ME

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[-Continuation-]

[-Time Skip(:two weeks)-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

July is basically over already.

…and it's been about two weeks since summer vacation started.

So today, I finally broke my resolve by going outside instead of lazing around the house all day doing whatever possible work and pretending to be busy.

With a lazy stretch, I slipped on my worn slippers and made my way towards the door.

-click!

The lock sound filled the quiet house as I twisted the doorknob. And just when I was all set to push open the front door.

"*meow~"

??...?? A voice called out from behind me.

…guess who it might be?

And nope, it wasn't Komachi.

She is busily holed up in her room studying, buried in her books. So it was just me in the living room.

Yeah, it's tough being a middle school student who is about to hit their last year. Loads of summer assignments on top of the looming pressure of graduating next year.

I wonder if I ought to do the chores for a while to lessen Komachi's workload.

"*meow…~*meow…~"

But my thoughts were once again interrupted by a persistent 'meow' coming from our cat.

Yeah, it's the Kamakura.

Here is a fun fact - Now, you see, cat 'meows' aren't all the same. They have different pitches and types depending on their mood and needs.

Right now, Kamakura's 'meow' had this distinct tone, almost like he was demanding something rather than just making noise, you know?

"..." Those green eyes of his were practically sparkling with greed.

He was definitely hinting at a treat. Tsk, Lazy bastard.

"Fine..." I conceded. "I will get you something on my way back. Just take care of Komachi while I am gone, deal?"

With our negotiation settled, I swung open the door and stepped outside into the warm summer air.

Almost immediately, my ears were filled with the loud buzzing of cicadas in full chorus.

Anyway, since I am already out on a 'stroll' I might as well look for useful publications for the Komachi research project when I return.

Something like - Newton or Science or MU or something should do the trick, mumbled to myself.

With that thought in mind, I walked towards the nearby bus stop with the aim of a specific location.

I passed very few people in the street.

It seemed as if the people who lived around here in the residential area wouldn't think of venturing outside at this hot time of day.

When I went all the way to the front of the station, there were more people around, naturally. I waited a while at the bus stop, and then for ten whole minutes I was shaken around as the bus made its move to various stops.

…

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[-After Twenty Minutes-]

After a pretty dull bus ride, about fifteen minutes long, and a short walk of five minutes, I found myself staring at this rundown apartment building.

For some god-sent reason, the apartment in this rundown neighborhood happened to have a name - Villa Rosa Sasazuka.

...unluckily, that was my destination.

Without wasting a moment, I climbed the stairs to the first floor and stood in front of the door, trying my best to ignore the sorry state of the building - although, truth be told, I couldn't pull that off the first time I came here.

I mean, I think I am doing a pretty decent job for someone who is coming to this so-called 'humble abode' for the second time, trying to act like everything's totally normal.

Before I gave the door a knock, I couldn't help but sneak a glance left and right, like I was half-expecting some random person to witness my entrance. Don't ask me why I feel the need to do that.

–*Knock*Knock

"It's me. Hikigaya Hachiman." I announced my name after knocking on the door a couple of times.

Man, I feel like I am giving off some secret password vibes, trying to get into some shady place.

"*yawn~~ Yeah, coming."

A soft, sleepy voice mumbled a reply from inside the apartment as I stood outside, waiting.

–tap.tap

–click

The sound of footsteps approached the door, and I heard the familiar click of the lock being unlocked.

"..."

Umm? The door was clearly unlocked. But it still remained shut.

…

–tap.tap

Impatiently, I waited for about five seconds before the sound of footsteps walking away reached my ears.

This guy... Would it kill him to do anything properly by himself?

Why does he always do a half-assed job?

With a frustrated expression on my face, I pushed open the unlocked door and stepped into the living space.

"...." My eyes immediately scanned through the familiar scene, with furniture all over the place and peeling wallpaper, bringing back memories of those months-long talks with my Father…

…

[-Flashback-]

Let me set the scene for you – It was a moment on the bus ride back home, while I was seated next to my Father, still basking in the joy of my finalised contract with OrgO Gaming.

The air around us still felt a bit conflicting, but hey, I had just proven to my Father that his Son could actually be useful.

The bus glides along smoothly, giving me a chance to lean my head against the window and check out the card in my hand.

It wasn't just any card – it was a business card handed to me by the Managing Head of the Competition that I had won. Nope, it wasn't the company card, but it was the guy's personal card.

And let me tell you, this card looked way fancier than your average employee's.

Though the card design and layout are simple, it had this premium vibe with its quality, like the dude was some big shot or something when I held it.

What's even more interesting about the card is that it has only two pieces of information on it.

Like, literally, only two.

One is obviously the name - Ryota - prominently displayed in bold letters and stylish characters, making it stand out.

The second piece of information was the contact number, written in the same font style to maintain consistency.

And nothing else....talk about being a minimalist.

Oh wait, there is also an Email ID on the backside.

So I suppose that technically makes it three pieces of information.

"You are not thinking of contacting him, are you...?" My father's tentative voice broke through my thoughts.

Without even lifting my head from the card in my hand, I replied coolly. "That's none of your business."

Even if I didn't have any thoughts of doing so earlier, I am now considering it just because you asked, My Dear Father.

"Hey, come on, Son. He looks shady to me." He added.

I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, you are quite the judge of a character..."

"Tsk…"

My Father turned his head away with a dismissive click of his tongue, probably wanting to end his(:our) conversation with his long abandoned Son.

But seriously, how did my Father turn out to be such a pessimistic person?

"Old ma-...*ahem…*ahem." I stuttered, quickly correcting myself.

Opps, my thoughts slipped out.

I corrected myself. "I mean, the 'present' Head of the Hikigaya Household."

…at least on paper.

Then I continued on the same track. "Excuse me, but why do you seem to see the worst in everything that I am involved in?

He didn't hesitate with his response. "That's because it involves YOU."

He even spat out the 'you' part like a venomous snake.

ME, Huh?

…well, that's a Reasonable reason I suppose.

Hmm, did I just agree with my Father?

Maybe I did.

But it is not like I am gonna listen to him.

[-Flashback End-]

…

[-Back To Present-]

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'Hey, come on, Son. He looks shady to me.'

The words of the Old Man echoed in my mind as I stood there, contemplating his advice.

.

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[To be continued….]

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