"Actually, Hikigaya, you and Nukumizu are actually quite similar."
"Can't that guy talk to girls normally?"
"Occasionally, even I feel a bit pathetic for the variance between you and a normal person..."
"Sexy? What sexy?"
"..."
"Cough, cough. Just a joke, don't look at me with eyes that look like they want to murder someone."
"..."
"Wow, this night sky sure is night..."
Hachiman seemed to be instantly drawn in by the heavy night outside the window, avoiding Asakura's gaze as he turned his head to look out the car window.
"That guy was also troubled by a supernatural incident once. He also solved the problem with the help of the Magic Club, and in the end, not only was his memory not wiped... he even helped me out with a tiny favor in a certain incident."
Asakura returned to the main topic, making a circle with his thumb and index finger, the distance between the two almost negligible to show that it really was a minuscule amount of help: "I've acknowledged his courage, so although it wasn't explicitly stated, that guy can be considered an off-budget member of the Magic Club."
"To think that kind of thing happened before," Hikigaya muttered, "You can't tell at all."
"Being able to keep a secret is also a necessary condition for contacting the supernatural. There's no need to publicize this kind of stuff so the whole world knows." Asakura said meaningfully.
Hachiman made a zipping gesture over his own mouth.
"No problem, I've always been at ease with you," Asakura patted his shoulder, "After all, you don't have anyone you could leak it to anyway."
Hikigaya: "..."
Asakura took a small, delicate glass bottle out from the car bed and handed it to Hikigaya.
"What's this?"
Hikigaya took the bottle. The bottle contained a slightly whitening liquid.
He gently shook the bottle, and the liquid inside sloshed along with it, though judging from the consistency, it didn't look like clear water, but rather a state somewhere between water and oil.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Hikigaya even felt that this bottle of liquid seemed to be emitting a faint, imperceptible fluorescence.
"It's nuclear wastewater." Asakura said.
"Nani?!" Hikigaya almost threw the bottle in his hand out the window.
"Just kidding, it's a magic potion." Asakura only then revealed a wicked smile: "Its scientific name is Essence of Dittany. It can treat the vast majority of external injuries—even if your arm falls off, this stuff can help you glue it back on."
To tell it like it is, no bias, no hype.
After all, Asakura really had glued his own arm back on.
"What is this supposed to be?" Hachiman asked, shaking the magic potion in his hand.
"Employee benefits, probably?" Asakura replied, "If you don't plan on being an off-budget member of the Magic Club, then give it back to me."
"No way, rather, it's just wonderful not to be left to fend for myself."
Hachiman solemnly put away the Essence of Dittany. For an ordinary person, no matter how much importance was attached to this kind of life-saving item, it could never be too much.
"What are your plans next?" Asakura asked him.
"Go straight home, of course, and then spend the rest of the summer vacation leisurely at home."
Hachiman replied as if it were a matter of course.
"You're not going back to your hometown in the countryside?" Asakura asked curiously.
"Since things have come to this, forget it." Hikigaya shook his head.
Then he looked at Asakura with some vigilance: "Wait a minute, you're not about to assign work to off-budget personnel right now, are you? If it's an on-site investigation of urban legends or something, please spare me..."
"Not at all, after all, you guys are off-budget personnel, not D-Class personnel."
Asakura said nonchalantly, having no intention of using people as consumables: "However, after this, I will send you some urban legends collected on the internet recently. Sort them for me according to their credibility."
"A clerical job? I'm good at that. Don't let my appearance fool you, my liberal arts score was actually fourth in the grade during the midterm academic proficiency test."
Hachiman let out a sigh of relief at this point, speaking with an air of pride.
"Oh," the number one in the grade responded.
The old Ford car continued to fly through the night sky. Presumably because they had run out of topics to discuss, coupled with the fact that Komachi, the sole normie who was originally responsible for livening up the atmosphere, was still asleep, the interior of the car was enveloped in silence for a period of time.
After quite a while, Asakura asked curiously: "By the way, does it mean your parents have absolutely no intention of contacting you guys?"
Although due to the difference in the flow of time, the two days experienced in the past Itomori Town only equated to a rather short amount of time in the outside world, the distance between Hida and Chiba was a physical reality. They had already been flying in the sky for a long time and the sky had turned dark, yet the Hikigaya parents completely failed to contact their own children.
"Because Komachi is exceptionally sensible, generally Mom and Dad won't worry too much about her," Hachiman replied.
"Indeed, Komachi is much more mature than a certain someone in terms of how she conducts herself."
"I'm truly sorry for not being as mature as Komachi! I merely possess a proud, aloof, and noble personality! If there is a next life, I will definitively become a bear!"
"Speaking of which, why do you only mention Komachi, what about yourself?"
"Because I was a promotional giveaway for topping up a phone bill, generally Mom and Dad won't worry too much about me."
"...How should I put this, sorry."
"Damn it, this kind of pitiful gaze is even more unbearable than that murderously intent gaze from before!"
The interior of the car was once again enveloped in silence, only this time Hachiman was visibly somewhat embarrassed.
After another little while, just as Asakura took out his phone wanting to check how much further it was to their destination, a sudden ringtone broke the silence.
Hikigaya hurriedly took out his phone, a look of bewilderment still plastered on his face as if thinking, 'Could it be that Mom and Dad have genuinely found their conscience?'
However, his expression very quickly shifted from bewilderment into pleasant surprise.
"Saika?"
Although the speakerphone wasn't turned on, with the blessing of the spell [Snake], Asakura's senses were somewhat sharper than an ordinary person's, so he could still very clearly hear the voice coming from Hikigaya's phone.
"Hachiman? Awesome, it finally connected. I called you just a moment ago, but for some reason, it just wouldn't go through..."
"It must be because the signal out here in the countryside isn't very good, it's out of service range."
Hachiman hurriedly explained.
"Huh, Hachiman is in the countryside? That's not good..."
"Is there something going on?" Hikigaya asked in a rush.
"I originally wanted to... with you tomorrow..."
"I'm free!"
Without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Hikigaya blurted out immediately.
Only after doing so did he look toward Asakura as if suddenly realizing something.
Asakura's expression turned incredibly meaningful: Ditching your own boss to run off and go on a date with your little lover, you've got a lot of nerve, kid.
Hikigaya immediately used lip movements to mouth: "My treat."
Asakura shook his head.
Hikigaya thought about it, and with a face showing reluctance and heartache, he held up three fingers, signaling: "Three meals on me."
Asakura pondered for a brief moment, and only then did he nod his head.
And so, Hikigaya finally put his mind at ease.