Humans are irrational. In the first place, humans have always been closer to animals then they would like to admit...no, even elementary school student know that humans ARE animals.

Animals are driven by instinct to survive, to prey on the weak so the strong can triumph. Humans aren't that different. There's always that person who stands at the top of the food chain and leads everyone around them.

...or so he thinks.

What makes humans different than most animals is sentience and logical thinking. Humans are able to gauge, to calculate whether following their instinct is the right thing at serving their interests. As a result, even the most alpha of males has their moment of weakness.

And he's not even an alpha male by any stretch of definition. A lone beast, perhaps, but not the leader of a group.

Across the roof of the building he stood on, Ebina Hina faced him with an ambivalent smile drawn across her unusually gentle face.

His eyes fixated on her. Her red-framed glasses sat on top of her childlike nose firmly. Behind those lenses her eyes accepted his ridiculing gaze and returned it with an equal amount of amusement.

"Maybe it could work if I was with Hikitani-kun."

"Don't even joke about it." He told her, half-seriously. "I might fall for you if you keep saying sweet nothings like that."

This time, he flipped the table. The girl's eyes widened in shock.

It's all just small talk, the old him would accept that confession... or rather, misread that statement in a heartbeat. But the current him was able to see past trivialities like that, it's all just pleasantries, it's all a lie.

And as the one who helped to maintain the unchanging facade of her group, he's the biggest liar of all.

"I don't hate how you're such an open book with people who don't matter." she returned to her serene mood. What a persistent girl.

"What a coincidence, I don't hate that side of myself too." he retorted.

"I'm the same too!" She nonchalantly put her curled fist on her slender waist, as if to reinforce her next words. "I like how I'm capable of saying things I don't mean to."

And that moment, both of them found a sense of solace and softly shared a chuckle. That they shared a small moment of honesty on the mountain of lies, at the very least, it would ease the pain in their hearts a little. She raised her chin upward, fixated on the empty sky of Kyoto. "I like the way things are. I haven't had anything like this in ages, so I don't want to let it go.

Naturally, people might be irrational, but at the same time they're conscious and afraid of change. "I like where I stand now, and the people around me. And that's why... I hate myself."

As people refuse to change, they also stop themselves from growing to be a better. Doubts and fear of failure plagued peoples' minds, and clouded their hearts. As people put their feelings aside they began to live a lie, blurring the lines of fantasy and nightmare.

"But what I said before, it's all true... Hikitani...no, Hikigaya-kun." A small step forward is what it takes to break the flimsy status quo, and Ebina Hina is a smart girl that should have realized it more than anyone else. But still, instead of turning her back on him as he hoped, she walked closer toward him. "Would you consider it once again? Going out with me that is."

He was getting irritated, at her indecisive action, but more than that at himself. He thought the old Hachiman has been dead, buried alongside his painful memories of the his old junior high life. But in a corner of his mind, the old Hachiman resurfaced. The old him that would be euphoric if someone even gave him the slightest hint of friendliness.

Worse yet, Ebina Hina was not a nice girl. She's a selfish pretender, a coward, and a liar. That's the kind of person he hated the most. And yet, that small, shameful part of him kept tugging his mind, telling him to move forward.

If he could kill a part of his mind, he would kill that little bastard.

"What I said before is not a lie either." The distance between them grew closer, his perpetually tired eyes sharpened. "Stop saying such empty words with a poker face, or else..."

"Then I will say it once more..." she opened her mouth again.

"...stop."

He couldn't stand it anymore.

If he had to life in the worst way possible, then so be it.

"I'll go out... with you that is." He agreed.

"Please take care of me, Hikita-no... Hikigaya-kun." she bowed a little, smiling somberly.

"And don't suddenly call my proper name, people might be suspicious."

Ebina Hina decided to betray her own words, and Hikigaya Hachiman decided to go with that whimsical move.

俺が いる - 嘘の山で

I Exist - On the Mountain of Lies

Disclaimer:

Original Story by Watari Wataru

Chapter 1: His and her betrayal will never be forgiven #1

He stretched his body as he walked out of the bathroom. More than anything else, it was not quite physical fatigue. After all, he always had a perfect sleep cycle - that is, four hours of sleep at night and three during class. Flawless wasn't it?

Of course, Komachi always berated him for being such a loser. He prefered to be called unique, thank you. Especially by his little sister, who he always hold in high esteem.

He fixed his collar as soon as he found a nearby mirror. Contrary to people's impressions of him, Hachiman always paid close attention to his appearance, especially his clothing. Well, except his hair. It had grown several centimeters since the last time he had had it cut, and he couldn't be arsed to go to a barber shop. Unfortunately, Hikigaya genes didn't have natural silky smooth hair as part of it's special package, which was why even the relatively short hair of Hachiman was hard to take care off.

After he brushed it a few times, he clicked his tongue and gave up. If Komachi couldn't do it, how could he? As usual, some strand of bed hairs stuck out from the center of his head.

He sighed loudly as he sat down in his chair, across from him, his #1 girl in the world looked at him with concern.

The slurping sound of obligatory miso being devoured was the first noise to break the ice, "Ne, something happen?" she asked bluntly, her eyebrows raised in confusion.

He had always been proud of his poker face but at the same time his sister was just as sharp an observer as he was. Even though she was hardly a loner, she had the special skills of a loner. If one had to guess, she was born lucky.

And she knew something was wrong.

He awkwardly gulped his food, "...not in the least. If anything, my life has been as painfully boring as watching paint dry." He threw a sarcastic grin for good measure. "They say no news is good news but I think any news would've been better than a completely uneventful time."

She blinked. She didn't buy it in the least.

Damn it.

"What's the matter Onii-chan?" She asked again.

"In short, absolutely nothing happened."

There's no way he would tell her how he got his first girlfriend by betraying the request put on him.

"Well, did you know?"

"What are you, GEICO*?" he cut her off.

She furrowed her eyebrows, confusion replaced by anger. "You've always been prone to say the dumbest things, but they get even dumber when you're feeling down."

Cold sweat ran across his check, and he struggled to keep his composure intact.

"Something happened with Yui-san and Yukino-san, right?"

Damn it to hell.

"Our last job." He told her, "We completed the request perfectly, it's just that the result wasn't as good as we expected. We had a slight disagreement, so everyone's a bit gloomy."

"Mhh, I see. And who made the request?"

"Client confidentiality," he answered neutrally.

The worst kind of lie is the one that has a grain of twisted truth in it, because people can say it without the slightest bit of grief or awkwardness. Komachi knew there was more to his story than he let on, but at the same time, at least he actually gave an answer instead of being a silent eyesore.

And so, the Hikigaya siblings came to an agreement to put the discussion on hold.

"Well, cheer up, Onii-chan. I'm sure Yukino-san will find a way."

Yukinoshita Yukino is not a force of nature**, or is she?

"But Onii-chan." she said as she put her empty bowl on her tray, "Please treasure them, Yui-san and Yukino-san."

Treasure them? How could he treasure them that way? Surely, someone out there can do a better job. Hikigaya Hachiman always hurt them both with his rotten beliefs and methods.

And with that, Komachi left the table humming.

Why were women always so cryptic?

And then, his cellphone ring.

[Good morning, Hikitani. Are you ready for today's share of adventure? Please be a good friend with Hayama-kun again today, or maybe something even better. Fufufufu.]

My girlfriend can't possibly be this chuuni.***

A world that chose not to change, a world that chose to preserve the status quo. That was the world Ebina Hina had chosen to reside in. As if nothing had happened, she chatted happily with her clique.

Ebina's group was indeed a bunch of beautiful people, -certain midget aside- everyone in that group was attractive to an extent. If he had to gauge Yukinoshita Yukino as a 10/10 untarnished Japanese beauty, then Ebina herself would easily score 8/10, and of course, Yuigahama Yui and Miura Yumiko weren't really that far behind Yukinoshita in terms of charm.

And of course, there's Hayama Hayato. The alpha male of the group.

Like usual Hachiman took his time observing. Yes, definitely not stalking or ogling. It's not like anyone paid attention to him in class, and if they found out, it's not like his reputation can get any worse than it already was.

"Good morning, Hachiman." a soft, girly voice called out to him.

Ah, but of course, there was actually one person who paid him mind. In front of him, he traced the presence of a slender figure all the way up, and he found the charmingly cute face of Totsuka Saika. A boy blessed with the beauty of a youthful schoolgirl.

Normally, he would gasp and hyperventilate. But for some reason, Hachiman weakly smiled. "Good morning, Totsuka."

"Eh, you're greeting me normally this time." A mix of surprise and confusion filled Saika's next response. "Are you alright?"

"Just a bit tired."

Again, it wasn't quite a lie.

"Hee, you should pay more attention to your health."

"Hmmh."

* The corporation use catchphrase of "Did you know?" in their advertisement.
** "Life finds a way." Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park.
*** Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (My sister can't possibly be this cute).