On the road illuminated by the fluorescent streetlights, Hachiman Hikigaya and Shizuka Hiratsuka silently circled the bench in the center. In this strange yet tranquil atmosphere, Shizuka Hiratsuka, as the elder, spoke first.
"...I am perfectly fine here."
Hachiman Hikigaya answered, his words simple yet powerful. He gazed at the green bushes beneath the gray wall, where a cicada was hiding, displaying its melodious song.
"Really? That's great."
Hiratsuka Shizuka spoke dryly but with a sense of relief. This conversation, which felt like that between unfamiliar friends, puzzled her, even though they hadn't seen each other for over a year.
Life is only about seventy years long. A year is a long time, long enough to change a person's character, long enough to turn an event upside down.
Where did Hiratsuka-sensei go after she left her job?
"Me? I went back to my hometown for a while, and then became a teacher at a school again."
"Also a high school?"
"Um."
"Hey—" Hachiman Hikigaya showed a brief moment of surprise, then asked in a completely indifferent tone, "Does Hiratsuka-sensei really enjoy high school life?"
Is it because she fits the common savior plot in anime where the main characters are all high school students that you like her? After all, she's a somewhat naive and passionate teacher. But that won't do. People have to face the road ahead and move forward. Ms. Hiratsuka, you won't find a boyfriend if you're obsessed with Jump.
"I don't have enough energy to treat young children gently."
Hiratsuka Shizuka took out a cigarette from her pocket, shook the box, and a slim cigarette was stuck in the small tear in the box. She lowered her head slightly and put it in her mouth, her bright red lips enveloping the brown filter.
She put the box in her pocket, then took out a lighter, shielding it from the wind with one hand and lighting it with the other. The scarlet light resembled the appearance of fireflies.
"Compared to college students who are generally more relaxed, high school students at least have more authority to listen to what I say, making the teaching process easier."
Seven Stars is a Japanese brand specifically designed for female smokers. Its flavor is naturally not too strong, and the overall taste is delicate. The aroma of the tobacco is mixed with a light milky fragrance and the coolness of mint.
"With your guidance, they will surely make rapid progress."
"Don't think that flattery will make me ignore the bold ideas you just had. You're probably secretly thinking that I'm just a stupid teacher who tries to fit into shonen manga, aren't you?"
"..."
That's why a woman's intuition is so powerful.
Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh once again. He often thought that men couldn't hide anything from women. Women, who were labeled as lambs by society, actually had eyes as sharp as hawks. They could often see through most secrets, but they couldn't see into the hearts of their own.
His silence amused Hiratsuka Shizuka, who ruffled his hair, making the boy's neat hair messy. He didn't resist, but quietly reminded her that there was still some hair gel on his head.
The awkwardness of not seeing each other for so long eased at this moment, and they began to talk about what had happened in their lives after they parted ways. As an elder, the woman should perhaps have given the boy a good talking-to about his departure from his comfortable environment and his attempt to create a new world, but Hiratsuka Shizuka did not choose to do so. She simply listened silently to the boy's story about what had happened after she left school.
The Service Club, which the three of them belonged to, ended on the fourth night before the college entrance exams. Yui chose to leave the club. This always gentle girl did not want to witness the sad atmosphere of parting. She smiled and sobbed, saying, "Since I already know that it will end badly, then it's better to stop here."
Yukinoshita agreed to her choice. Since he didn't have much say in the club, or rather, he didn't want to add to the troubles with his words, he didn't say anything, but simply said goodbye to Yuihama when they parted.
Tomorrow's sunrise brings hope, and compared to the sorrow of impending separation, the life choices that are about to unfold are far more important.
"Speaking of which, Hachiman, why did you choose science?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka asked the question, a question that had been puzzling her ever since she learned of the matter.
How could Hikigaya, who scores at the bottom in both math and English, actually get into Izu University, a university with a high humanities-science imbalance and a focus on science?
Could it be that after she left, this kid changed his ways and started working hard so that he could get into the same university as someone else?
"It has nothing to do with Yukinoshita."
"Tsk, you're like a tapeworm, aren't you?"
"Your expression is too obvious," Hachiman Hikigaya replied. Shizuka Hiratsuka was a carefree teacher, and it was easy to tell from her facial expressions that she had no hidden feelings. "I just wanted to try to change some things."
"It's best not to change your life's trajectory too easily. With your humanities grades, getting into the University of Tokyo shouldn't be a problem, right?"
After entering the University of Tokyo, at least he won't have to worry about finding a job anymore. However, it seems that this kid's future dream is to become a stay-at-home dad.
"Although I really want to say that the prestige of a university does not determine the final outcome of one's life, I'm sorry I can't escape reality yet."
Hachiman Hikigaya chuckled, and his words made Shizuka Hiratsuka wish she could pry open his head to see if the contents were human.
"Indeed, after entering the University of Tokyo, my life might be like a sailboat sailing smoothly with the wind, but I have a vague feeling that it might not be the life I want."
"...What kind of life do you want?"
"What I want..."
Hachiman Hikigaya looked up at the vast night sky, where countless stars twinkled and a crescent moon hung high amidst the swirling clouds. Its golden light fell into his eyes, and its reflection created a unique brilliance in them.
...
"One frog hops and jumps, two frogs croak and croak, three frogs skip stones, and with a splash, the lotus leaf falls..."
Under the bright lamppost, Komachi Hikigaya sat on a chair, swinging her legs, singing a nursery rhyme her mother had taught her when she was little, quietly waiting for her brother and Hiratsuka sister to return.
The excitement of the long-awaited reunion gradually faded in the cool breeze, and the older brother had changed in some ways after a month apart.
He didn't seem lonely anymore; he had friends around him who could tease each other. Although his expression was indifferent, and although he seemed not to have fully integrated yet, there was always a slight gap between their shoulders when they touched. But his friends didn't seem to care. If they couldn't touch shoulders, they would put their arms around each other's necks. Their affectionate gestures were like the warm sun on a snow-capped mountain, not intense, but gently caressing the mountaintop.
This is a good thing, but the abrupt change always gives her a dreamlike feeling, like the snow in Berlin.
Her eyelids were slightly lowered, and in her vision, her own shadow was stretched long by the light, making it look less like herself.
Why did my brother choose to attend university so far from home? What is it about this place that attracts him?
Although children eventually leave home as they grow up, my older brother probably hasn't reached the age where he can mature enough to live independently.
The girl muttered to herself, each question pushing the answer deeper into the puzzle. She persisted tirelessly until she herself became confused, and then her brother returned.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Hachiman Hikigaya looked at his adorable friend and reached out to greet him.
"You're so slow, Onii-chan."
Komachi Hikigaya flashed a smile, revealing her small canine teeth. The playful girl came alive at that moment, leaping up to him and hugging his waist.
"What's wrong? Are you trying to be cute?"
Hachiman gently patted her head. Time really flies; she's almost as tall as him now.
"Since we haven't seen each other for a long time, let's be honest this time, Komachi."
Hachiman smiled at her admission and looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka: "What are your plans next?"
"There aren't any plans, but judging from the sky, there probably isn't much we can do," Hiratsuka Shizuka said.
"Then, you should go back and rest early. I'll take you to visit Izu again tomorrow."
"Komachi wants to go and see where her brother lives."
"Huh? What?"
Hachiman Hikigaya looked down at Komachi, his eyebrows twitching uneasily.
"Speaking of which, your mother also asked me to go and check your place. She said if I found anything bad, I should take a picture with my phone and send it to her later."
"...ha?"
Chapter 46 Let's have an outdoor BBQ!
When a person is in dire straits and there is no way to reverse the situation, the only hope is the favor of the gods.
Hachiman Hikigaya walked slowly ahead of Shizuka Hiratsuka and Komachi Hikigaya, his hands in his pockets. After bending down to untie his shoelaces three times and yawning and pausing six times, the former had already seen through his weakness. Even without turning around, he could feel a murderous aura close at hand. It seemed that if he stopped one more step, his fate would be no different from that of a hunter who stubbornly turned around after something grabbed his shoulder from behind when he entered the forest on a foggy day.
So he abandoned his attempt to stall for time. He trusted his companions; since he had already asked them for help and they had agreed, their bond wouldn't be easily broken.
As Hachiman Hikigaya thought this, his expression gradually relaxed, and he tapped the screen buttons faster and faster.
Thanks to his skillful touch typing, which he had developed through playing games, even though he didn't have any friends to email, he quickly typed out messages and sent them to Iori.
[Codename Class: Red Eagle, Codename Content: We're coming back, Codename Request: Please make all preparations!]
Every word he uttered revealed his impatience. He regretted it; he shouldn't have set Iori as his primary contact when recording contacts.
Since he rarely exchanges text messages with people, he didn't remember where Chisa and Nanaka's accounts were located. It was too risky to gamble on picking them out from his dozen or so contacts, and there was a greater chance that he might accidentally send the message to someone he already knew, which would be even worse.
There was no other way; Iori was the worst possible option, and now we had no choice but to trust him.
Hachiman Hikigaya nearly broke a mouthful of white teeth. He had sent several text messages, but hadn't received a single reply. What on earth were Iori and the others doing right now?
...
『Grand blue』
Everyone sat together, looking at the two people in the center of the living room. Tokita Shinji was overjoyed. Just now, he had confirmed through inside information that the winners of both the men's and women's beauty pageants had been members of their 'Pab'. In other words, this Izu Spring Festival had brought them an unprecedented amount of money!
This is all thanks to Iori and the other three! He was right about them! This year's newcomers are all gems!
Upon hearing this incredible news, the next thing to do is definitely throw a party!
but...
"Can't we drink or play baseball tonight?"
The president of the rugby club, who had invited everyone to come and offer their congratulations, looked at the non-alcoholic drinks like juice on the table, then glanced at the well-dressed members of the diving club, and couldn't help but ask in confusion.
"Yes, this is Hachiman's request. Although the original deadline was tomorrow, it seems that it will be carried out tonight."
Shinji Tokita mumbled through a straw, the plastic tube torn beyond recognition.
He was overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing the good news, but he couldn't release it by drinking or taking off his clothes. He felt as if a fireball was burning inside him.
Tsk, this drink has absolutely no flavor.
Unlike his restlessness, the trio of newcomers, along with two female seniors and a heavily made-up corpse, sat comfortably on the sofa chatting.
Yoshihara Aina held her cup, gazing at the tense atmosphere around them, and tugged at Iori's sleeve: "Why do all the people in this club seem so serious?"
Kitahara Iori stared blankly at the oolong tea in his hand. Even though he had already had some in the activity room that afternoon, he still couldn't believe that he could actually drink real oolong tea in 'Grand Blue'.
After experiencing PTSD for so many days, he thought that as long as he stayed with his seniors, this kind of thing would be over for him. But unexpectedly, he was able to drink it twice in one day.
Such peaceful days would have been exactly what he wanted in the past, but now it always felt a bit strange, like when you're cooking instant noodles, instead of sticking a fork in to hold the lid shut, you're just holding the lid horizontally to clamp it.
Something's really wrong; it's giving me goosebumps.
Just as he was falling into paranoia, Aina's words brought him back to reality. Iori looked up at the group of people sitting by the coffee table, focused on playing chess, and his face was filled with terror.
Although I already knew from the afternoon's experience that the seniors, though unruly, strictly adhered to the rules, the current situation still seemed very strange!
"Right, Iori, Toki and Hisashi may be carefree most of the time, but they can also be very serious sometimes."
Hamaoka Azusa, who could tell what he was thinking, joked that this kind of situation was not common. She had only seen it less than ten times in all the time she had been in the club.
"They actually know how to play chess?"
"That's the shocking part?"
Kohei complained, tugging at his tie. He felt uncomfortable not being able to take off his clothes here, but he could still bear it for his good brother's... sister.
He couldn't let his brother's sister see anything obscene. Today, he was the civilized overseer of 'Grand Blue'! He wouldn't allow any bad behavior to occur here today!
At that moment, he saw Iori stand up.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I was just thinking about something."
"What's the problem?"
"Uh," Kitahara Iori said, shrugging. "Why are we staying here?"
"What?"
Kohei Imamura's pupils trembled. Yes, how could he not have thought of that? Instead of keeping a close watch on them to prevent them from slipping up, it would have been safer to just move them all over now.
"You're right."
"Right?"
Kitahara Iori got up and headed to his room. He was exhausted after a long day. Since the celebration banquet was going to be postponed, he might as well go upstairs and get some sleep.
"In that case, let's go now."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
With Kohei pulling her by the shoulder, Iori listened to his inexplicable words, turned around and saw that everyone present was standing behind him, their faces wearing twisted smiles that were finally able to be released after being suppressed to the extreme.
"That's a great idea."
Shinji Tokita let out a laugh that sounded like a villain from a novel. Now that he had won the prize money, having an outdoor BBQ was no problem at all. Although he didn't have any ingredients, he could buy frozen food from the supermarket, and the effect would be about the same. As long as he could drink, that would be fine