Cornered

Prologue

Hikigaya Hachiman gulped. He was not known for being cordial or dressing well, which happened to be why he looked so peculiar in a tie and suit. His vest fitted tightly onto his waist. He gave himself a look-over in the mirror, and thought he looked rather disciplined, a sharp contrast to the mental wreck he was. His rather long hair was loose and he might have looked like a bartender. He sighed deeply.

He grabbed his keys, and a badge he had only recently acquired, and headed out, not having the liberty to hesitate.

Many people would be surprised to find out that Hikigaya Hachiman, someone who had always been distrusting and seemingly uncaring would wind up as a Defence Attorney, but the moment he had entered the court, something within him had clicked. It was an arrow in the right direction, and he had, in his small two years of defence, never failed a client. To Hachiman, this was but a minor achievement. The one thing he would never stop striving for, one thing he would never lose sight of, was the truth.

Defendant's Lobby

As he entered the lobby, a loud and emotional voice greeted him.

"Hikki! There you are!" His eyes fell immediately to the source of the sound. An energetic girl with pink hair - he had always assumed it was a lighter variation of ginger hair - was waving at him with a bright smile.

This was Yui Yuigahama, his highschool friend. He knew her well, and he might have even gone as far as to say he was her best friend, as fate would have it, they both kept in touch after highschool, more so by coincidence than active attempt on either side.

"How are you holding up, Yuigahama?"

She bit her lip and looked around nervously.

"W-well, that's a bit of a tough question to ask…"

Of course, he understood well enough. The case was a confusing one, but it was not as if all the other cases he dealt with weren't. He thought he had already uncovered all the secrets that lay in the hearts of those involved, and he felt ready.

"Yeah, I get it. Don't worry, though. You'll be going home a free woman, hopefully."

He had thrown in the 'hopefully' to tease his friend, and it worked wonders as an angry blush graced her cheeks and petulant frustration gleamed in her eyes.

"H-Hikki, please don't make a joke at a time like this!"

She shook his shoulders to add to her argument. He gave a small chuckle in return, though it came out sounding more nervous than he had hoped it would. Her eyes warmed and she talked so low that only he could hear her.

"You're worried about her, right?"

He sighed. Of course, Yuigahama's worries were centred around the same person as his.

The Prosecutor in charge of this case. As the guard called for them to get to the courtroom, he momentarily stopped, remembering a different time, a different place, and three very different people. He sighed.

He walked with Yuigahama, and somehow watching her walk beside him with what could only be labelled some sort of melancholic joy, he steeled himself. He would protect Yuigahama, he owed the past that much.

The doors to Courtroom No.3 were opened wide, and as he walked into the hall of judgement, his eyes met with his opponent and for a moment he was breathless.

There stood, at the prosecutor's side, a woman with cold impassive eyes which looked through him with blatant disregard. Was this nostalgia perhaps?

Yukino Yukinoshita stood there, as if ready to give her old friend the death sentence.

He couldn't help a cold smile that lifted the edges of his mouth.

It's been a while, Yukinoshita.

Author's Notes : Well, this came out of nowhere. It'll probably be updated soon since I'm in a rush. This idea was gnawing at my head, and I wanted to get it down.