Hachiman's Perspective
Five days had passed since Speed Symboli's press conference. My three trainees—Rudolph, CB, and Rice—were back to their usual routines, balancing classes and training. For my part, I was busy drafting new regimens and handled the daily task of preparing their lunches. On the surface, it felt like a return to normalcy.
But "normal" is a fragile thing. Anomaly usually strikes when you least expect it—or, in this case, exactly when you predicted it would.
"I-I am so sorry, Trainer Hikigaya," Tazuna said, sounding breathless. "Again today... we have more."
"They're here, then?" I sighed, looking at the door. "I expected a lot, but I didn't think they'd come in industrial-sized cardboard boxes."
"Yes," Tazuna said, looking genuinely distressed. "The administrative staff is completely overwhelmed. Nothing like this has ever happened before."
"I'll go down and apologize to the staff later—and thank them. Thank you as well, Hayakawa-san."
Speed Symboli's speech had done exactly what I thought it would. Since the day before yesterday, a literal mountain of mail had been arriving at the Academy, sent from every corner of the country. I made it a point to read every single letter, but doing it alone was reaching the limits of human capability. I still had a job to do as a trainer, after all. Honestly, the sheer volume of it was enough to make my head spin.
"Hikigaya-kun, is that...?" Aoi asked, stopping by the office.
"Yeah. The 'after-effects' of the conference," I said. "I should be working, and yet here I am, buried in paper. Not that I have much choice."
"Oh! Hachiman!" CB chirped, skipping into the room. She froze the second she saw the boxes. "Wait... are those all...?"
"As you guessed. Letters."
The bright smile she'd worn just seconds ago vanished, replaced by a look of sheer pity. Sorry, CB. It's not exactly my fault, but I still feel bad for ruining your mood.
"Hey, Hachiman! I'll help!" CB declared, slamming her hands on the table. "There's no way you can get through all this by yourself!"
"I appreciate it, but I'm the one who started this fire. I should be the one to deal with the ashes. I'll be fine."
"But—"
"Brother," Rudolph said, stepping into the room. "I overheard."
"Rudolph."
"If you are the one who sowed these seeds, then let me help you carry the harvest," she said, her voice firm. "I cannot allow you to bear this burden alone. I was standing on that turf too; I am a party to this. I refuse to be a mere bystander."
"Exactly!" CB added. "I'm your trainee, too! Let me share some of the grunt work!"
...I might have been forced into these contracts, but I really did end up with some incredible girls.
"...Alright. I'll take you up on that. Just a little help."
Rudolph nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. If you'd refused, I was fully prepared to seize those boxes by force."
"That's a terrifying thought. Please, no power-plays in the office."
"Hikigaya-kun, I'll help as well!" Aoi chimed in. "As a fellow trainer, I can't just watch you drown in mail!"
"No, Aoi-san, I have to draw the line there," I said. "I'm already feeling guilty enough dragging Rudolph and CB into this. I can't involve you in this mess."
"Oh... I understand."
"Thanks for the offer, though. I mean it."
We set to work in the trainer's office. Eventually, Rice joined us, and the four of us began the long process of sorting.
As we went through them, a pattern emerged. Many of the letters were from a specific group: Rice's long-term fans. Their letters were scattered—some had seen her debut in Niigata, others had been at the track for the Tenno Sho. But you could tell they were the "real" ones because they all used the same closing line:
'I'll keep cheering for you. Please, make those beautiful blue roses bloom on the track once more. — From Blue Rose [Name].'
I don't know if there's an official fan club or something, but these people were a godsend. I handled their letters with extra care. They almost always used thin blue stationery with a rose-patterned frame. You could feel the genuine affection radiating off the paper.
Then there were the first-time writers who were genuinely kind. I made sure to treat those with respect, too. Even if I don't know the faces or voices of the people writing, I'm not the kind of guy who just throws mail away—not even the hate mail. Everything has a use, after all.
"...…!" I stiffened.
"Hm? What is it, Hachi—" CB started, then stopped as she looked over my shoulder.
Everything is your fault!! Quit being a trainer right now!!!
"How dare they—!!" CB began to fume.
"Wow, some people really have too much free time," I muttered, sliding the letter back into its envelope. "Honestly, if they have the energy to write this garbage, they'd be a million times better off spending it on a vocabulary workbook."
I tucked the hate mail into a separate box I'd labeled for "management."
"From your tone, I take it the content was... less than pleasant?" Rudolph asked.
"Just some guy telling me to quit," I said. "Not that I'm going to. If I quit every time some random person with the IQ of a turnip told me to, I wouldn't have made it through high school."
"Um... Big Brother? What about this one?" Rice asked, holding out a sheet of paper.
To Rice Shower-san,
Great job at the Tenno Sho. Thank you for such an incredible run. I was there at the track cheering for you. Actually, I've been a fan ever since I saw your debut at Niigata!
Something very unfortunate happened at the Tenno Sho. As someone who was there, I want to apologize. Both to you and your trainer. I didn't have the courage to speak up or do anything at the time. I am so sorry.
The next time you race, I'm going to be your loudest supporter. I don't care what anyone else thinks—I'm going to cheer for you with the same fire your trainer showed when he stood up to that crowd! Please, don't let the voices of the crowd get you down!!
I hope that one day, the boos of that afternoon turn into a roar of cheers that brings you nothing but happiness.
— From Raw Meat
"What do you think, Big Brother?" Rice asked, her eyes shining. "I think this person is very kind."
"...Yeah," I said, a small smile tugging at my mouth. "Let's put this one in the same box as the 'Blue Rose' fans."
"Okay! ♪"
"Still," I muttered, "the name 'Raw Meat'... why does that sound so familiar?"
(Must be my imagination.)
Bonus Scene
Hachiman: "Hey."
Raw Meat: "Yes?"
Hachiman: "Why the hell are you sending letters to the school?"
Raw Meat: "Because I wanted to encourage her! Even a little bit!"
Hachiman: "And what if that letter had ended up in my 'hate mail' box by mistake?"
Raw Meat: "I don't know! But I'm going to keep writing after every race. I'm a fan, after all! ♪"
Hachiman: "For a fan, this is the first time you've ever actually written."
Raw Meat: "I'm just not in the habit of writing letters... Oh! And that blue stationery with the rose frame? I'm totally using that from now on!"
Hachiman: "Don't tell me, tell the postal service..."
Raw Meat: "Just make sure Rice gets it!!"
Hachiman: "Yeah, yeah, I will. Good grief... you get so intense when it comes to her."
Raw Meat: "Well, obviously! Because I'm the 'Big Brother' here!!"
Hachiman: "Actually, in this story, I am."
Raw Meat: "REEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"