Please Read : Please support me by finding akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for the grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker. I'll try to improve it with all my might.
A big thanks to:
- Alexis Chagoya
- DPD
- Kaung Myat, Kyaw
- Deadlock TV, and
- Jadrien Pang.
Thank you so much for supporting me.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre : Supernatural, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary : Not the romantic comedy of youth that he experienced, not the quiet and normal life of youth he had. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman and this is all his complaints as a jujutsu sorcerer.
Chapter 28: Sorcerers in Date.
—OoOoO—
"It's shopping time!"
Yukinoshita Haruno hummed happily as she and a rotten boy entered the department store building.
"My energy is sucked when I see these happy people gathered in one place," said Hachiman.
"Aren't we also one of them?"
"That's you, not me."
"Oh, come on, there's no need to be shy to this onee-san," Haruno replied as she poked Hachiman's arm with her forefinger.
The two human beings walked through the main hall of the department store. Currently, they were in Takashimaya Kyoto, one of the prefecture's largest department stores.
Actually, they could have asked Himeno to drop them off at Kyoto Isetan, considering it was very close to Kyoto Station. However, Haruno rejected the idea. She preferred to rent a car to use around Kyoto all day. Hachiman, who heard that, initially baulked at Haruno's wishes. However, the boy finally gave in after considering many things.
The reason was Haruno'd tried her best so far. She'd experienced many horrific things during the last few days and ended up in a completely different environment, the jujutsu society. Even though she looked fine, Hachiman feared the significant change would put too much strain on Haruno's sanity.
"So where are we going?" asked Hachiman.
"Let's hunt for clothes, shall we?"
Hachiman was silent for a moment before answering.
"Yes?"
"Hunt for clothes," Haruno repeated briefly.
Hachiman raised an eyebrow while watching Haruno.
"I don't think you're short on clothes, though?"
Haruno sighed at the statement. She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.
"So, you're that type of person, huh?"
"Type of… what?"
"The type of person who buys clothes just because they really need it," Haruno replied.
"Don't we buy something because we really need it?"
That innocent answer made Haruno laugh lightly. She'd already guessed Hachiman was quite ignorant about fashion trends. However, Haruno didn't think he would have such an economical way of thinking.
"Now. It depends on how you look at it. I quite enjoy shopping for clothes and paying attention to the latest trends. You might say it's one of my hobbies. Although I'm not that maniac."
Hachiman, who had initially paid attention to Haruno, turned his gaze forward.
It could no longer be measured by money if it was a hobby. Many people were willing to spend a lot of money just for a hobby. Hachiman was no different. He had a hobby of reading, whether science books, novels, light novels, or even manga. He had an extensive collection of books, both print and digital versions. Collecting those books required him to spend a lot of money.
There was another hobby to play games. He had a PlayStation 4 and a Nintendo Switch he usually carried around with him. The money Hachiman had to spend to buy those consoles alone could be considered expensive, not to mention the games he'd to buy for each console. In fact, Hachiman himself didn't even know how much money he burned for his worldly pleasures.
However, compared to his other hobbies, Hachiman still had one hobby that made his money fly the most. It was his most significant project in life, making Komachi happy. It was not just a hobby or obligation but had become his life goal.
"So, what kind of clothes do you want to buy?" asked Hachiman.
The two of them took the escalator to the floor where the brand-name boutiques and cheap clothes shops were.
Like everyone else, Hachiman and Haruno followed an unspoken rule when climbing the escalator. They lined up on the left side with the others and left empty on the right side to make room for those hurrying.
Haruno was one level above Hachiman, making her several centimetres taller than him. The girl turned around and lowered her head slightly to meet Hachiman's rotten eyes. For one second, at a very brief moment that even Hachiman didn't notice, Haruno widened her eyes slightly at the panorama before her eyes. Seeing Hachiman from a higher angle was something Haruno had never had, considering their height difference of 10 centimetres.
However, when she saw the side of the boy's face from that angle, she felt as if the time of her life had stopped for one second.
Initially looking at the crowd on the ground floor, Hachiman averted his gaze when he felt a gaze from Haruno.
"What?"
Haruno shook her head while laughing softly.
"Nothing. I just feel like a real onee-san now," she patted Hachiman's head.
Hachiman casually took Haruno's hand and lowered it from his head. He looked chill, but Haruno saw a slight blush on his cheeks.
"So?" asked Hachiman to divert attention.
Haruno didn't answer right away. There was a moment where she paused a few seconds to remember Hachiman's question before they went up the escalator.
"I did say we were going shopping, but I didn't say I was going to buy it for myself, did I?" Haruno replied.
Hachiman raised an eyebrow at Haruno's reply. However, the woman continued her words before he could comment.
"I love shopping for clothes, but all I do mostly is drag Yukino-chan over and dress her to my taste."
Haruno said that while looking at Hachiman with her mischievous smile.
"Well, but since I want something different, how about you choose clothes for me while I choose for you, Hikigaya-kun?"
"No, thanks."
Haruno pursed her lips and put on a fake pouty expression.
"Boo… you're no fun, Hikigaya-kun. But I don't accept rejection."
With those words, they were at the end of the escalator. Haruno grabbed Hachiman's hand and pulled the boy around the entire floor that contained the clothing stores.
"Let's do this, and Onee-san will give you a present later," Haruno continued in a flirtatious tone.
—OoOoO—
Hachiman had decided to accompany all of Haruno's selfishness today. That applied to all of Haruno's wishes as long as they made sense. However, a feeling of immense laziness still chained his legs, so he didn't want to move to keep up with the Haruno's excitement.
But promises were promises. Even though he wanted to escape, he knew there was no escape from this impromptu date situation. Therefore, his determination was made up.
'I'll finish this quickly and return to Chiba as soon as possible.'
Hachiman invited Haruno to enter a clothing store to fulfil his desire, which, according to him, had many choices to suit his taste.
"I'm waiting for your choice, Hikigaya-kun," Haruno said while sorting the hanging clothes.
"Don't be surprised by my choice, okay?"
Haruno didn't reply to the greeting and just gave a slight nod. In truth, the suggestion whereby Hachiman picked out clothes for her wasn't something she spouted on impulse. It was something she had thought carefully about. The hidden purpose of the proposal was to find out the boy's taste in clothes.
This theory couldn't be used as a benchmark. However, some say that a person's style of dress could reflect how that person's personality was. By letting Hachiman choose clothes for her, Haruno would get information about his taste in clothes. That way, she would have a rough idea of Hachiman's personality behind his lazy and cynical nature.
Even so, Haruno also really enjoyed this moment, actually.
"So, what's the theme?" asked Hachiman.
"Attire for relaxing at home, casual clothes for hanging out, and then semi-formal for various events."
Hachiman nodded in understanding. No need to give an answer. He immediately scanned the entire store thoroughly.
'I thought Haruno-san would protest when we had to shop at such a cheap place. I thought high-class people would not want to shop at Uniqlo and prefer boutiques with big brands. But I'm glad she's not a picky person.'
Exactly. They were now in the Uniqlo store. When Hachiman saw the store while walking around, he dragged Haruno to Uniqlo without further ado. That was not without reason. Hachiman was not very good at choosing clothes and knew the brands young people loved.
Almost all the clothes in his wardrobe were bought by his mother. He sometimes buys his own clothes, but he bought them through online stores and was Uniqlo a regular customer. Not only cheap but Uniqlo offered a wide variety of clothing.
Honestly, Hachiman was once shocked when he saw Uniqlo's price overseas, which, according to him, was very expensive and was classified as a mid-high class. Because in Japan, Uniqlo was a brand used by millions of people because the price was meagre but had good quality.
"Haruno-san, here are the clothes I chose," said Hachiman, who patted Haruno's shoulder from behind.
When looking for clothes, Hachiman and Haruno split into different sections. They had different styles of tastes. That was why they also went to other shelves.
"Right time. I'm also looking for you," Haruno replied.
They now held three sets of clothes in each hand to suit the themes. After presenting their chosen clothes, Hachiman and Haruno went to the dressing rooms.
—OoOoO—
"Wow, it sucks," Haruno complained while staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Haruno stood up while wearing the clothes that Hachiman had chosen. It was the third outfit she tried on with the theme of 'clothes to relax at home'. Haruno had previously tried two other pieces, starting with a 'semi-formal outfit' and then 'hangout clothes'. However, the more she tried on the clothes Hachiman chose, the more Haruno couldn't stop thinking about his taste.
"If you just look at the colour selection, Hikigaya-kun is quite good at it. However, I don't understand why he'd choose a T-shirt with these tacky graphics?"
Haruno was currently wearing a dark green, cream-coloured T-shirt. It looked like a comfortable t-shirt with a cool fabric against her skin. However, the only problem was that on the front was an image of a typical Asian dragon, coiled and formed a figure eight with its mouth eating its tail. There were also thin blue lightning bolts as a background.
Moreover, at the bottom were the words 'Life is Eternity'.
"I never thought I'd be wearing such a tacky t-shirt."
Haruno then turned her gaze to the two sets of clothes hanging down. The first outfit was semi-formal, which Hachiman chose. It was a pure white dress that looked feminine. It had long sleeves, transparent from the shoulders to the wrists, while the elbows down were practically semi-transparent. When Hachiman teamed it with a tight, ruby knee-length skirt
, Haruno admitted it was the perfect choice.
Meanwhile, Hachiman chose a grey shirt for Haruno with a combination of white pants for 'attire for hang out'. However, the shirt was no less tacky than she wore right now. On the front was plain, not the slightest pattern. While on the back was an inscription 'Overtake on The Right'.
"Does he think this is a joke often written on the back of container trucks?"
Haruno snorted, thinking about the boy's randomness.
'He isn't playing a prank or even making fun of me, is he?'
Haruno quickly took off the clothes she wore. Actually, without Hachiman knowing, Haruno brought a set of clothes herself. She stared at the clothes briefly, and then a mischievous smile appeared.
—OoOoO—
'The hell with this outfit?' Hachiman thought.
Like Haruno, Hachiman also tried on the clothes she chose. In general, it didn't surprise him. It seemed Haruno had the same taste as his mother regarding clothing. That was why he didn't have an exaggerated response.
However, when he tried on the semi-formal one, Hachiman became suspicious of Haruno's intentions. No, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the clothes. Everything looked classic and yet classy. Hachiman was wearing slightly tight grey jeans. The top was a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and a dark blue sleeveless sweater topped his shirt.
As it said, it was excellent. However, Hachiman couldn't shake off his suspicions. Haruno asked him to leave the dressing room while wearing the semi-formal outfit she chose so Haruno could see it with her own eyes. But Hachiman knew there must be some ulterior motive that Haruno was hiding.
"Haruno-san, are you still inside?" he asked, knocking on the dressing room door.
"Wait a minute, I'll be ready."
Hachiman didn't give any reply when he got confirmation from Haruno. All he did was put his hands in his pockets while looking around because there wasn't anything else he could do besides wait.
"What do you think about the clothes?" asked Haruno from inside, "You're wearing that semi-formal one, right?"
Hachiman didn't answer right away. He examined himself once more to find the right words.
"I'm not sure. But this looks like a college student, maybe?"
There was a chuckle from inside right after Hachiman gave his answer. After it stopped, Haruno's voice was the next thing Hachiman heard.
"Not only college students, but many young teachers also dress like that. I actually wanted to add a tie, but I couldn't find anything suitable for you."
The dressing room door opened right after that, and Haruno casually walked out. Hachiman, who initially showed a face almost dead of boredom, now widened his eyes in shock at what Haruno was wearing.
His brain froze at the sight before him. His eyes fixed on one point, to the point he could not take his eyes off the woman. His tongue was so numb that he'd difficulty getting the words out. Time seemed to have stopped for him as if he didn't realise that Haruno was right before him.
What Haruno wore wasn't anything sexy, nor was a bikini that showed all her skin. No, not it. Haruno only wore a high school girl's uniform, a sailor uniform with a combination of white and blue, and a pink cardigan that gave her an extra sweet impression.
Haruno excitedly twisted her body so that her skirt was lifted following the centrifugal force. It wasn't high, but just enough to show off the smooth skin of her thighs at a glance.
"What do you think, Hikigaya-sensei?"
Haruno's question brought Hachiman back to earth. His cheeks immediately flushed red when he saw Haruno. However, he quickly covered it up by pretending to cough.
"What do you mean? Are you crazy? Besides, what's with that 'Hikigaya-sensei'?"
Haruno smiled mischievously as she placed her index finger on her chin.
"Oh? Oh? There's no need to be embarrassed, sen-se-i," Haruno replied in a cute tone.
"I told you, what the hell is this?"
Haruno tried her best not to laugh in the boy's face. She was enjoying how hard Hachiman was trying to hide his nervousness. For her, flustered Hachiman was an adorable sight.
Haruno gave in a little. She took a step back and then gave an explanation.
"Well, you know, from now on, you are my mentor in jujutsu, right? That means you're like my sensei, right?" Haruno said that in a cute tone.
However, the girl quickly stepped forward again and grabbed Hachiman's wrist. Haruno whispered something into Hachiman's ear while slightly tiptoeing and pulling down his wrist.
"So, please take care of me, okay, sen-se-i?"
Hikigaya's hair immediately stood up when he heard Haruno's whisper. Before he could protest, Haruno turned around while laughing. She walked away from Hachiman and headed back to the dressing room.
"I'll change first, Hikigaya-kun."
With that, Haruno's existence vanished, leaving Hachiman still like an idiot.
'What a crazy woman.'
—OoOoO—
After finishing their little event, Hachiman and Haruno were now at the cashier, paying for their groceries. Hachiman's belongings remained the same. Apart from Haruno's three sets of clothes, he only added one dark green fanny pack.
Meanwhile, Haruno added a lot of stuff. She bought a lot of things. Most were clothes for outdoor activities and also other garments for relaxing. Apart from that, there were also two blankets and two sets of sheets.
"You sure to buy this much, Haruno-san?"
"Starting today, I'll spend much time in Tokyo, right? So, I don't think this much preparation is excessive," Haruno replied.
"It's not like you're there every day or even moving to Tokyo, is it? Can't you just pack your things and send them to Tokyo?"
After an agreement was made in exchange for Haruno accessing the Jujutsu Tech facility, she must participate in the health department under Ieiri's command. This made her have to be in Tokyo often. Detailed schedule arrangements have yet to be made, but it was certain Haruno would have to commute Chiba-Tokyo almost every day.
Actually, from Chiba to Tokyo was pretty close. However, in Tokyo, where the Jujutsu School was located in a border area surrounded by mountains and forests, even bears still roam around a lot.
"That's more troublesome, you know? That means I must pack my things whenever I return to Chiba. It's better like this. Having provisions for living in Tokyo, but not reducing my things in Chiba."
Hachiman stared at Haruno for a while before finally averting his gaze. If the girl insisted, he did not need to continue arguing.
"Total is 25,650 Yen," the cashier cut their conversation.
"By the way, let me pay for everything," Haruno said after confirming the price of their stuff.
"No, I'll pay for mine myself. You've treated me last time. I also got a promotion. Money is no longer a problem for me."
Haruno stared at Hachiman for a few seconds.
"It's fine. You can change it later."
Hachiman was still reluctant and insisted on paying for his own stuff. However, when he looked back and noticed that the queue was quite long, he had to swallow the words that were about to come out. He realised it would really annoy the other if they continued arguing in front of the cashier.
"Fine."
Not caring about the lovebirds' debate, the cashier smiled while trying to do her job well.
Haruno immediately removed her wallet from the pocket behind her sukajan jacket. From there, she pulled out a shiny black card made of titanium material, which widened the cashier's eyes. However, she tried to cover up her surprise.
"I'll pay using this," Haruno said.
"Y-yes, please."
'Black card? It's my first time seeing that. Did I just service a VIP? No, wait, a VIP shopping at Uniqlo?!' the cashier's mind was exposed to emotional damage.
—OoOoO—
"You really are the worst, huh?"
Haruno immediately looked at Hachiman after receiving that comment.
"What?"
"You enjoyed that person's shocked expression, didn't you, when she found out you used that black card?"
Haruno chuckled at the question that had arisen out of nowhere. She pushed back the hair, blocking her ears before giving her answer.
"Of course not. I don't intend to flex off or something, you know? Right now, that card is all I have in my wallet. Well, but you weren't wrong when you said I enjoyed her expression."
Hachiman narrowed his eyes as he continued staring at Haruno walking beside him. Even though she had no such intentions, Hachiman knew Haruno was a person who would enjoy all kinds of reactions from other people. Using other people as her entertainment objects, he knew Haruno was a terrible woman.
Hachiman again turned his head forward to stare at the storefronts on display at every store in this mall.
Even knowing Haruno had quite a terrible personality, Hachiman couldn't find himself denying it. He had no intention of simply denying it. Moreover, he was a horrible person, needing a cursed spirit as his economic resource.
Hachiman wouldn't deny that fact. He wasn't a noble like doctors who wished there were no diseases in this world even though that was their source of income. He was well aware that the money he had been making came from the suffering of others.
He wouldn't deny it. He was not a noble person, let alone a hero. He was just one of all the hypocrites in this world. He hated the cursed spirits for always taking up his time, but he didn't mind either since they were his coffers of money. Basically, it was about problem management for him.
"So, where are we going?" asked Hachiman.
Haruno shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. Any idea?"
Hachiman seemed to think about it for a moment. Several ideas were running through his mind, but he wasn't sure he could enjoy any of them. Giving up on finding none, Hachiman returned to throwing questions back at Haruno.
"Is there anything you may or may not have done?"
"Well, I actually wanted to try going to the arcade, but none of my friends wanted to go there."
"Seriously?" Hachiman's response was brief.
Haruno nodded and continued, "Yeah. I'd tried several times to play crane machines or music games with my friends at the game centre, but I'd never tried games at the arcade."
Hachiman was slightly surprised to hear that. He initially thought Haruno would come up with some boring date ideas or some weird stuff like a dress-picking event just now. However, he didn't expect something like an arcade to come out of her mouth instead.
Regardless, or whatever the reason, going to the arcade had always been an enjoyable experience for Hachiman. Without thinking much, he nodded in agreement.
"Let's go there then."
—OoOoO—
The game centre always gave a different scent to Hachiman's nose. Wherever it was located, the game centre was always a unique place where various people congregated. No, Hachiman wasn't trying to be melancholy or to hold this place sacred. What he generally thought was accurate and the game centre could be categorised into sections based on the games.
Roughly speaking, it could be divided into three parts.
The first part was the norms section. It was a part of the games that were much loved by young people were located. Purikura, Dance-Dance Revolution, music games, punching bag games, crane machines, and other games that were easy to play with low competition. Basically, this section was just for pure fun, as many people like to play it.
The second was the weebs section. As the name suggested, it was a gathering place for experts in their fields. This section was dominated by arcade games that still carry the 90s design. Many games were offered in this place, ranging from fighting games, FPS, racing, and RPG to anime adaptation games.
While the latter was a place for gamblers. The name described it all. It had pachinko-like machines, token games, mahjong, hanafuda, etc., in arcade form. Literally, it couldn't be called gambling because the players were not risking their money. They could even be evasive by saying mahjong and hanafuda were just card games that had nothing to do with gambling. However, they still get rewards in the form of tickets, even though they suck at playing. That was why, whatever the reason, it didn't change the fact that those who came there wanted to get something big with little capital.
'How could I know such information, you say?' thought Hachiman, 'Where else would it come from if not from a certain gambling addict?'
"So, what are we going to play?"
Hachiman seemed to think for a moment before answering.
"Well, how about you? Do you want to try something?"
"I'm not sure. I've been to the game centre several times, but I've never played arcade games like this," said Haruno, who then looked at Hachiman, "That's why I'm asking for your opinion, considering you seem quite good at this."
Hachiman and Haruno stood facing a row of neatly arranged game machines. It was an enormous number of arcade games, exceeding their expectations.
"How about we take a look around first?" Hachiman offered.
"Sure."
The two strolled side by side. Their heads turned right and left to see what video games were presented in this place. Hachiman was something, but Haruno was ultimately zero on this knowledge.
It wasn't like Haruno knew absolutely nothing about video games. She knew. But her knowledge was only limited to popular titles. Even then, Haruno never played it. If anything, the games he had played were limited to what was available on the AppStore, and even she only played two or three titles.
"If you're confused, how about we just play a game you like?" Haruno suggested.
"Well, I'm not sure. I like RPG games the most, but they can be boring for a beginner or those just trying video games. FPS and fighting games are more popular than RPGs. However, FPS has difficult controls even though we play in the arcade. Whereas fighting games are simpler as long as what you play is not MOBA."
"I don't understand what language you use," Haruno said.
"Well, uh, let's try something like Street Fighter, Tekken, or Mortal Kombat then."
"Follow your lead."
After narrowing down their choices, Hachiman and Haruno brought themselves to the section where various fighting games were neatly lined up. They walked to find some empty machines. It didn't take long for them to arrive in front of the arcades with lots of pictures of famous characters from Tekken.
"Just a moment, Haruno-san. I want to check the combos on the internet first," said Hachiman while taking out a smartphone from his fanny pack.
"Combos?" Haruno asked with a questioning look.
"Some kind of cool movement set. It will do more damage if we manage to do it well," Hachiman replied while looking at his cell phone.
"Oh, I'm surprised you still need to check it. I thought you knew very well about that."
Hachiman shook his head slowly and replied, "I'm not a fan of fighting games, though. The last time I played was probably about 5 years ago when I was in elementary."
Haruno was silent as she listened to Hachiman's words. However, she thought she should also learn a few things before playing.
"Can you send me the link you read, Hikigaya-kun," Haruno requested.
Hachiman only gave a low grunt in response. However, a quick thumb pressed on the 'home' symbol at the bottom of his smartphone and then tapped on the Line logo on the main screen. After finding the contact of the girl next to him, he gave her what she asked for.
Talking about Line, the two didn't exchange contact at first. However, after Haruno turned into a sorcerer, Hachiman thought it was appropriate for them to have the means to communicate, considering Haruno was his responsibility.
After a few minutes of reading, Haruno closed her iPhone.
"Okay, I understand."
Hachiman looked at Haruno with one raised eyebrow.
"You sure?"
"I am. I've memorised all the combos and characters that are easy to play for beginners," Haruno replied with a confident smile.
Hachiman looked back at the girl with a flat look. He was slightly suspicious of the words. However, what was before him right now was not some random person but Yukinoshita Haruno herself.
'I wouldn't be surprised if Haruno-san can remember everything so easily. But I didn't expect that she is a fast-reading type of person.'
Hachiman reached into his wallet from the fanny pack hanging on his chest. He then took out a card and swiped it on the EDC machine. The boy handed Haruno his card, and she did the same thing Hachiman did.
After doing some setup, their screen entered into the character selection session.
"I read that Kazumi is quite easy to use for beginners and one of the strongest characters," said Haruno, who then chose Kazumi Mishima as her fighter.
"Is that so? Good luck," replied Hachiman coolly while choosing Paul as his hero.
After waiting a few seconds, a countdown started appearing on their screens, announcing that the first round was about to begin.
Haruno put her left hand on the joystick, and her right fingers were already working on each button. Her face was deadly serious, and she was excited about her first experience.
The fight began, and buying and selling attacks immediately presented. Haruno immediately lunged at Hachiman actively, while Hachiman focused more on defending.
"This is fun," Haruno commented.
Haruno continued to give deadly combos to Hachiman, who was still focused on defending. His defence so far had been pretty solid, and he would occasionally jump back to avoid Haruno's attacks. Even so, he occasionally counterattacked. However, if you looked at Hachiman's HP bar remaining at about one-fourth, while his opponent had only lost a few, it could be seen that Haruno was still in control.
However, that was only until Haruno showed an opening and Hachiman started showing Paul's combos. It looked simple. No outstanding movements. However, the damage dealt was genuinely incredible. Haruno immediately lost 3 per four of her HP in one series of combos.
With one last skill, Hachiman finished Kazumi, which Haruno controlled.
"Did you purposely hold back at the start?" asked Haruno after her character died.
"Nope."
Haruno narrowed her eyes at Hachiman. However, she diverted it when she heard the next round was about to start.
"I'll get you this time," said Haruno.
Reality often betrayed expectations. Even for someone like Haruno, not everything went according to her will. She again had to be forced to admit Hachiman's greatness in the second round. That way, the match was won by Hachiman convincingly in two rounds at once.
"Want to try another character?" Hachiman offered.
Haruno shook her head slowly and snorted.
"Nah. I'm not satisfied with this. Rematch!"
Hachiman stared at Haruno briefly before finally gazing at the screen.
"As you wish."
Time seemed to pass briefly for them. It didn't feel like Hachiman and Haruno were already in their fifth match. In other words, they had gone through at least ten rounds. During that time, Haruno had yet to win a single victory.
"Holy shit. How can you be that good?" complained the girl, "You lied about the last time you played a fighting game five years ago, right?"
Hearing Haruno's words, Hachiman was actually quite surprised. He didn't expect a noble like her to utter words that seemed like they would never come out of her mouth.
'Perhaps the theory that humans will show a different side when playing games is true.'
"I'm not lying, though. I haven't played fighting games in a long time," Hachiman replied.
Haruno glanced suspiciously at the rotten-eyed boy. However, he couldn't find a single drop of deceit in it.
Haruno exhaled tiredly and threw her back against the back of the chair.
"So, any tips or anything?"
Hearing that question, Hachiman paused and thought. The answer was easy enough, but he needed time to put it into words.
"Well, it's all about timing."
"Timing?" chirped Haruno while tilting her head.
"Overall, you'd already grasped the concept. Even though you first attacked blindly and spammed the combos, in the last few rounds, you have known when to defend, attack, and do combos."
Hachiman paused to take a breath.
"Put it simply, your timing was good. However, knowing when to defend and when to attack is not enough. There are things called transition and preparation. Well, I'm more focused on preparation, though."
Haruno still needed help understanding Hachiman's point. She didn't know what 'preparation' he meant. The reason was that fighting games were simple games where the players didn't need to prepare.
Knowing the meaning behind Haruno's gaze, Hachiman cleared his throat and continued.
"By preparation, I mean when you must use the combo and what steps you must complete before doing it. I mean, Paul's combo can reduce almost three-fourths of an opponent's HP. That way, I continued to defend while dealing with small attacks to reduce one-fourth of HP. And then, I finished it all at once with Paul's combo."
"Oh, I got it!"
Haruno replied excitedly as if she had been enlightened.
"So, it's like you not only want to win but also want to panic your opponents so they have a hard time thinking straight, right?"
Hachiman nodded slowly in response.
"You're a monster, Hikigaya-kun."
Haruno didn't wait for an answer from the other person. She didn't expect any reaction either. Haruno immediately looked at the screen and chose Jin Kazama.
"Oh, the main character, huh? He's the complete package that the developer provides. Good choice, Haruno-san."
It didn't take long. Hachiman immediately decided on Marshall Law as his next fighter.
Even after Haruno got some advice from Hachiman, her game still has not progressed. She was still having a hard time beating the boy.
'Perhaps more precisely, Hikigaya-kun is playing even better?' While furrowing his brows, Haruno thought, 'So, he's been holding back on purpose, huh?'
Three matches with six rounds passed in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, Haruno didn't manage to get a single round.
"I give up. It's impossible to beat you today," Haruno complained as she threw her back against the chair.
Hachiman looked at the girl with his usual rotten eyes. There were some words about to come out of his mouth. However, an awkward feeling prevented any of that from escaping. So, the words only stuck in his throat. But he tried to push it away. With a bit of courage, a few words came out of the boy's mouth.
"Nice try, Haruno-san."
"Don't get a big head. Next time, I'll definitely beat you," Haruno replied, her eyes closed.
"Next time, huh?"
Haruno heard the muttering, but she didn't give any reaction. She was still trying to reorganise her thoughts after her crushing defeat. Even though it was just a game, Haruno hated losing. She didn't like the taste of loss. However, she knew it would look ridiculous if she took too seriously a game whose sole purpose was relaxation.
Hachiman realised what the girl sitting next to him was thinking. It wasn't like he could read other people's minds. However, as a person who liked to play games, he knew what it was like to be beaten repeatedly without being able to give anything back.
"You're too ambitious, Haruno-san," said Hachiman.
Haruno opened her eyes after hearing those words. However, her head didn't turn to Hachiman. Her eyes didn't meet the boy's. While her back was still against the back of the chair.
Seeing that reaction, Hachiman felt it was a signal for him to continue speaking.
"Well, I'm not saying having ambition is bad. If you focus too much on your ambition, if you focus too much on a win, you might miss the big picture.
Hachiman's tongue felt numb as he said those words. His brain repeatedly screamed "stupid" when he said words that made him look like an emo boy. Even though he had a wealth of experience, he was not mentally prepared to teach others.
"But the objective of this game is to win, right?" she asked.
Hachiman felt bonked hearing that question. The cool words he had just said were torn to pieces by the simple logic on which the game they were playing was based.
Panic? Well, Hachiman wasn't that panicked. More precisely, he didn't want to look like an idiot after saying these words of wisdom that had nothing to do with games.
"Yeah, well. I mean, be like water, which can take any form."
Haruno noticed the panic within Hachiman. However, the girl didn't comment. Instead, she propped her chin with her elbows resting on the arcade.
"Ooh… That sounds interesting. Continue, please," Haruno said while teasing Hachiman.
Haruno was happy to see the blushing Hachiman. She enjoyed the boy's reaction, which she thought was cute. Unfortunately, the fun didn't last long after Hachiman faked a cough and fixed his expression.
"You know, I mean, be Paul when you use Paul, and be Law when you use him."
"Like when you become a machine while playing crane machine?"
Hachiman was embarrassed when he was caught using Spongebob's words as a reference. However, he was saved this time by someone who interrupted them from behind.
"Uhm… Excuse me. Are you guys done?"
Hachiman and Haruno looked back at the same time. They found three boys lining up for their turn to play.
"Oh, yes, please."
Hachiman replied curtly, got up from his chair, and Haruno followed him. He didn't forget to take the bags they had previously placed. Haruno, on her own initiative, took stuff from Hachiman's hand. After all, she was self-aware that most of it was her. So, she couldn't let Hachiman do the heavy lifting alone.
They both walk away from the scene. However, they faintly heard the cursing of the three people in line, who swore at them as happy normies.
"What's next?" Haruno asked.
"Any ideas?"
Hachiman and Haruno both fell silent. There were a lot of games in this place, and they came without the slightest plan. They even played Tekken because fighting games were the easiest way to introduce video games to new people. However, after the absolute domination that Hachiman showed, they both agreed not to continue playing fighting games, at least not for today.
'How about a racing game? Like Mario Kart, for example?' Alter suddenly suggested to Haruno via their personal telepathy.
'Why?'
'Fighting games purely rely on the skill, right? On the other hand, doesn't a game like Mario Kart seem to rely more on luck?'
Haruno considered Alter's proposal a brilliant idea. She'd seen someone play Mario Kart before. And from what she deduced, the controls were simple. You only need to step on the gas and brake pedals and control the car using the steering wheel. Even if your skills suck, you could still depend on luck by getting good abilities along the track.
'Well, thanks for the idea. I also wonder if Hikigaya-kun has good luck.'
'Nice. Good luck, my dear myself.'
After severing her telepathy with Alter, Haruno looked directly into Hachiman's eyes.
"What?" asked Hachiman
"How about Mario Kart?"
Hachiman glanced at the corner of the room where the Mario Kart game was.
"That sounds good. Let's try it."
After making a mutual decision, Haruno immediately grabbed Hachiman's arm and walked towards where they were headed.
"By the way, I talked to Alter earlier," said Haruno, still holding Hachiman's wrist, "Did you realise that? Did you sense something, Hikigaya-kun?"
During this trip to the mall, Haruno asked Hachiman if she could tell him about her technique after they parted ways with Himeno. After getting his approval, Haruno started to pour everything out.
From there, Hachiman began to learn about Haruno's cursed technique. Meanwhile, on Haruno's side, she got some feedback from Hachiman, which she considered was constructive for her training later.
"No, I don't feel anything," Hachiman replied.
"Is that so?"
Hachiman nodded and replied, "Hiratsuka-sensei once told me the body naturally acts as a barrier. If your cursed technique just now was active, and the fact I couldn't sense any cursed energy activity from you, it seems like the barrier, or in this case, your body is blocking the information from escaping."
"In other words, when a sorcerer activates his technique for himself, others cannot notice? Even for someone of your calibre, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Maybe, but that still needs to be discussed more."
'That reminds me of Kirara-senpai. When he marked himself, I couldn't tell whether he had used the technique or not,' added Hachiman in his mind.
After walking a few steps, they arrived at where Mario Kart was. However, they still had to queue because all the machines were full. That's not long. It only took a few minutes until four people stood up and left their seats.
—OoOoO—
"God Damn!"
Hachiman cursed under his breath while gripping the steering wheel tightly. His brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched to contain his frustration.
Ten machines were running Mario Kart games, all integrated via LAN. Considering it was one of the most loved games in Japan, every available machine would always be filled when a player decided to leave the game.
"You're not very good at this one, huh, Hikigaya-kun?" Haruno said with a mischievous smile.
They had played seven rounds together with other players in this arcade. Of those rounds, Hachiman had never made it to the podium once. His best record was fourth place out of ten participants. While Haruno, from first to latest race, won first place five times and second place twice.
"If it's a normal racing game, I'm sure I can do better than this," Hachiman replied defensively.
"Yeah, yeah. I know you can."
Playing seven rounds was enough for Haruno and Hachiman. They stood up from their seats and let the next in line take their turn.
"I'm serious, you know."
"I know, and I'm deadly serious here."
Hachiman narrowed his eyes as he stared at Haruno. Holding on for a few seconds, he averted his gaze with a snort.
"But you sure have great luck, huh?" chirped Hachiman.
"I hate it when people take my wins as luck. But well, I won't deny it this time. The luck factor in Mario Kart does play a vital role, though."
Hachiman nodded in approval. He was pretty grateful that Haruno didn't deny that fact. In fact, he cursed himself a bit after throwing those words at Haruno. He had a lot of experience with a certain senpai who loved to gamble and always blamed his luck whenever he lost in a game.
"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask something selfish of you. Is that okay?" Haruno asked suddenly.
"Just in case you forgot, but you've always acted selfishly without permission, you know? It was weird and gave me chills when you suddenly asked."
Haruno laughed lightly at the reply.
"Because this one will be very troublesome and probably make you die of boredom."
Hachiman didn't answer those words, so Haruno took that to mean she had to continue what she was saying.
"Can you play crane machine or UFO catching?"
"Of course not. Why?" asked Hachiman, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing in particular. Just asking."
Crane machine, or UFO catching, was a game that relied entirely on luck. Some people say there was a pattern or a distinct turn when the gripper could grip firmly. However, even if you knew the secret, it didn't change that the game still required luck.
"You want the prize?"
"Not me, but it was a gift for Yukino-chan," Haruno paused, "She really likes all things related to pandas, especially Pan-san. And I see the crane machine here has a Kyoto limited edition of Pan-san."
"And the real goal?" asked Hachiman with a suspicious look.
Haruno laughed crisply at the suspicion.
"Well, while Yukino-chan is pleased with her souvenir, I'd say it's from Hikigaya-kun. That way, her tsundere will come out to its fullest and be fun to watch."
Hachiman couldn't stop thinking about the woman's way of thinking. On the one hand, he was sure that Haruno was a siscon. But on the other hand, she was completely different when it came to pranking her sister.
Both he and Haruno were the oldest children in the family. They also had a younger sister. However, the way they interacted with their sister was completely different. If Hachiman entirely dedicated himself to looking after Komacahi, to the point he would beat up any boy who approached her, Haruno had a unique way of expressing her affection for her sister.
Haruno seemed an example of the ultimate sister, making Yukino feel inferior and pushing her to reach Haruno's level. However, instead of being a big sis who felt superior to her younger sister, Haruno really liked to make fun of Yukino, to the extent that it created a love-hate relationship on Yukino's side.
'I've only met Maki's twin once. But I think having a stronger sister can invite such inferior feelings. I'm thankful Komachi is a good girl, such an angel, who doesn't harbour jealousy and grudges towards her brother.'
"Maybe not many people know about it, but actually, you can buy the prizes inside the machine when you fail a few times," Hachiman explained.
"Eh? Really? I never heard of it."
"Well. They won't look cool if they try that shortcut."
Before Haruno could answer, Hachiman got ahead of her.
"If you don't mind cheating, we can try it."
Haruno smiled in satisfaction at Hachiman's words.
"You know, bribing isn't inherently a crime as long as it's not harmful. That is just one way to get a license without the hassle of bureaucracy."
—OoOoO—
The date at the mall lasts longer than they thought. Haruno, the initiator, originally thought it would take one or, at most, two hours. However, it was almost six hours, most spent in the game centre. They played lots of games or just watched people from behind. Tekken and Mario Kart were starters, but the rest was completely spontaneous.
In some ways, that didn't fit with the to-do list plan she had in her head. Of course, as someone who insisted on sightseeing in Kyoto before heading home, Haruno thought of the plans herself. Initially, she only thought of spending a maximum of two hours at the mall. Then, they would go to sacred places such as temples or other outdoor tours.
Yes. Since their last date, Haruno had become quite addicted to outdoor activities. For her, who lived in one of the busiest cities in Japan, Chiba, outdoor vacations were a healing moment. She was even sceptical that their date at the mall would go well. The basic idea for it was simply she wanted to know Hachiman's taste in clothes and his hobby of playing games.
So, the almost six hours that ended in the blink of an eye really took her by surprise because Haruno didn't expect that she would actually enjoy it so much.
"I'm not sure I can finish it all at once," complained Haruno, staring at the bowl of ramen before her.
After spending time at Takashimiya Kyoto Department Store, they searched for a good dinner spot. Haruno just wanted to eat a light meal at a sushi restaurant. However, Hachiman insisted on finding a ramen shop.
Since Hachiman had indulged Haruno's selfish desires all day, it was only natural for her to return the favour by following Hachiman's wishes. However, the boy's idea was more troublesome than she thought. He refused to look up ramen shop recommendations on the internet. He insisted on trying an honest assessment of the local neighbourhood.
They had asked the driver that they rent a package with the car. And this was where they ended up. It was a ramen shop with no online reviews but was widely loved by locals.
"This much is normal. You don't have to be afraid of being overweight or anything like that. Because when you're active as a sorcerer later, your body will burn many calories," Hachiman replied.
Haruno stirred the ramen to distribute the flavours while listening to Hachiman's words.
"That aside, I never imagined you would turn out to be this kind of person, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman slurped the noodles and sent a questioning glance to Haruno. Because some noodles were in his mouth, he couldn't get the words out for a while. However, Haruno understood the meaning of those stares.
"During our last date, you searched the internet for restaurants with good ratings. But now it's different. You refuse to look for ramen shops on the internet and trust the local tongue more. I didn't expect you to be the type of person who would spend their time hunting for ramen."
What Haruno said did make sense. Luckily for them, the driver they hired had great recommendations but still no reviews on the internet. However, imagine if the driver didn't have any advice, they might wander around Kyoto for hours just looking for a good, but not well-known, ramen shop on the internet.
It was tiring and troublesome. Moreover, these things were completely contrary to Hachiman's characteristic, who didn't like complicated things.
"Well, I wasn't like that at first," Hachiman replied, " Hiratsuka-sensei passed on her habits to me."
Haruno didn't answer immediately because she was still blowing on her ramen. The girl brushed her hair behind her ear. Then, her free hand reached for a spoon to scoop out the broth while her other hand held the chopsticks full of noodles.
She ate it with great grace. Her curled eyelashes moved beautifully as her eyelids closed as she put the ramen into her mouth. Hachiman, who saw it, was stunned and amazed that someone could bring out such beauty just by eating ramen.
Not wanting to look like a weirdo, the boy ate his ramen with gusto and speed.
After waiting a few seconds, Haruno finally swallowed the ramen.
"Shizuka-chan passed on her habit?" asked Haruno, who repeated Hachiman's statement.
The boy nodded and replied, "You don't know? I thought you were quite close to Hiratsuka-sensei."
"We are. We still keep in touch even after I graduated, but I never would when she asked me to go to a ramen shop."
Haruno started chopping the new noodles as well as scooping out the broth.
"Enough about me. How about you? What habit did Shizuka-chan pass on you?"
"Perhaps you can already guess. Hiratsuka-sensei often invited Isshiki and me to hunt for ramen every time after doing work."
"Well, it's just like her, huh?"
After that, there was no conversation for another five minutes as they focused more on the dish before them.
"Thanks for the food," both said after finishing the ramen together.
Haruno wiped her mouth with a tissue. Then she took a glass of matcha and drank it. Her tongue and teeth occasionally clatter along with the entry of the tea inside.
The taste of the ramen broth was so strong that the bitterness of the matcha wasn't enough to neutralise it. It wasn't like Haruno had never eaten ramen before. However, having a solid broth and not throwing the balance of flavours off was something only a professional with years of experience could do.
Haruno began to understand why this shop was so crowded even though culinary articles on the internet had never discussed it. The place was small and out of the way but very popular in the local neighbourhood.
"Speaking of work, it tickles me a bit when you don't put on a happy expression or think about doing a celebration for your promotion," Haruno said after wiping her mouth.
Hachiman didn't answer right away. He first drank a glass of cola to give him extra time to form his words.
"Being a special grade does sound incredible if you look at it from the surface," he replied after placing the glass on the table, "But, the thing is, being a special grade is the same as you being marked as one of the most dangerous people in this country by the association itself."
"What? How could that be?" Haruno asked in surprise.
"First, do you know the minimum requirements to become a special grade?"
Haruno looked thoughtful for a moment at the question. Several ideas popped into her head, but she brushed them aside because she had no confidence in her answer.
"I'm not sure," she replied simply.
"Gojo-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei, and the other people in the association believe that a special grade is assigned to those with potential beyond common sense. However, not a few also say that special grades are those who can overthrow a country singlehandedly."
Hachiman gave his words a pause before continuing.
"Regardless, the conclusion that can be drawn is… everyone agrees a special grade is a time bomb that can explode at any time with a potential that cannot be measured."
Hachiman wasn't exaggerating or trying to scare Haruno. The term time bomb that could explode at any time was not an empty proverb.
The memory of the chaos caused by a Geto Suguru was still warm in Hachiman's mind. Someone who would have nearly destroyed Tokyo and Kyoto if it were not because of Gojo Satoru. It was the direst disaster if an experienced special-grade sorcerer decided to go crazy and go wild.
'The only thing I was grateful for at that time was that Geto didn't bring his full power when he invaded Tokyo school. If he decided to concentrate all his cursed spirits at one point and make an even crazier mess, five of us would die at that moment if Gojo-sensei came too late.'
"Well, let's keep that topic under wraps," Haruno replied.
The girl then looked at the watch on her left wrist and snorted.
"It may not seem like it, but I want to fully enjoy our last minutes in Kyoto without getting into heavy and sombre topics."
It was seven p.m., and the shinkansen they took to Tokyo left at eight. Just like Haruno said, they only had less than an hour from now.
Haruno didn't want to waste her precious time with a talk about murder and sabotage. The silence was much better than talking about these gloomy things. Moreover, they had Kyoto, a city full of classic romance everywhere. With the air mingled with the smell of broth, Haruno wanted to beautifully sculpt the one she had obtained today.
"Well, you're right," replied Hachiman briefly.
—OoOoO—
Haruno had been through a long and tiring day with great struggles. Starting with the feeling of fluttering and anxiety when leaving for Kyoto, filled with heated debates against the higher-ups, and ending beautifully with someone who had been haunting her mind lately. Haruno had never gone through such a rollercoaster in less than a day.
It was a fantastic story but horrific at the same time. She would always laugh lightly and meaningfully whenever she remembered what had happened today. Let's say she was crazy, but Haruno was really enjoying the thrill she felt right now.
Haruno was someone with a silver spoon in her mouth since the day she was born. She never worried about how her life would be in the future. Even if she slept all year without doing anything, she could still get whatever she wanted.
However, when she set foot in this accursed world and decided to cross over to this side, she no longer knew what future awaited her. Everything became dark, covered by a thick black fog. Unfortunately, it was precisely that uncertainty that excited her. Thinking she could die the next day if she didn't do her best today made Haruno's heart pump three times faster than usual.
'Actually, I'm a little worried. You're not misinterpreting those throbs as liking Hikigaya-kun, are you?' asked Alter through her subconscious.
'I'm not that naive to misinterpret my own feelings, you know?'
'Well, whatever it is, I'm also a little grateful. I can see what you see. And I swear I'll curse you if you make unnecessary drama into your love story.'
Haruno stopped operating her phone for a moment. She then laughed in amusement without anyone knowing the reason.
'So do I. I'll curse myself if I become an idiot.'
Hachiman sat beside her and was interested when Haruno suddenly let out a low laugh for no reason. He took a moment to peek at her phone screen but couldn't find why Haruno giggled.
"You were chatting with Alter again?" asked Hachiman.
Haruno nodded and replied, "You might be surprised to find out how chatty she is."
Without waiting for an answer from Hachiman, Haruno looked back at her iPhone screen and showed it to the boy sitting next to her.
"What do you think? Will it look good if I post it on Instagram?" she asked.
Hachiman looked at the photo the woman showed. He tried to judge it as best he could.
"Who knows? You can upload whatever you want, just don't forget to cover my face."
It was collided images the two of them had taken at purikura. They were standing close together in the photo, with Hachiman with his usual wrinkled face, and Haruno smiled broadly while showing off the pose of two fingers on each hand and some poses in each image.
Purikura, or photobooth, was uniquely still alive and well in Japan even though it was already 2018. The popularity of purikura exploded in the early 2000s because they offered accessible features and didn't require operating a computer just for casual editing. However, even though the world had entered the digital era with many smartphone photo editing applications, purikara could still maintain its existence amid global digitalisation.
'That being said, I think those who go to purikura are women who are insecure about their appearance or girls who are still in puberty like Komachi. I didn't expect a woman as charming as Haruno-san also take pictures there and edit her photos with weird stickers.'
"Alright, it's done," Haruno said with satisfaction, "With this, no one will think weirdly about me being absent for three days."
The idea was to make people think that nothing had happened to Yukinoshita Haruno and show them Haruno was enjoying her Sunday in Kyoto. The reason was simple. As they had previously discussed, it was to avoid gossip and lead people not to come up with weird conspiracy theories. That way, it would avoid giving birth to the troublesome cursed spirit related to the incident that happened to Haruno and co in the abandoned tunnel.
At first, Haruno didn't think much about it. However, when she turned on her phone last night after she had been absent for three days without a word, she saw a lot of incoming chats. Everyone asked where she was, whether she had any problems, why she suddenly disappeared, and so on.
"If someone stalks me and stabs me in the back out of jealousy for you, I'll sue you, you know?"
Haruno chuckled softly and replied, "Well, well, I'm fine with some of your complaints. Other than that, I will take responsibility."
Hachman was seen drinking a bottle of water in his hand in a hurry right after hearing Haruno's words.
'Don't say something that can misunderstand people, you woman.'
Imagining that Haruno would take responsibility for himself after she uploaded a photo of them together, it sounded like someone was proposing to their partner after an unwanted incident. However, Haruno didn't have that intention. She didn't even think about it.
"By the way, when can we enter the platform?" asked Hachiman, who tried to change the subject.
"About another 30 minutes."
Hachiman sighed after hearing Haruno's reply. He threw his back into the back of a chair available in the waiting room.
"I can't wait to see my room again. My little kingdom," he said.
They had spent hours on this impromptu date in Kyoto. And in the end, every beginning always had an end. So it was with today, with this date, which would be closed after they returned.
However, it was a beautiful day. It was refreshing even for Hachiman after he had been messing around with his mundane affairs for days. Spending hours in the game centre without thinking about anything relaxed his brain.
So did Haruno. Today was a day filled with new things for her. She'd been to the game centre several times but never set foot in the arcade. She also really enjoyed the moment when they hunted for ramen with amazing taste but no exposition on the internet.
Haruno really enjoyed the day they spent together. She was sure Hachiman also thought the same thing, even though the boy always had a dishevelled face all day.
Even doing something fun was draining. Because of that, they fell into silence. Honestly, she was pretty tired physically. However, she wouldn't be Haruno if she didn't take the initiative and let their date end just like that.
Haruno took a pair of earphones from her pocket and connected them via Bluetooth. While plugging in the left earphone, Haruno operated Spotify to find music she thought was pleasant. Before that, however, she held out her right earphone to Hachiman.
"Want to listen to some music?"
Hachiman seemed to think about Haruno's offer for a moment. He didn't see any ulterior motives or harm on his part just by listening to music.
"Thanks," he replied, taking the earphones.
"What music do you usually listen to?" she asked.
Hachiman looked brooding, thinking about something he wanted to hear. However, he wasn't a music craze by nature. So, he didn't have any particular preferences regarding his favourite music.
"I don't really into music. Anything is okay, I think?"
"Oh, come on. Just choose whatever you like. I'm fine with anime songs, though."
Hachiman looked at Haruno while raising an eyebrow.
"Why the sudden anime song in particular?"
Hachiman received no response from Haruno. The girl chuckled at his reaction. Hachiman finally could only sigh while closing his eyes.
"I'm not an otaku, you know? Just because I read some manga and light novels and play video games doesn't mean I'm an otaku, okay?"
"Yeah, yah. Mr. Not-Otaku-kun."
Hachiman decided to give up on facing Haruno. He reconsidered what music he wanted to hear instead of looking at the ones that kept teasing him. However, coming up with a single title took more work than he had imagined.
'Something I hear almost every time I go to the convenience store. Something I've known since I was little.'
"Then, Daydream Believer, please?"
Haruno had no intention of hiding her surprise at Hachiman's choice. In the next second, she smiled a sweet and refreshing smile.
"The Japanese version, right?"
Hachiman nodded slowly at Haruno's question.
Haruno started typing the title into the search engine on Spotify. When she found it and tapped on the song, a beautiful melody began to play through the earphones stuck in their ears.
"By the way, there's no need to worry, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman turned to Haruno and waited for the woman to finish.
"Some experts say that when people choose a song, it can be influenced by their subconscious. Knowing you want to listen to Daydream Believer…, so don't worry. This onee-san isn't going anywhere, you know?"
The colour on Hachiman's face slowly faded, and a blush appeared on his cheeks. He wanted to reply to the ridiculous conclusion that Haruno had made. However, just as Hachiman was about to protest, the song they heard began to enter its first verse.
Right when he heard the lyrics, "mou ima wa kanojo wa doko ni mou inai", or in English, "Right now, she is nowhere to be found", Hachiman swallowed back his words and could only spit out a pitiful curse.
"Shut it."
—To Be continued—
Author Note: Well, To be honest, I wanted to upload this yesterday, but something happened and I have to finish it first. And I was so tired after doing that to the point I didn't have time to open my tablet. So, yeah, there you go.
This chapter is still focusing on our main couple, and they are in a date! This is a long chapter, but personally, this is one of my favourites so far. So, I hope you guys can enjoy it too.
That's all from me. Please support me by subscribing me to "patre0n.-com-/-akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", and remove the "-".) I won't force you and I'm still continuing the story although you don't subscribe to me. But it'll help me a lot. Anyway, see you and stay safe.