Espresso Allies: 43-Minute Friendship Contract

Roy Hazama

So… how long have you two been hanging out, anyway?

Tomoko

Crap, do I admit we just met because she literally asked if I wanted to form a party? She'll think I'm a loser with zero friends—

Yunyun

Exactly forty-three minutes! I timed it so we could commemorate our friend-versary later!

Tomoko

Yunyun, volume! People will think we're… actually enjoying ourselves.

Yunyun

S-sorry, I just… never celebrated one before.

Roy Hazama

Relax, kid. In mercenary time, forty-three minutes is practically a lifelong contract.

Tomoko

Great, now the hot weapon-nerd thinks we're weird. He's probably cataloguing escape routes in case we ask him to lunch again.

Yunyun

D-do you… want to extend the contract?

Tomoko

We're not extending anything until you prove you're not a secret government spy assessing my social-credit score!

Roy Hazama

Ma'am, this is a fantasy café, not a black-site interrogation.

Yunyun

A… government spy friend would be so cool…

Roy Hazama

Tell you what—finish your espresso, and I'll show you both a rail-gun mod that turns milk foam into miniature fireworks.

Tomoko

Holy crap yes weapons—wait, act unimpressed or he'll know I'm a nerd!

Yunyun

Does… does that count as our second friend activity?

Tomoko

Fine, but if the espresso machine explodes, I'm blaming your friendly contract.

Roy Hazama

Deal. And hey—clock says fifty-one minutes now. You're officially past the mercenary rookie mark.

Yunyun

We… we leveled up.