COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya

My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. I'm a loner—and a time traveler. More precisely, I'm Hikigaya Hachiman from a parallel world. 

In my original world, I was supposed to attend Soubu High School in Chiba. On the first day of high school, I got into a car accident. My classmates included the popular group led by Hayama Hayato and Miura Yumiko. My only two friends were Totsuka Saika and Zaimokuza. Then, in my second year, I was dragged by my violent teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka, into a strange place called the Service Club. From that moment on, my high school life took an unpredictable turn. 

But because of my own actions, cracks formed within the Service Club, and eventually, everything fell apart. 

I pretended to confess to Ebina to keep the popular group together. I helped Iroha Isshiki become the student council president. I solved every problem. No one got hurt. So why did things still end up like this? 

All I wanted was a world where no one got hurt. So why did it turn out this way? 

"You only understand the logic behind words, but not the emotions in them. Hikigaya, you put too much faith in pure rationality, which is why you struggle to understand how others act. You ignore people's feelings and only focus on results. Your solutions may be correct, but do you really understand the emotions behind them?" 

That night, as the snow fell on the bridge, Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei made me realize my mistake. I finally understood. I reflected on everything. I decided that the next day, I would go to the Service Club and open up my heart. 

"If only I could do it all over again." 

A shooting star streaked across the night sky. I stopped and muttered to myself. 

Then, the next morning, I woke up to find everything had changed! 

My body and age had regressed—I had become a second year middle schooler. I was now a student at Soubu Middle School in Chiba. My relationships had been "reset." There was no Hayama Hayato, no Miura Yumiko, no sign of the popular group. Even Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui didn't exist. Or maybe... I hadn't reached the point where we were supposed to meet yet? 

But there were two familiar names. 

Yukinoshita Haruno. Somehow, she was now my classmate?! 

And Hiratsuka Shizuka—who, for some reason, had become a teacher at Soubu Middle School. 

The queen of youth and the master of forced marriage. 

 Also worth mentioning—middle school Hikigaya got hit by a car again when he started school. (Tragic!) 

Aside from my school life completely changing, my family life remained the same. I was still at the bottom of the hierarchy, and Komachi was still my adorable little sister. 

It was like one of those cliché light novel plots—like I had traveled back in time, but my "past" had been rewritten by another timeline. 

Had I really crossed into a parallel world? 

I tried every possible method to fix it. I even went to shrines and temples to pray. But nothing worked. In the end, feeling almost hopeless, I told everything to Shizuka-sensei. She panicked and immediately dragged me to the hospital. 

I still remember that doctor—a chubby, frog-faced middle-aged man. He rambled on about weird stuff that sounded like it came straight out of a light novel. Then, with absolute confidence, he said, "I'm a professional." 

I was diagnosed with "Adolescence Syndrome," also known as "Puberty Syndrome"—a type of mental illness. 

Just like that, I became a certified mental patient. 

... 

Advanced Nurturing High School (ANHS), located in Tokyo, was one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Even though it was a national school, it was famous for having nearly a 100% employment and college acceptance rate. Many of its graduates became well-known figures—mahjong champions, rising sports stars, award-winning actors, and more. 

Countless students dreamed of getting in, but one dead-eyed boy wanted nothing to do with it. 

"Three years of free tuition? Dormitory living with no outside contact? Not allowed to leave the school grounds? This is a prison academy! This is straight-up a scam! No way I'm going! I have a fatal condition called 'If I don't see Komachi, I'll die'!" 

"Ugh, that was so gross, Onii-chan!" Unlike the gloomy, dead-eyed boy, the lively, energetic girl with tiger teeth made a face of disgust. 

"A-Anyway! There's no way I'm going to that high school!" The dead-eyed boy wavered for a second but quickly regained his resolve. 

"Old bro is super gross sometimes, but... Komachi doesn't want to be apart from you for three years, either. Of course, it's not because I wouldn't have anyone to mess with." 

"Komachi..." 

Hikigaya was touched. It would have been even better if she hadn't said that last part. 

At that moment, their mom spoke up out of nowhere. 

"The two-pocket money allowances per month will still apply." 

Komachi's eyes sparkled. 

"Ahem... I think Onii-chan should learn to be independent. You can't rely on family forever! Going to school in Tokyo is a great opportunity. Old bro, you have to do your best! Komachi will cheer for you while using your share of pocket money, so don't worry about home!" 

She raised her tiny fist in excitement, cheering for her brother. Hikigaya, on the other hand, just wanted to raise his own fist and smack this money-hungry little sister on the head!

"You always 'borrow' my allowance anyway, so is this even necessary?" 

Hikigaya Komachi, you… you're such a fool! 

"My grades are good enough to get into Soubu High, so why should I go all the way to Tokyo? I can't accept this! Not even Jesus can convince me!" Hikigaya, for once, stood his ground. 

His mom didn't say anything, but her expression turned cold. 

Seeing this, Hikigaya instinctively swallowed and softened his tone. "If I go to school in Tokyo, who's going to take care of Komachi? Who's going to do the housework? I'm the eldest son—I can even give up my allowance and get a part-time job after school to help out. This family can't function without me!" 

The girl with the little fang nodded like a pecking chick, though she frowned slightly at the part about giving up his allowance. 

And so, the dead-eyed boy made his case, arguing and resisting with everything he had, kicking off what should have been an intense family debate about whether he would go to school in Tokyo… 

Yeah, right. 

"Hikigaya, I'm your mother!" 

"You, You will regret it!"

That one simple sentence crushed Hikigaya completely. 

Damn it! 

A future without Komachi isn't the future I want! 

And so, under his mother's "democratic decision," the so-called family discussion about going to school in Tokyo came to a swift and decisive end. 

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