125 Fine Wine, Beautiful Women, and Sorrow
...
Hachiman Hikigaya hadn't even had a chance to say what he had prepared in his heart for Yukino before Yukinoshita Haruno, with a blank-faced push, shoved him down onto the table.
Facing a table full of fine wine and good food, the words stuck in his heart simply couldn't come out.
Sigh, things have come to this — let's eat first.
Ding-dong—
The harsh doorbell rang, and Yukinoshita Haruno cheerfully ran to the entrance to open the door.
Looking at the face of the teacher standing at the door, Hachiman Hikigaya was flooded with emotions.
If he had to say who he owed the most at Subu Middle School, Yukinoshita Yukino would rank first. Then second would definitely be Hiratsuka Shizuka.
In order to pursue his grand ambitions, Hikigaya ultimately let down Hiratsuka Shizuka's expectations and did not continue down the academic path. Otherwise, with his brainpower, if he had devoted himself to research, he might have become a leading figure in some field of science.
"Yo, Hikigaya," Hiratsuka Shizuka, with her beautiful black hair, dignified appearance, and dressed in a white shirt with a black vest, smiled and greeted him.
"Long time no see, Hiratsuka-sensei."
Facing this person before him, Hikigaya had no complicated calculations in his heart and responded naturally.
Looking at Hikigaya's face, Hiratsuka Shizuka also felt a rush of emotions.
Hikigaya, Yukinoshita.
From their first year, they had attended Chiba Municipal Sobu Middle School and were her two most outstanding students.
Back in first year, Yukino had apparently been planning to transfer abroad for some reason. But after meeting Hachiman Hikigaya, it seemed that Yukinoshita Yukino gave up on that idea. She stayed at Sobu Middle School through second year and even founded the Service Club.
"I heard you, Hikigaya, sneakily transferred to Hyakkaou Academy?" she said.
Hiratsuka Shizuka had heard about Hikigaya's transfer to Hyakkaou Academy through her Haruno.
This guy really... left without saying a word. Even though she had transferred to the high school division specifically for the sake of Hikigaya and Yukino.
Just like what was written in that essay.
Unconsciously, Hiratsuka Shizuka recalled that afternoon when she was grading essays on What is Youth.
In his essay, Hikigaya wrote:
"Kind and righteous people always struggle to survive because this world is neither kind nor righteous."
"Helping each other, succeeding together, and being happy together — that's just an ideal. In reality, for someone to be happy, someone else must be abandoned. For someone to shine, someone else must be covered in mud."
"'Human' is often interpreted as people supporting each other, but isn't the character actually written leaning to one side? I think 'human' means to suppress others, to win over others — only then can the concept of 'human' be truly understood."
"People are born standing on different starting lines. Physical strength, intelligence, appearance, sensitivity, and then money — these factors immediately categorize people into winners and losers."
"I believe youth is the process of transforming from a child into a true 'human'."
"My youth is about becoming a victor — the victor takes all."
Perhaps at the time, Hikigaya was still in "that phase," or perhaps it was Hiratsuka Shizuka's teaching dedication that touched him, making him willing to bare his heart to her.
In any case, at that time, Hiratsuka Shizuka was astounded by Hikigaya's essay.
This boy, who usually kept to himself in class and was almost isolated from social activities, had such profound insight. It was from that moment on that Hikigaya truly entered Hiratsuka Shizuka's heart.
It was no wonder — the maturity that Hikigaya displayed at thirteen, his understanding of life, was even deeper than that of her, a twenty-eight-year-old teacher.
"There really are geniuses in this world~"
Hiratsuka Shizuka remembered thinking that as she smoked by the rooftop edge that night.
The recollection ended, and time returned to the present.
Thus, Hiratsuka Shizuka did not show too much anger toward Hikigaya's decision to transfer to Hyakkaou Academy.
Hyakkaou Academy was the most prestigious school in Tokyo, even in all of Japan. If it was there, then Hachiman Hikigaya, being a genius, would surely be able to fulfill his life's ambitions. Toward one of her proudest students, Hiratsuka Shizuka chose to offer her wholehearted support.
Now, Hachiman Hikigaya was sixteen years old. Compared to when they first met in his first year of middle school, his energy and spirit had changed drastically.
His sharpness had become restrained, and the maturity shown in his every move even made Hiratsuka Shizuka see a shadow of the older generation.
I must be crazy — he's twelve years younger than me! Hiratsuka Shizuka shook her head with a laugh. How could a sixteen-year-old boy be associated with her father's generation in her mind?
Compared to not just his first year of middle school, but even his appearance at his middle school graduation ceremony, the difference was obvious.
Hiratsuka Shizuka carefully examined the student she hadn't seen for several months.
How should she describe this change?
He's become... a bit more manly?
Such subtle changes could only be detected by a mature woman close to thirty like Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Haruno and Yukino were completely unaware.
"Come on, Shizuka, wash your hands and sit down!"
Haruno clung to Shizuka's arm, firmly locking it into the depths of her chest.
Under her subtle guidance, the seating arrangement was as follows:
[Haruno, Hachiman, Yukino, Hiratsuka Shizuka]
The two "elders" sandwiched the younger ones in the middle.
Of course, Hachiman Hikigaya could see through her intentions, but it wasn't appropriate for him to directly suggest changing seats — doing so would hurt feelings too much.
He gave Haruno a slightly displeased glance, his eyes seemingly saying: Miss Haruno, why are you doing this... you already know that I...
But Yukinoshita Haruno pretended not to notice at all, tirelessly picking food for Hikigaya. Her enthusiasm even surpassed what she showed toward her own sister.
Just as Hachiman Hikigaya was puzzling over what her true intentions were, Yukinoshita Haruno finally bared her fangs.
She picked up the bottle of red wine that had been placed at the edge of the dining table.
"Shizuka, do you want a drink?"
"Sure..."
As a single woman of a certain age, Hiratsuka Shizuka naturally had no resistance to alcohol, and she did feel like drinking a little to cultivate her mood after this long-awaited reunion.
However, drinking in front of her former student (Hikigaya) and her current student (Yukino) — was that really appropriate?
Haruno noticed her hesitation: "Ah, it's fine, it's fine! If you get drunk, you can sleep with me. Hachiman, you should drink a little too!"
"Huh? No way, Hikigaya's still underage," the virtuous Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately shot down Haruno's suggestion.
A mature woman encouraging a minor to drink — that's just too... indecent... no, absurd!
Such a thing must never be allowed!
"One glass for me, please, sister," came Yukino's voice — she had been silent ever since Hikigaya entered the house, but now finally spoke.
If you don't die in silence, you explode in silence.
She didn't know what her sister Haruno was plotting, but at this moment, Yukinoshita Yukino simply wanted to experience what being drunk felt like.
From books, she had heard that it could make one forget their sorrows~
How wonderful~