8/16/12
HYOUKA: Sacrifice
Disclaimer: Hyouka belongs to Yonezawa Honobu.
A/N: I always wanted to test out minor romance. Also, this pairing wasn't in the fandom yet. Can you guess who was paired with who?
The long-awaited Kamiyama Festival is over. It felt like I've been in a zoo for the past week. I'm happy that we, the student body, got what we wanted. But I knew our calm, clear sky will soon be polluted by the dark, murky clouds. And soon, my storm will come. In truth, the members of the Classics Club will witness this storm. Everyone else thinks that it's just a drizzle of rain.
I remember what happened before the Kamiyama Festival arrived.
A few months ago, our club president suddenly declared something. He explained, "Everyone, I'm sorry that this seems rushed, but we are going to make an anthology."
I recall asking why we were. He answered, "I have a feeling that I am going to be expelled." Yes, our president was the leader of that, the great movement. He didn't want to lead everyone, but he had no choice.
When we asked what kind of content that we will be writing, he answered that he will write everything in it. We didn't have to do anything. However, he wanted us to keep the title of the anthology. He wanted us to pass it down to our descendants of the club.
The title still feels magical to me.
.
As I felt nostalgic to senpai's sudden actions, my nightmare became true. It was announced that he will be forced of expulsion. Senpai was right after all.
During the entire week, senpai was involved in the process of removal. He had a conference with his parents and the school administration had to review all of his actions.
But everyone knew that he wasn't the real leader.
.
On the day before his expulsion, our president went inside the club room one last time. We had our farewells that were exchanged before he left. When the other members left, I was alone with him. "I guess this is the end," I said while smiling.
Senpai nodded. "No matter what," he paused and patted my shoulder. "There is a time where you can't scream. Can you dream of feeling dead while being alive?"
I can feel my eyes being warm and moist. It was stinging. I shook my head. "No. Is this how you feel right now?"
There was no answer.
"Because..." I continued. "I feel like this right now. I want to scream to the world..." Tears were pouring down like rain.
When everything was over, I felt his embrace tightly.
...I want to live.
.
The next day, the whole student body witnessed the "sacrifice" of senpai, and everything went to normal. Most students agreed to the term "Kanya Festival," in honor of a "hero" because it can be rewritted as the "Sekitani Festival." Therefore, we, the members of the Classics Club, decided that this term is taboo. We also decided to burn the anthology that he made; Future descendants should not know what has happened. However, as the new president of the club, I wanted to continue the tradition of the anthology.
It was the second edition of Hyouka. I wrote the preface.
One day, this legend of Sekitani Jun will be reviewed as a classic.
