Ep. 8: Haru's Cafe Thrives While Shima's Obsession with Ai Angers Aki

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Haru's cafe, WHITE FANG, experiences immediate success upon opening, and the strained dynamic between Haru and Ren begins to normalize. Meanwhile, Aki grows increasingly frustrated with Shima, who dedicates all his free time to tutoring Natsukawa Ai. Shima feels a strong sense of duty toward Ai, a student whose parents are divorced and who lives with her grandmother while struggling academically. His commitment becomes excessive as he even meets her late at night, pushing Aki to his limit. The tension between the friends escalates as Aki can no longer tolerate Shima's neglect of their group in favor of his obligation to Ai, leading to a heated confrontation.