[OreGaIru : New Me!]

….

[-Continuation-]

.

[-Third Person View-]

The next morning, Hachiman trudged toward school, his bike rattling softly beneath him.

His 'secret' was out now - his involvement in the games [Candy Crush] and [Minecraft] had fully made its way into the news.

Not that he cared much, but he couldn't help but wonder how this would ripple through his daily life.

He parked his bike at school, taking his time locking it up. Walking toward class, he felt a faint shift in the air - like the moment before a storm.

People in the hallway were whispering, sneaking glances at him.

A few even gave him wide, toothy grins, which was terrifying in its own right.

Please let today be normal, he thought.

The odds of that were slim, but hope springs eternal, even for someone as cynical as Hachiman.

As he made his way to class, everything seemed... fine.

Too fine, even.

A faint tension lingered in the air, but he brushed it off.

Paranoia, probably.

Hachiman stepped into the classroom, ready to ignore the world as usual, when the door behind him slammed open with the force of a battering ram.

"HACHIMAN!"

The unmistakable bellow made him flinch. He turned just in time to see Zaimokuza charging in like a man on a mission, his dramatic entrance earning confused stares from the class.

Zaimokuza was holding his phone aloft as if it were evidence in a high-stakes trial.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" He shouted, jabbing the screen toward Hachiman's face.

Hachiman squinted at the phone, reluctantly focusing on the garish headline plastered across it.

[The Genius Behind Candy Crush and Minecraft is a High Schooler?! Meet Hikigaya Hachiman!]

A low groan escaped his throat. "How did you even find that? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

Zaimokuza's eyes were wide, practically sparkling with fervor. "BETTER? Do you hear yourself, my comrade? This is the revelation of the century! Nay, the millennium!"

He wasn't done. Waving his phone dramatically like it was an artifact of divine origin, he continued. "More importantly, why didn't you tell me? We could have collaborated! Your empire of games combined with my unparalleled genius for storytelling–!"

"Easy pass." Hachiman deadpanned.

Actually, Hachiman did try to involve Zaimokuza in the beginning in the [Minecraft] game.

The irony wasn't lost on him, though.

Zaimokuza wasn't entirely off-base.

There had been a time when Hachiman considered involving him in the early development of [Minecraft].

Back then, he thought having Zaimokuza on board might bring a fresh perspective, even if it was just for brainstorming.

In fact, he had gone as far as inviting him to a meeting in his room. Ryota had been there too, looking equal parts curious and skeptical.

But it was pretty clear soon that Zaimokuza could be of little help in a project like [Minecarft] with no story mode.

Still, Hachiman couldn't entirely dismiss him.

For his next project, which would rely heavily on narrative depth and well-crafted writing, Zaimokuza's overly enthusiastic creativity might actually come in handy - provided he could reign him in enough to stay on topic.

"But think of the possibilities!" Zaimokuza insisted. "The world is starving for games with deep lore and philosophical undertones! Imagine a saga where–!"

"Imagine me not having to hear this." Hachiman cut him off.

Before he could retort, the classroom exploded with noise. Totsuka, sitting nearby, clapped his hands together. "Wow, Hachiman! I didn't know you were so talented! That's amazing!"

Tobe chimed in, his voice dripping with awe. "Dude, Hikitani, you are like… a millionaire or something now, right?"

"Yeah, does that mean you can, like, buy a yacht or whatever?" Zaimokuza added, adjusting his glasses dramatically.

"Absolutely not." Hachiman muttered. "And even if I could, why would I want one? They are money pits."

Yui leaned over from her desk, peeking at the screen. "Oh my gosh, it's true?! Hikki, you are, like, famous now!"

"No." He said flatly, slumping into his chair.

"Hah, blushing are we?" Shizuka added as she entered the room, smirking as she sipped her coffee. She was quietly enjoying his suffering.

But peace was never an option.

Moments later, the door slid open, and an old man with an over-the-top smile entered the room, flanked by a couple of other teachers. 

"THERE HE IS!"

The voice boomed louder than a fire alarm.

Before Hachiman could register what was happening, an old man - who looked more like a retired sumo coach than anything remotely academic - strode up to him, beaming.

"Young man!" the old man bellowed, slapping Hachiman on the back with the force of a small truck. "Congratulations! Truly an honor to have you at our school!"

Hachiman blinked again, thoroughly lost. "...Excuse me?"

"I am your principal!" the man declared proudly, as though this was something Hachiman should've already known.

Wait, since when do we even have a principal? Hachiman thought.

He glanced around for clarification, but his classmates were just as baffled - or trying very hard not to laugh.

Before he could process it, he was being whisked away.

"Young man! Today, we celebrate you! The pride of our school!"

"Wait, what did I do?" Hachiman managed to ask as he was dragged into the hallway, where a group of teachers, half of whom he didn't even recognize, stood clapping enthusiastically.

The old man - sorry, the principal - grinned like he had won the lottery. "You have brought honor to our institution! The entire staff is proud of your achievements in game development!"

"Uh…" Hachiman hesitated. "I think there's been a mistake. I didn't do anything for the school."

"Nonsense!" The principal waved him off. "A win for you is a win for us all!"

This old principal before him reminded him of another familiar old man... Who was also not the least bit shameful in taking someone else credit as his own

Before Hachiman knew it, he was standing in front of a hastily assembled podium in the courtyard, holding some kind of poorly made plaque that read.

'For Excellence in Gaming' with his name misspelled as Hikigaya Hachimitsu, and forced to stand next to the principal for a photo op.

A camera flashed.

"Smile for the photo!" Someone yelled.

Hachiman gave the most deadpan smile imaginable, the corners of his mouth barely twitching upward.

Somewhere in the background, he swore he heard someone snort.

As he was finally released, he shuffled back toward class, clutching the award like it was a curse.

…and a few other things happened and it was the end of the final class.

Hachiman walked over to his club room.

He entered.

Yukino leaned on to the side of the window, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"So." She said dryly. "How does it feel to single-handedly elevate the prestige of this fine institution?"

Hachiman groaned, holding up the plaque he had been unwillingly presented with earlier.

The thing was gaudy, heavy, and altogether too shiny.

"It feels like this." He said, dangling it by one corner. "And no, you can't have it for target practice."

Yukino's lips twitched, but she said nothing.

Hachiman sighed, dropping the plaque onto his desk with an audible thud. "Today is going to be a long day." He muttered.

"Anyway, Congratulations, Hachiman. You have finally achieved your dream of becoming a school celebrity."

"Don't remind me." He muttered again, glaring at the plaque like it was an ancient curse that had just bound him for eternity.

"Actually, Hikki." Yui interjected cheerfully, leaning in to inspect the plaque. "Can I have that? It would look so cute on my desk!"

"Yeah, sure. Take it." He said without hesitation, sliding the plaque toward her like it was a piece of toxic waste.

"Huh? Really?" she blinked, surprised by how quickly he gave it up.

"Absolutely. It's all yours now. Cherish it."

Yui grinned as she held the plaque up triumphantly, as if she'd won something. "Yay! Thanks, Hikki!"

"You are welcome." He deadpanned. "Enjoy your descent into mediocrity."

Yukino finally broke her silence, glancing at him with an arched brow. "If you are so intent on avoiding attention, perhaps next time you shouldn't attach your name to internationally successful games."

Hachiman shot her a withering look. "Oh, I am sorry. I will remember that for my next life."

Hachiman sighed again, resting his head on the desk.

Why can't people let me wallow in peace?

.

….

[To be continued…]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★

[Author Reminder : 1+chapters advance in Patreon]

-->patreon.com/WrightBrothers