The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

Iori grabbed his collar, her expression filled with grief and indignation.

Hachiman remained silent, but simply took out a slip of paper.

Iori looked at the note and saw that it was written on it.

[Break up with Kotegawa right now, or I'll kill you within three days.]

"So Iori, you're dating Chisa. No wonder it caused such outrage."

Hachiman smiled calmly. This note was from when Iori went to ask Chisa, and someone was about to stab the wall next to him with a knife, but he stopped them halfway.

Don't underestimate his ability to disarm someone bare-handed; you should know that in another world, he was an excellent spy!

"Me, dating Chisa? What kind of logic is that?"

Iori was completely bewildered. How come he didn't know about this? Besides, wasn't Chisa closer to Hachiman? He'd become a minotaur? Who was he minotaur?

"I see." After understanding the situation, Kohei tapped his palms and walked fearlessly toward his classmate, who was burning with rage. "So this has nothing to do with us, right?"

"You will die last."

"We'll come find you after we've dealt with those two."

Kohei returned to the two of them with a pale face; this was not what they had agreed upon.

So, what have you decided to do? Are you going to break up with me?

"I will definitely do it."

Whether it's true or not, if he doesn't break up with her immediately, he'll either be burned to death by the angry FFF group here, or he'll be tortured to death by Nana Hana-nee after she finds out. He won't get away with either of those things, so why wouldn't he do it? Is he just being cheap?

"But Chisa is looking at you like you're trash. If you agree to break up, you might be treated like non-recyclable trash and sent to the incinerator to be turned into ashes on the spot."

"So, what exactly happened?!"

"Anyway, you can die first. I'm ready to fly to Hawaii tonight to learn self-defense."

Hachiman walked toward the door without looking back. "Hmm, I'll board the plane tonight. I'll borrow some money from Yukinoshita Haruno first."

Seeing him leave, Kohei also prepared to leave, not wanting to get splattered with blood.

"Halt! Strategist! Kōhei!"

Iori grabbed their shoulders, and when they turned around, they saw that his eyes were bloodshot, making him look like a demon.

"Are you really just going to stand by and watch me die? Aren't we best brothers?"

"The saying goes that brothers share good fortune and bear hardship alone. In such a dangerous situation where even we ourselves are in danger, you should bear it alone."

"Hehe, is that so?" Iori revealed a strange smile. Hachiman, sensing something was wrong, tried to stop him, but he was one step ahead, opening his mouth wide and shouting loudly, "Oh dear, I heard that the runner-up in the beauty pageant has a crush on you, Hachiman. Before the competition, you were even exchanging flirtatious glances. You two are definitely dating, aren't you?"

The door slammed shut, and two burly men blocked the entrance, their faces contorted with bloodthirsty smiles.

"No, I haven't gone out yet!"

Kohei didn't understand; he hadn't done anything wrong.

At that moment, someone put their hands on his shoulders. When he turned around, he saw two scumbags.

"Kouhei, it seems that the senior from Qinghai Women's University who was planning to confess to you during the men's competition saw your heroic performance and is going to ask you out for dinner."

"Hey, prepare two more crosses, and bring more gasoline!"

"...You two are inhuman!!!"

Chapter 54 Do you have someone you like?

Hachiman and his two companions sat around a table, eating bread they had bought from a small shop. The prices at this cafeteria were a bit high, and it wasn't even fried noodles, which Iori and Kohei found unacceptable. Hachiman found their thought process fascinating; if a serving of fried noodles really cost 560 yen, that would be even more unacceptable.

"Hachiman, are you really dating Chisa?"

Iori activated his Iron Teeth and Copper Fangs, tearing at a French baguette as long as his body. This kind of bread was not only plentiful but also extremely hard. Its downside was that it was consumed quickly, but it was very suitable for dogs in the teething stage.

"You heard what she said."

Hachiman, still unable to snag a yakisoba bread roll, took a bite of the melon bun. The slightly sweet taste made his gums itch, and he pressed the tip of his tongue against the roots of his teeth, trying to relieve the itch.

"That expression really makes it easy for people to mistakenly think she's shy."

Kohei took out a small red bean paste bun, no bigger than a thumb, from the bag and popped it into his mouth. Recalling Kotegawa's behavior just now, if it were in a visual novel, it would definitely be a tsundere performance of running away because his secret was exposed.

"You said it yourself, it was just an illusion."

A classmate he didn't know well walked up to Hachiman. He looked up, reached out and took the threatening letter from the other person. Before leaving, he was glared at fiercely by the other person.

Hachiman remained completely unmoved. He had seen that look in his eyes dozens of times today, and he was so used to it that he could withstand the invisible pressure and calmly down three cans of Max coffee.

Come to think of it, how long has it been since he last had this stuff? It's strange, he seems to often forget about it since he came here.

Since joining the diving club, his brain seems to automatically divide drinks into two categories: alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. This makes him feel that anything he drinks except alcohol is a gift from heaven, and he naturally forgets Max coffee, which once had an important place in his life.

“That’s true, Chisa basically never shows any shyness.” Iori, who had finally managed to bite off a third of the baguette, puffed out her cheeks and chewed laboriously. “Didn’t we try to make her shy at the beauty pageant last time, and we failed?”

"No, it was successful in the strict sense, only in terms of the process."

Kohei refuted his words, saying that his plan was flawless and had indeed made Kotegawa blush during its execution, only the final outcome was somewhat different.

"Yes, in terms of the process alone, the result was that the three of us were forced to hide in the bushes, and I ended up drinking three liters of liquor."

Recalling that unpleasant experience, Hachiman shrugged helplessly. Chisa, carrying a baseball bat, had once ranked sixth in his fear of her.

"Speaking of which, I think Kohei was confessed to by the Corpse Monster around that time," Iori recalled, recalling that there seemed to be such a scene.

"Oh, I had forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it."

Kohei held the small bread roll, and the image of that wailing, ghostly makeup flashed through his mind, instantly turning his face to one of disgust.

"It's better to forget about it."

The two nodded in agreement. For a hardcore otaku who loves anime and manga, being confessed to by a real person, especially a zombie, would definitely leave a psychological scar.

"Speaking of which, Kohei, what kind of woman do you like?" Hachiman asked curiously. This guy is handsome, there's no reason why he's still single like Iori.

"Lala." x2

Iori spread his hands, "See, that's how well I know him."

"So, you like lolis, huh? Iori, call the police!"

Although he had always known that the other person liked the anime character Lala, he only thought it was limited to the two-dimensional world. If you like this type in the three-dimensional world, then sorry, go eat pork cutlet rice.

"Not really."

Despite being falsely accused, Kōhei was not angry. He took three or four small steamed buns and stuffed them into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly.

"Although my dream is to join a female high school girl harem club and marry a voice actress, I don't actually have many requirements for the person I like. Gentle, kind, and able to agree with my preferences, those three things are enough."

He swallowed the steamed bun hastily, as if swallowing the pain of being misunderstood over the years: "What rules or conventions are there? I'm not a particularly outstanding person."

The two men stared at him, and after a long while, they clapped.

It was as if Iori was getting to know his best friend for the first time, and he never expected that he would be so clear about his own position.

Why did the topic suddenly become so heavy?

Shouldn't they be having headaches over those false lies right now?

"And what about you, Iori? What type do you like?" Kohei asked, not wanting his own fantasies to be exposed.

"Me..."

Iori blinked. Although he kept saying he wanted a colorful college life with someone to accompany him, he hadn't actually thought about what kind of girlfriend he wanted.

"She must have big breasts and a good figure."

He spoke hesitantly, using keywords he often looked for when searching for movies, which, according to his hormonal instincts, indicated that he probably liked this type of film.

"How tacky," the two complained.

"That's just a man's nature!"

Iori said indignantly.

"And you, Hachiman, what type do you like?"

"Forehead……"

The boomerang eventually hit him.

After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "I don't have a particular type that I like, but if I had to imagine someone, I think it would be someone who appears strong on the outside but has a soft and vulnerable heart, is gentle but also a bit stubborn, is calm in the face of problems but can be a little absent-minded at times, has her own opinions but will also listen to the opinions of others, can be a little sarcastic but is also very good at comforting people, a girl who seems a bit awkward no matter how you look at her."

After he finished speaking, he did not receive any comments from the two of them.

Hachiman looked at the two of them and saw that their expressions were quite strange.

"what happened?"

"Hachiman..."

Iori stared at him. How should I put it? He always felt that the other person wasn't fantasizing, but rather describing someone who actually existed in reality and with whom he had shared memories. He repeated the word "but" countless times. Would anyone really need to use so much precise description to describe a fantasy object?

"Have you been playing too many bishoujo dating games?" Kohei asked. This description doesn't sound like reality. Are there really women in real life who possess so many attributes at the same time?

"Sorry, I only play handheld dragon hunting games."

Commonly known as the CatCar Simulator.

"Oh~ a katana."

"You actually figured out my profession at a glance?"

"Where did you two get off to?" Iori asked, speechless, as the two men focused their attention on him.

"Hachiman, do you have someone you like?"

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Answer Seeked

Do you have someone you like?

When Iori asked the question, everything around them seemed to fall silent. He and Kohei stared at Hachiman, the cool silver light of the cafeteria walls shimmering in their eyes. They did not close their eyes, focusing all their attention on waiting for his reply.

Faced with the eager eyes of the two, Hachiman naturally understood that Iori had taken his words to heart. He hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

"I do have someone I care about."

I say I care, but it's more like I feel sorry. If he had been braver back then, maybe things would have turned out better.

However, if that were the case, he wouldn't have been able to come here, nor would he have met Iori and the others. Thinking about it this way, it seems to be a mixed bag.

"Lala?"

"Don't ruin the mood at a time like this."

Iori pulled Kohei's face away, utterly speechless. How could this guy bring up lesbianism in everything? Did his life revolve mostly around this thing?

He sighed, worried about his best friend's future. Although Kohei had a face comparable to a European or American heartthrob, the stark difference in their personalities made it easy for people to forget his good points.

"Hachiman, is the person you're interested in from our school? It's not that quiet girl who came in second place in the beauty pageant, is it?" Iori asked. Although they had only met a few times, she did have a calm demeanor in the face of trouble.

A quiet and gentle girl? Is that referring to Shan Yan? She's actually second? But that seems pretty normal. Although her personality is rather gloomy, her appearance is quite glamorous. This strong contrast might attract a lot of fans.

This is a golden opportunity; it remains to be seen whether she can seize it.

Hachiman shook his head and answered Iori's question: "No, she's not at our school. Sengoku is just a friend."

You call everyone a friend? Chisa is a friend, Sengen is a friend, and those four girls with completely different personalities are friends too. With so many friends, have you ever considered that your brother is still single?! He and Kohei have been through more than twenty years of ups and downs, and they don't even have a single woman they're even slightly attracted to!

He looked at Kohei, who was eating his steamed buns without a care in the world, the purple-haired Lolita on his clothes standing out so conspicuously.

Iori covered her face and rubbed her cheeks, then picked up a glass of water and took a sip: "Where is she?"

"Right now, they should be in Tokyo University."

On the eve of the college entrance examination, he heard her mention that she was going to study humanities at the University of Tokyo, which puzzled him for a while.

Although Yukinoshita excelled in both arts and sciences, her science grades were more outstanding and would be more conducive to fulfilling her dream of taking over the family business. Therefore, her decision at the time surprised him slightly.

Life is truly amazing. He, who was good at humanities, chose science at university, while Yukino, who was good at science, chose humanities.

Upon hearing his words, Iori spat out all the water in her mouth, spraying it onto Kohei's face.

"Kisama!!!"

"and many more!"