AN: Yahallo~ I hope all you readers are doing good!

I have to say, I can't believe how popular this story is getting. It wasn't my intention to make the second chapter so fluffy so I didn't realize how many of you were getting diabetes from it XD. Your reviews are all wonderful and I thank you all for your continued support.

My editor and I worked our asses into the night to finish polishing this. I'll be heading on a holiday after posting this so most probably there won't be another weekly update till the following week.

I'll be answering a couple of questions that have caught my attention. To the people who are worried I'm changing 8man's personality to something he's not, I honestly can only say that I'm trying my best to keep him in character. It's inevitable that my 8man will be different since he has two mentors (8dad and Master Tora) to guide him. He's not making the same mistakes as cannon in middle school so that's also a big contributor. While he won't be as self-sacrificing and degrading, he'll actually be more vocal and confidant.

Another popular question is about the shipping in this fic. Now, it might look like I'm pandering to Kawasaki fans but actually I'm not. There is currently no solid ships ready for sail. All ships are now just waiting at the docking bay, ready to set off at a moment's notice. So this fic might end with any of the girls winning or even all of them if the harem ship manages to sail. I just believe that this story is still in its infantile stage and not yet matured to what I can see happening at the end. Heck, not even the original story is finished so give me a little leeway here guys XB.

With all that said and done it's time for me let you all read in peace. Oh, before I forget. To all the Kawasaki Saki fans...

I'm sorry.

Have fun reading!

*December 2016 Edit: Rewrote the confrontation with Orimoto's stalker and fixed the infirmary scene to that of an emergency clinic. Fixed post credit Yuigahama's hair colour.

Chapter 3: I Stand Corrected. Middle School Sucks.

The day of Saki's final tournament was finally here. With my day mostly planned for the afternoon, I wasn't expecting much to happen in the morning. Of course, this was me we're talking about. Whenever things get a little too comfortable something was bound to happen.

But a letter in my shoe box was not something I expected.

Ok me, think logically.

Was the letter real?

Yup, it's in my hands.

Is this perhaps a dream?

Hold on, let me check. Ow! Ok, not a dream.

Are you hallucinating right now?

Maybe, I don't remember eating anything poisonous on the way to school. But Komachi has only recently started cooking, so…

Whatever, my stomach is fine…

For now…

Then there's only one explanation. It's a challenge letter, not a 'you know what' letter.

Ok, I believe you, brain.

Now, it's time to see if my hypothesis is correct. I opened the letter with shaky hands and read its contents.

Come to the back of the auditorium after school.

I'll be waiting for you, Hikigaya Hachiman.

…

That's it?

There isn't even a name from who sent it! This could be a prank, or even a scam!

I couldn't help but sigh. This was just a big waste of time.

"You're wasting your youth again, Hikigaya~."

I jumped slightly in surprise and turned to the person responsible for my mini heart attack with a glare, "My youth already took a big hit with you scaring me half to death, Orimoto."

Little Ms. Energetic's only reply was to mock nock her head and cutely stick her tongue out. Oi, that's a Hikigaya clan patented technique. No outsiders allowed use no matter how cute they are.

Orimoto's eyes strayed to the letter in my hand and immediately widened in shock, "Hikigaya, is that what I think it is?!"

I rolled my eyes and pushed the letter towards her, "Don't get overdramatic. Some guy must be playing a prank on me. Here, read it."

She read the letter and frowned slightly, "… You're right. There isn't even a name to address who its form."

"I'm not gonna even bother with it."

"…But what if it really was from a girl. You'll be standing her up, Hikigaya!"

"Please, this isn't some romance anime. The chances of it being a girl are slim to none. Plus, this is me we're talking about." My self-derogation aside, Orimoto still didn't look convinced.

"But there's still a chance! You really should go and meet her!"

"But I have to head over to my friends match. I won't have the time-"

"It won't take the whole afternoon, Hikigaya. Just listen to what she has to say and give her an answer. It'll be nice and quick, trust me!"

You're really twisting my arm here.

"…Why is this so important to you?"

"Because! I-It takes a lot of courage just to confront a guy and confess! Y-You'll just ruin her self-confidence if you ignore this… and I can understand how that feels…" She may have mumbled the last part out but I could still hear her. I contemplated on what was best to do and sighed when I reached an answer.

"Fine. I'll meet this mystery chick."

God, I am such a pushover.

"Really?! Awesome!" Orimoto fist pumped at her victory. I smirked and got ready to burst her bubble.

"Just so you know… if it turns out to be a hot girl, I'm accepting her confession." Her cheery mood instantly dropped as she gaped at me.

Hey, you don't get to look so shocked. I might as well be getting something for all this trouble.

"W-Wait! Don't you think you should ask her to be friends first?! I mean, getting a g-girlfriend is still too much for you, Hikigaya!"

"Nope, I already decided. You should have thought about this before you pushed me."

"W-Wait, don't be so hasty, Hikigaya! Are you listening to me, Hikigaya? Hikigaya!"

"Alright… Whoever this mystery person is, they should be waiting right here."

After classes had ended, I made my way to the back of the auditorium just like the letter instructed. Looking around the vicinity, it seemed that no one was around.

"Looks like I was right, Orimoto. This was just a stupid prank." I made to turn back when suddenly a voice shouted at me to halt.

"Wait right there, Hikigaya Hachiman!"

There, coming from around the corner like some stalker, was a dude. He was rather plain looking, perfect for a background character. I instantly made a disgusted face at the prospect of this guy being my mystery admirer.

"Uh… I'm not sorry about saying this but I'm straight. You're gonna have to find someone else."

The guy looked confused for a moment until his face turned red and mortified, "I-I didn't call you out to confess to you, you sicko!"

"Says the guy who placed a letter in my shoebox. You know, if you really wanted to talk to me you could have just asked like a normal person."

"Whatever! Again, I didn't call you out to talk nonsense!"

"You don't say? Well don't make me wait too long, I'm a busy guy."

The guy gritted his teeth and rudely pointed at me, "You're not going anywhere! I know you have a date with Orimoto-san today, and I'm gonna make sure you'll miss it."

I stilled at the sudden declaration. How did this guy know? And today? But we already agreed to reschedule. If this guy had been eaves dropping it would have to be on the conversation two days ago. But there wasn't anybody around when we were talking in the corridor-

A sudden sense of realization hit me. This guy… now that I think about it he seems a bit familiar.

"You're… that guy who called out to her. The one sent to fetch Orimoto to the library."

"That's right. I heard what she said. I can't believe a guy like you managed to score a date with Orimoto-san."

A guy like me, huh?

"Look, I really don't care what you think about me, but the fact of the matter is that it was Orimoto's choice to ask me out. If you like her then just face her fair and square. You can't possibly haunt every guy she agrees to hang out with."

"I'm doing this because it's you. Who knows what you'd do to her when you're both alone." It took every fiber of my body to stop myself from sighing in exasperation.

Really? Just how far does the teenage mind go to create such stupid speculations?

"Alright, I can clearly see how far the capacity of common sense goes in your head. But I seriously don't have time to waste on you so I'll toss you a bone. Orimoto and I already agreed to cancel the date. We aren't going out today."

"W-What?!"

"Yup, so you have nothing to worry about… well, besides the crazy stalker thing you have going on. I'd really suggest you find some professional help."

"S-So wait, you aren't going out with Orimoto?"

"Look, just because a girl invites a guy to hang out with her it doesn't mean that they're going steady. And I already said that the date was canceled."

Seriously was this guy deaf or something? And why am I still humoring him? I only have about an hour or so left till Saki's tournament starts.

"I'm just gonna say something before I leave. If you really don't like the idea of Orimoto dating other guys then stop stalking, grow some balls and just confess to her. The longer you wait, the more chances another guy is gonna swing by and grab her."

Why is it that the more I talk about another guy dating Orimoto, the more irritated I get? Whatever, I've said my piece, time to get my ass out of here.

But it looks like the guy wasn't done with me as the moment I turned to leave I was stopped, "Wait!"

I looked back at him with an irritated look, "What now?"

He shook a bit at my glare, "I-I didn't say this was over. A-And for all I know you could be lying to me!"

At this point I didn't even bother to comment and just continued to walk away.

"Wait! Stop! I said stop!"

I continued to ignore him until a sharp whistle rang out. All of a sudden I see a couple of rough looking guys blocking my path. They weren't wearing the same uniform as me so it was obvious they were from a different school. To my left and right two more appeared. I looked back at the stalker and saw another two outsiders right next to him. One of them was even carrying a bat.

"You didn't think I would let you go so easily, did you?"

"… Seriously? Bringing in outsiders into our school just to threaten me? Do you realize what you're doing is crazy?"

"I'm just making sure Orimoto-san is safe from you. I can't have you running off to take advantage of her."

"And I told you already, you delusional idiot. There. Is. No. Date."

"Then why are you in such a rush, huh?! You can't fool me! Now try to run away and my friends will beat your ass to the ground! These guys are high schoolers so I dare you to try it!"

I grit my teeth and glared at the crazy idiot. His only response was to grin smugly at me.

Damn it all. The gods really love to just fuck with my life, don't they?

"I don't have time for this."

I straitened my back and started to walk towards the two idiots blocking my way.

"Hey, is he being serious?"

"Let him come, dude. It's more fun this way. In fact, let me handle this."

One of the idiots walked up to me and stood directly in my path.

"Alright, kid. Take one more step and I'll be knocking your teeth in."

I gave the most disinterested stare I could give, as if he was a weed in my path. His face quickly contorted into a glare. To spite him I took an exaggerated and slow step forward.

"You little bitch. You asked for it!"

He raised his right fist and sent it flying, its destination being my handsome face.

A resounding crack rang out and a body landed hard onto the dirt ground. I stared at the now knocked out delinquent with the same disinterested look, but this time with my right fist raised in front of me from the punch I sent in return. I looked around me at the many faces of shock and surprise.

No one moved. No one made a sound.

I let out a sigh before I took off my school blazer and started to roll up my sleeves. No sense in getting them dirty. But then again, it's still a white shirt.

I looked up at the clear blue sky, the colour reminding me of a certain ruff girl's silver-blue hair.

… Sorry, Saki. Looks like I might be a little late.

"Alright… who's next?"

Alright, where am I? Why's it so dark? And why does my head hurt so bad? Did Komachi practice her singing again? I swear that girl is as tone deaf as she is cute.

Wait, I think I know why it's so dark.

My eyes are closed.

I let out a pained groan as I slowly opened my eyes back to the realm of the living.

"Onii-chan, you're awake!"

Wait a minute. That sounded like Komachi.

I turned to my side and was greeted by the happy face of my sister. Her eyes were a bit red, showing that she had cried not a short while ago. I slowly pushed myself up from whatever bed I was lying on and groaned at the sudden hit of vertigo. Komachi quickly and gently pushed me back down.

"Easy there, Onii-chan. You just got your head sewed back up. Don't move so much if you don't want your skull to rip open like an over ripe watermelon."

That's a very disturbing description, my cute little sister.

"Where am I? A hospital?"

"Close. You're in Dr. Sakaguchi's clinic, the one near the school. He patched you up the second you got in here. I heard he had to stitch your head back like a basketball."

Seriously, what's with these overly graphic descriptions?

"What time is it?"

"It's almost five. You were out for just a few hours."

Five o'clock. That means I missed the tournament. I hung my head in defeat. Looks like that guy managed to ruin my plans, though not the one he had originally intended.

"Onii-chan… I heard you got into a fight… is it true?"

A fight? Well, that explains the soreness in my body.

I rattled my brain for the most recent information in my head.

Let's see. A letter. An idiot. More idiots. Me punching an idiot. More punching plus kicking. Aaand…..

Alright I'm turning up a blank.

"Well… from what I can remember it's true I got into a fight. But don't get me wrong, I didn't start it. Some idiot stalker brought in a group of high schoolers to threaten me all because he thought I was going on a date with-"

An image suddenly flashed in my mind. It was of a pretty brunette, but her looks was marred by tears streaming down her cheeks. It looked like she was shouting at something, or someone. Wait a minute, she looks kind of like…

"Orimoto!"

I quickly sat up and frantically looked around the infirmary. No sign of the brunette anywhere.

"Komachi, where's Orimoto?!"

"Calm down, Onii-chan! She's right there!"

I whipped my head to where she was pointing and my eyes landed on Orimoto, who was standing quietly at the door. She gave me a very small smile and waved, "Hey, Hikigaya…"

Relief flooded me the instant I saw she was ok. Komachi stared at me for a second before a mischievous smile spread across her cute face.

"Ah, I remembered I needed to do something! Orimoto-sempai, please keep my brother company while I'm away!"

I knew what she was trying to do, but before I could talk my meddling sister out of it she was already out the door. Orimoto and I were now alone with each other. I didn't know what to say so I just motioned for her to take Komichi's seat. She smiled at me before making her way to my side. Like always, it was her who broke the silence.

"So… how's your head?"

"… Hurts like a bitch. But other than the occasional throbbing, I'll live."

"That's good to hear. I… I was dreading that you might have cracked your head but the doctor said you only had a concussion. He… he also said that the stitches will leave a scar…"

I brushed my fingers over the spot above my temple where a bandage was patched. I couldn't feel the stitches but I did wince when I pressed on the wound.

"Well… I heard girls love scars. I bet this will just enhance my bad boy image." I heard a giggle leave her lips. Good, I managed to make her laugh.

"Hehehe… bad boy image. That's hilarious…"

I stared at her for a moment before voicing out the question that was flouting around in the back of my mind.

"Orimoto… what happened to me before I blacked out?"

"Y-You mean you don't remember? A-Are you sure your head is ok? Maybe it's better if you lie down some more."

"No, I'm fine… mostly. I remember getting into a fight but not much how it ended. I'm guessing that since I'm in the infirmary means I got my ass kicked."

"Not really. Quite the opposite in fact. The group that you were fighting is here too. I don't know the exact details but it seems like you did a number on them. The ones that were caught are being treated here as well."

Hearing that I managed to hand a group of delinquents their asses sent a surge of manly pride through my chest.

"Why are you smiling? You may have beaten them but you still got your head split open!" Orimoto's sudden burst of anger quickly killed my short lived pride.

"Oh, uh… sorry?"

Anger quickly turned to upset, "N-No. I-I shouldn't have shouted at you. Besides it was my fault you got hurt in the first place."

My look of confusion encouraged her to explain her words.

"I was the first one to find you. You were fighting a guy armed with a bat and when I saw that I screamed. I must have distracted you because you turned back to me and got hit in the head."

Her eyes started to tear up as she continued.

"I ran to you. You-You were bleeding. The guy with the bat ran away but… but he stood there."

He. As in he the stalker.

"That guy… sniff… he-he said he did it to protect me b-but…"

Her shoulders were quivering now. I was about to place a hand on her shoulder but something inside me held me back.

"The school grounds caretaker, a few teachers and some students arrived soon after. Someone must have heard me scream and called them over. An ambulance came and then here we are."

I was quiet. Not because I had nothing to say but because my mind was going a mile a minute.

I felt something warm cover my hand and saw that Orimoto was holding it in hers. She gave me a tearfully happy smile, "I-I… I'm so glad you're ok, Hikigaya."

I stared at her face then back to our hands. I gave her a gentle squeeze, as if trying to hold on to this moment for as long as I could before reluctantly pulling away. She looked at me confused to which I only can return a sad smile.

I'm sorry, Orimoto. But you're not gonna like this.

"Orimoto… I think it's best if we don't talk to each other anymore."

As expected, she stared at me in shock at my words, "… W-Wait… Hold up. W-What do you mean by that, Hikigaya?"

"I meant what I said. We shouldn't be seen talking to each other anymore."

There was a sudden silence, but like a flash of lightning, booming thunder soon followed.

"B-But why?! T-The teachers already know about what happened and if it's about the rumors that will pop up I already told you I don't care-"

"BUT I CARE!"

Orimoto quickly went quiet the moment I raised my voice. I let out a tired sigh and reluctantly explained to her, "Look, Orimoto. Because of this, the rumors about me are going to get even worse. People are going to find out about why this whole thing happened and then it won't be long till they link it to you. For the sake of your reputation, you have to act as if we were never friends to begin with-"

"But I don't want that!" I stared at her as she glared at me. Her eyes were wet with tears and her cheeks were beat red. She looked absolutely stunning for reasons I cannot word or explain.

"I don't want to pretend that we were never friends! I don't want to stop talking to you! I don't care about my reputation or some stupid rumors!"

Her shouts left her breathless and panting. Her shoulders were quivering and her fingers were shacking as she gripped the edge of the bed sheets hard. This time, I let my hands grasp her shoulders, trying my best to calm her down. I looked her in the eyes and gave the kindest smile I could muster.

"You're a nice girl, Orimoto. You're friendly with everyone and anyone, showing a happy face wherever you go. That's what makes you special. You're a social butterfly at heart, and I know you won't be able to go through being ostracized like me."

It will change you.

It will break you.

"Please. I don't want to see that happening to you. Not to someone I consider a friend.

So, not for your sake… but mine…

Stop being friends with me."

By the time Komachi had come back from whatever she was doing, Orimoto had long since left. My sister gave me a cheeky smile as she sat beside me.

"So Onii-chan, who was that sempai you were talking too?"

"She's just a classmate. Not anything you're thinking about."

"You sure she's just a classmate? She was waiting by your bed long before I knew what happened."

"Trust your dear Onii-chan, Komachi. There's nothing going on between us."

Komachi puffed out her cheeks and pouted, "Fine… Komachi had hoped Onii-chan finally got a girlfriend. Other than Saki-nee, you have no one you could call a friend."

Speaking about Saki reminded me that I still had to confront and explain to her why I didn't make it to her tournament. I just hope she doesn't jump to conclusions.

"Huuuh… oh well. Guess Onii-chan will have to find better luck next time. She was really pretty though, must have been a really nice person too."

I looked out the window and frowned at the orange sky.

"Yeah, she really was."

It turned out Komachi really was doing something when she left me and Orimoto alone. She was guiding our mom through the clinic, who had come straight from work after hearing what had happened to me. My mom had given me one of the tightest hugs I had ever received from her in a long while. She must have really been worried about me. She followed up by whacking me up on the side of my head, the uninjured side of course.

With my mom and Komachi by my side, the three of us were visited by two people, my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Sakamoto and a police officer. They questioned me on what happened and I gave them my story. When the officer was finished questioning me I was told by my teacher that there would be a follow up meeting with the school principle regarding the situation. It seems that this was a pretty large case since while there have been bullying cases before, this was the first time a gang of delinquents from another school was involved. Looks like I'm going to be going through some more tough times.

Great.

By the time everything was settled it was already almost seven o'clock. It seemed that the only big injury I suffered was the blow to my head so I was allowed to leave the clinic with a variety of painkillers and meds. My mom decided it best to order take out from a nearby family restaurant since it was obvious she had no time to cook. After dinner, I went straight to my room and prepared myself to confront Saki.

"Onii-chan, where are you going?"

I pulled on my shoes and turned to Komachi who was looking at me curiously.

"I'm heading over to Saki's. I shouldn't be out too long."

"Onii-chan, did something happen between you and Saki-nee? You had this look on your face when I mentioned her back in the infirmary."

"… Let's just say I have a bit of explaining to do. Anyway, I have to go."

"Ah! Wait, Oniichan! Bring an umbrella with you! It looked like it was going to rain when we got home!"

"It's alright; I have my hoodie on me. Our houses aren't that far apart so even if it does rain I'll just run back."

"Ok… come back safe, Onii-chan!"

"Yeah, wish me luck."

I pulled my hood over my head and started my journey. The Kawasaki household wasn't far but it wasn't near either. I found out we lived in the same neighbourhood about a year into my training. Hers was about two streets away from mine. I really wondered why she went to a different middle school since mine was closer. It was about fifteen minutes later that I reached her place.

I stood in front of the door and did a small prayer before knocking. No one answered for a good minute so I knocked again. Finally, I heard someone approaching.

"Who is it?" it was a male, but it didn't sound grown so it wasn't her dad. That must mean it's…

"Taishi, it's me, Hachiman."

"Onii-san? Hold on a second."

The door opened and I was now face to face with the second child of the Kawasaki household. Kawasaki Taishi was a boy the same age as Komachi. In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, the two were actually classmates. Again, why is it the little brother goes to the same school as me but not the sister?

"Onii-san, good evening. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Taishi. Good evening to you too. Sorry for dropping by unannounced but I was wondering if-"

"Haa-chan!"

Before I could finish my sentence I felt a little something ram into my leg. Looking down, I saw it was a mini Saki that had latched itself onto me. The mini Saki looked up at me and I was hit by a pair of large, happy, violet-blue eyes.

"Haa-chan! Goo evewing!"

I smiled at the little bundle of joy and caressed the top of her head. This was Keika, the youngest of the Kawasaki siblings.

"Hey Keika, it's been a while."

"Did Haa-chan come to play?"

"Yeah, Onii-san. Did Komachi-san come with you too?"

I felt an annoyed tick at the back of my head. Ok, kid. You better not be insinuating what I think you're insinuating. I think of you as a good kid but the second I catch any funny business that has to do with my little sister I'm officially putting you on the top of my hit list.

"No, I didn't come to play with you guys. I was actually wondering if-"

"Taishi? Who's at the door?"

What is with this family and cutting me off!

Wait, the person I was looking for was finally here. I looked inside and I could see Saki walking down the corridor. I was a bit mesmerized by her looks and state of attire. Her hair was out of her usual ponytail and he noted that it now reached her mid back. It looked slightly wet; hinting that she must have just recently took a bath. A large shirt covered her top and most of the boxer shorts underneath, giving off an image that made it look like she was only wearing the shirt.

The two of us stood stock still in surprise when our eyes met. When the effect was over her eyes quickly turned to her usual glare.

No. This was worse. Her glare looked like it could burn me down to ash. Did she learn how to shoot laser beams from her eyes? Is some bald guy in a wheelchair gonna come and save me?

"You."

Ok, there was a lot more spite in that one word then I would like to admit. I feel like looking away but I stood my ground.

"Taishi, it's getting late so please bring Kei-chan up to her room."

"But Nee-chan why-"

"Don't… argue with me right now."

I saw Taishi wince and nod at her command. The younger boy picked up his little sister in his arms, who was oddly subdued as well. Keika must have sensed her sister's bad mood and was complying out of necessity. The little girl stared at me from over her brother's shoulder and I gave her a smile to know everything is alright. She returned it with her own small one.

Sorry kids, it's my fault your sister's in a bad mood. Don't be upset with her.

My thoughts were pulled away from me when I felt myself be roughly pushed out of the house entrance and out to the foyer.

"Saki, I-"

SLAP!

My eyes were wide in surprise. I was too busy registering what just happened to even feel the pain. I looked back at her and stared at her angry face.

"How could you?"

I didn't answer. The slap must have affected more than my face because I couldn't find my voice at the moment.

"I waited for you. I searched for you in the crowds. I waited for you after I was done."

Her hands were starting to shake now. If I looked at my own I would see mine quivering as well.

"I didn't think you had it in you. To go back on our promise. I thought you said it was important!"

Every word. Every sentence. It felt like she was hitting me. But these hits were worse than our spars. At least in a spar I can brace myself from her punches and kicks. I was used to the impact of words being thrown behind my back. But when it's being spat at my face I didn't know how to counter it.

"But worst of all… I didn't think you would go back on your word for a stupid date."

Huh?

Wait, what date?

Don't tell me she…

"Saki, I think you're misunder-"

"Stop! I don't want to hear any of your excuses! Don't make my impression of you even worse than it already is!"

But if I don't explain then you wouldn't understand!

"But really, I only have myself to blame. Who would want to go to a stupid tournament when you could go out on a date with a cute girl?"

"But I didn't-"

"Tell me! Did you enjoy it?! Did finally getting someone to notice you feel great?! Huh?!"

My eyes widened even further than before. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Is she really using my loneliness against me?

I felt the lid on my temper start to loosen.

"Stop it Saki, this isn't-"

"I can't believe I trusted you! For these past few years you were the only person I could actually call a friend! And when I needed you most, you were off somewhere having fun with another girl! Didn't I mean anything to you?!"

Of course you mean something to me! That's why I'm here! But you aren't making this easy for me at all!

"She must have been something else, huh?! I bet she was way out of your league! I bet you were so into it that she must have thought you were trying too hard!"

Stop it, woman! You're going too far now!

"After all those brainless, narcissistic talks about not wasting your time with normal people and believing it's ok to be alone. It takes just one stupid girl to go back on your-"

"DON'T YOU TALK BAD ABOUT HER!"

I must have been really mad because my outburst had her standing back in fear.

And why shouldn't she? I was pissed. No, I was beyond pissed. This stupid girl was pushing things way out of proportion and was insinuating the most ludicrous things.

She keeps interrupting me before I could even explain! Keeps berating me for things I didn't do!

But worst of all.

She insulted someone I had cared for in front of me.

"Shut up for one bloody second and let me explain!"

"I didn't go to your damn tournament, not because I was out on a date with a girl, BUT BECAUSE I WAS FUCKING KNOCKED UNCONCIOUS!"

I pulled down my hood, grabbed my bandages and ripped them off, exposing my stitched to her. The sight must have shocked her to the core because she backed away and was holding her hands to her mouth.

"I came here to explain. To tell you why. To preserve our friendship. But it seems you prefer shouting at me and berating me then to hear anything I have to say."

"…H-Hachi, I-"

"Don't!" I interrupted her before she could say anything. In fact, I think you've said enough.

"…Don't bother. I finally know that my opinion doesn't matter to you. I finally know what you think of me."

It seems I have to break more than one relationship today. And it looks like she knows as well. It's already one out of two, might as well go the whole way right?

"Well, you don't have to bother with me anymore."

When a bond is strained, it's better to reset so it can start anew.

Or to make it easier to let it die.

"No, wait Hachi-"

"From now on, we're gonna treat each other like strangers. Starting now. Goodbye Kawasaki-san, and have a good evening."

She didn't move from her spot, my words making it too heavy for her to do so. I turned and made my way back home, not even bothering to look back.

I don't know what I would have done if she had ran after me. I was too scared I would have done something worse then what I just did.

Luckily enough… or unluckily if you thought about it…

Nothing happened.

I wondered if it was from the rain… but the water that ran down my cheeks felt oddly warm.

My fist crashed onto the punching bag in a steady rhythm.

One, two, one, two…

I finished my rep with a three hit combo, ending the last hit with a good kick. I breathed in deeply and slowly, doing my best to calm my rapidly beating heart. Moving over to rest on a bench, I rummaged through my bag and frowned when I couldn't find my water bottle.

"Looking for this?"

I turned and saw my master looking down at me, my water bottle in his hand.

"Shishou…"

"Ya left it near the refill tank. Ya must have been really distracted to just leave it there, Hachi-chan."

"Uh… yeah. Thanks for picking it up, Shishou."

I took the bottle back and uncorked the top before taking a good helping from it. I felt the bench groan as my master took a seat beside me. He waited for me to finish drinking before saying anything.

"You know… Saki-chan called in a few hours ago. She said she's quitting the gym since there are no more club activities and that she wants to focus on her studies more."

"Oh… good for her then."

"Yeah, you have to prioritize what's currently important to you. It's a good habit to have at a young age. I was thinking maybe you should take a break as well since-"

"Shishou… am I a bad person?"

My question must have surprised him because he looked taken aback by it. He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes in contemplation before finally answering.

"No, I believe you're an honest and hardworking young man. You gave that impression the first time we met, and you still do even now. What you lack though is a sense of purpose."

I stared down at the bottle in my hands. It was half empty. An optimist would say it's half full but that's where you would be wrong. A bottle is not meant to contain water indefinitely. Sooner or later, it will be emptied.

Right now, I felt like I was this water bottle; halfway to becoming empty myself.

"Then why does it feel like someone up there gets a kick out of making me miserable?"

Seriously, the times where I cherish the good things in life were few and far in between compared to the abundance of bad moments.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and didn't need to look up to know who it belonged to.

"Hachiman, remember your father's words back then? That, when the world is pushing you down, you should push back as well?"

"Yeah, and I have been doing my best to push back whenever something goes bad for me. But this… this whole thing… it's harder than I thought. What if… what if pushing back, only makes things worse? Wouldn't letting myself, my pride, be stepped on so that everyone will be happy… wouldn't that make things better?"

If I had just swallowed my pride… If I had just stopped pushing back for that one moment…

Would I have saved the one thing I wanted to protect that night?

"… Letting others hurt you… to make the majority happy… would only hurt the ones who care for you, Hachiman."

I looked up and stared at my master as he gave me a sullen smile, "You have to understand that humans are social creatures. We are connected to one another since the day we are born. From our parents who gave birth and raised us. To our siblings and friends who grow up alongside us. Even to strangers who pass us by every day.

In that sense, our life was never our own to carelessly do about and hurt as we please. Because somewhere out there, there is someone who values you… and they would feel hurt if ever they see you in pain. So don't needlessly jump in front of a gun, if you're not prepared to hurt and lose the ones who consider you precious."

I contemplated his words.

Komachi.

Mom.

Dad.

Shishou.

Orimoto.

… Saki.

I could see. I could clearly see how sad they would be if I got hurt. If I needlessly threw my life away. It was proven so many times over the years and even just recently.

But…

"Relationships… people, friends, family. One day, or any other day… they will hurt you all the same."

"True relationships are born from hardships. You will never understand how strong a bond is if it has never been tested. If the bonds between two people are so easily broken… then that shows how weak it was to begin with."

That's… right.

Bonds between family are strong because every day since birth it is being tested and strengthened.

My friendship with Saki… was so fragile that it took only one fight, one misunderstanding to get us at each other's throats.

I didn't understand her.

She didn't understand me.

We both assumed the other would be at their beck and call. We never took in the chance of ever hurting each other.

Our bond was too vague.

Too weak.

It was based on something we both thought was ideal only in our own eyes.

The both of us… never understood the value of friendship from the start.

If I ever get the chance… I would like to understand it. I would like to understand people. I would like to appreciate others and have others appreciate me. I want to be hurt and cared for. I don't want my bonds to simply break with the slightest touch. I don't want it to disappear over time. I don't want it to be superficial or fake.

I want something…

Genuine.

AN: So what do you guys thi-

*Sees angry mob of Kawasaki fans holding pitchforks and torches*

Wait! Before you all go on a fox hunt for my beautiful ass, let me explain!

You see, this whole prologue before the start of canon is to build up Hachiman's character to what I deem fit for this story. I really wanted Hachiman to understand what he desires so that he will come to understand his up and coming relationships even better. But the problem was I had to also make it that he'll be mostly a loner till second year of high school to stick with canon timeline. I made this even harder and complicated for myself because I had introduced Saki so damn early into the story. The original plot was to have Hachiman do a social suicide while with Orimoto similar to canon and have Shishou teach him life lessons. Having Saki around literally killed my original plot so I had to improvise. I agonized over this for a long time but had finally come to the conclusion that his relationship with Saki had to be strained and cut off to bring about a similar impact.

I honestly never expected so many Saki fans to read and love my story. It honestly gave me nightmares that I'll disappoint you guys with this decision but it had to be done. All I have to say to make up for this is that I promise that this will all lead to an even greater Saki arc than in cannon.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was honestly the most thrilling one for me to write. Please leave a review as always and tell me what you think about it. Oh, and I also left you a little post credit scene but I'm sure you guys couldn't miss it. Well, that's all for now. As always see you next time, Kitsunelovers out!

Post Credits:

At the edge of my consciousness I could hear people talking. My eyes moved from behind my eyelids as I drifted slowly out of sleep.

"Thank you for visiting. Sorry Onii-chan's asleep at the moment."

"N-No, that's ok! I mean, he must be like, really tired after everything that's happened, you know?"

It seems like Komachi was talking to someone. It's really weird that they're having a conversation in my room of all places. Komachi, can't you see your dear Onii-chan is sleeping comfortably in bed?

…

Oh wait, I'm not even in my room or my own bed.

I'm in a hospital bed.

The events of the past couple of days rose from the back of my mind. I got hit by a car while saving a dog, and thanks to that I'm now bedridden in a hospital. I suffered a couple of fractures from the incident and won't be able to leave for a few weeks.

"U-Umm, I-I brought some sweets along with me! Y-You can like, share them with your brother when he wakes up!"

"Oh, thank you very much!"

The stranger's speech pattern was oddly… familiar. It had a sense of air-headedness to it, bordering unintuitive even. Something a riajuu would do.

It couldn't be her… could it?

With anticipation and a slight sense of foreboding, I decided it was time to greet this stranger myself. My eyes blinked open and the first thing I see is the white ceiling of my hospital room. I turned to my left and saw my little sister happily chewing on some sweets. Her eyes met mine and instantly perked up.

"Ah, Onii-chan, you're awake! There's someone here who came to visit you."

I turned to my right, and sure enough there stood a pretty brown eyed brunette.

But not the one I was hoping for.

"U-Umm… M-My name is Yuigahama Yui! I-It's nice to meet you!"