~xXx~
If someone were to tell middle school me that he would befriend a girl who was, by all accounts, far superior to him in every way, similarly to those animes and light novels he invested himself in, he would've fainted of happiness on the spot. Such was the gullibility of middle-school-me.
Now, having gone through this trial by fire that more often that not burned me, I can confidently say that the experience wasn't simply a one-sided fairytale. For every up, there was a down. A bad time for a good. Equal trade, one could say. Surprisingly, your typical light novels and animes got that little part correct. The part where life isn't all roses and sunshine.
As an example, Yukino and I sit side by side, watching the stars as we bask in the silence. This is a scene most would categorise as pure bliss. However, were I to give the context of what led up to this moment, most would immediately change their mind and settle on bittersweet, as it's only been a minute or so since I had to comfort my... best friend? Blood sibling? Both. Another one of her 'episodes' to put it simply.
See, that's the curious thing about life. People tend to judge everything they see just like that. They never bother to dig below surface level because they think that what the see at first is gospel, that they couldn't possibly be wrong with their first impressions.
Source: Me.
Prior to meeting Yukinoshita, I had considered myself to be above average in terms of my intelligence. This was thanks in no small part to the teachings of both my mum and dad, the former divulging to me the many false teachings of society so as to prepare me early on for harsh reality, and the latter teaching me how to see people for who they truly are(lest I were to be fooled by women who are after my money). After meeting Yukino, and going through the events thereafter, a lot of my beliefs, including those of myself, have changed. Some for the worse, mostly for the better. Or so I've been told and would like to believe.
Anyway, we're getting off track here. Forgive me internal Hachiman, for I am simply trying to get my mind off the feeling of Yukino's head on my shoulders, still occasionally hiccuping. What I'm trying to say here is that nothing is as simple as it seems. Not life and how it works, not the people you try and perceive, and certainly, not the relationship between Yukino and I. Because truth be told?
Her haunting of me is unexpectedly weird.
~xXx~
A/N: You might recognise me as the daft author who foolishly attempted to write oneshots for Oregairu despite not having finished reading the light novel, and failing to understand the rather complex characters presented. My sincerest apologies for any and all pain you experienced reading through the oneshots series, and any you probably just felt reaching the conclusion of this prologue.
After much persuasion from the very same friend of mine, I have decided to dig further into the concept of 8man being haunted by the ghost of Yukinoshita. It was a rather interesting idea to write, one I hadn't really seen anywhere else (which is weird considering I thought Anohana was rather well known, and would've inspired more of such works.). To leave it to a single chapter in a series most won't make it past chapter 2 of (Yes, it is that painful, and I appreciate those who did what they could in encouraging/critiquing me) felt like a disservice.
So here I am, writing out an entirely far too long Author's note/essay, explaining why this is a thing now. A few things to keep in mind before you move on to do something more productive with your life, asuming you're still here:
Firstly, OOC characters and divergent scenarios are a guarantee. I experimented with many paths I could've taken, and I realised followign the original just got too... boring for me. (And painful to try and recreate)
Second, I don't know how often I can update this story. In short, I have a job, and Polytechnic is starting soon(Hello fellow Singaporeans?), thus leaving me with less time to enjoy my many hobbies which include writing. If this intrigued you enough to elicit a follow, I do apologise for future waits.
Finally, I am doing this mainly for fun, but I would greatly appreciate critique that could help me to improve as a writer. Oregairu is my first introduction to writing in First-Person, and it still feels a bit too rigid to me despite the number of examples I've had to take notes from. If you have the time, and wouldn't mind, consider reviewing the story. I'm unsure if I would reply in-chapter or by PMs, so maybe give me your opinions on that too.
And yeah, I think that's all I got for today. Thank you for your time, and I hope this story won't be as much of a slog to read through as my oneshots.
