Despite What Happened In The Past, Hikigaya Hachiman Could Not Bring Himself To Hate Her

In the end, I couldn't refuse Orimoto's request.

It was after all, not that hard to do.

I was planning on going over some of my own reading materials during the course of the Golden Week anyways. Because of this arrangement, I just ended up starting much earlier than planned.

In a way, it was a good thing, because knowing myself, I would probably procrastinate until I had no other choice but to finally do it.

It was just my luck that Orimoto picked up Liberal Arts as well. I could've weaseled my way out of this if she just went to the Sciences.

Then again, because I was already a tutor for the greater half of the popular clique, I had some material in hand that I can use for tutoring Orimoto. You could even say that her request is way easier as the midterms cover one half of the term in a school year while the university entrance exams' scope includes three academic years' worth of lessons.

"Good morning, Onii-chan! You woke up pretty early today, huh?"

The melancholic smile my imouto flashed made me sigh. Ever since she learned that the person I met yesterday happened to be Orimoto, Komachi has had this worried look on her face.

I didn't know if she was venting on me or not but she was making herself busy by styling my hair. I let her be because it would take more effort to convince her to stop.

"Onii-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you still like Orimoto-san?"

Thankfully, I stopped bringing any food or drink to my mouth the moment Komachi began to talk to me otherwise I would've definitely choked on it.

"Well, I don't hate her."

I didn't need to turn my head to even look. I knew for sure that my imouto didn't like my answer and was pouting.

"Onii-chan, you know what Komachi is talking about, right? Stop playing dumb."

"Like I said, Komachi. This is just me helping an acquaintance out. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't worry, I'll be sure to collect her payment."

"Onii-chan, you…"

I can hear Komachi sigh from the top of my head but since it didn't seem like she wanted to say anything else, I resumed my quest in devouring my breakfast.

At the exact moment where I cleared the contents of my plate and was now only sipping on my coffee, Komachi's fingers on my head seized their movement.

"Komachi worries about you, Onii-chan."

A small smile formed on my lips upon hearing her words.

"I know. Sorry for being so much trouble."

"I don't want a repeat of your last year in middle school, you know?"

"Don't worry. That kind of thing won't happen anymore. Your Onii-chan knows better now."

"What if its Orimoto-san who confesses?"

My right hand which held the coffee mug twitched a little upon hearing that ludicrous statement. Thankfully, I didn't spill a single drop of coffee because of that.

"I doubt that's going to happen…"

"But what if? How are you going to respond, Onii-chan?"

That distinct change in intonation of Komachi's voice signified how serious she was when asking that question. In times like this, I could only respond to her with the same amount of seriousness.

"I'd doubt her sanity and promptly reject her. Maybe even tell her to cool her head a little bit and then go home… Does that answer satisfy you, Komachi?"

I finally stood up and locked my eyes with my precious imouto. As she was quite shorter than me, I had to bend a little bit in order to be on the same eye level as her. Those were the best words I could come up with at that short interval.

"It will do for now, I guess… Also…"

"Hmm?"

"I got a lot of Komachi points from that one…"

"And?"

"So, I'm expecting a gift when you get back."

"Hahaha. Don't worry. I would've brought you one even if you didn't ask."

I rubbed my cheeky imouto's head before speaking once again.

"Then, I'm going out, Komachi."

"Yeah, take care… I brought your bag and other stuff downstairs while you were still showering."

"I see. That's a big help. Thanks."

"You're very welcome… Also, put on some cologne or something before you go!"

I didn't get it anymore. Did Komachi want some kind of development to happen or not?

At any rate, it was still early in the morning and even I didn't want to overthink at this time so I ended up just going with the flow.

"Yes, yes."

"Always remember Onii-chan, Komachi is happy as long as you're happy."

"I know."

The smile that Komachi flashed at that moment was more radiant than the breaking of dawn. My day is already complete at this point.

Taken in a different manner, it means that my day was only going to get worse from here on out.

The start would have been way better if my ears didn't pick up the that earned me a lot of Komachi points too bit that my dear imouto uttered to herself.

…

Orimoto and I decided on meeting up on the public library for today as we didn't want to be a bother to a café and its potential customers. Furthermore, it was also a way to cut some expenses. A win-win situation if you ask me.

"Wait, did I just hit the jackpot?"

Orimoto exclaimed as she looked at the tutoring materials that I brought with me.

"You could say that, in a way."

I reply while handing her the first set of questions she had to go through for the day while I received her notebooks which should contain all the topics they've discussed at the beginning of the year as well as her old test papers so that I can get a better feel at how their sensei gives their exams.

There was some resistance when I tried to take the test papers, probably an insecurity with her scores or something but I ignored it. Although knowing Orimoto's scores would be beneficial in a way, what was more important here were the questions themselves. Not only could I recycle them for later, it could also give me hints as to what would possibly come out on her actual exam.

The set I gave Orimoto was the only one that was new from the entire stack. It was an exam I hastily prepared last night as a way to gauge Orimoto's level with her subjects.

While Orimoto was occupied with that, I began busying myself with her notebooks and test papers.

Orimoto's notes were very well-organized. Her handwriting was neater than mine could ever be. However, if I had to point out a single flaw with the notes then that would be the writer's bad habit of putting scribbles on the corners. There were even some signs of gossip here and there which I filtered out from my sight.

How old was Orimoto, even? 12? Then again, it's not like I've seen the notebooks of other girls so what do I know?

Regardless, I powered through Orimoto's notebook in the same manner the said girl sitting in front of me went through her set of questions.

Like so, one hour has passed.

As I got used to Orimoto's quirky notes and was now speeding through them much more comfortably, the girl in question suddenly called for my attention.

"Hey, Hikigaya?"

"Hm?"

I raised an eyebrow to indicate to my counterpart that I'm listening, while I kept my gaze on the notebook in my hand.

"Can you put on your glasses real quick?"

"…"

That sudden request caught me so off-guard that I was left stunned for a solid five seconds.

"Excuse me?"

For the time being, I went with the approach that I didn't hear her properly. The words I heard earlier just sounded so bizarre to me that I wouldn't be surprised if it was all in my head.

"You heard me, Hikigaya. I want to see you with your glasses on. Pleeeeaaase."

Unfortunately, I really did hear her correctly. I felt a migraine come to me because of hearing such a strange request come from Orimoto's mouth.

"I don't know why you're asking that Orimoto and I don't want to know but I refuse. Besides, it's not like I brought my glasses with me anyways."

"Eh? Then what's that beside your books then?"

My head involuntarily turned towards the place Orimoto's finger pointed to and sure enough there was indeed a plastic case that looked out-of-place next to the study materials that I set aside for now.

A semi-transparent case that contained the item that I thought I left at home. My glasses.

I didn't need to think long about the culprit's identity. There was only one other person who touched my bag aside from myself after all.

Hikigaya Komachi.

I have no idea what my lovely imouto might be thinking but I was too preoccupied to think about that for now.

"Even so, I still don't have any particular reason to wear it... Do yourself a favor and get back to work, Orimoto."

"Oh, come on!"

"No. Also we're in a library so keep your voice down."

I ended it at that and returned to reading Orimoto's notebooks once again. Meanwhile, the girl in question was directing me a pout as she began complaining in a softer voice.

"I already did a good chunk of it. Don't I deserve a break?"

I thought about her words for a bit before shaking my head.

"Finish this set first then I'll give you a 20-minute break later. Deal?"

"Alright. Deal."

In a little less than 30 minutes, Orimoto handed to me her completed paper. The speed at which she finished the entire thing was well within my expectations. Time to see if the she can exceed even a little bit of my expectations in the scores department but I guess it wouldn't be that hard since I set them relatively low in the first place.

"Good job. Like we talked about earlier, you're free to take a break while I'm checking your work."

"Okay. I'll go pick flowers, then."

I really didn't need to know that but it was too late now because she already said those words. The most gentlemanly thing to do was to pretend to not have heard anything and carry on.

While going through Orimoto's answers, I immediately realized one thing.

This girl was just randomly guessing.

Now even though I rushed in preparing this set, I still took into consideration some details while making it.

I made sure that the distribution of the difficulty of these questions were half and half. Aside from that, I even added some hints to the more difficult questions on a different item in order to test Orimoto's resourcefulness.

The girl missed it all though.

Why can I tell she was guessing?

Simple. The distribution of her correctly answered questions was all over the place. One moment she gets a difficult question correctly and on the next, she gets three consecutive mistakes on the questions which I considered easy. It doesn't make sense.

However, even with all of that, Orimoto's final score still fell in the 60s. Definitely nothing to be proud of but it was a good starting point at least. I've seen worse. And by that, I mean Tobe's scores.

After I rechecked Orimoto's work a couple more times to make sure I didn't miss anything, I was a bit surprised to see that the owner of these papers was still not back at her seat yet.

Did she just bail on me?

I guess I can somewhat understand.

Who would want to spend a good chunk of their Golden Week studying anyways? Furthermore, you had to be with me of all people.

It still felt a little rude, though. After all, she was the one who asked for all this.

It might be why she opted to finish a little earlier than expected.

Joke's on her though! Now I don't have to continue studying for the day and I can actually enjoy a portion of my Golden Week now.

Besides, it's not like this was the first time this kind of thing happened to me.

With nothing else to do, I began to tidy up my things on the table in preparation for my departure.

Henceforth, the Chiba Public Library has been moved from my list of favorite places here in Chiba to one of the places I'd rather not visit for a while because of yet another trauma. Quite unfortunate to be honest, but it is what it is.

Once I was done with that short task, I stood up and took my leave.

Just when I turned around though…

"There!"

I heard an enthusiastic cry while a small black object was simultaneously being led to my eyes. I reflexively closed my eyes to try to protect them but after a few seconds of waiting, the pain I was expecting to come never came. All I could feel was a physical sensation of something making contact with both my ears and my nose.

For some reason, it felt familiar…

No, wait a second. This is familiar.

After all this was…

I opened my eyes to see the face of a grinning Orimoto Kaori while one of her hands was making a V-sign. She looked like a kid who was successful in her prank.

The prank in question was the fact that my sight of her was now bounded by a pair of lenses with a simple black frame.

"Haha. Got you! Seriously though, why wouldn't you just wear your glasses like this every day? You look way cooler this way."

I would've been in cloud nine had the same thing been said to me three years ago but now the best this line could do was make my heart skip one beat before ultimately making me sigh. I swear this girl will be the death of me one day.

"I just don't want to. That's all. Are you still up for this tutoring thing?"

"Yeah. Of course, I am."

Well, color me surprised. I thought for sure she didn't want to do this anymore. I guess I was wrong.

"In that case, please go back to your seat. I'll run you over with what you got right, wrong and everything else in between."

I say while making an attempt to remove my glasses before one of my cuffs was held by Orimoto's hand.

As always, her sense of private space was lacking. It didn't help that I could smell her perfume from how close we were. Coincidentally, I got a little used to the more intoxicating fragrances that Haruno-san uses so this mild fruity scent that Orimoto was radiating was nowhere near enough to make me lose my sense of reason…

Still though, it was better to be safe than sorry.

I looked at her hand and then at her face before making a puzzled expression.

"Orimoto?"

"Hey Hikigaya, is it too much for me to ask to keep your glasses on while you're tutoring me?"

I didn't answer her directly. I opted to ask another question back instead. Seriously though, can she stop it with her fidgeting and blushing, it's making this even more awkward than it already is. Thankfully, I still managed to keep my stoic expression. Perhaps, Fake Hikki was triggered even though my glasses were forcibly put on by someone else.

"And that is relevant, why?"

"Uh… You see when you're wearing your glasses… It feels like I'm listening to an actual sensei, you know? I might be able to focus more with that."

Listening to all that made me narrow my eyes in suspicion. The effect of my usual dead eyes was lessened because of the glasses however.

"Orimoto, by any chance, are you messing with me?"

"Pfft! Hahaha. Hilarious, Hikigaya… Why would you think that?"

Your laughter only makes it more suspicious, Orimoto.

But I kept that to myself and said something else instead.

"If you can get a good score at the assignment that I'll be giving you later today then I'll think about it."

"Really? Okay, I'll do it…! But you have to keep it on just for today!"

"Ugh! Fine."

I withdrew my hand which was about to take my glasses off while Orimoto herself went back to her seat. I coughed once to grab her attention before I resumed speaking.

"Alright Orimoto, first things first…"

I began to enumerate to Orimoto the things she needed to work on.

Her two most glaring flaws from what I've observed so far is that she is not maximizing her time properly and that she is prone to resorting to guessing because of… Well, the first problem.

Thus, everything can be resolved if she became just a little bit more time-conscious. Unfortunately, the only way to fix such a habit was to have her answer other tests but with more emphasis on her utilization of time more than anything else.

"Try to answer this one this time. Only answer the first half however as the second half should be about material you haven't covered yet. Like I said earlier, what I need you to work on is how you manage your time during the exams. You are not allowed to talk to me unless there are some errors in the papers or you're already finished. Also, I'll be monitoring the time it takes for you to finish. I'll give you one hour. Remember, this is not a race, okay?"

"Right."

"Then, begin."

When I started the timer on my smartphone, both Orimoto and I got to work on our respective tasks.

The entire day went by in a similar manner. I gave Orimoto one test after another which contained the possible topics that will come out in her actual exam. Although, it would be nice if her scores improved after each set, the main purpose for now was to fix her test-taking habits while I was constructing a new practice test for based on the notes of her lectures and with Soothsayer Hikki.

I deliberately did not teach Orimoto anything in-depth today because I wanted to personally understand what and how their material is being taught first.

Unlike the Sciences, Liberal Arts does not have a set formula or theorems that act as a basis for lesson instruction. It is usually dependent on how your own professor understood the topic and how it is relayed to the students.

There is a huge possibility that the methods of Sobu and Kaihin Sogo are vastly different after all so I had to take that into account.

Like so, one more day of our precious Golden Week ended in such an unremarkable manner.

Before we knew it, Orimoto and I were sitting on a café to grab a bite to eat before heading home.

"Ahh! I feel so tired."

"Well, you need to get used to it if you ever want to get a higher score…"

"Mou! Why must you be such a wet blanket, Hikigaya?"

"I'm only saying the truth though?"

I quipped while taking a sip of my sweet coffee. It was way more expensive than Max and the ludicrous sweetness was not quite there but, like always, it will have to do. I give it a solid 7/10. If it were a little cheaper maybe even an 8.

"Will this really get my scores higher though?"

I shrugged before giving a response.

"You're free to quit, you know."

I say offhandedly which made my counterpart pout.

"I didn't say anything like that, you know. It might not look like it but I believe in you, Hikigaya."

"Is that so?"

I took another sip of my coffee while I kept a stoic gaze at Orimoto. Now then, time to bring this issue up.

"On that topic, let's talk about my payment then."

Orimoto blinked twice in surprise from my statement.

"Eh?! This isn't free?!"

"Of course, it isn't. Nothing in this world is free."

I kept my face neutral while I continued. In contrast, Orimoto's face was white with shock.

"Wait, can't this be settled as a favor between friends?"

"Well, maybe if it was any other day, that would be fine but this is Golden Week, you know? It's kind of special..."

I can see Orimoto's face change from that of shock into frustration.

"What do you want, then?"

I made a gesture towards my side of the table before speaking.

"I wouldn't mind something like free food at least."

"What the heck, Hikigaya? You're going to make a girl pay for your food?"

"Don't be so quick to judge. It was only just a suggestion."

I say while making the vaguest of smiles. Meanwhile, Orimoto directed a judgmental glare towards me.

"You're never going to get a girlfriend at this rate."

"I'm in no rush for that kind of thing in the first place. If I had to adjust so much because of another person, then we'll probably not last long anyways."

Weirdly enough, Orimoto's expression suddenly brightened. Seeing that transition made me reflexively put my guard up.

"How about I introduce you to a girl then? Or even better. I can organize a mixer. You have other male friends, right? We can…"

Loner Skill No. 20: Selective Hearing Hikki.

My ears automatically filtered out whatever it was that Orimoto was saying after this point.

Hearing the beginning of her suggestion gave me a genuine headache. It was further amplified by the fact that it will be difficult to dissuade Orimoto at this point since she seems too onboard with the idea already.

In that case, there was only one course of action remaining. If you can't fight head-on, retreat to a more favorable position then mount a counterattack from there.

When it looked like Orimoto finally had nothing else to say, I grabbed the opening before she spouted something which will make my head hurt again.

"Well, let's save the talk of payment for another day, Orimoto. It's getting late…"

I look at the sky streaked with the colors of dusk and gave a resigned sigh.

"I'll walk you home."

I dropped those words and promptly stood up to leave the establishment. Orimoto trailed behind me while complaining.

"Hey! What was that sigh all about?! I'm really confused if you are actually a gentleman or not, Hikigaya!"

It wasn't that I was against the idea of walking Orimoto however, I also did not want to give the impression that I really wanted to do it. The things these kinds of actions imply were troublesome after all.

To me, this is just nothing more than an act of self-preservation on my part. If any of my female acquaintances knew that I just let a girl walk on her own at this hour, they would skin me alive. If the news reached either Kaa-san or Komachi's ears then I would probably be disowned by the family.

The walk back to Orimoto's house was not that quiet but not that lively either. It was mostly just Orimoto sharing random things to me while I just nodded and provided my input here and there.

When the topic shifted to how some of our classmates from middle school we're doing, the talk then became a little unpleasant.

Surprisingly, I was able to recall some of their names and faces. Back then, I wanted other people to at least recognize me so I tried to remember the names and/or faces of all my classmates as much as I can as a sign for mutual respect. Though all that ended up not mattering as all those jerks back then just stuck with calling me names and other insults.

Seriously though, I'd really like not to talk about those guys but I also did not want to spoil the smiling Orimoto so I opted to remain silent. Maybe from her perspective, that time in her middle school was pure bliss. I wouldn't be able to relate.

Just when I was about to once again utilize Selective Hearing Hikki, the air around Orimoto changed and I felt like I had to pay attention to whatever it was she planned to say next.

"Hey, Hikigaya…"

"Hm?"

"Do you have someone you like?"

Well, that was a mistake. Hearing your middle school crush say something like that almost made me laugh because of the irony. Keyword: almost.

I wonder. Why does every talk with a person of the same age always lead to a romantic direction?

Rather than embarrassed, I felt more exasperated instead.

"Does it have to be that kind of like?"

I asked back a question in order to buy time for myself. Hearing my inquiry only made Orimoto more confused.

"Is there even another kind of like, Hikigaya?"

"Well, you know. Something where you don't mind their company but you're also not necessarily romantically attracted to them."

"Why are you making this even sound complicated? Fine, let's go your way then. In that case, who do you like, Hikigaya?"

"Then without a doubt that would be Yukino and Yui. If I'm feeling generous, maybe even Iroha."

"Wow! That's a lot more than I expected."

Hearing her remark made me sigh.

"You better not be getting any funny ideas when I clearly told you what I meant, okay?"

At this, Orimoto suddenly went silent which I can't help but be worried about, especially when it might concern a troublesome misunderstanding.

"Hey, Orimoto. Are you okay?"

I tapped her shoulder a few times to get her attention. She notices my concerned gaze before making a forced smile.

"Ah, I'm alright, Hikigaya. I was just curious about something. Do you mind if I ask something a little personal?"

I didn't think too much about it and gave my reply.

"Shoot."

I mean how personal could it get really…

"Then… According to your kind of like…"

The fidgeting fingers, the blush on her cheeks and the way she avoided any eye contact with me. Each and every single one of these gestures were more than enough to make any boy misunderstand a girl's intentions.

However, I wasn't just any boy.

I am Hikigaya Hachiman. A jaded loner who had one too many bad experiences with a nice girl.

So be still my beating heart. This is no time for you to pretend to be a high-powered racing car engine.

Orimoto's eyes then met mine and in that specific interval, her lips uttered the words I wished I couldn't hear clearly.

"…Can you say that you like me as well?"

My mind blanked out for one second. Even if she said it herself that this kind of like was according to my definition. Those words were still far too dangerous to say to just anyone.

There was small part of me who wanted to reject her but I immediately discarded such a petty thought.

In order to not break down or do something foolish, I let my cold logical side take over and responded.

"I don't think I'll be able to say something like that, Orimoto. But at the very least…"

I closed my eyes and let my turbulent emotions settle down before I say the next set of words that the remaining rational part of myself composed.

"I don't dislike you. Hanging out with you like this, I mean…"

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding in after I said those words. I felt like that came out a little colder than I originally wanted so I opted to follow-up with something a little more light-hearted.

"After all, even though we've known each other for quite some time now, it's not like we've hung out that often in the first place."

There was a conflicted expression on Orimoto's face but it quickly reverted into that of a forced smile.

"Haha! I guess that's true. It can't be helped then…"

Orimoto's lips then curled a bit more upwards.

"We'll have to hang out more in the future!"

Her declaration took me by surprise but knowing Orimoto it was just her way of affirming the supposed friendship we share. I personally didn't mind it. Despite everything, the girl named Orimoto Kaori was not bad company after all.

"I'll look forward to it… Though, it would be better if during that time, we don't have to think about any exams and the like…"

"Ugh! Don't remind me about that, Hikigaya…"

We became a little silent after that. It was not that awkward or uncomfortable silence wherein both parties have no idea what to share with the other. It was the kind of quiet where we both just appreciated each other's presence.

To be honest, I found it quite surprising that I was able to enjoy such a solemn atmosphere with Orimoto of all people.

"Ah, we're here!"

While I have never been inside Orimoto's house, I was quite familiar with its exterior because of… Well, let's just say that middle school Hachiman was a very resourceful boy. At any rate, it looked pretty similar to the last time I remembered seeing it.

Since we belong to the same kind of neighborhood, the number of similarities that the Orimoto residence had with our own house was numerous. However, the Hikigaya residence was overwhelmingly superior because we had Komachi.

Joking aside, now that Orimoto safely arrived to her home my job is finally done.

"I see. Then, see you tomorrow. Don't forget the assignment I left for you."

"Okay, Hikigaya. I'll see you tomorrow as well. I'll be sure to pass this so you better make sure to bring your glasses tomorrow as well!"

I waved to her lazily before I turned towards the direction of my house.

I still don't understand the connection with my glasses and Orimoto's focus but I guess if it helps with her getting better scores then that would make this job way easier.

Speaking of glasses, I should really remove them now before I forget.

As my hand went to do just that, a buzzing sound came from my right pocket which contained my phone.

I picked it up and upon checking the caller's identity, I immediately answered the call.

"Good evening, Hikigaya-kun."

A sultry voice greeted me from the other side. The only person on this planet who would interact with me in that kind of manner was no one else but Yukinoshita Haruno.

"Good evening, Haruno-san. Do you need something?"

"I'll cut to the chase this time, Hikigaya-kun…"

There was a sense of urgency on her voice that I can't help but be worried about.

"Come to that café where you held that party with your Student Council President as soon as possible. There is something we need to talk about in personal. It concerns your future."

It concerns your future.

That specific set of words made me run at full speed before I even became aware of my own actions.

"I'll be on my way."

I ended the call there and bolted for my house. The fastest way to get to that café given the current time was by motorcycle after all.

Because of all the adrenaline pumping to my system at this point, I ended up forgetting to remove my glasses until the eventual meeting with Haruno-san.

Author's Note:

As promised, this chapter did not turn out to be an extra.

However, it became a cliffhanger instead.

I'll try to update as soon as I can to compensate. Keyword: try.

I certainly didn't expect the opening part of Orimoto's arc to be this well-received so thank you very much for your support.

As for the review which talked about tactics... Well, you're overestimating me.

There's no bait and switch going on, I'm just trying to give each heroine a chance so I'm trying to rotate their appearances to the best of my ability.

If that's how it seemed to you though, then I guess I did a good job?

Also, as for the pattern that you were talking about. I am actually a bit insecure about that part because my first three arcs have followed that kind of procedure to a certain extent so that was why I was trying to switch it up with the midterms preparations thing and focused more on the group dynamic instead of just my usual Hikigaya + girl of the arc formula that I've just been rolling with.

If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. I'll be sure to read through them and take them all into consideration.

With all that being said, I stash my tools for the trade for now and I bid you all farewell.

Here's to hoping I'll be seeing you guys again and more in the next chapter.

May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.

Mori Hikiko