Title: Something in the Way.
Summary: What were the events leading up to the accident which changed the trajectory of Hachiman Hikigaya's life and perhaps the lives of others as well? This is a clever reimagining of the events which asks a simple question: What if, Hachiman was older, about to start his university life, when everything came to a swift end.
"Haruno." Shizuka nodded. "Shiromeguri."
Both girls offered a small smile in return to her rather curt greeting. Shizuka Hiratsuka couldn't bother to be polite at the moment. She had a cigarette in one hand and a couple of sheets of paper in the other, her eyes alternated between skimming the details from the pages she was holding, cross referencing them with the data being shown on the computer screen and every now and then sparing a glance at the students who would show up to her office. In a few days the next semester will begin. Haruno Yukinoshita will be in her third year, Meguri Shiromeguri in her second and Shizuka Hiratsuka had a certain level of responsibility towards them as the guidance counselor.
"Busy week?" Haruno ventured.
Shizuka let out a tired sigh. "You have no idea." She stretched both her arms over her head and heard a small pop from her bones and relaxed a little. She has been working too hard for too long. She deserved a small break, a small respite to grouse and complain about her rather thankless job. "The rest of the teachers have it easy. They just have to make a small speech during orientation, introduce themselves and the subjects they teach. But as guidance counselor I have to deal with the fallout. The new students who are just starting university will come to me with all kinds of questions and if I can't answer every single one of them, they will think I am being unhelpful and standoffish. Even some of the older students will come to me with problems which they should know by now are handled by the administrative department. I know Onizuka jokes about how I don't have to deal with troublemaking students in class or go through the joy of grading papers, but I have my own share of problems too."
"Students will always need guidance." Shiromeguri chimed.
"Exactly." Shizuka nodded absentmindedly. At the moment her attention was drawn to the computer screen which was showing a list of names. She was hoping a particular name would show up sooner rather than later. But as she scrolled down to the bottom of the screen and didn't find what she was looking for, dread filled her heart, her eyes turned dark and her voice was reduced to a whisper. "He actually dropped out."
"Who?"
Shizuka looked at the would-be third year student. Haruno wouldn't know anything about Tatsuhiro Satou. He was in the same year as her. But the two of them had different majors and electives. Besides, even if they were in the same class together, as a teacher who knew her students pretty well, she had no doubt these two people would not be aware of each other's existence.
"Nothing." Shizuka mumbled. "What do you want? I'm busy."
The two of them exchanged a brief look. Haruno could tell something was off about Shizuka's behaviour. It wasn't a second ago. But now it was palpable. She looked distinctly unhappy about something. Meguri tugged at her arm and she noticed her give a slight shake of the head. So, she had noticed it too. And she didn't want her to go along with the plan. Well, too late.
"Shizuka-chan." Haruno cooed. "Remember we made a bet a few months ago. You told me that if I took my studies seriously and kept my spot in the top five and won the re-election as president of the Student Associate Body, you would let me borrow the keys of your car for an entire evening." She pointed to her friend. "In case you don't remember the exact turn of events due to some unfortunate reason, Meguri was there as a witness. She can help jog your memory."
"You were a bit intoxicated." Meguri offered helpfully.
"I was drunk." Shizuka corrected.
"Regardless, I have kept up my end of the bargain." With an outstretched hand, palm wide open, fingers curling and uncurling in the universal 'hand it over' gesture, Haruno had a triumphant smile on her face. "It's time you kept yours."
Shizuka looked at her empty palm for a second. She then shook her head. "You, winning the election was never in doubt. But I remember having another condition." She looked at the would-be second year student and raised an eyebrow. "Shiromeguri, do you have something to add?"
Meguri Shiromeguri felt a bit embarrassed. Haruno-san had reassured her before she agreed to come here that Hiratsuka-sensei won't remember this particular little detail. Guess she was wrong. Guess real adults handled their liquor better. Taking a deep breath to steel her dwindling resolve, she met her eyes and softly said. "I was ranked seventh."
Shizuka looked at her. She then looked at Haruno. She held her gaze for a while. Shiromeguri wasn't as determined. She tried her best, eventually blinked and looked down at her shoes. Shizuka decided to let them stew for a while. She crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair letting out a tired sigh. She remembered the conditions of their little bet very well. Haruno had to rank in the top five and win the election, become president for the second time in a row. Meanwhile, Shiromeguri had to rank in the top ten and grab a position in the Student Associate Body instead of just doing volunteer work for them.
"Shiromeguri will be in the Student Associate Body?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes." Haruno confirmed. "She will be vice-president."
Shizuka looked at Shiromeguri. "I hope you didn't agree to the position because of a stupid bet."
Shiromeguri shook her head. "I did not. I will carry out my duties to the best of my abilities. You can trust me sensei."
Trust, what a sweet and innocent little word to be thrown around without any proper reason. In the end, that's all she asked for from her students. Trust her and she will be able to help them to the best of her abilities. She had asked Tatsuhiro Satou for the same trust. But he wasn't able to trust her for some reason. It wasn't his fault in the least. The fault lied entirely on her shoulders. She was the teacher, the guidance counselor. She had a duty to fulfill towards her each and every student and she had failed miserably. And as a result, he had dropped out.
"Sensei?"
Without thinking about it too much, Shizuka had fished around her shoulder bag and grabbed the car keys. She tossed them to Haruno who caught them with ease and smirked in satisfaction. Even Shiromeguri had looked overly enthusiastic and she had actually started to clap in her excitement. But Shizuka wasn't about to hand over her prized possession to two of her students without issuing a proper threat.
"Not a scratch on it." She warned. "Or else."
Both of them knew better then to get on her nerves. Getting the keys to her car was already a win in their book. Haruno had nodded a couple of times in acknowledgement. Shiromeguri had nodded rather vigorously. And without wasting any more of each other's time they had left Shizuka's office, excited about their plan for the following evening. But when they were almost out of earshot and Shizuka had went back to skimming the documents on her desk, it was almost as an afterthought that she had murmured under her breath the following words. "Don't do anything stupid." Like drink and drive, she thought gravely. Perhaps she should have said those words out loud.
Hachiman Hikigaya looked at the caller ID and he couldn't help but let a faint smile cross his lips. It was okay to feel happy, he had to reassure himself. People get happy when they receive a call from their friend. It's perfectly normal. But it wouldn't do him any good to telegraph his emotions through a seemingly normal chat on the phone. He had to calm down and talk in his usual bored baritone. He picked up the call after the third ring, even though he had been holding onto the phone for a short while.
"Hello Kawasaki."
Saki Kawasaki went straight to business, calling him out on his bullshit. "You know your sister is friends with my brother, right? And unlike my brother, your sister talks a lot about her idiot gomi-chan. I don't know if you know this but she told me something really interesting a couple of days ago. I didn't want to believe it at first because it sounded really silly and stupid and nothing at all like you. But now I have been paying close attention to our calls and I have proof." There was no accusation in her tone. "You do pick up my phone after the third ring." She said with a dawning sense of realization.
Hachiman winced at being caught. He also felt betrayed. Komachi wasn't supposed to blab about the secrets of the Hikigaya household to potential outsiders. Even though the Kawasaki's were close. Still, somethings were rather sacred in life. Like staring at her picture which popped up in the caller ID for a few seconds whenever she called. It wasn't weird or creepy. Thank God, she didn't ask why. He would have had to lie. And he didn't like lying to Kawasaki for some reason.
"Hikigaya?"
"Yeah, no." He both felt and sounded confused. It wasn't like him in the least. Lately, a terrible realization was beginning to dawn on him. But Kawasaki was just a friend. "Did you want something?"
The line went silent for a while and he actually removed the phone from his ears to check whether she was still on the line. He felt relieved when he saw her caller ID was still visible, the seconds blinking away on the screen to show the duration of the call. It wasn't much. But for a loner like him it was still a lot. Perhaps she was deep in thought. About what, he wondered. It wouldn't be rude to say that unlike him, she didn't weigh her words carefully. She wasn't stupid. But she wasn't as twisted as him. It was a good thing. But the silence was starting to become unnerving.
"Kawasaki?"
"You remember when we met in the café?"
Hachiman thought back. "You have to be a little more specific. We have been meeting in cafes since our siblings decided it was a good idea to give this friendship thing a try. Of course being older and far more experienced in the battlefield known as youth, I decided it wasn't a good idea to let these two teenagers of the opposite gender meet in a café unsupervised."
"You didn't trust my brother." Kawasaki tsked. "Shocking."
"I resent that." Hachiman exclaimed. "It's a guy thing. I know what goes on in that funny little head of his. I have been there and it's not pretty. He spends enough time with her already. He goes to the same school. He is in the same class. They are friends. Now suddenly he wants to spend more time with her to become 'close friends' or whatever the hell that means and he wants to take her out to fancy cafes. Well, there's no way in hell I'm gonna leave him alone with my baby sister. Besides, you do the same thing."
Kawasaki gasped. "I do not!"
"Explain why you chaperon your brother to these dates. He's in high school for god's sake. I know you know that I don't particularly like him because he likes my little sister, but even I feel embarrassed for him. He even came to me asking for a solution on how to respectfully tell you to back off and give him some privacy. Of course I didn't help him because-" I like talking to you in the café, he left unsaid.
"Because?" Kawasaki pushed.
Hachiman shook his head and changed the topic. "You were saying something about meeting in a café?"
He heard her sigh from the other end. He disappointed her. Again. He was getting really good at it. How wonderful. Way to go Hachiman. "I was talking about the time we met in the café. Recently." She emphasized. "I talked about receiving an email from Chiba-U and you said you received one yourself. We both knew we applied for Chiba-U. I thought I did well in the entrance exam. You said you did okay, which in your case means you aced it. Don't even try to deny it. We both talked about checking our emails and finding out if we got accepted or not. We were talking on the phone just like this. But then I had this bright idea to meet in a café and check our emails together. I don't know why I said it. I heard it's a thing friends do. I didn't think you would agree."
"But I did." He added.
"You did." Kawasaki murmured. "And we met up. We ordered food and drinks. Then after wasting enough time on small talk, something we are really horrible at, we finally grabbed the courage to check our mails. And there it was. The acceptance letter. I looked at you and you looked at me and you had a small smile on your face and you gave this small nod and I knew it. I was so happy. And I – we -" she fell silent, too embarrassed to continue, the memory cropping up back in her mind, making her relive the wonderful moment which lasted for maybe a few second in reality, but seemed like a lifetime.
"You hugged me." He simply said. Like it wasn't a huge deal for the likes of them.
Kawasaki snapped. "You hugged me back!"
Hachiman smiled, not that she could tell. There were certain advantages to talking over the phone. He utilized them to their fullest effect. "I remember the day as well. It was one of the few times we were alone with each other." He could have said 'alone together with each other' but he didn't want to press his luck. He had no idea what they were doing at the moment. Yes, they were talking on the phone. But it felt different. It felt strange. It felt nice. He wanted to talk to her for hours. But like she said, they were horrible at small talk. And the other kind of talk would lead them into dangerous territory. He didn't like his chances. It was better to stay safe. Unfortunately Kawasaki didn't share the same sentiment.
"I didn't want to say anything." She began slowly. "I know we have become friends because of playing chaperon to our younger siblings. But unlike them we didn't know each other very well. We went to different high schools. You are a loner with a rotten attitude and people mistake me for a delinquent when the fact is I'm just not as sociable as your typical high school girl. It doesn't make me anti social, a rebel, or a problem child. But you understood it from our first meeting. You got me. And I got you. But now we will be going to the same university and I think I want to risk it. I want us to –" She inhaled rather loudly. "Fuck it. I can't say it on the phone."
"Wait, wait, what?" Hachiman couldn't believe his luck. And just when it got interesting. He had some idea what was going on, but he didn't want there to be a misunderstanding. "Kawasaki-chan please continue. I'm listening. Hello?"
He shouldn't have called her –chan. It pissed her off. He could almost picture her blushing on the other side of the phone. "Meet me at the café. And wear something nice."
He almost fell off the sofa. "Are you asking me out?"
"No. I'm a girl." Kawasaki said. "Just don't be late. Smart-ass." She added affectionately before ending the call rather abruptly.
Hachiman stared at his phone. It wasn't a 'no'. But it wasn't a 'yes' either. What did he feel about this? He didn't know. Before he could waste any more time thinking about his feelings for the blue haired woman with the beauty spot underneath her right eye and ponder how it would effect their new life as a university student, if they were to be together as something other than friends, his phone dinged and he noticed that he received a new text on LINE.
Kawasaki had sent a picture of her. It was rather good. In it she was wearing a lovely dress and smiling a beautiful smile which was rather rare. He looked at it for a while, lost in thought before his eyes scrolled down to the text below.
It simply read: 'Use this as my new caller ID'.
Hachiman blushed. He really needed to talk to his sister about how much she could share about his creepy habits with a potential outsider. Unless he was reading too much into it, Kawasaki probably knew that he stared at her photo which showed up on the caller ID whenever she called. Because he would rather die then ask her brother for a couple of cute pictures of her. And it's not like he could take a picture of her by himself without giving a proper reason that didn't sound even remotely perverted. Unless the dynamic they shared between them changed tonight after this meeting at the cafe.
He looked at the text she sent next: A time and a location.
He would be ready.
"Awesome party bro!"
Hayato Hayama smiled at the praise and tried his best to not look uncomfortable when his friend smacked him on the back a couple of times to show his appreciation.
"Tobe." He nodded. "Glad you could make it."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Tobe exclaimed. He looked around a couple of times, making sure no one was listening in on their conversation before he started to speak his mind. Hayato knew he meant well, but he would have literally paid him to shut up. Alas, that was not meant to be. "I know you were hoping to get into Tokyo-U, but bro, believe me, that place isn't all it's cracked up to be. Ask me, I gave the entrance exam. It's like they don't want students to join their university or something. It's too damn hard! The guys there are all a bunch of nerds and the women aren't beautiful at all. All they do is study, study and study some more. It's horrible! If you ask me, I like my chances at Chiba-U. Listen to me, in a couple of months we will run the show and they will treat us like kings. I am already working on a plan. I might need your help. Step one -"
Hayato had no intention of listening to him any further. "I see you brought two friends." He knew everyone who should be here. In other words, if he didn't recognize someone, they weren't invited to the party. At the moment he didn't recognize two women in the room. There was a woman with red hair in a short dress and a cute girl with glasses who was trying her best to keep to herself and appear inconspicuous, but failing miserably because she was naturally beautiful.
"Damn." Tobe cursed. "I thought you wouldn't notice. Nothing misses your attention, does it bro? But, well done. As expected of the son of a great lawyer. But I had to give it a shot. I thought I could sneak them in. It's all Sagami's fault. She really wanted to come, said she wanted to see what all the buzz was about. I kinda bragged about being your friend and how the rich guys partied differently and went all out and she didn't believe me, so I had to bring her here." He made a face which was kinda pathetic. "I was kinda hoping you were gonna let it slide."
"She's the one with the red hair, yes?" Hayato asked diplomatically.
"And the sexy dress." Tobe whistled lowly. However after a beat he lowered his head and shook it left and right like he was contemplating something deep. He let out a world weary sigh which was highly unlike him. Hayato wondered whether he was about to talk to the real him, the person whom he didn't mind to call as a friend because he could be honest to himself at least. Hayato couldn't even do that nowadays. "But would you believe me if I said that I liked her friend more."
Hayato nodded. "The one in the glasses."
"Ebina-san." Tobe said. He laid one hand on Hayato's shoulder for both moral and physical support. Hayato didn't shirk it away. "Bro, it's real!"
Hayato blinked. "What?"
"Love. Love is real!" Tobe said with a certain reverence. "I think I am in love with Ebina-san. Her first name is Hina. What a cute name! Hina-chan. A cute name for a cute girl. She's is going to attend Chiba-U with us. We will be in the same year. I wish we went to the same high school. We could have been a couple already. But I'm gonna ask her out soon. You know I don't like waiting around. But I'm telling you this one is special."
Hayato snorted. He mentally chided himself. He wasn't supposed to do that. He should be more supportive. Act like a proper friend. But sometimes he couldn't help it. He was a mere human. "She might pick a different major."
Tobe suddenly looked rather glum. He kicked the leg of the table with his foot. He always had a bit of temper and it did land him in a spot of bother every now and then. This time the damage was limited to a bit of juice sloshing and staining the white table cloth. "She does." Tobe mumbled. "I asked."
Hayato tried to cheer him up with his best reassuring smile because an unhappy delinquent was bound to create problems in a party with a few beautiful girls. Until Haruno-san arrived with her younger sister he was left in charge. Tobe's anger needed to be kept in check. A reasonable idea came to his mind and Hayato started to share it with his volatile friend. "Ask Ebina-san about the electives she picked. You can pick the same one." Hayato suggested.
Tobe's eyes widened. Hayato could pretty much see the sour mood he had a minute ago vanish like it was never there in the first place. He was back to his cheerful, easy going self and he was back to thumping him in the back to show his appreciation. "The same electives. The same electives! Why didn't I think of that? That's genius. You are a life saver bro! Hey-" Tobe smacked him in the chest with the back of his hand. "If you need help with a woman, you come to me. I will help you out. A favour for a favour, you know what I mean. In fact, would you look at that." He had a shit eating grin on his face. "Hot blonde at sex o' clock. Want me to be your wingman?"
Hayato ignored his chatter but followed his gaze. He was met with a familiar face and a set of emerald green eyes. She wore a nice dress too. Beautiful with a hint of sexy, a rather deadly combination. He quickly looked away and sipped his drink. "That's Miura."
"You are shitting me!" Tobe cursed. This time when he looked at her there was nothing overtly lascivious about his gaze. It seemed like he was merely appraising her physical appearance and comparing them to a mental picture from his past. It took him a while. When he was done, he let out a low whistle. "Well would you look at that. It really is her. And she grew up into a babe. A pretty hot babe. Just look at that rack!"
Hayato elbowed him in the sides and fixed him with a cool glare. "We have known each other since we were kids. Our families are on good terms. I would appreciate it if she doesn't think I grew up into a pervert. But you are not helping."
Tobe waved his worries off. "Sorry, sorry. I will try not to fool around. But I was just kinda surprised. I have known her since she was a kid too. But we were never really friends. I didn't like playing with girls. I think I broke a couple of her dolls and laughed in her face when she started to cry. I was a little bastard. No wonder Yukinoshita-san didn't want me near her little sister. How is she by the way?" he asked.
"Yukino-chan? No clue." Hayato said.
Tobe smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. "Nice try bro. But you remember the time I broke into your dad's liquor cabinet and got us a couple of drinks. Not this wimpy stuff we are drinking right now, but the good stuff. Well, we had a great time didn't we? We talked about stuff, said things we really meant and I got you into admitting that you liked someone. I know you haven't forgotten about it. So I will ask again." He looked serious. "How is she?"
Hayato sighed. "She's fine. We don't really talk. I am looking forward to attending the same university as her." He turned on his friend. "What do you want me to say? She's a Yukinoshita."
Tobe shook his head but let his friend off the hook. "You got it bad buddy. I kinda feel sorry for you. But on the plus side, we are gonna start university in a few days. Things are looking good. If you want my advice, try to live a little and enjoy life. How about trying something new for a change? You know I didn't like Miura when we were kids. I kinda blew my chances with her. Okay maybe not. But I have my hands full with Sagami and Ebina-san. Look, what I'm trying to say is how about you try hooking up with Miura."
Hayato winced. "You are joking. I don't even know her that well."
Tobe rolled his eyes. "Well, we are in a party. Just go and talk to her."
Hayato didn't really want to go and talk to Miura. Like he said, their fathers knew each other. But they weren't really close. But Tobe was being insistent and he knew it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to go and talk to a pretty girl. He was used to it. He knew what to do, what to say. He knew how to handle it. She would be just another stranger in a social gathering. He would just have to pretend to find her interesting and smile. But he hated it. He hated himself.
But as Hayato looked towards Miura, he found her engaged in a conversation with another girl. Now he had an excuse to back out. "She is talking to someone."
Tobe followed his line of sight, his eyes narrowing for a minute before he gave a casual shrug, letting the matter rest for the moment. "Whatever you say man. But it's just -"
"I'm Minami Sagami."
Miura looked at the girl who had just introduced herself. She didn't recognize her from anywhere else. She didn't appear to be a social recluse and she didn't look particularly shy while wearing a particular bold and daring outfit but she could tell from her red hair and painted nails that she was trying too hard to be the center of attention in this small party. Obviously she hadn't met Yukinoshita-san and her younger sister. When they arrived they would definitely steal the show. But she was taught to be polite and so she introduced herself without much bravado to this complete stranger.
"Yumiko Miura."
"Nice to meet you. I guess you're going to attend Chiba-U too huh?" At Miura's nod, the other woman continued. "That's great. Me too." She looked around and smiled. "This party was a great idea. We get to meet others who are gonna join the same university and we try to become friends with them beforehand. It puts us at a distinct advantage over others. I for one would like to have a few connections. What about you?"
Miura knew connections were important. The Miura's were linked to the Hayama's. The Hayama's were linked to the Yukinoshita's. Even the Tobe's were considered an acquaintance. But this girl was not talking about their families. She was talking about them. The children. But she could have phrased it much better and not put it so bluntly. She was definitely an outsider. Not one of them. Yumiko tried to make a point. It held a bit of sting but it didn't actually hurt. "I already know a few people."
Sagami scoffed. "You mean Tobe and that pretty boy over there?"
Miura was about to turn but Sagami caught her wrists. "Don't turn around so suddenly! The boys will think they got caught appreciating the view. I know Tobe won't care. The guy is pretty shameless. But his friend, the blonde guy looks like a gentleman. I don't know why he is hanging around Tobe for some reason. Maybe he is sucking up to him because he is rich."
Miura shook her hand free from the other woman's grip and turned to look at the two boys on the other side of the room. If Tobe was ogling her, she would give him a piece of her mind. She was not a kid anymore. She could handle him on her own.
Tobe was there. But he was with someone else. "Hayato." She whispered.
"You're kidding me. That blonde pretty boy is Hayato Hayama. Huh. Guess Tobe wasn't lying about knowing him. That's a first." Sagami commented. "But are they really friends? That's what I wanna know. Or do they just have to pretend to be on friendly terms because their daddies know each other. I have to say that makes much more sense to me. Unless there is something I'm missing completely."
"They play soccer for their respective school teams." Miura explained. "I don't actually follow them but it makes sense that they would play each other in a tournament. But they would be on rival teams, playing against each other. I don't know how that helps their friendship but they seem to be getting along just fine." Yumiko sighed. "It's probably a stupid guy thing that we won't get."
Sagami nodded. "I think you are right. By the way," She took a treat from her plate and popped it into her mouth. After she was done chewing, she continued. "You ruined your chances. If you were hoping Hayama-kun would come over here and just talk to you, well keep on hoping because that isn't going to happen anytime soon. You made the silliest of mistakes." She stated. "When a guy checks you out, unless you don't like the attention, you don't glare back at him. It kinda sends the wrong message."
Miura wanted to lash out. She wasn't glaring at Hayato. In fact she liked the attention. Back when she was in middle school, during a party where both their families were invited, she saw him in a well tailored suit and developed a harmless crush on him. They went to separate high schools and she didn't see much of him except for a social gathering here and there, but today was supposed to be different, today was supposed to mark a new beginning in the chapter of their respective lives. Even fate was on her side because the Yukinoshita sisters hadn't arrived yet. But like Sagami said, she ruined it.
"Okay. Fine. I might have complicated matters a little bit. It's all Tobe's fault." Miura added quickly. "I was glaring at him. But Hayato was standing next to him and so there's a chance he might think that I was glaring at him too. Which I wasn't. Because I like-!" Miura clamped her mouth shut with both her hands and blushed. She wasn't about to say that she liked Hayato. It would be perfectly normal. No, it was much worse. She was just about to blurt out that she liked Hayato checking her out, admiring her curves in this figure hugging dress which she wore just for this occasion.
Sagami smirked. "Let's say you like Hayato and leave it at that." How did she figure it out, Miura wondered. Is this woman really intelligent or does she have more experience with this sort of thing, Miura decided to ask her later. Even now Minami Sagami was surprising her with her keen insight, even without asking for help she was offering it out of her own free will. Miura would definitely want her as a friend. But for the time being she listened to what she had to say.
"I have a plan." Sagami simply said as she took out her phone and quickly shot off a couple of texts. When Miura looked unimpressed, she smirked and started to explain. "I don't know a lot about Hayama-kun. I haven't talked to him yet. Don't worry I won't try to steal him from you. I wouldn't do that to a friend. But Tobe is a different story. We have a - let's just say a complicated relationship." Sagami didn't mince her words. "He has feelings for another girl. He thinks he loves her. But she doesn't love him back. How does he know that exactly? Well, it's simple. I'm friends with her. She told me, I told him. Now because he is impatient and doesn't like to wait around, but he doesn't also want to screw this up, he became friends with me because I am friends with her in the hopes that I will be able to change her mind. Anyway, I can see that you're not exactly following me so I will cut this story short." Sagami sighed. "Basically, Tobe's sleeping with me but he's in love with my friend."
Miura blinked. "Wait, what? That's horrible!"
Sagami shrugged. "It is what it is." She looked perfectly at peace with the situation much to Miura's horror to which she offered a forced smile. "Oh don't look at me like that. I am perfectly aware of my situation and I make the most of it. I got to come to this party didn't I? But I have to say I'm kinda disappointed. I thought there would be booze."
"Ara, ara."
Miura went pale. Across the room Hayato and Tobe exchanged looks and started to argue in a hushed voice about whether they should head over and try to save the girls from the upcoming disaster. Minami Sagami who had no clue about what was going on simply turned to address the voice.
When she looked at the woman who was smiling down at her, the first thing on the tip of her tongue was that she wasn't old enough to use the words 'ara, ara.' But for some reason she wasn't able to say it. There was something captivating about her presence. It made people pause and reconsider their word choice unless they wanted to come of sounding like an idiot, which would be completely understandable because the woman was drop dead gorgeous and she knew it and flaunted it like her expensive dress.
"Miura-san. Please introduce me to your friend. I don't remember inviting her to my party."
Minami Sagami felt like she had been slapped in the face. For a moment she wondered whether Miura would come to her rescue. Tobe looked like he was losing the argument with his friend and he had resorted to physically restrain him from walking towards them to mount some sort of defense. But she didn't need the boys to defend her honour. By now she had a friend.
"Yukinoshita-san. This is Minami Sagami." Miura straightened her back and looked at her with defiance."Tobe invited her to the party. She is going to attend Chiba-U with the rest of us. I know you don't exactly know her but you can have my word, she is a good girl. She is also my friend. I hope you won't ask her to leave the party because I will -!"
Yukinoshita-san chuckled darkly. "Did you really think I would kick your friend out? Miura-chan, it's like you don't even know me at all. I'm hurt! You do know, I'm not like my little sister, right? I don't care about your friend. She's here. It's a party. The more the merrier. Think nothing of it. Besides, I don't want to cause an unnecessary scene and make you cry."
"I don't cry!" Miura hissed. "Besides, it happened a long time ago."
Yukinoshita-san's smile broadened. "It feels like yesterday."
Miura glared. "It was your sister's fault. She said some really hurtful things."
"I think she just spoke the truth. But I can see how that can be hurtful." Yukinoshita-san admitted. "But rest assured Miura-chan, you won't be embarrassed tonight in front of your new friend. Despite my best efforts I think Yukino-chan won't show up to the party. Either that or she is lost. Really what will I do with that girl? She is not a little kid anymore."
Sagami blinked. "Wait, your little sister might be lost and you decided to show up to a party instead of looking for her." She turned to Miura. "Did I get that right?"
Miura gave the barest of nods. It was like she was afraid. A moment later Sagami knew why. She had made a terrible mistake. "Sagami-san, I would highly appreciate it if you don't involve yourself in matters you don't fully understand. Though she will always be my little sister, she is old enough to take care of herself. She will be attending Chiba-U like the rest of you in a few days. But I'm glad of your concern for a total stranger even though it is entirely misplaced. In fact you should be more worried about yourself."
Sagami narrowed her eyes. Did this bitch just threaten her, she thought as she clenched her fists, getting progressively angry by the second. But she kept her voice sugary sweet. "What exactly do you mean, Yukinoshita-san?"
Yukinoshita-san smiled darkly "I was talking about your dress. It is rather short and revealing and while I don't have anything to say about your fashion sense, I do hope that you thought ahead and brought a coat. It is rather chilly outside. I don't want you to catch a cold. Ah, unless you are one of those people who can't catch a cold. Not that I'm calling you an idiot. Hahaha! No, I'm sure you are a healthy girl. But as your senpai and the president of the Student Associate Body I can't help but be worried about your well being. It's an occupational hazard you see. But I can't complain. It does have its perks. For example I have a good relationship with the teachers. One of them let me borrow her car for the night. It's an Aston Martin. But I shouldn't bore you with my senseless prattle." She didn't even look at Sagami. "Miura-chan I will leave you to talk with your new friend. I think I saw Tobe-kun run away with a girl in glasses. I wonder what that's all about. Perhaps I should ask Hayato-kun. He's looking pretty handsome today don't you think?"
Miura bit her lips. "Yes."
"Pity he hasn't talked to you yet." Haruno mused. "Perhaps he is waiting for Yukino-chan to show up. In that case I will have to disappoint him yet again. Oh well, what can you do. I guess he has to deal with me like usual." She lightly touched Miura's upper arm. "Enjoy the party Miura-chan." For the first time she spared a glance towards Sagami. "You too."
Both Miura and Sagami watched Yukinoshita-san leave them. They collectively let out a breath of air which they didn't know they were holding. Sagami looked around and as she expected Tobe had left the party. Ebina wasn't there. So Tobe saved Hina and left me to fend for myself, Sagami thought bitterly.
"What a bitch." Sagami cursed.
Miura saw Haruno-san and Hayato talking together. He looked relaxed and comfortable. She was standing really close to him. It looked rather intimate, like they were really familiar with each other. Hayato said something which made Haruno-san laugh. Her reaction made Hayato smile. He looked happy. He looked content. The two of them seemed to be enjoying each other's company.
Miura's eyes darkened with jealousy. "Yeah, she is a bitch."
Sagami lost her appetite. She wanted to leave the party. It wasn't worth the free food. But she thought back on something the bitch said and a cruel smile crept up on her lips. Yukinoshita-san was a bitch. But payback's a bitch too.
Sagami tugged on Miura's hand. "C'mon let's go."
This time Miura didn't shake her off. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"To the parking lot." Sagami simply said. "But first I have to grab a real drink."
Hachiman Hikigaya did not believe in love at first sight. He wasn't even sure if he believed in love. But he knew a thing or two about being attracted to the members of the opposite sex. After all he was a heterosexual man and he found beautiful women rather attractive. But that didn't mean he loved them.
There were instances when he had been proved wrong. In high school he thought he loved a girl named Orimoto. He confessed to her and she went out with him for a week. But afterwards Kaori told him the truth that she only saw him as a good friend and she didn't want to ruin their friendship so she agreed to go out with him to give this love thing a chance. But as you would expect it didn't work out. She told him they could still be friends. He was feeling rather bitter, so he agreed but when they changed classes in their second year he didn't go out of his way to keep in touch with her and she too got the message and didn't seek him out much afterwards. They talked sometimes but not as much to be considered friends and he was okay with the arrangement.
He hadn't even told her he would be attending Chiba-U.
It was funny. When he thought about love, he ended up thinking about Orimoto. Guess what they say is true, you never do forget your first love. But he told himself on numerous occasions that this thing with Orimoto had been a simple crush. She went out with him for a week out of pity. It wasn't love. Love, he smiled bitterly. He wondered if he could ever love someone. More importantly could someone ever love him.
But he realized these were dangerous questions to have when he was supposed to meet Saki Kawasaki tonight and take part in a discussion which could go horribly wrong. Did he love Saki Kawasaki? Yes. But was it romantic in nature. Sexual even. Now those were difficult questions to answer. He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes from his past. His week long relationship with Orimoto had taught him something rather important, in the sense that he would have preferred to be rejected on the spot instead of being led to believe that they were in a relationship, dating, when it had been just a farce, a façade from her end. It had singlehandedly ruined their friendship.
He didn't want to go through that with Saki. He had come to cherish their friendship and he didn't want to risk it for something as fickle as love. If it came down to it, he would have to tell her the truth. He liked her, he found her attractive, but he wasn't sure if he was capable of loving her because he didn't know a single thing about love.
But like he mentioned earlier, he knew a thing or two about attraction. As he walked down the street he saw a beautiful girl. But there was something wrong with this picture. He didn't know a lot about women's fashion or clothing in general but he could tell the outfit she was wearing must have cost a fortune. It accentuated her figure rather nicely. But the outfit, the dress, it seemed horribly out of place in a common street where normal people like him walked about without a care in the world. In that dress, she should be attending gala openings and high end socialite parties, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. Perhaps she was rich and famous herself. It would explain her eccentric behaviour.
Now it was perfectly normal behaviour for people to like cats. It was also somewhat normal to make cat noises at cats and think you are actually communicating with them as if they understand you completely just because you said 'nyan' a few times. But truth be told she looked a bit too old to be making such silly noises. He could easily mistake her for a high school student, but just because Saki Kawasaki was well endowed didn't mean that there didn't exist women who were not particularly gifted in the breast department. Orimoto had shown her pictures too and helpfully pointed out that she had practically no breasts in middle school and that she prayed to god every night to get a nice pair of breasts by the time she graduated and entered high school and if she was to be believed her prayers were answered. It is stuff like this which made him think of becoming an atheist. Stop a war, no. Grow breasts, yes. Indeed, god worked in mysterious ways.
But back to the girl in the blue dress who had by now stopped making cute cat noises and had reached into her shoulder bag and taken out a small pack of cat treats and was happily feeding the strays. Okay, he was going to make a judgment call and just say it. This girl liked cats. No, he wasn't saying that she was a crazy cat lady who had nine or ten cats walking around in her apartment and she got along well with her cats then actual human beings, let alone a guy, but you have to admit it was kinda strange. Who carries cat treats around in their shoulder bag in the off chance that they would meet a stray cat on the street and feed them while making cute cat noises. No one he knew apparently and he had a pet cat himself. Was this the eccentric rich girl behaviour he was thinking about earlier, he thought for a second. Regardless, he decided to walk on the opposite side of the street, the wrong side of the street and risk getting into a potential car accident then deal with this woman in the blue dress.
But it seemed like he miscalculated. The lady in the blue dress had other plans. As the cat fed on the treats she provided, she reached into her bag and took out a phone. He could tell she was having a mental debate on whether to take a selfie with the cat or just a simple photo. It seemed like she chose the latter. Now it wouldn't have been a problem. He had no business interfering. But the lady in the blue dress appeared to be a bit of a perfectionist. If he wanted to take a photo, he would have just taken a photo. But no, she wanted it to be nigh perfect. He had no idea what was going on in her head but she took a couple of steps back, then a few more and a few more.
And now she was standing on the street.
It happened in an instant. He saw the car speeding down the street and he knew the lady in the blue dress was lost in her own world, thinking of cats and photos and completely unaware of her immediate surroundings. The car horn woke her from her reverie. But it was too late. He didn't think. He reacted. He ran. He was blinded by the headlights. He was deafened by the horns. He heard someone curse and call him an asshole. It would have been funny if that was the last thing he heard while he was still alive.
It wasn't.
"Thank you."
The voice sounded soft and muffled, like it was surprised and taken aback, like it wasn't used to thanking others. Or it could be the fact that she was enveloped in a protective embrace, cocooned under his strong arms and was forced to talk into the fabric of his shirt because he was still recovering from the adrenaline rush, his heart beating rapidly, trying to figure out what the hell happened and discovering a moment too late that he had done the unthinkable and actually managed to not kill the both of them by getting them stuck in front of a speeding car.
"You can let go now."
"Ah, yes. Sorry."
He quickly stepped away from her and she turned her back on him. He found himself feeling rather embarrassed and blushing. For a second he did wonder why she was trying to hide her face. Perhaps she was feeling embarrassed as well. It also didn't escape his attention that though she had thanked him, she had not yet addressed the fact that he had saved her from getting hit by a car. Was this woman really horrible at following social conventions and polite etiquette or was he the one being petty, he didn't exactly know. But he did save her life that much he was sure and risked his own to do it. How brave of him. Or was it stupid. Orimoto would call it brave. Kawasaki, stupid. Speaking of which, he looked at his wrist watch. He was getting late for a particularly late rendezvous.
"My name is Yukino Yukinoshita."
He hadn't asked for her name. But it seemed like the polite thing to do. He offered his own without further prompting. "Hachiman Hikigaya."
She gave a small nod and made a quick decision. "Would you mind taking a picture of me with the cat Hikigaya-kun?"
And here he almost made the mistake to think that she wanted to know the name of her savior. Now that he got a good look at her, black hair, blue eyes, blue eyes which matched her dress and two red ribbons which made her look particularly youthful, she definitely looked like the ojou-sama type. She certainly didn't waste any time ordering him around. If he was being honest, he didn't really want to take her picture because from what he had gathered so far, she appeared to be a bit of a perfectionist and that meant being nitpicky which ultimately meant she would point out the faults in the picture he took for her out of the goodness of his own heart. As far as he was concerned he had done his good deed of the day, saving her from getting hit by a car. But how could he politely decline. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He tried.
"I don't know what you mean."
"I don't know. I'm just asking. Are you lost?" He tried once more. "Do you need directions?"
This time a faint blush tainted her cheeks. "I am not lost." She pointed out and he had a feeling she was a little bit embarrassed and completely lying because the exact opposite was the real truth. But there was no way to help her out unless she provided him with the necessary information.
"I'm just saying you are dressed for a party. But instead you are here, asking a total stranger to take a picture of you with a stray cat."
"You are not a stranger. I know your name and you know mine. In my opinion it is far better than forcing yourself to attend a party where you don't get along with anyone. Besides, there is still time." She looked at her wristwatch. "Though I detest people who make this excuse, I think I could make it once and just simply say I am being fashionably late." She fixed him with a look. "Now about the picture. Are you perhaps stalling because you don't know how to take a picture on your phone?"
"Don't be absurd. I think everyone knows how to take a picture on their phone." Though I have never taken a selfie with someone, he mentally added. Thank god she wasn't asking for that because he would have rudely said no. But she didn't look the type to make such a request. He leveled his rotten dead fish eyes on her and opened his palm. "Give me your phone."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
He sighed. He knew asking for a stranger's phone was properly breaching some kind of social protocol but she was the one who came up with this stupid idea in the first place. But now he was left looking like an uncouth barbarian. "How am I supposed to take the picture without using your phone?"
"I see." She nodded. But then she continued. "Most boys try to act clever these days. If I am left with no choice and have to ask them to take a picture of me with a cat, they do as they are told and take the picture. But they use their own phone. Afterwards they ask me for my contact details so that they can send me the picture on LINE."
Did she go around giving her contact details to random strangers? Did she also ask random strangers to take a picture of her with cats? Was this a new fetish, was she a weirdo or was this kind of behaviour completely normal and forgiven because she was a cute girl. "You could have just asked them to transfer the photos via Bluetooth."
She nodded. "That's what I ask them to do. And afterwards I tell them to delete the photo from their phone or otherwise face the consequences."
She had a cold look in her eyes and a smug grin on her face. He gulped. For some reason he didn't want to know the consequences. It was better left to the imagination. She was definitely a rich heiress who could get away with murder. He didn't want to piss her off. It was better to do what he was told, take her photo, give her the directions to where she wanted to go, if, and he couldn't emphasis that enough, if, she wanted his help with directions. If she didn't, well, that was not a problem. He would be on his merry way.
"Um, Yukinoshita." It was the first time he used her name. He definitely should have added an honorific. But it was now too late. "Your phone."
However she didn't seem to mind. "Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
As he took her phone and clicked open the camera app, he decided to take a couple of steps back. Then a few more. And a few more. He wasn't trying to impress her. But he wanted to click a good picture. Yukinoshita went down on her haunches and started to pet the cat, making those cute cat noises and making it purr in delight. He was about to capture this moment and preserve it and perhaps steal it into his own memories, locked away in a corner of his mind
But a number of things happened in an instant and he didn't know the exact order of events. It wouldn't matter. In a few minutes nothing would matter anymore. He felt something brush past his leg and he heard Yukinoshita yelp in fright.
It was a dog.
A light brown dachshund.
It was someone's pet.
He stumbled backwards but didn't fall. He felt worried. Yukinoshita looked like she was afraid of dogs. "Hikigaya-kun!" She was calling out his name. She was reaching out to him.
His phone started to ring.
Yukinoshita's phone started to ring as well.
He wasn't able to take her photo with the cat.
It was Saki Kawasaki.
She was on the phone. She must be calling because he was late. He almost forgot he was going to meet her tonight. It was late. He was late. He went to answer the phone.
"Hikigaya-kun!" Yukinoshita was shouting. It felt distant. He was unable to look at her.
For the second time tonight he was blinded by bright headlights, deafened by loud horns. But this time around he wasn't so lucky.
Yukino Yukinoshita looked on in horror.
The car bumper hit Hikigaya-kun's leg, the knee joint. His thighs connected with the edge of the hood. His body contoured to the front of the car and was carried. His lower body was thrown forward while his upper body was thrown relative to the car. His head hit the hood, the windshield. The force of impact thrust his body into the air. He hit the ground at a good distance from the car.
He laid their on the ground.
Unmoving.
Blood was starting to pool around his head.
His leg was at an angle which didn't look humanly possible.
His head was lolling to the side.
His eyes were closed.
He didn't make a sound.
He lied there.
Lifeless.
A/N: This is a very big chapter(9600+ words)! I could have broken it down to 5 chapters, but I thought it was better this way. The title is a reference to a Nirvana song. Anyway, so I was thinking. Just thinking. Okay, hear me out -
What do you guys think of the idea of me having a p-a-t-r-e-o-n account or a ko-fi account?
I just recently learned that there are fanfic writers with p-a-t-r-e-o-n accounts and I thought, well, maybe I should give it a try.
Food for thought?
Okay now back to the Ikebukuro fic –
So, you know, since Hachiman will have powers and abilities in the series, I thought, wouldn't it be great if the Oregairu women had powers and abilities too. Well for starters, Hachiman will be meeting the Oregairu women, one by one, for the first time as the series progresses. So, I don't have any ideas, but I was thinking, you know the Oregairu women could fill in the roles of popular anime characters. For example: Yukino Yukinoshita could play the role of Misa Amane and be a second Kira. So yeah, that's what I have in mind. Remember all the anime series I listed in the previous chapters. Well now it's time for "The Oregairu Women" to take on the roles of some other characters in different anime series.
Q#1: Which Oregairu Woman Should Play A Character From "Tokyo Ghoul"?
Q#2: Which Oregairu Woman Should Play A Character From "Psycho Pass"?
Q#3: Which Oregairu Woman Should Play A Character From "Ghost in the Shell"?
Q#4: Which Oregairu Woman Should Play A Character From "Code Geass"?
Q#5: Which Oregairu Woman Should Play A Character From "Durarara"?
Please name the Oregairu character and the character you want her to replace in the above mentioned anime.
Finally –
Poll#1: Which Animes Do You Want To Feature In The Ikebukuro Fic?
Option 1: Charlotte
Option 2: Guilty Crown.
Option 3: Mob Psycho 100
Option 4: Mirai Nikki.
Option 5: Black Bullet.
Option 6: Anime From The Reviews.
Please pick accordingly.
Hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter.
Leave lots and lots of reviews, follow and fave.
Won't betray your dreams.
