Hello everyone! Back with another chapter of this story. Things are really getting serious around the world with the whole COVID-19 stuff. All I want to say is to stay healthy and keep calm. Don't panic and do NOT BUY A SHIT TON TOILET PAPERS. Seriously, what are those guys gonna do with those?
Anyway, Be brave everyone. I'm still gonna write my stories despite the seriousness of the situation so that none of you will be bored if some of you readers are on lockdown or in self-isolation. I could do something better but I don't have the ability to help you all aside from this. Pray that everyone will be safe.
Good news for anime fans, Oregairu season 3 will be released in April! I'm so excited but sad at the same time because that will be the final season of the anime series. But I'm happy regardless.
Now on to the reviews!
Guest 1: Not gonna lie, I kinda forgot about that. Sorry for my mistake.
Guest 2: It's okay if you don't like it although I do appreciate constructive criticism as to why this didn't suit your preference.
jargax: I agree with you. I want to develop their relationship more while balancing the action. I'll try my best!
Malypyon: NormalOP. Although it depends on the characters and how they are portrayed with their flaws.
ThatGuyYouMet: 1) Eh, probably. 2) I came up with a reason but I don't think the timing is right. You have to wait and see! 3) I would like to try that kind of crossover but for this story? I don't think so. Thank you for your suggestions!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Oregairu series as they are respectfully owned by the author and animation studio
Somewhere at the park
"Hikifroggy!" A little boy called out the other's nickname. The one known as "Hikifroggy" looked at the little boy in fear. He was just drawing a black cat, just sleeping under the bench as part of the outdoor activity given by their teacher until the boy called him. He didn't know why he was given such a nickname. Was it his appearance? He looked normal, like everyone else. Did he do something that gave him the nickname? He didn't know, he was just being himself like usual unless that was the problem. He was being targeted by bullies without realizing it until they started vandalizing his desk with writings and glue.
"What d-do you want?" The victim asked in a tired but scared tone.
"I was just drawing a frog at the fountain, but it hopped away. I was half done too. Mind helping me with this?" The boy asked with a smirk while his companions snickered as they grabbed "Hikifrog"'s arms.
"H-hey! Let me-!" The victim tried to break free from their hold but it was useless. He dropped his head down only for one of his companions to grab his hair and lift his head up.
"Hold still and show your face! He can't draw if you keep messing around." They all laughed at that while the victim is tearing up.
"Hey you better hurry. I don't want to get the Hikigerms."
"Ssshhhh! I'm concentrating. It's hard to draw a face this stupid."
...
"Alright everyone, open your books on page 40." The teacher said while grabbing a chalk and write some numbers on the wall. The "Hikifrog" turned his book and followed the teacher's lectures. He is smart when it comes to other subjects but math is the only thing that he is having trouble with. He stopped reading for a moment and noticed a pencil dropped on the floor near him. He picked it up and gave it to his female classmate next to him.
"Here, you dropped this." He said.
"O-oh...uh...you can have it. I have extras." The girl said it nervously while having a look of disgust. The "Hikifrog" was hurt by that but decided to set that aside and just continued paying attention to the math lecture. After an hour, the bell rang which signals the end of the math period. The teacher went out of the classroom and most of the children stood up to talk to their friends. Meanwhile, the "Hikifrog" was still reading the textbook as he tried to understand the math lesson but to no avail. He stopped when he heard the girls whispering about him.
"I accidentally dropped my favorite pencil and that Hikifrog picked it up."
"Ew! Did you touch it?"
"No! I just gave it to him." The girl sighed. "And that was a very cute pencil too..."
"Small price to pay. You would've gotten the Hikigerms if you took it."
"Just wash it clean and the germs will go bye-bye."
The "Hikifrog" stopped listening and stood up to go to the restroom with a sad expression until he got tripped by someone's leg and fell on his face flat. The entire class laughed at him while he stood up and rushed out of the room.
...
Inside the school gym.
"Hah!" He's now playing tennis with his one and only partner nice enough to play with him without complaints.
The wall.
It's now P.E class and the teacher assigned the class to play tennis by pairs. No one wanted to play with the "Hikifroggy" which he already expected that so he asked the teacher if he can play against a wall because he wasn't feeling well and he thought he might hold his partner back. In his mind, he can already see this becoming an important skill as a countermeasure for things such as playing sports with pairings.
"Hikigaya-kun." A female teacher called him. She had a black bob cut hair, and wears a red sports jacket and matching jogging pants.
"Isegawa-sensei?" Hikigaya said in a surprised tone. This is Isegawa, their homeroom teacher. "Is there something wrong?"
"Yes, there is, what are you doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Playing tennis..." He answered.
"With a wall?"
"Yes..."
"What about your partner?"
"I don't have one." He answered while averting his eyes from her. The homeroom teacher can see that he's lying. She had a look of realization and looked at the boy's face closer.
"Then how about you play with me?" Isegawa said while picking up a racket.
"Eh?" The boy gasped in confusion by her request. "E-excuse me?"
"I said~ why don't you play with me instead of that boring wall?" She repeated with a cheery tone.
"Umm...Okay." Hikigaya accepted. "Just one round."
"Just one?" The homeroom teacher said in confusion. "Nope! We're playing until the bell rings, come on!"
"..." The boy stared at her back as she ran into an open area for them to play. He complied with her request and started serving the ball. The teacher was quite shocked by his skills in tennis since she had seen him only playing by himself most of the time. The first point went to Hikigaya.
"Wow, you're really good at this!" Isegawa said enthusiastically. "Are you always this good?"
"Uh...I don't know." Hikigaya said nervously. "I just played against the wall, nothing special. And maybe watched a few tennis matches on the sports channel."
"That's amazing." She said with a smile. "Then I won't hold back."
It's Isegawa's turn to serve which she did and Hikigaya knew immediately that she wasn't kidding. That serve was fast, but he quickly reacted by doing a backhand to the left. This went on until the bell rang with both of them exhausted, although Hikigaya was the most tired with him wiping his sweat with a towel and drinking a bottle of water.
"You're really good at tennis." Isegawa approached the boy after talking to his classmates, which they looked at him with disdain. "Are there any sports you good at?"
"N-no, just tennis." He answered.
"Is that so? Well, let's play again if you didn't get pair up, okay?" The teacher suggested.
"Okay," Hikigaya said with a smile.
...
It's time to go home. Hikigaya packed his things, and he went out of the classroom. He thought about his homeroom teacher and how kind she was. The boy had fun playing with her at tennis despite his exhaustion. He honestly couldn't wait for PE class next week as he finally found a time to genuinely be happy. He walked towards his shoe locker and noticed that his outdoor shoes were gone when he opened it.
"Looking for these?" He looked outside of the entrance and saw his classmates with the boy in the middle holding Hikigaya's shoes.
"Yes. Please give it back." Hikigaya said to them in a fearful voice.
"You've been getting along with Isegawa-sensei and it ticked me off." The boy said with a smirk. The others also voiced out their disdain.
"Yeah, are you trying to be the teacher's pet or something?"
"Oh! Maybe he's trying to get close to Ayase-chan. Y'know, the cute girl in the other class."
"Seriously?! Using someone to get a girl, you creeped me out..."
Hikigaya didn't know what they were talking about, and he didn't care. He wants to go home as quickly as possible and take care of his little sister since their parents are working late. He kept a calm look and stared at the bullies.
"Give them back." He said.
"Excuse me?" The boy in the middle asked.
"I said give me back my shoes." He repeated.
"Hmmm... No way, if you want it, come and get it." They laughed while running away. Hikigaya chased them even if he wore his indoor shoes. He saw them going to the back of their school so he ran as fast as he could to catch up but he was too late. They already tossed the shoes in the dumpster.
"Hahahahha. Right where it belongs." The group ran away while Hikigaya opened the dumpster to find his shoes. The problem is he couldn't see them so he tried leaning in deeper but that was a mistake.
"Whoa!" The boy fell inside the dumpster and now he's covered in dirt and wasted materials. The smell of garbage is indescribable. He covered his nose from the awful smell and tried to find his shoes. He dug the filthy wastes and found the shoes, unknown to him he's been crying for a while now until he realized it.
"How many times have I cried in one day?"
...
Few Days later in School
Another art class, another drawing activity, but this time inside their classroom. The children are drawing on their paper at their respective desks, sketching with pencils and coloring with crayons. Hikigaya is almost done with his drawing, although he doesn't have any confidence in what he drew. He raised his paper to get a better look at it, and he convinced himself to say that his drawing is decent enough.
"Let me see..." He gasped and turned his head around to see Isegawa-sensei behind him leaning forward to look at his paper. "Mhm, that's a nice drawing. Who's this?"
"My little sister..." The boy said it in his usual nervous tone. "It's us playing video games together."
"My, how cute." She complimented his drawing. "What do you think she's doing right now?"
"Sleeping. She has a mild fever." He answered.
"Oh, I hope she gets well soon. You better work hard as the big brother, okay?" She said as she tapped his shoulder.
"Y-yes." He said with a smile but that smile disappeared when he heard whispers from the girls.
"Isegawa-sensei touched him! She got the Hikigerms!"
"I heard that he's getting close with sensei for a while now. She's in trouble."
"Ah! We should warn Ayase-chan or else she might get the Hikigerms too!"
He stopped listening as he was drawing a lot faster than usual just so he could get out of the classroom before his classmates catch him. His mind feared that something even worse will happen to him. Hikigaya finished the activity and stood up to give the paper to the homeroom teacher.
"I'm finished, sensei." He said while reaching out the paper to her.
"Oh, that was quick," Isegawa said as she looked at the drawing and gave him an approving nod. "Umu! It's good."
"C-can I go to the restroom?" He asked.
"Oh, okay then but hurry up." She said, and the boy ran out of the classroom and into the restroom. He sat on the toilet seat and took deep breaths to calm himself. He wished that his classmates won't do anything to his desk and bag while he was away. He stayed in the restroom even after the bell rang until he felt strong enough to come face-to-face with whatever schemes the classmates came up with. After a few minutes, he stood up and walked out of the restroom and into the classroom.
"Oh, Hikigaya. Where were you?" A different teacher asked him as soon as he opened the door.
"Restroom." That was all he could answer and the teacher was convinced.
...
Lunchtime.
Everyone is eating their bento while Hikigaya tried to make sense of yet another difficult math lesson until he gave up. He took out his bento from his bag and opened it but before he could eat it, a liquid splashed on his face. It got in his eyes.
"AAAHH!" He screamed in pain while others are laughing at him.
"Hey, Ayase-chan was right! Sanitizer is super effective on Hikigerms!"
"Pour it on his bento. He might've infected the food. Hahahahah!"
The bullies poured sanitizer on the food and then on top of Hikigaya's head. He resisted, but it was useless when they restrained his arms. The liquid was unexpectedly cold, and it made the boy shivered while his eyes were still hurting. He thought of who this Ayase person was but when they said about her and Isegawa-sensei, he already connected the dots. He concluded that those two are related.
"Ah, it's empty." The bully who held the bottle said with a disappointed tone.
"Do you guys think it's enough?"
"I don't know... Maybe we should get more?"
While the others distracted themselves talking to each other, Hikigaya saw the opportunity and stepped one of the holder's feet.
"AW!" The bully lost his grip and the boy's right arm is free from restraint. He suddenly swung a punch on the other holder's face and then kicked the previous one's gut.
"Hey!"
"The germ is going crazy! Quick, stop him for he spreads it around the school!" The other bullies joined in and they have beaten the boy up badly. He couldn't defend himself because they greatly outnumbered him. His body is in pain from all the punches and kicks that he was sure to have lots of bruises after this. The beating went on until a teacher came inside.
"What's going on here!"
...
"So, anyone care to explain?" A man with black slick-backed hair said with anger.
Both the poor boy and the bullies are currently in the faculty being lectured by this man who is the guidance counselor of the school. They all sat on chairs as they discussed what happened.
"Hikigaya started it! We were just messing around and he just suddenly went berserk!" One of the bullies shouted, and Hikigaya was shocked by his lies.
"By messing around you mean ruining the poor boy's bento and hurting him? Those aren't 'messing around', pure harassment and violence!" The guidance counselor shouted and the children went silent. He was right, that incident wasn't some joke or skit that you should do as if they're in a world of cartoons or TV shows. This is real life, people will get hurt and whatever actions a person makes, consequences will come and those consequences are worse than what kid's shows depicted.
"All of you are suspended for a week while Hikigaya is suspended for three days." The counselor declared, and it shocked Hikigaya that he was included.
"Eh?! Even me? But they're the ones who-"
"Yes, I know. However, you retaliated with violence and that shouldn't be ignored."
"But-"
"My decision is clear. Suspension for all of you. Now to end this peacefully, I want you all to apologize to each other."
The students in the room all glanced at each other while the boy just looked at the counselor with widened eyes. They all stood up with the bullies at one side while Hikigaya on the other. The bullies bowed to the boy.
"I'm sorry." They all said it in sync. Hikigaya hesitated but also bowed towards them.
"I-I'm sorry, too."
...
Three days later
So far it's going well with Hikigaya. The bullies got what they deserved although he thought suspension wasn't a good enough punishment he was satisfied with it in the end. He told his parents about what happened, and both mother and father were furious. The parents went to his school to question their disciplinary practice to children. He was glad that his mother and father could at least do this for their son. It was announced that the school will implement a more strict penalty for students who commit bullying and harassment to others. He didn't know the specific details, but he could tell from the teachers they're taking the situation very seriously.
"Hikigaya!" The boy was walking in the hallway until he heard the voice of his homeroom teacher.
"Isegawa-sensei?"
"Are you okay? How're your injuries? Are you bored at home?" Isegawa suddenly surprised Hikigaya with a barrage of questions. It's as if she is his mother, worried about him as his son.
"I'm fine, sensei." That was the only answer he gave with a smile.
"Oh, good. I'm sorry Hikigaya, I should've paid more attention so none of this would have happened." She said in a dejected tone. "If anyone hurt you, call me or any of the teachers, okay?"
"Okay!" The little boy said with glee. He was happy that there are people willing to help him with his troubles. Little did he knew that his suffering in elementary school won't end and it will follow him for years.
The alarm of the clock beeped in the bedroom of the cynical loner. Hikigaya Hachiman woke up before the alarm went off as he contemplated on the dream he just had.
"What a nightmare." He said in a sleepy tone while scratching his eye. "It's all because of those two I dreamt of those childhood memories"
Hikigaya remembered something on the internet about childhood dreams. One article said that it reflects the person's feelings about being inexperienced with new situations and having enthusiasm for new opportunities or changes.
"In other words, innocence, which is something I had lost a long time ago. Well, technically I am still an innocent, pure teenager, I meant innocent in another way. The feeling of curiosity is still a part of my emotions but trying new things, especially things normies would do, is the last thing I would be enthusiastic for." The loner thought irritated by society's lack of realization at how flawed the system is. However, that irritation was quickly dissipated after remembering what the article wrote of another meaning of childhood dreams:
Inferiority, weakness, a lesser being. Negatively, dreaming of childhood may reflect feelings of being treated little, patronized, or overlooked. Feeling that people are arrogantly not respecting someone because of that person's status being lower than anyone else. The loner agreed to himself that the negative meaning of his dream is more plausible but is still unlikely for him. He never cared about others looking down on him since he already knew he was "inferior" to them...
"But they are fools if they think they are better than me." Hachiman mumbled in an arrogant tone. He sat up on the bed and stretched his arms, only to find out it was a bad idea as he flinched in pain. His fight yesterday with the criminals from that sushi restaurant left him quite a few scratches. He has a small bandage in his right cheek and more scars in his right arm. The doctor also wrapped his other arm in bandages after applying ointment to heal the injury. He already removed the bandages on his left hand, revealing the scar in the backhand and palm. He wondered if he might look like some badass shounen manga character if he gets more scars but he shook his head from that thought.
"Not really worth hurting myself over something as stupid as trying to have a supposed 'cool' appearance. There are other ways to improve your appearance, but for someone like me, I'm better looking than anyone else!" The loner thought as he turned off the alarm and stood up to stretch more despite the pain. He went to the bathroom to wash up, brush his teeth and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
"I'm more and more looking like a delinquent to them, huh? Oh well, they're idiots anyway. If they would just take a closer look at me, they'd realize how good looking I really am." Hachiman talked to himself while touching the wrapped bandages until he seemed satisfied. He put on a blue sports jacket and matching jogging pants and went downstairs. He smelled food coming from the dining table and saw Komachi eating breakfast and there is a plate with toasts on the other side of the table across her.
"Good morning." He greeted her while sitting on a chair and eat his breakfast. "Where's mom and dad?"
"Hoot mowni, ohii-an!" His little sister who is wearing her uniform greeted back with food on her mouth. "Mo and a are at wok."
"Komachi, I don't understand a word you're saying. Don't talk when your mouth is full." He said with an annoyed look as Komachi swallowed.
"I said good morning, onii-chan! Mom and dad are at work." She repeated with her usual bright smile. However, for our protagonist, no matter how bright her smile is he would never forget the terrifying moment they had yesterday.
...
"AAAAHHHH!" The loner screamed in fear.
"HOLD STILL, STUPID ONII-CHAN!" Komachi shouted as she tried to push the container filled with needles into her big brother's mouth but she was met with resistance from him as he tried to push away the hand where she was holding the container.
"I'M SORRY, OKAY!? I JUST COULDN'T HELP IT BUT THAT COUPLE REALLY NEED-" He tried explaining to him while avoiding the horrible fate of swallowing a thousand needles but the little sister interrupted.
"THEN-CALL-THE-PO-LICE!"
"ENOUGH!" A loud female voice stopped them. The siblings turned to look at the woman sitting on the dining table. She has short black hair with the signature Hikigaya ahoge, black eyes and wears glasses. This is their mother, and she looked irritated by the sibling's actions.
"Komachi, put those needles back in the drawer." She commanded her daughter, and she immediately complied. "And you Hachiman, what in the world were you thinking?! Playing the hero when you should've just-"
"Ignored them? No, I just can't" The son interrupted her while lowering his head. "I just couldn't ignore them when they're in trouble."
"Then find someone who can help instead of just charging in head-on." The mother sighed while holding her forehead. "Honey, please say something to him."
She looked at the man sitting next to her. He is over six feet tall with a built stature, has also black hair and his jawline is visible on his face. He is the father of the Hikigaya siblings and he looked calm as if he's not bothered by his son's current situation. He looked at his loving wife and then to his son.
"Hachiman, what you did was very brave but you should refrain yourself from doing these acts." The father said in a very low voice. " There may be a time when you won't be able to distinguish what's right and what's reckless. Sometimes, you need to count on others to do the job. We're not saying that you should ignore people who are in trouble but try and help them in a different way, understand?"
...
Hachiman contemplated his father's words and what he said was right. Sometimes there are other ways to do it than just barge himself in. He was almost done for when he got on a chokehold back at that sushi restaurant. If it wasn't for Isegawa Yusuke, he might get killed, and then those two would suffer from the delinquents' selfish acts. He should depend on other people more than thinking no one can do what's right. However, he set aside that thought and has something else in mind.
Komachi's monstrous transformation...
The older brother caught a glimpse of what might be the "demon" inside his adorable little sister from the first time she found out about his reckless deeds. Yesterday, he saw the "demon" in its complete form, and he wished that such a demon never existed inside Komachi.
"S-she was really about to shove those needles in my mouth! A-and that face... I never thought someone would be as terrifying as the Ice Queen, and it was my sister no less! The image of my cute, adorable, and angelic sister Komachi is also a facade! A facade that normies wear all the time!" Hachiman internally voiced out his frustration and despair with a fearful look. Komachi was puzzled by his expression but ignored it for now as she ate her breakfast.
"What are you gonna do today, onii-chan? There's still four more days of suspension, right?" She asked.
"Huh? Oh, I'm just gonna do some morning jog then off to playing my Vita-chan." The older brother said indifferently while eating his toast.
"Is that so?" There was silence after that as they eat their breakfast until Komachi spits her food at him as she finally realized what her older brother just said. "Jogging?! You?! Exercising?!"
"Yeah...I guess that's surprising coming from me." Hachiman said nonchalantly while wiping his face.
"Oh...Well, I'm glad my onii-chan is finally putting some effort into his well-being. If you work out more, you'll be one million times more handsome. Kyaaaah~! That definitely deserves some Hachiman points." Komachi held her cheek.
"Hmph. I don't need to put an effort in my looks, but thanks anyway Komachi." Hachiman gave his little sister a head pat and continued eating. After that, Komachi waved at her brother at the front door and went out. The loner did some household chores such as vacuuming the floor, washing dishes and dusting the cabinets and corners before heading out to do some jogging. His mind still wandered on the couple that he helped yesterday: Isegawa Yusuuke and Isegawa Mihara. They have same surname as his homeroom teacher back in elementary school. Hachiman isn't necessarily the type that holds grudges but he's not exactly the type who can let go of the past so easily. All the suffering that he endured from childhood until now laid the foundation of his pessimism and his clarity of what youth truly is. It's not like the past bothered him but he just couldn't forget how painful it was, going through all that.
"No use thinking about it. Need to get some fresh air." He said as he tied his shoes at the front door and went out wearing his black waist pouch that has a bottle holder. His plan was to jog starting from his house to the nearest convenience store, the place where he ended Sagami's or rather "Isane" case of rape. Even though it's the nearest store from his home, it's still a great distance away if he went there on foot. From there he will buy a drink and take a short break and after that, he will jog to the park and make a few laps there. It's a pretty hardcore jogging, but it's a challenge that he likes to take on for himself.
"I think it's important to challenge yourself. It helps make you a better person." Yukinoshita's words echoed in his mind.
"Alright, Ice Queen. I'll take your word for it...maybe just thirty percent of it..." The loner mumbled, and he started the challenge.
"Welcome! Oh... Aren't you?" The same female cashier asked our protagonist in excitement.
"Uh... yeah, it's me." He answered nervously. He really doesn't like attention so whoever hid his identity from those criminal cases, he was very grateful for that so he won't ponder on that mystery person until he deemed it necessary.
"I'm so glad to see you again! I waited for you to come here for days just so I could say thank you for saving us." The cashier said with a wide smile.
"It was no problem." He said as he tried his best to force a smile.
"Oh! If it isn't 'Isato'-san." An old male voice called out to him. Hachiman turned around to see the same elderly couple from that robbery.
"Please don't call me that. I don't want anyone to find out about it." He said.
"Ara? But don't you want to be recognized in public?" The old woman asked.
"I don't like standing out. Plus, someone told me to so..." He added while scratching the back of his head. That last part was a lie, no one actually told him to keep it a secret, but he theorized that the mystery person doesn't want him to be known as the "hero" for a purpose he still couldn't figure out. So for now, our protagonist decided to play along with the mystery person's schemes until he solved the mystery or that person decided to show himself/herself.
"Ah, we understand. What happened to your cheek, boy?" The old man asked.
"Oh, this? We have a cat in our house. He jumped into my bed while I was sleeping and when I woke up, I accidentally hurt his tail."
"Goodness! I hope you didn't throw your cat away just from that." The old woman teased and the elderly couple laughed.
"Y-you don't have to worry about that. Hahaha..." He said while stuttering and laughing awkwardly. The loner is not very used to talking to strangers, especially if it's purely just for social interaction and not out of obligation or business. Also, Hachiman is not used to talking "nicely" although he has some manners and politeness. He wouldn't act on it towards just anyone. He is blunt, honest, and stoic. He hates superficial acting that gives purpose to blend in. However, this elderly couple is just genuinely kind and thankful that he intervened in the robbery despite the dangers and our protagonist doesn't want disrespect such kindness.
"Well, I have to go now. I'm only here to take a short break and get back on my jogging." He said as he grabbed a bottle of water and a loaf of bread wrapped in plastic.
"Ara, younglings are so lively, huh?" The old woman said as if she's reminiscing about a memory. "But aren't you supposed to be in school at this hour?"
"Oh, uh...I was having a mild fever, so I skipped school for a while and I'm getting better," Hachiman explained with a lie. He didn't want to tell people his circumstances so willingly. "I'll...uh be going back to school by tomorrow but right now, I need some peace from all the school activities."
"Sounds like you're too lazy to attend school. That's not good, young boy. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and go along with what's coming at you." The old man said while tapping Hachiman's shoulder. "Welp, we also need to go now. Who knows what those grandkids are up to now. hahahaha"
They bowed and waved to each other as the elderly couple left. The loner was glad that they were fine after that incident. He approached the female cashier so he could buy the drink and also a loaf of bread as a light snack.
"I'm buying this."
"Okay." She said as she grabbed the bottle and type the buttons on the cash register.
He looked at the cashier's appearance. She is a bit taller than him which could indicate that she's a college student or maybe that's just her genetic trait. She has long black, curly hair, dark skin and appears to be a foreigner. One thing that comes to a teenage boy like Hachiman is that:
"She is very pretty. I didn't even notice her looks until now."
"Here you go!" She said as she gave him back his purchased items along with a tiny folded paper.
"Is that a receipt? I don't need a copy." He said as he noticed something weird on the cashier. Her cheeks are red, and she's looking at him strangely. "Um...are you alright?"
"Oh! I'm fine. Just take it. It's very important."
And with that, he left but not without having a confused expression. He raised the small paper up and looked at it, wondering what is written. After he sat down to the ground near the entrance and opened the water bottle to drink, he unfolded the paper and saw numbers with a heart drawn at the end. His whole body froze from processing what this could be. Eleven digits. The first three start with 090. Has a heart drawn at the end. He also noticed something else written below.
"An email address!?" The loner shouted inside his mind. "Then this is her...her...phone number?"
He turned around to look at the glass window and saw the beautiful cashier waving at him with a seductive smile. He didn't believe it. He's being hit on by a girl...NO! A woman! As a self-proclaimed "King of Loners", This is something that he would never expect to happen in his entire life. Normally, our protagonist should be delighted that a beautiful woman gave him her number, but that didn't happen. Instead, he has doubts. He has lost the ability to hope on something that is nonexistence, and a girl's genuine affection is one of them.
So crushing the woman's delusions, he emptied the water bottle, crumpled the paper, threw both of them in the trash and left. This would make the dark-skinned woman leave him alone and won't pester him any further. The problem is that the loner might not go to this convenience store because if he did and the woman is there, it would seriously be awkward for both of them.
"Meh, I'll think of something." He mumbled as he returned to his jogging exercise, not noticing the cashier crying with anime tears until she stopped and went back to work.
"He's not even trying to be subtle at doing it," She sighed. "Maybe he has a girlfriend? Welp, I don't know so I'm going after him until I can confirm his relationship status. Hehe! Now if I remembered right, there was one time when he went here wearing a Sobu High School uniform."
Lunchtime at Sobu High School
"Sai-chan!" Minami called out to Totsuka as she held a bento. "Let's eat."
"Okay!" The boy with a cute feminine face complied and put their desks together along with The silvery blue-haired girl known as Kawasaki. The rest of the class had already got used to this new "clique" along with Hikigaya's presence with his terrible reputation as long as they didn't tick him off nor hurt his "girlfriend".
The loner's first three victims were athletes: one was a third-year who was an ace in the baseball club, the other two were some of the best basketball players in the school. The three male students were just walking in the hallway until Hikigaya just suddenly charged at them with a punch at the baseball player's face. It was shocking for everyone near them as they started fighting each other but was even more shocking was that the creepy loner dominated them with ease. None of them knew that Hikigaya himself was quite athletic. He is skilled at swimming, as he swam two kilometers during his middle school years because he had nothing else to do in those swimming classes and even now he has been doing this routine ever since, and of course his experiences in facing dangerous situations such as a robbery and an attempted rape incident.
The only two things they knew about his athletic skills was that he's skillful at tennis due to watching his match with Yukinoshita against Miura and Hayama, and Totsuka remarked this skill multiple times. The other thing was that he bikes everyday to school but recently he was seen going to school on foot. Even with that knowledge, they already assumed that they would beat the loner into a pulp by those athletes. After all, a hated loser who only practice at PE and lazily doing everyday things against three students who worked and trained hard at club hours to become athletes that other students admired. The outcome should've been obvious by assessing that information but of course, Hikigaya shattered those illusions by showing his combat skills.
It's not at the level of a professional (probably not yet) but it was enough to defeat the three bullies with ease. But he didn't stop there. On that single day, he was on a hunt. From second-years to third-years, Hikigaya attacked most of the bullies until the teachers stopped him. the loner/delinquent(?) was let off with a few days of suspension rather than expulsion or being taken by a disciplinary action which puzzled the student body.
"And it was all because you didn't tell him beforehand." Kawasaki told the brown-haired girl with a disapproving look.
"How was I supposed to know Hikigaya would do that f-for me? Plus, he didn't look the type to do that!" Sagami said in embarrassment and guilt.
"'Look the type', huh? He kinda fits the appearance now that he has those scars." The silvery blue-haired girl said with a mocking tone.
"Kawasaki-san, please don't say that," Totsuka said while grabbing food with his chopsticks. "Well, I do admit it was surprising that Hachiman would do that."
"It's all my fault," Sagami sighed.
"Hey, no it wasn't," Kawasaki tried to cheer her up, but she only made it worse. "I mean, yeah you hid from him that the harassment got worse and then you stupidly went to face those assholes on your own but then got-"
"Okay! Not helping Saki-chan. You need to work on that." The brown-haired girl said with her guilt increased further.
"Oh, sorry." The silvery blue-haired girl apologized while scratching the back of her neck. She isn't really the best at finding the right things to say.
"It was sort of a miracle he got off with suspension. So in the end, he's alright." Totsuka lifted Sagami's spirits. "Why don't you make up to him by giving something."
"Like what? Free food?" She asked.
"Everyone likes free food." Kawasaki exclaimed.
"But Hikigaya likes it more than anyone else...Something about not working hard for it or whatever."
"Hahaha. That's Hachiman for you. Acting all lazy." Totsuka laughed and so was the two girls. They continued to eat and have conversations about the Kyoto trip and mundane things. Sagami is glad to have people like these two who really wanted to be friends with her not out of popularity. If they were, it would've been just her and Hikigaya throughout the whole high school life which she wouldn't mind one bit.
"Hey Sai-chan," The brown-haired girl called out to the tennis player. "You have Hikigaya's number, right?"
"Yeah, why?" He asked. "You want me to give it to you and call him?"
"U-umm, yeah. I still don't know how to apologize, so I'll just have to ask him." She said nervously and Totsuka complied. After giving her the loner's phone number, she already dialed the number and waited for him to answer. The two classmates leaned forward in anticipation, but each of them have different reasons. Totsuka is excited in wonder how these two will interact on the phone all lovey-dovey while Kawasaki just went along with him. The three heard the clicking sound on the phone and a male voice.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hikigaya?"
"Sagami? I don't remember giving you my number."
"I got it from Sai-chan."
"Totsuka, huh? So how're you over there? Did those guys still-"
"No! No, it's fine now. I'm sorry that I got you into this."
"You don't have to be sorry. I was just mad that they-"
"But you did that for my sake so I want to repay you... Again," Minami said with a blush. Totsuka held his cute giggle by covering his mouth while Kawasaki just stared at her with so much focus that she might activate her X-ray vision if she continued to stare that way.
"Well, you can treat me again to a restaurant."
"No. I feel like I'm about to turn into your personal food coupon."
"Oh, so you finally realized your role in society." Hachiman said in a deadpan tone and with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oi, you better be joking or I'll pinch you so hard, my fingers will sink into your flesh," Minami said in a menacing tone while flexing her fingers that have sharp, manicured nails.
"I'm kidding, Geez. Does no one have a sense of humor in these modern times?"
"The problem is YOUR sense of humor, Bakagaya." She then heard a splash of water from the call. "Was that water? Where are you?"
"I'm taking a bath right now." He answered nonchalantly as if there were no problems telling that to a woman.
"... What?" Minami asked with a blank expression.
"I said I'm taking a bath, I'm in a bathtub right now." She blushed at that. The brown-haired girl looked at her two classmates and noticed they tried to pretend to not hear that, but failed miserably. Totsuka looked up while eating his bento but his blushing and sweat dripped on his cheek gave it away while Kawasaki closed her eyes as if she didn't care about it but her cheeks are also red and one of her eyes are twitching. As if to add fuel to the fire, the loner explained further of his recent exercise that made her imagination ran wild.
"I just did some extensive jogging, and I was all sweaty so yeah,"
"Jogging...sweaty?" She mumbled and her thoughts went out of control. "Hikigaya..sweaty...bath...naked...Hikigaya's naked...Hikigaya's naked washing his sweaty body...he's naked while talking to me on the phone..."
"Sagami-san? Sagami-san!" Totsuka tried to call out to Minami, but it was no use.
"Oi, get a grip." Kawasaki said as she karate chopped Minami's head and she woke up from her thoughts.
"O-oh uh... what were you saying?" The brown-haired girl asked the loner on the phone.
"I said nothing," Hachiman answered in a worried tone. "I was just waiting for you to respond, but you were dead silent. Are you okay?"
"Yup, fine, good, Ifeelreallyamazinginfactevenbetterthaneversodon'tworry." She said it a little too quickly while breathing hard.
"Oi Sagami," Kawasaki called her out. "You're drooling..."
"Eh?" Minami touched the corner of her mouth and felt the slimy sensation of saliva. She wiped it off with a handkerchief and continued talking to Hachiman. "AHEM! So is there anything else you want besides food?"
"Hmmm...I do want some notes on the lectures I've missed today, especially math. Will you mind if I copy yours?"
"No problem!" She answered, and the call ended. "Saki-chan, can I borrow your notes, please?"
"Hah? Why?" Kawasaki asked in irritation.
"So I can copy it and make mine look better."
"Your notes are fine as it is so there's no point."
"You're a lot smarter than me so I figured your notes were written better than mine."
"Just ask Totsuka, I bet he's smarter than me." Kawasaki said while pointing at him.
"Honestly, Kawasaki-san," He said. "I think you're better at academics than me. You're enrolled in a cram school if I remembered it right AND you got a scholarship, so that tells the difference."
"Ghh! Fine," The silvery blue-haired girl finally complied. "I'll only give you my notes on math since Hikigaya sucked badly at that subject."
Sagami took the notebook and flipped the pages. She nodded as she was glad that the notes are very easy to understand and Sagami took out her own notebook to start rewriting some parts.
"Write this.. and then take a picture and send it..." Sagami mumbled but Totsuka heard it clearly.
"Wait, you're going to take a picture of your notes and send it to him?" He said in a confused expression. "That's not good! You should go to his house and give your notes to him directly!"
"Eh?! Why would I do that? Wouldn't it be easier to just send a photo of it?"
"Yeah, but that means Hachiman would read the notes on his cellphone and that could hurt his eyesight. Besides, wouldn't that be your chance to know what his house is like and get closer to him?"
"Y-you make it sound like I have a crush on him or something which I DON'T!"
"It's kinda obvious, Sagami-san." He said with a dazzling smile that made her falter.
"I...do have a slight interest in him," The brown-haired girl stuttered while twiddling her index fingers and blushing. "He did help me at both festivals in a way, he is kind, a little awkward which makes him so cute, and when I heard that he beat up those guys for me, I thought it was sweet and... kinda hot."
"Well, that settles it," Kawasaki exclaimed. "Just go to his house and confess."
"That's way too fast!" Totsuka rejected her idea. "They need to take it slow."
"Sounds like a pain in the ass to me." She shrugged. "Wait, do you even know where his house is?"
"No, do you?" Sagami asked.
"Yeah, I was kinda surprised when I found out that his house is very close to mine. Here, I'll write a map for you." Kawasaki said as she took out a small paper and pen and began drawing the map.
"C-can't I just come with you after class?"
"No, I have a part-time job so you're on your own."
"...Sai-chan?" Sagami cried to Totsuka.
"Good luck! Sagami-san!" Only for her to get rejected before she could even ask.
"I don't think I can..." She whispered quietly, not heard by her two new friends as all three listened to two male classmates talking about a topic they're interested in, especially Sagami.
"Did you hear the news about that sushi restaurant?"
"No, don't tell me something bad happened at that place. I haven't tried their food yet!"
"Oh, sorry but that restaurant is closed for now because a group vandalized the place and hurt the owners."
"Goddamnit! And here I thought I would ask her out on a nice date there. Well, what happened to those assholes that did it."
"Arrested and guess who stopped them..."
" 'Isato'? Damn, I thought vigilantes only exist in shounen."
"Maybe that guy is a shounen fanatic?" The two guys laughed and let go of the topic as they went out of the room.
"He's been appearing a lot, hasn't he?" Totsuka said while finishing his bento.
"Never thought idiots like him existed." Kawasaki said indifferently while holding her finished bento.
"Idiots? He did something brave, though."
"But what he did was still reckless."
While the two are arguing about "Isato"'s recent actions, Sagami just sat there thinking about Hikigaya. She already knew that it was him since he told her back then that he won't stop doing this vigilante stuff. However, despite accepting his vigilantism, she couldn't help feel worried about the loner if he got hurt from fighting crime. Sagami didn't felt nervous anymore on thinking about going to his house as she got another reason to go there, which filled her with concern and a touch of anger.
"Stop button mashing, you trash!" Hachiman who is wearing a plain white T-shirt and green jogging pants, shouted as he vigorously pushed buttons on his PS Vita in frustration that his opponent in a fighting game is repeatedly using one move to attack until he finally hit the opponent. "Finally! Now you die-"
Hachiman suddenly heard a doorbell coming from the front door. He stood up from the couch and walked while still playing the game until he reached the door and opened it.
"Yes? Eh?" Hachiman was surprised as he saw Minami in front of him panting hard while holding her knees. From the looks of it, she must've run from school to get here considering that she's still wearing her school uniform. "How did you know where my house is?"
"Saki...-chan...told me." She said between breaths. The loner couldn't see her face since she lowered her head and the bangs of her hair are in the way. Minami looked up for him to see an angry expression with sweat covering her face despite the cold climate.
"What the hell...is this?" She took out her phone and showed an article on a website about the sushi restaurant they once went to. "Now don't lie to me, I know this is your doing. Even if I accepted this action of yours, you still need to learn when to stop."
"Uh... Why don't you come inside?" He stepped aside to invite her in.
"Oh, okay. Sorry for the intrusion..." She removed her shoes and Hachiman led her to the living room as she sat on the couch while he brewed some tea. Minami looked around to see all the furniture, picture frames, and TV, all of these identified the living room of the Hikigaya household.
"Where are your parents?" She asked.
"Out for work."
"Then your sister? I did catch a glimpse of her once during the Cultural Festival."
"Probably still at school or hanging out with her friends."
"Hmmm..." The brown-haired girl hummed until she realized something. His parents are out, and his sister hasn't come home yet. She is inside Hachiman's house. Hachiman is a boy, Minami is a girl. No one is here except for these two.
"Meow!" And a white cat, but that's not important in her mind right now. After fully assessing the situation she's in, Minami's face turned red and somehow she's emitting some sort of steam. Her body is shaking and her jaw dropped from the realization.
"Does that mean it's just the two of us?"
"There's also Kamakura, he's our pet cat but yeah, it's just the two of us." He answered nonchalantly like that didn't bother him at all.
"I-is that so," She stuttered but regained her composure by coughing. "And this doesn't bother you?"
"Why should I?"
"A boy and a girl alone in a house?"
"Nope, I learned that expecting at something non-existent is foolish so I'm not bothered at all. Plus, you're not the first female who got inside my house."
"PFFFTTT!" Minami spat her tea from that revelation. "Seriously!?"
"Yup."
"Then who was first?"
"My mom."
"...Excuse me?"
"I said, my mom. She is the first female that got inside this house. Then Komachi was born so that makes her the second- AW!" a painful pinch in his side interrupted him by the brown-haired girl who is annoyed by his answer until she sighed.
"I did say 'female' so..."
"Hmph! Whatever," She folded her arms while Hachiman chuckled by her reaction. "By that logic, that means I'm the third?"
"Actually," He answered while counting with his fingers. "you might be the...seventh."
"Hmmm~ then who were the others?"
"Third was Yuigahama. She once asked us to take care of her dog while she was out doing something."
"She has a dog?"
"Yeah, his name is Sable. Anyway, the fifth girl is Kawa...uh...Kawa...saki? Yeah, Kawasaki."
"Saki...-chan?" Minami asked with a whisper. She wasn't bothered that Yuigahama went to his house since their "friendship" is ruined but Kawasaki definitely surprised her.
"I was kinda surprised that she lives close to us. She recently visits me often to give me treats or asking me about studies." He explained.
"T-then who's the last?"
"Keika."
"Who?"
"Kawasaki's kid sister. She's 7 years old. She came with her once at that one weekend so Kawasaki could babysit while studying with me for exams. Keika was really cute. The way she-" He explained further about his activities with the silvery blue-haired girl and her little sister but Minami didn't listen as she imagined Hachiman with Kawasaki walking side-by-side holding hands. To think that Kawasaki is already that close to him, she would bring her sister to his house.
"Sagami?"
"Nothing! So, I'm the SEVENTH girl, huh?" She said while pretending that she's not bothered by it but the loner saw through Minami's act from the way she said the number.
"So what brings you here aside from giving me the same scolding as my family?" He asked, changing the subject to make her feel better.
"Oh!" The brown-haired girl dug into her bag and took out a notebook. "Here, notes for today's lectures."
"Is there math?"
"As you requested, devoted commoner." She smirked.
"Greeeaaatt~ Thank you for your kindness, my queen." He said sarcastically. "Can this commoner ask for another favor? Mayhaps a difficult one?"
"For as long as tis within my capabilities, you may."
"Teach me the math, please." Hachiman bowed his head to her, and she complied. She knew that math is his weakest subject, but the brown-haired girl was shocked at how terrible he was. To be fair, Minami's academics are only average, but it is enough for him to understand the lectures. Also, if it wasn't for Kawasaki's notes, this tutoring might've been more difficult. Hachiman was glad that Minami is good at explaining the formulas and their uses, probably better than their math teacher since his explanations were so little detailed and short. The two teenagers had fun, even if Hachiman had to go through the horror that is mathematics. He would sometimes say some sarcastic remarks only for him to be pinched by Minami and being mocked for his terrible math skills. After two hours of tutoring, they settled down with some biscuits and tea while playing with Kamakura on the floor.
"I'm home! Sorry I took so long, I was hanging out with my friends and-" The voice of Hachiman's little sister came from the front door and they heard her stopped mid-sentence. It's because Komachi noticed two pairs of shoes, one of them she didn't recognize but immediately knew it was a girl. "Onii-chan! Did you bring Kawasaki-sa..."
"Nope," He answered while drinking his traditional cup of tea. "This is Sagami. A classmate of mine."
"Nice to meet you," Minami stood up and bowed to her while hiding her jealousy when Komachi assumed it was Kawasaki that visited the Hikigaya household. "I'm Sagami Minami."
"..." Komachi stood there staring at the brown-haired girl and turn to look at her brother then back to her again. She approached Minami and walked around her as if she's investigating everything about the girl that her creepy, cynical, lonely but loving big brother brought in. After a few seconds, Komachi nodded and went back to where she stood. She took a deep breath and...
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH~!" Her scream was so loud that the entire city of Chiba might've heard that. Hachiman and Minami covered their ears as they grunted in pain.
"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OHMYGODOHMYGOD"
"OKAY! Calm down, you noisy imouto!" Hachiman shouted with an annoyed expression. "That was the loudest shriek since the time Kei-chan first came in here."
"I'm Hikigaya Komachi, I'm his little sister and I'm happy to meet you. I hope he didn't trouble you with him being all gross and have a terrible sense of humor"
"Oi," A vein popped on Hachiman's forehead.
"It's okay, really. Minami said. "He is kind to me and I'm not bothered by him at all even though he can be so thickheaded, say weird and disgusting things, and act like a loser sometimes.
"I'm right here, you know." Hachiman is getting irritated by their insults and pretending he's not here in the room.
"So! So! So! How did you two meet each other? What's your relationship? How long since the two of you started hanging out?" The little sister asked them with a barrage of questions.
"I said calm down. We're classmates but I just discovered her existence at that Fireworks Festival. She and I are just friends. We started hanging out a few weeks ago." He answered all the questions as Minami looked at her wristwatch.
"I have to go," She said with a look of realization. "I forgot to text my parents that I would go home a little late. They must be worried by now."
"Are you going to ride a train? I'll walk with you to the station." The loner asked.
"Thanks but I can take the bus from here. See ya!" Minami waved goodbye and ran out of the house. The siblings heard the door opening and closing as they just stare at each other without moving an inch while Kamakura tried to gain his attention by climbing on his lap. Komachi once again took a deep breath and Hachiman knew what's coming.
"Oh not again-"
"KYAAAAAAAAAH~!"
A teenage boy with spiky blonde hair who was watching TV in the living room heard the sound of the front door opening. He is wearing a denim jacket over his black hoodie, and dark grey pants. He turned around to see a blurry image of Minami running fast, but he could tell there was a blush on her face. The teenager stood up and went upstairs to check on her.
"Oi, Minami," He called out while knocking on her bedroom door only to hear no response. "Oi! You came home a lot later than usual."
The teenager waited for a few moments until he becomes irritated and just opened the door. His irritation was soon replaced with a feeling of disbelief and confusion. Minami had her face covered with a pillow and clutching it tightly while rolling around her bedroom screaming.
"HHMMPHH!HMHMHMHMH!" She wiggled her body and swinging her legs up and down as if she was having a seizure. The teenager looked at her with widened eyes before slowly closing the door. He dawdled to process what he just saw and went back into the living room.
"Mom, Dad... Something happened to Minami."
"Eh?" The parents were confused.
"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked.
"Come see for yourself." That was his only answer before prompting them to follow towards their daughter's bedroom. Minami who was still screaming on her pillow squirming on her bed surprised the parents.
"What the hell?" the father gasped. "Is it something about that 'Hayama' again?"
"I don't think so, darling." His wife said while watching their daughter. "If something did happen between her and her classmate, she would just brag about it and busy texting her cellphone for days. This...this is different."
"I guess there could only mean one thing." The teenager said while folding his arms.
"No, don't say it." The father quietly pleaded,
"Yup, it's pretty obvious!" His wife said in a cheery tone while holding her cheeks.
"No, no no no..."
"She's really in love with someone." The older son and wife said simultaneously while nodding in acknowledgment without noticing their father/husband went pale from their statement. In his mind, he hoped they were wrong but looking at his daughter closely, he feared the worst. Looking back at the time when Minami's still a popular girl in her class (which she bragged to them for hours), she would only text and brag whenever something happened between her and a boy she finds "cute" or "hot" and then tells them about said boy. Here in the present, it is clearly different. She doesn't act like this if it's someone like that Hayama person and she never told them about her current crush aside from the fact that he saved her from that attempted rape incident and she went on a "date" with him once.
"M-Minami," He called out to his daughter, and she suddenly stood up and rushed to them. "What-"
"Not telling. Don't talk to me." And then she slammed the door closed, leaving her parents and older brother in shock while still hearing her muffled scream. They never saw Minami in that expression before. As her family, they were very familiar with her behavior, skills, and emotions. They have seen Minami angry, happy, sad, annoyed, etc. However, the one they have witnessed today is completely new. Her eyes widened, her voice was even colder than the current climate, and her cheeks were red.
"Wow, I never saw her like that before." The mother said while still recovering from what she just witnessed. "It's almost as if she's-"
"Thirsty." The older son said it as a joke, but someone took that seriously and that someone is his father.
"Oi, Takumi" He grabbed his son's head. "What the fuck do you mean by that, huh?"
"I-I was kidding...dad, my head.. you're going to crush my head!" The son known as Takumi pleaded to his father, but to no avail. He turned around to beg his mother for help but she was too busy thinking about something.
"Is my daughter turning into a..into a.." She mumbled. "What was it called again? Yanjiro? Ya...Yaboku? Yan...Yanjire?"
The Next Day, 12:00 PM, Six days left before school trip
Hachiman is currently in a hot water-filled bathtub resting his body after another extensive jogging. He went for another route to the park since he can't go to that convenience store. Unfortunately for the loner, the alternative route he took was far longer than the usual added with a few laps around the park resulted in having sore legs almost as if they felt all jelly and burning until he went home and went into the bath. He pondered on whether he should do other forms of exercise but decided against that because of the possibility of his recent injuries reopening worried him.
"I guess I have to stick with jogging for a while? Hmm..." He mumbled as he held his chin to think. "You know what they say, if you don't know it, google it."
The moment he grabbed his cellphone, it rang. He looked at the screen and saw that it's a phone call from Minami and he answered.
"Yo,"
"Yo!" Minami greeted back cheerfully. "Mmm... Nah, that kind of greeting is not my style."
"Hmph! The energy conservation greeting is only for beings such as me who doesn't work hard."
"And yet, you were jogging yesterday."
"My core as the lazy human still resides within me."
"Is that so, then tis appropriate that a heavy punishment must be ensured to quicken thee from thy vile attitude." She said.
"Oh my dear queen, please do not contempt thee loyal commoner. My skills are still a usance for thy motive." He said pretending to be scared, and they both laughed. "When did you learn to talk like that?"
"Meh, read a lot of books during middle school."
"You? read books?"
"I passed the entrance exam here, y'know."
"You probably cheated."
"As if! Plus I'm smarter than you in math."
"And I'm smarter than you in...everything else." He smirked.
"Oh, shut up!" She said angrily and calmed herself. "So, what are you doing right now?"
"Taking a bath." He answered nonchalantly and he swore that heard a gasp.
"I see..." He heard a gulp from Minami. "Another day of jogging?"
"Yeah, and it was worse than yesterday. I took the longer route to the park and I underestimated the distance. Not to mention I was stupid enough to make some laps."
"Geez, are you aiming to be the greatest hero or something?"
"Nah, I just want to challenge myself that's all."
"That's one hell of a challenge if you ask me. Oh yeah, do you want the notes for today's classes?"
"Maybe not, how about you do a days' worth of copying notes and then give it to me after my suspension so you won't tire yourself out from running back and forth."
"I don't mind as long as I can go into your house but sure why not?" She agreed, but he noticed a disappointed tone from her voice. "Anyway, you still haven't told me about your... y'know."
"Oh," He already knew what she was talking about. "Are you alone right now?"
"Hold on," Minami said as he heard her excuse herself from Totsuka and Kawasaki and the sounds of footsteps and a door clicking. "I'm in the restroom. Now please tell me."
Hachiman finally explained to her about what happened the other day. His encounter with the rich criminal and his gang, the damages they did in that restaurant, and the fight that took place. He didn't go far as to tell her about his connection between the Isegawa's and his childhood as it was too personal for him to tell anyone aside from his family. After finishing his story, the loner heard a sigh from Minami.
"I hope the owners can fix their restaurant back to normal." She said in a sad tone.
"Well," The loner said. "They said that they're going on a trip for a while thanks to the money they had from that criminal's father paying the damages."
"Huh, do you know where they're going?"
"Of course, I don't. That's private info so they won't be bombarded with camera shots and questions from wherever they're going." He explained. "Besides, if that criminal is rich and his father got him out of prison, he might hunt those owners down."
"That's fair," Minami said in a dejected tone. "I just hoped they'll come back soon so we can eat those tasty sushis again."
"Oh, I didn't know you want to eat THAT dish again," He teased while smirking.
"What are you...oh," It seemed she realized what he meant. "If you mean that Fried Fish then yeah, that food was delicious."
"Hoh? So you wouldn't mind if someone mistakes us for a couple?"
"Hmmm~ Nah." She answered without hesitation. "with that rotten attitude of yours? It won't feel like we're a couple."
"Yeah," They both laughed at that. Few minutes have passed and they decided to end the call due to the school bell ringing which told them that her lunch break was over.
Next day, 7:00 AM. 5 days left until school trip
A sound of an alarm caused Hachiman to wake up in his bed but it wasn't the alarm clock, it was the alarm of a text message. He looked at the screen and saw the text message is from Minami. He opened the message, read it and texted back.
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: Good morning! Hope you wake earlier even in suspension!
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: I just woke because of your annoying text.
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: Oh, that's good. Then I guess I'll be doing this whenever you don't go to school.
[7:05 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Please, don't...
...
12:00 PM
[12:00 PM] Sagami Minami: HELLOO~! 😢
[12:10 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: What? I can't talk to you on the phone right now.
[12:10 PM] Sagami Minami: Why? 😔
[12:10 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Why would I tell you?
[12:10 PM] Sagami Minami: If you don't answer my call, I'll come to your house and bother you! 😠
[12:12 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Then I guess I have to lock myself in my room while you're shouting from outside.
[12:13 PM] Sagami Minami: Hehe! I'll shout embarrassing things about you if you don't let me in.
[12:15 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Do your worse because I'm used to being humiliated in public.
[12:15 PM] Sagami Minami: GGRR! Then I'll throw rocks at your window! 😠
[12:16 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: I'll just ignore the noise by using a headphone.
[12:16 PM] Sagami Minami: FINE! Tis truly appropriate to enact punishment towards thee.
[12:16 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Do your worse. This commoner shall begin his revolt against thee.
...
Next day, 7:00 AM. 4 days left until school trip
Text conversation: Last Updated 6:57 AM
[6:57 AM] Sagami Minami: Good morning! 😃
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Are you seriously going to make this a routine?
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: Yup! The earlier you jog, the better you can exercise.
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: I'll give up on that stupid challenge.
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: NOOOO! Please workout more.😡
[7:03 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Give me one good reason why I would jog so early in the morning.
[7:03 AM] Sagami Minami: The earlier you jog, the better you can exercise! 😁
[7:03 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Aside from that...
[7:03 AM] Sagami Minami: To kill some time while staying healthy?
[7:05 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Fair enough.
[7:05 AM] Sagami Minami: YAY!😆
...
Next Day, 8:30 PM. 3 days until school trip
Text conversation: Last Updated 8:25 AM
[8:25 PM] Sagami Minami: Today's math period was really hard! Good luck catching up. 😎
[8:30 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Then I'll ask you for help. 😐
[8:30 PM] Sagami Minami: Did you just send an emoji?! O_O
[8:30 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Meh, I thought I'd try it once.
[8:30 PM] Sagami Minami: That's kinda cute. 😍
[8:33 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Whatever. Anyways can you tutor me again?
[8:33 PM] Sagami Minami: I could... but it may cost you.
[8:33 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: What? You want me to cook food for you?
[8:34 PM] Sagami Minami: I mean real cash! 😈
[8:34 PM] Hikigaya Hachiman: You're treating this as a real job?
...
Next Day, 7:00 AM. 2 days until school trip
Text conversation: Last Updated 6:50 AM
[6:50 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: Good morning. 😔
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: Ah! You woke up before I could even text you.
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: No thanks to you. What are you doing?
[7:01 AM] Sagami Minami: Doing my make-up.
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: This early? What kind of traditions do girls go through?
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: You wouldn't understand cuz it's a girl thing! 😠
[7:00 AM] Hikigaya Hachiman: And why trying to make yourself pretty? You're not popular anymore. 😒
[7:00 AM] Sagami Minami: I said it's a girls thing! ;P
...
3:00 PM
Text conversation: Last Updated 2:30 PM
Sagami Minami changed your nickname into "~~ Hachi ~~"
[3:00 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: Oi. what kind of name is that? It looks like a name of a scammer.
[3:00 PM] Sagami Minami: Just wanna change the nickname. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[3:00 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: Change it back. 😒
[3:00 PM] Sagami Minami: Oh come on! You can change my nickname whatever you want, y'know.
[3:00 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: Fine
You changed her nickname into "😈 Mina 😈"
[3:00 PM] 😈 Mina 😈: HEY! Why are there demons in my nickname!? 😢😢
[3:00 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: You said whatever I want.
[3:01 PM] 😈 Mina 😈: But I don't like those demons. Get rid of them! 😠
[3:01 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: You said whatever I want and now you want to change it? Girls are so demanding.
[3:01 PM] 😈 Mina 😈: Shut up and get rid of them already! Or else I might actually turn into a demon and eat you!
[3:01 PM] ~~ Hachi ~~: Nah, I'm fine with this one so get used to it. 😎
...
5:00 PM
"I'm back~!" Komachi shouted as she removed her shoes. "Sorry, I'm late! There were some Student Council business and I-"
The little sister stopped mid-sentence because when she entered the living room, she saw something odd. The siblings' parents are hiding behind the kitchen counter with their head propped up as if they were taking cover from an explosion and waiting for it to happen. Komachi looked confused by that as she tried to call out to them.
"Mom? Dad?"
"Shhh! Come here!" Her father ordered which she complied. She crouched down between the parents and asked.
"What's going on?"
"Look over there." The mother whispered while pointing her index finger forward. Komachi looked at the direction her mother was pointing and what she saw shocked the little sister. Hikigaya Hachiman, her beloved older brother, is sitting on a couch... and texting. Komachi's eyes popped out and her jaw dropped on the counter. The loner's eyes are glued into the screen of his cellphone and his thumb is so blurry from how fast he texted. Komachi never thought of him texting to anyone aside from her and their parents, although she did catch a glimpse of him texting to Totsuka. But, it is impossible for one of his classmates to turn him into a "normie". Only one thing, or rather, one girl could make him perform such mastery on the texting of cellphones.
"It's gotta be Minami-chan." The little sister mumbled.
"Who?" Her father asked as he heard what his daughter just whispered.
"She's... Onii-chan's classmate." She answered.
"Oh? So he finally got a girl, huh?" The mother asked, impressed by her son's growth.
"Oh no no, they're just friends but when I first saw her, she was in our house with Onii-chan playing with Kamakura. It was so romantic!" Komachi said while holding her cheeks.
"Just the two of them?! Alone?!" the father shouted angrily as he scratched the counter with his nails.
"Uh, Y-yeah dad."
"Calm down, honey! Maybe he's not texting her and just playing a mobile game." The mother speculated.
"Wait, you guys didn't look at his phone nor ask him?" The daughter asked in confusion. "And dad, is it just me or are your eyes all red?"
"We did ask him but Hachiman just ignored us. We tried looking at his phone but he pushed me away and poked your father's eyes." The mother explained with a sigh.
"I never thought he would resort to violence, especially towards his own family," The father said in an angry tone. "Whoever is this Minami girl, she's no good!"
"What do you know? We haven't met her yet." His wife retorted.
"From the looks of it, that girl is distracting Hachiman from doing important things like studying or exercising." He speculated.
"Ah, Onii-chan has been waking up very early because he said that Minami-chan kept waking him up by texting messages." Komachi rebutted.
"Gghh!" And her father didn't like that.
"Wait, for how long have they been texting to each other?" her mother asked.
"I think it was four days ago? Or was it five?" Komachi held her chin as she contemplated if she was right but shook her head letting go of that for now. "Anyways, the fact is that Onii-chan was able to text like a normie in such a short time span."
"You make it sound like it's a big deal." her mother said.
"I don't want to hear that from you who suggested taking cover behind the kitchen counter." The father said in a deadpanned tone.
"It IS a big deal," Komachi retorted. "He never texted anyone besides us, right? And he only sends short replies to us, right? And yet he's texting to someone like he was having fun! Plus, look at his thumbs. That speed and precision when he typed a specific key is nothing compared to average leveled beings like us."
"When you put it that way..." The father seemed to be convinced by his daughter's explanation while his wife just stared blankly between them and Hachiman.
"But this is a problem," Komachi changed her expression into worry. "From what you told me earlier and that level of texting, he can't control his power."
"Is this a shonen manga or something?" The mother asked in a deadpanned tone.
"Then what should we do?" Her husband asked in a serious tone.
"We need to get his attention away from his cellphone even if only a second and he will recover from the backlash of his power. If we fail, then he won't be able to look up and see the real world ever again!" Komachi said exaggeratingly and her father agreed rather quickly. The mission to stop Hachiman's cellphone addiction has begun with the mother approaching her son.
"Hachiman," She called out to him only to be ignored, but she continued. "Can you help me cook your favorite curry?"
"No." He denied without hesitation which surprised her. Hachiman has not once denied his mother's request in doing household chores but now, for the first time, he defied her. She was about to lash out on him but her husband and daughter stopped him.
"No, Mom! If you lash out, you'll make it worse!"
And so the mother of the Hikigaya Household's plan failed. NEXT.
"Hey Hachiman," It was his father's turn to approach while holding a book. "I got a new book you might be interested in-"
Hachiman suddenly grabbed the book from his hand and threw it at his face, and his father fell down. Hachiman's father thought his son would like to read a new book since they both had interests in literature, however different their preferences are. And yet, Hachiman denied him by throwing a book at his face.
"F-fucking!.." He shouted in pain. "You stupid son!"
"Easy easy!" His wife stopped him from hurting Hachiman and thus, the father of the Hikigaya Household's plan failed. NEXT
"ONII-CHAN~!" It's Komachi's turn to approach. The parents and herself are very sure that Hachiman won't ignore his adorable, cute little sister. After all, he cares for his little sister a lot to the point that he might be mistaken to be a siscon. He is very protective of his sister as he disapproves of her friendship with boys, namely Kawasaki's little brother, Taishi.
"What?" The older brother asked.
"My back hurts from all the work at the student council... please help me, onii-chan."
"You're on your own." To their surprise, he denied her request. Her, Komachi, his little sister that he loves so much, denied her and without hesitation too. His family paled with their jaws dropped.
"B-but I need your help, Onii-chan! You're the only one who can heal your cute imouto!"
"Have mom or dad do it." Denied once again. Their jaws dropped even deeper that the floor cracked and somehow their skins looked even paler. The mother is truly convinced that this is a serious situation that could cause her son's health and overall lifestyle. Although his lifestyle already involved studying, staying indoors, sleeping, and playing his PS Vita, she finally realized that this could be worse than that. Komachi gave up on the "operation" and just tried to have a look at his screen because she is curious what Minami do to make him glued into it. Sadly, the older brother pushed her away while covering her eyes with his right hand while texting with the other hand. The little sister persisted until she froze when she saw her brother between the gaps of his fingers.
"Left-handed?! But Onii-chan is right-handed! To think he ascended that high so quickly-" Her thoughts are interrupted by Hachiman's words that left the entire room silent.
"Komachi, stop annoying me or else I will hate you." He said it so nonchalantly while still texting that he could be serious. The possibility of Hachiman, the overprotective brother, would say something beyond him left the little sister frozen in ice until she recovered with an angry expression.
"Fine! If that's what you want then... THEN YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF! IDIOT, NINCOMPOOP! HACHIMAN!" She turned her back on him and slowly walk back to her mother and father who were both shocked from her vulgar words until they noticed the closer she approached them, her tears are becoming more visible. She then ran towards them and her father expected her to hug him so he raised his arms forward. However, his daughter went for his wife instead, leaving him disappointed and depressed.
"What are we gonna do?" Komachi asked between sobs. "At this rate, Onii-chan won't look at me anymore. UWAAAAH~!"
"Shhh... there there" "Let's just wait for tomorrow and he might go back to normal by then, okay? He might be going through a phase right now." Her mother comforted Komachi and she nodded while still crying.
"I'm kinda surprised that you care so much about our son you're actually worried about his relationship, Rokudo." The mother said to her husband name "Rokudo".
"What the hell are you talking about?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm just doing this because Komachi will be sad if her beloved big brother ignored her, but this is even worse than I imagined."
"Tch, you and your daughter complex."
"Shut up, Nanako. I will do anything for my daughter to be happy, even if I have to allow that stupid son of mine to be close to her. I love her the most after all."
"Gross..." Komachi mumbled, but it reached her father's ears and felt depressed even more. Meanwhile, a thought crossed the loner's mind as he was texting Minami.
"Since when did my name became an insult word."
2 days later, the day of the school trip.
Two days have finally passed and now all second-year students of Sobu High School are excited to go to Kyoto. While some were going for educational purposes, most of the students are more than excited to have fun, ignite the youth within them, and make some romance. One particular blonde girl was also excited for those things to happen in the Kyoto trip however something bothered her when one of her friends was planning something that could destroy the status quo and the state of her clique. Even though she isn't the smartest person, she can be pretty observant of other people when she needs to be.
"Yumi...miko...Oi, Yumiko!" A female voice called out to her, escaped from her thoughts in the process. Miura Yumiko is currently at the front seat of a police car next to a woman with long, brown hair and has the same olive-green eyes as her. The woman is the driver of the said police car and she is taking Yumiko to the train station.
"Sorry, could you say that again, mom?" Yumiko asked while scratching her cheek.
"Geez, are you sure you alright?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah, just thinking about some things..."
"Some things, huh? Like planning to confess to someone?"
"N-no! I don't have someone in my mind..."
"Heh! Quit lying, I know that you have a crush on someone. I heard you outside of the bedroom door about how cool this guy was. What was his name? Haya...Haya..."
"You were snooping?!" Yumiko scowled while her mother laughed. After arguing for a few minutes, her mother drove the car into a corner and slowed down as she noticed something in front of the road. There is a taxi parked near the sidewalk and the taxi driver crouched down to look at a tire of the vehicle. Standing right next to him is a familiar boy with black hair, wearing the winter Sobu High uniform and has that signature strand of hair on top of his head.
"That kid..." She mumbled which was heard by her daughter as Yumiko checked what her mother was looking at and see a familiar creep she all know too well.
"Hikio?"
"Looks like one of the tires flattened." The taxi driver explained to Hikigaya while scratching his head. "Sorry kid, you need to find another ride."
"Are you serious?" He asked.
"Yup, there is a bus station not far from here. If you move quick enough, you might make it in time."
"Hey there!" A policewoman called out to them from the police car window. "You need help?"
"It's you again." Hachiman said with eyes widened.
"Yeah, it's me again. We've been bumping into each other lately, huh?"
"I'm afraid so..."
"Do you need a ride? I'm also taking my daughter to the train station for her school trip." She said as she pointed her thumb at Yumiko which surprised the loner. the blonde girl just stared back and forth between him and her mother as she was shocked that the two knew each other.
"Uhh...It's okay. I'll take the bus from here-" He tried to refuse the police woman's offer until she interrupted.
"If you're worried about looking like you're being arrested, then suck it up! Get in the car or I'll force you to." The policewoman said in an annoyed tone and Hikigaya complied as he figured that she won't back down until he accepted the offer. After taking his luggage and putting it right next to a pink luggage inside the trunk of the police car, Hikigaya gave the taxi driver money as payment but the driver refused until the policewoman intervened and forced him to take the money. Now there are three people inside the moving police car: Miura Yumiko, the Fire Queen of Sobu High School; her mother, a policewoman; and Hikigaya Hachiman, the Most Hated Man of Sobu High School, self-proclaimed King of Loners, and the anonymous hero known as "Isato".
"This is so awkward..." And right now, Hikigaya felt uneasy by the silence. It's been a few minutes now, and none of the females spoke. The policewoman is driving, looking forward towards the road while the Fire Queen shifted between checking her cellphone and looking at the rear-view mirror to look at the loner. The uneasiness soon disappeared as he felt a vibration from his pocket. He took out his cellphone to see that Sagami is calling him.
"Hello?"
"Hikigaya? Where are you?"
"I'm on my way. How are things going there."
"I'm with Sai-chan and Saki-chan right now. We are all gathered inside the station checking attendance."
"If a teacher called out my name, say that I'm on my way."
"Alright. Oh! While we're at it, let's talk about the places to go on the second day."
"Sure, want to go to that sushi restaurant you were talking about back then? What's it called?"
"You mean Chojiro? Sure, just the two of us?"
"Why? What about Totsuka and Kawasaki?"
"Well, if that's what you want but I'm just saying I want to...uh be alone with you for a while. Is that bad?"
"I...guess not?" The conversation turned a little awkward until Hikigaya changed the subject and were just discussing mundane things such as the classes he had missed for the past few days and how much he was struggling, especially in math. Unknown to our protagonist, the mother and daughter were listening to his conversation with the policewoman looking at him from the rear-view mirror while the Fire Queen turned around and both saw his happy expression. What surprised the blonde girl is that his eyes didn't look like a dead fish. They looked normal.
"He's pretty handsome, isn't he?" Her mother whispered that the loner couldn't hear.
"Gross! Mom!" She whispered back with a look of disgust.
"But he is. His eyes can turn rotten and then go back to normal. It's like he's a guy who can please any girl's preferences."
"Is there really one normal person who wanted a boy with dead-fish eyes?"
"Everyone is different, Yumiko."
"Whatever, so how do you know Hikio?"
"Is that his name? He got into an accident and I'm the one who took him to a hospital. After that, we sort of bump into each other quite often and now here we are."
"Is that so?"
"Okay, see you there." They heard Hikigaya saying goodbye indicating that the call ended, so they went back into the silent, awkward atmosphere until her mother spoke.
"So, how was your left arm?"
"Oh, it's doing good. As long as I don't move it recklessly, It'll heal back before you know it." He answered while clutching his left forearm.
"That's a relief. Anyway, were you talking to your girlfriend?" The policewoman asked with a smirk on her face.
"She's not my girlfriend." He answered indifferently.
"Oh, it IS a girl, hehe."
"But she's not my girlfriend." The loner and the policewoman had a lengthy conversation while Yumiko just stared at her window until they reached the train station. The two students of Sobu High went out of the police car and grabbed their luggage from the trunk. Before Hikigaya went inside the station, The policewoman called to him.
"Hey, Hikio!"
"My name is Hikigaya, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Oh...nah Hikio sounds better."
"Ugh, what do you want?"
"I'm saying this once," She suddenly whispered so Hikigaya leaned closer to the car window. "What you did back there when you helped those people. It caused you to get someone's attention. Someone you wished you never did."
"Who are you talking about?" He asked, a little nervous by her serious tone.
"You'll know him once you meet him. Don't worry, he works with us in the police department. But..."
"But?"
"... You have my condolences."
Finally! It's time for the Kyoto arc! And this chapter is longer than I thought. But don't expect another chapter as long as this. I can't promise you all on consistencies. Also, I'm going to write a new chapter of this before I go back to "A Certain Scientific Loner" which I want you to please read that and leave a review. So yeah, get ready for chapter 5!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Please leave a review as your opinions will help me make this story better.