YO! How's everything going?
NGL, I've been getting cooked the last few weeks. Failed my summer class (T T) but thankfully, the birth of my niece negates the frustrations caused by my summer class.
Despite the suffering from my Summer Class, I've managed to work on this chapter. Bit by bit, I was able to produce the whole chapter until I felt satisfied with it.
Responses to Reviews:
- Kyrie disappointed me bro. Like I expected so much from him considering he already played in the finals a couple of times before the Mavs and Celtics series, but he only had like one good game tbh.
- It makes me happy that you like the details of the basketball games. I pay extra attention when I write basketball since it could be confusing to some people if not written well. So I am glad that my work is paying off :)
- Yeah maybe in the OG version there would've been 'Back in the Parking lot' type stuff lol. But yeah I just wanted to create a short conflict and dragging it would be pointless imo (unless its a major character or something). And I am delighted that you like the character descriptions for the OCs I created.
- I am glad you liked the last chapter. I am trying to make Yumiko and Hachiman's friendship grow and seeing how she hangs out with Ebina all the time and seeing Hayato just hanging out with Hachiman secretly, she is bound to get the wrong ideas lol.
My yapping session for now is over. Without further ado, please jump into the next chapter.
I do not own My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected. It is the property of Wataru Watari. I only own the OCs I created here and the plot.
"You jotted down all the topics I pointed out, right?" a male voice questioned in a careful manner.
"Yeah. And the number of pages on the book that explains them," another voice, a feminine one this time, answered with confidence.
"Right. And you went over the homework assignment questions?" the first voice questioned again.
"Yep! And jotted down the dates and the places mentioned from them. Just like you suggested," answered the second voice once more. The owner of the first voice slowly nodded his head at the answer.
"How about the quizzes? Pop quizzes included?" The owner of the second voice faltered in her spot as this question was asked.
"Uhh…not yet…" she confessed. In response, a sigh was heard.
"Don't forget to go over them. They might have study materials not mentioned in the homeworks and barely mentioned in the books. So they are easily forgettable," informed the male voice.
"Got it. Thanks again, Hikio!" the feminine voice, which belonged to Yumiko Miura, chirped gleefully. The owner of the first voice, Hachiman Hikigaya, replied in the form of a slow nod of his head.
"Good luck on the exam," Hachiman added after, which caused Miura to send a grin in his direction.
"You too, love rival!" she loudly shouted before scurrying off, missing the expression of frustration on Hachiman's face at her teasing.
It has already been more than an hour and a half since the bell rang to dismiss the school day of Sobu High School on this Monday. The sky was becoming orange as the temperature dropped by a couple of degrees. Despite the chilly weather intensifying its magnitude, Hachiman wasn't too shaken up by it. He was already used to cold weather since his elementary school days. The reason behind that fact brought up some bad memories for the teen and he instantly tried to think of other things. Like the test tomorrow or his first game in Sobu High's gym this upcoming Friday, where Shiromeguri-senpai will be able to watch him play live.
And as they had agreed upon, the Student Council President had met him at the mall over the weekend. She helped him study a bit after they stopped at one of the restaurants. As he gained knowledge, he also used Shiromeguri's tactics as a guideline to help Miura study. While he was unenthusiastic about getting himself into the situation that he did with the blonde-haired girl, it wasn't too bad when they had actually studied together. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he even felt a bit proud when Miura admitted that he was able to help her prepare for the exam. As these different thoughts danced around within his mind, Hachiman exited the classroom he was inside of with Miura and began to head towards the bike rack, where he locked his bicycle.
"Hikigaya-kun," to Hachiman's surprise, the captain of Sobu's High School's Boys Basketball team greeted him with a smile right outside of the classroom.
"Sato-senpai?" Hachiman murmured. The blonde male only gave a nod before speaking once more.
"You were helping Miura-san from the First Year students, right? Are you heading home now?" without replying through words, Hachiman just numbly nodded at the older teen, who still kept smiling at him.
"Perfect! So was I. Would you be alright with it if we walked together to the exit?" Hachiman, who was still a little put off by the sudden appearance of the Second-Year student, sighed and gave him a nod.
"Suit yourself," without saying anything else, both Hachiman and Sato began walking through the empty hallways of the high school building, the only noticeable sounds within the building being the sound of footsteps from both of the basketball team members. The two kept walking with silence between them for around a minute, when Sato decided to stop his movements and break the silence.
"You must be wondering why I was waiting for you outside of that classroom?" Hachiman stopped as well and only stared at his senior, waiting for him to talk again.
"I wanted to…apologize," the gentle teen confessed while looking down at the ground. Hachiman's brows raised in confusion at his words.
"Apologize? For what?" the dark-haired teen spoke this time.
"As the captain of the team, it should've been my job to show up last Friday. However, I let you and our teammates down as the appointed leader of our roster," explained Sato. Hachiman just shook his head after hearing his captain out.
"Everyone has bad games sometimes. Plus, I'm sure I missed more shots than I took against Kashiwai High," the First-Year student tried to reason. Sato chuckled after listening to Hachiman's reply.
"That is bound to happen when you were the only one scoring. Plus, you've outplayed me in your first two games as a team member," retorted Sato.
"But you had more points than me in the first game," reasoned Hachiman,
"Hikigaya-kun, you know points aren't everything in a basketball game. You filled up the stat sheet in your debut game," Hachiman sighed in frustration as his senpai wasn't willing to change his mind at all.
"Alright, fine. I played better than you last two games. Happy?" he said to the Second-Year student, who only had a gentle smile on his face.
"You are a lot kinder than most people realize, Hikigaya-kun," Sato's smile became brighter. Hachiman blushed and looked away as he remembered the Student Council President of his school also says the same type of stuff to him.
"And I wanted to talk to you about something else, Hikigaya-kun," Sato confessed. Hachiman then looked at the teen with curiosity dancing in his eyes.
"Please take over as the captain of the team," Sato bowed to his junior. Hachiman's eyes went a little wide since he never expected to hear something like that.
"...What?" was the only thing he could utter.
"You've shown to be a superior player compared to me so I believe it is only right if you take on the captain's role of the team," explained Sato. Hachiman remained silent for a moment before finally saying something.
"I refuse," Sato looked up at Hachiman with a look of surprise.
"Why?" Sato asked,
"Being a good player? I think I can agree on that. Being a leader? I'm terrible at it. Have you seen how the other guys on the team, including Kiba-senpai, look at you? They look up to you as kind of a role model," as much as Hachiman hated and cringed at giving talks like this, he knew Sato needed this. From their interactions so far, Hachiman concluded that Sato was genuinely a nice person and a lot more perceptive than he seemed, who also seemed to care about Hachiman.
"...I see. I'm a terrible and selfish person, aren't I, Hikigaya-kun? To do something so rash without discussing it with our teammates," Sato chuckled with a lot of self-depreciation in his tone. Hachiman noticed the expression on his senpai's face and hated to see him like that.
"Don't be like that. Sometimes, stress can make us do stuff we wouldn't even think of if we were stress-free," the First-Year student put his hand on Sato's shoulder and gave him a nod. Sato remained silent for a few seconds while the bangs in front of his eyes covered them. He then began chuckling in glee out of nowhere and then finally looked up at Hachiman with a bright smile.
"Here I am, a senpai, who is being given a pep-talk by kouhai," Sato then grabbed onto Hachiman's hands gently, catching him off guard.
"Thank you so much, Hikigaya-kun! Now I am a lot more clear-headed than before thanks to you!" radiance seemed to glow off of the huge smile Sato gave Hachiman, who was still caught off guard by what was happening. He was only brought out of his stupor when Sato finally released his hands and took a few steps back.
"I should head home now. Once again, thanks for what you did today, Hikigaya-kun! And we should paint our nails together sometimes. I think it looks really good on you. See you in practice tomorrow!" With a final wave, the now happy Sato began walking away from Hachiman.
Hachiman, on the other hand, was befuddled by what had just taken place right now. He knew Sato was gentle but the way he behaved today, Hachiman would be lying if he said his 'onii-chan' instincts weren't tugged at any moment between their conversation. It should be improbable since Sato was a guy and was older, but it didn't change the truth. However, he wasn't angry about what had transpired. Instead, he felt glad that he could help Sato out in his dilemma, who had genuinely cared about him. With that thought, the First-Year student sighed and began walking towards his bicycle to finally go home.
'Thank God Ebina saw none of this. Or else I'd be cooked…' Hachiman murmured within his mind as he got to his bicycle and began unlocking the lock on it.
The sound of a ball bouncing could be heard from the gymnasium of Sobu High School. Right after the practice of the Boys Basketball team, which was a lot harsher than the usual ones due to their bad loss the Friday before, Hachiman chose to stay back in the gym. Even though his body was a bit more sore than usual from the extra amount of laps and running he had to do plus his mind being fried from taking the History exam, he felt like he needed to get some shots off. Otherwise, he felt as if the whole session would feel incomplete. Even after the player only meeting the team concluded right after the end of the practice today.
The team captain had gathered everyone for a player only meeting to discuss giving his captaincy up to Hachiman. When Sato started off by sharing the reason for their player only meeting, it shocked the other members of the club except for Hachiman. The dark-haired First-Year student already had an idea about what was about to occur as soon as Sato asked everyone to stay back for a moment due to their interaction the day before. After Sato described his thought process, everyone's eyes turned to the most recent member to join the Basketball Club of Sobu High School. Even though he was highly respected among the bunch, maybe except for one of the twins, Hachiman knew that it would be hard for them to accept Hachiman as the new captain since Sato was doing a great job at it so far.
From what Hachiman was able to figure out by being part of this roster for some time, the team looked at Sato as like a brother and role model. Changing his captaincy role and giving it up to him would only create an awkward air among the students that were already on good terms with each other. And the fact that he was the newest player and already becoming the captain might not be taken well by everyone, even if he was the best and most skilled player in his team. Plus, it might affect how they performed during the season due to the influence the change in captaincy would have within their team. And being the team captain would require him to take part in extra tasks, which he didn't want to take on whatsoever.
Despite the fact that it was clear the team wanted Sato to stay as the captain, they still chose to hear Hachiman out on the matter at first. The teen, after being given a chance to share his thoughts, immediately denied the offer. He explained that he preferred not to have a leadership position right now due to the added responsibilities he'd have because of it. He then added that Sato was the perfect person to fill in the role as the captain since no one had complained so far about it among the current players of Sobu High School. Hachiman further solidified his answer by providing his own example, telling everyone that Sato made his entrance to the team very easy and always offered him genuine words of encouragement. Although he hated talking, especially about stuff like this, Hachiman felt like Sato deserved it as someone who was truly trying to take care of him as a friend and a dependable senpai.
By the time he was done, Hachiman noticed that the tense and awkward air that had filled around the members of the team was already gone. As he observed the reaction of his teammates, Hachiman was able to understand that they were thrilled with his response to the offer of being the team captain. They might respect him a lot as a player and an acquaintance, but even Hachiman knew that he wasn't so close to the group where they would easily be okay with him becoming the captain out of nowhere. After his speech, guys like Yamada and Koji didn't waste time jumping in. They offered words of reassurement to the blonde-haired teen, explaining that he was a great leader and was always there to believe in them when things became difficult throughout the season so far.
The rest of the guys then went on to add their own little bit to raise the confidence of the team captain. Sato, who had remained quiet throughout the entire discussion after starting it off with his suggestion, was beaming by the time he was hearing out the words of his teammates. He offered everyone a gentle smile and thanked them for believing in him. The rest of the guys smiled back at Sato except for Hachiman, who only gave him a nod. He then ended the meeting off by saying that he would remain as the captain of Sobu High since that's what the rest of the players wanted
As the memories of what transpired not too long ago danced around his head, his train of thoughts were broken by the sound of a pair of footsteps. He then turned around to let his eyes meet the eyes of the only other occupant in the school's gym currently aside from him.
"Want to start with some free throws?" The gentle captain of the Boys Basketball Team, Minato Sato, had also joined Hachiman in getting some shots off after practice as well. It made sense to the younger teen since Sato himself had a bad game against Kashiwai High. This made the Second-Year student feel like he let his teammates down and his confidence took a hit, from what the teen said yesterday and what he suggested during the meeting today.
"Sure," replied Hachiman as he looked at Sato and motioned his head towards the free throw line. Sato gave a nod back and slowly walked up to the line while Hachiman moved himself to right under the basket.
"Let's do 5 each and take turns," suggested Sato. Hachiman nodded again and passed the ball he grabbed from nearby to the captain of the team, who began shooting.
The two students from Sobu High School's basketball team shot free throws 15 times each before moving over to the three point line. They then attempted a lot more three-point shots than free throws. All in all, they were shooting around for about 15 minutes before coming to a stop and taking a water break. As they drank their water, Sato looked at Hachiman, catching his attention and making him look back. Since the older player noticed the dark-haired teen staring, he began speaking.
"Let's do one on one but a little differently. I'll start from the post while you from the perimeter. We only have three dribbles each. This helps me improve on perimeter defense while doing the same for you in the post. What do you say?" Hachiman was instantly in agreement with the team captain. Sato needed to work on his perimeter defense while Hachiman could use some help in the post. All in all, both were able to work on one of their weaknesses in the drill Sato suggested.
"Sounds good. Do we shoot for the ball?" Sato smiled and nodded before speaking once more.
"And it's like a regular one on one. If you score, you keep the ball. Otherwise, you switch up," after his piece, the two teens wasted no time before getting back on the court.
Sato offered the ball to Hachiman first, allowing him to shoot. Giving the blonde-haired teen an appreciative nod, Hachiman took the ball from him and shot a three-point shot from the top of the three-point line. It hit the rim and bounced away to the sidelines, making Sato jog towards it to bring it back. Standing in the same position that Hachiman stood in, Sato took a jump shot, which went in and out before finally escaping away from the rim. Hachiman grabbed the rebound and jogged back to the line to take another shot. Yet again, he missed it as it hit the side of the rim. He was able to grab his own rebound and pass it back to his senior, whose second shot attempt hit nothing but net.
With a sigh, Hachiman grabbed another rebound before passing it back to the Second-Year student. He then positioned himself right in front of the left side of the paint. Sato got into a post up position soon after.
"Let's start," Sato said softly.
Hachiman's passive posture disappeared as he bent his body a little bit and guarded Sato. Sato just held the ball above and away from his own body, yet to take a dribble. Hachiman waited a few seconds before reaching in to steal the ball. Due to his wingspan, it was easy for the First-Year student to tip the ball away and out of the older student's control. After setting it loose, Hachiman instantly hustled after the ball as he dived after it. This resulted in him being able to successfully steal the ball away from Sato before he could get it back. After Hachiman got up, Sato just smiled at him.
"I forgot you are pretty good at that," the team captain admitted. Hachiman remained silent but gave a nod as his reply.
Sato followed Hachiman to the left wing and checked the ball to start their game again. Hachiman held the ball in a triple threat stance with his right foot being the pivot while taking a few jabs to the left. Sato remained focused as he held his defensive stance and didn't fall for the jabs. Hachiman then took a strong jab to the left and took two hard dribbles towards the basket. Sato resisted Hachiman's drive as he felt Hachiman's right shoulder against his chest. After taking those two dribbles with his left hand, Hachiman did a half spin from left to right and had his back facing Sato. He then did a shimmy and faked going to the right before fading away to the left and taking a shot.
His move caught the team captain off guard and his contest came too late as Hachiman took the fadeaway shot. With his, Hachiman hit the top left corner of the square above the rim and knocked his shot down. As the ball bounced around right under the rim after Hachiman's shot was made, Sato walked up to it and grabbed the ball. He then passed it to Hachiman while proudly smiling at him.
"Not only is your isolation game lethal, but you also have some post moves. I'm really glad you are playing for Sobu High School's team, Hikigaya-kun," Sato explained. Hachiman looked away to avoid eye contact as his team captain complimented him yet again.
"...Thanks," Hachiman quietly murmured back. Still, Sato was able to hear it and only smiled wider before getting ready to check the ball.
After checking the ball once more from where they previously started off, Hachiman took a few jab steps before finally launching a three-point shot. Sato this time had a good contest on Hachiman's shot and was able to make his current opponent miss. With ease, the Second-Year student grabbed the rebound and stood with the ball. He didn't have to wait too long for his junior to get behind him in a defensive stance. Sato signaled the start of his possession with a nod, making Hachiman get close in his post defense once more.
Sato still hadn't taken a dribble after a few seconds as he held the ball out and away in front of him, just like last time. However, he was more careful and peeked out of the sides to see if Hachiman would reach in again. Hachiman knew this fact too since he chose not to reach in this time. After a few seconds, Sato finally took one dribble and shimmied before going to his left. Hachiman followed his movements and was ready to contest his shot and did just that as he noticed the older teen holding the ball in a shooting stance. However, Hachiman never expected the fake and was in the air as Sato ducked under and made an easy up-and-under layup. Hachiman finally landed and looked at Sato with respect in his eyes.
"That was a good move, senpai," Hachiman said. Sato's eyes widened at the unexpected compliment but he smiled in return right after.
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun," he responded happily. Before the duo could move on, they heard the front door of the gym opening. Looking towards the door, they both saw Hayama, Tobe, Miura, and Ebina enter through it. Hachiman loudly groaned at their entrance while Sato only curiously looked at his junior in response to it.
"Fuck me sideways…" Hachiman annoyedly murmured. Sato was surprised at the sudden change of language but chuckled nervously at Hachiman's behavior.
"Hello there, Hikigaya-kun," Hayama said while leading his group up to both Hachiman and Sato. With a smile plastered on his face, his face then turned towards the other occupant in the gym.
"Hikitani-kun! Sato-senpai! Hayato, this is our team captain that I told you about!" Tobe excitedly shouted. Hayama only chuckled while Sato knowingly smiled at Tobe's behavior. Hachiman had a feeling that Tobe brought in Hayama to introduce him to Sato, the team captain. Inwardly, he had to give the idiot his flowers since that would only help Sato's confidence in a way.
"I am Hayato Hayama, a First-Year student," Hayama introduced himself while offering his hand towards the Sobu High Basketball Team's captain.
"I am Minato Sato, a Second-Year at Sobu. Please take care of me," Sato firmly grasped Hayama's hand and shook it.
"Likewise," smiled Hayama after he shook the older teen's hand. Hachiman watched their interaction with barely any interest. As he kept his eyes on them, they suddenly went towards Miura, who looked back at him and sent him a bright smile.
"Thanks for helping me study, love rival! I think I did really well on the exam!" Miura shared, catching looks of surprise from Hayama and Tobe since she barely talked to guys at the school besides the ones in her group of close friends. Plus, they did not expect her choice of words and what she just revealed. Before the two could say something, everyone's attention was caught due to a certain person's actions.
"Hehehe…" giggled Ebina as she kept her head down. Sato looked at her confusedly while everyone else was on guard at the fujoshi's act.
"Ebina-san?" Tobe questioned carefully. However, he received no reply from the girl.
"H…H…HACHI HAREM!" Ebina yelled out of nowhere as a spray of blood gushed out from her nose. Hachiman looked at her annoyedly while Hayama and Tobe both let out a sigh, as if they expected her to do this already. Sato, however, was confused and a little concerned for his junior. Before he could go up to her and ask if she was alright, someone else had already got to it.
"Hina! Stop getting overloaded from your weird fantasies!" Miura scolded her before getting out a napkin and wiping the girl's nose.
"Is she alright?" Sato questioned while keeping his gaze on the First-Year female student.
"She's fine. It's just that, she's a little…eccentric," Hayama replied while chuckling nervously. As the two boys exchanged words, Miura was finally able to clean up Ebina. As soon as she was done, an intense and crazed look appeared on Ebina's face.
"Y-Yumiko! How can I not get overloaded! New boy, more ships! So many boys! So many possibilities! SO MANY SHIPS! HachiHaya, HachiTobe, HachiSato, HachiHayaTobeSato, HACHIHAREM!" Ebina shouted before another shot of blood sprayed out from her nose. Miura just sighed as she took another napkin out to help clean Ebina up. Tobe and Hayama looked away from Ebina in embarrassment while Sato just had a frozen, unnerved look on his face.
'Why the hell am I the driving force in all of her weird fantasies?...' Hachiman thought while shaking his head at seeing the display of Ebina's eccentric behavior.
After calming Ebina down from her degenerate fantasies, Hayama suggested that him and Tobe team up to play against Hachiman and Sato in a pick-up game. Tobe, who was exhausted from the practice earlier, was the first one to voice his disagreement over that idea. Hachiman and Sato then followed suit, explaining to Hayama that their bodies needed some rest from being overworked or the risk of an injury would have a higher percentage. As expected, the blonde-haired First-Year student understood their reason and apologized for his suggestion. However, Sato and Tobe quickly waved it away while Hachiman just had a blank and annoyed stare on his face.
The stoic teen really wanted to put some work in after the practice. But since Hayama and his group decided to intervene while he and Sato were doing drills, that plan went down the drain in a flash. Since it was already decided that there will be no pick up games among them, the teen was ready to head to the locker room to gather his things. Even though he started opening up to people more recently, which he had noticed and didn't know how to feel about, he still wanted his private time. He was almost done with the light novel that Ebina let him borrow and was keen on finishing it by the time he'll be ready to hit the bed. Before he could turn around and leave the group to their own devices, a voice called out to him.
"Hikitani-kun! How about we play HORSE? That doesn't sound too bad!" Tobe suggested while keeping an expression similar to that of a happy and excited puppy that was wagging its tail. Hachiman sighed as he internally scolded himself for actually not being too much against that idea. Despite his mind wanting to leave, his heart still urged him to put up a few more shots.
"I think PIG will be a better choice. It'll be quicker and we eventually need to go home before it gets too dark," Sato explained with a small smile after seeing Hachiman's conflicted expression. Hachiman discreetly looked at his team captain and gave him a nod of appreciation, to which the older teen responded with a bigger smile.
"I think I do know that game. Isn't it where after one person goes, the rest of the group have to copy that person's move? And if you miss the shot, you get a letter. And once the accumulated letters spell the word HORSE, or PIG in our case, you are out. The last person standing wins the game," Hayama explained while Hachiman ignored his yapping, already knowing the rules of this game.
"Wait, is this game like, you play for yourself?" Yumiko Miura questioned with a look of curiosity on her face, to which her crush gave a nod.
"How about all of us play then? Yumiko and I don't know anything about basketball but it seems like it'll be fun! What do you say, Yumiko-chan? It looks like you want to play!" Ebina then turned towards the only other female occupant within the gym besides herself. Miura had a conflicted look on her face before her eyes landed on Hayama's, who just looked at her with a shrug. She then turned towards Hachiman, who immediately looked away from her gaze as soon as he noticed. Miura huffed in return but still decided to speak.
"Do you think we should play, Hikio?" Miura questioned him. Hachiman looked back at her with his right brow twitching in annoyance. Hayama was surprised to see his friend asking someone out of their clique for permission like this.
"Why are you asking me?" Hachiman questioned back dryly.
"It's because…you are like, the best player in the school!" Hachiman was confused after hearing her answer. He didn't understand how her thought process worked.
"So? I don't care if you play or not. It's your decision. Just decide quickly if you want to or not. I'd like to get home before it goes past evening," Hachiman retorted. Yumiko sighed before taking a few seconds to think and then finally looking at Ebina.
"Let's beat them at their own game, Hina! Hayato-kun!" Miura suddenly grinned as she pumped her fist while looking at both Ebina and Hayama. The former smiled at her enthusiasm while the latter had a small smile on his face.
After the blonde-haired popular student's declaration, the group prepared themselves to play a game of PIG. Right off the bat, Hachiman suggested that their team captain start the game off. The gentle-natured teen smiled and asked everyone else if they wanted to have a go at it first. When he realized everyone was in agreement with Hachiman's suggestion, the oldest teen among the bunch grabbed the ball that was a few feet away from them. He then walked to the elbow on the right side of the paint.
Once Sato positioned himself and set his feet, he finally began moving. Sato took a few soft dribbles as he drove to the rim. He took two steps before smoothly laying the ball up using the top right corner of the square above the rim. He then turned around and looked back at his juniors with a smile.
"Just a simple right-handed layup. Hayama-san, why don't you go first?" Sato then threw an easy bounce pass to the other blonde male among the group. Hayama gave a nod and copied Sato's earlier moves. As he drove to the rim while looking down at the ground most of the time, he stopped and took two steps. Hayama's layup bounced around the rim for a few seconds before finally falling in. He then turned around and looked back at the group that was gathered behind him. Tobe seemed to be nodding in approval while Hachiman blankly stared at him.
"Did I do it correctly, Sato-senpai?" Hayama questioned while making eye-contact with the team captain of Sobu High Basketball, who nodded with a smile.
"Of course. Now who would like to go next?" As soon as he finished asking, Tobe instantly raised his hand.
"Me! Me!" Tobe exclaimed with a giddy expression, like he was a little kid who was about to be given a lot of candy. Hayama sighed but passed the ball off to his friend with a smile. Tobe then copied Sato's movement and tried to go up for a layup. Unfortunately for him, he hit the backboard too hard and the ball flew away from the rim and zoomed towards Ebina. Before it could hit the girl on the face, who had not expected such a thing to occur, a hand appeared before her. The hand stopped the ball and gripped it easily. She then looked at the owner of the hand, who looked at her stoically.
"You alright?" Hachiman questioned with a little hint of concern on his tone. Ebina, who was frozen to the ground at what had just transpired, shook her head and nodded back at Hachiman with an appreciative smile.
"Mhm. Thanks for the save, Hikigaya-kun!" she replied. Before the two could continue, a sound of a cry stole their attention.
"OHHH NOOOO!" Tobe wailed in dismay as he had just missed a layup. Hayama and Sato sighed while looking at the teen in pity. Meanwhile, Ebina heard Hachiman let out a snort in reaction to Tobe's cry.
"Tobe, you idiot! You almost hurt Hina just now!" Miura yelled. Tobe stopped his antics and on a rare occasion, had a serious expression on his face.
"Shit….are you alright, Ebina-san?" He asked while looking concerned. Ebina however just smiled back at the teen and nodded.
"Don't worry, Tobe-kun. Hikigaya-kun was here to save me," she informed him happily. Tobe then turned his guilt-filled face towards Hachiman and stared at him for a few seconds before finally walking away. He kept his head down and had a dejected aura around him.
"Nice save, Hikigaya-kun," Hayama spoke while smiling at Hachiman. The teen just gave him a nod and was about to go next since no one else volunteered. Then out of nowhere, the ball quickly disappeared from his hands.
"Heh! I'm going next!" Miura shouted as she walked towards the right elbow while carefully bouncing the ball. She double-dribbled her way to the paint and stopped before throwing the ball up. The ball went sailing past the top of the backboard and gracefully landed back on the court. With a blush, she turned around and noticed everyone blankly staring at her.
"S-Stop looking at me like that! I don't play basketball!" the girl demanded with an embarrassed look. Hachiman sighed as he jogged up to where the ball landed and grabbed it before heading back, thinking he'd let Ebina go before he finally went last.
The day was a sunny one this Wednesday in the town of Chiba. It was also the time of lunch break for students at Sobu High School, located at Chiba. Most of the students could be seen in the cafeteria, enjoying their meals while engaging with their friends on many different topics. Many others could be seen roaming the hallways and the outdoors, still accompanied with others most of the time. If one were to look through the screens of doors that lead to classrooms, many students within those rooms could be seen eating their food in those rooms as well. Contrary to the former, a certain First-Year student at this institution had made himself comfortable at an unique spot.
Hachiman had discovered his new lunch spot only last week. It wasn't too far off from the school-owned Tennis Court that the members of the Tennis Club used. Matter of fact, Hachiman had a really solid view of the back of a girl that seemed to be practicing by herself. The girl was kind of small in stature and had short silver hair. The teen was confused by her current attire as she was wearing a boy's gym uniform for the First-Years. However, he didn't pay it much mind. He painted his nails almost everyday, which is considered contradicting considering his gender. So to him, it didn't make much of a hassle if he saw a girl wearing the boys' gym uniform. Plus, he admired how hard she was working to improve herself in tennis. He was genuinely impressed by the girl's work ethic. He knew this wasn't just a one time thing since he saw her working on her skills last week as well.
His thoughts leaving the female tennis player practicing, Hachiman released a deep breath as a breeze of air went past him. This was the biggest reason why he had chosen this place as his lunch spot. Barely anyone walked past him and he could enjoy the fresh and cooling sea breezes that greeted him once in a while. All in all, it was a perfect spot for a loner like him. However, his loner status was taking damage due to how his life has gone for the past month.
Hachiman realized that nowadays, he always had someone he interacted with on a daily basis. Be it the Student Council President, his teammates from the basketball team, or Ebina and sometimes her friends like Hayama and Miura. The teen noticed that for a while, he hadn't thought about Makoto as much as he interacted with these people. At first, the thought made his heart ache and raised his self-hatred to a new level. However, this moment was followed up by the words and wishes of his late best friend. He knew that this is what Makoto would've wanted. He would've wanted Hachiman to have a lot of friends that genuinely cared about him and his well being. That part made the dark-haired teen think about what could've happened if Makoto was able to meet Shiromeguri. How would they interact? What would happen?
Leaving those hypothetical as just that, Hachiman looked down at the bento box he had prepared for himself today. Since he always woke up early nowadays, he had enough time to cook up his meal for lunch time. On the left was a solid amount of white rice. On the bottom right, he made a mixed vegetable dish with kale, carrots, peas, and bean sprouts. Above the mixed veggies, he had prepared a fried chicken cutlet with some sauce over it. All in all, it was a simple yet filling meal. Hachiman wasn't as skilled as Komachi in the kitchen, but he was more than capable in cooking up something edible. With his chopsticks ready, Hachiman grabbed some of the mixed veggies he cooked and finally took a bite. After making sure that they tasted alright, he grabbed the can of MAXX Coffee that was nearby and opened it. Right before he could sip his favorite drink, a pair of gradual footsteps caused him to cease and turn around to his right.
"H…Here…" Minami Sagami, aka one of the newest loners at Sobu High School, had made her presence right in front of Hachiman. Hachiman raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she was holding out a packed bag in front of him.
"What?" Hachiman asked in genuine confusion. The girl looked away with a blush on her face and remained silent for a few seconds. Eventually, she was able to gather herself and speak once more.
"I made this for you…as a…thanks…for giving me your pork-filled bun the other day," Sagami murmured quietly. Still, Hachiman was able to hear the redhead. As his curiosity was piqued, Hachiman put his own bento and the MAXX Coffee can down before reaching forward to the offered gift from Sagami. After opening up the packed item, he realized that there were three Tamago Sandwiches presented neatly within. Hachiman then looked up to Sagami, who was still standing while looking away from him. Hachiman didn't know if it was due to embarrassment or anxiety. He then sighed before addressing the girl, not minding that he probably won't be able to enjoy the breezes only by himself today.
"Take a seat," he said calmly. Sagami was brought out of her stupor and stared at him as if to make sure she heard right. Once she noticed Hachiman blankly stare at her, she shook her head before speaking up.
"O-Okay!" she quickly replied before sitting while keeping some space between herself and the male teen, who had already utilized the space beforehand to put his bento box and canned beverage there.
After she sat down, Hachiman made eye-contact with her before grabbing one of the sandwiches and taking a bite. Immediately, his face scrunched up in displeasure but he hid it as soon as he could. However, it didn't escape Sagami's vision. She sighed and looked down at the ground in disappointment, a little amount of tears already gathering in her eyes.
"I'm sorry if…it was bad. You don't have to eat the rest…" Sagami said in a weak tone.
"Here you go. Try one. It's not that bad," Hachiman replied before handing the two sandwiches back to her. Sagami was surprised by the teen's actions but took the pack and grabbed one of the two remaining sandwiches. She hesitantly took a bite and just like Hachiman, her face scrunched up in displeasure. Unlike the dark-haired teen, she couldn't erase the expression from her face.
"Tell me. What's wrong with the sandwich?" Hachiman questioned after taking another bite of the sandwich. Sagami widened her eyes in amazement at seeing the teen still eating her not-so-good sandwiches.
"It's…too much mayo," she answered, to which Hachiman nodded after gulping down his bite of the sandwich.
"There you go. Next time, make sure to use less. And add a bit more salt while you are at it," the teenager replied before taking another bite. Sagami was shocked that Hachiman was still eating the sandwich.
'Y-You don't have to finish that! You can…throw it out….Hikki…" Sagami finished off while wearing a complicated look on her face. Hachiman didn't know if it was because she didn't know the other half of his last name or the fact that she's telling Hachiman to throw out the fruits of her own efforts.
"You shouldn't waste food just because. There are a lot of people in the world who don't have the same luxury as us. Think about that for a moment," this was a lesson instilled into Hachiman by Makoto after he had once thrown out a half-eaten pizza slice. Since he was now older and more mature, he perfectly understood his friend's perspective.
"R-Right!" Sagami agreed before munching down on the sandwich she had picked up on earlier. However, it was clear that she wasn't having an easy time like Hachiman in finishing the sandwiches. Once she had somehow finished swallowing the last bit of her sandwich, Hachiman reached over and took the remaining sandwich back. Sagami, who had tears in her eyes from finishing her own sandwich, looked at Hachiman incredulously.
"You…are gonna eat that too?" she asked in shock. Hachiman looked at her nonchalantly as he gave her a nod.
"Of course. You made it for me, didn't you?" At his words, Sagami looked away with her face being red. Then the sound of a growl followed right after Hachiman's words. He looked back at Sagami, who just put her face down in more embarrassment.
"Where is your lunch?" Hachiman asked while looking at her.
"I…left it at home," the redhead whimpered without looking up at Hachiman. Hachiman sighed before putting the Tamago Sandwich down and reaching over to his bento. From it, he picked up a brand new pair of wooden chopsticks. He then picked up his bento box and then offered it along with the new chopsticks to Sagami. The depressed girl finally looked up and was caught off guard by Hachiman's actions once more.
"You can have some of my lunch. Don't worry. I only grabbed some veggies with the chopsticks that I used and never put them back into my food," Hachiman assured her after motioning his head towards the lid of the bento box, which had a pair of used chopsticks on top of it.
"I…I c-can't-" before Sagami could continue, Hachiman interrupted her.
"I won't be able to finish the whole thing after two Tamago Sandwiches. Have some of this so the food isn't wasted," The dark-haired teen explained.
Hachiman knew that Sagami could counter his point by saying that he could have his remaining food later on. However, it seemed as if an empty stomach had influenced her current thought process as she finally accepted his food. Using the chopsticks she had been given, she finally grabbed some of the chicken cutlets and took a bite. After chewing through it for a moment, she turned around to look back at Hachiman. Hachiman was a little surprised by the huge smile on her face, contradicting the tears that currently streamed down her face.
"Thank you, Hikki…" Minami Sagami said before taking another bite of his food.
Even though sharing a bento box, especially between a girl and a boy, could be seen as really forward and sensitive by the society, Hachiman had no care for such things anymore. He watched as Sagami was seemingly enjoying his food. This expression of her filled his sense of pride as a cook.
As he watched Sagami eat, he also thought about why he was helping her. On the first day of his high school attendance, right after healing from his accident, he had told himself that he would remain by himself. He would isolate himself from all of the people that he considered fake and superficial. So considering how he had prepared himself for his high school life, he was surprised at how he was interacting with Sagami. Especially considering that she tried to accuse him of being a bully with made-up evidence.
However, Sagami's current situation reminded him of himself back in the day, before Makoto entered his life. Kids would sometimes ruin his lunch and leave him hungry for the whole day. And as always, he had no one to help him out during those dark times. Hachiman wished for someone to reach out to him back in those days. And seeing this opportunity in front of him, he couldn't help but take it as a form of wish-fulfillment. Plus, seeing Sagami's eyes had somehow reminded him of Komachi crying when she was younger since their parents would be home late. Hachiman was able to realize that he was doing this not only because of his 'onii-chan' instincts and past trauma, but also the fact that he himself had changed.
Meeting all of these new people, interacting with them in many different ways had changed who Hachiman Hikigaya was. Not only that, but he couldn't even tell exactly when he had begun changing. Maybe it was when he had run into Shiromeguri on that day during his drills. And this fact kind of made him feel afraid. He had voluntarily put up walls around himself as a loner so that he wouldn't be hurt because of other people. However, some of those walls have already been torn down as he had already made a bunch of connections. He was afraid that he would lose those people as he had always lost the good things in his life one way or another.
Trying to stop his mind from going into bad thoughts even further, Hachiman tried to distract himself by biting into the Sandwich he had taken. After a bite, he was able to relax as he was now allowed to focus on something different than scary thoughts.
Well...how was it? Good? Terrible? Mid? "Don't ever let him cook again" bad? All jokes aside, feel free to lmk your thoughts!
Sato is kind of like Totsuka in this story. A gentle teen who is soft-natured is bound to be like that. And speaking of Totsuka, you guys surely noticed our Glorious King's cameo?
Who won that game of PIG? I'll leave that to your imaginations...
I tried to build Hachiman's character and the same with Sagami. It's hard to find Sagami fics in this site and I decided, why not just roll with it?
If you notice any plot holes or grammar mistakes, please feel free to point them out.
Otherwise, have a great day!
(PS: I posted a Naruto x High School DXD x Oregairu crossover. Feel free to check it out and if that's not your cup of tea, don't worry about it. Sorry for the shameless self-promo!)