A Treatise on the Woman Known as Yukinoshita Haruno
Daily life was quite boring for Haruno. All the people around her were shallow, insecure, and boring. She could read their intentions, thought processes and mood without having to exert herself. Why did she know how to do all of these things? Blame her family.
Ever since a young age, Haruno's mother groomed her to join her father's field, politics. This meant rigorously educating her and expecting nothing but exceptional grades. Though she didn't need to excel in all of her classes, Haruno was forced to do so. Fortunately, she was a talented young woman, so these matters were quite easily solved. As talented as she was at everything she did, she actually was best at something her mother didn't teach her. Haruno's true talent was the "mask" she wore.
Every person, whether they are conscious of it or not, exhibits a "mask" of sorts when in public. This "mask" helps protect their owner from the scrutiny of others. For example, let's say that individual A has a hobby of collecting dolls, but in the school that she attends, having dolls is "childish" and "weird." In order to "fit in" with their classmates at school, individual A would act as though she didn't have this hobby and that she was interested in other matters. Even if the topic was brought up at school, individual A would ignore the conversation or, if she had to participate, act as though she had no knowledge of dolls. A "mask" is the suppression of the expression of people. They use these masks to fit into society and to not fall under any criticism. Generally, people who lose these masks are the same people that end up being ostracized by their peers.
Even Haruno, a seemingly perfect young lady, needed this mask. At first, it was used to hide her disappointment at life. After all, once she understood what her mother was trying to achieve, she began to feel caged. However, if she let her emotions run loose, she would be trained even harder by her mother. Thus, she began to wear a mask. In wearing this mask, she noticed how no one, not even her mother, suspected anything was wrong with her. This prompted Haruno to wonder,
"What would happen if I wore my mask all the time?"
After years of doing so, Haruno found the answer to her question. Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened. But that's exactly what was so good. Due to the wearing of her mask, which she dons from the moment she wakes up to the moment she begins to sleep, she is able to trick many into believing that she is the ideal young lady. In addition, she gained much skill in manipulating her mask, which many others do not. She is able to change her demeanor with ease, from an expression of pure joy to one of absolute despair within a few seconds. Though she had this range of expression, she didn't utilize all of it. Most of the time, she mainly wore a mask that made her seem as though she was the perfect woman. She was charming, beautiful, teasing yet kind, and most of all, alluring. Using this facade of hers, she was able to trick nearly all the people she met into thinking that she was normally like this. Nearly everyone.
For one, her family could tell that she was forcing her emotions. After all, no matter how perfect a mask is, no one can completely fool the people closest to them for long. Her mother, father, and sister all know that she, Haruno, fakes her outward appearance and emotions. However, even armed with this knowledge, they still couldn't fathom what she truly felt. That was the true genius behind Haruno. No matter who you are, it would take time, and quite a bit at that, to understand Haruno's intentions. As unintentional it was, her mother created a monster.
A monster of deception.
That day, Haruno was extremely bored. She had done all of her college homework, she had done with her chores for the day, and she had gone outside with her "friends." She often went out with this group to "have fun." But, as interested as she seemed on the outside, she felt quite the opposite on the inside.
That day, Haruno was out with her "friends." They were at the mall, checking out what was new and what was on sale. They were wasting their time, as college students were apt to do. Because she was so tired of doing the same old things, Haruno decided that today, she would try and observe the environment around her more. Thus, she hung out at the back of the group. Though they were initially concerned about her, as Haruno had never acted that way in front of them before, they soon forgot about her and enjoyed themselves.
"I suppose that's the extent of being friends," she thought to herself. "They pretend as though they're actually concerned for you, but in reality, they just couldn't care." Haruno wasn't very fazed by their actions though. No matter how perfectly she acted, they would never truly care for her unless she tried to deepen her bond with them. But Haruno wasn't willing to do that. All that would achieve is the creation of chinks in the flawless mask she created. And she couldn't have that happening.
As she was surveying her surroundings, the young woman noticed many things she would've made light of in days past. She noticed how the general environment was warm and friendly. This was mainly due to the weather being quite nice, at 21°C. In addition, she and her "friends" were all outside, on a sidewalk. To their left and right sides were shops that consisted of the mall. Finally, it was a Saturday. It was no wonder the mood and environment were both quite positive. Looking more at people now, Haruno noticed several things. She noticed a happy family, a father, a mother and a daughter, all linked together, with the daughter in the middle holding the hands of her parents. The daughter looked as though she was having the time of her life, surrounded by the people she loved the most. The perfect lady sighed and redirected her attention elsewhere. She then noticed a couple, both teenagers, who were silent and a bit separated from one another while sitting on a bench. Despite their awkwardness around one another, they seemed to be enjoying their time together. The alluring maiden's lips pursed and she redirected her attention elsewhere once more. Haruno also noticed an elderly woman and her son, walking side by side with content smiles on their faces. Since the old lady walked using a cane, the young man ensured that her path would be safe and steady by clearing all of the obstacles. The young woman, suddenly deep in thought, shifted her gaze to the skies above. Suddenly, something stimulated Haruno out of her mental processes, and she sharply turned to face that couple from earlier.
Haruno then began to practically march towards the couple. Her "friends," seeing her erratic behavior, rushed to catch up to her. There was a possibility that something serious had occurred, so it was no wonder that they chased after her. Haruno, after walking up to the bench that the couple sat on, called out to the teenage girl.
"Hey Yukino-chan! I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Nee-san?" the younger sibling of Haruno hesitantly replied.
"Yep, it's me! Your onee-chan!" Haruno cheerfully affirmed. "Say, who's this guy you're with? Your boyfriend?"
The couple flinched at that response.
"No! He isn't my boyfriend, why would I want to date a creepy weirdo like him?" Yukino remarked.
"As if I would enjoy dating a stuck-up, rude girl like yourself." the teenage male cooly spat out in response.
The duo then looked at one another with seething glares. Haruno, upon seeing this exchange, laughed. Her "friends" looked at her with confused stares, but then shrugged it off. It was probably amusing to her how Yukino interacted with the boy. Haruno then looked behind her and saw her "friends" waiting there.
"Ah, you guys don't have to mind me. I'll stay here for a bit with my sister and her friend," Haruno said with emphasis, "and talk to them for a bit. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you all later."
Her "friends" smiled at her and left. Haruno turned back and focused her attention on the high school students in front of her. Well, she only knew her sister was in highschool. Haruno didn't know for sure whether or not the boy was in high school, but she would find out soon enough.
"So, why are you guys here? On a date?" teased Haruno.
"No, why would we be on a date? Didn't I just say that I would rather kiss a dead fish than date that thing with dead-fish eyes?" Yukino stated as a matter of fact.
"I don't think you said that before." the young man retorted.
"What does it matter? My intent is conveyed, nonetheless." Yukino smugly replied.
"Why, you little…" The young man's left eyebrow twitched as he glowered at Haruno's younger sister. In response, Yukino brushed her hair behind her shoulder and smirked at the boy.
Haruno then clapped in response. She needed the two to stop messing around. "So, if you're not my sister's boyfriend, then who are you to her? What's your name?" The young woman needed to know. After all, it was quite out of the norm for her sister to go around galavanting with a guy, especially considering Yukino's behavior in school.
"…" The boy went silent for a minute. "My name is Hikigaya Hachiman, and I am an acquaintance of Yukinoshita." He finally said.
"As if I'd want to be your acquaintance either." Yukino said with disgust on her face.
"An acquaintance from where?" Haruno inquired, ignoring Yukino.
"From school." he replied succinctly.
"I see!" the young woman replied in a sing-song voice. She then walked over to Hachiman and sat down next to him. Haruno scooted up to the boy, who, in response to her advances, scooted away. "I see," the scheming woman thought. "He's more of an innocent boy than I thought, considering his earlier demeanor and whatnot."
The boy, from what information Haruno has gleaned so far, was a loner. This was quite evident to her based on his posture, his demeanour, and his way of speaking. He was somewhat hunched over, even while sitting down, he had a neutral look, and he was quite monotone in speaking. Basically, a very boring individual. Despite being a boring loner, Hachiman was at least somewhat acclimated to being around Yukino. How interesting, she thought.
The woman then scooted up closer to Hachiman, attempting to press up against him to further test and to better understand him. Hachiman, at that point, wasn't able to move aside anymore, as if he did so, he would end up right next to Yukino. Based on their current relationship, Haruno concluded that they aren't quite comfortable enough with each other to allow one to invade their personal space. After all, with these loner types, they are more used to being distant with others than to be up close with others.
The boy grimaced. It appeared to Haruno that he did not enjoy being close to others one bit, even if the invader was someone like her. She smirked.
"Hey, hey, why're you backing off? Am I that uncomfortable to be around?" Haruno teased.
"... No…" Hachiman started. "I'm not very comfortable with getting close to people I don't know."
"I see! So is that why you're comfortable around Yukino-chan?" Haruno asked "innocently."
The neutral expression of the young man had disappeared immediately. In its place, a harsh glare directed at Haruno was formed. In response, Haruno's smirk grew larger.
"That's enough." Yukino had suddenly intervened. She got up and placed herself between Haruno and Hachiman, after motioning for the both of them to move. After sitting down, Yukino turned to face Haruno. "Nee-san, why are you here?"
Upon hearing this, Haruno tilted her head, closed her eyes, and put a finger on her chin. She stayed in that position for around ten seconds. Then, suddenly, her eyes flashed open and she snapped her fingers.
"Oh yeah!" the mischievous woman enthusiastically said. "I just wanted to see what you and your acquaintance," she said with a leer, "were doing."
"We were out buying a present for our friend." Yukino said succinctly.
"Hmmm, is that so?" Haruno asked rhetorically. "Well, in any case, I know your excuse now." Haruno got up and turned around to look at the duo one last time. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mom about your little… rendezvous with Hachiman. Anyways, I'll get going now!"
"Nee-san! I told you that…" Yukino trailed off. At that point, there was no need to finish her sentence, due to Haruno being too far away.
Haruno walked away with a devilish grin. "How intriguing. Not only does Yukino have a male 'acquaintance,' she also has a friend, someone she's close enough to to buy a present for." the masked lady thought. "Not only that, it seems that Hachiman fellow doesn't like me. Don't tell me that…"
Despite her seemingly not wanting it to be true, her grin grew all the more larger. "How interesting. It seems that my sister has found someone interesting for once." Haruno chuckled lightly. It seemed that the monster of deception may have quite a bit of fun in the upcoming days.
Hey, it's ya boy, Shaboy.
... Sorry about that...
Anyways, you may have been wondering, where the heck is this guy? Why isn't he writing more for Gambler? Did he drop it? Well, to answer your questions, it's not too complicated.
Basically, life hit me hard. Due to a combination of me being lazy and now me having no time, I don't think I can feasibly write much for Rotten Gambler. Thus, it will be put on hiatus. However, do not fear! Not only am I (somewhat) healthy, I have no intentions of abandoning Gambler. I've already thought about how I want to write and end the story, thus I will do so. How long it will take me to achieve this, idk. What I can say for sure is that this upcoming summer and beyond, assuming I complete all my tasks on time, I'll be able to write for Gambler again! Yay! This time around, fortunately, it will be much better. As of right now, I'm taking a few English courses, one of them being Creative Writing. This should help foster my ability to write well, and when I come back, all chapters out for Gambler should be greatly improved.
Now, considering that I had little time to write for Gambler, why I wrote this piece should be a question weighing heavily (probably not) on your mind. Well, blame/thank my Creative Writing teacher. She gave me an initial prompt of "a mask" (literally) and afterwards, told me to write a short story on anything using the things we have learned in class. For the first prompt, I wrote the first section of this one-shot, and for the short story, I wrote everything afterwards. So yeah, I had a bit of fun writing this piece, especially after getting a prompt I thought I wouldn't.
So a bit about this piece. Obviously, its based off of events that occurred in the anime, but quite loosely. Now, it'd be kinda boring if I just did a one-to-one piece, so I added a bit of my own flair to it. In this, I tried to peer through the eyes of Haruno herself, but, considering that I'm both young and not her, I may have wrote about my expectations of her instead of who she, Yukinoshita Haruno, really is. But I suppose it's fine. After all, I was adding my own flair in the first place, why can't I also push my own expectations? So then, a bit about my own expectations and thoughts about Haruno. I personally feel that she's a bit like Hachiman and Yukino, in that she purposely isolates herself from others. While it didn't seem that she suffered much in the light novels, I personally begged to differ. You can't be human without some form of human communication. However, as noted in the piece, she is quite the expert as wielding her mask. Now does she change? Heck no. She still has to fulfill the roles that were placed upon her, so of course she can't allow herself to not don her mask anymore. And that's the main difference between her and Hachiman & Yukino. They were able to change for the better, whereas she stayed stagnant herself. Whether or not she'll find salvation is up to her and the people around her. In the end, I feel as though Haruno, the 2nd most mysterious character in OreGairu (Ebina is 1st obv), isn't as mystifying as she seems (according to me, a very reliable source). Why? Well, my answer is this piece.
Well anyways, to sum it all up. Sorry for not uploading more for Gambler, that'll be in the future. This piece came about due to random, fortunate occurrences. This is also a one-shot, cuz I feel like it's completed, and yeah. That's all folks. I'll see y'all around in some time.