[189] The Request from Zaimokuza

Chapter 189: The Request from Zaimokuza

While strolling on the way to the convenience store, Hachiman stumbled upon a familiar figure.

This figure was unmistakably massive, with distinctive white hair and a peculiar fashion sense, adorned in an all-white windbreaker. Beneath his black-framed glasses, a round face peeked out.

It was none other than Zaimokuza.

Zaimokuza had just exited the convenience store, clutching a handful of rice balls and a box of juice, his head down in deep contemplation.

"Hey, Zaimokuza."

Observing this guy lost in thought and seemingly oblivious to his presence, Hachiman couldn't resist calling out.

"Ah, what's up, Hachiman? Long time no see."

Startled by the unexpected voice, Zaimokuza hastily looked up, relieved to find Hachiman.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Hachiman greeted with a smile.

"Here's a rare opportunity. How about we have lunch together?"

Zaimokuza felt a swell of gratitude at Hachiman's proposal. He hadn't anticipated that Hachiman would suggest sharing lunch.

"No problem, my comrade! It's been ages since we last had lunch together."

Even though the recent changes had slightly affected the course of events, Zaimokuza's personality remained unchanged. His pronounced chuunibyou tendencies had left him with very few friends, and he usually ate lunch alone.

"Excellent, wait for me a moment. I'll grab some food."

With that, Hachiman made his way toward the convenience store.

In no time, Hachiman returned with two sandwiches and a box of milk in hand.

"Let's go find a spot to have lunch."

"Sure," Zaimokuza nodded in agreement.

As Hachiman and Zaimokuza embarked on their quest for a lunch spot, inside the Service Club, Yui and Yukino sat side by side, enjoying their meal.

Although Yukino's reserved disposition made it challenging for her to form close bonds with others, Yui's unwavering enthusiasm had finally won her over.

"Hey, Yukino-chan, thank you so much for today."

With a mouthful of thick tamagoyaki, Yui's face lit up with her characteristic joyful grin.

"Don't mention it. I simply did what needed to be done."

Taking a bite of her onigiri, Yukino responded calmly.

"Besides, that boisterous girl with the loud voice is quite something; you can hear her from miles away."

"Ahaha~"

Yui chuckled in response to the playful nickname she'd given Yukino.

"Well, actually, Yumiko is a pretty decent person. She may come across as a bit forceful, but she often stands up for me and Hina."

"I simply can't stand her high-handed manner. She could have handled things with more finesse, but she always makes a scene, acting overly spirited."

Yukino pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed with Yumiko's approach.

Just as in the original story, Yumiko had her issues with Yukino, and Yukino also had her reservations about Yumiko.

However, Yui didn't want to see her two close friends at odds. So, she tried to speak positively about Yumiko.

"But in the end, things turned out well. I expressed my true feelings, and Yumiko agreed to continue being friends with me."

"So, Yukino-chan, for my sake, please don't hold a grudge against her, alright?" Yui gave her friend a pitiable look.

Seeing this scene, Yukino felt as if she were dealing with a cat that was seeking her affection. Unable to resist, her typically cold demeanor softened.

"Fine. As long as she doesn't provoke me in the future, I won't target her."

"Yay! Thank you so much, Yukino-chan."

Upon hearing these words, Yui couldn't resist hugging Yukino's neck.

"Yui, not so close," Yukino remarked, her face displaying a touch of discomfort, unaccustomed to such intimate contact.

"Oops... sorry."

Though she grumbled a bit, Yui released Yukino. However, she suddenly remembered something and offered a takoyaki sausage from her bento to Yukino.

"Yukino-chan, how about trying my bento? Ah~"

Seeing the offered takoyaki sausage, Yukino hesitated briefly but opened her mouth and took a bite.

"How is it? Is it good?" Yui inquired, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Yes, it tastes great," Yukino nodded, her cheeks faintly blushing, indicating her slight discomfort with the level of intimacy.

"That's wonderful! Now it's my turn; I want to try Yukino-chan's bento."

With eagerness, Yui cheered and opened her mouth, ready for her turn.

Observing this scene, Yukino hesitated momentarily but then used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat and fed it to Yui.

"Mmm... Yukino-chan's cooking is truly delicious." Yui's face radiated happiness as she relished the meal.

"Next, it's my turn again! Ah~"

While the two girls enjoyed their lunch, Hachiman and Zaimokuza found a spot to eat as well.

They settled on the grass under the shade of a tree.

"By the way, Hachiman, you haven't visited me once since we started our second year. Do you no longer consider me a friend?" Zaimokuza complained as he unwrapped a rice ball.

"Haha, I've been a bit busy since the start of the school year, and I didn't even know which class you were in. When I wanted to find out about your classes, Hiratsuka-sensei informed me that you were unwell," Hachiman replied with a somewhat awkward smile, preoccupied with getting to know the girls, writing, and other activities.

"I'm in Class C for our second year, so you better remember that," Zaimokuza muttered as he took another bite of his rice ball.

"Haha, alright, alright, I'll remember."

"But what were you thinking earlier, always looking down?"

Recalling Zaimokuza's earlier demeanor, Hachiman couldn't help but find it a bit strange.

"Oh, that..." Zaimokuza hesitated.

Seeing his reaction, Hachiman couldn't help but shudder.

"Hey, you're a grown man. What are you blushing about? Spit it out."

"Do you remember what I told you last year?" Zaimokuza hesitated before continuing, "I'm talking about what I mentioned to you."

"What you said last year..." Hachiman paused.

"It's about me writing a novel. Have you forgotten?"

Seeing his expression, Zaimokuza couldn't help but look a bit disappointed.

"Haha, sorry, sorry. A lot has happened, but I do have some recollection of it. So, have you started writing now?" Hachiman remembered that he didn't expect to bring up this topic today.

"Yeah, I've already finished the first few volumes of my novel. I believe it will be well-received once I submit it to an editor," Zaimokuza's tone was filled with confidence.

"Well, congratulations," Hachiman congratulated with a smile.

"Hehe, but Hachiman, I have a favor to ask."

But Zaimokuza suddenly smirked and then revealed an embarrassed smile.

"What is it? You can tell me," Hachiman asked.

"Even though I have confidence in my novel, I'd like you to review it. What do you say?"

"Sure, I can do that." Hachiman agreed to help his friend and continued, "By the way, I've joined an interesting club now. It might be of help to you."

"A club? I thought you were in the Kendo Club?" Zaimokuza seemed puzzled. What could be so interesting about the Kendo Club?

"I've already left the Kendo Club. Now I've joined a club called the Service Club. Not sure if you've heard of it," Hachiman explained with a smile.

"The Service Club..."

"Just from the name, it doesn't sound like one of those maid cafe clubs, does it? The fact that such clubs exist in schools is surprising!" Zaimokuza's mind immediately made that connection, showing that he was quite the otaku.

Hachiman's mouth twitched at Zaimokuza's immediate association with a maid cafe, thinking that if Yukino heard this, she'd probably react strongly to his misconceptions.

"If you're interested in a maid cafe, you should head to Akihabara. What I'm talking about is a newly established club in our school, similar to a volunteering club. Its purpose is to help others, and your request can be considered a task."

"Oh, I see," Zaimokuza suddenly understood.

"But I didn't expect you, Hachiman, to join such a meaningful club. I might have to look at you in a new light."

Hey, what image did you have of me in the first place?

Hachiman pursed his lips in response.

"Having more people to help you is more effective than doing it alone."

"Well, you have a point. Okay, I'll go along with your idea. But how do I make this request? Do I need to pay a fee for it?" Zaimokuza nervously clutched his wallet.

"You're quite frugal. Rest assured, the Service Club provides help for free, with no charges involved."

Hachiman gave him a disdainful look.

"If you want to make a request, it's straightforward. You just need to come to the club's activity room after school to apply."

Hachiman also mentioned this because the Service Club needed tasks and requests to operate, and without them, the club would face the risk of closure.

"As long as the club president accepts your request, the Service Club will see it through."

"Really? That's great! I'll head over after school. Thanks, Hachiman." After finishing their rice balls, Zaimokuza smiled and expressed his gratitude.

"What are you thanking me for? We're friends, so it's settled then." After consuming the last bit of his bread, Hachiman stood up, disposing of the packaging and the empty juice box into the trash bin.

"Well, I need to go back and rest now. I'll be waiting for you after school."

Seeing this, Zaimokuza quickly finished his drink and followed Hachiman.

"Wait for me! We'll go back together."

"I'm telling you, my novel will definitely be a success."

"Hachiman, just wait for me to become a famous light novel author..."

As Zaimokuza's boasts faded into the distance, the grassy area returned to its serene state.

...

After school in the Service Club.

Yukino and Hachiman were the first to arrive in the clubroom. They greeted each other and positioned their chairs about a meter apart – a suitable distance for them, not too distant, yet not too close.

"Yahallo."

With a cheerful greeting, Yui entered the clubroom.

"Good afternoon, Yukino-chan."

"Good afternoon, Hikki."

Yui greeted both of them before taking a seat, choosing to sit in the middle between the two.

"Hey, Hikki, thanks for standing up for me earlier," she said, expressing her gratitude to Hachiman.

"It's nothing," Hachiman replied with a smile.

"But, Yui, you have to remember what you said earlier. Don't just go along with others."

"Yeah, Yui, you need to learn to be yourself," Yukino added, speaking in her usual calm tone.

"I know, I'll work on changing," Yui replied with a sweet smile.

Watching her adorable expression, Hachiman chuckled and shook his head before returning his attention to his phone, not engaging in further conversation. Yukino continued reading her novel. The room once again fell into silence.

As time passed, Yui, who was the most restless of the three, couldn't contain her curiosity and turned to the girl on the other side.

"Hey, Yukino-chan, what kind of activities do we typically engage in at our club?"

"We quietly await requests from others, and then we assist them based on the content of those requests," Yukino replied in her usual composed manner.

"Ugh... it's a bit dull right now."

Upon hearing Yui's lament, Yukino responded with her signature frosty demeanor.

"No."

"Eh..."

Yui looked a bit dejected as she received Yukino's cool reply.

However, Hachiman, always the optimist, offered some reassurance.

"Don't worry, Yui. I'm sure we'll receive a request soon."

"Really?" Yui seemed a bit skeptical.

"Of course, it's all about patience."

Calculating the time, Hachiman knew that Zaimokuza should be arriving shortly.

Almost as if on cue, right after Hachiman's words, a knock on the door echoed in the room.

"Come in."

Yukino promptly closed her novel and adjusted her posture in anticipation of the visitor.

With a creak, the clubroom door swung open, revealing Zaimokuza's somewhat portly figure.

"Hello, is this the Service Club?"

Zaimokuza appeared somewhat reserved as he was seeking assistance.

Fortunately, Hachiman's prior greeting had dispensed with the eccentric chuunibyou entrances from the original story, so Yukino treated him like any other person.

"Yes, this is the Service Club. How can we assist you..." Yukino's question was interrupted by Hachiman.

"Oh, Zaimokuza, you made it."

Yukino and Yui were both taken by surprise, as they had no idea that Hachiman knew this individual.

"Hikki, do you know him?"

"Yeah, this guy was my classmate in the first year. We had lunch together today, and he mentioned needing help, so I recommended that he come here," Hachiman explained with a friendly smile.

"I see." The two girls nodded, and Yukino continued, "So, what assistance do you require?"

"Well, today I've come..."

Upon hearing Yukino's question, Zaimokuza hesitated but eventually spoke about his request.