Youth is a hoax.
It's evil.
People who make a big deal of their youth are just inviting trouble.
They try to keep up with everything going on around them.
For them, if there's something that's to do with their youth, they jump at it without a second thought.
From normal daily life to rebelling against the view of society.
If you fall in with them, lies, secrets, failure, and even crimes await you.
But for them, it's just a spice of life.
And if failure is also the mark of youth then...
Hachiman stood on the front of the class with neutral expression drawn on his face. Hiratsuka thought he was anxious, he thought he would be anxious, being suddenly thrust into a new environment like this.
He wasn't being anxious.
As shown by the grim and tense expression on his face.
No matter how much he tried, his memories with his classmates weren't anything to be missed.
It's just that, seeing high profile students like Hayama here, made him mighty pissed.
Actually, he wasn't entirely sure why he was pissed. He dislikes Hayama, perhaps, but to call it hate would be too strong of a word and waste of energy.
Was it because he was close with Yukino? Jealously? No, it was not jealously either. If Hachiman feels jealous, he would try to suppress it hard and thinking deep down that maybe he wanted to join that crowd as well.
He didn't. In fact, he wanted to go away as much as possible. And now, he's stuck with this crowd because when Hiratsuka-sensei will ever stop meddling?
Right, so he's actually super irritated at Hiratsuka, that makes so much sense in comparison.
No. Wait. The issue is simpler than that.
He doesn't want to be here.
It's worse than being thrust into an unfamiliar place, on the contrary, he was thrust into a place so contradictory with his familiarity that he had negative excitement.
"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. I just turned 17 last month, my hobby is reading books and playing games." Hachiman introduced himself, "I'm not very good at introducing myself, so if there's any question, please ask right away."
"Yo!" Tobe raised his hand excitedly, "Are you single, Ichiman?"
"Yes, I have no one at the moment." Hachiman replied flatly. Seriously, of all things to be asked, and it was asked by another man?
He could see Ebina literally bursting into a volcanic shower of nosebleed. Of course, it has to be the fujoshi of the class who reacted.
"Sensei, Ebina is having a nosebleed." Hachiman instinctively pointed.
"Nevermind her, she's always like that." Hiratsuka sighed.
"Umm, ano, do you know our names already?" Another girl asked, clearly felt somewhat odd.
"...I'll at least try to remember my classmates." Hachiman smiled, or tried, as his face just keep twitching. "Minami Sagami-san."
The red-haired girl clearly felt creeped out by it, and he was glad. Of course, he was doing it completely on purpose.
If he introduced himself as someone like that, surely it would be hard for them to approach him?
Good.
That said, not everyone seems to look at him negatively. Some of them actually impressed and delighted.
Maybe someone who actually tries to know their classmates can come off as friendly from one point of view.
...so much for wanting to be left alone.
"What the shit are you doing, idiot?" Hiratsuka covered her faces with her notepad and grit her teeth.
"Why? Nothing wrong with knowing your own classmates." Hachiman gleefully whispered.
Hiratsuka popped some veins and glared at him like an angry dinosaur.
Of course, something like this is nothing but a child's play for her to deal with. So she decided to turn it into advantages.
"Ahem. Well, as you can tell, Hikigaya isn't very good at expressing himself and talking with people, but he actually wanted to know about you all," Hiratsuka enthusiastically said, "So I hope his feelings won't be remain onesided."
By their expression, the percentage of people who found him creepy and found him funny just flipped up. Hiratsuka's voice had always been that compelling... when she actually put an effort in it at least.
Hachiman already regretted being a smartass in front of her. Why? Why would he think this Hiratsuka is any less annoyingly competent at bullying him?
And that smug fuck Hayama already grinning.
Well not like Hachiman can actually blame him for that. That's just what kind of person Hayama is. But maybe just like his dumbass lackey, Hayama probably didn't change all that much either.
Not like... Hachiman was curious or anything. He totally isn't curious about Hayama and his stupid cliques.
Or maybe he is, after all, Hayama managed to add Yukinoshita into his stupid crowd. Either Yukinoshita had changed that much, or something about the group was different than what he remembers.
So he was about to find out.
Besides, after pulling that stunt, he feels somewhat less annoyed, and now, his general anxiety hit him full force.
"Alright, you kids can get to know each other better, later on, Hikigaya, you're going to sit in..."
There's obviously only one seat open, because his old seat, which was the third seat from the right row was occupied, the one that was left would be the last row in the second column from the right.
Right beside Miura Yumiko.
It could be worse, at least he was nowhere close to that dumbass Tobe.
"Right beside Miura."
Hachiman quietly walked, hiding his awkwardness as he sat beside Miura with a forced smile.
"What's with that weird face?"
"...Sorry."
Hachiman shouldn't do that, really. As handsome as he looked now, he still could not emote for shit.
"You have the textbook with you?"
"Uh, yeah I do."
"...I see." Yumiko mumbled, "If you have any problem don't hesitate to ask for help."
Wut.
Did Miura Yumiko, the supreme queen bitch just, offered to share her textbook with him, of all people? What in the God's name is this world had become?
Still, Hachiman doesn't like being called an ungrateful ass, so he simply said a plain and dignified, "Thank you, Miura. And for taking care of her too. My sister*, I mean."
"No." Yumiko said, "We do have a promise to uphold after all."
"Something like reaching championship together as rivals?" Hachiman asked.
Yumiko blinked and then blushed a little, "Something like that I guess. Did she talk a lot about me to you?"
"Well, sort of."
What the, why are you blushing? I am confused.
And so, the first period ended just like that. Second period? PE, which Hachiman absolutely despise, to boot.
And it has to be tennis, makes it all the worse. He will have to bullshit again and retreat to the wall, if possible.
"I'd just hit the wall over there-"
"Like I'm letting you!" Tobe cut him off and dragged his collar excitedly, "Come on, you're as good as your sister right? You must be?"
"I'm good but not that good."
Could it be that they were physically subduing Yukinoshita into this Normie hell by force? Ah, but she knows Aikido so it's very unlikely.
"Oh come on just one game, promise!" Tobe begged.
Hachiman let out a heavy breath.
To be honest, he was proud of his tennis skill, as were sports skill in general. He was never half bad on them, on the contrary, he's actually rather good on them.
Unless they involve teamwork that is, then he's dead on arrival. Not only he can't cooperate for shit, people didn't notice him most of the time, so Hachiman never got his turn.
"One game."
Hachiman lazily throws the ball high, then smack it into high arc lob serve.
"Lob serve? Good choice on that one." Yumiko hummed.
"Hmm? Why is that?" Hayato asked.
"Lob serves to throw the ball high and all the way to the rear. For people who often play tennis, it's easy, but it's different when you only play casually." Yumiko explained, "Option of returning is very limited, and you're forced to constantly look at the sky constantly. This is literally amateur child's play and Tobe got himself played."
Hayato looked up to see the sunshine bright, it must be difficult to see the ball with a serve that high.
As the wind blows, the ball changed direction, and Tobe struggled to reach it.
Only for the wind to change direction and thus the ball, and Tobe missed.
"Fifteen-love." Hachiman quickly grinned.
"What was that?"
"The wind?" Hayato blinked.
"What's that, magic?!" Tobe rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"The winds at Soubu always blows twice!" Yumiko warned, "Any lob would change direction twice! Don't get fooled by his cheap trick, Tobe!"
"Uh yeah, I'm shocked!" Tobe said.
It's still Hachiman's turn to serve, and he waits.
"Come on, Hikitani! Give me your best shot!" Tobe goaded.
Hachiman didn't deliver.
For ten second.
And then suddenly he scored, again.
"EH?!" Tobe gasped, he was half second late responding, Hachiman didn't even jump.
Yui's eyes widened in surprise and she jumped in excitement, "Yay! Hikki! Go!"
"...that was underhand serve right?" Hayato twitched.
Underhand serve is absolutely lowest powered serve in tennis, as it's not executed with jumping. In fact, it was so low powered that it doesn't usually cross halfway enemy court, which makes it extremely hard to deal with.
Technically legal, and somewhat ethical, but it's also extremely disrespectful when used on competitive stage.
But this is not competition.
"Yeah..." Yumiko rubbed her temple in frustration, "This guy might be absolutely worst opponent Tobe can face. And he's a real pain for any inexperienced players."
Because Tobe was way too easy to read and easy to fool, to boot.
"Oh come on, what tricks you're going to play next?"
Hachiman throws the ball up normally and jumped.
"Now we're getting there-"
Hachiman's ball whistled to his right side.
"...what?"
"That was American twister." Yumiko said, "A variation of Kick Serve that angled to spin the ball left or right."
"Yay! Forty love!" Yui declared.
"Yuigahama-san, why are you cheering for the enemy?" Tobe asked in anguish.
"Yeah, yeah!" Ooka and Yamato chorused.
Yui ignored them completely.
Yumiko couldn't hold herself and then burst out laughing, "Tobe, you're done. Get out!"
"What? There's still another!"
Hachiman finally throws him a fairly normal serve, in the hopes of actually giving Tobe some chance. Indeed, they managed to exchange several balls this time around.
Tobe scored the first time.
"Forty, fifteen!"
"Yosh! Time for my counterattack!"
The second exchange also went normally, and Tobe scored again by a fluke.
Hachiman became annoyed slightly and he threw the ball high and then bend his knee. Tobe immediately reacted to his movement, expecting a high power flat serve.
"No!" Yumiko warned, "Tobe!"
Hachiman didn't jump, instead, he gives a textbook slice which Tobe missed, completely, by meters. He completely fooled Tobe with that fake 'about to jump serve' pose, which wouldn't be possible if Hachiman didn't have solid foundation to begin with.
"There you go." Hachiman sighed and retreated from the field. 4:2 versus Tobe, not bad if he should say to himself. He could do better if he wasn't goaded into playing fair.
"That was amazing Hikki!" Yui congratulated him, "Tobe was completely outmatched."
"Nah, I'm just lucky," Hachiman said, feeling overwhelmed with all the stares he got. But most especially with Yui, who acted like a girlfriend more than anything.
"Don't be so modest man, my pride will get hurt!" Tobe pouted and smacked his back, "I'm going to get you back, just wait!"
"Well, that doesn't mean you're not good." Yumiko smugly commented, "On the contrary, you have perfect form. Far better than when your sister started this year. I'm pretty sure you can beat even Hayato at this point."
"Really?" Hachiman perked up.
It's pretty rare to hear anyone ever praised him earnestly, so he would take whatever he can get. Plus Hayato looked mighty pissed-
Wait a minute.
Hayato could actually look pissed? Since when? Ahh, he must be really jealous then.
It's pretty clear from a cursory glance of their body alone, in terms of physical attributes, Hachiman would lose to Hayato by a significant margin. If even Yumiko say that, then he's saying Hachiman's skill was far superior to Hayato.
"Well, but that's as far as a pure technique can bring. You... always play alone, don't you? You lacked the drive to actually play to the fullest. You went easy on Tobe too."
"WHAT? Did you go easy on me? Unforgivable!" Tobe shook Hachiman in frustration and anger.
"To be honest, it's mostly Mr. Wall that I'm playing with." Hachiman pushed Tobe away as much as he could, "I'm not good with people, sorry."
"True enough, you're not competitive enough to play in the Nationals."
"What's with that absurdly high standard? Is this a praise or condemnation?" Hachiman was confused, "Talking about Nationals is like talking about the earth and the sky. Of course, I won't be. In the first place, I'm not a tennis player."
Of course, Hachiman never feels deluded enough that's he's actually that good. On the contrary, he truly understood his weakest point or whether an idea could be considered workable or not.
"Well join the tournament in October anyway, if nothing else to give her support." Yumiko smiled, "It's a grade 3 Prefectural tournament."
What the hell? Don't give me that honest friendly smile, I might actually fall for you, queen bitch. Hachiman averted his eyes away and blushed. Maybe this is why Hayama seems to actually pay more attention to her?
"Grade 3? Sounds like a tall order." Hachiman winced.
He'd be lucky if he can advance a single round. Competition is way too much of a hassle.
He was curious though.
"Sorry, Tobe. Could I borrow the court a moment?" Yumiko cackled manically, which Hachiman admit all too frightening even compared to her bully self. "I still have a debt to clear, after all."
"Uh, eh, sure?" Tobe let go Hachiman when he saw that. Perhaps this part of Miura didn't change at all. If anything, her being more honest and upbeat probably makes her natural charisma and pride magnified.
Facing her was a familiar, yet strikingly different person. Hachiman actually had to rub his eyes several times to makes sure he wasn't hallucinating.
His face almost identical, yet different. His jaw more defined and less rounded, the muscle of his neck was lean yet rock solid, even under T-shirt one could tell how well toned his muscles were, lacking mass and bulk of a bodybuilder, but have the required density for maximum flexibility and responsiveness of a real athlete.
It was Totsuka Saika.
"Please be gentle with me, Miura-san." Saika smiled confidently, "But don't hold back."
"Ha? What's that? I can't hear you." Yumiko spat, "the First one to score a game is the winner."
Hachiman was taken aback for a moment because he didn't pay much attention to him in the class but now he was forced to. Totsuka Saika still looked youthful and cute as before, he just lacked the girliness and vulnerable look he had before.
Of all people that Hachiman remember, Totsuka must've been the one changed physically in the most drastic manner possible.
"Damn it, I couldn't even get a Doki-Doki feeling, what the fuck happened to him over the course of this semester?" Hachiman gritted his teeth angrily.
"Hmm? I don't know but apparently, Miura-chan and your sister trained Sai-chan over the course of last semester. So he ends up manly like this." Tobe said, "Pretty cool transformation huh? Sai-chan won two consecutive championships in less than three weeks. Grade 3 and grade 4 respectively."
"Trained? Tournament?! TWO OF THEM?!"
Saika was the first to serve, and his jump serve was very powerful. Even though Saika was short for a young man of his age, he managed to do that?
It shocked Hachiman truly to the core.
Last time he had a Tennis match with the Saika he remembers, it was a curb stomp. Hachiman would truly dominate the games in both power and skill... not because he was supremely exceptional at it, but because Totsuka is super weak.
And yet...
If he were to fight Totsuka now, his chance of a win would be... maybe less than 20%.
It's just not possible.
Yumiko looked not concerned at all and returned it with decisive power, her ball spun with such rate that Hachiman could hardly see the groves and guess where it will change direction.
Saika only barely brushed the ball and returned it.
This is not just some pansy PE class casual matches.
This is a match between two strong high school tournament champions.
"Oi, oi, this court is way too small for both of them." Hachiman pointed.
"I know right? Yumiko made a big comeback this summer and won Chiba Junior Circuit too. Plus she just returned from France." Yui told him, "I'm very sure, from here on, Yumiko will shine even brighter."
Yumiko Miura, the genius who won prefectural Tournament at the age of 14 is making her comeback? And Totsuka actually keeping up with her pace? That's scary.
Perhaps Hachiman's assessment was right, that after he left his boring slice of life universe, he got stranded on shonen action series.
Hachiman wonder if he hated this as much as he should.
He looked at Hayama, who watched the match with such intensity as if he was on the court himself.
And Hayama wasn't the only one, as everyone was too mesmerized with the match between Yumiko and Saika to actually do anything else.
Hachiman pulled his collar open because he felt suffocated. This amount of concentrated spirit of youth should be a crime.
やはり, 俺の関係の値はリセットされました
As Expected, My Relationship Values had been Reset
Disclaimer:
Original Story by Watari Wataru
"Ah, Hikki, what do you have for lunch?" Yui asked.
"Hmm? It's just a normal bento." Hachiman said.
Because of the chores were split between three children, there's always enough time to prepare breakfast, or so Komachi claimed.
He might not need to settle with yakisoba bread anymore.
"Yumiko, I'm going!" Hina smiled happily and raised her bento.
"Eh? Where's Ebina going?" Hachiman asked.
"Ah, it's her club activities. It's done over the course of lunch, something like book review club or something." Yumiko said lightly, "The teachers really loved it though."
"Book review?"
"Juvenile literature club." Hina explained proudly, "We take turns reading a teenage book and then give our analysis and opinion, and then we post it on the school's newspaper board and blog for everyone to read."
"Teenage book? Light novel?"
"Among other things, even translated Young Adult novel from the west." Hina nodded, "You like reading right? You should totally join us."
"Hmm, Hikki probably haven't decided to join any club anyway. Would you like to check?" Yui asked.
There was a small hint of disappointment in her voice, looks like she wanted to have a lunch with him too.
It bothered Hachiman, now that he realized her feelings. In fact, he was horrified because now he began to understand the feelings of the original Hayato, who desperately acted like he doesn't know Yumiko's feelings for him.
"Go with them, Yui." Yumiko smacked Yui's butt which made her yelped, "I'll probably spend time talking with Totsuka about tennis anyway and you might get bored. And knowing her, President probably went straight to student council room again."
"Ahhhh, okay."
Strange, Yumiko would actually push her gang member away? This, in contrast, to the Yumiko he knew, who would be angry and jealously possessive if someone would be trying to get away.
He still remembers it, when Yui intend to spend lunchtime with Yukino in the service club room, Yui was really afraid, and it ended up offending Yumiko as well.
Plus, Yumiko also Totsuka's mentor figure, just like the other Hachi.
This Miura Yumiko also impossible to recognize, the deeper he tried to dig. And it's somewhat unsettling.
Tobe and Hayato seem to be fine with that, and Tobe split his way from Hayato, who opens his lunch with Yamato and Ooka and even few other girls outside his clique.
"Yahallo!"
Ah, it was Hachi's tiny teeny best friend, who was that again, Isshiki?
"Yahallo, Iroha-chan?"
"I came here to have a lunch with Senpai all!" Iroha winked cheekily, which disturbingly remind Hachiman of Komachi, "I hope this isn't too rude."
"Feel free to join, Iroha-chan!" Ooka and Yamato chorused.
"Well then, we're also going." Tobe said, "Come on, Kawasaki-san, we had to escort Yuri around."
"Don't dictate me, you ass," Saki grunted, but she followed him anyway.
"Ah, Seo also transferred here starting this semester huh?" Yumiko just remembered, "Which class she ended up again?"
"Class C, I think," Kawasaki replied.
"I see. Say hello to her from me." Yumiko waved her hand.
Kawasaki smiled, "Yeah, sure."
What the fuck. Miura and Kawasaki can actually have a civil conversation. And is Kawasaki going out with Tobe or something?
This is way, way off from his impression during the firework festival. Hachiman was under impression that Hayato's group is getting larger, to the point of including Yukino of all people.
But...
It seems that he was wrong.
In actuality... they're splitting apart as if it was just something that supposed to happen naturally, going on about their own business.
No aura of hesitation, no air of resentment.
Nothing.
It's the most mindboggling things he saw in his life, Hachiman admit.
This is just fucking bizarre.
"So, are you going or not, Hikigaya-kun?" Hina sweetly asked.
"S-su-sure." Hachiman gulped, completely at loss. In fact, he was so shocked he looked like a stranded puppy as he followed the two girls to the special building.
"Konnichiwa!"
"About time you're all here, I was about to fetch you." Hachi said aloud, "Ah, Yuigahama-senpai!"
"I came to tag along, hehehe." Yui apologetically stuck her tongue.
"Nah, the more the merrier." Hachi said, "So, here's the book we should read and review later on."
Hachi said as she pulled out a Japanese translation of 'War and Peace'.
"Can I punch you now?" Hachiman asked.
"I'm joking, asshole." Hachi pulled out another light novel, "This is new serialization title recently published."
"I see." Hachiman get the gist of it, "I get it that you guys are doing the book review but how do you do it?"
"We take turns reading and at the end of the week, discuss our impression and opinion on it, then compile it into a single sheet to be published on Monday."
Hachi handed out one of the older articles the club made to Hachiman, and he skimmed it. "I see. Because you don't discuss it on weekdays, you avoid spoiler and bias huh. But what do you actually do on weekdays again?"
"We just hang out randomly like this." Hachi shrugged, "Talk about old books, currently airing anime or drama show."
"So most of the actual club activity was solitary..." Hachiman twitched in response, "Did you not do a meeting after school?"
"No, all of our important activities are moved to Saturday." Hachi told him, "Anyway, I'm pretty sure I haven't introduced you."
"This here is Fujisawa Sawako, my classmate and also Secretary of the Student Council. By the way, she's dating the Treasurer and we're gaming buddies."
"Hi-hikigaya-san you're saying too much!" Sawako shrieked in embarrassment and immediately hides her bent red face.
Hachi recognized her as the glasses girl in the photo Hachi have in her room. So must be another close friend of her.
"This is Hikigaya Hachiman, Second-year. You could say that he's my twin brother or something along that line."
"You're being vague as shit." Hachiman mumbled, then switched back to everyone else, "Domo."
"Ha-Hachiman? Are you really Hachiman?!" A gray-haired man with glasses grabbed Hachiman's hand and made him freeze from surprise, "My soulmate, you are truly here?!"
"Wait, that voice..." Hachiman's mind accelerated beyond mortal speed as he tried to recall it.
"Zaimokuza Yoshiteru," Hachiman muttered.
"OOOOH! YOU EVEN KNOW MY NAME BEFORE I COULD SAY IT! WE ARE TRULY BOUND BY FATE!" He excitedly hugged Hachiman, much to Ebina's delight. Both Hachi and Ebina also took pictures. "MY LOYAL RETAINER!"
Hachiman was actually angry enough to hit Zaimokuza right on his chin with the base of his palm and pushed him away. "So you become thin as hell like this huh? What happened?"
"Uh, let's just say I had a little... phase of depression and lost a lot of weight." Zaimokuza suddenly calmed down and look... normal, even. "These loyal comrades of me have supported me through grueling therapy, and I guess I also owe Hiratsuka-sensei as well."
"And yet your second-year middle school disease still persist huh."
Still, Zaimokuza sure looks handsome. He's not lanky like Hachiman or Tobe, but pretty muscular.
"Ano, forgive me if I'm wrong, but Hikigaya-s-senpai, do you know Zaimokuza-senpai before?" Sawako asked.
"Maybe our fate really is tied together, I guess." He cryptically told her.
"SEE! EVEN HE ADMITS IT!" Zaimokuza screamed in absolute ecstasy. Cue Hina exploded into another shower of blood.
"Well, I already know Yuigahama and Ebina, so I guess that's enough of an introduction. So what's you're usually talking over at lunch?"
"..."
"This is getting nowhere." Hachiman scoffed as he opened his bento.
Only to find it was decorated with the word 'embrace me again tonight'.
Yuigahama almost drove into tears when she saw it, "Umm... Hikki, your bento-"
"I'm going to dump it. And by the way, I didn't hug anyone while sleeping. I'm a light sleeper too so I would know." Hachiman said, so matter of factly that it actually frightened Hachi with how nonchalant he's about to throw it into the trash.
With how much Hachiman would treasure homemade food, it just shows how intense his cold anger was.
"Ahhh, sorry, that joke went too far!" Hachi flailed her hands in panic and stopped Hachiman, she should've considered Yui's feelings, damn it! "I'll make up for it I promise!"
"Well, whatever, food is food." Hachiman would forgive her this once at least, "Anyway, do you read books, Yuigahama?"
"Umm, not much of them really."
"Well, is there anything you especially like? Like a teen novel or something." Hachiman smiled.
"Well, I have this book I recently borrowed from Yukinon-"
They proceed to talk about the book, and practically everyone in the room knows the book because it's so mainstream. The conversation centered around Yui's impression of the book as result. Hachiman of course did it deliberately, Yui was likely to be the least likely to read many books at all, and thus, he don't want her to be left out of this epic conversation where five out of six people involved were ultra-nerds.
And that was how Hachiman's first lunchtime break was spent.
"Well then, that concludes our first club meeting in this semester, as usual, everyone takes turns reading." Hachi smiled.
"Well then, thank you for the experience." Hachiman stood up first, "I might give a visit again sometime."
"You're always welcome here, my retainer!" Zaimokuza waved, "Wait, no. You should join this club instead!"
"We should go back to our class as well," Hina said to Yui.
Hachi was the only one who looked somewhat concerned.
"Hikigaya-san, let's go back to our class as well," Sawako said.
"Uh, eh, yeah."
When they all walked out of the room, they noticed Hachiman wasn't heading to where the main buildings supposed to be, but deeper into the special buildings.
"Could it be he-" Hachi sharpened her eyes, "Sorry, Fujisawa, could you head back without me?"
"Alright, but don't get late."
Hachi followed where Hachiman was heading.
Meanwhile, Yui occasionally glanced behind her in worry, and Hina noticed it too.
"Yui, you're worried about him too, don't you?" Hina asked, "Go ahead, I'll make an excuse for you if you were late."
"T-thank you."
Hachiman went to the room that was supposed to be Service club room and opened it. Just like the Juvenile literature club, the room was unmarked and lack any sort of feature except chairs and tables.
That was just how it was when it comes to unofficial student association clubs with no budget.
The inside was the same as always, a single long table in the center of the room...
And a pair of unused, dusty chairs. Not three, but two. So Yukinoshita and Yuigahama spent their time here before. Hachi was never in service club, there's no need for the existence of third seat.
He rubbed his finger on the table and noticed the stain, it must be left out for weeks at least, if not months.
"Hachiman?" Hachi asked, "What are you doing in this unused club room?"
"Unused huh." Hachiman chuckled.
"Yeah, there's used to be Service Club here but it hasn't been active for months."
After meeting all those people, Hachiman began to understand. Why people here changed so much from what he remembered. They have all changed over the course of the semester, for better or worse.
All those changes centered around none other than Hikigaya Hachi.
Her presence severed all the weak bonds people build between each other, as evidenced by Hayama's clique. Her drive to improve herself also motivated them to pursue their own personal interest instead of forcing a sense of camaraderie.
It wasn't a bad thing by any rationale, humans are inherently selfish after all.
Hachiman once thinking he despised Hayama for wanting to preserve his ties with all of his friends, all of which were there solely for him and not each other.
But he realized too late, it wasn't just Hayama who possess that kind of feelings.
Hachiman too wanted to preserve whatever ties he had with people he once knew.
But looking at the club room like this, it was indeed too late.
"Then it seems there's no place left for me to stay."
Hachi dropped her lunchbox from the shock he felt when she saw his expression. Even with glasses on, Hachi could see those eyes were dead and devoid of all passion.
"Wh-what are you saying, Hachiman?" Hachi asked hesitantly.
"In this beautiful world that you have created, is there even a place for Hikigaya Hachiman?"
Hachiman approached her and said as soon as they stood side by side, "There's no reason for my presence here."
Hachi dropped to her knees.
For the first time in months, no, years, she felt so powerless. So useless...
What in the world just happened?
Meanwhile, Yui was holding her own mouth, trying desperately not to make any sound as she left in confusion, seemingly not understand anything, yet, felt as if her heart was pierced by something grave and painful.
...Isn't it ironic that a person who has failed to make any friends is also technically leading his youth?
Though I wonder if they'd agree.
Everything runs on their schedule.
Then let me be clear.
The people who enjoy their youth will eventually fall apart.
Chapter 5 - Meaningless Existence