[OreGaIru : New Me!]

.

[-Continuation-]

[-Same Day(:Evening)]

.

[Hachiman's POV]

Was it too aggressive to suggest exchanging contact information during our first encounter?

Was I too straightforward?

Nah! I don't think so…

From the very beginning, I wanted to be upfront about my desire to build a 'relationship' between us. Now, after meeting her and having a conversation, my interest has only grown. So I reckon there is no point in beating around the bush.

I monologued the incident with Yukinoshita as I walked straight back home, trying to make my actions clear for myself.

After a brief walk, I arrived at my doorstep and, without hesitation, swung the door open.

Upon stepping inside, I was met with an unexpected sight : A middle-aged Old Man sleeping soundly on 'my' sofa.

Yet, this man was none other than the sole Dad of this lone Son I knew of.

…and he also happened to be my mortal and eternal adversary.

The sight of him, relaxing in his [Deep Sleep] mode without a care in the world jolted up a memory of a 'Special' day….

…

[-Few Months Ago-]

That was the day when I needed to sign the contract with the game company.

And this meeting spot was set in a cafe near Kobe City, which is not too far or too near my house.

Originally, I planned to attend the meeting with my mother because an adult guardian is required for such legal proceedings, given that I am still underage.

But my plan got pushed away as the old man insisted(:begged) on accompanying me, claiming it was his duty as a Father and a few other sh*tty and questionable quotes his puny brain could conjure.

Now that I give it a second thought, maybe I have given in to his childish demands too easily.

My bad, I should have shut him down from the get go to spare myself from being dragged into his nonsensical slash horrible reasoning session about - Why, he should be the one accompanying me.

Fact – The creatures called 'Fathers', regardless of time and space, all exhibit the same behavior when it comes to matters concerning their Male Offspring.

Source: Yours Truly, me.

Likewise, my old man couldn't believe(:digest) the fact that his great(:stupid) good for everything(:nothing) warrior(:loner) of a son had clinched some online contest victory.

So at the end, I accepted my fate and left for the meeting location, with my Dad accompanying me.

And my prediction came true the moment we stepped out of our humble abode to find the meeting venue.

Throughout the journey, his eyes were full of suspicion, and never once did they get off my back, as if we were about to get scammed, and he needed to take the lead and defend our lineage before it could crumble in the hands of his irresponsible Son.

However, I endured every ounce of pain and suffering by keeping my mouth shut, waiting patiently for the actual moment to arrive, and believe me, the payoff was worth it.

The sheer disbelief etched on his face as each of his doubts was systematically dismantled one after another was something that I will reminisce about for the rest of my life.

He got so worked up and went over and over the contract paper, trying to find out the loopholes or other illegal stuff.

At last, after more than half an hour of struggle, conceded defeat and reluctantly gave his approval to sign the contract, wearing a mix of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Even after leaving the cafe, his eyes maintained the same wary gaze they had held since we departed our home.

"Come on, Dad. Shouldn't you rinse your [Trust] level in your Son a little more?" I sighed, disappointment creeping into my words.

"Your statement gives me more of a reason to not believe in the happenings in the past hour of my life." He responded, his tone tinged with skepticism.

Seriously? Stop it already.

I know that my family didn't expect anything good from me.

But this? He is going way overboard.

Yet, this is not beyond my expectations, as things were never good when my father was around.

As we exited the cafe, it seemed like my father was no longer holding back, so I opted to maintain silence as we made our way to the nearby bus stop.

But just as we neared our destination, he abruptly stopped and turned to face me.

"So what now, Son…?" His question hung in the air, his eyes darting towards my pants pocket momentarily.

"Son, my ass! That is my money, old man." With my left hand, I snapped sharply, defensively guarding my pocket.

"Do you hear it? My M.O.N.E.Y." I added emphasis to the word Money.

The content inside my pocket is the money cover that I earned with my sweet and blood.

"Tsk! What an ungrateful Son. Don't forget that I was the one who paid the entrance fee for the competition." He reminded me sharply.

Yeah, yeah, like hell!

"Don't pretend like you just gave it the moment I asked for. What about the beforehand promises and pleadings? What about cutting my monthly expenses as compensation?"

"Wait! You are holding a grudge against me?"

"Tsk, don't worry. I will buy a present for Komachi and Mom." I added, hoping to divert his attention away from my finances.

Well, this should also make his mouth shut for a couple of minutes, as he doted on Komachi more than me.

"...and the rest." He stressed the last part.

Shameless.… just like me.

Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Not a clue."

…but I know what is about to come from him.

"Well, though I don't have much of a say since it is all yours, I suggest you to not–"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Investments, girls, and alcohol should be avoided at all costs." I cut him off and finished on his behalf, successfully saving myself from a boring lecture.

These are the life lessons, my Fath–

No, no, not Father. My mortal and eternal enemy, this life has put me under…

Like, watch out for those extortionists out to ruin your reputation, or that women who chat you up on the street are only interested in your wallet, or that investing in future funds is more or less a scam, or that to work is to lose.

And there is only one doubt that rose in my head after hearing all this…

Is this what you are supposed to teach a kid?

Like hell, I am nothing but a loner.

My ears have been bleeding from hearing the same thing ever since I was a kid.

But what really made it awful was that almost all of that came from my Father's own experience, so I couldn't ignore it completely either.

However, enough was enough. I didn't want to hear it anymore.

Amidst it all, my father called out to me in an odd(:soft) tone.

"Son..."

??...I realized that my dear father was about to say something fatherly for once.

"Stop right there, old man... Don't say stuff that doesn't suit either of us."

"Tsk… you are such a wet blanket."

.

…

[-Back To Present-]

Now coming back to my house, the old man in discussion was still currently in his dreamland, indulging in sleep.

Taking a cunning glance at him, I stepped out of the house instead of going in.

…that too with a slow moment so as not to disturb the head of the Hikigaya household(:just on paper) and I closed the door with painstaking slowness moments, ensuring it made no extra noise.

Finally, I was out of my house, and taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the door handle. I grasped it with every fiber of my being.

–BANGGGGG!!!

Then, with a thunderous bang, I flung the door wide open, shouting at the top of my lungs.

"I AM HOMEEEE!!!"

That noise was just for you.

Rise and shine, Father! Your lifetime achievement. Your Great Son has come home.

And this is for my revenge.

Whenever he left the house, he slammed the door as hard as he could, disturbing me when I dozed.

.

.

[A Few Minutes Later]

"...S-sorry Mom, my bad!"

.

.

[To be continued….]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★