64: Hikigaya's Life Opportunity
Tokyo University Affiliated Hospital.
When Hikigaya woke up again, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, he silently made a decision:
'I won't do anything so reckless again.'
If he had misjudged things, or if Kiwatari Jun's hand had slipped, that butterfly knife could've stabbed right into his heart.
Then the detective novel he was still serializing would've come to an abrupt end... Not that he cared much for himself, but if Hikigaya Hachiman were to die, it would basically be a national day of mourning for the Japanese mystery fiction world.
"Hikigaya-kun! You're finally awake."
Not long after he came to and was blankly staring at the ceiling, Jabami Yumeko burst into the room. She was holding a towel and rushed straight into Hikigaya's arms.
"...Yumeko, there's no need to worry like that. It's just a bit of bleeding on my hand."
Hikigaya sighed, feeling the softness pressed against his chest, then looked at his hands wrapped tightly in layers of bandages and casts, momentarily unsure of what to say.
'Is this what they mean by excessive worry born of concern?'
This sensation of being a stranger in a foreign land, this feeling of being cared for by a woman—it made Hikigaya feel a strange fluttering inside.
'What exactly is this feeling?'
At that moment, Hikigaya really wanted to write down this swelling emotion in his own words, but the more he tried, the more he realized—it was a feeling beyond his ability to describe.
'Something that can only be felt, not expressed in words.' That phrase probably fit perfectly here.
"Anyway, let's just get the doctor to take off this cast already..." Hikigaya said helplessly, raising his cast-wrapped hands.
He was speechless. What kind of doctor applies a cast without even checking the patient's condition?
It was just a knife wound on his hand... Why the cast?
"No can do, Hikigaya-kun. This is insurance to prevent further injury to your hand."
Yumeko dabbed at the corner of her eye. "I noticed it, you know—those calluses on your hand, they're from long-term writing or typing, right?"
"And then, every night, you're always rushing home... I guessed that you must be working in some related profession," Yumeko said with tenderness practically spilling from her eyes as she gently stroked the cast on Hikigaya's hand.
"So please, Hikigaya-kun—just for yourself, for your future health—take these few days to rest."
Hikigaya fell silent.
Not because of Yumeko's concern, but because, as a self-centered person, he quickly reasoned out a few things.
Though Yumeko's family background was noble, it was now in decline. She had no authority to command the doctors at Tokyo University Hospital to cast his hands. Only Momobami Kirari could do that.
So, chances were, she had already deduced his hidden secret. That he was a mystery novelist—she probably knew by now. Taking the logic further... Had she also figured out his scheming with Jureku-senpai, and his grudge with Mibuomi Aoi?
Countless possibilities bloomed in Hikigaya's mind—future outcomes he predicted, then discarded. He was trying to find the path most beneficial to himself.
But before he could find that path, a cold sensation touched both his cheeks.
It was Yumeko! She cupped Hikigaya's face with both hands, forcing his dazed, dead-fish eyes to meet hers. "Hikigaya-kun, rest, okay!"
'Do snakes eat fish?' Hikigaya felt like he'd been devoured.
Against his better judgment, he responded, "Okay."
In the quiet hospital room, the only sound was the gentle wind and rain outside.
Hikigaya felt his heartbeat gradually speeding up—but this time, he was fully aware and conscious of that rising rhythm.
Prime Numbers and Such—They Can Wait for Later
Hikigaya didn't want to miss out on the feeling he was experiencing right now.
Until—
A sudden ringtone shattered the strangely surreal atmosphere that had settled over the hospital room in his mind.
Startled, prime numbers came back to him, and he looked toward the phone on the bedside table. He instinctively tried to reach for it—only to be brought back to reality when the cast collided awkwardly, reminding him that he currently lacked the ability to even take care of himself.
'Hikigaya Hachiman, just look at how slow your brain's gotten!' he cursed inwardly.
He glanced awkwardly at Jabami, unsure how to ask for help.
Jabami Yumeko patted her thigh lightly, walked obediently over to the bedside, picked up the phone, answered the call, and gently held it near Hikigaya's neck.
Once Hikigaya had secured it between his shoulder and cheek, she thoughtfully retreated to the doorway, making sure not to eavesdrop.
When it came to the finer details, Jabami Yumeko really was meticulous.
Only then did Hikigaya recognize the voice on the other end of the call—
Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Hikigaya-kun, how did you pull that off?!" Her voice was brimming with barely contained excitement—Hikigaya could clearly sense her overflowing joy.
"What did I do?" Hikigaya was a bit confused.
"Chiba Prefecture's councilwoman, Kiwatari, was arrested last night! She's my dad's nemesis—constantly trying to sabotage him in business…"
But what Hikigaya cared about wasn't that—it was the shocking realization that he had actually been unconscious for an entire day.
Which meant...
His body stiffened slightly.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you listening?"
Hikigaya Hachiman took a deep breath. "I'm here."
"Someone from higher up told my dad—it was a signal from the Hundred Devouring Momobami family. Our front door has basically been worn down by people visiting us today…"
She was still a girl, after all. After years of painstaking work to secure her family's position, she hadn't expected that thanks to the Momobami family, their status would soar overnight.
So how had the Yukinoshita family connected with the Momobami clan? Lady Yukinoshita couldn't figure it out, and once she questioned Haruno, Haruno herself had been completely baffled at first.
But it didn't take her long to realize—the only link between their family and the Momobami clan… was none other than Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya Hachiman—although not yet fully one of their own—had, over the years, become an inseparable and deeply cooperative partner with Yukinoshita Haruno. So he could be considered half a member of the Yukinoshita household.
Haruno almost instantly pieced it all together in her mind: Hikigaya must've done something that pleased that woman, Momobami Kirari. Because of that, she extended her favor to the Yukinoshita family—raising their standing in Chiba just like that.
"Did you… win a gamble against her?" Haruno asked, lowering her voice.
"No," Hikigaya replied, though his brain had already shifted into dual-processing mode. If Kirari had granted such a massive benefit to the Yukinoshita family, then what kind of reward would she bestow on him—the key player behind it all?
Hikigaya felt his heart rate spike again. To say he wasn't excited would be a lie. He had made such huge sacrifices—from the moment he entered the academy, he'd been working to improve himself—all for this moment.
"Then… don't tell me she's taken a liking to you."
Haruno's tone became hesitant. If that were the case… then poor Yukino would be the one to suffer. For the sake of the family... no, that would be putting the cart before the horse!
If the prosperity of the family came at the cost of Yukino's happiness—could such an outcome truly be called a "victory"? Haruno found herself caught in an inner battle. But now, the Momobami clan had already handed the benefits to the Yukinoshitas—there was no taking them back.
And if she opposed things now... her fate might not end up any better than that of councilwoman Kiwatari.
"It's nothing—just took a knife for her, saved her life."
"Huh? You got hurt?!"
"How rare, Miss Haruno is actually worried about me first for once."
"Cut the crap." On the other end of the line, Yukinoshita Haruno frowned. While her concern was mixed with personal feelings, Hikigaya was still half an insider. In her heart, his position far outweighed that of Kirari Momobami.
In Hikigaya's words, she was an imperfect ambitious woman.
"Yeah, I'm injured. In the hospital."
"Where are you? I'll drive over tomorrow."
It was about a half-hour drive from Chiba to Tokyo. Despite her busy schedule, Yukinoshita Haruno decided to free up an entire day to go see her cash cow in person.
Over the years, working as Hikigaya's part-time manager had made her a considerable amount of money.
"No need. It's just a small injury, I'll probably be discharged tomorrow."
Looking at the ever-gentle Jabami Yumeko not far away, Hikigaya suddenly felt a sense of unease for no apparent reason. He firmly rejected Haruno's offer to visit.
Just then, the door to the hospital room opened, and the woman who entered immediately made Hikigaya drop all thoughts of continuing the call. After saying a few polite words, he quickly hung up.
The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of brown leather ankle boots. Above them were full, matte black-stockinged legs.
On the breathtakingly beautiful face, the same signature deep blue eyeshadow and lip gloss stood out— Momobami Kirari had come!
Hikigaya tensed like facing a formidable enemy. He understood all too well—this might be the very opportunity that would launch him into the stratosphere.
'I have to consider whether this might be the one and only chance of my life—the kind of opportunity that could save me at least ten years of hard work!'
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