Hachiman had successfully made his way to the downtown shopping district, which was an achievement in itself. The problem was that he now had absolutely no idea where to go, leaving him standing there in a state of utter bewilderment.
"In the first place, shopping for women's accessories is a difficulty setting way above my pay grade," he muttered. "If this were Chiba, I could just wander into Lalaport and probably figure something out, but here..."
Grumbling to himself, Hachiman aimlessly prowled the area.
"Hmm... nope, still clueless. Maybe I'll just duck into a random shop..."
Deciding to backtrack to where he started, Hachiman abruptly turned on his heel. In that exact moment, he collided with a woman walking up from behind him.
"Eep!"
"Ah—s-sorry! My apologies."
"No, no, it's fine. My friend wasn't watching where she was going. Sorry about that. Here, Kaori, can you stand?"
The woman who seemed to be the companion of the one he'd knocked over spoke in a polite, steady tone. Her voice struck a chord of familiarity within Hachiman. As he looked down to help the fallen woman up, their eyes met perfectly.
Despite the surprise, Hachiman instinctively spoke her name.
"Wait... Is that you, Orimoto? Then that means you're, uh... let me think... Naka... Nakamachi-san?"
"Eh? No way. Hikigaya? Why on earth is Hikigaya here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. You two on a trip or something?"
"Yeah! I wanted to show Chika winter in Kyoto. Hey, Chika, do you remember Hikigaya?"
"Um..."
Chika stared intently at Hachiman, unable to immediately place him. Then, her eyes went wide with shock.
"Eh? That Hikigaya-kun? You're lying. He gives off a totally different impression from back then."
"I get that a lot," Hachiman replied dryly. "Ah... and about back then. I'm truly sorry for making things uncomfortable for you."
Recalling their shared past, Hachiman bowed his head to Chika. She looked flustered and immediately apologized in return.
"No, we should be the ones apologizing. Thinking back on it now, we were really awful to you. I'm really sorry, Hikigaya-kun."
"Let's call it water under the bridge, then? We good?"
"Yeah, let's go with that. But you really do look like you've changed. I wonder why?"
"According to others, the rot finally cleared from my eyes after I returned to reality."
"Returned to... reality? Ah!"
Hearing those words, Chika seemed to realize something, her expression softening into one of relief.
"Welcome home, Hikigaya-kun. I'm really glad you're safe."
"Huh? Nakamachi-san, we went to different high schools. How did you know what happened to me?"
"Well, Kaori told me. She was crying her eyes out when she did."
"Crying her eyes out, huh?"
Hachiman shot a glance at Kaori. Her face turned beet red as she protested to Chika.
"Geez! Don't say embarrassing stuff like that, Chika!"
"Ehh? So, I probably shouldn't mention that when you heard Hikigaya-kun was safe, you cried even harder than before?"
"You're saying it right now! God..."
"My bad, Orimoto. I guess I really worried you."
"No, it's fine. You came back safe, and that's what matters."
Kaori smiled brightly, and Chika offered Hachiman a gentle smile as well.
"Thanks, you two."
"Welcome back, Hikigaya."
"Welcome back."
"Yeah. It's good to be home."
Suddenly, an idea struck Hachiman.
"Actually, if you guys have time, I have a favor to ask. Could you guide me to a few shops that sell souvenirs for women? I'm hopeless with this kind of stuff and I was honestly stuck."
"Souvenirs for women? Is it for Asuna?"
"No, someone else. Asuna is actually here with me, so it's a shame you couldn't meet her today, Orimoto."
"Oh, really? That's too bad, I haven't seen Asuna in ages."
"Well, invite her out sometime. I'm sure Asuna would be happy to go."
"Yeah! If she's okay with me! Oh, Chika, let's hang out together with her!"
Chika, piqued by Kaori's enthusiasm, asked the obvious question.
"Hey Kaori, who's Asuna?"
"Oh, Asuna is Hikigaya's girlfriend."
Chika looked genuinely floored.
"Eh, seriously?"
"Yep. Oh, Hikigaya, if you have a photo of Asuna, show Chika. You know, just in case we all meet up later."
"Good point. Nakamachi-san, this is Asuna."
"Th-thanks. Let's see... Whoa. This beauty is Hikigaya-kun's girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Way to go, Hikigaya-kun! She's way prettier than Kaori!"
Hachiman was at a complete loss for how to respond to that. Kaori, meanwhile, puffed out her cheeks and complained.
"Chika! I mean, it's true, but that was one word too many!"
"Aha, sorry, sorry. You're cute too, Kaori. Really."
"Saying it like an afterthought now doesn't help!"
"W-well, let's calm down..." Hachiman interjected awkwardly.
"Right, right. Anyway, Kaori, let's show Hikigaya-kun around some shops."
"Hmm, okay! Let's get moving!"
"I'm in your care."
The trio visited several shops, browsing a variety of items. Eventually, in one of the stores, a specific brooch caught Hachiman's eye.
"Hmm, this is..."
"What, what? Oh, that's tsumami zaiku," Kaori said, peeking over his shoulder at the traditional fabric craft.
Kaori was looking at a large, flashy piece, but Hachiman picked up a smaller, more delicate one next to it and turned to her.
"Hey, Orimoto. Hypothetically, say someone has long black hair, tied on both sides of her face with white ribbons."
"Uh-huh."
"If she pinned this small one onto one of those ribbons, how do you think it would look?"
"Hmm, I think that would be super cute. What do you think, Chika?"
Chika considered the description and asked, "Is this girl the quiet type? Is it Yukinoshita-san, by any chance?"
"No, not Yukino. But yeah, she looks the quiet type."
"Then I definitely think that one is better than the big ones. Yeah, it'll look really cute."
"I see... Alright, I'll take this one."
Hachiman paid for the item and had the tsumami zaiku brooch beautifully wrapped. He walked out of the store looking visibly relieved.
"Hey, is just one enough?" Kaori asked.
"Hmm, ah, right... ultimately, how many do I need... Yukino, Yui, Yumiko, Iroha, Komachi, Keiko, Elsa, Koneko, Argo, Minami... I guess I need something similar for all of them? The guys can just have food. What to do about Rika and Suguha... Well, I'll decide the rest with Asuna later. It's fine."
The two women stood there, jaws dropped at Hachiman's mutterings.
"H-Hikigaya? Those are all girls, right? You've made... quite a lot of female friends..."
"Yeah, I'm a little shocked..."
"I guess so. Anyway, it's almost lunch time. To say thanks, lunch is on me. Is there anything you two want to eat?"
"Eh, really?"
"Score! Hikigaya-kun, you're generous!"
The two began looking around excitedly, happily discussing what sounded good.
"Since it's Kyoto, maybe something like that kaiseki place?"
Hachiman pointed to a nearby restaurant. The girls agreed without really checking the details.
"A kaiseki lunch... yeah, that sounds very Kyoto."
"Yeah, yeah, sounds good. But..."
Chika was about to mention that it looked expensive, but Hachiman cut in before she could finish.
"Alright, let's go there then. Let's head in, I'm actually starving."
"Ah, um..."
Chika looked at Kaori with a troubled expression. Reading the room, Kaori spoke up on Chika's behalf.
"But Hikigaya, that place is super expensive. We're totally fine with cheaper fast food or something."
"Hmm? Let's see... Oh, this price for lunch? Actually, that makes me more curious. It's fine, don't worry about it. You don't need to worry about the bill."
"R-really...?"
"Yeah, don't hold back. It's my treat for helping me out."
"O-okay..."
Hachiman walked into the restaurant. Watching him go, Kaori and Chika whispered frantically.
"Hey Kaori, is Hikigaya-kun's family rich?"
"No, they should be totally normal..."
"Maybe he didn't see the price properly? It's 15,000 yen per person!"
"No, he said 'this price,' so he definitely saw it."
"Well, since he insisted... should we just go in?"
"Y-yeah, I guess so..."
They followed timidly behind him. Once seated, Hachiman smiled and asked them what they wanted.
"Alright, order whatever you want. Don't hold back."
"R-right."
"Whatever we want, huh..."
They opened the menus and nearly fainted at the prices.
"It really is expensive..."
"Well, for authentic kaiseki lunch, isn't this about right?"
"I mean, true, but..."
Seeing their stiff, awkward behavior, Hachiman tilted his head.
"You two have been super tense for a while now. Did something happen?"
"Ah, no, it's not really tension..."
"It's just the price, you know."
"It's fine once in a while. I'm paying, so just ignore the price and pick what you li—ah."
Hachiman finally understood what they were nervous about.
"I get it. Being told to order whatever you want in a place like this would make anyone hesitate. Sorry, my financial sense has been a bit paralyzed lately. My bad."
Kaori leaned in with a question.
"Um... did you win the lottery or something, Hikigaya?"
"No, it's a work thing..."
"Wait, aren't you a student at the Returner's School?"
"Hmm, my situation is a bit unique. I've already got a position secured at Soleil."
Kaori recoiled in her seat at his words. A bit of an overreaction, Hachiman thought, until her next words made him recoil in turn.
"That's... the same company as me..."
"Eh, seriously?"
"Y-yeah... You're at Soleil too, Hikigaya?"
"Uh, yeah... Seriously? Wait, you're not the President's secretary, are you?"
"No, I'm in reception."
"I see. So you weren't my direct subordinate."
"Yeah..."
Listening to this exchange, Chika's eyes widened as she pressed Hachiman.
"Wait a second, Kaori, why are you replying so casually? And hey, Hachiman-kun, did you just say 'direct subordinate'? That implies the President's secretary would be your subordinate..."
"Eh? Eh? Ah, I just answered naturally, but... yeah, it did sound like that."
"Uh, right... Actually, for some reason, it's been decided that I'm going to be the next President of Soleil."
At those words, even these two couldn't hide their astonishment.
"EEEEEH!?"
"W-what does that mean? How did that happen?"
"Hmm, how do I explain this... Hey Orimoto, remember back in the day, I said I'd introduce you to Hayama, and a woman actually introduced you? Do you remember her face?"
"Ah, yeah! I remember, I remember! She was incredibly beautiful."
"I think I might remember her too."
"That was the President of Soleil. Was she there during your interview?"
Kaori looked blank for a moment, then gasped.
"Ehh!? She is the President of Soleil? No, the person who interviewed me was this mysterious woman with a mustache drawn on her face. Everyone else apparently failed, but for some reason, I was the only one hired. I took the interview thinking I'd fail for sure, so I was totally shocked."
"I was really surprised back then too. This trip is actually a celebration for her getting the job."
"I see. So it was Argo's doing... Let me just make a quick call."
"O-okay."
Hachiman picked up his phone and dialed Argo.
『Har-bo, what's up this time?』
"Oi, Argo. Did you handle the interview for a girl named Orimoto Kaori?"
『Ohh, that time. Boss shoved the interviews onto me and bolted. I happened to participate, and since she was in the same class as Har-bo in middle school, I went ahead and hired her.』
"That is way too half-assed, hey! Alright, sorry to bug you when you're busy."
『Just for the record, that was only the deciding factor, okay?』
"Is that so... Alright, understood. Thanks."
『Roger that.』
Hachiman hung up and turned to Kaori with an indescribable expression.
"Ah... apparently, the fact that you knew me was just the final push for your hiring."
"Oh, is that it? That actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Hikigaya!"
"It was only the deciding factor, which means the rest of the process must have gone well. I think you can be proud of that. But... are you really okay with that reason?" Hachiman asked, sounding a bit hesitant.
"Eh? Of course I'm okay with it! Right, Chika?"
"Yeah, yeah. Hikigaya-kun, Soleil is hugely popular among students. The competition is fierce, and it's a company everyone is watching."
"I-is that so..."
"Yeah, so I owe you big time, Hikigaya. I was so happy when I got in."
"Enough that we came on this trip to celebrate."
"I see. Well, if you're happy, then that's good, Orimoto."
"Yup!"
Hachiman addressed them both again.
"Well, because of all that, funding isn't an issue at all. So really, order whatever you like."
"Well then."
"If that's the case..."
The tension finally broke, and the two began happily discussing the menu. After ordering, Hachiman excused himself to go to the restroom.
Once he had left the room, Chika turned to Kaori.
"Hey, Kaori."
"Yeah?"
"You realize this, right? You recovered a bit with the job, but your life choices were a pretty big failure."
Kaori laughed bitterly at the blunt observation.
"Ah... yeah, there is that..."
"Why didn't you just date Hikigaya-kun honestly back in middle school? He's practically a different person now. He looks way cooler, and he has money and power. He is the definition of a 'winner'."
"I know, right... I didn't hate him or anything, but at the time, I really thought dating him was impossible. But after talking later, I thought he worked as a friend. Thinking about it now... if I had looked at Hikigaya more closely back then, maybe dating him would have been an option."
"Well, no use crying over spilt milk. I'll comfort you tonight."
"Yeah..."
After lunch, they decided to sightsee together for a while. Since Hachiman offered, the three of them headed toward where his car, K.I.T.T., was parked.
There, Kaori and Chika, as expected, were stunned once again.
"Whoa, amazing... This is going to make comforting you tonight really worthwhile."
"Don't say it..."
The trio visited the spots Kaori and Chika had originally planned. Thanks to K.I.T.T.'s navigation and the extra time saved by driving, they managed to visit several other locations as well.
By evening, it was time to wrap things up. Hachiman dropped the two women off at their hotel.
"Today was fun. Really, thanks, Hikigaya."
"We got to go to way more places than planned. It was a blast."
"No, you guys helped me out with the gift hunting. Thanks, both of you."
"When do you start working, Hikigaya?"
"Let's see. I'll probably go to university first, so maybe in five or six years?"
"I see."
Kaori straightened her posture and bowed deeply to Hachiman.
"We await the President's arrival at the reception desk."
"O-ou..."
"Just kidding!"
"Kaori, try not to get fired before Hikigaya-kun gets there."
"Yep, I'll do my best!"
"Oh, by the way, Nakamachi-san... did you happen to apply to my company too?"
Hachiman asked fearfully, thinking it would be awkward if she had failed.
"Ah, no. My family runs a flower shop, so I'll probably take over after graduation. If you ever need flowers, come buy from us."
"Is that so? I definitely will if the occasion arises."
"Aha, looking forward to it, Hikigaya-kun."
"See you later, over there, Hikigaya!"
"See ya, Hikigaya-kun! You too, Kitt!"
"Yeah. See you on the other side."
『Kaori, Chika. Until we meet again.』
Hachiman drove off with K.I.T.T., leaving the two women waving at his receding back for a long time.
"Kaori... the fish that got away was huge, huh?"
"Yeah. Well, it can't be helped. Asuna is a really good girl, and those two are a perfect match."
"Your real feelings?"
"Ugh~ Hikigaya was so cool... I want to go back to middle school and do it over!"
"Aha, tonight really is going to be a long comfort session."
"Yeah, seriously, please..."
Kaori gazed vaguely in the direction Hachiman had driven away.
(I'm envious. But absolutely be happy, Hikigaya, Asuna.)
Laughing together, the two friends turned and walked into their hotel.
-----------------------------
I've just uploaded up to 30 chapters in advance on Patreon!
If you enjoy this story, please supporting me on Patreon!
👉 [patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your amazing support!