Chapter 7: Overflowing Tears
"No need to hide. They can't see you anyway." Looking at the way Yukino was hiding in his arms, Hachiman couldn't help but find it amusing. He tightened his hold and began running down the corridor.
At first, Yukino stayed curled up without reacting, but as the wind whooshed past her ears, she couldn't help but lift her head.
And then—she was stunned.
Because she was no longer at school.
The scenery raced by her at a speed that, to an ordinary person, would be overwhelming.
Hachiman was running toward his own house—with her in his arms. Don't get it wrong—it was to get her something to eat. He didn't know where else to take her at that moment.
His place would have to do for now. Someone else was probably still there anyway.
"I forgot… You're not like us at all..." The girl in his arms muttered blankly to herself as she watched the shifting surroundings.
Eventually, a beam of light appeared before them.
Hachiman was now running along a coastal road.
On Yukino's side, the sun was about to sink beneath the horizon, casting its final brilliance and warmth of the day.
"So beautiful…"
"Sure, cool vibes matter and all, but aren't you laying it on a bit thick?" Hachiman, still running, couldn't help but tease. Though in truth, he had brought her this way on purpose—to help lift her spirits.
It's what movies do, after all. Show off on a coastal road, strike a pose—classic. And for a literary girl like Yukino, it was clearly effective.
And sure enough, it was working. She was about to enter full poetic mode. Any moment now she might start reciting spontaneous verse, which honestly made him want to roll his eyes.
Then he stopped, standing at the roadside to let her watch the sun sink slowly into the sea.
And as the light was devoured by darkness, and night blanketed the land— In that very moment, Yukino shivered involuntarily.
It was around a time like this, after all, when the Yukinoshita family had collapsed.
"Don't worry." A soft light, like dawn, radiated from Hachiman's body. In an instant, the darkness surrounding them was dispelled.
"Those people wouldn't dare lay a hand on you again."
"Your body…" Yukino's trembling stilled. Though her face was still pale, her expression was one of deep astonishment. She raised her hand with effort, placing it against Hachiman's chest. Golden light spilled from between her fingers, illuminating the space around them in a brilliant glow.
"So it's true…" She let out a bitter smile. Her mother's words surfaced in her mind—how her father had been struck down in his prime by a sudden illness. "And this is why… there really is magic in this world."
"There sure is. And I'm stronger than all those jerks who barged into your home combined. Crushing them would be child's play." Hachiman grinned. "So don't worry—no one's going to bother you again. Just focus on living well."
"Mother said… our family is gone now." Yukino seemed to melt into the light, her eyes hazy and dreamy. "Can you teach me?"
It was a completely disjointed response.
But Hachiman understood it instantly.
Put simply, Yukinoshita Yukino wanted to go super mode! If possible, she probably wanted to pilot a Gundam, too.
But that was wishful thinking. Even if she had the aptitude, in a place like Chiba, who would dare teach her magic without his approval? The moment anyone tried, Seishuin would step in and "teach them a lesson" real quick.
Besides, Hachiman didn't believe becoming a mage would be a good path for her.
He remembered Ena once telling him: The death rate among magicians is actually pretty high.
Not all from getting killed—but more often from messing up during training. And in ways so ridiculous you could probably publish a "1,000 Dumbest Ways to Die While Learning Magic" manual.
Unlike warriors, mages start by handling pure magical energy— Which, honestly, is dangerous as hell.
"I'd love to teach you, but magic isn't something you can teach. It's kinda like psychic powers."
Hachiman explained, then continued running.
This time, he didn't take any detours. He ran straight home.
Upon arriving, he was surprised to see Komachi and Mikumo in the kitchen cooking together— And they looked like they were getting along shockingly well.
What the hell?
"Onii-chan's back—eh!?" Komachi, who had just peeked her head out, yelped in shock. "What's going on here!?"
"She's my classmate. She's had a rough time lately, wasn't eating, almost collapsed." Hachiman slipped off his shoes, headed to the living room, and gently laid the weak, exhausted Yukino onto the sofa.
"Ahh, that's so sad…" Komachi looked on sympathetically, bouncing over to Yukino and inspecting her closely. "Her face looks awful—Komachi will make food right away!"
And with that, she dashed back into the kitchen.
Typical of his impulsive little sister— Brash, energetic, and with a flip-switch attitude that changed like the wind. She jumped between emotions seamlessly.
"You'll stay here tonight. My parents are workaholics—barely home all year." Hachiman turned, pulled juice from the fridge, and placed it on the table beside Yukino. "You haven't had water in a while, right? Here, drink up."
"Baka-oniichan, you're supposed to serve tea!" Komachi shouted from the kitchen.
God knows how she could see that from there.
Sighing, Hachiman sat back down—then got right back up to go make tea.
"Um… H-Hikigaya-kun, it's okay. This is fine… Thank you…" Yukino shakily reached for the juice, holding it in her hands.
She curled up unconsciously on the sofa, making it clear that this kind of defensive posture had become a habit.
"…."
Hachiman was beginning to feel the emotional weight of it all— And at the same time, he felt relief that he had brought her back.
To see his classmate like this—it honestly hurt.
This girl, Yukinoshita Yukino, could heave created a deep bond with the Hikigaya Hachiman of this world, like him in his past world. To go through many things together—grow closer. But now… because he had come here instead, her fate had changed.
Same for the dumpling girl.
Sometimes, Hachiman wondered: If he hadn't been dragged into the darkness, hadn't become a god-slayer— What kind of life would he be living now?
For sure, he wouldn't have met Seishuin Ena. He wouldn't know Mikumo—the woman now playing big sister in his kitchen. Nor Liliana, or the others.
He wouldn't be friends with Miura and the rest either.
He'd just be a regular high schooler, stuck in the Service Club under Hiratsuka-sensei's pressure. He'd spend days doing pointless club work with this same girl in front of him.
Maybe he'd even become friends with the dumpling girl— A textbook social butterfly. And something more might have even blossomed.
In short, it would've been a plain, uneventful high school life. Nothing dramatic. Maybe even some developments wouldn't have happened.
He'd graduate, enter society, and become an ordinary Japanese man.
And Yukinoshita Yukino would've continued as the aloof, cold beauty she'd always been. Certainly not like this…
So, in the end, it was all due to his presence that things had gone this way.
"Eat something. Then rest. Whatever needs saying—leave it for tomorrow." Even Hachiman didn't realize how gentle his voice had become. "Stay here for now.
I'll find your mom and your sister. I promise—I'll reunite your family and help you start over."
Yukinoshita Yukino froze. She stared at Hachiman's sincere expression in a daze— Surprised, confused, and filled with a flood of strange emotions. The despair and anxiety that had plagued her for days…
Now melted away.
In its place, a warmth she had never felt before filled her heart.
Her nose began to sting. And then, without meaning to— Tears started falling. First one, then another. Then they wouldn't stop.
Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore—
And broke down sobbing on the sofa.