CHAPTER X

…

…

When Hachiman went back to his secluded flat, she was still there.

A part of him inwardly hoped that she had already left, and had returned to her own apartment up the city. But Haruno Yukinoshita was still here. Hachiman gently slipped through the door without making too much noise, and peered around the corner to see the elegant-looking woman behind the countertop. She was leaning aside, gazing out of a window while drinking from a glass.

Hachiman was slightly suspicious. He wouldn't be surprised if Haruno had snooped around and found the stash of money he kept under the sink. It wasn't a big deal. But it reminded him that there was no place for her in here, she was a runaway, and her folks would soon start looking for her. He cleared his throat and she turned around to see him. Hachiman walked over to the sofa and said, "Have a seat, Haruno-san. Let's talk."

Haruno's face lit up with pleasure, and she sauntered over to him. "Sure. About what?"

Hachiman laid back and deadpanned a look at her. "Haruno-san, to cut straight to the point, I think you have to go back already. Your sister is getting worried about you. I met her this morning."

Haruno complained sulkily, "You're going to give me up? Just like that?"

"Don't get the wrong idea."

Haruno moved closer, walking around him to lay her thin, silky hands behind his shoulder. She leaned down to his ear, so close he could feel her warm sweet breath tickle him. "I think you've had a long day, and both of us could really use some relaxation."

Hachiman merely smiled over. It had a disarming effect on her, and he brushed her off. "Do you want a drink? I'll set out a bottle of shochu," he said gently.

Haruno answered slyly. "No."

"You won't be able to blame alcohol this time."

Haruno sat right next to him on the sofa. Hachiman found her too close, but did not say anything. She said, "Yukino-chan is looking for me, huh?"

"Yeah."

"As expected. People appreciate your absence better."

Hachiman asked, "why do you want to run away from it all?"

She shook her head. "I'm not running away. I'm simply biding my time."

"That's true, but here you are. The way I see it, putting distance between you and your family only places you at a disadvantage. It's better if you talk it out with your sister, about whatever happened between you and them," he said.

Haruno glanced down and said softly, "you know a lot, don't you?"

Hachiman shrugged. "I suppose so." He said, "Besides, you're a smart girl. I know you're not one to run away."

Haruno pushed against him, her hands asserting over his shirt, and kissed him on the lips. Hachiman grinned at her amusedly. Her rosy eyes glinted with renewed interest. She said, "if you keep that up, Mr. Elegant, I might just fall in love with you."

"You're very playful, Haruno-san," he muttered.

Hachiman was unfazed. Seeing this, she broke into a giggle. She sighed. "Am I that much of a dead giveaway?"

"No shit. You come off too strongly, that it's unbelievable if you weren't so pretty."

"But seriously. Maybe it can work out between us."

Hachiman regained his composure now that she wasn't leaning hard on him anymore. He said incredulously, "Haruno-san, you're three years older than me. I'm younger than you. It's funny that I have to be the one to watch my footing in this."

She pouted. "That's not such a big deal, isn't it? Unless- "

Hachiman cut her off. "No, it ain't. But it's not gonna work out. I'm not interested."

"That's a pretty brutal way of saying it," Haruno said, feeling her cheeks burn up. She crossed her arms, dejected.

"Don't get me wrong, you're a gorgeous girl, Haru-nee," he said coolly. "That night we shared here was marvelous. It was a fever dream to have a woman like you. But there are a million things in life we've yet to experience. You'll forget the one-night stand with a typical like me. And I might not," Hachiman added playfully, eliciting a giggle from her.

"Mm… that's not true." Haruno draws closer to him. "Even though I'm older than you… you're very mature. Even romantic, I'll admit. I like that about you, Hachiman." This time, she draped both her arms on his shoulders, so that he faced her. Their lips neared so close, yet so far. She gets over his lap and Hachiman glances up at her. She gazes into him with irresistible, hazy eyes before sinking to kiss his mouth, her thighs beginning to wrap around his hips, but he stops her.

Hachiman simply smiled. "No," he said. "I'm not going to have sex with you again."

"How prudish of you. In that case, I'll be out of your hair soon."

Haruno unusually relented and got off Hachiman. She had a slightly irked look, sulking as she laid down on the next sofa around the coffee table. She was not used to being refused, and it showed. Hachiman brushed himself off before laying down as well, free to stretch and throw his feet across the couch. He yawned.

After silently pondering, Haruno asked afterwards, "Don't you hate your parents, Hachiman? For the way they treated you?"

Hachiman was interested. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, they favour your sister over you. And you're living by yourself, it seems you don't have much family left. You're just like me."

"How did you make that jump, me being just like you?" He mused. Hachiman then said shortly, "Yes. I did hate their guts awhile. Like any other kid, for a time I did."

"Even now, have you gotten over it?" Haruno asked. "I'm sure they treated you unfairly before. They've lied to you, and caused you pain. Do you still fully believe in them?"

Hachiman started in a gentle voice. "Look, here's what I do know: everyone is full of shit. Next to clergymen, politicians and businessmen, parents are full of shit. Not all of 'em deserve respect, and that's just the truth. I figured, if I hated my own parents, that perfectly explained why I absolutely despise myself. Still... you just can't stop loving them. I guess that's the irony of it." He said, "yes, I believe in them. I've gotta. They're the only thing that matters in this world."

"I see." Haruno continued to stare up at the ceiling. "I'm just impressed by your reticence. I myself don't think I would be able to stand my mother any longer. I've spent most of my life under her roof, obeying her instructions. It's true, sometimes I argued with her. I always seem to be in the wrong," she muttered self-deprecatingly. She laughed. "I'm not running away. I'm leaving so she won't bother me anymore."

Hachiman shifted a bit from his reclined position on the sofa. He spoke in a soft, patient voice. "It's a nice way of life," he admitted. "In a house, you got up in the mornings, ate a meal and washed the dishes afterwards. You went to sleep at a certain time. There were rules, discipline. You understood your place, and how things are supposed to be. And if you made a mistake, like tipping over a glass at dinner, breaking a glass or some, you got punished. Especially so if say, you were fooling around and you hurt your sibling. I used to fight with Komachi back then. She got on my nerves, but looking back I wouldn't give her up for anything else in the world. And I was a devilish kid in elementary. That's probably where it all went wrong for me. I just didn't fit in. Teachers would send me home with a blue violation slip, and when she'd find out, my mother would make me lay down on the floor and I'd get whupped with a broomstick. Just one, two nasty smacks was all. That's how my folks did it. Straightened me out."

He said, "Anyway, only wished I just got more pocket money then so I could enjoy the fairs the same as my classmates. It often seemed like every other kid got it better than me. I ask my parents for coins for doing the chores, and my dad would always warn, 'you live in this house, boy?' I'd say, yeah. He'd say, 'then you do your damn part like the rest of us.' But it was a nice way of living, y'know."

Haruno, who had been listening keenly to his story, stared at him curiously. "Your parents used to beat you, Hachiman?" She asked.

Hachiman glanced at her levelly. "Well," he huffed, hesitating slightly as if unsure. "Everybody's got to have their ass beat at some point."

"You'd really get down on the floor so they can beat you?"

"'Course I would. What are you, an idiot? If you didn't lay down, you'd get hurt even worse. And I was a dumb kid, but I ain't stupid." Hachiman paused. "Never hit me in the head though, no. Never hurt me badly, never wanted to - not when I didn't deserve it. But they gotta."

She asked, "Didn't you try to run?"

"Sure would've! But where the hell could I go? I've got to face the punishment, anyhow. I learnt it's no good running away."

Haruno went silent for a minute. She picked her words slowly. "I don't think that's a very good mindset you grew up with. It's twisted."

"Well, what do you know? You've never got a beating, have you, Haruno-san?" When she didn't answer, Hachiman scoffed. "I can tell. You look like you're mighty smart too - funny how you whine a lot to yourself about how much you hate your mother, well she's the only one you've got."

Haruno looked away coldly. "Be a damn good thing if she wasn't. Because of her, I've had a hard childhood."

"Heh. Cry me a river, sweetie. You ain't the only one."

Haruno glanced back at him, now more agitated from his condescending remarks. She said, "Well, what about you Hachiman? You think you're any better? We're the same, you understand me, yet you're being really obstinate right now. What's wrong with you?"

"There's a difference between us," he said quietly. "And you'll learn that."

"Don't try to change the subject. You didn't answer me, Hachiman."

Hachiman turned away, closing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're right, okay? I won't argue with you."

Haruno chuckled incredulously. "Oh, so it's me? No. I'm not arguing anything. You're just insecure, and you won't answer."

She could hear him laugh very softly as he lay, ignoring her. Haruno couldn't understand how they could be so alike, yet so uncompromising. She watched him with a mix of wonder and frustration. Hachiman cleared his throat, and his voice was now more firm. He said, "You have to go back. I don't want to see you around here again, got it?"

…

That Friday, after classes let out, the group of Fourth Class students proceeded with their itinerary of lounging inside the izakaya across the street from the campus gate. In front of Tobe, Hachiman was relaxed in a chair. He said, "if your cousin is agreeable to it, you can put him up with the bookmakers down the block. However, you need to know if he could be trusted."

Tobe answered confidently, "of course he'll go with it. Sure he's a pain most of the time, but he's always been smart. I'll vouch for him, Hikigaya-kun."

"Still, he might give us trouble. And the rest of you," Hachiman gestured towards the others, "If it interests you Tobe here can put you up with some small jobs in the district."

Albert Yamada Sieyes nodded silently. Hachiman now took a wristwatch out from his pocket and glanced at it. He looked back at Tobe in an impatient tone now, "If he wants to make a cut, then tell him that it's business. I don't want to phone him up when I want him and he's not there. If Ryuuen wants to go with that girl he's seeing, so be it. But no bullshitting."

"He's just showing off for his girlfriend," Tobe said placatingly. "He's probably trying to impress, taking her out to the clubs in Roppongi. You seen this girl?"

Ken Sudo asked, joining in. "Sweet?"

Tobe nodded sarcastically. "Sweet as hell."

Daichi Ishizaki chimed in, having listened in quietly this time. "See, he's been hitting it up with that girl from the other college nearby," he said.

"Yeah? How old is she?"

"Well, I'll tell you what: she's just turned twenty," Dachi grinned. He began telling Ken, who had not caught up with the word. "Her name is Misaki-chan. You know Ichinose-san, from the next classroom? Misaki-chan - that's Ichinose-san's younger sister but it's not too obvious 'cause you never seen the two interact, but they're family. Ichinose-san probably hasn't found out yet about what's happening between her sister and Ryuuen. And Ryuuen's banging the girl, swear. That's why he's shelling out a lotta money to her."

"Shit!" Ken Sudo snorted.

Hachiman was hunched now and did not look up, instead lighting up one more cigarette for himself. They all coughed in unison. "That's a dirty thing to tell around," he remarked.

Daichi was reassured, seeing his bland reaction. He felt more at ease now and chattered on waving his hand. "Hikigaya-san, you've seen Misaki-chan before, remember? Sudo-kun, you'll see. Just wait until you see Misaki-chan. But- "

Ken Sudo cut in. "But what?"

"Well, she's pretty playful."

Ken Sudo scoffed. "Yeah? Been together for two weeks and Misaki-chan's pretty playful? Maybe that's why Ryuuen's busting his balls."

"You won't tell Ryuuen nothing I'd said?" Daichi asked.

"Hell no."

"Well Sudo-kun, so you know how it goes," Daichi continued. "Ryuuen's banging her, and he thinks he's mighty smart. Every time now, she's out someplace, and Ryuuen's looking for her, and she's someplace else. We seen her couple'a times now hangin' around near here. You know what I think? Ryuuen's dating a loose girl."

Hachiman now looked up. Everyone stopped to listen. Quietly he stated, "Kakeru-san isn't the first. There's plenty of guys who'd done that."

Hachiman recalled the girl they had seen a few days ago. During a drawn game of cards in this same izakaya they'd stopped by that afternoon, where they were waiting for Ryuuen to catch up, they noticed someone walk up the streets in their direction. A girl was standing there on the sidewalk looking at them. She had one of her hands on her hips. She had full, red lips and pretty eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were painted red. Her hair was dyed a strawberry-blonde color and hung in soft curls, falling down her curvaceous breasts. She wore a white crop top T-shirt and skimpy denim shorts, and a pair of high-heeled sandals. The girl spoke softly, "Hi… I'm lookin' for Ryuu-kun." Her voice had a polite, almost foxy quality. "You boys seen him come by?" She asked.

Daichi was the one to answer first. "He was here a couple of minutes ago Misaki-chan, but he went," he said.

The girl, Misaki put her hands behind her back and came closer to their table, leaning so that her body was thrown forward. Misaki had a sheepish smile which Hachiman easily saw through. "New faces, huh?" She asked, looking them over.

"Yeah."

Albert and Daichi once again focused on their game of rummy. Then Hachiman noticed Tobe, who was at the table also, staring at the newcomer. Tobe looked her down and though the girl did not seem to be aware, she swayed a little bit. She glanced at her fingernails. "Ryuu-kun's usually with his friends," Misaki explained.

"Well, he ain't here now," Daichi said bluntly.

"If he ain't, then I guess I should go look someplace else~" she said playfully.

Tobe continued to watch her, interested. Daichi said, "if I see him, I'll pass the word that you were looking for him."

She smiled coyly and shifted her body. "Well, you can't blame me for looking," she said. "Ryuu-kun's my dear boyfriend after all."

"You can take a seat if you want. Ryuuen-san should come by very soon," Tobe blurted out.

The rest glanced at him in surprise. Hachiman flinged a cold glare towards Tobe. But the girl was now standing very close to their table. Hachiman finally looked up. This was the first time that he'd really had a good look at her person. Misaki Ichinose was attractive and, warily, was of the tempting kind. She had sky-blue eyes, which Hachiman found uncannily familiar with another student from the Lyceum.

It was now that he spoke up. "Forgive my friend here," Hachiman said, propping up a forced smile. "Young men these days have no manners. If you're looking for Kakeru-san, then you're not trying very well. He's gone back to the school to get something."

"That so?"

Misaki let out a soft laugh and put her hands behind her again, looking at Hachiman embarrassed. She said "Well, like what he says," -glancing shortly at Tobe- "Ryuu-kun probably will be back soon… I guess I'll just wait for him here, or maybe I'm not welcome?"

Albert, Daichi and Tobe now watched Hachiman. He did not like the presence of the girl, but did not react. Tobe invited the girl by pulling over a seat. She seated herself right across the table from Hachiman. "My name's Ichinose," she said with a smile. "Ichinose Misaki. But please just call me by my first name."

They continued a painstaking game of cards. At that point nobody really wanted to play cards, save Tobe who was chatting up Misaki. Hachiman observed her through half closed eyes with a careful look. The girl would time and again smirk at him to provoke a reaction, akin to a highschool classmate. Eventually Ryuuen arrived a short while later. Upon hearing his footsteps behind her, Misaki stood up. "What're you doing here?" Ryuuen immediately asked.

"Ne~ you shouldn't keep your girlfriend waiting," Misaki pouted.

Ryuuen scowled, before he reached for his pocket to take out his wallet. He peeled off several bills and gave them to her. The rest of the table watched this curiously. Ryuuen was smiling slightly now. "Awright, run along. And don't fuck around, you hear? I'll catch you later," he said.

Misaki was delighted. She kissed Ryuuen on his cheek before walking off, and chirped, "bye, guys~." As she left, she looked back one last time and threw a wink at them. This subtle gesture went unnoticed by Ryuuen, as he sat at the table.

Hachiman shook his head. Everyone sighed at the memory. "Jeez, what a hussy," said Ken after Daichi finished telling him the story. "So that's what Ryuuen picks for a girl?"

"She's pretty," Tobe reasoned.

Hachiman threw his cards on the table. "Yeah, and she sure is hiding it," he said aversively.

"Ryuuen's got his work ahead of him. Bet she'd cleared him of forty grand," Daichi said, sipping on his glass.

"Fifty."

"Well she's pretty nice," Tobe repeated defensively. "The hell is wrong with you people?" Tobe daydreamed a bit with a smug look.

Hachiman stared at him. "Listen to me, you fucking moron," he said fiercely. "Don't you even take a look at that girl. I don't care what she says and what she does. I've seen those kinds of swingers before, but I'd never seen a piece of bait worse than her. You leave her alone, Tobe Kakeru."

"What's your deal? I'm just saying she's pretty, that's all."

"You've got a lotta nerve to be saying that."

Tobe tried to excuse himself. "The shoes, I'm saying!"

"Oh yes, sure. She's wearing those short-shorts and crop tops because she wants you to look at her shoes," Hachiman said in a mocking tone, startling the others and causing them to laugh. "Don't even try."

Tobe raised his hands innocently. "I never did anything to Ichinose-san, Hikio."

"No, you did not. But when she's sitting beside you showing her legs, you weren't exactly looking the other way either."

"I didn't mean anything."

"Well, you better keep away from her, cause she's a real bitch if I'd ever seen one. You let Ryuuen mind her. Nothing but trouble… what a clever hustler," he said disgustedly. "That's when you know he's been done in good."

Albert Yamada Sieyes, who had been silent for the most part, spoke up. "That's a bit harsh, Hikigaya-san," he said. "You don't know her. I don't know her. Why do you say that?"

Hachiman was thoughtful. He said, "I don't have to bother with that Misaki-san. You see, I've got no problem. But you let her hang around with the likes of Tobe, these guys, sooner or later you'll have something on your hands."

"Well don't that sound fun." Ken Sudo remarked. He suggested, "you think he'll marry that girl?"

"Nonsense."

"You're daft, Sudo-kun! Now why would Ryuuen do that?" Daichi said. "But he seems to be awfully invested with that girl. See how he gave her his money? What was that all about?"

Hachiman turned towards Tobe, who was now sullenly staring at his hand of cards.

"You remember Mutsuhiro Fukushi? Our friend back in the Grandeur?"

"Yeah?"

"He's in Chiba doing time in jail right now on account of a girl," Hachiman said. "Imagine graduating early, only to get in trouble because of one no-good hooker."

Tobe was dejected. "I didn't mean anythin', Hikigaya-kun. I swear."

Hachiman said, "remember you don't come here to Tokyo to mess around. What the hell, I hate this city." He breathed sharply, looking out through the windows of the izakaya. "We'll go back to Chiba as soon as summer break starts. I wonder how Kawasaki-san is doing with a full time job there. But first..."

Ryuuen strolled right into the place. He spat out a wad of gum into the trash bin as he passed by the doorway. Hachiman furrowed his eyebrows. "You're late again."

"I had to take care of somethin' first."

"I see." Hachiman looked around. "You all want to head down to the parlor now?"

The rest of them nodded. Tobe said, "we'll step outside and go on ahead."

"Sure."

Ryuuen had an unfazed visage on. He remained standing, and made to follow the others but Hachiman waved him down. "Sit a bit," he invited. "You look like you have something to say."

"Break's about to begin next week," Ryuuen began. Tobe and the others passed by him on their way outside. He relaxed into his chair. "I hear you've got a juicy scheme to line up bookmakers on the basketball games this summer. That's a lot of money, innit?"

"That's right."

"Well count me in."

Hachiman nodded, smiling. "I just need to know that you can be trusted."

Ryuuen scoffed lightheartedly. "Of course." He watched as Hachiman habitually pulled a white pack of cigarettes from within his blue overcoat and popped one into his mouth. Ryuuen found it curious, the sharp contrast between how Hachiman acted within the campus and how his behavior changed immediately after school let out. It was almost as if he were two different people at once. Hachiman took a few puffs and lowered his hand.

"I hear you've been close with this girl from the next college, in this city here?"

"Yeah."

"That's great."

"Did I miss a meeting?" Ryuuen yawned, growing impatient. "I get it. Listen, it won't be a hassle no more. When we start practicing for the playoffs, Misaki-chan won't be a bother I tell you. I was jus' late a bit," he said shortly.

"Oh, that's not the problem." Hachiman wrinkled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm just waiting until I can arrange for you and Albert and the rest to be inserted into the varsity lineups. With what's happened in the past few days, I'll have to settle some things first and you guys can already start practicing at the court right around the block," he said quietly.

"I hear you."

"That girl - you won't be keeping her around for long, is that right?" Hachiman said.

Ryuuen looked over at him. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is, that girl, she ain't the first and she won't be the last," Hachiman said. He sucked in a puff of smoke and blew it aside. He muttered, "I noticed the relationship between you two. I have nothing to dabble in with that, but it gets a bit obvious. Every time now, you seem to be looking for her or the other way around. And then, I can tell you're really spoiling that girl aren't you?"

Ryuuen huffed. "There ain't no problem with that."

Hachiman shrugged. "OK," he said, "but suppose you get something in your hands. The girl goes all over the place, you don't have any qualms with handing her too much money, and that girl is asking for trouble. They're all like that."

"Y'know she's got a name," Ryuuen said in a cold, low voice. "I like Misaki Ichinose-san. She's a good person."

"She's a girl." Hachiman said blandly. He looked over at Ryuuen with a bored expression. "I know you like her very much - Don't we all? Puppy love is always like that. It's one of the millions we experience in a lifetime. Girls are meant to be taken out, to the movies or on dates and to sleep with on summer nights." Hachiman said, "but when summer's over, you say good-byes."

"What's in it with you?"

"I'm just stating the obvious."

Ryuuen frowned and crossed his arms determinedly. "I could marry her," he said slowly. "I damn well could, just soon."

Hachiman broke into a laugh, now more impressed. "Come off of it, Ryuuen-san. Misaki-san won't be the last. I've seen girlfriends like her and they come and go, or either leave a mess on your hands," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Ryuuen demanded.

"Nothing. I was just supposing."

"Well you shut-up about it."

Hachiman replied indifferently. "Oh, I'm not telling you how to live. I'm simply offering a suggestion, so we can avoid a conflagration."

Ryuuen shoved his hands into his pockets. "Anyhow," he began. "That Sakura-san, what're you gonna do about her now?"

"I'll handle it."

"You know she's way due in rent and hasn't paid her bills at her apartment. I'm not going to look out for her. And now that you know her manager is fucking her, how in the hell do you plan to pull her out from that deep shit?"

"I'm going to meet this man she calls her boss," He said simply. "Doesn't sound too complicated, is it?"

"What damn luck that she happens to be our classmate!"

Hachiman shrugged. "That's why- well, why I've got to take care of her. Right now, I don't want to deal with the other classes. This boss of hers must be dealt with carefully."

Ryuuen squinted his eyes. "Yeah," he scoffed dryly. He knew Hachiman was going to do something. However he could not predict it at all. Nevermind, Sakura-san is not his problem now. "But there's one more thing, Hikigaya-san," he said. His expression grew pinched, clearing his throat. Hachiman turned his attention closer.

"It's about our classmate, Mei-chan. Y'know her? Now I don't wanna deal with the upper classes neither. So you're not going to like this, but you better hear this." Ryuuen said, "a couple of First-class punks set upon her last night."

.

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