It was a usual day in Sobu High. Hayama Hayato was as usual surrounded by his group of friends, Miura, Tobe, Ebina, Yuigahama. Except his attention was not with them. It was the loner at the side, Hikigaya Hachiman, that had caught his attention.
Careful to glance towards him as natural as possible, as sparingly as possible, the popular boy knew that Hikigaya had super senses, the sensitivity to know whenever someone was looking at him intently, honed by his loner nature.
Except that he did not know why he was glancing at him. Or why he had been secretly stalking this boy, obtaining information about his nature, his friends, his background through observations, gossips…
It all started from the one time he sent in a letter through the Service Club new service project: "Advice through E-letters". This advice giving project courtesy of the Service Club allowed troubled people to send in their problems through a website form. A code is given when you sent in your letter, which then a reply containing advice would be available within a day or two, which you could access through the code. Such was the amazing power of technology that anonymity could be maintained through a system of codes. As for why the name was so utilitarian, that was probably because of his childhood friend, Yukino.
Yuigahama, who was busy promoting the new service to everyone, finally managed to get him to send in a letter. He was facing a dilemma at that time, thus he was a good time as any for him to send in a letter.
The first letter he sent in was:
Dear Service Club,
A friend of mine have recently invited to go out, which is obviously an invitation for a date. I don't really like her, but I would want to maintain our friendship and the harmony in our group of friends. How can I reject her in the best way possible?
Troubled person with many friends
To which he got:
Dear person with too many friends,
You can of course accept her invite, and then get someone to call you in the middle of your date and make it sound like it was very serious and leave immediately. Or any other way of doing that.
On a side note, if you cannot understand my sarcasm, I would like to advise you to please clear your head out of your idealistic world. You cannot eat your cake and have it too. For god damn sake, get REAL!
Hikigaya Hachiman
On behalf of the Service Club.
That was the start of his interest towards Hikigaya Hachiman. The sarcasm, the cynicism, that was just something he never really experienced before. Getting scolded. Maybe he was a masochist. Maybe he was tired of being everyone's perfect prince, kind, gentle, and maintaining the social harmony at all times. Maybe he was tired of being look up at all times, not allowed to do what is socially unacceptable. The way Hikigaya Hachiman gave his reply, so matter of fact and so real, was just something refreshing to him.
After that was the start of the stalking. He even sent in a bunch of problems, including imaginary ones, so that he could get those cynical replies.
He glances again towards the loner boy, and this time he saw Totsuka Saika chatting happily with the boy. Hikigaya was smiling happily. And then, maybe he was looking at the boy for too long. Hikigaya Hachiman turned towards him, and gave him a glare. Hayama Hayato quickly turned away, not daring to look again.
The conversation has long move on away from the topic of the football to the topic of Hikigaya Hachiman. How it reached there was a mystery indeed. After all the flow of topics in a high school students' conversation can be rather random.
"You know, the last time I tried to greet Hikigaya Hachiman, he gave me that dead-fish eyes glare." said Tobe.
"Hmm, Hikigaya Hachiman, loner, who would be a good ship for him… Aha maybe Hayama! HAHAHAHA" If anything, Ebina was rather capable of switching to fujoshi mode at any time.
"Eww, Ebina! Why are you trying to pair the disgusting Hikigaya with our Hayama?" Miura commented
Hayama felt a bit angry. After all, he knew, from all that stalking, that Hikigaya was the least bit of disgusting. He wanted to reprimand Miura, but his words stopped in his throat. His social instincts kick in before he could.
Someone beat him to it.
"What are you saying Yumiko? You don't even know him. He may look like that but Hikki is a very kind person."
If anything, Yuigahama had committed social suicide by defending someone like Hikigaya. Except that, Hayama Hayato felt bad. For not defending Hikigaya, even if he was just a person that he secretly traded letters (not that Hikigaya know) with. Even if he was not really a friend. Between the justice and social status, he had chosen the latter.
Hayama Hayato was jealous. Of Yuigahama that could openly defend Hikigaya. Of Totsuka that could openly make Hikigaya smile. What could he do? Just watch as people badmouth Hikigaya. Or just make him angry that he received a glare from him.
A sudden rush of emotions, anger, jealousy and sadness flowed through Hayama. Of course, the surface of his face was the usual cheerful one, but he was nearly on the verge of breaking down. Luckily for his unstable emotions, after Yuigahama's outburst, everyone was not in a good mood and the group parted to leave.
Walking home, Hayama Hayato couldn't stop thinking and feeling the emotions. Must be the stupid neurotransmitters causing my emotions to fluctuate, he thought. Calm down, calm down, he told himself.
The walk maybe, or maybe, the cynical voice of Hikigaya saying get REAL in his head. Hayama Hayato face curled into a smile. He knew what to do. It would be scary. It might be socially suicidal. But maybe, it might just work.
