In his previous life, Inspector Furuhata Ninzaburo was a TV series that Hikigaya Hachiman had liked very much. It possessed a very unique temperament. Each episode began with the protagonist, Detective Furuhata, giving an opening monologue against a black screen, followed by the reveal of that episode's criminal and their crime. In other words, before the main plot even began, the audience already knew the killer's identity and method.
Detective Furuhata himself would appear next. Polite and elegant, he paid meticulous attention to every clue, uncovering the truth through lively conversations with the criminal. This led to the classic conclusion where the murderer confesses and reveals their motive.
It could be said that the most powerful aspect of the Furuhata Ninzaburo series was its ability to cram a complete case into just 45 minutes, unraveling the solution for the audience like pulling a thread. Each episode boasted a remarkably high degree of script completion. The criminals' motives were carefully designed, often involving discussions of ethics that easily made viewers think deeply. Beyond the excellent core plot of solving cases, the series also included numerous gags and descriptions of local customs, striving for perfection in all aspects to keep the audience engaged.
Hachiman believed that with NHK's resources, they could definitely produce a version of Furuhata Ninzaburo that was in no way inferior to the original. Coupled with his own fame, it wasn't impossible for it to achieve even greater success. His lawyer, Takayuki Yagami, had even said that if the first season's average viewership exceeded 20%, he was confident he could negotiate the script contract for the second season up to 10 million yen per episode.
Because of this, Hachiman burst forth with unprecedented motivation. He had never felt that making money was so easy, as if countless yen notes would fall from the sky just by writing.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you still typing? Take a break and play some games, okay?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was a little worried. She noticed that since Hachiman had returned from Tokyo yesterday, he had fallen into a typing frenzy, seemingly reaching the point where he had lost his appetite.
"Don't worry, Yukinoshita. I'm not tired at all. In fact, I'm still very excited," he replied. Although he had been working continuously for a long time, there was indeed no sign of fatigue on his face.
"Really?" Yukino was skeptical but couldn't see anything wrong. Was he running on nuclear power when he wrote?
"Honestly, I know my own body, Yukinoshita... bang!"
Before he could finish, Hachiman slid off his computer chair and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
When Hikigaya Hachiman opened his eyes again, he saw an unfamiliar... well, not unfamiliar, it was still the ceiling of his own room. He was lying on his bed, somehow changed into pajamas.
Did I faint from exhaustion...? He couldn't quite believe it. Glancing at his phone, he saw it was already past six in the evening. He had lost consciousness before eleven in the morning.
While he was still dazed, his door gently opened, and a person he didn't expect walked in: Yukinoshita Haruno.
"Hikigaya-kun, you're awake!" The worried look on her face instantly turned into a smile. She walked quickly to his bedside, sat down, and held his left hand with her warm ones.
"You... why are you here, Senior?" Hachiman felt a little embarrassed by her sudden intimate action and asked, his face slightly flushed.
"I was planning to report to you about the studio's finances," Haruno explained, gently stroking his hand without any intention of taking advantage; she had been genuinely worried. "But just after I came upstairs, I saw a doctor walking into your apartment. I was really scared."
"So the doctor came... Was it Yukino who called? Where is she now?"
"Yukino is still in the kitchen making dinner. You've slept for so long, you must be starving. But don't eat too quickly or too much later; it's not good for your stomach," she instructed. "Okay, Hikigaya-kun, you rest for a while. I'm going back to the kitchen to help."
Just as Haruno was about to get up, the door opened again. This time, naturally, it was Yukino.
She didn't seem to care that her sister was holding Hachiman's hand, nor that Haruno hadn't immediately informed her he was awake. She just hurried to the bedside and hugged him tightly.
"Fool!"
This might have been the first time since Yukino was born that she had spoken such a crude word to someone else.
"Hikigaya-kun, you may not know this, but Yukino almost cried several times today after I arrived," Haruno preached, having already released his hand and stood up so her sister could hug him more comfortably. "Even just for her sake, you should take better care of yourself in the future."
"...I understand," Hachiman said, gently patting Yukino's back. "I sincerely apologize to both of you for what happened today. I'll try to strike a better balance between work and rest."
"You're just good at sweet talk!" Yukino said angrily, still hugging him tightly. "Today you fainted from overwork; next time you might just die suddenly! That's what the doctor said! You'd better remember it!"
Today's incident had indeed been too sudden and shocking for her. Perhaps only a girl like Yukino could remain basically calm in the face of such danger.
"Okay, Yukino," Haruno suggested gently from the side. "Hikigaya-kun is still very weak, so don't hold him so tightly. Let's go eat first."
"Um..." Yukino slowly loosened her arms, only then realizing how bold and impulsive her actions had been. She blushed, not daring to look Hachiman in the eye, and could only turn her head away, observing him from the corner of her vision.
"Okay, let's go eat together, Yukinoshita," Hachiman said softly. Then, he stretched out his right index finger and gently scratched her cheek.
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