Crusch Soaring
"Mm-hm, as expected of him."
On the main street of the Royal Capital, seeing her own daughter making a humble request in a tearful voice, Puck almost couldn't suppress a surge of murderous intent. But the subsequent turn of events caused it to beam with joy.
Compared to the later Hikigaya Hachiman, who had tasted too many confessions from beautiful girls to the point of no longer being shy, Puck preferred this "factory reset" pure-hearted version of Hachiman.
"That expression of being teased until his face is bright red by Lia is quite nice~"
Having no time to address Puck's improper choice of words, Emilia looked up at the sky, gazing toward the future... Whether it was the Hachiman from the very beginning, the Hachiman she fell for over time, or the Hachiman who was a complete stranger to him after his memory loss—no matter which Hachiman it was, he was always so gentle to her, always willing to sacrifice himself to protect her.
The trap named Hikigaya Hachiman, no matter how many times it was repeated, would always imprison the silver-haired girl named Emilia, making her indulge in this pond of happiness.
"Always prone to self-deprecation, saying things like having no right... but, the humble Hachiman, I don't dislike him either, not at all, because..."
It didn't matter how many times it took; if he felt he didn't have that right, she would absolutely, forcefully grant that right to him!
After many days, seeing Hikigaya Hachiman's original demeanor once again made everyone feel as if a lifetime had passed. Thinking back to the beginning, Hachiman's various pure-hearted reactions were met with much well-meaning ridicule, becoming his "dark history" across the entire Earth.
But now, replaying and watching these pure-hearted moments again, Shirogane Miyuki and Kousaka Kyousuke, Shinomiya Kaguya, Oumae Kumiko, the entire Classic Literature Club, and everyone else like them had completely different reactions and thoughts.
"This isn't cowardice, it isn't the timidity of someone who hasn't seen women, and it certainly isn't being introverted or antisocial. What these pure-hearted actions represent is entirely Hikigaya Hachiman's pursuit of the 'Genuine,' as well as his self-restraint!"
Once they thoroughly understood Hikigaya Hachiman and looked back at this "dark history," everyone gained a brand new realization.
In the convenience store, Yukinoshita glared fiercely at Hikigaya Hachiman. "You can rest easy now, can't you? You won't hurt Emilia and the others."
Hikigaya Hachiman froze in shock for a moment. Had this worry of his actually been noticed?
"I knew you'd have this kind of anxiety. I knew it, because you are the gentle Hikigaya-kun."
Yukinoshita showcased her profound mastery of "Hikigaya-logy." "Self-deprecating Hikigaya-kun, you can never change this... You clearly know you are the most attentive person, so even if you accidentally hurt Emilia's heart, you would immediately notice and make amends. This point doesn't change whether you have amnesia or not.
But, you just refuse to admit your own gentleness and attentiveness, you idiot Hikigaya-kun."
Faced with Yukinoshita's accusation, Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head, rubbing his cheek against hers, and whispered softly.
"Thank you."
Yukinoshita accepted his gratitude.
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「Hikigaya Hachiman wasn't embarrassed for long, because very soon, Emilia was called away.」
「A medic came to get her, saying that Crusch, who had been busy outside, had found the last batch of wounded and brought them to the camp, and Emilia's healing was needed. Due to official business, Emilia could only leave in a hurry for the time being, which allowed the embarrassed Hikigaya Hachiman to breathe a sigh of relief.」
「But as Emilia moved further away, another person soon approached.」
「Green hair, with a steadfastness that had evolved from a bloody battle within her fragility. The fragile part was very cute, the steadfast part was very cool, and her figure—just like Emilia's—completely crushed Yukinoshita's. She radiated an aura of righteousness.」
「Crusch Karsten. She was a beautiful girl who filled Hikigaya Hachiman with a sense of goodwill at a single glance.」
「He liked this kind of person. He liked this Crusch very much; even if he didn't know much about her yet, he just knew that he liked this fragile yet cool girl.」
「"Sir Hachiman, could you accompany me for a moment?"」
「Crusch did not immediately start touching him like Emilia did; instead, she proactively maintained a bit of distance. This approach only increased Hikigaya Hachiman's goodwill toward her, and he agreed immediately: "Is that really alright?"」
「"It's no problem. My work has finished; from here on, it's the domain of Felt and Anastasia."」
「The two walked slowly. During this time, Crusch did not make a sound for a long interval; her expression was somewhat unfocused, as if she were perfectly satisfied just with this.」
「"May I consult you on some matters? ...It might be a bit presumptuous, Miss Crusch."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman broke the silence. With Crusch, he felt a slight trust born out of his liking for her.」
「Julius's explanation, Emilia's 'Genuine' from just now, plus his current liking and trust—these things dismantled a part of his wariness and rejection.」
「If it's Crusch, it's fine—he simply felt that Crusch was such an upright, reliable, and trustworthy person.」
「"I will tell you everything I know. Don't be too restrained, Sir Hachiman. You can just call me by my name."」
「"But if I did that..."」
「"Did Sir Julius tell you that I have also suffered from amnesia?" Crusch interrupted him.」
「Hikigaya Hachiman nodded. Julius had mentioned it briefly when introducing the candidates to him. He thought that perhaps it was because of this shared experience, this mutual sympathy, that allowed him to trust Crusch so much upon their second meeting.」
「"But Sir Julius surely didn't tell you that when you first met and spoke with me after I lost my memories, you called me directly by my name. Can I not treat you the way you treated me, Sir Hachiman?"」
「Back when she had just lost her memories, she received intimacy and affection from Sir Hachiman amidst her dazed confusion, finding comfort. Now that the roles were reversed, Crusch hoped she could also provide the confused Sir Hachiman with enough comfort.」
「And she... did have her own small, selfish motives.」
「"...You really are a bit cunning, Miss Crusch."」
「Giving a bitter smile, Hikigaya Hachiman took a deep breath. His first question was: "Crusch, I heard from Julius that you, Miss Emilia, and the others are all candidates for the Kingdom of Lugunica—you are competitors. So, can you tell me why the past 'me' seemed to be on such good terms with you?"」
「He desperately wanted to ask what Crusch did during the time after she lost her memories, how she pulled through, and how she interacted with those she had been close to before the amnesia.」
「But in the end, rather than himself, Hikigaya Hachiman prioritized this concern first.」
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