.
[-Continuation-]
[-Next Day-]
.
[Hachiman's POV]
Monday.
In French, you would call it Lundi.
It's spelled L-U-N-D-I.
Humm, that sounds weirdly perverted, so I wouldn't exactly call it a happy day of the week.
More like it just makes you sigh and think - Not another week of school…
No hard feelings, but I can confidently say that it is a universally disliked day for every student and office worker, myself included.
As I walked down the familiar path, guiding a bicycle to my right all the while, Komachi sat on the back seat.
A thought popped into my head.
Why am I not riding it? I questioned myself internally.
However, a quick glance at the chaotic traffic and the reckless speed of passing vehicles reminded me why. I had no intention of being run over again.
Why exactly did Komachi get the luxury of sitting back while I, her big brother, was working hard early in the morning and not walking alongside me?
Before addressing that…
"Idiot, don't shake the bike." I scolded.
"Eehee, sorry, Big Brother~" She said, not sounding very sorry at all.
Demons. I swear, younger siblings are blood-sucking Demons.
Now, where was I? Oh, right, explaining why she got the easy ride.
But didn't I just say it? What more reason do you need other than the fact that they are our Demons(:Younger siblings).
What? You must have assumed that the cause behind this 'physical labour' of chauffeuring my sister was my punishment for not purchasing a present for Komachi as promised.
Then you are mistaken and underestimating my family when it comes to my little sister.
If I really hadn't bought a gift, as I promised, I wouldn't be here chatting with you guys.
So, the fact that I'm still able to walk and talk serves as living proof that I did indeed get a present for Komachi.
While returning home after the 'date' with Yukinoshita, I made a small stop and bought a soft, warm scarf for her, as well as a planned gift for Yuigahama.
To distract myself, I took in the random sights around me.
Komachi's occasional energetic whistling and singing also helped me to some extent…
Overall, it wasn't that bad, I guess.
Everything was borderline fine until my eyes captured a couple immersed in their love bubble.
How did I know they were a couple?
Well, because there are.
Couples…. I mused with a touch of disdain.
Lately, I figured out something not-so-great about myself.
Each time I encountered a couple, a twinge of annoyance and irritation gripped me. Until yesterday, I couldn't quite pinpoint the root cause.
Finally, one fine day(:Yesterday) it struck me – it was what one would generically define as envy.
Believe me, discovering this truth was quite a jolt.
Accepting and understanding this fact wasn't easy. Especially for someone like me, who takes pride in being a loner.
You crave what's absent, and when those cravings go unanswered, they morph into bitterness.
Shaking off the thoughts, I shifted my gaze elsewhere.
Continuing our walk for a few minutes, we arrived at the juncture where our paths diverged – me to high school and Komachi to her middle school.
Komachi hopped off the back seat in a flash.
"See you later, Big brother!" She exclaimed with her usual morning enthusiasm.
"Yeah, see you…." I responded, contemplating how this bundle of energy ended up in our family.
"Oh, and don't forget to wish Yui on my behalf. And also say 'Hi' to Yukino for me." She reminded me for the umpteenth time since I rolled out of bed.
I didn't verbally respond but instead nodded in agreement, though it went unnoticed by Komachi.
After walking a few more meters in silence, I decided to hop on my bike since the traffic in this area wasn't too heavy.
"Off I go..." I muttered to myself, pedalling my bike at a moderate pace, not too fast, not too slow either.
As I rode my bike, a nice, cool breeze blew against me. The light sweat on my skin from my early morning 'physical labour' made the breeze even more refreshing.
The path had a gentle slope in the other direction, making my ride a bit easier.
It felt amazing, and part of me wanted to loosen my grip on the handlebars and soak in the moment.
However, the little bit of sanity I had left in me was sufficient to squash this stupid idea of mine….
So yeah, I wasn't that foolish - I held on tight.
"Hachimmoooon!"
However, as if the devil had heard my thoughts, suddenly, a loud shout was thrown at me, causing me to startle and nearly lose control of my bike.
"Hachimmooooooooon." - "Hachimmooooooooo0000n."
The voice yelled again, getting even louder. It was coming from behind me.
What made it worse was that every time my 'name' was cried out, the volume cranked up a notch, and I have to admit, it was kind of intriguing.
A part of me was genuinely curious about how far this whole volume thing could go.
But alas, my curiosity came crashing down because, well, if only it wasn't my name being bellowed so loudly, but someone else's…
You get what I am saying, right?
All that aside… but the fu*king hell is that bastard that is doing this.
Stopping in my tracks with a swift squeeze of my bike's brakes, I peered over my shoulder to find out.
And there he was - a familiar round figure rushing toward me with an alarming speed.
My very first friend in this life- Zaimokuza Yoshiteru.
"..."
I found myself idly waiting for a solid thirty seconds, watching the seconds tick away as he struggled to catch up to me even with his max speed.
Now, just picture how far away he must have been from me... and how loud he had to yell for his voice to reach me.
Ridiculous... absolutely ridiculous.
Oh, and just to add to the chaos, his shouts didn't ease up either.
"Hachimmooooooooo0000n."
"Hachimmoo000n."
"Hachimmoooooooo0o0000n."
"..."
Finally, after enduring three more rounds of that, it mercifully came to a halt.
The most frustrating part of this whole scene? 'Hachimmoo000n' or whatever it is called wasn't even my name.
At least use my name correctly, damnit! Oh, on second thought, don't do that.
But by the time he finally closed in, he was already halfway through his breath.
It took another half a minute for him to recover some of his breath, although not completely.
"..." Meanwhile, I stood there like a statue, patiently waiting for him.
Such a good friend I am.
And what do I get in return for my outstanding friendship?
As I scanned the area around me, I noticed onlookers casting strange glances my way. Some chuckled, others engaged in hushed conversations.
"S-o haaa… i–t was haa..hahhaha… re–haa-ally y0–uuu." He began to speak, struggling to form coherent words between each breath he took.
"Hum…" I let out a sad laugh.
Turns out he wasn't even sure it was me all along.
I shudder to think about how much more exaggerated his actions would have been if he were certain it was me…
Good grief.
What a way to kick off my day.
…
Finally, after a few more seconds, Zaimokuza spoke again. "Hah, My Friend, why don't you give me a ride to the school?"
It was evident that he still wasn't fully recovered, but considerably better than before, and without stumbling over his words.
But my focus was not on that, it was on the weight behind his words.
It took more than ten seconds for his request to fully sink in…
"..."
And when it did, I was left speechless.
"..." With a blank expression, I stared at Zaimokuza for a moment, then towards the head of my bicycle, and finally at the vacant back seat for a few seconds…
And, finally, after a few fleeting moments of searching for an answer within myself, I turned my gaze back towards Zaimokuza.
"Why don't you ride while I take the back seat?"
"Heh, is it okay like that?" Zaimokuza asked, rubbing the back of his head.
Of course, it's more than OKAY.
.
.
[To be continued….]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
[Author Reminder : 8+chapters advance in Patreon.]
-->patreon.com/WrightBrothers