Chapter 8: I Will Strike As A Teacher

How stupid, why argue with him about this... No, I shouldn't have done what he said in the first place!

I can't let Hayashizaki lead me by the nose anymore.

After some deep self-reflection, Yukinoshita Yukino decided to ignore that annoying voice in her head for now.

As for Hiratsuka-sensei's request, it was to correct Hikigaya's rotten and childish personality, which had nothing to do with the curses Hayashizaki mentioned from the start.

'Are you avoiding it?'

"#!"

The girl clenched her fists but quickly relaxed. She took a deep breath, calming the emotions that Hayashizaki had easily stirred up.

Ignore him, ignore him.

'Humans are really good at finding excuses for themselves,'

Hayashizaki chuckled in Yukinoshita Yukino's mind.

'How do you know Hikigaya's personality has nothing to do with the curse?'

However, Yukinoshita Yukino seemed determined not to talk to Hayashizaki, and his voice gradually faded away with her resolve.

Oh no, I've been silenced.

But it doesn't matter, I'll take the initiative.

Hayashizaki returned to his domain, the

'Demon Suppression Kitchen,'

and sat on the bone throne, silently watching through Yukinoshita Yukino's perspective, waiting for a chance to strike.

After confirming that the nagging voice in her head had finally disappeared, Yukinoshita Yukino quietly sighed in relief, then her face returned to its usual calm expression.

She turned to the boy with dead fish eyes sitting upright beside her and said seriously,

"No matter what you saw, since Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help, I will do my best to complete it."

Hikigaya Hachiman's eyebrows twitched, and he didn't dare to speak.

"Don't worry, I will correct your twisted personality and make you a useful person to society. You should thank me."

"Yes, yes..."

Hikigaya responded timidly, almost bowing down to the girl.

His extremely submissive attitude made Yukinoshita Yukino feel a surge of anger. Even though she had silenced Hayashizaki in her mind, she still felt a subtle annoyance as if he had interfered in their conversation:

"It seems the first thing to correct is your attitude."

Hikigaya Hachiman lowered his head slightly, his bangs covering his complex and speechless expression.

Is this woman unaware or what?

I get it, she must be testing me. If I show even a bit of relaxation now, she'll kill me without mercy!

"You're right."

His tone didn't become normal; instead, it became even more respectful!

Even without Hayashizaki, Yukinoshita Yukino could imagine his annoying silent laughter in her mind.

Forget it, it's probably because of the parasite's threats that she now looks like some evil villain in his eyes.

Yukinoshita Yukino rubbed her temples in frustration and said in a regretful tone,

"Hikigaya, how long has it been since you talked to a girl?"

Even Hikigaya Hachiman, who had resolved to play the humble subordinate to survive, was shaken by this question.

His mind went blank, and his memories flashed back to the past.

I remember, it was June two years ago...

That summer, there were no cool, sweet watermelons or citrus-flavored sodas, only embarrassing memories that made me cringe whenever I thought about them.

Sunlight pierced through the shade, cicadas chirped briefly, and the old air conditioner in the classroom struggled to cool the room, but the students were still sweating.

"Isn't it too hot?"

the girl at the next desk turned and asked.

"It's more like stuffy!"

the boy with dead fish eyes quickly replied, tugging at his collar.

"Ah... um..."

The girls at the next and back desks exchanged awkward glances.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The protective mechanism of his embarrassing memories kicked in, and Hikigaya Hachiman snapped back to reality, drenched in cold sweat.

What a scary woman! She shook my mind with just one sentence!

This is undoubtedly a trap! If I hide my embarrassing past, I'll be killed for lying; if I get angry and disrespect her, I'll be killed too!

Maybe one day, I'll be killed just for stepping into the service club with my left foot first!

To live longer, I must maintain a respectful attitude.

Hikigaya Hachiman cautiously glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino, then scratched his head and honestly recounted his embarrassing past.

The girl sighed helplessly, seeing his unyielding attitude.

"It's a long road ahead. Since you've joined the club, you should first understand our club's purpose."

"Yes... By the way, what kind of club is this?"

Hikigaya Hachiman asked curiously. Even he knew that a club needed at least four members to be recognized and get a room from the student council.

But so far, it seemed like the club only had Yukinoshita Yukino and himself, who was just forced to join.

"It's the service club."

"It's Hayashizaki's Jujutsu class!"

Two completely different voices came from the same person.

"Huh?"

Hikigaya Hachiman was stunned, while Yukinoshita Yukino's face turned red as she quickly covered her cheeks with her hands.

Did I see that right? Was there another... mouth on Yukinoshita's face?

Hikigaya Hachiman, well-read and knowledgeable, knew from movies and novels that when an unimportant person learns a secret, their fate is usually sealed.

Seeing this strange scene, the boy didn't panic. Instead, he remained calm, with a slight, serene smile on his face, as if there was a halo behind him.

Dear Komachi, you don't need to make dinner for your brother tonight. Your brother is going on a long journey...

'Why did you come out!? Didn't you promise not to? Liar! Scum!'

"You silenced me."

The mouth reappeared on the back of Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, and the small scar-like eyes opened, with red pupils staring at the boy with dead fish eyes.

At that moment, Hikigaya Hachiman realized that the demon he saw earlier was this being calling itself Hayashizaki.

It wasn't Yukinoshita Yukino, but Hayashizaki, who for some reason, shared a body with her.

Considering Yukinoshita's unwilling behavior, she was likely a victim too. Why this happened to her was unknown.

In an instant, Hikigaya Hachiman understood the situation and decided to stay calm.

This scary being seemed to be controlled by Yukinoshita, so his life wasn't in danger. If Hayashizaki wanted to kill him and Yukinoshita couldn't stop it, he couldn't escape anyway.

Moreover, Hikigaya Hachiman didn't feel any malice from Hayashizaki. Instead, he sensed that today's events might be a turning point in his life.

A new world was opening before him, with a bright light shining through the slightly open door, inviting him to push it open.

Monsters only a few, including himself, could see, a hidden world, a boss-like being sharing a girl's body... This was straight out of a light novel.

The Chuunibyou soul of Hachiman was starting to revive.

...

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