Even How Hikigaya Hachiman Encourages Someone Else Was Wrong As Expected
"Yoooo! I can't believe it! My scores actually increased!"
Tobe's loud cheer echoed throughout the small Service Club clubroom. Me, Yukino and Miura all directed a glare at the loudmouth. The first to erupt between the three of us was the one who possessed the Fire Queen moniker.
"Tobe we get it already! You've been saying the same thing since morning."
"How much did it increase even anyways?"
"Yeah, tell us, tell us!"
Yamato and Ooka's goading made Tobe bring out his papers, a little bit smugly, if I may add.
The entire development from hereon out could be summarized by the line that Yukino uttered after casting a brief glance on Tobe's most recent mock exam results.
"Hachi-kun, I know that you've always been a bit sloppy but even I did not expect that you'll completely slack off on your job…"
Even though her conclusion wasn't true, it still didn't change the fact that those words cut deep, especially when it was paired with her bone-chilling voice.
Behind me, I even felt Zaimokuza rubbing my shoulder as an act to comfort me.
I timidly raised my hand but instead of trying to defend myself what I did was something akin to digging my own grave.
"How about we bring out everyone's papers as well?"
At this, both Yukino and Yui had the most expressive of reactions compared to the rest.
Yukino looked at me as if I was insane while Yui looked extremely flustered instead.
"Are you sure?"
Towards Yukino's challenging stare, I only shrugged nonchalantly.
"Yeah. There is something I want to check anyways."
"Fine then. I hope you're prepared to face the truth."
Now that both of us reached an agreement, the members of the clique that we tutored each brought out their own respective papers.
From highest to lowest and taking into consideration both majors, the ranking in terms of our general average are as follows:
Yukino with 90s all across the board.
Hayama having 90s on the low end and upper 80s on the rest.
Third place is me with a solitary 90 on Japanese and upper 80s on the rest of my subjects.
Ebina was trailing close behind me and would have overtaken me had I not scored a 90 on Japanese.
Zaimokuza was 5th. He scored 80s on all subjects but overall, they were in the lower regions compared to Ebina's.
Kawasaki came next with 70s and some lower 80s under her belt.
Yamato was not that far behind the misunderstood delinquent, having had similar but ultimately lower scores than her.
Ooka was a few steps lower than Yamato. He had more 70s than 80s over the latter.
Then came Miura with all her scores settling nicely on the 70s zone.
A dejected Yui followed the Fire Queen with her set of 60s.
Finally, Tobe came dead last, scoring in the 50s.
Had this been the exam where I made the bet with Yukino then I would have admitted defeat here and there.
Both Ooka and Yamato's improvement were far higher than I expected. Ooka's growth in particular was noteworthy. To almost catch up to Kawasaki when he used to be drifting around the same area as Miura was in right now was impressive to say the least.
The only person that Yukino personally tutored who didn't have that much of an improvement in his scores was Zaimokuza but his baseline was also much higher than the first two, so the getting a bigger score was also more difficult in his case. He also joined the study group a little later than the others two.
Basically, every single one that Yukino taught improved, which just goes to show how insane of a teacher Yukino really is.
Meanwhile, on my end…
While Hayama and Ebina managed to get high marks in general, how much of that was really my effort and how much of it was just them being excellent students in general? Regardless, it feels wrong to claim that their scores were that high because of my intervention.
Tobe's scores have actually increased by around ten points already while the rest of the squad had an average increase of around five points.
It was not much but even a low increase was an increase regardless.
Thus, if only the raw scores were judged then I was indeed the worse tutor between Yukino and I.
However, when other factors are taken into consideration then it was not that easy to tell who really came out on top.
Despite the smug faces that Ooka and Yamato are making in front of the defeated Tobe, the former two looked far livider than the latter. There were also bags on their eyes, a clear indication of how much hours they had to burn through the previous nights in order to obtain the scores they had now. Had Zaimokuza not worn glasses, I'm sure I'll see some bags under his eyes as well.
As for Yukino herself, her already pale complexion became even paler. At this point, it was borderline unhealthy. Furthermore, the way she has been uttering her words since earlier have been softer than usual that we're forced to lean closer to her direction to catch whatever it was that she said. This clearly indicated that even talking right now for her was a chore.
That was why, I only had one thing to say for everyone today.
"Let's all take a break."
…
It took a lot of sophistry, exaggerated words, as well as support fire from Hayama before Yukino caved in and allowed the break for today.
My sweet imouto herself suggested that Yukino, Yui and I take a break from the Service Club for today entirely, to which Yui and I agreed to. As anyone would expect, Yukino tried to refuse before she was overpowered by numbers. By that, I meant she was hugged into submission by Yui, Komachi, Ebina, Miura and even a flustered Kawasaki. Apparently, that was their Anti-Yukino tactic which was pioneered by one Yuigahama Yui last year so it was proven and tested.
Even though Komachi was technically this year's Service Club President, as this was a request that is exclusive to us third-years then it was actually Yukino who was the highest in the chain-of-command...
As for my position in the hierarchy…
Where else will it be aside from being in the lowest stratum?
Case in point, even after everything I did in order to get us a day-off, I was suddenly dragged towards a nearby café by the three people who got the lowest scores today; Miura, Yui and Tobe.
Since I didn't have any sort of plans for today anyways, I decided to go with the flow and not resist. It seems I wasn't trusted as much as I thought I was because once I took my seat, Miura sat on the chair beside me as if she was a police officer who wanted to keep her eyes on the prime suspect.
There was a brief look of surprise on Yui and Tobe's faces but that only lasted a few seconds before the two took their respective seats with Yui being in front of me and Tobe in front of Miura.
I tactfully waited for our cups of coffee to be served before I asked the obvious question.
As a side note, the four of us coincidentally ordered a different type of coffee. I of course went with their sweetest blend, Miura had a cappuccino, Yui got a mocha and Tobe made do with a latte.
"So, what's this all about? You didn't have to invite me if you all wanted to have some fun, you know? I don't mind."
All I got from playing dumb was a glare, a teary-eyed face and a look of dejection from Miura, Yui and Tobe respectively.
"Hikio, do you really not understand what's going on right now?"
Noticing that her usual glare wasn't enough to get a reaction out of me, Miura went ahead and made her face look sharper.
All she got out from this attempt was a sigh however.
I look towards the discouraged expressions of the two in front of me before putting on the most relaxed smile I could muster.
"Look, I understand your grievances but really, there should be nothing for you guys to worry about. Your scores increased, did it not?"
"Yeah…"
I barely caught on to Yui's answer which she muttered in a whisper. My good friend was already on the verge of tears.
"Then, you should be happy about that fact. It's at least better than them decreasing, right?"
Yui and Tobe both nodded but I can tell that there was still something bothering the two of them.
Before long, it was Tobe who decided to let his frustrations go.
"It's just… Compared to Yamato and Ooka, it feels like…"
I raised a hand to interrupt Tobe. The first few words that came out of his mouth gave me such a headache that it dispelled the smile I was trying to maintain.
I didn't know what kind of face I was making at the moment but I was sure it was anything but friendly.
"That is your first mistake. Stop comparing yourself to others too much. In the first place, Tobe…"
I didn't want to do this but I had no choice.
This was the only way I can make others understand after all.
After gathering enough resolve to get punched in the face at least once, I then made a face which fully encapsulated the word evil.
Loner Skill No. 50: Maou Hikki.
Sorry, Tobe. But it's time for me to lay all your insecurities bare.
"Have you ever had a higher score than those two in the past two years?"
"Th… That's…"
I saw all three of them visibly flinch because of my cold words.
"I guess not. Anyways, that's not important. If you really need a point of comparison, then you should compare your current self with your past self. Have you ever studied as hard as you did now compared to before?"
In spite of his crestfallen look, Tobe still answered my inquiry.
"No… I haven't…"
At this, my lips twitched into a smile.
"Then, aren't you being a bit too presumptuous, Tobe?"
While he was still vulnerable, I went ahead and pressed the attack.
"If you're thinking that the little studying that you've been doing recently will make you suddenly get amazing scores then you're making a big mistake. You're being disrespectful to all the other students. Some of our classmates have worked five or even ten times harder than you, do you really expect to catch up to all of them with the meager effort you've just been putting in?"
"…"
I let him digest the words that I said for a short while before continuing. I then abandoned whatever malicious expression I was making, in favor of something more neutral.
"Like I said, you should just be happy with the improvement you've had especially considering that we've just made our study arrangements just recently. That's why you don't have to be too discouraged. Do note, next to Yamato and Ooka, you're actually the one whose scores improved the most."
I then turn my gaze towards Yui.
"And if memory serves correctly, you should not be too far behind, Yui."
It took a while for them to properly process my words but once they did, the two then simultaneously blinked and made a face of realization.
"Wait, Hachi… You're not mad?"
This time, it was my turn to be puzzled.
"Mad? For what?"
"Umm… That our scores were too low?"
Her doubtful inquiry made me sigh once again.
"Let's do a little recap, shall we?"
I then leaned towards the table a little while I brought both of my hands to support my chin.
"The request involves improving your scores for the upcoming university entrance exams, am I right?"
The three simultaneously nodded to my question.
"Then, tell me… Are your scores in this mock exam reflective of your future scores in the entrance exams?"
"Not really?"
Yui's unsure answer made me smile.
"There you have it. In other words, there's nothing at all for you to worry about now. This is just the second of many more mock exams to come. Don't think too much about it."
"But…"
Even after all that, Tobe still looked really discouraged. As his tutor, it felt like I should be saying some encouraging words for him but unfortunately, the only thing I can do for him is to make him look at reality.
"Look. It's fine if you're feeling frustrated. I understand. But if you ask me, moping around like what you're doing is useless. If you really want a higher score, get back out there and study harder for the next exam. Understood?"
My dead eyes locked onto Tobe's confused irises as I wait for his answer. It was a rough albeit harsh encouragement but from the spark of motivation I saw in Tobe's eyes, it seems to have worked.
"Thanks a lot, Hikitani bro. I'm okay now."
His smile looked a little forced but the atmosphere surrounding him was definitely less down compared to earlier.
"Don't mention it."
My attention then shifted towards Yui who then blushed after making eye contact with me. Don't blush like that, you'll make me blush too.
"Are you still feeling down too?"
At this, Yui vehemently shook her head in denial.
"No...! I mean… Yes, only just a little bit though…"
That unclear answer made me sigh once again.
"While I did say that you all need to work harder if you want to seriously aim for higher scores, I also meant it seriously when I said to take a break today. You might've felt undeserving of such a respite because your scores were lower than you were expecting but even if your scores were low, it didn't change the fact that you worked hard to get them…"
Hard work betrays none. Even for someone as lazy as me, it was a line that resonates to my very core.
In between my grand speech, a waitress then came to our table and presented a dessert to each of us.
A blueberry cheesecake slice for Yui.
A strawberry shortcake slice for Miura.
A tiramisu for Tobe.
And a cinnamon-flavored coffee cake for me.
"…In other words, this is that kind of thing… Good job. You did well. Better luck next time… Something like that. Anyways, it's my treat. Enjoy."
A student is not defined by how high or low can he score in his tests. Rather, a student is defined by his attitude in receiving either score and how he prepares for the next exam.
As someone who is a veteran when it came to unrecognized hard work, I knew exactly how empty it feels like when all your effort amounted to nothing in the end.
There were times when I wanted someone, anyone to be there to tell me that I did my best or something but alas, a loner's life meant facing all these kinds of things on your own.
These guys however, were not like that. They have an established support system dubbed as friends who joins them in both their happiest and saddest times.
This year I was, apparently, part of this circle. As such, I had to do what I can to help.
"Hikio… Are you actually nice?"
Listen to this girl. I treat her once and now she already calls me nice.
Apparently, bribery works wonders for high school students as well. Not like I didn't know that already.
"If you don't want them, I can always just call for Komachi or Iroha."
"Wait, wait, wait. We'll eat them! We'll eat them! Let me just take a quick photo of my cake, Hachi. Thanks, by the way."
"Yeah, thanks a bunch Hikitani bro."
"Thanks for treating me as well. Although, I only tagged along to make sure you wouldn't ditch them."
"You're all welcome. Also, you don't have to discredit yourself, Miura. You've worked hard too."
The additional comment that I dropped took Miura by surprise. While I was curious why she reacted that way, my attention was grabbed by Tobe's sudden inquiry.
"Wouldn't this be unfair to Hayato-kun, Ebina-san and Kawasaki-san?"
I simply shook my head and responded.
"I'm sure they will understand. I'll make separate arrangements in another time."
"Okay. If you say so, Hikitani bro… Time to dig in!"
"Wait!"
Miura's cry came just before Tobe's fork made contact with his dessert.
"Let's all take a picture together first. It's not often we have Hikio treat us after all."
"Oh! That's a good idea, Yumiko."
"Let's do it!"
It seems that Yui's and Tobe's usual cheer returned however it came at the cost of my own discomfort. Between the four of us, I was the only who grimaced upon hearing the words take a picture.
"Don't worry, Hikio. I won't post it on social media or anything. It will just be something like a keepsake just between us friends."
Then came a reasonable compromise from Miura's side. Since I didn't notice her post the picture with her riding on my motorcycle before, I could trust her words to a certain extent.
"Not too many, okay?"
"Sure… Now come closer."
I silently complied with her demand and inched towards her direction more. The expressions I could see on the phone's screen was more than enough for me to understand that my movement was insufficient.
"Hachi, you're not close enough…"
Yui complained while making a pout. I simply shrugged my shoulders towards her comment and reasoned.
"Isn't this good enough?"
Towards my response, the three looked towards each other and made a determined nod. When they turned back to my direction, I was a little bit startled by the light of resolve on their eyes.
"Pardon me…"
And after Miura uttered those words, all three simultaneously made their move and squeezed themselves towards me.
Their sudden invasion on my private space stunned me for a few seconds and before I could even react, the phone that Miura held up high began to take multiple pictures of us.
By the time I got my bearings back, they all returned to their seats and began looking over the recently captured photos.
It was a coordinated attack on the same level as a police raid on an abandoned warehouse suspected to be the mafia's hideout.
In my extremely flustered state, I still managed to utter a complaint towards that unfair assault.
"Please don't do that again…"
Due to my embarrassment, my voice came out like a whisper but the trio seemed to have heard my voice pretty clearly. From the smiles they made after hearing my plead, it was obvious what kind of answer they had in mind.
"We refuse!"
As expected, having more friends was really more trouble than it's worth. But nowadays…
I wouldn't really consider that to be a bad thing.
Extra: It Seems That Hayama Hayato Could Be Cheeky If He Really Wanted
A date with not just one but both Yukinoshita sisters.
Even for someone as blessed as Hayama Hayato, that kind of thing was in the realm of dreams.
Or at least, it was supposed to be.
Inside a fancy restaurant on one of the high-end hotels of Chiba, Sobu's Prince Charming was sharing a table with the two flowers of the Yukinoshita household.
Yukinoshita Haruno was on a light blue dress that hugged her figure tightly and emphasized the appeal of her womanly body.
While Yukinoshita Yukino opted for a black dress with vague tones of purple. Her slender outline was being highlighted by her dress. The collarbone area was the only part of her skin that was revealed and this accentuated the contrast between her snow-white skin and the dark-colored dress.
On his end, Hayama Hayato wore a black suit to comply with the establishment's formal dress code. Coincidentally, his dress shirt just happened to be royal blue to match his sapphire eyes. Apparently, blue seems to be the recurring theme for tonight. Finally, he put on a striped gold tie to match his blonde hair.
He wasn't sure why but in the presence of these two lovely women who were also his childhood friends, he wasn't as glad as he would've expected himself to be. Nostalgic, yes. Joyful? He would be hard-pressed to say yes.
If he had to put it into words then he felt apprehensive.
As to why he felt such a negative emotion towards this supposedly lucky event, he blamed it all on Hikigaya. That loner's negative tendencies rubbed off on him much more than he would like to admit.
"Yahallo, Hayato-kun! Nice of you to join us."
"Good evening, Hayato-kun. It's good to see you arrived safely."
Now if he wasn't afraid earlier, he sure as heck was afraid now. The smiles and the greetings of the two sisters were far too amiable than usual.
Hayama Hayato was by no means a masochist but he was also someone who wouldn't deny the reality of his own situation.
Ever since that incident involving the younger Yukinoshita in the past, the two sisters have always treated him rather coldly.
Despite Haruno's teasing, you can tell from her amethyst irises that she looks at Hayama as if he was a pest.
On Yukinoshita's end, she wouldn't even bother making eye contact with Hayama anymore and at some point, even preferred to have no link established between the two.
Now however, not only were the two sisters amicably smiling and greeting him, even Yukinoshita reverted back to calling his name casually.
The shock was so surreal that he almost forgot to greet them back. As a test, Hayama went for his own poke.
"Good evening, Haruno-san and Yukino-chan. You two look so lovely that you put the hotel's flowers and decorations to shame."
A façade for a façade.
Hayama may not be as proficient in this battlefield as Haruno but that didn't mean he was terrible at it either.
As such, his aim for tonight would have to be the younger Yukinoshita who should be a greenhorn in these kinds of games.
Being called casually without asking for her permission and excessive flattery. It was two of the many things that Hayama knew ticked Yukino off.
It seems they weren't as potent as he expected because the only reaction he got was a vague twitch of her left eye brow. Still though, that meant that the younger Yukinoshita was at least not invulnerable and Hayama pledged he'll get to the bottom of this mystery by the end of this night.
Of course, all while making sure not to fall victim to Yukinoshita Haruno herself.
…
One of the reasons why Yukinoshita caved in to allowing the break from studying for today was because of this rendezvous.
In recent days, Yukinoshita Haruno was being given more and more of the company's assets to manage in order for the transition for her position at the top to be much smoother in the near future.
As such, between work in the family business and being a college student, Haruno was busy throughout the entire week. Today was a rare occasion where she was able to take a break.
And so, Haruno arranged this humble (in their standards) get-together between childhood friends. At least that's what it looks like in the surface.
Between all the small talk and the moments of reminiscences that they shared with each other, Hayama wished he had the bluntness of Hikigaya to boldly ask the main point from the first minute.
Instead, he was stuck on these countless verbal exchanges which were akin to a high-stakes fencing match where both players sought the other's openings. All while having to consume the food served to them using proper table etiquette.
"I heard that Hikigaya-kun and Yukino-chan joined your clique. How were they doing from your perspective?"
When that particular name was brought up by Haruno, Hayama couldn't stop himself from feeling more wary.
However, he didn't feel like this was the clincher yet so he let some of his guard down and responded.
"Yukino-chan adapted well. Yumiko herself seems to be very fond of her and they get along way better now than they used to. As for Hikigaya's case, it's the exact opposite… Everyone else adapted to his crude but meticulous ways of looking out for someone."
"That so. Well, it's good that that assistant of mine is doing better in the social regard."
"Speaking of Hachi-kun…"
Hayama's eyes sharpened a little upon hearing Yukinoshita's opening statement.
"We made a bet and in order to secure my victory, there is something I'd like for you to do for me Hayato-kun."
"In that case, what can I do for you?"
Hayama did not agree to help yet but he'd be lying if he wasn't at least interested what this bet was all about so for the sake of obtaining even a sliver of information, he was willing to play along for now.
"Simple. I just need you to not score too high in the coming midterms exams. Say, instead aiming for the top two spot, you go for third place perhaps?"
"…"
Hayama could not come up with a response right away. Not only was he shocked that Yukinoshita was willing to go through underhanded means for this bet, the fact that she chose this kind of methodology in the first place was already a big surprise.
It was easy enough for him to cooperate. Estimating the difference between his score and the student one rank below him and deliberately committing a few mistakes in the exam itself was not a difficult task for him. The only real issue here would be his motivation.
"Supposing I do agree, what can I get in exchange?"
The one who responded to this point was Haruno.
"As a token of our childhood friendship, we'll allow you to name your price. How about it?"
Name your price.
In the context of the Yukinoshita family, that kind of statement was nothing more than a test of character to the other party.
As someone who grew up with said family, Hayama knows this fact pretty well.
In any case, Hayama was someone who was not necessarily on Hikigaya's side. Hence, it would have been fine for him to do this kind of thing without getting anything in return.
Nevertheless, it just so happened that he was feeling a little bit rebellious today.
He might dislike Hikigaya but not letting the Yukinoshita family have their way was by far, the more appealing choice to him at the moment.
Also, it somehow felt wrong from his side to scheme against Hikigaya like this. He'd prefer a more direct confrontation against the loner if he could.
Hikigaya may not speak much when the clique hangs out together but every time he really must take action or say something, everyone listens to him as if it was a matter of course.
For the first time in a long while, the expectations of people close to him were now being funneled to someone else.
He felt liberated.
He was happy to feel such an emotion that he thought he would never experience anymore due to playing the role of everyone's Hayama Hayato for as long as he can remember.
By all means, he still despised the young man named Hikigaya Hachiman but it still didn't change the fact that he owed him one for saving him, in a way.
Thus, Hayama made up his mind.
"I don't know what that bet is all about but I think with the skills of both Haruno-san and Yukino-chan combined, you should always win. I don't think I have to play a role to secure your victory."
"Like I said…"
Hayama interrupted Yukinoshita's attempt to reiterate her point.
"Furthermore, it is quite impossible for someone of my position to deliberately sabotage my scores like that. Much like the Yukinoshita heiresses, the Hayama heir must also be virtually superior in most aspects."
At this reply, Haruno's look reverted to the same one she's been giving Hayama ever since that past incident.
"So you went for that excuse after all."
Hayama shrugged shamelessly in front of that judging stare.
"On the surface, yes. But my true reason lies elsewhere."
"And that would be?"
Yukinoshita's inquiry prompted Hayama to smile in his usual cordial fashion.
"I want to see how Hikigaya will exceed our expectations once again. I'm sure Haruno-san can relate to this desire. Am I right?"
There was a brief look of surprise in Haruno's face before it transformed into an expression that showed interest, something Hayama never thought would be directed towards him ever again.
"Is that so? Then, I guess there's nothing else we can do to stop you."
"Yeah, unfortunately so."
Hayama then took a moment to take some cash from his wallet and leave a couple of bills which should be enough to pay for his share in the meal.
"If that is all then I'll be taking my leave first. Please enjoy the rest of this lovely evening, Haruno-san and Yukino-chan."
"Is there any way for me to make you reconsider?"
Came the younger Yukinoshita's voice. The look on her eyes was back to her usual serious style. It seems she planned on resolving this deal through the straightforward Yukinoshita Yukino manner.
But she was a step too late as Hayama has already made his decision clear.
"There are none, Yukino-chan. I'm very sorry. Also, for future reference, let me clear up a little misunderstanding…"
Hayama, or rather Hayato's smile at this particular moment fully encapsulated the word bold.
"You see, despite our blatant dislike for each other…"
The next set of words were delivered with a tone of seriousness that Hayato himself didn't expect to come from his own voice.
"I still consider that idiot as my friend."
With that, Hayato left the two gorgeous ladies on their lonesome for the night with one lingering regret that he only managed to recall upon exiting the hotel's premises.
"I messed up. I forgot to ask the specifics of their bet…"
But that regret was discarded in the next second.
"Then again knowing Haruno-san, it would be difficult to tell if what she will share is the truth or not."
As Hayama walked back towards the same car that took him to this hotel earlier he found his eyes drawn towards the distant flicker of a random streetlight.
"I hope my non-intervention is enough for you to win, Hikigaya…"
Was the thought that came to Hayama at that moment. Unbeknownst to him, the smile he involuntarily made after saying that specific statement was an expression that Hikigaya himself would describe as something genuine.
"Speaking of which, he was together with Yumiko, Yui and Tobe earlier, wasn't he? I wonder where they went…"
Author's Note:
So I opted to upload back-to-back chapters for Extra chapters before but then I realized...
Why don't I just compile them into one instead? It was such a simple solution yet it eluded me all this time.
I guess the only risk here is that I might sometimes forget that the Extra chapters are in 3rd person perspective instead of first.
Well, if you guys spot some mistakes or inconsistencies please let me know.
The next few days will probably be occupied with me trying to compile my other extra chapters into its complement main chapter so I might be delayed with releasing the next chapter because I have to do a little cleaning up while I revisit my previous chapters.
With all that being said, I stash my tools for the trade for now and I bid you all farewell.
May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.
Morii Hikikko