Why did Hikigaya save the anime girls in Sword Story?

"Alright... then, thanks for your kindness. I'll sleep on the sofa, and Asuna will take the bed."

"Thank you. Also, since Ms. Argo already calls me by my first name, just call me Asuna."

"Don't you use honorifics, too?"

“Boys and girls are different!”

"Ha~ Got it, Asuna."

"Yeah! Hachiman-kun!"

"Then I'm going to take a shower, you go to sleep first."

"Got it. Good night."

"Ah, good night."

While taking a bath, Hachiman recalled all the actions that were not in line with his style today and was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

Come on, cute Asuna

SAO : Chapter 6: Hachiman's Confession

After Hachiman came out of the bathroom, he held his waist with his hands and drank the milk in one gulp.

(As expected, there's no Chiba's soul drink in this world... Sigh, I wonder if I can make it myself.)

Although I have considered whether to learn cooking skills, but because the skill slots are really insufficient, I decided to endure it for the time being.

Hachiman went to bed thinking about going to bed early tonight, but he couldn't fall asleep for a long time - people always can't help but have random thoughts before falling asleep.

The faces of important people in my mind kept appearing and disappearing, including old friends from the original world and faces I met in this new world.

"Hachiman-kun, are you still awake?"

At this moment, Asuna suddenly spoke up.

"Can't sleep?"

"Well, I was fine just now, but when I really wanted to sleep, I couldn't control my thoughts."

As she was talking, Asuna suddenly began to tell her own story. Although it was not appropriate to talk about things in the real world, her uneasy emotions always needed an outlet.

Hachiman listened silently to her story: the daughter of a prominent family, bearing the excessive expectations of her parents, the fear of declining grades, the pain of being bound by constant exams and victories since childhood...

In fact, Hachiman didn't quite understand these concerns. After all, people can never truly understand the pain of others.

(Although I had expected that, she is indeed a young lady... However, although they are both young ladies, she is completely different from Yukinoshita. If I had to say, she is more like Miss Haruno)

"What is Hachiman-kun's life like?"

"...it wouldn't be interesting to listen to. It's more like just a bunch of depressing stories."

"Don't force yourself to say it, but I want to know why you can be so gentle to others?"

Hachiman immediately denied this statement.

"I'm not a gentle person. Everything I do is just for myself."

"You're lying. If that were the case, wouldn't it have been easier for you to just leave me alone?"

"That is......"

"It's okay, I won't hurt you.

After all, you are my benefactor, so although I am not repaying you, I will listen carefully to any story you tell. If it can make you feel a little more at ease, I am willing to be your help.

Asuna keenly sensed that Hachiman must be hiding something in his past, but she still stated this firmly.

Perhaps moved by the kindness or infected by the atmosphere, Hachiman began to recount his experiences intermittently, and Asuna listened quietly the whole time.

(It's heavier than I thought...I shouldn't ask this lightly.)

Asuna was deeply shocked, but ultimately could not truly empathize.

Without experiencing other people's lives, you can only have a superficial understanding.

Even so, she still wanted to understand Hachiman more deeply and support him as much as possible - because she was sure that the tenderness Hachiman showed when he rescued her was not calculated at all.

"Are you...crying?"

When she came to her senses, Asuna was already in tears, and the moonlight made her tears sparkle and clear.

"You idiot, I just like being alone. After all, what's wrong with being alone?

As long as you remain alone, you won't cause trouble to anyone. This is the ultimate environmental protection concept.

I absolutely do not believe that people who work alone are inferior to those who work in groups. I can handle everything by myself and I don’t need you to shed tears for me.

Asuna smiled, wiping away tears as she wondered if this was Hachiman's unique way of comforting her. Facing her like this, Hachiman, for some reason, began to pour out his pent-up thoughts.

“If you’re worried about a relationship, destroy it and you won’t be bothered anymore.

If it's a negative cycle, break it at the source, that's how I live my life.

The so-called idea of ​​not running away is nothing but the arrogance of the strong.

Others often tell you to change, but change is just an escape from the status quo.

If you want to win without changing, then you have no choice but to become stronger.

It’s not about being good at fighting or anything like that, it’s about having a strong sense of self like I do.

It’s okay to be alone or in a group, as long as you control yourself and stay true to yourself, there’s no problem.”

"By self... specifically, what are your goals? Or your way of thinking?"

"It could be a goal, an unwavering belief, or something you want to protect."

Asuna listened quietly to what Hachiman said, and her eyes, which had been gloomy just now, now glowed again.

“Besides, I know someone who’s in a similar situation as you.

Like you, she is required by her family to win, so she puts on a mask and never shows weakness.

But deep down he is actually a sister-con, and uses various methods to try to change his sister who dares not disobey her parents and lacks her own opinions.

Even if she is hated, she must persist and do everything she can to help her sister learn to be independent. By the way, that sister is the president of our club."

"Can you still persevere even when being hated by the people you care about?"

"As long as the other person is happy, even if they hate me, it's worth it. I always feel that way, right?"

"Hmm...it does exist."

"So it doesn't matter to me what happens to me. Being associated with me will only attract strange looks. Even if I'm disliked, if it can make more people happy, that's the most effective way to redeem myself."

Hearing these words, Asuna felt that Hachiman's way of life was in jeopardy. As she imagined him disappearing, a sudden pang of pain in her heart made her realize her feelings.

"This may indeed be the truth, but Hachiman-kun—"

Asuna made up her mind and took a step closer to Hachiman's heart.

“This is no reason for you to hurt yourself. At least for me, it would be very lonely without Hachiman-kun.

We've only just met, so it's strange, isn't it? Maybe it's the suspension bridge effect.

But what I want to say is: I hope to share all the joy, hardship and pain with Hachiman-kun, and then return to the real world with my chest held high. Please let me fight alongside you until the end."

These words were almost a confession of love. After experiencing the Christmas incident, Hachiman was able to accept such feelings in his heart - ever since he witnessed Yukinoshita scolding Tamansawa as if she wanted to share the sin with him, a certain possibility was engraved in his heart.

(It turns out that my little heart, which I always kept to myself, still has a space left. It wasn’t until now that I realized that warmth between two people is also good...)

It felt like ice and snow melting. When he came to his senses, Hachiman was crying like a child. Asuna had been gently stroking his head.

"How is it? Is there still a place for you in the real world?"

“Ah, it does exist, and one must go back and confirm the authenticity of certain things anyway.

That was my hard-earned comfort zone, and I would never give up until we were reunited and happy. Although I had intended to fight seriously before, my awareness was different from now."

"Well, I'll fight with you too. By the way...do you include me when you say 'they'?"

The sudden question caught Hachiman off guard, and the service club's activity room emerged in his mind: Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, and occasionally Isshiki Iroha... and the picture of Asuna blending into it seemed extremely natural.

"I'll definitely introduce you two to each other when I get back. You'll definitely get along well."

"I also want to go back alive and protest to my parents.

Of course, it is not just rebellion, but doing what you should do and finding out what you really want to do so that they have to approve of it.

I will talk to everyone in the Service Club about Hachiman-kun's story then."

Despite the casual introduction, Asuna was already convinced that these things would come true. It was as if she had obtained something precious from Hachiman, and she was determined to protect it together.

"Hachiman-kun, if it's possible..."

"Please let me say the second half, and let me show off a little once in a while.

Despite that past, I still lost my composure in front of you... I have poor eyesight, I'm not good at socializing, I hate going out, and... my eyesight is really bad."

"You said 'your eyes are terrible' twice? This self-torture should stop."

"S-Sorry...So—"

"It's a rare opportunity, shall we talk about it together?"

Asuna suggested, and the two of them said in unison:

"Will you be my friend, Asuna?"

"Will you be my friend, Hachiman-kun?"

In this way, Hachiman gained his first friend of the opposite sex in his life, and it was also the first time that a person of the opposite sex took the initiative to ask him to make friends.

"Ah~ My crying... please keep it a secret."

"Well, it will be kept secret until I meet the members of the service club~"

"No..."

From this moment on, Yuuki Asuna truly became the rapier user Asuna, while Hikigaya Hachiman temporarily bid farewell to his identity as a loner.

"Please take care of me from now on, Hachiman-kun."

"Ah, we will definitely take care of each other and return to the real world together."

“I have to become stronger too.”

"I'm also going to say goodbye to my cowardly self once and for all."

There is no such thing as a perfect crystal built by miracles alone. It is the accumulation of bits and pieces of Christmas events that gave birth to this miracle. So the two of them held hands and continued to build their bond down to earth.

SAO: Chapter 7: The Philosophy of the Service Club

When Hachiman opened his eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.

While analyzing himself, "A lot happened yesterday, it seems I'm more tired than I thought," he sat down on the sofa quietly to avoid waking Asuna and began to think about his next plan.

(First, I need to update my weapons. Then, while I'm teaching Asuna the basics of combat, I need to collect strengthening materials and always have various potions on hand.

We also need to find a new place to live. It's not right to continue living together like this. No matter how close we are, we should still be polite.)

Just as I was thinking about this, there was a knock on the door.

The knock was the same as yesterday, so Hachiman guessed it was Argo, and he shouted outside:

"Argo?"

"Hachi? I have something to discuss. Can you come in?"

"Okay, I'll open the door now."

Hachiman welcomed Argo into the house, motioned for her to sit on the sofa, and went to the kitchen to fetch two glasses of milk.

“A simple meal is not a sign of respect”

"Hey, Xiaoba is very considerate. Could it be that you are infatuated with me?"

“That’s not the case.”

"Answer immediately..."