16 Zaimokuza Yoshiteru

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[-Continuation-]

[-Next Day-]

[-Service Club-]

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[Hachiman's POV]

"Hikigaya, could I speak with you for just a moment…?"

Could you believe who said this to me?

…well, it was Yukinoshita Yukino herself who pulled on my sleeve to draw me aside and whispered in my ear.

No. Unfortunately, it's not what you think.

I still have a long way to go before I step into that territory.

Anyway, I am not alone with her. We are in the Service Clubroom with Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, and guess who? The one and only…

-Zaimokuza Yoshiteru-

After pulling me aside, Yukinoshita brought her face close.….way too close to my comfort zone, and there was this nice, soothing fragrance I couldn't help but notice.

"Hikigaya? …Hikigaya?" Yukinoshita's voice snapped me back to reality.

Oops, got a little sidetracked there.

"...yeah, I hear you." I replied with a dry tone.

Doubtful, she continued. "...that one over there seems to know you."

"..." After a pause, she inquired. "…is he perhaps your friend?"

Friend, huh? Well, if I remember properly, according to the plot, he came here to ask us to review his light novel, right? Zaimokuza really chose the wrong place to seek help.

"Regrettably, true. Ah, and yes, I know him well enough and he does fall somewhere near the definition of a friend." I did not refute.

"I am surprised you accepted so easily."(Yukinoshita)

"Believe me, it's not an easy decision, but…"

Looking at Zaimokuza, I take a small pause. and continued. "He is a decent guy once you get to know him. Of course, with many screws loose here and there, as you can probably tell."

"No thanks. I will pass on the offer." (Yukinoshita)

Instant rejection, I see.

Understandable, I guess…?

I mean, he is right in front of me, wearing a huge coat, making him sweat even in winter. By now, he has already damaged my already low [Reputation] stats to even lower levels.

Hold on, is that even possible?

"Anyway, what is up with this 'master fencer general' or, whatever?" Yukinoshita asked.

Ignoring her monotone voice. "That is 'Chuunibyou' also called 'Eighth-Grade syndrome' or even 'Delusion of grandeur'."

"Choo-nee-byou?" Yukinoshita repeated herself, looking at me with a slight head tilt.

Cute.

I couldn't focus. Her adorable face was inches from mine again, yet her voice lacked any hint of seductiveness.

Dammit, Yukinoshita. Stop looking at me like that.

I went and explained what Chuunibyou is, keeping my not-so-good thoughts in mind.

"*ahem, you see…..*mumble….*mumble…"

I concluded. "....so, it's not exactly a disease in the end."

"That made zero sense…." Yuigahama summed up her understanding perfectly.

As usual, even after my explanation, Yuigahama struggled to catch on.

Or it might be that Yukinoshita is a strange one for grasping this early.

Proving my point, Yukinoshita pondered. "Hm, so you're telling me he is acting out a character based on a fantasy in his mind?"

I clarified. "Basically yeah. In his case, he seems to have used Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the thirteenth-generation shogun of the Muromachi Bakufu, as his basis. It was probably easier that way, since they share a given name."

"Then why does he think you are part of his fantasy?"(Yukinoshita)

"He probably took Hachiman and turned it into the Hachiman Great Bodhisattva. The Seiwa Genji worshipped him fervently as a god of war. You have heard of the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, right?" I explained

"I am surprised. You are quite informed."(Yukinoshita)

…well you wouldn't be if you knew my Rank in Japanese Literature.

"You bet I am." I admitted with a smirk.

Nonetheless, I continued. "Anyway, at least his fantasies are based on history. There are a lot worse out there."

"…You are saying there are ones worse than that?"(Yukinoshita)

"Yep." I answered with the utmost certainty.

Then, as unwillingly as it may be, I moved away from her, picked up one of the papers scattered all throughout the room, and turned to Chuunibyou.

"Anyway, what do you want, Zaimokuza? And what exactly are these papers?" I cut to the chase.

"Hm, as expected… I didn't have to say a word for you to realize it. Truly, this is proof that there was value in our struggles against those hellish times." Zaimokuza spoke with quite a lot of emotion in his voice, but I brushed it off.

"You are not here, so we can help you cure this sickness?" Yukinoshita questioned, while walking in front of Zaimokuza.

"Yukinon, run away!" Yuigahama was loudly whispering from her hiding spot behind Yukinoshita.

Ugh, poor guy…even the previous me was never told that to face.

Zaimokuza averted his gaze from Yukinoshita and looked at me. "…Hachiman. I have joined you here to see if you will abide by your oath to grant our wishes. It is but a single, sublime desire."

That guy…he was totally sweating all over every time Yukinoshita spoke to him.

"I am the one talking here. When someone speaks to you, you should try and face that person directly." But Yukinoshita did not have a normal person's sensitivity and spoke in a cold voice.

She couldn't care less about his personal anxieties.

"… M-Mwahahaha… By the havens…" (Zaimokuza)

"Additionally, stop talking like that." Yukinoshita added, not letting up.

".....!!!...." Zaimokuza fell silent under her gaze.

"You are killing it, Yukinon." Seeing Zaimokuza turn silent, Yuigahama praised her from her hiding spot.

"In any case, do you have some other problem that is more serious than your current mental illness?"(Yukinoshita)

"…Ah, it's not really a disease, though…" He trailed off.

Uh-oh, this guy might faint if this goes on.

"Hey, enough of that." I interrupted.

"Zaimokuza, as a fellow loner gym mate, I remind you that it really isn't a good time for you to try and stay in character. Just say why you are here, and if by any chance your [Luck Stats] are too low, we might help you."

I stepped forward, in between him and Yukinoshita, and advised handing him the paper I had picked up.

"...Hachiman. I shall do that." Zaimokuza responded with an overly relieved look.

Yuigahama also glanced down at the papers scattered around. "What's all this stuff, anyway?"

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[-Scene Shift-]

•••----------•••

[-After Few Minutes-]

[Hachiman's POV]

"So, a manuscript for a novel?" I questioned Zaimokuza.

We picked up all the papers that were used as decorations for his entrances, one by one, and arranged them in sequential order.

...a novel, huh? I muttered to myself, remembering my thoughts of pursuing writing as a career before ultimately settling on the gaming industry.

Coming back, Zaimokuza and 'I' had only met once in the last gym session since the accident, which wasn't surprising considering it had only been a week since I started attending school.

All in all, meeting him in person was a unique experience, but not frustrating or annoying enough to qualify as the worst time of my life.

Shockingly, Zaimokuza turned out to be a decent gym partner.

…and perhaps even a better person as a human being. Yep, definitely a lot better than those fake ones I encountered.

In the end, I would say we have a good friendship.

But now that I actually think about his interest in writing, he might be more helpful than I give him credit for…. if groomed well, that is.

Hum, this suddenly turned pretty interesting. I hope he won't let me down.

In that instance, little did I know what I was getting myself into…

"Indeed. That is a manuscript for a light novel. I am thinking of applying to a certain novel competition for new authors, but I have no friends, and so I have no second opinions. Please read it if you would." Zaimokuza asked.

"....*sigh, that was dreadful. He told us something so sad, really sad, without a second thought.…" Yukinoshita sighed, catching her head.

"Aren't there any sites where you can put this kind of stuff up and ask for feedback? Just post it there." I said for his own good.

"I can't do that. Those people have no mercy. I would get torn apart" Zaimokuza said with his eyes shivering.

"...But you know, Yukinoshita is more ruthless than all of them combined." I warned, looking straight outside the window as if I were introducing the final boss.

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[-Scene Shift-]

•••----------•••

[-After Five Minutes-]

[Hachiman's POV]

"He left…" Yuigahama said, her head peeking out from the small gap in the opened door as she scanned the corridors left and right.

But no one paid heed to her claim, as Yukinoshita and I were already engrossed in reading our own materials.

I stood up, closing my book with my pencil still tucked inside. "Is it time to head home?"

I wish I could take my time, but with this added reading session to my already tight schedule, I had to leave if I wanted even a few hours of sleep.

"Hey Hikki, Zaimokuza was always like that…?" Yuigahama asked tentatively.

"As far as I know, yes."

"You seem close to him, so why don't you help him.…?" Yuigahama's tone was gentle.

She continued. "I mean, you have changed a lot from the first year. If you can do it, then you know he can also change the way he acts… It's not that he looks like a bad guy. Must feel pretty awful having everyone look at him weirdly."

I nodded thoughtfully, choosing my words carefully. "Yuigahama, people don't change easily, especially just because someone else thinks they should. Real change usually happens when something major shakes them up, from their own perspective. Moreover, I did say we are friends, but we are not the closest."

With a sigh, I added. "And do you really think no one ever told him he was weird and all that stuff? Like hell, I bet he probably has received all kinds of advice, both sincere and mocking, and maybe even threats."

"In the end, he is still the same, and he will stay that way until he decides otherwise. All we can do is be there for him when the day arrives." I finished, slinging my bag over my shoulder, ready to head out.

"So you're saying, you gave up before you even tried?…..That's so like you." Yukinoshita has to go and say something.

"Yeah, yeah, I am leaving."

Can she be any less obvious? At that moment, I knew Yukinoshita's criticizing words were fake.

Just for the sake of appearance.

In fact, I could sense that she was the one who truly grasped the meaning behind my words, but perhaps she struggled to articulate it, or maybe she just didn't know how to respond.

Without looking back, just a few steps from the exit, I added. "So, Yuigahama, don't stress about Zaimokuza. Besides, don't underestimate his skills [Foolish Finesse] and [Tough Hide]. Believe me, with those two, he can get through any kind of [Blunder Ball] events."

With that, I didn't stick around for another moment.

"Ehh, skills and events!?" Yuigahama clearly didn't understand.

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[Third Person View]

"Ehh, skills and events!?" Yuigahama clearly didn't understand.

"He meant that Zaimokuza doesn't just have a 'moron attitude'. He is also a 'thick-skinned' person, and with those, he can get through any 'embarrassing situations' he might face." Yukinoshita clarified.

"He said all that!? A-and you understood him?" Yuigahama reacted as if a light bulb had just gone off.

"Yeah…" Yukinoshita responded with a look that said, 'What's there to be surprised about?'

Suddenly, Yuigahama jumped in with another question. "Yukinon. Hikki said people don't change easily. Does that… you know… like… apply to him too?"

She continued. "I mean, he is different from how he was in his first year… Do you think it was because of something too…?"

"...I don't know." Yukinoshita replied softly.

"...you don't. Of course you wouldn't!" Yuigahama nervously corrected herself.

Yuigahama, who was unaware of the actual fact of Yukinoshita's 'involvement' in the accident, unintentionally brought up her memory of the day she deemed as dark into her consciousness once more.

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[-Scene END-]

•••----------•••

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[To be continued….]

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[Author : Well, as you can see, I skipped the explaining part of what 'Chuunibyou' is. And by any chance, if you don't know what it is, well, I really don't know how you are here. But here you go, I guess.

[Chūnibyō is a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.]

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