"Hachiman."
This is a dream.
"Hachiman."
Other than my mother and Komachi, who would ever call me by my first name? This has to be a dream.
"Boom~ Hachimanhachimanhachiman~~"
Ahhh! This is too damn sweet!!
Hikigaya Hachiman suddenly woke up.
What came into view was a strange room—and an even stranger woman.
She had long, smooth red hair, a lively smile, and a pair of bright blue eyes brimming with energy. Her aura alone screamed national idol tier.
"You… who are you?"
Hikigaya Hachiman's mind was still foggy.
Where on earth did this beautiful woman come from? She looked like someone straight off a magazine cover.
"Hmm?"
"Honestly, Hachiman—"
"Are you still half-asleep?"
The energetic beauty puffed up her cheeks, voice playful. "Hurry up and get out of bed~ You promised me we'd go street shooting today!"
"Photography?
I'm not exaggerating, with my camera skills, I can make even the cutest girl in the world look like just an ordinary cute girl on the street.
You're so beautiful already… it feels like a waste for me to take your picture."
Hachiman said it seriously.
"But I only want you to take my picture~"
The lively redhead tilted her head, smiling with those bright, teasing eyes.
That—That's too unfair!
Hachiman's heartbeat spiked.
"Ah, I almost forgot…"
The energetic beauty seemed to remember something and suddenly leaned closer.
Her flawless face filled Hachiman's entire vision.
"Wait, what—?!"
"What are you doing?!"
Hachiman quickly pressed both her shoulders, his dead-fish eyes darting away—but no matter how he tried, they kept getting pulled back.
The gravitational force of beauty was terrifying.
"What am I doing?"
"Isn't this just our daily good morning kiss?"
The red-haired beauty blinked innocently, as if what she said were the most natural thing in the world.
Good morning kiss?!
For someone who's never even held a girl's hand, this was way too high-level!
"I see, I see…"
'Dreams like this are called… wet dreams!'
Hikigaya Hachiman quickly regained composure.
Judging from the setting, this energetic, broad-minded beauty was supposed to be his wife…?
Pfft. Sure, Hachiman, keep dreaming. Literally.
Still, since this is a dream…
Isn't it fine to be just a little bolder?
He scanned his "wife" from head to toe—her looks, her figure—then gulped.
No! Don't make that pig-faced expression! You'll scare her off!
He took a deep breath, pressed his palms together, and muttered under his breath:
Amitabha, Infinite Heavenly Lord, God, Komachi…
Punish! Evil! Retreat! Disperse!
"Hehe~"
"You don't have to hold back~~"
The energetic beauty leaned in again and whispered softly in his ear, "Because today is a safe day~~~~"
Snap!
The fragile thread of Hachiman's rationality broke clean in half.
I'm sorry, Komachi.
Your brother can't hold back anymore.
"Ding-ling-ling~"
Bang!
Hachiman smacked his alarm clock with a backhand grip, gripping it like it owed him money.
For the first time in his life, he genuinely wanted to destroy the damn thing.
"Good morning, onii-chan~!"
Komachi kicked open the door—its lock long since broken.
"Hey~ your face looks weird. Did you have a dirty dream last night?"
Komachi leaned over the bed, smirking as she poked her brother's slightly flushed cheeks.
"No! Of course not!"
Hachiman gripped the blanket tightly, anticipating his sister's usual routine of trying to pull it off.
"Get up, onii-chan!"
"Today's the big day—you're heading off to that elite training school!"
Komachi frowned, eyes slightly watery. "I really don't get what Mom and Dad were thinking, sending you off to Tokyo alone… and to a completely closed-off boarding school at that."
According to the original plan, Hikigaya Hachiman should have enrolled at nearby Sōbu High School in Chiba.
But a month ago, an unexpected letter arrived—an invitation to Advanced Nurturing High School, located in Tokyo Bay.
The school was said to be part of a government–corporate collaboration, conducting a unique "social experiment." Its systems and curriculum were unlike any normal high school.
But the real kicker?
No tuition, no fees, and guaranteed admission to the University of Tokyo after graduation.
Faced with such an outrageous offer, Hachiman's first thought was simple:
Total scam.
Yet, his parents believed it without hesitation and immediately signed the consent form.
Their reasoning? "A boy should learn independence early!"
Hachiman shed silent tears.
Was he adopted?
If so… maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
"Ugh, onii-chan's eyes just got disgusting again!"
Komachi frowned, clearly creeped out.
"But still…"
"Komachi's going to be lonely when she can't see her gross brother every day starting tomorrow."
"Ah~ but in terms of Komachi Points, your score just shot up!"
Komachi bonked her own head with a fist, sticking out her tongue with a cute grin.
"Komachi…"
Hachiman's heart softened. After years as siblings, he could tell she was trying hard to hide her sadness.
"Anyway, hurry up and get ready, okay?"
Komachi retreated from the room, but before leaving, she peeked her head back in with a mischievous smile:
"Oh, by the way—Komachi's going to wash that blanket for you later~"
"GET OUT!!"
Hachiman yelled, face red with a mix of anger and shame.
All because of that damn vivid dream.
***
Hachiman boarded the Shinkansen bound for Tokyo, then transferred to a special bus heading toward the school.
He sat near the middle, window side.
The other students who got on seemed to have reached a silent consensus—they all avoided the seat beside him.
Soon, every seat was filled… except the one next to Hikigaya Hachiman.
The familiar chill of isolation.
It reminded him too much of past field trips in elementary and middle school—where no one sat beside him, and he earned the nickname "Hikigaya-gumi" (the cursed seat).
Just when he accepted his fate, a girl walked down the aisle and—without hesitation—sat right next to him.
Stay calm. Don't get your hopes up.
She probably just took the only empty seat.
Still, he couldn't help but notice her.
She had long, straight black hair that reached her waist, a neat bow and thin side ponytail on the right, and sharp, pink-purple foxlike eyes that radiated a cool, untouchable aura. A don't-talk-to-me type.
In her hands was a dark-blue book—heavy literature.
Nietzsche's Anti-Christ?
Hachiman had read it once… back in second-year middle school.
Out of pure contrarian impulse, he'd scoured the library for something no one else would ever read.
The result? His classmates thought he was reading a cursed grimoire.
Ridiculous.
He'd long since sealed away his Divine Realm Diary and World Government Reports.
In order to save face, he actually read the entire book—and to be fair, Nietzsche's critique of morality and human nature was fascinating.
Then came noise from the front of the bus.
An argument.
The cause—a suspicious old lady had boarded.
Why suspicious?
Because this was a private bus bound exclusively for Advanced Nurturing High School students. Most passengers were teens, with a few adults likely being staff.
An elderly woman boarding here didn't add up.
"Um, excuse me—could you please give up your seat?"
A girl with short, light brown hair and a well-endowed figure was speaking politely to a blond boy sitting in a reserved seat.
"This is meant for the elderly. We should give priority to them."
"Oh, pretty girl~" the blond replied lazily, stretching his legs across both seats. "You do realize that giving up a seat is optional, not a law, right?"
Where did this arrogant prince come from?
"Just because I'm young, I should give up my seat?" he continued smugly. "That's ridiculous."
"Standing is harder on the body than sitting. Why should I do something that has no benefit or meaning?"
The blond boy smirked and glanced mockingly at the old lady.
So he noticed it too.
Hachiman narrowed his eyes. The old lady, though moving slowly, had clear eyes and a healthy complexion—more "wealthy retiree" than frail elder.
"But I think it's still the right thing to do," said the short-haired girl, her eyes large and sincere. "She looks like she's struggling."
Her kindheartedness won approving murmurs from the others.
Helping the weak for appearance's sake while boosting one's own image—ah, altruism, society's favorite form of self-promotion.
Two boys nearby stood halfway up as if to help her, but when they saw the blond's height—easily 180 cm with muscles to match—they backed down instantly.
"I'm not interested in contributing to society," the blond sneered.
"And besides—what about the rest of you sitting comfortably in normal seats?"
He flipped his hair dramatically, scanning the bus with challenging eyes.
On the surface, he was just deflecting, but it was obvious he was testing the crowd's reaction.
Most looked away, pretending it didn't concern them.
Hachiman, not wanting eye contact, turned his head as well—only to notice someone across the aisle doing the same.
A pale-faced boy, completely expressionless.
Wait… another human observer?
Hachiman felt a strange kinship—until the other boy's sharp, cold eyes turned toward him.
"!!!"
A chill ran down Hachiman's spine. It was like staring straight into the abyss.
That guy—he's dangerous. Better not get involved.
The emotionless student stared at Hachiman for a few seconds, as if deciding whether he'd been noticed, then spoke flatly:
"My classmate…"
But before he could finish—
"Excuse me, would anyone please give up their seat for this elderly lady?"
The short-haired girl tried again, pleading to the crowd.
"I will!"
Hikigaya Hachiman shot up from his seat.