Chapter 4: Even Then, Ayumi Takahara Continues Struggling

When Katsuragi started to cheer for Takahara using giant promotion globes in skull form I decided it was time for me to take a stroll and stop trying to make sense to the world around me.

… I found the so hyped library of the school soon enough, it was even bigger than the teacher would lead one to believe, like really, isn't this too much!? Are the funds of the school so big?

Well, since my corporate slave parents are also paying for this monstrosity is only natural for me to make use of it… I wonder if they have manga around.

(Keima POV)

"Kami-sama, are you sure this is going well?" The self-proclaimed devil started asking, in a completely rude manner, since this was her fault in first place.

"In games the distance towards a heroine depends of the number of encounters, so right now the best course of action is to keep this going" There's no better route for this type of heroine.

"…I see" I sincerely doubt it.

And so, the same strategy was used for the next four days.

****Scene Break****

"Yo" Hikigaya was present today, even if the coward had been absent from the conquest for the last days, does he ignore that this should be his role?

"Kami-sama, I think she just hates you more now"

"Listen here, I will teach you something good. The line between 'Love' and 'Hate' is a thin one, to make a bad impression turn into a good one, is possible" This was merely a way to open an Event for the final Flag.

"So that's how it is?" Both idiots asked at the same time.

"Yes, that's how it is… in games"

"Hey, I think something is happening"

And indeed it was, some upperclassmen starting harassing Ayumi a little, and send her to run various times around the track. Hikigaya seemed about to intervene until I stopped him.

He seemed a little hesitant to move, and end up sending me a glare. Doesn't he get that our lives are in the line?

****Scene Break****

The next thing that happened was Ayumi apparently having an accident in the track field. Apparently. That was the last flag necessary for me to take action.

"Hikigaya, Elsie. I will need your help for the grand finale"

"Huh?" Elsie looked confused

"What do you mean with finale?" Hikigaya acted confused.

"…I can already see the ending"

****Scene Break****

(Hikigaya POV)

Elsie and I were waiting by the rooftop while looking the papers Katsuragi gave us.

"Do you think it will work?" Let's take a moment and analyze a hypothetical story, let's say that there's a girl who likes running, among all the things that a normal teenager likes, she put running among her favorites, practiced, joined the track field club of her high school and by some miracle she did well enough to impress the coach and enter in a competition.

Perhaps she had thought it was being rewarded by her own efforts and yet she started to face the envy of her upper classmen and other members from the competing team.

While she was make fun off by the upperclassmen of her club, who are supposed to help the newbies, she might have been at a loss over why it happened. It must have felt like a betrayal.

Eventually the constant teasing would erode her confidence and make herself doubt. About running, about her talent, about keep pursuing her favorite hobby.

There's no deeper point into it, anyone would think into giving up over such situation, it's not like a girl of her age doesn't have any other interests unlike in games, the real world a shitty place where you will be castigated for being different.

Real people are crueler than any monster of fiction.

And so, the girl chooses to ran away, to give to the pressure and forfeit in a harmless manner to avoid the worst case scenario, the one that would prove how the people against her were right. That was only the speculation. The truth might be a different matter altogether

"Kami-sama said so! So there's no problem"

I really want to agree with her...Yet, while I see the 'play' in front of me I can't help but believe that the method is wrong, even if his plan works, there's something about the whole ordeal that rubs me in the wrong way.

To continue with the story of before. No matter how cliché it sounds, the girl must have known in her heart, sometimes is the world the one who is in the wrong, she must have known that was her own effort the one who made possible to be selected for the team.

Yet, the question of how rise her self-confidence in such short amount of time remained.

That's when I saw the kiss and a glowing ghost-looking thing being expulsed from Takahara, just to be swiftly captured by Elsie in a bottle.

… After this, I don't think I will be able to be surprised anymore. I'm ruined goods now, please take responsibility.

****Scene Break****

In the end, Takahara was able to win the competition with relative ease and lost all memories regarding the 'conquest' of Katsuragi. I still think that the method used was wrong, giving her a fake impression for the sake of a crush was wrong, but even so, it was what saved my butt and gave Takahara the confidence necessary to keep going. I thought that, at the very least, those feelings were genuine.

It took a whole week, but I was feeling accustomed to my new life, school was manageable and I couldn't find a good spot for me, so most of my free time in the giant library, the only company there was another loner, so I could spend my time there freely.

That's why, when going back to the Katsuragi residence I didn't expect a figure waiting for me.

"Hey, the sensor says that you're my partner, Hikigaya Hachiman is it?" A purple haired girl started talking to me in a haughty tone.

"…Yes, I am Hikigaya Hachiman" I could do nothing but answer, if only for reaction. The girl in front of me was carrying with her a giant scythe and a hagorodome just like the one Elsie had. There was no mistake, this was another devil.

But wasn't the deal with the runaway spirit already resolved?

"Be grateful, you get to be paired with me in the Runaway Spirit Squad"

Before I could retort, the girl extended her hand with a smile.

"My name is Haqua du lot Hermitium, nice to meet you"

AN: So around 1k words for my return to this. Sorry for going away for months.

I'm still unsure of a lot of things in this story, but I might as well just try to wing it when the time comes. Talking about that, this chapter is un-beta'ed, so beware grammar mistakes. I also get the feeling that I forgot a couple of scenes.

In another note, there was a lot of trouble deciding for Hachiman partner, I wanted to use Fiore or Nora to expand a little their characters, but that works better when using more Oregairu characters, to make parallels and here there won't be much of them (sorry).

Thanks to everyone who review, as well as those who followed and favorited this story. I get that I'm not good yet, but I will try to get better.

Until next time, where Elsie gets into the Katsuragi Household, Haqua talks to Hachiman while some of the changes to canon are exposed and I start narrating.