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Interlude: Hinata’s Interest

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This time, we’ll explore how Hinata came to learn about Yuuki’s past. --- My name is Kamiya Hinata, a 26-year-old school nurse. Before heading to Yuuki’s house, I received a call from Yuki, so I’m now on my way to her place. I have a rough idea of what this is about, but since Yuki was crying, I should probably listen seriously. "Alright then, let’s do our best to persuade Yuki." I rang the doorbell at Yuki's house. “...Is that you, Hinata-san? Please, come in.” Her eyes seemed a bit red—likely from crying. I sat on a cushion across the table from Yuki. “So, what’s the reason you called me here today?”   “I want to understand why Yuuki-kun rejects me so strongly. To be honest, I thought we were getting along, but it turns out I was wrong. That’s why I want to know more about him.” “Hmm…” It’s rare for Yuki to show such interest in someone else. For Yuki and Yuuki’s sake, I suppose I’ll have to give this my all. “I can tell you, but even after learning, you’ll have to inte...

Loner’s Past Dream 2

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This time, a new person appears. This takes place after the incident.   --- I had such a nostalgic dream. It’s been five years since then... It feels like it went by in the blink of an eye.   “A fever brings up dreams like that, huh? I hadn’t had one in a while…”   “Hmm… You seemed to be groaning a lot. Are you alright?”   When I turned toward the voice, I saw Hinata-san. For some reason, she was holding my hand.   “Um... Why are you holding my hand?”   “Because I wanted to,” she said casually.   Well, sure. It’s quite the privilege to have an attractive school nurse hold my hand. But still, that doesn’t explain anything!   “Uh, right. But, why?”   “You’re the one who grabbed my hand first. I was a bit surprised myself…”   ...Seriously? That’s going to be a black mark on my life record. Thank goodness it was Hinata-san. She doesn’t seem like the type to mind things like this.   ...

The Loner’s Past Dream

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This chapter delves into part of Yuki's past, particularly the circumstances around losing his family.   --- "Yuuki-san! Yuuki-san!!"   I woke to someone shaking me and calling my name.   "Yuki-san?"   Why is she here? I thought I locked the door…   "Why are you here, Yuki-san? How did you get in?"   "I opened it with a wire."   Um… I think I’ve got an intruder here. Who do I call to report this? The police? Wait, Yuki-san knows how to pick locks? That’s new.   "Sorry… I should offer you tea…"   "That’s not important right now. Let’s get you to a bed."   As I tried to get up, she lent me her shoulder and helped me lie down on the reclined sofa. Ah… my part-time job manager is probably furious right now. This is the worst.   "Where are your towels and pajamas?"   "The towels are in the bathroom. The pajamas are in the laundry basket in the next room."   I appr...

The Loner's Cold

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My name is Yuki Kiriyama, 16 years old, and believe it or not, I was just proposed to by Yuki-san. Yes, 16 years old. It's important, so I said it twice.   “Um…Yuki-san? I can’t get married yet. You see, I’m only 16.”   “!? Oh, that’s right. I got a little ahead of myself.”   I think this is the first time I’ve seen Yuki-san with such a surprised expression. Her eyes opened so wide.   “So, why did you suddenly say something like that?”   “Well, when I told Hinata-san about my situation, she suggested a fake marriage to silence my relatives. I thought about the men I see regularly, and you were the only one who came to mind, Yuuki-san.”   “...I see. Could I borrow your phone for a second?”   “Sure?”   Yuki-san handed me her phone, clearly not understanding my intentions. I took it and called a certain someone in her contact list.   ‘Yuki? What’s going on?’   “This isn’t Yuki-san; it’s Kiri...

The Loner's Childhood Friend

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The tests were over, and I had returned to my usual daily routine.   "First my desk gets cleaned, and now it's my locker being trashed. They just don’t learn, do they?" At this point, with everything that’s happened, I might as well consider myself a celebrity. I’m probably even more famous than some random celebrity. Not that it’s a good thing.   "Might as well head home. Got a shift starting soon." As I made my way to the school’s entrance to change my shoes and leave for work, I locked eyes with a certain female student.   "Long time no see! How can a piece of trash like you still have the guts to come to school?" That sharp remark came from Harukawa Sana, the daughter of Saeko-san, my neighbor. Unlike her mother, her personality left much to be desired. Still, she shared her mother’s good looks—cute features, brown hair, and a signature bun hairstyle.   "As usual, your words cut deep. So, what do you want this time?" I asked casually, but...

The Loner's Connection

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I managed to get through the chaos of the lunch break, finish school, and start my part-time job. "Today, we have 75 orders. Well, it’s about the usual." Yesterday was Monday, so I worked on last week’s sales report, but today there’s no such task. I just have to prepare the online order list, which will take about an hour or so. "But tomorrow, there’s the spring assignment confirmation test... I studied properly, so it should be fine, but I’m worried about the desk. I wonder if they’ve replaced it." I really don’t want to take the test on that desk. While grumbling about it, I ended up finishing the order list. My working time today was one hour and twenty minutes. Well, it’s fine to have an easy day like this once in a while. "Yuki-san, the order list is done." "Thank you. What will you do next?" "I’ll study for tomorrow’s test." "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I’m confident in Japanese." As expected, Yuki-s...

The Opposite of the Loner

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The issue with the graffiti had been settled, so I attended classes seriously until lunchtime came around. “Where should I eat today…?” It’s always hard for me to find a place to eat lunch. The rooftop is taken over by couples, the classroom is full of girls, and if I go to the cafeteria, someone’s bound to mess with me. There's really nowhere to eat peacefully, so it’s a daily struggle. I guess I’ll eat in my usual spot—the courtyard, where no one can find me. “Today I made my own lunch, so there’s no surprise in it.” I appreciate it when my parents make my lunch. Back in elementary school, one of the highlights of field trips was seeing what was in my bento. Now, I don’t even have that. I should just hurry up and eat, then head to the library to read a book or something. The library’s a sanctuary for people like me. I can pass time reading without anyone bothering me—it's the perfect environment. “Oh! This cheese-fried whitefish is pretty good. I really like it.” The cheese-f...