4 Chapter 4: Unexpected Developments
I spun the green dungeon key and watched it glimmer in the early morning sun. I looked at the key pensively and placed it away in my inventory discreetly. It wouldn't do me any favors to attract attention as I grew closer to school.
I looked to my left and saw another male student wearing the Sobu High uniform. He was utterly engrossed in his phone and didn't notice me walk past him. As I got ahead of him, I noticed that the student was watching a video of Hunters fighting in a dungeon. C-Rank Hunters.
I sighed and continued onward. I should focus on my first day of school. I turned the corner and saw the Sobu High School building. Dozens of students made their way towards the main entrance. At the sight of them all, I couldn't help but feel a panic of anxiety. I took a deep breath and pushed onwards.
"Hey. Who's that?"
"I don't know, but look at his face. Is he part of the Yakuza?"
"So scary!"
I frowned as my newly enhanced sense picked up the hushed whispers of a pair of girls near the shoe lockers. They weren't the only ones who began talking about me as I walked through the school gates. I knew my added scars would have created more problems for me, but for it to happen as soon as I stepped on school property was ridiculous. It's rude to stare.
Walking through the school doors, I headed to my shoe locker and changed into my indoor shoes. Just great, my first day of high school is going exactly as I thought. A female student behind me was eyeing me suspiciously as I placed my outdoor shoes away. I turned to her and narrowed my eyes. She let out a squeak and scurried off into the halls. I'm not some sideshow attraction.
Before I could head to my homeroom class, I bumped into a female student. Before she could fall to the ground, I reached forward and gently grabbed her wrist. I had to be mindful of my strength; it was now at fifteen points after I tested my strength this morning. I could now bend a piece of steel pipe with minimal trouble.
"Ah, I'm sorry about that." I said quickly, letting go of the female student I almost pushed onto the ground. She looked up, and a pair of soft brown eyes met my own. Her long, straight, dusty brown hair shifted as she took a back step. "I should have been paying attention." I said and waited for her to scream and accuse me of assault or any other insult she would throw my way.
Oddly enough, she reached into her bag, pulled out a small notepad, and wrote on it. She raised the notepad and smiled softly at me.
'It's okay! No harm done!' She said through her note. I stared at her in confusion, and her eyes grew in realization. She flipped her notebook around and wrote again. 'My name is Shouko Nishimiya. I'm deaf, so I use this notepad to talk. It's nice to meet you!'
I looked at her in surprise but quickly snapped out of it. "Oh, it's nice to meet you too. My name is Hachiman Hikigaya. First year." She made a barely audible awe sound and smiled at me. She must be able to read lips.
'It's nice to meet you, Hikigaya! I'm a first year too!' Shouko said through her note and wrote again. 'I have to get to class. I hope we can talk again sometime.' I nodded, and she waved at me. I watched as she disappeared into the busy hallway with a slight pep to her step. My newly enhanced sight saw a small hearing aid inside her ear as her hair fluttered in the wind.
I jumped at the warning bell and cursed silently. Without wasting any more time, I began making my way to class. I wouldn't want to give my classmates a reason to believe I was actually a delinquent by being late. In my hurry, I didn't notice that I was taking the exact path Shouko had taken earlier.
I hurried down the hall and saw a small sign above a door. Class 1-C. I stopped at the door and took a deep breath. You've survived an encounter with a giant, killer dinosaur. Next to that, this should be nothing. I knocked on the door and waited. After a few seconds, the door slid open, and a woman in a striped, yellow, long-sleeved shirt stood out of the class. Her short, messy brown hair shifted around as she looked up at me with a slight frown. This was Sadayo Kawakami, my homeroom and Japanese teacher for the year.
"Hikigaya. Follow me, and we'll introduce you to the class." Sadayo said and walked into the classroom. I followed behind her and stood in front of the blackboard. "Alright, everyone settle down." After a few seconds, everyone took their seats and became silent. "Due to personal health reasons, Hikigaya had to start the school year a few weeks after it began. I expect you all to give him a warm welcome." She turned to me and nodded.
"Ah-right." I cleared my throat and looked at everyone. "My name is Hachiman Hikigaya… I'll be in your care." The classroom was silent as everyone stared at me, more specifically at my eyes and scars. I couldn't help but shift my eyes around and noticed that Shouko was smiling at me. How about that? We're in the same class.
"You can have a seat next to Sakamoto." Sadayo motioned towards the back of the class, where an open seat stood. Next to it was a boy with short, blonde hair. Underneath his Sobu jacket was a red shirt with a large yellow star. I nodded and headed to my seat. "Alright, class, let's go ahead and take attendance. Iroha Isshiki?"
"Here!"
x x x
Lunchtime. Usually, I would have left the classroom in search of a new, abandoned spot where I could eat my lunch in peace for the foreseeable future. But before I could do so, Shouko quickly approached me and lifted her notepad.
'Want to have lunch together?' Shouko said through her notepad and smiled cutely at me. I noticed her fingers shaking slightly as she held the notebook. Was she…nervous? I quickly looked around the classroom and saw that everyone mostly kept to themselves. I couldn't spot any apparent groups or cliques joining together. This is odd.
I looked back to Shouko and saw her start to look dejected. It was almost as if she thought I was looking for someone else to have lunch with. Answer her, idiot! "Yeah, I'd like that!" I said quickly and motioned to my table. Shouko smiled brightly, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. Don't smile at me like that! Are you trying to make me fall for you!?
Shouko brought a chair and a small pink bag containing her lunch. She smiled brightly and stared at me patiently. I then realized she was waiting for me to take out my lunch. I reached into my bag and pulled out the lunch Komachi had made. We ate our lunch in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. Somehow, it was a warm, comfortable silence. Is this… how it feels like to have lunch with a friend? No, we're not friends. Just two classmates having lunch together.
'Can I ask you a question?' Shouko wrote and waited for me to respond. I nodded and waited for her to finish her new note. Strangely, she had a nervous expression as she stopped writing. Shouko took a small breath and showed me her note. 'Can we be friends?'
My chopsticks fell out of my hands, and I looked at her wide-eyed. She watched my chopsticks fall, and she scrambled to try to catch them. Shouko caught one, but the other rolled off the table and fell helplessly beside my shoe. Friends? Hold on; does she want to be friends? With me? Why would such a cute girl want to be friends with me? She looked at me and offered me one of my chopsticks shyly. I grabbed it numbly and looked at her in amazement. "…you want to be friends? With me?" I asked.
Shouko nodded quickly and wrote another note. 'Yes!' I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at my lunch. Never in a million years did I expect to have made a friend on my first day in high school, especially not as easily as that. Was it really that simple? Was that all it took? No one ever approached me in elementary and junior high and asked to be friends. Was I so used to being ignored and bullied that at the simple question of friendship, I ended up a confused mess? I raised my head and looked at Shouko's expectant and nervous eyes as she waited for my answer.
"I'd… I'd like that." I said with a smile. I hoped I came off as confident and not creepy. Shouko's eyes sparkled with happiness, and she clapped her hands merrily. We continued eating quietly and sat together for the rest of our lunch period. We even exchanged phone numbers as well.
And just like that, I made my first friend.
x x x
I stopped jogging and looked around the beautiful park that was Tsubakimori. I wore a grey hoodie, black joggers, and an old pair of running shoes. I pulled out the green dungeon key and looked around to see where it could go. The key began to move to the left as if being pulled by a magnet. It must be trying to show me where it goes.
I began heading towards the direction where the key was pulling me in and went deep within a group of trees. A large green, electric portal surged to life in the small clearing tucked away from prying eyes. A small keyhole came to life in the center of the portal, waiting for the key in my hand. I looked down at the key with narrowed eyes.
[ STATUS ]
[ NAME: HACHIMAN HIKIGAYA ]
[ JOB: NONE ]
[ TITLE: NONE ]
[ HP: 100 ]
[ MP: 10 ]
[ LEVEL: 1 ]
[ FATIGUE: 0 ]
[ STRENGTH: 15 ]
[ AGILITY: 19 ]
[ SENSE: 15 ]
[ VITALITY: 16 ]
[ INTELLIGENCE: 13 ]
[ REMAINING POINTS: 0 ]
"I'm still at level one and don't even have a weapon to use in the dungeon." I said as I looked at the portal nervously. "I'm not even sure what's behind this. I could be walking into a death trap."
After a few moments of deliberation, I placed the key back into my inventory and watched the portal vanish. No, I wasn't ready to dive into the dungeon. I may have done hours of research on everything that's ever been seen beyond the Gates of every rank, and I was still nervous about what I could find. To make matters worse, I would dive into the dungeon without a party to help me. If any other Hunter did this, they would be called suicidal.
I haven't found a way to level up at all. Just like in my games, the only way to do so would be by fighting monsters. I tightened my hand into a fist and took a deep breath. Unlike in games, if I die in there, I won't just respawn and try again. I have to go about this as carefully as I can. I need a plan. I turned around and walked back out to the cement pathway of the park. Gaining suspicious looks from a mother who was walking with her young daughter.
I'll come back once all my stats reach at least around thirty points each. This way, I'll be as capable as I possibly can for anything that could be inside the dungeon. The dungeon was an E-Rank, so it made sense that whatever was inside wouldn't be stronger than that. That gives me around a month to continue doing my strength training quests to level up my stats. Hopefully, one of the gift boxes would offer me some sort of starter weapon to use. I began jogging out of the park and headed home. It was then that I had an idea. With a thought, I summoned the daily quest window.
[ (!) Quest Info ]
[ Daily Quest: Strength Training ]
[ GOAL ]
[ Push-Ups : 150/150 ]
[ Sit-Ups : 150/150 ]
[ Squats : 150/150 ]
[ Running : 17/15 Km ]
[ WARNING: Failure to complete the daily quest will result in an appropriate penalty. ]
"It's still recording my progress after I've met today's goal?" I said thoughtfully. My suspicions were correct. If the system was still recording my progress, then that would mean it could lead to another reward or secret achievement. Without wasting another second, I began doing more push-ups, sit-ups, squats and even more running.
x x x
[ (!) Quest Info ]
[ Daily Quest: Strength Training ]
[ GOAL ]
[ Push-Ups : 300/150 ]
[ Sit-Ups : 300/150 ]
[ Squats : 300/150 ]
[ Running : 30/15 Km ]
[ WARNING: Failure to complete the daily quest will result in an appropriate penalty. ]
[ HIDDEN QUEST REWARDS ]
[ CHOOSE YOUR REWARD ]
[ You may choose one of the rewards below. ]
[ REWARD # 1: STATUS RECOVERY ]
[ REWARD # 2: STAT POINTS +10 ]
[ REWARD # 3: BLESSED MYSTERY BOX ]
[ REWARD # 4: CURSED MYSTERY BOX ]
I grinned in satisfaction and wiped the thick layer of sweat off my face. A daily quest became a hidden quest, all because I doubled the reps. I finally caught my breath and stood up straight. Now that it's no longer a secret quest, I wonder if it would be impossible to attain the same rewards again. I'll have to test that out tomorrow. I looked through the reward options and weighed my choices.
"Blessed mystery box." I said, holding my hand out as a gold box materialized over my palm. The box opened up slowly, and a bright golden light flashed brightly. A short black and orange blade rested in my grasp when the light dimmed. Its weight was well-balanced, and its grip felt rough and comfortable. My eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. Perfect!
[ ATLANTEAN BLADE ]
[ EPIC DAGGER ]
[ +15 Undead Damage ]
[ +35% CRIT Damage ]
[ +30 Armor Penetration]
[ Weapon Damage becomes Poison Damage ]
My jaw fell once I read the blade's stats. It's so broken! Throughout all the RPG games I've played, having a bonus poison damage buff to a weapon meant you would have a crazy advantage over any enemy. Not only would your enemy suffer severe damage from the weapon, but an added poison effect would also be stacked. Augmenting the damage and adding a continuous loss of health until the enemy died.
Add on the armor penetration, plus thirty-five critical damage and an undead buff, and you have a seriously dangerous weapon. I grinned and swung the blade around. The quick swoosh sounds it made as it cut through the air filled me with excitement. With this, I could go into the dungeon now and clear the dungeon! I reached into my inventory but froze as I grabbed the key. Overconfidence is a silent killer.
"Stick to the plan." I whispered. Instead of taking out the key, I placed my newly acquired dagger into my inventory. Having a powerful weapon doesn't make you powerful. I nodded and left the hidden clearing I was in. It was located behind one of the for-rent buildings outside Central Chiba City's small shopping districts. I regained the main walkway and saw several shoppers walking back and forth with bags in their hands.
I can't rush this. I have to make sure my stats are high enough so that I can stand a better fighting chance. After several minutes of walking towards my house, I saw a large crowd building down the road.
"Oh my god! It's them! It's the Star Cutter Guild!" I heard an excited voice yell from within the crowd. I walked closer and finally saw what had gained everyone's attention. Behind a blocked-off area held by several police officers was a giant spinning blue portal. A Gate. I frowned and saw about twenty Hunters standing in front of the Gate. They were dressed in various armor and gear. In their hands were several different weapons and shields.
"All right, everyone." A tall man with well-built muscles thundered. He was armed in an impressive blue and green armor set, a long sword in his gloved hand. He had brushed back black and blue hair and blue eyes, which stared at the gathered hunters. From researching all the established guilds in Japan, I knew that this man was Arata Nakamura. A C-Rank Hunter and Guild Master of the C-Rank Star Cutter Guild. "Now that everyone is ready let's close this Gate so everyone can return to their peaceful lives."
Several shouts of excitement and cheers rumbled through the crowd as they showered the hunters with attention and praise. I even saw several phones and cameras taking an obscene amount of photos of the Guild. Several of the members of the Guild smiled and waved at the crowd. They were relishing the praise and cheers they were receiving.
"Everyone, move in!" Arata said as he and the rest of the Guild marched into the Gate. I watched as the final member walked through the portal. It was as if they had vanished from reality through an invisible door. Seeing it online and seeing it in person was a different experience. I couldn't help but be slightly amazed myself.
Not wanting to wait around for the hunters to clear the dungeon, I walked away from the chattering crowd and headed home. I had nothing more to do here.
x x x
It's been a couple of days since my first year of high school began, and so far, it's been a pleasant and annoying experience. It was annoying because the student population discovered I was an Awakened human, and my rank had also become well-known.
"Hey, isn't that the E-Rank that recently joined the school?"
"Man, it must suck to be one of the weakest awakened individuals. Talk about bad luck."
"Shush! He'll hear you!"
I sighed and continued onward through the halls. I had hoped my status as an awakened human would have been kept secret for as long as possible. Still, when a list of every awakened human was available to the public, it became tough to maintain your privacy. Especially when it was required for every private facility to share that information with those attending them, such as a school like Sobu High was required to do.
Well, it worked both ways. While my information was free to be seen, that meant that any other awakened individuals' information was free for me to see. Thanks to that, I discovered I'm not the only awakened human attending this school. There are two official Hunters that attend this school, and they also happen to be teachers.
Suguru Kamoshida, or as I liked to call him, The Crimson Chin. He was a B-Ranked Hunter who was a member of the Next Gen Guild. Apparently, he was some big-shot volleyball coach at the school, and thanks to his coaching capabilities, he made the school's volleyball team one of the greatest in the country. I have yet to run into the man, but something about him didn't sit well when I saw him in that interview.
Shizuka Hiratsuka. She was an A-ranked hunter who was also part of the Samurai Masters Guild. Shizuka is one of the school's language teachers, and I've heard this would be her last year teaching before becoming a full-time Hunter.
Next on the list were two other students besides me. The first was a B-Ranked awakened human, Hayato Hayama. From the rumor mills in the halls, he was a second-year student who apparently made every girl in school cream their pants if he so much as glanced at them. Damn, pretty boys. I don't know much else from my upper classmates, but I didn't care to either.
The last awakened student was also a second year. His name was Touji Hatanaka. A C-Rank. But other than that, I haven't heard too much about him; if anything, people grow silent at the mention of his name. Whatever the reason for that mustn't be a good one. Better avoid that guy.
In total, that meant that Sobu had five Awakened individuals in its midst. Two of them were full-fledged Hunters. Schools with prospective Hunters also received more funding from the government to improve their intelligence and ensure they received the best possible experience. After all, those awakened individuals could grow to become famous Hunters who could donate very generously to their Alma meter. Just as Shizuka and Suguru had done.
"Hikki?" A sudden feminine voice broke me from my thoughts. What the hell is a Hikki? Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me. I ignored the voice and continued to class. That was until my sleeve was grabbed. I stopped and looked back to see who it was that touched me.
Standing in front of me was a girl with loose, shoulder-length pink hair worn in a loose side bun. Her reddish eyes looked at me with something akin to shock and relief. The girl had also taken some liberties in modifying the school uniform. Her shorter-than-normal skirt swayed to the side as she came to a stop, and three of her shirt's top buttons were undone. Giving me access to her bare collar, I quickly looked away and focused on the heart charm on her necklace.
"Can I help you?" I said to the girl. Her eyes widened, and she stepped back quickly. I watched as she tried to collect herself. Her body was moving around uncomfortably. Her ample chest heaved as she took a deep breath.
"Hikki." The girl said. Hold on. Am I supposed to be this Hikki thing? "I'm-I'm so happy to see you awake! I was so shocked when I saw your name pop up in the Awakened registry that I ran all over school to find you!" The girl said with a broad, brilliant smile that made me take an unconscious step back. Whoa there!
"Sorry, but… who are you?" I said after she calmed down slightly. I watched as her eyes widened at my question. She stood unsure of herself afterward, and a somewhat nervous, almost scared expression replaced her once happy and excited one.
"I'm… Yui Yuigahama." Yui said slowly and held the sides of her skirt timidly. "That day. You saved my dog that day. Didn't… didn't Komachi tell you about me?"
I felt my heart skip a beat, and I looked at the girl in realization and shock. My mouth hung loosely as I stared into her scared red eyes. She was that dog's owner. The dog that I saved and almost got myself killed over for. My mind began to whirl as several dozen thoughts filled it. Komachi knew about her? Why didn't she tell me? An urge to glare at her and admonish her for almost getting me killed filled my chest with hot anger. But before I could unleash my frustration, it vanished.
I made that choice. I made the decision to jump in front of that vehicle to save that small dog. It wasn't her fault. It was mine. Yui shifted around uncomfortably but, without warning, bowed deeply. Several students paused in whatever they were doing and watched curiously.
"I'm so sorry." Yui whispered. "I know an apology won't give you back what you lost, but I… I don't know what else to do. You risked your life for Sable, and I can't help but feel it's my fault. I put you into that coma. If only I had held his leash tighter, then maybe…"
I saw tiny drops of water fall onto the clean floor below from under her bowed face. I realized then that she was crying. Her words disappeared into a whisper as I stood and watched her continue to bow. I looked around numbly at the stares and confused but interested glances from those around us. It was their looks of interest that knocked me back into the present.
"Yuigahama." I said softly. I waited a few seconds for her to rise, but she didn't. Against my better judgment, I placed a hand on her shoulder softly. "Yuigahama, it's okay. It's not your fault. What I did, I did to myself. So you don't have to apologize. Please, stop bowing."
I felt her chest hitch under my touch. Yui nodded and stood up straight. Her eyes were puffy and red. I took out my hanker chief and offered it to her. She smiled slightly and accepted it. "You don't hate me?" Yui whispered.
"No." I shook my head and watched as she dried her tears. "I don't hate you." I meant it. I couldn't hate a girl who apologized as sincerely as she did regardless of who was watching for something she didn't do.
An awkward silence hung over us as no one spoke. I saw as her eyes shifted around and how her lips parted repeatedly. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Suddenly, the warning bell rang through the halls, and we looked at each other thoughtfully.
"Wanna… have lunch?" The words came out of my mouth before I knew it. I saw her eyes widen, and her large, brilliant smile returned. What the heck, brain?!
"O-okay!" Yui said happily. Regardless of whether I intended to say those words or not, the invitation had been extended, and I had no choice but to follow through. I gave her my classroom information, and we agreed to share lunch together. We parted ways and headed to our respective classes.
But from behind the corner of the hallway, unseen by us both. Stood a girl with long black hair. Two small red ribbons were tied onto two strands of her hair. Her beautiful blue eyes were frozen in shock and fear as she held the stack of papers in her arms tighter into her small chest.
"It's him." Yukino Yukinoshita said in a barely audible whisper.
