The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

Hachiman, walking beside the girl, did not notice anything unusual about her; he was still immersed in the fact that he was also a valuable object.

By the time he realized it, Goto Ichiri was already more than ten body lengths behind him.

Hachiman looked back and saw that the other person was already squatting on the ground, holding his head in his hands, like a frightened quail.

what happened?

He quickly walked over to Goto Ichiri and asked, "What's wrong, Goto-kun?"

"I'm not ready yet..."

The girl muttered to herself, her head spun around. Although she had considered enjoying her youth and finding a boyfriend during college, she never expected it to happen so soon.

Goto Ichiri felt so nervous that she was almost sweating. Beside her head, two guitars were giving different opinions. The good guitar said that this was a good thing and that she should seize the opportunity, while the bad guitar said that the other party might not have meant it at all, and that so-called popularity might just be something else. After all, wasn't there a period of time when there was the attitude that loneliness is the coolest way of life?

Maybe he was just saying that he was a lonely person. Yes, she didn't have many friends, she could count them on one hand, and most of them were women. No, rather than saying most, she only had one male friend, Hachiman.

Wait, if that's the case, then the only person you can date is Hachiman, right?

In an instant, Goto Ichiri's thoughts became clear. In her mind, rolling waves crashed against the reefs, and she stood on the edge of a cliff, shouting loudly.

"If you only have one male friend, then he'll eventually become your boyfriend, right?"

"..."

Just as he was worried that the girl might be feeling unwell, Hachiman, who was squatting beside her trying to find out what was going on, looked at her strangely upon hearing this.

Why are you suddenly saying such nonsensical things?

He looked up at the blazing sun and fell into deep thought.

Could it be heatstroke?

Chapter Seventeen Ice Cream

Sitting on a wooden chair outside the convenience store, Hachiman Hikigaya handed an ice cream to Ichiri Goto. He had specifically chosen a cone-shaped ice cream, as girls usually prefer creamy treats like this.

He picked out a soda-flavored popsicle and set it aside to melt a little before eating it.

"……Thanks."

Taking the ice cream cone, Goto Ichiri suppressed the urge to cry. She had not only been fantasizing about unrealistic things, but she had also said some bold things, and most importantly, the other person had overheard her.

Or maybe she should take a leave of absence from school starting tomorrow? (╥╯﹏╰╥)

Feeling utterly hopeless, Goto Ichiri tore open the ice cream cone. She gazed at the snow-white cream coiled into a perfect arc. Perhaps, this was the last sweet taste she would ever experience in her life.

"Does Goto-san have someone she likes?"

Hachiman leaned against the wooden house, the gentle sound of a fan mingling with the occasional rustling of the shop owner turning the pages of a newspaper. They enjoyed the shade under the curtain, but if they stepped outside, the sunlight would envelop them.

In the distance, a gecko was using its limbs to quickly climb from one stone brick to another, but this did not make it any cooler. So, like a woodlice, it hid behind a rock.

"..."

Goto Ichiri paused in her light bite of the ice cream cone, her cheeks inevitably flushing again. She lowered her head, unsure how to respond.

Seeing her like this, Hachiman wisely refrained from pressing the matter further, fearing he would receive an answer he didn't want to hear.

The soda popsicle next to him had softened a bit, so he tore open the packaging, bit open the plastic tube at the top, pressed down on the top one with his hand, squeezed it into a sandy texture, and sucked on it.

The chirping of insects in the sweltering heat is always irritating, especially when mosquitoes are around. Inside the cabin, newspapers slapped against the table, making a crackling sound. Every time Goto Ichiri heard one, he would shiver.

Fortunately, the mosquito didn't use any special techniques, and the crackling sound stopped after about ten seconds.

"...No." came the girl's voice.

After hearing this, Hachiman, who was sucking on a popsicle, nodded slowly after a short while.

It's good that she's not; she's too naive and easily deceived.

The words I just said are probably lines from a popular TV show or movie. They occasionally appear in teen idol dramas. The female lead, who is always alone for some reason, meets the male lead who is willing to be her friend. After maintaining a friendship for several years, the female lead inevitably falls in love with the male lead, who is her only male friend, which triggers a series of melodramatic plots.

For example, the male protagonist is an extremely outstanding person, surrounded by many beautiful girls. These girls all have feelings for him to varying degrees, and then misunderstandings arise due to jealousy, leading to a fierce battle.

For example, everything was going smoothly until the very end, when the male and female protagonists agreed to meet at a certain place, the male protagonist was hit by a car while crossing the street and woke up to find that he had amnesia.

For example, cancer.

Once life becomes entangled with love, a large part of it is unfortunate, while the remaining small part is related to money, values, and beliefs.

Therefore, not being in a relationship is the best way to protect yourself.

When I get old, I'll just go to a nursing home and stay there.

Komachi has arranged everything for him. Although the next few decades haven't passed yet, he can already see the end of the road ahead. As an older brother, he is extremely grateful to have such a capable younger sister.

However, if he could also experience the satisfaction of being kept, he would be even more grateful.

While waiting for a reply, Goto Ichiri glanced at Hachiman silently. Seeing that he didn't seem to want to continue the conversation, a sense of disappointment quietly arose in his heart.

Sure enough, someone like her has no interest in romance. She'll just have to wait until she's made enough money through rock music and then live a lonely life by herself.

Thinking this, tears almost fell. No, Goto Ichiri, you have to be strong. No matter how difficult the future may be, you must face it with a smile.

Goto Ichiri's eyes were almost brimming with tears as she tried to comfort herself, which made Hachiman, who was watching her, feel a little guilty, even though he was quite sure that his response just now did not have any pitiful meaning.

"If Goto dressed up a little, she would definitely be a very cute girl, so being lonely for a while doesn't mean anything."

That phrase sounds so familiar; I think he said the same thing to another girl.

The outer plastic film of the popsicle melted into a few drops of water under the warmth of his hand and stuck to his palm. Hachiman tried his best to soothe the other person's emotions. People who lack confidence, whether male or female, tend to overinterpret what others say, so in order to prevent them from overthinking, it is best to be truthful and interspersed with words of encouragement.

This professional knowledge comes from my past self.

He's much better now; at least he no longer has illusions about trivial matters. In this life, how much ability and luck one has is mostly arranged by fate; what you can't have, you can never have.

"dress up……"

The few times she dressed up in recent years were during her high school year when her class held a maid cafe event and she had to wear a maid outfit, and the time when Kita-chan and Nijika-chan came to her house.

From that point on, she never wore anything other than sportswear again.

"That's right. Dressing up is a plus for a person's appearance. A bright and youthful girl is a beautiful sight no matter where she is."

He would occasionally be drawn to scantily clad women on the street, though that was probably just a biological attraction.

People are always drawn to beautiful things. Teenagers entering puberty sometimes wonder if women's underwear has elastic bands under their skirts, so they can borrow them to make slingshots. And then there are those unscrupulous teachers who always say they'll talk for just one more minute, but end up leaving only one minute of break time.

"Does Hikigaya-kun like pretty girls?" Goto Ichiri asked quietly.

"I like it." Hachiman answered without hesitation. He did not subscribe to the idea that people become nothing more than pretty skeletons after death.

In his view, people only live this period before death, and as for what it is like to go to the Sanzu River, or to heaven or hell after death, there is no real record of it, and people cannot know.

If one is concerned about the placement of remains in a tombstone while still alive, wouldn't that be a tragic life? Living each day to the fullest is the most important thing to do right now; deliberately chasing after the future will only make you feel down.

Hachiman glanced at Goto Ichiri's slightly chubby profile. If he were a cheerful and easygoing person, he might have jokingly said something like, "If Goto-kun dressed up properly, I might fall in love with you," to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, he was just a Chiba penguin who didn't know how to ease the tension.

He didn't understand girls' hearts.

Chapter Eighteen: Morning Glory and Lilac (Part 1)

While strolling around, Goto Ichiri received a call from Ichichi Nijika. The members of the "Bond Band" planned to practice the songs they had prepared for the evening in the afternoon. So, after dropping off the girl, who seemed a little lost in thought, at the agreed-upon location, Hikigaya Hachiman chose to part ways.

Following the familiar scenery, he returned to Grand Blue. Pushing open the door, he saw Nanahana sitting in a chair in the living room. Her head was lowered from time to time, and she held two silver needles of the same length in her hand. Red thread was tied to the silver needles, and the other end of the red thread was a garment that was not yet finished.

It seems that she had been sitting here waiting for news of him since he left, but he had not returned for a long time. So she decided to make a garment by hand, but she got too tired and fell asleep.

Approaching the weary woman, Hachiman gently woke her, worried that if he left her to sleep in that position, she might prick her skin with a needle.

"Nanahua-senpai."

The woman wasn't sleeping soundly. After he called her repeatedly, she slowly opened her eyes, though her eyelids were still fluttering.

Nanaka opened her small mouth, letting out a soft cry that vanished in an instant. She looked at Hachiman with sleepy eyes, her face no longer bearing the gentle smile of a young girl, but rather a girlish charm.

"Hachiman?"

Her voice was soft and sweet, almost nasal.

"You're back."

Even though she was still not fully conscious, she smiled and welcomed him back.

"Yes, I'm back. I've bought the tickets."

Hachiman placed the tickets from his pocket on the table. Nanaka stared at the four tickets and let out a strange "Eh." She rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating.

"Why so many?"

"Let's all go together."

Rather than letting Nanaka-senpai worry that his relationship with Chisa might develop into something unusual, he should just openly prove to her that they are innocent.

Hachiman lowered his eyes slightly. Although he had already left behind his second-year high school syndrome, he still felt that gentle girls were, to some extent, troublesome creatures.

If you care too much, you will get hurt; if you are too indifferent, others will be sad. Interpersonal relationships are inherently about constantly troubling others. If you had known this, it might have been better not to have any relationships at all.

"But wouldn't that disturb you?"

Nanaka recalled Chisa's flushed cheeks and expectant expression that afternoon, and felt a pang of sadness, while also worrying that if she rashly stopped her, she might be disliked.

She has a very cute little sister, and she is always afraid that her sister will get hurt. If she could, she would like to always be her sister's wings, helping her to block all the arrows and take her soaring high.

Hachiman looked at her clutching the ticket tightly and sighed inwardly. The intimacy between these two sisters far exceeded his imagination. Moreover, saying one thing and meaning another was not a good idea in this situation, Nanaka-senpai.

"It's okay, it's just going to a concert."

It wasn't about dating, deepening feelings, or even hooking up; they were just going to a concert to experience the energy of rock music.

When you lack courage, you need to "heat up" your brain. When you are truly fearless, you could put your brain in a microwave oven without any problem.

(This is just a metaphor; please do not imitate it.)

Nanaka stared into his eyes upon hearing this. Her eyes were the same brown as Chisa's, like hazelnuts in autumn. When she looked at him, her crystal pupils would etch every subtle movement he made.

Hachiman met her gaze without flinching, his dark eyes seemingly stained with ink, making it impossible for Nanaka to discern any emotional fluctuation.

"Well, let's leave it at that."

She took her wallet out of her apron pocket and revealed a serene and gentle smile. Whenever she showed this expression, Hachiman would always imagine that spring flowers were blooming behind her.

"how much is the total?"

"One thousand two hundred yuan."

He did not count his own vote.

Nanaka deftly pulled out five 1,000 yen bills and handed them to him. She blinked and said, "I helped you sell the fish you caught last time. It brought in 3,400 yen. Consider the rest as a reward for your hard work, Hachiman."

After saying that, she took the tickets, tiptoed away with light steps: "I'm going to give the tickets to Iori and the others."

Holding the banknotes, Hachiman felt as if he had become a child who helped his family with chores and would be rewarded with money by his older sister who was already working. However, it was quite profitable. If he worked part-time while fishing and selling the catch, he might be able to save up enough money for a trip to sea very soon.

However, before that, it seems I need to buy a fishing rod; constantly borrowing from the shopkeeper isn't a good idea.

He went upstairs, intending to go back to his room to rest. After basking in the sun for so long, he was starting to feel like taking a nap.

Hachiman walked toward his room, and as he passed Chisa's room, a creaking sound came from inside.

The girl clung to the door, poked her head out, and looked at him.

"Are you free now? I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Um, okay, go ahead."

“It’s not good for other people to hear about this,” Chisa muttered.

"Then, shall we go to the conference room downstairs?"

She didn't answer, she just opened the door.

Life is full of surprises, but Hachiman never expected that misfortune would keep coming one after another. He had just assured Nanaka-senpai that there was nothing more than friendship between him and Chisa, and the next second, she invited him into her boudoir. Is that reasonable?

He couldn't help but wonder if he had offended these two sisters recently, that they were deliberately pushing him to his death. Perhaps this was just a test, a trap set by Senior Nanaka.

Perhaps she was hiding behind this door, waiting for me to enter, then using a stun gun to knock me unconscious, before throwing me into the sea to fend for myself.

He jokingly imagined a bizarre scenario, and although he kept saying that he might be killed by the other party, he still didn't believe that the gentle Nanaka-senpai would do such a thing.

However, there is a 1000% probability that the other two damaged goods will be disposed of.

The trust between them was that pure.