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2.34% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 12: [12] (Edited)

Chapter 12: [12] (Edited)

After typing the final word, Hachiman released a sigh of relief. His gaze shifted to the completed manuscript on the computer screen, and a satisfied nod followed suit. With a sense of urgency, he rushed to complete the second volume before the holiday ended.

"Compared to other light novelists, I am remarkably diligent," he mused. Completing two volumes in a month filled Hachiman with a surge of pride. True, he was primarily a copywriter, but he had skillfully revised the original work, earning his due credit.

It's worth noting that these Japanese light novel writers are renowned for their hard work, often taking two to three months to finish a single volume. Each volume typically spanned around 100,000 words. This led to Japanese light novelists being capable of producing between 500,000 to 600,000 words per year under regular circumstances.

The authors of these light novels in Japan often faced the persistent nudges of their editors. The thought of striving to write 400,000 to 500,000 words a year while still requiring editorial prompts left Hachiman slightly astounded.

Naturally, this was influenced by Japan's unique circumstances. Most Japanese light novels were still rooted in physical books. The journey from submission to revisions, followed by securing an artist for illustrations, and finally culminating in the printing process, consumed nearly a month for each installment to hit bookstore shelves.

Furthermore, publishing houses handled not just one author's work, but a multitude of them. With limited capacity, releases were scheduled in succession.

Although Hachiman will return to school in two days, his daily routine didn't allow for extensive writing time. Yet, maintaining an output of 5,000 to 8,000 words per day. This regimen enabled him to produce up to 200,000 words within a month.

Hence, Hachiman's capability to craft a volume every month remained unhindered, setting a noteworthy benchmark within the industry.

After saving the manuscript, Hachiman stretched his waist and directed his attention to his current attributes.

[Host: Hikigaya Hachiman]

[Age: 16 years old]

[Module loaded:

Cooking level 3 (2140/10000)

Learning level 3 (350/10000)

Kendo level 3 (340/10000)

Writing level 3 (1850/10000)

Physique level 3 (1080/10000)

Conversational level 3 (120/10000)

Acting level 3 (120/10000)

Fighting level 2 (1240/5000).]

Most of my skills have been elevated to level 3. While I haven't dedicated much effort to skills beyond cooking, physique, and writing—skills that find frequent use—I've managed to accumulate proficiency naturally. And surprisingly, even the most recent addition, the fighting skill, has ascended to level 2.

Reveling in a comfortable stretch, his gaze shifted, landing upon a bag of premium dog food resting in the room's corner.

This bait was initially set up to lure Sable, yet after Hachiman grew acquainted with Yuigahama, even the allure of Sable faded, not to mention the bag of dog food.

"It's a shame to just discard it, especially considering the amount of money I spent on it. I'll offer it to Sable tomorrow as a token of appreciation for being a loyal companion. Thanks to that dog, I got to know Yui," he mused, a smile gently curving his lips.

Following a month of unwavering dedication, he and Yuigahama had blossomed into close friends.

As for Yui, the innocent yet somewhat naive, even she couldn't escape the subtle influence of Hachiman's increasingly adept conversational skills.

As expected, Yui is too young to perceive the true nature of someone like me, a scoundrel.

Bright and early the following morning, Hachiman embarked on his routine morning jog, accompanied by the bag of high-quality dog food.

While waiting at the traffic light intersection, he coincidentally crossed paths with Yuigahama, who was out for her customary morning jog with Sable.

"Good morning, Hikki."

"Morning, Yui-san."

Hachiman and Yuigahama exchanged greetings simultaneously. After a month of spending time together, their bond had grown strong enough for them to address each other by name.

"Woof woof!"

At that moment, the once-composed Sable grew became excited, catching the scent of the coveted high-quality dog food.

"Hikki, did you buy something?" Yuigahama inquired with curiosity upon seeing what Hachiman held in his hand.

"Ah, this, well, it's a bag of dog food!" Hachiman raised his right hand, the bag of dog food swaying within his grasp.

"Dog food? Hikki, do you have a dog at home too?" Yui's inquiry carried a note of puzzlement.

"No, this was left behind when a relative's dog was placed in our care temporarily. Since I don't have a dog, I have no use for it. But then I realized that you have Sable in your family, so I thought maybe this bag of dog food would be suitable for you." Naturally, Hachiman refrained from revealing that this was initially part of his scheme to get closer to her. Instead, he concocted a reasonable explanation.

"Wow, woof, woof!" Sable, at Yui's feet, wagged its tail even more enthusiastically upon hearing this.

"I'm not so sure about this..." Yui hesitated, observing that the dog food in Hachiman's hand was of a high-end variety.

"It's alright. I don't have a dog either. If you don't take it, I'll end up tossing it out, and that feels like such a waste. It makes more sense to give it to Sable, especially since I also like Sable." Anticipating her potential refusal, Hachiman had rehearsed his speech. Thanks to his adept level 3 acting skills, Yui, the naive one, failed to see through his artful deception.

"Well... I guess so!" Eventually, Yui agreed to take it, swayed by the notion of not letting it go to waste. If it was as Hachiman suggested, better to offer it to Sable than to discard it, even if receiving dog food from a guy was quite odd.

Observing Yui consent, Hachiman grinned, extracting a few pieces of dog food from the bag and fed them to Sable.

"Crack! Crack!"

Sable, finally indulging in the high-grade dog food it had longed for, wagged its tail with fervor and lovingly licked Hachiman's hand after its meal.

Witnessing this scene, Hachiman's smile deepened as he gently patted Sable's head.

"Sable seems to really like you, Hikki!" Yui, standing to the side, couldn't help but beam with delight.

With the dog food exchange accomplished, Hachiman and Yui continued their morning run, their connection growing stronger with each stride.

Unbeknownst to Yui, the sweet yet gullible girl, she remained blissfully unaware of Hachiman's ulterior motives.

"See you tomorrow, Hikki!"

"Yeah, goodbye, Yui!"

Back at the traffic light junction once more, the two engaged in a brief chat before parting ways, each heading home.

The next day would mark the start of school, with Hachiman advancing to Sobu High School, embarking on his high school journey.

What sort of youth-oriented romantic comedy awaited him?


Chapter 13: [13] Fate

On April 1st, the first day of school, Hachiman woke up early as usual and prepared for his morning run. Despite having a physique comparable to the so-called mercenary soldiers, he maintained the habit of jogging in the morning and enjoyed catching glimpses of Yui along the way.

At the Yuigahama house, Yui also took out Sable and began her own morning jog, mirroring Hachiman's routine.

At the Yukinoshita home, Yukino's older sister, Haruno, encouraged her, "Yukino, it's your first day of school. Let me give you a ride to school!" Haruno's smile brightly.

Yukino, the young girl in question, gazed at her sister with a somewhat reserved expression.

"Sure," Yukino replied eventually. Once she was reassured that her sister's intentions were genuine, she nodded with a slight smile.

Haruno's eyes lit up with happiness upon seeing her sister's agreement.

After sharing breakfast together, the two sisters hopped into their car and headed towards Sobu High School.

The pieces of destiny seemed to fall into place as the events unfolded according to their predetermined path. The gears of fate had been set in motion, paving the way for the fateful meeting of the three.

At a nearby intersection regulated by traffic lights, it was Hachiman and Yuigahama who crossed paths first.

"Hey there, Hikki!" Despite the separation created by the road, Yuigahama's arms waved enthusiastically as she greeted Hachiman from the opposite side.

"Good morning, Yui!" Hachiman responded with a friendly smile, acknowledging her greeting across the intersection.

Seeing Yui, Hachiman's mood brightened, prompting him to greet her as well.

However, in that moment, Yui's dog, Sable, seemed to sense something and managed to slip away from her grasp once more. Sable dashed toward Hachiman, excitedly.

"Oh no, Sable, come back!" Yui exclaimed in frustration as the dog slipped from the rope again.

In the midst of this commotion, a car entered Hachiman's field of vision. The traffic light ahead was green, and the car maintained its speed without slowing down as it approached their side of the road.

"This is... Yukinoshita's family's car. What bad timing!" Hachiman's pupils contracted as he observed the unfolding scene.

The combination of dogs, intersections, and cars brought to mind the "Saving the Dog's Life" incident from the past. It was surprising to think that he had known Yui for quite some time, and yet a similar incident was occurring once again.

Was this a strange prelude to his future interactions with Yukino? Hachiman pondered, though he couldn't dwell on it for long. The car was approaching at a swift pace, and it was evident that Sable would be in grave danger.

"No, Sable!!" Panic gripped Yuigahama as she too caught sight of the approaching car.

Upon hearing Yuigahama's frantic cries, Hachiman acted without hesitation and sprinted forward.

Sable, the dog that had been a companion to him.It was only natural for him to attempt a rescue, not wanting to witness Yui's tears.

"Dididi!" The sudden appearance of a person and a dog caused the car's driver to panic, slamming on the brakes.

"squeak!!!" Just in the nick of time, Hachiman managed to seize hold of Sable, who was rushing toward him, and deftly evaded to the side.

"Boom!" The sense of relief didn't last long, however, as a sharp pang of pain shot through his leg, indicating that he is thinking to much.

"Ah, Hikki!!!" Witnessing the scene unfold, Yuigahama's fear escalated, and she rushed over to Hachiman's side.

"Hikki, are you okay? Don't scare me!" Yuigahama knelt beside Hachiman, quickly checking his body with concern, afraid that he might be hurt.

"Don't worry, Yui. It's just a minor scrape on my leg; nothing serious!" Hachiman reassured her, noticing the tears in Yui's eyes.

The car hadn't been moving at a particularly high speed, and he had only been knocked back due to his positioning. His injury wasn't severe at all. More importantly, Hachiman's current physical condition far exceeded that of an average person's.

While his physique surpassed that of an average person, it still fell within the realm of human limitations. As the saying goes, even the strongest are vulnerable. Hachiman felt a sharp pain as his leg came into contact with the car.

Due to the sudden braking, the Yukinoshita sisters inside the car experienced a jolt, but they quickly regained their composure.

"Mr. Yamada, what just happened?" Haruno, seated in the back, promptly inquired of the driver.

"Miss, a boy suddenly rushed out to save a dog, and I had to brake abruptly," the driver explained, his flustered demeanor settling somewhat.

"How is the boy? Was he hit?" Haruno asked anxiously, seeking details of the incident. The boy's well-being was her primary concern at the moment.

"It doesn't look like a serious problem on the surface, but I'm afraid we won't know the details until we go to the hospital for an examination." the driver replied.

"I understand." Haruno nodded, her attention then shifting to Yukino, who appeared somewhat displeased.

"Yukino, don't worry. The boy is alright. You can continue on to school,your sister will handle everything else," Haruno reassured with a smile.

"But..." Yukino expressed her surprise, finding it hard to imagine proceeding with school as if nothing had occurred.

"Yukino, please listen. Legally speaking, we were driving normally and hold no responsibility. However, in this situation, the Yukinoshita family won't choose to evade any responsibilities," Haruno said seriously, her gaze fixed on her sister. She understood Yukino's character well; without timely guidance, she might stubbornly charge forward like a bull.

"But the next steps are not something you need to handle. Right now, your priority is to go to school, understood?" Haruno emphasized, aiming to steer Yukino away from unnecessary involvement.

Observing Haruno's resolute expression, Yukino lapsed into a brief silence, eventually nodding with a somewhat grimace. "Understood."

She comprehended that lingering around wouldn't yield any productive results. She couldn't stand as the representative of the Yukinoshita family; that role belonged to Haruno, the one fated to inherit the family legacy.

"Very well, Mr. Yamada, please proceed to take Yukino to school. I'll handle matters from here. Let's hope there are no further issues!" With Yukino's agreement, Haruno alighted from the car and informed the driver, her tone decisive.

On the other side,

"Hachiman, are you hurt? I'll call an ambulance right away!" Upon learning of Hachiman's leg injury, Yuigahama swiftly retrieved her mobile phone, poised to dial for assistance.

"No need to worry, little sister. I've already made the call, and an ambulance is on its way. We'll handle things from here," Haruno interjected, appearing at the scene with a resolute expression on her face.

"Is that so?"

Witnessing Haruno's familiar yet unfamiliar presence, Hachiman couldn't help feeling a sense of helplessness. It seemed he couldn't escape the odd fate of being involved in a car incident—almost as if it was an inevitable occurrence.


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