Finally, when the sky turned completely dark, Hikigaya Hachiman returned home.
The moment he opened the door and saw Komachi sitting by the dining table waiting for him, Hikigaya Hachiman felt his heart instantly healed.
“Welcome home, Onii-chan.”
“Oh.” After an listless response, Hikigaya Hachiman tossed his school bag into the entryway and sat down at the table to eat with gusto.
“You’ve been coming home very late these past two days, Onii-chan.” Komachi paused her chopsticks and leaned over with a suspicious look.
Considering that more had happened in these two days than in the past month, Hikigaya himself felt it was a miracle that he could return home normally and sit at the dining table to eat with Komachi.
“Oh oh, I smell the scent of a girl!
Onii-chan, you’ve finally wised up.” After sniffing the air, Komachi jumped up happily, sighing like a parent who sees their shut-in, freeloader son finally make something of himself.
But then, as if thinking of something, her mood sank:
“Although I’m very happy that my Onii-chan is popular, Komachi…
I’m afraid that one day, Onii-chan will forget about Komachi.”
“First of all, to suddenly forget the existence of a person is a disease.
Generally speaking, for the vast majority of people, it is only when they reach old age that they suffer from conditions like Alzheimer’s, which challenge cognition and behavior.
But your Onii-chan here is still at an age where he is enjoying his youth.
If it were due to some other accident that resulted in brain damage and amnesia, then Komachi, it wouldn’t just be you—your Onii-chan would even forget himself.”
As he said this, Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly realized that amnesia might actually be quite nice, as all of Hikigaya Hachiman’s dark history would be wiped away.
Still, he hadn’t finished his lecture to Komachi, so he continued: “Secondly, the most important point that you overlooked is that your Onii-chan here isn’t popular at all.
So, your worries are unfounded.
Besides, you are my most, most, most, most beloved little sister.”
“Yay!
Onii-chan’s answer, plus ten points!”
I don’t know what Komachi was so happy about, but Hikigaya Hachiman continued to shovel food into his mouth.
“By the way, Komachi, did Kobayashi-san return the air pump?
I need to ride my bike to school tomorrow.”
“No, Kobayashi-san probably forgot.”
“Alright then, I’ll go ask for it after I finish eating.”
.
.
.
A breeze swayed the willow tips, and the willow tips swayed the night.
It was a very quiet night, but not that silent.
The moon hung there, hanging ostentatiously. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The Hikigaya residence was a detached house, and immediately adjacent to it was an old apartment building.
Their neighbor, Kobayashi, lived on the third floor of that building.
Hikigaya Hachiman walked up the stairs, bathed in moonlight, and for a moment, he recalled the past.
When they were young, because their parents were busy with work and had no time to look after him and his sister, they entrusted them to their neighbor, Kobayashi.
At first, Kobayashi was reluctant, but as they spent more time together, she realized Hachiman and Komachi weren’t naughty brats, so she gradually accepted them.
She would make them afternoon snacks, tutor them in homework, and sometimes even wash their clothes…
Therefore, to Komachi and Hachiman, Kobayashi wasn’t just a friendly neighbor, but an older sister who cared for them very much.
However, as they grew older, due to their respective jobs and studies, Hachiman and Kobayashi’s interactions became scarce.
Even though they lived next door, since starting high school, Hikigaya Hachiman hadn’t seen Kobayashi once.
He only heard that Kobayashi had recently been looking after a few children.
Komachi, on the other hand, still kept in touch.
The closer he got to the steps of Kobayashi’s home, the more hesitant Hikigaya Hachiman’s footsteps became.
‘Is Kobayashi-san doing well lately?
Why am I only coming to see her now…’ One question after another surged from his mind.
Eventually, his footsteps became heavy; one foot landed on the step above, and finally, his whole body remained in that straddling posture, unable to move an inch.
Hikigaya looked up at the hanging moon, and his thoughts returned to that night.
It seemed there was a moon just as large back then, and there were more stars than now; tiny fragments of memory flickered without any pattern.
Eating watermelon together, fighting monsters in video games together, watching anime together…
watching the stars together just like this.
That’s right, we back then.
‘What exactly am I hesitating about?’
Questioning himself this way, Hikigaya Hachiman finally felt his steps lighten.
There was nothing to worry about; she is my Kobayashi-san.
Finally arriving at the door of Kobayashi’s home, he heard the lively sounds of young girls from inside, and Hikigaya Hachiman summoned the courage to knock on the door.
The door opened, and a woman’s figure came into view.
It was Kobayashi-san.
Although it was clearly Kobayashi-san, she was no longer the Kobayashi-san in Hikigaya Hachiman’s memories.
Her figure wasn’t much different from before, but if you looked closely, you would notice that her fair, pretty face had a bit of imperceptible exhaustion. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Perhaps due to work, she now wore glasses.
Hikigaya had anticipated this—people squeezed by work were mostly like this.
She wore a white shirt on her upper body, and her frame was hunched; she held a bottle of alcohol in her hand, and that hand was no longer the slender, flexible one in Hikigaya Hachiman’s memories; her left hand gripping the bottle was clumsy and stiff, like a bundle of firewood.
Hikigaya Hachiman was very happy, but he didn’t know what to say, so he simply started: “Kobayashi-san, I…”
Then, the scenes from his memories appeared again, and Hikigaya wanted to share all the words he had suppressed in his heart: watermelon, games, anime, watching the stars…
but he felt as if something was blocking his throat.
He thought about it in his mind, but couldn’t get the words out.
Kobayashi froze while holding the doorknob, an expression of joy yet complexity appearing on her face.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Her expression suddenly became serious, and she clearly called out: “Little Master.”
Hikigaya Hachiman seemed to shudder; he knew it—there was a pathetic, thick barrier between him and Kobayashi.
He was momentarily unable to speak.
“Kobayashi, who is it?”
Hikigaya Hachiman looked into the living room following the voice.
Two beautiful girls with distinct styles were sitting cross-legged on the carpet, and a cute little girl with silver hair sat on the sofa nearby.
The blonde girl who had just spoken was even wearing a maid outfit; she waved towards the door and revealed a shy smile.
Kobayashi turned her head and said: “Tohru, pour some water for Young Master.”
There are some life scenes that can never be forgotten.
For instance, the first time Kobayashi met the Hikigaya siblings.
It was an autumn night with a chilly wind and a silver moon.
Mrs.
Hikigaya brought Hachiman and Komachi to the door of the apartment Kobayashi had just rented, took out a stack of small-denomination bills, placed them in Kobayashi’s hands, and choked up as she said: “I’ll entrust these two children to you.
They are obedient children.
Please look after them for me when school is out.”
Kobayashi accepted the money, and after Mrs.
Hikigaya left, she pulled the wailing Hachiman and Komachi into her arms.
She couldn’t attend to anything else for a moment; she placed the money on the ground nearby and used her hands to wipe the tears from the two children’s faces.
Unexpectedly, a gust of wind blew, and the bills flew all over the floor…