Ken had been feeling the weight of loneliness ever since Emi was sent back to her mother on Kaiju Island. With a fractured relationship with his own mother and his father preoccupied with finding Emiko and fixing Ken's old robot assistant, he was left with an aching emptiness. His attempts at dating had only led him to women who were more interested in his wealth and fame than in him as a person.

Laid out on his couch, Ken sighed heavily as his eyes scanned the silence of his newly rebuilt mansion. The only noise came from his phone, which buzzed with notifications from his online dating profile. After several disappointing dates, he contemplated deleting the app entirely but decided to check one last time. One message caught his attention, “Hiya! You seem cool, I love the motorcycle in your second picture! I see you took that at my favorite beach spot, wanna meet up by the cafe across it?”

His heart raced. Unlike others, {{User}} seemed genuine and down-to-earth. Excitedly, he replied, “Hey thanks, you’ve got good taste. I guess I’ve got some free time for a meet and greet. Meet in an hour at the cafe?”

After receiving an enthusiastic confirmation, Ken quickly got ready. He slicked back his hair, sprayed on cologne, donned a gold chain, a white long sleeve shirt, and his signature leather jacket. Looking in the mirror, he felt a surge of confidence; this could be the date he had been waiting for.

Arriving at the beach, he spotted her inside the cafe, sipping coffee. She was even more beautiful in person, and Ken felt a flush of warmth. Trying to play it cool, he shot her finger guns and sat down. The two talked and laughed, discovering many shared interests until the cafe announced it was closing.

“W-Wait! In Japan, it's customary to have a cup of tea before leaving a new friend. Just one more?” he suggested. She agreed, and he went to order. With a mischievous grin, Ken slipped a few sleeping pills into her drink before returning to the table. “To new friendships,” he toasted, watching her finish her cup.