Chapter 2: Thwarted Peace

(Yuigahama Yui POV)

Finally the time is about to come. The time where Tobecchi will confess his feelings to Hina-chan. Do your best, Tobecchi! I'm cheering for you.

"This is bad. This is bad. I'm so freaking nervous. Maximum nervous." said Tobecchi.

It's really rare to see him acting like this. Not that I can blame him. Just imagine that I'm intended to do the same thing as him afterward with Hikki is already enough to cause myself petrified.

Seeing Tobecchi shaking crazily, Hikki approached him.

"Sorry to pick up such a horrible timing but I want to ask you something. What will you do if you still got rejected in the end?" asked Hikki.

I don't know if it's Hikki's strategy to calm Tobecchi down or not. Tobecchi does calm down, or should I say, stop shaking and be petrified afterward. What the heck are you doing, Hikki?

"Eeek?! Why are you bullying me right before I asked her out?" said Tobecchi.

I want to know that too.

"What a fragile heart you have. (Sigh) It can't be help. Just keep this in your mind so listen carefully." said Hikki.

Tobecchi then cleared his ears and paying full attention to Hikki.

"No matter how much you say it, it can't be expressed. No matter how much you wish, it won't come true. The idea that effort will always be rewarded, when applied to love, is just a lie. Not being rewarded wins by a landslide. However, that's the reason why the happiness you get when you're rewarded is immeasurable. Now I will ask you again. What will you do if that happened?" said Hikki.

Tobecchi finally looks like he's calmed down for real upon hearing that.

"Of course I'm not giving up. I may not look like it but I'm truly serious about this." replied Tobecchi.

After hearing that, Hikki turned his back at him and started walking.

"Is that so? Then remember your answer well because it's going to be important later." said Hikki.

Um, Hikki? What do you mean by that?

"Thanks. Hikitani-kun. You're a real bro." said Tobecchi.

As positive as always, Tobecchi.

"Hell no, and that's not how you spell my name, dumbass." said Hikki as he came to hide from the scene with annoyed face.

*Wryly laugh* It's just Hikki's being Hikki alright.

"You can be a nice guy at time, huh?" I said.

"What brought this on?" asked Yukinon.

Hikki glanced at me and Yukinon, then averted his gaze to the sky.

"Is that how you guys see it? Tobe will be rejected for sure. I just want him to say something I want to hear, that's all." replied Hikki.

I looked at Yukinon hoping that she can give me some explanation just to find that she's the same as me.

As I thought I'm going to ask him directly, it's looks like Hina-chan finally shown up.

Tobecchi doing his best to muster up his courage to confess to Hina-chan.

Although he took a while to do so, he managed to confess to her.

Hina-chan looks unease and shift her gaze to many direction as if seeking someone for help.

Speaking of someone, although Yumiko isn't here is quite fair enough but even Hayato-kun isn't here is kinda strange.

As if reading my mind, Hikki telling me and Yukinon to keep observing it until they both left the scene.

Hina-chan's uneasiness finally at it most obvious state that even Tobecchi noticed it so he asks her whether she's fine or not.

Being asked like that, Hina-chan acted like a mouse being cornered by a cat.

Hina-chan's face darkened for a moment then it's replaced by a sadden expression and tears started forming around her eyes.

And as Hikki's said, she rejects him. Saying that she's not having any interest in such things and Tobecchi shouldn't confess to her in the first place considering the relationship with everyone will be damaged afterward.

So that's how is it. Hina-chan want to keep the status quo.

However, isn't that unfair to Tobecchi? Of all reasons you reject him, it's because of that.

"People's true nature tends to reveal itself in the dire situation. Since her true self finally revealed itself then it's time to settle things properly." said Hikki.

Somehow this reminded me of the event in the Chiba Village.

But the different is that I didn't stop him from making an appearance like that time.

After saying that, Hikki walked out of the hideout, unconcernedly glanced at Hina-chan briefly before turning his back at her and pretended to walk away.

" *Sniff* Why? Why did you let Tobecchi confess?! *Sniff* Even though Hayato-kun telling you our situation why did you let Tobecchi confess to me?!" said Hina-chan, cried.

Hikki turned back and faced her with unconcerned glare.

"Why should I? It's obvious that supporting the hopeless idiot's love life is more preferable than fulfilling a request I can't put up with, that's why." replied Hikki.

Hey, isn't that like… too irresponsible?!

"You… You can't be serious. How dare you making a fool out of me when I'm dead serious about it?!" shouted Hina-chan.

Uwa… Hina-chan is definitely dead serious. She's seriously angry.

However, Tobecchi, stop standing there as if you were petrified and started comforting Hina-chan or calming her down already! Aren't you say so yourself that you're not gonna give up?

"Your request is to keep dudes in your group getting along. But realistically speaking, what you actually request is to specifically prevent Tobe from confessing to you so that you guys can keep the status quo." said Hikki.

I know it. However, Hikki, did you catch the wind about that from the start?

"All because your group are a bunch of people who blindly believe that their relationship with each other is an ideal one where everyone can be happy. However, only the minority of you guys know that such thing is just a lie and you're one of them." said Hikki with a hint of coldness in his voice tone.

Tobecchi and Hina-chan are shocked after hearing that.

To be more precisely, Tobecchi is appeared to be more like due to disbelieving while Hina-chan is more like she didn't expect that Hikki will actually say all those things.

I'm not really that different from them either.

"Tobe's confession definitely going to cause a change that you guys couldn't pretend it didn't happen and possibly couldn't deal with it so you're trying to prevent it from happening at all cost, even if it's mean selfishly not giving him a chance to try." said Hikki with even colder tone.

Hina-chan is shaking upon hearing that and looking down on the ground. The same thing could be said to Ooka-kun and Yamato-kun who heard all those conversations in the hideout.

Even though it's so faint, I think I could hear it. Hearing that Hina-chan mutters "Stop it"

However, Hikki still not intend to hit the break at all.

"Although I have a clue that Tobe's serious yet unrequited confession will potentially lead to the collapse of your group, that's still not a good enough reason for me to help you save that honey trap." said Hikki.

I know that Hina-chan is at fault but now I truly pity her.

Hikki. Please stop it. I understand it already.

"Don't you dare insulting us however you want! You have no idea how important everyone is to me! … Of all things, you describe my group as honey trap?!" said Hina-chan while bursting into tears.

Although I want Hina-chan to be comforted but this time I'm not mind if Tobecchi isn't doing that. Tobecchi is serious about his feelings after all.

Giving what Hikki said, his heart probably hurt badly and having a hard time pulling himself together, let alone even comforting Hina-chan.

After hearing that, Hikki used his right hand to brush his bang aside and casting a menacing shadow covered his eyes while maintaining his deadpan expression.

"If you don't want my way of word sugarcoating then I'll be blunt. Your group is not an ideal friendship as you think it is, it's just a group that maintains the impression of ideal friendship. That's why the members of your group must stifle their feelings just for that one hell of impression." said Hikki.

"… Stop it …" said Hina-chan.

However, unheeded to her words, Hikki refused to hit the break, and on top of that, his voice turned colder and colder as words slipped out of his mouth.

"And as for your actions, you might think it's for protecting everyone's bond but realistically it isn't. It's an act of selfishly forcing your ideal friendship on others regardless of what they're really felt and expect them to consider it as kindness. That kind of group and your actions of trapping others in it, there's no way I'm going to put up with such bullcrap." said Hikki.

Upon hearing that, I'm shaking severely, enough to bring me down to my knees.

Even my breathing and eye movements are visibly unnatural that even Yukinon has to help me hold myself up.

So scary! Today's Hikki is way too scary!

"S-Screw you! Even if that's the case you have no right to fault me for it!" shouted Hina-chan.

"You have a point. I have no right to fault you that. However, I still have the right to not be the part of your play." coldly replied Hikki.

"Ugu..." uttered Hina-chan.

"You, Hayama and Miura can do whatever you please. But count me out if you're gonna do this kind of bulls." said Hikki.

"Y-You're the worst!" said Hina-chan.

"Although I'm not a masochist, this is more preferable than getting a praise from someone like you. After all, I might vomit on your face if you actually praise me." said Hikki.

Hina-chan can't do anything other than gritted her teeth and kept her tears streaming out of her redden eyes.

Couldn't blame her. In Hina-chan's perspective, even though she wanted to praise him something, I doubt she could find any of that in her heart at this moment.

"Utterly ridiculous, isn't it? Trying to protect the friendship from falling apart because you believe in it the least." said Hikki.

"ENOUGH! ENOUGH WITH THIS!" said Hina-chan, or should I described it as yelled from the top of her lung and left.

Tobecchi then snapped back to reality and chasing after Hina-chan, then Ooka-kun and Yamato-kun followed him afterward.

"The only thing worth looking at were the fireworks at the end." muttered Hikki (to himself I think).

After that, he's coming back to us.

"I'm leaving. You can handle the rest, right?" said Hikki.

Yukinon only closed her eyes and nodded at him, probably seeing that comforting me is the higher priority to her.

I'm leaving together with Yukinon because I'm no longer in the mood of confessing to him anymore.

I don't know why I feared him this much. What he did is just similar to what he did with Sagamin but I felt that it's different this time.

I don't feel like he's trying to commit social suicide or whatever it called at all, he's really trying to mow Hina-chan down, no… mow our whole group down once and for all.

Is that really Hikki? He has never been like that.

What's going on with him?

(Yuigahama Yui POV Ended)

(Hikigaya Komachi POV)

Ever since Onii-chan coming back from the school trip, he acted so unusual.

Well, he seems like looking forward to go to school but at the same time not that much cheerful.

Normally, I would asked him right away but he's somehow lost in his own mind that even my voice didn't reach him so I let him off the bait for the time being.

Now, it's time to get into the business. To make sure he will spill the beans, I put quite a lot of effort into the breakfast.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Not much happened. In fact, I guess not much things happened." replied Onii-chan.

"In fact, whenever you saying that, I'm not going to buy it. Say it or you'll gets tomatoes as your breakfast and dinner until graduation." I said which earned 'my little sister can't be that cruel' mutter from him.

What's the harm? Are you being NTR or what?

"Did something happened to Yukino-san or Yui-san? Giving me every details." I asked.

Onii-chan sighed upon that. Hey, you're started getting on my nerves y'know? What kind of a big brother would throw a sigh at his cute little sister?

"It's not like I want to keep it from you but I need to meet them in person again or else I can't guarantee the details correctness." replied Onii-chan.

Huh? What the heck is this guy saying?

Onii-chan, knowing what I'm thinking at that time, giving me another explanation.

"Let's say something does happen to them. It's a work of Paper Shuffle." replied Onii-chan.

The moment I heard the words 'Paper Shuffle', I dropped my chopsticks.

"Did you say 'Paper Shuffle'?" I asked.

"Indeed. You're not misheard it." replied Onii-chan.

I know I didn't mishear it. I just hope I misheard it.

Paper Shuffle. For others, it's just a common little game. But to Onii-chan, it also referred to another kind of game.

The game itself isn't a big deal, nor it's really bad, but its name is what Onii-chan and two more people come up with, which implicitly reminded me of 'those two'.

Of all people, why them?

My cousins who are at the same age as Onii-chan, Eighty Nii-san and Eight thousand Nii-san. Although Onii-chan is on a very good term with them, I'm not.

If possible, I really don't want to hear anything regard them.

As if reading my thought, Onii-chan mutters to them even though they aren't around.

"Unfortunately for you guys, look like Komachi still hates you two."

Of course I am! Even though they did give me a good treatment as they did with you I still hate them.

Are you telling me you've forgot that your childhood is damned because of them?

Darn it. It's not like he has forgotten, he just casually forgave them.

Just because you three always have soft spots for each other doesn't mean you should forgive them just like that, Onii-chan! Even those two themselves know they don't deserve it.

There should be a limit on how nice person you can be, Onii-chan.

Normally, I would add 'high in Komachi points' catchphrase afterward but I'm not really in the mood for that.

Their ways of handling situation show no signs of remorse or mercy, even Onii-chan's method is bearable in comparison.

Whatever that happened to Yukino-san and Yui-san, if those two involved, I can't bring myself to think that it's a good thing.

Even though I want to give Yukino-san and Yui-san a warning regarding those two, I can't really do anything.

If those two finds out about Onii-chan's situation in the school as well as his relationship with Yukino-san and Yui-san, they won't keep quiet for long.

Giving how perceptive they are, of course they would find out, and decide to show up because they will no longer stay aloof.

Those fatherly cousins of mine never treat the family and relatives matters as a laughing joke. As a matter of fact, they're way too dead serious.

"I hope Yukino-san and Yui-san are fine." I said which Onii-chan nodded in response.

That's all I can do. Please don't unnecessarily provoke them, Yukino-san, Yui-san.

(Hikigaya Komachi POV Ended)

(Hikigaya Hachiman POV)

In the class 2-F, Hayama's group has its relationship crushed to pieces, not to mention that Hayama, Miura and Ebina doing their best to keep their gazes from falling on me and treat me like non-exist life form. Yuigahama trying her best to glue her friends together and fail over and over again. I think I will just acknowledge her tenacity in this kind of matter. However, even though Yuigahama doesn't give me a resentful aura, she did try to not having her eyes met mine for some reasons.

To them, I was viewed as the one who responsible for the conflicts they're in.

Unbeknown to them that I'm not the only one who responsible for this, not that the current situation will become any better if they know anyway.

However, surprisingly enough that they're generous enough to not spread rumors about me for their suffering. I wonder why?

Even though the request is supposed to be over, I still can't get it off my head completely. As I originally thought, it's really a mistake to give in to puppy eyes and accept such request.

Well, starting from today, I bid farewell my usual lunch spot since I'm gonna eat my lunch with my cousins from now on.

How nostalgic, I'm barely remember the last time when three of us having meal together.

You might not believe it but I'm quite a talkative when I'm with them. Well, only with them.

We did talk a lot, but the hottest topic is regarding little sisters.

Can't be help, isn't it? It's a normal thing for older brother to think about his little sister and sometimes want to bragging about her.

Although Hachiju and Hassen showed up every time their parents (just my auntie to be exact) came and visited us, their little sister never tagged along, like she has a trouble being around men of her age or something.

So she considered as a potential threat to her as well, eh? That's hurt.

However, you don't have to worry Komachi. Onii-chan will always be there to slaughter any hyenas that gazing at you with their filthy lecherous eyes.

Okay, lmouto talks aside, let's head back to the present time.

Now here I am, in front of the Service Club room's door.

I opened the door and greeted like usual. However, only the atmosphere that unusual.

Yuigahama already have fun chatting Yukinoshita until my very own existence kill their mood completely.

"You came, huh?" asked Yukinoshita.

"You're saying like it's okay if I don't." I retorted.

And that's all the conversation regarding me.

Although I was informed by those two beforehand that Yukinoshita and (especially) Yuigahama will behave themselves more quietly than usual, I still can't help but feel weird about this sudden change of atmosphere.

There's no more of Yuigahama's noisy debating and Yukinoshita's insults today.

Although it's peaceful, I'm not used to it.

After a long awkward period, the door swung opened by a club advisor who not only thirst for marriage but also has never bothered to knock the door even once and always threaten me with violence if I showed her any resistance to her will.

A brutal, bossy, smoker Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei.

Normally, Yukinoshita will not forget her role to say her traditional 'Sensei, knock' which Hiratsuka-sensei will just replied apologetically but realistically didn't mean it.

Sometimes I couldn't help but thinking that her every single apologetic replied actually meant 'then telling me that next time too' instead.

However, today is different.

"Sorry to interrupt. Eh? What's happened?" said Hiratsuka-sensei, confused.

"Nothing special. By the way, what help do you need?" I asked.

Hearing that, Hiratsuka-sensei moved out from the entrance.

"Actually, I want you guys to fix these two. So let's say that you have two more clubmates with the same request as Hikigaya's. Now come here and introduce yourself." said Hiratsuka-sensei as she pointed out at two people who suddenly showed up.

My eyes widened at the scene in front of me.

Why are they here?

"I'm Sanshokuin Hachiju (三色院八樹) from class 2-J as well as Sobu High's library aide until the student counselor forcefully strip off that position of mine. Since I have a brother with the same last name here so I'll preferred being called by my derived name Miki (三樹)." said Hachiju.

"I'm Sanshokuin Hassen (三色院八線) from class 2-C. Since I have a brother with the same last name here so I'll preferred being called by my derived name Sanshin (三線)." said Hassen.

"I just can't understand why you guys don't want others to call you by first names that much so you insist others being called by your nicknames." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Anyway, I know that we need to be punished for our deed but you can't be serious about this." said Hassen.

"Not to mention that I already have my duty as a library aide so yeah you can't be serious." said Hachiju.

"If punishment is tilted to your favor then it's stopped being a punishment, isn't it?" said Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Hiratsuka-sensei. Shouldn't you bring them to the student discipline committee or something instead of this? You can't just punish students by forcing them to join our club." said Yukinoshita.

"Like I said, Yukinoshita. Since I want you to fix them like how I asked you in regard of Hikigaya, do you think student discipline committee will be able to do anything to them? Their reasonings are just as rotten yet not arguably as Hikigaya's or even beyond his and the responsibility to punish these two fall on me, the student counselor, in the end anyway." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

If I haven't met them during the school trip, I wouldn't be convinced.

Even I didn't know that they could go that far.

"Even though Sagami and her group of friends deserve to be scolded for trying to capture birds and then insult them when they thought that you guys are the owner of the birds, that's not good enough reason to drive those girls to tears through your malicious words." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

That's the reason you brought them here?

Ah, come to think of it, I was forced to join the club because of committing such unpleasant essays and pointing out her age after all.

Keep it up and your difficulty level of getting marriage will eventually reach 530,000.

"Is that so? Maybe you're right. If I recall right, they did say something like 'we're so sorry for even exist' with teary face." said Hachiju.

"You think so? Well, that's problematic since we're not regret our decision at all." said Hassen.

It's really amazing that you guys can saying stuff like that with calm and stoic face.

"See how hopelessly rotten they are? Even Hikigaya is more lovable in comparison." groaned Hiratsuka-sensei.

Uh…, well…, thanks for the compliment.

"Then all the more reason I should deny. Not to mention that I'm fear for my chastity if I have to be around them." said Yukinoshita, covering herself.

You're never tired of this remark, huh?

"(Sigh) What a hopeless girl. Even our more breathtakingly beautiful, lovable little sister has never overestimate herself like that." said Hachiju.

"You heard her, Sensei. You just can't expect people to be that skilled in the first place." said Hassen.

Everyone except my cousins and Yukinoshita have their jaw dropped.

It's rare to see Yukinoshita's pride being provoked in front of her face after all.

However, when it comes to my cousins, I don't think they'll slips their tongue that easily. Unless…

"Ara. I afraid I can't turn deaf on what you're saying. It is as Hiratsuka-sensei said, you two need to be fixed. It's our job to help those in needed. Welcome to the Service Club, I will be the one who fix you two. Be grateful." said Yukinoshita.

Here we go again, Yukinoshita's annoying noble complex Yukinon mode switch is being pressed and successfully activated.

I don't feel good about this. Not because it's sound déjà vu. It's because…

Oh no!

Hachiju and Hassen brush their bang aside and cast the menacing shadow covering their eyes upon hearing that.

I put one of my hand on my temple instinctively.

Dear my cute little sister Komachi, look like your prayers this morning won't work anymore.

Yukinoshita just opened the pandora boxes herself.

A/N: Chapter 2 for you readers. I hope you enjoy it. See you next time.