Chapter 2: Hachiman Hikigaya Doesn't Want to Let Komachi Down
"UWAAAH!!!"
The shout was loud, and so was its impact—it immediately drew the attention of everyone on the bus.
Even the driver took his eyes off the road to glance in the rearview mirror.
Needless to say, the three thugs also turned their attention.
"You brat! What the hell are you barking for? Can't you see this boss is busy with serious business!?"
"Yeah, yeah! You looking for a beating or what?!"
"Keh keh keh, don't tell me you've watched too much anime and want to play the hero saving the damsel in distress?!"
Upon seeing that the one who had shouted was a high school student who looked easy to bully, the three thugs began to mock him one after another.
And they gave up teasing the woman.
They started walking toward Hachiman Hikigaya—judging by their demeanor, they clearly intended to give him a proper lesson.
"Ah~ um, sorry... I just remembered I... uh... forgot to... take something..."
Seeing this, Hikigaya looked a bit nervous and scared, muttering some half-baked excuse. But deep inside, he let out a sigh of relief. At least the woman was safe now, right?
However...
"Tch! Didn't you see this boss is walking here, you damn redhead? Get outta the way!"
The thug walking in front was blocked.
Standing in his way was a male student with shoulder-length red hair and a center part.
His expression was defiant and a bit cynical—he was clearly a delinquent among delinquents, someone not to be messed with.
He gave off a really arrogant vibe.
By the way, he was also wearing the uniform of Advanced Nurturing High School.
Even after being yelled at by the thug, the redhead didn't react much. He just tilted his head, narrowed his eyes, and gave a very displeased look at the thug, pouting slightly.
"Huh!?"
"...###" The thug was infuriated by the redhead's cocky attitude. "Huh what huh!? A kid your age should just study properly! What's with that hair dye!?"
As he said that, he reached out to grab the redhead's shoulder, trying to push him aside.
But he couldn't budge the redhead at all.
This made the thug lose face for a moment. "Baka! What are you two standing there for? Help me beat this guy up!"
"Wait!" Hikigaya, seeing that the redhead was about to get beaten up because of him, couldn't just stand by due to his overactive sense of guilt. He quickly spoke up to stop them.
As everyone looked over again, Hikigaya swiftly raised his right hand, holding his phone.
He turned the screen toward everyone and put it on speaker mode. "I've already called the police!"
Right on cue, a tense voice from the police came from the phone: "Nobody fight! Fighting is illegal! Think about your parents! Think about your family! Don't do anything foolish!"
After the officer finished speaking, Hikigaya calmly added, "This is bus DJ606. After harassing a woman, three thugs are now bullying a weak, skinny high school student!"
Redhead: "..."
"What?! Damn brat!" At this point, the thugs had no choice but to retreat halfway.
"Boss!"
"Hmph! Stop the bus! Brat, don't let me see you again!"
Whether it was his imagination or not, Hikigaya noticed that after the thug leader said that last line, the surrounding adults were giving him some strange looks.
Was it... expectation? Tension?
What the heck?
Well, either way, the priority now was not letting those three thugs escape.
"It's no use—you see those two doors on the bus? There are surveillance cameras on them." Hikigaya continued, "That means your faces were all recorded."
"So if you don't want to end up in prison for longer, I suggest you turn yourselves in."
Of course, after giving them a stick, you've got to offer a carrot too. Hikigaya then softened his tone.
"Besides, to be honest, you didn't really do anything too serious. If you show a good attitude and get the victim's forgiveness, it might just end with a warning and no criminal record."
Just as Hikigaya finished, the police officer on the phone—who had been very anxious when he heard the thugs were trying to flee—quickly chimed in:
"That's right. If what this young man says is true and you show sincere remorse, the matter can be handled lightly. You won't be arrested or charged."
"Tch! Damn it…"
"Boss..."
"He's right, boss. Things haven't gone that far yet..."
The thug leader clicked his tongue, looked at his useless lackeys, and his face turned dark.
Although he felt like his pride was hurt, he thought about the fact that he hadn't really done anything—he only touched the woman's hand.
As for trying to push the redhead, it didn't even work.
There weren't any injuries either.
If he got wanted and thrown in jail for that, then maybe turning himself in wasn't such a bad idea.
So, the thug leader clenched his fists, looked at the bus doors now blocked by a few delinquents, and wavered between pride and future consequences.
Finally, he took a deep breath and made a decision.
With his head lowered in frustration, he said, "Sorry…"
Whether it was coincidence or not—
At that moment, the bus speakers began playing a sentimental version of Detective Conan's theme song.
"Seriously? A confession BGM now?" Hikigaya inwardly griped at the perfectly timed music, but his mood finally relaxed.
At the same time, the police officer on the phone also sighed in relief at how the situation was under control.
"Alright then. The victim, the suspect, and the one who called the police—please get off at the Advanced Nurturing High School station and wait there."
Hikigaya: Uh...
Redhead: "Tch!"
...
Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.
Back on the bus, you could see the school sprawling like an octopus from the overpass, dominating a huge stretch of land.
The campus was beautiful, lined with modern shops on both sides. As a place where one would live for the next three years, it was flawless.
Well... except for being completely enclosed.
The police arrived even faster than expected. Before the bus reached the stop, three police cars were already parked near the school gate.
Makes sense!
After all, the arrest was happening at the school entrance of a prestigious Tokyo high school...
After escorting the three thugs into the police cars, a female officer—clearly the leader—walked straight past the redhead (who had contributed half the credit) and went up to Hikigaya.
"Tch! Lame." Seeing this, the redhead clicked his tongue, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked toward the school without looking back...
Meanwhile, the female officer looked Hikigaya up and down before speaking meaningfully, "Looks like Advanced Nurturing High School is getting another promising student."
"Uh..." Hikigaya, knowing himself well, felt a bit embarrassed. "Well... I didn't really do much."
Honestly, even Hikigaya hadn't expected things to go this way.
His original plan was to draw the thugs' attention, gather evidence, and report them anonymously.
It was a good plan—the only flaw was that he might get beaten up during the process. But Hikigaya didn't really mind that.
After all, what better option did he have?
But plans never keep up with change...
Hikigaya glanced at the redhead who had just walked off so coolly.
His heart stirred slightly.
Damn it! Did that delinquent have to leave looking so badass!?
After giving a quick statement to the police, Hikigaya was supposed to go to the station to discuss the details.
But since it was the first day of school—
The nice policewoman let him off the hook...
Hikigaya couldn't help but feel lucky. This way, he wouldn't lose his chance to make friends on Day One.
BEEP BEEP! His phone vibrated a few times.
"Hmm!? It's the phone from school." Just as he stepped through the school gates, Hikigaya heard a noise from his right pocket.
Speaking of which, it was worth mentioning again how generous Advanced Nurturing High School's benefits were.
When you got your admission notice, not only did they give you a school uniform, they also issued a high-spec phone.
And the notice said not to bring any luggage to school—they would prepare everything for you on campus.
Hikigaya took out the phone and looked at the screen. It was a text message from the school.
[Welcome to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. You have been placed in Year 1 Class C. Please arrive at the gymnasium at 10:00 for the entrance ceremony…]
"Year 1 Class C, huh..." Hikigaya murmured as he stared at the phone, then pocketed it and stepped into the campus with a trace of melancholy.
Because from this moment on...
He wouldn't see Komachi again for three whole years... (o(╥﹏╥)o)