I love this! Consider me a fan of this story and I hope to see more. I really should be writing my review properly but its 3 in the morning and I need to sleep. Thanks for the great chapters and looking forward to the mext one.
- a new fan

wow a rewrite
good job

“This chapter is written purely for my own amusement”
I grinned at this. I love that you’re having fun with this story. I had and am still having fun reading it. Rumi’s dynamic with Hachiman is adorable. Also, I love that while Rumi makes Hachiman think of Yukino, she makes Yukino think of Yui.
“only mildly related to the plotline”
Hey, I say go nuts; expand on the setting and the characters, their dynamics and relationships. Get back to the main plot whenever you feel like it.

“You have 24 notifications”
This made me smile.
“when I logged into the 28 Sins website”
Ah, 28 Sins. So many chapters and arcs alone could be written with the focus being on that website and nothing else.
“Happy Birthday”
Rumi in Oregairu is in elementary school while Hachiman is in his second year of high school, so she is likely around 10 years old during the events of Oregairu.
“birthdays weren’t really my thing”
I wonder if Rumi would get along with Kawasaki or with Iroha.
“I never understood the appeal of”
In Oregairu, Rumi participated in bullying, but only because everyone else was doing it as well. When she became a target, she felt that it was only fair since she is guilty of inflicting that same pain upon others.
“I would typically reply that I didn’t expect any gifts for my birthday”
Not even from her parents? Damn.
Also, I thought of S01E06 of House MD.
“I never really did want all the attention”
Some people are just more comfortable with being left alone. Rumi prefers individuals to groups.
“Online though, everything felt different. I could be different”
A middle-aged man once asked me why so many people would prefer to sit in front of their computers playing video games, watching videos or talking to people online instead of spending time ‘in the real world’. I replied that the ‘real world’ is just as fake as the ones in the computers.
“It was impersonal, yet personal”
I love this so much. I say your writing of Rumi in this story is excellent.
“here’s to another year with all of you at 28 Sins!”
I can only imagine the explosion of activity and traffic when Volume 6 was released…imagine the heartbreak AND the happiness at the developments in that volume; Etsuji hitting what is probably his lowest point in the series to date.
In my opinion, the characters of the L&C novel series written by Hachiman are no less real than the characters of this story being written by you, RAfan2421.
“TsurumiRumiOfficial”
Rumi is most famous throughout the world for being the only person to have interviewed Hachiman…until now. To be fair, it should be noted that Shogakukan put a lot of pressure on Hachiman to take another interview after the release of Volume 6.
What if Takuya Eguchi either doesn’t even like L&C or doesn’t like Etsuji?
Diego Luna: (on his portrayal of Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo in Narcos: Mexico) ‘I try not to judge him.’
“Petty of me, I know”
Heh!
“28 Sins had really become a second home to me”
I wonder what Rumi’s life outside of the website and Hachiman is like.
“but we’d quickly grown into a community”
It’s a tough thing, trying to grow a fan-website. Some end up being lost in the shuffle while others prosper and soar. (looks at the Harry Potter Lexicon) Hmm.
“I’d been there right from the start”
She is one of the few people to have become a fan of the series from the very first novel.
“one of maybe five people praising the novel”
Who are the other four? Have I mentioned that the potential in a story like this is endless? How many people have been inspired by L&C to write stories of their own that have since become well-received and/or successful? How many protagonists or main characters in both Western and Eastern fiction are inspired by Etsuji?
“The first volume of Love and Coffee focused almost exclusively on Etsuji”
I love it whenever I get just the briefest glimpse into the plot of the L&C novels. I’m guessing the first volume is mostly Etsuji just being a jerk to (nearly) everyone and everything around him, including himself.
“no shortage of unflattering nicknames”
In-universe too, probably. Etsuji is probably one of the most disliked people in his school and/or community.
“Etsuji could not be more right”
Quoting Part 12 the Super Best Friends’ playthrough of LA Noire:
Pat Boivin: (talking about LAPD Detective Cole Phelps) ‘Phelps is SUCH an a-hole. Phelps is this special kind of a-hole in that he’s COMPLETELY RIGHT…and I HATE him.’
“one of the greatest monologues I have ever read”
I grinned at this. Takuya Eguchi’s got quite the task ahead of him. Heck, he’s probably going to hate voicing Etsuji. Imagine how many times he would have to rehearse the same line over and over! Voice acting is not an easy job!
“If happiness could be defined by such mundane things…one must find their own happiness. And I am very much happy alone”
As of Volume 6, nothing has been revealed of Etsuji’s background or childhood. The amount of theories and speculations must be staggering.
“I wouldn’t use such crude language because I’m a lady”
I imagined Kawasaki Saki swearing like a sailor as she beats the living crap out of several people in a bar fight. I love Saki.
“crafting stories on 28 Sins”
Ooh, is Rumi working to become an author? Does she currently have a manuscript? And has anybody asked Hachiman what his favorite literary works are?
“one of many Etsuji-isms”
This made me cackle. Etsuji has numerous quotable lines in the series, doesn’t he?
“Back then, it was hosted on some s-ty server and run by a few teenagers who had a few yen to spare”
I’m going to recommend a Youtube video as well as a timestamp on it:
Zach’s Gun Rants Compilation (by mikeburnfire on Youtube, from 19:31 to 20:46)
“Around this time I’d gotten promoted to”
Probably because she was one of the only people who stayed active on that website. And by God did it pay off for her. Who would have thought that 28 Sins would grow into such a huge success of a website.
“In the span of the few months after Volume Three’s release”
Wow, Volumes 1 and 2 are probably very good, but Volume Three must be amazing; probably one of if not the most successful light novel in history…until the release of Volume 4.
“a couple of the fandom’s most well-known fanfic authors”
Wait, what? Dammit, this is a dangerous rabbit hole that I WANT to go into.
“I’d made a name for myself as well, as the first and thus far only journalist to hold a private interview with Hikigaya-sensei”
Not to mention becoming one of his few friends.
“avoided interviews and public speaking like the plague”
I snickered at this. Of course a famous Hachiman would behave like that.
“must have appreciated the website”
Hmm.
“your heroes”
Hachiman very likely feels uncomfortable with being hero-worshipped by Rumi, though it seems that now that she has actually gotten to know him, Rumi’s hero-worship of him faded to genuine liking. She doesn’t just love his work, she likes and cares for him as a person.
“The short biography blurbs in the light novels”
I wonder if there are crazy fans/stalkers who gather every bit of information about Hachiman that they can find. Celebrity-obsession is a very real thing; religiously following every single thing that a famous person says and does, right down to their shopping purchases.
“lived my life, but a few years earlier”
Rumi is NOT Yukino; Yukino never bullied anybody and was close to someone until he failed to do anything to stop her from becoming a victim of bullying.
“it made understanding him that much easier”
I thought of the two people on the airplane arguing loudly about Hachiman. Rumi understands him better than those two ever could.
“the Cultural Sensation”
So how many cafes and coffee brands are using L&C to boost their sales and patronage?
“a group of college students”
L&C probably caters and appeals to a wide variety of audiences. It is one of few literary works to have achieved massive success on both sides of the globe.
“the store was sure to make more sales on this particular day”
The standard softcover novel, hardcover novel, two or more volumes put into a single book, etc. L&C probably has all of those.
“I had only heard of this sort of thing with Harry Potter”
…there’s L&C/HP crossovers, aren’t there? Etsuji being a jerk to the entire student body AND faculty of Hogwarts.
I’m gonna quote the fanfic ‘Harry Sanchez and the Magical Mcguffin’ by MorriganByrne:
Minerva McGonagall: ’Welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment, you will all be sorted into your houses. These houses will be like a family away from home for you.’
Harry Sanchez: ‘So, psychologically toxic and perpetually on the verge of divorce?’
“What made and continues to make…ever more enigmatic and interesting”
Soo, how many authors are going to copy Hachiman by refusing to discuss their own writing?
“subreddit has an entire bookmark dedicated to fan theories”
I want an Oregairu/It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover. Someone please write that.
“a place where one could lose hours arguing and theorycrafting with other fans”
Good Lord, Hachiman’s series is absolutely immersive and fascinating. And I’m guessing Etsuji must be the most interesting character of L&C. Considering that nothing has been revealed of his backstory, the guy probably avoids, dodges or evades whenever somebody asks him questions about his past.
“there are quite a lot of them”
I’m guessing that L&C would have won even more awards if Hachiman would have agreed to accept them in person instead of constantly refusing to. I wonder where the awards are now. Knowing Hachiman, he wouldn’t be keeping them. He dislikes his own work after all.
“The interview began quite awkwardly”
HA!
“rare photos of him throughout the years”
I’m guessing that those have been circulated like crazy throughout the whole Internet and have often been decried as photos of someone other than Hikigaya-Sensei.
“there must be only a select few people that could recognize him”
I wonder if the employees of Shogakukan are not allowed to take photos of Hachiman, at least not without his permission.
“waiting for each other for some time before we finally realized that we were quite literally a few meters from each other”
I love this.
“during a two-week trip in New York”
Rumi’s interview must be very famous. Is she currently studying or working, or both?
“he didn’t seem too far off from”
Soo, how many people believe that Hachiman’s personality is EXACTLY the same as Etsuji’s?
“that melancholic air surrounding him”
I said it while reviewing GOF’s story, and I’ll say it again here; what lies at the core of the main characters of the L&C novel series is pain.
“looked at me in surprise, as if he never expected me to ask that question”
Heck, for all I know, the ending of the L&C novel series may be bad or even terrible.
“unless Etsuji ran into a truck or something”
And then gets isekai’d by Truck-kun!
“You’re oddly fixated on this subject aren’t you?”
Rumi has feelings for him, doesn’t she?
“various riajuu mishaps, and even Hiratsuka-sensei”
Rumi is the protagonist of her own story. Also, I hope Shizuka makes an appearance in this story. Please tell me she’s happily married now. Someone please take her or Hachiman may have to do it.
“but I did secure a second outing”
Instead of learning about the secrets and inspirations behind her favorite series, Rumi gained a friend.
“Here’s a sneak preview of Volume Six!”
Soo, how many people are intensely jealous of Rumi?
“at the local mall”
I love that Hachiman can go about in public without being recognized.
“somehow I had become the social butterfly”
This made me grin.
“maybe I didn’t dislike them quite as much anymore”
Are Rumi’s family aware that she is personally acquainted with Hachiman?
“I might not consider Mei my personal choice for Etsuji’s affections”
Let me guess: her favorite character is Akane.
“that absolutely worthless doughnut Natsuo”
I love the specific wording here by Rumi, calling the character Natsuo a doughnut.
“I might actually scream”
She screamed, didn’t she? Seriously, I want to know her reaction to Volume 6. Come to think of it, that book probably caused a lot of tears, yells of ‘What the f-k?!’ or ‘Etsuji you f-king idiot!’ and the throwing down of books onto desks, bedside tables, couches or coffee tables.
“the sneak peak was evil”
All skilled writers are evil in my opinion. A necessity of the job.
“it’s not even a cliffhanger!”
Ha!
“I’d hate you forever”
She now hates him forever! Hooray!
“only if you agree to lunch next Saturday…usual place”
Dammit, this story is too good! Can’t wait for the next chapter!

The chapter was nice.
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the story!

What do you mean the outcome of farewell? Plox don't end this yet. I neeeeeeed to see the Yukinoxhachiman. This neeeeeeds to have a good ending. Plox

8man can't resist his onii-chan instinct

More RumiRumi please!

She is absurdly under utilized here on FF. It's rediculous.

Maybe you could write a fic featuring her and 8man. Just a suggestion. The only active fic where she is featured in is FUBAR. All the other ones are seemingly abandoned...

There's only one problem with this chapter, it ends.

Waiting eagerly for the next one author-san!

Oh this is intriguing, great start! They're beating the glacial pace of Hachiman and Yukino's relationship development in canon, ha!

Damn this is awesome
Love your writing...I mean I generally enjoy any decent oregairu fix 'coz of my love for the fandom but your 8man chapters are very well written. Can't wait for the next update

Listening to this as I start the review:

Traditional Japanese Music – Beautiful Music for Studying & Sleeping (by The Soul of Wind on Youtube)

“this is where the story will begin to seriously diverge from where GOF originally intended it to go”
This made me smile. There is a reason that I love ASOIAF fanfiction.
“I take back what I said earlier”
Ha!
“Katsomoto called earlier”
I am curious about Katsomoto, and what your version of him would be like.
“Apparently, Yukinoshita wasn’t satisfied with the interview”
I love this.
“The people want to know more about you”
I thought of Jack Gleeson’s statement about the mania of people’s obsession with celebrities. Hachiman just wants to write his novels and collect his paychecks, and that is not what the public wants.
“when they eventually drag you before the reporters”
Apparently, Takehito Koyasu, the voice actor for Dio in the JoJo series, is reluctant to make public appearances. I might be wrong, though.
“that the wife’s always nagging about”
Bit of a glimpse into your married life there, Katsomoto? Also, I wonder what Katsomoto’s wife thinks of L&C.
“Stupid woman with her stupid attractiveness”
Stupid sexy Yukino!
“unfailing ability to get under my skin”
I love that now that he is finally meeting and interacting with her face-to-face, that Hachiman is irritated and frustrated at both her and himself.
“I had been given the choice of”
I’ll bet that his decision would become a major subject of gossip around publishing offices everywhere.
“Maybe I could find someone new so that I could get Yukinoshita Yukino out of my head”
That WOULD be an interesting route. How would it affect his writing of L&C?
“Maybe they really could fly”
If pigs are capable of flight…(looks at boars) Goddammit.
“If I’m going to be forced on a trip to New York, I’m living in luxury”
He does that, he’s going to attract attention. Hachiman neither looks nor dresses like a wealthy person.
“the most formal, pretentious diction ever that has ever existed”
I love Yukino. Also, I wonder how his experiences with Yukino would affect Hachiman’s writing of Volume 7 of L&C.
“visit our headquarters”
Hachiman hasn’t left Japan in years AND is notoriously reclusive. People at Whitecross are going to talk about this.
“as much as I hate Etsuji, he’s right about a couple of things”
This made me cackle. I love that Hachiman now speaks of his creation as though it has a life and personality of its own. I love when characters surprise their own writers.
“make it as messy as possible”
Man, L&C Hachiman is a spiteful jerk. I like it.
“They have even offered to cover the expenses of the trip”
I imagined Yukino reading the handwritten letter from Hachiman out loud.
“twelve hours in an enclosed space”
How many people aboard the plane were reading L&C Volume 6?
“I’m not a goddamn riajuu”
I am VERY curious of how the lives of the other Oregairu characters went in this universe in which Hachiman never meets Yukino.
“I had forgotten about”
Seems like he hasn’t spoken to her in some time.
“I should’ve given up on this girl years ago”
Has Yui told anybody that she knows Hikigaya-Sensei personally?
“almost struck by a black limousine”
…Yukino was in that limousine. To think that if he had never met her in high school, Hachiman may very well have become one of the most successful novelists of all time, with the price being that he is mired in self-loathing and loneliness, haunted by a five-year obsession.
“But Yuigahama Yui never quite left me alone”
This made me smile.
“My mom”
Mrs Yuigahama only has about one scene in the anime, but it’s a memorable one.
“She really likes Etsuji, just like me!”
This made me laugh. Yui is one thing, but her mother likes Etsuji too?
Hmm. I wonder if Haruno has read L&C.
“she had adopted three cats”
…how many cats does she have?
“our cumbersome email communication”
Hachiman is corresponding with someone other than Katsomoto or Komachi. The sky is falling down.
“the people in the seat directly behind us were holding a conversation about Love and Coffee of all things”
How often has Hachiman overheard people talking about L&C?
“The girls all have their own, very legitimate, reasons to like Etsuji”
This made me grin.
“Yukinoshita asked quietly”
The last thing Hachiman wants is to be recognized in public as the author of L&C.
“I think the overall quality of the novel is poor”
He does not like the direction that the story has gone. Interesting.
“my focus was once again drawn to”
Easily my favorite part of the chapter. Hachiman overhearing/eavesdropping conversations regarding L&C is endlessly entertaining. There’s so much that could be done with that alone.
“that had a crush on three different girls”
…why do I get the feeling that there are various female alumni of Sobu High who claim to have known Hachiman?
“the fanfiction I’d once read…until some popular riajuu whips some backbone into him”
Wait, what?
“via elopement”
…what. WHO WROTE THAT. I WANT TO KNOW.
“that continued for hours, all the while Yukinoshita studiously avoided looking at me”
Good God.
“got out my laptop”
Hachiman, if anyone sees you, just say you’re writing an L&C fanfiction. (pause) Now I want Hachiman to find himself roped into a situation where he has to keep spinning the lie further and further in order to maintain his cover. And then he has to provide a fanfic-website username…
“I’m still an insomniac”
You need to stop taking so much coffee, Hachiman.
“A sleeping Yukinoshita Yukino is a sight to behold…hugging a stuffed Pan-san to her chest”
Dammit, Yukino, stop being adorable, you’re supposed to be elegantly aloof and superior.
“Namely, a sleeping Yukinoshita Yukino”
There’s no way that his experiences with Yukino aren’t going to affect his writing of L&C.
“three chapters done for Volume Seven, which is really unheard of”
Wow! And in one day too!
“so I guess I had the courage to”
Yukino’s gonna try to get Hachiman drunk so he’d open up about himself, isn’t she? Despite being very rigid and morally upright, she may not be able to stop herself.
“she’s the least interesting of the trio for me”
Ouch. Well, yeah, Kagami honestly doesn’t seem to have the most, I’ll use the word ‘expressive’ dynamic with Etsuji since she honestly seems to be the nicest one out of the three considering that she is the only one who is still speaking to him on a regular basis.
“after the others fell out with Etsuji”
It’s interesting that even with Etsuji at his apparent worst, Kagami is still willing to be around and spend time with him. Who knows where Hachiman’s writing of Volume 7 would take her character.
“dressed in what I was sure was her version of casual wear”
Yukino could never, ever blend into a crowd.
“I slammed the door in her face”
Ha!
“they neglected her wishes and planned out her life without her input”
(sigh) Yeah, Yukino has serious parental issues. (looks at the Kawasaki family and the number of children they have) Perhaps the problem of Mr and Mrs Kawasaki is that they love each other too much.
“the ideal I’d searched for”
The problem is that someone with that much strength and conviction would not have gained it without cost. Everything comes at a price.
“She exemplified what it meant to be real”
The big, key difference between Minami Sagami and Isshiki Iroha; Iroha is self-aware and shameless. She knows exactly what she is and she likes it. Heh, no wonder she’s my favorite Oregairu character.
Also, does Hachiman see Tsurumi Rumi as a ‘real’ person?
“they could not suffer the indignity of my position at the publishing company”
They have never allowed Yukino to make that final step to adulthood; they insist on trying to control as much of her life as possible, just short of flat-out coercing her to carry out their bidding.
“everyone sees me as a privileged beneficiary of nepotism”
(sigh) Would they also assume that she only got the interview with Hachiman because of her parental connection?
“at least in terms of my financial stability”
Nothing if not honest, that Hikigaya Hachiman.
“the fact that this was the correct thing to do never really crossed my mind”
Hachiman is not a good person in Oregairu, and in this story he is even more jaded and cynical.
In my opinion, if not for Komachi, Hachiman by the age of 16 could have become a full-blown psychopath.

“To be continued in: Interlude: Tsurumi Rumi”
YAY!

Good chapter! Waiting for more!

Damn i love this a lot

I want to cry

must wait patiently for chapter four. aaaah.

"Joy" explains me when reading this fanfic.
I still have not a clue why I like it so so much even though I have never watched or read SNAFU.
I am holding it up to the standards of stand alone webnovel.
You write very well verses most "web writing works".
Thank you for the chapter!
Thank you for the story!