บท 17: Thus, Hikigaya Hachiman’s Premonition Turns Out to Be True
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The rest of the summer break was spent peacefully. My summer break had been mostly complicated, chaotic, and slightly fun, but I greatly appreciated the peaceful time I got. It felt like it had been years ago since I could laze around. Unfortunately, it didn't last for long as I realized something important: I needed a lot of money.
Kiss-Shot had mentioned that Vampires could last a long time without consuming blood but didn't recommend me to do that. Vampires were good at many things except for holding their urges back. I didn't want to accidentally harm my family or anyone near me because I purposely starved myself. I needed to have a constant supply of blood.
Although I could just run around and get it from unassuming people, I still preferred the one sold by the blood bank for the time being. As heavenly as it tasted, sucking fresh blood directly out of people was still a foreign concept to me. I hadn't fully accepted it yet, so it needed time. Moreover, I was slightly worried about having weird rumors circulating in my neighborhood or, worse, getting my identity exposed.
In short, I needed a job. It was for this particular goal that I called Kiss-Shot. She revealed to me that she had a company—that was why she was filthy rich—and said that she would employ me. She told me about a few available positions and I settled for the human resource department. She then said she would take care of the legal matters and sent me books that would help me understand what I needed to do on the same day.
Of course, that wasn't the only baffling thing she did. She also sent 1,000,000 Yen to my bank account and told me to use the money to buy whatever I needed until I got my first paycheck. I told her that I didn't need that much, but she immediately insulted my fashion sense and my unhealthy diet. She still had a lot to say but I stopped her and accepted the money.
My peaceful last week of summer break wasn't so peaceful after all as I had to put everything that Kiss-Shot gave me to good use. I read all the books she gave me whenever I had time and pleasantly found out that I could cram as much knowledge as I wanted into my brain. I could finish a complicated book of that degree in three hours and understand its content.
Other than studying, I put my money to good use. I bought meat, vegetables, and some supplements for my teenage and growing body. I also bought the body soap, shampoo, and sunscreen that Kiss-Shot used. Surprising myself, I even bought a bottle of cologne which I had never worn before. Komachi was fairly weirded out that I had gone my way to change but was very happy that her Gomi-chan was finally looking after himself. She got even happier when I asked her to accompany me to buy some clothes.
She was quite shocked that my taste in fashion wasn't as awful as it had been but didn't pry about it when I told her I would buy some clothes for her. We went home happily that day. Mostly, it was Komachi. I didn't feel particularly elated, but seeing her sweet smile brought a smile to my face.
Kiss-Shot had told me that I needed to keep training lest I would become dull, so I also paid membership in the gym. Lifting weights didn't help me in any way as I was strong enough to lift a truck with one hand, so I opted to train my fighting skills. Kiss-Shot said that I could shut off some of my senses and seal some of my power just enough to not make my hits lethal to my opponent. They were powerful regardless.
Bam!
"Ack! Time out! I think I just saw my life flash before me!"
It had only been three days yet I had seen the same scene more than twenty times. I had first asked for a sparring partner and everyone was excited to be one. After utterly crushing the guy, another guy challenged me as he wanted to test himself. The cycle continued and by the time I knew it, I had already become a skill measurer for these people. They always treated me with good food afterward, so I didn't mind in the slightest.
"Do you need help, Hiromitsu-san?" I asked the kneeling man as I offered my hand.
"Yeah, I think I need one. God, you punch hard, kid!" Hiromitsu-san grabbed my hand and laughed boisterously, forgetting his pain.
"Bahaha! I lasted 27 seconds longer than you against Hachiman. I guess it's my win! Let's go to that ramen place that I mentioned yesterday!"
"Shut it, Takeda! Unlike me, you were just running around and that was why you got those extra 27 seconds. Don't be smug!"
"Geez! I wouldn't have shamelessly justified my loss if I were you."
"This bastard…"
A small smile found its way to my face as I watched the interaction between Takeda-san and Hiromitsu-san. They were the most rambunctious duo in the gym, but no one could hate them. They might look like a Yakuza—they might be were—but they were honest people. They wouldn't even hesitate to help people as long as they had the means to.
"Anyway, we are going to go to that ramen place that he bragged about yesterday to us. Wanna join, Hachiman?" Hiromitsu-san asked, accepting his loss.
I looked at the time before nodding my head. "Sure. I still have time to kill."
Time passed quickly whenever I was with the two. The ramen was worthy to brag about and I was home just as the sun set. Komachi immediately ushered me to the bathroom while cooking dinner. I headed to the bathroom without making a fuss. Fifteen minutes later, I was already in my shorts and T-shirt, making myself comfortable on the sofa in the living room.
While watching the TV, I idly noted that the shirt I was wearing—one of my old shirts—was a little bit tight. It was not comfortable but stuck closely to my body. I was thankful that I had bought a couple of new bigger-sized shirts. My phone buzzed and I found Kiss-Shot calling. I picked it up and immediately answered the call.
"Yo."
"Have you read all of the books that I gave you?"
"Yup, I have. I just need it to put it into practice."
"Good. Then, I will need you to sign some documents tomorrow. Right after that, you will officially become my employee."
"Can't wait to work with you, boss!"
"Oh, don't worry. We will have a lot of time to spend together. Fu-Fu-Fu."
There was nothing wrong with Kiss-Shot's statement, but I somehow couldn't stop the foreboding feeling assaulting my being. I was about to ask her if she had a hidden intention, but she immediately said good night and ended the call. I sighed and put down my phone. Not long after, Komachi told me dinner was ready.
After having dinner, we sat on the sofa and watched the recorded episode of Komachi's favorite anime, Precure. I was not too fond of the anime, but seeing Komachi so into it was enough to make me enjoy it.
"Onii-chan."
"Hm?"
"I have been wanting to ask about it but keep forgetting it. I notice that your eyes have become red. They look so natural, but I know it is impossible since you have black eyes. So, are you wearing contact lenses now?"
I thought about the answer before settling on the most outlandish yet still believable one. "I have told you that Laura gave me money for what I did for her company, right? Her company is currently researching an eye-color-changing technology. The prototype is ready but still not marketable. It is still needed to be tested and I happened to be one of the testers. As you can see, the machine works."
Komachi looked at me as if I was stupid and I agreed with her. She berated me for my choice but immediately got silent when I told her the amount of money Kiss-Shot gave me. She huffed and leaned into me. I embraced her, causing her to snuggle closer. A few minutes later, she fell asleep. Turning off the TV, I carried her to her room and tucked her to bed. Then, I went to my bedroom and soon drifted off to sleep.
I was quite surprised, but I couldn't wait for tomorrow.
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Honorary Mention:
Venerable Immortal Gwiber
Venerable Immortal P. Felipe
Venerable Immortal W. M. Jones
Venerable Immortal Orion
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