After turning my alarm clock off this morning, I got up and did some light stretches. From there, I did my sit-ups, push-ups, and squats and drank plenty of juice. I then went outside and ran my ten-kilometer run around Tokyo Bay. The weather was brisk, and a light mist filled the air.
It was a perfect morning.
Once my daily training quest was complete and the free stat points were deposited away, Riko and I bid Komachi goodbye as we headed toward the location where I told Zaimokuza to meet us. The location is the outskirts of Izumi Nature Park. We were far and away from where anyone would be; this way, I wouldn't have to worry about anyone watching or getting caught up in our torture– training session.
"Ah. He's here." Riko said as we watched Zaimokuza jogging towards us from behind some trees.
He eventually reached the small clearing we were in and came to a stop, his face slightly wet from his sweat. The Chunni was dressed in a blue tracksuit while a black backpack sat on his back. In his left hand was a cheap-looking dagger in a brown holster.
"Ha, ha… good morning, my comrade! Good morning, Rikimaru! Ha… why are we… way out here?" Zaimokuza said between pants.
What shitty stamina you got, Blade Master General.
"We're out here, so we don't bother anyone with your training. I don't think I have to remind you that Hunters cause a lot of havoc when they use their powers around normal people." I said while I walked over to my new pudgy student.
"Hey!"
He cried out weakly when I snatched away his small dagger. I slid the small blade out of its holster and examined it.
[Steel Dagger Class: E ATK: 4 A basic dagger crafted from steel and mana crystals.]
"Where'd you get this piece of junk," I asked as I waved the dagger around in the air. It felt too light and unbalanced. This dagger would be lucky if it didn't break after three or four swipes against a Goblin.
"Ack! Piece of junk?! That legendary weapon is an old family heirloom gifted to me from–AH!"
A soft metallic crack interrupted Zaimokuza's little rant as I plunged the dagger's blade into my stomach, causing the blade to shatter into pieces. The dagger was unable to leave a single scratch on my skin. He fell to his knees as he weakly reached out to the broken pieces.
"My allowance…"
"You got it at a pawn shop, didn't you?"
"…yeah."
I sighed and pulled up Zaimokuza to his feet by the collar of his tracksuit. Riko arched her head as she looked at the now self-conscious Chuuni up and down.
"Zaimokuza-san's mana is… odd." She said as she squinted her eyes at the pudgy Hunter wannabe. "It keeps fluctuating, so it's hard to determine his strength."
She noticed that, too. I nodded and stood next to Riko to examine Zaimokuza, who, in turn, covered his body as if he were naked. The way his mana is fluctuating makes it hard to determine if he's a C or an A-Rank. Why is it doing that?
"Zaimokuza," I called out, causing him to jump and stand straight. "Quit messing around and get your mana under control!"
"Eh? How do I do that?"
"…"
"…"
Riko and I sighed in unison at his answer. She then scooted closer to me and waved me down. I leaned down, and she began to whisper in my ear.
"Master, this seems like a waste of your time. Do you want me to get rid of him?"
I really don't wanna think about the implications of my slime companion immediately using murder as the first solution to a problem, so I don't and instead made a show of looking like I was thinking about it.
"Tempting. Very tempting. But, Nah. I already made up my mind to mold this pile of dough into a decent enough Hunter."
"Very well. I'll assist in any way I can."
I grinned and patted her head, causing her to smile and hum in satisfaction.
…still, I might actually need to temper that 'murder first' attitude later.
At least when it comes to humans.
I then walked over to Zaimokuza and cracked my knuckles. This caused my old schoolmate to look at me with slight fear.
"Ah, Ha-Hachiman? What are you doing?"
"It seems we have to start at square one with you. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but I don't have a lot of time to waste on you. So, we'll have to speed up your training." I said and slid into a loose fighting stance. "Lesson number one: Survive."
I moved in and punched him straight in the chest. Zaimokuza gasped in pain and rolled back several feet across the grass. I looked down at my fist and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. I had made sure to hit him with enough power to match a C-Rank hunter in order not to hurt Zaimokuza too severely. Due to his unstable mana, I guessed that he was at least around a B-Rank in ranking. But what I felt when I struck him left me doubting my assessment.
That was solid.
"C-Combat training already?!" Zaimokuza stood up to his feet as he dusted himself. "I thought we would have begun with strength exercises or running!"
He doesn't seem hurt at all. I narrowed my eyes at him and raised my fists in front of me, causing him to flinch back. "You asked me to train you, Zaimokuza. So I will. You either learn and adapt to everything I'll teach you, or you'd better give up on your dreams of becoming a Hunter. This isn't a game. Beyond the Gates lies danger and certain death. If you can't cut it here, you might as well give up now."
Zaimokuza took a step back as his eyes grew wide at my words. He frowned and looked down at his shoes with thoughtful eyes. He remained silent for several seconds before slowly sliding into an awkward boxing pose. His now determined eyes looked at me as a shaky grin grew on his face.
"I understand, Hachiman. Worry not. This is no game for me. I want to-no! Need to become a Hunter! I never wanted anything else as much as this! So please teach me! I'll absorb all your teachings like a sponge! This I swear!"
That's more like it. Show me what you got!
"Riko, continue your battle axe exercises from yesterday. When I come to check on you, I want to see a notable improvement from you." I said as I pulled out the wooden battle axe from my inventory, causing Zaimokuza's face to twist into awe. Riko nodded and caught the axe with ease.
"Yes, Master!"
"Wow! What was that?! Alchemy with a transmutation circle?! Hold on, she called you Master again!" Zaimokuza said quickly but then looked down at me as I blurred in front of him. My fist was primed and loaded beside me.
"If you don't get your head in the game, you'll end up losing it."
Zaimokuza grunted and raised his arms in front of him just in time for my fist to slam into them, saving his face from a powerful blow. Not stopping there, I jumped and kicked him back several feet. Zaimokuza coughed out a blob of spit and crashed into a tree with a crack.
I ran towards him and swung my fist towards his unprotected face. However, instead of striking his pudgy cheek, my fist hit the rough bark of the tree. Zaimokuza had moved just in time to avoid my punch. I grinned and watched as he threw a punch towards my exposed side.
Good. Just like that!
I slapped his wrist down and redirected his punch away from my body, causing him to squeak in surprise.
"What?!"
"You have to work harder if you think you can hit me."
I thrust out an open palm and struck Zaimokuza in the face, causing his head to snap back. Recovering faster than expected, Zaimokuza's head snapped back to me. He then jumped back to make some distance between us.
"Your body is very durable. If I had to guess, you're more likely to be in the Tanker class." I said with a thoughtful expression. Zaimokuza blinked and looked down at himself in surprise.
"Now that you mention it, I don't feel hurt? I mean, yeah, your punches stung like crazy, but they weren't too bad." Zaimokuza said as he patted the areas I struck.
"I see. Then let's turn things up a notch."
"Huh?! No, wait! I think this is fine! Ouch! Oof! See, I'm hurt!"
Zaimokuza was unprepared for a punch imbued with power to that of a high B-Rank Hunter to hit him across his face. He exploded out of the tree line with a cry; his body spun in the air before falling through the branches of a tree. Sending leaves and branches everywhere as he crashed to the ground with a grunt.
"Huh, Sensei was right. This is fun."
x x x
Isshiki Iroha was in a bit of a moral dilemma.
On the one hand, she obtained someone who was the best contestant to represent the first years for the Battle of the Brains competition coming this December. Senpai's little sister was not only smart but also highly motivated. And that's something the other students participating will probably lack due to them not knowing about the hidden reward for the competition winners.
Hikigaya Komachi will probably be able to dominate most of the students in her year because she knows what awaits the winners—fueling her drive to win. After all, only Sobu's staff knew about the scholarship committee watching.
On the other hand, she felt like she was taking advantage of someone's circumstances to push them into doing something for her. After all, having the student she personally hand-chosen to represent Sobu would reflect on her decision-making skills in the eyes of the school and staff. Now, it's not like Komachi didn't have a choice. All Iroha did was push her underclassman slightly in the right direction. Dangling a coveted scholarship opportunity to a hard-working student to secure her willingness to participate. Sure, her methods were a little underhanded, but she learned from the best.
Usually, what she did wouldn't have tickled her conscience as it did. Being the student council president has taught her that she should take advantage of any opportunity that was presented before her, but there was just that look in Komachi's eye that made her feel a bit sleazy for basically manipulating her into joining.
Iroha didn't like that feeling.
So, with that said, Iroha decided to even out her lousy karma by helping Komachi a bit more with the competition by securing someone who could help her prepare for the competition. Someone who was incredibly smart, quick-witted, fast on her feet, and thorough.
Honestly, Iroha wouldn't have asked this person for help if she hadn't known that this person would have done it.
But Yukinoshita Yukino would probably be willing to help Senpai's little sister. After all, Yukinoshita owed him.
Now, the only thing for Iroha to do was to find her.
This should be easy enough. Yukinoshita had been seen around Yui recently, and some of the nosier students even told her they had seen them hanging out this weekend. That just fully confirmed that they most likely finally reconciled. Iroha bet that the two were probably in the one place where they could eat together while being in their own little world.
Iroha's steps echoed in the empty hallways of the special use building, feeling nostalgic as she walked the familiar path towards the now defunct Service Club room.
Yeah, this still doesn't feel right.
Going to the old club room with a request in mind didn't sit well with her without Senpai there, even when she'd done it in the past already. That was back when the only remaining club members looked uncomfortable sitting next to one another in each other's presence. At that point, it didn't really feel like a club room; it was more like a detention area with two convicts just ignoring each other.
Pah, serves em' right.
Iroha had thought back to when she saw the utterly miserable atmosphere between the two girls, even though she knew it might be detrimental to her career as the Student Council President later.
Okay, maybe she was being too mean to them. Iroha knew that the two realized that they massively screwed up and probably regretted their mistake. They helped her out a lot during the crisis she was facing at the Christmas event last year.
After Senpai had left, the Christmas event still kept going nowhere since that idiotic excuse of a president wouldn't commit to anything, and his council of like-minded idiots just nodded along to his nonsensical babble.
As if spouting long and intelligent-sounding words made for progress. The only thing that saved the event from failure was the timely intervention of Yukinoshita, who had come at Iroha's behest since her Senpai was forced to leave in her time of need.
Seeing the sorry state of affairs in the meeting room, Yukinoshita let off a series of scathing and heated streams of words about their sad excuse for a student council. Causing everyone from Kaihin High School to clamp up in fear and shame. Even Iroha was left slightly in fear after listening to the chilling words Yukinoshita spoke. It was her first time seeing the dark-haired girl look genuinely upset. Iroha wasn't sure if Senpai's departure had anything to do with Yukinoshitas sour mood, but she couldn't help but think that was the case.
Iroha could imagine that Yukinoshita had a lot of pent-up anger that she wanted to vent, and the Kaihin students were, unfortunately, moronic enough to incur her wrath.
Iroha didn't even know half the words and phrases that Yukinoshita said that day, and she was probably better off never having to think about it again. Because, wow, she really ripped into them. Iroha couldn't help but feel bad for Tamanawa and his band of fools halfway through the verbal slaughter.
With their verbal lashing over and done with, the Kaihin students looked sufficiently cowed. Seeing the opportunity to suggest her ideas, Iroha began to list off her proposals for the Christmas event.
Unfortunately, her inexperience in speaking to others in a leadership position began to show itself. Iroha found herself unable to properly articulate her ideas and how they would be implemented both practically and logistically. Seeing her weakness, Kaihans Student Council Members slowly inched themselves out of the grave that Yukinoshita dug them in to grab hold of some power over the discussion.
That was when Yukinoshita talked to her and gave her some very helpful advice.
"Isshiki-san, you are a student council president and a representative of Sobu High School." Yukinoshita-senpai's cold blue eyes stared at her with a frown. "You are not someone whose voice they can simply set aside."
She told Iroha firmly. "Speak up and make yourself heard, and make them understand what you have to say by explaining everything easy for those nitwits to understand."
Or, more accurately, she just told her to step up.
Whew. Remembering that particular memory was not pleasant. It was as if her own mother was chastising her, but her words did help her. It's just that Iroha was still trying to figure out how to do that.
And that was where Yui came in.
"Um, use your cuteness, Iroha-chan!" She cheered her on with an encouraging smile. "Say what you have to say with a big, confident smile. That way, they'll listen to you! I think!"
Yui's advice didn't make a lot of sense at first, but when she thought about it some more, Senpai did end up doing a lot of things for her whenever she just smiled at him while fluttering her eyes cutely. Her cuteness could be weaponized!
So, with both of those pieces of advice taken into consideration and combined, Iroha stepped forward and made it so that Tamanawa and his posse couldn't just ignore her ideas anymore.
She gave them the cutest smile she could muster and told them exactly what they had to do in the simplest way possible. It was rough at first, but Iroha quickly found her flow and successfully managed to get everyone on board with her proposal.
Hah! Her cuteness could genuinely be used as a weapon! From that point, she began to implement that strategy into every aspect of her life to make sure things always went her way.
After that meeting was over, the joint school event proceeded more smoothly. The event was a success, and she didn't have to see Tamanawa and his word diarrhea for a long time. Hopefully, after her term was over, she wouldn't have to deal with or see him ever again.
Screw that guy.
Due to the success of the Christmas event, Iroha appreciated Yukinoshita and Yui's advice. After that day, she added it to her arsenal, and it worked out great! No one ever argued with her that much anymore, and the activities she managed went so much easier.
Despite her power up, it still sucked to be the Student Council President because of the workload, but at least now she had a weapon of persuasion to use whenever things got too tough for her.
Such was the power of her cuteness.
As she neared the old room of the defunct Service club, she heard Yukinoshita and Yui's muffled voices. Well, more accurately, she heard Yui's voice from inside, chattering excitedly.
"–sure, things will go alright!"
"...hope we can finally talk about…"
Ah, so they are here. Iroha thought. Her two upperclassmen were indeed hanging out in their old club room. Yukinoshita probably had a spare key. At least this made finding her easier. Before Iroha could knock, she heard something that made her pause.
"Do you… do you really think Hikigaya-kun will actually forgive me?"
"Hikki's a big softie, so he definitely will; he wouldn't want to meet if he didn't. So don't worry too much!"
…Eh?
Ehhhhh?
They were going to reunite with Senpai?! These two!? After what they did?!
The nerve!
Okay, maybe she was overreacting a bit, but Iroha was witness to that whole thing! She stood right there by this exact door all that time ago, like she was right now, listening as Senpai did his heartfelt speech. Then, these two made him look like an utter dunce! They heard what he had to say and still trampled on his heart!
Her displeasure resurfaced because of that particular memory, and she immediately lost interest in talking to these two at all. Iroha scowled and pulled her hand back. Her mood soured due to their apparent plans to meet Senpai again after what they'd done.
And, of course, because they're both super pretty, they'll get forgiven immediately if Senpai hears them say sorry! It will be the power of their beauty that'll compel him to let bygones be bygones like he didn't get his heart obliterated by these two harlo–!
"Oh, we need to go now…"
"Eh? Lunchtimes almost over…?"
Ah, I took too long!
Before Iroha could retreat, she heard the sounds of a chair sliding along the floor, followed by footsteps. The door in front of her slid open as she was griping about the unfairness of beauty and was met by the surprised faces of Yui and Yukinoshita.
"Isshiki-san?" Yukinoshita was the first to react, blinking and looking at her in surprise.
"Eh? Whatcha doin' here, Iroha-chan?" Yui asked, stepping closer to her.
"Ah, ehehe." Iroha could only scratch her cheek as she tried to come up with something to say.
Okay, calm down.
Hearing them talking about her Senpai caused her to forget the whole purpose of coming here because of how irked she was. But then, this wasn't really about Senpai… kind of. Right?
I need to tell her, but…
Even if she knew that Yukinoshita wanted to make amends with her Senpai, that still hadn't happened yet. So, would her request to have her help Senpai's sister scare her off? Would she be willing to help Komachi?
Iroha was sure that Yukinoshita could separate the two, but what if she couldn't? But what if Yukinoshita used this request of hers to reconcile with Senpai? There's a chance she could go to their house on the pretense of helping Komachi study, and Yukinoshita could get closer to Senpai again that way.
That made Iroha feel… hesitant to go through with her plan now.
But this wasn't about her. This was about Komachi. This was about making sure that Senpai's little sister was ready for the competition that Iroha had dragged her into. It was part of her responsibility to ensure she was fully prepared for anything, even if that meant asking Yukinoshita for help. So, like what her Senpai said long ago:
I have to take responsibility!
After all, impressing the committee members would mean Komachi would get a chance at a scholarship…and that would help Senpai, too.
So, Iroha bottled up whatever discontent she felt and put on a big, fake smile as she looked at Yukinoshita and carefully deliberated her following words.
"Actually, I was looking for you, Yukinoshita-senpai." She started, making sure her smile was perfectly in place while her eyes were locked on to Yukinoshita directly, continuing:
"There's something I need your help with…"
x x x
After torturing–I mean training Zaimokuza for several hours, I've come to two conclusions.
One, his mana level, despite how weirdly irregular it is, is at that of an A-Rank Hunter.
Two, his body and strength are almost equal to my own.
The second conclusion threw me for a loop. Even if he technically was at the level of an A-ranked hunter, that still didn't mean he should be as strong and durable as he was. After two hours of me beating him like he was my personal punching bag, somehow, Zaimokuza only ever sustained large bruises and some blood loss. Despite holding back a lot of my strength, I knew that my attacks should have put him down. But amazingly enough, they didn't.
Just what the hell is going on with you?
Some would say jumping straight into hand-to-hand fighting with an inexperienced person was a terrible way to train them. Usually, those people would be right. But I wasn't training a normal person. I was training an Awakened Human.
An Awakened Human had strength and speed greater than any normal human would. This means that taking things slow would provide improvements, but not on the scale that would be useful to a Hunter's potential. So, like my Sensei before me, I threw Zaimokuza into the deep end of the pool to see if he would sink or swim. If he couldn't manage to keep up with a simple sparring match, he would have no future as a Hunter within the Gates.
To my surprise, he continued getting back up every time I knocked him down. So I hit him harder. And harder. But each time, he got up again and again. It was due to his tenacity that I finally gained a small sliver of respect for him.
From there, I slowly began correcting his stances, punches, kicks, and balance as we fought. Sure, I could have taught him all that at the start, but it's as they say: Experience is the best teacher.
Zaimokuza was a rather slow learner with a confidence issue. No matter what I told him, he still seemed to not believe in himself as we practiced. This was detrimental to his learning and a habit I needed to figure out how to break. Otherwise, his potential would be halted before it really took off.
So, to give him a break, I showed him how to properly wield a basic knight's sword. He got the basics down after a while, and I deemed him decent enough to try to use everything he had learned today in a spar against Riko. Which finally brought me back to the present.
I stood back and watched as Riko easily struck Zaimokuza with her wooden battle axe. Zaimokuza had a large wooden sword I crafted for him in his hands; he grimaced and grunted as he tried to strike back at Riko. However, no matter how many times he swung, slashed, or jabbed his practice weapon, he was still unable to hit Riko due to her greater speed and agility.
Zaimokuza was not slow, definitely not. I had seen his quick bursts of speed during our sparring session. However, he was unable to utilize his true speed at his current state. For all his power and potential, he was still green and inexperienced. It would take time for him to grow into his abilities and for him to realize his potential.
I continued to watch the two spar with one another with thoughtful eyes. Even if Zaimokuza couldn't land a proper hit on Riko, Riko's own attacks had very little effect on the Chunni due to his natural high defense. A fact that was beginning to annoy my slime companion.
If I had to guess, Zaimokuza would fall under the Tanker classification.
"Take this! World cutting slash!" Zaimokuza yelled as he clumsily swung his wooden sword across the air, only to miss his intended target as she backflipped away.
His body was covered in bruises and cuts, while his tracksuit was covered in rips and tears with the occasional splatter of dried blood. Zaimokuza's face was drenched in heavy sweat as he gasped for air while he watched his opponent gain distance.
Riko's eye twitched at his ridiculous move name and dashed into Zaimokuza's personal space. He looked down with wide eyes as Riko landed a kick into his stomach. The force of the blow caused the Chunni to slide back a few feet; he then rubbed his stomach while whimpering.
"Such a devastating kick! You truly are a worthy opponent!"
"…right." Riko muttered and lifted her battle axe beside her.
Riko herself had made massive progress in her training. No longer was she awkwardly moving around while mid-battle. Now, she moved with impressive speed and grace while she handled her battle axe with Masterful precision. Her ability to improve as a warrior was both terrifying and impressive. In due time, I could confidently count on her to help me in my future fights.
Riko burst forward and swung her weapon straight into Zaimokuza's side. However, before the wooden battle axe could land, he quickly brought down his wooden practice weapon and blocked the axe with the flat side of his sword. Riko was surprised at the sudden, unexpected block, so she was unprepared for the quick punch that hit her across the face. Before the punch could reach its apex, Riko rolled her head to lessen the damage.
Hoh? Not bad.
"A-Ah! I'm sorry! I just reacted!" Zaimokuza sputtered and waved his free hand around in a panic. Riko shook her head and messaged her injured cheek.
"No, don't apologize. I'm okay. I'm impressed you finally reacted to my attacks. I was beginning to think you were a lost cause."
"Oh, thank goodness. Hold on, a lost cause?"
"You must be hearing things. I didn't say that."
"But I swore I-"
"Alright," I called out to them both. "I think that's enough for today."
I looked up at the now orange-tinted sky. It wouldn't be long before my meeting with Yukinoshita rolled around, and I wanted to get a shower before seeing her. I walked over to the two and laid a hand on Riko's shoulder to quickly heal her. Her body briefly glowed green before it faded away. This, however, made Zaimokuza look at me in shock.
"Wow! Healing magic? Not only are you capable of materializing objects and weapons out of thin air, but you're also capable of healing! Just how broken are you?!" Zaimokuza said with exaggerated movements.
I rolled my eyes and refused to elaborate on my abilities. "I'm not healing you. I want you to go home and be reminded of everything you've learned today. The pain you experience is a good reminder of your progress."
"I think my memories of today are a good enough reminder. Every time I move, it feels as if my muscles are being stretched to their limits. Can I get some heals, please?"
"Nah. Just deal with it, and I'll heal you tomorrow for our next session."
"Tomorrow?! Already?!" Zaimokuza looked at me with a look that accused me of being crazy. "Shouldn't we have a few days of rest? You know, so it can settle in?"
"No." I shook my head. "That's not how this is going to work. You wanted me to teach you, so I will. But you will do everything and anything I say. Otherwise, I'm out. So tomorrow, be here first thing in the morning, or this deal of ours is off. Got that?"
"…got it." Zaimokuza said with a pathetic whimper. His eyes looked tired, and his spirits deflated.
"Good. Go home and get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning." I said and began to walk out of the park. Riko bowed her head at Zaimokuza slightly and followed after me.
"You were very demanding of Zaimokuza-san, Master." Riko said as we walked through the woods towards the main road. I nodded at her and stepped over a large branch.
"I have to be. The life of a Hunter isn't a game. One mistake could cost him his life, so I need to prepare him for the worst."
"I see. My Master is a very thoughtful person."
"Ah… right. Let's just get home."
x x x
I sighed and rubbed my cold hands to generate heat. Once they were sufficiently warm, I brought my scarf closer to my face and looked around with a sense of nervousness. I was currently standing outside a restaurant I hadn't visited since my second year of high school, Saize.
Saize is a Japanese family restaurant cabin that serves Italian food but with a Japanese touch. I wasn't here to eat; no, my business for being here was due to it being the placating he had decided for us to meet. The sky was a mix of orange and pink; it wouldn't be long before night enveloped the skies. Even so, people and students walked along the sidewalks without worry. Something I wish I could say about myself.
"It's okay, Yukinon! I'm sure everything will turn out fine!"
Yuigahama-san's words did little to calm me down as I took a deep breath in an effort to calm my anxious heart. School had ended an hour ago, and the time Hikigaya-kun and I had to meet was growing closer and closer.
"I-I don't understand… I'm sorry."
"Will things truly be fine?" I whispered to myself, the memories from that day continuing to haunt me. They only added to my already heavy sense of guilt and shame, fueling my internal struggle.
Despite my desire to see Hikigaya-kun again, I was terrified at the prospect. The last time we met, the death of his parents had forced him to drop out of school so he could focus on getting a job that would sustain himself and his younger sister, Hikigaya Komachi.
He had shown vulnerability, going above and beyond his own comfort zone and moral code to establish a connection with us. And how did I reply? I ran away. I'd always said that running away from problems doesn't solve them, but at that particular moment, I was the one who was unable to face the truth.
I was the one who ran away from someone trying to genuinely change. To understand. I had always believed in the power of understanding, but in that moment, I was the one who couldn't face the truth. I let my fear and insecurities get the best of me.
It was because I was weak.
I was too scared to be open and to allow those who truly cared about me in. To see the real me. The fear of vulnerability was paralyzing.
"I have to do this. Otherwise, I'll never change." I whispered and took a deep, calming breath.
Even if he doesn't forgive me for my cowardice, I'll apologize for what I did. No matter what.
"Yo."
I sighed in irritation as someone came to a stop next to me. Apparently, they took me standing alone as a sign that it was okay to speak to me carelessly. At times like these, I couldn't help but curse my good looks. It often made it so that those usually of the opposite gender would try and ask me out on a date.
"Please don't speak to me. I'm not interested in going out with you."
"…huh?"
I rolled my eyes and turned my body away from whoever was speaking. Hopefully, this would deliver the message that I had no intention of continuing the conversation. Unfortunately, he didn't walk away like everyone else who had tried to approach me in the past.
Very well, then.
"I'll have you know. I'm currently waiting for someone. So if you refuse to leave me alone, be aware that I will notify the authorities."
"Yukinoshita. It's me. Jeez, you really haven't changed much."
My head snapped up at the now very familiar-sounding voice. I turned my head and was met with a muscled chest covered in a black shirt.
Slowly, my eyes trailed up to find a familiar pair of sharp, dead fish eyes looking down at me in amusement, coupled with a familiar smirk.
"Hikigaya…kun?"
"Who else?"
Hikigaya-kun is…really tall.
I struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. The Hikigaya-kun, from my memories, was taller than me by four or six centimeters, but now, it was almost eighteen. I nearly had to strain my neck so our eyes could meet.
And not only was he tall. His shoulders were broader, and his slouch had disappeared, replaced by a straight posture that exuded confidence. His body was no longer thin but now lined with powerful muscles that could be seen even from under his shirt
His face was so much more…defined. If it had not been for his eyes, voice, and that odd strand of hair that stuck out from the top of his head, I wouldn't have believed his claims of being my old clubmate.
… Are you really Hikigaya-kun?
There was a dissonance between my memories and what my eyes were perceiving right now. Their overlapping images did not match because Hikigaya-kun changed too much within a single year.
Was it a simple growth spurt caused by puberty?
Or was it because of his life as a Hunter that has pushed his body to a point where it had to change to adapt?
Was his change due to him awakened mana, the energy so intrusive for Hunters? I didn't have enough data to infer from; my sister was always physically fit, so I could not tell if Mana had also changed her physique so drastically.
There are so many questions running through my mind, trying to understand what's in front of me.
"Uh, Yukinoshita." The subject of my confusion looked at me worriedly, waving a hand in front of my face.
I blinked gormlessly. Then, I felt a wave of embarrassment crash into my whole body. My thoughts caused me to stare at him for much too long.
"O-Oh. Um…" I felt myself lost and incapable of forming a sentence or greeting. "Evening?"
Hikigaya-kun raised a brow in confusion at my response. My cheeks burned even hotter, and I quickly looked away from his quizzical gaze to hide them.
"Uh, evening?" He said slowly and carefully. He then looked over to the inside of the restaurant behind me and jerked his head towards it. "Wanna grab something inside?"
"Ah, yes. I am feeling a bit thirsty."
Hikigaya-kun nodded and opened one of the restaurant's glass doors for me. I thanked him and walked inside the restaurant; a wave of tantalizing smells assaulted my nose from the various dishes in the dining areas and kitchen.
One of the hostesses quickly showed us to an available booth towards the back wall of the restaurant. Hikigaya-kun and I sat down on the cushioned chairs; the hostess then placed the menus before us and told us our waitress would be with us soon. Hikigaya-kun thanked her, causing the hostess to smile and blush slightly at him.
I frowned at that but saw that Hikigaya-kun hadn't noticed the hostess's look.
As he looked through the menu, I couldn't help but be confused by him. He was acting extremely unlike himself. I was expecting him to be silent and reserved at our meeting, perhaps even slightly anxious like myself. But contrary to my expectations, he was acting as if there wasn't any tension between us and proceeded on as if we were two normal friends out getting food together as if it were a regular occurrence.
Could he really have changed so much?
"You… look good." He suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts. Hikigaya-kun looked at me with a small smile that sent a new wave of heat towards my face and ears. "So how's, uh, how's school?"
"Oh," I said while playing with the menu in front of me. I kept my gaze down to avoid looking into his sharp eyes, eyes that reminded me so much of my precious Pan-san, to try and regain control of my emotions. "School has been fine. I'm currently preparing for the upcoming finals, so I've been very busy studying to keep myself sharp."
"I see. Knowing you, you'll have no issues getting top marks. I'm sure you already have a university in mind."
Once more, a familiar smirk flitted over the face I'd struggled to recognize as Hikigaya-kun's. I was ready for many things, but not this sudden shift in appearance. How had Yuigahama-san gotten over such a drastic change? Perhaps she simply accepted it?
Outwardly, I gave him a small polite smile and replied.
"Yes… I do."
An awkward silence filled the air.
…how can it be so difficult to make small talk?
Hikigaya-kun sighed and looked back down at the menu, but I noticed that his eyes didn't trace back and forth; I couldn't tell he wasn't truly looking through the restaurant's options. Oddly enough, seeing him act this way helped me relax slightly. It was nice to know that he wasn't completely as calm and collected.
Hikigaya-kun was still Hikigaya-kun; there were still remnants of his old attitude that I've been using to realign my perception of what is and what was.
I need only synchronize both, and then I'll know how to interact better with him. With that in mind:
"How… how is Komachi-san?" I asked, hoping to break the silence. There was one topic that I knew would catch his interest and get him to talk with minimum input needed from me.
And as expected, his eyes became alight with eagerness as he glanced back at me with a broad and proud smile. His eyes sparkled with newfound enthusiasm as he leaned back into the backrest of the booth.
That's more of the Hikigaya-kun, I know.
I hid a smile as I watched him begin to talk about quite possibly his favorite subject.
As… problematic as that may be.
"She's doing great. She's been getting really high marks on all her assignments, and I've heard nothing but praise from her teachers." Hikigaya-kun said animatedly. "Lately, Komachi's been so determined about something. I don't think it's finals, so I'm guessing it must be some sort of project. You wouldn't happen to know what it is?"
The Chiba-Centered Battle of the Brains Competition.
My earlier conversation with Isshiki was still fresh in my mind. It seems that, for some reason, Komachi-san was keeping the competition a secret from Hikigaya-kun. I debated on telling him but decided against it. Hopefully, she had her reasons.
"Ah… unfortunately, I'm not sure what it may be. The school must have changed the first year's curriculum at some point." I said calmly. Hikigaya-kun nodded at my answer. It was then that our waitress finally arrived.
Hikigaya-kun ordered a sandwich and one of those sugary coffees he loves so much while I ordered a cup of tea and a salad. After the waitress took our order, another wave of silence came over us. We both knew we were ignoring the elephant in the room at this point.
…what must I do?
I had come here for a reason. I needed to make amends, to close the palpable distance, this all-consuming gulf between us.
In truth, I perhaps was too hasty to do this, but there felt like no other option.
If I had not known Hikigaya-kun had chosen to become a Hunter, then I perhaps would have delayed this until I'd fixed the…engagement problem that I had.
I wanted to meet him with a mind cleared from that issue, but there might no longer be enough time for that. Hunters constantly lived on the edge of a knife; every time he entered a new dungeon, there was a chance that Hikigaya-kun might never come out.
And the thought of him not returning terrified me.
Dragging my feet about this meeting was no longer allowed, but now I find myself flummoxed. How do I approach this subject?
How do I talk about it? How do I bring it up? Should I just apologize? Or would that make me seem desperate? What do I do?
Soon enough, our orders were brought to us, and we began to eat in silence. As I ate, I threw Hikigaya-kun quick glances and felt my nervousness grow even more. The sounds of clattering silverware and hushed conversations from our fellow patrons became louder as I focused on them instead of the person in front of me.
It wasn't long before we finished our meals and paid our bills. As we left the restaurant, the sky was now completely dark. I looked over at Hikigaya-kun with panic. His back was turned to me while he looked up at the darkened sky.
I feel dread slowly engulf me as I realize how much time has passed.
Have I really hesitated for this long?
How could I not say anything when my goal was clear? Was I not here to apologize?
I threw a panicked glance at Hikigaya-kun. He had taken out his phone and was quite obviously looking at the time.
Was he…leaving?
No… I can't let things end like this.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything to keep this going.
"Yukinoshita," Before I could make any sound, Hikigaya-kun spoke up, turning to me. He caught my eye with a light smirk on his face. "Let's go for a walk, yeah?"
x x x
What are those two doing?!
I sat on a nearby bench facing the window of the restaurant with my full-proof disguise of a hoodie with matching shades and face mask to hide from the unsuspecting duo, mouth agape at what I just witnessed.
I couldn't believe it! All that time, and they didn't look like they were talking to each other at all!
Ugh! I knew I should have come with!
…Well, okay, maybe I'm technically here to make sure things go smoothly. But that's beside the point! These two wouldn't even look at each other half of the time!
How were they supposed to patch things up when they didn't even look at one another for longer than ten seconds?!
Come on, Yukinon, I thought you were ready for this! Hikki, what happened to all that coolness from our last dat–hangout!?
I bit my lip in frustration. Why were these two such dummies?!
Do I really have to– Oh! They're going somewhere else! I gotta catch up!
Sneakily, despite how queasy I felt about having to spy on them during their meeting, I followed them slowly and quietly.
I tried to ignore all the people giving me suspicious side eyes.
…I am not a stalker!
I'm just here to see if they need my help to mend things over!
So mind your business!
x x x
I'll be the first to admit that this night wasn't going as smoothly as I thought.
Everything was awkward, and we were both too skittish to broach the topic we wanted to tackle.
Neither of us stepped forward and said what we wanted to say.
So, I decided that maybe a change of scenery would help.
Chiba Park in the Chuo Ward has become one of my favorite places to visit ever since I became a Hunter. It was a large and peaceful place with plenty of eye-catching scenery to calm anyone who's had a rough day. The pond was this park's main attractive feature due to the sense of peace it exudes from the calm waters.
When I was still a weak E-Rank Hunter, I would always come here to help me relax after coming out from a raid. I would sit on my usual bench and watch the local wildlife enjoy the water while my fellow Chiba residents walked through and enjoyed the several attractions the park had to offer.
Even as the day wanes, Chiba Park continues to draw a steady stream of visitors. The soft yet bright glow of the street lamps casts a warm illumination over the park, a sight that never fails to evoke a sense of nostalgia and connection.
…Yeah, this change of scenery wasn't helping. Not at all.
I looked behind me and saw Yukinoshita staring out at the pond with a troubled expression. She then tried to sneak another quick look at me as she had all evening; this time, I had caught her glance, causing her to squeak and look away. I slowed my steps and allowed her to catch up to me so we could walk side by side.
When I had first seen her earlier today, I was surprised at how little she changed physically. She still looked every bit as beautiful as she did a year ago. At the same time, I couldn't help but be reminded of her running out of our club room with confusion and fear flooding her eyes.
"…I don't understand."
Those were the words she uttered the moment she processed what I said, and subsequently shattered my expectations of her when she turned and ran away.
Expectations…
…I suppose I did sort of put a lot of that on her, huh?
Yukinoshita Yukino was unlike other people I've met before. Brutally honest with a sharp tongue to match, she wasn't ever afraid to tell people the facts of the matter, nor was she ever so mindful of the way people perceived her.
She lived her life like she wanted to, a paragon of what it should mean to be true to yourself.
…or so I thought.
In the end, despite the image I'd built of her, there was one fact I sometimes forgot.
Yukinoshita was still just a teenager like me. And sometimes, our emotions got the best of us.
That's probably part of the reason why she ran away that day. I had narrow-mindedly assumed that it simply meant that she rejected my plea and that she was running away because my vulnerability was too disgusting for her to look at.
I shouldn't have had such a decrepit thought of her like that, and we should have enlightened each other on the matter later on, but then it snowballed into a situation where we couldn't talk about it anymore. My parents' death, me leaving school to get a job, becoming a hunter…
Hence, here we were. We were both trapped by this awkward, tense air between us.
Didn't I come here to fix this?
I'd already decided that there were things in my life I could no longer take for granted, especially with my job. If this gulf that stands between us isn't crossed by either of us, then nothing will be fixed, and we'll be stuck wading around these murky waters for a long time.
So, with a deep breath, I turned to her and called out.
"Yukinoshita–"
"Hikigaya-kun–"
We both spoke at the same time, causing us to look at one another with surprise.
Slowly, we smiled in amusement at our coincidence and came to a stop in front of a bench a few feet away from the pond. The very same bench I always sat at whenever I visited.
"Wanna sit down?"
Yukinoshita nodded at my question; soon enough, we sat down and looked out at the small body of water. The water's surface glimmered from the reflection of the lights of the park and the city in the distance, offering us a comfortable glow.
"I was selfish." I abruptly said, causing Yukinoshita to turn to me in confusion. "That day, in our club room. What I asked from you and Yuigahama was selfish of me. It wasn't right of me to ask that of either of you."
"Hikigaya-kun, that's not—!"
I interrupted her by holding a hand out. She reluctantly nodded at my request and sat back down. I placed my hand down and smiled numbly at the slow, rippling waters. On their surface, I saw all of my past experiences and interactions due to being part of the Service Club. Even if they were all headaches to have gone through, I couldn't help but look back at them with melancholy.
"I've had a lot of time to think things through… I've come to understand that the genuine thing I wanted all that time ago isn't something that I'll be able to just find one day. It's something I need to work for." I looked at her and saw that she was listening with rapt attention. No turning back and no more dilly-dallying. Whatever needed to be said is something I have to say right now.
So:
"I may not know what that genuine thing is or what exactly it is I want, but what I do know is that I want you and Yuigahama to be a part of my life."
She responded to those words with a gasp, her expression one of extreme surprise.
…yeah, she probably didn't think I'd be able to say that.
I'm surprised, too.
In all honestly, I let my mouth yammer whatever had come to mind. And it ended up saying words I don't think I'd ever have the courage to say if I actually thought about it long and hard.
So I didn't because I think I've let myself soak in my thoughts for far too long.
Being a Hunter meant my life was on the line in every battle I fought. I know for a fact that I almost died from that last incident with the Red Gate, and it made me realize that for all the power that I'll attain, I can't ever be comfortable with how strong I become because there will always be danger.
And that means I have to make whatever time I have worth it. I need to appreciate those that reach out to me, those that connect with me. Those who want to be at my side…
My sister, Komachi, who loves and supports me no matter what will come our way.
Hiratsuka-sensei, who wants me to be the best version of myself even when she knows how stubborn I can be, has been there to guide me in whatever way she can.
Riko, my loyal companion who, promised that she would never let me be alone, in life or battle.
Yuigahama, who– in tears–apologized for something that she had no true fault in, and has kept in contact and made such huge efforts to connect with me and Yukinoshita…
…and is probably the one behind that tree over there looking at both of us with trembling hands while wearing a suspicious disguise. Heh, she can't hide those telltale pink locks even under that hoodie. I'm guessing she couldn't resist, so she came here to make sure nothing went bad.
Don't worry Yuigahama. I won't let this chance you've given me go to waste.
I know that Yukinoshita wanted to mend the fences that we both broke from the blunder we partook a year ago. I was able to see the pain on her face, and I knew how difficult it was to find a way to start apologizing.
So, I'll be the one to reach out.
Because right now, I'm allowing myself, like the year before, to be vulnerable. To be honest… to be genuine.
"…both of you are important to me," I continued, injecting as much honesty as I felt into those words. "I know that there might be times when I'll hurt you both. Whether intentionally or not. The same will be for you two as well. But you know... it's impossible not to hurt someone. Humans unconsciously hurt others by simply existing."
I smiled fondly at the advice Sensei had given me on that bridge all that time ago. I really owed that woman a lot. I swear I would help her find a husband once I had some downtime; I owed her that much.
"Hikigaya-kun…" Yukinoshita said breathlessly as her cheeks began to gain a red hue.
"I'm sorry for what happened that day, Yukinoshita. Do you think it's possible… for you and me… to be friends?"
I sat patiently and watched as Yukinoshita's face twisted through several emotions. It was as if a storm of emotions were blowing past her eyes. She then hunched over, and her fists clenched tightly.
"…why?"
I scrunched up my brows at her; it was only thanks to my enhanced hearing that I was able to hear her very silent whisper.
"Yukinoshita?"
"Why?!" Yukinoshita yelled abruptly. She sprang to her feet as she spun to me with a heated glare. Tears were swimming in her eyes as she faced me with her mouth tightened into a thin line. "Why are you and Yuigahama-san apologizing to me?! It-it doesn't make sense!"
I sat back in shock at Yukinoshita's unexpected outburst. Yukinoshita was always one to be composed and collected, so to see her be overwhelmed by emotion was something I never expected to see.
"This isn't right!" She stomped her foot. Yukinoshita actually stomped like she was angry, even though her eyes were full of sadness. "I should be the one apologizing. It should be me… not you. So how? How can you forgive me just like that?" Yukinoshita said as tears streamed down her face. Her arms were wrapped around her, and her shoulders quacked as she silently cried. "I ran away and left you after you poured your heart to me. I was… I was a coward. How can you ask me to be your friend after I wronged you?"
I nearly threw a panicked glance over to the tree where Yuigahama was, but I stopped myself. I needed to do this myself without depending on Yuigahama. She's already done everything that she could to get us this far. It would only mean that Yukinoshita and I could never mend anything by ourselves if we get over this hurdle right now. With that in mind, I slowly stood up from the bench and reached out to tentatively put a hand on her trembling shoulder.
"Hey," My touch caused her to slowly look up at me, tears still staining her eyes. "You didn't wrong me, Yukinoshita," I told her honestly. "And don't call yourself a coward. You're anything but one."
"But I… it can't be this simple." She insisted
"Why not?" I said and pulled my hand away, shrugging with a smirk. "Why can't we just put the past behind us and move forward? Life is short. I've come to understand that better than anyone. Even without the Service Club, the three of us can continue to be together. That should be enough, right?"
Yukinoshita rubbed at her face before she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to dry her eyes.
…I dunno why, but that handkerchief looks awfully familiar. It might just be me.
I stood patiently for her answer as she looked down in front of her, allowing her time and space to think.
"Do you really forgive me?" Yukinoshita said softly while looking me straight in the eyes as if to look for any lies or deceit.
I nodded my head with a serious expression. "I do."
"…o-okay." She said in a small voice. A warm, tender smile grew on Yukinoshita's face. "I'm…truly, truly sorry for what happened that day. I'll do everything I can to make up for it, for as long as it would take." She takes one look at her feet before she peaks back at me shyly. "So, if you would have me, I would be… happy to be your friend."
"Great," Coughing slightly, I held out my hand, trying not to let the burning embarrassment I felt show on my face. Instead, I grinned at her while saying: "Nice to meet you, the name's Hikigaya Hachiman. I'm kinda hopeless with making friends, so I'm glad you decided to make this easy for me."
This was a new start for us, for all of us. It's only right that I will introduce myself once more, right?
She looked at me for a second with an amused smile before she coughed lightly in her handkerchief. Gingerly, she reached out her hand to give mine one firm shake, introducing herself.
"I'm Yukinoshita Yukino, and it's quite lovely to meet you." She smirked sharply, a dramatically haughty expression on her face. "I hope you realize how wonderful it is to have a friend like me."
My grin widened in amusement; I should have expected that.
"...finally!" I heard Yuigahama cheer to herself. I made a surreptitious glance at the tree that she was hiding on, finding her collapsed against its bark. She looked exhausted, but there was palpable relief radiating off her.
Well, now that this whole thing with Yukinoshita is done, I guess it's only right that Yuigahama gets to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
"You know I can see you, right?" I called out to her, and I heard her squeak as she scrambled to stand.
"Yuigahama-san?" Yukinoshita let go of my hand and turned her attention to the now-revealed interloper, whose identity she quickly figured out despite the disguise.
"I'm sorry!" Yuigahama quickly threw off her hood, shades, and face mask and started bowing profusely. "I'm really sorry, Yukinon! I didn't want to be nosy, but I was so worried!"
"You didn't trust me to be able to fix this?" Yukinoshita gave her a disappointed stare, crossing her arms.
"I did! I did trust that you could, but—but I was just nervous!" Yuigahama waved her arms around frantically as she explained, eyes tearing up in panic. "I don't want you to feel like I don't believe in you b-but I can't help it! I wanted things to be better!" Yuigahama sniffled, bowing again. "I'm so sorry!"
Okay maybe I should step in before this gets worse, Yuigahama did go all through this trouble just to make this happen–
"…oh, alright." Yukinoshita said, sighing with a shake of her head.
–unless, of course, Yukinoshita lets her off easily.
Yuigahama looked up from her bow, eyes wide with surprise. Yukinoshita smirked at her a bit mischievously before turning to me. "I suppose an apology between all of us should be made simple, yes?" Her smirk melted into a kind, warm smile.
"…yeah," I smirked at her before turning to Yuigahama, whose eyes were becoming more misty from emotion from what she heard from Yukinoshita. "That's what... friends do. Right?"
Ugh, I felt my bones tremble from cringe just saying that.
"…wah! You guys!" By this time, Yuigahama could no longer hold herself back and ran over to tackle us both into a huge hug.
"I'm so happy we're okay now!" She squeezed us both, smooshing us all together in a tight embrace, and then she started crying really loudly in happiness and relief.
"A-ah, Yuigahama-san in front of other people? I don't think this is appropriate—!
"Oi, you're making a scene! And you're starting to squeeze too tight—!"
x x x
Right now, at this very moment, I could say that I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life.
Everything is finally back in place.
It took some time, but the three of us were all back together!
"We have to do somethin' together! Somewhere fun!" I said as we walked together to exit the park. I felt giddy and full of excitement. It was a real struggle trying to contain it all.
Time had flown by, causing the night sky to hang over us. It was late, around eight pm, so it was around the time to go home. But before the three of us separated, I wanted them to promise me that the three of us would do something fun together!
"Well, as long as you tell me a few days beforehand. I'll go." Hikki said with a thoughtful nod.
Yukinon gave me a wonderful smile. "I, as well; please make sure to inform me of the place and time ahead of time," Then her smile became a bit strained as she continued. "I have some… family matters I'll need to attend to sometime this week that cannot be delayed."
Hikki and I shared a quick glance at that.
"Okay!" I decided not to press the issue and placed a determined expression on my face. "I'll set everything up, so count on me!" I puffed out my chest proudly and tapped it with my fist.
"Roger," Hikki said and looked off to the side.
"Very well, I'm looking forward to it."
I grinned at both of them, feeling like my chest would burst with happiness.
I finally got them back…
My eyes began to sting, but I quickly blinked the rising tears away. I didn't wanna cry in front of them again. Darn it, why am I such a crybaby?!
"Ojou-sama."
A cool and professional voice called out to us. I blinked cluelessly and turned my attention to its source. Off by the entrance of the park was a parked black vehicle, a Mercedes. There were two large men dressed in black and white suits standing close to it, with their hands behind their backs. Standing in front of the vehicle was a woman dressed in a formal black yukata. She had her hands in front of her as she bowed towards Yukinon respectfully.
"Mura-san," Yukinon said, her eyes now narrowed. Her shoulders stiffened, and her voice became cold. "I suppose my parents are calling me home, yes?"
"Yes, Ojou-sama." Mura, the woman in the yukata, answered with an apologetic tone. "I was told that it's much too late for you to still be outside. Hence, I've been ordered to pick you up. So, if you would please." She bowed her head again. One of the men walked over to the vehicle and opened the door to the back seat, politely gesturing with an open hand.
I turned to Yukinon with a worried stare. Her brow had a noticeable crease of irritation. I clenched my hand and looked back and forth between the vehicle and Yukinon. Not knowing what to do or say, I glanced at Hikki and saw that he was watching with a neutral expression, but his eyes were focused on the two guards. In turn, they kept their sights on Hikki as well.
"I… see." Yukinon sighed. She then gave us both a dimmed, resigned smile. "I'll have to go now." Her eyes had lost a bit of the luster she had earlier tonight. I couldn't help but frown.
Does she have a problem with her parents…?
Hikki took his eyes off the guards and gave Yukinon an unreadable stare before he said: "I don't get what's going on, but remember: If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask, got it?"
Yukinon turned to him with wide, surprised eyes.
"Yeah!" Hikki's words lit a fire in my chest. I nodded determinedly at Yukinon, reaching out to hold her hand. "Whatever you're going through, know that we're here with you."
Yukinon's eyes trailed down to our joined hands before a small smile appeared on her face.
"I'll keep that in mind." She slowly but gently pulled her hand away from mine. However, her smile remained on her face. Yukinon stepped away from us and headed towards the car. But before she made it too far, she stopped and turned to us. "Goodnight, you two; please be careful on your way home."
"Goodnight!" I replied, sort of sad I couldn't give her one more hug. "I'll see you at school!"
"Yeah, goodnight," Hikki said quietly.
Yukinon smiled at us and stepped inside the black vehicle. Once inside, the guard holding the door open softly closed it shut. Yukinon rolled down the window and gave us one last wave goodbye.
I waved back but then saw Mura, who was following after Yukinon, turn to Hikki and me. She looked at us for a brief moment but then offered us a small bow of her head.
"Thank you for accompanying my lady tonight." Mura quickly said. Before either of us could reply, Mura promptly went to the other side of the vehicle where the other guard was holding the door open for her, and entered as well.
Once Yukinon and Mura were inside, both of the guards standing by entered the vehicle's front seats. After a moment, the vehicle's engine came to life. Slowly, the vehicle drove out of the park's parking lot and into the main road, leaving us to watch its red brake lights disappear.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, while a muffled ping sound came from Hikki's own pocket.
I took it out and saw that Yukinon had sent me a message.
[Yukinon: Please don't worry, I'll be fine. Once again, please take care on your way home. Goodnight.]
"Yukinon…" I muttered. Despite what she said, I still felt a pang of worry rise within me.
"Ehem."
I swiveled my head to Hikki, who had his arms crossed over his well-muscled chest. He was looking at me with narrowed eyes.
"So what's up with you tailing us, huh?"
…Oh.
I ducked my head as a sheepish laugh left my mouth, feeling my face light up in shame.
I guess I have some explaining to do…
x x x
[Push-Ups: 100/100[Sit-Ups: 100/100]
[Squats: 100/100[Running: 10/10km]
[Daily Quest Complete!]
[Notification: You have completed: Daily Quest: The Road to Strength. Rewards have been delivered!]
I came to a stop in front of Tokyo Bay and released a calming breath. I looked out at the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line while lost in thought. It was still very early in the morning, meaning there were very few people around me besides some early birds and those who exercised around this time. Looking away from the bridge, I quickly deposited my free stat points into my Agility.
My talk with Yukinoshita last night was still fresh in my mind. At first, I didn't believe that we would be able to talk to one another and move on properly. But thankfully, I was able to muster up the courage to start our dialogue. I still couldn't believe that the Yukinoshita Yukino ended up crying in front of me.
Did what happened between us have a more significant effect on her than I thought, or was she under more stress than I knew? Could it be due to whatever was going on with her parents? Whatever the case, it seemed that my genuine feelings of wanting her back in my life caused the floodgates to break within her.
I pulled out my phone and opened the message Yukinoshita sent me last night.
[Yukinoshita: Thank you for your kind words, Hikigaya-kun, but I'm just fine. Please get home safely, goodnight.]
Yeah, that's not very reassuring.
I frowned. Both Yuigahama and I agreed that whatever it was, Yukinoshita was dealing with her parents was having a larger effect on the usually strong-minded girl. But we don't really know how we can help, if at all. That was a family matter, and we weren't family.
On that note, those guards from last night weren't just your normal run-of-the-mill security guards. No, they were Awakened Humans. Not very strong ones, maybe mid to high B-Rank. Hiring Awakened Humans to work on a security detail wasn't cheap, but I couldn't help but wonder why her parents needed two of them to watch over Yukinoshita. Were they that worried over her safety or was it something else?
As for Yuigahama…
"I'm really, really sorry, Hikki!" Yuigahama kept bowing her head and apologizing.
I honestly wasn't mad, but I did want her to feel a little bad about tailing us. So, after five minutes of admonishing her for what she did and hearing her apologies, I took her back to her home. She offered me one last apology and then thanked me for walking back with her.
Now then…
With everything settled on this end, I think it's about time I get back to getting stronger.
Oh, that reminds me.
I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was time to head back. I wouldn't want to give Zaimokuza false hope that this morning's tortu– training session was canceled. Stretching my limbs slightly, I began running back home. I paid it no mind that my steps felt lighter than ever before as I ran.
x x x
"He's late."
"I see that."
Riko and I stood around in the same clearing from yesterday with looks of annoyance and irritation on our faces.
"Could Zaimokuza-san have given up?" Riko said. "I think you might have gone too far yesterday, Master."
"What? How so?"
"Well, you did tell him to stand still as you punched him in the stomach like a slab of meat. It reminded me of that boxing movie I watched a while back."
"Geh… well, I was testing out his resilience and durability. Yeah, that's what I was doing. Hah-hah."
Riko gave me a slight look that screamed yeah, right but didn't comment any further. We waited another ten minutes before I decided to throw in the towel.
"Alright. He's clearly not coming." I rubbed my hair in annoyance and opened the map to the Realm of Chaos.
[The Red Passing Recommended Level: 35-45]
[Travel to this location?]
[Yes[No]
"No point in wasting the day. Let's go to the other world."
Riko grinned in excitement and nodded. Her workout attire quickly transformed into her maid outfit but with a battle-oriented focus. This was the only concession we made in regard to her maid uniform. She couldn't wear it out in the open in Japan, but she was free to do so in the other world.
"Let's go!" Riko said as she stepped through my portal.
Walking closer to it, I took one more look around before stepping inside as well.
x x x
"Justice dash!"
I panted as I pushed my legs to carry me forward as fast as possible. I ran by several trees and jumped the occasional dead branch while I made my way further out into the outskirts of the park.
I knew I shouldn't have stayed up watching anime!
But I had to! I needed inspiration in order to create my future magical attacks and skills! How was I supposed to perform my planetary-busting feats if I had no names for them? It was impossible! What kind of man would I be if I didn't scream my attack's name before casting it?
Some names I've thought up were grand and would surely leave my future foes shaking in fear. Names such as...
Final Finisher!
Earth Breaking Punch!
Drilling Drill!
Wave of the Shogun!
Those were only a few of the grand names I've created. I had many more tucked away in my trusty notebook that spanned several pages. I would assign them to each new move as I learned them. Truly, I was a once-in-a-generation genius. Indeed.
I'm coming, Hachiman! Wait for me, my Battle-Brother!
I smiled victoriously when I finally saw the clearing from yesterday come into view. My smile quickly vanished as I saw my Battle Brother disappear into a yellow portal. I slid to a stop and looked at the spinning portal with trepidation.
"No way. Could that be one of those Gates? But why is it here? And why would Hachiman enter it?! Aren't those supposed to be supremely dangerous?!"
From my research, one would need a large party of Hunters to enter a Gate to ensure their survival. It was then that a new idea popped into my head. This portal was small and yellow. Normally, Gates were supposed to be large and blue, sometimes even red. I think. Was this portal a Gate? Or perhaps…
"A portal to another world?!" I yelled in amazement. My nostrils flared in excitement. "Could it be?! My isekai adventure is finally upon me! And no Truck-kun as well!"
This was the moment I had been waiting for my whole life!
A life of power, fantasy, and full adventure was finally here! Once in the other world, I would be granted world-busting power and a harem of beautiful girls! My dream was finally coming true!
Finally!
It was at that moment I saw that the portal began to shrink and close. Without hesitation or second thoughts, I dashed towards the portal to join my dead-eyed comrade. If it was another portal to another world, then my comrade is most likely one of the legendary heroes who are destined to save that world from the Demon King! I had to hurry and join him in our destiny!
Despite knowing what my destiny held for me, I knew that at my current speed, I wouldn't reach the portal before it closed. Desperation filled me quickly. I grunted and pushed my legs to their maximum. Even then, I still wouldn't make it in time.
No! If only I was faster!
As if to answer my pleas, my body was enveloped with a newfound source of energy. I felt amazing at the sudden boost of power that swelled within me, and then I exploded forward and jumped straight into the portal at the last possible second.
I felt my body spin in the air, almost like gravity was nonexistent in this new space. I watched in awe as streams of color sped past me. It was as if I was suddenly thrust into hyperdrive without the Millennium Falcon!
"Oof!" In the blink of an eye, I rolled across the suddenly present ground and came to a stop when my back crashed into a tree. I shook my head and looked up at the bright purple sky above.
I jumped to my feet and looked out at the vast, open, grassy plains. Groups of trees stood sparsely throughout the plain as a wide, orange, almost red, long dirt road sat in front of me. Off in the distance were very large fantastical animals with six legs that resembled Western Buffalos, walking around aimlessly and eating grass. In the air were large mutated birds flying across the sky with quick speeds and grace.
The air was fresh and clean, missing any of the impurities of the city. I took a deep breath and marveled at the new world around me.
It really is a new world!
"Zaimokuza?!"
"Zaimokuza-san?"
I turned my head to see my battle brother, Hachiman, and the illustrious Riko, who, for some reason, was wearing a battle-maid outfit, looking at me in shock. I grinned and hopped to my feet while pointing at the purple sky.
"The prophesied hero, Zaimokuza Yoshiteru, is finally here to defeat the Demon Lord!"
"…hah?"
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[Bonus Content Character Sheet]
Name: Minamoto Minase
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Eye Color: Amber
Hair Color: Green
(ooo)
Likes: Nature, Helping People, His Guild.
Dislikes: Fighting, Killing, Violent people, self-absorbed hunters.
Dreams: A world without unneeded violence.
Hobbies: Helping out hospitals and clinics, gardening, hiking, reading.
Personality: Minase is famous for his kindness and willingness to help the hospitals and clinics whenever he's not in dungeons or studying for college, where he works earnestly to eventually earn a medical degree. A born pacifist, he hates violence and fighting but is aware of their necessity against monsters from the dungeon. Calm and collected, Minase is driven by his compassionate nature. He often helps lower-ranked hunters in raiding lower-ranked dungeons, providing them with healing and buffs that allow them to clear dungeons more easily and lower Hunter casualties. His reputation earned him the nickname of Yuki-Ryoshi's Angel from his adoring fans, reflecting both his altruism and his handsome face.
(ooo)
Status: Hunter
Rank: S-Rank
Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi
Class: Healer
(ooo)
Weapons: Grimoire, which modifies buff spells and healing, found from Dungeon Mage.
Skills: Tai chi, Gardening, Knowledge of human physiology, medicinal knowledge, high-quality healing, and buffing skills.
Talents: Eidetic memory, natural social skills, prodigious healing ability.
(ooo)
Image Link: imgur.com/YvsiToy
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A/N:
Thank you for reading today's chapter.
Major update: I'm sorry to say that the updates for the story from this point onwards will be one chapter a week. Not two. I know that will disappoint several of you, but it's a needed change of pace. I hope to bring back the two chapters' a-week update schedule, but for now, I need to slow things down to avoid creative burnout. To compensate for that, I will ensure the weekly chapters are roughly 10k words long for your enjoyment.
Please leave a review or comment. It helps me gauge your interest in the story and because I enjoy reading what you all have to say.
Until next time!