After finishing his journey in the world of Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Haruki Aizawa returned to the Main World, rested for a brief period, and immediately resumed his path of the sword.

  His obsession with swordsmanship had not wavered; if anything, the cshes at Hagun Academy had intensified his resolve to reach the absolute summit. He dedicated nearly all his time to training, while also taking the opportunity back in the Main World to hunt down malevolent spirits to fuel his Ghost Power.

  After helping Miko Yotsuya eliminate several entities, Haruki had developed a baseline level of Spectral Sight. However, he could still only see the weaker, wispy spirits; the truly powerful ones remained invisible to him.

  Haruki soon devised a solution. He noticed that high-level spirits acted as natural beacons, instinctively drawing weaker ones toward them. By finding clusters of minor spirits, he could almost always find a "big fish" lurking in the center.

  This was why Haruki was currently stalking through the nighttime alleys. He was following the ripple of spiritual energy, intent on sying a Great Spirit to condense his power. Saving Miko Yotsuya wasn't even a conscious choice; he had simply happened upon her while tracking his prey.

  For Miko, while Haruki might not have saved her intentionally, the fact remained that he had saved her life. Even if she wasn't ready to dedicate her life to him in gratitude, she felt it would be incredibly rude not to offer something in return.

  She approached the vending machine, inserted a coin, and bought two cans of hot red bean soup (shiruko). She marched over and shoved them into Haruki's arms.

  "What's this for?" Haruki asked, looking down at the cans.

  "It's a... repayment," Miko said, her expression a mix of embarrassment and lingering fear.

  She knew two cans of juice were a pathetic way to repay a life-saving debt, but as an ordinary student, it was the only thing she could think of on the spot. Short of something much more "scandalous," this was all she had.

  "Fine by me."

  Haruki didn't mind. He took one of the cans, popped the tab, and began walking toward the other end of the street, clearly intent on continuing his hunt.

  "What a strange guy..." Miko muttered, watching his retreating figure.

  She was in awe of his strength, yet she hated his "I don't care about anything but swords" attitude. Still, she had to give him a passing grade. Most people wouldn't accept a cheap drink as a reward for saving a life, but Haruki didn't care about social expectations or the "value" of the favor. He was just Haruki.

  Miko's mind remained occupied by Haruki's silhouette until she finally realized she needed to get home. She hurried back before her mother got worried.

  "I'm home," she called out.

  Her brother, Kyousuke, looked up from the TV, then stared at the single can in her hand. "Wait, where's mine? I thought you were getting me a Coke?"

  "They were... out."

  "Out of Coke? At a vending machine?"

  "I gave it to someone else."

  "You gave it to someone else?!" Kyousuke stared at his sister, his face a mask of betrayal. Miko just ignored him, leaving her brother to suffer the ultimate blow of sibling neglect.

  The next morning, Haruki Aizawa arrived at the gates of Sobu High.

  Personally, he had zero interest in attending css. That time would be much better spent refining his Wave Arts. However, Shizuka Hiratsuka's relentless phone calls had forced him to show up out of a sense of obligation.

  The moment he sat down in css, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. In his current state, Haruki could train his Mind's Eye and his Wave Perception even while sitting still. As far as the teacher was concerned, he was just a student napping, but in reality, his sword intent was sharpening with every breath.

  Once the school day ended, Haruki didn't head home. Following the "deal" he had made with Shizuka, he made his way to the remote cssroom of the Service Club.

  Opening the door, the familiar sight made him feel as if he had been away for a lifetime. But he quickly steadied his emotions. While he had spent weeks in another world, only a single day had passed for the people here. Acting strangely would only draw unwanted attention.

  "..."

  Without a word, Haruki walked in and took his usual seat.

  "Does this club not have a single person with basic social manners?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked, her voice dripping with sharp sarcasm.

  Haruki didn't miss a beat. "Apparently not. It seems the Service Club is a designated gathering point for the socially madjusted."

  "Hey, don't lump me in with you two!" Hachiman Hikigaya muttered. He was slumping in the corner, his "rotting" dead-fish eyes as prominent as ever. "I'm a perfectly normal, high-functioning high school boy. I'm the pinnacle of average adolescent angst. I'm not 'abnormal'!"

  "Is that so? Hikigaya-kun, do you have any friends?" Yukino asked bluntly.

  "Well... that depends on—"

  "I'll take that as a no. For a 'normal' high schooler to ck even the basic ability to form human connections... that's not just abnormal. That's a failure."

  "..." Hachiman took a critical hit to his ego. He tried to scramble for a comeback. "And you, Yukinoshita? Do you have friends?"

  "I'd ask you to define the parameters of a 'friend' first."

  "Ah, forget it. People who say that definitely don't have any."

  "How dare you."

  Seeing Yukino actually look a bit flustered by Hachiman's retort was a rare sight. She eventually sighed. "Fine. It seems this room is just a collection of lonely ghosts. There isn't a normal human in sight."

  "Seems that way," Haruki noted. He thought about contradicting them—after all, he had Sakiko at home and Miko on speed-dial—but then he realized his retionships with them were "complicated" at best. He decided to stay silent.

  The room fell into its usual heavy silence. Yukino and Hachiman returned to their books, while Haruki closed his eyes to polish his sword-intent.

  The peace sted until Haruki's Wave Perception caught a presence approaching the door. The vibrations were erratic, suggesting someone was hesitating.

  "A guest is coming," Haruki noted, his voice ft.

  "What?"

  Yukino and Hachiman looked at him, confused. They hadn't heard a thing.

  A full minute passed. Then, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door slid open, revealing a girl with coral-pink hair tied into a messy side-bun. She looked nervous as she peeked inside.

  "Um... excuse me. Is this the Service Club?"

  As Yui Yuigahama stepped into the room, she found three pairs of eyes locked onto her. She instinctively took two steps back, wondering if she had walked into a trap.

  She didn't know that Yukino and Hachiman were staring because Haruki had predicted her arrival a minute before she even stepped onto the floor. They were currently debating whether she was a secret accomplice of his, given how impossible his "hunch" seemed.

  "Ahem." Yukino was the first to regain her composure. She closed her book and looked at Yui with a cool, professional gaze. "Hello. You're Yuigahama-san, correct?"

  "Eh? H-How did you know my name?" Yui asked, her eyes wide.

  "Yukinoshita, did you memorize the entire school roster?" Hachiman muttered.

  "Don't be absurd. I just happen to know people. For instance, I have no idea who you are."

  "Ouch."

  While Yukino and Hachiman engaged in their usual banter, Yui's gaze drifted toward the third member of the club. When her eyes nded on Haruki Aizawa, her expression shifted from nervous to visibly startled.

  "W-Wait, why is Haruki-kun here?!"

  "I'm a member," Haruki replied simply. He gnced at her. "You know me?"

  "I mean, you're kind of famous... everyone in school knows the guy who carries a sword and fights delinquents... also, we're in the same css..."

  "I see." Haruki nodded. He had a reputation for violence, so her reaction was to be expected.

  "Anyway, please have a seat," Yukino said, gesturing to a chair.

  "Thank you..." Yui sat down, though she pointedly chose the seat furthest away from Haruki.

  Haruki noticed but didn't take it personally. To most students, he was a dangerous element. Being avoided was his default setting.

  "So," Yui started, fidgeting with her skirt. "Hiratsuka-sensei told me that the Service Club could help me with a problem. Is that true?"

  "It is," Yukino confirmed. "We fulfill requests, provided they are within our capabilities."

  "And Haruki-kun is part of that?"

  "I'm here under duress from Hiratsuka-sensei," Haruki crified.

  "Eh?" Yui blinked, her eyes darting between the three members. The idea of the school's most feared "bde maniac" being forced into a volunteer club was something she couldn't quite wrap her head around.

  ***********************************************

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