"Me too." Connie reaches under the table to hold Akane's hand, but hesitates at the last moment. Is that too personal? Is she getting too close? None of her weeb knowledge is helping her here! "I haven't felt this close with... anybody in a long time. Even my family here, they- well. It's different when you're with somebody your own age." Despite being separated by four decades.

"So thanks for being m-" No. Friend wasn't the right word, not quite. Maybe? "Thanks for being here, with me. Having somebody like you in my corner after so long... it means a lot. Really."

Words are normally Connie's strong suit, but not today.