A/N: To the two guest reviewers, and whomever else this is applicable for, here you go.

EDIT: AHOGE, NOT AHEGAO. FUCK. *face-palm* THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Disclaimer: I don't own Oregairu.

Yui was a few steps ahead of him as Hachiman trudged along from behind, holding his gut with both hands in hopes of quelling the loud rumbles of his empty stomach. He hadn't had the chance to grab something to eat earlier and his packed lunch had already gone bad, nor was there anything else left in the cafeteria that he found to be palatable.

Yukino had already given her consent for them to leave club earlier, but rather than express her pity to his state she had other things in mind, never moving her eyes away from her book as she spoke.

"To see Hikigaya-kun writhing in starvation is much more unappealing than his usual form, and the sight may traumatize anyone who enters those doors."

Hachiman was not in the right condition to retort so he had stayed silent, save for his growling tummy. Meanwhile as if a light bulb had suddenly appeared above her head, Yui sat straight up with "eureka" painted all over her face.

"Then could we be excused for today Yukinon? I did plan to treat Hikki for helping me out on my exam, and now's a better time than ever."

"Hmm... That would be killing two birds with one stone." The president nodded at the thought, adding unnecessary emphasis on the word.

'Hey, don't say that while you're looking at me.'

"Very well, I shall handle things here by myself in the meantime, you two may be excused."

Which then led to their current situation, walking aimlessly for quite some time.

"So, where were we going again exactly?"

Yui froze in place at the question and turned around rigidly, an awkward smile on her face.

"A-ahaha, well about that..."

The reason for his inquiry was none other than his mind going back to today's earlier events, one about sharing a recollection with a certain boy during lunch period. He himself had been asked a question, yet before Hachiman could even give his response Saika had already taken his leave.

And from where he was, right behind her as they walked for the past few minutes, he could tell that the girl before him was clearly troubled with that unsettled matter.

"So I take it you don't know where to go?"

"U-umm..." Yui only scratched her head at the question. Hachiman drew out a long sigh.

"Don't worry about it too much. With the way I am now, I don't really care where we go. Besides, as long as you're not the one preparing the food I think it'll be fine."

"W-what's with that!? I'll have you know I've been practicing every weekend!" Yui pouted and turned away, proceeding to walk on ahead of him though she made sure she wouldn't stray too far in leaving him behind.

Unexpectedly, her nervousness from earlier had somehow subsided enough to at least clear her thoughts. Looking around, her eyes chanced upon a fast food restaurant that served good food at a reasonable price, given her allowance.

"Not bad." Hachiman commented, finally catching up to her. "I'm fine with this place. Let's go inside?"

"Okay."

As the two entered the establishment they discovered that it was fairly crowded, bustling with an assortment of adults, students and families all contributing to the noise within the store. He had always hated this atmosphere that choked his introvert self, but his hunger was already far too great that he could let this slide for now.

"I'll do the ordering, Hikki can go on and find us a table." The girl then went to stand in line at the counter.

His eyes scanned for empty seats as he navigated around, all the while receiving glares back from some people whom made direct eye-contact with him. He simply ignored them as always and went on with his search.

When he finally did find one it was located at the far end opposite the counter, consisting of a small square table with two chairs placed across each other.

'She'd probably feel uncomfortable with this setting, better find a different one and-'

"Ah! Hikki, there you are!" Yui yelled as she spotted him from afar. She then hurriedly made her way to him, setting the tray of food down and taking her seat. "It was kind of hard to look for you in a crowded place y'know, since you don't stand out much."

"Oi, was that last bit really necessary?"

"Hehe, just kidding!" The girl stuck her tongue out. "That's for what you said earlier about my cooking! Besides, Hikki isn't really that hard to find if you actually try."

Just then, her warm smile felt oddly reassuring. Who knew someone could ever say those words to him without making it sound like a sarcastic joke? Not to mention his ears grew hot...

"Hikki's eyes were a "dead" give-away. Get it?"

"..." Hachiman swore he could hear the crickets chirping somewhere.

"I-I guess I've made you wait long enough. Shall we eat?"

At her invitation, the girl across him took her fork in hand. He smiled and sat down as well, her words music to his ears.

"Sure. Thanks for the meal."

It was the very moment he had been waiting for all day, and the built-up anticipation made his burger all the more delicious. He savored the experience of his teeth biting down from the sesame seed bun to the succulent patty, then to the dressing with the vegeta-

*cough cough* "Ack!" Hachiman began pounding his chest as he coughed, making Yui panic.

"Hikki! W-what's the matter?! Ah, here drink this!" She handed him his soda which his fingers fumbled to hold before downing it all in one go.

"T-thanks." He muttered, catching his breath after his ordeal.

"W-what happened? Why did you suddenly start choking? Were you eating too fast?"

"I wasn't-"

"You don't like what I got you?"

"No, no, that's not it. It's..." Hachiman trailed off.

"It's what? W-what is it? What's wrong?"

"T-to..." He shivered as he remembered the moment it slid on his tongue, unfortunately for him some of its taste were still left in his mouth. "T-tomatoes..."

"..."

"..."

"...what?"

"I-I don't like tomatoes."

There was a pause as Yui's brain processed the revelation. She just stared at him, whom continued to blush after admitting the true cause of his little fiasco.

Then she made a weird sound, somewhat similar to a snort. Hachiman saw her slightly trembling figure as she pressed her lips tightly together.

"Yuigahama?"

"Ahahaha!" Yui finally burst out laughing, holding onto her sides. "T-T-TOMATOES? Really, Hikki? Hahaha!"

"Yeah, yeah. Feel free to go ahead make fun of me." The boy pouted.

"Hahaha... Haaa, I'm sorry." The girl had calmed down, wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye. "But it's not like I was making fun of you or anything, I was just worried."

"Is that so?"

"I originally thought I got you the wrong order. I never really asked for what you wanted in the first place. Ah, I'm glad."

"Really now..."

'"Worried" huh.' Hachiman scoffed at the term while removing the remainders of the accursed fruit from his burger. The word truly fit Yuigahama to a T, if he would say so himself.

"It'd be a waste if you just throw those away." Yui pointed out the tomato slices he had collected in the wrapper. "I'll eat them for you if it's alright?"

"Knock yourself out."

She moved them onto her plate, where she cut them into smaller pieces before eating them. Hachiman just watched in disgust as his enemies disappeared one by one, nonetheless relieved they were now out of sight.

As the two resumed eating they shared a comfortable silence, save for the loud ruckus of the family from the next table. The children were quarrelling with each other about the most trivial of things, something about who's more powerful between two characters if they were to be in a fight. He felt ashamed for the parents who couldn't even tame their own children to act appropriately within public places.

'Besides, S*itama would kick G*ku's butt any day, hands down. Q.E.D.'

Thanks to his famished state Hachiman had consumed his meal faster than he had expected, thus he was left sooner with nothing else to do. It would have been rude to Yui if he were to take his leave right after she had just treated her so he had remained seated, quietly watching the girl before him taking her time.

One thing he did notice was that for the ditzy airhead he had always thought of her to be, Yui was unexpectedly proper when it came to eating. She would bring her silverware up to her face with one hand while tucking away some of her hair with the other to make sure it wouldn't stick to her food. Then she'd chew the mouthful carefully before swallowing it down.

To think there was this side of her that had such manners, quietly enjoying her meal. It was like he was in front of a different person.

"I-is something wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You were kinda staring at me a bit too intensely, it feels a little creepy..."

"Oh, s-sorry." He moved his gaze away from her and to the kids from the next table as his mind then went back to his train of thought before being interrupted.

His little sister on the other hand was the exact opposite. She would eat at her own fast pace, and after each meal there would always be a mess left behind. It wasn't that she was acting like some sort of savage whenever she were in front of the table, but she just couldn't manage to keep things from falling off her plate.

'Komachi could learn a thing or two, heck maybe even ten from her.'

"Ah!"

Yui flinched as the pasta had touched her face, leaving a stain of spaghetti sauce on her face. Setting her fork down, she took the table napkin and wiped it off, though some had still remained.

"You missed a spot." He commented, pointing at her left cheek.

"Huh? Where?"

"There."

"Here?"

"Let me have it." Hachiman sighed and swiped the tissue from her hand, wiping the small amount of red left himself. "You remind me of how Komachi can be helplessly messy sometimes."

Yui only stared at the used napkin on his hand as a new shade of red now stained her face. His "onii-chan tendencies" had been triggered earlier as he tended to her, and it was only now that he noticed what had just occurred.

"Ah... Still, it's nothing to be embarrassed about." He defended, trying to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation. "It's not like it doesn't happen to everyone once in a while, so don't worry about it."

"Y-yeah... Thanks."

After finishing her pasta, she sipped away at her juice when she saw how Hachiman was looking at her drink. Glancing at his empty glass, she remembered how he had drunk all of it after his choking incident earlier.

"Do you want some?" She offered.

"Hmm..."

In truth he had been left parched from the saltiness of the fries, but the thought of using the same straw she drank from was...

Well, the moment felt quite similar with a certain incident during their trip to Kyoto, which would have had resulted with an indirect kiss had he been as careless as her. Plus it was too troublesome to ask for water. He would always spend a long time waiting from being ignored by the staff, only to be served some when he was finally asked what the matter was when most of the customers had complained of his presence.

Hachiman however was far different from the riajuus of the world. He would think outside of the box, gaze at the countless possibilities that laid out before him for the best option. He would definitely find a way, he always did after all.

He took it from her hand and without a hint of hesitation, drank a swig directly from the rim of the glass itself instead. The cool liquid felt great as it swirled down his throat, quenching his since then nagging thirst for good.

"Thanks." As he returned her drink when he realized Yui's facial expression had suddenly changed, like she had seen a ghost. "You okay?"

"H-huh? Ah, y-yes." She gingerly took the glass from his hands with her head hung low, which had remained that way until she had finished. The two then hurriedly exited the restaurant afterwards.

Looking up at the sky it was now tinged a bright orange, the clouds filtering the remaining rays of the setting sun. His ahoge danced along the light blow of the crisp cool air. It was a nice change of atmosphere that he welcomed anytime, considering how the crowded place from before was too suffocating for his taste.

Yet the peacefulness of the surroundings could do nothing against the sinking feeling within him, which seemed to grow worse as he glanced at the girl beside him. While traces of anxiety marred her usually jovial facial features, he was at a loss on the cause.

"Do you want me to escort you home?" Hachiman offered. Yui appeared surprised at the gesture and thought for a while before shaking her head.

"Nope, I'll be fine." She declined, a strained smile on her face. "It isn't dark yet so I can manage by my own. Thank you."

"...then I'm off."

"Okay, see ya tomorrow."

"I'm home," Hachiman said aloud upon reaching his home and as expected, his little sister's head peeked out the living room door on cue.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan!" She warmly greeted his arrival with a noticeable spring in her step.

"Sorry for not saying in advance that I'll be back later than usual."

"Don't sweat it, Yui-chan already notified Komachi all about your little 'date'."

"It's not a date." He bluntly denied, patting her head as he passed by her. "Don't go blurting things out that may cause a misunderstanding."

"But you went out to eat with a beautiful girl, with just the two of you alone."

"Yeah, at a place where the number of customers was more or less twice the maximum capacity of the restaurant. So much for 'being alone'."

"Geez Onii-chan, you're such a killjoy. At this state you'll never get married in the future."

"I'll cross the bridge when I get there." Hachiman collapsed onto his seat on the sofa, his sister following to sit right next to him. "Besides, Komachi is with me here, and you're all I'll ever need."

"Uwaa, that sounded really creepy!" Komachi shuddered and backed away a little, shielding her chest with her arms. "Even more so when you'rethe one saying it, making that face and all! Sis-conii-chan!"

"Hey, don't say that. It seriously hurts, you know? Especially when I mustered all my courage to say that straight to you."

"Just joking. So, how'd it go? Did you have fun?" She clung onto his arm as if to shackle him to his seat, yanking on it several times in waiting for his response.

"If you count finally getting something to eat after a whole day in school, then yes."

"Be more serious with your answer!"

"Y-yes, sorry..."

Hachiman then told her all about what had happened as he recollected the events of today's "date", from the time he had skipped his lunch due to his encounter with Saika up to the time they had parted ways. When he had finished however, she didn't appear to be impressed with his story, not one bit.

"Mou, there was no development at all! And why didn't you drink from the same straw!?"

"Because that's unsanitary?"

"Onii-chan, you idiot! Can't you take a hint?" Komachi face-palmed in complete disbelief at his actions, though she had already expected at least that much of a reaction from him.

"Anyway, after that her mood sort of... changed."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"Not sure but before we parted, she looked troubled." Hachiman scratched his head as he tried to recall what her face was like during those last few moments. "Well, I can't really tell for sure if she were, but that was what I was picking up anyway. I also asked if she wanted me to walk with her home but she turned me down."

"You should've asked her what the matter was."

"It's none of my business, and I don't like sticking my nose into things I shouldn't be involved with in the first place. The less you know, the less trouble you have to deal with."

A certain memory flashed in his mind, one where he walked alongside a hopeful girl on the streets during one summer night.

And only the moon bore witness to what had transpired on that fateful evening, as he struck at the roots of something without even giving it the chance to blossom.

"Besides, I'm not one to meddle in others' affairs unless it was like a formal request to the Service Club."

"Hou, is that so?" Komachi flashed a smirk as she thought of an idea. "Then what if I requested for it?"

"Hmm?"

"Please Onii-chan!" Komachi begged, her hands pressed together. "Please find out what happened to Yui-chan! And try to keep it to yourself since she may not want a lot of people asking about her problems."

"Hmm..."

"Ple~ase, you'll get a lot of Komachi points if you accept!"

"Alright, fine. How could I ever say no to that face..." Hachiman sighed in defeat, no longer able to resist her charms. "You sure know your way with bribery."

"Wow, when Yui-chan taught me how to do the 'puppy dog eyes' I didn't believe it would actually work! She's a genius!"

"She did what?"

"Ah!" Komachi placed her hands over her mouth. "Nevermind what I said, forget it! I was just thinking out aloud!"

"Well, whatever. I'll just see what I can do."

"Yay~ Thank you Onii-chan, you're the best! Ah, but don't let it all get to your head."

"Heh, I won't."

The two siblings shared a little more time together chatting before they had decided to call it a day and retired to their respective rooms. Komachi reminded him of his promise and expected positive results before she bid him a good night.

As Hachiman lied in bed waiting for the drowsiness to come knocking at his door, his mind started working on what he was tasked to do.

He was new to it after all, he never really cared much about others so he was left confused as to how to approach the topic. Normally at the Service Club, people would come to them and he would simply ask for the details since it was necessary to solving the issue. As for Iroha's case, it was more of his responsibility for putting all that work on her shoulders hence he opted to have his share of trouble.

But now that he was supposed to take the initiative, it felt entirely different.

"..."

Needless to say, he was clueless.

'How exactly am I going to ask her about it in the first place?'

He had considered dragging Yui somewhere private so he could talk to her alone, but the idea seemed embarrassing and near impossible to carry out for him. And if other students were to get sight of him doing just that, alerting the police wasn't far from happening.

However his promise to his dearest little sister was something he could not afford to break for the sis-con in him would not allow it, thus her will was absolute.

So Hachiman would have to find a way. It was nothing new, he always had to. Even if it meant diving right into the flames yet again.

'Ah, this is such a drag.' He exhaled deeply, burying his face into his pillow to block the bright light from his eyes. All the thinking was tiring him out faster than he had expected, and soon he could feel the weariness dragging his consciousness away into the abyss of slumber.

One last thought he had in mind before he had completely drifted asleep was that he was grateful to Komachi for at least giving him a different reason – one he could tell Yui without hesitation – as to why he would be asking about her problem.

A/N: Is short, I know. But it's been three months, one week and three days since the last update so I had to let you guys know I'm still alive and plan on finishing this.

Thanks to Pewdepew and Betrayed Dreams for their opinions on this one, a big help to fix whatever I can before I do finally post it. It was from Pewdepew (his story A Rotten Duo) that I had the idea of Komachi being a messy eater, while Betrayed Dreams gave the suggestion of the two sharing their food with each other (but I doubt Hachiman's heart is ready at this point to actually feed her directly lol).

...Dammit, now I'm hungry.

And special thanks as well to OmegaEleven, your words were truly helpful and for that I am grateful. While this was already written and done before the review, I shall keep in mind those points you mentioned. Thank you!

I was planning on trying my hand at writing a one-shot centered on Yukino or Komachi (incest-themed but no smut or whatever), but this came out finished first after three months of grueling writing. So there you go.

With much love for lolis, TGWW.