Contrary to Kagami's earlier feeling, the Izumi family had gone into semi-seclusion following their reunion. No doubt they wanted some time with each other before the inevitable questions from the press. Also, having never known freedom, his daughter might find all that overwhelming.
Not that any of it was Kagami's business. Besides, she had other concerns. She had grown tired of spending her life alone and was now "on the market" for a boyfriend.
Or girlfriend. It didn't really matter; her parents would have more than enough grandchildren even without her contribution.
That didn't matter either, since Kagami was having no luck. Either she was turned down, or they never made it past the first date. She finally sat down with Misao to discuss the matter.
"What is it about me?" asked Kagami.
"What do you mean?" Misao replied.
"I mean, what is it that makes people not want me as a girlfriend?"
"Don't start thinking like that! It's not you at all. They'd all be lucky to have you, and I pity them for not being able to see that!"
"Would you happen to be one of those people?"
Misao laughed nervously. "Sorry, but I'll have to get back to you on that one."
"Thank you," Kagami said, "for not acting out the anime cliché of frantically lying about your romantic feelings."
"And thank you for not being the type who'd believe that lie."
"Seriously, what do people see in anime anyway? Especially those foreigners out there, who all seem think our country's like that in real life."
"Don't I wish!" Misao said. "Just once, I'd like to drive a giant robot to our campus and prance around the halls in a fanservice-y outfit."
"By all means," Kagami groaned, "keep that fantasy in your head, where it belongs."
They'd gotten off-track, but Kagami found that was just what she needed: to take her mind off matters for at least a few minutes. She ultimately decided to give the dating scene a rest until she was once more ready to face the rejections.
She would have her parents arrange a meeting, but with three other daughters they had their work cut out for them as it was.
For the next few weeks, Kagami, concentrated on her classwork. As soon as she got out, she went straight to her job.
She was manning the cash register for a diner. While she was allowed to have her meals there, she found that with a few exceptions she preferred to go home and eat food she'd prepared herself.
Today was one of those exceptions; she'd put in some overtime and was simply too hungry to wait. The food would come out of her pay, but the extra money she'd made would more than cover it. She tried not to overdo it, though, since she was making an effort to keep under a certain weight.
She'd just about finished when Sojiro walked in.
"May I take your order?" asked Kagami.
"I'll take a sandwich," he said, "but actually I'm here to ask you something."
"I'm not supposed to be having personal conversations on the job."
"I just wanted to know if you could come over this evening."
Kagami handed over the sandwich and took his payment. "Mind if you hold that thought until you're ready to leave?"
"Take all the time you need."
She watched him sit down, and though about what he'd asked. Why would he want her over at his place, and why now? It wasn't like she knew either his wife or their daughter, and she couldn't help feeling her presence would make things awkward.
Then again, she had worked for him at one point, and maybe she was his first step toward reintroducing them to the world.
She let the idea roll around in her head until…
"I'll do it," she said.
"You will?" he said.
"I'll be over as soon as I'm off work."
"Thank you so much!" With his sandwich finished (he'd eaten it rather quickly) he got up and went out the door, presumably headed for home.
Once work was over, Kagami also made her way to the Izumi residence. Once there, though, she briefly paused, unsure of whether she could go through with this.
Finally, she banished all uncertainty from her mind and rang the doorbell.
[A/N: I've taken reviews' advice to try to write longer chapters. Also, if Konata seems OOC in later chapters, just remember how different her backstory is than in the canon. Finally, it felt good to actually write something after all this time!]