Today in Chiba, the sun was a bit intense—well, it is already sumr after all.
Hikigaya was walking along a small path, holding a book in his hands.
At first glance, soone might really mistake him for the kind of student who shouts, "Long live exams! Ti for to show off again!"
But anyone who actually knows him would be aware that he's not like that. The only reason this guy hasn't turned into a complete academic failure is probably because he's got a pretty decent brain. As long as he pays attention in class, he can still manage to pass his exams.
Lately though, Hikigaya really had been imrsed in a sea of books.
Of course not textbooks, he had never been the kind of person who could enjoy reference books.
But when it ca to extracurricular books, that was another story. Hikigaya was actually soone who really liked reading. As a kid, he often sat in bookstores for half a day.
He had now a natural interest in books about ancient history. Though online literature later took up a lot of his attention, he still held on to that particular interest.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so much effort looking through various books just because of curiosity over a ceramic jar—it was actually quite a tiring thing to do.
Tired from walking, Hikigaya stopped in front of a candy store. It was a really old shop. According to Komachi, it had been open for at least ten years and hadn't changed much.
The building looked worn-out. The shop owner was an old lady. There was a bench out front with a canopy draped over it to block the sun or rain. The old store faced a park—much larger than the one near Hikigaya's ho. Paved paths andered from the entrance, flanked by rows of trees. It was the ti of year when the branches were full and the trees ford a dense, shady canopy. Because the location was off the beaten path, it was quiet and elegant—a perfect spot for a relaxing rest.
Hikigaya bought a drink and sat down on the bench. The book in his hand was titled "Isis and Osiris."
The cool beverage flowed down his throat, spreading a chill throughout his body. The blazing sun overhead was blocked by the wooden canopy, and the heat slowly receded from his body.
The sky was a deep blue, like a sapphire rinsed with pure water. The clouds shifted shapes above—mountain ranges at one mont, then raging waves the next.
Tossing the now-empty can into the trash bin beside him, Hikigaya squinted his eyes.
It was the weekend, after all—no need to go to school, and he had the leisure ti to relax.
He closed his eyes, and before long, a drowsiness overtook him.
Without realizing it, he fell asleep.
Until the sound of an argunt reached his ears.
He opened his eyes. Still groggy, he looked around, and it was as if soone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him—his sleepiness vanished completely.
Two boys, who looked like high schoolers, were clearly at odds and seed to be in a standoff. There was also a girl about their age standing nearby.
One of the boys was wearing a white suit. The other was dressed more casually, in a shirt.
Hikigaya instinctively wanted to leave, but the guy in the suit was standing right in front of him. His eyes looked terrifying, exuding an intense "delinquent" vibe, making Hikigaya hesitate and freeze for a mont.
That mont of hesitation was enough—the delinquent-looking guy was the first to speak.
"Kenichi, let ask you—what do you think of martial arts?"
Huh? That… sounded like a surprisingly normal question. Not so "You dare fight for the abbess?" or "Do you know that's your sister-in-law?" type of dramatic battle cry. Honestly, Hikigaya had expected this to be the typical "two guys fighting over a girl" scenario.
But "Kanji," huh? That na sounded familiar sohow… Was it just his imagination?
While he was pondering that, the two boys had already launched into a classic pointless exchange: "Why the hell are you asking that?" followed by "Just answer the damn question!"
"Martial arts should be like a 'blade' to carry out what one believes is right," the other boy replied, scratching his chin in slight distress, thinking before answering.
He did seem like a decent, serious person. But no matter how you looked at it, both of them scread "chuunibyou" …
Seriously, was there anything about their way of speaking that didn't scream chuunibyou?
Hikigaya felt like he'd been running into weirdos a lot lately. First, it was that uncle doing cosplay in the park early in the morning, and now it was these two high schoolers with (presumably) martial arts backgrounds and scrambled brains.
He didn't know what this world was like before he transmigrated, but in this post-transmigration Japan, martial arts seed to be pretty popular. While dojos weren't everywhere, there were plenty of martial arts practitioners, and most of them were teenagers.
Several of Hikigaya's classmates trained in dojos. The karate and judo clubs at the General Martial Arts High School he attended were also doing pretty well.
However, young n full of energy rarely practiced martial arts just for fitness. They often caused trouble for others—like the two standing near Hikigaya right now. They were clearly bothering him.
But more than that, what irked Hikigaya was that these two didn't seem to realize they were being a nuisance—did they think he was so in love with that bench that he refused to leave?
Co on, it's the weekend. If you're not going to channel your youth properly, just go take a nap, okay? And that girl over there—are you one of those bizarre creatures who think a woman's worth is asured by whether guys fight over her? Can you please just call their moms?
Of course, no one could hear Hikigaya's inner thoughts.
After another burst of pointless chuunibyou talk, the two boys decisively agreed to go fight in the grove.
The guy in the suit even pulled out a pair of black gloves with a flourish and dramatically claid he would teach the other a lesson in the na of Odin. But…
Who the hell is Odin supposed to be?
Dude, I might as well be Iron Man, huh?! Wake up, you idiot! You live in the modern world! At least be chuunibyou in a more reserved way!
While Hikigaya was thinking that, the two boys were already heading off into the park, continuing their verbal battle. The girl (who had been quietly trying to maintain a presence) followed behind them.
Hikigaya had a sudden urge: What if those two idiots beat each other into swollen pig heads? That would be fun to watch, wouldn't it?
At that mont, a little devil inside Hikigaya Hachiman awoke...
Once the three of them had disappeared into the park for a while, Hikigaya stood up as if nothing had happened, picked up his book, grabbed the bag with the drinks, and whistled as he leisurely walked toward the park.
The asphalt path radiated heat from the blazing sun, but once he stepped into the grove on one side, the heat underfoot vanished and was replaced by a refreshing coolness all around.
Ah yes—this truly is a place perfect for sparking the flas of love—er, I an, for fighting.
Following the direction the two boys and one girl had taken, Hikigaya continued forward. Before long, he began to hear sounds.
Considering that watching a fight wasn't sothing you should do up close, he slowed his pace.
But just then, he felt his vision darken. A very familiar-looking red cloak appeared in front of him.
The cosplayer from the park the other day had suddenly and inexplicably appeared in front of Hikigaya—blocking his path.
User Comments
0 comments from readers