Hello everyone! I’m happy to participate in the #PsycheChallenge. I didn’t really write any posts/blogs in the past but this challenge got my interest. Thanks to Crumble for that :)

-

I had a lot of anime on my mind that I wanted to choose but then they were immediately filtered out because of either of the following reasons:

1) chosen character getting overpowered

2) character won’t change in any way because of mind-reading ability

3) losing tension between characters

4) mind-reading concept doesn’t fit in the chosen anime

So, in the end, the only thing left was my favourite anime Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru (OreGairu).

-

-

-

-

-

-

Today we’ll talk about self-pronounced loner Hikigaya Hachiman. It’s a great luck that this guy was keeping a diary and it’s even greater luck that I found it (don’t ask me how). But don’t get too happy, it seems that this diary went through some tough times. Small pieces are what was left of it…

-

↢ ──── ≪✭✮✯≫ ──── ↣

Day 1:

≪So, I got in a car accident trying to save a dog. As a result, I broke my leg, got a mild concussion and was hospitalized. But later it turned out that I got this psychic ability to read the minds of those around me. Doesn't it sound like some kind of cliche from a low budget low effort comedy movie? Imagine how many humorous situations you can squeeze out of it.

But it doesn’t sound that good to me. Hearing all these thoughts from them who exalt the youth. I barely could withstand their voices and now they will mess with my head.

You can say that I will have some kind of advantage having this ability, but even before this accident, I knew everything that was going on in their shallow minds (it’s one of my 108 skills). But it was not buzzing in my head like a swarm of bees. It will be such a drag…

But anyway from now on I will be writing down my experience with this ability in this old diary format for research purposes. I hope no one will find my diary later because it would be embarrassing. ≫

-

-

Hachiman says that since that accident his life as a loner began and so I wonder maybe his newly acquired ability will help him with that?

-

Well, my guess is “no”. Even though he will understand people around him more it may, on the contrary, push him away. Why? Either because their thoughts may disgust him (main reason 🙃) or he will know that they don’t have common interests and are not compatible. After all, Hachiman doesn’t look for fake or shallow relationships and won’t pretend to be interested in someone just for the sake of not being a loner.

-

“them who exalt the youth” - just by that phrase, you can feel his contempt. The contempt that was developing all his life. But what’s the reason for that? He got pushed away from society in the elementary and middle schools. He became detached. And then Hachiman learned to find the worst in people. I think the new-found ability would aggravate the situation here.

-

~So as the time went on, the more rotten sides he unveiled in people the more rotten and fishy his eyes became...

-

↢ ──── ≪✭✮✯≫ ──── ↣

Day ~14?:

≪In the morning, as usual, Komachi was staring in her mag completely lost the track of time. For a second I caught a feeling that I lost my psychic ability because either I couldn't read her mind or she was just empty-headed.

Coming across Hiratsuka sensei I only felt her worries about not being married and common everyday matters.

Talking about people in the class Saika was thinking about his tennis club, girls were spewing gossips, Hayato’s clique was bragging about stuff I don’t really care, Ebina-san was dreaming about… well, let’s just skip that part.

Today I learned nothing useful after all…≫

-

-

~It’s a good thing he got out of the hospital, now he can *stand* on his path of a loner firmer.

-

Hachiman has a tendency to observe people in the classroom. He could explain why he’s doing that by bringing up one of these reasons:

- “Exploring caste system so as not to get in trouble and for general education”

- “Unveiling twisted and repulsive sides of the society”

- “Practicing of my mind-reading ability”

But in reality, his inner self wants to be a part of them. He doesn’t want to be a loner but he finds lots of excuses to be one.

-

↢ ──── ≪✭✮✯≫ ──── ↣

Day ~53?!?:

≪… Later that day on the way home Yuigahama caught me up. She’s telling me about her desire to enter the election. I don’t think that it will help her to preserve the club’s serenity much. But if it’s a choice she can live with, I’m okay with that.

Here she leaves me alone waving to me: “Bye-bye”. But what was that on her mind? Was that supposed to be a confession? Or am I having hallucinations with this ability?≫

-

-

Remember I told you that his psychic ability won’t help him to stray from a loner path?

~Well yes, but actually no.

Yui’s confession was unexpected for Hachiman. All these times he was the one to confess and only failure was awaiting in the end. But this time someone accepted him the way he is.

He wants to have friends or to be loved no matter how many times he talks proudly about his life of a loner and all its advantages. His subconscious, by default, takes that nobody would have close feelings to him. It was a thunder strike that someone actually loves him.

-

~And so his barrier begins to shatter…

-

↢ ──── ≪✭✮✯≫ ──── ↣

Day ~113?!??!:

≪...We drank tea with Valentine's Day leftovers in the Service club and then headed home. As soon as I depart in the opposite direction Yukino hesitantly stops me but not saying a word. She’s paralyzed. I already know the reason for that but I can’t resolve the situation right now.

The tension was dispelled by Haruno’s appearance. Apparently, Yukino’s mother decided to keep sisters together for a while and that’s why Haruno came here to pick her sister up. Next thing you know they have some kind of a quarrel.

...

You can blame Haruno for teasing, arguing, putting up a scene like that. But I understand her true intentions and they are most certainly not malicious...≫

-

-

So what’s the reason for built up tension? Why Yukino is paralyzed?

Here we have a hint: “We drank tea with Valentine's Day leftovers”.

Hachiman knows what’s on her mind, but he wasn’t prepared for that.

~thunder struck again

She wanted to give him a present for Valentine's Day. A sign of her feelings towards him, which she’s terrified to show. In addition, it gives Haruno another reason to be displeased with her sister. Inability to unveil your feelings.

But, good thing that Hachiman has the mind-reading ability, right? He can understand what Yukino feels. If only she knew what he knows that would be a lot easier for her. But I guess Hachiman won’t let that happen, because if he did that it would destroy Service club and hurt people closest to him. Same goes for Yui’s situation.

-

~ “Caring about someone means being resolved to the fact that you’ll hurt them” - Shizuka Hiratsuka

-

Haruno appeared and saved the situation.

All the time she plays the role of an observant and gives this trio hints from time to time. Now that he has a psychic ability, Hachiman understands Haruno more clearly. And, in addition, it gives him more insight on Yukino’s situation. She doesn’t want to fight Yukino but, on the contrary, it’s her way of helping.

Yukino is overwhelmed with emotions and it clouds her mind. She doesn’t know what to do, she’s surrounded by doubts, hesitant, she’s losing her *self*. And so, Haruno has to take action and help her to move on the right path.

-

-

-

Hachiman may have an ability to find all negative sides of people around him but he can’t see how some of them have positive, close, heartfelt feelings towards him. His eyes are blurred by all the other times he got rejected, tricked or pushed away. And if ‘his eyes are blurred’, mind-reading ability will lead him. It will help him to understand the ones who care about him. It will help him to accept them.

It will help him to find *something genuine*...

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

↢ ──── ≪✭✮✯≫ ──── ↣

Thank you for reading (or for scrolling down 🙃), it was a blast making this, hope you enjoyed it too!

-

-

-

-

Background image was shamelessly stolen from a great artist ThoughtWeaver