.
[-Continuation-]
[-Two Days Later-]
[Location - Hikigaya Household]
.
[Third Person View]
"Come on, open already!"
Hachiman muttered, fumbling with the doorknob and finding it locked, he groaned.
"Komachi! Let me in!" He shouted from the outside while ringing the bell.
"Coming, Big Brother!" Komachi's voice called from inside. "Geez, where have you been?"
"Just hurry up." Hachiman muttered, leaning against the doorframe.
Suddenly, another voice cut through the air. "Hachiman Hikigaya! Is that you, making all this racket?"
It belonged to a much older woman who was not at all pleased with the situation, especially her beloved son.
Hachiman had come home at [4:00] AM, after leaving at [6:00] PM the night before. Instead of sneaking in quietly like his dad had taught him, he was making a lot of noise.
"Crap…." He cursed under his breath, foreseeing the inevitable lecture he was about to receive.
Her voice terrified Hachiman, snapping him back to reality.
He suddenly remembered that his parents had stopped working late-night shifts and were actually taking weekends off now alternatively.
It was nice, but definitely not right now
The door swung open. His mother stood there, arms crossed, eyes blazing.
"Young man, do you have any idea what time it is?"
Hachiman swallowed hard. "Uh... late?"
"Try [4:00] AM." His mother snapped. "Where have you been?"
"I can explain." Hachiman started, but his mother cut him off.
"Oh, I bet you will. Get inside. Now."
As Hachiman shuffled past her, Komachi peeked out from behind the stairs.
"Busted." She whispered, a mix of sympathy and amusement in her voice.
….
.
[-Yesterday Night-]
[Location - Ryota's Residence(:flat)]
.
It was 6 PM at night.
…..and the sun was already ready to set.
Hachiman and Zaimokuza approached the rundown apartment building. The peeling paint and rusty railings made it look more like an abandoned structure than a place where people lived.
"My friend, what is this ghost looking apartment?" Zaimokuza nagged, his voice a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
He adjusted his glasses, peering at the dilapidated building. "Are we actually here to exorcise some evil spirit and not for cultivating my writing skills?"
"We are here to culti-... I mean to help a friend of mine in brainstorming."
"Ohh, will he be fine taking such broader ideas of mine?"
Hachiman sighed, already regretting his decision to bring Zaimokuza along. "It's fine. Just... try not to make him sound like a character from one of your novels."
"No promises, my friend." Zaimokuza declared grinningly, striking a pose.
"Yeah, yeah. At least keep it down, will you? The neighbors might complain." Hachiman muttered, pushing open the creaky door.
"Neighbors? There is no such thing here."
Though Zaimokuza had a point, Hachiman chose to ignore it instead he pushed open the creaky door and led the way to a familiar apartment.
Inside, they found Ryota sprawled on the floor, his face lit by the glow of his laptop screen.
"Yo." Hachiman called out, causing Ryota to look up.
"Ah, Hachiman! You're here." Ryota said, sitting up. His eyes landed on Zaimokuza. "And you must be the writer I have heard about."
Zaimokuza puffed out his chest. "Indeed! I am the great Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, master of the written word and weaver of epic tales!"
Hachiman pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on. "This is why I told you not to be too you."
Ryota just laughed. "Well, at least he's enthusiastic."
As Zaimokuza began wandering around the room, making grand gestures with his hands as if framing shots with an imaginary camera, Ryota leaned in close to Hachiman.
"So why did you really bring him with you?" Ryota whispered, his breath against Hachiman's ear.
Hachiman shrugged, watching Zaimokuza with a mixture of exasperation and fondness. "I thought he might learn a thing or two….. Moreover, how come you got dumped upon with such a trash project on your weekend?"
"Well, I kinda have been slacking off lately after [Candy Crash] launch and my old man caught on it and pulled some strings behind. It is your fault for not starting the next project."
"Dude, I am a highschooler and ….busy with stuff."
"Heeh, I know."
"I must say." Zaimokuza declared loudly, interrupting their hushed conversation. "Next time I write about a shady haunted house, I can use this room as reference!"
Ryota's mouth twitched in irritation. He does not like the fact that his house is being called a haunted house, especially these two weirdo.
He turned back to Hachiman with a sly grin.
"Oh, I thought you were feeling a little down about facing me after, you know, after my relationship progressed." He draped an arm around Hachiman's neck, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"I will have you know, I am also making progress in my romantic life. I even have a date set up for tomorrow." Hachiman said.
Ryota's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? Our Hachiman, on a date? The world must be ending!"
"If the world would have ended for something like that, it should have ended a few days ago itself." Hachiman was not one to back down.
"Come on, it is not that big of a deal."
"Of course it is."
"Right, right." Ryota said, his tone making it clear he didn't believe Hachiman for a second.
"Well, lover boy, we can discuss your blossoming romance later. For now." He clapped his hands together, drawing Zaimokuza's attention back to them. "Let's get started. We have got a long night ahead of us."
"Let's go! I am waiting for you to finish your pathetic unrequited romance tales for people such as myself."
….
.
As they settled in, Hachiman couldn't help but glance at his watch - [6:05] PM.
He had a date with Yukino the next morning at [10:00] AM.
Plenty of time, he thought.
Hours ticked by as they worked on the game.
Ryota coded, Zaimokuza spun increasingly outlandish plot ideas, and Hachiman tried to keep them both grounded in reality.
Empty energy drink cans and snack wrappers piled up around them.
At some point, Hachiman's phone buzzed.
A message from Komachi.
=====
["Don't stay up too late, Big Brother! You have a date tomorrow!"]
=====
He glanced at the time [1:30] AM.
When had it gotten so late?
"Oi, guys." He said, interrupting Zaimokuza's dramatic monologue about the game's antagonist. "Maybe we should call it a night?"
But Ryota was on a roll with his coding, and Zaimokuza was too excited about his ideas.
""Just a bit longer, Hachiman!""
They both insisted.
Hachiman sighed in return, resigning himself to a late night. "Fine, but just another hour, okay?"
The night wore on [2:00] AM became [3:00] AM, then [4:00] AM.
Zaimokuza had long since passed out on the floor, snoring loudly and occasionally muttering about 'plot twists' and 'character arcs.'
Ryota's fingers flew over the keyboard, fueled by caffeine and determination. "Just... one more... function..." He muttered.
Hachiman fought to keep his eyes open, his vision blurring as he stared at the screen.
He thought about the cat café, about Yukinoshita waiting for him. He should leave, get some sleep…
"Oi, Ryota." He mumbled, his voice thick with exhaustion. "I should probably..."
But before he could finish his sentence, his head drooped, and he drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep right there on the floor.
….
.
He was jolted awake by his phone alarm at [8:30] AM.
Hachiman sat up with a start, his back aching from the hard floor.
Ryota was still typing away, seemingly unaware that the sun had risen.
"Crap." Hachiman muttered, scrambling to his feet. "Crap, crap, crap!"
"Huh? What's wrong?" Ryota asked, finally looking up from his screen.
"I have to meet Yukinoshita in less than two hours!" Hachiman explained, hurriedly gathering his things.
He had less than an hour and a half to get home, shower, change, and make it to the meeting spot.
Zaimokuza stirred, blinking owlishly. "Ah, the fated encounte-!"
"Shut up." Hachiman grumbled, but there was no real heat in his words. "I will... I will see you guys later."
As he rushed out, leaving a confused Zaimokuza and an oblivious Ryota behind, Hachiman knew he was in for a rough morning.
His head pounded from lack of sleep, and his eyes felt like they were full of sand.
….
.
[-Back To Present-]
.
"Hachiman Hikigaya." Ms. Hikigaya said in a low, scary voice. "You've got some explaining to do."
As he walked in, Hachiman knew one thing for sure- this was going to be a rough morning.
No, I can't be wasting time here. Is there no other choice? Ignoring that Hachiman muttered to himself.
"Are you not listenin–!?"
"I got a date."
"Eh? You what? I think I heard something wron–!?"
"I got a date at [10:00]."
"....are you serious?"
"Uh-Hum…." Hachiman simply nodded.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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