Disclaimer: I don't own Oregairu.

He sat silently in his seat, feigning to be asleep as he usually would per his daily routine. However, none were barely aware that his rotten, half-lidded eyes had remained glued on a vacant seat from right across his own.

There were only a few minutes left before the school bell would ring to signal the start of the school day, yet Hachiman could have sworn that it had been two and a half eternities that had already passed as he had waited. What ran through his thoughts as he laid his head on his desk was that despite the vividness of this so-called "youth" that plagued Class 2-F every morning, today it seemed to be lacking a certain hue.

...a bright shade of pink, to be exact.

Hachiman was never one to arrive to school quite early so whenever he did enter the classroom most of the students were already present, especially a girl under the name "Yuigahama Yui." And even with his best efforts to not attract attention as he slithered his way to his seat with head lowered, the girl would always, always take notice of his presence at the precise moment he was nearest to her and greet him, as if she had been waiting specifically for him to pass by.

"Yahallo, Hikki!" Her voice would always chime with energy, causing him to pause and give her at least an obligatory "hey".

...that was, except for today.

There were still no signs of the vibrant girl to be seen and he was currently unsure on how to feel regarding her absence.

A sigh of relief left his mouth as he had yet to come up with a good way to inquire on what could possibly had been his fault that made her act strangely yesterday. He also felt somewhat sick to the stomach like he could throw up any minute, very similarly to how someone would be feeling whenever they were worr-

His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of heels clacking against the floor from the hallway. Sitting up straight as he could, the bustling of the class died down to a low whispering murmur before the door slid open and revealed their teacher Hiratsuka-sensei. She strode towards center and front of the class and, after the daily exchange of greetings, started off homeroom period with an announcement.

"I'm afraid Yuigahama-san will not be able to join us for today. She is feeling unwell, so she had to take the day off."

Reactions of surprise at varying levels came from his fellow students, and while he had already foreseen such a possibility to be the most probable cause he could not help but be baffled still.

It was quite the coincidence after all, he thought, that of all times Yui would be absent it really had to be today. In fact, if memory served him right, she never had taken a day off from class.

'How did it go again? "Idiots can't catch a cold?" Well, not like I know she did catch one... err, wait. Did she?' He mused to himself, unaware of the teacher growing more irritated at each passing second he remained unresponsive. Besides being asked what her age or civil status was, nothing pissed Shizuka off more than a student not paying attention to her, especially a problematic one.

"HIKIGAYA-KUN!" She yelled for the third time, finally winning the attention of the boy who nearly jumped from his seat.

"Y-yes!" His voice cracked as he replied nervously, not wanting to incur her wrath so early. The teacher glared at him momentarily as a warning to fix himself before resuming the rest of the roll call.

'Haaa...' Hachiman relaxed as he sank down on his chair, glad to not have gotten off to a completely bad start. 'Even when she's not here, she still manages to get me in trouble...'

The loner managed to stay awake until lunch period had arrived, though his mind had been wandering off since that he never did retain most of what had been discussed during the previous classes.

The school bell's chime echoing across campus broke his train of thought, pulling him back to reality where he remained anchored to his seat while the rest of the class were making their way to the cafeteria in groups. He decided to nab a quick bite himself such as some yakisoba bread that he could eat at his spot, but before he could leave an arm draped over his shoulder.

"Yo Hikitani-kun, 'sup?" Asked the culprit Tobe, pulling him over. "You sure look down, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing really." He responded monotonously. 'Unless we count you invading my personal space as one.'

"Hey, come on! Don't be so cold. We're bros, right?"

"..."

"W-well, it's just that I noticed you were glancing at Yui-chan's desk for a while now, so..."

"Oh, for the love of-!" A girl cried out in frustration. Stomping her way to the two guys was none other than Yumiko, Hina following behind her. "Quit stalling and just cut to the chase!"

"Oho~ I think there's no need to rush them, Yumiko, ehehe..." Commented the bespectacled girl, an eerie vibe emanating from her weird smile.

"Anyway, we're not here just to chat for fun Hikio, tell us; what happened to Yui?!"

"Like I'd know." He broke free from Tobe, keeping himself at least two steps away from him and most importantly, the irate blonde. "And why are you even asking me anyway, you guys are friends, right?"

"Of course we are! I sent her a few mails but she didn't reply to me once, and when I tried calling her, she never picked up!"

"Actually, we know all about yesterday." Hina spoke up, giving the other girl a breather to cool her head. "Before, Yui had asked us where the two of you could go to eat, but we didn't really know what you liked so we couldn't give any good options... Anyway, all we know is you were the one she was with last. Do you really not know anything? It's not like her to not reply at all, so we can't help but grow worried..."

One surprise after another it seemed, Hachiman processed her words and drew a long sigh. While he himself didn't have many friends, he could tell from observing others that these were somehow good ones.

"We left club early, she and I walked around looking for a place to eat." He explained, all three lending their ears. "When we did, we ordered some food, sat down and ate. We talked a bit, both of us had a few... difficulties with our meals." Hachiman blushed at the memory, rousing the suspicion of Yui's friends.

"W-w-what's with that completely perverted reaction!?" Yumiko stammered.

"Perverted?! Hikitani-kun, take responsibility!" Tobe added, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Uwaa, it sounds like a real-life rom-com development!" Hina squealed in delight. "I want details!"

"Anyway..." He cleared his throat, ignoring the outburst from his audience, "after that was when I noticed she was acting like something was... off. I did ask her about it, but she brushed it off as 'nothing' so I didn't press her any further. I offered to walk with her home as well but she declined too, and that's about it."

The three looked at each other, wordless communication transpiring from what Hachiman could tell with the looks on their faces.

"Ugh, what a waste of breath." Yumiko face-palmed herself.

'This ungrateful, little...'

"You know, if you're that disappointed with my response then you could have just gone and asked Hiratsuka-sensei yourself, since Yuigahama did contact her to excuse herself for today." He suggested. The three fell dead silent until a few seconds passed, Tobe finally blurted something out.

"Why didn't I think of that!?" He rhetorically asked in sheer disbelief.

"Umm, you probably couldn't have thought of that though." Hina teased.

"D-don't be so mean to me, Hina-chan!"

"Enough fooling around!" Yumiko interrupted. "I'm getting hungry, but I'm not quite done here yet so you two can go ahead. I'll catch up with you guys after this." The leader of the pack commanded. The two obediently did as they were told and bid farewell to the loner, exiting the room. "And you, Hikio!"

"Hmm?" He wondered just what verbal abuse this girl still had left in store as she glared at him eye to eye.

"T-t-t... T-t-!" He wasn't sure if she was fighting the urge to lash at him hence the stuttering. Her fists clenched as she steeled herself, breathing in deep to finally give what was due:

"...t-thanks."

The word fell from her lips as softly as possible before she made a quick dash for the door. Hachiman was stunned, watching the girl leave him behind, rushing off without a moment to spare all to avoid having her blushing face be seen.

Alone once more he set off towards the school cafeteria to grab a bite, one word echoing within the recesses of his mind:

'Tsundere.'

"Ah Hikigaya-kun, do you have a minute?" Shizuka walked over to the loner who was still in the middle of packing his things, getting ready to leave as the day had ended.

"Umm... I guess?" He answered uncertainly, thinking there may not really be a choice with this woman.

"Good, come with me to the teachers' lounge. I need another favor from you."

"I'm not going to be tutoring a 'certain someone' again, am I Sensei?"

"Well, no." She smiled at his hunch. "Though this does have something to do with a... 'certain someone' of yours."

"...I get it." He sighed, slinging his bag over to his shoulder as he lazily slouched. "Lead the way."

Their trip wasn't a pleasant one as he thought of just what this woman had planned for him. And not only that, it too involved Yui, someone that he wasn't quite fully prepared to deal with at the moment.

'To think I've managed to put it on hold for today... What rotten luck.'

He was also well-aware just how impossible it was to oppose her so he had decided to resign himself at her mercy.

Then again, at least this way he both had a way and a reason to contact her and, if things flowed well which he doubted would be easy, confront her about the incident that had occurred the day before. Then his mind could finally be at peace…

No. Absolutely wrong. It was all so he could finally fulfill his promise to his little sister, nothing more and nothing less.

The familiar smell of newly printed paper, brewed coffee and a hint of cigarette smoke permeated his nose as Shizuka slid open the door to the lounge, motioning Hachiman to wait for her by the counselling table as she fetched a few things. He sat down, mind drifting back to the memory he was last in this place.

He had been in trouble then, and it too was all because of that pink-haired girl. Shizuka was a bit angrier at that time and he had narrowly escaped getting hurt, so today the odds of leaving unscathed were pretty higher.

...wait, wasn't there even a law against teachers harming students?

"Sorry to have made you wait." She returned, holding in her hand a brown folder. Handing it over to him Hachiman skimmed the contents, which were photocopies of the notes for today's lessons fastened tightly together with a bull clip.

"You... want me to have these?" He asked sarcastically just to break the silence, flipping the pages one by one. "If so, I have to respectfully decline. I know I may not appear the attentive type in class but I've written everythi-"

"It's for Yuigahama-san." Shizuka butted in, completely cutting him off back to quietude. "It's pretty obvious what else you have to do, right? You're not her per se, so I don't have to spell it out for you."

"Why me though? I mean, didn't one of her friends earlier ask you why she's not present today? You could've just as easily given them this task after class."

"Yeah, but I forgot to ask them at that time." She retorted, not putting any effort to sound convincing at all.

"But still, why me then? Isn't there anyone else, such as Yukinoshita for example?"

"She's currently in-charge of the Service Club, which I doubt you would be able to handle alone better in her stead. Besides, didn't you say it yourself before when we had a talk? That you, and I quote your words, 'had no choice since you're in the same club'? And because it was my doing that you're a member, wouldn't you say that with that logic that you have no choice on this as well since I'm tasking you to do it?"

"Urk..." The annoyance in her voice made the boy reel back. Another wrong step could have very well spelled pain for him so he did the smartest thing he could think of and smiled. "A-alright then..."

"Good. I'm glad we've come to a compromise, Hikigaya-kun." She stood up and pulled out a stick of cigarette, lighting it and taking a long drag. "I knew I could count on you, you're such a reliable guy."

"Yeah..." He muttered, standing up. "Well, if that's all you need me for, I'm off."

Hachiman began on his journey towards the apartment complex, hoping memory served him correctly as he had escorted Yui home before. It was far too late to turn back, and Shizuka wouldn't like it if she found out.

'I guess I can just go there, drop it off and leave. I can just come up with an excuse for Komachi when I get home.'

Going up the flight of stairs and turning at a corridor, he was soon faced with a door marked with the slate displaying the room number at the side. He stared at it for one good minute before he took one deep breath.

'Here goes nothing.'

His finger reached for the doorbell and it gave out a muffled buzz from the other side. Just as he was about to ring it a second time, he heard someone from inside respond as the sound of rushed footsteps drew closer. The pitch of her voice was unmistakable, letting him identify the speaker even before the door swung open.

The girl known as Yuigahama Yui dressed in wrinkled, baby blue pajamas with her unkempt bed hair now stood before him, clearly shocked to find him of all people at her doorstep. She rubbed her eyes and blinked, only to see the boy still there.

"H-Hikki?!" Yui yelped in surprise, suddenly feeling conscious of her appearance so she closed the door just enough so that only a fraction of her blushing face was revealed.

"Yo." he greeted with the usual lackluster manner.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to bring you these." He then produced a folder from his bag and showed it to her. "It's a copy of today's lessons, she had them copied and collected here for you."

"O-oh, that's... Thank you." She said with a small smile. After completing his primary objective by handing the materials to her through the small gap, the two fell into an awkward silence. Both avoided each other's gaze as they tried to find something else to keep their eyes on.

"Anyway, that's all I came here for, so..." Hachiman finally said, finding her situation for today to be unsuitable for any sort of confrontation. "I'll be leaving."

"W-w-wait!"

The door swung wide open as Yui reached out for him, successfully holding onto his right arm's sleeve and stopping him from taking one step further.

"U-umm!" The girl nervously spoke while her grip remained firm on his clothing. "Y-you see, it'd be rude if I made you come all the way here without showing a bit of hospitality, y'know? M-maybe I could invite you inside a-and get you some tea first?"

Hachiman could have just declined the offer right then and there and went straight on his way home to call it a day, but the look in her eyes made it nigh impossible to mutter the words. He also didn't expect the gesture as he thought he had done something that may have displeased her back then.

He scratched his head, unable to think of a good enough alibi that could save him from the guilt he knew would plague him if he were to let this opportunity pass. His dear sister Komachi would be quite disappointed if she ever found out about it, and he knew well she and Yui had good communication from what he had observed recently so she would definitely get wind of this.

"Okay I guess."

"R-really?"

Her eyes shone brightly at his positive response, furthering his confusion as to what truly occurred for her to act differently before and if he really were at fault. It seemed Yui was indeed just like most girls, albeit much less complex on most occasions.

As the girl excused herself for a moment to fix her appearance, the door once again opened to grant him passage. Reluctance made his first step heavy, but once he had laid his foot down on the interior of the house it had been decided.

"Sorry for intruding."

Yui struggled to prepare tea and snacks for her surprise visitor with what little concentration she had left. She was nervous, not with the fact that she had someone over and was currently waiting for her return, rather she had invited Hachiman into her room of all people.

And to make matters worse (or better), her mother was out of the house at the moment and would return late. Thus, they had the place all for themselves.

"Ah-!"

The tea within the cup spilled on the table as she stirred a bit too strongly. Quickly she took some paper towels and wiped the mess, all the while trying to calm herself down.

'I-I mean, it's not like something's going to happen… right?' She asked herself, only causing her to grow more unsettled as her imagination began to explore various scenarios. 'Hikki isn't that kind of guy and I trust him, so…'

The girl shook her head free of thoughts impure. There was no way, no way something would ever happen between him and her. Hachiman was pretty different from most guys she knew, even to the point of being called an herbivore by some due to his passivity. Besides, it was far too early in their current stage of relationship to attempt at such an act, and today's kind of…

Not wanting to keep him waiting for too long Yui finished cleaning up and took the tray with refreshments to her room, where Hachiman quietly sat in the middle of the floor where she last left him.

"Sorry for taking so long," she placed the tray down on the low table and sat across him. "I made a bit of a mess so it took a while."

"Ah, it's fine." He reached for one of the cups and gently blew on the tea. "Sorry for making you go out of your way to prepare these, especially when you're not feeling well."

"No, no, it's totally fine, I don't mind at all. I was actually feeling really bored so it was nice to have someone for company."

"Okay then. Thanks."

"Yup, don't mention it."

"Alright."

Hachiman having nothing else to say took a few sips of his tea and expressed his satisfaction with a low hum before silence befell the room.

Yui too was at a loss for words, her eyes darting around the place trying to come up with something, anything to talk about. It wasn't like her to be quiet as she had always been the one to strike a conversation, but since today her mind and body weren't in the best condition that wasn't the case.

"U-umm, thanks again for bringing me those." She gestured over to the folder she put aside on her desk which he had brought with him. "I really appreciate you going out of your way just to deliver those."

"Ah, don't mention it. It was actually Hiratsuka-sensei's doing, I was just her pack mule of sort. You should go give her your thanks too once you get back to school."

"I-I see…" Something about the act of goodwill not being one of his own volition felt like a letdown. Had she always viewed him in such a positive light? Perhaps she had been overestimating him…

"By the way," Hachiman set his cup down on the table and sat up straight. "About yesterday…"

"H-huh?" Yui tensed as he trailed off. "W-what about it?"

"I just… I dunno, I'm sorry I guess." He looked down and sighed, not really knowing how to say it properly since he himself had no clear idea on what happened. "I don't know why, but yesterday before we parted you felt off for some reason. And since I was the only person with you at that time then it'd be safe to say that I was more or less the cause of it so… I'm sorry."

Initially she was shocked at his apology, but recalling the events that had transpired that day caused her cheeks to grow red.

"N-no, don't be! It's not your fault, and you shouldn't be saying sorry if you don't know what you did in the first place, it makes it sound so half-hearted!"

"Well, why then? Because if you do say it wasn't me, then what was the reason?"

"H-huh?! That's-"

The girl stopped as she couldn't decide how to put into words what she felt at that time. Hachiman's eyes were still fixed on her, wanting to pry an answer out of her.

"That's what?"

"That's…" She blushed even more as she realized she had to confess, lowering her head to hide her crimson face. "L-let's just say that it's something high school girls experience at their age…"

"Like what?"

With the room being as quiet as can be Yui feared he could hear her heart's loud beating. As much as she wanted to tell it to him straight, today wasn't the best time and place to answer his question and unveiling the truth was embarrassing on its own.

In fact, she couldn't quite think of any decent time and place for such a confession.

'Still, if he's so worried about it, I guess I should just let him know,' she thought, putting his feelings into account. It was a rare occasion for Hachiman to care about anything else than his own sake.

Hachiman, on the other hand felt very nervous as well. He was still unaware of what he might have done, and while Yui did give him the time of day there was no telling what it could be given his low experience with socializing.

Was he that bad with social interactions, that not even the everyday exchanges with his sister could prove to be of any use? And if ever her answer were to be something very disappointing, how would he tell Komachi without so much as upsetting her?

"…od."

"Huh?" His head shot up at the faint sound of her voice, finding Yui still with her head hung low. "What was that?"

"I-I said… I had my p-p-period!" Yui yelled, making sure he could hear her since she could've died of shame if she had to say it a third time. "My tummy suddenly hurt and it was really uncomfortable! I-I also had to buy something at a convenience store a-a-and I didn't want you to see me buying them!"

Her little outburst made her words take time before they completely sunk into Hachiman's mind, leaving a quiet and awkward mood for the both of them afterwards.

"That's… what happened," the girl wiped some of her tears away, unable to see him eye-to-eye. "So it's not your fault, okay?"

"Y-yeah…" He muttered, unsure of what else to say to her. "Sorry."

"I thought I already told you it wasn't your fault!?"

"You did, but I mean… that was kinda embarrassing, wasn't it? I mean, whenever I take out the trash and see… 'that' in there, Komachi gets furious at me. Heh." He chuckled at a short recollection of his first time seeing one in person, and his baby sister's face after the little discovery.

"That's really mean, y'know. We try our best to hide it, and not only do you look at your baby sister's, you even made me say it!"

"Wait, how was it even my fault? She didn't even bother covering it with other trash and just placed it on top in plain view. And you should have come up with a better way of telling me than outright admitting it." He crossed his arms defiantly. "As I see it, I'm the victim here."

"U-umm… H-Hikki you dummy!" Yui cried out in defeat. Strangely enough they both ended up laughing the whole predicament off and the mood eased up to a warmer, more enjoyable one.

"Still, you should be mindful of us girls. There are things we don't want boys to ever see, even if they already know about it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry." He raised his hand as if taking an oath. "I promise to be more careful next time."

"Well, if you're really sorry then you have to show just how repentant you truly are."

"I'm surprised you even know such a big word. And what do you have in mind? I'll have you know I am pretty good at groveling, you can even say that dogeza is nothing but second nature to me."

"Alright then! Hikki, as punishment, from now on I want you to call me by my given name."

"…huh?"

"What?" Yui raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with it?"

"…no, not really. It's just that… are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am."

"You sure are enjoying this. Are all girls sadists?" Hachiman sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, whatever. Fine then."

"Try it, call me by my given name right now!"

"Y-yeah, sure."

He saw the expectant glimmer in her eyes and decided it best to avoid them, looking away. It was the first time he had to call someone other than family by their given name and it felt alien.

Still, he had nothing to lose, and he did have her do something that was at the very least equally embarrassing.

"Y-Y-Yui…" He near-whispered, but his soft voice reached her eager ears nonetheless.

"Great job Hikki! Hehe~" The girl smiled triumphantly at her success and gave him a thumbs-up. "See? It wasn't so hard now, was it?"

"Hey, wait a minute, that's unfair. How come I have to call you by your given name when you still refer to me with that horrendous nickname?"

"Eh? This is this and that is that."

"But it'll be weird if you don't return the favor you know. It'll make me look like I'm some kind of person who likes to act all chummy and friendly."

"Y-you do have a point…" Yui gave it a brief moment of thought then sighed. "Alright, I guess it's only fair."

"Well? I'm waiting for it."

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to call me by my given name too, duh."

"Eh? L-like, now?"

"Of course."

He just grinned as the girl appeared flustered, yet somewhere in him he too felt a bit of nervousness.

"Here goes then…" She began to fidget her fingers, hoping to reduce the restlessness stirring within her. The bright blushing of her face went unnoticed to her as she was too preoccupied, but he took note of it and enjoyed the struggle the girl was undergoing.

He would have been a great girl he thought, considering how much of a sadist he could be as well.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together as if trying to keep the word from escaping her mouth, but what was warranted soon had to be given as it grew longer due.

With a voice tinged with sweetness and innocence, coy and pure she sang his name in a way that could tug at the heartstrings of even the coldest people.

"H-H-Hachi…man…"

Yui fought the urge to shiver as a chill rushed down her spine like a bucket of ice-cold water had been splashed over her while the burning of her cheeks rose towards her ears. This was definitely not how she had daydreamt this scenario to play out.

Once her heart had reduced its rapid, incessant beating into a slower pace, she opened her eyes to find that even the boy before her could not resist to blush at such an occasion. Seeing his emotions from his reaction usually devoid of them brought about a sense of fulfillment, she couldn't help but crack a smile knowing she pulled it off well.

"There, now we're even!"

Not wanting to trouble the recovering girl any further with his presence and not to overstay his welcome, Hachiman deemed it was already time for his departure shortly after their relationship's step forward. She once again thanked him for taking time out of his schedule to swing by her place while he thanked her for the hospitality.

"So will you be coming to school tomorrow?" He asked as he put on his shoes on his way out.

"Yup. I'm feeling a lot more better than earlier, so I'll be back in class." She responded much livelier than before, just like how he knew her to be.

"That's good to hear then." He remarked, slinging his bag over his shoulder and opening the door. "I'll be off now."

"Okay, take care."

She watched his back as he walked along the corridor and headed towards the stairs when he suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.

"See you tomorrow then, umm… Yui." Her name still felt foreign to the tongue.

"Ah-!" She hopped out the door and waved him goodbye with a wide smile. "Y-yes! See you tomorrow as well H-Hachiman!"

"Ah, what a lovely display of youth~!"

"Wha-!"

The two were surprised to hear someone else's voice, looking in front of him Hachiman found Yui's mother standing there, a hand on her cheek and a smug grin on her face.

"Ah, g-good evening Yuigahama-san…" Hachiman bowed slightly.

"Yes, this evening seems to be a pretty good one." She giggled. "Already on a given name-basis, are we? It looks like you two had lots of fun while I was away."

"W-well, that's not entirely false, although it seems what you're implying as 'having fun' may be different from what I have in mind…"

"M-Mama!" Yui yelled frantically.

"Yes, yes. I won't meddle anymore between you two." She dismissed her cries with a wave of her hand. "I just want to tell you that you have my blessings dear." She whispered as she winked at the boy.

"U-umm, thanks..?" He replied uncertainly.

"Well now, do be on your way, and take care."

When the older woman bid him goodbye and went to console her daughter, Hachiman finally headed home where someone had been eagerly waiting for his arrival.

"Onii-chan, welcome back!" Greeted Komachi.

"I'm home."

"So, how it'd go? C'mon, tell me!" She urged, yanking at his arm towards the living room.

"You sure don't beat around the bush, huh?"

"Of course, this is important!"

"Alright, let me settle down first and I'll tell you all about it."

Hachiman then told Komachi what happened, from how he was given the errand by Hiratsuka-sensei to the unexpected encounter with her mother as he was leaving, and how he had been overthinking things since yesterday regarding the girl.

While his sister wasn't all too pleased with how he had made her admit something uncomfortable for girls to discuss about, she was happy to hear that they were now calling each other by their given names.

"So does it mean you two are going out?"

"Huh? Of course not. It was a form of punishment after all, nothing more, nothing less." He said matter-of-factly

"Geez Onii-chan, you're no fun at all!" Komachi complained, bummed by his answer. "How can you treat it so lightly? Don't you know how important it is between two friends to start addressing each other like that?"

"Well, it sure does beat her calling me 'Hikki', so there's that at least."

"This is why you still don't have a girlfriend." She said deadpan.

"Hey, that's harsh. And besides, I don't need a girlfriend, Komachi is all I need."

"Eww, gross. Get away from me, you siscon." She shoved her brother away playfully. "Still, you should treat her better. Don't take her kindness for granted."

Kindness.

Somehow, the word always brought a strange sense of dread to him, a feeling born from back in middle school.

Laughter, whispers, eyes seething with scorn and mockery.

He grew dizzy, as if the world around him was spinning nonstop. His dinner churned in his stomach and threatened to escape his mouth.

"Anyway, I'll take care of the dishes, you should go and get some rest Onii-chan."

Komachi left him to tend to her chores while Hachiman absentmindedly went up to his room and changed his clothes. He then laid on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with his mind still stuck in recollection.

A girl, short and wavy hair, brown eyes, a lively personality...

A huge misunderstanding.

It started from something so simple, and from there it took root and sprouted into a massive masked lie that later blew up in his face and destroyed every last shred of hope he had. In the end, he had no one else to blame but himself for being so gullible and vulnerable, for being so easily swayed with just a little attention thrown at him.

Events from earlier began flooding into his mind, his sweet exchange with a certain girl, the short time spent with her that he refused to admit he enjoyed every minute of, the strange feeling that rose from his chest that now resembled something sinister from the past.

As much as he hated it, he couldn't deny that a part of him was indeed happy, though it was easily overshadowed by the overwhelming fear of betrayal.

'Still…'

A glimmer of hope remained, and with it flashed in his mind the image of a girl with pink hair, smiling at him like always. It was strange how she could blend in so easily with the crowd but she still stood out in his eyes like a sore thumb.

She was similar to the girl from the past, yet she too felt somewhat different. It was complex to describe, as if it were something that was never meant to be put into words.

'Maybe, just maybe…'

This time could be different.

As the saying goes, "the only constant thing in this world is 'change'."

A/N: I have been gone for a long time. Life has been very taxing as of late and I must admit that I have not touched this story for quite a while, hence if this chapter was executed poorly then I do apologize for the rustiness of my writing. I also don't know if most of you are still looking forward to this update given the time that had passed since the previous chapter, but if not then here you go.

And of course, I am truly thankful for the reviews and favorites/follows that I am still receiving, both for this and the other stories I've written. It means a lot that I may be inactive yet I and my stories still receive some attention. You are awesome.

As for the "Komachi incest" story, II've written what could pass off as drabble at most given its length, but it isn't really "lemony" enough (quite contrary to my initial decision not to put in smut). I still have much work to do on that, may even have to rewrite most of it just to accommodate the changes I'll make in the future.

This fandom doesn't have enough love for that pairing.

Lastly, work and life balance as of recent has been very tough and I find myself having little to no free time to even do much, let alone write. Thus, unless struck with a spark of motivation, updates will be slow.

That's all from me, 'til next time.