With Hikigaya Komachi At The Helm, The Future Of The Service Club Was Secured

The last few days of April welcomed a more hectic Sobu than usual.

The approaching Golden Week meant that the students need to complete certain tasks ahead of time to compensate for the few days in which they'll be absent because of the coming national holidays.

One of the very few clubs who didn't experience any particular change because of the situation was the Service Club.

Perhaps yet another idle day will come to pass in the clubroom.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Or not.

Although the two remaining members of the Service Club heard the knocking sounds on the door properly, they became a little too used to doing nothing for a couple of days that it took them a while to respond.

"Come in!"

Having finally regained her senses, Komachi finally gave her permission for the visitor to enter.

Turns out, there were in fact, two visitors.

A gray-eyed girl with red-framed glasses and prominent orange hair as well as another girl with wavy bluish-green hair and hazel eyes.

It was Akiyama Aki and Fujiwara Fuuka respectively.

"Welcome to the Service Club. I am the president, Hikigaya Komachi and this is Kawasaki Taishi. Can we help you with anything?"

"Good afternoon, I am Fujiwara Fuuka and this is…

As Fujiwara was just about to introduce her classmate to the Service Club members, she then spots the said girl accompanying her was already beginning to snoop around the interior of the clubroom and even brazenly took the liberty of taking pictures of some items without permission.

"Akiyama-san. Please cut that out and greet them. You're being rude to the members of the Service Club here."

"Right, good afternoon, I'm Akiyama Aki. Is Hikigaya Hachiman present? I'd like to ask for an interview."

The blunt request from Akiyama made Fujiwara shake her head in pain. She has always known this peculiar classmate of hers to possess a one-track mind but it was far worse than she expected.

Despite that however, Komachi did not seem to mind it too much and answered Akiyama's inquiry in a curt manner.

"Onii-chan is dealing with another request at the moment so I'm afraid he won't be able to entertain your request Akiyama-senpai."

Towards Komachi's uncharacteristic formal manner of refusing, Akiyama locked on to a few set of words and replied.

"That's fine. Can you please tell me where he is at the moment then?"

The migraine that Fujiwara was having seemed to have worsened upon hearing that statement whereas Komachi's smiling visage was just about to be broken as evidenced by one of her twitching eye brows.

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to. Like I said earlier, Onii-chan is currently taking on a request. It would be rude not only to him but also to our clients if you suddenly go there and interrupt them. Please understand, Akiyama-senpai."

"That's a bummer then…"

Komachi, Taishi and Fujiwara released a sigh at what they assumed was Akiyama giving up.

But that was now exactly the case. Akiyama was simply thinking of changing her approach instead.

"Wait, you just said Onii-chan, right? That must mean you're his imouto! You are, right?"

"Yes. Komachi is Onii-chan's imouto."

"In that case, how about I interview you instead?"

The smile that Akiyama made after that suggestion looked as if she was clueless on how much she was being a bother right now. Komachi herself was having a difficult time in trying to keep herself calm.

Looking to her side, she saw Fujiwara mouthing off a sorry before bowing her head. Komachi acknowledged the apology with a nod before responding to Akiyama.

"I'm sorry, Akiyama-senpai but I also have to refuse your request. You'll probably ask things about Onii-chan, right? I don't think I'll be able to answer them without asking permission from him beforehand."

"Surely, you can just mail him about it, right?"

So pushy!

It took Komachi's entire willpower to prevent herself from saying that out loud.

"Like I said earlier, he is doing a request right now so it might be bad if I disturb him with a mail like that."

"I see… Nothing can be done today, it seems…"

Akiyama drooped down from her seat powerlessly.

Seeing her finally give up allowed Komachi to also recover her usual cheerful demeanor.

"Please come back next time, senpai. Perhaps Onii-chan will be present on your next visit."

"I wish. I guess I'll get going now... Let's go, Fujiwara… Hmm, now what else can I make a news article about?"

As Akiyama took her leave with weak steps, Fujiwara took the time to bow to the two members of the Service Club before taking her leave and following Akiyama.

Normally, Komachi would have been elated to have another girl set her sights on her Onii-chan but this girl was an exception.

Unlike her antisocial brother, Komachi knew most of the students here in Sobu through various sources like social media, chat groups, rumors and some stories shared between friends as well as friends of their friends.

Thus, she knew that Akiyama Aki was definitely a person you'd rather not be involved with.

The current president of the School Newspaper Club had a bad habit of spreading nasty rumors.

If someone like her was onto Komachi's brother then that can only be bad news. Hikigaya Hachiman already has a couple of bad rumors under his belt already, he didn't need anymore.

Then again, since that was the case already, perhaps Hikigaya won't be as affected since his reputation was already bad enough as it is.

On a side note, it was quite ironic to find that it was her very own Onii-chan who ended up being one of the least known students in Sobu, at least in terms of the more personal information area. Though the name Hikigaya Hachiman seems to be circulating more frequently around the second-year boys recently but as that was beyond her information network, Komachi was not privy to the details. But she internally swore that she'll find out something about this soon.

Thinking about all this was giving Komachi a headache. In the first place, agonizing about these kinds of things was something her brother did not her.

"Komachi-san, would you like some tea?"

Asks Taishi as he directed a concerned gaze towards her. The usually carefree Service Club president nodded while making a smile of appreciation.

"Yes, please."

"Alright."

After saying so, Taishi immediately got to work with the tea-brewing equipment they had on the club left to them by Yukinoshita.

It wasn't long before a relaxing fragrance enveloped the entire clubroom.

"Here you go. It might not come close to Yukinoshita-senpai's brew but it should at least calm you down."

"Thanks, Taishi."

"You're very welcome."

Once Taishi took his own seat, he then asked a rather important and sensitive question.

"Komachi-san, are you going to tell aniki about Akiyama-senpai?"

"No way. The later those two meet, the better."

"I see... I guess we'll do that just to be safe. I'll keep silent on my end as well."

"Thanks for that, Taishi."

The two then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with the company of good tea…

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Was what was supposed to happen if not for the arrival of yet another potential client.

This time around, Komachi was much more alert and responded immediately.

"Come in!"

The door opened to reveal two students once again. Fiery red hair and a beige bowl cut came into view. It was none other than the second-year players of the Tennis Club, Takahashi Takibi and Kayano Kaito.

"See? I told you I was right!"

"Hmph! Lucky shot."

"You...!"

"Ahem!"

Because the two guests seemed more intent on bickering with each other instead of discussing their request, Komachi had to intervene in their argument before it got any worse.

"Pardon me. I am…"

"Kayano-senpai and Takahashi-senpai of the Tennis Club, right? Mm, Komachi knows both of you already. We met before after all. Is there anything the Service Club can do for you?"

"Ah no… You see we're not here for a request. We just-"

"We're here to invite the Service Club over for Totsuka-senpai's coming birthday party!"

The moment Takahashi finished uttering that statement, Kayano directed a murderous glare towards him.

"I was just about to go into that, you idiot!"

"Oh, come on! It's not like it matters who says it or not. You're too awkward to make a casual invitation like that anyways. That's what I'm here for."

"It's not just about that you idiot! I already told you earlier that this also serves as a proper send-off party for captain for all the things he's done for the Tennis Club."

"Shouldn't you be saying that to them instead of me? What are you doing, you idiot?"

"Haa?"

"Haa?"

"Okay okay. Calm down a little you two."

This time it was Taishi who got in between the two Tennis Club members before things became even more physical.

"A party for Totsuka-senpai? Oh! We'll go for sure! When and where is it?"

Maybe because Komachi's excitement was contagious or they weren't really as angry as they seem to be but Takahashi and Kayano backed off in order to answer Komachi's inquiry.

"It will be held on the Friday after Golden Week."

"We'll have an outdoor party near the tennis courts. It's going to be so much fun!"

"That does sound very exciting. Got it. Komachi will be sure to inform Onii-chan and the others."

"Then, thank you for your time. I'll be looking forward to seeing you all at the coming party."

After Kayano said those words, both him and Takahashi attempted to stand up and leave but Taishi interrupted them first.

"Ah, don't go yet. How about having some tea first?"

"Well, if you're offering- Hey! What's the big idea?!"

Just when Takahashi attempted to once again take a seat, he was then stopped by a hand pulling the back of his shirt.

"We still have practice, you idiot. Don't forget you still have to work on those returns of yours."

Kayano then turned his attention back to Komachi and Taishi while putting on a calmer expression.

"I'm sorry but we will have to decline. Thank you for offering. We'll see you all again soon."

And like that, Kayano dragged Takahashi towards the exit of the clubroom like the latter was just a sack of sundry goods.

"Hey! Let me go already, Kayano! I can walk by myself. Hey!"

All the while Takahashi was shouting at his new captain to stop dragging him.

From beginning to end, they were rowdy as young boys could be. It was in stark contrast to the tranquil air that the clubroom had a few minutes go.

Because of the antics of the two Tennis Club members, it highlighted how short Takahashi was compared to Kayano. The former was at least a head shorter than the latter.

"Kayano-senpai is a lot more sentimental than he looks, right?"

Komachi nodded to Taishi's observation while providing one of her own.

"Yeah. And despite them being at each other's throats every time we see them, it seems Takahashi-senpai understands Kayano-senpai's peculiarities much more than we think."

"Hahaha, I noticed that too."

With the departure of another pair of visitors, the two were once again left alone with the company of tea.

For some reason, the day was longer than usual and there was still at least half an hour remaining before club closing time.

The remaining time was at a delicate interval of not being enough to fulfill an entire request but at the same time, it did not justify rejecting one.

Thus, the two could only collectively hope that no one else will come to the clubroom at this hour…

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Taishi turned towards Komachi with an awkward look. Coincidentally, the two were thinking of the same thing only for their hopes to be dashed in the next instant.

Still though, it was not like the situation was completely hopeless. There still existed a possibility that the person/s behind the door just turned out to be one of their senpais from the same club.

Like Schrodinger's cat, even if it was most likely a guarantee that the animal was dead or in this case, that the visitor was another person with a request, the possibility of it being otherwise is still on the table provided that the box (door) has not been opened yet.

In that case, wouldn't it be better not to open the door instead? Unfortunately, such a method was not an option for Komachi's case. Because if it really turned out to be a requestor and the Service Club didn't entertain them properly, it would be a betrayal to the raison d'être of the club.

Since stalling wasn't a viable option, the only course of action remaining was to get things over with swiftly. As such, Komachi went ahead and gave permission for the visitor to enter.

"Come in!"

Finally, the moment of truth came.

The door was opened to welcome flaxen hair and honey-colored eyes akin to topaz.

It was none other than a regular visitor of the Service Club who also happens to be the Student Council President, Isshiki Iroha.

"Yahallo!"

"Yahallo, Iroha-senpai!"

"Good afternoon, Isshiki-senpai."

As soon as Isshiki entered the premises of the Service Club clubroom, her eyes darted here and there as if in search of something or rather, someone.

It was not the first time that this kind of thing happened so Taishi could already understand what was going on.

"So it's just Rice-chan and Kawasaki-kun holding the fort today."

"Is senpai looking for aniki perhaps? He is still with the other senpai in the library once again today."

"I see… I mean, no, I'm not looking for Hachi-senpai or anyone in particular."

Komachi smirked while listening to the exchange between the two kouhai who was most involved with her brother.

"Is that so? Well, I thought for sure Isshiki-senpai needed to move some stuff somewhere again. For the time being, I don't mind substituting for aniki while he's still tutoring the other senpai."

"Kawasaki-kun, do you really think of me as someone who just comes to this clubroom just so I can order around Hachi-senpai?"

"Ahahaha, I don't mean it like that, senpai. I'm just saying that I don't mind helping you out in the same manner. Feel free to do so anytime."

Komachi's smirk became one step closer to a grin. Even though she was an outsider to the conversation, it was actually her who understood the hidden implications of the entire dialogue best.

To anyone not as clueless as a harem protagonist, it was obvious that Isshiki asking for help from Hikigaya in this manner was just her way of getting to spend time with her senpai.

While Hikigaya may have caught on to this fact, he was using the excuse of taking responsibility for putting Isshiki on this position in the first place as a way for him to dismiss the entire arrangement as a job routine.

Taishi on the other hand, doesn't understand this. He was truly intent on helping Isshiki on the tasks that was set-up for Hikigaya instead.

Taken on a completely bizarre yet not necessarily wrong angle, you could even say that Taishi had just been rejected by Isshiki, although the former was actually just being a sincere and helpful kouhai to his senpai.

"Nevermind that for now. I do indeed have a request for you guys today but it doesn't involve manual labor and the like so Hachi-senpai will probably be useless even if he's here."

With this, Komachi abandoned her smirk in favor of her usual cheerful smile.

"In that case, how can we help you, Iroha-senpai?"

"You see, now that I'm a second year the number of expectations set for me as the Student Council President is higher compared to how it was last year. Because of this, I can't use the excuse of being the Soccer Club manager to justify my mistakes anymore. That's why I'm hoping if you two know anyone who would be willing to take on that role from the first-years you know of."

"That won't be a problem, I guess… But Iroha-senpai have you already tried posting on the bulletin board or something?"

"I did… So far, no luck on that end."

"I see…"

"But isn't that weird?"

Taishi's interruption prompted the pondering Komachi and the resigned Isshiki to turn their attention towards him instead.

"What do you mean by that, Taishi?"

"I mean, the Soccer Club has Hayama-senpai, right? Wouldn't it be flooding with applicants now given his fame? Am I missing something?"

Anyone can tell how much Taishi's sharpness improved due to hanging out with his aniki a lot. At this point, it was hard to say if that was a good or bad thing.

Taishi's statement resulted in a triumphantly smiling Komachi and a nervous Isshiki.

"Hey, Iroha-senpai, how about you tell us what your real request is? Don't be shy. The Service Club will keep you and your request confidential after all."

Hearing all that from Komachi did not make Isshiki relax at all. She opted on glaring at her kouhai instead. Sure enough, this mischievous imp was definitely that cynical loner's sister.

"Okay, fine...! You see, since Hayama-senpai has been focused more and more on his studies, the number of times he came to practice also became less and less. That fact became even more apparent when he selected another player to take on the role of captain. In other words, as someone who only schemed to be on the Soccer Club just to get closer to Hayama-senpai, my purpose of staying there is gone-…"

"And now you need someone to replace you so you don't have to feel bad about leaving them behind. Yep, this definitely sounds like the scummy Iroha-senpai that I know. Onii-chan taught you well!"

"Why did Hachi-senpai get involved with this talk even?! Ah, whatever. At least you get the gist of it. This makes things a little bit easier. Can you help me?"

"Komachi will see what she can do. When does Iroha-senpai need the volunteer?"

"Hmm, hopefully before the end of May but if that's impossible, I don't mind if it takes you until after midterms."

"We have some time then. In that case, I need Iroha-senpai to prepare a few things."

"Sure, I guess."

"The best way to get a replacement for a position like a sports manager is to have someone either be passionate of said sport or provide a boon to be gained by engaging in the activity. Komachi will look for good candidates from the former while Iroha-senpai will have to take care of coming up with benefits for taking on said task."

"Well, that doesn't sound too hard…"

"Iroha-senpai also needs to secure manuals and things like that which would make the transition period easier for the person taking over. The sooner they get used to the position, the sooner you can have them act independently."

"…Wait a second! Why are you so knowledgeable about all of this?!"

Finally, Isshiki pointed out the discrepancy of this methodical Komachi to the usual happy-go-lucky Komachi.

"Hmm, Onii-chan didn't tell you? Komachi has been a member of several clubs since middle school so she's familiar with these kinds of things… Also, Onii-chan's advice helped. Once you are able to decode all the sarcasm and twistedness of his words, Onii-chan actually gives good practical advice… Though, I guess you understand this part already right, Iroha-senpai?"

"So, it's because of Hachi-senpai after all. I am not even surprised anymore."

Isshiki nodded and just left it at that. Similar to Taishi, she too was also a believer of the principle if something weird happens, then Hikigaya Hachiman was involved, directly or not.

The two girls continued to exchange points after that while Taishi was content with just blending with the background and providing the two with tea and answering their questions when he was asked.

By the time they were done, there were only ten minutes remaining before club closing time.

Seeing this, Isshiki got up from her seat and took her leave after saying goodbye to her two kouhais.

Now while Komachi did hit the bull's-eye on Isshiki's reasoning for leaving the Soccer Club at this timing, that was only half the reason why.

There was one particular event which involved the Student Council where she really wanted to give it her all as the President. Of course, that is also related to why she didn't show her face to the third-years who were the original members of the Service Club. She didn't want to spoil the surprise after all.

When Hikigaya, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama finally returned to the clubroom, the two remaining members greeted them as if they were clients only to later realize that it was already closing time.

Despite being the current Service Club President, it didn't change the fact that Komachi was still the younger member so she took the time and effort to quickly relay to her senpai whatever request they received while they were gone. Taishi from his end provided supplementary details.

Of course, according to what they agreed with beforehand, Akiyama Aki's visit was omitted. Whether or not that was for the best or not will be left for the future to decide.

Author's Note:

Yet another set-up chapter in my ever-increasing pile of set-up chapters. I really hope this hasn't gotten old yet.

With the upcoming Golden Week, it is a good opportunity for me to go for a mini-arc involving one of the potential heroines.

I already have a rough draft of what might happen. If anyone can guess who it is in the reviews, it will probably motivate me to update a little fast. Keyword: probably.

Take note however, this is a guessing game not a vote. Just for a little fun and all.

With all that being said, I stash my tools for the trade for now and I bid you all farewell.

Here's to hoping I'll be seeing you guys again and more in the next chapter.

Reviews, follows and faves are all very much appreciated.

May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.

Mori Hikiko