I was lying in my bed, thinking about what would happen at the planning of the event.
I get off the bed and started writing on my notebook about what will be my suggestions for tommorow meeting, though I can't think of anything yet. What I wrote just turned into random words that even I can't comprehend.
Maybe if I'll discuss this with Meguri-senpai, I'm pretty sure she can give me some ideas to be introduced in the meeting tomorrow. But, I don't want to be a bother to her anymore as she already helped me plenty enough.
Speaking of Meguri-senpai, I just noticed that my speech patterns are somewhat different whenever I'm talking with her. It's like I'm at my most relaxed state.
Usually, I throw some unnecessary criticism and sarcasm whenever I'm talking to someone. It's like my adapted defence mechanism due to many bullying and ill-treatment instances I've received for as long as I've remembered. My reason for acting like so is because I need them to avoid me as soon as possible. I think it's better to just be badmouthed than to receive physical bullying.
But I can't recall any instances of talking to Meguri-senpai in that manner. And I'm pretty sure it's not because she's a nice girl because even to that certain nice girl that shouldn't be named, I used my rude way of talking at first and I'm even very aware of my feelings for her that time.
It's also not because I have a high amount of respect to her. That's because I respect Hiratsuka-sensei the most in Sobu yet she's one of the most frequent receiver of the said kind of speech pattern.
Maybe it's because our conversations always fall to student council stuff. Ah damn it! Stop making excuses!
Yes, I can tell that I'm just making excuses in my mind and in reality is that I see Meguri-senpai different from the others. It's a completely new feeling for me that I don't understand.
If I'm lazy enough, I could just call this whatever I'm feeling as "crushing on her" or something. But I already have crushes back when I was on middle school and this time it feels different. I don't have the urge to rush ahead and confess to her because I don't know what I'm feeling in the first place.
My phone at the top of my desk suddenly vibrated for and extended period of time. This can only mean one thing and I'm not sure if I'll like this. It's a call from an unknown number.
Well, I rarely receive a call so maybe the caller mistyped the number they're calling. Just to be sure, I answered the call.
"Uh hello."
"Hello! Is this Hikigaya-kun?" Meguri-senpai? How did she get my number?
"Yes, this is Hikigaya Hachiman speaking. What is it, senpai?"
"Um... I just noticed that I mistakenly took one of your books and brought it home with me." Book? I'm pretty sure all my textbooks are here in my bag.
"Uh, all my textbooks are here with me."
"It's a book you're reading when we're at the student council office. The cover shows a highschool girl with um... inappropriate school uniform."
She took my light novel? The cover of that one can be easily mistaken as a perverted novel, at least from the eyes of people who are not familiar with the media. Well, it's not really perverted as it just shows a girl with her skirt length just a bit shorter than usual, but the thighs are... Well, it's sexy to look at. Damn, of all people, why is senpai the one who mistakenly took it? I wanna drop this call right now and hide in the closet in embarrassment!
"That's uh... Yes, that's mine, senpai." I somehow composed myself upon replying. "Actually, I was wondering how did you get my number?"
"Eh, you don't remember? Everyone at the student council gave their contact info to me yesterday and that includes you too. Then you just left to buy a drink, not even letting me give my contact info to you." I did that? Although I can't remember anything, I must really looked like an asshole to her that time.
"Uh, sorry about that, senpai."
"Mm, it's okay. But Hikigaya-kun, please refrain from reading this kind of books if you're in school."
"Let me explain, senpai. That book isn't really a perverted one, it really is a good school romance story."
"..."
"Senpai, I'm really telling the truth!"
"Okay, I believe you for now." Now that's not very reassuring.
For some reason, she didn't hung up the call yet. As for me, I'm not the one who taps the end call button because most of the people calling me tap the button first.
"Uh senpai, are you still there? I'm hanging up if not."
"Please don't. Actually, I just wanted to chat for a little longer. My parents aren't home yet and it's still too early for sleeping."
I don't know where our topics went as we continued the conversation for about fifteen minutes. The contents of our conversation is just whatever she decided to talk about while I'm just replying with simple phrases such as "Is that so?", "I see." and some other random topics whenever she demanded me to open up some topics myself.
For some reason, I didn't opened up anything related to the meeting tomorrow.
"Ah, I just noticed something!" Meguri-senpai said, acting like the thing she noticed really is that important.
"What is it?"
"I'm always telling you to call me 'Meguri-senpai' yet I'm still referring you as 'Hikigaya-kun'." Personally, I don't mind if she'll continue calling me that.
"I can always revert to calling you 'Shiromeguri-senpai' if that concerned you, senpai."
"Please don't! I worked hard for you to call me on my given name!"
I guess normies really is insistent with getting their associates to call them with their first names.
"Senpai, I don't really mind if you don't change the way you call me. There's no need to do so anyway."
"No, I insist!" What if I'll also insist on opposing you? Actually, I can't see myself doing that.
"Uh... okay, suit yourself."
"Hmm, how about 'Hachi-chan'?" -chan? Do I really look that cute?
"No, it sounds like what you call to a little girl. Besides, my character doesn't really fit for that nickname."
To be honest, I'm just afraid of what nickname she'll come up with. With all those nicknames from both elementary and middle school years, I don't think anyone will be willing to have a nickname again. Besides, even if I'm already in highschool, people here still tend call me anything besides my real name. Hikki, Hikitani, one with the ugly dead fish eyes, festival planning committee slacker, most hated guy in Sobu. There are probably more out there if we include those insult names Yukinoshita is using.
"How about 'Haa-chan'?"
"Senpai, just tell me if what you're looking for is a little sister because I'm most certainly not the one for the position."
Despite my response, she continued choosing whatever nicknames she can think of. "Hachi-kun? What if I'll also imitate Yuigahama-san and call you 'Hikki'?"
"Please senpai, if you really want to call me anything but my surname that bad, I will only allow if it's my given name."
"Hachiman-kun, no, it's just too long. Hachiman, is this fine?"
One thing I would like to say is... It's embarrassing. It's the first time a girl called me like that, Mom and Komachi not included. Besides my family, there are only two people who call me like that.
First is Zaimokuza because he just like the origin of my name. Sometimes, he also calls me "Yahata no kami" whenever his delusions are at their highest. To be associated with a god is almost flattering. If I met Zaimokuza on my chuuni days, I don't think I will be able to recover from it.
Second is Totsuka. I even wished once that Totsuka is a girl. But no matter how feminine sh- he looks, he is a boy. He even gets angry whenever someone mistaken him or treats him as a girl.
I strayed way too far.
Well, I guess being called by my given name is not that bad. "Okay, if that's what you want."
"So Hachiman, I'm actually calling you because there's an update on your meeting tomorrow." Why only now? You could have said that earlier.
"What is it?"
"Hiratsuka-sensei received a call from the other school that you guys can't have your meeting tomorrow. She said she intended to call you for this but mistakenly called me instead. She's also in a hurry for a date that's why she asked me to relay this to you." Hiratsuka-sensei has a date? I guess I have to prepare my gut for tomorrow because she'll likely to be stood up tonight and will vent out her frustration by punching me.
"Sounds like good news to me. Thank you for telling me."
"Hmm, no problem. Goodnight, Hachiman."
"Goodnight, Meguri-senpai."
I immediately tapped the red button on my phone, ending the longest phone call of my entire life. After that long conversation, my mouth felt dry from all that talking. With that, I placed my phone back on the table and left my room.
As I opened the door, a small figure came tumbling inside my room.
"Aaah!" Komachi shouted upon her fall to the floor.
"What are you doing here, Komachi?" I asked while helping her stand up. "Wait, are you eavesdropping behind the door? You know, that's low in Komachi points."
"I know, hehe. So... Who's that senpai you're talking about?"
"The former student council president, what about it?"
"Hmm, a new competitor and it looks like this one is winning, huh." she said in a low voice while striking a thinking pose. "By the way, what do you have to do with the former president? Don't tell me you just want to ask her out of nowhere? Because that's going to be very creepy of you, onii-chan."
It seems that that insect of a friend she has isn't as talkative as I've expected. For sure Taishi knows that I'm the current president because of her brocon sister. But then if that's the case, there's also a chance that Kawasaki haven't mentioned anything about student council because I myself didn't tell anything to my sister.
"Nah, it's just school stuff. Nothing for you to be concerned about."
"But I want to be concerned about you all the time. Ah, that surely scored a lot of Komachi points!"
I let out a huge sigh. It seems that my secret I've been keeping from her will finally be revealed. Well, I'm not really keeping it a secret from her. It's just that I'm inclined to tell her whenever I feel it's right to do so or if she asked hard enough.
"Listen, Komachi. I know what I'm going to say is pretty unbelievable but... I became the new student council president of Sobu. That's why I was kinda bound to be more or less involved with the previous president."
"Huh? Are you really telling the truth? You know, I can always ask someone if you're really telling the truth or not."
"Go ahead. Contact any people you can reach, although it will be low in Komachi points if you don't trust your onii-chan."
"Hmph, I going to do just that!" My imouto no longer trusted me! Such unfortunate fate of an older brother.
She took her phone and called someone. I'm somewhat uncomfortable with her smile upon calling that person...
"Hello Taishi-kun!" I knew it!
"..."
"You said your nee-chan is the new student council president of Sobu, right? Can you ask her who's the their current president?"
Upon hearing her question to the insect, I involuntary made a smirk on my face.
"..."
"Eh? Really?"
"..."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow too!" she ended the call still with the suspicious smile on her face.
I bet if I'm going to say anything, she'll just say that I'm prohibited to meddle with her affairs. Such is an obvious display of double standards... But, she's my sister so I'll give her a pass. I may have to talk about this with Kawasaki though.
"So... Do you believe me now?"
"H-how is that possible? Do you secretly have a lot of fangirls who voted for you? I should have known since there's a lot of high-spec girls aiming for you-" I'm kinda flattered that she sees me in a positive way, though this may only because she wants to reclaim lost Komachi points. But those assumptions are way off the mark so she's not getting any of it.
"Oi Komachi, you're rambling. And to answer your question, I won by default because no one else ran for the position."
"I'm sorry for doubting you, onii-chan!"
"Hmm, no problem. So now you learned your lesson to not doubt your onii-chan."
She just meekly nodded and went to her own bedroom, feeling embarrassed. With everything out of the way, I immediately went to the kitchen to quench my thirst, which I should have done a while ago.
A/N: Well, I'm once again reminded that writing is hard, at least for me.