~xXx~
It's been roughly 3 months since the day Yukino first materialised into our lives. Not in her ghost form, no, but as a physical entity through the neat little trick we discovered. Of course, being the excitable little sister she is, Komachi insisted on celebrating this quarter of an anniversary. Although, part of me is sure she's only doing this because she wants treats. If that's the case, she definitely succeeded as poor Mum succumbed to her puppy dog eyes and gave us a small allowance.
That is why the three of us, being Komachi, Yukino, and myself are in a nearby mall.
Now, if I were any other teenager, I would've went on this totally exciting adventure (lol) without putting much thought into it. If my experience with all the series I have watched showed me anything, it's that it would've resulted in a lot of trouble, seeing as how Yukino is supposed to be, you know, dead. Thankfully, I am a very logical person and thus made some preparations for this. The disguise Yukino has on consists of non prescription glasses, a simple ponytail, and relatively cheap clothing which hid what were arguably her most notable traits.
I also briefed Komachi on a tale to tell her friends if we met any of them, and they asked about Yukino. Basically, she's a visiting cousin who goes by the name 'Yuki'. It works since Komachi is used to calling her 'Yuki-nee' in her shrill and excited tone. Thankfully, she understood the importance of maintaining this lie and promised not to mention the true nature of our relationship.
"I still think this is unnecessary Hachiman. It's not as if people would specifically look out for me, especially considering I'm dead. At the most, they'll just write me off as a look-alike."
Of course, Yukino doubts my actions. While I can see where she's coming from, I wish she'd understand that it's sometimes better to be safe than sorry. What if someone really recognised her? What then? Would she be taken from us? Would something worse happen? I don't know, and that's why I felt it better to be prudent. I expressed as much to her, to which she answered with a sigh and a hesitant 'I suppose'.
Oh come on Yukino, don't be so down. Quick Komachi, give her some of your energy! I can feel her enthusiasm drain at a critical rate!
"Yuki-nee!" as expected she took notice of the older girl's relative lack of interest, "Don't be such a party pooper! We're gonna have lots of fun! We'll eat some dessert, then we can go find new Pan-san toys for you, then we can go eat dessert!"
Oi, dessert is expensive you know? We can't possibly afford it twice after buying Pan-san merchandise you know?~
"Yup! That's why we're relying on your share of money for the Pan-san toys Onii-chan!"
Wha-did I say that out loud? Oi, I never agreed to this! I want some of my own toys too!
"Mou, Onii-chan already has his game consoles. Why would you want toys?"
Spoke aloud again?! I-Ugh, I can't fight it. Fine, but only because my love for my sister(s) overpowered my own selfish greed okay? I should be commended for my bountiful love, damn it!
"Fine. But don't spend so much that I have to watch you two eat dessert the second time without any of my own."
Komachi skips ahead with a giggle. "Onii-chan can always share mine! Kyaaah, so many Komachi points!"
I hear the Ice Queen stifle a laugh at her antics, no doubt hiding a small grin behind her hand. It's kind of cute actually. Not Komachi levels of course but still cute.
"Please don't buy too much Pan-san merchandise Yukino..." I begged the great Ice Queen, who granted me a merciful gaze.
"Of course Hachiman. Contrary to your musings, I do have self-restraint."
With that said we quickly move forward to catch up to Komachi, who was already looking through the directory for shops that sell treats for her sweet tooth. I can feel Mum's hard earned cash crumpling beneath the weight of the cost already... Ah well, whatever it takes to keep the gem of the Hikigaya family happy I guess.
"Onii-chan, Yuki-nee! Does this one sound good to you?"
She pointed towards a name on the screen. It looked like a generic name for a cafe... Komachi, why are your tastes so typical? Still, I'm glad you thought of asking for our opinions first! Not... that I have much of an opinion. I glance at Yukino, who herself seems to be lost. Seems neither of us have had much experiences in terms of cafes. Hmm... In such situations, give the simplest answer possible!
"I'm fine with anything Komachi."
"Yes, as am I."
Komachi squealed in delight and began bouncing her way to where the cafe was located. Jeez, how are you this excited for some treats? Did we not satiate your sweet tooth for like, a whole month? And while you're at it, stop shouting at us to hurry up! There's a lot of people in this mall you know? I can feel hundreds of eyes judging us! Specifically, how someone as grouchy and creepy looking as me could possibly be the big brother of a bundle of joy like you. It's hurting my pride damn it!
"Hachiman, I suggest we hurry to avoid further embarrassment."
I hummed in agreement.
When the cafe entered our line of sight, I noted how it looked like every other typical cafe one would normally imagine. No surprises there, since it's just another corporate one in a mall and not some super homely family run cafe ripped right out of an anime setting. I could already tell their products wouldn't be worth the no doubt outrageously high costs. Whatever, anything to make my Imouto happy. At the very worst they'll spend all of my allowance on toys so they have enough for a second round of desserts, leaving me to go home early with empty hands... man that's just sad. Stay strong, Hachiman!
We entered the cafe, and I immediately grimaced at everything inside. Tables of couples and cliques both with and without any restraint on their volumes, as well as the obviously plastered on smiles of the poor servers having to attend to them. I feel so bad for these working students...
"Hachiman," Yukino tugged at my sleeve, "your repulsive eyes will have us kicked out before they even seat us."
"Oh, r-right." Stay strong, don't ruin it for Komachi!
One of the waiters, and I'm surprised it's not a generic waitress, brings us to a table in the middle. I cringe internally as it's literally surrounded from every angle by noise, specifically on the other side of the small wooden blockade next to us, where what sounded like three people were chatting up a storm. Yukino seemed to share the same sentiment, sighing wearily as she took her seat next to Komachi. Hopefully something on the menu will lighten the mood. Otherwise, even Komachi with her max level of situational unawareness will take notice.
Of course my hopes are misplaced as all I see are the typical overpriced desserts with needlessly lavish names. There is one saving grace though; they have MAX Coffee. Ah whatever, it's a special occasion (sort of) so I might as well. I settled for the cheapest cheesecake they had and a can of heaven's nectar, while Komachi agreed to share a bigger slice of tiramisu and some tea in order to cut some cost. Interesting, it seems they're more excited for new toys than I thought. Maybe they already pinched every last bit of fun they could with their current ones?
Thankfully our orders arrived sooner than I expected, and I quickly popped open my can of MAX Coffee, letting the taste distract me from the surrounding noise. Ah~, what would the world be without you MAX Coffee?
"Onii-chan, your addiction to that drink is worrying."
Heh? Did I say that part aloud? What is wrong with me today...
"Listen Komachi, when life is so bitter, then at the very least the coffee should be sweet." I say in my best impression of a wise sage's voice, smiling rather smugly. In response, both Komachi and Yukino give me questioning gazes.
"At least you didn't go all black like most bitter people do. That's like, your only redeeming quality Onii-chan."
Are you implying that I'm otherwise like your stereotype edgelords? That hurt Komachi! Your Komachi points just decreased by a substantial amount!
"Whatever. Eat your cake so we can get out of here."
Both the girls began to pick apart at their tiramisu. To be specific, Komachi insisted on feeding Yukino, who accepted the offer with as much grace as she could. Heh, adorable. Following suit I take a bite of my own cake. It's not bad, but it could be less sticky. Well what do I know? I don't bake cakes. Deciding I had enough, I go back to my MAX, sipping at it bit by bit. After all, I had a inkling that a certain Imouto wouldn't be satisfied by the tiramisu.
"Ah! We finished the cake already?"
"It would seem so Komachi-chan." Yukino said as she began sniffing her tea.
"Eh?! But..."
As expected. I pushed my plate towards her, feeling rather proud of myself. "Here Komachi, I don't want mine anymore." Her eyes lit up at the prospect of more cake, and she immediately begin cutting away. I chuckled at the sight.
"Excuse me, I need to use the ladies." Yukino sets down her drink and made her way out of the booth.
"Wait for me Yuki-nee!" Komachi said with a mouthful of cake, miraculously managing to shove in the last bit on the plate before running after her. Is my little sister a magician?
With a sigh, I gulp down the last bits of my coffee and call for the bill. Let it be said that Hikigaya Hachiman can be a gentleman when he wants to damn it. Mum and Dad didn't raise me so poorly you gossiping middle-school classmates!
"Eh? You're trying for Sobu High Yumi-chan?! That's like, really hard isn't it?"
That caught my attention. It seems the table next to ours has someone who also took the entrance test for Sobu. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit curious. Since Sobu only accepts the best of the best, if this 'Yumi-chan' got in then they'd have some smarts. Then again, their friend sounds like a riajuu so... who knows.
"Yeah. My dad kinda inspired me to try it y'know."
"Wow! I hope you get in Yumi-chan, good luck!" A third guy's voice chimes in.
"Haah? I don't need luck. I worked hard for it, so if I get in it's my own effort. If not, then I should've tried harder."
Huh... I like your style of thinking miss. Oh, looks like the bill is coming. Time to stop eavesdropping and go find my sisters I guess.
~xXx~
"I still can't understand how this all works you know. I mean, how do you go from a ghost to a fully functioning human being just from skin contact with me for a few seconds?"
"Sometimes Hikigaya-kun, it's better to take your blessings and not think about it."
I scoffed at that. Surely there's bound to be some consequences, like maybe an additional allergy, or there's some kind of illness that grows each time she materialises. Yet so far, in the months since we first found out, she's been completely normal. In fact, better than normal, as she didn't even have to deal with that time of the month, much to Mum's envy. Stranger still, she seems to have aged despite being dead. Before she first materialised she looked the way she did when she died. Now? With the exception of her ironing board of a chest, she's grown up, even out of the clothes she died in. Now, she goes back to her ghost form with whatever she had on, the actual garments going ghost with her. That's frankly disturbing the more I think about it. It's like a really badly shoved in deus ex machina.
Still, I can't complain too much. Had there been any of the problems I can think of, which make up a really long list by the way, then she wouldn't be as happy as she is now. Well, I say happy but it's more like she's comfortable. Content with being able to live life again. At least, live as much as having to be within a certain distance of me allows her to. No I'm not a possessive creep damn it! The materialisation just kinda stops when we're too far away from each other.
"Hachiman?"
I'm snapped out of my thoughts to be faced with the inquiring gaze of my best friend and impromptu sister.
"Ah, sorry what was it?"
She simply sighed. "I was asking what you planned on doing when you're accepted into Sobu, but now I see you have no plans whatsoever."
"Sometimes Yukino, it's better we don't waste too much time thinking about a future that cannot be predict-wait, 'when'?"
"Yes."
"As in, inevitably accepted into Sobu? No doubts whatsoever?"
"Yes? I did tutor you myself after all."
Of course. I thought she was confident in me for once. She was just confident in her own abilities to tutor me. Hey, doesn't that indirectly mean she's confident I was able to learn from her? Well, not that she was very good at teaching mind you. Mum played a larger part in that. Meh, I'll take whatever small victories I can get. I kinda-sorta-probably got indirectly complimented by the Ice Queen. Hooray.
"Well truth be told, I'm not too sure what I'll do. I only know that I want to avoid making the same mistakes I did in middle school. That one specifically."
Concern graces the Ice Queen's face, surprising me for a moment. "Social suicides were a mistake Hachiman, calculated or not. Remember that, okay?"
How could I forget... Those two specifically. Yes, I had promised her hadn't I? I won't hurt those who care about me for the sake of helping others again. As much as I doubt it sometimes, it is undeniable that I, Hikigaya Hachiman, despite being loner extraordinaire, have people who care about me. Mum, Dad, Komachi... my best friend.
"I promised Yukino. Not once more."
Scooching over, she rested her head on my shoulders, tucking her new Pan-san doll between our arms as she linked them.
"Be sure to keep your promise, Hachiman."
"Of course, my best friend." A small smile grew on her face as she hummed.
The companionable air surrounding us; the comfort we found in each others presence, we had grown accustomed to one another since we first met. While I can't say I'm particularly glad about the circumstances we met under, I am glad that we did. Who knows how my life would've turned out had I not found a best friend in Yukino.
With that thought in mind, I slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle breathing of the sleeping Ice Queen.
~Author's Note~
For those who somehow looked forward to this despite my warnings about my bad writing, apologies for the wait. For those who somehow don't mind, below is a rather long A/N.
After rewriting this chapter 4 times with entirely different scenarios, I finally settled on this one. The main point of this chapter is to give an idea of the dynamic between this AU's Hikigaya and Yukinoshita, and the changes to relationships with those surrounding them. Simultaneously I'm setting up some ground rules for Yukinoshita's Ghosting(TM). To summarise, and to give myself something to refer to in case I somehow lose my copies of my notes:
The Hachi/Yuki Relationship
-Status: Best friends/Impromptu Siblings. (No romance here fellow crew of the USS HachiYuki.)
The Yuki/Komachi Relationship The Hikigaya Parents' Relationship with the 3 of them
-Status: Impromptu Siblings. Closer than, say, a certain recent anime's quintuplets. Why? I'll get around to it.
The rules of Yukinoshita's Ghosting(TM)
-When incorporeal, Yukinoshita can only interact with Hikigaya and animals. (Insert joke about Hikigaya being an animal who preys on chastity here)
-Skin to skin contact with Hikigaya for 5~ seconds materialises Yukinoshita
-When materialised, Yukinoshita is a completely functioning human being, with the luxury of lacking periods.
-When returning to incorporeal state, clothes Yukinoshita donned beforehand become incorporeal with her and vice versa.
Now on the off chance you took note of the small (kinda big) changes in this AU (Ha, but that would require you to not immediately retch at it! As if!), such as Hikigaya and Yukinoshita being on a first name basis, or Hikigaya already acknowledging the harm brought by his Social Suicides(TM), I have better reasons than "He had a friend and this things changed lol". I hope I'm able to convey said reasons with better writing in the future. In due time I suppose...