Projection
["Has a girl ever hurt you before, Hachiman?" Kushida suddenly asked.
"Eh?" This question had a huge impact on him.
Hachiman stopped walking.
"I get the feeling that you don't really want anyone to enter your heart," Kushida said.]
Commentary
Komachi:jaw drops "Wha—?! That's such a personal question!"
Yui:flustered "K-Kushida-chan… isn't that a little… too direct?"
Yukino:cool gaze "Or a deliberate probe to test his defenses."
Hachiman:grim "…Exactly. Too fast. Too sharp."
Ichika :eyes narrowing "…That's not normal curiosity. That's prying."
Ichinose:softly "Or maybe she just wants to understand him better…"
Ryuen:snickers "Hah! She's peeling layers off him already."
Sakayanagi:fan raised "Ara~ how perceptive. She strikes where it hurts."
Hiratsuka:half-grin "…Brat, this is what happens when you attract the wrong kind of attention."
Projection
["I've had a bit of a dark past," Hachiman said. "It was probably in middle school. One of the girls in class exchanged phone numbers with the students, and when she exchanged numbers with me, I misunderstood."
He had misunderstood.
In other words, he had some history of liking someone, and that past with the opposite sex had led to a distrust of any further contact with girls.]
Commentary
Komachi:quietly sad "…So that's why, Onii-chan."
Yui:soft voice "That's… actually really painful."
Yukino:gentle tone "It explains much about your cynicism."
Hachiman:flat mutter "…Better to admit it than sugarcoat it."
Ichika:arms crossed "…One mistake, and he walls off the world. Tch. Waste of talent."
Ichinose:sympathetic "But… it makes him more real. Vulnerable."
Ryuen:snorts "Che. He got burned once and still limps around like it's fresh. Weak."
Sakayanagi:smiling faintly "Or wise. One scar can teach more than a hundred shallow cuts."
Hiratsuka:soft sigh "…Idiot. Still carrying middle school like chains."
Projection
["I think girls like it a lot. At least, I like it."
Really?
Hachiman had just gotten used to being alone, immersing himself in the world, and occasionally venting his frustrations.
He didn't think of it as anything mature.
Wait a second.
Hachiman realized something.]
Commentary
Komachi:pouting "She just said she likes him!!"
Yui:blushing furiously "E-ehhhh?! L-like… like?!"
Yukino:flat "No. She's flattering him. Manipulation disguised as praise."
Hachiman:deadpan "…See? Even Yukinoshita gets it."
Ichika:gritting teeth "…Yeah. That's not sincerity. That's bait."
Ichinose:hesitant "Still… it sounded genuine."
Ryuen:laughing "Hah! Hook's set. He's squirming."
Sakayanagi:smirk behind fan "Ara~ she weaves charm with precision. Quite dangerous."
Hiratsuka:grumble "Damn fox-girl. Playing with my student already."
Projection
[Because...
Could this person be trying to win him over?
Hachiman noticed that the 20 cm distance between his and Kushida's shoulders had shrunk to about 10 cm when she spoke to him earlier.
A faint fragrance, typical of girls, drifted toward him.]
Commentary
Komachi:flailing arms "Waaah! She's closing the distance!!"
Yui:hiding her face "S-so close…! That's like a couple's distance…"
Yukino:voice firm "Deliberate encroachment. Testing his composure."
Hachiman:flat mutter "…And failing spectacularly at subtlety."
Ichika:tense "…She's cornering him without him realizing. Dangerous."
Ichinose:biting her lip "…Or maybe she really wants to connect. That's brave."
Ryuen:laughing "Heh! The brat's being hunted."
Sakayanagi:eyes gleaming "Ara… how entertaining. Will he resist or crumble?"
Hiratsuka:exasperated "Kid, don't you dare melt now."
Projection
[On the notice board, there was only a message from the student council welcoming the new students, telling them to attend the opening ceremony in the gym at 10 AM.
Hachiman arrived at the third-year teaching building.
On the first floor here, Hachiman also saw the same type of notice board and chalkboard.
The notice board contained the same message, welcoming new students.
However, Hachiman noticed that the chalkboard in the third-year building had some information written on it. It showed a few numbers that caught his attention:
A 2530
B 1300
C 300
D 20 ]
Commentary
Komachi:tilts head "Numbers? What do they mean?"
Yui:confused "Like… scores? Budgets?"
Yukino:analyzing "Rankings. It's too structured to be random."
Hachiman:flat "…Obvious enough. It's the real scoreboard."
Ichika:grim "…Class evaluations. Damn, he found it this early?"
Ichinose:wide-eyed "It took us weeks to understand those numbers…"
Ryuen:growls "Che. Brat's sniffing truths faster than us."
Sakayanagi:fan hiding smile "Ara~ Class D with eyes sharper than most of Class A."
Hiratsuka:proud smirk "…Of course he'd notice. Idiot never misses the fine print."
Projection
["Are you first-year students? What are you doing in the upperclassmen's area?"
The voice had a somewhat authoritative tone, and it sounded familiar.
Hachiman and Kushida quickly looked over and saw the student council president and a girl with a bun hairstyle.]
Commentary
Komachi:nervous "O-oh no, Onii-chan got caught…"
Yui:gulping "Th-the student council president looks scary…"
Yukino:serious "Naturally. Authority tests boundaries."
Hachiman:dry "…Of course they show up right when I find something important."
Ichika:sighs "…Classic. Council's always got eyes everywhere."
Ichinose:frowning "Still… that was risky. He could've gotten in real trouble."
Ryuen:grinning "Heh! Trouble's just another test."
Sakayanagi:smirking "Ara~ and he already flagged himself as different. Delightful."
Hiratsuka:shaking head "…Always walking right into authority's line of sight, aren't you?"
Projection
[At that moment, he received an email.
There was only one line of text in the email.
[Congratulations, Hikigaya Hachiman. Your application to convert your points into cash in advance has been approved. The board of directors has voted and granted you this privilege.] ]
Commentary
Komachi:gasps "Onii-chan got approval?! Already?!"
Yui:eyes wide "Eh?! That's… huge!"
Yukino:nodding slightly "Unprecedented. No wonder he attracted attention."
Hachiman:grim mutter "…Yeah. Parallel me really stirred the hornet's nest."
Ichika:jaw clenched "…What the hell?! We never got that option…"
Ichinose:shocked "The board of directors themselves approved it? That's unheard of."
Ryuen:snarling "Tch. Special treatment brat. They're setting him apart."
Sakayanagi:delighted "Ara~ how marvelous. Even the board bends for him."
Hiratsuka:smiling faintly "…Guess the gamble paid off."