"Of course, classic dramas deserve to be rewatched often, right? We can't always watch those mundane dramas about housewives dealing with trivial domestic matters."
Yukio Ishikawa took the apple she had just finished peeling, cut it in half, removed the core, and handed one half to Hikaru Ishikawa.
"But where are you heading off to?"
"I'm going to meet a friend to play some tennis."
Her eyes immediately lit up.
"Are you going with a girl?"
"It's a guy."
"Tsk."
She instantly lost interest.
"Are you coming back for lunch?"
"No need."
"Perfect. That means I can cook one less meal and go eat something nice outside."
"I'm heading out."
---
Hikaru Ishikawa left the house, went to the garage, took out his bicycle, and slowly rode toward the Hikigaya Residence while casually eating his apple with one hand.
On the way, he passed a supermarket inside a department store. He stopped briefly, bought a box of strawberry daifuku as a souvenir, and then continued cycling until he arrived at the Hikigaya residence.
He rang the doorbell.
"Hikitani Master! I've come to take your dog life!"
"Oh! Big Brother Ishikawa is here! I'll open the door right away!"
A few minutes later, Komachi Hikigaya opened the door.
Seeing that Hikaru was still on his bike, she hurried outside and waved happily.
"Big Brother Ishikawa, riding a bike must have been tiring! Why don't you come inside and have some water?"
"It wasn't that far. I consider it exercise."
He handed her the bag with the strawberry daifuku.
"This is a souvenir for little sister Komachi."
"Eh? This is—"
"It's just some local strawberry daifuku from Chiba," Hikaru said with a grin. "Each one costs a little over 200 yen. A box of ten is just over 2,000 yen. Don't get your hopes up thinking it's some high-end wagashi."
He added playfully,
"If you want premium wagashi, you'd have to go to Kajō Shōan in Tokyo. Next time I visit Tokyo, I'll bring some back for you."
"Th-this is already expensive!"
"My net worth already starts at ten million yen," Hikaru laughed. "How could something worth only two thousand yen be expensive for Komachi?"
"You jerk."
A cold voice suddenly cut in.
Hachiman Hikigaya stood at the doorway with murderous dead-fish eyes.
"You're not actually planning to make a move on Komachi, are you?"
Hikaru immediately gave him a thumbs-up and flashed a bright smile.
"Chiba is famous in anime as the city of sister complexes. Unfortunately, I don't have a sister myself. So it's only natural that I treat your sister well."
"Hokuto! Hundred Crack Fist!"
---
49. So, Will the Problem Child Head North?
Hikaru Ishikawa pedaled toward Seaside Park with Hachiman sitting on the back of the bicycle.
While riding, Hikaru reminded him:
"Remember to jump off the bike immediately if you see a police officer. If you don't jump, I'll abandon you and run."
Hachiman snapped angrily.
"Then don't let me ride in the first place!"
"Aiya, even if we get caught, it's just a warning. They're not going to fine you 20,000 yen."
"Why am I the one paying the fine? You're the one illegally carrying a passenger!"
"I'm the one carrying you, so why can't you pay?"
"That's just twisting logic!"
"Seeing your painful face when you lose money brings me more joy than earning money myself," Hikaru said happily. "It's one of life's greatest pleasures."
"In a movie, you'd be the villain everyone wants to kill immediately."
"Really? Haha."
"That wasn't a compliment!"
"But Hannibal from The Silence of the Lambs is very famous."
"You just compared me to Hannibal!?"
Despite their constant bickering, no police officers stopped them.
They arrived safely at Seaside Park and parked the bicycle.
Hikaru then led Hachiman toward the tennis courts.
"I wonder if there are any available courts today. If not, we'll use the courts near Sobu High School. They're a bit run down but close by."
Hachiman sighed.
In truth, he wasn't interested in playing tennis with Hikaru at all.
He had only agreed to come so Hikaru wouldn't keep hanging around Komachi.
---
Soon Hikaru returned with two rackets and a staff member.
"Luckily there's one court available."
He handed Hachiman a racket.
"How much does it cost per hour?" Hachiman asked.
"About three or four hundred yen per hour. I booked two hours."
"And the change?"
"I didn't bother taking it," Hikaru said casually. "Carrying coins is annoying."
Hachiman stared at him.
"Next time something like that happens… please let me handle the payment."
"Haha! Teacher Hikitani is hilarious."
Hikaru grinned.
"You, a mere Dead Fish Eye Monster, want to earn errand fees from a genius light novel author? Talk to me about that after Komachi and I get married."
---
50. So, Do Problem Children Discuss Adult Topics?
The tennis court echoed with the crisp sound of rackets hitting balls.
Because they were just rallying instead of playing a match, they didn't need to move much and could talk freely.
"The pace of technological development seems faster than I expected," Hikaru said while returning the ball.
"Talking about technology while playing tennis?" Hachiman complained.
"Why not?"
Hikaru continued:
"YouTube is getting huge overseas. Maybe someday people will stream using virtual characters."
Hachiman frowned.
"Like Ultraman?"
"Sort of. Motion capture, green screens, voice acting…"
Hikaru suddenly smirked.
"You should become one."
"My voice sounds that lifeless?"
"Exactly. You could play a zombie or vampire. Female otaku might love it."
"My dream isn't that!"
"What is your dream then?"
"To become a house husband supported by my wife!"
"Virtual streamers also earn money from fans," Hikaru laughed. "Isn't that basically the same thing?"
"Talk to me after your fantasy becomes reality!"
---
At that moment two familiar voices called out.
"Ishikawa-sensei! You're here too!"
"Ishikawa?!"
Hikaru and Hachiman turned.
Outside the fence stood several classmates, including:
Yui Yuigahama
Hina Ebina
Hayato Hayama
Yumiko Miura
"So it's General Ebina, Chef Yuigahama, and the Hayama Legion," Hikaru said.
Hayama smiled.
"We're heading to the water park using the tickets you gave us."
Miura squinted at him.
"You didn't want to come with us at all, did you?"
"How could you say that?"
Hikaru replied shamelessly.
"You three are beautiful girls. Seeing you in swimsuits would be a feast for the eyes. Boys our age don't go to water parks just to swim."
Yui immediately turned bright red.
"Th-that's way too direct!"
Hikaru stroked his chin.
"So I shouldn't honestly say you're beautiful?"
"That's not what I meant!"
---
51. So, Do Problem Children Possess Something Genuine?
Hina Ebina laughed lightly.
"Ishikawa-sensei should probably change the way he talks. Otherwise girls might think it's harassment."
"You're right."
Hikaru nodded seriously.
"The situation between men and women in modern Japanese society is becoming increasingly tense. A man looking at a woman for a few seconds too long on a train can be falsely accused of harassment."
He shrugged.
"So I should probably be more careful joking with unfamiliar women in the future."