Hachiman's Perspective
Once we finished the monumental task of sorting through the mail, we squeezed in a light training session before getting ready to head out. It was a bit late, but we were finally having our victory party at our favorite little restaurant. I knew if we didn't go today, the upcoming schedule would probably bury the opportunity forever, so I'd booked it in advance.
The proprietress had been wonderful. When I called, she told me, "In that case, I'm closing the place to the public again, just like last time! I'll be waiting for you!" I really can't thank her enough. I'm sure she watched the Tenno Sho on TV, and I have no doubt she was cheering for Rice the whole time.
"Ah, Big Brother! Over here!" Rice called out.
"Hey, Brother. We've been waiting," Rudolph added with a small smile.
"You guys are early..." I muttered, joining them at the gate.
"Fufu. Ever since our last visit, I've found the atmosphere of that shop to be quite pleasant," Rudolph said. "I didn't want to waste a single second of our time there."
"It really does have a great vibe," CB agreed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "The lady who runs it is surprisingly easygoing and fun. Anyway, Hachiman, let's move! I'm hungry!"
"I hear you. Alright, let's go."
As we started walking, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses.
"Oh?" Rudolph noted. "Are those... spectacles?"
"Just fakes," I said, sliding them onto the bridge of my nose. "I'm a bit too recognizable for my own good these days. Consider this a preventative measure."
CB squinted at me. "Do you really think a pair of frames is going to hide you?"
"I've spent the last few days out and about like this, and not a single soul has approached me. It works fine."
I could still feel people's eyes on me as we walked, but I chalked it up to them thinking I looked vaguely like 'that trainer.' After all, they say there are at least three people in the world who look like you. They probably just assumed I was a lookalike.
"...What?" I asked, noticing the girls staring.
"I-I mean..." CB started, her voice a bit higher than usual. "How do I put this? When you put those on, Hachiman, your whole vibe just... shifts."
"Indeed," Rudolph agreed, her gaze lingering.
"...What's with the lukewarm reaction? If they don't look good, just say so. I won't be offended."
"That's not it at all!" Rice interjected, her eyes sparkling. "I think you look really cool with glasses, Big Brother! It makes your eyes look... softer. You look even kinder than usual!"
Rice, are you indirectly telling me my eyes usually look scary? I know I have a 'distinctive' look, but hearing it from her was a bit of a blow.
"She's right," Rudolph added, regaining her composure. "I don't think they look bad at any rate. We were just caught off guard. Don't let it bother you."
"Yeah, it's not very 'Hachiman-like,' but I dig it," CB said. "Why don't you wear them all the time?"
"These are for outside use only," I reminded her. "The goal is to avoid being 'outed.' If I had to hide my identity even inside the Academy, I'd feel like a wanted criminal. What kind of life is that?"
ーーー The Shopping District ーーー
"...Well, it seems your disguise is holding up," Rudolph remarked.
"Yeah," CB whispered as we walked through the crowded district. "This is definitely… well, it's the female version of the 'creepy' stares men give women."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.
"B-but Big Brother was right," Rice noted. "No one has tried to talk to us."
"True. Though I can definitely feel the stares," I muttered.
CB leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hachiman, can I be totally blunt?"
"...What?"
"Those stares aren't because people are suspicious. They're staring because you look handsome and the women around here are checking you out!"
"...…"
...I see. So that's how it is.
"I don't keep a diary," I said, reaching out to pat CB's head, "but if I did, I'd write that CB was being exceptionally considerate today."
"I'm not being considerate! I'm stating a fact!" CB huffed, though she leaned into the touch. "But don't stop the head pats!! Keep going!!"
"I am not standing in the middle of a busy street giving you an extended head pat. I'll do it once we get to the restaurant. Later."
"You promised! ♪"
"Big Brother," Rice murmured, fidgeting with her sleeve. "Rice wants one too..."
"Brother," Rudolph added, her voice dropping an octave. "I believe favoritism is a poor trait in a trainer."
"...And of course, it ends like this," I sighed.
ーーー The Restaurant ーーー
"Welcome! I've been waiting for you, Trainer-san!" the proprietress beamed the moment we stepped inside. "And Rice-chan, and the others! Come in, come in! The food is ready, we can start whenever you like!"
"Thanks for having us today," I said. "And thank you for closing the shop for us again."
"Oh, don't mention it! You and Rice-chan are our best regulars!" she waved off my thanks. "Like I told you before, this is the least we could do!"
Her boisterous energy was always a breath of fresh air.
"By the way," she noted, leaning over the counter, "glasses? That's new. Is it a fashion statement?"
"Hardly. It's to keep from being spotted. My face is a bit too 'famous' for the wrong reasons lately."
"Is that so? Well, whatever the reason, let's get a toast going before the food gets cold!"
And so, we began our celebration for the Tenno Sho victory. We'd had one after the Nikkei-sho, but that was a GII. This was a GI, and the owners had clearly pulled out all the stops. The quality of the ingredients was on an entirely different level.
"Hikigaya-san," the chef said, sliding a special dish across the counter. "This is a gift from me to celebrate. Don't worry about the bill for this one; consider it on the house."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
"You know," the chef continued, wiping his hands on his apron, "I don't think you did anything wrong. You should hold your head high. Plenty of my customers have been talking about you. It's practically become a social issue at this point."
"I suppose it has," I said. "I basically robbed the public of their favorite toy, after all."
"But you did it for the sake of the girls," the chef said, looking over at Rice, who was laughing with CB and Rudolph. "In my book, that makes it the right call. Just look at Rice-chan's smile. That's all the proof you need."
"...Yeah," I whispered.
Being able to protect that smile... that alone was enough to convince me that my words at the racecourse weren't a mistake.
"I think I can handle whatever tomorrow throws at me now," I said.
The chef laughed. "Hahaha! That's the spirit!"
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