Hiro shows a vulnerable side to Kai, and Kai expresses his feelings to Hiro in ‘Perfect Propose‘ Episode 4.
Kai admits to Hirokuni that he has admired him since childhood for being cool. At a company party, Hirokuni learns of his colleague Kaneko’s retirement and becomes overwhelmed. Kai helps Hirokuni at home, and they begin to talk about the time when they first met.
Warning: Spoiler alert. Read at your own risk.
Hiro returns home and reflects on his conversation with Kai earlier about needing time to give him a proper answer. Breaking the silence, Kai mentions that things have been getting worse again, leading Hiro to initially assume he’s referring to work, but Kai is actually referring to Hiro’s face. While eating omelet rice, Hiro asks Kai if the feelings he has for him come from their younger years. Considering they haven’t seen each other in over a decade, Hiro wonders if Kai has been thinking about him all this time. After finishing washing the dishes, Kai responds, commenting that Hiro is overly self-conscious and admits that Hiro could be right, as Hiro is the only person he’s ever liked. He tells Hiro he’s too serious and approaches him. Angered, Hiro turns to Kai, who wipes the ketchup from the corner of his lips. Hiro questions why Kai didn’t reach out to him earlier, mentioning how surprised he was when Kai suddenly seemed taller. Kai admits he avoided seeing Hiro again because he thought Hiro was too cool. Hiro accuses Kai of lying, citing how Kai used to tease him constantly when they were younger. Kai playfully teases Hiro, suggesting it’s because Hiro is an idiot, which Hiro denies, though he admits he’s not the brightest. Kai was concerned that Hiro might have changed, but when the old man collapsed, leaving him with nothing, he realized he wanted to see Hiro more than anything. The next day, Kai exits the grocery store and notices some plants being sold outside. Considering buying one, he receives a text from Hiro, informing him of plans for drinks later that night. In the evening, Hiro and his colleagues gather to celebrate the completion of their project. They express gratitude to Kaneko for his leadership. However, Hiro sits at the end of the table, feeling hesitant to drink the beer and eat the food in front of him. His senior Kaneko approaches and invites him outside. Kaneko apologizes for bringing Hiro along since he looks paler than usual. He then reveals his intention to leave the company at the end of the month, leaving Hiro stunned.
He explains that he only received approval to leave the company last week, apologizing for the sudden announcement. Kaneko shares his plan to join a friend who is starting a business. He advises Hiro to consider quitting soon as well, but Hiro disagrees, mentioning his inability to perform his job effectively. Kaneko reassures him, stating the opposite is true – he excels at his job. He predicts that once he leaves, Hiro will likely be promoted to project leader since the management prefers that rather than hiring outsiders. Despite Kaneko’s reassurance, Hiro continues to doubt his abilities, insisting that his skills are not superior to those of his junior colleagues. Kaneko suggests that Hiro’s self-doubt may stem from the company’s negative reinforcement, which has led Hiro to believe he has no other options. He encourages Hiro to think carefully about his decision before things worsen. Meanwhile, Kai is out on a jog and notices a ball on the ground, triggering a memory from his childhood when other kids encouraged him to play with them. However, he recalls being told that the kids were only being kind to him because their mother told them to. Feeling dejected, young Kai walks away. Meanwhile, at the company celebration, everyone else prepares to leave, but Kai is asleep on the table, completely drunk. Kaneko attempts to wake him up, but Hiro only mumbles about work-related stuff. With no one aware of where Kai lives, Kaneko tries to reach Kai by phone after Hiro provides the name of the person he lives with. Hiyori, who is supposed to be heading home to catch the last train, becomes excited upon learning that Kaneko is calling Kai. Kai, who is out jogging, answers the phone, initially only panting heavily. After Kaneko informs Kai of the situation and the location, Kai agrees to pick up Hiro since it’s nearby.
