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[-Continuation-]
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[Hikigaya Hachiman's POV] - [MC]
Yet, it seemed that the teenage hormones coursing through me were stronger than I had initially calculated. My mistakes had given me a broader perspective, and I wouldn't let my guard down again, no matter what.
But first, there is something I need to address.
"Hey Komachi. Your Brother is a loner by choice. Not because of my circumstances."
That's a lie.
A fabrication concocted by my past self to evade the harsh truth of being outcast since elementary school, despite his best attempts to blend in and form connections with those around me.
He was bullied psychologically for much of his life.
Reasons?
None.
Wait a moment... Before that, did I just casually refer to myself in the third person?
That oddity didn't feel odd at all.
In fact, it felt like a surprisingly natural thing to do.
…Interesting.
Anyway, to the matter at hand, there aren't any specific reasons why 'He,' my counterpart, was singled out.
Yeah. He was consistently excluded or marginalized by his fellow peers without any clear reason.
The situation I am describing is not uncommon and can be attributed to various factors such as social dynamics, peer pressure, and the need for conformity among children.
It's often referred to as - 'Peer Rejection' or 'Social Exclusion.'
In short, I am a loner because I was molded to be one, not by choice.
Come on, who would want to be an outcast by their own will? At least my counterpart didn't want to, nor does the current me.
I continued. "And I don't mind being alone."
This one, right here, is the truth among the many flask words I have just spoken. Mind you, there is a difference between being alone and being lonely.
Solitude is a conscious choice, whereas loneliness is a circumstance.
So again, in short, even the current me doesn't really hate the feeling of being alone.
....peacefully living one's own life, with very few chosen to disturb you. What wouldn't I do to achieve that? Ultimate goal…
"So don't mind me and attend your school tomorrow." I solidified my situation.
"I will, Big Brother. I know you wouldn't want Komachi to skip school because of you." She agreed, emphasizing that she shares my perspective.
"You get it, Komachi." With that out of the way, I returned my attention to the book I was holding, only to once again contemplate my current inwardly turbulent situation, unlike my outward appearance.
Yesterday was supposed to be just another ordinary day, much like any other day I spent attending high school as a first-year student.
Nothing significant.
It had already been a few months since 'my' rather futile attempt to lay the groundwork for my goal of leading a 'normal' life–or at least, as normal as I could muster.
And without any surprise, I failed miserably. I simply couldn't find a way to fit in with what society deems-Youthful-or-Normal.
Well, what do you expect? Not knowing the reason behind the bullying I faced made me only turn into the exact thing that is full of reasons to be an outcast.
My body language changed, and I started blabbering to myself. Unknowingly, a gloomy aura surrounded me, and more importantly, I had a pair of dead fish-eyes that made anyone feel creepy under them.
…yet there are a few positive traits triggered by the same solitude, like finding faults in others, observing human behavior keenly, and deep understanding of my surroundings, on top of a couple useless skills like accurate shooting with a gun and feigning sleep.
Wait, can those even be called positive traits?
Anyway, coming back to the scenes after my failure of my plan, I was indifferent, or at least that's what I tried to be, and I continued my boring and uneventful high school career the way I always have. Just like back in middle school.
But then, something unexpected happened yesterday.
It was an incident that made the word 'boring' non-existent in my dictionary for the rest of my life.
And why wouldn't it? I mean, when you were suddenly thrust into something unimaginable.
A situation that seemed to provide irrefutable evidence that my life up until now had unfolded exactly to the script of a fictional creation from….
….my past life?
Nonetheless, I am not totally lost in it though.
For whatever reason that is…
Maybe because I am somehow certain of that, even though I might have lived my life until now in the exact manner described in the anime plot based on the vague memories I can recall.
I really don't care, because I know the decisions I have made were my own, unaffected by anyone.
Even if, by some twist of fate, my future decisions happen to align with the plot, I again don't care.
However, I doubt that will happen. Because I am definitely not the same person I was two days ago.
No matter what, receiving my past life memories and being myself from another perspective has led to a subtle shift in my thought process and attitude.
Returning to my current situation, luckily I am still in the very early part of the plot, where an incident takes place in the series.
Coincidentally, it's also the same incident that turned my life upside down in the show.
I can still vividly recall the day when-Hachiman Hikigaya-meaning-Me-was on my way to Sobu High School yesterday and got struck by a black car while attempting to rescue a dog belonging to a pivotal character in the show.
This event is a significant part of my backstory, one that was unveiled later in the story.
It was the moment when the three main characters crossed paths with one another, whether directly or indirectly.
If I were to consider myself the victim, the girl in the car would be the unintentional perpetrator, and the girl desperately trying to retrieve her dog from the road would be the cause of it all.
The entire scene revolved around me, at its center. Ironically, it really is a perfect start to what could've been an ideal 'Rom-Com' narrative.
Fu*k! I could have lost my life that day.
I can't remember ever aspiring to be a hero. In fact, I am pretty sure I despised the very idea.
That day is etched into my memory, clear as daylight.
I was strolling alongside my bicycle on the bustling road leading to Sobu High School when my attention was captured by an orange-haired girl.
She was desperately calling out to her dog, which had strayed into the busy street, dangerously close to the oncoming traffic.
For someone who usually maintains an apathetic facade and scoffs at societal norms, something within me stirred.
An instinct to help. Before I knew it, I had begun to hurtle towards them at full speed.
Just as I reached the dog, ready to scoop it up into my arms, I was jolted by the deafening screech of tires and the impact of a car hitting me from the side and throwing me into the air as my vision blurred.
Amid the haze of agony, I caught glimpses of horrified onlookers and the shocked driver, who had slammed on the brakes to a screeching halt.
The voices of concerned bystanders rang in my ears, calling for help.
In that excruciating moment of pain and bewilderment, the unintended consequences of my actions became painfully clear.
I had attempted to rescue a stranger's dog, but in doing so, I had placed myself in grave peril.
…..at least the car I am dying under looks expensive. Was it a limousine?
Soon, putting a stoop to my useless thoughts, my vision darkened as the pain threatened to overwhelm me.
The accident caused me to lose my consciousness and finally led to my present, past-life awakening.
It marked the beginning of a complex journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
It's the beginning of a New ME!
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(To be continued….)
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