Chapter 1854 The True Thing Hikigaya Hachiman Seeks: A World That Has Changed

Chapter 1854 The True Thing Hikigaya Hachiman Pursues: A World That Has Changed
The chat group fell silent instantly.

Su Yunqing and the others naturally knew about Hachiman Hikigaya's choice. Although they were unsure, it was definitely not just Yukino Yukinoshita. Therefore, they did not know how Hachiman Hikigaya would answer the question about Yukino Yukinoshita.

Surprisingly, Hachiman Hikigaya didn't hesitate much on this point.

A genius among loners: "In my own world line."

A prodigy among loners: "Yukino, Yui, and I came together."

He didn't use any euphemisms, directly stating the outcome that might be considered "taboo" in many timelines.

"Buzz!"

An invisible chill seemed to instantly spread out from Yukino Yukinoshita as the center.

Even through the screen, the group members seemed to feel the temperature suddenly plummet to freezing.

Inside the Service Club, Yukino Yukinoshita's knuckles, gripping the book, turned slightly white, and the emotions in her eyes were instantly replaced by a sharp, icy coldness.

Her reply popped up almost the instant Hachiman Hikigaya sent the message, and the chill emanating from her words seemed to freeze the air:

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Three people?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "You mean, you chose both Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama at the same time?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "This is the 'real thing' you're talking about? Hachiman Hikigaya?"

The three consecutive questions, each colder than the last, culminated in the use of the full name, conveying an overwhelming sense of sarcasm and disappointment.

Hachiman Hikigaya seemed to be able to imagine Yukino Yukinoshita's expression on the other side of the screen. He was silent for a few seconds before slowly replying, his tone low and serious, carrying an undeniable stubbornness:

A genius among loners: "It's not a question of 'choosing' whom."

A genius among loners: "Feelings are not a binary mathematical problem."

A genius among loners: "I despise lies and pursue the truth; and right now, I can't ignore the feelings of either Yukino or Yui, nor can I deceive either of them with false promises."

A genius among loners: "It is selfish, it is clumsy, and it does not conform to worldly rules; but this is the answer that I, and we, have decided after countless painful struggles and frank conversations."

A genius among loners: "We chose to face this complex emotion together, rather than denying the sincerity of either party through a 'either/or' approach."

After Hachiman Hikigaya uttered those words, he did not expect to be understood, especially by Yukino Yukinoshita, who came from another world, had a purer personality, and had not yet experienced those entanglements.

He didn't glorify anything, nor did he try to explain anything.

The facts are the facts. In his timeline, he, Yukino, and Yui ultimately faced an ending that could not be made public, but which was of great significance to them.

This is not an achievement to boast about, nor was it an easy or pleasant choice; it involves many things and is a choice they made together.

However, the main reason was his greed.

He readily admitted this.

I cannot relinquish the profound resonance and understanding with Yukino Yukinoshita, nor can I ignore Yui Yuigahama's clumsy yet incredibly sincere warmth and acceptance.

This "greed" prevented him from making a choice between two options.

But the price of this 'greed' was borne by all three of them.

Yukino and Yui chose to compromise, to accept their imperfections, and to believe that they could walk a difficult but unique path together.

If he were to hypocritically shift the blame to their 'willingness to compromise' and excuse his own greed, he would despise himself.

Hachiman Hikigaya would never do something so despicable.

As for what Yukino Yukinoshita from a parallel world might think in the chat group.

Shock, disdain, incomprehension, or even disgust—that's all her business.

Hachiman Hikigaya didn't care. What he cared about was Yukino and Yui beside him at this moment, not Yukinoshita from the parallel world. In the parallel world, she was just a stranger with a similar starting point.

His responsibilities and emotions belong only to the two girls in his world.

"If Yukino Yukinoshita of that world decides to completely distance herself from the 'me' of that world after learning of this 'possibility,' then I will bless her."

"I just feel a little sorry for the 'me' in that world."

He knew that the seemingly awkward and lonely "self" also longed to be understood and to touch the "truth" deep down.

Yukino Yukinoshita is undoubtedly an extremely special case.

"However, this 'regret' ultimately stems from my arrogance as a beneficiary."

“Every world has its own destiny, which cannot be forced; all I can do is cherish what I already have, this hard-won ‘reality’.”

Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head, dispelling the thought, and focused his consciousness on the chat group, waiting for Yukino Yukinoshita's answer.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "I understand your choice, Hachiman Hikigaya."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "However, in the more 'pure' worldline shown in the 'memory copy', the future you ultimately chooses only 'Yukino Yukinoshita'."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "If you couldn't let go, why did you choose to give up on Yuihama-san back then?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Is it because, in the world you live in, you joined a chat group and gained superhuman power and vision, which has fostered a sense of 'rights'?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Do you believe you possess greater abilities, are capable of handling more complex situations, and are even qualified to 'possess' more?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "So, what you originally considered 'unrealistic' or 'untouchable' has become an option worth trying after your power has increased?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Does this mean that the standard for the 'genuine' you pursue will fluctuate with changes in your own strength? When your strength is insufficient to support your greed, you choose 'purity'; when your strength is sufficient, you allow yourself to move towards 'complexity'?"

Yukino Yukinoshita: "If the definition of 'genuine' is so flexible, then what is the essential difference between it and the 'fake' that you despise, which is based on weighing pros and cons?"

Yukino Yukinoshita's questions came like a barrage of bullets, logically clear and sharp, but the chill in her words was not diminished in the slightest.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at the text on the screen but did not immediately refute it.

He paused for a moment, as if seriously considering each question; then he spoke in the chat group.

A genius among loners: "I cannot give a perfect answer that satisfies everyone."

A genius among loners: "However, if you insist on a more direct answer..."

A genius among loners: "Yes, you can think of it that way."

A genius among loners: "Without joining the chat group, without experiencing these extraordinary events, I would not have gained the power I have today and the more complex understanding of myself and the world that comes with it."

A genius among loners: "Then, most likely, I will still head towards that 'predetermined' future in the memory copy."

A genius among loners: "In that relatively 'ordinary' world line, faced with Yui's feelings, I might not, but I am almost certain, would have chosen to reject her because of my own personality, just like in the memory copy."

A prodigy among loners: "Power, or rather, the changes brought about by growth, have indeed expanded my 'possibilities' and made me dare to face and try to solve more complex 'reality'."

A genius among loners: "But that doesn't mean I've betrayed the 'real thing'."

A genius among loners: "I admit that my current choice involves greed, and that it is based on greater ability; but this greed is a response to two genuine feelings."

A genius among loners: "If you see this as a 'fake' or a compromise, then I have nothing to say."

A genius among loners: "But I can be sure that at this moment, I, as well as Yukino and Yui beside me, are facing this imperfect but real feeling with the utmost sincerity."

A genius among loners: "This is the 'real thing' that belongs to us."

Hachiman Hikigaya did not deny Yukino Yukinoshita's words because he knew clearly that the doubts she raised were valid.

He joined the chat group, witnessed the vastness of the myriad worlds, and gained power and resources far exceeding those of ordinary people. These experiences profoundly changed him.

His vision, his abilities, his confidence in facing problems, and even the world he lived in—everything underwent a dramatic transformation.

This change inevitably affected him and those around him.

Therefore, they made this choice.

He cannot and should not deny this.

Therefore, when questioned by Yukino Yukinoshita from the parallel world about whether the standard of "authenticity" had changed due to power, and whether it had become "complex" rather than "pure," he readily acknowledged the existence of "change."

However, acknowledging change does not equate to condoning "betrayal".

For him, for Yukino beside him, and for Yui, the relationship they are facing and nurturing together embodies their most genuine feelings, their most honest communication, and their most steadfast efforts.

This is their unique "authentic item".

Inside the Service Club, Yukino Yukinoshita's pupils reflected Hachiman Hikigaya's words in the chat group.

"To frankly admit that one's choices are altered by power, yet still define them as 'authentic'."

She repeated the sentence in a low voice, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger, but the surrounding air seemed to cool down a few degrees.

This logic is almost a paradox within her cognitive system, which pursues purity and abhors ambiguity.

In her view, true "truth" should not have its core shaken by external factors.

Yukino Yukinoshita: "I understand."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Thank you for your honesty, Hachiman Hikigaya."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "It seems that the differences between parallel worlds are indeed far greater than I imagined."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "I need some time to process this information."

Yukino Yukinoshita: "Excuse me."

After saying that, without waiting for anyone's response, her profile picture instantly went dark, showing an "offline" status. That decisive exit seemed to draw a clear and cold line between the two of them.

She needs to reorganize her thoughts and examine that somewhat unfamiliar "future possibility".

With Yukino Yukinoshita offline, the previously subdued atmosphere in the chat group instantly livened up, and all sorts of jokes sprang up like mushrooms after rain:
An ordinary group admin: "@The Genius Among the Lonely, you drove Yukino from the parallel world away!"

An ordinary group admin said, "I felt a chill run down my spine from that last 'Excuse me'!"

Su Yunqing smacked her lips. When Yukino Yukinoshita spoke just now, the chill she felt made her too afraid to say anything, and she could only watch from the side.

However, she did not expect that Hachiman Hikigaya would be so honest and so easily admit to the feelings between himself and Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama in his own world.

Kasumi Shiko: "Yukino's reaction is normal."

Kasumi Shiko: "Anyone who sees their future partner choose greed would react this way."

The richest man in the lighthouse: "Shrug.jpg"

The richest man in the city said, "I don't think it's a big deal."

The richest man in the lighthouse said: "Hachiman Hikigaya's world is not ordinary, and the rules of ordinary people cannot bind them."

The richest man in the city said, "The reason for this is that the mindset transformation is not thorough enough."

Human Head Dog and True: "So, @The Genius Among the Lonely, you really want both and have started a harem?"

Kazuma the Headless Dog: "You fucking deserve to die!"

Kazuma the Headless Dog: "Why didn't Yukino Yukinoshita kill you?!"

Compared to the others' teasing of Hachiman Hikigaya and their understanding of Yukino Yukinoshita's reaction, Kazuma Sato's feelings were purely envy and jealousy of Hachiman Hikigaya's harem.

A genius among loners: "."

A prodigy among loners: "Putting aside the fact that Yukino isn't a yandere, the key point is that when it comes to building a harem, if you're willing, you can do it too, right?"

The prodigies among the lonely: "Huihui, Darkness, and Youyou".

A genius among loners: "It's just that you chose Huihui yourself."

Hachiman Hikigaya was speechless when he saw what Kazuma Sato said.

If it were anyone else who said that about him, it would be one thing, but what right does Kazuma Sato have to say that about him?
It's not that he couldn't have a harem, he just didn't do it.

Human-Headed Dog and Shin: "It's different."

Kazuma: "I don't know what my future self will think, but right now I definitely want to build a harem."

Kazuma: "The reason we didn't do that is simply because they're not very reliable."

Kazuma Sato waved his hand.

No harem? Are you kidding me? If you come to another world and don't build a harem, what's the point of coming here?
The version of himself in the memory didn't do that; that's a problem with that version of himself in the memory, and it has nothing to do with him now.

(End of this chapter)