Omake 1: FORESEEABLE HAZARDS

The wind roared with pain.

A cloud stretched across the plain. The wingspan of that gigantic cloud blocked out the sun, like the lost hope of a nation. Below, on dry land, two young men faced each other's gaze. One with fear, and his dark hair, and the other, with his long blond hair like a waterfall, with arrogance and confusion. The blond sat on a half-destroyed throne, composed of several decaying pieces and bloodstains. His tired and devastated gaze changed countenance with every blink of an eye. His body, covered by a large armor of pale blue, looked exhausted and desolate, like the remnants of a glorious past.

Around him, purple and blue particles fluttered ceaselessly. On the other hand, the disheveled and fearful young man executed no movement. His school attire was out of harmony with the whole scenery of the place. A sword was between the two characters. That weapon was buried almost completely in the ground. Beside it, words floated and whispers were heard without any specific order.

"Whoever wields this sword will wield absolute power. As the sword rends fears, so must power mark the mettle and its all."

That chilling voice, in the distance, repeated this mantra. Like a small wave, more others repeated it and crowded together to form a hubbub. However, the message was still understandable.

"Traitor...They call me traitor"

At last, after a long silence, the exhausted-looking young man spoke in the most tired voice possible. His laughter before the mention of any betrayal was caught in small expressions. The emotion was gone from his body and only fatigue and apathy could be felt in his very existence.

"In truth, it was I who was betrayed...they abandoned me, humiliated me...they broke their promises, their oaths...They were blind, naive and stupid...I was shattered for trusting them."

Shadows emerged behind the throne. Fuzzy people pointed at the throne accusingly. A wave of negativity surrounded the now white-haired young man. As the shadows bulged, the young man's hair became similar to a sickly, unnatural white. His face also paled and his armor froze and rusted. A black substance ran through his body.

The other young man present, with black hair and trembling feet, just watched without believing what was happening to him. He did not know the reason behind all these events.

"Still, I sought to make it all right... I sought the welfare of all. I sought to repair the bond of belief that united us, I sought..."

Their gazes met again. The dull-eyed young man smiled, with an extremely ugly grimace. I seemed to be smiling with great amusement at the situation.

"You must know what's missing, right?"

There was no response. He decided to observe in mute silence.

"Yet I am now condemned for all my past. Still, I am hated. Though, now, my hands will destroy what others cannot. They will rise up as punishment for human insolence. And it is that, sometimes, Sometimes, Sometimes, the hand of fate must be manipulated!"

The gloved hand reached out. The invitation was clear. So were the intentions.

"Don't you think so, Hachiman?"

Such empty eyes, so deep and devoid of a color. Degraded by darkness, they burned Hikigaya Hachiman's soul.

And, just as it happened, the whole scene disappeared when he awoke.

When Hikigaya Hachiman awoke from that nightmare, he avoided screaming or falling into confusion as he did the first time in the face of these strange consequences. He did not want to make Komachi or his parents uncomfortable.

It wouldn't be the first time that "copying" a technique had taken its toll on him. This time, however, its consequences proved to be much more forceful than expected. Completely different from any bodily pain or behavioral discomfort; they threatened his nap period without any qualms. All because he was "inspired" by the method of his new partner, Yonagi Kei.

Hikigaya Hachiman understood that, if not used carefully, the user's mental health was in exponential danger. He had to warn Kuroyama without question, even though there was a possibility that he had already foreseen it. He could be a negative image of adulthood, yet his strength was his foresight and analytical vision. With the pieces in play, and enough clues, he would pave any path. And, with this information, the possibility of her condition affecting his new "kouhai" would not occur. At best, it would be mild consequences if she wanted to pursue his acting career.

What was more worrying, however, was how quickly he experienced the backlash. He had only used it to represent a certain essence of a prince, a fantasy of a follower of his on social networks. It didn't even take him 30 minutes to assimilate the behavior of the "corrupt prince" to give his voice. After all, although he could not offer any acting service for free, he understood the fantasy of hearing the living voice of a beloved character. In this case, the "corrupt prince" did not yet have a purely Japanese voice actor, so he was asked to do so. Although hesitant at first, Hikigaya Hachiman agreed when he remembered his chuunibyou past and the pressure of Kuroyama's bum. Although using such a method was Hachiman's own decision; curiosity convinced him to employ such a style. And now he was seeing the results. A week of reflection, along with more intermittent trial and error proved him right.

When he arrived at the studio, Yonagi kei was curiously in the room. How did he get to the studio so quickly? The reason did not take long to come to Hikigaya Hachiman's mind. She shouldn't have communicated her absence from the club to the teacher who forced her to enter. Or so he thought with everything he remembered. Arguments were enough for him to think of the impending lonely nature of his companion. However, her circumstances were diametrically opposed to his own. Moreover, that their understanding and coexistence with school socialization differed greatly. If Hikigaya Hachiman voluntarily stopped believing in youth because it had failed him; Yonagi Kei never had a chance to choose or integrate into it before she was isolated by her absence of presence.

How did a loner with no active social communication get that information? Hikigaya Hachiman only had to ask Hiratsuka-sensei with dubious descriptions, and listen to conversations about the freshmen's situation. Sometimes, when you only have to pass course exams, even with a club on your back, free time appeared relatively often. Besides, they were no longer just three members, so he was taking some liberties. Still, if things got complicated, Yuigahama Yui or Yumiko Miura would contact him, the Yuki-onna wouldn't; she didn't even seem to use the phone.

"Oh, Hachiman-kun, it's unusual for you to come by yourself."

"Heh, you finally decided to participate in another production? If so, you're in a bad mood, I've already decided where you'll enter."

Hiiragi Yuki's surprise contrasted with the acid reception of Sumiji Kuroyama, who never failed to show a smile of authority.

"Good afternoon, Yuki-san. I wanted to communicate something urgent to Kuroyama."

"This brat, to be so formal, you make my hair stand on end... Anyway, if you're going to report something let's do it later. I have to give your insurance to Yonagi first."

Yonagi Kei, who was watching a movie, did not react to his mention. She, after conversing with the sympathetic and energetic Komachi-chan, was convinced to leave her siblings in his care. The doubts she presented remained in her mouth because the Hikigaya Hachiman household exuded that security and reliability of a well-off middle-class family. Thus, with one less problem on her back, she devoted her afternoons to perusing the various tapes the studio possessed. Her library seemed endless and she was grateful for the opportunity.

"Oi, I'm talking to you about a very serious matter. We can't put this off..."

"Before that, I need Yonagi to be more confident. I need her to be more aware of her duties. You guys are young, sometimes you over-understand things in a way... that won't help us in the future."

Kuroyama Sumiji categorically ignored Hikigaya Hachiman, even though the latter usually managed to strike up a conversation. To Hikigaya Hachiman's misfortune, if the lazy director wouldn't give in, there was little he could do to change that.

"Let's get this over with, Yonagi, here."

"What is it?"

Sumiji held a piece of paper towards a confused Kei Yonagi. She just held up the strange paper as she paused the video.

"It's a security contract, so you can stop doubting us. As long as you take off in this industry there will be no need to use it and we will leave it hidden in the deepest recesses of my vault."

Kuroyama Sumiji replied as sympathetically as possible. A smile of absolute confidence replaced his bored expression of apathy.

"What is this pervert referring to, Hikigaya-san?"

Hikigaya Hachiman was surprised not to be greeted with a pun on his name. Apparently, being present at the service club had warped his common sense.

"No idea, I think age has already taken its toll on him, are you sure you don't want to liquidate the company, Hiiragi-san?"

"It seems kind of strange to me that you would pull this out of thin air, Sumiji, did you talk to a lawyer?"

Puzzled at such a gesture, but not entirely surprised, Yuuki Hiragi rebuked Sumiji Kuroyama for answers. She didn't seem annoyed, but she did seem nervous.

"One of the most boring experiences after watching the rolling cheese race, but yes, that's what I spent my whole afternoon yesterday on. It would take too long to explain the ins and outs of an hour and a half lecture so, long story short, this serves as your cushion, Yonagi. If you fail or can't continue for a while, for whatever reason, Hachiman will assume your expenses and housing. That also includes your siblings. With this, there should be no problem in starting a quiet acting career."

At such a calm statement from Kuroyama Sumiji, Hachiman reacted in the calmest way possible.

"Oi, oi! What are you saying?I'm not saying it's not an impressive gesture for a sullen man like you, but you just forgot one small and insignificant detail. YOU DON'T HAVE MY RECOGNITION BY ANY MEANS, LET ALONE MY APPROVAL. You didn't even warn me. Don't take it personally, Yonagi-san. It's just that I had no knowledge of this, indeed I didn't even know of the existence of this deal until now."

The aforementioned was still trying to understand what the two chatterboxes in the room were referring to.

"WHAT A PITY. Actually, I do have the necessary permission. Now, even if you are a minor, your guardian can help you "facilitate" the paperwork. Soichiro also entrusted me with vital information from you for any emergency. Just today he has a good use for it. It was already getting dusty just like your participation in some recent production. How sad to have a young, dead-end attempt at acting as an ambassador..."

Contrary to the negotiable, Hikigaya Hachiman knew that topic detour would be very recurrent when Sumiji Kuroyama would not accept any refusal.

"Leave Max Coffe out of this. Don't you dare..."

If any outsiders saw the scene, they would be pretty sure about an impending fight between a minor and a beggar.

"I dare and what, what can you do? You haven't even responded to Hiiragi's messages to try to get out of your comfort zone, are you going to think about it for two more months, Scaredy fish-san?"

Yonagi Kei, a little more conscious of social tact, decided to divert the topic to the elephant in the room.

"Enough. I understand the main point of your discussion, I don't trust both of you, but I do trust the money you can offer me."

"It seems we speak the same language. From now on, we are partners."

Kuroyama Sumiji's smile was still plastered on his face. No matter how the mood changed, it seemed that it didn't bother him at all; and, quite the opposite, Hiiragi Yuki was falling into nervousness because of the bad atmosphere inside the place.

Hiiragi Yuki could not be blamed either. From enduring the uncertainty of a good deal to watching the company's new actress not move from her seat for more than three hours. The production manager's sanity, even knowing the expertise and commitment of others, only wore thin at any minor friction on set.

"And my opinion?"

"Come on, brat, don't you owe me a lot of favors for bringing you into this little world?"

Symbolizing his defeat, Hikigaya Hachiman accepted Kuroyama's complicit arm near his shoulder. However, even if he lost the battle, he did not lose the war.

"I owe you as many favors as the money and interest you owe me since I picked you up at the airport."

Resigned, yet with some confidence in Kuroyama Sumij's ability to recognize the talent of others, Hachiman Hikigaya only sighed wearily after his last comment.

"With all that said, I hope we get along well. Again, I'm Hiiragi Yuki, production manager, nice to meet you."

"Yonagi Kei, actress, a pleasure."

"Kuroyama Sumiji, director and impromptu babysitter."

"Hikigaya Hachiman, an unfortunate actor."

Have a nice day, greetings from your favorite writer XD.

I will respond to some comments before the message:

For MaybeLesserEvil, ch4: Yes, that's a funny point I keep in mind. As Hachiman mentioned, his face is stamped on the few Max Coffe ads in Chiba; however, the makeup gives a different feel so only few can differentiate him from his "actor mode" Thank you very much for your comment! I hope you enjoy future interaction.

For Nsss, ch4: I'm glad for your enthusiasm. I too hope to update more frequently to express the idea of this crossover. thanks for your comment!

For RealBarto, ch4: Thanks for commenting. I wanted to put Hachiman as a representative of something else, something contrary to what he appears, but, after having coffee, Hachiman could only be integrated into Max Cofee! I hope the next chapters will entertain you even more.

For Okami2312, ch4: I'm glad this story caught your attention. thanks so much for commenting!

For YunanObserves, ch4: Your appreciations are very accurate, I'm still not used to write in English; however, I'm trying to improve Otherwise, thank you very much for your comment!

Your comments help me to continue with this story, I appreciate your time!

Now, here's the promised omake, why isn't it a chapter? Well, I consider that there is not so much extension of the chapter, besides, there is not so much development and interaction. I have projected that, at the end of each arc, there will be a POV of some character. I hope to arrive before Christmas for that. Right, I'm also looking for a beta reader, correcting everything all at once sometimes takes longer than expected.

Anyway, this week is my birthday, I'll move forward as soon as I finish the show. Thank you very much for your comments and followings, have fun reading on the platform!