[16]

Hachiman deftly caught Shizuka's incoming fist, surprising her with his ability to intercept her punch. Although she had held back her strength, it was evident that this feat required more than ordinary prowess.

Nevertheless, even though he had anticipated the move, Hachiman's hand still throbbed from the impact. "Hey, Shizuka-san, what's going on?" Haruno asked in a relieved tone, her concern palpable.

Releasing her fist, Shizuka smirked, "It's nothing, just some personal matters I need to discuss with this guy."

Unbeknownst to Haruno, this private matter revolved around Hachiman's remark about her potential marriage prospects, a fact that would surely cause her amusement.

"I won't push the issue today due to your injuries, but we'll settle this another time!" With a final glance at Hachiman, Shizuka made her intentions clear.

Hachiman managed a wry smile; it seemed he couldn't evade his fate, after all.

Turning her attention to Haruno, Shizuka demanded, "Now, tell me what happened."

With no choice, Haruno recounted the incident in detail.

Upon learning that Hachiman had been involved in a collision with a car from the Yukinoshita family, Shizuka's demeanor softened. An unexpected sense of satisfaction welled up within her—perhaps this was the price for his earlier comment about her marriage prospects.

Fully understanding the situation, Shizuka shifted her gaze back to Hachiman. "I've got the whole story now. Hikigaya, are you planning to take some time off?"

Hachiman nodded. "Yes, I'm thinking of taking a week off."

"Okay" Shizuka said.

Shizuka's swift agreement caught him off guard. Wasn't he supposed to seek permission from his regular class teacher for something like this?

As if reading his mind, Shizuka clarified, "I forgot to mention, I'm your homeroom teacher. I'll be overseeing your class, so feel free to come to me for guidance. I'm Shizuka Hiratsuka, and you're in Class E, first year."

Hachiman's surprise was evident, darkening his expression. The days of tranquility seemed to be slipping away, as he realized that the path ahead was anything but smooth.

"Hey, Hikigaya, any thoughts on all this?" Shizuka's stern gaze fixed on Hachiman, who was clearly reluctant to comply.

"Uh... no, it's nothing. I'll head back and rest now, Hiratsuka-sensei." Hachiman's response was a blend of resignation and acquiescence.

The deal was sealed. With Shizuka now his homeroom teacher, Hachiman found himself with no choice but to accept his fate.

"Off you go then! Just remember to show up at school a week from now!" Shizuka waved him off dismissively.

Haruno, who had been observing this exchange from the sidelines, finally chimed in. "Hikigaya-kun, why don't I give you a ride back home?"

The dynamic between Shizuka and Hikigaya appears to hold intriguing secrets. Given Shizuka's reluctance to share, I'm inclined to uncover the truth myself. Reflecting on the recent encounter, Haruno contemplated these thoughts discreetly.

"Sure, I appreciate it, Miss Yukinoshita." Hachiman had no reason to decline. After all, he had already caused her enough trouble, and this favor wasn't too much to ask.

"Don't worry about it. It's only fair, considering the circumstances," Haruno replied with a smile, turning to bid Shizuka farewell.

"Goodbye, Shizuka-san!" With those parting words, Hachiman and Haruno exited the office together.

...

"Thank you for your help today, Miss Yukinoshita!" Hachiman expressed his gratitude as he stepped out of the taxi in front of his house.

"It's no trouble at all. I share some responsibility in this matter, after all."

"Oh, by the way, Hikigaya-kun, let's exchange contact information. If things get uncomfortable for you, you can reach out to me anytime." Haruno pulled out her phone, smiling as she offered.

"Uh... sure!"

Though Hachiman was wary of too much contact with Haruno, it seemed like all the girls were on a mission to collect his contact information. Denying them was akin to choosing a life of eternal singledom.

With the exchange complete, Haruno departed with a satisfied grin.

"Ah~~"

Alone in his room and stretched out on his bed, Hachiman let out a long, relieved sigh.

Hachiman was taken aback by unexpectedly meeting Shizuka. Luckily, he had the fighting module in advance, allowing him to handle the situation.

However, he was surprised to find out that Shizuka had become their homeroom teacher in their first year of high school, leading him to worry about his future.

Thinking about Shizuka's kind personality left Hachiman momentarily speechless.

At the auditorium, after the principal's lengthy opening speech, the freshman orientation at Sobu High School finally concluded, and the students gave a warm applause.

Most of the applause, of course, was to celebrate the end of the ceremony.

"I wonder how Hikki is doing now?"

As soon as the ceremony ended, Yuigahama rushed outside the auditorium to call Hachiman and check on him.

Hachiman, who was resting on his bed, was suddenly startled by the ringing of his phone.

"Huh? It's Yui calling." Seeing the caller ID, Hachiman answered the call.

"Hey, Hikki, is your leg okay?" Yuigahama's slightly worried voice immediately reached his ears as the call connected.

"My leg is fine. I went to the hospital to get it bandaged. I'm sorry for making you worry, Yui." Hachiman's tone softened involuntarily upon sensing the concern in Yui's voice.

"No, no! Hikki, you got hurt trying to save Sable, so I should be the one thanking you!" Yuigahama quickly retorted, surprised by Hachiman's apology.

"It's okay, Yui. I like Sable too, so I wanted to save it. Besides, we're friends, right?" Hachiman comforted with a gentle smile, hoping to keep Yui from feeling upset.

"Yeah, we're good friends." Yuigahama chuckled in response to Hachiman's words. "Well then, Hikki, rest well. I'll come visit you in a couple of days."

"Sure thing, Yui. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Hikki!"

Ending the call, Hachiman couldn't help but smile softly.

Friends?

No, he wasn't content with just being friends with Yui. He wanted to slowly win her over.

Um, that sounded a bit like a villain.

No, no, no. He was a positive person.

Never mind, I'd rather not dwell on it. Since I have nothing to do while I'm at home, I should get back to coding.

His primary objective at the moment is to generate wealth. Considering it's the year 2008, companies like Tesla, Airbnb, and Facebook haven't achieved their eventual massive success yet. If I can make investments in these companies now, I could potentially reap significant financial rewards in the future.

With this in mind, Hachiman sat up on his bed, made his way to the computer, and began typing away.