Inserting the key into the lock and turning it, Hikigaya Hachiman pulled the door open with a click.
What met his eyes was the living room shrouded in darkness, and a pair of pupils glowing in the dark, releasing a faint, greenish light.
As he moved to the entryway, assisted by the light shining in from outside, the full form became clear.
It was Ka-kun, a pet cat raised by the Hikigaya family.
Because of its snow-white fur and its habit of curling up into a ball like a small snow hut, it was given the name “Kamakura.” However, those four syllables were too much of a mouthful, so the Hikigaya family simply started calling it “Ka-kun.”
Ka-kun was currently standing still under the beam of light pouring in through the door gap, its white fur rimmed with a yellow glow, looking warm and cozy.
Even though it was standing there now, it usually only clung to Komachi.
‘Komachi is asleep, then.’
Without turning on the lights, Hikigaya Hachiman gently closed the door, scooped Ka-kun up from the cold floor, and walked toward the sofa in the living room, where he collapsed lazily.
Holding Ka-kun up so that its furry, cute face was level with his gaze, he complained: “You only come to find me after Komachi has fallen asleep.”
Responding to him were two listless meows from Ka-kun.
“After all, I also like Komachi best, so I can’t really blame you.”
Ka-kun continued to meow.
Rarely, he heard a note of agreement in these cat sounds.
Seemingly not wanting to continue listening to his loser owner’s nagging, Ka-kun kept squirming in Hikigaya Hachiman’s hands.
Sensing the cat’s impatience, he sat up, placed it steadily on the floor beside him, and then lay back down on the sofa, resting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, there was a rustle, and Ka-kun pressed down on his abdomen.
Warmth radiated from those paw pads.
Perhaps because those paw pads were too heavy, Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly lost his drowsiness.
‘Ka-kun really needs to go on a diet.’ Thinking this, his thoughts began to drift.
He remembered the fight that had just ended and the subsequent arrival of Hiratsuka Shizuka.
The images in his mind flickered in sequence and then vanished.
Now, his head was filled only with Hiratsuka Shizuka’s question:
“If you died, what would your family do?”
Family, huh…
At that time, he truly hadn’t considered his family’s feelings properly, but thinking about it now, there really wasn’t anything to worry about.
‘After all, they are family.’
Although it sounds a bit irresponsible, this is precisely because they are blood relatives.
From the moment of birth, they accept each other entirely—regardless of the past, present, or future, and regardless of status, wealth, sickness, or death.
The word “family” had long ago changed from a cold, abstract concept into a concrete entity filled with emotion.
All along, as a family, they had been bearing each other’s contradictions.
Whether it be the Hikigaya couple or Komachi…
Because they are family, there is no need to feel sorry.
But his mind still could not find peace.
Unable to be calm, harboring guilt—is there still someone he owes?
Human interaction should be independent and equal.
Having desires or seeking things puts one at a disadvantage in interpersonal relationships.
Therefore, he had always upheld the principle of “preserving oneself,” neither adding trouble to others nor taking the slightest advantage of anyone.
Logically, he shouldn’t owe anyone anything.
But this anxious heart would not lie to itself.
‘Was there still some negligence?’
He mobilized his memories, arranging every person and event he could recall in chronological order.
In the end, Hikigaya Hachiman discovered that the things he could clearly remember were pitifully few, and the closer he got to childhood, the more blurred the people and events became.
Memories from before middle school, excluding his family, were somewhat broken and fragmented, even bizarre.
After middle school, he managed to use logic to connect one broken memory after another.
Only the memories since high school had no gaps; they were very coherent.
Yet, for Hikigaya Hachiman himself, they felt very unreal.
Being alienated and rejected by classmates after confessing in middle school was reasonable—after all, he was never popular.
But ironically, after high school, it was as if he had transmigrated into some low-quality light novel and awakened a succubus constitution; his interpersonal relationships had visibly improved.
Meeting a responsible teacher was one thing—after all, it was one of the best high schools in the city.
Joining a club with beautiful girls was unreasonable for a veteran member of the “go-home club.” Taking it a step further, having a classmate with an angelic, sweet appearance rely on and trust him so much—was this something the original Hikigaya Hachiman could possess?
Logically speaking, he should be even more lonely.
Yet, currently, he seemed to be the most “normie” person at Sobu High. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
‘Where exactly did the mistake occur?’
He hadn’t awakened any powers nor had he picked up any strange rings.
Even his consistent behavioral patterns carried out the same path of loneliness as before.
If one had to say, it was just that the high school classmates were of much higher quality than the middle school ones.
Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuigahama Yui…
even someone like Zaimokuza was very kind.
‘Kindness.’
Right, that was it—kindness.
That explained it.
Without realizing it, he had accepted the goodwill of others, to the point where his monotonous daily life had become fulfilling.
Joining the Service Club, his twisted fate with Yuigahama Yui…
as long as they had shown a dismissive attitude, none of this would have happened; there would be no entanglements, and no contradictions would arise.
His life would have remained plain and dull, spent in loneliness.
It would never have been as colorful as it was now, and he certainly would never have been this restless and anxious.
He had accepted others’ kindness while maintaining an attitude of ignorance.
The moment he stepped into the Service Club, he had already betrayed the path of loneliness.
He was greedily enjoying the goodwill radiated by others without giving anything in return.
‘All this time, I have been the one owing everyone.’
The reason his heart could not find peace was because of guilt.
‘Hikigaya, you cannot continue to be this selfish.’
The guy who arrogantly helps others is the one who is being helped by everyone else.
Having finally found the root of the problem, Hikigaya Hachiman’s heart felt a little lighter.
Intense fatigue washed over him, and before long, he fell into a deep sleep.
However, on the sofa in this living room where no one cared, Hikigaya Hachiman’s body was shrouded in black smoke.
Ka-kun, perched on Hikigaya Hachiman’s abdomen, merely curled up tighter and began to purr.