Chapter 11: Siblings and their meetings
(Narrator POV)
In the dining room of Hikigaya Household, currently, there's four people participating in an emergency siblings meeting.
Normally, it would be just Hachiman and Komachi who participate in the meeting.
It's mostly held whenever Hachiman suspects that Komachi has one or two secret boyfriends which starts with Hachiman ranting about how he would smash those humanoid bugs into pulp, crush the crotch of those bugs into mincemeat, chanting the curse upon those bugs, gauge the eyeballs those bugs used to undress Komachi etc. But it mostly ended with Hachiman's defeat.
However, today is different.
Kamakura, who's currently eating his meal, senses that the aggressive storm will come really soon once he glances at the dining table with Hassen and Hachiju on the left side while Hachiman and Komachi on the right side do the staring contest for a while.
Meanwhile, Kazumi and Futami also having a staring contest with Kamukura while eating food as well.
"Long time no see, Komachi." greeted Hachiju.
"Thanks for manners like always." replied Komachi.
"It's rare for Komachi to be openly uncute like this." thought Hachiman.
"You're a lot cuter in these past years, Komachi-chan." said Hassen.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere." replied Komachi.
"Oi Yukinoshita, get out of Komachi's body at once, will you?" thought Hachiman.
"You've told Onii-chan, aren't you? About what happened today." said Komachi.
"Would it convince you if I said I wasn't?" asked Hassen.
"The fact that you didn't deny it right away already convinced Komachi that she was right." retorted Komachi.
Once Kamakura finished his meal, he went out of the room as he couldn't handle the tense atmosphere during the meeting.
After Kamakura left for a moment, Kazumi and Futami, on the other hand, as a contrast to Kamakura as they went and ate the food Kamakura left in his plate as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I know it's out of character for me to say but take it easy, will you?" said Hachiman.
"Just tell them, Onii-chan. Because Komachi is already on her 'take it easy' mode." said Komachi, pouting.
"I don't remember you ever pouting like that whenever you're 'take it easy' though." said Hachiman.
"I wouldn't mind Komachi joining us, in fact I welcomed it." said Hachiju.
"Really?" asked Hachiman.
"Well, I meant she just stopped plotting behind the scenes and confronted us head-on. So what's the harm?" said Hassen.
"Did I just stir up the fire?" muttered Hachiman.
"There's plenty of harm already. How could Komachi not confront you guys after what you've done today and just invade into her turf shamelessly?" said Komachi.
"Yukinoshita, I beg you, please get the hell out of Komachi already." quietly muttered Hachiman.
"My my. Is it because you're close to becoming a teenager or being spoiled too much that you're being this cold toward your elders?" said Hachiju.
"Maybe it's because of both reasons. Otherwise she won't be this cold toward people who used to live here before." said Hassen.
Yeah, you heard right. Hassen said 'live' and not 'visit'.
" (Sigh) You guys are suck at mellowing the mood as always. Also, it's not like you guys not knowing that she's being cold toward you simply because she hates you two that much." said Hachiman.
"How can Komachi not hate them? Especially when they left us on that day! Komachi can still not forget what happened during the next day. If possible, Komachi want to bury it into the deepest of her memories." said Komachi.
"You've got the point, that day really hurt us to no end." said Hachiman.
"I really couldn't understand you, Onii-chan. You're the one that hurt the most. You're crying eight hours straight in your room over it, enough to keep me from sleeping. Yet you're not only holding no grudges against them, but also forgive them just like that." said Komachi, angrily.
"I believe me and our parents already explained to you about that. It can't be helped after all." said Hachiman.
"Who cares about that?! To hell with that marriage contract!" said Komachi, rudely.
"It's been a while that four of us seemed to have an agreement over something." said Hachiju.
"Preach it." said Hassen.
"You don't say." said Hachiman.
"Hmph! Even if you two really regret that, Komachi won't forgive you guys, let alone acknowledge you two as her big brothers." said Komachi.
"Eh? Who was it again that called me 'Eight Thousand Nii-san' like how you did when we're still siblings?" teased Hassen which earned death glares from Komachi.
"Could you stop fighting fire with gasoline?" quietly muttered Hachiman.
"Is that so? Well, that's good for you Hassen. At least you got your 'Eight Thousand Nii-san' from her while I didn't get my 'Eighty Nii-san' even after becoming cousins." said Hachiju, sipping the tea.
"It's really been a while since Komachi met two of you, you're a lot more annoying than how you used to be." said Komachi.
"And your hostilities toward us are still as sharp as ever, Komachi. You're still favoriting Hachiman over us even though three of us were triplets." said Hachiju.
Yeah, you heard right. He said 'triplets' and not 'cousins'.
"Hoh? So you guys want to fight with Komachi as Hikigayas even though you two already went by Sanshokuin, huh? Listen here, now Komachi is his little sister so—" said Komachi, emitted a dark aura.
"It's not actually a fight, it's a reminder Even if we're cousins, you can't change the fact that we're actually his biological siblings, or big brothers to be exact." said Hachiju.
"So if you're going to take out your sibling authority on us to just merely keep us from taking care of him, keep in mind that we can also do that too." said Hassen.
"If that's the case then let's settle this! Onii-chan! Who will you choose? Komachi or these two? You're going to choose Komachi, right? Right?" asked Komachi with an angry mark on her head as a contrast to her angelic smile.
Hachiman, however, excused himself to go to the toilet and got out of the dining room.
"You're still as airhead as always." said Hassen.
"How can you be able to take care of Hachiman when all you can do is just act spoiled and just end up turning to him when things don't go your way?" said Hachiju.
Then a vein bulged and popped on Komachi's head.
No more Komachi everyone is familiar with right now, the girl just turned into rules 63 version of Kurokiba Ryo with bandanna on.
Even Kamakura ran for his life upon realizing that Komachi just transformed.
"Bring it on, you shitty brothers! As if you guys have the right to say something like taking care of Komachi's Onii-chan when you guys make him suffer so much! It can't be helped that the marriage between father and mother has a contract that if mother's sister couldn't give birth to a boy even one they had to give up at least one boy to Sanshokuin family and somehow auntie couldn't for real, but you both just arbitrary abandon Komachi and Onii-chan and go without heed to Onii-chan's begging. To Onii-chan, you two were like his pillar but you left him crying over your departure! And now since Komachi fits in the role of Onii-chan's pillar she won't let him suffer! From loneliness and including you two! And just now Komachi points really went up to top notch." barraged Komachi.
"In that case, let me say thanks for your hard work in taking care of him." said Hachiju.
"Eh?" said Komachi, confused.
"So that's why you can finally rest and let us handle the rest." said Hassen.
"Why should Komachi do tha—" said Komachi.
"Aren't you yourself looking for someone who you could entrust him with? If I recalled right, during the recent summer, you've even tried to recruit your friend's big sister as a candidate for that?" said Hachiju.
"How did you know?" asked Komachi.
"We happened to be nearby but you and Hachiman just didn't take a good look at your surroundings enough." said Hachiju.
"That's aside, as Hachiju said, right now the people who are willing to do that are already right in front of you so what's the harm?" asked Hassen.
"There's plenty of harm already when it's you two! What Komachi wants is Onee-chan that will give Onii-chan the best happiness!" yelled Komachi.
"What a picky JC." commented Hassen.
"She's both picky and not picky at the same time to be exact." said Hachiju.
"Huh?" uttered Hassen and Komachi in unison.
"It's just two of us that she won't accept, however, she would immediately recruit any bitch that Hachiman allowed them to interact with himself as a candidate regardless of what they actually think about Hachiman since she could lead them to befitting as a candidate with her wingman play anyway." explained Hachiju.
At the end of Hachiju's speech, Hachiman came back.
"Although I don't think the 'bitch' part is appropriate to describe them, I couldn't deny that you're wrong about Komachi." said Hachiman.
"Onii-chan!" said Komachi, irritated that her brother wasn't on her side.
"I appreciate your kindness, Komachi. That's why I played along with your scheme everytime." said Hachiman, patting Komachi's head.
"Onii-chan…" said Komachi, emotion mellowed.
Then the head patting stopped.
"So I think it's time for you to let people make decisions on their own without adding any influences to them." said Hachiman.
Upon hearing that, Komachi's fury rose again.
"Oh please, Gomii-chan. Even with influences you still couldn't get yourself a girlfriend so how can not being influenced do you any good?" said Komachi.
Hachiman closed his eyes and went silent.
"You act like you're a romance expert but in reality it's just you being full of yourself, Komachi." said Hassen.
"What did you say?!" shouted Komachi.
"If judging by impressions alone, you're undoubtedly more mature than him so you think it's better if you're the one paving his life rather than let him handle it himself. But once you're judged as a whole, you're no better than any of those middle schoolers at all. In other words, rather than mature, you're still inexperienced yourself." explained Hachiju.
"Komachi's a middle schooler and what about it? At least she's better than a couple of rotten high schoolers here!" retorted Komachi.
"Even the certain unmarried teacher who undoubtedly has a lot more experience than you and probably has been doing everything you have done to influence him in the past, couldn't get herself a partner in romance then how can you be so sure that the influences you gave him and his surroundings so far are going to be the right thing to do?" said Hachiju.
"That's just…" said Komachi, but couldn't figure out how to retort back.
"Just her being unlucky? You just couldn't bring yourself to say that, right?" said Hassen.
"She definitely couldn't. Saying that meant she indirectly admitted that it's up to his luck in the end." said Hachiju.
"It's definitely not! Things are definitely going well with Onii-chan if it weren't for you two's interference!" shouted Komachi.
"People's lives do contain obstacles. If that's what all it takes to ruin it then doesn't that mean your efforts which you're so proud of should not be the right thing to do?" asked Hachiju.
Komachi couldn't make any response to that.
"Setting Hachiman and that Yukinoshita chick up during the mall shopping, setting Hachiman and that Yuigahama chick up during the firework festival, arbitrarily implanted a flag between Hachiman and your friend's big sister. Rather than they sound like a good wingman thing to do, it sounds like you're going to kill Hachiman with an overbearing mess instead." said Hassen.
Hachiman, after staying silent up until now, opened his eyes.
"Wait a minute! How did you know about Yuigahama's and Kawasomething's case anyway? If I recall right, I've never told you about those at all." asked Hachiman.
"If it's Komachi's friend's big sister's case, it's just like Yukinoshita chick's. However, for Yuigahama chick's case, Sumireko coincidentally saw you with her and she just kindly shared that information with us. She also did say that the bun hair girl is about to confess to you but being interrupted by a phone call from her mother." said Hassen.
"She knew me even though she has never met me, huh?" said Hachiman.
"Sumireko could tell me and Hassen apart. Once she couldn't tell if it's either me or Hassen, she would conclude that it was you." said Hachiju.
After going silent for a while, Komachi revved.
"See? There's progress in Komachi's influence!" said Komachi.
Hachiman, once again, went silent.
"Didn't you guys just dig your own graves for revealing such things to Komachi?" thought Hachiman.
"That's all there is to it. After that incident, there's tons of chances where she could continue where she has left but still left it as it is up until now." said Hassen.
"Still not admit your defeat, huh? Can't you see that at this rate Yui-san will definitely—" said Komachi.
"She will definitely be agitated by you at this rate." said Hachiju with a cold voice.
"Wha—" said Komachi.
"Let us be serious here and say it right in front of Hachiman. Komachi, which one of those chicks you're really rooting for?" asked Hassen with a cold voice.
Komachi's lips are frozen as if she was petrified and sweat started rolling down from her forehead visibly, her eyes darted everywhere else except to Hachiman's direction, her eyes started to form a tear.
"If you're not going to answer, I'll answer it on your behalf." said Hachiju.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" shouted Komachi as she left the dining room to her room, crying.
The Emergency Siblings meeting ended.
"You guys pull no punches. Don't you guys want to reconcile with her these past years since you left me and her?" asked Hachiman.
"Did you forget how sucky we are at that?" asked Hachiju and Hassen.
"That's not something you guys should say with straight faces." said Hachiman.
"It can't be helped. That kid won't give us any chance at all." said Hachiju.
"Yeah. Especially when we give you to her for her sake." said Hassen.
"I'm not an object, y'know?" retorted Hachiman.
"At least she has lived a happier life since then." said Hachiju.
"Knowing that should be enough, I guess." said Hassen.
"I really wonder if that actually sits well with you guys. You guys chose to leave me and Komachi in my place for that marriage contract simply because she's not only will never leave Hikigaya but also has favored me over you two and you guys believe that you couldn't make her happy yourselves. I have a feeling that you guys should be treated in a better way by her." said Hachiman.
In other words, Hachiju and Hassen left the Hikigaya not just for Hachiman's sake, but also for Komachi's.
"This should be the better one." said Hassen.
"Thanks to her airhead nature, she couldn't figure it out, otherwise her life would never be like sunshine." said Hachiju.
"That's true. Komachi really couldn't stand my breakdown back then. If she figured it out, she wouldn't be able to dismiss the thought that her very existence is one of the reasons to blame for." said Hachiman.
"She just saved herself from that thought by her own hatred. How bizarre." said Hachiju.
"Which is still a mystery why she hates us so much, even before the marriage contract incident." said Hassen.
"So you two never realized it after all these years and even now." muttered Hachiman.
"It's not a mystery at all. In fact, it's an extremely ridiculous and childish reason ever. It's not a big deal but a big crime to Komachi after all." thought Hachiman.
"But it's not that much of a problem now. After all, since one day she would upgrade to be JK anyway so it won't be harmful to let her taste some of that." said Hassen.
"You might've been killed if the two owners of this house came back, y'know? Unless you're not hesitant to lay your hands on them." muttered Hachiman.
"I appreciate your worries but you should worry about yourself more. I don't think that kid would stop her wingman operation just because of that so prepare yourself." said Hachiju.
"Yeah. If Totsuka is her ally I'll be more or less defeated." said Hachiman.
"You really do like him, huh?" said Hachiju.
"Well, he's an angel. I wouldn't mind having him cook for me every morning for the rest of my life." said Hachiman.
"If that's the case then I have bad news to tell you. And I'm not talking about our disapproval or the fact that he's a guy." said Hassen.
"What is it?" asked Hachiman.
"As you know, during the time when I was disguised as you, Totsuka would approach me as a wingman. However, out of curiosity I asked him why he loved tennis so much and he just told me that it's because the girl he loves is the one who inspired him to be a tennis player." said Hassen.
"WHAT?! Wait! Aren't Totsuka and Komachi accomplices in that operation? He might've made up that or something." said Hachiman.
"That's what I thought as well. However, not only is his expression so convincing, the name of the girl he likes isn't the made up one at all." said Hassen.
"You're sure about that so that's mean you knew the girl." said Hachiman.
"Her name is Hinata Aoi, nicknamed Himawari. She's currently the ace player of Nishikizuta high school's tennis club." explained Hachiju.
"How did you know all of that?" asked Hachiman.
"The girl's name was weirdly matched with one of Sumireko's friends after all so I asked her to dig up the story about that girl. So we found out that Totsuka and that girl went to the same middle school before which made his story more convincing." said Hassen.
"What a nightmare." dejectedly muttered Hachiman.
"It's not like we want to crush your hope even though we wish you weren't serious about it but you have to face it someday anyway so you've got to deal with it." said Hachiju.
"Right. He is still a guy at the end of the day after all." said Hachiman.
"Well, it's already so late so see you tomorrow." said Hassen.
"Also, thanks for giving me shelter." said Hachiju.
After Hachiju and Hassen left the Hikigaya Household, Hachiman couldn't help but worry if he could sleep that night.
"What does he mean by 'shelter' anyway?" muttered Hachiman.
(Narrator POV Ended)
(The next day, Shiromeguri Meguri POV)
Old habits surely die hard, don't you think?
Although I've already retired from being the student council president, I couldn't help myself but to walk toward the direction where I used to go during my time as a student council president.
Yep. I went toward the student council room right now.
Speaking of Tenma-san, she's so capable of handling things in the student council, even more than myself when I took the position for the first time.
Originally, I thought I would have Yukinoshita-san succeed me but this is probably not bad of a choice either, at least aside from her, I think I could entrust student council to Tenma-san wholeheartedly.
When I'm about to turn around and get back to where I'm coming from, I noticed a beauty who definitely was not a student or any school staff walked toward the student council room.
She is a beautiful white-skinned young woman with shoulder-length black hair and angular blue eyes, wears a knitted cardigan and white blouse along with a long skirt.
It's no mistake. She's Yukinoshita-san's older sister and my former upperclassman: Yukinoshita Haruno.
Why is she here? Don't tell me she comes all the way here to take revenge for her little sister?
No good. Even if I couldn't hold any candle against her I had to do something. But what should I do?
*Knock knock*
"Come in."
Tenma-san allowed her to get in.
And I just ended up couldn't do anything other than eavesdropping on them from the outside.
"Yahallo~." greeted Haruno-san.
"Good evening. May I help you, Yukinoshita Haruno-san?" asked Tenma-san.
Is it just me or Tenma-san just emphasizing Haruno-san's name?
"Nothing much really~, I've heard that the first year student won the student council president seat over the election where her upperclassmen participated so I couldn't help but wanted to meet her in person~." said Haruno-san.
"Then shall we have dinner together at the Angel Ladder Café after this, Yukinoshita-san?" said Tenma-san.
"Pfft… Wow, I didn't expect you would suggest something like this." said Haruno-san.
"Well, that's because I think it's something I should do as a form of thanks to you, Yukinoshita-san." said Tenma-san.
Huh? Thanks? What? Why?
"Eh? Thanks? Me?" asked Haruno-san, with confusion in her voice.
"Yes. I mean, one of the model alumni of Sobu High School, came all the way here just to meet me despite your tight schedule as a college student, I couldn't help but feel so honored that I should at least cut you some slack in order to save you some trouble." explained Tenma-san.
Her speech is quite formal but why do I feel like she doesn't really mean it?
I have no idea that my successor could be sarcastic if she wants to.
"Heh? But what will you do if I'm going to decline your offer, Tenma-chan?" said Haruno-san.
Haruno-san won't back down either.
"There's no need to hold yourself back, Yukinoshita-san. Also, today I'm going to meet Onii-sama there so it's more like a win-win to both of us, don't you think?" said Tenma-san.
Onii-sama?
"Hmm… You're not tricking me, right?" said Haruno-san with a hint of seriousness in her voice.
"Who knows? But it's more interesting that way, isn't it?" said Tenma-san.
"Geez. You're really your brother's sister." said Haruno-san.
"How about we go together, Yukinoshita-san? Assuming that what I told you was a lie, you could still have a conversation with me one-on-one, right? But if what I told you was true then you wouldn't ask for anything more, right?" asked Tenma-san.
What's going on here?
"Not only the big brother who got me but also the little sister, huh? Fine. I couldn't wait to see what would happen once we arrived at that Café." said Haruno-san.
"But before that, let me say something to a certain someone." said Tenma-san.
Say something. To whom?
Then the door swiftly opened and a head popped out in my sight.
"Eavesdropping is no good, former student council president-san." said Tenma-san with a wink.
I scooted back in surprise.
"Whoa, Meguri. Good timing, let's go together, the more the merrier!" cheerfully said Haruno-san as she attempted to drag me along.
When I'm about to decline, Tenma-san whispers into my ears.
"Are you sure you don't want to clear those doubts in your mind, Shiromeguri-senpai?"
Yeah, definitely. Especially the doubts about how do you know that I'm eavesdropping.
But even if she didn't tell me that, I, who's no longer a student council president, wouldn't have any good reasons to deny Haruno-san anymore so I went along with them.
However, after seeing Tenma-san and Haruno-san's behavior when they're together today, it reminded me of Haruno-san during her high school life.
There's also a guy that could make Haruno-san act the way she was today that time too.
I couldn't believe it took me this long to realize that Tenma-san is that guy's little sister.
While I'm in the middle of thinking, something piques my interest.
It's Isshiki-san. What is she trying to do, checking out boys' shoe lockers like that this late?
But once she heard my footsteps, she dashed away without a second thought.
What a bizarre day.
(Shiromeguri Meguri POV Ended)
A/N: Chapter 11 for you readers, sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.