Day 37
It's been a week since I recovered, and… Never again.
The supply drops haven't come since my time in the pharmacy, either our American Overlords don't see a point in helping us anymore or they're dealing with this too.
Oh, and Tokyo has been exploding and crumbling, so that's great. With Chiba being a neighboring city…Yeah. If it wasn't obvious, Japan's not doing so hot.
Kawasaki finally got a walkie and we talk. Once a day. Obviously not my idea, but she insists on contacting me, and only me specifically. Her dislike of Miura was understandable, considering their differing personalities, but she doesn't dislike Komachi from what I can tell, yet she only wants to talk to me…
This damn woman is too damn complicated.
Miura's changed too, if she was like a nagging mother before, then she's an overbearing nagging mother now. Komachi obviously noticed too, but I seem to be the target of her worry.
This damn woman is too damn complicated, too!
Komachi. She's…She's doing good. I think. She's an honest to god blessing in these times, but…I'm starting to miss the carefree schoolgirl she used to be.
Mom, Dad…
I never really looked at you both for guidance as I got older, but…I really am lost, I wish you were here.
Hikigaya Household, Living Room
"Hah! …Huff…Huff." Regaining my breath, I put down the improved spear Komachi made with the bowie knife.
My technique was obviously unrefined and probably even sloppy, but all I had to do was aim for the head, or completely dismember them. According to that silver haired delinquent, at least. '…Is she some type of psycho? Dismember them?!'
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
'The hell?' Whipping my head around to the door to the hall, it suddenly opens after a few seconds, and in comes Miura.
"Hikio!" Giving her a questioning look, she raises her arm and reveals…my school uniform? "You never told me you went to Sobu!"
"...Why would I? If you haven't realized it, the world has ended, and I'm not obligated to go." I frown, slightly annoyed at her barging in and her yelling over something so…pointless.
"It's because I went there too, idiot!" Really? That's surprising. "…How did I never see you before? Actually, what class were you in?" She asks like a hyperactive child.
"...1-D, I think? Anyways, you never saw me, because I was in the hospital the whole time. Satisfied?"
"You were in the same class as me?!" Not satisfied, got it. "How did I…Hospital? Hikio, what happened?" Damn it, I was actually being productive, for once, before you interrupted me!
"It was just a fractured bone in my leg. Now, is that everything? I'm busy."
"Don't make it seem less important than it is! Hikio, a fractured bone isn't something to scoff at." How suffocating.
Putting the spear on the ground, I do exactly as she said and scoff. "It's been nearly three months since then, I'm fine and don't need to be coddled." Even now, I wasn't back to my 100%, but the less she knew, the better.
"...What the hell is your deal?! I'm not "coddling" you, I'm your friend, and I worry about you."
"Like I said, a friendship built upon gratitude can hardly be called a friendship. We are not friends, Miura-san."
"...But you said you trusted me!"
"I trust you to keep my sister safe. I hardly know you. You don't know me." Picking up the spear, I got into the stance Kawasaki showed me. "You and I have more important things to do than getting to know each other."
Fwish!
'I knew I had to burn this bridge sooner or later, and it happened to be sooner.' My grip on my spear tightened at the thought. 'This is the right thing to do, …right?'
"Yeah!? And since when were you an expert on friends?!" Feeling her grip on the hem of my shirt, I stop myself from recoiling at her outburst. "So what if I feel thankful to you? How could I not? You…You saved me."
…I could only feel a deep hatred for myself as soon as I heard her choke back a sob. 'I…'
"...Do you know what it's like? Hearing their moaning and groaning for an entire week? Did you know that just before I locked myself in there, my friends threw me at those things so I could be their distraction? I got lucky, and somehow survived, only to see them be eaten instead. Heh, I mean…they were my friends since junior high, but they…"
I didn't bother responding, I couldn't. How could I? I didn't experience that. I just…
"...I wanted it to be over. Whether I escaped or died, it didn't matter to me. And yet, there you were, looking at me like I was an alien or something. It was…It was you. You saved me, Hikio."
"I want to know who saved me."
Miura's voice trembled with emotion as she finished, her grip on my shirt loosening. I stood there, speechless, unsure of how to respond to her raw honesty…so I didn't.
Staring into her eyes that were now tearing up, I averted my eyes. '...Say something!' I can't. 'Anything!'
"W-Why?" I don't make an attempt to stop her.
Slam!
'...You coward.' I curse myself.
Evening, Hallway
Knock, Knock.
"Komachi, can we talk?" I ask, leaning my head against her door.
'No answer?' Knocking again, I call out again. "Komachi? Are you awake?"
…Nothing. "Komach-!"
"Isn't it a bit late for you to be yelling, baka-Nii-chan?" I hear from behind me.
Turning around, I find Komachi drying her hair with a towel. She had obviously just showered, as her loose fitting pj's (Clothes that no longer fit me, and she took) stuck to her skin. "Komachi, I need-"
"Yeah, Yeah…I know." Walking past me, she opens her door and aggressively pulls me into her room by the collar.
Motioning for me to sit on her bed, I do so, as she continues standing. "Onii-chan." She starts, but there isn't much of the familial affection it usually has. "I get that you didn't have any friends, but I didn't think it was this bad." The truth hurts. This truth hurts a lot.
'I messed up.' I knew I did. "Komachi, I-" p
With a deep sigh, Komachi takes a seat beside me. "I know." She sighs again. "Honestly? I'm mad at you too, but…I can understand why you did what you did, even if it was really stupid."
"You talked with-"
"Yes, Yes I did." She waves me off. "But, that doesn't matter. You need to apologize." She forcefully pokes my side.
"...Why?"
With another sigh, Komachi shakes her head. "Gomi-chan, you suck at this."
"Then, what should I do?"
A sad look appears on my little sister's face. "Nothing. Give her time, and take that time to reflect on who you want to be." She explains. "Komachi will love you regardless, even if you become an uncaring jerk. -Ah! That must have been worth a lot of points!"
"...Yeah. It was." I still felt empty.
Supermarket
'This doesn't…how?' All of the meat products were untouched. Most of them had gone bad from the month of improper refrigeration, and for no other reason. 'But, aren't they-'
"Let's move." I hear from my right.
Nodding dumbly, I tear my gaze from the untouched meat.
Following behind Kawasaki, we sneak past a small group of the undead, and enter the canned food section.
Getting her attention, I motion for her to gather her things while I watch our backs. Thankfully, she understands as she takes off her backpack and starts grabbing.
Gripping my spear tightly, I watch both ends of the aisle. One, two, three. Turn. One, two, three. Turn. Repeat.
Grab.
"D-mngh…" Cutting off my curse, I glare at Kawasaki for suddenly grabbing my arm.
She doesn't bother with glaring back as she just tugs on my backpack.
'Oh.' Taking it off, I pass it over. One, two, three. Turn. One, two… 'Fuck.' At the furthest of the aisle stood a lone straggler, moving erratically, unlike anything I had seen.
"Aaaagggghhhh…"
Its groan was both unnatural and terror inducing, which froze me in place. Then, our eyes met.
"AAARGGGHH!"
'Run, Run, RUN!' Yet, I didn't. Even as it charged at us, I didn't move, instead I-
"Hikigaya!" I hear from my left. "Oi, Hiki-"
"-gaya!"
"Huh?" Blinking in rapid succession, I find myself at the front door of a home I had never seen before.
"Hey, are you alright?" I hear from my silver haired companion.
"Y-Yeah." I mutter, my mind elsewhere.
'I…'
Grab.
Feeling a grip on my shoulder, I meet the concern in Kawasaki's eyes. "You're obviously not." Then, that concern is soon replaced by realization. "...You never –Fuck! Why didn't you tell me?"
"...What are you, my…" Biting my tongue, I just look away. "I'm fine, see you."
"Like hell you are." Feeling her grip tighten, she practically drags me into her home.
"Oi, this isn't necess-" I try to resist.
"I'd rather not have you dying on your way back, at least stay for dinner." She cuts me off. "Take your shoes off, and watch your mouth, I don't want my siblings swearing like sailors."
Complying for now, I followed her into her home. "Hn."
"Saa-chan!" Only for her to be ambushed…by a miniature Kawasaki.
I didn't make the usual comment about her "motherhood", and instead continued to take off my shoes.
Once I'm done, I turn back to Kawasaki, who was already looking at me with an expectant look in her eyes.
Looking over to her side, I meet the nervous but curious eyes of her younger sister. Feeling something familiar to what I used to when Komachi was a child, I kneel down to her height and put on the best smile I can. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hikigaya Hachi-"
"You're Haa-chan!" She yells excitedly, pulling my sleeve along.
Following the bundle of excitement, I look over at Kawasaki for an explanation, and yet she won't meet my eyes.
Entering what appears to be their kitchen and living room mix, I'm surprised even further by what comes out of the child's mouth. "Mama! Saa-chan brought her boyfriend home!"
"Keika!" So that's her name? …Hold on.
'...What?'
"Ara?" Coming from out the kitchen, is a woman who even I felt my face heat up at. To say she was beautiful would be an understatement, but that didn't matter as her sharp purple eyes met my own. "So this is the Hikigaya Hachiman I've heard so much about from Saki."
"Mom! You're not helping!" I hear Kawasaki complain.
The Kawasaki matriarch giggled to herself, her eyes closing, and in that moment I let out the breath I unknowingly held in. "I'm just teasing~."
Approaching me, she bows, her dark gray hair falls forward. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Hikigaya-kun."
'Your daughter can take care of herself.' Is my immediate thought, but I stop myself from blurting it out. "I can't take any credit for that, Ma'am. Kawasaki is a strong…woman."
Standing up straight, Kawasaki's mother looks at me with those same eyes. It's only for a moment, but I feel a deep terror in my heart from the way her eyes bore into my soul. "Is that right? …I approve, Boyfriend-kun."
"Mom!" Kawasaki starts again, but her mother just laughs.
Feeling a tug on my sleeve, I'm led away from the bickering mother-daughter duo and into their living room by the child. "Haa-chan! Look!" Sprawled all over the coffee table were crayons and sheets of paper.
On the sheets were drawings depicting many different things. Flowers, scribbles, …her family.
"Haa-chan? Why are you cryi-"
"T-They look great, Keika."
Saki's Bedroom
Sitting on the floor, my eyes were glued to the floor. "You scared the hell out of Keika there, hell, even I was shocked to see you like that." I didn't move my gaze, even as the pit of shame in my stomach only seemed to worsen at her words.
"Sorry." I apologize.
I hear a sigh come from her direction. "I didn't want to ask, but, what's up with you today? You were pretty out of it, even before… that."
I couldn't give her an answer, I was…I wanted to be alone.
"...I can't and won't force you to tell me anything." Getting up from her bed, Kawasaki approaches her door. "I don't know what you may be thinking right now, but I…" With a shake of her head, Kawasaki sighs again. "I'll be back in a bit, you better not do anything weird while I'm gone."
Like that, I'm finally alone. '...' Yet I couldn't form a thought, so I sat in silence.
"Hi-Hikio?"
Hearing Miura's voice come from my pocket, I reach for it but I'm stopped by…an indescribable feeling.
"If you can hear me…come back. There's someone in the house."
To Be Continued…
Well, before I even begin with excuses, let me say this. This is pre-highschool Hachiman. He wants to be a monster of logic, but he can't. He didn't experience what canon 8man did in High School and hasn't had time to psychoanalyze the friendships around him.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the same naive Hachiman from middle school, who is now too afraid to make real meaningful relationships with others after being ridiculed for wanting that very thing.
So at the end, he broke down.
Hikigaya Hachiman is afraid of being hurt, and…I can't blame him. He hasn't grieved over his parents, he's scared of losing Komachi, and so many other things that I can't say yet.
Hikigaya Hachiman is lost.
Now! Is this chapter perfect? Hah! Far from it, but that's my lack of skill as a writer at fault.
…Just, let me cook, yeah?
So, remember how I said to expect big things in this chapter? Yeah, ignore that and forget I said it.
At the end of Chapter 6 I introduced "Haru-san", and she will show up. At some point.
Hachiman finally did it. He killed a…
Before, I claimed that Saki had two other siblings that weren't Keika or Taishi. I was wrong. She only has one other sibling.
Me when I spread misinformation. :o
Review Time
Solitary Heart says: Come on man we've waited for so long gie us something longer mann
I say: I have nothing to say to you.
noru2k says: Always a fun time then this updates, really its a little treat for myself when I get off work and see that's its updated.
As always your characterizations and character interactions were fun and interesting!
As always good work and can't wait for more.
I say: Thanks :)
Hachiman fan says:
Welcome back and thanks for the chapter buddy. You got me there with hachiman said he's cold, almost like he got infected, end of the story. Luckily waifu on rescue. And, the last part with haruno. What even happen? Until next time, stay healthy and stay safe.
I say: Thanks!
G0dz1llex says: Well if this wasn't an interesting episode... we even got to see a teaser for next chapter where we might see one of the yukinoshitas... gotta add, as always you met expectations with kawasaki and hachiman, two loners by nature, interacting with each other. It is always appreciated *gives him more money*
I say: I'll be rich if you continue to give me this money, you know? But, I'm not complaining!
Masterboy says: great chapter
I say: Thanks.
TroxX101 says: Good so far
I say: Thanks. …So far?
Review Time Over.
I'm feeling uninspired, so don't expect anything in the near future.