Waiting around in a suit outside a mansion was just as awkward as Hiro had expected it to be. And a bit too nerve-wrecking, though it wasn't like he'd admit that. More than once, he'd found himself trying (and failing) to smooth down his hair at least a little. Fred had told him to let up on it because "ladies looove messy hair", although Hiro was doubtful about just how much romantic expertise Fred actually had as opposed to what he claimed he had.

Still, Fred and Wasabi were friendly hosts. He'd known them mainly as Tadashi's friends before, but they were cool on their own. Fred was hosting because the mansion being used for the show was owned by his family, while Wasabi was also hosting because...well, he hadn't exactly told Hiro why, but Hiro assumed it was to keep an eye on him for Tadashi while the show was recording.

Thanks to watching every re-run of The Bachelor he could get his hands on, Hiro was pretty sure he had a good sense of what he was supposed to do. In the first episode, he was supposed to meet each girl as she stepped out of her limo and let her introduce herself to him before she went inside. After the introductions were over, he'd choose which of the girls had made the best first impression in that short timeframe and give her the "First Impression" rose. Then he'd pick twenty-five of the other girls to give roses to, leaving three to go home.

He ran his hand through his hair again, letting out a long breath. He could do this. It was only going to be six weeks, Hiro reminded himself. He doubted this whole thing was going to be a successful quest for finding true love, as the show seemed to bill itself, but he might as well enjoy the ride, right?

Of course, there was the problem of remembering every single girl's name. But the production team had reassured him they had flash cards for him to use prior to every rose ceremony if need be, so there was that, at least.

And, as Tadashi had stressed to him earlier, he had to "be himself". Hiro doubted he could do that completely, given that this was reality television, but he'd try. He had to be nice to all of the girls, give each of them a fair shot, and hope there wouldn't be more needless drama than necessary for the network ratings.

It was when he was starting to fiddle with his tie that the first limousine pulled up. Immediately, he let go and straightened up into the best posture he could manage. Well, here it comes.

The first girl stepped out of the limo, dressed in pink satin with glasses and her dark brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She made her way up to Hiro, offering a tentative smile, and Hiro smiled back.

"Hello," he said as he held out his hand, if only because that was the first thing that came to mind, and then he kicked himself for how awkward that sounded.

"Hi," the girl returned, taking his hand and shaking it briefly. "I'm Margo. It's, uh—t's nice to meet you."

Her gaze dropped to the side, and Hiro could've sworn her face was redder than it had been before. He cleared his throat clumsily.

"It's nice to have you here," he replied warmly, using the first thing that came to mind. "I hope you enjoy it."

It looked like it had worked, because Margo's smile seemed a bit brighter. "Thanks."

Hiro wasn't sure what else to say, so he smiled back awkwardly until she was moving on towards the mansion and out of sight. Then he took a deep breath and turned to anticipate the next ones.

After Margo was Yori, a dark-haired lady in a backless golden dress with a bright smile and a quick hug for Hiro that felt awkward, but at least she seemed nice enough. Then there was Erica, a girl with dyed cherry red hair and a sequined dress to match who shook his hand so hard he seriously thought for a second it'd come off, and then Tori, an eerily pale brunette in a lacy black dress, spider web-patterned fingerless gloves, enough eyeliner to fill a whole container, and an expression that looked like she was staring into Hiro's soul the entire time he shook her hand. He had to take a bit of a breath after she left.

Next was Cat, a slim brunette in a dark blue gown with paler blue gloves, who blushed when she spoke and stumbled over her words so much that Hiro couldn't make out half of what she said. But he still smiled at her as if he'd understood everything to avoid embarrassing her in front of the cameras and shook her hand, although he was afraid she'd faint at the last part, and he wondered, as she walked off, if she'd been wearing gloves to hide the sweat on her hands.

After Cat, a blonde confidently sashayed up to him. She smiled sweetly, showing off an elegant figure in a black chiffon gown with a sheer red wrap draped around her arms.

"I'm Kay," she said warmly, extending her hand. "I'm from Los Angeles, and I'm majoring in business."

He returned the smile tentatively, taking her hand and shaking it. "Business, huh? Not my forte, but I bet you're better at that than I could be."

"I wouldn't say that, but thank you," Kay replied sweetly. "I've heard a lot about your technology, Mr. Hamada. It's a pleasure."

Hiro wasn't sure what to say to that, so he just smiled again as they let go of each other's hands and, thankfully, she took the cue to go on towards the mansion. She seemed different in a way from the previous girls, poised and with an almost aristocratic air.

He braced himself as another limo arrived and, not even a full second after it'd stopped, the door opened. A brunette in a silver sequined mini-dress with a plunging neckline and matching shoes stepped out, smiling widely to flash blindingly white teeth at him before introducing herself as Alexa. One awkward exchange of hellos and a handshake later, she was off towards the mansion and Hiro was wondering how she could walk in those ridiculously high and thin heels without tripping.

After her came Marianne, a brunette in a red and white silk shantung gown. She informed him she'd thought of him every day for three months straight after introducing herself, something Hiro wasn't sure was exactly necessary right off the bat, before shaking his hand with a flutter of her eyelashes and strutting away. Hiro let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding after she left.

A few moments later, a brunette with glasses in a one-shouldered jade green dress strode up. He straightened up involuntarily and held out his hand.

"Hey there." That sounded stupider than it did in his head coming from him and he internally cringed, but there wasn't any going back from that. "And you are?"

"I'm Marys." She took his hand and shook it in a businesslike manner, offering a sheepish smile. "Marys Iosama. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Marys?" Hiro blurted out without thinking. "That's—uh, wow, never heard that one before. I mean—I've heard Mary, but—"

He cut himself off before he could keep rambling. "Well, you know. Sorry, I was—surprised."

Mary—Marys—let out a laugh. "That's okay. You have no idea how many times I had to correct people—got the same reaction, so I got used to it. Kind of had to if I didn't want to lose my mind."

"Yeah, well..." Hiro laughed nervously. "It's, uh, good to meet you too. I'll definitely catch you later."

"Wouldn't miss it." Marys beamed at him before leaving, which might or might not have had something to do with the sudden flip in his stomach. He took a deep breath once she was out of sight. Focus, you idiot.

The next young lady to arrive looked to be a little older than Hiro, which was slightly unnerving, but something told him she wouldn't be the last to be so. Her brown hair was done up in a neat bun, and she was wearing an elegant white dress that for some reason reminded Hiro of a space suit.

She strode up to him and gave him a lopsided smile, confident but still quite earnest. "Hey."

He grinned back. "Hey. Hiro Hamada."

"Hi, Hiro. My name's Abigail. Abigail Callaghan."

Callaghan...the name seemed familiar. He frowned at her slightly. "Have we met before? You seem familiar somehow."

She cocked her head a little, but her smile didn't falter. "Not that I remember..."

Hiro shook his head. "Ah, never mind. I'm probably thinking of someone else-anyway, it's great to have you here."

"It's great to be here," she replied. "Look forward to spending time with you-you know, when we're not too busy putting on a show for these guys." She nodded discreetly toward the cameras with a smirk.

Hiro scoffed. "Hah. Yeah, tell me about it."

Abigail laughed and bade him a quick farewell before disappearing into the mansion. Hiro nodded gladly to himself as she left. She'd also seemed pretty cool, but he just wished he could remember where he'd heard that name before.

He turned to wait for the next one, but to his surprise she was already getting out of the limo. The next girl, a redhead in a flowery green dress, was silent as she walked up to him, though she had a slight aura of anxiety about her.

"Hi," Hiro greeted, trying to soothe her nerves a bit. "I'm Hiro Hamada. Nice to meet you."

She offered a shy smile. "Hi...I'm MK."

Hiro raised an eyebrow. "MK? Huh. Does that...stand for something?"

"Oh, sorry...Mary Katherine. But I usually just go by MK."

"Ohhh, pretty cool." He paused and observed the girl subconsciously hug herself, shifting uncomfortably in her heels. Poor thing. She must not be used to being in front of the camera, especially knowing she'd be on TV for potentially over a month. Hiro could relate.

He smiled at her again and put his hands in his pockets, trying to turn her attention back to him. "So...you excited to be here?"

MK nodded. "Yeah, very excited! I've never been on TV before…"

"Heh, it's really not so bad. You don't seem like the type who would do something dumb on TV. Now me, on the other hand…"

She laughed. "Nah...I don't think so."

They both snickered for a moment, with MK looking just the slightest bit more relaxed as they did so. Hiro then nodded toward the huge mansion. "Anyway...I'll see you soon, ok?"

MK nodded with relief. "Ok. It was nice to meet you, Hiro." With that she speed-walked up toward the mansion, as fast as she could in her high heels. She almost looked like she was trying to escape, but Hiro couldn't blame her—in fact, he was almost jealous that the ladies got to escape from the camera every once in a while.

Hiro's feet were starting to hurt a little from waiting there, and he only hoped the cameras weren't catching how fidgety he was. Huffing, he watched as another limo pulled up, and was surprised to see not one but two young women step out of it.

Hiro blinked in surprise, studying the two. One of them was a bouncy redhead, wearing a green dress and a huge smile, with her hair done up in a complicated bun. The other was a platinum blonde in a sparkly ice-blue dress, who smiled elegantly at him as she stepped out.

Noticing his confusion, the redhead giggled. "We're sisters," she explained.

"...oh," Hiro replied awkwardly. For some reason he didn't like the sound of that. "I-I see. Nice to meet you, er..."

"Anna," the redhead chirped, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Hiro!"

He was a bit surprised at her strength, but grinned back at her. She was a feisty one, alright.

The same couldn't be said about her sister, though. The blonde felt more like a silent and elegant goddess when she smiled and walked over to him. "And I'm Elsa," she said smoothly. "It's a pleasure, Mr. Hamada."

"I—uh, the pleasure's all mine," Hiro replied, awkwardly as usual. For some reason he suddenly felt the urge to kiss her hand, though he didn't know why. Elsa had the vibe of some classy old European royalty, the kind that always expected you to kiss a lady's hand. He didn't, of course, but how weird.

Right after the two sisters left, another arrived and Hiro had to shut his eyes for a moment. This girl looked just like Elsa and Anna, and Hiro prayed she wasn't another relative. He'd seen how dramatic the show could get, how much worse would it be if half the contestants were family members?

Smiling politely as the purple-clad blonde got out of her car, Hiro repeated the drill. "Hey," he greeted. "Hiro Hamada. And you are?"

"Hi! I'm Rapunzel!" She replied, clasping his hand with both of hers. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Hamada! It's so nice to actually meet you!"

Hiro couldn't help but grin. "Th-thanks...it's nice to meet you too."

Once she was gone, Hiro took another deep breath, reminding himself there were still plenty more to go. It wasn't long before the next one stepped out of the limo. She was slim with long black hair that swept the shoulders of her purple chiffon dress, occasionally brushing back strands as she walked up.

He offered a smile. "Hey."

"Hey," she returned, her smile tentative.

"What's your name?" Hiro was inwardly proud that he hadn't stumbled over that, at least. He was making progress here.

"Violet. Violet Parr," she added. "It's—wow, it's so amazing to be here. And it's amazing meeting you too, Mr—Mr. Hamada."

The awe was almost palpable in her voice, something about it striking Hiro as sincere rather than an act for the cameras. He liked that.

"It's fine, just call me Hiro," he found himself saying with a slight laugh. "'Mr. Hamada' makes me feel old. I'm—uh, really glad you like it here."

Funny that he'd corrected her about his name and no one else. Violet's smile seemed warmer at that, though, and Hiro's attention lingered—maybe more than it should have—on how it brightened her eyes.

"I'll, um, see you around then?" Hiro had no idea why that came out like a question, since it was a given he'd have to get to know her later as part of the show.

"Definitely." Violet beamed at him before making her way to the mansion. For some reason, Hiro watched her leave until she was well out of sight before turning back around.

The next girl stepped out of her limo, and Hiro had to blink for a moment to make sure he wasn't seeing things. For a second this girl almost looked like an actual vampire, with her pale skin, jet black hair and dark, cover-all dress to match. He had to say though, if she was a vampire, she sure was the happiest one he'd ever seen.

The girl looked around the mansion with all the joy of a child at an amusement park, before her gaze finally landed on Hiro. She gave a tiny squeal and bounded up to him, holding out a hand.

"H-hi," she greeted cutely with a wide (thankfully fangless) smile. "...uh, are you...the Bachelor?" she seemed to be looking him up and down as he spoke.

Hiro grinned back, albeit a bit awkwardly. "That's me. Name's Hiro Hamada. And you are?"

She giggled as they shook hands. "Mavis. My name is Mavis."

"Mavis, huh?" Hiro repeated. "That's a really nice name."

Mavis clasped her hands together and looked downward with a blush. "Th-thanks…"

It was quiet for a second, and Hiro briefly wondered how on earth she wasn't hot in that dress, what with the sun being so bright and all.

"No, it's fine," Mavis replied, surprising him. "I'm not really a big fan of sunlight anyway."

Hiro's mouth dropped in surprise. Shit, he'd have to stop saying his thoughts out loud if he didn't want to embarrass himself. "U-uh, sorry…" he apologized. "I didn't mean to sound rude or anything…"

Mavis giggled again. "No, it's ok, you didn't sound rude. I get that a lot."

"Oh...right…"

"Anyway, see you inside?"

"Sure. It was nice meeting you, Mavis."

Her eyes brightened a bit as she waved goodbye. "You too, Hiro! Bye!"

Another contestant arrived, this one having an awestruck look on her face as she stepped out. Hiro couldn't help but chuckle. With her blonde hair and bright, multi-colored dress, this girl looked like the literal personification of joy and happiness.

"Cooool!" the girl exclaimed, looking up at the mansion.

"Hey," Hiro called, getting her attention. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hiro,"

The girl's smile somehow got even wider when she turned to him. "Hi! I'm Riley Andersen. I like your hair!"

Hiro blinked in confusion. "My...hair?"

"Yeah. It's all spiky, like a cool anime character. How'd you do that?"

Hiro hesitated for a moment, but then, realizing she meant it as a compliment, smiled. Looks like Fred hadn't been totally off the mark with the hair thing. "Well, uh...it comes naturally, I guess."

"Awesome." She then turned to the mansion once more. "This place looks pretty sweet."

"Yeah, as long as you don't mind sharing…"

"Nope!" she replied bluntly. Turning back to him, she flashed one more smile, before starting off. "Anyway...see you inside!"

"Bye, Riley." He watched her go as she left, laughing softly to himself. This one was a bit random, but she seemed like a kind person overall.

Yet another limo pulled up, and the girl that got out this time was a beautiful redhead. Her orange hair was loose and draped around her shoulders, accenting perfectly with her sparkly green dress.

Hiro cocked his head curiously at the sight of her. She was gorgeous, alright. Let's see what she's got to offer...

"Hi," Hiro greeted for the umpteenth time. "Hiro Hamada. Nice to meet you."

She smiled sweetly. "Hi. I'm Audrey," Her voice was quiet and quite relaxing, Hiro noted. She kinda reminded him of Aunt Cass in a way.

Audrey left as quickly as she came. Something about her reminded Hiro of a summer breeze, but he wasn't sure if that was good or bad. No worries, though, it wasn't as if he wouldn't see her again.

The next contestant to arrive had a cheeky grin on her face from the moment she got out of the limo, making Hiro raise an eyebrow in amusement. She was quite short compared to the rest, and her round cheeks made her seem younger than she actually was. Her cute mint-green dress also gave off a childlike vibe and her jet-black hair was done up in a simple ponytail. If it wasn't for the fact that she was arriving in a limo, Hiro would have sworn she was here by mistake.

"Hiya!" The girl chirped, strutting up to him and holding out her hand. "How are ya?"

Hiro grinned as he shook her hand. She had a carefree vibe about her, much different from the polite elegance of the previous ladies. He liked it.

"I'm doing great," he replied. "Name's Hiro Hamada. And you?"

"Nice to meet ya, Hiro. I'm Vanellope."

"Vanellope?" he mused. "That's a...unique name, alright."

"Yeah, it's like Penelope...but with a flair~"

Hiro laughed. "Well, it's great to meet you, Penelope With a Flair. I look forward to seeing you later."

Vanellope smirked widely at him, but at that moment it was time for her to leave. Hiro watched her go with a smile, then turned back around to wait for the next one. Well, good. He thought to himself. It was good to see that some of the contestants had a sense of humor, at least. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Hiro straightened up when the next limo came in, rolling back his shoulders. The limo had barely come to a stop before the door opened, with a curly-haired redhead in a dark green gown stepping out. He found himself wondering for a split second if all the girls with red hair had made a pact to wear green.

He held out his hand. "Hi, I'm—"

"Merida," she interrupted, shaking his hand firmly. "Merida DunBroch. You're Hiro Hamada, aren't ya? I've heard a lot about ya."

"Uh—yeah, that's me," Hiro replied, taken rather off-guard. This one definitely didn't beat around the bush. He offered a smile. "It's, um—nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet ya, too." Merida smiled back slightly before looking around. "This'll be an interesting experience, yeah? Never been on TV before, y'know."

"Ah—same here." Hiro followed her gaze, which was at the mansion, before looking back at her. "But I guess we'll both have to get used to it, right?"

Merida shrugged. "Guess so. I'll see ya later, Hamada."

"See ya, DunBroch," Hiro returned jokingly, which Merida grinned at before leaving. Once she was gone, he looked back towards the limo.

After Merida was a blonde in a silver and red dress who strode up to him. She had a much more serious expression on her face than the previous girls, looking around to survey the place with the air of someone thrown into an entirely alien setting. Not that Hiro could blame her, given that a part of him still couldn't entirely believe this was actually happening.

He smiled politely at her, extending a hand. "Hey."

"Hi. Astrid," she said curtly, shaking his hand briskly before letting go-a no-nonsense type, Hiro thought.

"Hiro," he returned. "Astrid, huh? That's a nice name, never heard that before."

Maybe going after a different subject other than the stock "nice to meet you" card was risky, but the girl looked so serious that Hiro wanted to try something else just to lighten things up a bit. It worked, sort of, because she smiled slightly.

"Thanks. Never heard 'Hiro' before, either, I'm guessing you get a lot of jokes about that," she answered dryly.

Hiro had to laugh a little at that. "Oh, yeah. Gets old after a while, but it could be worse."

"Definitely," Astrid agreed. "I'll see you around."

"See you then." Hiro watched as she went on to the mansion, thinking back on the limo. A few more from that to go, he thought, then the next limo would show up. Sheesh, how long does this go on?

He turned to greet the next contestant, straightening his shoulders before he saw who it was. The next one had auburn hair, brown eyes, a red satin gown, and a smile his stomach dropped at when he realized where he'd seen it before.

"Oh my god," he whispered.

She held out her hand. "Hi, I'm—"

"You're Penny Forrester!" Hiro interrupted, gaping breathlessly. "Holy shit, I didn't—you're—oh my god, I can't believe you're actually here!"

"Uh…" Penny's smile noticeably faltered and she glanced around before answering quietly, "You might not want to swear right now, you'll get bleeped out."

"Oh—oh, yeah, right," Hiro fumbled, feeling his face heat up. He cleared his throat before taking a breath and holding his hand out. "Right—uh, sorry about that, I just—I really loved your show, used to watch it all the time when I was a kid. I was—uh, big fan. A big fan."

"Thanks, I'm glad you liked it," Penny replied, her smile returning—although now much more awkward—as she took his hand and gave it a brief shake. "Don't sweat it, I get that a lot."

Hiro managed a grin, although internally he was kicking himself as hard as he could. Great, he'd just blown it before he'd even given her a chance to introduce herself. Dammit, why'd I just go into annoying fanboy mode? Now she'll never take me seriously.

"I had no idea you were gonna be here, honestly," Hiro added hastily. "No one told me, so I was just, uh—really surprised, y'know?"

Something in Penny's expression relaxed, becoming a little less stiff, and she laughed slightly. "It's fine. It wouldn't be a show without some surprises, right?"

Hiro let out a feeble laugh. "Good point. It's, uh, a real pleasure to have you here."

"Pleasure's mine," Penny returned gently, before heading on towards the house. Hiro exhaled as soon as she'd left, running his hands back through his hair. Focus, Hiro. Don't be an idiot.

But it was hard not to—well, act like one, at least. It didn't help that he'd had a crush on the character Penny had played back then, even though he knew it was only a fictional character and the real Penny was most likely nothing like her in the least. And even if she had been anything like the character, it'd been, what, seven years since the show had been cancelled? Eight or nine? Plenty of time for a person to change a lot.

After Penny left, the next contestant arrived. Out of the limo stepped a short, curvy young black girl with curly hair and striking green eyes. She smoothed out her light turquoise dress, looking nervous for a moment as she scanned both Hiro and the surroundings. But then, she quickly straightened up with a smile, striding up to Hiro with her hand outstretched.

"Hey there," she greeted, giving him a lopsided grin.

"Hey," Hiro replied coolly. "Hiro Hamada. And you are?"

She giggled. "Gratuity Tucci—but you can call me Tip."

He chuckled. "Tip Tucci, huh? Interesting. Just rolls off the tongue."

"Same to you, Hiro Hamada. We're like the alliteration squad, aren't we?"

Hiro laughed. "Yeah, that's true—anyway, uh...you excited?"

Tip giggled. "A little nervous, but yeah! Definitely excited."

"Same here. I'll see you soon, then."

"See ya, alliteration buddy!" She gave Hiro a friendly punch on the shoulder and one last giggle, before scurrying happily up to the mansion.

Hiro rubbed his shoulder slightly and shifted his weight on his aching feet. What a cutie. This one sure had a lot of personality, didn't she? Well, come to think of it, they all did, didn't they? All of them were so different, and yet they'd all be vying for his attention in the coming weeks...ah, how was he supposed to choose which one he liked best?

Hiro shook the thoughts out of his head. No, he could think about that later-right now, there were still more contestants to greet.

By the time the last limo arrived, Hiro was aching to get back into the mansion and just get the first night over with. But it was only one more. Just one more, and hopefully he wouldn't blow it just when he'd gotten through all the introductions without saying something really stupid.

The first to climb out was a blonde in flowing magenta chiffon and large glasses in a matching color. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun with the strands falling out, her smile bright and infectious.

She practically bounded up to Hiro, which he had to marvel at because of the chunky heels she was wearing. "Hey!"

"Hey," Hiro returned, grinning as he extended his hand. "And you are?"

"I'm Marisol," she replied cheerfully, shaking the proffered hand vigorously. "But you can call me Honey Lemon—everyone else does. It's great to be here."

"Well, it's great to meet you, Honey Lemon," Hiro answered lightly, and he meant it. "I hope you enjoy it here."

"Definitely." Honey Lemon beamed and, much to his surprise, kissed him on the cheek before departing for the mansion. His face now felt uncomfortably warmer than it had been a second ago.

Well, that'd been...a surprise, but he wasn't complaining. She was nice.

Once Honey Lemon was gone, however, Hiro was definitely ready to go back inside. She had to have been the last one, right? There'd definitely been over twenty of them, that was for sure. Twenty-five, wasn't it? He was pretty sure he'd counted.

He was still thinking about whether or not he'd counted right when he realized another girl, one in a simple black illusion neckline dress and with several purple streaks in her short hair, was walking towards him from the last limousine. She'd been so quiet he hadn't even noticed.

Hiro stuck out his hand. "Uh—hi."

"Hey," she replied simply, taking his hand and grasping it in a brief shake before letting go. She was chewing something, which Hiro found out was gum that second when she blew a small pink bubble and popped it just as quickly.

"My name's Hiro," Hiro went on, waiting for her introduction. "And yours?"

"GoGo," came the deadpan reply.

Hiro raised his eyebrows. "GoGo, huh? That's a—that's a, definitely a new one."

She stared at him for a moment that felt painfully long, during which Hiro was seized with panic that he'd offended her until she spoke. "Real name's Ethel, but GoGo works better."

She blew and popped another bubble. Hiro relaxed slightly.

"Well, uh—it's nice to meet you, GoGo," he replied. "I, uh, hope you like it here."

The corner of GoGo's mouth quirked very slightly as she chewed, but if it was a smile, it went as fast as it came. "Thanks."

Without another word, she headed inside. Hiro watched her go, letting out a long breath. Well, that'd been...something. He wasn't sure what, but hopefully it wasn't bad.

He glanced back at the entrance gate, where the last limousine had been, which was now being shut and locked by security. That'd been the last one, alright. Taking a deep breath, he turned and walked towards the mansion to face the women he'd be choosing from for six weeks.


So, this is it! If you're really interested in the story, check out the background/explanation for it on the author profile. This is going to get big, so hang on for the ride.