The first thing Hikigaya thought when he noticed her was that she should have been reading something more sophisticated. Seeing a girl so refined, keeping a cool look even in the blazing heat of summer, perusing a cat catalogue was the most surreal thing he had witnessed in all his time working at this bookstore.
The shop, with its variety of titles and genres, ranging from sci-fi to textbooks to trashy romance novels, was a place that attracted all sorts of characters despite its obscure location inside the mall and the store's minuscule size. In his few days of working here, Hikigaya had seen some strange people do some very strange things. He remembered watching a girl with a wide grin, a sinister chuckle, and a nosebleed scoop up a set of books when a new shipment hit the shelf. He was curious to see what she had bought, and when he later checked the stacks he found that the girl left a pool of blood on the ground in her wake. He was ordered to mop up the mess. He also recalled seeing a teenage boy with a coat and fingerless gloves buy at least half of the books from the light novel shelf. Under the combined weight of his layered clothing, the pile of books, and the blistering temperature, the poor idiot had almost past out of exhaustion. He had to be rolled out of the way so other customers could enter the store. And then of course there was the time he caught his manager, the owner of the store, reading a magazine, looking for advice on how to get married.
As Hikigaya tried to wipe that last event out of his memory, the girl finally realized that some store employee with rotten eyes was staring her. She did what she usually did in this situation, which was to look at the object of contempt with enough scorn to kill them. Unfortunately, for her that is, the cretin did not spontaneously combust, but instead only had a baffled look on his face. As Hikigaya was rooted in place, shell-shocked that someone had noticed his existence, the girl did what any respectable lady should do, which was to put the book back on the shelf, ignore the trash in front of her, and walk away without a sound. Hikigaya stood there wondering what had just happened until his manager caught him and forced him to get back to work.
Their next meeting started in the exact same way as it did the day before, only with more disbelief on Hikigaya's face and more hatred on the girl's. This time the extra dose of disdain in the girl's eyes was enough to shake Hikigaya out of his stupor. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, slightly offended, and more than a little annoyed, he decided to try to ward her off with politeness.
"Excuse me, but is there anything wrong with the merchandise?" he asked with an awkward grin as the girl returned the catalogue back onto the shelf. He immediately wondered if he should stop smiling. His sister constantly told him that he looked strange when he tried being nice.
"I know that it is your job to provide customer service, but I don't believe you would be able to help me in any way. Or anyone else for that matter," responded the girl, maintaining a cool look as she turned to face him. Hikigaya tried to not let his anger get the best of him.
"Whether or not I would be able to help you is beside the point, and did you really need to add that last part?" he said, thinking that he should just go home and cry after all this was over. Being treated like scum by someone who acted so composed hurt. "I am only talking about the book. If it warrants you returning to the store to look at it, wouldn't it just be better to buy it?"
"How did you know that I have been here before? If you are stalking me I will have you know I will not hesitate to call the authorities," she threatened. Hikigaya sighed, his unnatural smile replaced by his signature scowl. His patience had run out, not that he had very much to begin with.
"Who the hell would stalk such a cold person. I work here. No, wait, you saw me yesterday, damn it." All this being said, he was not too surprised with this girl's accusation. He had plenty of experience of being treated as a suspicious person.
"Oh, well in that case, of course. I fully intended to buy this yesterday, but I felt as if someone were invading my privacy, so I decided to find safety immediately. I suspect that was you then? I recall the person from yesterday having a similar dead gaze." She tilted her head and put her hand to her chin as if trying to recall the details from yesterday.
"Yeah, yeah, I have heard all sorts of comments about my eyes. Look, can I just ring you up so we can be done with all this? I don't want to talk to you for longer than I need to. You've already been abrasive enough," Hikigaya grumbled. The girl weighed her options before nodding with a conflicted look on her face. She grabbed the catalogue from off the shelf for the third time this week and they began walking to the front counter.
"Well, aren't you rude? I could call up your manager and have you fired for talking back to a customer, staring at a customer, and breathing in the general vicinity of a customer," the girl huffed as they walked.
"Hey, once again that last bit was completely unnecessary. I know that we workers hold less rights than everybody else, but we need to be in the store in order to do our job properly," he argued. They arrived at the register. Hikigaya started scanning the barcode and read off the total price.
"I wasn't just referring to the store, you should probably leave the mall. You could just leave the city for good measure. Also, basing off of what I can tell from your attitude, you have never done a proper job in your whole life," assumed the girl while fishing out money from her purse. "I saw that you were reading when I first entered the store. Pay attention and at least try to act like your job is important."
"At least give me some credit, I'm trying to help you here. And you're one to talk about being distracted by books. The reason I got out of my chair was because a certain somebody was flipping through this for at least a half hour," Hikigaya said while gesturing to the catalogue.
Despite his accusation, the girl remained unabashed and handed him the money. "It was never about being invested in a book. I am quite serious. If you shirk your responsibilities you'll never be integrated properly into any workforce."
"Ha, I refuse to lose my individuality in order to become a part of society. Society rejected me first, after all. As for this job, I'll do the bare minimum until I can get out of it. My manager already knows how much of a pain I can be and she still keeps me around, so I doubt your input will be the what gets me out of this forced labor," he said, while recalling that his employer scolded him earlier this morning for slacking off. Dealing with these two women two days in a row was bad for his health.
"So you already know that you're a blemish to society," she sighed.
"I'm not some sort of parasite. It is not like anyone has noticed me enough to care about what I do," he muttered while putting the catalogue in a plastic bag.
"Well, your manager has noticed how awful you are and still keeps you around. Look at how you are repaying her kindness." The girl's look changed into something far more stern then before. Hikigaya quickly averted his eyes.
"I'm not going to change for that woman. Anyway, what do you know about her? Wait, you know what, forget it. Here's your change. Goodbye," he gestured to the door.
The girl snatched up the receipt and change, and made her way towards the door. After a few steps she turned around. "You're supposed to say 'have a nice day.' You can at least do that much." Her face was solemn, her eyes fierce, and Hikigaya knew she would not back down until he submitted to her command. He remained silent as she stared him down.
After what felt to be hours, she finally turned and walked away. It was only until he watched her leave the store that Hikigaya breathed. Who allowed such a strange person to exits? It felt like all that time speaking to her was something out of the ordinary, as if the clock had stopped on his normal day, leaving only some semblance of reality. He had never held a conversation with a stranger for that long and it had left him drained. He leaned back onto the counter and groaned, praying he would never see her again.
Unfortunately, she returned almost every other morning for the rest of the week. Hikigaya would always glance at the entrance to the shop to see if she would come that day. The girl seemed omnipresent even on the days when she did not appear. She had perfectly gotten under his skin. If there was one thing he hated more than those that pretended they were perfect, then it was those who were actually perfect. If he was to deal with her, he would at least attempt to mentally prepare himself for her sharp gaze, cutting words, and holier-than-thou attitude. He felt a little paranoid, but at least she never went out of her way to criticize him. When he rung her up, he would only need to state how much her purchase was and she would only glare at him after the transaction. He suspected this was because she still wanted him to say the standard farewell.
Hikigaya couldn't believe that there was someone as stubborn as he was. Normally people wouldn't spare him a second glance, yet here he was, holding a grudge against some girl he didn't even know that name of. Even worse, he was unsure how he could possibly win against her ego. The girl's pride shined through every action she took. She was never embarrassed with all the strange cat paraphernalia she purchased, even when she bought them along with some of the greatest literary works known to mankind. He swore he once scanned some children's book with a picture of a panda on it. She also ignored the fundamental laws of summer. When everyone should be overheated and dying, even in an air-conditioned mall, she radiated serenity and beauty. It was unnatural. Lastly, she always came to the mall alone.
Well, that last part Hikigaya appreciated. He felt that going to the mall alone was the most efficient way to go, but he understood that society dictated all humans should move in packs. Anyone disobeying that rule could be humiliated, or worse, pitied. He was glad that the person he was facing off against was a fellow loner. Knowing that someone like her had no friends proved that youth and friendship were obsolete and that those who are alone have everything that they need. In this battle, there would be no spectators, no referees, no teams, and no interruptions.
A week after their first quarrel, Hikigaya finally got used to seeing the girl around the store. He assumed he knew how to interact with her without offending her, but it was more like she realized how good for nothing he really was. They got better at pretending the other did not exist, although they would still scowl at each other at the end of any transaction.
As long as the girl had left for the day, Hikigaya could enjoy his job. It was not as if he had fun scanning barcodes or helping customers whenever they need to find a certain book, but as long as business was slow, he could indulge himself with reading at the front counter. A shelf holding miscellaneous items sat in front of the counter, so customers would need to walk around a wall of stationary and calendars in order to see him. He kept a count of how many shoppers entered the store and glanced occasionally to the shelves to see when they were ready to make a purchase or if they needed any help. Hikigaya prided himself for being able to read quickly, so even three minutes alone allowed him to make good progress into a chapter of a book. Sure, occasionally he engrossed himself completely and would forget to look up, but it never bothered any customers. If they came to the desk, he would put the book away, check them out as efficiently and quickly as possible, and go back to reading as soon he handed back the receipt. It was as he said before, no one noticed him enough to care about his work ethic.
As Hikigaya flipped through his novel with a weird smile on his face, he sensed a shadow fall over him. His skin prickled with goose bumps and he shuddered, breathing in cold air tinged with the smell of smoke. He turned his eyes upward and gazed upon a hand rising up like an executioner's axe. It fell, parting the air and crushing the top of his head, it's momentum crashing down. He felt fingers latch onto his temple, and with a sudden jerk the front of his face slammed into the wooden counter top. Before he could cry out in pain, the hand pulled on his hair forcing him to look into the eyes of his manager.
"Hikigaya, how many times have I told you not to read at the front desk?" his manager asked with intense bloodlust. He immediately averted his eyes and began sweating buckets.
"My sincerest apologizes, Hiratsuka-san. I won't do it again. I promise. Never again. So would you please stop trying to tear out my scalp?" he spoke in a high pitch voice as he writhed in pain. A large welt was growing on his forehead. The raw bump contrasted with his pale, clammy skin.
Hiratsuka sighed before dropping him down onto his chair. Hikigaya curled up in his seat, placing his hands above his head, and peeked underneath his arm to look at his manager. It seemed like she was satisfied with his reaction. She sat down on the counter. "I know that you are at applying the bare minimum to this job, which I appreciate since this is you we are talking about, but couldn't you show some initiative? Yes, I know business is extra slow in the morning, but I won't pay you if you just sit around and do nothing."
Hikigaya slowly uncurled himself and tried to look innocent while speaking, "I like to think that I contribute a lot to this place by having a book at the front desk. If a customer sees a employee reading, they should assume that we are all very knowledgeable about literature and serious about promoting liberal arts. It also lets them know that they should be quite in the store. I am the perfect model of how people should act." By the end of his tangent he looked proud of himself, nodding as if his words were irrefutable.
"I don't think anyone would want to be like you. Human beings enjoy having aspirations for one. Secondly, they want to be happy with their life. Lastly, you look pretty nasty when you're reading. Your simile is enough to ward off customers. It's bad for business." Hiratsuka felt the need to berate him, so she flicked his forehead. He yelped in pain and slumped into his seat.
"Hey, I'm perfectly happy with the way I am, it's everything else that I dislike," he said while rubbing his bruise. He scowled, "And if people aspire to be something that only means they are discontent with the way they are right now. I'm enjoying life much more than them, so you really should stop interrupting me and let me read in peace."
"Oh, I do want you to enjoy this job, but in order to do that, you need to apply yourself. You see, when I said that people want to be happy with their lives, I meant that people want to be happy with the way they act, not with where they are." Hiratsuka smiled down at him. "As for you, I wouldn't even call you alive. You look like a carcass half the time and definitely act like one."
Hikigaya didn't have a response for that, mostly because he believed that it was true. Still, he thought, if she was looking out for him she ought to have a bit more compassion. Her words and actions didn't match up."Shouldn't you be in the back counting money or getting through your daily pack of cigarettes? Just leave me be," he said, trying to ward her off.
"I just want to see how you are doing. This is only your second week after all."
"Yeah, I'm alright. I mean, I rather be doing a thousand other things, but nothing about the job is confusing."
"It's good that you understand how everything works, but stop whining. Customers will know if you don't want to be here."
Hikigaya scoffed, "Me, being noticed? Yeah right." He added with confidence, "And even if they did get offended they won't remember me in the long run." Hiratsuka looked at him with disbelief, but he remained convinced. After all, he always was treated like a criminal by service representatives. He hated their guts and on several occasions he had tried to file complaints, but he could never recall their names or faces.
Hiratsuka sighed, "In any case, I can at least give you something to do right now. How about I handle the register while you organize the magazine section. After that you can restock the shelves with some tour guides we have out back." She knew that he hated standing near the magazine stands since he was in plain sight of anyone who entered the store. Hikigaya didn't complain this time though. He had already gotten hit once today and he would rather not experience another concussion.
After grabbing the boxes containing the new shipment of magazines for that week, Hikigaya returned to the front of the store and got to work, sorting through the subscriptions and placing them in their regular place. Hiratsuka watched him from the front desk while resisting the temptation to lighting a cigarette. She vowed when she first opened the place to never to smoke inside the main section of the store. She decided to distract herself from her urge through small talk. "So, Hikigaya, how is your summer going so far?"
"It's not going bad. I spend most of my time at home. Well, my sister occasionally forces me outside of the house. My parents are busy as ever," he replied while opening several boxes. "What about you? Any big plans? Have you found a date yet?"
Hiratsuka scowled, "I've actually met someone new and will start clearing out my schedule soon. Don't worry I'll make sure that you have plenty of shifts when I am gone. Make sure to take good care of the store for me."
Now it was Hikigaya's turn to scowl, "You're bluffing. You never have time off, much less get asked out on dates."
"I know you high school students always fall in love during the spring and all that, but summer romances exist too," she teased.
"Oh, so infatuation is like seasonal depression then? Well, I keep myself healthy so I don't catch it. Everyone else at school is sick though."
"I am pretty sure you're the one whose sick."
"No, I have a strong immune system after all. I'm not proud to admit it, but I did have that illness once. At least now I can never catch it again."
At that moment, the doors to the store opened.
Hikigaya stared at the raven-haired girl who glided into the room. Hiratsuka was surprised by his reaction. His eyebrows were scrunched up, his eyes wide, and Hiratsuka noticed the utter confusion and awe on his face. The girl, on the other hand, completely ignored him, passing him by to reach the front desk. "Good morning, Hiratsuka-san," she greeted, "I have not seen you in the store for quite some time."
Hiratsuka leaned back in her chair and grinned, "Well, I do have more to handle than just running the store. I'm getting ready for a vacation. How have you been doing with yours?" Hikigaya saw the girl smile back at his manager.
"I have been keeping myself busy with a few personal projects. I also have a substantial amount of free time, so I do visit the store often to buy new books... I have less obligations this year. My sister is handling most of the summer events." Hikigaya noticed she lowered her head and her voice when she spoke that last part. He thought she looked strange without the pride she usually carried. He also realized he really shouldn't be eavesdropping. Or staring. He returned to sorting magazines in an attempt to distract himself, but it was difficult to ignore noise in a near silent room. The girl also took in the quiet. "I am surprised at how empty this place is," she whispered.
"We only just opened. And this lack of customers is the reason I can afford to take a vacation," Hiratsuka chuckled. She pointed at Hikigaya, "I am having this guy take care of the store in my stead, while I am out. I assume you two have met."
"What the hell, you never told me I was going to work here alone," Hikigaya interjected.
"I just told you earlier that I was clearing my schedule."
"You were serious about that?"
"I'm always serious," Hiratsuka said while beaming. "Anyway, make sure to get along when I am gone."
Hikigaya was about to try to convince Hiratsuka that he couldn't work all those extra hours, but as he began talking the girl cut in, "Pardon me, Hiratsuka-san, but I don't even know this person's name."
"Oi, I was about to say something. It's me you should be apologizing to," spat Hikigaya.
"Hold your tongue, can't you see we are having a conversation right now," replied the girl.
"You're talking about me. I have the right to speak."
Hiratsuka sighed, "Well it seems you are already getting along nicely. I think some introductions are in order." She gestured toward Hikigaya. "This is Hikigaya Hachiman. I just recently employed him. He's a rotten, lazy individual, so I was hoping that giving him some responsibility could change his perspective on life."
"Shouldn't I be the one to introduce myself," Hikigaya muttered. Hiratsuka ignored him and turned her hand towards the girl.
"Hikigaya, meet Yukinoshita Yukino. In the two years that she has been a regular at this store she has surpassed you as our most profitable customer."
Hikigaya was surprised to hear that. He recognized that name, Yukinoshita Yukino. He knew that she was the idol of his high school, daughter of a politician, and member of the elite Class 2-J, but he had never seen her in school. He was also stunned that she bought even more books from this store than him. How did they keep missing each other if they frequented the same store? It seemed odd that with all the things they had in common they had never met before. Then again, he assumed they had more differences that similarities. She came from some rich family, while his parents were nameless workers. He assumed she was a morning person and came to the store early, while he always came in near closing time. Everyone at school knew her name, nobody knew he even existed.
"Like hell I'm going to get along with her," Hikigaya protested, "She's been demanding far too much from our establishment. I say we use our right to refuse service."
"Hiratsuka-san, While I do think you trying to save this idiot from himself is admirable, I don't think you should give him anything remotely close to responsibility. This establishment will go bankrupt if you leave him to do as he pleases," said Yukinoshita, ignoring Hikigaya's comment.
"Don't worry. Hikigaya knows that if he causes me a loss of any finances he will pay the price. I trust his innate sense for self-preservation. He will undoubtedly do the bare minimum," Hiratsuka explained. "As for improving his behavior, I have something special in mind." Hiratsuka chuckled, putting on a radiant smile. Hikigaya did not enjoy the look on her face. He knew firsthand the consequences of her grand ideas. It was a moment like this when she forced him into this job. Even Yukinoshita, who had never seen Hiratsuka make such an expression before, found her enthusiasm alarming.
"Ignoring this sub-human for the moment, the point still stands. A lot goes into running a store. I find it incredible that you have kept this place afloat almost entirely by yourself for so long. Very few people could manage that feat. It would be better to just close it for the weeks you are gone," Yukinoshita advised.
"Jeez, we still need to create revenue. I am going to be closing the store in a few months so I can help sponsor and volunteer at your cultural festival," she replied as if stating the obvious to a young child.
"In that case, just don't go on vacation," blurted out the two high school students.
"Too bad, I already have a trip scheduled. I haven't gone mountain biking in ages you guys. Anyway, you're both smart kids, you can survive the summer without me," she patronized. Both Hikigaya and Yukinoshita were fed up with her attitude. They knew that she wouldn't budge on this matter, but the two were petty and vindictive. They refused to let her talk down to them. She didn't stand a chance.
"That is true. We do not need your experience at all," Yukinoshita agreed. "It is time for a new generation to rise. All outdated ways and wisdom will be swept aside. Enjoy your vacation."
Before Hiratsuka could interject, Hikigaya went on the offensive. "Yeah, you're going to need it. Going to the mountains will help you relax before your big date. It's been ages since you last went on one, I imagine you're quite nervous. And when it goes badly, you can just return to the mountains. That sounds like a lovely summer break," he snickered.
By this point, Hiratsuka was curled up in her seat, looking ashamed. Yukinoshita took advantage of her embarrassment. "Oh, you finally found yourself a date. Please don't let your hopes get up too high, Hiratsuka-san. If you look too desperate, I am sure your chances of getting a second date will become even lower than it already is."
Hikigaya delivered the final blow. "Now that I see how important this vacation is too you, I guess I have no choice. Just don't retire yet. I know you're old enough to, but I don't want to be left here to work forever. Anyway, have a great trip!"
Hiratsuka slouched into her chair, trying her best not to cry. "Ok. I get it. I get it," she sobbed. "I take it back, you two should never get along ever again." They frowned at that, but they couldn't argue her point. They waited in silence for Hiratsuka to compose herself.
"Ugh, you're both awful. Hikigaya just go back to work," Hiratsuka sighed. She sat back up and began reaching for her pack of cigarettes but stopped herself. "I'm going to go outside. Be sure to get the rest of the stacks set up before more customers come in. As for you, Yukinoshita, can you meet me in my office later? I want to talk to you about summer plans." They two teens felt somewhat sorry for her, so they agreed with her requests.
"Yeah, alright. I'll get it done before you know it," Hikigaya said, while quickly putting the rest of the magazines back on the shelf. "You should really stop using me for such menial tasks though. I think I deserve to read at the desk if this is what I am going to be doing all summer." He got up in order to find the tour guides from the storage room, leaving the two woman at the front desk.
As he began walking, he heard a small voice behind him.
"Hikigaya-kun, you should probably put some ice on your forehead. That bump looks rough. We don't want your ego to inflate. It is already big enough as it is."
Yeah, Hikigaya thought as he left the room, this girl really was the worst.
...
Hi y'all. Coterminous Void here. I have had quite a few ideas about making several Oregairu fics, but never had the energy or confidence to write anything. This summer was a perfect time for me to get my ideas on paper, especially because I am really bored. Honestly, my summer job is the most exciting thing I have going on with my life right now, so I guess you can see where my inspiration comes from.
As a whole, writing this single chapter was an incredible experience, mostly because I realized that writing a couple thousand words takes a long ass time. My appreciation for all writers has increased tenfold.
Anyway, since this is my first story and all, please leave me a review if you have the chance. Thanks and I'll try to get the next chapter in within a month. Deuces.
