COTE: A Man On A Mission || Love is War?

Hirata-kun was smiling.

“....”

’What’s wrong with these boys? Are you lining up to have a life talk today? Can you go find a sunny day?.....’ Hachiman then returned to volleyball hall, because at least there was shelter from the rain.

Since he saw Hirata and was greeted by him, obviously couldn’t leave politely.

Although Hachiman wanted to avoid him in his heart, he still talked to Hirata on the surface, “Even if we lost this exam, it’s not bad to spend first grade in B position. But I probably won’t stay in this class for long.....”

The former was just a matter of fact, but the latter was Hachiman directly stating that he and Hirata were not on the same path after all.

He won’t stay forever. In other words, he wants to skip classes!

“I kinda expected that,” Hirata did not react much to this surprising news, “This class is indeed not worth your continued stay.....But I still need to thank you. Hikigaya-kun, even if you go to another class, I will protect you and prevent my classmates from saying bad things about you. Please believe that I can handle this.”

“…”

Indeed.

Because he was from Class D and was bought to another class, although Hachiman didn’t have to pay, there must be people who think he is a traitor, “So what are you doing here?”

When first saw Hirata, he was alone in the rain. Although has become lighter, it is still falling.

“Let mind clear for a while. The end of this exam also means end of our first grade....Then I was looking back on the year, and realised how much support I have gotten from you, and wanted to say thank you in person.....”

This means that everyone may experience a few days of low mood in a year.

Then mood became complicated.

“Because I suddenly felt like I had no goal...In the beginning, I entered this school as a morbid compensation for not being able to save my friend in the past and not lending a hand. That’s why my reaction was so ridiculous when Yamauchi was chosen to drop out of school....However, just like you said, I never had the courage to face that friend. It was my own problem. Now that I’ve returned from school, he hopes that I won’t restrict myself any more. I have my own life. I’ve also thought about studying medicine in the future, hoping to help him, but as expected, I still have a lot of time left in this school.....Then.”

Hirata’s eyes were full of confusion, “Besides that, I don’t know what to do. So I’ll be out here in the rain. It’s not that I want to punish myself, but I want to wake myself up. I want to know what I want to do, or what I can do......”

He was almost talking to himself at this point, “Although I’m not quite sure what I think, but there’s nothing wrong with helping others. However, there needs to be a limit....And Hikigaya-kun, if you skip classes, I will help you clean up the mess. It’s okay even if it exceeds a limit. Anyway, thank you very much, Hikigaya-kun. Because I think I can wake up, that I can’t do without your enlightenment.....”

So that’s it.

“…..” Hikigaya-kun.

In fact, boy was silent not because he was moved by Hirata, but was surprised.

Why. Why does Hirata-kun imagine so much?

Hachiman arranged for Hirata to go out of the campus to meet his friend.

On the one hand, it was for Hirata’s consideration, but at that time he also wanted him to confirm what kind of person Chairman Tsukishiro was.

So to some extent, Hikigaya-kun is not pure.

In end, Hirata felt that he was doing it entirely for his own good.

Then Hirata still wants to continue to be a good guy, but he has learned to have limits and is no longer willing to help people like Yamauchi.

’Why don’t you treat everyone equally, but instead be more open to me? This is all very strange! Are you changing your sexuality or what?!’ Hachiman suddenly felt that he had just lost Ichinose, who seemed to be a very suitable friend, but now it seemed that he suddenly had another friend option.

And this option seemed to be pressed upon our face all of a sudden.

“Don’t worry, Hikigaya-kun. Everyone has the opportunity to pursue a better future. I will help you.”

But Hirata said, with grateful eyes.

’So what exactly did he imagine?’ Hachiman felt that he did not understand other party’s meaning at all. Because even if he skipped a class, he would go to Ryuen’s to earn money to support himself and his sister in their old age.

This kind of life is definitely not beautiful in the eyes of ordinary people, but very utilitarian.

“I see it clearly now. In this school, I like to make friends with others, but I found that only one who is truly a friend to me is you, Hikigaya-kun. Because friends are the ones who can wake me up when I need it most, and that’s what I lack. So, can you be my friend, Hikigaya-kun?”

“….”

Hachiman was speechless.

But he also knew that if he didn’t satisfy Hirata-kun, this guy would most likely keep him here talking.

But Hachiman is actually not good at chatting. So he just nodded.

But when Hirata said that, his face seemed to be full of excitement, “So, can we call each other by our names?”

“…” ’If I’m not mistaken, then entence just now should be “Finally a friend +1” But there is a strange feeling. Just by looking down, I could see Hirata’s sincere and longing expression.....’

Hachiman.

Yosuke. (Hirata’s name)

It’s normal to have a friend.

But Hikigaya-kun had a feeling that, it would be very unusual to call him.

“Sorry, I feel embarrassed to call the other person by his name,” Hachiman immediately chose to refuse.

”Is that so?” Hirata seemed to be disappointed, “But I will never change the fact that I regard Hikigaya-kun as a friend.”

Hirata nodded regretfully, and just looking at his wet clothes, Hachiman lent him an umbrella, and planned to go back when the rain stopped.

Then he watched Hirata walk to the dormitory.

In this way, Hikigaya is the only one left at volleyball court. Watching the falling rain.

Hikigaya-kun, however, feels uneasy.

Imprinted. How strange.

It seemed like he had gained a friend, but he felt very uncomfortable.

’As I was thinking this, I realized that rain seemed to be getting heavier. Do I have to go back in the rain too?.....’

He lent his room to Ichinose-san, and then went back in rain, causing her to misunderstand that he gave her his room and got caught in the rain himself. What if he did?

Since Ichinose is a good person, Hachiman knows she might think so.

Then arrange for someone to bring him an umbrella.

“.....” Consider it for a moment.

So Hachiman took out his phone and scrolled through his address book, eventually selecting four candidates.

[Hasebe Haruka]

[Karuizawa Kei]

[Sakura Airi]

Then there is [Kushida Kikyo]

Among them, Hasebe likes gossip, and he may be able to trick the other party out by using chatting as an excuse.

She may even invite him to have coffee in the shopping street.

’As for Karuizawa, I haven’t contacted her much recently, but she seems to be an M and likes to take orders.....’

So giving her some occasionally may make her feel at ease.

As for Sakura Airi, it seemed that she felt a little sad that he lost his place as a protector, so she wanted to comfort him.

She is a good person.

Then give her a chance.

As for choosing Kushida.

Normally, he was the one who dealt with Kushida’s emotions. In terms of favors, she owed him at least sixteen, so it was reasonable for him to use one to ask her to send him an umbrella.

’But there are four people to choose from, so who should I ask?’ After a little consideration, Hikigaya-kun decided to close his eyes and randomly dial a girl’s number.

Ask the other person out.

While thinking this, his cell phone suddenly vibrated and Hachiman almost couldn’t hold the phone.

Then he looked at the screen, It’s an incoming call.

The caller was Karuizawa Kei.

“Why are your movements so strange?” After it was connected, her voice came.

“My trajectory?”

“I sent you a picture, but you didn’t reply. Then I checked your GPS, went back to the dormitory, but it started raining again, but anyway you went out, then volleyball court, then to the playground, and finally returned to volleyball court.....What are you doing in there now?”

“.....” Hachiman. ’I almost forgot that mobile phones in this school are customized. As long as you add each other as friends, your movements can be tracked by your friends....’

“I went out for a while. Then I met Hirata. Seeing that he was caught in the rain, I lent him an umbrella. Now I am trapped in volleyball court.”

“.....” Karuizawa was speechless. ’You ran out to give someone an umbrella, and then you got caught in the rain?’

xxxxxx

Fifteen minutes later.

Hikigaya-kun saw a girl with a golden ponytail running towards him from a distance at volleyball court.

....She must have rushed here in a hurry, because she was still a little out of breath.

Even though she came with an umbrella, the golden rectangle was still a little wet.

“I chose to come when the rain was getting lighter, but it got heavier halfway through. So I can only jog over here.....” Then she handed Hachiman an umbrella.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Although he said this, Hikigaya actually felt a little guilty. He just wanted to give Karuizawa a task, but he got her wet.

“Then let’s go back to the dormitory. Take a shower first, or you’ll catch a cold.....Although exams are over today, teachers haven’t announced the holiday yet, so we have to go to classroom tomorrow. But I think holiday isn’t far away.....”

“.....” Karuizawa felt like she was being reprimanded,  ’I always feel that Hikigaya-kun must have other tasks in mind when he called me over just now. For example, it’s already this late, so can we go to the shopping street and then wait for a while to have a meal or see a movie together?’

’But now I got soaked, so let me go back.’ Taking this into consideration, Karuizawa did not lose her temper.

“Aren’t you going back to your room?” Karuizawa and Hachiman returned to the student dormitory from volleyball court together, holding umbrellas.

First floor lobby.

But when he arrived, he sat down on a chair beside.

“There’s someone in the room now. She should be asleep. If I go back, I’ll disturb her. Let her rest a little longer.....”

’I see, that makes you quite considerate.’ Karuizawa remembered that when he came to girl’s dormitory, body was also wet, and then Hikigaya-kun borrowed clothes and a hair dryer from Horikita-san.

And now, it also shows his thoughtfulness.

Quite normal.

“• ? •” Karuizawa just thought it was normal that Hikigaya Hachiman was a considerate person, but suddenly it occurred to her that something was wrong.

“You mean, there is someone in your room now? And it’s a girl?” Karuizawa suddenly felt a little uneasy.

She knew that boy in front of her was someone who seemed to be working hard now, but didn’t want to in the future.

He was determined to be a househusband and hoped to be supported by his wife.

He also accumulated 20 million points and proposed that if she married him and supported him in the future, he would pay the price of graduating from Class A and becoming a superior person.

She didn’t give a reply at that time, but when she heard it again, she was told that Hikigaya-kun and Kushida-san had signed an agreement to get married after graduation.

“....Is that Kushida-san?” She asked hesitantly.

She thought that although Kushida and Hikigaya had signed the agreement, their relationship was just an ordinary one. ’But, I was wrong. Kushida-san actually stayed in Hikigaya-kun’s room!’

“No, didn’t Kushida just go out with her friends when we entered the dormitory.....?”

Forehead.

She and Hikigaya came back from the volleyball stadium holding an umbrella, and then she saw Kushida-san and two friends going out with her own.

It seems to be the destination cafeteria.

“So, who’s in your room no----”

“It’s Ichinose. This exam was too traumatic for her....”

’....Damn it! Wow!’ Kei still knew this.

Ichinose’s class performed badly in this exam. It seemed she only competed for a few games and then had to give up because the players were unwell.

It seems players did not manage their bodies well.

This kind of thing could happen in Class C, but Kei felt that people in Ichinose’s class were still very self-disciplined.

So, also felt there seemed to be something wrong.

The results of the exam have been announced.

Not only was Ichinose’s class defeated by Ryuen, but even lost their status as Class A and have dropped to C.

’As a class representative, Ichinose-san must be feeling very uncomfortable. So to speak, Even though she was feeling down, why was she in Hikigaya-kun’s room?....

“Could it be that Ichinose-san and you deci------” Karuizawa suddenly had another idea. She knew that Hikigaya’s points had increased.

’Isn’t it true that he not only signed an agreement with Kushida-san, but also with Ichinose-san? No way! How can an average person win against the flawless Archangel Ichinose-san?’

Hikigaya noticed that Karuizawa-san’s expression changed very quickly.

“The elevator is here, what are you waiting for?”

There weren’t many students coming out or coming back at this time, so Hachiman pressed elevator button and found that Karuizawa was still in a daze.

xxxxxx

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