directly into Mayl's eyes. "But I didn't come here to train. I... I panicked. Because I didn't know what to do on a date. I've never been on one."
Mayl’s eyes widened. "You... you knew it was a date?"
"I figured it out," Lan lied smoothly (thanks to everyone telling him). He stepped a little closer. "Mayl, I like spending time with you. More than anyone else. More than Dex, more than Chaud. Honestly... I like spending time with you even more than NetBattling."
For Lan Hikari, this was the equivalent of Shakespearean poetry. This was a declaration of absolute, undying devotion.
Mayl gasped softly. The hurt melted away, replaced by a blossoming, radiant joy.
"You really mean that?" she whispered.
"Yeah," Lan smiled, a genuine, goofy, perfectly Lan-smile. He squeezed her hand. "So... do you still want to go see that movie? I promise I won't talk about Battle Chips for at least... two hours."
Mayl let out a watery laugh. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and squeezed his hand back.
"I'd love to, Lan," she said, beaming. "But if you talk about Battle Chips, I'm taking your popcorn."
"Deal!"
They turned and started walking down the path toward the movie theater, their hands still linked. Lan’s palm was sweating profusely, and his heart was beating faster than it did when fighting his opponents, but... he didn't hate it. In fact, he kind of loved it.
As soon as Lan and Mayl were out of sight, the park came alive.
Aki deactivated his camo, tumbling out of the bushes with a cheer. "He did it! The madman actually did it!"
Rock dropped from the tree, deactivating his Leaf Shield, a proud smile on his face. "His emotions finally kicked in. Good job, everyone."
Geo and Sonia materialized from the Wave Road, landing softly on the grass.
"That was so sweet!" Sonia clapped her hands. "I've already got the chorus for a new song! 'More than NetBattling, you're my ultimate chip...' No, that's terrible. I'll work on it."
Geo laughed, adjusting his Transer. "I'm just glad Omega-Xis didn't yell at him to bite her."
"I still think it would have established a stronger bond," Omega-Xis grumbled.
The black SUV pulled up to the curb. Yai rolled down the window, looking incredibly smug. Dex was cheering in the passenger seat.
"Well done, team," Yai said, tapping her fan against the door frame. "The Hikari boy has officially entered civilized society. I suppose we can call this operation a success."
Inside Lan’s PET, dangling on the hip of the boy currently walking his crush to the movies, Hub.EXE logged back onto the secure chat server one last time.
FROM: Hub.EXE
TO: Rock_Classic, Aki_FullyCharged, StarForce_Geo, Yai_Rich, Dex_Guts, Chaud_Elite, Sonia_Strumm
SUBJECT: RE: CODE RED: Operation Clueless.
MESSAGE: Mission Accomplished. Thanks, guys. I owe you all one. Now, does anyone know how to explain to him what an 'anniversary' is? I want to get a head start.
The collective groan that echoed through the cyber-world was loud enough to startle a few Mettaurs in the Undernet. But despite the exasperation, every single hero was smiling.
Lan Hikari might have been dense, but he was their dense friend. And tonight, he was doing just fine.