Haruno handed something to Rose and strode toward the group with purpose. Yukko and Haruka froze, recognizing her instantly—she was the one who had interviewed them recently.
"Thanks for coming to the interview," Haruno said coolly. "Shame about the results, though."
"Uh, no…" Yukko mumbled.
"T-Thanks…" Haruka managed.
Faced with someone of Haruno's social stature, their earlier bravado vanished, replaced by subdued politeness. Still, Yukko's frustration simmered beneath the surface, and she ventured a timid question.
"Um… thank you for the opportunity. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell us what we did wrong?"
"My, how humble," Haruno said, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to all that attitude from earlier?"
"I-I, well…" Yukko faltered.
Haruno shrugged, her tone sharp and clear. "Everything."
"What…?" Yukko whispered.
"I said, everything."
"B-But… the initial screening seemed to go well…" Yukko protested weakly.
"Oh, that?" Haruno replied dismissively. "That's because you two were Hachiman-kun's classmates. You were riding on his coattails without even knowing it. Get what that means?"
Her words crushed Yukko and Haruka in an instant. Such was the power of the Demon King.
"And all that talk about 'global' this and that during your interview? Just buzzwords you picked up somewhere. What even is 'global' for a software company like ours? Your answers were all recycled nonsense. Working across multiple countries? Outsourcing production to cut costs? Sure, some companies need that, but it's irrelevant to us. You had nothing original to say, so we didn't need you. Simple as that. Convinced yet?"
"Y-Yes…" Yukko murmured.
"Sorry…" Haruka added.
Haruno, the head of a rapidly growing company, was an opponent they couldn't hope to challenge. They seemed to accept her critique of their interviews but remained defiant about Hachiman.
"Then why him?" Yukko pressed.
"Hm? Got a problem with our next president?" Haruno asked, smirking.
"Next!?"
"President!?"
A chorus of gasps erupted from the crowd: "Whaaaaaaat!?"
Haruno blinked, glancing around innocently. "What? Did I say something weird?"
"Nee-san, that was a bit too sudden," Yukino said dryly.
"Oh? So you're against it, Yukino-chan?"
"Not at all. I'm all for it," Yukino replied firmly.
Yukko and Haruka stood speechless, mouths agape. Taking a deep breath to steady themselves, they finally spoke.
"Why… why him?" Yukko demanded.
"Yeah, why this guy of all people?" Haruka echoed.
Haruno sighed, exasperated. "What have you two been listening to? Are your ears just for show? Or do they not connect to your brains?"
The crowd stifled chuckles as Haruno continued. "You might not know this, but Hachiman-kun excels at risk management. His ideas are always out of left field. No matter the situation, he never gives up. He fought for two years straight, and in the final battle… Godfrey, explain."
Caught off guard, Godfrey snapped to attention as if it were second nature, saluting and launching into his explanation.
"Yes, ma'am! The Commander deployed personnel with precision, turning even enemies into pawns. He conquered the notorious 75th floor without a single casualty! And at great personal risk, he unmasked the hidden enemy, leading us all back to the real world as a true hero!"
Godfrey delivered the speech in one breath, saluting again.
"Nee-san, how do you know Godfrey's name…?" Hachiman muttered.
"Oh, Hachiman-kun, let's not sweat the details," Haruno said, waving him off. "Good work, Godfrey."
"An honor, ma'am!" Godfrey replied.
Satisfied, Haruno beckoned Hayama closer. "Hey, Hayato, you and Hachiman-kun seem pretty tight now."
"Yeah, I've heard his stories and seen him fight firsthand," Hayama said. "Plus, Tobe and I fought alongside him as comrades."
"Since these folks know you, it'll mean more coming from you than me. Tell them everything you know about how it all went down."
Hachiman hadn't planned to reveal this much, but knowing Haruno never acted without purpose, he stayed silent.
"Alright," Hayama began. "Everyone, you know about the hundred SAO survivors who didn't return right after the game ended?"
"Yeah, Hayama-kun!" someone shouted.
"Took like two months to resolve, right?" another added.
"What's that got to do with anything?" a third asked.
The crowd buzzed, and Hayama nodded. "It was never made public, but the one who solved that crisis was Hikigaya."
Silence fell as the words sank in, followed by a growing wave of cheers.
"No way!"
"That's a real hero!"
"Hikigaya-kun, I'm so sorry for believing those dumb rumors in high school!"
"The Commander saved those left behind? Incredible!" Godfrey boomed.
Hayama gestured for quiet and continued. "At first, Hikigaya was desperate because Asuna, who he'd grown close to and even married in SAO, hadn't woken up."
"Married!?" someone gasped.
"Argo, pull up that photo," Hayama said.
"Here ya go, boss," Argo replied, and a monitor in the room displayed Hachiman and Asuna's in-game wedding photo.
The image—Hachiman and Asuna radiant with happiness—struck a chord with everyone, whether they'd seen it before or not.
"So beautiful…" someone whispered.
"Lucky bastard, Hikigaya!" another called.
"They're perfect together…"
"This was taken in-game and miraculously salvaged," Hayama explained. "The culprit was an employee at the company managing SAO's servers. From the tiniest clues, Hikigaya tracked him down. In Alfheim Online, where players were caught up in constant battles, he united the top players, devised a plan to expose the culprit's crimes, and reached Asuna to free her. Back in the real world, when the culprit came after their lives, Hikigaya, Tobe, and I took him down together, ending the crisis for good. That's the truth, and Tobe and I are the witnesses. Got it?"
The room exploded in cheers, shouts of "Unbelievable!" and "That's insane!" echoing around. Hachiman, red-faced with embarrassment, looked down, while Asuna gently leaned against him.
"Now that the truth's out, I'll take it from here," Haruno said. "What do these two incidents have in common? One: he never gives up, no matter the odds. Two: he seems lazy but is diligent when driven by purpose. Three: despite seeming socially awkward, he's got incredible negotiation skills. Four: his charisma draws countless allies and admirers. Tell me, who else is better suited to lead Soleil Corporation? He's the perfect candidate, don't you think?"
Yukko and Haruka were utterly speechless. The realization that the person they'd looked down on stood far above them shattered their fragile pride. But Haruno wasn't done—after all, a Demon King doesn't stop there.
"Oh, by the way, the CEOs of the companies where you two got your job offers? They're my acquaintances."
Their faces contorted in panic, fear flashing in their eyes. Haruno smiled, pleased, and continued.
"I won't mention this little scene to them. Go find your small, fitting happiness. And for everyone else, Rose, show them."
"Yes, boss," Rose said, producing a video camera.
"This camera recorded everything," Haruno said. "Your faces are crystal clear in its memory. Want to see what that means? Argo, do the honors with her."
Haruno pointed at Yukko. Argo, with a knowing nod, began typing on her laptop and whispered Yukko's personal details in her ear.
"…What? No, stop! Don't spill any more of my info!" Yukko cried.
The crowd shuddered, wondering how this girl could dig up a stranger's info so quickly.
"With our company's resources, we can broadcast all your personal details worldwide in an instant," Haruno said. "But if you swear not to leak anything you've seen or heard here, we won't do that. You're safe. However, if even a hint of this hits an anonymous forum or anywhere else, everyone's info will go public, and the culprit's life will be over. Don't forget that."
The room paled, nodding vigorously—except for Elsa. Trembling with excitement, she gasped to Hachiman, "Hachiman, the Demon King is pure ecstasy!"
"Ecstasy? Shut it, you weirdo," Hachiman snapped.
At his scolding, Elsa's face lit up with bliss, and she fainted again. Yukko and Haruka, eyes wide with terror, slunk away in defeat. Haruno, smirking at their retreat, approached Hachiman and Asuna. Her expression softened to a childlike pout as she turned to Asuna.
"Asuna-chan, I solved the case perfectly. Praise me!"
"Amazing, Haru-neesan—total domination!" Asuna said with a grin.
"Right? So… how about a little reward for me?" Haruno pleaded.
"That's your goal too!?" Hachiman groaned.
Despite calling her out, Hachiman reluctantly kissed Haruno's cheek. Her gleeful reaction left the crowd in awe of Hachiman's sheer presence. Thus, the reunion became a legend among those present.
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