Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly felt his body being patted a few times and immediately sat up, alert.
Seeing the bright, cheerful girl before him, he let out a sigh of relief.
“While Onii-chan gets a high score for choosing to sleep on the sofa because he was afraid of disturbing my rest, Komachi will still feel sad if that causes Onii-chan to have nightmares.”
The girl named Hikigaya Komachi, though complaining, had a healing smile blooming on her face.
As she picked up Ka-kun, who had been sleeping on the floor, and placed him on the sofa, she turned back and said with slight concern: “I really want to let you sleep a bit more, but it’s already seven in the morning.
After you finish breakfast, I want Onii-chan to be careful when riding your bike.
After all, having slept on the sofa all night, your mental state is surely worse than usual.”
Facing his younger sister’s care, Hikigaya Hachiman felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
“How could the path of life ever be smooth sailing?
If one wants to face all kinds of sudden challenges, one must prioritize self-change.
Choosing to sleep on the sofa can be considered a way of reminding myself to be prepared for danger in times of peace.”
Facing the argumentative Hikigaya Hachiman, Hikigaya Komachi just looked at him coldly, the corners of her mouth twitching as she said with disdain: “Yes, yes, my foolish Onii-chan is the smartest.”
Listening to his sister’s “squeaky” voice, Hikigaya Hachiman felt his hair stand on end and his soul tremble.
“Alright, Komachi, that ‘Onii-chan’ thing—it’s painful to hear.
I was completely voluntary in sleeping on the sofa.
Disturbing a sister who is studying late to cope with the high school entrance exams?
In Chiba, that is simply an act of rebellion against the heavens.
Besides, Komachi, you are the apple of my eye.”
“Alright, you stinky old Onii-chan, what do you want for breakfast?” Saying this, Komachi walked toward the kitchen entrance and took an apron from the counter, about to tie it on.
“No, Komachi.
I want to go to school a bit earlier today, so I won’t eat breakfast.
Don’t bother cooking; I’ll buy something to eat on the way…
Is your allowance still enough?”
Despite being the member with the lowest disposable income in the house, he spoke such words without shame.
Komachi, of course, knew her Onii-chan’s financial situation and immediately refused:
“No, Komachi’s funds are very sufficient.
Instead, Onii-chan, if you are short on pocket money, you must ask Komachi.”
“That won’t be necessary; Onii-chan has his own secret stash.” Find the original chapter at g.com.
After all, he was the older Onii-chan; Hikigaya Hachiman insisted, his expression stiff.
While straightening his messy hair, he walked toward the bedroom.
After yesterday’s great battle, the school uniform he was wearing was already filthy and disheveled, and the parts around the joints even had holes.
Fortunately, Sobu High was a school that valued student mental health.
To satisfy the need for personalized dress and individual aesthetics, they distributed many different styles of uniforms.
Hikigaya Hachiman took a random uniform from the closet, threw it on, and then stood in front of the mirror to tidy up.
He combed through his still-damp hair, enough to make it not look too decadent.
However, his melancholic eyes, paired with this Western-style uniform, actually added a bit of maturity beyond his years.
That, however, was a purely high-EQ way of putting it; if he walked down the road as he was now, it wouldn’t be strange for passersby to mistake him for a salesperson.
After greeting Komachi, Hikigaya Hachiman left the house.
He slung his school bag over his shoulder and pushed his bicycle, ready to set off.
Feeling a sense of obstruction through his hands, Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head to look at the tires.
The air in the bicycle tires had been let out by some naughty child; the tires were sagging loosely against the ground.
Hikigaya Hachiman helplessly shouted into the house: “Komachi, get the air pump.”
“The air pump is lent to Kobayashi-san next door.
She should still be sleeping right now, so just take the train to school.”
“Oh, got it.” Thinking of the neighbor who was drunk from morning till night, Hikigaya Hachiman gave up the idea of going to disturb her.
Twenty minutes later, facing three trains filled with people that he failed to squeeze onto, Hikigaya Hachiman sparked his fighting spirit and tried his best to squeeze into the next carriage.
However, his shoe was stepped off while getting off the train; if he hadn’t been quick-witted, he would have been laughed at today.
“I’m really having bad luck today.”
Hikigaya Hachiman couldn’t help but sigh.
Even so, facing a vending machine that lacked MAX coffee, the Hikigaya Hachiman ship sank completely.
Come to think of it, this level of bad luck is beyond reason, right?
Facing this reality, Hikigaya Hachiman walked toward school in a state of self-abandonment.
But things did not end there.
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman crouched down to tie a shoelace that had come loose at an unknown time, a neon sign from a shop fell down.
Although it wasn’t large, because it was directly overhead, it became fatal.
Hikigaya Hachiman tried to dodge to the side, but it was already too late.
Clang.
It was the sound of the neon sign hitting the ground.
The expected pain did not arrive, and Hachiman opened his eyes in confusion.
‘Pink and white stripes.’
Although it was only for a split second, Hikigaya Hachiman still saw a sight he shouldn’t have seen.
In front of Hikigaya Hachiman, a beautiful girl with pink hair was retracting her leg.
The sign had been kicked away by her.
The movement was clean, sharp, and full of power.
Coupled with the serious expression on the girl’s face, it was simply handsome beyond words.
A gray pleated skirt, a white shirt with a stand-up collar under a standard blazer, and a red ribbon tied at the collar.
She was a student at Sobu High, and just like him, she was a second-year student.
Ignoring the girl’s outstretched right hand, Hikigaya Hachiman pushed himself up from the ground.
“Thank you very much, classmate.
If it weren’t for you…”
“Don’t mention it, Hikigaya-kun.” The girl interrupted Hachiman’s thanks with a bright smile.
“You know me?” Hikigaya Hachiman asked in surprise while brushing the dust off his pants.
To be recognized by others while not knowing the other person’s name—to be honest, it was indeed a bit awkward.
“After all, you are the famous Hikigaya Hachiman-kun,” the girl said, covering her mouth and giggling.
“Famous?”
“Well, after all, you are at the top of the list for ‘Students Least Popular with Girls at Sobu High’.”
‘Least popular…’
Just as Hikigaya Hachiman became interested in this ranking, a flowerpot fell from above.
Just as the pot was about to hit Hikigaya Hachiman’s head, a flash of pink brushed past Hachiman’s eyes again.
The girl stepped forward, raised her leg, kicked the flowerpot, shattering it and sending it flying, then quickly retracted her leg.
“Heroine, what should I call you?”
“Shiki, Shikimori Miyako.
Just call me Shikimori.”
Only then realizing she had been exposed, the girl pressed her hands against her skirt, turned her head away with a blushing face.
Shikimori-san is not only handsome; she’s also very cute!