Arriving in Chiba, Hachiman couldn't help but sigh at the familiar surroundings. "Indeed, this place still feels familiar," he mused.
Casting a glance at Komachi by his side, Hachiman's expression turned serious as he addressed her, "Komachi, you can't just roam around like this in the future. If something were to really happen to you, what would Onii-chan do?"
Though he might not be the original Hachiman, he regarded Komachi as his own sister.
"Don't worry, Onii-chan. Komachi won't let that happen again," she reassured him, her voice soft and understanding.
"Alright, let's head home."
Walking hand in hand with Komachi, the two made their way back home.
During their journey, they passed by a high school near the station, which turned out to be the one Hachiman was about to enter: Sobu High School.
"Is this where it all begins? The next chapter of my story," Hachiman contemplated as he gazed at the school's entrance. Sobu High School, renowned in Chiba, would soon become the backdrop for his youthful journey and romantic experiences.
"Onii-chan, that's Sobu High School! You'll be starting here once school begins!" Komachi pointed out excitedly as she too caught sight of the school gate.
"Yeah, I'll be joining this high school soon. I'm actually quite excited about it," Hachiman replied, his anticipation evident in his voice. He was about to turn away when a distinct female voice unexpectedly drew his attention.
"Huh? Mom! Another blind date? Seriously?" The voice, although pleasant, carried a tinge of frustration that made her sound more like an annoyed uncle.
"Come on, Mom, this is like the fourth or fifth one this month! It's spring break, can't I just get a breather?" the voice continued, its tone exasperated.
Curious about the source of the conversation, Hachiman turned his head and spotted a woman with waist-length hair and a strikingly attractive appearance. Her charm was of the sort that could capture anyone's attention with just a glance.
But at that very moment, the woman's composed expression shattered. She held the phone with one hand, while the other hand tugged at her hair in frustration. Her appearance was disheveled, and a cigarette hung from her mouth.
"That's Shizuka Hiratsuka," Hachiman realized, taking in the woman's face with growing amusement.
Listening to her phone call, it became apparent that her family was pressuring her into yet another blind date. Apparently, she had already been subjected to four or five such meetings in the span of a single month.
Shizuka, now probably around twenty-five to twenty-seven years old, was caught up in this blind date predicament, much to Hachiman's surprise.
Glancing at the luxury car parked behind her, Hachiman couldn't help but sigh. He wondered why someone as beautiful and well-off as Shizuka was still struggling in the realm of blind dates.
It seemed he might just need to wait a bit longer before accepting her.
"Onii-chan, is that lady smoking?" Komachi expressed her surprise at seeing the cigarette in Shizuka's mouth.
"Komachi, you're not allowed to smoke in the future, or you might end up like her, still unmarried at the age of thirty," Hachiman cautioned his sister.
"Sure, Onii-chan."
As Shizuka finished her call, she overheard someone mistakenly stating her age as 30 and not being married yet. In response, she exclaimed,"Who said I'm 30 years old this lady on only 25 years old".
"Oops!"
Hearing Shizuka's cute exclamation, Hachiman's expression changed immediately. He grabbed Komachi's hand and hurriedly started walking away.
Being urged by her family to go on a blind date was already frustrating, and now hearing someone mistakenly criticize her for not being married at the age of thirty, Shizuka felt a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.
Clearly, she's only twenty-five years old this year! She's still quite young, and there's no reason for her not to be married yet.
Just as she was about to confront the person who criticized her, she watched him hastily retreat and disappear from sight.
"Boom!"
Frustrated and angry, Shizuka punched the innocent wall, causing visible cracks to form.
"Damn dead fish eyes, I won't forget this grudge. Don't let me see you again. If I do, I'll show you the power of my iron fist."
Even though she couldn't see the person's face clearly, Shizuka was certain that the person had a pair of unmistakable dead fish eyes. She resolved to teach him a lesson if they crossed paths again.
Seeing that no one was chasing them, Hachiman stopped and let out a breath of relief. Thankfully, his quick escape had worked.
His recent morning jogs seemed to be paying off, as he was only slightly out of breath even after all that running.
"Huh...huh...Onii-chan, why did we run so fast?" Komachi panted tiredly, clearly exhausted from being dragged along.
"You don't get it, if she catches me, I'll be in big trouble!" Hachiman's face looked genuinely terrified as he thought about the prospect of facing Shizuka's iron fist. He even felt a slight ache in his lower abdomen, making him contemplate the need to learn some self-defense techniques.
"Huh?" Komachi looked perplexed, not fully comprehending her brother's explanation.
Fortunately, I escaped today, and it will take two years for me to meet Shizuka again. By then, she will probably have forgotten about this incident!
However, Hachiman was underestimating the power of a woman's memory for holding grudges. Shizuka had already etched his dead fish eyes into her mind.
Unaware of Shizuka's determination, Hachiman continued walking home, pulling Komachi along with him.
"Crack!"
The door opened, and Hachiman and Komachi entered their home.
"Ah, it's been a great day!"
Komachi exclaimed happily. To her, today had been quite fulfilling, like a rare outing with her older brother.
"Ugh, I'm so tired."
In contrast to Komachi's boundless energy, Hachiman appeared quite fatigued, likely due to the various physical activities of the day.
"Dididi!"
Just as Hachiman was sprawled on the couch like a lethargic fish, a text message appeared on his phone. It was from his beautiful editor, Machida Sonoko. After reading it attentively, he noted down a few points she wanted him to revise.
After letting Komachi know about his work, Hachiman retreated to his room with a weary expression and began working on the revisions for his novel.
After about half an hour, he completed the modifications and sent the revised version to Sonoko Machida's email!
"Dididi!"
Sonoko Machida's reply came surprisingly quickly.
"Alright, it's been reviewed! Your blog has also been verified. Remember to manage it when you find the time!"
"A blog?"
Seeing her message, Hachiman logged into the blog platform and was greeted by his own blog with the Kadokawa Bunko author certification badge.
With a moment's thought, Hachiman casually typed a sentence: "I am the author of the light novel 'Sword Art Online,' using the pen name Wakamono. I hope everyone will support my work!"
After posting, he closed the blog knowing that not much attention would come his way until the novel was officially released.
And so, Hachiman lay down on his bed and soon drifted into an unconscious sleep.