Frustrated with the slow pace of their relationship, Hirotaka asks Narumi on a real date, with one critical stipulation -- they can't show their otaku sides at all. Can the two find something to bond over in the absence of games, manga, and anime? Meanwhile, Hanako and Taro revisit the origins of their own tempestuous relationship back when they were in high school, and even Naoya seems to be spending more time with a new friend.

"Narumi slips up in front of her work friends, and the anxiety of outing herself as an otaku forces her to retreat inward. While Hirotaka is quick to console her, a difference in opinion devolves into an argument. Will the couple learn to grow past this obstacle? Maybe sage advice from bickering experts Hanako and Taro can help? Meanwhile, Naoya and Ko might need some guidance of their own as they take their first steps together as a couple. The conclusion...

"Narumi Momose has had it rough: every boyfriend she's had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she's gone to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: why doesn't she just date him instead?"--Back cover.