Uneasy daily life

Hachiman Hikigaya, hands in his pockets, hunched over as he walked, making noises as if he didn't want to go to work.

"Hey! Cheer up! Did you catch Origami's lazy virus?" Yui Yuigahama slapped him to help him straighten up. "If you can't handle elementary school students, then do more crafts—by the way, why has Hachiman been so listless these past few days?"

Yui Yuigahama suddenly seemed to realize something, and hesitated before asking, "Could it be because Shiro isn't here?"

"?"

Hachiman Hikigaya retorted incredulously, "You've got cause and effect backwards! The president is clearly exploiting my mental energy!"

"Haha..." Yui Yuigahama chuckled twice, then changed the subject, "Oh, we've arrived at the venue, I'll go help out now."

There are so many people...

Hachiman Hikigaya watched as Yui Yuigahama ran into the bustling crowd of teachers, elementary school students, and some high school students.

I'll pass myself; I'm definitely not used to crowded and noisy environments.

He subconsciously surveyed the scene, scanning the atmosphere and the distribution of people... well, it's a habit he can't control.

Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly noticed something and looked at a primary school girl sitting on a bench in the corner, engrossed in doing handicrafts.

detached from the atmosphere, as if being ostracized, yet also as if deliberately keeping their distance...

It felt so familiar.

Hachiman Hikigaya strode over casually and sat down next to the other person without any ceremony. He glanced at the materials in the box, reached out and took out a strip of paper to start folding stars: "Lend me this so I look like I'm doing something, instead of looking for a place to slack off."

"?" Tsurumi Rumi glanced at him and continued with her craft. "Are you bored?"

"I can't handle crowded places." Hachiman Hikigaya yawned and continued making decorations without much enthusiasm. "So-called group activities are just waiting for things to be assigned to you, waiting for the activity to start, and waiting for the activity to end. Sometimes I'm quite envious of those guys who are immersed in it and having a good time."

Rumi Tsurumi: "Oh."

"Ah... a group activity, huh?" Hachiman Hikigaya changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I have a friend who participated in an unforgettable group activity. Because it was a group activity, all distance suddenly disappeared, and my friend was enjoying the activity with a group of people, laughing and joking. At first, he felt awkward and strange, but later, in competitions like relay races and tug-of-war, he gradually began to enjoy it. He cheered with others, encouraged others, and competed with others for so-called collective honor..."

"When the event ended, he was still excited. Back in school, he excitedly patted a classmate on the shoulder. He had prepared his conversation, intending to use the relay race from the event as a topic to chat with the classmate—until the classmate turned around and looked at him with a puzzled and distant expression."

Rumi Tsurumi continued doing her handicrafts, but her gaze was fixed on Hachiman Hikigaya.

"My friend finally realized—the event was over, and he was alone again."

Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head: "That's really stupid."

“It’s really quite silly,” Rumi Tsurumi whispered. “Being swept up by the so-called atmosphere and everyone else, you don’t even realize you’re immersed in it, making it seem like you’re really close. Once the atmosphere of the event is over, you naturally become distant and unfamiliar again… When it comes to emphasizing the group, everyone pretends to be very close.”

Hachiman Hikigaya clicked his tongue and said, "My friend was really fooled."

Tsurumi glanced at Hachiman Hikigaya and said, "Your friend probably doesn't have any friends, right?"

Why do you, a mere elementary school student, possess such a sinister and dangerous aura at such a young age?!

“Of course I am,” Hachiman Hikigaya said resolutely. “He said he’s my friend, so of course I’m his friend.”

Rumi Tsurumi gave a faint smile, her meaning unspoken.

Suddenly, she felt inexplicably alert—wait! This sudden, heart-to-heart talk, this free-flowing, and incredibly comfortable feeling…

Hachiman Hikigaya folded a five-pointed star and felt that this elementary school student was very similar to his former self. Perhaps this is the attraction between solitude.

Although I'm called a "real-life person" and admit that my youth had some issues and was somewhat chaotic, I still feel more comfortable this way.

"Hey..." Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly said casually, "Maybe we could be friends?"

"cannot!"

Without hesitation, with absolute decisiveness, suddenly loud and resolute!

Tsurumi Rumi's direct rejection felt like an arrow, suddenly piercing through Hachiman Hikigaya's chest.

Ah—! This familiar, nostalgic, and unaccustomed feeling, the feeling that I had to wail under the covers in the dead of night and get scolded by Komachi for being noisy, so many times before!

Hachiman Hikigaya has been petrified.

Why did things turn out this way? Why this answer? Did I accidentally step on their landmine? Shouldn't we be lonely companions?!

Ah, that's true. I'm probably just being overly self-conscious. Just because we get along well, I assume the other person is a friend. It's nothing more than wishful thinking.

Despite his internal injuries, Hachiman Hikigaya stubbornly continued his handicrafts.

Hachiman can be killed by the shaman, but he will never be defeated!

Chapter 75 Look!

The atmosphere subtly settled.

The two quietly did their crafts.

Rumi Tsurumi belatedly realized what was happening and felt a little embarrassed and awkward—logically speaking, shouldn't she be the one who thought she had a good relationship with someone, tried to get close to them, and was rejected?

Hachiman Hikigaya was not defeated; compared to the tragedies that had plagued his life so far, this was just a small blow!

“Exactly, just like that.” Hachiman Hikigaya said in a serious tone, “My friend thought the relationship had improved and went to her, but she rejected him decisively, just like you did. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it so he would never see the sun again, hahaha…”

Rumi Tsurumi pursed her lips, a look of pity creeping into her eyes.

"It's okay, I won't call you out... I mean your friend."

"?"

Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't continue, almost choking: "I'm telling you... what grudge do I have against you?"

Rumi Tsurumi guiltily looked away, trying to change the subject: "You... um... who are you?"

"?"

Hachiman Hikigaya fell silent, his internal organs churning and screaming.

"No, I mean..." Rumi Tsurumi realized her words were a bit ambiguous and quickly explained, "Why do you want to be friends with me? Is it because you don't have any friends at school?"

"?"

Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his chest, his expression extremely distorted—I absolutely, I must have had a blood feud with you in my past life!

"puff……"

The laughter came at just the right volume, neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to be heard.

Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly turned around and saw a white figure peeking out from around the corner by the wall: "President?! Weren't you over at the beach?"

“We’ve been here ever since you said, ‘I have a friend.’”

A white figure slowly walked out.

Is this what I'm asking?

Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly realized a blind spot: "You guys?"

Behind the white figure, Angelina slowly walked out; behind Angelina, Hayama Hayato slowly walked out; behind Hayama Hayato, Miura Yumiko slowly walked out…

Hachiman Hikigaya remained motionless, his fingers mechanically folding a five-pointed star.

"You know each other?!"

Rumi Tsurumi suddenly made a very loud noise.

"Of course." The white figure shrugged and patted Hachiman Hikigaya on the shoulder. "Let me introduce you—our subordinate, the most popular guy at Soubu High School, a lone wolf, who still feels unpopular even though he has a girlfriend, the student council secretary's personal handyman, there's definitely something wrong with his youth, that's Hachiman Hikigaya..."

Hachiman Hikigaya quickly composed himself and nodded slightly: "Hello."

Rumi Tsurumi's eyes flashed with wariness and hostility, and she was about to speak when she said, "You..."

“That’s right, we’re in cahoots,” Bai Ying said proudly.

Rumi Tsurumi's eyes widened in surprise: "I..."

"There's a reason I chose you," Bai Ying asked, raising an eyebrow. "Would you be interested in learning more?"

"Not interested in."

Rumi Tsurumi suppressed her surging emotions, put the finished handicraft into the box, and coldly picked up the box to leave—while casually reaching out to take the five-pointed star that Hachiman Hikigaya had just folded.

"President, are you bullying a child?" Hachiman Hikigaya guessed the truth behind his rejection. No, wait! The president was right there all along, why would he need to guess? He could just attribute all the unsettling and abnormal things to him.

Hachiman Hikigaya silently glanced at the others and added, "They even bring a group."

Hayato Hayama responded with a subtle smile.

“These things are unimportant.” Bai Ying looked at Tsurumi Rumi, who had taken a few steps forward, took out her phone, and held it up, saying in a deep, solemn voice, “Your hair has grown to your waist, listen to me…”

What's all this nonsense... huh?

The next second, Hachiman Hikigaya saw Rumi Tsurumi turn her head sharply, and upon seeing the white shadow's phone, she revealed a bitter and resentful expression, storming back with the handmade box in hand: "You—"

"Finally found!"

Amidst the sounds of surprise and delight, a figure flashed out like lightning. Before Tsurumi Rumi could react, she felt most of her vision being buried in a soft, warm place. She hurriedly raised her eyes and saw Yukinoshita Haruno looking deeply moved. Hearing tears glistening in Haruno's eyes, she whispered with great emotion, "Thank goodness, I've finally met you, my half-sister..."

Rumi Tsurumi: "?"

What should you do if you suddenly find yourself being harassed by someone with mental illness? This is a serious problem!

It seems that there's no other way but to ask someone for help...

"Sister, please act like a human being."

With a cold voice, Yukino Yukinoshita reached out and grabbed Yukino Haruno by the back of her neck, removing the feigning struggle from Rumi Tsurumi. She then gave Rumi Tsurumi a strange look before turning her gaze and thrusting straight at the white shadow's defenses.

Click!

A fleeting flash.

Bai Ying put away her phone and nodded slightly: "Brave warrior, you've come to reminisce about your youth?"

Yukinoshita Yukino: "#!"

"Hey, little one," Yukinoshita Haruno said with a smile, breaking free from her sister's grasp. "Was your family related to the Yukinoshita family before?"

"I never heard."

Rumi Tsurumi took a step back alertly. She glanced at the somewhat chaotic scene and was completely at a loss for what to do. So she decisively turned around and ran away, not even caring about her perfect recording of her lines.

"Wow! Looking at it this way, she looks even more like Yukino-chan!" Yukinoshita Haruno exclaimed. "Especially that action of refusing to communicate when she can't handle something, and then decisively running away, it's exactly the same. She really is Yukino-chan's alter ego, isn't she?"

Yukino Yukinoshita said irritably, "You're judging someone by their hairstyle?"

Bai Ying said in a serious tone, "And hair color and eye color too."

"What kind of method of identification is this?" Yukino Yukinoshita glared at the other troublemaker. "According to your similarity logic, Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei suddenly becomes my supermodel?"

Angelina muttered to herself, "That's how you identify two-dimensional objects..."

Yukinoshita Haruno patted Yukinoshita Yukino's shoulder, glanced regretfully at her chest, shook her head and sighed, "I won't say it because it's impolite."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "#!"

"Let me correct you," Bai Ying pointed out the difference seriously. "Your bangs are different from the violent teacher's. Yours are M-shaped, while hers are M with the upper right corner cut off."

Yukinoshita Yukino: "##!"

When her blood pressure exceeded the limit, Yukino Yukinoshita felt her mind become clear and calm, as if her soul had left her body.

She slowly narrowed her eyes: "Assistance staff from other schools, student council members, student council president... what are you doing here instead of working? Especially one of the student council presidents, weren't you planning a beach event? Is coming here to play 'spot the difference' your job?"

Bai Ying raised her hand and pointed at Miura Yumiko: "She's the one who asked me to come."

Miura Yumiko's expression froze, but when Yukino Yukinoshita looked at her, she instantly revealed a self-righteous and assertive demeanor: "It was me who called it."

Angelina nodded and said, "Yes, mainly because Hayama-kun showed sudden concern, which greatly increased Miura-kun's sense of crisis."

"?"

Miura Yumiko's expression twisted in pain—"What grudge do I hold against you?!"

“Oh—” Yukinoshita Haruno understood. “I see.”

Suddenly becoming the center of attention, Hayama Hayato rubbed his temples, feeling that this situation was indeed a bit overwhelming: "Um... because I noticed that Tsurumi-san is not very sociable, I asked around among the other kids, and it seems that Tsurumi-san is being ostracized, so I wanted to try to help her..."

"Mediating conflicts between children? That's part of your job, I hope you learn from this and don't accidentally make things worse." Yukino Yukinoshita didn't say much more. She had already let it go. Now, 80% of the unexpected things in her daily life came from that guy who was growing wildly. "Hachiman-kun, what are you doing again?"

Hachiman Hikigaya, who was trying his best to pretend to be a background character, twitched the corner of his mouth, recalled for a moment, and sighed: "I unfortunately triggered the little student's student council president PTSD, and then got a sharp tongue from him."

"Have you all gathered together because you've discovered some reason?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked calmly.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Hayato Hayama, Hayato Hayama looked at the white shadow, the white shadow looked at... the white shadow realized that everyone was looking at him.

"Does the reason matter?"