Espion Arc

**Unofficially Titled Arc**
**Espion Arc'**s name is **conjectural** which means that no official designation has been assigned, and it is susceptible to change at any time.

## Arc Chronology

**Espion Arc** is the sixth arc of *Loving Yamada at Lv999!*

Akane initially met Yuinyan in-game when she and Runa rescued her. They became friends as time passed, especially because they are the same age. One other thing that binds them together is Yui's predicament with her boyfriend, who has stopped caring for her. The two agreed to meet in person one day.

## Arc Summary

Shinohara notices that Akane has been working hard and is cheerful lately. Akane reveals that she has a boyfriend, and Shinohara congratulates her. However, their boss is upset because Akane will be leaving the convenience store soon, leaving only him and Shinohara. They suggest hiring more employees to alleviate his stress. Meanwhile, Takeaki Okamoto is at Yamada's house when Akane calls to say she's on her way. Okamoto asks if it's Eita coming, but Yamada says it's someone else - a woman. This reminds Okamoto of their class president, Tsubaki, who he knows has feelings for Yamada.

When Akane arrives with takoyaki, she accidentally bumps into Yamada's small table and hurts herself. Yamada tries to soothe her by touching her shoulder—something he never does—which surprises Okamoto. At the convenience store, the owner interviews Hasegawa for a part-time job and hires him to work nights. He also puts Hasegawa in charge of training with Akane during her remaining days at the store.

Akane noticed that their boss was unfairly criticizing Hasegawa, the new employee who will replace her. She intervened and prevented their employer from doing so, as Hasegawa is still new and has not been given any work related to their job. Hasegawa expressed gratitude and amusement at Akane's quick thinking, which made him happy. During a conversation, Akane mentioned that she used to work at a convenience store in Gunma, her home province. When Hasegawa asked if she had a boyfriend, Akane happily replied yes.

Meanwhile, in an online game, Ruri-chan and Takezo were teasing Akane about joining the game. They spent 150 yen on a custom avatar called "insinuating grin avatar eyes" in case the guild ever got a couple. They were wondering where Yamada was because he hadn't been online for a while. Akane lied about Yamada being busy studying because they might misinterpret Yamada sleeping in her apartment right now. While waiting for him to wake up because the food she had cooked was getting cold, Akane kissed him on the forehead and chose not to disturb him.

However, this startled Yamada, who drew her closer and kissed her delicately while trying to put her slowly and carefully on the flooring while kissing. He was distracted for a moment by Akane's strong pulse rate, making her feel insecure about it. But Yamada just continued with his thoughts and feelings and shrugged off the noise of his girlfriend's heartbeat.

In another scene, Hasegawa was walking down the street talking on the phone with someone named Ren on the other end of the line. He mentioned that Akane is an FOS player and that he wants to steal her from her current team without realizing it himself yet.

Akane and Runa met two random players while hunting in-game. The players thanked them, mistaking Akane for the strong and cool one, which made her blush. They tried to recruit Runa for a party, but she refused as she didn't want to get too friendly with strangers. Akane reminded her not to do the same to others as it would make it difficult for Runa to meet new people.

Later, Eita visited Akane at work, and Hasegawa assumed he was her boyfriend. Momo called Akane and told her about her blind dates, confusing Hasegawa about Akane's loyalty. Takezo also gave Akane a luxury bag as a gift, making Hasegawa think he was her sugar daddy.

Meanwhile, Akane sought Yamada's help in upgrading her equipment after being teased by Runa. Yamada discovered that Akane had been continuously upgrading the tutorial equipment since day one and was amazed by her dedication. A random player they saved before approached them and asked if she could play with them.

Eita is exploring Yamada's house while Yamada coughs up noodles. Eita becomes hysterical at the thought of cheating on Akane and Yamada reveals that Yuinyan, a character in their game, had approached them recently. They discover that Yuinyan used to be a member of the guild Espion.

Hasegawa's phone keeps ringing with a call from someone associated with Espion.

During their ramen date, Akane mentions Yuinyan and Yamada asks if she ever feels lonely without him. A couple arguing in the restaurant causes a distraction and they are asked to leave. While waiting for Akane in the restroom, Yamada is bumped by a man who appears to be arguing with his girlfriend. Yamada thinks he recognizes the man but can't remember where he saw him before.

Akane excitedly tells her friends Momo and Maki about her new friend Yuinyan, who shares her love for gaming. She wants to be friends with Yuinyan, and it seems that Yuinyan feels the same way. However, when Akane asks Ruri-chan about letting Yuinyan join their guild, Ruri refuses, saying that she's not the type of gamer they want in the guild. Akane decides to reject Yuinyan's request to join the guild but still arranges a meeting with her as friends.

Later, Akane surprises Yamada with a bento she made and tells him about her plans to meet Yuinyan. Eita overhears their conversation and suggests that he pretend to be Akane's boyfriend to keep her safe during the meeting. Yamada is hesitant but doesn't want to ruin Akane's chance at making a new friend.

Eita then suggests that he act unpleasant towards Yuinyan during the meeting so that Akane won't want to continue communicating with her. Yamada is unsure of what to do and is caught off guard by Eita's suggestion.

Akane noticed that Yamada's request to accompany her to her meeting with Yui was out of character. When she asked him about it, he admitted that Eita put him in the situation and wants him to ruin Akane's friendship with Yui. During their conversation, Yui arrived and introduced herself. Akane wondered when Yui's boyfriend would arrive but found out they had a fight and she would be alone.

Akane left Yamada and Yui alone while she ordered food. Yui placed her hand on Yamada's leg, making him uncomfortable, and he politely asked her to remove it. Yamada then left, giving Akane his coat, as it was a girls' meeting. Meanwhile, Yui bombarded messages to her boyfriend Ren who wasn't responding.

Hasegawa and his friend were walking through the city when they saw Akane with another guy, which happens to be her real boyfriend Yamada, leading Hasegawa to believe that she was with someone else. Later, while working, Hasegawa asked Akane about her meeting with Yui, who had requested to join their guild. Hasegawa revealed that he used to be in the same guild as Yui and her girlfriend.

Akane received a call from Eita, who apologized for turning down her friend's request to join their guild. Eita explained that he formed the guild for his sister and was restrictive about who could join due to a previous issue with another guild. Akane understood and agreed with Eita's decision. Later, Hasegawa texted Ren about meeting Akane and mentioned stealing her from Eita's guild.

Akane and Yui met up at a restaurant and were ordering food when Yui received a message from her boyfriend, Ren. He said that he and his friend Hasegawa would be joining them, and Yui wanted to introduce Akane to Ren as a way of making up for the last time she met Yamada. Akane noticed that Ren seemed like a player and excused herself to call Yamada to inform him. Yamada thought it was just a report to her clueless boyfriend, but Eita found it amusing.

When Akane returned to the table, she ran into Ren in the smoking area. He noticed her expression towards him and called himself "a usual trash." He then told Akane that Yui and Hasegawa were cheating on him, as he saw them getting friendly with each other.

Akane is feeling guarded and perplexed after her encounter with Ren in the hallway. Ren had told her about Hasegawa and Yui's closeness, which frustrated her, and also mentioned Hasegawa's comment about her always meeting new guys, leaving her confused. While pondering this, Yui approached Akane and asked about Princess Ruri, but Akane shrugged it off. Hasegawa then revealed that he knows Ruri-chan and that Ren refers to her as a "Nasty Nekama." He also mentioned that they used to have a female player who Ruri snagged once.

Feeling uneasy about the conversation, Akane ate her pasta all at once and rushed out of the table, prompting Yui to follow. In the elevator, Akane implied that Yui break up with Ren, which led to Yui slapping Akane on the left side of her face. As Yui spoke, Akane blurted out words about Yamada's fondness for talking to her. This triggered a flashback to their first meeting when Yamada left them because he was uncomfortable.

Akane surged and slapped Yui so hard that she collapsed to the floor. Hasegawa and Ren arrived on the elevator where they were arguing, with Ren snagging Akane's left hand and telling her she shouldn't hit other people's girlfriends. The elevator unexpectedly opened, revealing Yamada and Eita inside.

Ren is holding Akane's wrist tightly after she slapped Yui Kurata, causing her to collapse. Eita and Yamada arrive just in time, and Yamada tries to take Akane away from Ren. However, Ren pushes him away, and Eita tries to lighten the mood by clinging onto Ren tightly. Yamada and Akane flee the situation, with Akane helping Yui stand up before leaving. Yui sobs as she realizes her love for Ren, and Hasegawa offers to take care of her. Yamada notices Akane's melancholy as they stand silently in the elevator.

After their encounter with Ren, Hasegawa, and Yui, Yamada takes Akane to his house as they are both drenched. Akane takes a shower while Yamada speaks with Eita on the phone. She comes out wearing Yamada's clothes when they hear a loud knock and shout from outside. Akane frantically knocks on the bathroom door as she thinks someone is trying to harm Yamada. Yamada advises her to ignore it, but the person persists.

When he opens the door, he sees Tani, an intoxicated man who is drenched in water and slumped outside his house. Tani enters the house and calls Akane "Rio-Rio," a woman he knows from a hostess bar. They have an impromptu meeting to discuss whether to let Tani stay for 30 minutes due to the stormy weather. Yamada warns Akane not to get too close to Tani as he falls in love quickly. However, she smacks him on the lips, which Tani sees from inside the bathroom.

Tani visits Yamada's house during a heavy rainstorm and notices that Akane is acting distant. Yamada explains that she had an argument with a friend from the game Forest of Savior, and Tani assumes that Akane is waiting for Yamada to comfort her. However, Akane is actually quiet because her underwear is still wet. Tani pretends to comfort her, causing her to say "thank you," but when he says "I love you," Yamada shoves him.

Later, Akane expresses concern about meeting Yui, a friend from the game, and Yamada unexpectedly kisses her in response to a message from Eita. Runa calls out Eita for receiving a message from Yamada declining his proposal regarding Akane and Yui.

Yamada admires Akane's ability to establish relationships and gather knowledge from others, even if her attempts are unsuccessful. He encourages her to make friends with Yui despite Akane's obstinacy. Yamada and Akane share a sweet moment, but Tani's presence makes Akane embarrassed. Tani gives Yamada a "passing grade" for comforting Akane, and they discuss making amends with Yui after hurtful words were exchanged.

Akane is trying to finish her writing, but she is preoccupied with making lists of people to speak with about a recent argument. Momo is trying to hurry her to the cafeteria, but Akane is waiting for Yui to answer the phone. When Yui finally answers, she confesses that she never called Akane because she was afraid of upsetting her. Akane acknowledges that she should have called Yui right away and expresses regret for hitting her hard. She wants to make up with Yui and remain friends despite their argument. Momo gives Akane some lunch and leaves while Akane continues talking to Yui on the phone.

Tsubaki confirms to Yamada that he has a girlfriend, which she learned from Okamoto. Tsubaki tries to strike up a conversation with Yamada, asking about Akane and making a joke about his girlfriend. Despite the awkwardness, Yamada remains friendly and mentions that their guild is waiting for Tsubaki to log back into the game.

Meanwhile, Hasegawa and Akane are arguing about what was said at the convenience store. The store owner expresses regret that it's Akane's last day working there and tells a story unrelated to their conversation. Akane mentions her intuition that Hasegawa likes Yui more than Ren, which he acknowledges but explains that he has known Yui longer. Akane advises Hasegawa to try his best on their last day working together.

Yamada and Runa are having a tutoring session at Sasaki's house while their mother prepares breakfast. Eita mentions the recent reconciliation between Akane and Yui, but he still keeps an eye on Akane due to their troubled past with the Espion Guild. Yamada brings cream puffs to Akane's apartment after she requested them, and she unexpectedly asks for a kiss. After a quick kiss, Akane reveals that she had dreamed about passionately kissing Yamada, and they share a passionate exchange that leads to them falling gently on the floor.

## Chapters

* **Chapter 42 "I'm your friend"** (僕は君のお友達, *Bokuwa Kimino Otomodachi*)
* **Chapter 43 "I guess that's a lie now"** (嘘になっちゃったな, *Usoni Nachattana*)
* **Chapter 44 "I just don't get women"** (女ってわかんねーからな, *On'natte Wakan'nēkarana*)
* **Chapter 45 "Who is this girl?!"** (誰なのよこの女はっ, *Darenanoyo Kono On'nawa*)
* **Chapter 46 "Knowing Eita-kun, I was sure..."** (瑛太くんならきっと, *Ētakun'nara Kitto*)
* **Chapter 47 "He hasn't even read them"** (既読もつかない, *Kiyomimo Tsukanai*)
* **Chapter 48 "The person on the other side of the screen"** (画面の向こうの人の, *Gamen'no Mukōno Hitono*)
* **Chapter 49 "I'm leaving in ten minutes"** (10分で帰るわよ, *Juppun'de Kaeruwayo*)
* **Chapter 50 "You should dump that guy"** (あんな男別れなよ, *An'na Otoko Wakarenayo*)
* **Chapter 51 "You can't even imagine it"** (想像もできないから, *Sōzōmo Dekinaikara*)
* **Chapter 52 "I wish I could kiss a girl"** (女の子といちゃいちゃしたい, *On'nanokoto Ichaichashitai*)
* **Chapter 53 "Yamada-san sometimes..."** (山田さんてときどき, *Yamadasan'te Tokidoki*)
* **Chapter 54 "So, she and I..."** (だから私たち, *Dakara Watashitachi*)
* **Chapter 55 "But we're still friends"** (でもまだ友達, *Demo Mada Tomodachi*)
* **Chapter 56 "It's nothing special"** (よくあるやつだよ, *Yoku Aru Yatsudayo*)
* **Chapter 57 "Don't talk from hindsight"** (結果論で語るなよ, *Kekkaron'de Katarunayo*)
* **Chapter 58 "If I stop that..."** (私がそれをやめたら, *Watashiga Soreo Yametara*)

## Characters Introduced

**Akane Kinoshita**
**Akito Yamada**
**Shinohara**Extra
**Takeaki Okamoto**
**Store Owner**Extra
**Hasegawa**
**Runa Sasaki**
**Takezo Kamota**
**Eita Sasaki**
**Yui Kurata**
**Ren**
**Tomoya Taniguchi**
**Momoko Maeda**
**Maki**
**Yukari Tsubaki**