During Volume 11 Chapter 3 and 4

"Since just now, you two have been staring at the door for quite a while. If it's about Iroha-chan, I don't think you two have to worry so much."

As Yuigahama said that, I immediately turned my face away from the door.

"No one was talking about Isshiki-san," I said.

"I am not worried about Isshiki," said Hikigaya, his voice overlapping with mine.

A few days have passed since we agreed to work on the requests. Isshiki had not showed up for a while as she was busy doing the paperwork. I was worried if Isshiki was handling everything properly, but it seemed like Yuigahama caught me red-handed, even though I was being so covert about it.

Yuigahama showed me a teasing grin as if to rub it in. I felt horribly embarrassed. If there was a hole around, I'd gladly bury myself in it.

"Hm? ...But Hikki is very kind towards Iroha-chan," pondered Yuigahama.

I agreed with her, "Indeed. Pampering her too much in fact. Even I think it's a bit too much as well."

I bore holes into Hikigaya with my stares. He shook his head without a care in the world.

"It's nothing like that," he said in denial.

Both Yuigahama and I were unconvinced. There was a huge list of things that he had done to spoil her.

He took on Isshiki's unreasonable requests with barely any resistance. He held her bags. He hung out with her when she was bored. He made excuses so that she would not look badly in front of others.

"In the case of Isshiki, I am just worried when she would just throw everything to me, that's all. It would be bothersome if a helpless situation like that comes about. Hence, I thought it would be more effective if I were to help out from the start. Hence, instead of saying that I am worried about Isshiki, it would be more appropriate to say that I am worried about my future. I feel all uneasy when I think about how I am going to be stuck doing work."

And that's exactly what Hikigaya just did — make excuses for Isshiki in the form of his long, incoherent ramblings. Having closed his dead-fish eyes with serenity and while nodding to himself repeatedly, he was absolutely convinced about himself.

"What you just said made me worry even more for your future," I said with exasperation.

"Well, that answer was very much like what Hikki would say," said Yuigahama, with genuine worry on her face.

One was better off not analyzing what Hikigaya says. Pampering someone was not the correct course of action to prevent them from stumbling in the future; you should train them to not stumble on their own. Furthermore, he should — wait, I'm falling into his trap. Anyway, spoiling Isshiki was absolutely a no-go, and he should hold himself back at every opportunity.

In response to our hurtful words, Hikigaya fired back at me.

"If you were talking about pampering her, then you are quite close to doing that as well."

"Me?" I said in confusion, "I think I treated her fairly strictly."

I was probably the strictest towards Isshiki out of the three of us. I always tried to get her to work harder on her student council work.

"Ah, yeah. That's exatly what gives people the feeling that you are actually kind," said Yuigahama in agreement with Hikigaya, "After all, Yukinon enjoys taking care of people."

I ruminated on her words. I did enjoy teaching people, if that's what she meant by care. I was always glad to see competency bloom. Have I ever gone too far, though? I wasn't totally convinced.

Hikigaya spoke in realization, "That's right. Yuigahama often gets taken care of as well."

"EH!? It's n-nothing like that at all! I've never given her any sort of trouble, probably! Nothing like that!"

"Oh? Have you no self-awareness?" I said, imposing her with my sweetest smile.

No trouble? No care from me?

I've given Yuigahama more concessions than was reasonable. I've always tried to explain the more complicated things to her (and things that should have been obvious to the average person). I've even helped her take steps into correcting her approach to cooking. She was finally at the point where she could handle a knife without cutting herself. Now, if she would learn how to make something simple like scrambled eggs...

"Well, but maybe Iroha-chan does like being taken care of," murmured Yuigahama.

Yuigahama laid herself on the table and wistfully continued, "That part of her is really cute..."

"That's not— no, nevermind."

I reluctantly agreed. Isshiki was whimsical but not devoid of cuteness. She was sly but also somewhat endearing.

"Erm, to call that part of Isshiki cute is a little... it's not as though that alone is enough to be labelled cute..." muttered Hikigaya.

His ears reddened. It must not have been easy for someone like him to call someone cute. I'm sure he had plenty of traumas with regards to that. This embarrassment of his could almost itself be called cute, if only it wasn't Hikigaya.

Even so, the fact that we're talking about Isshiki being cute made me a little envious. I was lacked in that area. I was well aware that I was unable to conjure up those sorts of… fluffiness.

"...So it's like that," said Yuigahama, in understanding.

"Also, there are kind onee-sans in this club who are willing to help her out here and there, so she's pretty pleased with that. Recently, she even comes here earlier than me," said Hikigaya matter-of-factly.

"I am not sure if she's pleased with that," I said.

I wondered if she truly appreciated us or if her cuteness was just an act so that our feelings would not be hurt. Hikigaya implored me with his eyes to explain. Feeling somewhat bashful, I rapidly fired on.

"Though I hope that she would give us a notice if she's coming here. My supply of red tea is dropping pretty quickly and I do have to prepare more tea snacks as well. Furthermore, the time where I get to read my books in peace and quiet is decreasing as well."

I ended my ramblings with a sigh. That was bad; I acted a lot like Hikigaya. I merely recounted some objective facts, but I was struck with a revelation. Pouring tea, feeding her snacks, giving her my attention, was I actually spoiling her?

"Maybe I should come here a little earlier as well..." mumbled Yuigahama.

Yuigahama's words were shockingly tone-deaf.

"This is more or less a proper club activity. Coming here a little earlier should be natural, no?" I spoke as club leader.

"Ah, um, but I would somehow start chatting with Yumiko and end up coming late haha," said Yuigahama as she shrank back.

"I see."

I looked away from Yuigahama. With nowhere to go, my gaze fell to the book in my hands.

The thought of Yuigahama passing the time with Miura while I sat alone in the club gave filled my chest with thorns. How Miura could so easily wrench away Yuigahama felt so absurd that I wanted to reject it, even though I knew objectively Miura had been friends with Yuigahama longer than I have.

Seeing my reaction, Yuigahama cautiously continued, "However, if you really want it, I could just come much earlier. The three of us just relaxing here, I kind of like it... No I mean, I really love it."

Her face was slightly downturned, but her pupils followed mine. Her smile was as delicate as glass. Her cheeks grew pink like rose. I could not confidently say that my own expression was not a mirror of hers. My own face was becoming hot.

Happiness filled me as we affirmed our mutual longings.

Unable to withstand the embarrassment any longer, I stood up.

"Red tea. Let me brew another kettle."

"Ah, really? Then let me take out some new snacks!"

We took a break from a break. We were not doing anything productive, yet I already felt a little bit of fatigue. Yet, it was a pleasant sort of tiredness, reminiscent of the feeling you got from lying down on a soft bed. Before long, sweet dreams would overtake you.

Tea was refilled and snacks were shared. We wanted to indulge, to prolong the moment a little more.

Time, of course, did not stand still for us conveniently. Our break time was over as Isshiki Iroha knocked the door.

Isshiki did not hesitate to dive into business. We began skimming through handouts that Isshiki had prepared for us to get us up to speed on the technicalities. Isshiki calmly sipped her hot cup of red tea as she waited for us to read through. She waited a few minutes before she began her explanations.

She spoke, "Anyway, about the schedule and the place—"

"It isn't held on Valentine's Day?" cut in Hikigaya.

I had just finished reading about the time and place. Apparently, the event was to be held a few days before Valentine's Day.

I asked Isshiki to confirm, "Because there is an entrance exam on that day, so you couldn't get a teacher to supervise the event?"

"Ah, yes. Also, on that day, it's a school holiday," replied Isshiki with a nod, "Well, that would be one of the reasons. Some people might have plans on that day, and so, with consideration of the participation rate, I thought it would be more considerate towards everyone if we held it before the day itself."

I nodded in satisfaction. Her explanations were sound, and she accounted for several factors. It appeared that the past few days of crunching had been quite productive.

"Yukinoshita-senpai, can you reach the place around 17:00?" requested Isshiki, "Senpai and Yui-senpai can come a little later."

Again, I nodded and responded, "I don't mind."

Yuigahama shook her head and piped up, "We will go together with Yukinon. Right, Hikki?"

Yuigahama was not met with a response. Ever since he said the words "Valentine's Day, Hikigaya had been leaning back on his chair and giving the ceiling a thousand-yard stare. His soul was drooling out of his mouth, as well as some of his saliva. Isshiki gave Hikigaya a dirty stare.

"You seem like you have been neglected, which makes me really curious," she spoke to Hikigaya.

"Haha, it's nothing," said Yuigahama with a chuckle, "Well, whenever Hikki has that look, the reason is downright obvious, so there's nothing to worry about."

I agreed with Yuigahama, "Indeed, I can more or less guess the reason. There's no need to worry about it, so let's just let him be."

"Oh, is that so…?" replied Isshiki with little interest.

There were only a few things that elicited such longing from Hikigaya, such as Chiba, MAX COFFEE, and his sister. Given the topic of Valentine's Day, it was quite clear that he was deathly worried about whether he would receive chocolates from his sister. Such worries were almost charming, if only he didn't hold impure thoughts towards her. It was peculiar how there was such a fine line between purity and impurity.

Because Isshiki didn't care about such awful things, she unabatedly continued, "The materials and utensils will be gathered by the student council, so there's no issue on that front. Aprons and stuff like that are quite troublesome, so I think people will have to prepare those themselves."

"Troublesome" was an adjective that was quite subjective. What I considered troublesome could be different from what Isshiki had in mind.

"Could you let me take a look at the utensils list later?" I inquired, "I want to confirm the details to ensure that nothing has been left out."

"Most certainly!" replied Isshiki with enthusiasm.

In line with her rare diligence, she scribbled some notes on a piece of paper. Then, she looked over at Yuigahama to give her some instructions.

"As for the communications... Um, could you please help me to contact Miura-senpai and Ebina-senpai as well? I actually have no idea how to contact them."

"Okay, I understand," spoke Yuigahama.

"And also… that Kawa-… Kawa-… that somewhat scary senpai, could someone please contact her?" said Isshiki with a contorted mouth.

"'Kay, I will contact Saki," replied Yuigahama without hesitation.

As expected of the popular Yuigahama Yui, her roots ran deep. It was not as if I also didn't know a lot of people, but knowing that they exist was about the extent of most of my relationships. Talking with those whom I was acquainted was difficult for me because I still could not properly sympathize with them. Businesslike conversations and superficial small-talk were about as far as I could go, and the other side would always pick up on this and not go any deeper.

Yuigahama's ability get along with anyone was admirable. Isshiki's request for Yuigahama to be our messenger was correct.

"That settles the problems with the contacts," said Isshiki.

Isshiki glanced through her own printout, checking to see if she was missing anything. Suddenly, her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Ah, that's right," said Isshiki in realization, "If you all wanted to invite someone else, please notify us beforehand. We would have to do some readjustments according the changes in the number of people!"

"Ah, so we can invite others as well," said Yuigahama with a slight bit of surprise.

"Yes. Hmm, it seems that Tobe-senpai is coming even though I didn't invite him," spoke Isshiki in exasperation.

"Ahaha, did you hear that from Yumiko or Hayato…?" spoke Yuigahama with a troubled voice.

I did not hear about extra people. It did not matter too much, even with a few extras. Actually, if some of those extras consisted of boys, such as Tobe, they would be there to taste test, rather than to learn. I just hoped that Isshiki didn't get carried away. Too many people around, and I would start sweating, feel extremely dizzy, and faint.

Abruptly, Hikigaya exclaimed, "Alright, leave it to me!"

He stood straight up and lightly pounded his chest. Isshiki leaped out of her chair in astonishment. She turned towards Hikigaya with fear in her eyes.

"Why the sudden gusto…" she muttered.

"Ahaha! Well, whenever Hikki has that look, the reason is downright obvious, so there's nothing to worry about."

I agreed with Yuigahama, "Indeed, I can more or less guess the reason. There's no need to worry about it, so let's just let him be."

"Oh, is that so…" replied Isshiki with little interest.

Hikigaya continued standing, appearing as triumphant as a winning athlete. Hikigaya was not the most stable individual, and he was often alone. One could conclude that his outburst was a form of coping, as he would definitely be unable to invite anyone. Anyway, it was pointless to speculate further because it was extremely disgusting, and he should lay down in a ditch.

"Yukinoshita-senpai, I wish to consult with you about the menu. I feel that we should decide on a few choices in advance, otherwise there's no way can prepare the ingredients."

Isshiki withdrew confection cookbooks and spread them out on the table. Swirls of colours popped out at me. Some of them had rather eye-popping arrangements on the front covers, such as a multi-level wedding cake. I wasn't so sure I could make five levels without making it look funny (three was my probably my limit). Nonetheless, I wasn't too picky and began looking through the books.

"There are so many to choose from. Which would be best?" I muttered to myself.

Chocolate was the big theme. There were recipes for chocolate cake. That Sachertorte looked especially decadent and gentle. Even from the photo, I could imagine myself sinking a fork through a slice with little resistance. Definitely not a beginner's recipe. Chocolate truffles caught my eye, with their wildly unique coatings. It would be straightforward to customize. Cookies were a favourite option that anyone could enjoy. I spotted heart-shaped cookies decorated with icing and small confections.

There were a lot of mouth-wateringly good chocolate ideas, but should we also teach people how to make other kinds of confections? Some of the chocolate recipes looked tough, even for me. Things like fruit tarts would be even easier to make. I could not imagine anyone struggling with that.

"Ah! Something like chocolate fondue!" bellowed Yuigahama in a eureka moment, "Seems as fun as chocopa!"

"Cho… copa…? Eh, what?"

I have never heard of this "chocopa" before. It seemed to be a combination of "chocolate" and "pa", whatever "pa" was. No, could it actually have been "cho" and "copa"? Was this some sort of lost Aztec cuisine?

"Well, I guess everyone can have fun playing together~. This sort of event is possible," thoughtfully spoke Isshiki, "But because it's an event held in the cooking room, so…"

Isshiki disapproved of Yuigahama's idea by forming an X shape with her fingers. Yuigahama hung her head. Well, it couldn't be helped that the recreation of some ancient dish wasn't in the scope of our activities.

"If that's the case, then I think it's still better to teach some common food items," I said, deep in thought, "Something that's quite pretty and also simple…"

My hands that had been flipping through the pages stopped at a particular advertisement. It was a sort of DIY kit.

"They are selling a complete kit here… And there's no need for measurement as well, seems pretty simple to use too."

Yuigahama spoke nonchalantly, "Ah, if that's the case, then I think I can do that."

I kept my mouth shut. Even though this kit essentially held your hand, I think Yuigahama would require a full-body carry. Hikigaya looked at her with pity.

"Don't just keep quiet!" cried Yuigahama.

Yuigahama was trembling, almost to the point of tears. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Yuigahama-san, I think that it would be better for you to put your efforts into the wrapping, don't you think so?"

I smiled. I did smile. I probably did get the ends of my mouth upwards.

"Don't worry about me!" cried Yuigahama with intensity.

Isshiki nodded her head and said, "But the taste won't change regardless of the packaging. You can't really tell from a distance anyway. Anyway, because it's for an event, there's no need for any sort of packaging."

Hikigaya nodded and added, "Well, the price of the materials for the packaging is expensive anyway."

"Yes. Well, there's still a need to more or less recover costs through the entry fee, so the cheaper the better," said Isshiki matter-of-factly.

"…Eh, we are collecting entry fees?"

Hikigaya scrunched his eyebrows, making his dead-fish eyes look even more narrow. Isshiki recoiled at the ghastly sight.

"Senpai, your face is really detestable right now. It's just a few hundred yen… Anyway, for you senpais, it will be free, since you all have been a great help."

Hikigaya sighed, "That's great…"

"Yes, if there's the collection of entry fees, then the budget could probably allow for more things," I murmured.

More money meant more ingredients, and that meant our repertoire could expand. Some of the confections in Isshiki's books had a lot of frills, but given the occasion, the extra decorations would not be such a bad idea.

I spoke to Isshiki, "First, can you tell me the budget? Using this as a basis, we can come up with a list of ingredients that will serve as a future reference and estimate."

Isshiki nodded. She withdrew another piece of paper, which was a balance sheet. The budget, expected income and expenses were neatly laid out in a tabular format, and I could see that we had some room to spare. I returned to my browsing with the cookbooks, in search of more ideas.

Caramels, sugar cookies, simple molded chocolates. There were plenty of fine ideas that most people could make, with some adjustments. I noted down such candidates. I continued flipping through. There were certainly a lot of simple recipes, but even so…

"Something that even Yuigahama-san can make… Something that even Yuigahama-san can make…"

None of these recipes looked completely foolproof. Was there anything in here that was easier than measuring a cup of water?

"That's too much, Yukinon!"

In frustration, Yuigahama rushed over and planted the front of her body against the left side of mine. I shifted uncomfortably, not being able to turn the page properly. Still, I didn't shake Yuigahama off and let her cuddle as she pleased.

Perhaps she got a little too carried away as Yuigahama started giggling with unadulterated glee.

I looked over at her face and asked, "What's the problem?"

"Ah, nothing at all… I just that that this is so nostalgic," she spoke softly.

Yuigahama showed me a lovely smile. It was filled with genuine enjoyment.

I wondered which specific event she was referring to? Perhaps all of them. While it was usually either me or Hikigaya that finished things up, Yuigahama would always be there to congratulate us or, most often, to offer us some sort or relief from the burdens was faced.

"…Indeed," I spoke.

There really were too many times that Yuigahama had to cheer us up. I had become used to it, so I had come to accept it.

Yuigahama tilted her head and glanced at Hikigaya, who was setting across the long table.

"…Isn't it?"

He could not help but break into a smile.

"I guess so," he muttered.

As for Hikigaya, there were things that I accepted about him as well. How he was warped and muddied, how he worked things out from his viewpoints from below, I acknowledged them. Most of all, I knew that behind all those excuses, behind all those disappointments, I knew that he was kind. What had transpired, they had been painful, but I craved for those moments that sparkled so resplendently, when he and I resonated.

Yuigahama turned her head again, this time towards Isshiki.

"Iroha-chan, thank you."

Taken aback, Isshiki spoke, "Eh, ah, yes, erm no… y-you're welcome?"

I chuckled. Our current relationship with Isshiki was, of course, due to the choices that the three of us had made. It felt like we were stuck with her, but, of course, I had every intention of ensuring that she grows up in her role properly.

Yuigahama put a hand over her mouth and giggled, muffling her fits of laughter.

"Although this year is about to come to a close, I am glad that there's such a fun event near the end," said Yuigahama with happiness.

"Although this year hasn't started for long," said Hikigaya.

"To be more precise, this school year," I corrected.

Yuigahama puffed her cheeks, clearly peeved at having her mistakes pointed out.

Isshiki stood up, adjusted her skirt and put on her bag.

"Let's call it a day," said Isshiki with a tired grin, "Thank you for the tea. Then, sorry for the trouble."

"Ah, yeah. Thanks in advance for the help you'll give us on the actual day," said Yuigahama in appreciation.

"Then, see you again. I will do my best to come up with an estimation," I said and waved her goodbye.

Isshiki bid us a final farewell. She slipped out the door. Her faint footsteps faded out in a matter of time.

Only us three remained, just like how it was in the beginning. But not everything was just like how it was back then.

My lips formed a tiny smile.

This place was our private garden, where I didn't have to see anything but the flowers.

Several days passed by in the blink of an eye. No new requests were brought to our attention in that time. We leisurely spent our time sipping tea and chatting about various things.

On the day of the event, the three of us arrived early at the community centre aided Isshiki and the rest of the student council in preparations. We helped hang up posters outside, shivering all the while. Upon completion, Miura, Hayama and Tobe arrived, intending to help us out. Then, we entered the community centre, warming up our bodies. The boys did some heavy lifting, moving boxes around and extracting their contents. Us girls set up tables with utensils.

Tobe, Hikigaya and the student council vice-president neatly dropped off some boxes at the back of the room. I came over and removed the top off a box. Multitudes of baking chocolate were lined up in rows.

"Thank you for the trouble," I spoke to the boys with a nod.

I checked with Isshiki, "Have the ingredients been divided into small portions for everyone, yet?"

"Yes yes. All that's left is to distribute these small portions to each table, and then we'll be okay," dutifully spoke Isshiki, "Seems like everything's here. Then, let's open up the boxes and distribute it."

The vice-president lifted up one of the boxes and left in the direction of the secretary's table. Speaking of which, Isshiki had said that the two of them were getting along quite well. I asked Yuigahama about it after that, and she explained it to me, though after speaking in riddles for a while. Apparently, they could be meeting each other behind Isshiki's back.

Hikigaya and Tobe began ripping the tape off the boxes to unseal them. I glanced at a spare kitchen knife on the table next to me. Before I could offer it to Hikigaya to help him out, he was already done.

Tobe stood up straight, brushed his hair back, and put a hand on his hips.

"As expected, events like these really get you pumped up," joyfully spoke Tobe, "Ah, Irohasu seems to be quite the student council president now."

"Yes duh, I AM the student council president. However, I still do my job as a manager normally too. When the weather's warmer, I will go and attend club activities."

Tobe bellowed with laughter and flashed a thumbs up. That was certainly not the appropriate reaction to Isshiki's truancy. Coats existed. She should gear up like a mountain trekker if she was that cold-sensitive. Her shivering would disappear if she joined them in their exercises.

Tobe took a look at the chocolates in the box that he opened up.

"Ah, the chocolates look really delicious. I want my belly to be chock-full of chocolate right now," murmured Tobe.

"Huh?"

Isshiki assumed a look full of incredulousness. I massaged my throbbing temple, hoping prevent my brain from self-destructing after hearing Tobe's horrible pun. Perhaps it was true that only intelligent people told witty jokes. There was simply no hope for a cretin as dull as Tobe. He may be exercising his body, but he could stand to exercise his brain once in a while.

Suddenly, Tobe stood up straight, looked around, then beckoned for us to come over with a wave. He had a serious expression his face, as if he was contemplating about something. I predicted that it would be about something worthless, but nonetheless, Yuigahama pulled on my arm, dragging me over.

"What?" spat Hikigaya, "Some secret you want to tell us?"

"It's not really convenient to say it now…" covertly spoke Tobe.

He nervously curled the locks of his hair behind his head. His face reddened slightly, and he focused his eyes on a wall to the side.

"Ah, no, how do I put it? Isn't today supposed to be about making chocolates. Then, after thinking about it, I thought it was possible for me to do something on my part… What do you guys think?"

Isshiki, Yuigahama and I tilted our heads simultaneously. Was this his way of being cryptic, or was his head so empty that there was no meaning in the first place? He already imposed himself on us, so I thought there was some purpose behind it.

Hikigaya was the only one who seemed to possess an inkling of understanding. Scratching his head in exasperation, he inquired Tobe.

"…Ah, anyway, that is to say, you want to appeal to her so that you can get some chocolates?"

"That's what I mean!" exclaimed Tobe, giving Hikigaya a rude point of his index finger, "Well, that's the idea?"

So, it appeared that the fluffiness of love was currently clouding up his brain, making him seem even slower than usual. I couldn't forget who his target was. Really, couldn't he have moved on to someone less disgusting by now?

Isshiki spoke with reproach, "Although I don't know who you are targeting, but I feel that it would definitely work in the opposite way of what you think will happen. Trying to show your appeal to get chocolates is fundamentally disgusting. Better to keep a low-profile."

"Oh, oh…"

Tobe's shoulders sank in depression. With that massive presence of his, he started to make Isshiki, Hikigaya and Yuigahama shuffle their feet in awkwardness. I didn't care too much about him, but he leaked, for a lack of a better term, moods like a faucet. In any case, there was no need for Tobe to commit social suicide, only to spread his sadness around.

"What Isshiki-san just said makes sense as well," I explained, "If one saw this usually energetic guy whining here and there, it would indeed be quite depressing."

"I know, right" said Isshiki.

She leaned against my right arm while rapidly nodding her head. I got that she was vehemently showing her approval, but I didn't know how I could politely shake her off.

Meanwhile, Tobe further sank down, being rendered totally speechless.

Unable to stand the awkward atmosphere, Yuigahama quickly shot out some words of comfort.

"Ah… But if the other party were to make it seem like they don't want it at all, then that would be a problem as well…"

Tobe jumped up like a spring, recovering so quickly that I almost fell down myself.

"Wouldn't it!?" cried Tobe.

Isshiki shook her head and groaned, "No no no, Yuigahama-senpai was talking about the situations in which the other party had intended to give away chocolates already. Hence, Tobe-senpai's situation is different."

"Is that so…" murmured Tobe, his arms dropping languidly to his sides.

Awkwardness turned into annoyance as Tobe flip-flopped like a child in front of a light switch. The four of us lost interest. Isshiki was already starting to walk away.

"Well, if she made it with her best efforts, then letting someone taste test it for her wouldn't be that much of a problem, although I'm not really sure," succinctly concluded Hikigaya, "Anyway, let's just move this over there first."

Hikigaya pushed a box into Tobe's hands while he was gawking at Hikigaya.

"Yes! That would be it!"

Having become convinced at Hikigaya's haphazard answer, Tobe ran with the box, predictably in the direction of Ebina. Just to be clear, he did not fall on his face, but he came close.

Love was in the air, which was predictable, given the theme. All of the tripping and stumbling were not new things to me. It brought to mind the countless boys who I had no choice but to shoo away every year. They must surely have wobbled and fallen as they meandered away.

Yuigahama beside me was making final checks to the arrangement of the utensils. It was the only thing she could do tonight perfectly. When she would begin cooking, she would surely stumble and make mistakes.

To follow through tonight, we would best hope not to flounder and hesitate.

"Yukinoshita-senpai, I worked really hard, so you better teach me something that can wow Hayato-senpai."

"I don't know what you have in mind, but the point of this event is to teach recipes that even a child could make," I said, shaking my head, "If your skill level is what I think it is, given the books you showed me, I'm sure that you'll have nothing more to learn tonight."

Yuigahama spoke up, "E-Even a child!? So, I have some hope tonight after all!?"

I looked at Yuigahama in pity and said, "No… that's still too high of a level for you."

"So I'm worse than a kid!?"

Even toddlers knew what tasted good and what tasted bad. Although, I didn't say that out loud. Instead, I smiled and only smiled. Cooking was probably impossible for Yuigahama, so I had given up hope.

From a small distance away, Hikigaya, who was not partaking in conversation, quietly mumbled to himself with his hands in his pocket.

"So, it's to the point of coping, rather than solving, huh?"

Isshiki, Yuighama and I were talking about the event to pass the time, but the topic eventually morphed into something meaningless. Just when our conversation was about to take off further into the unknown, a crescendo of voices could be heard from outside the door. I had only expected the two Kawasakis to come, but there seemed to be quite a crowd. Before I could query Isshiki, the door flung open with a bang.

"Yo, Iroha-chan. Ah, wonderful. As expected, the event last time received a lot of good rep. In order to further our PARTNERSHIP, I took up this OFFER as a chance to continue our ALLIANCE activities."

The person who barged in was as unforgettable as they come: Kaihin Sogo High's student council president Tamanawa. His hair was overly groomed to the point where it backfired and looked messy. Otherwise, he was unassuming. That was, until he opened his mouth and twirled his hands like a windmill. His love of loan words, especially of the jargon variety, showed his desire to be elevated to upper management in the future. Whether or not that was true, his forwardness was behind his actual abilities.

"So it is," said Isshiki as she cutely smiled away the awkwardness, "Thanks for your work."

Isshiki's courteousness, though tinged with her usual slyness, somehow made her seem more professional than Tamanawa. Although, the moment Tamanawa's vision was obscured, Isshiki showed extreme displeasure on her face.

Flowing in from the door were more students with the same uniform as Tamanawa. Talking amongst themselves, they emulated Tamanawa's peculiar way of speaking.

"This sort of opportunity is a BUSINESS CHANCE. Perhaps we can start a scheme that accumulates capital through CROWD FUNDING."

"That, I AGREE."

It was no more than gibberish, though it did make them seem high-and-mighty if you weren't listening carefully. Although, there was someone standing close to me who would be completely unable to elevate himself at all, no matter how hard he tried, because his presence and self-awareness was as substantial as an empty box or maybe a bony fish corpse.

"Ah, Hikigaya-kun. You really did come!"

One student from Tamanawa's crowd stepped out. Her bob cut hair swayed as she waved at Hikigaya. Out of nervousness, Hikigaya muttered a few short sounds as some sort of greeting, but did nothing more. She then peered past him and gazed at Yuigahama and I.

"Ah, hello," she curtly spoke.

Yuigahama stuttered with agitation, "H-Hello."

Tamanawa was unforgettable, but this girl was someone whom I wanted to forget. Being brazen enough to rope in Hayama Hayato and cause a scene, I could tell that she was nothing but trouble, even if I barely knew her. She had a history with Hikigaya, one that was nasty enough to give him a disturbance with every meeting. Her name was not something I was willing to memorize or recall, but from overhearing the conversations of the Kaihin Sogo students, it must have been something like Orimoto.

In front of Orimoto, Tamanawa coughed once. He appeared displeased, though he looked even more distressed.

"You guys are here too…" he said while looking blankly at Hikigaya.

"Ah, I thought I told you all?" innocently spoke Isshiki to Tamanawa.

"Um, yes, is that so?" groaned a confused Tamanawa, "I don't seem to recall anything like that at all from the mails we sent through Mailbase…"

From Tamanawa's blind spot, Isshiki turned around and gave as a "teehee" with her tongue sticking out. I could only frown. Uninvited guests were fine, but her choice of characters was especially poor. In fact, if she did not have any other purpose, she should have simply not invited them altogether. Getting along and fully utilizing everyone's abilities was a challenge, and if they did not offer more benefits than the cons, it was not worth it.

"Prez, we'd like to get started," said Orimoto.

"Okay," said Tamanawa.

Tamanawa seemed to perk right up after being spoken to by Orimoto.

Orimoto turned to the four of us and said, "Well, see you again soon."

Tamanawa shot us one final glance, especially toward Hikigaya, though he hadn't done anything. Tamanawa brusquely made his way past us, heading towards the interior of the community centre. The entire Kaihin Sogo entourage followed behind him.

Once they were gone, Hikigaya wasted no time in interrogating Isshiki.

"What's up with them, those guys…?"

"If we cooperate with them, we could probably rope in some of their budget, wouldn't that be great!" triumphantly spoke Isshiki, "I can also save on the cost of the obligatory chocolates, so lucky~"

"O-Oh…"

Hikigaya gave her a dirty look, as if he was associating with a burglar. Now that Isshiki was in a position where should could push yen around like toys, I was really starting to see her penny-pinching side. Yet another side of her that excelled over Tamanawa, but I did not feel very happy about it.

"I really don't understand what Iroha-chan is saying," said Yuigahama, looking rather dazed.

Isshiki's actions were probably a little bit too immoral for the pure-hearted Yuigahama to understand. Unfortunately, cold-hearted pragmatism was the norm when dealing with money. Let up even for a moment, and your savings and income could disappear in a flash. Although, her reasons for doing what she did were not entirely proper.

Even so, the fact that Isshiki found use for those who had troubled her greatly from before was quite admirable.

Clearing my throat, I spoke, "Let's not talk about the rights and wrongs of your line of thinking. Isshiki-san, you really exceeded expectations there, exceeded them outstandingly."

Isshiki and the student council handled the majority of preparations this time. Not only that, she worked out quite significant things that elevated this event to the next level. She had truly moved forward while we weren't looking.

"Indeed indeed, Isshiki-san you are pretty amazing~. Although, you can be quite capricious at times," said a soothing voice.

Yuigahama spoke in agreement, "Ah, I think I understand a little of what you mean by that."

That soothing voice spoke her lines so naturally that I almost followed up alongside Yuigahama without thinking. Tilting my head, I glanced around. I laid my eyes upon a face that was radiantly smiling. She was Shiromeguri Meguri, a third-year on the cusp of graduation.

"Ah! Shiromeguri-senpai," said Yuigahama in surprise.

"H-Hello," I greeted with bewilderment.

"Yeah! Hello," returned Shiromeguri.

Shiromeguri's braided twintails lightly shook as she slightly bowed in greeting. Hairpins adorned her hair at the fringes. She had an adorable face that made you think she was at least as young as Isshiki, if not younger. Yet, she was so reliable that everybody looked up to her, even as she had vacated her seat at the student council. I could not help but watch my posture when she suddenly appeared.

Flustered, Hikigaya asked, "That- why is she here…?"

Shiromeguri clapped and happily spoke, "I was invited here, and so here I am."

Her beaming smile, made after answering even such as simple question, was genuinely dazzling. It was as if she took immense joy and gained satisfaction from the mere act of meeting us. Oh no, I could hardly look her in the eyes. Even Hikigaya somehow seemed more chipper, even as he grew more flustered.

Shiromeguri grabbed hold of Isshiki's hands and held them to her chest. Isshiki could only stare in wonder.

"I was invited here~. I have to come up with a formal speech at the graduation ceremony, so I went to school, and along the way, I ran into Isshiki-san. She asked me to come here if I had the time," explained Shiromeguri, grinning all the while.

Shiromeguri began shaking Isshiki's hands up and down, causing Isshiki to become agitated. Turning aside, she whispered something to Hikigaya, probably about something quite rude, given Hikigaya's distorted facial expression.

Not noticing, Shiromeguri continued, "I have already been accepted into a university, so I am quite free. My friends all seem so busy preparing for exams… So, as a member with spare time, I thought that I would come here."

Being the previous president, she still felt ties to the student council. As if on cue and confirming her words, several students appeared behind Shiromeguri. They were recognizable as other members of the previous student council. Our participant count had grown to enormous proportions.

"I think that, although it's slightly different from what I had envisioned… but still, to think that I can have the luxury to appear at student council-organized events, to be able to chat with Yukinoshita-san, Yuigahama-san … Hikigaya-kun as well, it makes me really happy."

Yuigahama cried in delight, "Me… Me too!"

I merely hung my head. To be faced with so much warmth, to be so engulfed in Shiromeguri's bounciness, I thought my heart would palpitate to the point of bursting. Honestly, I wasn't used to it, not with what I was accustomed to, with regards to people older than me.

What would our school be like once Shiromeguri had graduated? The reins had already been passed to Isshiki, but it would surely feel like a linking chain would be cut.

"Alright, then let's give it our all for today! O!"

As she shouted, Shiromeguri pumped up her fist in cheer.

She was met with silence and immotile scarecrows. Isshiki held a straight, unemotional face. I apologized to Shiromeguri in my heart because I wasn't the kind of person to become hyper at the drop of a hat.

Undeterred, Shiromeguri pumped her fist up again, with twice the vigour.

"O!"

"…O, o-"

Hikigaya volunteered to provide a reaction for Shiromeguri, looking ready to die. Shiromeguri's fellows behind her followed suit in solidarity. Well, partial solidarity, given their lacklustre emulations.

Then, Shiromeguri glanced at the clock. She tilted her head in wonder.

"Haru-san seems to be late," she surmised.

"Indeed, I thought this place was quite easy to find," said Isshiki with a nod.

The three of us froze in place. Even with all of the uninvited guests so far, none of them had consisted of people we absolutely did not know. This "Haru-san" brought only one person to mind, one who stuck her nose in places that it did not belong.

Click click click. The sound of heels promenading across the floor reverberated. The door cracked open slowly, and the unmistakable figure of my older sister slipped into view. Yuigahama, who had been staring at the door in anticipation, widened her eyes.

"Yahallo! Sorry, am I late?"

Presenting her with a gesture, Isshiki spoke, "And so, here is our special cook for today, Haru-san-senpai!"

I eyed Isshiki, nonverbally asking her why. However, she was too preoccupied to answer.

"Hi everyone, I am Haru-san-senpai."

The first person that Haruno feasted her eyes upon was Shiromeguri. She raised her hand in greeting.

"Ah Haru-san," kindly spoke Shiromeguri, "It's been a long time."

"…Meguri, didn't I just meet you recently?" asked Haruno in surprise.

Shiromeguri bowed before continuing, "Haru-san's snacks are really delicious, I am really looking forward to them."

"Well, since you asked for them, I will definitely make them. As a kind senpai, I can't possibly reject a kouhai's request~"

My sister was skilled at everything. Cooking was but one article in her pile of talents. It was another toy for her, being utilized for whatever her stomach desired.

Unsettled, Hikigaya inquired Isshiki, "Hey, why did you call her here?"

"Because she seems to be a veteran at this?" responded Isshiki without a second thought.

"I am more than enough for this job…" I groaned.

Inviting Haruno was insulting. Everyone knew that I was always in her shadow, though not of my own volition. Rather, Haruno constantly stood in my way, draping the shadow herself, even as I tried to sidestep it. For Isshiki to do such a thing even though she should have been aware of it, I could only shrink my shoulders dispiritedly.

Turning to me, Isshiki spoke nonchalantly, "Well, let's not talk about your teaching methods, but the snacks that you make are indeed very tasty."

That was unexpected.

I quickly turned my face away, but Isshiki may have already caught a glimpse at my look of astonishment.

That was unfair. For those living in someone else's shadow, compliments were unfair blows. They served to affirm you, to give you hope. That's why it was all the more disappointing when the expected stumbling block came.

"But, I really look forward to having Yukinon teach me!"

Yuigahama jumped towards me and clung to my right arm. Her body heat immediately spread to my awfully cold arm. She gazed upwards at me with reassurance. Yuigahama understood.

Haruno was still carefreely chatting with Shiromeguri. Shiromeguri, in her infinite kindness, treated Haruno like an old friend. Yet, even with that friendly conversing, my college-aged sister stood out like a sore thumb.

Being allowed in here, Haruno would act like a hawk. She was surely sharpening her claws, waiting for us to expose ourselves and swoop in. It had always been this way. She could never resist gobbling up the juicy things after having ripped them apart.

Yet, no matter how closely you looked, she would fly away before you would know it, irresponsibly leaving others to clean up the debris.