EDIT: I am revamping the story. It's gonna be entirely from Yukino's POV now. So ignore some of the stuff I say at the bottom. Thanks!

Relativity

The theory of relativity was something I learned as part of the high school curriculum. Of course, it wasn't in depth coverage of relativity. Instead of focusing on calculations, the teacher simply described the phenomenon and demonstrated the concept through thinking exercises.

The shrinking of distance and the dilation of time... These ideas kept me intellectually stimulated for the weeks we covered them, but the class didn't sate my thirst for more knowledge of the subject. Because of this, I bought different books on relativity and physics. I read them avidly in the clubroom, taking breaks to respond to Yuigahama and insult Hikigaya.

The latter had become a habit. Even in our third year, when we were spending considerably less time with each other because of the upcoming tests to get into universities, the three of us continued to act the same towards each other. Even the setting and atmosphere of the clubroom were the same. The sun painting the clubroom a vibrant orange as it begins to set and the three of us sitting in almost complete silence. That silence would be broken by the flipping of pages, the vibration of a phone or the sudden question from Yuigahama.

"Yukinon, you wanna hang out later?" Yuigahama smiled at me as she asked the question I had heard countless times.

"Hmm... If 'hang out' means study together, then sure." I smiled back at her while she groaned loudly.

"Ughhh, I've done so much studying already, you know!"

"Have you, now? Then..." I asked her a fairly difficult question about English grammar.

"Uhh..." While I watched Yuigahama struggle, Hikigaya spoke up.

"It's a dangling participle."

"... Dangle? Is that a bad word?" I sighed in response to Yuigahama.

"Hikigaya-kun is right. Although I don't remember giving you permission to answer."

"What are you, my supervisor? I don't remember signing any contracts that give you power over me."

"Oh, I just assumed superiority over you since you are lower than human, is all."

"I think you just have a superiority complex, Yukinoshita-sama." These insults continued for a while, like a rally in tennis, until Yuigahama's laughter acted like the net, abruptly breaking the flow of the exchange.

"You two never change." As Yuigahama continued to giggle, Hikigaya-kun and I glared at each other.

But after the usual, quiet atmosphere of the clubroom returned, I couldn't help but think of what Yuigahama had said.

You two never change.

That was surely false. Hikigaya-kun had changed significantly. Sacrificing himself to preserve something he hardly cared about was a thing of the distant past. He also seemed to become more caring and more aware of his surroundings. He had definitely grown from two years of being in the Service Club.

But I, on the other hand, had not changed one bit.

We eventually graduated from Sobu High School, ready to leave behind that clubroom we had grown so accustomed to. I was accepted to the University of Tokyo, while Hikigaya and Yuigahama were going to colleges in Chiba. The day of our graduation was in the spring, thus the sakura trees had blossomed and the town was covered in splotches of light pink. That day, after the ceremony was over, the three of us walked up to the clubroom with Hiratsuka-sensei. After sitting in our tacitly assigned seats, we looked to her for some explanation.

"Well, you three are graduating… So it's about time I tell you who won this battle royale." Hiratsuka-sensei seemed to puff her already large chest in excitement.

Ah, that's right… There was a competition between the three of us. I had nearly forgotten.

As Hiratsuka-sensei continued to build suspense by rambling on about the competition, the three of us sat there in anticipation, though I had suspicions on who had won. As I looked over to Hikigaya, he looked at me and nodded very slightly.

It seems that he knows as well. I hate to admit defeat, but…

"Hikigaya is the winner! Well, I'll leave you to decide the orders to give to Yuigahama and Yukinoshita." As Hiratsuka-sensei walked out of the room, Hikigaya stood up and moved his chair so that he was closer to the two of us. It seemed as if he was deliberately moving slowly, consciously thinking about each step towards us. Once he had sat down in front of Yuigahama and me, he spoke his order clearly and concisely.

"Could the three of us be friends?"

Despite fulfilling his wish, we didn't spend much time together during the intermission period between graduation and the beginning of the term at the University of Tokyo. After all, it was in his character to not seek companionship; that much hadn't changed. But occasionally, his younger sister would call either Yui or me to plan an event or outing. When he was invited to those, he gladly accepted.

One of these outings was to Destinyland. We had avoided most of the attractions that were bound to give me anxiety once I had gotten on them, but we eventually arrived to the ride that Hikigaya and I rode during the Christmas event a year ago. While those memories played back in my head, Hikigaya spoke up.

"I want to ride this one."

"You sure? But Yukinon-"

"It should be fine… I was okay last time, after all." Hikigaya looked at me and nodded, while Yuigahama looked a bit skeptical. After seeing all of that, the younger Hikigaya sibling decided to speak up.

"Ah, I want to ride this too, you know! Yui-san, can we ride together?"

"H-huh? Uh… Sure…" Yuigahama reluctantly accepted, causing me to be paired with Hikigaya for the ride. We chatted in the line to pass the time, but that didn't ease my fears. However, as we sat down and the bar lowered in order to secure us, Hikigaya looked at me and started talking in order to distract me from the impending drop.

"So, do you know what department you'll be in at college?"

"Hmm… Law, probably." My father had said it was a good career choice for me, so I decided to follow his guidance.

"Ah, I see. I'm not sure what I will do yet." We sat there in silence as the car ascended. My anxiety returned, causing me to breathe heavily and grab tightly onto the bar in front of me. Noticing this, Hikigaya stated something that fully grasped my attention. "Maybe that fish will find it's place in college..."

Ah, from that one time... I'm not entirely sure that will happen.

"If the fish doesn't... Can I still rely on you to help me?" I watched his lips turn slightly upward as he nodded at the question. And at the peak of the ascent, I continued to stare at him, noticing his rotten fish eyes gazing at me intently and that unruly piece of hair that I've secretly always wanted to comb down. Then the glowing castle in the background turned into a white blur as the car began its descent.

Later that night, when Yuigahama and I had separated from Hikigaya and made our way to my apartment for a sleepover, Yuigahama helped me start packing for college. I had planned to leave the next day so I could settle down in a new apartment in Tokyo.

"Do you need all these Pan-san dolls, Yukinon?"

"Hmm… Maybe not all of them. You can have that one, if you'd like." I pointed at a Pan-san that I had a duplicate of at my family's home.

"R-really? Hehe…" Yuigahama giggled quietly.

"What is it?"

"Now I'll have another thing to remember you by."

"I'm not very far away. You could come visit anytime you want." Yuigahama's smile slowly faded as she looked downward.

"It's not the same as you being here, though." Saying that, she clenched her fist tightly and started to tremble.

"Yuigahama…"

"Call me Yui. It's only right after all we've been through."

"Hmm… Y-Yui." Hearing me say that, Yuigahama beamed widely and suddenly embraced me.

"Thanks, Yukinon." We stayed like that for a while. When we finally separated, Yuigahama spoke in a quiet voice, as if telling a secret. "I still love him, you know."

There is only one man who she could be referring to. If she still has feelings for Hikigaya, that has no affect on me or this friendship we all share. Yet… why does my chest feel tight?

"That's fine."

"But, Yukinon you-"

"I what?"

"You don't realize it?" As I shook my head to confirm her statement, she sighed and turned away from me. "Yukinon… I'm going to be a bit selfish from now on." Still not understanding her, I stood there in silence. She eventually turned to me and spoke. "We'll still be friends, right?"

I don't entirely understand, but...

"We have a promise to keep, don't we?" Yuigahama smiled at me and laughed.

"Yes, we do… All right, back to packing!"

The next day, Hikigaya and Yuigahama accompanied me to the station, standing with me and my belongings on the platform while we waited for the train to arrive. But instead of excitement, fear or anxiety about the future, I felt an emotion that I couldn't name. A feeling of nostalgia mixed with a sudden feeling of loneliness, despite the knowledge that I was still very close to Chiba, pervaded my senses, making me a bit reluctant to leave.

"Yukinon, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"We're gonna miss you, you know." Yuigahama turned to Hikigaya for confirmation, and Hikigaya nodded in agreement. I saw that and the feeling continued to grow, making my chest feel an unfamiliar tightness.

"… Yeah. I'm not very far, so I can come visit every now and then."

"I'll definitely visit you, Yukinon!" Hikigaya remained quiet.

Well that's to be expected… After all, it is Hikigaya. He also wouldn't go of his way to come visit me. Maybe I'll see him when I visit Yuigahama…

With those thoughts in my head, I could barely hear what Hikigaya quietly said next.

"We're all still going to be friends." Not a question, but a statement. In response, I smiled at him.

"Of course. It was your order, remember?"

"That's right, Hikki!" He sighed and smiled at us. He still needed to work on his smile that looked more like a grimace, but I knew that he meant it. I turned as the train reached the station and walked forward once the doors opened.

"See you later, Yukinon!"

"Later!"

As I walked into the doorway and found a seat near windows that faced the platform, I saw them waving at me one more time. As the train was set into motion, starting to leave while they stood still, I mouthed a single word to Hikigaya and Yuigahama.

"Goodbye."

After arriving in Tokyo, there was a taxi waiting to take me to my new place of residence. My parents had taken care of everything in order for me to settle down in Tokyo quickly and easily. They even hired people to furnish my new apartment. As I sat in the backseat of the taxi and watched new scenery appear and disappear as I continued moving, I couldn't help but miss Chiba.

I arrived at my new apartment, which was on the top floor of the building. Opening the door, I noticed that all of the furniture was the same, even the orientation, as my former apartment. I started unpacking, hanging my clothes in the walk-in closet and arranging my Pan-san dolls around my room.

And after finishing that endeavor, I brewed some tea and sat down to relax. But I couldn't shake the uneasiness I felt in my new surroundings, which mixed in with my longing to return to Chiba. Despite being in a new place with my future within my sight, one idea dominated the rest of my thoughts.

One consequence of relativity is that two people passing by each other in the vacuum of space can't tell which one of them is moving. And while the world in which I lived in was surely not a vacuum, a suspicion arose in my mind.

Maybe they are the ones moving, and I'm the one who's standing still.

Yui Interlude

I usually try my best to be unselfish when it comes to dealing with others. But I wonder all the time if there is any time when being selfish is okay. I want to be selfish, but will people hate me for it? I wouldn't want the two people I care about the most to dislike me... Especially after all the three of us have been through.

In the clubroom I watched how those two acted with each other, and I felt jealous. It always seemed they were on a different wavelength from the rest of the world. I could reach out to them, but there were instances where it felt like they were completely separate from me.

Unconsciously, they would set up this gap that I couldn't cross. Is that enough to justify selfishness? Is being jealous of them enough? If it wasn't, then what was? And if there is no justification, then could I ever be selfish?

The boy whom I loved and the girl whom I cherished were a bit too perfect for each other. But they didn't know that, at least not at the moment. Would my best friend, who is also my rival, approve of me taking action?

Those feelings that I was conscious of, yet kept to myself... They have yet to be answered. But just as I told Yukinon, I need to tell myself.

I'm going to a bit selfish from now on.

Hey all, it's been a while. I've been uninspired when it comes to Oregairu lately (Smooth Talk epilogue has been going nowhere). Anyway, here's a new fic. I plan for each chapter to be from a different POV. So, next one will be Yui.

So, I hope you enjoyed this. It's my first time writing from Yukino's perspective, so it might be off. Also, OOC Hachiman is intentional.

Thanks for reading,

Bchets