The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

So this was the nephew the shopkeeper had mentioned. Hachiman Hikigaya silently mourned for him. The dragon slayer had become the dragon himself; it was fate.

Since they are acquaintances, they will definitely interact more. Given this, he can already vaguely see his future prospects.

"Wuhu! Behold my giant stallion attack!"

With dead fish eyes, he watched as someone took off their underwear, revealing censored genitals, and shouted. He nodded firmly, "Yes, that's it."

"No, I can't accept this. I'm sorry, I have to go back to my hometown and say goodbye!"

The hero ran away.

"What? Are you homesick?"

Understandably, he also began to miss the scenery of his hometown, where at least there wouldn't be a large group of naked, muscular men drinking and exposing their genitals.

"Manager, who is that?"

One of the seniors, Shinji Tokita, pointed at the fleeing figure of the hero and asked the manager. Upon hearing this, Hachiman Hikigaya put down his beer. He had a premonition that this was his best chance to escape from this place.

"He's my nephew, and he's going to Izu University."

Your nephew is going to Izu University?

Shinji Tokita and Ryujiro Kotobuki exchanged a glance, their expressions turning gigantic once more. Half of their profiles were hidden in darkness, while the other half revealed that familiar and ferocious smile.

"That means two new students will be joining our club today. We're really lucky, Shou."

"What a lucky day, Tokita."

Shinji Tokita rubbed his hands together, clapped hands with Ryujiro Kotobuki who was expressing his agreement, and then they chased after each other, one of them not wearing underwear.

The people of Izu are so warm and hospitable.

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed, then quietly picked up his luggage, leaned against the wall, and moved towards the shop entrance, trying not to attract attention.

"Is the boy leaving?"

The store manager's gaze was unavoidable; in order to welcome customers, he kept his eyes fixed on the entrance.

"Yes, we need to go and complete the enrollment procedures."

Unlike their predecessors, as a store manager, there is a possibility that they may not be aware of the procedures for handling formalities.

"Be careful on the road, and come visit often when you have time. My diving equipment is discounted for members of the diving club." The shop manager waved goodbye as he left.

After leaving the shop, Hachiman Hikigaya breathed a sigh of relief and then ran in the opposite direction from the three people.

Brave one, please try a little harder. I will definitely carry on your legacy and live a good life!

May you rest in peace!

……

"Eek! Why did that pervert chase after us?!"

Kitahara Iori ran as fast as he could on the highway, glancing back in horror at the two naked, muscular men, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Wait! Newbie, why are you running away!"

"No wonder they ran away!"

"Are you some kind of shy boy? Don't worry, we're very welcoming!"

"I see it. In short, stay away from me!"

What on earth is going on?! His anticipated happy university life hasn't even begun, and he's already being persecuted!

"Just listen to us first!"

"No!"

How could a skinny boy possibly be as physically strong as a muscular man with abs who had been swimming underwater for years? Under the soft sunlight, the boy had tears in his eyes as the muscular man carried him under his shoulder. Their unrestrained laughter echoed across the wide road. The sound was so loud that even Hachiman Hikigaya, who was several kilometers away from the store, could hear it.

He turned back to face the sky, clasped his hands together, and offered a final prayer for the warrior.

Also, this line has appeared three times in three chapters already.

Chapter Four: Unregistered Residents and Shameful Behavior

Miscalculated...

Under the desolate moonlight, Hachiman Hikigaya stood on the asphalt road, dragging his suitcase. He leaned against the railing, gazing at the starry sky. The twinkling stars, as bright as pearls, and the ethereal clouds wove together a beautiful picture.

Gazing at this beautiful scene, a tear involuntarily streamed down my face; it was a tear of bitterness.

Why? Why is my health insurance card missing?

He clearly remembered putting it in his pocket, so how could it be gone?

Hachiman Hikigaya was completely baffled because his identity could not be verified, which meant that no apartment or hotel was willing to take the risk of letting him stay there.

If I had known, I should have brought my accommodation ticket with me. My student ID is still being processed, and nobody around here knows him. He's definitely going to be an unregistered resident now.

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed. The moment he confirmed that his health insurance card was missing, he guessed that it might have been left at the diving shop, or perhaps it had accidentally fallen out of his pocket when he stood up and scurried away from the wall.

But having finally escaped, are we going to be led into the lion's den again?

He resisted, thinking he might as well find a room in the school dormitory to make do for the night, but the thought of sleeping in the same room as other freshmen made him feel uncomfortable.

You should sleep alone in your room! (?▼皿▼)

With no other option, clinging to the best hope that it might have fallen onto the road, he searched along the highway back home and finally stopped here.

About 600 meters further on, we'll reach hell.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked wistfully at the brightly lit area not far away, wondering if his legs could still keep up if he turned back now.

But if that happens, he'll have to go to the police station to report it lost, which is another hassle. No, right now we can't be sure if his health insurance card was lost in the store, or if there are many other possibilities.

For example, it might be picked up by a kind passerby and taken to the police station, or it might be pinched by a crab that walks sideways; there are many possibilities.

But either way, it means he might have to sleep outdoors tonight.

He had no idea where the police station was...

Alas, his long-awaited peaceful university life has already become turbulent before it even begins, and his journey to Izu has completely lost sight of the glimmer of happiness he so desperately longed for.

Forget it, let's look around first and see if there are any benches or concrete pipes nearby.

Hachiman Hikigaya reluctantly turned around and faced the sea.

As the saying goes, the sea is a reflection of the sky, because the seawater reflects the sky and creates a similar appearance. The sea under the blue sky is blue, and now, the sea under the night is also a pitch-black color.

The black ocean, unlike the black sky, is extremely dangerous. Just standing here watching the waves crash against the rocks with a dull thud, he felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.

The sea, though calm, always seems to bare its sharp fangs at night, ready to devour anyone who gets too close.

It was a terrible thought, which is why he was terrified of the ocean.

As he pondered this, Hachiman Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he thought he saw something shimmering on the beach.

Three very brief flashes of light, followed by a long burst of light, then it went out, then it lit up again...

Three short, three long, three short...

Hachiman Hikigaya remained silent, scratching the right side of his neck as he lowered his head in thought.

This sounds like a distress signal...

He quickly took out his phone and turned it on, only to find that the screen displayed a low battery warning and could not be turned on.

OopsΣ(OдO|||)ノノ

He shouldn't have played Snake on the way to the car!

Calm down, Hachiman Hikigaya. You know very well that getting anxious is a useless emotion. You need to calm down and think about how to solve the current problem.

Oh, right, shout for help!

Hachiman's eyes lit up, and then he squatted down and started drawing circles.

Kill him. Let him scream for help. It's better to hope that someone happens to pass by and says hello, saying that someone is in trouble and you're more likely to be able to help them.

Since there seems to be no other way to solve this, it's time for the hero to step in!

He puffed out his chest and climbed over the fence.

He had calculated before jumping that this level of height would not injure a normal man's legs.

"Hi~"

I twisted my ankle, I think I twisted my ankle.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt a slight stinging pain in his right ankle, his eyes lifeless. He should have listened to Komachi and gone out to exercise occasionally.

Speaking of which, before coming to Izu, Komachi seemed to have asked him to run five kilometers every day and send her the record, saying that it was to urge him not to be too lazy during his university years and become a useless person.

Komachi, she really is an angel.

Hachiman Hikigaya shifted his weight onto his left leg and hopped forward. It felt so familiar. When he was hit by Yukinoshita's car at the beginning of his second year of high school, he was in the hospital recuperating and doing rehabilitation training every day. Just like now, he hopped along, but back then he could hold onto the wall for support.

After bouncing forward for a while, he saw the flashing lights again and realized where the lights were coming from.

Hachiman Hikigaya stood on the beach, calmly facing the brown-haired girl holding a flashlight and occasionally patting it. The flashlight flashed short, rapid beams as she patted it.

"What happened? Is the battery broken?"

The girl muttered to herself, and at the same time, she heard the sound of footsteps on the sand. Looking up, she saw a boy with somewhat rotten eyes standing in front of her.

Startled, she instinctively shone the flashlight into Hachiman's face and asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Hachiman Hikigaya glanced at the flashlight in her hand, then at her unharmed appearance, and silently crouched down, covering his head in defense.

"Sorry, I'm just a silly person passing by. Please don't mind me. I'll just stay here for a while."

"what?"

What is this person saying? The brown-haired girl looked at the boy who had inexplicably squatted down with a strange look. As if she had thought of something, she looked back at the sea not far away. Finally, she thought of his dejected look and a bad feeling arose in her heart.

"No, this won't do, you can't do this."

Hachiman looked up at the girl talking to herself, puzzled.

What is he going to do? Is it forbidden for people to squat on this beach? Is he afraid of getting pinched by a crab?

It doesn't matter anymore. Compared to shame, pain is something I can't bear. It would hurt so much, it could kill someone.

"Anyway, give up that idea. You should cherish your life more!" the brown-haired girl shouted.

Yes, yes, he understood. He wouldn't let the crab take his life so easily. He would at least have to gnaw off a few more of its legs in the darkness before he died, so that the gorilla wouldn't suddenly appear and snatch him away.

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed and prepared to get up, but he accidentally lost his balance due to the pain in his ankle and ended up sprawled on the beach in front of the girl.

Both of them fell silent, and the atmosphere became awkward for a moment.

"...Suddenly, I realized that death might not be such a terrible thing after all."

"Don't give up!"

Chapter Five: Accommodation and Wrong Decisions

"Feel sorry."

With the girl's help, the two returned to the road, laid down their suitcases, and Hachiman sat on them, his face pale, as if he had burned out, expressing his gratitude to the other person.

Not only did you not help, you also caused trouble for the other party. Hachiman Hikigaya, you are such a useless man.

"It's okay. My principle is to lend a helping hand to people who are truly in trouble."

The brown-haired girl shook her head slightly. She looked at a brightly lit house in the distance, hesitated for a few seconds, and decided to go back later. She was a little worried about this person.

If, after parting ways, this person returns and then sees him in the newspaper the next day, she might feel guilty.

"Are you a new resident? I haven't seen you before."

The girl leaned against the railing some distance from Hachiman, deciding to find out who he was first. After all, it was so late, and he was still wandering around outside with a suitcase. He might be some strange guy.

"I am a freshman in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Izu University this year. My name is Hachiman Hikigaya. I cannot show my student ID as proof of enrollment because it is still being processed."

As someone who has seen through thousands of people, Hachiman could naturally see through the girl's thoughts. He simply stated his identity, like a puppy showing its belly to prove its harmlessness.

"In the same department as me?" the brown-haired girl asked in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Hachiman looked at her with a puzzled expression. He had thought that this department was only for men, a typical monk department, but he didn't expect there would be a girl, and a cute girl whose looks were no less than Yukinoshita's.