The sun had set long ago, and the sky had turned the color of black ink. Small specks of light dotted across the inky sky and the moon reflected the sun's rays onto the city. The surrounding buildings had their lights turned on at full force, making them appear as if they were stars that had fallen from the sky.
Though in this glowing environment, two teenagers walking side by side radiated the brightest, their faces and ears scarlet red.
Although they were originally with their classmates, Yukinoshita and Hikigaya had stayed behind longer than the rest, and their slow walking speed increased the difference in distance even more. Now, they were alone, walking side by side.
"Are you sure walking together doesn't bother you?" Hikigaya said as his hands fidgeted in his pockets. His gaze was forced straight ahead, though he couldn't help but take a glance at the blushing Yukinoshita next to him once in a while.
"I already said it was fine, didn't I? We're far enough away from the hotel anyway, so our classmates shouldn't be able to see us." Yukinoshita held her left arm as she walked, though it did nothing to support her quivering voice.
Hikigaya swallowed.
"R-Right…"
And so, the two continued walking, though unlike in their past, the sound of their footsteps weren't the only things keeping them company.
In a few minutes, Yukinoshita and Hikigaya had reached the hotel. Staring at the building, Hikigaya couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. Unbeknownst to him, Yukinoshita felt the same.
"I guess this is it," sighed Hikigaya.
"Yes, I guess it is," replied Yukinoshita. "Thank you for walking me back. See you tomorrow."
Hikigaya smiled. "See you tomorro-"
He was interrupted by a low rumbling.
"I-I'm sorry!" exclaimed Yukinoshita.
Hikigaya looked down to see Yukinoshita covering her stomach. Looking back up, he saw her eyes averted to the ground.
He heard a second rumbling.
This time, Hikigaya turned away, his hand on his stomach.
"I-I guess we both haven't eaten yet, huh…" Hikigaya said as he stared at the ground.
"Y-Yes, this whole ordeal didn't give me much time to eat…" Yukinoshita glanced at Hikigaya out of the corner of her eye only to see him doing the same. They both quickly looked away.
Yukinoshita cleared her throat and straightened her posture. With a tint of pink on her cheeks, Yukinoshita stutterd out an invitation. "I-In the hotel my class is staying at, there's a small restaurant. I heard it's quite good, so…" Yukinoshita rubbed the palms of her hands together below her waist. "Would you like to… eat with me?"
A cold breeze flew by as Yukinoshita finished her sentence, making Hikigaya and Yukinoshita's hair drift in the wind. Although the breeze was cold, the warmth they felt made it unnoticeable.
"I don't mind, but what if people see us together? Won't rumors start?"
"I don't think anyone's eating right now, since we did get back a bit later than the others."
"Maybe, but…"
"Really, it's fine. Besides, if rumors do somehow start, you'll be there with me to stop them, right?" Yukinoshita gave a small smile.
"I guess... it's fine if you're alright with it. My wallet's back at my hotel, though. I'll go get it."
"My wallet's closer, since it's in my room. I can pay."
"No, but…"
"I can pay," Yukinoshita proclaimed.
"Of course," Hikigaya quickly said.
"Follow me inside, then. You can reserve us a table while I get my wallet." The small smile had begun beaming.
"Sure."
Hikigaya and Yukinoshita approached the entrance, the latter of two holding the door open.
"Oh, uh… thanks."
"You're welcome."
Yukinoshita followed Hikigaya inside, who had waited for her to enter by the side of the door. Yukinoshita took the lead and Hikigaya followed suit behind her. Yukinoshita's steps were confident and showed no hesitance, and her head stared straight ahead, as if she knew exactly where she was going.
Did Yukinoshita finally get a sense of direction? Should I write this miracle down in a notebook somewhere? What's the date and tim-
"Excuse me, do you know the location of the restaurant in this hotel?" Yukinoshita was standing in front of the receptionist's desk.
Of course.
The receptionist tried to give directions to Yukinoshita, who was visibly confused. Giving up, the receptionist gave her a piece of paper and pointed towards the edge of it.
Hikigaya waited awkwardly next to her, scratching the back of his neck.
"Thank you very much." Yukinoshita turned towards Hikigaya. "I'll go to my room now. The restaurant is located… here," said Yukinoshita, pointing at the piece of paper.
"Okay, I'll see you later. Don't get lost on your way back to your room." Hikigaya chuckled at his own joke.
"That only happened once…" Yukinoshita muttered. "See you later." Yukinoshita gave a small wave and turned around, presumably towards her room.
Hikigaya turned back towards the receptionist. "Directions?"
Hikigaya was promptly given the directions to the hotel, and as he made his way towards the restaurant, he saw the receptionist give him a thumbs up out of the corner of his eye.
It's not like that…
Upon reaching the restaurant, Hikigaya took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The restaurant was indeed small, but the furniture and ambience of the restaurant certainly made up for it. The walls were lined with various paintings, and one wall was almost made entirely out glass, giving a simply astonishing view. Tables, covered with a cloth, lined the window, each with a small lantern hanging from the ceiling. A small bar was in the corner of the room.
Unsurprisingly, no one was inside except for a waiter. It was getting late, after all.
"Table for one?" The waiter asked.
"Two," responded Hikigaya
"This way, please." The waiter began walking towards one of the window tables with Hikigaya following close behind.
The waiter gestured for Hikigaya to sit down, and he obliged.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked the waiter, placing down two menus as she spoke.
"I'll wait for my companion to arrive first. Thank you." The waiter nodded her head in response and walked away back towards the door.
Waiting for Yukinoshita, Hikigaya stared at the cityscape through the window, admiring the view. Lights blinked on and off, and small balls of light traveled throughout the city. A transparent reflection of the interior of the restaurant slightly obstructed his view.
A few minutes passed, and Hikigaya saw the door to the restaurant open in the reflection of the window.
Hikigaya turned around to see the waiter with her hand stretched outwards towards him. Yukinoshita, nodding her head towards the waiter, made her way to the table at which Hikigaya was sitting at.
"I'm sorry for the wait. It took a bit of time to get here even with the layout of the hotel," Yukinoshita said as she sat down, still wearing her school uniform. Setting aside a small brown purse, Yukinoshita ran her fingers through her hair.
Her hair looks straighter and glossier than before.
"Hikigaya-kun? Are you okay?" Yukinoshita asked, a worried expression on her face. "Are you upset with me for taking so long?"
Hikigaya finally exhaled, realizing that he had been holding his breath with his eyes fixated on her. "O-Oh uh… it's nothing like that. Don't worry about it, you actually didn't take that long."
"I see." Yukinoshita said, her face relaxing back to a smile. "Did you order yet?"
"Not yet. I decided to wait for you."
"You didn't have to do that. You were hungry, weren't you?"
"Yeah but…" Hikigaya averted his eyes, and a slight warmth caressed his cheeks Yukinoshita, upon noticing his cheeks reddening, blushed along with him, her lips shaping into a small "O".
"Well, now that I'm here, we can start ordering now." Yukinoshita said as she opened up the menu. Hikigaya mirrored her actions.
Hikigaya scanned the menu, noticing a pasta dish.
"What are you getting, Hikigaya-kun? I can't seem to make up my mind."
"I'm getting number twenty-three. It's a pasta dish, and I'm also getting a black tea."
"I guess I'll get the pasta dish as well, though why are you ordering black tea? They serve Max Coffee here as well."
"The furnishing here makes me want to order something more… mature?"
Yukinoshita chuckled, placing her fingertips on her lips. "Mature? I never knew ordering tea makes you seem more 'mature', as you put it." Yukinoshita was laughing now.
Hikigaya cleared his throat and made a small wave towards the waiter, who promptly walked over.
"I'll have number twenty-three along with a black tea."
The waiter nodded. "And the young lady?"
Yukinoshita, having recovered from her laughing, replied. "I'll have what he's having, including the drink."
"Alright, your order will arrive shortly." The waiter took the menus and went towards a door next to the bar.
As the two waited for their orders, Hikigaya decided to strike up a conversation.
"Did you enjoy your trip?"
"Yes, I found it quite enjoyable. My group mates weren't much of a bother, either."
"That's nice. Your group mates were the people at 'The Garden With Tiger Cubs Crossing', right?"
"That's correct. What about you, Hikigaya-kun? How did you find your trip?"
"It was alright, though I might need to get my blazer fixed." Hikigaya chuckled.
"Why's that?" Yukinoshita said as she raised a brow.
"Oh, that's because..." Hikigaya had a small flashback of the haunted house.
"Because?..." Yukinoshita leaned in.
Why am I so nervous? Calm down, Hachiman!
"I visited a haunted house during the trip, and Kawasaki and Yuigahama held onto my blazer since they got scared." Hikigaya finished with a nervous laughter.
"I see…" Yukinoshita fell backwards, a small pout on her face.
Crap, crap, I made her upset!
"I wish you had come with us, though…" Hikigaya followed to appease Yukinoshita, though he actually meant it.
Yukinoshita's cheeks reddened once again and her mouth, which was slightly open, quivered. "O-Oh, um… I wish I had been there as well…" Her voice got quieter as she went on, making Hikigaya's cheeks scarlet as well.
The kitchen door opened, and the waiter came out with two trays, each with a plate of pasta and a glass of black tea.
"Here you are." The waiter set down the plates and drinks in front of Hikigaya and Yukinoshita. "Enjoy your meal."
"Thank you." Hikigaya and Yukinoshita said together.
"My pleasure." The waiter smiled at the two and walked back towards the entrance of the restaurant.
"Thank you for the food."
"Thanks for the food."
Hikigaya and Yukinoshita each took ahold of a fork and sampled the pasta.
"It's quite good," Yukinoshita said, covering her mouth as she chewed.
"Yep. Aren't you happy that you copied me?" Hikigaya said as he took a sip of his tea. "The tea's good as well."
"Oh?" Yukinoshita took a sip. "I think my tea is better, though."
"We ordered the same tea, genius."
"I meant the tea I make back at club, genius."
"Right." Hikigaya took another sip.
"What do you think?" Yukinoshita asked as she stared out the window, her hand twirling pasta with her fork.
"About what?"
"My tea." Yukinoshita glanced back at Hikigaya, her head still turned towards the window.
"I…" Hikigaya swallowed. "I think your tea is better."
"That's good to hear." Yukinoshita said with a cheerful voice. She turned her head back to her plate.
The two continued eating, asking questions here and there about the field trip. Soon enough, their plates and glasses were empty.
"That was an enjoyable meal." Yukinoshita wiped her mouth with the supplied napkin.
"I have to agree." Hikigaya reached for the napkin beside him, intending to wipe his mouth.
As he was about to grab the napkin, he felt a vibration in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, Hikigaya saw a mail on the screen.
Where r u? Wats taking u so long to get back?
"Who mailed you?" Yukinoshita asked as she set down her napkin.
"Yuigahama. She's asking where I am." Hikigaya typed a quick reply and put his phone back in his pocket.
"I suppose it is getting quite late. We should be heading back soon." Yukinoshita waved for the waiter.
Setting aside a few bills, Yukinoshita and Hikigaya made their way towards the exit.
"Thank you for dining here. I hoped you enjoyed your meal."
"We did, thank you very much."
"Yeah, thanks."
Stepping outside the restaurant, Hikigaya turned to see Yukinoshita checking her phone.
"Did Yuigahama text you as well?"
"Yes, she's asking if I made it back to the hotel safely," Yukinoshita said as she finished typing. Putting her phone back into her purse, Yukinoshita started shuffling the inside of the purse around. "I'll give you some money for a taxi, since it's quite late."
"It's fine. You already paid for our meals, so it wouldn't be right if you paid for transportation, too."
"But you ate with me because I asked you to."
"I probably would have asked you to eat with me if you hadn't asked first. Don't worry about it, really." Hikigaya shifted his eyes to the wall next to Yukinoshita as he spoke.
Yukinoshita looked away. "Is that so… Make sure you're careful, then. I'll call Hiratsuka-sensei later to see if you got back safely."
"If you're that worried, then I'll send you a mail when I get back."
Wait, I don't have her email address or her phone number. Did I just say something smooth on accident?
"I guess that would be easier… " Yukinoshita held her hand outwards. "C-Can I borrow your phone, then?"
"Sure…" Hikigaya pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen, and passed it to Yukinoshita, who began tapping the screen hesitantly.
"Here." Yukinoshita offered the phone back to Hikigaya.
"Thanks." Hikigaya looked at the screen, seeing a new entry in his contacts labeled 'Yukinoshita Yukino'. Tapping the contact, Hikigaya saw an email address and phone number, along with a small star next to the entries. "You added yourself to my favorites?"
Yukinoshita flinched. "Oh, um… I wanted you to remember to contact me when you got back, so I added myself. I hope you don't mind. You can remove me afterwards."
"It's not a problem." Hikigaya pressed the call button, and Yukinoshita reached into her pocket, taking out a vibrating phone. Next, he sent a mail.
It's only natural to give back equal of what was received, after all.
Yukinoshita tapped the screen of her phone a few times and looked back towards Hikigaya. "Thank you."
"No problem. I can walk you back to your room. It's the least I can do after you paid for our meals."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that, but aren't you late?"
Hikigaya shrugged. "I'm already late, so it shouldn't matter at this point."
"Unpunctual as always." Yukinoshita chuckled. "Well, I´m too tired to argue against that logic, so let's go."
"Right."
Yuigahama looked back and forth between two conversations on her cellphone. One of the conversations was labeled 'Hikki', and the other labeled 'Yukinon'.
At the bottom of each conversation was a message.
I just finished eating dinner. I´ll be back soon
I just finished eating dinner at my hotel.
Yuigahama felt her stomach form into a knot as she continued looking back and forth at the messages along with the time the messages were sent at.
I'm just being paranoid, right?