"Of course, Ms. Hiratsuka. It was Yukinoshita-senpai who asked you to do this, right?"
The answer to that question wasn't too difficult for Hachiman to guess.
"That's the correct answer, but it only makes me more curious," Hiratsuka said, leaning forward with an expectant look. "What is your relationship with Haruno, or the entire Yukinoshita family? Please forgive my curiosity, but Haruno refused to tell me more. If you're her friend, I think we'll be getting to know each other sooner or later."
"How should I put it, Ms. Hiratsuka?" Hachiman began, feeling a little confused himself. He found it suddenly difficult to explain his current relationship with the Yukinoshita family. "I do have a good relationship with them, mainly with Yukinoshita Haruno and Yukinoshita Yukino. Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Yukinoshita know me as well, and our relationship is good, but that came later."
"If we're talking chronologically," Hachiman continued, gathering his thoughts, "I first met my senior at the end of the year before last, and then I met Yukinoshita not long after. Since then, I suppose I've become good friends with them, and I'm often invited to their house. That's probably the situation."
After hearing his explanation, Shizuka Hiratsuka fell silent as a very incredible idea emerged in her mind.
Could it be that this boy is liked by both Haruno and Yukino, and he's also been recognized by Mrs. Yukinoshita? And according to his statement, Mrs. Yukinoshita's recognition isn't just a simple approval, but an approval on the level of 'it's okay for either of her two daughters to be with this boy.'
The idea was crazy, but it was also very reasonable. The more Hiratsuka thought about it, the angrier she became. Her hatred for happy couples reached a new level, and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down.
"What's wrong, Ms. Hiratsuka?" Hachiman asked with concern, noticing her strange behavior.
"It's nothing! Don't worry about me," she waved him off. "Go back and eat, Hikigaya. It's been a while since the lunch break started. Just leave me alone..." The teacher supported her forehead with her right hand. She didn't want to look at this boy who, at only sixteen, was already burdened with the troubles of being too popular.
That Mrs. Yukinoshita... is actually willing to make such a huge concession. It's incredible, Hiratsuka thought. But I can't ask him directly; that would be too rude. Forget it! I'd better just call Haruno and get the real story. She made up her mind. She couldn't believe that the seemingly ordinary Hikigaya Hachiman could attract both Yukinoshita sisters and also have a good relationship with the notoriously traditional Mrs. Yukinoshita. There had to be a hidden story.
"Eh? You're asking who Hikigaya Hachiman is? He's Hikigaya Hachiman, just an ordinary junior," Yukinoshita Haruno, now a freshman at Chiba University, replied after receiving the call from Hiratsuka. She had always kept his true identity a secret. Besides, he had already appeared in public; even if she didn't tell her, Hiratsuka could find out on her own.
"I say, Haruno, you don't have to treat your former teacher like a fool just because you've graduated, do you?" Hiratsuka retorted. "Would an ordinary junior have you specifically ask me to take care of him? Would an ordinary junior be showing affection with Yukino in public?"
"What do you mean by 'showing affection'? Don't exaggerate, Shizuka!" Haruno was suddenly anxious. Could it be that my sister and my junior are being that brazen? Do they think they can do whatever they want when I'm not around?
"Don't worry about that, Haruno. Just tell me what Hikigaya Hachiman's true identity is."
"I am worried! Why are they showing affection? What's the discipline department of the student union doing? Why aren't they stopping them? Did they start neglecting their duties as soon as I graduated?"
Helplessly, Hiratsuka recounted the scene she had witnessed.
"Ah? That's it?" Haruno was a little speechless. "Shizuka, please stop being so dramatic in the future, okay? Or in your eyes, that actually qualifies as a show of affection? In that case, don't you see people showing affection every day?" After hearing the whole story, it was just her sister and her junior talking for a bit.
"...Haruno, I've treated you well as your teacher. Why must you use such cold words to attack me?" Shizuka covered her chest and slumped onto her desk dramatically.
"Okay, okay, in exchange, I'll tell you his identity. Shizuka, have you ever read Confessions?"
"Confessions? Are you kidding? I never read romance comics," Hiratsuka denied.
"Hey, Shizuka. You might be a little behind the times," Haruno said with a hint of malice. "Let me ask you, have you read any popular novels or comics in recent years?"
"Who are you calling out of date? I've been reading hot-blooded shonen manga, okay? I still have the single volumes in my drawer. Let me see... there's Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin!" Hiratsuka replied, unconvinced.
"Forget it, I won't ask anymore. Shizuka, find some time to go to a bookstore, or even just the school library, and look for a book called Confessions. I think you'll understand everything. I have to go now. Bye." Haruno hung up the phone.
Shizuka Hiratsuka was still confused, but she was proactive. She soon went to the school library and found the book Confessions in the system. She read the information about the book.
"Confessions... author... Hachiman!?" she read aloud. "Hachiman? Haruno told me to find this book... could it be the same Hachiman? Is Hikigaya a writer?"
Feeling a sense of disbelief, she immediately opened her phone and started searching for the name "Hachiman." In an instant, countless news articles about the recent book signing event appeared before her eyes, including photos of the writer named "Hachiman" at the scene.
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