I'm back! Sorry it took so long to write this. Long story short, lots of things happened to me, then I got tired, and then I hit a writer's block. I lost my sense of direction on how to move this story forward but now I'm fully recovered and ready to write some more! I used Discord for the first time and joined a server that helped me in this story. It was a small help but chatting to someone and asking for help does pulled out a lot of my weight on my shoulders. Here's the link if you guys want to chat with me or want help. Although sometimes I won't be online to chat either because I was on another server or doing something: discord.com/invite/XeSbTk
By the way, do you like the cover image? I hired someone to draw since I suck at drawing. He's adamdies from Fiverr. Price is fair depending on how you look at it, and his drawing skills are great. Thank you adamdies!
Well anyways. Review time!
Kevin Grundvig: lol glad that I was on time. Thank you for enjoying this fic
MsDeus: Yes, that is a realistic outcome. I'll try my best on this chapter.
bosdicha: Hayama is very smart and I feel like a lot of fanfic authors forgot about that. I'm going to try adding more Hayama scenes because I felt that it's appropriate.
ChientzNimea2Wind: Wait no more! It's finally here. Sorry to took so long.
: I like Miura more after playing the VN. I'm very sorry that it took so long. I'll try to write this faster.
iron-slayer-dragon: Well damn, I hope I don't disappoint you for this. I'll try my best!
Afnan-kun: You too as well. Stay safe and be healthy
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Oregairu series as it is respectfully owned by the author and studios.
The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is one of Kyoto's top sights and for good reason: standing amid the soaring stalks of bamboo is like being in another world. Located in the village of Sagano on the west side of the city, the path through the Arashiyama bamboo grove is short yet immersive. There's something almost magical about the light dappling on the forest floor and the beauty of the bamboo trees standing tall on the sides of the narrow path. Just walking on the path is enough to see what made this place as one of the best tourist attractions in all of Japan.
And this could also be a perfect place for a romantic moment such as a love confession.
That's how the three current members reached the conclusion. The bamboo grove is their chosen ideal location for an event that will finish the request made by Tobe. They decided to do it at nighttime when they noticed the lanterns lying on the ground and there won't be any people passing by so no one will interfere. All the lanterns were lit as they illuminate the floor of the grove. The little light emanating low on the ground mixed with the darkness high above the bamboo trees created a different alluring picture of the grove in nighttime from daytime. Tobe is standing on the path of the bamboo grove near the exit while Hayama, his friends, and the two Service Club members are hiding behind the exit. They can see how Tobe is nervous judging by how he is fidgeting and his legs shaking.
Ooka and Yamato whispered words of encouragement to him while Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are looking at him with focus, ready to see the event through whether it'll end in success or failure. The two girls promised Isshiki to tell her the results when they get back in school. Meanwhile, Hayama is contemplating on Hikigaya's words earlier.
"It was all just luck that I got close to her."
For Hayama, that's not true. Knowing Hikigaya as the hero, "Isato", saving Sagami took more than just luck. The former loner encountered a situation that would endanger his life. A world that is outside of his ideals. Yet he chose to save the girl and then did more heroic deeds. The blonde prince wondered what made Hikigaya do all of that. What is his driving force to stop crime? Was it Sagami's crying face that drove him to heroism or was it his usual pessimistic ideals? The latter seemed more unlikely to him.
"Maybe..." Hayama said in his mind. "Did he became like that to prove something? Probably, or maybe it was like an instinct for him to jump into those dangerous incidents. Whatever the case may be, Hikigaya-kun... is in a different world from any normal teenagers like us. It's my turn to do the-"
"She's here!" Ooka whispered excitedly as they all saw Ebina walking towards Tobe in a distance. The boy in mention froze before taking a deep breath to calm himself. He chose this and he will see this through. If she accepts his confession, then happy ending for everyone but if she rejects, that won't stop him. Tobe's feelings for Ebina are serious and he wants to cherish that feeling. He knew that things will change after this whatever the outcome may be, but he felt that if he didn't pursue this moment, he would lose an opportunity that matters to him. Tobe couldn't put it in words, but this is what he wanted in order to see a direction to a new stage for him.
After a few more steps, Ebina is now a few feet close to Tobe. She wears a smile only to hide her internal conflict.
"Uh... I..." Tobe stuttered, having difficulty saying one word.
All it takes for her is to give one answer to end the status quo.
"Ebina-san... I"
The status quo that she cherished. For others, it's not something to take seriously but this clique that she's part of, the social circle that she was accepted is the very first clique that gives her the enjoyment of school life she envisioned. Blending into the atmosphere is the most important lesson Ebina learned in middle school. To become the same people as the others is the only way to socially interact while adding a unique quirk to have individuality among the group. However, it came at the expense of forming genuine trust with her "friends".
"I-I like you Ebina-san! Please go out with me!"
And this moment confuses her the most. Why would any boy be interested in a fujoshi like her? Why is this boy in front of her confessed his feelings to her? These two questions kept repeating inside her mind but the answers will not appear unless she asks the boy in mention. Her hobby as a fujoshi is real but she always expresses it to an extreme extent for the purpose of scaring boys away. Being in a relationship would mean opening up to that partner.
That is what terrified the glasses-wearing fujoshi. She fears that if the partner or anyone else learned the deeper side of her, they would treat her differently. It is a simple rule in society that any element that is different from the social norms will be feared and isolated. There is no need for a class lecture on that when they experienced it a long time just by living among the community and having social interactions. And so humans hid those elements by wearing a facade for the sake of blending into social groups. Ebina is also wearing a facade, one that avoids all elements that would break the status quo, and yet here she is, facing one of the situations she wished it never happened.
Tobe bowed after he confessed, he stayed in that posture to wait for Ebina to speak at least a single word. For him, each second passed is like an hour and his anxiety began to return. Rejection or acceptance, he will accept either way although he favors the former more.
"Tobe," Ebina finally spoke and he straightened his back to face her. "Before I answer your confession there is one thing I want to ask: What do you like about me?"
"Eh?" The orange-haired boy is confused by her question.
"I said what do you like about me? What is it about me that made you have feelings towards me?"
"Oh... uh, i-it's," He stuttered as he tried to think of the right words to explain his reason while anxiety within him grows. "U-uh why do I like her? Let's see... she's cute and uh... bright and breezy? Yeah! That's it! And uh...really nice and-"
His thoughts stopped as he looked at Ebina's expression. There is nothing strange nor anything different. It's only her usual smile and it doesn't bring any important message or signs. However, He understood the meaning of that smile. It might be the last smile he will see as a friend.
"I'm not that smart but... I know that things are gonna be different from here on out. And it's all because of me. I wanted this because I'm serious about it. Which is why..." Tobe took a deep breath and looked at Ebina with a warm smile. The girl's eyes widened in surprise by his expression.
"There's a lotta things I like about you, Ebina-san." He said with a calm voice. "You're cute, really nice and a lotta get up and go, especially when you talk about your hobbies. But what I like the most... is how honest you are."
"Eh?" Ebina gasped by that.
"Uh... It's like... You're not scared of shouting out what you like. Always getting all hearty with BL stuff and not thinking twice about it."
"Honest?" Ebina contemplated his words. "Me? Honest? You don't know the real me. I'm not honest... I'm..."
"And I think that you're the best girl for me because of that. Y-Y'know, I'm... the loudest guy out of the bunch, shouting like no tomorrow and acting like a dumbass and being proud of it. I..." He took a deep breath once more and continued with a more serious expression on his face. "I don't have anything going for me, y'know? I suck at studying and I'm totes average in soccer so I thought maybe I can like... shout as totes loud as I can to like, shine or something... So uh, yeah... I thought if I can be the loudest and drive up the wall, I can have my own spotlight or something. One that is meant for me and maybe, if we start going out, we can shout together... or something..."
"... Do you really think I'm honest?" Ebina asked him while maintaining her normal smile. "I may have some secrets, y'know?"
"So what?" Tobe asked with a raised eyebrow. "Everyone has secrets, even me!"
"And I'm not willing to tell them to anyone ever." She lost her smile and wore a serious expression.
"That's fine! It's not like everyone will like, get all open and chummy with other buddies right out of the bat, y'know? So you can keep as many secrets as you want till you good to tell someone."
"And what if you won't see me the same way after learning more about me? Do you think the girl in front of you right now is the real one?"
"I don't know!" He said excitedly while grinning. "But that's what's awesome about hanging out with people, right? And besides, no matter what else you don't wanna show to me or anyone, I sure as hell know that this is part of the real you because you're happy!"
Those words hit the mark on Ebina. It may sound like a naive line from a naive person but it carries heart. Tobe Kakeru even explained his reason for his normal behavior in school and his reason is unexpected to both her and everyone else listening to their conversation. The glasses-wearing girl expected his reason for having a "crush" on her is because of her looks and how appealing her personality is. Instead, she is met with a serious and deep expression from someone like Tobe. After hearing his feelings, she realized it's not a crush or just showing interest to the opposite gender, it's love.
Tobe Kakeru is in love with Ebina Hina.
It's not a fragile feeling as she expected it to be, for it is a feeling of love that was developed from his weaknesses that he acknowledged. What made him fall in love is not her looks or quirky behavior as a fujoshi , it is her individuality. It was for a mere second but Ebina felt something within her heart when she fully assessed that and she didn't notice that she blushed lightly. The fujoshi shook her head and pretended to be indifferent from his answer.
"One last question... Why confess to me now?" She asked.
"Well... I thought maybe this is the perfect time and place to do it," He explained while scratching his head. "And I guess watching Hikitani-kun got me going."
"Hikitani-kun?" She said in a confused tone. The girl didn't expect the most hated man in Sobu High to be the reason for his bravery to do this event. She and the entire clique noticed how he express his dislike to the loner for what he did in summer camp and near the end of the festival. The orange-haired boy often makes jokes of Hikigaya's twisted personality and that's his way of showing his hatred. So now Ebina and the others hiding are wondering what did the loner do to motivate Tobe for this moment. And the answer...
"Um... I've been watching Hikitani-kun in the classroom and how he talks to Sagamin and the others." He explained with a smile. "It's like... I don't know how to say it right, uuuhh... It's like he's slowly getting a different aura, you get me? I don't know if it's probably the scars on his hands and face but it's like whenever I saw him talking to Sagamin, his usual creepy weirdo vibe is disappearing. I kinda want to feel that myself, turning into a different person... or something."
"So it's because of Hikigaya-kun, huh? Well, I have my suspicions of that." Hayama said in his thoughts with a content smile. Days before the school trip, Tobe asked him for help in expressing his feelings to Ebina, and at that moment, the Golden Prince already speculated it was because of Hikigaya's and Sagami's current relationship that emanates an aura equal to his clique. Slowly but surely those two, especially Hikigaya, will change things.
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita clenched her fist at the mention of the loner's name. She noticed there is a great change in him two nights ago when they had their first talk in a while. The Ice Queen still doesn't know what those changes are but she suspected to be strong and overwhelming. And his way of getting to that point might be more shocking than what she imagined. Hayama looked at her and noticed the expression.
"You realized it too, Yukinoshita, and now you're in denial. However, once you know what he has been doing, you'll understand how outmatched you are, how far he is from our world."
"Is that so?" Ebina closed her eyes and contemplated about this night. All this happened because of Hikigaya and Sagami and she understood that perfectly. After all, she did come to the brown-haired girl for advice. In reality, Ebina just came to Sagami for distraction. She expected her to just act carefree to her situation as if it's nothing serious and so Ebina was surprised at how serious and positive Sagami's answer was.
"Everything," Ebina thought. "Yui-chan, Yukinoshita-san, Hayato, Yumiko, Sagamin, and then Tobe... We were all just hanging out like normal, doing the usual stuff and he was just alone minding his own business until he joined the Service Club. He's like a mild rain that started pouring down at that moment and when he got kicked out, he turned into a storm. How did he do it? He was just starting to act like the rest of us so what's the difference...? No, it's the fact that a cynical loner like Hikigaya changing into a normal teenager is what makes up the storm. Sagamin, what does it feel like being a different person? Transforming because you're in love...?"
"Will I experience the same thing if I date someone? Probably, but," Ebina looked at Tobe with a warm smile once again. "Not right now..."
"I'm sorry, Tobe. I can't go out with you..." She finally answered his confession with resolve yet there is still a small amount of fear lingering inside her. Tobe's eyes widened from her answer and he felt dejected for a moment until he wore a serious expression.
"C-can I ask why?" He asked.
"You heard me before. I may have some secrets. All this time, I'm not willing to open up to others on a personal level. I'm not ready to be in a relationship with anyone right now."
"I see." He said as he looked down.
"Can I be honest?" Ebina asked him in which made him raised his head to face her. "When I stood at the grove entrance, I thought that after I reject you, we won't be talking to each other the same way, or rather not talk at all."
"Eh?"
"I mean, it would be awkward and impossible to act normally after having a tragedy like this."
"Tragedy?" Ooka wondered with an uneasy expression
"Isn't she exaggerating a little?" Yamato thought with the same feeling.
"But as you said, you do have a habit of shouting and always get your own spotlight, which means I can't ignore you at all no matter how hard I try. So let's still be friends, okay?" Ebina approached Tobe and put a finger on his chest. She then winked at him while wearing a huge grin on her face and went back to where she came. After she was out of sight, everyone present in the grove remained silent as they process the outcome of this confession event. Ooka and Yamato are the first to stand up and approach Tobe in an attempt to encourage him.
"It's alright, Tobe." Ooka spoke first.
"Yeah, there is always next time and probably a better girl out there," Yamato said with his hand on the orange-haired boy's shoulder.
"No," Tobe denied his friend's words. "There is no other girl better than Ebina-san."
"Eh?" Both of them gasped while the rest of the students hiding stood up and approached him. Tobe turned around and all are surprised by his joyful expression as there isn't a hint of disappointment nor sadness. They all wondered why until he answered for them.
"You heard what she said! She and I will 'STILL' be friends. She didn't say that we're gonna stay one so I still got a chance!" He fist-bumped the air and his eyes are now filled with determination. "Plus, it's like she and I got closer, y'know? Like uh... there was a connection between us at that moment so I ain't giving up yet!"
"Pfft! Hahaha!" Ooka laughed in joy to his determination. "Yeah, that's right! But there is one thing that you're wrong."
"What's that?" Tobe asked.
"You are..." Ooka lightly punched his chest and grinned. "more than just a loudmouth dumbass, y'know?"
"That's right, Tobe." Yamato tapped his shoulder. "You're literally the hype man of our class so without you, the vibe will be dull as hell. You could say everyone's happy cuz of you."
"E-eh? No way!" Tobe waved his hand in denial. "You're the guy who puts people at ease, Yamato, so you're much better at like, giving the right vibes, you get me?"
"Nah, Yamato's right. You're the only one who can get the class more lively." Hayama supported his friend's statement. He expected Ooka and Yamato to support the orange-haired friend after being rejected but he didn't see this kind of support. Instead of the usual carefree response, Ooka and Yamato understood the determination Tobe displayed and so, they give him the encouragement to match his commitment. Hayama is content with that and then looked back at the two girls in which Yukinoshita pretended to be calm however he could tell the frustration she is hiding while Yuigahama felt glad that the outcome of the confession isn't as terrible as they anticipated, .
"I'm glad that Tobecchi is still all breezy after that, right Yukinon?" She asked Yukinoshita, not noticing her friend's emotion. The black-haired girl pulled a smile before leaving.
"Yes it is," She said while walking away. "It's getting late, let's head back to the inn."
"Ah, wait for me!" Yuigahama followed her.
"You realized it, don't you?" Hayama began his inner monologue while following Tobe and the others back to the inn. "Hikigaya clearly outmatched you in almost every way. I still couldn't figure out why you're acting this way, Yukinoshita, but you're losing in a one-sided competition. What's worse is that you won't be by his side to see what he can do around him. This may sound terrible but it is a good thing Hikigaya got out of the Service Club. He did found a sort of sanctuary there but it felt like he's being shackled by that idea and so do you. Now that Hikigaya-kun's free and found a light in the tunnel so quickly, he has more options for his future."
"You girls cherished the club just as much as Hikigaya-kun was, but that sanctuary won't last long either before or by the time of graduation. I bet breaking those shackles will be much more painful for you than how Hikigaya broke his. However..."
Hayama looked up at the night sky as he contemplated.
"His journey after being free is..."
"Small-time drug dealers?" Hikigaya asked the tall man in front of him in the alley.
"Yes," The tall man answered. "After I got released from prison, I took it upon myself to beat up a drug dealer Asemu's been seeing."
"Asemu?"
"Oh, he's the blonde guy, remember? He tried to rob a convenience store and you stopped him and his partner."
"Oh, that guy. Uh... how is he?"
"Still in prison but he's behaving the last time I saw him. Not a hint of that insanity. So anyway, after giving the drug dealer a beating, I stole his money, valuables and even force him to open his phone so I could use it or maybe sell it to someone."
"O... kay?" Hikigaya looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"What? Bastard deserved it," The tall man took out a black cellphone. "I took his phone and looked at everything: from his photos to the social DMs and contacts, and I stumbled upon his text messages with someone."
-Text conversation Last Updated, 1 week ago-
[8:00 PM] Shoyo: Why the hell should I go to Kyoto? Can't they just deliver it here?
[8:00 PM] Sugimoto: No. Apparently, they don't have any means of transportation for safe deliveries, at least not yet. They doin the ol' meet and greet, giving you the products directly.
[8:01 PM] Shoyo: Sounds like a pain in the ass. So are there others?
[8:01 PM] Sugimoto: Yeah, I don't know how many though but I heard it was just a few of them.
[8:01 PM] Shoyo: But why Kyoto?
[8:01 PM] Sugimoto: I don't fucking know, as long as we get the cash that's all that matters, right?
-You've reached the bottom-
"So this is some big drug meetup or something?" Hikigaya asked while folding his arms.
"It's possible. that is why I came here," The tall man answered. "Before the meetup, Shoyo and this Sugimoto will meet each other over there at that abandoned school to prepare for something. Shoyo even has the address for a place to stay."
"Why don't you let the police handle this."
"I don't trust them. When I turned myself in and got interrogated, I gave them an accurate description of you: Male, black hair, and wearing a Sobu High School uniform. I only saw your back as you ran away so I didn't see your face."
"So how did you figure out that I was-" Before Hikigaya could finish his question, the tall man pointed something on top of his head. The hero touched his head only to figure out what it was and sighed. He wore a deadpan expression from the answer. "That's just stupid. It would sound reasonable that my voice gave it away"
"What's stupid is that strand of hair and that gave it away the most." He said indifferently as if he's stating the truth and that made a vein popped on Hikigaya's forehead. "Back to the subject, I said anything I could remember about you and the others did give the same description as mine. Yet, the news didn't mention your identity at all, and the police didn't call you for a police lineup nor get called as a witness in the trial. Last but not least. they let me go and that troubles me even more. I'm not that stupid to think it was because they were kind or something."
"Yeah... Literally no officers nor detectives came to interrogate me after that case except one but that officer didn't mention anything of the previous cases I got involved in." Hikigaya said as he understood the tall man's reasoning, especially since he has discovered the existence of the mystery person targeting him. "So you want my help to take care of these drug dealers?"
"It's okay if you don't want to. I can take care of it myself but it would make things easier to have a helping hand."
"One question: Why should I believe everything you said?" Hikigaya asked with a scrutinizing gaze. It is obvious to the man that the hero couldn't just trust the words of a former criminal. The text messages aren't enough to prove his claim nor showing the money he stole. His only option is to let the hero decide whether to accept his help or leave but the tall man hopes that "Isato" won't report this to the police.
"I don't have anything strong enough to prove my claim," The tall man spoke. "it's up to you if you believe everything I said is true or not."
"I see," Hikigaya held his chin to think about all this. "I could refuse but I get the feeling there is something going on here. From the policewoman's warning to this tall guy's sudden appearance, it seemed so far from just a coincidence. What if that mystery person WANTS me to get involved in this? The only fact to prove that claim is him/her removing evidence of my true identity. Add that with Muira's mother saying that guy's working in the police department and I could safely assume that this mystery person is not some corrupt officer. With all that information and speculations..."
"... Fine, I'll help you with this." The hero finally agreed and the tall man couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock from that decision.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, what's your name?"
"Takai, Chujitsuna Takai."
"Alright, let's go to a thrift shop here before meeting that drug dealer," Hikigaya turned around to go back to where he entered the alley. "I don't want them to see me in this uniform and then hunt me down at my school afterward."
"Not gonna tell me your name, huh?" Chujitsuna sighed.
"Just call me Isato for now. It's not my fault for revealing your name so casually."
"And it's not my fault for recognizing you just from that ridiculous strand of hair."
"Shut up." Hikigaya continued to walk without looking at Chujitsuna and the tall man sighed once more before following him out of the alley. There are still people walking in the sidewalks and vehicles moving on the road at night. The two are walking silently with Hikigaya taking the lead and Chujitsuna following behind him in his proximity.
"Hey, how is uh... that girl?" Chujitsuna asked him and the hero froze from the question. Hikigaya turned around to glare at him before sighing.
"She's fine," He answered and continued walking. "That's all I'm gonna tell you."
"I'm fine with that." They finally reached the thrift shop and Hikigaya already picked up the attire for his disguise. It's simple yet it works well enough to hide his appearance. "I'll pay for that."
"With that stolen money?" Hikigaya asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, that's what I also used to get here and bought some helpful equipment."
"Equipment...?"
"A stun gun, taser, rope, bulletproof vests, binoculars, and first aid kit. All in this backpack" Chujitsuna used his thumb to point at the mentioned backpack.
"Where did you get all that?"
"Amazon."
"Ah, the wonders of online shopping. Fuck that! They need to add more rules regarding what they sell online!" Hikigaya thought with a deadpan expression and purchased the attire he chose: A white plain T-shirt, black jacket, and a white face mask. A very simple disguise but he is content with it. True to his word, Chujitsuna paid the purchase and wait for the hero to wear his disguise while putting his Sobu High uniform in the backpack.
"Alright," Hikigaya pulled the curtains to reveal him wearing the disguise. "What's the plan?"
"We use the binoculars to find Sugimoto before going inside or getting too close to the abandoned school." Chujitsuna suggested while walking out of the store.
"So you're also wondering why they would pick a place like that as the meeting place," Hikigaya said as he walks with him side-by-side.
"Yes, I wanted to concluded that their reason is to find a private place to discuss criminal matters but I'm more open to other possibilities."
"It's either they're hiding something in that abandoned school or..."
"They have other companions joining them." The two vigilantes went back into the same alley and Chujitsuna took out the binoculars in his backpack.
"Can I have it?" Hikigaya said while reaching a hand out to him.
"Depends," The tall teenager gave him a questioning gaze. "How good are your eyes."
"Good enough," The hero took the binoculars and observed the abandoned school. His observation skill was always used to read a person's intent and between the lines but Hikigaya is very confident in using it for other means. From up and down, to left and right, he scanned the entire front of the school and he saw nothing unusual, at least from the outside. He couldn't see the inside because of the darkness no matter how much he zoomed the binoculars. "Hey Chujitsuna, do their chat said anything about which room or specific spot they'll meet?"
"No," He answered as he skimmed through the text messages. "Sugimoto only texted that their location is in this school."
"In that case, you text him to meet at the entrance. Make it as less suspicious as possible," Hikigaya suggested. "I don't see anything unusual, at least from this angle, but we can safely assume that he's alone."
"Got it." Chujitsuna complied with his request and sent the drug dealer a text message. He made sure it fits someone like Shoyo's personality to avoid suspicion. The tall former criminal waited for a reply while Hikigaya observed the school entrance with his binoculars. After a few seconds, the drug dealer replied.
"He took the bait." Chujitsuna said while looking at the entrance and see a man coming out of the shoe locker room. He has black hair, brown eyes, and wearing a denim jacket over a white T-shirt, a brown scarf wrapped around his neck, and black pants.
"Is that him?"
"Yeah, that's him." He confirmed as Hikigaya looked at the school once again with the binoculars. It was for a moment but the hero sworn he saw a human figure in one of the second-floor windows and then vanished. He checked the other windows and back to the entrance and he saw a shadowy figure hiding behind the shoe lockers.
"Looks like he's not alone and he's cautious."
"How many?"
"Not sure. I only saw two of them." The hero contemplated what the next move should be. "Chujitsuna, give me the phone."
"What?"
"Give me that phone. Also, do you have your own cellphone?"
"Yeah,"
The man known as Sugimoto came out of the abandoned school while holding his phone. He felt irritated by the text message sent by his friend.
"Tch, Dumbass never change." He mumbled as he waits for his friend out in the front entrance. As long as the plan went smoothly, everything is fine for him. He knew that Shoyo is short-tempered but very cautious at doing his drug dealings and other plans. He is even cautious to his own comrades which is understandable as the criminal underworld is full of backstabbers, tricksters, and hunger for wealth and desires. Sugimoto heard footsteps and saw a hooded man waving a phone he recognized as if it's a form of greeting with his other hand inside the pocket of his jacket. Sugimoto noticed the white face mask and that made him raised an eyebrow.
"As cautious as ever." He sighed and approached the hooded man he thought it was Shoyo. He suddenly felt something off about him but he couldn't figure out because he was too late. They're now face-to-face and "Shoyo" grabbed Sugimoto's head to close the distance further while he pierced his stomach with a small object.
"Scream and I'll gouge your eye out and make sure you'll never move again." The man whispered as he glared at the drug dealer. Sugimoto felt terrified by his glare and his left eye is covered by a thumb.
"W-who the hell are you?" Sugimoto asked.
"Someone who'll gouge your eye out if you don't answer my questions honestly," The mysterious hooded man said in a menacing tone while intensifying his glare. The drug dealer could only nod and his body froze, unable to even lift a finger from fear. "First, how many are you here?"
"I-I only brought five people."
"Are there others?"
"N-no..."
"Do you or any of your pals have weapons?"
"I'm the o-only one with a g-gun."
"Alright then, call them out here and we'll talk some business" Hikigaya convinced him to call the companions out and saw five of them at the shoe locker room just as the drug dealer said. None of them appeared too difficult to handle as he concluded they are all average in build and possibly physical prowess. There is even one who looked nervous and possibly a high school student like him. They all didn't suspect anything strange since he pulled Sugimoto close to him at an angle where they wouldn't see the stun gun nor the drug dealer's terrified expression. As soon as everyone went outside and approached them, Chujitsuna came out of the alley and quickly walked towards the entrance. One of them felt suspicious of this situation and the moment he realized something wrong, Hikigaya acted before it's too late. The hero kneed Sugimoto between the legs and then shot the stun gun to the person on the left, the one who realized the danger.
"W-what the." The others are surprised and so were distracted for a second which is what Chujitsuna needed to take them all down. The tall hooded man grabbed two heads and slammed them to the ground, instantly knocking them unconscious. There is one person who tried to go back inside the abandoned school to hide but Hikigaya was faster as he tackled him from behind and punched him at the back of his head and slammed it to the ground. Sugimoto tried to stand up and resist the pain in his groin but it was too late as Chujitsuna grabbed the back of his neck and lifted him up. The drug dealer's last remaining companion stood speechless at this event and couldn't do anything.
"Oi," Hikigaya called out to the terrified individual. He has black crew-cut hair and is only wearing a white hooded sweater and brown pants.
"Y-yes?!"
"Are you a high school student?" The hero asked him and he hesitated to answer. The boy tried to be silent and pretend to be traumatized but the hooded man's glare destroyed all thoughts.
"Y-yes..."
"Why are you taking part in all this?"
"I... I'm just here because my friends are..." He said as he looked at the two unconscious.
"So peer pressure?" Hikigaya guessed and the boy fidgeted. "First time doing this?"
"Y-yes."
"Have you done any crime before this?"
"No..."
"Then a piece of advice, don't ever join this stupid gig ever again. Got it?"
"Yes..."
"So how did it go?" The blonde Fire Queen asked the glasses-wearing fujoshi in the hallway near a vending machine. What Ebina didn't expect to be joining Miura is Sagami who is busy texting on her phone until the blonde girl asked the question. The brown-haired girl noticed Ebina's expression and responded with a smile.
"I asked Miura about it and got curious so I waited," Sagami spoke. "So how did it go?"
"It didn't go as bad as I thought thanks to you." Ebina answered with a bright smile.
"It's nothing really," Sagami scratched her head in embarrassment. "So tell me the details!"
"No way!" Ebina said while laughing. "it's way too embarrassing!"
"But you're telling the truth right?" Miura asked with a worried expression.
"Yeah, don't be so worried, Yumiko!" The glasses-wearing fujoshi reassured her friend. "And there you have it, Sagamin. You can go back to your boyfriend now!"
"C-can you not? I might bother Hachiman if I..." Sagami twiddled her fingers in embarrassment.
"Oh! So you're finally on first-name-basis!" Ebina teased while the Fire Queen sighed at their antics. The brown-haired girl couldn't say anything as she became a stuttering mess while Ebina continued to tease her relationship with Hikigaya.
"Alright, that's enough Ebina," Miura grabbed her friend's arm. "Besides, the teachers announced that Hikigaya went home ahead of us."
"Eh? Why?" Ebina asked in a confused expression.
"They said he's not feeling well or something." Sagami answered.
"Probably because you tired him out during your date." Miura mocked her while looking away. Sagami felt embarrassed at that. She believed that their date went well although she did felt she was acting to wild for him to keep up. "Come on, let's get back to our room since it's getting late."
"Okay! See ya tomorrow, Sagamin!" Ebina went in the opposite direction since they sleep in different rooms.
"See ya!" Sagami and Miura walk side-by-side to their room. The Fire Queen looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze as she wondered what the brown-haired girl knew about Hikigaya that made her fall in love with someone like him. Although, it was sort of obvious for Miura of what the reason could be. However, she couldn't help but think there is more than that.
"Hey, Sagamin."
"Hm?"
"What do you like about that guy?"
"Who, Hachiman?" Sagami held her chin in thought. "Where do I start, hmmm~. Well, he is smart and kind, and a bit sarcastic which annoys the hell outta me but to me, that's one of his charms."
"Uhuh." Miura nodded as she listened to Sagami's stories of her time with the former loner. The blonde girl was surprised by how different Hikigaya is according to the brown-haired girl's description. Although, it seems that Sagami is on her own world as she kept talking about mundane things she did with him and even the least important details that Miura didn't ask for. One thing that shocked her though, is that Sagami went to his house once.
"Eh? You went to his house?!"
"Well yeah. What's the problem with that?" Sagami asked with a genuine confused expression. The brown-haired girl was too absorbed in her moments with her crush that she forgot that they're not really dating.
"N-no..." Miura coughed to regain composure. She heard from Yuigahama that the bubbly airhead also went to his home once "Well, there is one thing I wanna ask you."
"Ask away!"
"What's up with his scars?"
"Hm?" Both stopped walking and just stared at each other with Sagami looked shocked and afraid while Miura is indifferent and curious at the same time. "I don't know."
"You don't know? Really?"
"Well some of them on his hands were just cooking accidents. The rest, I don't know. Probably his cat scratching his face or something?"
"What if he is a delinquent just like the rumors said?"
"I doubt he is."
"You sure?"
"Absolutely. You know what they say, never judge a book by it's cover."
"Hmmm...?" Miura remained suspicious of that while Sagami tries her best to hide her fear.
"W-what made you curious all of a sudden?" Sagami stuttered. "Don't tell me you got the hots for him?!"
"H-HAH?! DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!" Miura suddenly shouted with a blush on her face which surprised Sagami as this is not the reaction she was expecting. "AS IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT CREEP!"
"Then why are you stuttering." The brown-haired girl asked with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Why were YOU stuttering."
"I don't know what you're talking about~." Sagami made her voice sound in a teasing tone but her face is expressionless as if finding out she has a love rival killed her soul and something was born within the brown-haired girl. The Fire Queen is terrified that not even her fiery gaze could match up against the maiden's wrath and so Miura changed the subject to save herself.
"W-Whatever! Anyway, I don't have the hots for that guy. That's gross! I'm just worried about you that's all."
"Eh?" Sagami's terrifying expression instantly disappeared.
"I mean, yeah you were kinda annoying and all but, after asking me to help with the announcing in the athletic festival, how serious you were working at that time and seeing you having fun with him and the others, you're a nice girl, y'know? and uh... I can't help but worry about you..."
"... Hey, Miura."
"Yeah?"
"Can we be friends?" Sagami asked with a warm smile. Miura was silent, contemplating on her request
"...Sure..." The Fire Queen accepted while twirling her blonde hair in embarrassment and Sagami is grinning in joy. However, Miura is still thinking about Hikigaya's hidden circumstances and how it would affect everyone around him. One question in her mind is how did he recognize the tall criminal, surely he discovered it in online news articles but she wants to think otherwise. After thinking about almost every possibility, she suddenly remembered an article of "Isato"'s first appearance, where the failed rape attempt took place.
"Don't know if I remembered right but, it said that there was a bike that was messed up in the crime scene. And then the next day, Hikio wore bandages on his hand and I swear he was walking to school rather than riding with his bike." Miura stopped her thought process as they reached the room. "Nah, there's no way that he's... or maybe..."
"Eh? Hikitani-kun already went home?" Tobe asked his roommates while taking off his uniform.
"Yeah, the teacher said he wasn't feeling well and called an ambulance. And then his parents called and asked them to take him back home." The roommate explained while playing cards with the others. "I don't know what happened but that's what he told us."
"Damn, you don't think his date tired him to death?" Ooka teased with a grin.
"Oi, Ooka. This could be serious." Hayama lightly scolded him.
"Sorry, sorry." He apologized while scratching his head.
"So where did you guys go at this time?" Another roommate asked while putting down one card in the floor.
"It's a secret," Hayama answered.
"Yeah!" Tobe shouted while wearing a white T-shirt and the Sobu High jogging pants. "This is a secret between men!"
"Hah? You sayin' we aren't men?"
"Ya got that right! So go back to playing cards, you brats! HAHAHA!" Tobe mocked them and laughed which led to a silly pillow fight between him and all of the roommates. Tobe grabbed a pillow and threw it at the guy farthest behind the group. One roommate grabbed a pillow and threw at Tobe aiming at his face but he caught it and threw it back. Tobe got hit in the head by two roommates with pillows but he stood his ground and hit back hard. "Bring it on kids! Wahahaha!"
"He's pissing me off!" Suddenly all the roommates had the same thought including Yamato and Ooka as they joined the pillow fight. Meanwhile, Hayama approached Totsuka who is currently playing a different card game with Zaimokusa.
"Hey, Totsuka. Did Hikitani-kun really looked sick?" Hayama asked.
"I don't know. He looked tired after his date but I don't know after you two went out together." Totsuka answered.
"What? He didn't come back?"
"I thought he was with you and the others for Tobe's confession so I was about to ask where he is, but if he's not with you guys..."
"Hmmmm..." Zaimokusa held his chin while pressing his finger on the bridge of his glasses. "It could be that a mysterious force has intervened on his journey of peace and attempts to lead him back to the path of war."
"Uhm... What does that mean, Zaimokusa-kun?" Totsuka asked, confused at his usual behavior.
"What I am conveying is that as the god of war Hachiman, The divine beings disliked his peaceful nature grow so they are plotting to lead him back to where he is supposed to walk! The path of destruction!"
"Z-Zaimokusa-kun! S-Stop saying things like that! And isn't the war god Hachiman a good guy?"
"Lies and deceit that were written by tricksters of the demon realm. In truth-" While the two of them are arguing over the legend of the Japanese war god, Hayama contemplated on Hikigaya's circumstances as he felt that there is something off.
"Hikigaya-kun didn't look sick the last time we talked... Strange."
Somewhere in Kyoto, there is an abandoned cafe still standing on the empty street. The business was successful on an average level as many people used to visit here to relax and drink coffee. However, the owner left the establishment due to family reasons and so the cafe hasn't been open for a year until it was regarded as an abandoned business. What was once a small, normal, and comfortable restaurant is now an empty building filled with dust and old walls. The windows are covered by wooden planks nailed from the inside and the entrance door has small cracks. No one would come to this place unless it is a sketchy scheme.
"GAAAHHHH!"
And there is one right now, only to be thwarted by interlopers. There are ten guys inside the cafe, half of them are unconscious on the floor with some were as if they were thrown into a table. In the middle of the room was a table with a pile of plastic bags filled with mysterious white powder and two people stood next to it while the five remaining guys stared at them in anger and fear. The first man is very tall and wearing a black hoodie which covered his head over, a pair of jeans, and a black face mask while his partner has an average height, also wearing a black hoodie that covered his head over, and a white face mask.
"What the hell is this?! Did they sold us out?!" One of the five men asked.
"Fuck that! Let's beat their asses and get ou-!" The other suggested but he was immediately punched in the face by the intruder wearing the white facemask. The intruder finished with a punch on the gut and a right uppercut on the chin. Before the others could react, the tall man already grabbed two of their heads and slammed into each other and then to the ground. The last two prostrated themselves to surrender, hoping the intruders will leave without hurting them.
"W-we're sorry!"
"We'll turn ourselves in!"
"Is that so?" The tall man spoke with a deep voice. "You morons shouldn't have done this in the first place."
"So don't take this personally, guys." The other said while cracking his fists. "You all brought this on yourselves. But first, we want you to answer some questions."
"KYAAAAAHHHH!" The two remaining men shrieked like women and might've been traumatized by this event before getting knocked out. After that, the two men wearing face masks pulled out a rope in their bags and tied all of them up to prevent them from escaping when awake. They left the cafe and the tall man did a phone call,
"Hello, police?" He said on the phone with his voice deeper than what he normally sounds like. Meanwhile, his partner pulled down his face mask to let out a sigh of exhaustion as his face is full of sweat. Under the black hood is the signature dead-fish eyes of a certain hero with his weary expression fully evident.
"Just why is this happening?" Hikigaya sighed once more at his own decision to agree with dealing this situation.
"You're the one who wanted to do this." Chujitsuna retorted.
"I never thought it would take this much."
"You underestimated the criminal world."
"And you're underestimating the security of Kyoto."
"True. Although anyone with a brain can figure out on how to find these drug dealers."
"In which a high percentage do not possess."
"Talk about arrogant." Chujitsuna rolled his eyes at the hero's sarcasm. "So where next?"
"Over here," Hikigaya pointed at a map on his phone. "We have to take the train to get there faster."
"I still have a lot more of that bastard's money so I'll pay."
"...How much did you stole anyway?"
"Hm? About 400,000 yen." The tall partner said it nonchalantly and Hikigaya froze from the amount. Of course, anyone would be surprised by that much money stolen from a drug dealer. It almost made Hikigaya think about doing drug business. Almost. Chujitsuna smirked and repeated his previous statement. "You underestimated the criminal world."
"... Indeed I did. Let's go." They continued forward to the next destination. An hour ago, they extracted information from Sugimoto about his plan on the illegal drug business here in Kyoto and what they discovered is that all drug dealers in Kyoto are gathered for a big drug distribution of a certain product and he and his partner, Shoyo, heard this from a friend here. According to Sugimoto, they already grabbed hold of the drugs and were suppose to be in the process of selling them until Hikigaya and Chujitsuna stopped them. Sugimoto carried a list of the small-time drug dealers in case there is competition in the business.
...
"You just got here and you already went around going about rivalries in drug dealing?" Hikigaya asked Sugimoto who is lifted from the back of his head by Chujitsuna.
"W-Well, that's how business normally goes, right?" The drug dealer stuttered as he nervously laughed. The two vigilantes could only glare at him which silenced Sugimoto from laughing.
"Is there another reason why you picked this school as just a gathering place?"
"No," Sugimoto answered without hesitation nor a single stutter. However, Hikigaya didn't fully believe in his answer and so he closed the distance of their faces as the hero only give him a stare. Hikigaya is not entirely confident of his psychological attacks but he knew more than anyone that his dead-fish eyes and logical criticism towards someone's behavior could serve as his most powerful psychological weapon. However, the terrifying hero noticed his glare could be enough to make the drug dealer falter as Sugimoto's entire figure shook yet still unable to confess the truth. A few intimidating words will be enough to break through his mental defenses.
"Hey," Hikigaya called out to Sugimoto in which he responded with only silence. Hikigaya swung a tazer at the drug dealer's face for more intimidation. "If there is one thing I want to do with a mouth full of lies, it's to try every means to make that mouth more truthful. Right now, I'm feeling of frying someone's tongue till all the lies are burnt."
"O-Okay! I'll talk!" Sugimoto surrendered. "I secretly bought and hid a lot of firearms here in this shitstain in case things got out of control."
"What do you mean?" Chujitsuna asked.
"Exactly what I mean. We didn't do anything stupid, at least not yet. Unlike being braindead in the surface, making a living in the underground has more dangerous shit going so we need to be more cautious. It's either stab someone or get stabbed instead. It's like businesses in a restaurant; if you set an establishment near another restaurant that has basically the same shit as yours have, then it's a competition to rule the territory."
"Where did you hid them. Also, give me that list."
...
"It's got the names but not the exact location," The tall vigilante stared at the list Hikigaya held in his phone. They're now riding the train to the next target. "I'm surprised we find all of them in such a short time. It's either because you're smart or it's just luck."
"What's under the category of luck is the short amount of time we found their secret hiding spots. Guessing all of them is on me." Hikigaya retorted with a smirk and Chujitsuna rolled his eyes in annoyance but he admitted that everything was going well because of the hero's strategy. "There is only the address where they live but not the hiding spots. Sneaking into their homes is a bad idea since there is a high chance they're not there considering nighttime is the perfect place for a drug business."
"Uhuh, what I still don't get is why we searching for alleys and abandoned buildings?"
"It's because those places are the safest possible hiding spots criminals would choose. Do you know the reason why we have such low crime rates?"
"Strong security?"
"That's one of them but the other reason is the social behaviors of our Japanese people. We are all raised and taught to think about others before ourselves and care about what others think of you before we do something stupid. We're disciplined that way to such a high degree that our country is known for the homogenization, little immigration, and modest income inequality. Our cautiousness is what criminals feared so much that I think secretly doing illegal activities in broad daylight and in public establishments such as a hotel or shop are the riskiest moves for them."
"You think?"
"Also, there is a consideration that all of these drug dealers are small. They're not some big organizations, just a small group of idiots, and the names on this list all comprise of one person per group which could mean they're the leaders. If we could retrace their steps from their home to some shady alleys and abandoned buildings, we can find them."
"It's more of a guessing game, huh?"
"Well, we are asking bystanders if they ever see one of these scumbags based on location."
"Still using deduction. Plus it's just the two of us so we're literally lucky to find their hiding spots despite covering so little ground even if we split up."
"Yeah," Hikigaya sighed of exhaustion from their way of searching. They can't call the police for help and it's not like searching in Google will find the drug dealers. "It went from a school trip to a hunting trip. Is this how they hunt for food in historic times?"
"You know," Chujitsuna interrupted the hero's thoughts. "You could've just left and let me do this job on my own."
"Honestly... I don't know anymore..." That was all Hikigaya could answer before letting silence take over the empty train. All these dangers he kept jumping into, this vigilantism, these heroic yet reckless actions became a part of his core now and it's not out of homogenization or the discipline that he was taught by this country's culture. It's more out of natural instinct to become "Isato", and it's slowly developing more like another soul took over his body and pretended to be the normal Hikigaya. The moment a case ends, he will realise too late what the consequences await him when doing these actions. Scoldings, making others worry, and physical exhaustion and injuries, all such negative consequences will be forgotten the second the hero intervenes on another dangerous crime.
"Next station-"
"We're here." Chujitsuna straightened his back with a sigh while Hikigaya looked at his own hands filled with scars, still contemplating his actions but shook his head to focus on the objective. The train stopped and the doors slid open. They exit the train and begin their next hunt.
"Alright, what's good about this next target is that we know where he is," Hikigaya said while running with Chujitsuna. "From what those two said, this guy runs his drug trafficking in alleys, should be easy."
"Now that's luck." Chujitsuna snorted.
"Let's split up." Hikigaya suggested and he agreed. There are still people walking around the sidewalks at night. The hero didn't waste time to check every alleyway. Some emanate a horrible smell of garbage littering around and there are some that are empty in darkness. Hikigaya went into one alley where he accidentally encountered a couple making out to which he apologized for interrupting their moment. After a few minutes of searching, he found the target: spiky brown hair and wore glasses. He's wearing a white hood and a pair of jeans. The target is currently selling drugs to a woman wearing a black tuxedo, grey miniskirt, and pantyhose. Hikigaya texted Chujitsuna that he found the target and sent his location.
"He only has one guy with him so I guess I can handle him," The hero concluded in his thoughts and then start running towards the target. The drug dealer's companion noticed him and readied his stance. Hikigaya blocked an incoming left punch and then swung a low kick on the companion's right leg, momentarily loosening the enemy's stand. He punched his left side and use a palm strike to the nose. The companion fell on his back and both the spiky brown-haired criminal and the woman watched in shock. They couldn't see the hero's face as it was covered by a hood and white facemask. However, they saw the dead-fish eyes and thought that a monster appeared.
"AAAAAHHH!"
They ran out of the alley going in separate directions. Of course, Hikigaya is running after the drug dealer. Both bumped into some bystanders but they're relentless to run faster. Hikigaya is a little faster than him so he's catching up. They both ran into another alley but unfortunately for the criminal, there is only a dead end. He leaned his back against the wall in fear of the hero. Hikigaya sent a text to his tall partner of his new location while approaching the criminal.
"W-what do you want?!" The drug dealer asked while his body nervously shaking.
"Giving what you deserve." Hikigaya cracked his knuckles.
"W-wait! I didn't hurt anyone s-so-"
"You didn't hurt? Yeah, you didn't. You RUINED everyone's lives when you sell to them that useless white powder."
"N-no... please..." The frightened drug dealer closed his eyes tightly. Hikigaya walked slowly for intimidation in order to break his mental defenses to make him answer questions. He noticed the criminal stopped shaking but eyes still tightly closed, possibly preparing for what is about to happen. As he was finally inches close to him, something unexpected happened.
"AAAAAHHHH!" The criminal screamed as he tried to punch Hikigaya, taking the hero by surprise and so his only response is to raise an arm to block. The criminal then quickly punched his stomach, grabbed his arm, and twist it while spinning behind him and then slammed his face into the wall. The criminal let go and ran away.
"I'M SOOORRRYYYY!" He shouted while running away. Hikigaya recovered quickly and went after the brown spiky-haired drug dealer.
Meanwhile, Chujitsuna ran to the new location as fast as he could and then saw the target running followed by Hikigaya. He went after them and Hikigaya noticed the tall vigilante behind him. The chase continued but not for long as they both noticed the criminal is slowing down, possibly running low in stamina. The vigilantes' ran faster and Hikigaya finally caught him by tackling him behind. Both fell but the hero quickly stood up and dragged the criminal into an alley ignoring the bystanders who saw the scene.
"Alright..." Hikigaya pinned him against the wall. "Let's talk."
"Please d-don't hurt me," The criminal shook. "I-I'm sorry for hurting you earlier b-b-but-"
"Shut it. You talk when you answer my questions."
"Y-yes." The drug dealer agreed while frantically nodding his head. Chujitsuna finally caught up to them and entered the alley as he watched the interrogation unfold.
"First, do you know about this guy?" Hikigaya showed a picture on his phone. It is the picture of the two vigilantes' next target.
"I-I think he's a drug dealer. And a leader of his own gang."
"Do you know where he is now?" The tall vigilante asked.
"W-Well he pretty much has his own territory among delinquents. Somewhere in the city." The spiky brown-haired drug dealer told them the location and the interrogation is finished.
"Good," Hikigaya let go of him.
"A-are you letting me go?" He stuttered in fear with a mix of relief.
"No,"
"Eh?"
"You still need to pay for doing these crimes."
"N-no wait. Please! AAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"That went well." Chujitsuna said while stretching his neck. The vigilantes are now on the train once again to find the next target.
"That guy caught me off guard," Hikigaya said while rubbing his cheek from being slammed against the wall earlier. "He has some combat experience."
"Does he?"
"Yeah, that's how he almost got away from me."
"He doesn't look the type though looks can be deceiving. The poor guy must've pissed so much in his pants, he couldn't fight."
"Probably because you were there blocking his only escape," Hikigaya leaned back with a sigh. "Hey... I forgot to ask."
"What?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?"
"This. Going so far to come here to hunt down drug dealers on your own and not call the cops."
"I just..." Chujitsuna released a deep sigh before continuing. "...felt responsible for what happened to Asemu. He used to be hardworking in school and really nice to everyone, but things went downhill after some complicated mess with his parents. I just stood by his side and play along to whatever shit he was doing. I thought everything around him is ruined because of someone like Shoyo winning him over with that fucked powder and so I'll do everything I can to get rid of those bastards."
"You should've told him off to stop doing those terrible things."
"You think I didn't try that? I did, a lot of times. Convincing him by talking and then sometimes beat him to shit so he could calm down. After all that, he's getting worse. I don't know how to say the right words to get him to stop, using my fist won't make things any better, and I don't have the guts to get him in jail."
"Why did you still stuck up for him after all that?"
"He's my best friend... Plain and simple."
"No, it's not," Hikigaya retorted in his mind. "If everyone's reason for supporting someone is only that someone is a friend, then society would've been every kid's happy dream. The definition of 'friend' was just forgotten. No, it's more like they forgot how to put the genuineness of that definition because of social influence like social status and norms that leads to forcing behavior for solidarity. In our stage of youth, it is a rarity to find such genuine friendship because teenagers are too immature to understand the feeling of such a bond and how worth it would be to achieve it. I'm just lucky to meet good friends. From your story, he didn't see you as a genuine friend but some loyal grunt. You're a little smart to notice that sooner, right? So what's your real reason? Are you in debt to him? Does he give you something in exchange for something you have? "
"It doesn't have to take time or a million conversations for us to be one. Sometimes all it takes is just one serious or personal thing between us and if we get each other's deal, we're now friends. Got that?"
The hero suddenly remembered Sagami's words. As the train slowly stopped at the station, many people entered the train and the carriage is crowded. Hikigaya suddenly felt suspicious and so he pulled up the facemask to cover his mouth then analyzed their surrounding.
"seven... no, fifteen? They all look normal people... well some look like delinquents but everyone is oddly quiet. I don't like this atmosphere."
The tall companion nudged him to get his attention. Hikigaya turned to see his expression that indicated he also suspected the same thing. They stood up into the middle and carefully analyzed the situation. Hikigaya noticed most of them put one hand in their pockets. Judging by the muscle movement of the arms and facial expressions, he suspected they're holding weapons, possibly pocket knives. He felt his cellphone vibrated and pulled out to see what it was. It's a text message from Chujitsuna.
[10:00 PM] Chujitsuna Takai: 12 of them have knives. Other 3 probably guns. 2 on my side and one on yours.
Hikigaya looked to his side and noticed one person had his hand behind his back. He slowly leaned back to see at least a tiny detail of that person hiding a gun but to no avail. However, he still took his tall partner's observation into consideration as he texted him for their next move.
[10:00 PM] Isato: You take on your side while I take care of mine. Target the gunners first.
Chujitsuna read the message and responded with a nod. All they need to do is wait for the right moment and that is when one of these suspicious people make the first move or when they reached the station. Everyone is silent as the only sound they could hear is the wheels of the train rolling on the rails at high speed. Both vigilantes noticed few of these suspicious people are nervous, hands shaking, and emitting cold sweat. Either they were overwhelmed by the vigilantes' enigmatic aura, or it's their first time fighting or working as a criminal but it didn't matter to the two.
Chujitsuna stomped the floor to frighten them as an opportunity to attack. The few nervous wrecks jumped in fright and he grabbed one man near him by the neck and threw at the two possible gunners. Speculations were confirmed as one of them dropped a pistol when he fell and the two vigilantes' muscles tense further.
"I really wished they didn't have guns." Hikigaya thought but stopped thinking when he noticed the nearest man attempt to stab him. The hero grabbed the wrist before the blade came close to his flesh and pulled the criminal towards him to knee his gut and shot the stun gun towards the last gunner and elbowed the back of the attacker's head.
"GAAAH!" The gunner screamed and he accidentally dropped his pistol as he fell unconscious. The others moved to attack the vigilantes. There are six enemies on Hikigaya's side and nine on Chujitsuna's including also the unconscious gunners. The hero evaded a knife swing from slicing his throat and stomped his foot.
"AW!" He screamed in pain and Hikigaya punched him in the gut, chest, and nose to finish him off. Hikigaya didn't stop as he dodged a knife thrust from another enemy and grabbed his arm, twist it, and did a knee strike to break the limb. The attacker screamed and another one successfully stab the hero on his left arm. Hikigaya gritted his teeth to resist the pain but he was punched by another attacker to his right cheek.
Meanwhile, Chujitsuna just backhanded an incoming attacker in the face and his head got bumped into the window, rendering him unconscious. Another tried to stab the tall vigilante but Chujitsuna grabbed his arm to lift him up and headbutted him. He then threw the unconscious body at the other two and did a straight punch on another one in the face. He blocked another knife thrust with his right forearm and did a thrust kick. The attacker was sent flying back into the gunner trying to stand up only to be knocked out once again.
Hikigaya is struggling but still fighting strongly against the last two criminals on his side. He noticed the coordination between them and how their movements are more refined than the other criminals he had faced. One of them grabbed two knives on the floor with two hands and charged towards the hero. Hikigaya tried his best to redirect the swings and dodging them but some landed by a scrape on his arms and upper body. After leaning his body to the side to dodge a knife thrust, he got stabbed once again in his left arm by the same attacker who did the other and then got kicked in the same stab wound, intensifying the pain and unable to move it. However, he held his ground while gritting his teeth harder as he crouched his head from a knife swing and punched straight at the criminal's gut with his right hand, followed by a knee strike to the face when the attacker bent his body backward. He was about to finish him off when he noticed the criminal companion jumped into the seat and swung a jump kick aimed at his face.
The hero crouched his head, successfully dodging the kick and Chujitsuna did shoulder charged at the criminal which sent him flying back to his criminal partner, knocking out both at the same time.
"Oi, you alright?!" The tall vigilante shouted in worry as he saw blood dripping on Hikigaya's left arm.
"Yeah, just need to wrap the wound." Hikigaya sat on the metal bench and held his left arm where the wounds are to slow down bleeding. Chujitsuna took out the first aid kit in his backpack. First he stopped the bleeding only for a short moment then cleaned the blood surrounding the wounds to avoid bacteria. Chujitsuna applied an ointment which made Hikigaya gritted his teeth as the ointment spread to the wounds. He finished by wrapping bandages to his upper left arm. It took ten minutes for the tall vigilante to give the full treatment.
"Five minutes until we reached the station," The hero mumbled and then looked at the criminals they've defeated. Some were unconscious while others are awake but couldn't stand up because of the pain. Hikigaya looked at Chujitsuna and nodded. The tall vigilante understood the message and grabbed one of the criminals by the neck.
"Oi, we got questions." Chujitsuna said in a menacing tone. "First, who are you guys?"
'Can't... tell." The criminal said as he struggled to breathe.
"Talk or this is the last time you'll breathe right." He threatened him as he chokes his neck harder.
"Hey," Hikigaya called out to his partner while looking at the list on his phone." That guy's the one we're looking for."
"Seriously?" Chujitsuna looked at the screen and the hero is right, this criminal is the one they were targeting next. They see this as a real miracle for the gang to come to them instead of searching for the hideout but they don't want to feel victorious and overconfident. "Why are you after us?"
"Someone told us... you two are ruining drug business here so he called everyone to take care of the... problem."
"Who told you?" Hikigaya stood up and approached them.
"From the Kohi gang..."
"From the abandoned cafe..." Chujitsuna mumbled and both vigilantes' expression are filled with dread. Did someone escape? Was there someone hiding during the fight? How did they know where they were going? These questions invaded their minds and they fully assessed that the situation took a turn for the worse. Hikigaya became terrified at the thought of killers going for his head. There are only seven people on the list which could possibly mean there are seven criminal groups. As of now, Hikigaya and Chujitsuna took down five of them including this one so two still remain. They thought that if any of those two groups are as big or even bigger than these attackers in terms of numbers, the two vigilantes' are as good as dead.
"I thought there was a competition between drug businesses," Hikigaya said in a shaky voice. "But we completely overlooked the term 'business'. Forming an alliance or 'partnership' is a common tactic in marketing."
"And that applies to drug trafficking. You don't have to tell me something so obvious." Chujitsuna sighed.
"And yet we got ahead of ourselves, thinking we can take on everyone and just charged right into their hideouts."
"We would still do that either way whether we go stealth or just face them head-on. Or are you afraid that you got a target on your back?"
"Of course I'm scared. What the hell would happen if they're going after my family to get through me?"
"You should worry about yourself, y'know?"
"Yeah, yeah... Anyway let's get out-"
.
.
Suddenly...
A gunshot was heard.
Hikigaya felt immense pain in his body as something launched at his torso. They look at the source to see one of the criminals awake and held a gun aiming at the hero. The two vigilantes' were too distracted in their interrogation, they didn't notice him. The criminal is still on the floor, perhaps still in pain from the fight but he didn't stop shooting.
Three shots.
He fired three shots at Hikigaya at the torso. The pain is unbearable. The hero's body pushed backward from those shots and was about to trip. As he leaned backward unprepared to fall on the floor, The criminal then shot the gun at his head.
"ISATO!" Chujitsuna shouted as he saw blood dripping on Hikigaya's forehead and watched him fall. The tall vigilante's rage grew immensely and ran towards the gunner before it's too late. He stomped the criminal's hand where he held the gun and the sounds of bones breaking echoed in the train as well as his scream.
"GAAAAH!" Chujitsuna scowled at the criminal, looking down at him with the most angered and horrifying expression he could muster to match his emotion of rage. The gunner's skin paled, fully regretting that he shot the gun. Before he could beg for mercy, Chujitsuna stomped his face, and blood splattered. He didn't hold his strength back from both of the stomps. Chujitsuna wondered if he killed the criminal in the process as his physical capabilities are that of a monster but he didn't care for the criminal's life.
"Isato!" He ran back to the hero and knelt down to check on him if he was truly dead. All of his worries faded when he noticed Hikigaya's head was only grazed by the bullet and felt a pulse in his neck. He's not worried about the other shots as Hikigaya wore a bulletproof vest to protect himself but the impact of those bullet would spread over his body and perhaps too much for the hero to handle. As for the graze, it looked deep. He could see Hikigaya's skull a little in flowing blood.
"Hang on, hang on, hang on." He called an ambulance while trying his best to treat the hero's injury with the first aid kit. It took only took a few seconds since the only thing he did was wiping the blood away and wrapped bandages around his head. He is very careful as the brain is very delicate and doesn't want to risk any sort of disorder and worse, death. The train stopped on the station and Chujitsuna carried Hikigaya like carrying over the threshold and then exit the train. However, he was too distracted by the hero's situation that he forgot the criminal they were interrogating. That would be his biggest mistake but he will think about that later as of right now, there is something more important. "You don't deserve to die now."
They finally exit the train station and by luck, the siren of the ambulance echoed through the streets as the sound grew louder as if it is getting closer. Bystanders screamed and gasped when they saw the tall man carrying someone who looked seriously injured. The ambulance parked in front of them, nurses and a doctor came out in the back of the vehicle with a stretcher. They wasted no time treating the patient and they, along with Chujitsuna ran back to the van.
"What is his status!"
"He's still breathing but unconscious and bleeding from the left arm and forehead! He might've lost too much blood!"
"They appear to be stab wounds on the arm while some sort of graze on the head!"
"His body has bruises all over!"
The medical professionals quickly analyzed Hikigaya's injuries while treating him. Chujitsuna could only watch as they put the oxygen mask in the hero's mouth and carefully but swiftly giving proper medication.
Meanwhile in a certain inn
"This is strange," Hayama contemplated while lying on the futon. After playing a few card games, everyone fell asleep but the golden prince is restless from his thoughts. "The teacher said that Hikigaya went back to Chiba way earlier than us is because he was sick but back when we last talked, he looked completely fine unless he is good at acting like Haruno-san. No, that's a stupid guess."
"Hayama-kun..." Suddenly Totsuka whispered to him. "Are you awake?"
"...Yeah..." He responded with the same whispering tone.
"Is Hachiman going to be alright?"
"He will. Probably. I'm not optimistic on his dating skills. Plus Sagami-san seemed to tire him out."
"Ahaha... You're right about that... Hayama-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"What did you and Hachiman talked about when you both went outside?"
"I guess I was checking up on him since you know...With all the things that happened to him at that time."
"Isn't it because you want his help for Tobe's confession?" Totsuka sat up and asked that question which made Hayama widened his eyes in shock. He also sat up to look at the silver-haired tennis player face-to-face.
"...Let's go to the balcony." Hayama stood up and approached the balcony and Totsuka followed. They could feel the cold wind as they went out and stared at the Katsura River with its flowing water reflecting the moonlight. "How did you know?"
"It's kinda easy when you know what Hachiman went through," Totsuka said with a giggle. "Like the chain mails, the summer camp, the festivals."
"You know about the chain mails?"
"Yeah, since I saw you talking to Hachiman for the first time was also when the chain mails escalated. After understanding Hachiman's personality and then looking back to that now, I knew that you requested the Service Club to solve those chain mails. After realizing that, I sort of guessed that you cared a lot about your clique... to the point that you don't want anything to change."
"He's sharper than I thought," Hayama only stared at him, dumbfounded by his sharp intuition. "Yeah, you're right. I asked Hikigaya-kun to help me stop Tobe but he refused."
"It's probably for the best... Hachiman changed so much in a couple of weeks. It's almost scary... Is having a girlfriend have that much impact on someone, I wonder?"
"You don't know the half of it." Hayama smiled. "I guess love does a lot to a person."
"We should thank Sagami-san for that," Totsuka giggled. "I don't think I can change him like she did."
"I think you can. After all, you're his best friend."
"No, I can't. After he got kicked out, Kawasaki-san and I tried everything but he didn't talk to us nor could even make eye contact. He just ignored us and focused on class like nothing happened. He was slowly turning back to the lonely student on the early first semester... until..."
"Do you...wanna hang out with me after school?"
"Sagami san just came out of nowhere and asked him out. And that's when things are going brighter for Hachiman and to us. Maybe there's something that Sagami-san has that we all don't to make him feel better. I don't know but regardless, I'm glad."
"Totsuka-san," Hayama looked up into the night sky filled with stars, contemplating on the silver-haired boy's words. "So that's it... It wasn't luck that helped you, Hikigaya-kun. It's your will to accept even the smallest change. You were at your lowest point back then and so your desperation, your wish, to search for something to reach on grew stronger. If I was in your shoes, I would've done the same but much weaker than your will. It's your determination that you got this far not some dumb luck."
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud siren coming from an ambulance. They both looked down to see the white vehicle moving fast with its siren lighting up red as an indication that there is an emergency.
"I wonder what happened," Totsuka asked while staring at the direction the ambulance went.
"... Who knows." Hayama answered while also staring at the direction.
Inside a certain peaceful and normal household, A father and a young daughter sat on the couch in the living room to watch a movie while the mother washed the dishes after eating a delicious dinner. The young daughter just finished taking a shower after a long day of school while her parents returned home early from work. They were glad to take a day off for the next few days as despite how wonderful their salaries were, spending time with family is a top priority as mother and father, and as husband and wife.
However, the mother didn't feel relax anymore as she accidentally dropped a plate while washing the dishes. Both father and daughter heard the sound of the fragile dish breaking.
"Are you alright, mom?" The daughter asked.
"I-I'm fine Komachi..." The mother reassured her and grabbed a small broom and dustpan to sweep the broken fragments.
"You must be tired from work, Nanako." The father and husband stood up from the couch. "Let me wash the dishes while you rest a bit."
"No, no. I'm alright."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, go watch the movie, dear. Looks like your favorite scene is coming."
"Oh yeah, you're right! When you're done, sit down with us and relax, okay?"
"Okay, okay." The wife answered with a giggle and the husband sat back down with their daughter as they watched their favorite scene on the television. Unbeknownst to them, She wore a worried expression as she stared at the fragments of the plate. "What is this terrible feeling...? Hachiman?"
Well... that happened. Looks like our 8man is in serious trouble. I wonder how this is gonna turn out? Things are definitely gonna change from the canon material to the challenges he will face in the future. Is he gonna die? Pfft, of course not... Maybe. Find out next time!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Please leave a review to share your opinions as they will help make this story better.