My dear wife, I still love you more.

So no matter how you look at it, Hasegawa is a winner in life.

Of course, Hasegawa, this winner in life, is somewhat different from Hayama Hayato, that winner in life. How to put it, that's Hachiman Hikigaya's own feeling. He doesn't particularly dislike Hasegawa, this winner in life. But he definitely wouldn't like Hayama Hayato, that kind of winner in life.

Now that Hasegawa, whom he considers a winner in life, has suddenly come looking for him, he's a little flustered.

"Well, actually it's Hiratsuka-sensei."

"Hiratsuka-sensei?" Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Hasegawa with a bit of a puzzled expression.

"That's right, it's her. She thinks you're always alone and quite lonely. She even worries that if you continue like this, you might become some kind of extreme person when you enter society. So, she asked me to see if I could change you." Hasegawa directly betrayed Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, she's really too responsible." Hachiman Hikigaya was a little speechless.

While Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless at Shizuka Hiratsuka's behavior, he was also somewhat moved. Yes, moved.

After all, no one at school cared about him, and even at home, his parents didn't seem to care much about him. Only his younger sister, Komachi Hikigaya, cared about him a lot. Although they would quarrel occasionally, they would make up quickly.

Hachiman Hikigaya sometimes even thought that if it weren't for the law strictly prohibiting siblings from marrying, he would have wanted to marry Komachi Hikigaya right after graduation. Of course, the price would be that his father would break his leg.

It's fair to say that Hachiman Hikigaya has absolutely no friends. Well, that's probably true. Although there's one rather strange guy, if you think about it, it's definitely not any better.

Now, suddenly there is someone who cares about him, and even if it's just because Hiratsuka Shizuka is his teacher, Hachiman Hikigaya is still very moved.

"I'm sorry, although you accepted Hiratsuka-sensei's request, I'm already like this, and I have absolutely no intention of changing." Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head.

“I know that once someone develops a habit, it’s really hard to change it, especially since you seem to be actively seeking it out, making it even harder to change.” Hasegawa nodded.

When Hachiman Hikigaya heard Hasegawa say that, he looked at Hasegawa with some surprise.

"What? Surprised? Surprised that I guessed it? Actually, I've met people like you before. To others, they seem to have no friends, no social gatherings after get off work, and spend weekends alone at home without any friends inviting them out. It might seem miserable and lonely. But in reality, they enjoy that kind of life. Although they might feel lonely occasionally, it's only occasional. They can play games when they want, eat whatever they want, and do whatever they want. They cook at home by themselves, and if they don't feel like cooking, they just order takeout."

Others think he's having a miserable time, but in reality, he's very happy. Although it's not outwardly apparent, he's quite carefree inside.

Hasegawa said with a smile. He did indeed know someone like that. Well, before he transmigrated to this world.

A colleague at my company. She almost completely avoids all social interaction outside of work. Although this makes it nearly impossible for her to get promoted, and her salary isn't particularly high, she seems genuinely content with that lifestyle. In her spare time, she even finds part-time jobs online that also require no interaction.

Although he's over forty and still doesn't have a girlfriend, let alone get married and have children, his situation is truly quite unique.

Hasegawa was very surprised after learning about the other person's situation, even finding it hard to believe. But the other person was indeed living a very comfortable life, without any messy or chaotic things happening to them.

When Hachiman Hikigaya heard Hasegawa say this, he looked at Hasegawa with some surprise, and even with a hint of longing in his eyes.

Yes, Hachiman Hikigaya longed for the kind of life Hasegawa described, and he even envied the person Hasegawa spoke of. He even thought that he himself would become someone like that someday.

"What? Are you envious?" Hasegawa asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am indeed envious, if it's really as you say."

“That’s true. But first, you need to have a skill that can support yourself.” Hasegawa said with a smile, “Being a freeloader is definitely not for you, given your personality.”

"A freeloader? Of course, I can't do that." Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head. He could even imagine that if he didn't go to school and became a freeloader, his father would probably beat him with a stick, or even beat him from morning till night.

"So, from now on, try to learn some skills, skills that allow you to make money without having to interact with other people," Hasegawa suggested with a smile.

"Huh? The kind of skill you're talking about? It doesn't exist, does it?" Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but say.

"Yes, it exists. Maybe less so. But it does exist. For example, writing novels, becoming a writer, or a comic artist, or a computer expert, or a hacker. You could even become a craftsman, specializing in handmade items, like figurines, and so on," Hasegawa said with a smile to Hachiman Hikigaya.

"Hmm, what you're saying doesn't seem so simple, does it?" Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but frown.

"Whether it's easy or not really depends on whether you're willing to do it. As long as you have a goal and motivation, and then work hard, you may not be very successful, but you should be able to support yourself."

"Someone who can support himself? Perhaps I really need to think about it carefully, and then find a goal to work towards." Hachiman Hikigaya took a deep breath.

Seeing Hachiman Hikigaya's expression, Hasegawa smiled: "How about that?"

"kindness?"

"I said, how does it feel to have a normal conversation with people?"

"what?"

"Find a topic that interests you and then discuss it. You shouldn't find it difficult," Hasegawa asked with a smile.

"you--"

“As I said before, it was a request from Hiratsuka-sensei. We should give it a try, shouldn’t we? Of course, everything I told you is true. I just said it was something that suits you, something you’d like to hear. So, how about we try being friends?” Hasegawa said, extending his right hand to Hachiman Hikigaya.

In fact, Hasegawa had observed Hachiman Hikigaya before coming to see him and had learned a bit about him. He felt that Hachiman Hikigaya, well, wasn't the type of person he disliked.

Hachiman Hikigaya is probably a quiet person who doesn't cause trouble or create problems. Even if you become friends, he's unlikely to be the type to chat with you unnecessarily. He's the kind of person you can chat with casually when you feel like it, or confide in when you have something on your mind without worrying about it being leaked, and he might even offer advice.

Hasegawa likes this kind of person and enjoys being friends with them because he doesn't have to worry about betrayal.

Becoming friends with this kind of person would be quite difficult, but if you did become friends, you would feel very at ease.

"I have a feeling that you're trying to trick me," Hachiman Hikigaya said, scratching his head.

"I guess so, it was definitely a bit of a 'trick' on you. But I think someone like you is better suited to be a friend. So, how about we become friends?" Hasegawa asked again.

"Well—okay, friends it is then. But even if we become friends, I will still—"

"Because you don't have any friends, you don't know what to do after becoming friends, right?"

"Ugh?"

"There's no need to do anything special. When you see each other, greet each other if you feel like it, and don't if you don't. If you need help, try to get it; if not, don't. If a friend asks for your help, help if you're willing, and just say so if you find it difficult. That's all," Hasegawa said simply.

"Huh? Is this enough? But, it feels like there's nothing special about it. It feels like I'm no different from any other classmate, right?" Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Hasegawa with some surprise.

"At least, I prefer this method. It's simple, convenient, and hassle-free, isn't it?" Hasegawa said casually.

“Indeed, it’s quite simple, so simple that it seems to make no difference whether I have this friend or not. But if that’s the case, then I agree.” Hachiman Hikigaya reached out and shook hands with Hasegawa.

Hasegawa smiled. Hachiman Hikigaya turned his head slightly, a little awkwardly. He still felt uneasy. Friends, something that had seemed so distant before, suddenly had become a friend, and it felt strange, yet also quite nice.

"Huh? Hasegawa and Bichi-san became friends?" a lively voice rang out from the side. (Sensitive word...)

Yui Yuigahama initially found it strange when she saw Hasegawa approaching Hachiman Hikigaya, especially since the two seemed to be talking. So she slowly moved closer and saw Hasegawa and Hachiman shaking hands and talking about becoming friends. She couldn't help but speak up.

“Yes, that’s right.” Hasegawa nodded with a smile after glancing at Yui Yuigahama.

"Well, since Hasegawa and Hachiman have become friends, then I'll be your friend too," Yui Yuigahama said with a smile.

"My name is Hikigaya, Hikigaya Hachiman, not Hikigaya." Hikigaya Hachiman said to Yui Yuigahama, somewhat speechless.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I just thought Hikigaya was a bit strange. How about this, from now on, I'll call you Hachiko?" Yui Yuigahama clapped her hands, feeling that she had come up with a very good idea.

"Hachiman? What kind of weird nickname is that?" Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but roll his eyes.

“Nickname, nickname. And don’t you think Xiao Ba sounds friendly? This nickname.” Yui Yuigahama said happily.

"I don't want that kind of nickname. Besides, why don't you give Hasegawa a similar nickname?"

"Hmm, Xiao Yi?" Yui Yuigahama thought for a moment, then tentatively called out to Hasegawa.

Hasegawa was speechless.

……

Becoming friends with Hachiman Hikigaya didn't really change much for Hasegawa. At most, they'd exchange a greeting when they met. There wasn't much other interaction.

Hasegawa didn't seem to notice anything amiss. However, Hachiman Hikigaya seemed to sense something was off; he appeared slightly flustered and even a little anxious every time he greeted Hasegawa.

However, Hachiman Hikigaya doesn't seem to dislike this feeling too much.

"Hasegawa, you, you're a light novel author?" Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but ask Hasegawa one day.

“Yes, that’s right, what’s wrong?” Hasegawa nodded.

"Well, I... I've thought about what you said earlier carefully."

"What about before? So, you're asking me this question today because you want to try writing a novel?" Hasegawa asked, somewhat surprised and also somewhat enlightened.

"Well, I don't really have any special talents, but my grades in Japanese are pretty good. I also scribble things down sometimes, so after thinking about everything, I think maybe I might be suited to writing novels," Hachiman Hikigaya told Hasegawa. Of course, he absolutely didn't want to mention that yesterday, a classmate from his junior high school days, a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) sufferer, a really strange guy, came to him with his messy, completely incomprehensible novel, asking him to read it.

That guy is Yoshiteru Zaimokuza. He actually had the audacity to submit that rubbish to a publishing house. Well, it was rejected outright. But his audacity still made Hachiman Hikigaya sigh; that guy's skin is truly thick.

Then Hachiman Hikigaya thought, even that guy Yoshiteru Zaimokuza can write light novels, well, although it's impossible for them to be published. So, it seems that he, Hachiman Hikigaya, who is particularly good at Japanese literature, is even more capable of writing light novels.

At the same time, Hachiman Hikigaya also knew that Hasegawa was a very talented light novel author.

Well, after Hachiman Hikigaya acknowledged Hasegawa as his friend, he meticulously inquired about Hasegawa's background, even learning from Tomoya Aki that Hasegawa had written an incredibly popular light novel, Tokyo Ghoul, which was even being adapted into a manga. Hachiman then went to the bookstore and bought the first two volumes of Hasegawa's Tokyo Ghoul. He even stayed up all night reading it, finding Hasegawa's light novels truly amazing and enjoyable.

So, after being provoked by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, Hachiman Hikigaya decided to go to Hasegawa to ask him some questions about light novels. Well, it would be even better if Hasegawa could tell him more about how to write light novels.

So Hachiman Hikigaya specifically came to see Hasegawa this time. However, he wasn't the type of person who could ask for help very openly, so he hesitated a bit when he spoke, and even sounded a little evasive.

Fortunately, Hasegawa was quite clever, and he could almost immediately guess what Hachiman Hikigaya was trying to say and understand what Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to do.

"You've come to ask me about some things related to writing light novels, right? Since you're interested in this, I'll tell you about it."

Hasegawa wasn't the stingy type, and since Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to know, Hasegawa naturally wouldn't hide anything from him.

Furthermore, it was all because of Hasegawa that Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to write a light novel.

"Actually, writing light novels isn't that difficult, but it's not that easy either. First of all, you have to make sure your sentences flow smoothly and don't sound awkward or incomprehensible. Similarly, when writing light novels, try to avoid using obscure words..." Hasegawa briefly explained some things about light novel writing to Hachiman Hikigaya.

As Hachiman Hikigaya listened to what Hasegawa said, he seemed to be deep in thought. In particular, when he compared it with the light novel written by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza that he had read not long ago, he almost immediately understood the counterexample that Hasegawa was talking about.

It seems that all the mistakes that Hasegawa said light novel writers shouldn't make can be found in the novels written by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza.

Hachiman Hikigaya understood a little better why no one liked the things written by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, and why he couldn't help but feel sleepy when he read them.

"At the same time, when writing light novels, never start by writing a lot of settings. Some people are worried that readers will not understand the world view or content they have written, so they often write a lot of settings at the beginning. It is very boring, and almost no readers are willing to settle down and read it. In fact, many readers' first reaction after seeing so many settings is to throw the book they are holding."

Hachiman Hikigaya nodded in realization. He had indeed seen that kind of complicated setting in the beginning of a novel written by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, or rather, he had absolutely no interest in reading it.

"besides……"

Hachiman Hikigaya nodded from time to time, a look of sudden realization on his face. The reason for this was entirely because he was comparing it to the novel written by Yoshiteru Zaimokuza.

He would also directly ask any questions or doubts he had. And Hasegawa would answer them for him earnestly.

Later, Hachiman Hikigaya even took out a small notebook and wrote down what Hasegawa had written. Looking at the many pages of the notebook, Hachiman Hikigaya was sincerely grateful to Hasegawa, thinking that Hasegawa was truly a wonderful friend. He vowed in his heart that if Hasegawa ever needed help in the future, he would definitely help him without hesitation.

……

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect that Hasegawa, you actually became friends with that guy Hachiman Hikigaya. You're not simple." Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Hasegawa in surprise.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with Hachiman Hikigaya. He's just not very willing to interact with other people. Becoming friends with him is a very simple matter," Hasegawa said calmly.

"This is not simple at all. Hachiman Hikigaya, that guy's personality—never mind. Since Hasegawa, you're so good at making friends, I have someone rather special here—"

"I'm sorry, Hiratsuka-sensei. While it's true that I shouldn't refuse when you ask me to do something, making friends is something that depends on one's own will. You can't force it. Besides, being asked to make friends feels really strange. That kind of purposeful behavior can make people feel a lot of malice. So, let's skip this kind of thing." Hasegawa refused directly.

"You rascal, let me tell you, the woman I'm talking to you about this time is a real beauty," Hiratsuka Shizuka said in a seductive tone.