Chapter 3 - Arc 1: A Fourth Introduction

Classes passed quickly, teachers came and went and the clock hands moved ever so slowly from one number to the next, going clockwise just to reach 12 and starting over again.

I kept myself underneath the radar, using Stealth Hikki to the max. Keeping my head low and body slouched helped me to stay hidden from the eyes of these riajuus. They'd never know someone more observant than they could ever possibly imagine was skulking around.

On one hand, I could consider myself lucky. In light of the fact that I am a high-functioning and proud loner, nobody was talking to me or even remotely looking at me.

On the other, if this isn't a dream, and a very realistic one it would be, I basically had an alien, robot and blue dust inside my head. Also, they proved to be effective distractions.

"Hey.", Kraue suddenly spoke up after seeing my science teacher write something on the board. "What are dominant alleles?"

This was the 6th time my train of thought was interrupted. How am I supposed to answer that in my head while listening to the teacher? At this rate I'll have to study everyday! Vita-Chan time is something I absolutely cannot replace!

"And what's the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?"

I groaned and slammed by head in the desk, quietly of course. The last thing I needed was the teacher to ask me why I wasn't paying attention. I doubt the 'I'm talking to these entities speaking inside my head' excuse helps, despite my skill to quickly produce one. Credits to Hiratsuka-sensei.

I waited at my usual corner for Yuigahama, leaning against the wall. Thankfully, the talking in my head stopped after lunch and I had the rest of the day in silent bliss. Might have to add a few more skills to my current 108. Like the ability to tune out long, pointless blabber about the atrocities of today's homework or an apologetic rejection to a so-called 'confession'.

Speaking of which, how would I be able to stay normal with two of my closest friends?

"Yahallo Hikki!"

Yuigahama ran up to me, her peach-dyed hair moving up and down as well as her c-

"Host. Please refrain from staring unnecessarily."

I yelped at Ava's sudden voice, causing Yuigahama to stop in her tracks. "I wasn't looking!"

"Uuaaahh! H-Hikki?"

"Ah, Yuigahama, I was talking to myself!"

"Apologies. What do you mean?"

"W-where were you-?"

"Nothing! Nowhere! I was just daydreaming."

Yuigahama's face told me that she doubted my words. Yuigahama, please don't look at me like that. A small piece of my heart may break off, but it's still a piece.

"Nevermind Hikki, let's go!", Yuigahama reminded me, grabbing onto my arm and pulling it. "Yukinon's waiting for us!"

I was left to the mercy of Yuigahama, who dragged me towards our destination. Meanwhile, Ava was still confused.

"Question. What is she talking about?"

"Later." It would be a real problem if someone were to find out.

We soon arrived in front of the club door. Above, the white sign was covered in stickers, the kind that you could buy at a nearby grocery store. I wonder who would go through the trouble to adorn the sign?

A tap in the shoulder made me turn my head towards Yuigahama, who was fidgeting nervously with her bag straps. I could tell she was anxious about something, yet I couldn't figure out why.

"Umm, Hikki, about Yukinon…"

"Yuigahama, say no more." It figures it would be about that. It's only unfortunate that you've been dropping all those hints and she still hadn't picked them up, you knooooooooww?

"Hikki! It isn't a-anything like you imagined!"

Yuigahama, I get it. Anyone would be embarrassed over such a thing.

"Baka!"

With that, Yuigahama entered the room, revealing a familiar figure sitting at the end of the table. Truly, it would be much unusual if she wasn't present. I'd start to think the whole world was ending or that someone was playing a massive prank on me.

"Yuigahama-san." Yukinoshita nodded her head to her as she sat down at the middle of the table. For some reason, I got the feeling that something was wrong…

"Yukinoshita? I'm here too, you know."

"Would you like to have some tea, Yuigahama-san?"

Oi, it's plainly obvious I'm being ignored here!

I sat down and opened my book, intending to focus solely on reading it.

Psi was the first one to speak up. "This literature… It draws you in, grasping your concentration like a clamp to force you to pay attention. The placement of words, vocabulary… no wonder."

"In short, the book's nice?"

"Interesting."

"Would you please stop talking?"

As soon as those words left my mouth, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita stopped and looked up at me with questioning gazes.

"Hikigaya-kun, would you please repeat that again?"

"Scanning. This person evidently contains good manners. Perhaps you could learn from her."

I ignored her. "Sorry, I was just talking to myself."

"Oh? Were you imagining yourself in the place of one of the characters inside?"

"I was admiring this amazing piece of Japanese literature. It stands on a sur…"

"I'm assuming that's similar to one of the novel's your friend writes?"

Yuigahama laughed nervously. Another usual event. A banter between me and Yukinoshita while Yuigahama sits and observes us both.

"W-well, it's not one of his…"

My voice trailed off as I subtly went back to reading my book.

"Oof. You lost."

"A tactical retreat isn't considered one."I lowered my voice to avoid any more misunderstandings.

For the next few minutes, I read quietly, waiting for nothing and no one in particular, until out of my peripheral vision, something moved. I looked up and saw Yuigahama sitting next to me.

I almost recoiled back from the surprise but managed to stay seated. When did she get here? I You wouldn't happen to have developed some inherited Yuigahama skill from your mom, did you?

I asked the most obvious question. "Yuigahama, what are you doing here?"

A voice cleared its owners throat. "I'd also like to know as well." Her voice, though, seemed a little… off. "You could catch the Hikigermia."

No wonder. She was worried for Yuigahama's sake. Still, there's nothing to catch from me since there's no such disease named that.

Yuigahama squirmed uncomfortably. "Ah, Hikki, could you, I mean, would you…?"

She suddenly wrapped her arms around mine, making me gulp. I couldn't see Yukinoshita due to me focusing on the dire situation, but she was probably thinking-.

"Y-Yuigahama-san, I'd advise you unwrap your arms around Hikigaya-kun."

Yukinoshita's words didn't deter Yuigahama from doing that. Instead, I could feel the blood stop rushing to my arm as she held tighter. Yuigahama, don't you know every part of the body needs oxygen to function and survive? I'm not ready to have a hook and an arm so early in my life.

"Question. What's happening?"

"Something fishy. Host, you're a lucky person."

I don't consider this lucky.

Psi spoke up. "Although, something is fishy…."

Yuigahama, as the person I knew, wasn't this assertive. I didn't really peg her as that, but she was like this is yesterday during my confrontation with Hiratsuka and Isshiki.

I went back to reality and immediately wished to go back within the depths of my mind. Yuigahama's puppy eyes proved to be as effective as Komachi's. Seriously, this weapon is criminal! Heck, you can search 'weapons' online and you won't get a single piece of information on this. Black market trade?

"Hikki, could you go to my house after club?"

…

I felt the full force of a blizzard surrounding me, giving me goosebumps and chilling my spine. I also heard the cracking sound of metal and wires, as though someone had crushed something with their bare hands. I wouldn't be surprised if it disintegrated into atoms and molecules already. I'd be more surprised if it hadn't.

Meanwhile, I registered sobbing in my head that was also whispering quietly. If I had to guess what it was saying, it would go along the lines of "F**kin bastard. That lucky so-"

I shuddered.

Yuigahama was still staring at me and for a moment, I felt like it was only the two of us in the room.

She couldn't be asking me for… that, right?

"Like heck she could!"

Shut up. I didn't ask for your opinion.

The temperature dropped further and the crunching still continued. The sky also darkened and I felt an ominous presence, no, two of them.

There was only one way to get out of this.

"It's to study, isn't it?"

Everything stopped. Yuigahama looked taken aback, hit with something she didn't expect. For a moment, I breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing her, she would net couldn't laugh and d-.

"No. I want to introduce you to my parents."

"YOU MO-!"

Despite it being a clear and cool day, I walked home, too exhausted from this afternoon's events to cycle home.

"Today was hectic. Even more so as usual."

"Is school always like that?"

"Not really.", I replied, thinking back. "Although she was weird."

"Which one?", Psi asked, "The one drinking that hot beverage and reading the bundled paper? Or is it the other, the one who was physically connected to you and caused a high amount of anxiety?"

"Answer. Latter."

"Same."

"Hold up. You guys may be right on all counts, but your phrasing of her being 'physically connected' to me sounds wrong."

As soon as those words left my mouth, a nearby couple from across the street stared at me. It could have been my imagination, but I swear that lady pulled that guy's arm harder. For some reason, I caught a few words of their conversation. "Abstinence…youn...meful."

Depressingly, that took me back to the troublesome situation.

"She was different. More, well, bold in my opinion."

"You mean she doesn't act like that often?", Kraue asked.

"Mmhmm. I received too much of my daily dosage of Yuigahama."

"Ava did say she detected a small amount of pleasure in your brain."

Wha-? She can detect things like that?

I opened the door and went straight up to my room, forgetting to say greet Komachi. Though she was texting on her phone. Was it that beetle again? I could take some necessary precautions, like politely asking to meet with a bag full of kitchen knives-

"Beetles? I like beetles."

-Or I could potentially set this thing on him. That'd work as well. Only problem is how to leave no evidence behind.

Immediately, seconds after laying down on my bed, the three musketeers reappeared in front of me, making me jump back in surprise. "What are you guys doing?", I hissed.

Psi looked at me. "We only get to go out 8 hours everyday in these forms. It is difficult being cooped up the rest of the time in your head."

"Information. There is no bed in your head. Could you please place one there?"

"We don't do that here."

I turned off the lights and attempted to sleep, intending to restore my depleted stamina. If everyday was going to turn out to be like this, this gave me even more of a reason to sleep.

"You aren't going to let us tell you what and who we are?"

"Too tired, er, Kraue?"

"Why are you asking a question on what you're doing?"

I yawned. "It's the name. Not the state I'm in."

One last though drifted through my head before the darkness claimed me. I forgot to ask Yuigahama about yesterday.

The three parasites, unable to tell Hikigaya what he needed to know, watched their Host as he laid still and motionless, the only movement being the rising and lowering of his back.

Ava spoke up. "Inquiry. You think he knows?"

This piqued the other two's curiosity. "Knows who? The Vissionaires?", Kraue asked.

A shake of the head. "Wrong. Recall earlier how Psi asked him about the two girls who acted strange?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Revision. My answer may not have been completely truthful."

If lizards had eyebrows, they'd certainly be raised high. "...Ok, so it's the other girl?"

"No. The third one."

"Wait, which one? There was only two."

"Correction. The one outside."

"Excuse me. You're saying there were not two, but three girls at that moment of time?"

"Yes. Undoubtedly."

Psi quickly glanced at Kraue out of the corner of his eye, then to his Host. Still sleeping heavily, it seemed to him. "Why?"

"Why I suspect her?"

"She could be attending the institution as as an average student or teaching there as one of the teachers."

Ava nodded, her mechanical head creaking. "True. I was considering those alternatives. Both seemed highly likely to be true."

"But?"

"That person. She reeked of Blood."