The Exorcism Tale of Hachiman

Upon seeing the eye-catching scene before him, Hachiman Hikigaya silently stood up and walked towards the juice vending machine.

However, not long after leaving Yotsuya Miko, Hachiman Hikigaya was stopped in his tracks by a girl with short yellow hair.

"can I help you?"

Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at the imposing figure in front of the girl and a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

He shouldn't be that popular, right?

Why are so many girls looking for him today?

"follow me..."

However, the girl did not answer Hachiman Hikigaya's question. After glancing at Miko Yotsuya sitting not far away, she grabbed Hachiman Hikigaya's hand and ran towards the juice vending machine.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

After three heavy thuds, Hachiman Hikigaya bent down and handed a can of juice to the girl standing next to him.

"Thanks...."

After accepting the juice, the girl thanked him softly, opened the bottle, and took a sip.

So, what do you need me for?

After opening a can of juice and taking a sip, Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at the passersby, then leaned against the wall and asked...

His intuition told him that the girl in front of him wasn't there for him.

Chapter 19 Sorry

Yurikawa Hana held the juice in both hands and nodded slightly to Hikigaya Hachiman. "I came to find you because of Miko."

Is he that guy's friend?

After hearing what Yurikawa Hana said, Hikigaya Hachiman curiously raised his head and looked at the girl in front of him.

What comes into view is the girl's proud chest; in Hikigaya's memory, it seems that only Hiratsuka Shizuka could outshine her.

What did this guy eat to grow up like this?

"Um! I wanted to ask..."

Completely unaware of the strange thoughts in Hachiman Hikigaya's mind, Yurikawa looked at the boy in front of her, opened her mouth but didn't know how to say it.

"You're here to ask about my relationship with Yotsuya-kun, right?"

Even without saying it aloud, Hachiman Hikigaya had already guessed Yurikawa Hana's intentions.

After all, her best friend suddenly started dating a guy who looked really creepy, and even prepared a bento box for him.

This doesn't make any sense.

Most people would assume that Yotsuya Miko had some kind of leverage over him and was being coerced into doing this, right?

Thinking about this, Hachiman Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh that humans really are a bunch of creatures who judge by appearance.

If Yotsuya Miko had delivered the bento to Hayama Hayato instead of him today, this girl probably wouldn't be here.

"No~"

To Hachiman Hikigaya's surprise, Yurikawa Hana showed a hint of astonishment upon hearing his words, then shook her head to indicate that he had guessed wrong.

"Hmm, I guessed right. First of all, let me clarify that I have absolutely no connection with Yotsuya-san. I just happened to help her, and the bento box I had earlier was a return gift from her. That's all... Wait a minute! What did you just say?"

Hachiman Hikigaya naturally assumed he had guessed correctly, but just as he was finishing most of his prepared explanation, he suddenly realized something.

"Haha, I told you you guessed wrong. I already knew what Jianzi came to see you for."

Seeing that Hachiman Hikigaya finally realized what was happening, Yurikawa Hana managed to suppress a laugh while clutching her stomach.

She had been somewhat wary of Hachiman Hikigaya after hearing Miko's words, but she found it quite amusing when she heard him hastily disclaim his relationship with Miko.

"So, what is the purpose of your visit?"

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Hana Yurikawa with a puzzled expression.

Now that she has figured out what happened, why is she coming to find him?

"Of course I'm here to ask what you think of Miko!"

At this point, Yuri Kawana couldn't help but puff out her cheeks.

Even though her adorable Miko was so proactive, this dead-eyed guy in front of her didn't react at all...

"I'm sorry, I have no intention of being in a relationship..."

Hachiman Hikigaya looked apologetic. He lowered his head, said apologetically, and then turned to return to the bicycle shed. Presumably, Miko Yotsuya must be getting impatient by now.

"Hey, why?"

Upon hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's answer, Yurikawa Hana's eyes widened, and she jogged after him, pressing him for an answer.

"It's nothing, I just find it troublesome..."

With a helpless shrug, Hachiman gave his answer without hesitation.

Even with the exorcist system, he still didn't change his lazy, unambitious attitude towards life.

After all, Tokyo is such a large city that even if there are few low-level evil spirits, it is still relatively speaking.

If he had wanted to, he would have become an intermediate exorcist and started the beginner's tutorial mentioned by the intelligent system long before he met Yotsuya Miko. Why would he have jumped two levels in a row like yesterday and made the intelligent system say goodbye to him?

However, when Yurikawa heard the answer that seemed obvious to Hachiman Hikigaya, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Trouble?!"

Yurikawa Hana stared incredulously into Hikigaya Hachiman's eyes, trying to see the panic in his dead fish eyes as he lied.

To her disappointment, Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes remained calm and still, which meant he wasn't lying...

"Does anyone actually find dating a troublesome thing?"

Hachiman Hikigaya's words left Hana Yurikawa completely bewildered.

They're young men and women in the prime of their lives, drawn together by hormones in a passionate romance. Shouldn't they be celebrating their youth?

"Yes, that's right. So please also advise your friend not to come looking for me unless it's absolutely necessary!"

After Hachiman Hikigaya finished speaking, he bypassed Yurikawa Hana, who was blocking his way, and continued walking towards the bicycle shed.

This time, Yurikawa Hana did not stop him.

Back at the bicycle shed, Yotsuya Miko had already packed up both lunch boxes.

She was sitting quietly on the steps, watching the energetic students on the playground not far away, lost in thought.

"Your juice...."

Sitting down next to Miko Yotsuya, Hachiman Hikigaya handed her the third can of juice.

"Thanks...."

Taking the juice from Hachiman Hikigaya, Miko Yotsuya didn't open it. Instead, she held it in her hands, staring intently at Hachiman.

"What, what's wrong?"

Hachiman Hikigaya became a little nervous under the gaze, and he hurriedly looked up at the distant buildings to shift his attention.

"Did Xiaohua just look for you?"

Yotsuya Miko asked in a confident tone.

"Xiaohua?"

Upon hearing this title, Hachiman Hikigaya frowned.

"She's a short-haired girl with a really great figure, and you smell like her..."

Yotsuya Miko, also gazing into the distance, offered a calm explanation.

After a moment of silence, Hachiman Hikigaya nodded: "Mm."

"So what did she talk to you about?"

Turning around, Miko Yotsuya looked at Hikigaya's profile and asked curiously.

"It's nothing, they were just asking what I thought of you."

"Then how did you answer?"

When asked this, Yotsuya Miko's voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she was very nervous about Hikigaya Hachiman's answer.

"You're fine."

Hachiman Hikigaya had many beautiful adjectives in his mind, but when the words came out of his mouth, they became the most basic three words.

"Is it just good?"

Yotsuya Miko looked down at the tips of her shoes, feeling an overwhelming sense of loss.

This was supposed to be my first time delivering a lunchbox to a guy, and this is how I got the result?

Seeing the almost-crying expression on Miko Yotsuya's face, Hachiman Hikigaya's Adam's apple bobbed. He opened his mouth, and the words of apology came out:

"I'm very sorry, but I don't plan to date during high school..."

Yotsuya Miko didn't reply. She simply stood up silently, tidied up the lunchbox on the ground, and left with the juice that Hachiman Hikigaya had bought in her hand.

Watching Miko Yotsuya's departing figure, Hachiman Hikigaya sighed, then gave a wry smile: "Looks like I'm disliked again."

But that’s fine too.

If she spends too much time with someone like him, other people will start looking at her differently...

Chapter 20 An Encounter at the Crossroads

The afternoon consists of three consecutive science classes.

The sweltering weather, combined with the teacher's unchanging voice, made Hachiman Hikigaya drowsy.

Suddenly remembering that his clothes had temperature-regulating capabilities, the coolness emanating from them made Hachiman Hikigaya feel much more clear-headed.

But even with formulas covering the entire blackboard, he still felt overwhelmed.