Hachika's Restless Heart
The camp was quiet now, the last of the lantern lights guttering in the breeze. Everyone was supposed to be asleep, but Hachika lay awake, staring at the ceiling of the tent.
Her chest felt heavy. She hated this feeling, that mix of jealousy, confusion, and longing. Totsuka's smile had once been her warmth. Now… Ras's smile, the warmth of his presence, kept circling in her mind.
She pressed her lips together. No. I can't. I already learned what happens when I confess.
Middle school still haunted her, the sting of rejection, the shame that followed. And yet… her heart betrayed her, thumping faster each time Ras laughed, each time he looked at her with those calm, kind eyes.
She muttered under her breath. "baka…"
Still, she couldn't help it. She pushed herself up, slipping quietly out of the tent. Maybe fresh air would clear her thoughts.
---
A Suspicious Meeting
She froze.
Voices drifted from the trees near the clearing. One she recognized instantly: Ras. The other, playful, teasing, unmistakably belonging to that white-haired woman she had glimpsed at the festival: Gojo.
"Ras, you don't want your classmates to know your other identities, do you~?" the woman's voice lilted.
Hachika's breath hitched. Other identities…? She crept closer, hiding behind a trunk.
"Now squat, and open it," Gojo said mischievously.
Ras's voice followed, half-protesting. "Can we not do it here? Someone might see us…"
Her eyes widened. Her stomach twisted. No… Ras… you're not…
Then the sound came. Ziip.
"Now, lick it. It's warm," Gojo teased.
Hachika's nails dug into the bark. Her heart shattered. She wanted to scream. To drag him away. To—
Then she heard Ras's voice. "Salty. Hmm. Not bad."
Her vision blurred red. She burst from her hiding spot. "You... what are you doing!?"
---
Gojo blinked, smiling like a cat caught mid-pounce. "Oh, hi. Want some?"
Hachika's voice trembled between fury and despair. "How dare you! This is a school campsite! What are you two... doing..?"
Ras turned, tilting his head innocently, lips slick with sauce. "Ah, Hachika. You're awake? Come here, I've got something good."
Confused, she blinked. Then she saw it.
Buckets of fried chicken. Melted tubs of ice cream. A smuggled midnight feast spread across a blanket.
"...Eh?"
Gojo laughed so hard she nearly dropped her spoon. "What, you thought? fufufu.... oh my god, the look on your face! Priceless!"
Ras wiped his mouth with a napkin, still smiling softly. "Hungry? We've got plenty."
Hachika's knees felt weak. Her face burned scarlet. "…Idiots. Both of you."
But she sat. And she ate.
---
Halfway through, Gojo leaned back on her hands, eying Hachika. "So, you're Hachika, huh? Ras told me a lot about you~"
Ras blinked. "I did?"
Hachika's heart lurched. She remembered last night... her hand on his chest, her lips almost brushing his hair. She choked on her spoonful of ice cream, glaring at him.
Gojo's grin widened. With her Six Eyes, she'd seen everything. In detail. "So, how does Ras feel?"
"W-What are you talking about!?" Hachika snapped, face blazing.
Ras only chuckled, sipping his soda calmly. "I feel… full."
Gojo nearly fell over laughing. "Smooth, Ras-kun, smooth."
Hachika grabbed her ice cream, muttered a quick "good night," and stormed back to the tent, her heart pounding louder than her footsteps.
---
The Book of Trouble
When she left, Ras leaned toward Gojo. "Well?"
Gojo's grin softened, her voice lowering. "She's a good girl. Strong potential. If she had the right training, maybe even special-grade someday. But tell me… why'd you let her do that last night?"
Ras's smile didn't fade. He tapped his temple. "Don't you also have the Book?"
Gojo reached into her jacket, pulling out a slim volume with a gaudy cover. An Oregairu doujin, explicit, stamped boldly with R-18. "You mean this one?"
Ras sighed. "Yeah. That's vol.1. I've got vol.2."
Gojo flipped it open with amusement. "So Lin really sent these by accident, huh? You as the main character, doing… well, doing everyone, everywhere. Even at school. Honestly, I'm impressed."
"Lin probably lumped it in with comics meant for Yaya. Guild gift system bug. Happens."
"Uh-huh." Gojo smirked. "Still… the way she writes you. That smile. I like it."
Ras chuckled, voice low and teasing. "I don't mind. As long as you take responsibility, Satoru-chan. Food? Bath? Or me~?"
Gojo's grin turned sharper, but her eyes softened just a little. "Careful, Ras-kun. Don't tempt me. I won't let that smile disappear."
Ras laughed under his breath, leaning back against the tree. "Then I'll be grateful."
For a moment, silence settled between them. Comfortable. Dangerous.
---
Foreshadow
Gojo closed the doujin, tucking it away. "Anyway. Be careful. If that book is any hint, the 'hypnotiser' is already moving. Next time, it might not be a joke."
Ras's smile thinned into something sharper. "Then tomorrow, my goal is simple."
His eyes glinted in the dark. "Find the hypnotiser. End it."
---
Tent — Cliffhanger
Later, as the camp quieted again, Hachika slipped back into the tent. Her cheeks were still hot, her heart still confused. She pulled her blanket tight, trying to calm herself.
Her hand brushed something near her pillow. She frowned, lifting it.
A book.
Her eyes widened.
"Oregairu Doujin, Vol.1."
She stared at it, blood draining from her face.
If Ras knew, he would be kicking Gojo's ass right now. Because the book was the very same one she had just seen in Gojo's hands.
And its purpose?
To make the people closest to Ras aware of what was coming.
Her hand trembled as she flipped a page. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted, but no sound came.
Tomorrow would not be normal.
Not anymore.