Chapter 51: That Day, Hikigaya Hachiman Saw…

"So, Yuigahama-san, you're asking us to thank the person who helped you on your behalf?" Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Yuigahama Yui with a puzzled expression. "No, actually, I've already decided to make some cookies as a thank-you gift for that person. But..." As she spoke, an unnatural look flashed across Yuigahama Yui's face, and Yukinoshita Yukino caught it. "Yuigahama-san, is it that you don't have confidence in your cooking skills, so you came to us for help?" "Yes, yes, that's exactly it!" Yuigahama Yui nodded quickly. "I see..." Confirming her guess was correct, Yukinoshita bit her thumb thoughtfully. After a moment, she looked at Yuigahama Yui and nodded gently. "Alright, we'll accept your request." "Yay!" Hearing Yukinoshita's reply, Yuigahama Yui jumped up in delight, and certain parts of her body bounced along with her. "Thank you, Yukinoshita-san!" But that wasn't the end. After bouncing excitedly on the spot, Yuigahama walked over to Yukinoshita, held her hands, and expressed her gratitude for agreeing to help. "Ah, ah, it's just a small matter..." They say comparison is the thief of joy. Looking at the impressive peaks in front of Yuigahama, Yukinoshita subconsciously glanced down at her own modest hills. Total defeat. Realizing she'd been utterly crushed in that department by this airheaded bun-like girl, Yukinoshita's aura suddenly turned a bit gloomy. "Well then, I'll be heading home..." Confirming that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama would be using the home economics room to bake cookies, Hachiman packed up his things and prepared to leave. After all, cookie baking with Yukinoshita there was enough. As a guy, there was no need for him to get involved. "You're also a member of the Service Club. Where do you think you're going?" Passing by Hachiman with Yuigahama, Yukinoshita glanced at him curiously as she saw him packing up. "Eh, I have to join too?" Hachiman's hand paused mid-pack. "Of course. We still need a taste-tester." As she spoke, a mischievous smile crept across Yukinoshita's face... . . . Half an hour later. "Are you sure this thing won't kill me?" Hachiman picked up a blackened object, supposedly a cookie, from the plate in front of him and turned to Yukinoshita, who looked like she was questioning her entire life. "I expected it to be bad, but not this bad... That was a miscalculation on my part..." Holding her forehead, Yukinoshita looked visibly pained by Hachiman's question. "In any case, I'm asking you to try it for us!" "This stuff could be lethal!" Staring at the cookie emitting ominous black fumes, Hachiman protested. "Alright, alright. If anything really happens, I'll call an ambulance for you! So just try it already—Yuigahama-san has been waiting beside you this whole time!" Following her words, Hachiman looked at Yuigahama Yui. Sure enough, just like Yukinoshita said, Yuigahama had her hands clasped together, gazing at him with hopeful eyes. She was clearly waiting for his reaction. "So the plan already starts with calling an ambulance, huh..." With a bitter smile, Hachiman carefully examined the cookie in his hand before tossing it into his mouth. So bitter! That was his first reaction as the cookie touched his mouth. Immediately after, his consciousness blurred—and when it returned, Hachiman found himself on a wooden boat. "That's odd... wasn't I just in the home ec room?" Looking around, he saw that the riverbanks were shrouded in a thick gray mist. Hachiman looked around in confusion. Soon, a rotting wooden sign came into view. With his enhanced "dead fish eyes," he managed to make out the faint and smudged three characters: "San...zu...River?" "Sanzu River!" The moment he recognized the characters, Hachiman's dazed mind snapped to alert. His eyes widened as he scanned the surroundings. The river was covered in mist—and floating on the surface were countless corpses. Thud! A corpse that had drifted close hit the side of the boat, making a dull noise. Hachiman's attention was immediately drawn to it. As he looked down, a strand of long red hair suddenly entered his view. "What is this...?" Looking at the hair, Hachiman leaned further over the boat to see better. There, beneath the surface, was a girl silently staring at him. She looked really familiar... Staring at the girl in the water, Hachiman pondered. Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization—Wasn't this the transformed version of himself?! He quickly looked down at himself. Sure enough, just like in the reflection on the water—somehow, he had transformed into that girl again! "Hikigaya..." A familiar voice whispered by his ear, but Hachiman was in no state to respond. The thought of entering the Sanzu River in this form made his ghostly afterlife feel completely hopeless. "Hikigaya-kun!" Maybe because the first call hadn't worked, the familiar voice returned, louder this time. Still, Hachiman didn't react. "No effect at all..." Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Hachiman, who lay on the ground with a look of resignation. Ever since he ate the cookie made by Yuigahama, he'd had an ascendant expression on his face and collapsed to the floor. No matter how she called to him, he wouldn't wake. "Um... Yukinoshita-san, I think we should call an ambulance..." After several minutes of trying various methods to wake him without success, Yuigahama anxiously and dejectedly suggested. "That's probably the only option left..." With a sigh, Yukinoshita stood up from beside Hachiman and took out her phone. "Wait! It's not what you think, Komachi!" Just as Yukinoshita took out her phone and was about to call an ambulance, Hachiman suddenly screamed and bolted upright. He gasped for air as he woke up from the nightmare. Just before he entered the Sanzu River, Komachi had appeared, saying she'd come to take him home. But after seeing what he looked like... "Thank goodness... it was just a dream." Seeing the familiar desks of the home ec classroom in front of him, Hachiman sighed in relief. Then, he noticed something blocking the light. Looking up slightly, he saw a pair of thighs in black stockings. Above that—a small cat waved at him. A few seconds later... "Smack!" A sharp slap echoed through the home economics classroom.