Chapter 3: Slowly, But Surely, Spring Buds Begin to Bloom Beneath the Winter Snow

"You… What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Good morning, Hikigaya-kun."

Much like I had the past two days, I had woken up earlier than usual and I put in some extra effort to head to Hikigaya-kun's house before school started. Much like he was yesterday, Hikigaya-kun seemed less than pleased to see me.

"No, no, no, no, no. You can't just show up at my house before school unannounced and act like… like nothing's wrong. Did I not stress this enough yesterday? I want nothing to do with that club of yours."

"I didn't come here to force you to join, Hikigaya-kun, but I still have a request from Hiratsuka-sensei that I wanted to fulfill."

"Oh? And that would be?"

"I promised to be your friend."

"…Friends, huh?" His voice went quiet and a solemn expression settled on his features. He looked deep in though, his previous irritation all but having faded away at my words only to make way for… resignation? "Things like that… I don't need them."

"Onii-chan, you're still here—ah!"

We both turned our attention onto the newcomer. Dressed in her yellow pajamas, Hikigaya-kun's little sister emerged from their home, though she quickly hid herself behind her brother again.

"Good morning," I greeted with a bow. "I believe we met yesterday. My name is Yukinoshita Yukino. I'm a classmate of your brother."

"…"

"…"

Hmm. It was still no good, huh? Repeating yesterday's failures, it seemed that she was scared of me. I certainly don't remember doing anything that could have invoked such fear in her though. Hikigaya-kun spared his sister a concerned glance before motioning to me.

"Come on, Yukinoshita. Let's go—

"Um! G-g-… good morning…"

"" ! ""

I was a bit surprised by her sudden reply, but happy that she finally said something, no matter how quiet, though Hikigaya-kun seemed even more surprised than I was. Nevertheless, this was the breakthrough that I was hoping for.

"Um… my name is…"

"Hikigaya Komachi, yes? I've heard a bit about you from Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei, though not much. I'd be delighted to get to know you better though."

"Onii-chan and Onee-chan?... Ah! Then you must be that girl that Onee-chan was talking about—the one that was just like Onii-chan!"

"Just like… Hikigaya-kun?" It was true that Hikigaya-kun's actions that had greatly influenced me into the person I was today, though it was certainly embarrassing having been seen through so easily by someone I had really just met and having that pointed out. However, it was her sudden outburst that had really caught me off guard. Her excitement showed on her face and the words rapidly poured from her mouth, as if a dam had broken. It was a complete one-eighty from the shy quiet girl I had assumed she was. It wasn't a bad thing though.

"Yes, I suppose your brother certainly has done a lot for me. I might have aspired to be like him without thinking about it too much." Those might have been my darkest times, but they also held some of my dearest memories. A pleasant warmth flooded my chest as I recalled those days.

"!... Oi, Yukinoshita, are we going to school or not?" Hikigaya-kun muttered, breaking my reverie. His face was turned away, but the tips of his ears were dyed red. Was he cold? Certainly, April had arrived, but the temperature did occasionally drop low enough that anyone caught unprepared wouldn't want to be outside. In that case, he probably wanted to get to school already. Anyways, didn't he not want to go to school together in the first place? What was this nonchalant way of inviting me as if he didn't care either way? Geez… Well, anyways, I suppose this accomplishes my original goal.

"Yes. Let's go. Take care, Komachi-san."

"Um… Yukinoshita-san!"

"Yes?"

"Promise me… be good friends with my brother, okay?"

"!" Fu-fu. I see. I stood up straighter, as if the doubt that had plagued me since yesterday alleviated itself from my body. Perhaps this wouldn't be as impossible as I had thought. I couldn't help but smile as I held my little finger out towards the young girl before me. A look of surprise flashed on her face, but that was quickly replaced by her own cheeky grin as she took my pinky around her own.

"I promise."

"Oi!"

⁂

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun, can I ask what happened to you?"

Hikigaya-kun and I were currently on our way to school. Though there would normally be others taking this route to school, our early departure time had all but ensured that the road remained unoccupied. Aside from the two of us, there were very few others out walking. There was a girl around our age a good several meters behind us walking her dog, but my… aversion to those of the canine species made sure that I kept up a quick pace.

"Well, you know what they say. Genius at five, normal by twenty—something along those lines at least."

I wasn't asking about your grades Hikigaya-kun. Besides, you're the last person that should be saying something like that! If you're normal, what does that make everyone else?!

"Hikigaya-kun, I'm sure that you're fully aware, but that isn't what I meant."

"…"

"What caused you to change? Back then, didn't you say it yourself? What other reason is needed to help someone who looks like they're asking for help? Why are so you against helping others now?"

"Tch—It's none of your business," he responded, brushing me off. However, I wouldn't give up so easily—not now that I knew so many others were desperate to see the old Hikigaya-kun return like I was. I had no choice but to play the trump card I was given.

"It has something to do with Komachi-san, doesn't it?"

"!... And what makes you say that?"

It seemed that my assumptions had been correct then. Try as he might, the neutral expression that Hikigaya-kun wore faltered for the briefest of moments when I mention Komachi-san.

"Well… there's nothing concrete—just bits and pieces that I fit together; in other words, this is all merely conjecture, so you'll have to excuse me if I'm incorrect with my assumptions, but I do believe I'm onto something. The first clue was her reaction yesterday. I myself am not a "people person" so I understand not everyone is comfortable around those that they're unfamiliar with, but even then, her alarm at seeing me was a bit much wasn't it? I know, I don't exactly give off an aura of friendliness, but even so, I don't consider myself to be a scary person either, don't you agree? More likely than not, your sister probably acts that way towards anyone unfamiliar. Then there was the fact that she was still dressed in her pajamas on both days I visited. I know I showed up relatively early, but like you and I, most would have been dressed for school by then. Like I said, it's not a lot, but based off the evidence presented, my thoughts seem to conclude that Komachi-san is… that she doesn't leave the house, does she?"

"And?" Judging by the scowl on his face, it seemed that I had hit the nail on the head. Regardless, he still hadn't given up. "Let's suppose that you are right. What exactly does that prove? Everything you covered was about Komachi, but you made no mention of me."

Despite the somber nature of our conversation, a chuckle escaped from my lips. Did he honestly think I wouldn't realize it when he made it so obvious?

"Of course, there's one more thing that pieces it all together, Hikigaya-kun, and this piece is about you."

"Oh? What would that be?" he growled out.

"Hikigaya-kun, you really care about your family, don't you?"

"!"

"You might not realize it yourself, but your love for your sister really shows; I noticed it even though we're only 'strangers' as you liked to put it. I find it hard to imagine that you wouldn't also be affected if something bad had happened to Komachi-san."

I found myself smiling as I watched the effects my words had on Hikigaya-kun's mood. I hadn't meant for our conversation to take on such a heavy turn, but it was something that needed to be confronted if I truly wanted to help.

"I… I can't believe you figured so much out from how little evidence you were provided. You… really have a way with words, don't you?" Hikigaya-kun sighed.

"Fu-fu-fu. I did get a perfect score on the entrance exam, you know?" I replied, beaming.

"Am I supposed to be impressed by that or something? Don't forget that I also got a perfect score on that easy exam."

"No, no, no. Your expectations are just skewed way too high, aren't they? That's not something you would normally say as if we had watched the same show or had just beaten the same video game…"

"Oh? You play video games, Yukinoshita? I took you more as the no-nonsense type who stuck to more traditional forms of recreation."

"H-how rude! Even I've played a game or two before! As the face of Japan is its culture, as a Japanese citizen, it's my duty to ensure that I'm at least familiar with such things." Well, he certainly wasn't wrong. Reading was my preferred form of leisure and what little time I spent on the net mostly involved looking at cat videos… In fact, my only contact with video games was years ago when Nee-san had egged me on into playing one with her, though she ended up doing most of the work anyways.

As our banter continued, I had found myself laughing along with Hikigaya-kun, something I admittedly hadn't done with another person, much less someone my age in a very long time. It was… pleasant, and I found myself enjoying Hikigaya-kun's company. Sadly, it came to an end. As our laughter died down, resentment tinted Hikigaya-kun's smile, deforming it into more of a regretful grimace.

"It's a long story, and honestly? It's not something I'm comfortable talking about with someone I just met, even with your claim. Anyways… we're pretty close to the school by now—enough that even you shouldn't have any issues. I'll head to class first; best to avoid any weird rumors popping up on only the second day of school. Later."

I was a bit disappointed that I hadn't gotten anything else out of Hikigaya-kun, but I suppose it was too much to expect his whole life story after having only met again after three years, and for less than three days no less. If anything, I had made good progress… hadn't I? Just as Hikigaya-kun had turned and was about to walk on ahead, a dire shout seized both of our attentions.

"Sable, wait!"

Turning, I pinpointed the source. The one who had shouted was the girl that was walking behind us. She was running desperately, though she was quickly tiring. It appeared her dog had gotten loose and was dashing around without its leash. It happily ran along, ignorant of the anxiety of its owner and the world around it.

However, by some stroke of misfortune, it decided to dart out onto the street, slipping beneath the guardrail that was stationing purposely to prevent people from doing so. You, worthless guardrail… it might have been a small dog, but what point in you being there if you don't even keep things off of the street? Adding onto that misfortune, a truck was rapidly approaching, and it was going much faster than appropriate for a school zone. At this rate, it was likely… no, it was certain that that do would be hit. I might have had a severe dislike of dogs, but even I wouldn't wish such a fate upon it. I couldn't even imagine the devastation that girl would feel upon seeing its lifeless body…

I've had a fear of dogs since I was young. After one particular incident, I wasn't even able to be near even the smallest of dogs for years. The fear has mostly subsided with age. Still, I'd rather avoid them if at all possible. But… if I didn't move now, then when would I? I tossed my bag aside and pushed myself over the guardrail.

"Yukinoshita!"

Landing on the other side, I used the ground to propel myself forward and sprint towards the small dachshund that had so carelessly wandered out. Scooping it up, I prepared to jump to the side. However, upon being picked up by me, it immediately began struggling, squirming each and every way to try and escape from my arms. Ah! Stop that! Don't lick my face!

*HONK* *HONK*

Ah. In my attempt to keep the small dog from escaping, I had lost my chance to move out of the path of the truck. Time slowed to a crawl. I could tell that there was no way I'd be able to make it away safely. I pulled the small dog closer to my chest, closed my eyes, and braced myself for the impact.

Suddenly, a tight force wrapped around my body. I felt myself flying, but felt no pain. If anything, it was… warm. I was jostled by the impact of landing, but to my confusion, I didn't feel the cold asphalt ground, nor any searing abrasions as one would expect from sliding on asphalt. Rather, I slightly sunk into whatever I had landed on. Taking a moment to reorient myself, I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was his lips, tightly pursed together. Moving my gaze up, I noticed his eyes were still tightly shut like I mine had been only seconds ago and his messily arranged hair was further disheveled by our sudden ordeal. He had one of his arms wrapped around the back of my head while the other was wrapped around my waist. They both held me close, likely having been what protected me after he had gotten both of us to the safety of the roadside. After all these years, even after all that he had said, he had saved me again, hadn't he? Yes… the one who had risked his life to save my own was Hikigaya-kun. I let out a content sigh as the adrenaline faded from my body. As the exhaustion took hold of my body, I gave in and let myself sink back into his chest.

…

Wait! This is wrong! I quickly sat up and pushed myself off of Hikigaya-kun. The dog we had saved had long escaped my grasp and was currently (and thankfully) running around Hikigaya-kun, licking his face. I used my freed up hands to cover up the rapid blush hat had no doubt colored by burning face by now. However, after several seconds of silence and no movement from Hikigaya-kun, I began to grow concerned.

"Hikigaya-kun?" I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder.

"…"

No response. I couldn't see any visible injuries, but his eyes were still closed and he hadn't responded. I was really worried now. Even if there were no visible signs of injuries, I hadn't seen what had actually occurred. If by some chance, Hikigaya-kun had gotten hurt when he pushed me out of the way…

"Hikigaya-kun! Wake up, please!"

"YOU, IDIOT!"

Shocking me back, Hikigaya-kun erupted. Though he was still laying on the ground and his arms covered his eyes, I had no doubt he was awake now.

"What kind of idiot jumps in front of a truck and risks their life to save a dog?! It wasn't even your dog! Do you even know that girl? This isn't some game where you can respawn or manga where the main character is protected by plot armor or gets reincarnated; this is real life—you don't get another chance! What were you thinking?!"

"I-I'm sorry. I... wasn't really thinking—my body just moved." I said, mumbling out my apology. I had seen Hikigaya-kun angry before but this time, concern was mixed in as well. I must have caused him a great deal of worry.

"You… just… moved?... I—I just… geez, I don't even have any words for you right now…"

As Hikigaya-kun continued to grumble, both the owner of the dog and the truck driver had rushed over to us, the former repeatedly thanking us, and the latter profusely apologizing. It wasn't all bad, I suppose. Hikigaya-kun's grumbling aside, we had managed to save the dog and everyone seemed fine. Looking on the bright side, it wasn't a bad start for Yukinoshita Yukino. Even after the dangerous situation I had just narrowly avoided, I found myself gradually laughing with a smile.

⁂

Despite Hikigaya-kun's attempts to hid it, it soon became painfully obvious that he had not escaped the incident entirely unscathed. At my insistence, and to his great reluctance, I helped Hikigaya-kun as we made our way to school. When we finally arrived, I went and informed Hiratsuka-sensei of what had occurred. At the drop of a hat, she had rushed the both of us off to the school infirmary for a check-up. Aside from a couple of small bruises, I had no real injuries and was deemed fit to attend class. Hikigaya-kun was not as fortunate. He had various cuts and scrapes on his sides and on his legs hidden beneath his clothing, some of them still moist and bleeding, a result of when he had taken the fall for the two of us. The school nurse insisted that he either stay and rest in the infirmary for the day or go home, though Hikigaya-kun tried to argue that he would be fine and attend class. At my earnest request, Hikigaya-kun reluctantly agreed to rest up in the school infirmary, at least until Hiratsuka-sensei was able to grab his spare uniform for him during lunch since his current one was covered in dirt and blood. Surprisingly, the normally level-headed Hiratsuka-sensei had been the most worried out of the three of us, insisting that she drive him to the hospital for an additional checkup, all whist fussing over him, making sure that he was comfortable and well cared for after she realized that she wouldn't be having her way. Perhaps this was the sibling-like bond they shared that Hiratsuka-sensei had spoken of. After I had made sure Hikigaya-kun had no intention of running off with his injuries, I made my way to class.

⁂

The rest of the day had gone by uneventfully, contrary to the heart-pounding morning I had experienced. The day seemed to drag on, the experience only worsened by the fact that I couldn't seem to focus during class. By the time that third period had rolled around, I had opted to watch the shower of flower petals that drifted through the wind in an attempt to keep my mind occupied. None of the teachers seemed to mind, though the events from yesterday morning might still have been lingering in their memories. Thankfully, I was already well acquainted with the material. If I found anything that I was unfamiliar with on the assignments, it would be a simple matter of going over the textbook.

Lunch finally rolled around and I took my chance to go visit Hikigaya-kun. Though he had insisted that he was fine this morning, the time he spend recuperating during our morning classes seemed to have helped ease his pain a lot. His injuries had been treated and bandaged, most of the color had returned to his face, and he no longer winced with every movement. My visiting time had been cut short however by Hiratsuka-sensei who had returned with a spare uniform for Hikigaya-kun. I decided it was best not to stand around outside, waiting for a boy to change, and headed over to the clubroom where I could spend the rest of my lunch break in peace.

It seemed I had somehow managed to regain my focus during the lunch break as the rest of the afternoon classes went by without a hitch. I suppose I was just restless after everything that had happened. That time I had spent alone in the club room must have let me calm down. Yes, that was definitely the logical conclusion.

The academic portion of the school day finally came to an end, and students were released for club activities. Of course, club activities were entirely optional, but they were highly recommended, and at a school like Sobu High, most students did participate in something. Still, there was the occasional odd-ones out that chose to head home straight away. I expected that Hikigaya-kun was one of those students. Somehow, Hikigaya-kun had slipped past me, almost immediately leaving the classroom as soon as we were dismissed. I did still have club duties to attend, so with no choice but to let him leave, I made my way to the club room for the second time that day.

I had kept the key to the club room with me after lunch so I was able to make my way directly there. There was no real need for equipment for the club, so Hiratsuka-sensei had provided me with a classroom that had been used for storage. A number of desks and chairs sat unused in the back, so taking advantage of my club resources, I moved one of each over to the window, before pulling out a book, and beginning to read. Time passed by quietly, the flipping of pages being the only sound heard as I quickly made my way through my book. The only visible indication of the passage of time was the effects of the setting sun on the lighting and the shadows that danced through the room. If it hadn't been for the bright, vivid oranges that had caught my attention, it was entirely possible that I would have stayed there forever, reading. With about ten minutes till clubs would start wrapping up, I had expected this to be an uneventful day for the service club, but a knock came from the door. Gently closing the book I had been reading, I prepared my full attention for my visitor.

"Come in."

The door slowly slid open, and my visitor nervously stepped in.

"…Yo."

"Hikigaya-kun," I exclaimed, unable to hide my surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I… wanted to apologize," he replied.

"Ah."

"…"

…Hmm?!

Though he tried to meet my gaze, he ended up looking away, rubbing the back of his head. His nervousness was contagious, as I too, found myself fidgeting.

"I said a lot of things to you—things that I still believe to be true… but things that I don't necessarily apply to you. People are selfish; they'll never do something if there's nothing to be gained. You're different though. When I said you were doing this for attention—well, I realize now how wrong I was. You… genuinely want to help people, don't you? For insulting you, I want to apologize."

Lowering his head, he bowed down before me. It wasn't a full prostration, thankfully; evidently, both he and I felt that that would have been too much. However, his formal waist-height bow and serious demeanor clearly demonstrated the seriousness behind his words. It was both impressive and overwhelming.

"Ah! Hikigaya-kun, please stand up. There's no need to apologies." While I was embarrassed by our situation, I honestly felt that there was no need for Hikigaya-kun to apologize. It was true that he had said something along those lines yesterday, but I had felt no real malice behind them—at least, not towards me. If anything, they felt more like a warning out of concern, so I had taken no real offence to his words.

"No, even an apology wouldn't be enough. That's why I want to give you this." Breaking out of his bow, he handed me a sheet of paper.

Taking the paper from his hands, I curiously looked it over. This was… no way?! Name… year… club? This was a club application form, and for the service club no less. It had been entirely filled out by Hikigaya-kun.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Technically, I'm already a part of the club. I had a lot of time to think this morning thanks to a certain someone. I went to Hiratsuka-sensei straight after classes ended and asked her for membership. She gave me an earful, asking if I was serious and how she wouldn't allow me to leave, but what's done is done. This is only a copy, but I felt you deserved to see it nevertheless."

"But… why?" The words slipped out before I could stop them. I clasped my hands over my mouth, as if that would somehow cancel them out, but it was futile.

"Ouch… don't want me here? I know I'm not exactly the most likable person, but even I can be used for something." Though he laughed it off as a joke, my question seemed to have actually hurt him. I didn't know why, but if I didn't clear this up, something irreplaceable would be lost.

"NO! That's not it. I'd love to have you in the club, Hikigaya-kun." It wasn't a lie. I wasn't confident I knew this Hikigaya-kun, but my younger self had vehemently admired the boy that grew up into the person before me. If even the smallest sliver of hope still existed in Hikigaya-kun, I was sure that he could be saved. It was just… when had that hope formed?

"You were so resolved to not involve yourself with the club. What changed your mind?"

"Ugh… do I really have to say it?" At my determined gaze and intense head nodding, Hikigaya-kun reluctantly gave in. "It… it was when you saved that dog."

"Huh?"

"When I saw you… After you rushed in… It was something I had forgotten… Augh! Never mind! What matters is I've decided to join the club, okay? Anyways, it's about time to wrap things up anyways, so I'll be taking my leave."

Ignoring my protests, Hikigaya-kun made his way over to the door before stopping.

"Oh, before I forget, don't show up at my house in the morning again, Yukinoshita. I'm in the club, so there should be no need for you to do that anymore, right?

Ah. I had almost forgotten. I had planned on breaking down Hikigaya-kun's resistances little by little which meant interacting with him as much as possible. Certainly, I hadn't expected Hikigaya-kun to join the club on the second day of his own accord. Most likely, if he hadn't reminded me, I might have just accidently showed up tomorrow. Still, there was one more person that I wanted to help.

"That's fine with me. However, there's something I want in exchange, Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm? What's that?"

⁂

"Komachi, I'm home."

"Welcome back, Onii-cha—Ah!"

"Hello. It's good to see you again, Komachi-san."

"Ah… you're the Onee-san that came over this morning. Um… Yukinoshita-san, right?"

"Right!"

Though she almost immediately hid behind the couch upon seeing me, she slowly worked herself back into view as she recognized me.

Hikigaya-kun and I had agreed that there was no need for me to show up at his home so early in the morning. Still I wanted to get to know his younger sister, Komachi-san, better so Hikigaya-kun agreed that I could come over today after school. Apparently, according to him, Komachi-san never rarely talked with anyone aside from her family. They even had a hard time getting her to talk with a therapist, needing a family member to attend sessions with her. That's why he had been so surprised when Komachi-san willingly spoke to me after only two brief meetings. It was also why he had so readily allowed me to visit.

"Then… my request?!"

"Fu-fu-fu, that's right. We're—"

"Club mates."

I gave Hikigaya-kun a pout, but he averted his gaze to the side, completely ignoring me. Regardless. Komachi-san seemed happy, so I decided to let it slide. If fact, she was so happy, she jumped off the couch and hugged me.

"" ! ""

"Ah! S-sorry! I… don't know came over me…" She backed off, waving her hands in apology. Still, it was fine, wasn't it? I wrapped my arms around the frantic young girl before me.

"You two have been through a lot, haven't you?"

Though she stiffened at my initial touch, her guard eventually relaxed. Slowly, but surely, her hands wrapped around by back, returning my hug. She rested her head silently against my shoulder, but before I had realized it, her small frame was shaking. Despite the fact that we had just met—despite the fact that most would consider us little more than strangers, she had chosen to come to me. What choice did I have but to accept? I knew nothing of hardships she had gone through, but I stroked the back of her head while whispering to her words of reassurance and comfort. Though my words were nothing more than empty promises for now, they were all I had. I could only pray that they would be enough.

Thankfully, Hikigaya-kun had enough tact to look away.

⁂

An hour later, Hiratsuka-sensei returned. Though initially shocked by my appearance, after I told her what happened, she gave me a warm smile and thanked me for my efforts. Embarrassed, I insisted that Hikigaya-kun deserved a fair amount of credit as well, but she simply laughed off my jumbled stuttering and went to relax on the couch.

Since I was coming over with the intention of befriending Komachi-san, I decided to stay over for dinner as well. According to Hikigaya-kun, they were running low on ingredients at home, and Hikigaya-kun only knew how to make curry anyways, so we made a quick detour to the shopping district for some groceries before heading over to his house. Taking into consideration my family's wealth, I felt that it only made sense that I paid for a portion of the groceries, but Hikigaya-kun brushed me off and insisted that as I guest, it was my job to be treated.

In spite of his admirable words, I was the one who ended up cooking. Well, I wouldn't fuss too much. With Hikigaya-kun's limited repertoire of recipes, I decided it was best to just kick him out of the kitchen if I wanted an actual meal to be cooked. As Hikigaya-kun chose to settle down on the couch along with Hiratsuka-sensei, I had Komachi-san, who usually did the cooking in the house, help me instead.

Komachi-san was doing much better than she had been all day. In fact, her personality had completely turned around as we joked about her brother and many other topics. No traces remained of the scared girl I had met yesterday morning, nor of the one that had finally broken down in my arms only an hour ago. Instead, she had been replaced by a bubbly, smart, and perhaps, just a tad bit too nosy, normal, average, middle school girl. There was no doubt in my mind. This was the real Hikigaya Komachi hidden and locked away beneath her shell.

"Dinner's ready," Komachi called, snapping me out of my thoughts and drawing Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei to the table. Together, the two of us had thrown together a rather simple, though in no way inadequate array of dishes. Our meal consisted of some miso soup they had left over in the fridge that we simply reheated, rice, a staple item in any Japanese meal, mackerel fillets that I had grilled, one for each of us, a simple salad composed of leafy greens and tomatoes, made by Komachi-san, and finally, a simple stew composed of root vegetables such as yams and lotus roots that the two of us worked on together.

""""Thanks for the food.""""

"Ah! This fish is really good…" Hiratsuka-sensei mumbled, the first to dive into her food.

"Hmm! You're right!" noted Komachi-san, agreeing whole-heartedly with Hiratsuka-sensei. By now, even Hikigaya-kun had taken a bite of his fish, and while he had made no comments, the sight of his chopsticks repeatedly picking off more chunks told me all I needed to know.

"I certainly didn't expect that a rich girl like you would be so competent with household chores, Yukinosita."

"I live alone, so at the very least, I do have to be able to take care of myself," I responded, ignoring Hiratsuka-sensei's rather carefree, yet insulting remark. She seemed to flinch at the last part of my statement, though she quickly recovered with another question.

"You're living alone? In that case, why don't you come over more often? It's better to eat together after all."

While I was glad that Hiratsuka-sensei had chosen not to dig any further into my personal affairs, her sudden proposal had certainly caught me off guard.

"Ah! Onee-chan! That's a great idea! How about it, Onii-chan?"

Without my input, Komachi-san had also agreed and instantly turned the pressure onto her brother. While I was sure that, Hikigaya-kun would be against it, after only a few seconds under his sister's pleading gaze, he let out a sigh.

"Well… as long as it's not too often, I suppose it's fine."

Eh?... Eh?... Eh? Somehow, in the blink of an eye, the demon king was already defeated? Just how fearsome is this little girl?

"Wait a minute! Don't I get a say in this?"

"Yukinoshita-san… are you saying… you don't want to?"

"Ah! No—it's just… aaah… Well, if everyone here is fine with it."

"Yay!"

Ugu— Sorry Hikigaya-kun. I seem to have looked down on you for being defeated so easily, but I understood now. This foe was simply too powerful.

With my resignation as a cue, the conversation moved onto other topics. Still whether the topics were school, work, or simply how their day was, their conversation was always lively with chatter and laughter. As awkward as I felt intruding on their intimate conversations, Komachi-san or Hiratsuka-sensei always did their best to pull me in. Either way, Hikigaya-kun didn't seem to mind, and in time, I felt myself naturally laughing along with the three of them. Perhaps… this was what it meant to be a family.

⁂

Dinner had long since wrapped up, but the three of us continued chattering away. Even Hikigaya-kun stayed, though at some point he had pulled a book out and started reading. Still, even time wouldn't stop for us. As the hands of the clock began to reach eight, I started gathering my belongings together, preparing myself to leave; it was in my best interests to end the night here if I wanted to get home, finish my homework, and head to bed at a reasonable time. I had wanted to clean up the dishes before I had left, but Hiratsuka-sensei volunteered herself with a strange amount of enthusiasm, so I decided to leave it to her.

"Hachiman, make sure that Yukinoshita gets home safely, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

I tried to refuse his offer, insisting that I would be fine by myself, but none of the three members of their family would agree with that, so in the end, I accepted his offer.

"Um! Yukinoshita-san. If possible… could I call you Yukino-onee-chan or Yukinee-chan for short?"

Just as I had slipped on my shoes, Komachi-san had asked me that question. That was surprising. I had always considered myself the younger sibling, endlessly chasing after the older one. All of a sudden, I was to become the older sister to a girl I had just met? Still, who could refuse such a cute little sister?

"Of course, Komachi-san."

"Ah! That's no good! Yukinee-chan, you're older than me so there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Komachi-chan or drop the honorifics entirely."

"I see. Then Komachi-chan it is."

"See? That's much better. See you again, Yukinee-chan!"

"Until next time, Komachi-chan."

"Oh, and Onii-chan!"

"What?"

"Don't stay out too late, okay? I know Yukinee-chan is pretty and all, and I totally approve, but high school students shouldn't be doing those sorts of things, okay?"

"Oi!"

Giving one last farewell, the two of us stepped out into the crisp, spring air of Chiba. The streets in the area were empty, no doubt a product of the time, but I was sure that we would be seeing a lot more people once we entered the main streets near the station. Still, at this moment—the two of us walking together silently, with no other sounds to be heard—I felt as if we were in our own little world.

"Hey, Yukinoshita."

"What is it, Hikigaya-kun."

"I... I wanted to thank you."

"For what? The dinner? If so, it was my pleasure."

"No—er well, thanks for that as well, but this is for something else."

Hikigaya-kun's words came to a pause, and I turned towards him, giving him my attention. From the way he had spoken his words, I could tell he was serious. Though he had a light smile on his face, his atmosphere seemed melancholic.

"Both Shizuka and I—neither of us were able to help Komachi when she needed it. That's why the only thing we can do right now is support her. Even though she acts fine at home, I can tell she's been really lonely. I'm sure she wants to go outside again, but she doesn't have the strength. Today though, after meeting you, she's already started to change. Because of you, I sure my younger sister has found pieces of her courage again. So thank you."

It wasn't just Komachi-chan then. All this time, both Hikigaya-kun and Hiratsuka-sensei had to watch as Komachi-chan suffered, causing them to suffer as well. It seemed that no matter what they had tried, they were unable to return Komachi-chan to her original self. If that was the case, then I could certainly understand Hikigaya-kun's mixed feelings about myself suddenly appearing in his life and accomplishing what he had tried so hard to do.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

"What's up?"

"Are we f—"

"No."

Right~? There was no way that Hikigaya-kun of all people would agree so easily. Still, shutting a girl down before she had even finished talking—where was all that tact you displayed earlier, Hikigaya-kun? Noticing the painful contortion of my facial features, he let out a sigh.

"I said it this morning, didn't I? I don't need friends. Between friends and enemies, it's obvious which is more trustworthy. Your enemies hate you and will clearly stand against you, but with friends, there's no way to know why they would approach you. Whether its wealth, fame, or status, I can't believe that any human would try and approach another as friends without desiring something in return. That's why, I'm okay with what we have now. Agreeing to use and to be used—isn't it fine to have a such a clear cut and professional relationship? So, until the day that I'm ready… we'll just be club mates. Are you fine with that, Yukinoshita?"

I couldn't argue. The sorrow I had seen on his face as the words endlessly flowed out—they told more about his character then anything he had said during our entire time together. To the boy who had finally opened up his heart, I silently nodded my head in agreement.

Author's Note:

Hello, blank-san here.

As their vivid, spring-time youth begins, my winter semester draws to an end. (✿╹◡╹)

Only a week between this update and the last. Not to bad if I do say so myself. Ahaha, in no way is this foreshadowing several painful weeks of testing which will decide the fates of several of my classes. Yup. No way whatsoever. It's all sunshine and rainbows here.

Edit: Just made a couple of quick ninja-edits on some formatting or word choices that I didn't notice the first time around. I also added in a small chunk in the last portion of the chapter, just under the last asterism that I felt needed to be there.