The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

"I'm going out."

"What are you doing?" Kitahara Iori asked indistinctly, chewing on a fish bone.

"Go pick up a package, and while you're at it, borrow some textbooks on mechanics from the library," he said without turning his head.

"You're planning to study secretly?" Kitahara Iori was furious. As a brother, he could tolerate not inviting him to drinking parties, but he absolutely could not accept the other party secretly studying behind his back!

“I said it openly and honestly.” Hachiman turned to look at him. “Want to come along?”

"I refuse!" Without the slightest hesitation, Iori answered decisively. To spend his precious day off reading esoteric texts was worse than killing him. He would much rather drown his sorrows in wine than immerse himself in a sea of ​​books.

"Then what did you say?" Hachiman was speechless.

"May you have a safe journey, hero. If you obtain the ultimate manual, do not forget to come back and take care of your brothers." Iori clasped his hands in a respectful gesture as he saw him off.

——Ten minutes later

"I'm done eating too." Chisa pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth, picked up her shoulder bag from beside the chair, and walked towards the door.

"Chisa, are you going out too?" Iori asked, sprawled on her chair and rubbing her full stomach.

"Yeah, I need to take a part-time job." Chisa hesitated slightly, but Iori, who was picking her teeth, didn't notice. "Speaking of which, it's almost time for our trip to Okinawa, Iori, have you saved up your accommodation fees yet?"

"Heh." Kitahara Iori chuckled dismissively.

Seeing his confident demeanor, Chisa assumed that he had already prepared the money, but Iori's words made her speechless.

"Absolutely not!" Iori shouted. Not only had he not saved any money, but he even owed Hachiman a sum of money. But none of that mattered! He had already found a new part-time job that paid daily and was not strenuous.

I'm going to work this afternoon, I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder if I'll have any female colleagues my age.

Aren't you in a hurry?

"Money won't just fall from the sky if you're in a hurry," he replied casually. Damn, I really envy Gengping.

"You'd better make plans soon. I'll be going now."

"Oh, drive carefully."

-

Three kilometers away from the store, Hachiman leaned against a telephone pole and waited. He looked up at the distant blue sky. The weather had gradually passed the hottest part of summer, but there was still a faint trace of heat in the air.

Soon an unimportant day will arrive, so autumn is a desolate season in his eyes. When the maple leaves turn red with sorrow, some unpleasant and unpredictable things always happen.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Chisa rushed over, carrying a shoulder bag. She was panting and patting her heaving chest.

Hachiman's gaze swept over her, then he tilted his head slightly to look at the road behind her. Hmm, he confirmed that Iori was not there. He wondered if his plan had worked.

Before setting off, he specifically explained the arrangements to Chisa: he had to leave first. Otherwise, if he left later and Chisa left first, Iori might think he was going out to see Chisa. Even if he explained the reason, she wouldn't believe him. Once Iori had a suspicion, he wouldn't care about appearances. Moreover, this guy was best at making something out of nothing. In short, he would just hit her with a stick first, regardless of the facts, and only look for evidence if it didn't hurt.

He had personally experienced it, and just a few days ago he witnessed his good friend Kohei suffering in agony under the wrath of those demons again. He still vividly remembered the words Kohei had said to him before their parting, words filled with resentment.

"*****You*****,***Wishing you good health****."

Sigh, it's true, when a person is about to die, they can't even speak clearly anymore. I remember I almost cried at that moment. In order not to shed tears in my friend's last moments, I deliberately put down the head I was holding, rubbed my eyes, and placed it on Kohei's body, wanting to build a simple tombstone for him to pay tribute to his spirit in heaven. Strangely enough, for some reason, there was a brick at Kohei's feet that was about the same size as the one in my hand. This was really puzzling.

"Well, let's go."

Hachiman reached out his hand towards the other person, and Chisa stared at his hand, stunned.

Huh? Does this mean they're going to hold hands and walk together?

Her cheeks were already rosy even without rouge, and Chisa hesitated before extending her hand. For some reason, she felt a little nervous.

"Give me the bag, it must be tiring to carry it around."

"..." Oh, so that's what it meant.

Chisa handed the shoulder bag to Hachiman, then walked right past him and continued on her way.

Hachiman stared at her retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly. Why did it feel like Chisa was angry?

Is it just my imagination? He even offered to carry the bag, so how could he have offended the other person? Based on how they interacted, he should have been perfect.

Not understanding why, Hachiman quickened his pace to catch up with Chisa. He cautiously looked at her slightly downturned pink lips and tentatively asked, "Chisa, are you alright?"

"I am fine."

"Oh, all right."

Hearing this, Chisa almost burst out laughing. She turned to look at Hachiman walking beside her, taking small steps in sync with her pace, and sighed in exasperation. She knew this guy was oblivious to emotions, so why was she being so stubborn with her?

"Let each person take the bag for a while; we can't let you take it all the time."

"It's okay, it's not heavy."

“Even if it's not heavy, I'd still feel guilty.” Chisa shook her head slightly. She looked at Hachiman, who was also looking at her. Only then did he notice that she wore light makeup, which perfectly showcased her beautiful face, while the subtle embellishments further highlighted her youthful liveliness. Her serene smile was fleeting, like a flower in bloom. “There’s no rule in the world that when boys and girls go out together, the boy has to carry the luggage, you know.”

"Um... yeah, it doesn't seem like it." Hachiman paused, then said.

"Does Hachiman rarely go out with girls?"

"...Occasionally, I'll have the experience of going out with female clients during club activities or when handling cases." He replied, saying that he actually had quite a few experiences going out with girls. Rather, he said that the probability of him going out with boys was very low, since he didn't have many male friends his own age.

"Really?" Chisa nodded. "Has Hachiman ever had a girlfriend before?"

"..."

How many times have I heard this question? Why are so many people concerned about his relationship problems?

Does he really look like nobody wants him?!

Chapter 53 I want to fight ( )!

Arriving in Shimoda City by subway, Hachiman followed Chisa out of the station in a bad mood. He was upset because not long ago, Chisa had asked him if he had ever had a girlfriend before. When he answered truthfully that he hadn't, Chisa said "oh" and then laughed.

Hearing her clear, melodious laughter, like pearls falling onto a plate, Hachiman Hikigaya felt insulted. He didn't think it was a good thing to be in love during the most stressful high school years and let it affect his studies. But he couldn't deny that a statement Yui once made reflected how fast-food-like some relationships in today's society were. It was shameful to have no sexual experience by the time high school was almost over, in the eyes of those who thought it was the right thing to do.

But who cares? Or rather, everyone who believes that is an idiot. Yes, Yuihama is indeed an idiot; the conditions can be exchanged.

Therefore, he didn't feel he needed to be ridiculed.

His coming-of-age story may have some issues, but he believes it definitely doesn't lie in romance!

Because in his heart, Komachi will always be the person he loves most and the number one choice!

This score is very high for me! But it might get a low score from Komachi. Although she once said that raising him to be a useless person was her proudest achievement, she would always criticize his laziness. She's practically like a mother to him. Komachi, Mom, um, I think I actually called her that back then, and I was even criticized for it.

Thinking about it this way, it seems even more tragic.

He sighed, stepping on Chisa's shadow like a sulking child.

Chisa stared at the map on her phone, glancing at his childish actions out of the corner of her eye, and felt a sense of amused pleasure.

She really didn't expect that even when the other person was unhappy, they would only express their emotions secretly, and even in a way that a child would use. How to put it...

It's kind of cute, just like a silly penguin.

"Don't be distracted while walking."

Mischievously mimicking her sister's gentle tone, she suddenly spoke, causing the naughty child to freeze in place, and for a moment even walk with her arms and legs moving in unison.

Chisa's eyes curved into crescent shapes, and the warm sunlight danced between her carefully drawn eyebrows, before finally landing on her fluffy hair that was chirping as her shoulders trembled slightly.

The already bright brown color, illuminated by this layer of light, resembles the plump chestnuts hanging high on the branches during the autumn harvest season, their sweet aroma seemingly wafting up close.

Hachiman looked helplessly at the girl who had successfully pulled off the prank. His gaze lingered briefly on her hair. He knew quite a few girls with short hair, such as Yukinoshita Haruno, Ebina, President Shiroki, and even Sagami, whom he disliked. They all had either neat or shoulder-length short hair.

However, their hair was very soft and smooth, unlike Chisa's hair which had so many little tufts. If he had to describe it with a single thing, he thought Chisa looked like a hedgehog.

Speaking of which, the shell of a chestnut is similar to that of a hedgehog, and the shell on a hedgehog's back is brown.

So, Chisa = Hedgehog = Chestnut?

This strange conjecture drove Hachiman crazy. He stared at the little tuft at the end of Chisa's hair, feeling an urge to touch it and see if it was as sharp as the quills on a hedgehog's back. However, he ultimately restrained himself.

As the saying goes, hair is a woman's second life. If you accidentally mess up your partner's hairstyle, he might die when he gets home.

Having experienced the same Whitebeard storyline as in "One Piece," he has come to a deep understanding that there are more than just Nanaka-senpai who deeply love Chisa in this family.

If he angers Chisa, he will not only face Nanaka's sword killing him, but also the sob story played by the shopkeeper.

If you wronged her, you should be even more responsible for her. It's like how chickens lay eggs and people are born from their mothers—it's logical.

Although he didn't understand the connection between the two sentences at all, he was very clear about the other person's desire for Chisa to get married.

The poor shop manager, having witnessed that "sisterly affection" scene for so long, has finally realized that if she doesn't correct it, of her three children, only Iori, who is also male, might like men in the future.

Alas, what misfortune for this family.

-

Shimoda Marine Aquarium

After buying the tickets, Hachiman felt as if the money he earned from his part-time job last month had all flown away like pigeons carrying instant noodles.

It's not that the ticket is particularly expensive, it just happens to use up the remaining amount.

Seeing the money you've painstakingly saved now turned into this cold bill in your hand gives you a feeling of having paid rent, utilities, oil, rice, and instant noodles, only to find that you're just a white-collar worker with a low salary.

"Let's go."

Chisa held the ticket in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly. This was the first time she had ever been so nervous, as she worked part-time as an aquarium model.

Before coming here, she was actually very confident that she could make the other person like marine life, but after arriving here, she suddenly became a little worried.

What if the aquarium visit doesn't spark his love for the ocean, but instead makes him feel bored?

In that case, would she still have any hope of seeing the treasure opened again?

"Oh."

Hachiman nodded in response.

The two walked down into the underground passage, and the surrounding environment suddenly became dark. In the silent space, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

"Has Hachiman ever been to an aquarium before?" Chisa asked.

"Yes, I've been there once."

"Really? How does it feel?"

"I saw many interesting creatures, so my senses were pretty good."

His answer reassured her a little. She had only wanted to find a casual topic to relax her tense emotions, but she didn't expect that he had already been to the aquarium and had a good experience. This was good news.

However, after the first time, the second experience will likely be much worse. But she is confident, and on the basis of her pride as a part-time underwater model, she will give Hachiman a completely new aquarium experience!

"Did you go with your parents?"

"No, they are classmates from the club."

"Is this the club activity you mentioned earlier, Hachiman? I think the club's name is Service Club? Just from the name, I have no idea what kind of club it is. Does the club have many members?"

"Not many, only three people."

Hachiman replied that the aquarium trip was quite interesting, and he saw many different species of sharks.

"There are three people. Besides you, Hachiman, there are two other members. Are they both boys?"

"They're all girls."

"Oh."

Chisa calmly hummed in agreement, then, as if realizing something, turned her head. At the same time, they stepped down the last step, and the azure ocean passage unfolded before their eyes.

This is a paradise for those who love marine life, but Chisa, who has always loved the sea, blinked and focused her gaze on Hachiman.

Are they both girls?

In other words, she's going to fight two against one this time?

Chapter 54 Emperor Penguins

There are always many similar things in the world, which is due to a major human characteristic—the tendency to follow trends. Once there is a decent starting point, that starting point will be expanded into a road, and the scenery along the way is mostly the same, until you stop and start walking, at which point it may change.

-

The Shimoda Marine Aquarium is not much different from the aquariums he had seen in Chiba. Behind the huge glass mirrors, many marine creatures swim around, and colorful corals and dusty reefs decorate the plain seascape, making this man-made scene more realistic.

A school of fish, whose names he didn't know, swam freely in the water, leaving a trail of bubbling bubbles in their wake. Most of these creatures, which belong to the same marine family, could coexist, except for one that was perched on the glass in front of him, chewing on what was probably a colleague who had just gotten the job and didn't know the rules, and arrogantly looking him up and down with its nostrils.