Hey guys back again, hope this chapter is done well for you all.
Had a couple of reviews saying they did not want a neglect story. Well, it's not really the main focus of the story, so rest easy on that.
Oh and zorro99, if you can tell me which neglect stories you've read that were bad to you that'd be nice. Just want to read them for the heck of it.
Please enjoy this chapter and review, thank you.
Chapter 13: Failure
"Wayne Enterprises?" Shizuka was really not expecting this, Hachiman requesting for a company such as this.
"Yeah, the branch in Chiba." Hachiman answered. "That's what I wanted to see."
The two were silent for a moment until Shizuka. "Hikigaya, you know that what you're asking for will most likely be declined right?" She cleared her throat halfway. "I don't think the school is going to just change their criteria for just one student. On top of that, you are talking about an international multi-billion dollar corporation here."
"I know, figures." Hachiman sighed. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."
"Alright, I'll see if I can find a way or something. But no promises." Shizuka said. "In the meantime team up with whomever you want for the career observation."
"Doubt if people want to team up with me either way." Hachiman whispered to himself in English.
"What'd you say?" Shizuka asked.
"Oh no, no it's nothing. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, go on Hachiman, you got club activities don't you?" Shizuka bid him farewell.
On his way to the clubroom, with hands on his pockets Hachiman was pondering on another thing.
"Those thugs think I'm Batman, but I'm not. And I haven't thought of a name for myself. But who am I?" Hachiman thought further. "Scary name, hmm….maybe The Hooded Phantom? I wear a hood I guess but….I don't know it sounds like some opera ghost. Uh what else….Shadowman? Eh….sounds so overused for some reason. Do I have to add 'man' into the name? Then why not just Hachiman? Yeah I might as well just get out there without a mask."
He was getting closer to the clubroom, and he still deciding on which name suited best. "I don't know why but somehow…Batman just sounds intimidating. Batman…Batman." Hachiman still could not decide on a name. "I dress in black, and some crimson red as well and then I stick to the shadows in the night…The Crimson Shadow?" Hachiman pondered on the name. "Um…I kind of like the name but I don't know…The Crimson Shadow…hmm nah maybe something else. Dammit I can't decide."
Opening the door, he stepped into the clubroom. Yukino was at her usual seat, reading her usual book.
"You didn't see her?" Yukino asked.
"Who?" Hachiman asked putting his bag down. The club room door opened right after that.
"There you are!" Yui pointed at him.
"You hadn't shown up to the club room. So the only option was to go look for you. For Yuigahama-san that it." Yukino explained.
"I went around asking people where you were. And they were all like 'Hikigaya? Who's that?" It made it really hard to find you." Yui said to him in a blaming way.
"Oh, I see." Hachiman sat down on his seat.
"Oi, aren't you going to apologize for making me run around to find you?" Yui whined.
"How's that my fault? You made the decision yourself to go look for me. This is on your own account." He calmly replied.
Yui puffed her cheeks with nothing to counter what he said. "A-Anyway, g-give me your phone number." She pointed at him, "B-Because then I don't have go around looking for you. It's embarrassing! And I don't want people asking what our relationship is." She shyly looked away at the last sentence.
"Oh ok then." He handed her his phone.
"You want me to type it? Quite amazed you can hand over your phone to someone else just like that." Yui said.
"You don't have to type it. Just call your number from my phone and you'll get the number right?" Hachiman gave the suggestion. Taking his advice Yui did that.
After her phone rang, Yui began making her contact name on Hachiman's phone. "Here you go?" She handed his phone to him. Seeing her name on the phone's contact list, there were hearts and ribbons icon next to it. "Going to have to change this afterwards."
Yui using her phone suddenly exhaled in slight discomfort.
"Is something wrong?" Yukino asked noticing her.
""Huh, oh no. Nothing's wrong. It's just that I got this weird message. I was little surprised." Yui said.
Yukino went back to her and said. "Hikigaya-kun, if you don't want to end up in court, you should refrain from sending such disgusting messages in the future."
Hachiman was not taking that lightly. "Really? You just straight up assume that I'm the one responsible? And what, you're going to tell me that you have proof?"
She then eyeballed him accusingly. "I think your words are proof enough. There are certain lines the criminals always say. "Where's the proof?" 'Impressive deduction skills. You should write novels." "I can't stay in the same room as a killer.""
Now an upset Hachiman was ready for an argument.
"Are you for real? I just got my phone back from Yuigahama-san. How do you think she can get a message from me this quickly? And I don't have any friends, thus no associates to send the message for me, nor I do I have any motives in this manner." He said defensively, which Yukino was taken aback but also irked. "Besides, you want to talk about what criminals say, I can say that you were trying to cover your tracks by immediately accusing me."
"Oi Hikki take it easy." Yui said seeing his serious face. "You don't have to be so mean to Yukinon."
"I'm not the one pointing fingers here." Hachiman said. Yui then turned to Yukino, "Yukinon, I don't think Hikki is the culprit."
"And your proof?" Yukino asked.
"Well, it was about people in my class. So Hikki has no connection with them." Yui replied.
"I see. Then, Hikigaya-kun can't be the culprit." Yukinon said. "That's valid evidence? Wow you fail as a detective." Hachiman crossed his arms.
Before anyone of them could continue, there was a knock on the door and Hayama Hayato entered.
"Uh I wanted to ask a favour." He said as he stepped in. "This is the Service Club right?" He smiled at Hachiman. Having a neutral face Hachiman said. "This is the place."
"Hiratsuka-sensei said this was the place if I had a problem." Hayato made his way to the girls in the room. "I had such a hard time getting out of my club meeting-"
Yukino cut him off mid-sentence. "We don't need to hear your story, you came here to ask us for something right, Hayama Hayato-kun." Sounding quite cold directly to Hayato, which did not go unnoticed by Hachiman.
"Oh right about that." Hayato took out his phone and showed it to Yui. "Oh the weird message."
Yukino began reading the messages as Yui presented them to her. "Tobe is a delinquent that belongs to a gang, picking fights with West High students at the arcade. Yamato dates three girls at once, he's total scum. And Ooka takes out rivals schools' with rough play. A chain mail huh?"
"Since this started going around, things have been quite uncomfortable in class. It makes me upset that someone writing these things about my friends. Oh, but I don't want to find who did it. I want to know how to settle this peacefully. Can you help?" Hayato asked. Yukino still having her Ice Queen look.
With a hand at her chin she said, "So in other words, you need us to get this under control."
"Yeah, pretty much." Hayato said.
"Then, we'll have to find out who did it."
Hachiman then said, "Weren't you listening? He said didn't want to find out who it was, just to settle this 'peacefully'."
"Why do you have to do that?" Hayato asked with shocked eyes.
Yukino ignored Hachiman, she stepped to the window, gazing out the window she said, "Chain mail, the despicable behaviour that tramples upon the dignity of others. They slander others with the intention to hurt them, while plotting from the shadows, never revealing themselves. You have to eradicate it at the root in order for it to be stopped effectively. I'm the source on that."
"Killing a crocodile, stopping smugglers but this, this is so…..I don't know…..so innocent high school." Hachiman thought.
"People like that must be thoroughly destroyed. That's my way." Yukino said looking over her shoulder at them.
"Well you sound murderous all of a sudden." Hachiman said in English to her.
"What are you saying Hikki?" Yui asked.
"Nothing important Yuigahama-san." Yukino answered for him. Then she spoke to Hayato, "I wind find the culprit. I believe a single word will stop them. Then you can decide on what to do after that? Is that alright with you?" Her tone gave the message that she would not take no for an answer.
"Sure, that's fine." Hayato said with reluctance.
Yukino turned her body around. "When did the message first start to show up?"
"Last weekend right?" Hayato asked Yui and she nodded.
"Did anything happen in your class, Yuigahama-san, Hayama-kun?" Yukino asked
"Nothing in particular." Yui said.
"Yeah, the same as always." Hayato added.
"Just for the sake of asking, what about you?" Yukino looked at Hachiman. Hiding his irritation at that jab he answered. "The only thing I know that is considered rather recent would be the career observation."
"Oh right. That's it, because we're going to be in groups." Yui said. "I think I know who did it."
"Can you explain?" Yukino asked.
"When people are grouped in events like this, their relationships afterward will be affected. People will get sensitive over these things."
"We're doing our workplace observation in groups of three, so you're thinking that if there was a group of four friends, one is going to be left out, and thus he'd kick someone out to avoid being excluded?" Hachiman clarified.
"Yup." Yui said.
"So, we can assume that one of them is the culprit." Yukino said.
"Whoa, hang on." Hayato said. "I don't think any one of them is the culprit. Each of them had a message talking bad about them. So I don't think any one of them is responsible."
"If they believe any of the three is the one, the culprit could be doing this to make him look like the victim so the heat won't be on him." Hachiman said. Hayama was having a slight frown at that, thinking that his friends would become so dastardly.
"Can you tell me about those three?" Yukino asked.
"Tobe's got a bad look, but he's the best at managing the mood. He's very proactive during events and an all-around nice guy." Hayato said.
With a notepad Yukino said, "So he's a class clown, a frivolous idiot who can only be noisy, yes?"
Hayama was lost for words a bit before continuing, "Yamato's calm and good at listening. He's a chill guy, doing things at his own pace who makes everyone around at ease I guess."
"Slow and indecisive."
"Eh uh, Ooka's very friendly and considerate. He's always helping people out."
"An opportunist who's always worrying what others think, then." Yukino concluded. Now Hachiman was noticing that Hayato was still trying to keep his smile intact after Yukino gave her trash-talk. One thing Hachiman could not get was why Hayato was letting her do this.
"Any one of them could the one." Yukino said. "What Hayama-kun has said doesn't give me much to go on. What do you two think?"
Yui said, "I don't really know them that well."
"Hikigaya-kun?" Yukino turned to him.
"Well, if we're only going to base on what you concluded about them." Hachiman paused. "I might rule them all out."
Everyone was surprised by his statement. Hayato was looking at him with a face of optimism.
"Don't get me wrong Hayama-san, I'm not saying this because of what you're thinking." Hachiman said. Yukino then asked, "Care to explain?"
"Based on what you and Hayama-san said, Ooka would be too scared of what people would think about him, thus he wouldn't really spread messages about himself, knowing it's going to affect his own reputation. If Yamato is slow and indecisive as you say, then he would not be involved in this because he's not cunning enough to carry out this plan, from last weekend for that matter. And Tobe, no offence but he doesn't seem very bright enough to come up with something this elaborate."
Listening to what Hachiman said, everyone was starting to wonder, but Hachiman continued. "It could be one of them, but we don't have anything concrete. For all we know, someone else could be doing this for some other motive."
"Uwah, that's creepy." Yui shivered a bit.
Yukino said. "Regardless, Yui's lead and those three are what we have now. So could you go investigate them for me?"
Yui looked down a bit in discomfort. "O-Okay."
"I'm sorry. It's not a nice thing to do."
"I'll do it." Hachiman said. "It won't really make a difference to me, pretty sure that I can point out if there's something up with them."
"I won't be holding my breath."
"I'll do it, too!" Yui raised her hand up, facing Yukino. "I can't just leave this to Hikki!" She then got closer to her, "Besides, I can't ignore a request from you, Yukinon!"
"Oh?" Yukino's cheeks reddened. Yui hugged her. "I'll do my best! Yukinon!"
Hayato said with his smile, "You all are pretty good friends."
"Those two are." Hachiman said, with hand in his pockets.
"You too, Hikigaya-kun." He turned to him, and again donning his smile.
"Yeah, no." Hachiman said, "You seem pretty forgiving after that mess with Yui and Yumiko."
"Oh that, yeah you don't have to worry about that."
"I'm not."
The next day, Yui was ready to start her investigation, she went up to Hachiman's seat "You can just leave this to me, so you don't have to do anything."
"Why so much motivation?" He asked her.
"Well, c-cause this is Yukinon's request."
He raised an eyebrow at that, "Oh…ok then, so what's your plan?"
"I'm going to see what the girls have to say. We girls know about relationships between everyone in the class. And if I bring someone they don't like they will really get into the talk."
"Gossip, yeah I should know." Hachiman's eyes shifted a bit.
"Anyway, I got this, so you don't have to do anything."
"Uhuh."
With that, she left to join Yumiko and Ebina, Hachiman was overhearing their conversation from his seat, where his noticed Yumiko was giving him a questioning glance before listening to Yui.
Yui spoke, "Yeah, so like Tobecchi, Ooka-kun and Yamato-kun are kind of weird lately, huh?"
Hachiman decided to turn his attention on the male clique while Yui was asking her friends. Seeing the boys with Hayato, conversing with such livelihood, so loud, so happy, and without a care in the world.
He then heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he turned to the front to see Totsuka Saika approaching him, noticing there's some muscles on his bones, although he still had that feminine face of his.
"Hikigaya-kun." Saika greeted. Hachiman greeted back. "Totsuka."
"Have you decided on the group you're going with for workplace observation?"
"Not really. There's something I got to check with Hiratsuka-sensei first before I could go any further in this. You?"
"M-Me? I've…already decided."
"People in your tennis club is it?"
"Huh, uh no I-I was thinking-" Saika was cut off when Hayato came up to them.
"Oh Hayama-kun." Saika greeted and Hayato greeted back. "What is it?" Hachiman asked him.
"I just wondered if you'd found out anything." Hayato said. Tilting his head to see behind Hayato, Hachiman observed the three, and he noticed something. "If we're following Yui's case notes, I may have a solution to this." He said to Hayato.
It was still lunchbreak and in the Service Club room, Hachiman gave his deduction to Yui, Yukino, and Hayato.
"I can't point out who the culprit is, but I did find out something. And that they are not friends with each other."
"How's that?" Hayato asked.
"When you're not with them, they don't get along. Only when you come in, things get lively with them. Hayama is their friend, and anyone else is their friend's friend. It's all centred on you, you're the glue in this."
"Oh, I can totally get that." Yui had a face of realization.
"Assuming what you say is true, it still reinforces their motives. If we cannot find the culprit, the issue will never be resolved." Yui stepped forward.
"This is under Yui's case notes that one of them is responsible. Well, you don't have to find the culprit, you just have to take away the cause of this." Hachiman said, facing Hayato.
Yukino had a face of scepticism. "How do we solve this?" Hayato asked.
"We take you out of the equation." Hachiman said.
Back in the classroom, the blackboard at the back had the groupings for the career observations, with Ooka, Tobe and Yamato together in one group.
Hayato was seated in front of Hachiman. "You managed to settle it peacefully. Thanks."
"Mhm, but I didn't really do anything." Hachiman said. "Plus, we don't know for sure if the case is closed by my deduction, but whatever just let them deal with it."
"Those three were quite surprised when I said that I wouldn't team up with them." Hayato said, "But I hope this way, it will be a chance for them to become friends."
"Your optimism almost comes off as mentally delusional." Hachiman said.
"Hahaha, I would rather call it hopeful." Hayato chuckled, giving his trademark smile again. "Hikigaya-kun, you don't have a team yet right? Shall we team up?" Hayato extended his hand to him.
"I need to confirm something with Hiratsuka-sensei first, but I guess it is fine." Hachiman shook his hand. Saika then confronted Hachiman. "Hey what about me? I also want to go with you."
And thus, Hachiman, Hayato and Saika were on the same group. And soon enough, everyone was all over Hayato, wishing to join him wherever he wanted to go in this career observation. This, to Hachiman made this whole case of the chain mail issue, utterly pointless.
School had ended with the evening sun at the horizon, Hachiman with his bag slung over his shoulder, was making his way to the shoe box shelves to retrieve his outdoor shoes at the building's entrance.
"Well if they don't want to take my suspicion into consideration, that's they're problem." Hachiman was getting closer to the shoe boxes shelves when he heard someone was already there. With silent footsteps he peeked out at the turn, to see that he was not alone. There was someone there, and it didn't look like a friendly presence.
It looked like the person was male and but with the evening sun all he could see was a silhouette, and the figure was meddling with one of the shoe box in the shelves, like he was planting something in the box, it looked like a piece of paper.
Before he could confront him, Hachiman heard someone's footstep from behind him. He turned around to see a blond coming to his direction.
Miura Yumiko.
Hachiman turned back to see that the person was gone. Ignoring the male student, Yumiko passed by him. Hachiman was not liking this. Things turned out what he had not hoped for. Yumiko opened her shoe box in the shelves, which was the same one the figure had meddled with.
Hachiman watched as Yumiko was confused by the paper, she took it out and read it. Seeing her face turning flustered, with pink tinted cheeks and dreamy eyes. Hachiman knew what this was.
A trap.
Hachiman had to stop her before she could even spring the trap. Without thinking he walked up to her. "Miura-san." Hachiman called to her.
"Hmm?" She turned to see who called, only to have a slight our face. "Oh…it's you Hikio."
"What is that paper?" He pointed at it.
"It's none of your business." She snapped back.
Hachiman quickly took the paper off her hands. "Hey!" She raised her voice. He read the paper.
'Dear Yumiko,
I don't know I can help with this anymore, I desperately need to talk to you to confirm things between me and you.
Please come by to the abandoned factory below the highway at the middle school district after school.
H.H'
"Oh no." Hachiman had one guess on who H.H was. "Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" Yumiko snatched the paper back from him.
"Miura-san. Listen to me, Hayato did not send this letter to you." Hachiman told her.
"Huh? What are you saying? Gross."
"Someone else put that letter in your shoe box. I saw him just now, just before you got here."
"Who?"
"Someone else, I don't know who, but he doesn't look like a student. You have to trust me." Hachiman said.
Yumiko however came to the wrong conclusion, she backed away from him with a look of disgust. "You're jealous of Hayato is that it? That's why you are telling me this crap and you don't want me to see Hayato? Repulsive."
Hachiman groaned in frustration. "Are you kidding me? I lie to you for what? You're going to walk into a trap."
"Just go away Hikio. Gross." Yumiko turned and walked out of the building. Hachiman sighed, "Shit, dammit now what? If I keep pestering her, she's just going to cry out that I'm harassing her then I'm screwed." Regardless, he had to do something. His eyes narrowed.
If Hikigaya Hachiman could not protect her, someone else will.
Miura Yumiko finally arrived at the abandoned factory just as the letter instructed. Entering in, she called out. "Ne Hayato? Where are you?"
She stepped in further into the abandoned factory, the distant sound of cars on the highway above the factory was heard. With oil drums scattered around and empty crates stacked all over, it was somewhat eerie.
"Hayato? Answer me please." She called out again.
"Oh wow she actually came." A voice she did not recognized was heard in the factory. With a gasp she turned around to see two males coming to her with evil grins. A tall and lanky one whom was in a uniform she'd recognized as West High, the other was a slightly older man around 20, in black leather jacket, grey pants and sporting tattoos around his arms and he was wearing a beanie.
"The boss was right, she's a damn cutie."
Yumiko with shocked eyes tried to hold her ground. "Who are you two creeps?!"
"Oh, she's also a big shot huh?" The West High student said with a smug face, approaching her. "Heh, dumb blond acting all tough. I enjoy breaking weak girls like you." The other said.
She tried to keep her tough look, now did she realize, Hachiman was right and she was wrong.
"St-Stay away from me." Yumiko said with glaring eyes. Before she could a run for it, she felt two big hands grabbing her arms from behind, with a shriek she turned her head to see another male, looking a year older than her, severely overweight and sweating all over.
"How do you do?" He said to her with a sick smile. "Get off me!" Yumiko swung her legs backwards, striking him in between the legs. With a dragging groan, the overweight man let go of her and held his crotch. Yumiko used her bag to swat the West High student in the face, but before she could so anything else, a hard hand from the man with the beanie slapped her across the face, knocking her down.
The overweight male recovering from his attack, got on top of her, pushing her down. Before she could scream, he forced a towel around her mouth, gagging her. He tied the towel behind her head. Beads of tears rolled down Yumiko as she felt powerless and continued to sob.
"That hurt bitch, so I'm going to punish you, very slowly." The overweight guy said with disgusting lust with the other two surrounding her snickering. He unbuttoned the first button of her shirt and she struggled to get free but to no avail. All she prayed for in her mind was someone to save her.
Before the overweight man could go for the next button, a black and red figure was dashing towards them from the front. The overweight man tilted his head up, only to be met with a knee from the black and red saviour, smashing his face right on the nose, with extra hardness with a knee pad. The black and red figure landed behind them after his knee kick.
"Eaaaargh!" The man rolled off Yumiko, clutching his bleeding nose. "What the f-" The West High student and beanie man did not see it coming, it happened so fast. They turned to see the figure in a black hood, with its red eyes and long coat. Yumiko still lying on the ground quickly back away from them, before laying her eyes on the saviour with awe and terror.
Hachiman stood there with a scowl and clenching fists, waiting for them to make the first move. He was wearing his long coat and gloves, his long coat was buttoned up to cover his school shirt. He had his school pants and outdoor shoes on, along with his knee pads.
"Tha-That thing is real?!" The West High student was now cowering. "He's real?! Shit, get him!" The beanie said and charged for Hachiman.
Hachiman spun around delivering a kick across his face, countering his charge. With a left hook, and a backhand and the beanie man was down on his back. "St-Stay away from me!" The West High student overwhelmed in fear, decided to raise a fist to strike Hachiman. Hachiman simply caught his fist and countered the West High student with a palm strike right on the chest knocking him down.
The beanie man got up, now he took out a folding knife. Hachiman got ready as the man pulled his hand back, he attempted a slash and Hachiman dodged. Another attempt was made and Hachiman backed away again. The third slash however, Hachiman caught his wrist and twisted it, locking his wrist. Hachiman pulled the wrist, and used his knee to kick the man in the gut. With another punch in the face, Hachiman grabbed the man's head and jumped up, pointing his knee to the man's face to let the knee pad do the damage. And now he was out.
Yumiko hyperventilating was paralysed in awe and terror, watching the whole fight. Hachiman turned to see her on the ground, he made his towards her, but she closed her eyes in fear.
Yumiko only felt the towel gagging her loosened, and it was out of her mouth. "Are you alright?" She heard a low voice. She opened her eyes to see up close of the black hooded figure with red eyes.
"On your feet." Hachiman said to her giving her a hand, her trembling hand reach out to take his. Hachiman slowly pulled her on her feet. Yumiko just stared at his face with dropped jaws.
"Y-You're….You're re…..You're real?" Yumiko stuttered.
Hachiman did not answer, instead he walked up to the West High student was still groaning in pain and Yumiko in awe and terror just stood and watch. And now the West High student was being grabbed by the collar to face the black and red vigilante with his growling scowl.
"Who's your boss?" Hachiman growled at him.
The West High student mumbled. "I…I…I-"
"Who sent you here?" Hachiman raised his voice a bit. The West High student was hyperventilating so much, and finally he was out cold. "Dammit."
Hachiman then turned to Yumiko who couldn't take her eyes off him. "Can you walk?" He asked her.
"Huh, uh…uh y-yeah I-I can." Yumiko said. He went to get her bag.
Suddenly a yelling got their attention. They both turned to see the overweight man with his bleeding nose, stared at Hachiman.
"I will not be some fat loser now!" He shouted, in his hand was a syringe and its content were something bright green. "What the hell is that?" Hachiman's eye narrowed seeing the drug, Yumiko was hiding behind him.
Whatever it was, it looked poisonous, like a toxin.
Like a Venom.
The man jammed the syringe in his neck, and its content went into his body. Soon the overweight man was losing his fat appearance. Massive muscles were forming around his arms and legs. The man growled as his muscles grew.
"Go! Get out of here! Run! Now!" Hachiman told Yumiko, she didn't need to be told twice. Yumiko took and her bag from him and escaped.
Hachiman just watched as his adversary bulked up some more, now veins in his muscles were pulsing around his arms. "Okay, fat dude is not fat anymore."
Seeing all those muscles and mass, Hachiman knew this. He was not at the advantage anymore, he was now the weak one. Now he was physically inferior.
The new adversary, was a bane to his strength now.
"Who's supplying your drug?" Hachiman snarled, Hachiman could not back down now.
Instead of answering the new foe picked up a wooden crate with ease. He threw it at Hachiman and the vigilante rolled out of the way in time. The stronger foe charged for Hachiman pulling an arm back to punch him, Hachiman quickly shifted to the side dodging the punch.
Hachiman rammed fist to the foe's gut and another to the face. All it felt like he was punching a wall of muscles, it hurt his knuckles badly. Before a third punch was delivered, the man grabbed Hachiman fist, and with one hand threw Hachiman to the wall. Hachiman's back slammed right to the wall, and he let out a yell of pain. The stronger foe, grabbed Hachiman and held him over his head and threw him across the factory.
Hachiman crashed through a bunch of crates, before getting himself buried in a pile of it. "I win." The stronger foe declared, too confident to find him in the rubble, he picked up his two associates and left victorious.
About a good few minutes later, Hachiman crawled out of all the pieces of wood piled on him. He pushed himself out in great pain. A trickle of blood rolled down from his mouth to his chin. His vision was a little blurry, he saw that everyone was gone. Breathing heavily, his body went through a fiery pain as he stood up. He wiped the blood off his chin.
"Dammit. FuuccaaaHHH! Oh My God!" Hachiman held himself in pain, as he made his way to the corner of the factory, where his school bag was hidden in the shadows. He may have no information and no way on finding the criminals, but at least he saved Yumiko. He had to leave quickly, get to the cover of shadows below the highway to get back into his school uniform.
Night has fallen long before he reached home. He knew that Komachi was asleep at this time, but he didn't want to risk any chances. He quietly opened the main door a bit to put his shoes inside. Closing the door, Hachiman now wearing his socks to cover his feet made his way to the side of his house, looking up he saw his window.
Using all his remaining strength, Hachiman struggled to climb up to the window, pulling himself over, he plopped onto the floor of his dark room. He clenched his teeth hard, hissing in pain. He slowly pushed himself up, breathing heavily with his mouth.
He limped to the bathroom, his shower was a horrible one as he pained through it trying to clean himself up. Back in his room and in his home clothes, he took heat rub cream and applied it over his rib that was strained, and his strained ankle.
In the darkness of his room, Hachiman was in the corner of his bed, holding his side to hold his rib. Even getting to sleep was painful, it hurt terribly even just to breathe. He had failed miserably, he was not able to strike fear in the more powerful opponent. He had lost.
All he could do now was to try and get as much sleep as possible with his agony.
Hachiman's first loss, and a big one at that.
Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, hope to see you in the next one.