Chapter 63: To His Dismay, His Popularity Rises
Up to 20 advanced chapters on Patreon: Fiction Haven
===
[Chabashira Sae's POV]
Click! Click! Click!
My face twitched every time the flash from the cameras hit my face. I was not the target of the lenses, yet I couldn't help feeling irritated. It was quite amazing that the devilish beauty, Laura Orion didn't even blink every time the flash hit her face. Sitting on his chair pristinely, she stoically looked at the journalists around.
I sighed. I didn't want to deal with journalists. I had had enough of them. These sneaky bastards, after all, twist words for a living. A simple 'hello' could be 'I'll kill you' thanks to their narration. I didn't want to be in this room, but I had to. I was one of the parties involved. Besides, I needed to stand by his side.
That reminded me of his whereabouts. Where is he? I knew he was just a high schooler. Everyone in the company knew. We kept quiet about it because of his position and, of course, his competence. He didn't need to go to school; the school needed him.
Creak!
The door to the office opened and a handsome man wearing a suit that fit perfectly to him, aesthetically accentuating his muscular build, entered the office. The journalists gasped as they looked at him and Laura stood up from her seat, giddily, I might add. The man merely quirked an eyebrow. He shot Laura a questioning look, causing her to smile wryly. It was quite unbelievable how he could be so casual with her.
Once he was in front of me, ignoring the journalists, he asked, "What is going on?"
"It is about the pervert circle that you eradicated," Laura answered before I could say anything.
"I thought you had it under control."
"Well, I did. But the media can't help their curiosity of the hero who ended it."
Immediately, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to meet his gaze since he was too close and I was too short compared to his stature.
"Good luck, Sae-chan. You deserve the recognition," he said with an encouraging smile.
"It's you whom they are waiting for, Chief," I retorted instinctively.
His smile faltered before he sighed in defeat. Straightening up his posture, he sat on his chair. Laura took the seat on his right, prompting me to take the one on the left. Once I sat down, the journalists bombarded us with the flash again. He raised his hand and the journalists immediately stopped taking photos.
"I don't feel like I need to clarify anything, so I will give you the chance to ask questions," he stated calmly.
One journalist immediately raised his hand, causing him to nod. "Hikigaya-san, can you tell us the chronology of your heroic feat?"
"I won't call my act heroic as I merely did what a decent person would do in that situation, but if you want to know the chronology, you should the article about the case written by The Hustler. Some details are quite exaggerated, but it is quite accurate."
"So, you don't deny that you were the one who took down the vile circle?" a female journalist stated.
"You wouldn't be here asking me questions if I did, would you, sweetheart?"
The female journalist flushed. I doubted it was because of her question, but because of how Hachiman treated her.
"What did you feel when you took down the abhorrent circle, Hikigaya-san?" another one asked.
"I felt relieved. At least, as long as I am still here, I can make sure that no woman will suffer under vile bastards like them."
"That's very noble of you, Hikigaya-san. My next question is, what did you do to get your position?"
"That is not noble—just right," he scoffed. "As for your question, I am where I am today because of a benevolent, beautiful lady who doesn't judge someone like me for how he looks but for what he is worth. Laura Orion decided to give me a chance to prove my competence and here I am."
The session continued without any issues. Some journalists were trying to get a rise out of Hachiman, but he responded to them wittily. It was a sight to see. He was being formal but still managed to shut the journalist the entire time. If my eyes didn't fool me, I was sure that some of them even left out of embarrassment.
The session came to an end when the questions began to lean toward personal matters. Hachiman didn't seem to like that as he stood up and silently stared at the journalists. The room became silent and everyone held their breath until he bowed politely and thanked the journalists. The journalists returned the gesture, saying nothing as he left the room.
Laura and I replicated what Hachiman did and also left the room. He waited for us outside. Upon seeing us, he asked if we would like some coffee. Laura didn't seem too fond of my tagging along, but I nodded regardless. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about how chaotic his life would be over a few cups of coffee.
A day after the interview, his face was all over the TV.
…
[Hikigaya Hachiman's POV]
Time passes quickly when you enjoy it and passes so slowly when you are waiting for it. It has nothing to do with relativity. It is all in the mind. When we are waiting for something, we tend to focus on the thing we are waiting for. We bathe in the agony of waiting for the thing, painfully aware of its absence. This creates the illusion of time moving slowly.
On the other hand, when you are enjoying something, you focus on the excitement instead of the thing you are enjoying. Your mind becomes dull to your surroundings, causing you not to register much of the happenings. It creates the illusion of time moving quickly. In conclusion, if you want something to pass quickly, gaslight yourself into believing that you enjoy it.
That was what I had been trying to do for the past half an hour, but I just couldn't. I was somewhere around the outskirts of Chiba, fishing with my old man. He had been quite excited to have this man outing with me since it was Sunday. His poorly hidden excitement was the only reason I agreed to go fishing with him.
Bloop!
I ignored the rippling water and glanced at my father. I ended up meeting his curious gaze. He seemed to be asking me why I didn't move my fishing rod. I shrugged and explained myself.
"It's already the third time the water makes that ripple. Trust me, I can tell which one is real and a fluke."
"Just because you have been disappointed twice, it doesn't mean that the third one will be a disappointment too. The third time's the charm, they say."
"Is that why you keep getting scammed by high school girls selling useless stuff?"
"Why the hell did you even bring that up?"
Dad looked around in caution. He must be traumatized by what Mom did to him when he came home bringing those useless stuff. It was quite a heart-wrenching scene to see. He had always been an indifferent and confident man, but he looked extremely pathetic when Mom chewed on him. I almost felt bad for him.
"Anyway, how is your school life? Now that you are famous, does your fame bother you in any way?"
"I am quite unapproachable. Barely anything changes except for the constant whispering whenever I am around."
Dad hummed in contemplation. Turning his gaze back to the water, he smirked triumphantly. I didn't want to delve into what he was thinking, so I stopped looking at him from the corner of my eyes. Silence engulfed us again. If we were normal father and son, we would have felt awkward. For us, silence was peace. It was our way to pay respect.
"Hey… Hachiman," Dad drawled out, sounding uncomfortable. "Are you enjoying this?"
"No."
"Instant response!" Dad looked shocked before nodding his head in agreement. "I don't enjoy it too. This is not the kind of peace I adore."
Then, why the heck did you bring me here, old man!?
"Wanna change place?" he offered apprehensively.
"Sure. Do you have any idea where to go?" I responded.
"What about a sushi restaurant?"
"I have had enough of fish today."
"You barely see any."
"Exactly."
Coming to a mutual agreement, we went to a Yakiniku restaurant. We didn't speak on our way there. Even as we had already settled ourselves in the booth, we still kept quiet. It wasn't until the server brought the meat to us that Dad broke the silence.
"So… how is life now?"
Sizzle!
I put the meat on the grill first instead of immediately answering. "Better than I could ever wish for."
"Do you make good friends?"
"I don't know about being good, but I have friends."
"Good."
Just like that, silence reigned over our booth again. We could only hear the meat sizzling, but none of us felt awkward. I was sure this time since Dad didn't even look like he had asked what he wanted to ask. Though, it might be that he was just as socially awkward as I was. Who asks his son how life is anyway? Still, I appreciate the silence.
"I am not and don't act like the best parent, but I want you to know that I'll be there for you when you need me. I but Mom has already told you that, but I am sure she didn't include me in that."
How sappy. Dad must think the same as his cheeks reddened slightly. I was not opposed to this weird feeling. I still hate you, though. That still didn't bring me to like my father.
===
Honorary Mention:
Venerable Immortal Bowzr
Venerable Immortal JayJonnaJamison
Venerable Immortal Kkmoney
Venerable Immortal Solaz
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone