"What's with this silence? What's going on?"
"Tobe, isn't it obvious? When we graduated, Hachiman was still stuck in SAO. This is the first time everyone here's seeing him since he came back."
"Oh, got it. No big deal, right? Alright, let's grab a seat!"
The group settled at an empty table, diving into lively conversation without a care for the curious glances around them. Their chatter sparked the room back to life, the usual din of the place resuming as others joined in. For a moment, the group could finally catch their breath. But, as luck would have it, trouble stirred.
Hachiman's table had two seats beside him—and three people vying for them. The trio's rivalry flared into a heated battle, culminating in a fierce rock-paper-scissors match, oblivious to the stunned stares of onlookers. And the outcome?
"Hell yeah! I'm unstoppable!"
"Well, a reasonable result."
"Ugh, I'm not okay with this…"
The victors were Yumiko and Yukino. Yumiko thrust her fists skyward, letting out a triumphant roar, while Yukino, in a rare display, struck a gutsy pose that left everyone gobsmacked. Yui, though defeated, was placated when Tobe thoughtfully offered her the seat across from Hachiman. Hachiman himself chimed in, promising her the front passenger seat on the ride home, and with that, the seating arrangement was settled—for now.
"What a scene…"
"Hikitani-kun, you've got flowers on both sides and in front, huh?"
Just then, Totsuka arrived, a little late to the party. He glanced around, spotting Hachiman and waving with a bright smile.
"Hachiman! It's been forever!"
"Totsuka! Yeah, long time no see!"
Totsuka carried a more mature air than before, yet he scampered over to Hachiman with the same familiar enthusiasm, grasping his hand. Hachiman beamed, clearly thrilled, but unlike the old days, he didn't spiral into wild fantasies. He treated Totsuka as an equal, a cherished friend. Perhaps that's why Totsuka's smile grew even warmer as he spoke.
"You've grown up, Hachiman."
"Have I? You think?"
"Yeah, you've got this… cool vibe now."
Hachiman, visibly flustered by the praise, scratched his cheek.
"Thanks, Totsuka."
"I'm just saying what I see. You're kinda… dashing now. And maybe a bit more outgoing?"
"That's thanks to my influence!"
"No, my influence."
"You two didn't do squat…"
Hachiman shot back instantly at Yumiko and Yukino's simultaneous claims. Yui, lagging behind in the banter, let out a frustrated "Grr!" Totsuka, taking in the scene, scanned the group again, his eyes widening slightly.
"Wait, when did this crew get so tight?"
"You asked the right guy! Let me, Tobe, break it down for ya!"
Totsuka listened to Tobe's explanation, his eyes glistening with emotion as he clasped Hachiman's hand again.
"You really worked hard, Hachiman!"
"…Yeah."
Hachiman's simple reply carried a weight of countless struggles, and Totsuka's praise filled him with quiet pride.
"But hold on," Totsuka said, tilting his head. "I get Hayama, Tobe, Yukino, and Yui being here, but… Yumiko, right next to Hachiman?"
"When Hachiman woke up, I was there, you know," Yumiko said smugly.
"What? And you're calling him Hachiman now!?"
Totsuka's shock only egged Yumiko on. She looped her arm through Hachiman's and dropped a bombshell.
"And get this—I'm Hachiman's mistress now."
"Whaaaat!?"
"Yumiko, cut it out! That's not even funny—it's gonna cause all sorts of misunderstandings!"
"You're calling her Yumiko!?"
"I-I mean, it's just…"
Hachiman fumbled, realizing he'd poured fuel on the fire, but changing how he addressed her now felt impossible. As he floundered, Yukino and Yui stepped in, perhaps to rescue him.
"Totsuka-kun, don't take Yumiko seriously," Yukino said.
"Yeah, Sai-chan, don't fall for it!" Yui added.
"Oh, right, it's a joke, isn't it?" Totsuka laughed. "Still, Yukino, you're calling Yumiko by her first name too?"
"We're close enough to be called friends now, so it's only natural," Yukino replied, flashing Yumiko a warm smile.
"That's awesome!" Totsuka said, genuinely impressed.
Yukino's smile lingered as she added, "And about earlier—Hachiman's real mistress is me, not Yumiko."
"Whaaaat!?"
"No, no, Sai-chan, I'm Hikki's mistress!"
"Whaaaat!?"
"Totsuka, chill, it's all nonsense," Hachiman said, glaring at the trio.
The three, perhaps realizing they'd gone too far, sheepishly returned to their seats. Totsuka, mouth agape, burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, wow, Hachiman, you've really grown up!"
"Oi, Totsuka, that phrasing's gonna cause trouble, so let's not."
"Haha, sorry, sorry! But seriously, you're surrounded by so many people now."
"Yeah, they're all… important to me. Friends, you know."
The five reacted in their own ways: Hayama grinned broadly, Tobe gave a thumbs-up, Yui giggled shyly, Yukino smiled quietly, and Yumiko flushed, looking down. Totsuka, seeing Hachiman's contentment, felt a surge of joy.
But in that warm, lively moment, a voice cut through the air. It rang out just as the room fell silent, echoing across the crowd.
"The school's biggest loser plays the victim just because he was stuck in some game. Talk about acting high and mighty."
"And everyone fawning over him? Pathetic. Guess our school's former top dogs have fallen pretty low."
The room went dead quiet.
"Huh? Did you two just say something?"
"I thought I heard some rather… distasteful remarks."
"Yeah, I definitely heard it."
"Oi, you three, I don't care, so just let it go," Hachiman said, trying to calm them.
He'd expected this kind of talk when they chose to come here, but the trio—Yumiko, Yukino, and Yui—weren't about to let an insult to Hachiman slide. They marched straight to the source: two girls, flanked by a few others, who stood up with defiant glares.
"Oh, if it isn't Yukko and Haruka, right?" Yukino said, digging into her memory for their names.
"You've got your little posse, huh? Got a problem with us?" Yumiko challenged.
"We're not high schoolers anymore," Yukko shot back. "We're not scared of you."
"Yeah, we're just saying what we think," Haruka added, her group egging her on.
"You've got some nerve talking about Hachiman's struggles when you know nothing," Yumiko snapped, her anger rising.
"Struggles? What struggles?" Yukko scoffed. "He just played a game for two years, got a fat payout from the government, and now he's back to being a student. Talk about a cushy life."
"Yeah, he got lucky, carried by a few people who actually cleared the game," Haruka added.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"What are you even talking about?"
The trio stared, dumbfounded, realizing these girls were spouting baseless assumptions. Hachiman's voice broke through.
"You three, enough. Come back."
Reluctantly, they returned to their seats, glaring daggers but obeying Hachiman. Still, their expressions screamed they weren't satisfied.
"What, running away?" Yukko taunted.
"No comeback, so you just slink back?" Haruka added, striding toward Hachiman's table with Yukko.
"Hey, say something! Don't just hide behind your girls!"
"Yeah, aren't you embarrassed, letting them fight your battles?"
"Look, you're just parroting tabloid-level gossip," Hachiman said coolly. "Not your fault, I guess—information's been controlled."
"You don't know anything either!" Yukko retorted.
"You probably just sat around complaining in the game, like you always did!" Haruka added.
The women started to rise again, but Hayama and Tobe stepped forward, their tones calm but firm.
"You're misunderstanding something," Tobe said.
"Hikigaya's a hero. He helped clear SAO," Hayama added.
"Oi, you two, don't—" Hachiman started, clearly wanting to avoid the hassle, but they shook their heads, unwilling to let their memories be tarnished.
"Hero? Please. Who can prove that? Just him saying so?" Yukko laughed.
"Hero? If he's a hero, then we're all heroes," Haruka sneered.
"Um…"
A new voice interrupted, drawing all eyes. Standing there was Minami Sagami, who'd arrived during the commotion and had been quietly listening from the sidelines.
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