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14.93% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 87: [87] Why do I keep running into you everywhere?

Capítulo 87: [87] Why do I keep running into you everywhere?

The two of them eventually found themselves in front of an Izakaya named "Aji no Ma." An Izakaya, in simple terms, was a place where people could sit down and enjoy alcoholic drinks. Originally, Izakayas only served alcohol, as the name suggests, but over time, they started offering a variety of appetizers. Nowadays, many Izakayas even served cooked dishes and had evolved into something like small restaurants.

Given the demanding nature of Japanese jobs, many people enjoyed unwinding after work by visiting an Izakaya with a few friends. It was a way to shed the day's fatigue and strengthen social bonds.

"Aji no Ma" had traditional wooden doors instead of a modern glass entrance. Upon entering, a gentle warmth enveloped them, accompanied by the friendly voice of the owner.

Taking a quick look around, the place was not large, boasting only a few tables and a circular counter. The decor was plain and simple, lacking the opulence of upscale restaurants, but it exuded a sense of neatness and cleanliness.

"Welcome! What can I get for you two?" The owner, a middle-aged man in his forties, stood behind the counter in a chef's uniform, wearing a warm smile.

After a brief glance at the menu on the wall, Hachiman casually placed his order, "I'll have the eel rice and a portion of fried shrimp."

It being early summer, eel was in season, making it exceptionally delicious.

After placing his order, Hachiman turned to the girl beside him. "Utaha, what would you like to eat?"

"I'll have an omelet rice and a hamburger steak, then."

With their orders placed, the two of them found a seat at an empty table tucked away in a corner.

It wasn't long before Hachiman heard the sound of whistling from outside the shop, followed by the screeching of brakes. The door swung open, and a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Yo, boss, I'm back. A pot of sake and two dishes of appetizers."

Hearing this voice, Hachiman felt a headache coming on.

The person who entered was a tall woman with waist-length hair, clad in a white coat, exuding a decidedly cool aura.

"Welcome, Hiratsuka-san," the owner of the Izakaya greeted her with a smile.

Indeed, the woman was none other than the beloved Shizuka Hiratsuka.

Why do I keep running into you everywhere?

Did you just return from another blind date?

Hachiman thought to himself, noting the delicate makeup on Shizuka's face.

All he desired at this moment was to enjoy his meal in peace and hope that Shizuka wouldn't notice him.

However, fate rarely unfolds as smoothly as one hopes.

After placing her order, Shizuka scanned the Izakaya for an empty table, and that's when her gaze locked onto a familiar figure.

A sly smile curled on her lips as she made her way directly toward him.

"Bang!"

"Kid, what a coincidence, bumping into you again."

As Hachiman was silently wishing for an inconspicuous meal, he suddenly felt a heavy slap on his back, followed by Shizuka's familiar voice ringing in his ear.

"Ouch."

That slap wasn't gentle by any means, and even with his current physique, it stung.

"Ow, Hiratsuka-sensei, are you trying to end me? That's not how a teacher should behave."

"Come on, I know you well enough. You took one of my punches even when you were injured," Shizuka waved her hand dismissively as she took a seat next to him.

"Let's spar sometime. With your skills, you should be able to handle it."

"No way, I can't beat you," Hachiman replied, glancing at his Level 3 fighting skill on his internal panel and smirking.

Soon enough, when I reach Level 4, the tables will turn.

"And Shizuka-sensei, are you sure it's okay to be so violent? Be careful not to scare away any potential boyfriends," Hachiman remarked, a hint of mischief in his tone.

Shizuka's expression soured immediately upon hearing this.

"Don't talk to me about boyfriends. I just scared another one away today."

"I bet it's your curse," Hachiman quipped, looking unimpressed.

"If my curse were that effective, I'd have cursed myself to have ten or eight girlfriends," he thought to himself.

Utaha, seated next to Hachiman, observed their conversation with curiosity. From their exchange, she gathered that this elegant and beautiful woman was Hachiman's teacher and that Hachiman had somehow "cursed" her.

"Hachiman, who is this?" she inquired.

Hachiman suddenly remembered he wasn't alone today and promptly introduced Utaha to his teacher.

"Utaha-senpai, this is my homeroom and Japanese teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka."

However, before he could finish, Shizuka interrupted him.

"No need to introduce her."

Hachiman was about to introduce Utaha to Shizuka when she halted him.

"I've heard of this student, the second-year genius Kasumigaoka Utaha."

"Hiratsuka-sensei, you're too kind. 'Genius' is too generous a term for me," Utaha replied modestly, her smile radiating grace.

"You don't have to be so humble. Based on your grades, you're definitely worthy of being called a genius."

That much was undeniable. This girl could seemingly sleep through every class and still secure the top spot in her grade.

"But..."

After scrutinizing Utaha, Shizuka redirected her gaze to Hachiman, her tone tinged with malice.

"You're really something, kid. You just had a date with Yuigahama-san not long ago, and today you've already moved on to another one, and she's the school's dream girl. Impressive."

Kasumigaoka Utaha was clearly dressed up for today, and in Shizuka's eyes, it appeared that the two were on a date.

Shizuka's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, and in her mind, Hachiman had transformed into a scoundrel who enjoyed playing with girls' feelings.

Just as she was about to deliver what she dubbed a "love punch," Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke up.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, you've misunderstood. Hachiman and I were just conducting some research today."

"Research?" Shizuka looked puzzled.

"Yes, we were just doing some research," Utaha affirmed.

"Utaha-senpai is also a light novel author, just like me," Hachiman interjected, taking control of the conversation and providing an explanation.

While the research process was essentially a date, he couldn't admit to it outright. Otherwise, Shizuka would undoubtedly punish him with a punch.

"I didn't expect that besides you, Kasumigaoka-san is also a light novel author," Shizuka remarked, her surprise evident as she looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"As expected of the second-year genius Kasumigaoka Utaha."

"Hiratsuka-sensei, you're too kind. I can't compare to Hachiman-kun when it comes to light novels," Utaha responded modestly.

Indeed, that was the truth. Hachiman's first volume alone had sold almost 200,000 copies, while Utaha had just barely reached 10,000. They were in entirely different leagues.

But what was occupying Kasumigaoka Utaha's thoughts at this moment wasn't sales figures, but a name.

Yuigahama...

She must be one of the two girls who brought Hachiman a bento before.


Capítulo 88: [88] You should appreciate what you have

Yuigahama...

She had to be one of the two girls who had given Hachiman a lunchbox.

Utaha held onto that name in her mind as she continued to converse.

"Hachiman-kun was a tremendous help to me in my writing."

"Well, yeah, I suppose..."

As a fan of Sword Art Online, Shizuka knew how immensely popular this novel was. The ubiquitous advertisements were a testament to the book's sizzling success.

Shizuka propped her face up with one hand and rhythmically tapped the desk with the other. Her porcelain skin radiated beautifully under the lighting.

"As a light novel, this kid has certainly hit it big, I'd say."

Selling 200,000 copies per volume was no small feat. Hachiman had already raked in around 20 million yen, rivaling the annual profits of some small companies.

"In that case, I'll allow you to treat me today," Shizuka said with a chuckle, then ordered two more dishes from the owner.

"Hey, wait a minute, you're my teacher, right? Shouldn't you be treating me?"

Witnessing her attitude, Hachiman couldn't help but retort.

"Hahaha, when someone's as wealthy as you, it's everyone's duty to give them a friendly tap on the wallet," Shizuka laughed and patted his shoulder.

Upon hearing her words, Hachiman furrowed his brow.

"Speaking of money, I can't compete with you. That Aston Martin parked outside is quite the evidence," Hachiman mused.

Although he didn't particularly mind the pocket change, it did feel a bit odd for a teacher to have their students foot the bill.

Soon, the dishes ordered by the three were placed on their table by the owner. Shizuka poured a glass of sake, nibbled on an appetizer, then downed the sake in one gulp, releasing a satisfied sigh.

"Hah, Hachiman, your second and third volumes are hitting the shelves tomorrow. How are you feeling? Any confidence?"

Watching her drink so freely, Hachiman couldn't help but be entertained.

Indeed, she and Sonoko were best friends, and their drinking habits were eerily identical.

Upon hearing Shizuka's inquiry, Hachiman paused his meal and answered nonchalantly.

"I do have some confidence. It wouldn't be fair to Kadokawa's marketing efforts otherwise. For this combined edition of volumes two and three, I estimate the conservative sales to exceed 200,000 copies."

Hachiman stated this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Seeing his unwavering confidence, Utaha couldn't help but envy him. She wondered when she'd achieve such sales herself. Despite her confidence in her own work, reality had dealt a harsh blow to the young writer.

As if he could read her thoughts, Hachiman smiled at her and reassured, "Don't worry, Utaha-senpai, your writing is excellent. Just put some effort into the plot, and the sales will definitely rise."

Hearing his comforting words, Utaha brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Then, if I ever have any plot-related questions in the future, I'll have to rely on you, Hachiman."

"Haha, of course, that's no problem at all. If I can assist Senpai, I won't hesitate," Hachiman chuckled.

Helping once is still helping, helping twice is still helping, and it might even earn him some favorability points. So, why not do it?

However, Shizuka looked at Utaha with curiosity.

Despite being known as a matchmaking saint, she was a woman herself, and as they say, women understand women best.

She couldn't help but sense that Utaha seemed to have other thoughts.

But then she remembered the rumors about the girl at school, and Shizuka shook her head.

After all, Utaha had the reputation of being the "Attainable Flower" at school and tended to look down on all the boys. How could she possibly be interested in someone like Hachiman?

While Hachiman was certainly above average in looks, he wasn't the type to be drop-dead handsome. Among the boys pursuing Utaha, there were undoubtedly more attractive options.

Perhaps she had overthought the situation.

Ignoring those uncertain thoughts, Shizuka turned her attention back to Hachiman. "Earning 20 million yen in royalties from selling 200,000 copies must feel pretty nice. How does it feel to be on your way to becoming wealthy?" She finished with a hearty laugh and gave his back a friendly pat.

"Cough, cough."

Startled by her sudden pat, Hachiman nearly choked on his drink. He took a sip of water and shook his head, displaying a hint of helplessness.

"What kind of rich person am I? I can't even afford to buy a decent house with the money I've earned."

Although Chiba's property prices weren't exorbitant, purchasing a nice home still required around 60 to 70 million yen, more than he currently had. Despite making around 10 million yen through his stock trading module, Hachiman knew he needed to amass more capital.

Observing his dissatisfaction, Shizuka and Utaha exchanged a resigned glance.

"Remember, an average company employee makes just over 200,000 yen a month. Even as a teacher, I earn less than 500,000 yen a month," Shizuka explained.

"Making this much in less than a month should be quite satisfactory for you," Utaha chimed in.

"You should appreciate what you have," they both said in unison.

While it was true that he earned more compared to an average company employee, Hachiman still felt far from his ultimate financial goal. His aspiration was to invest in several major companies, and to do that, he needed to amass at least hundreds of millions of US dollars, or over ten billion yen, to be taken seriously by those companies. He was still a long way from that figure.

Time passed, and soon, the three of them completed their dinner. As they exited the izakaya, Shizuka made her way toward her beloved car.

"Haha, now that we've had our fill, I'll be heading off," she said with a contented smile, having enjoyed a complimentary dinner.

However, just as Shizuka was about to step into her car, a hand intercepted her path.

"Shizuka-sensei, you've just had a drink; it's not safe to drive," Hachiman calmly remarked, gently taking the car keys from her hand.

"That's right, Hiratsuka-sensei, you've just had a drink; you should take a taxi," Utaha chimed in.

They were well aware of the severe consequences of drunk driving in Japan. It wasn't merely a traffic violation but also considered a criminal offense. Japan imposed stringent penalties for drunk driving, often resulting in five or more years of imprisonment along with substantial fines.

Furthermore, even passengers in the vehicle could face repercussions, and in extreme cases, the establishment that served the alcohol could also be held accountable.


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