I pondered a long time about this fic and if I should turn it from a one shot to a full fledge story. Well Here goes a full story!
The artwork of the story is made by me, you can find it on my PIXIV: /g_a_o_art
Don't expect a light hearted story though. You know I never do that. I'm really bad with happy things :)ttp:/
The long awaited trip to Kyoto. Everybody was ecstatic to go there if not for a lone figure with dark hair whose spirit was not as high as his classmates. He had a lot to think about. Tobe and Ebina. Two requests were made asking for opposite things. One wanted to cross the line while the other wanted to keep the status quo. It was not an easy thing to do for him since he was awful with basic human relationships.
However, the struggle of Hikigaya Hachiman was different at the moment. Usually girls would stay far away from him and his rumored hikigerma, so he was deeply confused to have Yuigahama and Kawasaki clinging to him so much. He was even more surprised to see the delinquent girl looking like a scared cat. Not that he would admit that he found it cute. Indeed, he was way too scared to pay it much more attention. Being a loner did not make him braver.
"Eeeek !"
"I just heard a weird voice !" Said Saki clinging harder on Hachiman's jacket.
"I don't like this stuff."
"Ghosts at a haunted house aren't terrifying. It's the humans that are scary."
"Oh gosh, what a sourpuss. But you might be kind of dependable." Said Yuigahama,
"I'm saying the scariest haunted houses are the ones that people are scaring at."
"No good ! You're not dependable at all !" Said Yui completely dumbfounded by the lack of courage coming from Hikigaya.
"You seem completely fine, Totsuka." he asked the silver haired boy.
"yeah, I like this type of thing!"
The four of them were now walking inside an empty corridor. They were approaching what looked like a corpse on the floor. When they were about to pass in front of it, its eyes opened and the guy in disguise jumped on them, roaring like a wild hungry undead.
Yui screamed like it was the end of her life while Saika was ecstatic. On the other hand Kawasaki remained frozen in place with a straight face. Hikigaya was on guard by reflex, but he was in fact just surprised, not that much scared. At least that's how he reassured himself internally.
After two seconds that felt like an eternity for them, Yuigahama started to run forward and the actor in disguise found it funny to pursue her while she screamed her lungs out. Saika and Hachiman watched her start to run for her life.
"Yuigahama-san ?" Asked Totsuka.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"GGGWAWAAAAAAAAAAAAA !" Yelled the fake zombie running after her.
The tennis guy started to run after them trying to reach Yui after seeing this.
"Yuigahama-san !"
"Damn that really scared me." Said the loner sighing.
"Are you okay ?" He asked the girl still frozen and clinging on his jacket behind him.
He suddenly felt something on his back, he didn't have the time to turn his face that he heard some sobbing. The girl finally reacted, it was way too much for her since she was terrible with scary thing. She could only cling to the safest thing she could find to calm herself.
"Hum... You alright ?"
"I can't take it anymore, I just want to get out of here !" She yelled with teary eyes.
Looking at the delinquent girl in this state, he felt his onii-chan instinct kicking in. He started to walk in the exit's direction, indicating to the girl to follow him close.
"Don't worry Kawasaki, we'll exit this right now, leave it to me."
She nodded still maintaining her tight grip on his uniform.
Usually he would play the idiot and be the guy who never remember her family name but it was really not the right time to be joking. First, they needed to get out of here.
There were some more jump scares here and there in the haunted house, but they managed to finally reach the light of the outside. Frowning his eyes at the sudden change of brightness, Hikigaya saw the noisy group of Hayama waiting for them while Saika and Yumiko were comforting a crying Yui. Hell even the actor was trying to comfort her. He did his job too well in the end. He must have been scolded by his employer.
Mentally pitying him for no reason Hikigaya reported my attention toward the clique of riajuu. Hayama was still wearing his most perfect smile. What a sight to end this adventure on a bad note he thought.
"We enjoyed ourselves, huh ? Should we go soon ?" Said Hayama trying to keep the mood and go elsewhere, much to the suspicion of the dead fish eyed guy.
"I'll call Ebina." Said Yumiko going to the shop close to them.
Looking in that direction you could see Tobe waving a wooden sword while yelling like an idiot.
"Dude, a wooden sword !"
"Ebina we're going."
The bespectacled Fujoshi nodded and quickly bought the tunic she found and went with Miura followed quickly by a dejected Tobe who wanted to play more with the sword.
What are you ? A kid ? Thought Hachiman.
"Yui come on follow us!"
"O-okay. J-just give me a moment." She said between two sobs.
"I'll go Hikki! Take care in the meantime."
He nodded, not really knowing what he should say in this situation. He was not a social person and the girl still clinging to him was not any better.
"Kawasaki we're outside, you're safe. Maybe you could stop sticking to me now?"
Reluctantly she let go.
"T-thank you for letting me be selfish with my poor tolerance to scary things." She said bowing with red cheeks.
Stop acting like this you're making this even more embarrassing.
"Anyway why did you come inside with us if you're so scared of it ? It's stupid if you want my opinion."
"I-I was forced in by Ebina ! It's not like I wanted to be there !"
"Okay okay. I get it. Still, why didn't you just run away like Yuigahama did ? Did you have to cling to me ? I'm not really that dependable of a guy when facing things like that you know ?"
Saki blushed but hid her face by looking away, she was conflicted and kinda shameful. It was a reflex of her to hug something that makes her feel safe. She managed to refrain from hugging him but it was still awkward.
"Never mind. Let's rejoin the other before we get lost. Let's forget it."
"H-huh wait !"
"What ?"
"Back then you didn't forget my name. How ? You always forget my name every time we had to interact and it was always so frustrating."
Hachiman faced away and scratch his left cheek.
"It's not like I don't know your name. I'd have to be damn stupid to not remember it. I just like to tease you about it."
"T-tease ?! You have a death wish ?!" She said getting mad.
No I just find it kinda cute when you get worked up.
Hachiman faced the girl who fell silent.
"We should go now Kawa-... Saki ?"
What he had in front of him was a blushing mess. She was fidgeting and trying to come up with something but could not, so she decided to take a step forward and grabbed his collar, shaking him violently.
"How can you say things like that with such a straight face !"
"D-did I say it out loud ?!"
"Of course you did idiot ! You want to kill me or what ?!"
"Why are you getting so worked up anyway. Okay I'm sorry this was really embarrassing just now but it's not like I was lying or trying anything. Let's just go."
Feeling a mixture of dejection and a weird sensation in her chest, Saki followed his track.
Walking side by side in complete silence was comfortable for them and relieved them of the prior events of the day. But Kawasaki had something lingering in her mind, and she had to find out for herself. It would be highly unlikely for her to be alone with Hikigaya once again, so she decided to speak her mind.
"Say..."
"Hmm ?"
"You remember the Sagami incident ?"
"Don't remind me it was a pain to deal with those useless people."
"That I could guess that much. No. What I wanted to know is if you were serious when I helped you find her."
"Did I say something ? I can't seem to remember."
"Ah..."
"What did I say, it seemed important."
"You told me 'I love ya Kawasaki' while running in the distance."
Hachiman fell silent and looked at his shoes, feeling flustered and guilty.
"I'm sorry..."
"D-don't be. I just wanted to see if it was serious or not... I guess I have my answer then..."
"Kawasaki ? What answer ?"
"Hmhm. Don't mind it, it's not important. We cleared the misunderstanding. I'll go by myself, I promised my sister to buy her some souvenirs."
"Ah. Okay then. See you Kawasaki."
"See you Hikigaya."
And thus Hachiman watched the caring delinquent disappear in the distance. But something pushed him to say more. He did not know whether it was instinct or an impulse though.
"Kawasaki."
The delinquent looked back with an interrogative look to the loner.
"What is it?"
"Mind if I tag along with you?"
"W-What?"
"I-I mean, I need to get a souvenir for Komachi too so why not do it as well."
"Ah. I don't see why not." She said with a small understanding smile.
Both of them left the place to wander around the in the alley. Both of them were loners they did not really care about what people would think about them walking next to each other.
Saki rummaged through various things in the shop they chose. It was a cheap one, but she was not one to spend money unnecessarily being the hardworking girl she is. Hachiman on the other hand was at a loss.
"What should I get? A plushie is so common and lame... What do you think Kawa... Kawa..."
"Try to play dumb one more time by forgetting my name and you're dead."
"Okay!"
"Hm hm! So Kawasaki... What should I get for my sister? Do you have any idea?"
"Knowing the kind of person she was back then she is popular right?"
"You bet she is, she is the best sister in the whole world after all"
"Shut up siscon... Why not get her a phone case or something like that?"
"Oh! Cheap and convenient. I'll listen to your suggestion."
"And you. Do you an idea what I should buy for Taishi?"
"Why not some insecticide?"
Hachiman got smacked on the head by the girl who looked more like a demon queen than a human right now. He felt like bowing to her out of fear.
Damn brocon! He thought.
"Can you repeat what you just said?" She asked with her most powerful glare.
"I-I said why not get him a wooden sword or something like a figurine?"
"Hey I mean no offense, but he seems quite simple like Tobe. And this idiot had a blast swinging it not so long ago. It could work and it's not that expensive."
"Hmm. Okay... I guess. Boys are really strange."
"We should, we the boys, be the one to say that kind of things. Anyway, I'll go get a Kyoto phone case now. See ya.»
"Yeah. See you Hikigaya."
The both of them parted ways. Kawasaki was smiling. She just had this urge that she couldn't help but express. She couldn't the loner's face who was red because of her smile since he had already his back turned while disappearing from her sight.
"My my SakiSaki!"
"Wuah!" She yelped.
"I knew you had a thing for him for a bit but you're already this close?"
"Shut it Ebina. We just happened to be aiming at the same opportunity for our siblings. Nothing more! And don't jump behind my back like that!"
"Come on be honest. I see you glancing at him from time to time in the classroom and you both looked really fit to each other there. Just like a young couple." Said Hina with a devilish smile.
"C-Couple?! B-But no that's not-! Gah! Stop messing with me!" Saki couldn't help but lose her train of thought and blush like a tomato.
"It's not like..." She started with a downcast expression.
"Hmm? Not like what?"
"It's not like he would be interested in me when he has Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. I'm not the kind to compete in that kind of things."
"Don't sell yourself so short. You have all your chances."
"Huh? What's so good about me? I'm taller than average, my legs are bigger because of my muscles due to my activities... My chest... I mean. I'm not shallow and I don't care that much about physical appearance but I how can I compete with both Yuigahama and Yukinoshita..."
"That's where you're wrong. Sure you scare the boys better than Yumiko but that does not mean that you are unattractive. You should be confident in yourself. Go for it SakiSaki! Although..."
"Although what" She said a bit comforted yet confused by her weird friend.
"If you were to take Hikitani like that how the hell would I be able to get my Hayama x Hikigaya material. I know! SakiSaki if you seduce Hikitani then please sold half of his being to me so that I can make him do some yaoi scenes!"
"Get away from me you damn Fujoshi!"
"Hehe!" She said with a disgusting smile and bleeding from her nose.
"Seriously get treated or something" Said Saki while cleaning Ebina's nose with her handkerchief.
"You really are a pain you know that?"
The Garden With Tiger Cubs Crossing
Hachiman relaxed himself from the vision of Saki's smile after a minute of walking into the fresh air. He slapped his face softly to get a hold of his mind.
"Well that was quite a dangerous sight. If it was my old self I would have confessed on the spot. She should smile more like that. People would include her without me needing to meddle."
As he finished his self speech. He reach a calming area and sat on the wooden floor facing a strange rock in the middle.
"Fancy running into you." Said a voice he knew all too well.