My Saturday Afternoons Are Not As Lonely As I Expected

by Jiraphie

A confession, a laugh, a rejection, and a "we can still be friends?" In other words, Hikigaya Hachiman finds a friend in Orimoto Kaori. Every Saturday afternoon reserved for their not-dates. And who knows? Perhaps their peculiar friendship may turn into something more... But that was to be expected from the start.

1. Part 1: Saturday Afternoons - Prologue

11/03/2021 (2/5/2022)

Part 1: Saturday Afternoons - Prologue

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Everything began on that fateful Friday in my second year of middle school, I got rejected. A nice, pretty girl talked to me in school and sometimes even texted me. So I, foolish and naive, misinterpreted her kind actions as "she must be interested in me!" and confessed my boundless affection. Only to be met with nervous laughter and later a "we can still be friends?".

Falling into a spiral of depression, ashamed of myself for getting the wrong idea. It wasn't logical, I had done the same thing many times before, but this time, it hurt a lot more. Maybe because I actually liked this person instead of previously where I was just delusional in thinking that I had a chance. I could already imagine what would happen when I would go to school the next day, but I suppose it wouldn't make much of a difference considering my already terrible reputation. So I swore to myself that I would never repeat my mistakes and aim for an elite school so I would never see these normies again. So, I laid down on my bed with newfound resolve, and dreamt of a new start.

*Ping*

I got a text? Who would even text me? Orimoto Kaori. - Hey Hikigaya, wanna hang out tomorrow? Not a date of course, but I did tell you we could still be friends. :)

And so, my life as a loner cynic with a single (surprisingly supportive) friend, began.