"I… I know it too… I had a friend… not just any friend… my—"
The last word didn't make it out.
Everything went dark, then—
____________________________________________________________________________________
"Friends?"
_____________________________________________________________________________________
That word hit my ears first, sharp enough to pull me into the memory.
"Friends?" a boy repeated, laughing. "No, no we're not exactly friends or anything."
…Ah. That one was aimed at me.
"So, don't worry, I have plenty of time. Asuka-chan."
"Really? Then that means you can ditch him for now and join us, right?" a girl's voice chirped.
"Yeah, sure!" the boy replied, his voice smooth, confident everything mine wasn't.
I stood there, blinking, my grip tightening around the pencil in my hand. 'Wait. What? Just classmates?'
'Are you kidding me?! I lent this guy my Vita-chan just yesterday! He practically begged for it! He said, "Thanks, man, you're a lifesaver, let's play Monster Hunter sometime!'
That's the universal code for friendship or something like that, isn't it?!
I gave it to him because I thought we were getting along! He's popular, he's cool, and I thought, 'Hey, maybe this is my ticket into the group. Maybe middle school is finally my time to shine!'
But now? He's throwing me under the bus for a girl?! He's denying our sacred gamer bond just to score points with some random girl? That's so unfair! This was my chance, dammit! My golden ticket to a normal social life is being ripped up right in front of my face!
"Um… hey, about my Vita—"
"Oh yeah!" he cut me off again. "Hikigaya doesn't mind letting me keep it a bit longer, right?"
Three pairs of eyes landed on me. I froze there feeling awkward.
"Y-Y-Yeah… I don't… mind…"
'Of course I mind! My soul mind! My Vita-chan mind!'
As they walked away laughing, I screamed internally.
'I'm adding you to the list! You hear me?! The List of People I Want to Drop Dead! You're right at the top, you traitor! Give me back my Vita! DAMN YOU!'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later, after school, I was stuck in class duty with one of the girls.
"Are you okay? You've been wiping that spot for like five minutes."
I jumped a little. It was the girl I was paired with for cleaning duty. We were both the class representatives. Well, technically, everyone just voted for me without asking, and I didn't have the guts to say no, so here I was, which naturally meant I ended up talking to her way more than I talked to anyone else.
"Huh? Oh… yeah. It's fine," I muttered, scrubbing a particularly stubborn chalk mark.
She tilted her head, looking at me with genuine concern. "You seem upset. Is it… because you don't have any friends?"
'Guh! Direct hit!'
I froze, the eraser hovering over the board. I couldn't even deny it. The silence stretched out awkwardly for me.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll make a friend soon. Someone will definitely want to be your friend."
I looked at her. The sunlight caught her hair, making her look almost angelic. She was concerned about me, isn't she? She was… actually talking to me.
'Wait. Could this be it? Maybe… maybe this was how people got girlfriends in manga? If not a friend, maybe… a girlfriend?! No, no, that's impossible. Stay calm, Hachiman. Don't get ahead of yourself.'
I had to know. I had to test the waters.
And like an idiot, without thinking I blurted, "Uh… hey, do you… um… have someone you like? The first letter—like, just the initial—is fine."
Her hand stopped mid-wipe. "…Huh?"
My cheeks flushed instantly. I felt like an absolute idiot. Why did that come out?
"N-never mind! I mean, I'm just curious! If you don't…"
She stared at me like I had grown a second head.
"O…kay? I don't mind, and it's kind of weird, but…" She looked away, hesitant and a little creeped out. "You can say his name probably starts with H."
H!
H! as in… Hikigaya Hachiman?! Not only that she told me so easily. This has to be it.
My breath hitched. It was happening. It was actually happening! My middle school rom-com debut!
"C-could it be…" I pointed a trembling finger at myself, "…Me?"
She stared at me. Her expression went flat instantly.
"Eww. No…never"
"Ack—!" It felt like a critical hit straight to my gut.
I swear I almost spat blood on the blackboard right then and there.
Ten minutes later.
I was walking out of the school gates, questioning every life decision that led me here.
'Idiot! 'Idiot! Idiot! Why did I ask that?! "Could it be me?" What kind of self-respecting human being says that?! I'm so embarrassed I could die right here! I want to crawl into a ditch and hide forever! Naive! So disgustingly naive!'
I was mentally screaming, kicking at stones, when I suddenly froze at the gate.
There, just a few meters away, was a group of boys laughing loudly. And in the center of them…
Ryotaro.
My blood ran cold. I remembered him. He was from my elementary school. Why was he here?
'Oh no. Oh nononono.'
'Nice try, Hikigerma! My ultimate barrier is up. You can't touch us now. Ha!' A sudden, humiliating whisper from the past hit me out of nowhere.
He was the one who used to spread that stupid "Hikigerma" crap in his elementary school. He used to tell everyone that touching me would infect them, that their eyes would turn "infected" like mine. He made my life miserable for years.
'Tch… Why is he here?! If he sees me… if he finds me… he'll start spreading rumours again! He'll tell everyone here about the Hikigerma! My middle school life is already on life support, I can't let him pull the plug!
I cursed him in my head, ducking behind the school gate pillar. Go away! Just go home already!
But he wasn't moving. He was standing exactly on the path I needed to take to walk home, laughing and chatting like he owned the damn place.
I waited. One minute. Two minutes. Five agonizing minutes.
He was still there.
'Why isn't he leaving?! Move! Go home! Get lost! Vanish! I can't stand around here like some stalker! My classmates are gonna think I'm suspicious or something!'
'Dammit! I can't wait forever! I'm getting impatient!'
I gritted my teeth. "Fine. You win this round, Bastard Ryotaro. I'll just take the long way."
I turned around, heading toward the back gate. It would take me an extra time to walk home from the opposite side, but it was better than risking exposure. Better than letting the Hikigerma infection spread to this new, fragile world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After leaving school, I somehow wandered into an area that felt unfamiliar. I kept walking for a bit before it hit me: I had definitely taken a wrong turn.
I was about to head back when I noticed a narrow alley that looked like it might be a shortcut.
Without thinking, I stepped in, hoping to save some time.
Instead, I walked straight into a scene that made my stomach drop.
There was a girl, trembling violently, pinned against the wall by three men. She looked like a university student definitely older than me. My instinct, honed by years of self-preservation, screamed the obvious. 'Walk away Hachiman. This isn't your business. You don't know them. Get out.'
My feet started to back away automatically.
This was too much, too real, too dangerous. I mean… I'm just a fragile middle schooler who couldn't even stand up for his own video game earlier. So how can I possibly hope to stand against three grown men? I can't. There's no way.
'T-This doesn't look too bad,' I lied to myself. 'They're just talking. Right? Maybe they know each other. Maybe it's just an argument. It's fine… totally fine…'
My feet actually started moving backward on their own. I had almost slipped back far enough to pretend I had never seen any of this when—
"Oi, stop struggling so much. We're not done talking."
Then came the sound I really didn't wanted to hear.
"P-Please… someone… help…"
That trembling plea for help shattered whatever weak denial I was clinging to.
I glanced back.
The three men had her completely cornered now, their backs blocking the exit and their arms pinning her in place. One of them grabbed her wrist when she tried to pull away, yanking it hard enough to make her gasp.
My throat tightened. My palms were sweating so badly it was pathetic. My legs wanted to run, but they wouldn't move.
'W-Wait… maybe it's not that bad,'
I tried to reassure myself as I turned toward them. 'They look like normal thugs, not real criminals. If I just interrupt them, they might back off. I don't have to fight… just distract them. Yeah… yeah, that's all.'
I took a deep, shaky breath, trying to channel the confidence I absolutely didn't have.
I forced my feet forward, pushing past the terror, and walked straight toward the girl and quickly took her trembling, ice-cold hand and put on the most natural annoyed expression I could manage.
"Thanks for waiting for me, Nee-san," I said, "I told you, you shouldn't wander off alone. Let's go, Mom's going to worry if we're late."
The three men were completely flabbergasted. Their grips on the girl's wrist and shoulder loosened at once, all of them stared at me in blank confusion.
"Huh? Who the hell are you, brat?" the largest one sneered, though his grip on the girl's other arm had loosened momentarily.
The instant the last bit of pressure left her, the girl bolted. She didn't look back, she just ran through the alley like her life depended on it.
"Wha— she's runnin'?"
Now they turned their full attention to me, annoyance flashing in their eyes. I swallowed hard, realizing I should have run with her.
"Tch. Oi, go grab her before she gets too far."
My stomach lurched.
One of the thugs actually took a step to chase after her.
And my mouth moved before my brain could stop it.
"H-Hey!" I blurted out, voice cracking. "A-Aren't you ashamed?! Chasing after a harmless girl like that… especially you, the big guy? You're all adults! Don't you have anything better to do?"
My words seemed to hit a nerve.
"Ashamed, huh? You've got guts talking back to us," the leader said, a nasty glint in his eye. "I'll give you that, kid."
In an instant I felt a punch slam into my face. The next blow knocked the air out of my lungs and sent me crashing onto the ground.
"Don't blame us," one of them grumbled. "You just had to get in the way."
I had never been in a physical fight. The pain was so immediate and overwhelming I couldn't even stand, let alone fight back.
So, I panicked and screamed for help, "S-Stop SOMEONE! H-HELP!"
But no one came.
'It hurts! It hurts! Why me?!' I lamented internally, tears blurring my vision.
"HELP PLEASE"
But even as the words left my mouth, I already knew the truth. 'No one's going to come… are they? It's always like this. Nothing changes. It's all pointless.'
"Oi, he's already crying'," the smallest guy snorted. "Two hits and he folds. Weak-ass brat."
"I told you, kids these days got no fight in 'em," The main one laughed, grabbing me by the collar and yanking me up halfway. "Just a bunch of soft, spoiled punks."
"Listen, brat," he growled, his breath reeking of cigarettes. "You don't get to lecture adults. You don't get to talk big. You understand that?"
"I-I… I understand," I stammered. My whole body was shaking as he held me by the collar, my feet barely touching the ground.
The leader smirked. "Good. Then say it."
"S-Say… what?"
"Say you're sorry," he said, as if it were obvious. "You ran your mouth, so you apologize. I'm not trying to ruin your day, kid. Just teaching you some manners to not poke your nose where it doesn't belong."
His grip on my collar tightened a little, but he didn't sound furious just annoyed, like I was some annoying problem he had to deal with.
"If you apologize, I'll let you go," he added with a shrug. "I'm not the bad guy here, kid. So don't look at me like that. You're the one who made things worse. So, say sorry."
Just say sorry.
It should have been simple.
Just say it, and this ends.
"Yeah, kid. Just say you screwed up and go home."
My mouth almost moved on its own. "S-S…"
Just swallow my pride and go home. It's what I always did. What I was supposed to do.
But something stopped me.
Some stupid voices flickered across my mind, sparking something hot in my chest.
'Nice try, Hikigerma! My ultimate barrier is up. You can't touch me now. Ha!'
'You seem upset. Is it… because you don't have any friends?'
'We're not exactly friends or anything.'
'Eww. No…never'
"Well? We're waiting. Just say 'I'm sorry' and I'll put you down." The leader shook me roughly, letting his impatience show.
Why?
'You should ask for forgiveness'
What did I do wrong?
'You should Say Sorry'
Why do I always have to say sorry for things I never did? I never bother anyone, so why is it always me?
'You should apologise'
Why? Why did I have to apologize?
I helped someone. I did the right thing, didn't I? So why was I the one being punished here and told it was my fault, while they stood there like they'd done nothing wrong?
The injustice of It all burned hotter than the pain in my ribs. And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.
"…I'm n…not sorry."
"What did you say, you little punk?" he snarled, giving me a violent shake.
"I said I'm not sorry."
I looked straight into his shocked eyes. My mouth felt dry, but the adrenaline tasted like pure spite. I gathered what little saliva I could.
Then—
PTHOO.
I spat directly into his face.
The smallest guy jolted back. "O-Oi—!? Did he just—?!"
The other one whispered, "The brat's nuts…"
The leader didn't wipe it off right away. His grip on my collar became painfully tight, squeezing until my breath hitched.
"You've got guts, brat," he whispered, his voice. "You think that little stunt is funny?"
He leaned in close, his cigarette stink filling my nostrils. "Say you're sorry. Now."
I was terrified, but the satisfaction of seeing him lose control was strangely empowering. I forced out a cough, and it twisted into a weak, bloody smirk.
"You trash. You're the one who should be sorry for your mom, who gave birth to a deadbeat like ya."
Then, despite the searing pain in my throat.
PTHOO.
I spat again, this time right on his jaw.
"I told you to FUCK OFF."
The alley went silent. For a moment, nobody moved. Even the two guys behind him just stared, like they couldn't believe what I had just said.
"…Alright," the leader murmured and then shouted at once. "ALRIGHT, KID. HAVE IT YOUR WAY."
His hand unclenched from my collar.
Not gently.
He let go all at once. My body dropped like dead weight—
THUD
—I hit the ground hard, the impact running up my spine.
Before I could even take a breath, he was on me. He clamped his massive hand around my neck, pinning me to the rough ground.
"You wanna play tough, eh? you really don't get how the world works, do you? THEN LET ME TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS, BRAT."
His fingers dug deep into my neck, cutting off my air instantly. "I'm gonna snap that scrawny little neck of yours right here, you hear me?!"
"Gh—k…!"
The sound dragged out of me, barely a breath.
My hands flew up in blind panic, clawing uselessly at his wrist. My fingers slipped over his skin, finding no grip at all. My vision was already shrinking, the edges darkening like someone was dimming the lights on me.
"Boss—! Hey—hey, that's enough!"
'Can't breathe…'
The smallest guy took a hesitant step. "If you actually choke him out—"
"Shut it," the leader barked, tightening his grip even more. "He asked for it."
I kicked at the ground, my heel scraping uselessly against the dirt.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.
My own pulse slammed against my skull like it was trying to escape.
'I am gonna die! I am gonna die! I am gonna die!'
'Help…'
'I don't wanna die.'
'Someone… anyone…'
'I don't wanna die.'
'Please—'
'I don't wanna die.'
Nothing. Just like always.
My hands shot up on instinct, trying to pry his wrist off my throat, but my grip kept slipping against his sweaty skin.
I couldn't get any leverage. My body twisted uselessly beneath him, legs kicking at the ground, my heels scraping against the dirt as I struggled for air.
'It hurts…hurts.'
My arms flailed wildly, searching for anything—anything—that could help me.
My fingertips brushed metal.
…My belt.
I fumbled weakly at it, managing to unclip it halfway. The leather loosened around my waist—
—but just then, the leader shifted, loosening his grip for a single second as he growls.
"Do you regret it now, brat?"
If I had any sanity left, I would've nodded. I would've begged. I would've done anything to make it stop.
But I wasn't in my right mind anymore; panic and rage had swallowed me whole, and my mouth ignored every instinct pleading with me to stay alive.
"…H..ell N…no…"
His eyes widened for a moment then narrowed with murderous rage.
"You little—!"
His grip crushed down even harder. "Hhhkk—!"
The belt slipped through my fingers and fell uselessly somewhere under me.
'N-No… no, no—!'
My vision pulsed. My body felt cold. Every second stretched impossibly long.
Hopelessness crept up my spine like ice.
I reached again—this time blindly, desperately.
My fingertips hit something hard in my pocket.
My phone.
Without thinking, without caring about anything except not dying, I took it out and swung it upward with every ounce of panicked strength left in my arm.
CRACK.
The plastic corner smashed into his cheekbone. His grip faltered.
I hit him again.
CRACK.
And again.
CRACK.
"GHH—! YOU—!"
His fingers finally loosened.
Air rushed back into my throat in a violent, burning gasp of relief.
"HAA—HAA—!"
My legs reacted before my brain did, I curled them up, planted both feet against his chest and kicked with everything I had.
He stumbled backward, crashing onto the ground with a grunt.
I rolled onto my side, coughing, wheezing, clutching my throat as my vision was starting to get blurry.
My whole body trembled, not from fear anymore but from something I couldn't even name. Maybe anger, maybe panic… maybe something worse.
Whatever it was, I didn't give a damn anymore.
Before I even knew what I was doing, I staggered to my feet, half-blind, half-sobbing.
My belt was still dangling from its loop half undone from before.
I yanked it out in one wild motion, the metal buckle clinking sharply in the narrow alley.
And without thinking—
I charged at him.
"GHHHHH—RAAAAAAHHHHH!" Broken scream ripping out of me.
The leader had just pushed himself up to his elbows when he saw me coming.
His eyes widened, not in fear but in disbelief.
"You—what the hell—?"
I didn't let him finish.
The metal buckle came down with a sharp, vicious CLANG against his cheek.
He shouted, grabbing his face. "AAGH—! You little—!"
I swung again.
Another CLANG, this time against his Neck. My arms jolted from the impact.
But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. I didn't know why?
"BRAT! STOP—!" one of the men shouted, but his voice felt distant, muffled, drowned under the pounding blood in my ears.
I lifted the belt again—
—but before I could bring it down, two pairs of hands grabbed me from behind.
"Oye! Enough!"
"Kid, stop! STOP!"
My arms were grabbed and pulled backward, the belt ripped from my grip. My legs kicked uselessly at the air as they dragged me back.
"LET—GO—!" I screamed, my voice raw and shaking from fear and from being choked. "LET GO OF ME!"
"Boss! You, okay?" the smallest guy shouted.
The leader staggered to his feet, wiping the blood smeared across his cheekbone where my phone had cracked his skin.
"Oh, now you've done it," he growled, voice low and shaking with fury. "You've taken this too far, kid."
He stepped closer, cracking his neck.
"You messed with the wrong person."
He pointed sharply at the two holding me.
"Pin him down, boys."
They held my arms tight behind me, keeping me on my knees. I tried to push back, but my body barely responded. Even staying upright like this felt impossible.
My legs wobbled under me, and my whole weight kept sinking forward as if my body wanted to collapse face-first onto the ground.
The leader stepped right up to me, his shadow swallowing my vision.
Then—
WHAM.
His boot slammed into my stomach with full force.
"G—!"
The air blasted out of me in one violent burst. My body folded forward, but the men yanked my arms back, forcing me upright. A wave of nausea hit, white and blinding.
My mind blanked out for a second. I couldn't even scream.
Only a wet, broken choke slipped out of my throat.
My vision wavered. My knees shook so violently they barely held me up anymore.
"Hah…"
"Hah…"
Every breath scraped like glass.
The leader crouched, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked my head up.
My neck screamed. My eyes watered, and the tears wouldn't stop anymore. I was crying hard by now, sobbing without control.
"You should've apologized, instead of crying," he hissed inches from my face. "Would've saved you all this trouble, brat."
My head swayed. Staying conscious felt like trying to hold onto a dream slipping away.
He drew his leg back again ready for another kick.
But—
"HEY! YOU THREE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
The leader's head snapped toward the voice and that tiny shift was all my body needed to finally give up.
My knees buckled.
The hands holding my arms let go in surprise.
And I collapsed face-first onto the ground.
My vision flickered once… and then slipped away completely.
When it returned briefly, it came in fragments: sound first and shapes later.
"…Stand back! Hands where I can see them!"
I blinked slowly, my eyelids heavy like they were made of stone. The world tilted sideways, blurry and distant. Red and blue lights painted the alley walls in shaky streaks I couldn't focus on.
Voices moved around me, but I couldn't keep track of them.
"…kid's breathing's shallow—hey, stay with me."
A shadow knelt in front of me.
"Kid. Hey—hey, look at me. You awake?"
A firm hand hovered near my abdomen but didn't touch thank God. Even accidental pressure would've made me scream.
I forced my eyelids up by maybe a millimeter.
A policeman.
"D-Don't… touch…" The whisper scraped out of my throat like sand.
"I won't," he said immediately.
"Don't move. Just breathe for me. Can you do that?"
Breathe? I tried.
"Aah—khh—"
It came out as a strangled choke. "Easy. Slow. Slow… that's it."
I felt a hand lightly cup the back of my head—not pressing, just steadying—because my skull kept tilting and I couldn't hold it up.
"You're pretty banged up," he murmured, voice tight. "Just stay still. Ambulance is on the way."
A… ambulance?
No.
No, no, no.
Komachi—Mom—Dad—
They would—
"N-No… hospital…" I tried to say. My voice broke halfway through the word.
"Kid, you need it," he said firmly. "Your breathing's all over the place, and your ribs—"
I didn't hear the rest.
My vision dimmed again.
"S-Stay awake," the officer said sharply when he saw my eyes closing.
"Hey. Hey. What's your name?"
My mouth opened. Nothing came out.
My brain tried to answer anyway:
Hachiman.
Hachiman.
Hach…i…man…
But the pain dragged the syllables under like a tide.
"H-Hachi…," I finally whispered, more breath than sound.
"That's good," he said, lowering his voice. "Good job. Stay with me, Hachi."
A distant argument broke out, faint enough that he could barely hear it.
"You have no idea what kind of people I deal with. Inspector, you're gonna regret—"
"Save it for the station!"
"Get in the car!"
Everything blurred into noise, and through it the officer leaned closer.
"You did good, kid," he said softly. "You kept her safe."
Her…? Right. That girl.
I opened my mouth to ask if she was okay, but all that came out was a weak, broken breath.
The officer noticed.
"She's fine," he said gently. "She found me on patrol. She brought me here."
I felt something tight in my chest loosen just a little.
"That's right," he continued. "You're not alone right now, okay? I'm here. You're gonna be alright."
My eyes fluttered. Darkness crept around the edges again.
"Hachi? Hey—don't—"
I tried to answer. "…tired…"
My body shut down before I could stop it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"…kid… hey—wake up… can you hear me?"
Something cold pressed against my cheek, then pulled away. Was it fabric or Bandage?
My eyes finally fluttered open.
A white ceiling loomed above, bright tube lights glaring down, and the sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air.
It was a hospital room.
"Hah…?" My voice came out strange, raspier than I expected.
"Oh good, you're back."
I knew that voice, it was that same policeman.
He was sitting beside the bed, arms crossed, relief slipping into his expression as he leaned forward.
"Easy. Don't try to sit up yet, it'll hurt," he said. "The doctor cleaned you up. Nothing's broken, but you've got some heavy bruising on your abdomen and a mild concussion. You're lucky it wasn't worse."
'Lucky… right.'
I swallowed, wincing at the burning in my throat. "Th-those guys…?"
"Detained," he said. "All three. And they're staying in custody tonight. Also—"
The officer was still talking when his phone rang suddenly.
Purikyua Henshin! Purikyua~! Purikyua~! Purikyua~! Kirakira~n
My eyes flew open.
'…Pretty Cure?! That's— oh god, I actually know that one. And a grown man has it as his ringtone? Seriously?'
I stared at him, flabbergasted. 'Talk about a gap moe… or maybe just weird.' I felt a strange second-hand embarrassment creeping up my neck.
He pulled out his phone calmly.
"Excuse me a moment." He stepped toward the door to take the call.
As he moved, my hand brushed against the side table where my belongings had been placed.
I turned my head and saw something that made my eyes widen in horror.
"Nooooo!" A low shout slipped out of my mouth.
The officer spun around, "What?! What's wrong? Are you hurting?" He rushed back to the bedside
I stared at the table, despair crashing down on me. "My phone! It's gone! Totally destroyed!"
"This was new! I just got it two months ago when I started middle school! Komachi picked it out for me! It was really expensive! My parents… my mom and dad are gonna freak out! Especially when they find out how stupid I was!"
"Hey, calm down," the officer said, hanging up his call and putting a hand on my shoulder. "It's just a phone. We can figure it—"
Knock. Knock.
The officer paused, looking at the door. "Ah. That must be your family."
Panic shot through me. I quickly grabbed my broken phone from the table and before I could shove it under the blanket, the officer gently took it from my hands and put it in his pocket.
"Easy," he said quietly. "Don't worry. I'll help you out with this."
The door opened, and my mom rushed in. Her face was pale and eyes wide with worry.
"Hachiman!"
She hurried to the bed, her hand hovering over me before gently patting my arm.
"Are you okay? I got a call saying you were in a fight… that you were hurt!"
"I'm fine, Mom," I lied quickly, trying to sit up to prove it.
The moment my stomach tightened, a sharp bolt of pain shot through my abdomen.
"Ah—!" My body collapsed back onto the pillow.
Mom's expression hardened as her eyes traced over each of my injuries.
"You're not fine, Hachiman. Look at you. How did you get beaten up this badly? I told you to avoid trouble and come straight home!"
"I…"
"How could you be so reckless, Hachiman? What were you even thinking?"
Her voice shook. "Everyone is worried sick. Komachi was crying when she heard about this. She was really scared that something serious had happened to you."
Her words struck deeper than any kick I'd taken earlier.
Komachi… cried? Because of me.
A heavy, suffocating guilt tightened around my chest.
She was right, wasn't she?
I could have walked away. They weren't asking for money. They weren't after me. I could have just apologized to that thug boss. He even gave me a chance, not once but twice. All I had to do was say sorry. It was so simple.
If I had just swallowed my pride, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't be hurt, my phone wouldn't be broken, and my mom wouldn't be looking at me like I was a disappointment, right now.
'It is my fault. All of it. I caused this.'
I opened my mouth to apologize, to tell her I was sorry for being such a mess.
"I—"
"Wait." The policeman stepped forward, cutting me off.
He stood between my mom and the bed, his expression serious.
"Ma'am, please don't blame him, for anything."
Then, to my complete shock, he bowed deeply to her.
"This entire incident was my fault. I take full responsibility," he said firmly.
My mom blinked, stunned. "W-What?"
"I patrol this area every day. I should have noticed those men before anything happened. It was my duty to watch over the neighborhood… and I failed this time. Please don't blame your son for stepping into something dangerous. He acted before I arrived."
I stared at him.
My heartbeat stuttered.
He was… apologizing for me? Why?
He lifted his head slowly and then looked at me directly.
"Please, do not scold him for getting into trouble. He has been through a terrifying ordeal today. What he needs right now is your support, not blame."
My mother's expression softened, the tightness in her features melting into something sadder.
"Oh… please, don't bow. You're right. I just… got too emotional. Thank you for being honest. And for helping my son."
He nodded once, respectfully, then stepped out of the room.
After that, Mom stayed with me for about an hour, fussing over every bruise and making sure I was comfortable. I talked to Dad, tired but relieved, and then to Komachi, who scolded me for being a "dum-dum onii-chan." She couldn't come because of school but promised to visit tomorrow.
"Son… will you be okay by yourself tonight? You can't be discharged until tomorrow. Your dad and I will come back with Komachi the moment we are free."
I nodded weakly. "Yeah. I'll be fine."
She squeezed my hand, then left.
Once the room was silent again, I sank back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. The whole day kept replaying in broken pieces: the alley, the fear, the anger, the mistakes. I couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter how much I wanted to.
The door slid open a few minutes later and the officer walked in quietly, crossed to the metal table, and set something down without a word.
My phone.
Or what was atleast left of it.
"Sorry, kid," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's beyond repair."
I stared at the cracked mess of plastic and glass.
"…Yeah," I muttered. "I figured."
He hesitated, then turned to leave, but something slipped out of me before he reached the door. "Officer… can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"…Why did you take the blame?"
He blinked, then tilted his head slightly. "Hm?"
I kept staring at the blanket. "Why did you apologize to my mom? For what happened? Why did you say it was your fault?"
"Because it wasn't your fault," he said simply. "Not even a little."
His tone was calm. Matter-of-fact. Like he was stating the most obvious thing in the world. It only made the confusion and guilt in my chest tighten.
"No," I said, my voice trembling even before the rest came out. "No, you don't… you don't understand."
"It was all my fault!" I burst out, the words fueled by all the contained emotion I hadn't let myself feel earlier.
"She was right! I could've avoided everything! They were literally willing to let me go if I just apologized for stepping in. They weren't asking for money or trying to start anything. I only had to say one simple word 'sorry' and I'd be home right now."
I grabbed the sheets, twisting them in my hands.
"You said it wasn't my fault," I whispered, my eyes stinging. "But instead of doing that, I made it worse. I snapped at him. I insulted him. I pushed everything too far. I messed it all up. So why did you take the blame for me? Why?"
The officer didn't interrupt. He didn't tell me to calm down. He just listened.
When I finally stopped talking, he let out a quiet breath and sat down.
"Listen, Hikigaya Hachiman" He used my full name for the first time not as a scolding, but with something like respect.
"After hearing all of it… I can say this honestly."
He met my eyes.
"I'm proud of you. Really proud of what you did."
I stared at him, feeling extremely confused. "Proud? What… what do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said," he replied softly. "You stood up for yourself and listen this wasn't your fault. Not even a little. You didn't do anything wrong, so there was nothing for you to apologize for."
My throat tightened, and a strange warmth stirred in my chest one I wasn't used to.
He leaned closer, his expression was earnest. "You saw someone in trouble and you tried to help because it was the right thing to do. And when they tried to force you to apologize for that, you refused. That kind of strength… that honesty with yourself… you should be proud of it, not ashamed. Most people twice your age couldn't do something like that."
My fingers curled slightly under the blanket. I didn't know what to do with the feeling growing inside me.
He shook his head. "The only ones who should be apologizing here are those three shitheads. Not you. You didn't just save that girl, you saved your dignity too. Even when it must've been terrifying and painful for you, you still stood your ground. That's why I'm proud of you."
He reached out and gently patted my head.
"Besides," he murmured softly, "you must've already been having a rough day before any of this happened, right? One of those really bad days where you just can't take it anymore. It happens to the best of us."
My vision wavered.
Damn it…
Not now…
My eyes filled with tears before I could stop them and I quickly pulled the blanket up to hide my face.
The officer stood quietly, pretending not to notice.
He got up, heading toward the door.
Before he stepped out, the words slipped out of me in a small, shaky mumble.
"…Th…thank you."
I couldn't see but all I heard in response was. "Yeah…"
"…hic…"
The door clicked softly as he left me to cry in peace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, I woke to a soft knock on the door.
For a second, still half-asleep, I assumed it was my family.
"Come in," I said quietly.
The door slid open.
"…Huh?"
It wasn't my mom or any of my family member.
It was the policeman from yesterday.
He walked in with the same calm look as always, but seeing him this early made me freeze. I honestly didn't think I'd ever run into him again, so having him show up now… it caught me completely off guard.
"O–Oh," I said, suddenly wide awake and painfully aware of how pathetic I must've looked after crying myself to sleep. "Um… morning."
"Morning," he replied with a small nod. "How're you feeling today?"
"A lot better," I muttered, not quite meeting his eyes. Remembering last night made me want to hide under the blanket. "Still sore, but… better."
"That's good."
An awkward silence settled for a moment, and I cleared my throat.
"So, uh… did something happen? Did you need something?"
He shook his head. "What brings me here? Nothing you need to worry about. I told you I would help you out with your phone situation yesterday, didn't I?"
"My what—oh."
Right. The completely destroyed phone sitting in pieces… That bastard really did a number on it. Before he kicked me, I remember him crushing it under his boot. I hadn't even realized it at the time; I was too out of it.
"Oh," I mumbled. "You don't have to. I mean, it's completely broken. I'm thankful, but…"
"Yeah. I know." He reached into his pocket. "That's why I brought this."
My eyes widened.
It wasn't just any phone.
It was the exact same model as mine.
"Hold on—what? What is this?" I asked, staring between him and the device.
"I actually had the same model as yours," he said. "It's barely been used, still pretty new. So… you can take it."
I blinked at him. "Eh—? N-No, no way! You already did so much for me yesterday. I can't take your phone!"
"It's fine," he said casually. "I cleared everything off it. And I have a few more phones, so it's no trouble for me."
"That's not, that's not the point!" I tried to sit up straighter, wincing. "I won't be able to repay you for something like this."
"You don't have to."
"No, seriously, I can't—"
"Yes, you can."
"N–No—"
He let out a sigh. "You don't want to get in trouble with your parents over a broken phone, right? Especially after everything that happened yesterday."
I froze.
That… was a low blow.
"But...but?"
I didn't know what to say. Part of me still felt guilty taking something so expensive, another part knew he wasn't wrong and somewhere in between, I just felt… confused.
"Still thinking about it, huh?" he asked.
He let out another sigh, this one sounding more annoyed than anything.
"You really are stubborn, you know that?"
I flinched a little at that, but he continued anyway.
"Fine," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Then don't think of it as me giving it to you. I'm just lending it. When the day comes that you don't need it anymore, bring it back to me."
I blinked. "I… can do that?"
"Yeah," he said simply. "That works."
Somehow, that made it easier to accept.
I stared at the phone, cheeks warming despite myself.
"…Thank you," I muttered softly.
I picked it up and pressed the power button and its screen lit up.
A bright, glittery Magical girl wallpaper flashed across it.
The moment I saw it, a tiny, involuntary "…pffft—" slipped out of me.
"That's—" he cleared his throat in embarrassment, "my daughter's doing. Not mine. She changed it and I, uh… forgot to fix it."
His voice dropped into a grumble. "Don't read too much into it."
"…Sure," I said, failing miserably to sound serious. "I won't."
"Tch… kids these days," he muttered under his breath.
For a moment, neither of us said anything as everything felt strangely calm.
"…I'll take good care of it," I said quietly.
"I know you will," he replied, equally soft.
He turned toward the door. "Alright then. I'll let you rest. Doctors said you should be discharged by noon."
"Good luck, kid. With… everything." He said casually.
He started to step out, and before I even realized I was speaking, the words slipped out of me of my mouth. "Will I… see you again?"
The words hung in the air, and only after they left my mouth did, I realize how stupid they sounded. 'Ahhh—why did I say that? Idiot. Nincompoop. Hachiman. That sounded so stupid…'
I waited, half expecting him to brush it off or give me a weird look just like yesterday's rejection.
"…Huh." He blinked, almost surprised.
"…Oh," he said quietly. "Well… I wouldn't mind. It be nice to see you doing alright."
He added casually, "I, uh… patrol that same area near the alley from yesterday. Your school isn't far from there. So… maybe we'll cross paths again."
I nodded after hearing that.
He pushed the door open, stepped halfway out—
"Oh, um… officer?" I called.
He hummed in acknowledgment without looking back.
"Can…can you please tell me your name?"
He paused, taking a small breath.
"…Ah. Right. I forgot about that," he said quietly. "Well, my name is—"
It had been a week since I was discharged from the hospital and forced back into the hell known as school. Even after all that, things remained exactly the same for me. Actually, they might have gotten a little worse.
The rumour mill worked overtime the moment I came back. Someone must've overheard "hospital" and "fight," because suddenly there were whispers that I was some kind of delinquent.
Some idiot even said I "beat up some college students." Yeah. Sure. Very funny. If I weren't the one who almost died.
I tried clearing things up, but rumours spread faster than explanations. All I managed was convincing a handful of people in my class. Everyone else? Lost cause.
'Great. Just great. I thought middle school was supposed to be my big upgrade… but it's somehow even worse than elementary. How is that fair?!'
Whatever.
I stood outside the school gate, watching the last groups of students drift away.
The phone he lent me sat in my hand. One tap, and the screen lit up with that sparkly Magical Girl wallpaper I still hadn't changed. "…Haah."
I slipped it back into my pocket and, without thinking, drifted toward the back gate, the same long route from a week ago, the one I'd been avoiding ever since the incident.
My feet walked on autopilot. I didn't know what I was expecting.
Closure? Fear?
Instead, all I felt was… this looming dread of being disappointed.
Until—
RING! RING! RING!
A bicycle bell rang from behind me.
"It's you, Hikigaya-kun!"
That familiar voice struck something deep inside me.
I turned around and it was him.
The officer.
My chest felt weirdly lighter after hearing that.
"O-Oh," I said, trying not to sound too… whatever I was feeling. "We… meet again soon, Officer."
"You know my name now. You don't have to keep call me 'Officer' anymore. You know that."
I looked away, scratching my cheek. "…I like it that way."
"Well, suit yourself, then." He chuckled softly, pushing his bicycle alongside me. "Out here all by yourself, huh? You don't have any friends you walk home with or something?"
I flinched a little at the casual question, the reminder of my solo life hitting harder than it should've.
He noticed immediately and corrected himself, sensing my discomfort. "Ah, sorry. Not my business. I mean, it's a nice day for a walk. But since you're heading in the same direction, why don't you hop on? I'm pretty bored riding all by myself."
"Is it… really alright?"
"Hop on," he repeated, giving me a knowing glance.
Hesitantly, I put one foot on the pedal, then the other, and hopped onto the back of the heavy, official patrol bicycle.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
The next day, I didn't even hesitate. I took the same route near the alley, and the moment I heard the bell, I was already smiling on the inside.
We rode together. The day after that, too. And the next one too.
Before I knew it, a week has already passed and it became a routine.
Talking about stupid things, laughing at his and his daughter's Magical Girl obsession, and even arguing about the plot of Pretty Cure was surprisingly the best part.
It was all just… so fun it was hard to even imagine.
But this afternoon, as I walked that same path, I heard the bell again, just like every day.
Only this time he barely slowed down, just the faintest pause of the brakes, and then he rode right past me without stopping.
As I watched the patrol bicycle grow smaller in the distance, ''Is this it? This kind of ending again?'
I felt a familiar, sickening drop in my stomach. Even in the past, when I had thought I made friends, they never lasted. Not one of them. Was this the end of this, too?
"…I guess…" I muttered, "…that's how it is."
Maybe I shouldn't bother him anymore.
Maybe this was a one-week thing.
Maybe I was being selfish.
Then—
"HIKIGAYA-KUN!"
I jolted.
The officer shouted over his shoulder: "I'M NOT STOPPING! IF YOU WANT TO GET ON, YOU BETTER RUN FOR IT!"
"H-Huh?!"
"You CAN reach me, right?! Don't tell me you can't! C'mon, Man!"
I stared at his back.
Run?
Me?!
But before my brain even caught up, my body moved.
One step, then two, and suddenly I was actually running after him.
And suddenly I was leaping toward him.
My foot slipped, I nearly fell, my butt slammed onto the back seat—
"AGH—!"
"Itai…!"
"That hurts dammit…"
"Pff—HAHA! You made it, Awesome!"
He laughed like there was no tomorrow, and for the first time in my miserable school life… I laughed too, from the bottom of my heart.
Days passed. Then weeks.
Before I even realized it, that one ridiculous moment me jumping onto his bike like an idiot became the start of something that continued day after day.
And now, almost a month later, just like always, we were riding on his patrol bike, discussing the new Pretty Cure and Pan-san movie trailer.
At first, I didn't think much of it. Maybe he was focused on the road. Maybe he was thinking about some adult responsibility I'd never understand.
But the silence kept stretching.
"…Officer?" I finally asked.
He didn't answer right away. Then, without turning, he let out a small breath.
"Hey, kid," he said. "Can I tell you something? Something a little embarrassing for an old man like me?"
That caught me off guard. Embarrassing? From him?
"…Sure," I said.
"You know," he began, voice quieter than usual, "back when I was your age… I didn't have any friends. Not in middle school. Not in high school either."
I blinked. "…Huh, really?"
"It didn't bother me at the time," he said with a small shrug. "Or at least, I thought it didn't. I studied, kept to myself, got into a decent university. I met the woman who would become my wife… and later, even made a few friends during the training corps."
He paused, then let out a soft, almost self‑deprecating chuckle.
"But there's still a part of me… a foolish part… that never really grew up. A kid stuck back in middle school, wishing he had someone to walk home with. Someone to talk about nothing with. Someone to ride bikes with after class, just doing the things kids your age do."
He smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. "Even now, with a family I love… I still feel that little part of me sometimes. That lonely kid. He's still there."
I stayed silent and simply listened as he poured his heart out.
"But ever since you started riding with me… that feeling has changed a little."
He scratched his cheek with an awkward grin. "It sounds silly, but for a short while each day, it feels like I'm stepping back in time. Like I'm that middle school kid again. Not a police officer, not a father, not even an adult. Just a kid hanging out with his buddy after school, talking about nothing and having fun."
My fingers tightened slightly around the back of his jacket.
"So… thank you," he said quietly. "For hanging out with an old man every day after school. I didn't realize how much I needed it."
Something warm bloomed painfully in my chest. Something hopeful once again. Something I had started losing little by little after that incident in the alley.
"…Really?" I murmured before I could stop myself. "Did you… actually mean that?"
"Yeah. I did."
"Uh… Officer?"
"Yeah?" he replied lightly.
My grip on his jacket tightened just a little more.
"Are we… are we like… friends or something now?"
The bicycle slowed just enough for him to turn his head, as if the question truly caught him off guard.
Then, after a brief pause, a small smirk formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Friends?" he repeated softly. "No. We're not like friends."
My heart dropped straight into my stomach.
"Oh…" I managed, my voice barely a whisper.
Then he finished, almost laughing—
"We're actually best friends."
"I froze for half a second, surprised, and a quiet, joyful whisper slipped from my lips.
"You really are my—
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The moment lingered warmly for a moment, and then the dream around it softened and began to fade, its edges blurring as wakefulness slowly crept in.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
"…aya…"
Somewhere far away, a voice called my name.
"…—gaya."
I shifted slightly. The warmth of the scene in my mind began to slip through my fingers.
"...best…"
A muffled voice pressed against the edges of my ending dream.
"…Hika—gaya."
"…friends…" The rest followed in a barely audible breath.
Hikigaya's eyes snapped open.
Bright sky above. Grass brushing the back of his head. And—
He turned his head slightly, still half-disoriented.
"…Wait. What?" he muttered, "Ayanokoji?"
Ayanokoji was crouched beside him, expression as unreadable as ever.
"You're awake," he said calmly. "Are you alright? You passed out here near the basketball club."
"Ehhhh…?" Hikigaya blinked in surprise.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Authors Note:
So hey, this chapter is finally done.
I really hope it was alright, and holy shit, I still can't believe I wrote over 8,500 words in just three days. That's some next-level personal achievement for me.
When I first planned this flashback, I never imagined it would get this long. But the fight, the emotions, everything connected to Hachiman's character felt too important to cut short, so I didn't hold back at all. Especially the fight scene, I rewrote that part so many times because I wanted his raw emotions and the consequences to come through clearly.
This is honestly the hardest chapter I've ever written, but I hope it made you curious and gave you something meaningful.
As for the arc, it should take about two more chapters to finish. Maybe three if something unexpected happens. Everything here is intentional and all of it is laying the foundation for later arcs, especially for Hachiman's character development.
Also, there might be a few mistakes here and there since I couldn't get myself to reread the entire chapter again. I'm uploading it the moment I finished writing it, so the proofreading time was basically non-existent. I'll fix things properly later when I get the chance.
Thank you again for giving this story a chance.
Your comments and encouragement mean a lot to me and genuinely keep me motivated to write more.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
— Raijinmaru_K2