Chapter 36: Hikigaya Starts to Feel a Little Excited
Even for a god-slayer whose theoretical lifespan was unknown, time could still feel like it passed quickly.
The trip to Kyoto this time was no different from the last—still taking the Shinkansen.
The only differences were that there were far fewer people, and one more youkai.
Hikigaya brought Tamamo-no-Mae along.
That creature had clung to him all night yesterday. Apparently, she still held deep nostalgia for this former royal capital of Japan.
In her words: "Back in the day, when I was having the most fun in Kyoto, even dogs didn't dare bark when I walked down the street. I was awesome as hell."
Clearly, she had no idea that there was an idiom called "hated by dogs and people alike," but hey, she was a youkai—it was normal not to know human idioms.
However, in her fox form, she was quite popular among the crowd.
Naturally, that made her happy—not because those morons (as she saw them) treated her like a pet, but because, thanks to Hikigaya's help, she had finally restored her original hairstyle. No longer a lion dog!
For the sake of her hairstyle, she figured she could tolerate these idiotic humans.
Although… thanks to being endlessly teased by Komachi, she had developed a Pavlovian response—she couldn't even resist being teased anymore.
Her body would start reacting before her mind even registered it...
Of course, Hikigaya couldn't sense her sorrow.
He slouched by the window, listening to Miura and the others enthusiastically discussing their plans—mainly about how to have fun, and how interesting the fox he brought was.
At least, the girls were mostly focused on the latter.
Come to think of it, now was a great time to visit Kyoto.
Spring and autumn were the best seasons to explore Kyoto.
These were also the most stable weather periods in Japan.
Spring was when the cherry blossoms bloomed, and autumn was for viewing red maple leaves.
The constantly passing but unchanging scenery outside the window reflected in Hikigaya's eyes, gradually making him drowsy.
He squinted and adjusted his posture to sit more comfortably.
"You tired, Hachiman?"
A voice cut into his mind with determination, chasing away some of his sleepiness.
"Yeah, I always get sleepy on rides."
Hikigaya opened his eyes slightly.
The one who spoke was Miura, sitting next to him. She had crossed her long legs in a stylish pose, which, from Hikigaya's angle, was quite a nice view.
However, as he was evaluating that, Miura seemed to notice, lowered her legs, tugged her skirt, and her face looked a little red.
Tsk… caught, huh…
With the scenery gone, Hikigaya felt a little disappointed. But since he was awake now, he couldn't fall back asleep. He looked across the aisle.
The new underclassman was staring at him curiously.
Her full name was Iroha Isshiki.
He didn't have much impression of her, he didn't know her in his past life.
Next to her sat the popular guy, Hayama, and by the aisle seat was Tobe.
That guy was desperately trying to start a conversation with the fujoshi sitting across from him.
His efforts were commendable, but the fujoshi's eyes hadn't left the crawling Tamamo-no-Mae even once, so despite his energy, the results were tragic.
Thinking that, sleepiness returned.
"If you're that tired, just sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive."
Miura said gently.
Then she shot a murderous look at Tobe.
Clearly, Miura didn't like the noisy Tobe much, and he really was a bit hopeless.
Faced with the increasingly hostile Miura, he cowered and quieted down quickly.
"Oh, it's fine. Just about an hour or so—it'll pass with some chatting."
As soon as Hikigaya said this, Tobe looked at him with immense gratitude.
This guy clearly didn't realize his biggest obstacle wasn't Miura at all, but that nine-tailed fox that Komachi had trained into a cutesy pet version…
That grand youkai's dignity was completely gone.
LOOK! She was even skillfully being fed cookies!
Hikigaya figured she looked more in her element now than when she was the boss of youkai in Kyoto.
He decided to just leave her be.
"Isshiki-san, right?" With no new topics around, he decided to try breaking the ice with the newcomer.
"Yes…" Apparently not expecting to be addressed, she glanced at the fox, then at the window, and replied in a low voice.
Seriously, do I look like a ghost? Look forward, damn it.
Looks like that icebreaker failed…
Sighing in disappointment, he turned to Miura. "Is there something on my face?"
"Eh? No, it's not like that." Before Miura could respond, the underclassman girl quickly waved her hands and said nervously, "It's just that… senpai, you look… kinda serious."
Honestly, he'd rather be called a pervert than be told he looked "serious"… It's not like he had some mean-looking face!
"Hikigaya-kun's actually a really nice person, Isshiki, don't be so nervous."
The one speaking up in support was the fujoshi, though even as she spoke, she continued to mess with Tamamo-no-Mae's fluffy white fur.
"So cute… Hikigaya-kun, where did you buy this? I want one too!"
Her imagination was wild.
But where would you even buy a nine-tailed fox…
Hikigaya had no way of answering that question.
The next hour or so passed uneventfully.
During that time, Hiratsuka and others sitting on the other side of the corridor also came over to chat.
Yuigahama was especially active—she seemed really close with Isshiki.
Then came the arrival at the station, and heading to the inn.
Since this wasn't a class trip, they didn't have to immediately board a bus and rush to tourist spots.
That gave them more time to enjoy the city slowly.
On the way to the inn, Hikigaya thought this cultural heartland—referred to by Japanese people as the "spiritual hometown"—didn't quite live up to the fantasy depicted in manga, but it still had its own unique charm.
The moderate sunlight bathed the roads, rooftops, and people's faces.
Cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
Many people sat idly under park trees, chatting or just zoning out.
They even saw all sorts of strange things on the way—like a pale-looking geisha posing for an ad shoot with an artsy expression, an old lady who rushed over and babbled a ton while asking for directions, and a big group of schoolgirls crowding around a blonde foreign woman asking for foreign currency and autographs—Hikigaya didn't understand that last one at all.
In general, the city exuded a leisurely pace—clearly a place with high quality of life.
The inn had been booked in advance.
Kyoto's cost of living was cheaper than Tokyo's, but more expensive than Osaka or Kobe.
Still, meals and lodging weren't expensive.
But before settling in, naturally, food came first.
Hikigaya was already a bit hungry. Sure, he could eat fire, but that didn't mean he liked to.
So everyone went to "Uoshin" near Shijo Kawaramachi and had some eel rice.
The rice was great, and the eel was fresh and fatty. The sauce was rich but not greasy—it tasted amazing.
Tasting what was considered Japan's most authentic eel rice, Hikigaya started to feel a little excited about this trip.
Chapter 37: Everyone Gathered in Hikigaya's Room
After the eel rice meal, everyone headed back to the inn.
Since they were paying out of pocket, it wasn't a luxurious place—just a traditional Japanese-style inn.
Hikigaya and the boys walked to their room.
The door was a traditional sliding type. The room wasn't spacious—just about eight tatami mats. There was a bathroom and a shower. Not luxurious, but comfortable enough.
After unpacking a bit, someone knocked on the door.
"Hachiman, can we come in?"
Miura's voice came from outside.
But even though she said that, she didn't wait for a response.
She just slid the door open.
Everyone walked in, already changed into athletic wear.
They all sat down—since it was tatami, sitting on the floor was fine.
"You're fast." Hikigaya looked at Miura, the first to enter. She was already in her tracksuit.
"No rush. Let's discuss how we'll have fun first."
Hayama, sitting next to Hikigaya, smiled and spread a map across the tatami.
"How about starting at Sanjusangendo?"
Tobe was the first to suggest something, but Miura immediately objected.
"No, let's start from Kiyomizu Temple. Then Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji. That way, we can cover the famous spots in two days, then take it slow starting from Tenryu-ji."
"But first, shopping around Kyoto Station for souvenirs is good too. We can stop by Kyoto Tower as well." Hayama clapped his hands. "The station isn't far anyway, and we've got plenty of time—no need to rush the first day."
Hikigaya grinned…
Kyoto Tower… really didn't want to go…
It reminded him of unpleasant things!
"Actually, there's a really worthwhile place to visit."
Unexpectedly, the one who spoke was Yukinoshita Yukino, who hadn't said a word since entering.
"Ah, I know! Yukinon means Fushimi Inari Shrine, right? That's definitely a must-see!" Yuigahama jumped in excitedly like a good student.
But Yukino just smiled and shook her head. "Nope, it's a new place."
Her eyes swept over the curious crowd.
Maybe it was Hikigaya's imagination, but her tone felt off.
"You guys forgot what the news said? After our last trip here, an earthquake created a canyon in the mountains—that's now Kyoto's top tourist spot."
Then she went silent again.
Hikigaya groaned internally.
He'd seen that news too—and even if he hadn't, he'd know.
That canyon was created during his fight with the old man Voban…
He never expected it to be turned into a tourist attraction.
Kyoto people sure had time on their hands.
"I think we should still start from the station area," he said after thinking a bit. "Like Hayama said, we've got lots of time. Let's start close."
"Yeah, and Fushimi Inari Shrine is just one stop from Kyoto Station."
Hayama agreed.
With that, the group seemed to reach a consensus on the first day's plans. Next, they discussed the schedule.
"We've all been tired from traveling in the morning, so let's chill here for now and head out after lunch."
"Yeah, but what should we do for fun now?"
"How about playing the King's Game?"
"Buzz off! No one wants to play with you—your face is creepy!"
Watching Tobe once again get roasted by Miura, Hikigaya nodded.
As expected… if you're not a hottie, trying to say "let's play a game" to girls always backfires—and hard.
Poor Tobe. No matter how cheerful your personality is, it can't fix being born with a crooked face…
Teenagers—this is the peak age for judging by appearances!
Take Slam Dunk for example—girls mostly liked Rukawa Kaede.
In contrast, Takenori Akagi was an ace player and a straight-A student—clearly the strongest character—but not a single girl liked him.
In a world ruled by looks, he got crushed…
"So close…"
Looking at Tobe, head drooping, Hikigaya subconsciously touched his own face, inwardly thankful to his parents for not squishing his face at birth.
As for the dead-fish eyes, those were probably a result of later effort—he'd fixed them after changing a bit of his personality during his two years here, or was the training by Yomi and becoming a Godslayer?
The room grew noisier.
Though the King's Game didn't happen, nobody seemed intent on leaving his room.
Looked like they planned to just hang out here all morning.
So much for "rest."
Hikigaya gave up and started casually chatting with Hayama and Tobe.
"Hey, Hikitani… Whoa, your expression's scary!" Tobe, not learning his lesson, was startled by Hikigaya's death glare. Blinking cluelessly, he continued in a lowered voice, "Help me out this time, yeah?"
"Help with what?" Hikigaya huffed.
If you want help reincarnating, I'm all in!
"C'mon, you know… it's about Ebina."
Tobe sneakily glanced across the room to make sure the fujoshi wasn't paying attention, then sighed in relief.
"You're so cowardly…" Hikigaya muttered. "Just go for it, man. Be bold."
"Huh? What does being bold mean?"
"You're asking me?" Hikigaya glared. "Fine, here's a saying—Don't be scared, just do it."
"Hachiman, that won't work for him," Hayama said with a wry smile. "He's not you."
Huh? Blondie, what's that supposed to mean?
"Hey, handsome," Hikigaya muttered with sarcasm, "you're mocking two single dudes in front of you. Where's your humanity?"
"What's 'mocking' mean? I'm single too," Hayama said, then suddenly grew anxious, "Don't misunderstand."
He glanced nervously across the room.
The girls were all busy with their phones and chatter.
No one paid attention to them, especially with their deliberately lowered voices amid the room's noise.
Relieved, Hayama whispered, "I know there've been rumors about me and Yumiko, but we're just normal friends. Really, don't get the wrong idea."
"Why does that sound so shady?" Hikigaya stroked his chin, sensing a heavy implication.
Then he noticed Tobe tugging at his sleeve.
"Hey, don't leave me out of this." Turning around, he saw Tobe's pitiful face.
Hmm… from now on, I'll call him Little Blondie.
"You're really hopeless… and I don't know crap about picking up girls. Ask Hayama."
Seeing his puppy-dog eyes, Hikigaya was thoroughly annoyed.
Where did he get the idea that I could help him with girls?
"Are you kidding? You even need to pick up girls?" Little Blondie exclaimed—but as a wimp, he still spoke in a whisper, "You're the one being picked up!"
"Nani!?" Hikigaya shuddered. "Someone wants to pick me up? Who!?"
Whoa, after two lifetimes, someone besides my mom finally wants to hug me for my face!
But after a long, hopeful wait, Little Blondie just stared at him in silence.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Hikigaya demanded.
"What the hell…" Little Blondie looked pained. "You really didn't know… You know what, forget it. I'll just ask Hayama."
"Like hell you will! Tell me who's trying to pick me up!"
"Ha!? No way—I'm not letting you be the only one to find happiness! Hayama-kun, you better not say anything either!"