Chapter 6: Thwarted normalcies

"Oh, Iroha-chan. Yahallo." greeted Yuigahama.

That's a social butterfly for you, her social adjusting really surprisingly fast (when comparing to me, that's it).

"Oh, how are you Yui-senpai? Yahallo." replied underclassman.

That phrase really popular nowadays, huh? Who is its innovator, really?

"Oh. You know Isshiki-san? Good, there's some things I want to discuss with you… guys…" said Shiromeguri-senpai but with sudden change in her behavior as if she saw a ghost.

"Shiromeguri?" asked Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Shiromeguri-senpai?" asked Yukinoshita, Yuigahama and Isshiki.

Shiromeguri-senpai has a sweat rolled down on her cheek and unconsciously taking a step back while slightly trembling.

But considering that only my cousins and I didn't ask her so we might be the cause of her weird behavior.

Um. Senpai. Is it really that necessary to remind me of how scary my eyes are at this time?

Then beside me, my cousins let out a soft sigh as if to say 'We believe that's not the case here'.

If that wasn't the case then you guys are the cause? Did you guys do something again?

"Look like club advisor forgot to tell student council president that this club has two more members so she might think that both of us are the previous clients and her arrival with that underclassman just rudely interrupt us." said Hachiju.

Yuigahama's face went 'oh so that's why' along with Isshiki's.

You two. That doesn't quite make sense, y'know?

Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka-sensei's faces just went from 'who would buy that?' to 'they're seriously buy that'.

But the fact that Hachiju giving such a vague answer could only mean one thing; it's a privacy issues that couldn't be shared at the current time.

Shiromeguri-senpai, after noticing that she's gazed, quickly composing herself with a generic typical 'Ahem' while trying to avert her gaze from Hachiju.

"The thing is, Isshiki-san here is a student council candidate." said Shiromeguri-senpai.

'Again with the student council president thing?' is what three male club members thought in unison upon hearing that.

"Oh did you just think that I'm inappropriate?" asked Isshiki.

What's make you think you're appropriate?

"You're overthinking, I guess." I replied.

"Everyone always says that about me, I know~. They say I'm dumb and how I am very slow, something like that~." Isshiki replied with her voice tainted with ulterior motives.

This is a habit of those who juggling guys' hearts as if they were playthings. Really irritating. And I could already tell that my cousins fed up with her already as they already distance themselves while emitted 'Not our business' aura around them.

Are you guys sure about letting this chance go? Although it's annoying but if you can solve it you would gain some scores yourselves, y'know? Not to mention that Yukinoshita already has 'now my chance to win' aura emitted around her.

"Let's get to the point. Although Isshiki-san has become the student council president candidate but she hopes to lose since she was forced to become one through nomination." said Shiromeguri-senpai.

Is she an idol or something?

"Maybe it's because I was envied by others, so I appear to stand out? I am the soccer club manager, and I've a really good relationship with Hayama-senpai and others upperclassmen. It looks like that's usually my impression on others~. Also, I was always told I'm very suitable for the position~." said Isshiki.

Should I tell her that my impression of her is just a bragging brat? No wonder why you were set up.

"Oh did you just think that I'm inappropriate?" asked Isshiki.

What's make you think you're appropriate?

"You're overthinking, I guess." I replied.

"Everyone always says that about me, I know~. They say I'm dumb and how I am very slow, something like that~." Isshiki replied with her voice tainted with ulterior motives.

So you're being told that you're suitable or not, make up your freaking mind, will you?

"At least your self-analysis is almost flawless so be proud of it." said Hachiju.

"Although that might not enough to be considered suitable but at least not that dumb." said Hassen.

You guys have the right to stay silent, y'know?

"You have a poin— wait! That doesn't make me feel better!" whined Isshiki.

"When did we say we will do something like that?" said Hachiju.

"Not to mention that doing that isn't the request so what's the harm?" said Hassen.

E-very-thing you guys have said earlier are enough harm already.

Isshiki just sit on the chair, dumbfounded at both Hachiju and Hassen.

That's to be expected. From Isshiki's point of view, having people say all those things straight to her face out of blue isn't something she can experience everyday after all.

Then Isshiki just fake her pout at my cousins and avert her face elsewhere with a tsundere's typical 'Hmph!'.

What's the point of raising the cute level here? I don't think anyone will object it if you just get angry like normal people here?

Seeing that the current conversation won't go anywhere, Yukinoshita dragged everyone back to the main topic.

"Even if this is a prank, this person really put a lot of effort. I remember a candidate must have at least thirty supporters." said Yukinoshita.

"So much. Must be difficult to gather them all." said Yuigahama.

"I will take care of those students who started this mess. However, our teachers don't really care about this, so there is no way to cancel the nomination." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

Are you saying that you will send at least thirty students flying through your fist after this problem is solved or something? This person should be hired as a disciplined committee chairwoman instead.

"Just lose the election if you don't want to become one that much." I said.

"That's the problem Hikigaya-kun. She's gonna win by default due to being an only candidate." said Shiromeguri-senpai.

"But isn't it better to lose the motion of confidences~?" said Isshiki.

So stubborn.

Then I heard a sigh full of annoyances nearby which drew everyone's attention.

"It would be better if you could do something about your stupidity first." said Hachiju with a look as if he saw a pile of crap.

"Wha—?!" said Isshiki.

"Better or worse doesn't make that much difference. To the culprits, you being nominated and ended up lose regardless of reasons or screwed up once you win by default is more than enough to bring them pleasure." said Hachiju.

That speech alone sealed up Isshiki's lips.

"Instead of finding the way to lose while saving face, wouldn't it be better to find a way to officially resign from being a candidate?" said Hachiju.

"Eh? Is that even possible?" asked Isshiki and Yuigahama in unison.

"I don't think so." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

"I'm afraid there's no rule for that." said Shiromeguri-senpai.

"If there's such rule then there's no need to come to us to begin with." said Yukinoshita while eyeing at Hachiju as if to mock him for his useless suggestion.

You better think of something better than his suggestion real quick or else you're not going to the one who gets the last laugh.

"Eh? What a let down~" said Isshiki, dejected.

"Ah… cheer up, Iroha-chan. I believed Yukinon will be able to help you." comforted Yuigahama.

The fact that she mentioned only Yukinoshita and not 'everyone' strongly indicate that she still not forgotten her alliances with Yukinoshita against my cousins.

It's quite rare that the social butterfly like Yuigahama actually seen someone as her enemies.

"If there's no rule then create it or change the old one. It's not like there's absolutely no one who capable of doing that in this room." said Hachiju as he glared at Shiromeguri-senpai.

Almost everyone dropped their jaw at Hachiju's statements.

Look like everyone understand his meaning.

"You're unbelievable, Sanshokuin. Making the student council president abuses her authority like that." said Hiratsuka-sensei.

Say the one who abuses her teacher authority to force her innocent student such as myself to join the club.

"What a shameless being." said Yukinoshita.

"Um… Mik— I mean Sanshokuin-kun. I don't think I could afford to go that f—" said Shiromeguri-senpai but got cut off by Hachiju.

"It's just a suggestion. Instead of sticking with the rule where you can be a candidate if you have enough supporters, better ignore the number of supporters part and focus more on the voluntarily instead. There's a possibility that people who want to succeed you couldn't overcome the supporter issue after all." said Hachiju.

So that's how is it…

"But still…" said Shiromeguri-senpai.

"Like I've said. It's just a suggestion so you don't need to follow it if you don't feel like it, not to mention that I actually looking forward to see the student council became inactive as a result more than seeing a new student council president to be honest." said Hachiju with stoic face.

Another jaw-dropped festival.

"What…did…you…say?" said Shiromeguri-senpai with trembling voice.

No one can blame her. For Shiromeguri-senpai, those speeches probably sharp enough to shatter her heart to pieces.

"Sanshokuin! Don't you think you actually go too far with your sharp tongue?!" scolded Hiratsuka-sensei.

I know that this isn't the time to make a trivial retort but let me say this.

So insulting people is prohibited for males and not females? That's sexist!

"Well, sorry for being honest then. Since this whole conversation letting me think back to the cultural festival event where student council president just let that waste of a chairwoman do as her please just because Yukinoshita Haruno said so despite the fact that it's absolutely makes no sense at all. At that time I couldn't help but thinking that "Is the existence of student council president really necessary if she allowed this obvious nonsense to go on without any protesting, or even appoint that good-for-nothing thot to become a chairwoman to begin with?" and now she still refused to use her authority to save a bullied student so it really can't be help." said Hachiju which made Shiromeguri-senpai looked down in shame.

"You're not sorry at all!" said Hiratsuka-sensei which I coincidentally thought the same.

"Took those words back and apologize this instant, Miki-kun! Shiromeguri-senpai may not be the best student council president but she always work hard for everyone. You, who has no idea about the amount of hardships she has to go through, have no right to insult her!" said Yukinoshita with eyes full of anger.

She addressed his nickname directly so that he couldn't take advantage of surname calling to dodge her attack which indicated that she's seriously angry with him specifically. Even though she's not the one who should talk about not insulting other in the first place.

The atmosphere here really awkward. Look at Isshiki's face right now. She has a 'can I leave now?' expression plastered on her face.

"That might be true. Even now she's even coming here not just to seek help for the troubled first year student but also hope to convince you to run the student council while she's at it too. Aren't that sound great to you? Now those who have supporters issue would have their chances reached closer to zero than ever and you can even take advantage of being a student council president to increase the accomplishments so that we won't catch up to you leading to your victory in that worthless competition. Well, that's only if you could juggling both club and student council without getting sick like what happened during the cultural festival." said Hachiju as he glared at Shiromeguri-senpai and then shifted to Yukinoshita.

Shiromeguri-senpai is flinched at that while Yukinoshita just have her sweats rolled on her cheek.

Judging from those reactions you can say that his statement isn't completely wrong.

I don't think the part where Yukinoshita would take advantage from such things is true but the rest still not completely made no sense.

Shiromeguri-senpai's admiration for Haruno-san is great which makes her even put high expectations on Yukinoshita which is proved during the cultural festival event so she coming for her personally and asking her to succeed her position isn't strange at all.

Yukinoshita might only want to become a student council president regardless of the existence of a competition between her and my cousins. However, there's no guarantee that she's aiming to take the accomplishments from there against my cousins either.

"Who's going to be cultural festival chairman, what kind of hardship student council president has to go through, would her decision back then make some committee overworked themselves, how will the cultural festival ended, who's going to be the next student council president, I couldn't care less about any of that one bit." said Hachiju.

Sanshokuin Hachiju is a berserker. No, he's a super berserker that makes berserkers look genuinely cute.

I don't remember I have someone this savage as my cousin.

"If all you can do is blindly following the rules and take them as an absolute one truth then there's no point for you to be the student council president to begin with." said Hachiju.

"You!" said Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka-sensei as they're so ready to slap Hachiju just to be stopped by Hassen.

What a terrifying fighting skill you have there.

Hachiju just calmly stretched his arm forward and pointed his index finger at Isshiki.

"Eh?" startled Isshiki.

"Take a good look at this girl. Isn't she a victim of bullying because the culprits took advantage of that rule you're so proud of? Well, whatever you're going to do about it isn't my concern anyway." said Hachiju.

Then Hachiju retreated his hand back.

"I just simply doing the club activity so that none of you can say that I have never done it even once, that's all." said Hachiju.

Hiratsuka-sensei just gave Hachiju and I a 'you guys are cousins alright' gaze.

After a brief silent, Shiromeguri-senpai spoke up.

"Yukinoshita-san. Hiratsuka-sensei. It's fine."

"Senpai?" I said.

"Shiromeguri?" said Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Shiromeguri-senpai?" said Yukinoshita, Yuigahama and Isshiki.

"Whether I deserved to be scolded or not, as long as I still have the student council president's authority left, I will continue helping out students with their problems with everything I have." said Shiromeguri-senpai.

Then Shiromeguri-senpai turned her attention to Isshiki once before gathering all of her courage to face Hachiju.

"Sanshokuin-kun. I will take your advice and save Isshiki-san." said Shiromeguri-senpai as she bowed her head down.

"Also Yukinoshita-san, Sanshokuin-kun's right about me do have such intentions to convince you to succeed me personally. Sorry to involve you into my selfishness." said Shiromeguri-senpai as she bowed her head down.

"Eh? Um? I…" said Yukinoshita without knowing what she should say.

"Yukinoshita-san, don't get me wrong. I always believe that you're not the kind of person who would run the student council for personal benefits so please feel free to do your best if you want to participate." said Shiromeguri-senpai as she excused herself and left with Isshiki.

"Now the clients are gone. Hachiman, let's resume your homework." said Hachiju.

"Yes yes, you unfazed earl." I replied.

"Who would've believed that this calm and composed guy is the same as the one who brought the chaos into this room a moment ago?" said Hiratsuka-sensei.

"Aren't you also calm and composed yourself before you snapped? Well, can't blame you since you need a lot of concentration to analyze my intentions after all." said Hachiju.

Yukinoshita and Yuigahama shifted their gazes to Hiratsuka-sensei after hearing that.

Hiratsuka-sensei flinched and averted her eyes elsewhere before shifted back to Hassen.

"There has to be a boundary for how much of an ESPer you are." muttered Hiratsuka-sensei.

"You have no reason to stay quiet that long when such scenes occurred in front of you so you're pretty much giving off the impression of an analyst yourself, not to mention that I felt your gaze at me all the time much to my fear for my chastity." said Hachiju as he covered himself pretentiously.

"I-I'm not going that far for crying out loud, you snotty brat! You're really love to paint people in a horrible way!" said Hiratsuka-sensei.

I started to feel chill running down my spine too. Even though it's just a joke on the chastity part but it's not completely unconvincing when it's Hiratsuka-sensei we're talking about.

"Rather than love to do that, I just merely having no problem doing that to people whom I hate. It seems like you still have to work harder for your analysis after all." replied Hachiju.

"Your speeches are sound more like you have a grudge on them instead of just hating them in my opinion." I said.

Look like I couldn't hold back my inner thoughts anymore.

"Say someone who has a list of people he wishes to murder written down on his notebook." retorted Hachiju.

Hey, how did you even know that? I've never told anyone about that before!

Ah… I guess it's because I still filling the list now and then and my cousins probably spotted me doing that.

Now that even more scary. Help! Someone please save my chastity!

"Hikigaya, did you catch a cold or something?" asked Hiratsuka-sensei.

"No. I'm not catching a cold." I said.

Look like I just unconsciously expressed my thought physically.

And soon enough, it's about time we all have to leave school.

"I'll say it again and again. Just you and your brother that I will not allow myself to lose to." said Yukinoshita as she directed her glare at my cousins.

"And I won't let you guys separate Hikki from us as you please either. Bleh!" said Yuigahama as she sticked out her tongue at my cousins.

"Let's see how long can you two going to maintain those words." said Hassen.

"Or else those are just broken record lines in the end." said Hachiju.

"Just leave the rest for tomorrow already." I said with annoyed voice.

Seriously, I'm not here to listen to these verbal fights forever, y'know?

"Very well then, Hachiman. Just accompanying them for today." said Hachiju.

"Huh?" said Yukinoshita, Yuigahama and me.

"We have one or two urgencies today and since these two believe that they can overthrow us so it's a good opportunity to see if they're just all barks without bites or not." said Hachiju.

"Accompanying you after school is what we do with you yesterday so let's see if these two can live to their own expectations and prove to be the better accompany than us. Well, if such trivial and easy task like this still too much for them to handle then their proclaiming earlier is probably just a big joke. See you." challengingly said Hassen as he and Hachiju left me.

I see. Now that confirms it.

Come to think of it, I should have figured that out if I'm not overlooked the fact that he didn't give a clear answer back then.

What a horrible teaser you are, Hachiju.

"Hikigaya-kun."

"Hikki."

After hearing, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama called out to me while emitted unknown aura around them.

My sweat instinctively generated and rolled down from my cheek.

"Now you're ours."

Are you guys going to eat me up or what?!

Hachiju, Hassen. Come back here!

(Hikigaya Hachiman POV Ended)

(Hayama Hayato POV)

"Is that so? Better luck next time, Tobe." I said.

"Yeah. I'm not going to give up." said Tobe as he left me.

Sorry Tobe but I still think that it's better if you're giving up. However, I really have no say in this, nor I have any reason to stop him either.

Now that the group of friends with me as its center being shattered, I can only spending my school days as Tobe's love counselor together with Yui.

Originally, Tobe wanted to get more love advices from Hikigaya but he's too afraid of him since after the end of Kyoto trip, not to mention that he afraid that he will only painted himself with bad impression in front of Hina if he's around him whom she currently hated so he turned to us.

As for Yumiko, she and Hina are seen together more frequently nowadays due to both have mutual hatred for Hikigaya but too fear to do anything to him.

It's probably unbelievable that Yumiko actually fear Hikigaya but after hearing from Hina herself and Yui that his words back then can even make Yukinoshita-san trembling probably made her memories about being brought to tears by Yukinoshita-san during the Chiba Village resurfaced and kept herself from blindly approaching him.

Speaking of approaching, since the group is already shattered and we won't be able to get together like how we were, Ooka and Yamato decided to approach the girls they have feelings for as well.

This fact really caught me off guard (I was dumbfounded internally to be exact). I had no idea at all. They said that they planned to approach their respective crush after Tobe and Hina managed to get together but after hearing what Hikigaya said during the Kyoto trip they changed their mind.

It's rude of me to say this but their chances are as slim as Tobe's considering it's those girls who they have feelings for.

As a result, it's impossible to glue everyone back into how we were, even Yui eventually gave up on that.

Once something precious is lost, it will never ever come back. I couldn't agree more.

So I have always go for compromising and avoiding change as much as possible, hoping that I will not lose anything that precious to me anymore.

But I failed yet again and believed me when I said I've never used to it.

Ah… that's really makes my memory during my childhood resurfaced.

One of my childhood friends other than Yukinoshita siblings live in such a magnificent world.

He is a guy with exceptional manners who extremely kind and helpful. He is undoubtedly the embodiment of a perfect guy with a shining smile and also the owner of the world full of smiles that I'm so naively fascinated with.

I idolized him and started to do the same as him back then, hoping that I'd obtain that kind of world for myself someday only to prove that I couldn't hold a candle to him in many ways.

Both of us smile at our problems and pressures from others but our smiles aren't functioning the same.

He's able to solve the problems and overcome the pressures while radiating his shining smiles. I, on the other hand, can only smile in order to camouflage my cowardice to take actions and fears to lose face.

In the end, all I can do is keep maintaining my good reputation which eventually severed the bond between me and Yukinoshita-san which I couldn't get it back since then.

However, even though I failed to obtain that world I still believe that it's possible, so I vowed that I will work hard to obtain it when I'm a high school student.

Ever since I started a group of friends, things go smoother and smoother, especially after Yui join us. The seeds of hope keep growing in my heart, making me so eager to bring the group to the world I'm so fascinated with.

Until the second year of my high school, the roughness that have been absent from my life for so long keep showing up

Yumiko's trivial argument with Yui and frequently with Yukinoshita-san, chain messages and Tobe's confession.

I'm quite pathetic, aren't I? To think that all it takes for me to revert back to how I usually was after making such a vow was merely roughnesses that appeared not that long.

As a result, no matter what I do I ended up relying on others, especially Service Club (specifically Hikigaya).

And eventually, my hopes are shattered again. Hikigaya unexpectedly went against the request of stopping Tobe from confessing to Hina and ruined the status quo.

This might be a mistake on my part. I guess I'm just too much of a positive mind to forget that even though Hikigaya is kind enough to save others through social suicide, he himself isn't that saintly kind to keep doing that, not to mention that he also the same guy who has no problems verbally hurt Sagami in front of others so nothing would stop him from doing that again to anyone.

Even though I want to blame Hikigaya like how Yumiko and Hina do, I know that I have only myself to curse for not only ask Hikigaya for help back then but also for unable to stay awake to stop him during that fate-deciding night.

I can only keep shunning Hikigaya and wonder about something myself nowadays.

Is it because I don't deserve to have that wonderful world like yours for myself, Hazuki?

(Hayama Hayato POV Ended)

(Shiromeguri Meguri POV)

"Thank you very much, Shiromeguri-senpai." said Isshiki-san as she bowed down and left.

With this new established rule, any bullying cases like Isshiki-san's should be more or less solved from now on.

Normally I should be happy that I can help the student in need but today I'm not. I feel like I'm walking into someone's hand.

Today I slipped. I didn't expect that he was there.

Not only that he was there, his words really cruel, even more than what I've heard and warned from my parents.

Never even once that I was scolded for my works as a student council president, let alone this harsh. If I weren't warned beforehand I might collapsed on the spot.

"Is that so? Why don't we try again right now?" said the familiar voice.

"Eh? Ehhh?!" I uttered and stepped back.

That was close! I'm too absorbed in my own thoughts and forgot that I'm walking toward the stairs absent-minded.

"Thanks." I said.

"Although you're warned you still collapse anyway." said the same familiar voice.

It's really him. Sanshokuin Hachiju a.k.a. Miki.

"Miki-kun? Why are you here?" I asked.

"Will 'I'm just passing by' acceptable for the answer?" said Miki.

"Definitely not. Don't tell me that you're eavesdropping on me and Isshiki-san earlier?" I asked.

Your first dialogue doesn't make sense if you're really just passing by. In fact, you're already see me from miles ago and decided to pop up here!

"Since you're demanded me not to tell you then I won't tell you." said Miki.

"That's privacy violation!" I said.

"It's not like there's any 'keep out' signs nearby." He retorted.

Ugh… This demon…

"Didn't you say so yourself that you couldn't care less about them? Student council and stuff." I asked.

"And I still couldn't care less about them. But you do, right? About that underclassman's case." said Miki.

"How couldn't I? I'm a president so I do. And if there's any information about the students who pulled out that prank I'll definitely find the culprits and punish them." I said.

"Is that so? Then have fun punishing them if you can." said Miki as he about to leave.

Punishing them if I can? Wait!

"Wait a second. Y-you know who behind this?" I asked.

"Who knows? Or should I say 'you don't?' instead?" said Miki.

"Are you… are you the one behind this?" I asked.

"I'm really feel sorry for this school for having a student council president with poor deducting skill." said Miki.

Would it kill you to not hurt a maiden's heart for once?

"Do I look like a guy who would be kind to someone he hate?" said Miki.

"Shut up. I'm really angry now y'know?" I said.

I may not look like it but even I have my limiter as well! If you're really hate me then it's no point continue composing here!

"That's the way. If you're not then their plan will prove progressing." said Miki.

My wrath is then disappeared the moment the word 'their' is mentioned.

If they're the one who behind this then things started to make sense. Why didn't I think of that possibility much sooner?

"They're really have fun play with their children, those annoying adults." said Miki.

If what I think is true then I couldn't help but agree with him.

Our parents. They tried to get both of us to see each other more often so that we would get along with each other better and better. And lately they became more and more annoying at it.

In order to get Miki to see me during the cultural festival, they went as far as to collaborate with his homeroom teacher to nominate him to be a male representative for committee member of his class.

And when I discussed with them about who's the one that will suitable for succeeding my president position if Yukinoshita-san didn't participate, they recommended him.

I should have figured out that they will make me have no choice but to go to him for that if they can't make him come to me.

In other words, whoever the students that pulled out such prank on Isshiki-san, they are possibly being used by our parents just like Miki's homeroom teacher.

Those cheeky adults! However,…

"But aren't you here would also prove that their plan is progressing?" I asked.

And then he released the murderous aura. Scary!

"I'm well aware of that and certainly annoyed by it. However, if I can make sure that this encounter can become the last time we will see each other in this school then it's not a bad deal either." said Miki.

I don't know if he's really suitable to succeed me or not but ruining their plan is probably the only thing I can count on him.

After all, we're not agreed to their plan (but it's not like we have that much of the authority to decide). Only that I rejected it internally while he admitted it openly that he can't just entrust me anything.

"Just so you know that I will never agree with it, especially with someone who called my cousin 'the worst'. Deliver this message to your parents if you feel like it." said Miki and left in dust.

Cousin? The worst?

I don't recall ever calling anyone in that w— wait. I called Hikigaya-kun that once during the cultural festival. I have no idea that both of them were cousins at all. Is that the reason why he ended up hating me?

Really. Father. Mother. Of all the people out there, why did you two choose him to be my fiancé?

(Shiromeguri Meguri POV Ended)

A/N: Chapter 6 for you readers. Please enjoy.