After Soma's food wars were done and everyone had regathered at Polar Star dorm, Daniel took a few minutes to go into his room for some privacy and call Hisako to tell her the good news – that he had successfully passed the second Stagiaire and was back on campus. Although he couldn't see it, he could hear the smile in Hisako's voice as she replied, "I had faith that you would be able to do it. But congratulations, nonetheless." Daniel chuckled at her response and thanked her before asking if she wanted to get together and do something. "We've got a little time before we start classes again," he said. "How does your schedule look for this weekend?" He could hear the sigh on the other end as Hisako answered, "I would love to, but I already have plans this weekend with Miss Erina and Miss Alice. We're going to a hot springs resort to relax and celebrate. Will you take a rain check?" Daniel was disappointed, but understood. "Absolutely," he said, "Have a great time! I'll see you again when school starts again."

They chatted for a few more minutes before Hisako had to go tend to her duties with Erina. After they hung up, Daniel came downstairs just as Megumi was telling the rest of the dorm that the owners of the ryokan she had done her second Stagiaire with had been so impressed with her work that they had invited her to invite all her friends for a relaxing weekend there – they would even have the whole place to themselves! Everyone else naturally was enthused about the invite and looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend at a nice mountain resort, complete with good food and good times!

In addition to all of the Polar Star residents, they also ended up inviting Ikumi, Ryo, Akira, and the Aldini brothers, to join them – some more willingly than others. On the day they went up, the ryokan was even gracious enough to send a van that was big enough to take everyone there. When they arrived, they were greeted by the owners and told to enjoy themselves. Almost immediately, everyone went to their rooms, changed into yukata, and went to the game area where multiple ping-pong tables awaited.

Soon, however, Daniel noticed that Megumi and Isshiki were dressed differently from their peers. While Isshiki was in his usual loin cloth-like outfit, Megumi was in some sort of purple uniform as the two were about to begin playing a match. Apparently, they took their ping-pong VERY seriously. Yuki and Ryoko explained that Megumi had been a top player since she was very young – even going undefeated for several years in her region's age group – and was known as the Tohoku Hopping Hare for her ping pong exploits. In fact, the only one at Polar Star who had ever been able to give her a challenge was Isshiki. Daniel could see why, as they played at a speed and intensity that he hadn't seen in quite some time.

Seeing them play brought a grin to his face as he shouted in between points, "I got winner!" Everyone else was shocked that Daniel would want to play against one of them. Even Soma was surprised. Megumi then asked, "Are you sure?" Daniel just smiled and nodded and said, "Yeah. Just let me change real quick first." Daniel then went back upstairs and changed out of his yukata and into a T-shirt and shorts before coming back down just as Megumi was able to finish off Isshiki. When the match finished, Daniel asked Isshiki to borrow his paddle for his match against Megumi. After Isshiki handed it to him, Daniel said, "It's been a little bit since I played, but I should be alright." As Megumi looked at him with a burning intensity rarely seen from her, she stated, "Just know, I don't intend to go easy on you just because you're my friend." Daniel smiled back and replied, "I would be insulted if you did otherwise. Let's go!"

As the match began and the ball went back and forth, it became clear that this would not be a cakewalk for Megumi. While she was clearly the more talented overall player, Daniel was able to keep it a match by being able to return just about any shot she could hit, perfect (and sometimes lucky) placement of the ball by getting it right on the edge or clipping the top of the net (thus not allowing Megumi to return it), and taking advantage of the rare opening when he could hit it back hard. At one point, Daniel commented, "You know, when I was playing back in the States, I was a pretty good player, myself. In fact, I had my own nickname." Megumi, still having an intense look on her face, asked, "Oh, really? And what was that?" Daniel grinned back and replied, "The Secretary of Defense."

Everyone else was a bit puzzled by the nickname, at which point Daniel had to explain that what was considered a government minister in Japan was called a government Secretary in the United States. "That makes sense," Ryoko commented. "You've been able to return just about everything Megumi has hit at you." While Daniel was definitely able to give Megumi a competitive match, he was not able to overcome the talent difference in the end, with the final score being 12-9. Still, Daniel wasn't overly disappointed with the result as he shook Megumi's hand after the match ended in a show of good sportsmanship. "Thanks," Megumi said, "You're actually a pretty good player." Daniel smiled and replied, "My grandpa taught me how to play. He learned while serving in the U.S. Navy, and even won a tournament or two in his heyday." Megumi nodded and stated, "I can show you how to get better sometime if you want." Daniel thanked her for the offer, saying he would take her up on it later.

Soma then decided to go off to the nearby river and do some fishing – intrigued by the story of a legendary giant fish locals called "The Master of the River" – with Ryo and Akira deciding to join him. When Takumi came out from his bath in the hot springs looking for Soma, Daniel told him about where he had gone off to. Ticked off that Soma hadn't waited around to invite him, Takumi quickly got dressed and raced off to find Soma and the other two before anyone could calm him down and convince him otherwise. Daniel sighed and said to himself, "That guy really has a one-tracked mind."

Just as Daniel was about to join his friends in the ryokan's hot spring bath, Daniel heard a commotion in the kitchen. When he went to investigate, he saw Megumi and the concierge trying to help the head chef, as he was doubling over in severe pain. He had apparently thrown out his back, and with the rest of the staff out that day with various other injuries and ailments, there was no one left to man the kitchen. On top of that, the owner had accidentally booked a reservation for a well-known name client, and now they needed to make sure that this party was taken care of with the highest level of service possible. 'Talk about unlucky,' Daniel thought.

At that moment, the rest of their group (those that hadn't gone elsewhere) came into the kitchen. After they were told the situation, they all volunteered to help out by cooking the meal for these important guests. Although he didn't expect to be doing this, Daniel volunteered as well in any capacity he could. With everyone on board, the concierge and head chef thanked them profusely for their help, and soon everyone went to work to prepare a multi-course meal fit for a ryokan of this level. Everyone was making a dish that emphasized their particular strengths, yet all took advantage of seasonal ingredients and went well together.

Daniel's dish was a simple dessert tempura, where he dredged figs in a light tempura batter before frying them. To accompany the figs, he made two different sauces – one was a fuji apple compote, while the other was a white miso caramel sauce (for a bit of saltiness). Each sauce was also thinned slightly with some persimmon juice to complement Isami's dessert dish – a semi-frozen persimmon custard – and make sure that they would be able to dip the tempura figs in the sauces like they would with regular tempura. When everything had been served, the concierge reported that the party had enjoyed their meal and looked very happy with everything, which was met with an enthusiastic cheer for a job well done.

After they had made and eaten their own dinners, most of the group decided to relax in their rooms, while others decided to hit the various baths again. Not having the opportunity to partake before dinner, Daniel decided to go with the group enjoying the baths. While they were enjoying themselves, they were unexpectedly joined by Soma, Ryo, and Akira, who had finally returned after an eventful, if unsuccessful, fishing venture. Not long after, Takumi came around looking like a ragged mess and exhausted after spending so much time looking for Soma. After chewing Soma out a bit, much to Soma's confusion, Takumi joined in the relaxation.

Daniel was the first one out of the baths, and once he dried off and changed back into his yukata, he decided to grab a bottle of yuzu lemonade from one of the vending machines he had seen earlier before heading up to join those that were gathering in the rooms. As he got his drink out of the vending machine, he looked up and suddenly saw a very familiar head of rose pink hair walking in the distance. "Hisako?" he called out. "Is that you?" Hisako turned towards the voice calling her and was surprised to see Daniel standing there. "Daniel? What are you doing here?" she asked. "I was about to ask you that," Daniel replied. "But I guess this is the hot springs resort you were talking about on the phone?" Hisako nodded in response and exclaimed, "You didn't tell me you were coming here, too. I thought you originally wanted to do something with me this weekend." Daniel shrugged and replied, "I didn't know myself until after our conversation."

Daniel then explained about how Megumi had worked here during her Stagiaire and how she had done such a good job that the owner had invited her to bring her friends for a relaxing weekend. Hisako's eyes widened as she stated, "Wow. She must have truly impressed them to receive such a generous offer." Daniel nodded and said, "Yeah, that's Megumi for you." He then offered to buy her a drink, which Hisako took him up on – an unsweetened iced tea. Daniel then asked, "If you have a little time, would it be alright if I took you up on that rain check?" Hisako was a bit surprised, considering the setting, and replied, "Is there anywhere we can go without being disturbed?" Daniel thought for a moment before he came up with a solution. "There's a garden area out back with a walking path where we should have some privacy."

Hisako nodded and the two walked together, following the signs to the garden area, where they were met with lush flowers and greenery, a large, picturesque koi pond complete with a bridge, and an area with a gazebo and bench where they could sit in peace. After they sat down, Daniel began the conversation. "I take it you, Erina, and Alice were the ones who enjoyed the dinner we all made?" Hisako looked shocked for a moment before asking, "Wait, you and your friends were the ones who made all those dishes?" Daniel nodded and replied, "We may not be the most refined, but the people at Polar Star are really talented and not to be underestimated." Hisako giggled at Daniel's response and said, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind in the future." She then turned to him and asked, "So which dish was yours?" When Daniel told her about the tempura figs, Hisako nodded and said, "Yeah, that does seem like something you would come up with. It was really good, by the way."

A few moments later, Hisako got a relaxed look on her face as she leaned her head onto Daniel's shoulder. He then took the hint and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer, and used his other hand to hold hers as they sat there peacefully, enjoying both themselves and their surroundings. After a while like this, Daniel asked Hisako, "So, I'm curious, how do you want to let our friends know that we're seeing each other? As exciting as it is seeing each other in secret, I think it would be better if we let everyone know sooner or later. I'm certain that my friends and even Alice will support our relationship, though you would know better with Erina." Hisako gave a big 'hmmm' as she thought about it before responding, "I'll tell you what – the Moon Festival is coming up in about a month or so, and there's a lot I'll be doing to help Miss Erina prepare and run her booth. After that, I think we'll have a better chance to let everyone know without worrying about other things." She then sat up and faced Daniel, saying, "Once the Moon Festival is over, we'll get together and figure out how to do this. How does that sound?"

Daniel nodded, saying, "That sounds like a plan," before kissing Hisako, who returned the gesture. When they finally parted, she giggled as they continued to sit there for a little bit longer. Too soon, however, Hisako said that she had to go, as she would be missed by Erina and Alice if she stayed away too much longer. As Daniel got up, he reached his hand out to help Hisako up like a gentleman. They then walked back towards the ryokan's main building. Once back inside, they had to part ways, though not before Daniel noticed that they were still alone. He then said to Hisako, "Until next time," before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on her lips. When they parted, Hisako gave a small smile with a bright blush before wishing Daniel a good night.

When Daniel finally arrived in the room where everyone else was gathering, he was immediately interrogated by the other guys there. "Hey, there you are! Where did you go man!?" Soma asked. "Yeah," added Takumi, "You left the baths before any of us. Where have you been all this time?" Not wanting to give himself away and also keep his promise to Hisako, he replied, "I just got something to drink and went out to the garden area out back for a while. It's really peaceful there." The others seemed to accept this answer, not detecting any hesitation in Daniel's voice. It wasn't as though it was a lie – he just omitted the fact that he had gone there with Hisako.