Hikigaya Hachiman is still in the dark

Senior, there is a limit to how evil you can be, right? Why did you want to harm me, who used to have a good relationship with you?

"I have never heard of such a thing. I didn't know my editor was Isshiki. If I remember correctly, Isshiki is still a university student. Is it really okay for such a person to be an editor?" Because I was too excited, I quickly finished a string of complaints.

Senior Ai Shang didn't pay much attention to me. He just made some strange gestures to me and then gave me a smile that he wanted to fool me.

As expected, generally speaking, even if the student is an intern during college, the publishing house will not allow such a student to take on important work such as editing from the very beginning. It seems that Senior Shaojun used his position in the publishing house to give Isshiki a direct internship editing job.

Damn you privileged class, even if your novel is a bestseller you can't do this, editor-in-chief Xiaozhi, where is your dignity? Where is your bottom line as a human being?

Anyway, since it was your senior who did it, you should be the senior's editor. Why push it to me? If it was your fault, you should take the responsibility and let Isshiki be your editor.

Come to think of it, maybe the senior had planned this for a long time. He just made a phone call right after the serialization was confirmed. Now it seems that the call was made to Isshiki. Damn it, I was completely fooled!

"Well, Hikigaya-kun, isn't it the dream of all seniors to be able to work with cute juniors? Isn't that great?" With a smile, Senior Shaojun's tone was filled with obvious joy.

"I don't have any dreams in this regard. I think it's better for me to have Guo Yuan as my editor as before!"

As I said this, I turned my gaze towards Kunihara. After all, we have been partners for so many years, and I think our cooperation... cooperation... cooperation seems to be pretty good, so I also hope to continue fighting with Kunihara, no, cooperation!

Editor Kunihara pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and said, "Although I am not sure about handing over a difficult author like you to a newcomer, after all, I am now an associate editor and will no longer be doing editing work. Although I am very worried, if Ai Shang says it's ok, then I believe Isshiki should be able to do an excellent job."

"Hi, I will definitely complete the work excellently, Editor-in-Chief Kunihara!" Isshiki stood up straight as if saluting, and said as if making a guarantee, while at the same time giving me a look that told me not to say anything and just wait for my message.

When did Isshiki become so scary? I don't remember your two mothers raising you to be the way you are now!

"That's basically it, Hikigaya. Since we've worked together before, you probably know the details of compensation. We still have a meeting to go to, so I'll leave first. Your editor, Isshiki, will discuss the rest of the work with you in detail."

After Editor Kunihara said this, he packed up the documents on his desk, stood up and prepared to leave.

"Then we'll see each other sometime soon, Hikigaya."

"My dear friend, I wish you good luck in martial arts!"

Senior Shaojun and Zaimokuza said hello to me and then stood up and left. I also waved goodbye to them, but I knew that my trial field had just begun.

Sure enough, yesterday's bad premonition came true. Every time I see Editor Kunihara, something bad will happen. It seems that such a universal law cannot be broken. However, this misfortune was unexpectedly surprising. I unexpectedly met Isshiki after many years and worked with him again afterwards.

I always feel that it is a little bit dreamy.

People are like countless lines. Some people are parallel to you and will never meet in your life. Some people intersect with you and will never see each other again after meeting. Only a small number of people have their lines of life intersecting constantly at different times and places. Unfortunately, most of the time, people's encounters are intersecting lines, and there will be little contact afterwards. You can foresee from afar and even see the trajectory of each other's progress, but you will never intersect again, even if you have contacted each other tens of thousands of times, no matter how reluctant you are, the distance between your hearts, probably, will not be the slightest bit closer than when you separated. The so-called time and space are such things.

I seem to have said this to someone a long time ago. Who was it? It may have been too long ago, and I have completely forgotten who I said this to.

I used to think that after graduating from high school, I would gradually lose contact with them one by one, just like what happened in elementary and junior high school. But for some reason, my timeline seemed to be going backwards. First, I returned to Sobu High School and worked with Hiratsuka Sensei, then Yuigahama came up to me, and then I met Isshiki, Yukinoshita, and Kawasaki again one after another. I always felt as if my broken interpersonal lines were being reconnected.

I can’t say I’m happy, nor can I say I’m sad. Perhaps this is the only reaction I can make after going through so many things…

Chapter 70 Your current look is extremely rude

But editor Kunihara finally left. Every time I met him, I would feel inexplicably nervous. It turned out that editors and writers are mortal enemies. I relaxed my body and leaned naturally on the sofa at the back.

Isshiki put her bag away and ordered a cup of black tea. She looked at me with her chin propped up by her hands. Although she had a bright smile, I don't know why, but it always made me feel a little creepy. Well, it's natural to be angry. I did act a little too aggressively just now. I acted so reluctantly in front of her after knowing that we were going to work together. It's not good enough. It seems that I should return to my previous calm state.

"Senior, what should I say at this time?"

"Um, what?"

The unexpected opening remarks surprised me a little. I leaned forward unconsciously, looking at Isshiki in disbelief. In my impression, Isshiki has always been a person who is good at controlling the atmosphere and topics. I was a little surprised to hear such words suddenly. Such questions were not what Isshiki should ask.

Looking at Isshiki carefully, her body was twisting unnaturally, as if she was shy about something, and her face was blushing unnaturally. Eh... This feeling was subtly like the interview scene of a college student who had just graduated and was looking for a job. Could it be that Isshiki was also nervous about this meeting?

"So what should an editor say when they meet an author? I'm an intern and don't know much about this. If there's any mistake, I'll feel sorry for Senior Shaojun who has been protecting me. I really want to go up and have a discussion with him about his performance just now, but work is more important."

This person unexpectedly put work first. To be honest, I thought Isshiki was the type who was very passive and lazy. After all, when he was working in the student union, he would find all kinds of reasons to push the work to us. Although Isshiki worked very hard later, I don't know why, I still think Isshiki is the type who doesn't like to work.

"Senior, the look you give me right now is extremely rude. I'm asking you a serious question."

"Hmm? Really?" Realizing that I was staring at Isshiki, I quickly looked away. "Basically, we're going to talk about the novel's plot, character design, and so on. Right now, it's just a normal chat. After all, the novel hasn't been officially serialized yet."

"Oh, I see. I thought it was something to be taken very seriously."

"Well, generally speaking, it's just a casual chat."

"I see." Isshiki nodded, and then changed her sitting position to leaning on the sofa. She enjoyed a sip of the black tea that the waiter handed over while we were chatting, and said, "Speaking of which, senior, explain how you behaved after knowing that I was your editor. It seems that you are extremely reluctant."

Really reluctantly...

"Forget it. If it's a senior, he will give some strange reasons. I still don't want to listen to the senior's explanation."

"Hahaha." I laughed extremely awkwardly, but since my actions were seen through, I couldn't make a clever excuse.

"Speaking of which, senior, your eyes lit up when you saw me just now. Do you like this kind of intellectual image?" With a teasing smile in her eyes, she straightened her clothes as if boasting, and then she stretched her head towards me and carefully confirmed my facial expression.

"No, why do you have such a misunderstanding?"

"How boring." With a sigh, Isshiki returned to his sitting position, then gently shook the cup of black tea, his eyes wandering, mumbling:

"I wanted to sway my senior so I dressed up deliberately. How boring."

Although the voice was low, it still reached my ears clearly. From the way she kept observing me, I could tell that this person was deliberately saying this to me. How should I respond? Although I really didn't care, it did give me a bright feeling. I'll just praise her for now. After all, Isshiki will still be my editor in the future, so it seems that I have to solve this problem in a slightly adult way.

As I was shy, I turned my head to the side and looked away, not meeting Isshiki’s gaze. “I think this is barely a qualified editor’s outfit.”

After hearing what I said, Isshiki looked at me in surprise, and then she burst out laughing: "What kind of compliment is that? I don't understand it at all."

Damn it, I got so carried away with my success.

"But, senior, your favorite place is really surprising." Ignoring my embarrassed expression, Isshiki looked around the coffee shop, then she turned her head and looked at me as if she had discovered something.

"No way, I've always liked quiet places since I was in high school."

Yes, that’s absolutely right, otherwise I wouldn’t walk there alone every time during lunch to savor the sea breeze blowing from the Pacific Ocean.

Sure enough, I still prefer a quiet life alone. Compared to being busy with interpersonal relationships and endless and unresolved work all day long, I still prefer a simple life alone, just like when I was a teacher before, I would make myself a nutritious "breakfast" every morning when I got up, go to the convenience store outside to buy lunch at noon and in the evening, and then find a corner where there are no teachers and students, eat alone, and read computer consultations in my free time. I really think this kind of life is pretty good.

At least I have never felt disgusted with this kind of life.

It's just that, sometimes when I'm alone, I stop everything I'm doing and stare at the sky in a trance, and then I'm trapped by a huge confusion, just like being alone in a dark room. At that time, the idle life that I always liked suddenly became particularly boring, and something was stirring in my heart, but soon, the sea breeze blew my hair and blew away the thoughts hidden in my brain. Shaking my head, I continued to live like this.

After living for so long, I feel that I am a little different from when I was in high school, but at the same time, I feel that I am still the same as when I was in high school. I should feel very relieved to live the life I want, but I don’t know why, sometimes I feel cold as if something is missing in my heart, as if I am missing something, something that can’t be filled.

When did I start to change? I looked at the mature Isshiki in front of me. Although he still teased me from time to time like before, I knew that Isshiki was probably no longer the completely unlovable Komachi, the degraded Miss Haruno, the fake patrol, the super-enhanced Sagami, or another kind of Orimoto. These vague concepts, Isshiki is just Isshiki, a cute and reliable junior whom I recognize.

Such thoughts should not have appeared in my brain, but I don't know why, looking at Isshiki, I kept having similar thoughts. But soon, a huge feeling of emptiness came from my heart, as if something familiar had disappeared, something familiar, something I cherished had disappeared, and my heart instinctively wailed.

The scene changed again, and the surrounding scenery seemed to have changed. I was no longer in the coffee shop, but in the place a few years ago. The familiar smell of sunshine and the familiar furnishings that I could feel with my eyes closed, everything seemed to have returned to where it was, back to that era, perhaps it was the time in college when I made the change unconsciously...

Opposite me, it was no longer Yise, but the figure I used to see every day. Her long light golden hair was blown by the wind that blew in playfully from the window, and was flying in the air. Her purple pupils were looking at me with the magic of the sky. Her mouth was slightly upturned. She was wearing a white dress that seemed to be designed for her. Her facial features were so delicate that they gave people the illusion of being a work of art. There was no doubt that the person in front of me was an angel who had fallen from heaven to the earth.

Chiba Sakura, my senior, was my first friend in college. She was the first person in my life who gave important things to a woman other than my family. She was the first person I was sure I treated with unique feelings.

It's been so long, and I actually thought of her again under such circumstances.

"Hachiman." He smiled and turned to the collection of poems he was reading: "There is a sentence in this collection, I am lost in this world, just to find the fragments of my lost heart."

"Yeah, so." Without diverting my gaze from the paperback, I responded quietly.

The unique touch and temperature of a girl's hand were quickly captured by my cheek. When I came to my senses, she had already used her hands to force my head to turn so that I could look at her. Her cheeks were slightly puffed up because of anger. This person is obviously a college student, so she should stop making such elementary school student gestures!

"Look at me carefully." It was like a declaration. I could clearly see the gleam in her eyes.

"I know, let go of your hand."

She said helplessly, taking her hand back, and then for some reason her expression turned into one of sadness.

"Hachiman, everyone has a gap in their heart. Even if they don't notice it, there will always be a day when they feel that something is missing in their heart when they are working, daydreaming, or resting. Then there will be a huge sense of powerlessness and fear for the future. The so-called human heart is just like this. No matter how much you have, there will always be gaps, just like a cup filled with sand..."

Yes, it was at that moment that I realized there was a gap in my heart, and I realized that perhaps... I was lost in such a world, just to find the fragments of my lost heart.

"So people always have to rely on each other, because the emptiness in the heart can only be filled by another heart, so Hachiman..." She stopped talking, and she stretched out her hands again and held mine, as if praying. I could clearly feel the piety in her eyes.

"I must..." The memories came to an abrupt end, and then the environment around me kept changing, and in the end there was only the pair of purple pupils that made me feel extremely heartbroken, disappearing in the cherry blossoms with endless sadness.

That day, the entire sky became dark because of those eyes.

Memories kept flowing, but finally my sight fixed on Isshiki in front of me. I felt that maybe from that moment on, a part of my life stayed at that moment.

For the first time, I felt that the future was scary. For the first time, I felt deeply uneasy about the future. That day, I began to doubt myself the most.

There was the sound of fingers tapping on the table, and then Isshiki's slightly angry voice came to my ears, "Senior, I'm talking to you, why are you distracted?"

Chapter 71 Re-acquaintance

"Oh, um, sorry, what did you say just now?"

"Senior, please listen to others carefully! I feel like you've become more distracted after not seeing you for a long time." Isshiki puffed up his lips in dissatisfaction. He looks no different from when he was arguing with me in high school.

Sure enough, some things will not disappear with the passage of time. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile.

Then, she heard a frightened sound of "Aiya". She shrank back in fear. In this situation, I felt like a weird uncle with bad intentions...

"Senior, your smile is still as disgusting as before!"

Your reaction is just as extreme as before! Isshi Iroha-san.

I coughed dryly and broke the awkward atmosphere: "Come to think of it, where were we talking about before?"

Looking at me impatiently, Isshiki seemed very unhappy that I didn't remember our conversation: "It was basically a discussion about why Senior liked this coffee shop!"

"I've already answered it, I just like the quiet atmosphere here."

"If it's just quiet, aren't there a lot of coffee shops like this? I'm talking about the photographs next to it. Photographs!" Intentionally raising his voice for emphasis, Isshiki pointed to the photographs hanging on the wall next to him.

"Eh? Is there anything special? I don't have any extra feelings!"

"Senior, you don't know anything at all!" Isshiki looked at me in surprise, as if something impossible had happened.

"Don't be so surprised. I think it's normal that you didn't notice it. Who would deliberately observe the artworks on the wall of a restaurant?"

"Stupid, these works are all from a very popular photographer. Generally speaking, she would not allow others to use her works for decoration. I don't know why this store can display them!"

Everyone stood up due to excitement, seemingly dissatisfied with my lack of understanding of such matters.

It's so boring. I have no interest in this kind of thing, but I'll just go along with it and continue the topic.

“Is this photographer good?”

"Senior, you are completely out of touch with the times. This photographer is known as a genius. She participated in a photography competition when she was in junior high school and won first place. Then she became successful. It is said that she is now the photographer with the highest exposure rate. Her reputation is comparable to that of the older generation of photographers!"

Well, although I was a little surprised, since this world has creatures like Yukinoshita and Haruno, I don't think it's surprising that such a genius appeared... So I just drank my drink calmly, then looked at Isshiki and said, "But in that case, how old is she now?" Putting his finger on his lips, Isshiki thought for a while and said, "I'm not sure about this, probably she should be in the first year of high school now."

"First year of high school..." I said softly. It happened to be the age that I was teaching. Thinking of this, my mind unconsciously thought of Uminohoshi and Tamasaka. These two troubles that Mr. Hiratsuka had given me had not been solved yet.

"But if you become famous too early, it won't be a good thing for you."

"Who knows? But if it were me, I would really like to become famous sooner..."

This person has wanted to attract attention for a long time, so it is understandable that he has such a desire.

“And wouldn’t you be able to make a lot of money that way?” Isshiki’s eyes sparkled as he said this. Now it was my turn to be surprised. But when I think about it carefully, when Isshiki found out that editors’ salaries were extremely high, he also looked at me with such a sparkle in his eyes and persuaded me to become an editor. This guy, did he become an editor for the same reason…

"And you see, if I was already famous, I would have a good reputation with Ye Shan-senpai. Wouldn't the chances of a celebrity pursuing someone be higher?"

"Ah, indeed."

"In that case, maybe Senior will like me because of my fame. Ah, when I think about being liked by someone like Senior, I really feel that this is not a good thing..."

Why is the premise that I like her? Never mind, this has happened more than once or twice, and I feel like I would be really stupid if I take it seriously, so I'll just ignore it.

"Come to think of it, Isshiki, you haven't given up on Hayama yet, you really have an amazing willpower."

After hearing what I said, Isshiki was stunned for a moment, and shook his head at me. He leaned on the sofa at the back, looking a little lonely, and said in a difficult and low voice: "Senior, why do you still think I like Ye Shan-senpai?"

"Hey, haven't you always had a good impression of Ye Shan? And when you were giving an example just now, didn't you mention Ye Shan very confidently? So I think you probably still can't forget Ye Shan."

"Yeah, that's right. After all, I've always talked to my seniors in this way in high school. It seems that the first thing I need to break is this fixed image..."

A few words came out of Isshiki's mouth, but I had no idea what they meant! Eyebrows? Break? What did that mean?

"That Isshiki, what do you mean..."

Before I could finish my words, Isshiki leaned in front of me. The distance was so close that I was stunned for a moment. I could also clearly feel Isshiki's breathing and his eyes that exuded a strange light.

"Senior, you have to remember that I no longer like Ye Shan-senpai. Now I am your editor and your lovely junior, Isshiki Iroha!"

Afterwards, Isshiki returned to her seat, showing a smile that looked like a watercolor painting, and she stretched out her hand towards me, as if expecting me to reach out and hold her hand.

"Please give me your guidance, Hikigaya Hachiman-sensei."

Waking up from my daze, I looked at the hand Isshiki stretched out to me. I don't know why, but I always feel that Isshiki is emitting a certain light that I cannot understand.

After adjusting my expression, I reached out to Isshiki and gently held her hand.

"Please, Editor Isshiki."