The convenience store was engulfed in a suffocating silence.
By now, the broadcast had saturated every network on Earth. The theory of a grand hoax or a high-budget marketing stunt had withered away, replaced by a chilling realization: this was a window into the future. Hachiman Hikigaya was destined to leave this world.
While global powers and corporate titans scrambled to record every detail of the foreign realm's resources, Yukino Yukinoshita was spiraling. She didn't care about geopolitics or magic systems. She looked at the screen, then at the boy standing inches away from her, and felt a wave of visceral regret crash over her.
Without this cosmic intervention, their chance encounter today might have been the final chapter of their story.
"I... I almost..."
Her voice was a fragile whisper, thick with unvoiced grievances and sharp, stinging tears. Fear—true, cold terror—seized her. Her slender fingers tightened with desperate strength, twisting the fabric of Hachiman's sleeve as if anchoring him to her reality. She wanted to speak, to apologize, to scream, but her pride remained a jagged barrier in her throat.
Hachiman's heart thundered against his ribs. He stood paralyzed, unable to process the physical contact, choosing instead to stare blankly at the screen and pretend the world wasn't shifting beneath his feet.
["We're burning daylight, Lia. The thief is likely across the city by now."]
["Once he wakes up, I'll find the insignia... Oh, Puck, look!"]
[Hachiman opened his eyes slowly. The expected agony of his injuries had been reduced to a dull, manageable throb. To his utter shock, he found his head resting on a soft, furry surface. The cat-spirit, Puck, had expanded in size to provide a makeshift pillow.]
["Yo, kid. Finally with us?" Puck smiled, though his eyes held a glimmer of parental wariness.]
["First thing's first," Hachiman said, scrambling to his feet with practiced haste. He patted his empty pockets and let out a dry, self-deprecating breath. "I'm effectively a refugee. I have no currency, no status, and no way to repay you for saving my life."]
[Emilia offered a dismissive wave, while Puck sharpened a claw with a thoughtful hum.]
["Therefore..." Hachiman suddenly leaned into a deep, formal bow, his voice losing its cynical edge for a single, honest moment. "Please accept my sincere thanks. It is the most useless thing I can offer, but it is all I have. Thank you."]
[Emilia's smile froze. A flash of internal conflict crossed her face before she armored herself with a huff of feigned annoyance. "Honestly, do I have to spell it out? I didn't save you out of the goodness of my heart. You shouldn't—"]
"No way..." across the continent of Lugnica, the audience was stunned.
"Is that Half-Elf... truly that selfless?"
"Don't be a fool!" a passerby shouted, though his voice lacked conviction. "She said it herself! She isn't a saint!"
"You idiot!" A fruit vendor nearby spat on the ground, glaring at the skeptic. "She's lying! She's playing the villain so the boy doesn't feel like he owes her his soul. She's protecting his dignity by acting like it was an accident. How can you not see that?"
The critic went red, his mouth hanging open. He could see it, but admitting that a Half-Elf possessed such noble grace was a bitter pill to swallow. Across the kingdom, that same stubborn silence began to take root. People weren't ready to love her, but they were finding it harder to hate her.
[Hachiman paused, his sharp mind dissecting the girl's transparent lie in an instant. He saw her kindness for what it was—pathological and pure. He immediately pivoted his approach.]
["I see. In that case... you're clearly a person of means, judging by those clothes. Since I'm homeless and without a lead, would you consider sheltering me? A roof and some food in exchange for my services."]
["Excuse me?" Puck's eyes narrowed. The spirit was momentarily tempted to end this "shameless" interloper before his daughter was swindled.]
The viewers outside the screen were equally baffled. Was Hachiman really this opportunistic?
["Think of it as a contract. You're tracking a thief, right?" Hachiman forced a confident, predatory smirk. "You don't have a plan, but I have a knack for finding people who don't want to be found. I'll find your thief, and you'll pay me in room and board."]
A collective "Ah" rippled through the onlookers.
They were both the same. One played the villain to ease a stranger's burden; the other played the scoundrel to give the girl a logical reason to accept his help. It was a bizarre, mirrored dance of two outcasts who refused to let the other suffer under the weight of "charity."
["Ho-ho~" Puck arched an eyebrow, catching the nuance that Emilia missed. "I can sense a person's true intent, you know."]
[Hachiman felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. He doubled down, hoping Emilia wouldn't catch the spirit's drift. "Then you know I'm a total parasite. I intend to milk this for all it's worth."]
["Mmhmm. Sure. Whatever you say, kid." Puck's hostility evaporated, replaced by a wry, knowing warmth. "Agree to it, Lia. We're out of options anyway."]
["Eh? Oh... alright." Trusting Puck's judgment, the girl extended a pale, dainty hand. "Then I'll be in your care, Mr..."]
["Hachiman. Hachiman Hikigaya."]
[He stared at her hand, his composure wavering. Even after facing a blade, this was the moment that made his hands shake. He hesitated, his fingers twitching, but he couldn't bring himself to take it. He looked away, as if afraid that touching her would somehow tarnish that purity.]
["My name is..."]
[The girl bit her lip. She looked at Puck, then at the broken, cynical boy who had just offered her his only talent. She made a choice.]
["Emilia... I am the Half-Elf, Emilia!"]