Sometimes the most innocuous things can set off a surprising writing frenzy, at least in my experience. In this case, the inspiration for this particular story came about one day when I had the simple realization that Yukino and Yumiko's clashing personalities could make for some pretty fun story potential. From there I simply tried to imagine what situation could possibly lead to the two of them spending an extended amount of time together and well here we are. As implied by the character tags this story will be primarily focused around Yukino and Yumiko and their resulting interactions.
Not much happens right now in the first chapter since it's more of a prologue than anything else and partially came about as an exercise to see how well I can write from Yukino's point of view.
Anyways, without further ado, enjoy!
Life can often be unpredictable.
Among the many lessons my last few years at Sobu has taught me was that no matter how worldly or knowledgeable you believe yourself to be, it is never truly possible to be prepared for what may come in the future. This is a sentiment that can be seen across many cultures across the earth, each expressing this belief in their own ways. The French even have a popularized phrase of saying that is often used in response to unexpected, and often unpleasant, developments one may face. Indeed perhaps the only way to truly be prepared for life's challenges was to simply accept you will likely find yourself caught flatfooted sometime, somewhere in the future and simply do one's best to take whatever surprise that has been thrown at you in stride.
And who is to say that something unpredictable will necessarily even end as a net negative to one's outlook?
True, it can be disorienting, nerve-wracking, even frightening to have one's comfortable sensibilities rocked. To have to question every assumption you may have once held about yourself, about what you though you knew and about someone you once thought you understood. Indeed I would go as far as to say that there were few things in life more frightening than the realization at just how little you truly knew.
Yet could it not also be seen as a challenge to be faced for self-improvement? Being confronted with you own limitations can be humbling in the most unpleasant ways but in doing so a person is also given an opportunity to correct their own deficiencies. To face an uncertain road yet ultimately coming out of it a better person, can it truly be said to be a bad thing? Even adversity has its place in life after all.
Even in the case of events completely outside of your ability to influence, one can at least control how they choose to act in response and in doing so come out of it a wiser, more experienced individual. This being the case, no matter how badly shaken we are by surprise, it is only logical that we all strive to be the best we can no matter what obstacles we finds ourselves faced by.
All these thoughts I found inexplicably flitting to mind as I found myself faced with Miura Yumiko. Whether this encounter would end up for good or ill, I can only hope to face this new challenge with the best I can bring forward.
"Pardon me?"
Miura's olive green eyes bored unwaveringly into my own while her arms were crossed defiantly in front of her chest. Though she'd deigned to follow courtesy and had waited for permission to enter after knocking to announce her presence, every facet of her current being seemed to radiate with her domineering disposition. I was not particularly adept at reading subtleties in a person's mood, but even I could see that Miura already seemed to be in a somewhat foul temper.
"Like I said." She enunciated slowly, obviously irritated by my query for clarification. "I need to talk to you about something, Yukinoshita."
Then, as if remembering that we were not alone in the room, her eyes flicked towards the rest of the members of the Service Club, and a certain errant Student Council President, had been sitting silently.
"In private." She added in afterthought.
Despite her clarification, nobody in the room immediately had anything to say in answer. On the tables our loose collection of textbooks and school supplies lay forgotten.
As become our habit recently, in days of low traffic the Service Club has also become a den for us to hold study sessions in private. With our upcoming end of year exams upon us soon, we needed every opportunity to revise on our subjects that we could get and the clubroom provided both a quiet space necessary while carrying a certain homely comfort due to the memories and experiences we shared within its walls. But it appears that today, we would not be able to spend our time on simple academics.
Though Miura's words suggested she did not come here seeking conflict her tense manner of bearing told the opposite. Even with confirmation of her wish to speak with me, my surprise at this unexpected development remained. We shared very little in common, Miura and I, and given our differing social circles, it was rare for our paths to cross whilst our diametrically opposing characters often meant that what meetings did occur almost invariably lead to conflict and even hostilities.
A brief glance about around the table made it clear I was not the only one surprised. Yuigahama and Komachi were exchanging bewildered looks, the assortment of colorful snacks they'd brought out earlier before were left scattered across the table uneaten. Yuigahama's surprise in particular suggested that whatever matter Miura wished to speak to me about was one she had no inkling of, highly unusual considering her place within the queen's inner most circle of friends.
Off to the side Isshiki Iroha sat quietly, eyeing Miura with a wary yet focused gaze even as she shrank in on herself and tried to look inconspicuous. Though she and Miura shared some contention in their own right, the current Student Council President was easily cowed and given Miura's subdued yet stormy manner, she was no doubt doing her best to present herself as little a target as possible. Still, the very fact that Isshiki has not already made her excuses and fled the room is a sign that she considers such Miura's current behavior to be unusual and is determined to root out the cause. That or her eagerness for gossip simply outweighed her sense of self-preservation.
And finally, sitting beside me, was my partner. Sitting silently in his chair, Hachiman's face was carefully blank but I could spy the small crinkling at the corner of his eyes that suggested he was in deep thought. No doubt his mind was already kicking into high gear, thinking and over thinking, about the ramifications of Miura's sudden appearance.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of his hands atop the table twitch and instinctively shift towards my own before pausing as the appendage's owner's thoughts caught up. I caught his eye and did my best to send him a reassuring look that I've already received his implied message. No matter how this plays out I knew I would have his unwavering support.
"Yumiko." Yuigahama finally spoke out, her voice hesitant. Moving her head back and forth she glanced between me and Miura in succession. "Is something the matter? I mean, why do you need to talk to Yukinon all of a sudden?"
If there was one common thread I could say that connected me to Miura it would probably be our mutual friendship with Yuigahama. Though she usually endeavored spend her time with us on an individual basis, during the moments when our schedules have overlapped she would often try to act as a buffer to smooth communication between us and prevent our differing dispositions from clashing too badly. On our part, Miura and I have reached something of an unspoken accord that, in the rare instances our paths cross, to at least be civil to each other for Yuigahama's sake.
We still weren't close or even familiar under any reasonable definition but, after our various meetings over the last year and half, neither could I honestly say Miura was a complete stranger to me either. Hmm, how did Hachiman once describe such a situation? Ah yes. We were friends of a friend I suppose.
Miura's gaze shifted towards Yuigahama's imploring gaze, eyes softening as they did so. Her lip twisted and it was obvious she was conflicted as she weighed Yuigahama's unspoken plea for more information. Despite her often abrasive outward demeanor, I knew that Miura cared deeply for each of those considered dear and Yuigahama's outgoing friendliness possessed a charm that few hearts could withstand.
But it appears that in this matter today, the queen's will would not be swayed from their chosen path.
"I can't say." Miura said at last. "It's… personal. But it's also important. I just really have something I need to ask Yukinoshita right now."
"O-Oh I see."
With her tentative attempt at diplomacy only yielding a gentle but firm denial, Yuigahama fell silent once more, shooting me a worried look as she did so, for reasons I suspected we shared. Despite Miura's efforts to keep the particulars of her request under wraps, it was unlikely that anyone in the room, save perhaps for Komachi, did not already have some inkling to the reason for her sudden appearance.
After all, there has only ever a single reason for Miura to go out of her way to confront me in such a manner and, if this pattern holds true, then what follows for this request could prove most troublesome.
Miura Yumiko already dominated most social gatherings she held through sheer force of personality alone but when it came to matters concerning Hayama Hayato her ferocity went up by an order of magnitude. A lioness on the prowl was fearsome enough on its lonesome, but it was in defending their chosen territories that their true claws would be bared and, for Miura Yumiko, her place at Hayato's side was one she guarded most jealously.
There was also her desire to keep the nature of her consultation concealed, a distinct irregularity for the outgoing Miura who often had little regard for the opinions of those around her and usually had no problem speaking her mind aloud.
Taken all together I could not help but feel faint feelings of apprehension stirring within me, yet I've always believed it was best to face matters, even unpleasant ones, head-on without turning away.
With a snap of my hand, I shut the book that I still held in my hand and carefully laid my pen down.
"Komachi-san." I called out, turning towards the youngest person in the room. To the front Miura's brow seemed tick in annoyance by my apparent snub of her presence but it was only proper that I observe proper attention to my relative position to the younger Hikigaya.
After all I was no longer the president of this club.
"As Miura-san wishes to consult with me about a private matter I apologise for the inconvenience but may I take the time out to hear out her request alone?"
Blinking several times, Komachi finally seemed to remember that she was the person who held the most authority in the room. She was usually quite comfortable being the center of attention but, at the same time, her much more lax manner of management meant that the underlying tension in the room seemed to have hampered her usual ability to involve herself in a conversation. "Ah! Right. Sure of course!"
Energetically standing up, Komachi pushed her chair back with enough force to scrape against the floor. Most of the people in the room winced but both Miura and I remained unperturbed. "We'll all go ahead and leave you two alone then. Just send us a message when you're done! Ah, and don't worry about rushing for our sake's, maybe we'll go get some drinks for ourselves while the two of you are talking-"
"That won't be necessary." I replied, gesturing for Komachi to sit back down. "It'll be simpler for Miura-san and I to be the ones to find somewhere to speak in private."
Though it was far from a universally applicable rule, there are indeed times when it was illogical for the majority to inconvenience themselves for the sake of the few, in this case making everyone else leave the comfort of the clubroom for the hallways when it was only two who needed confidentiality made little sense.
"Well then Miura-san, shall we go then?" I asked, making my way to the door as I did so.
"Eh? Ah, right then." Miura's slightly belligerent stance relaxed and she somewhat hesitantly followed after me without saying anything else. Perhaps she was taken aback that I had agreed to her request so readily but her acquiescence was welcome none the less.
As we left I could tell everyone else in the room was looking after us with undisguised curiosity. Doubtless they will be discussing this new development among themselves the moment we were out of sight.
"I'll see you all soon then." I spoke out to the rest of the room as I held open the door for Miura to pass through.
"Alright and don't worry if this takes a while! You can take all the time you need!" Komachi replied with an energetic salute.
"S-See you later, Yukinon!" Yuigamaha waved with just the slightest hint of hesitance. "Come back soon, ok!"
"Good luck, Yukinoshita-sempai!" Isshiki chimed in, her manner already growing more relaxed with Miura's exit.
"Take care." Hachiman's mumbled response was almost completely inaudible in comparison to the others but his almost imperceptible nod of support told me all I needed to know. I allowed my gaze to linger on him for a bit longer before I finally made my way into the hallway as well.
As I shut the door behind me, I pondered exactly how we would have our talk in private. While it would be simplest to do so directly in the hallway, depending on the length and complexity of the conversation, it may be more sensible to find a more suitable location. There were several classrooms in the same wing that have not seen use since the year before this one. I'm sure it would do no harm if we were to temporarily appropriate one for use.
The door to the clubroom was also not the best insulator and it would not do to have everyone in the room overhear our conversation. I cared dearly for each of my companions but that did not mean I was unaware of their foibles, nor did I believe they could resist allure of gossip when it occurs directly outside in the adjoining room.
"Let us find a suitable area for discussion then." I announced whilst making my way down the hallway. The sound of my steps echoed lightly across the walls but I could not hear any of the accompanying steps that should have followed after.
"Hey wait up! How far do you even plan on going? I heard the rapid patter of footsteps as Miura scurried to make up for our lost distance. "Do you even know where you're going?"
"There are unused classrooms along the hall this way. It won't be difficult to find one to accommodate our needs." I answered without breaking my stride.
"A-Ah. Alright then. That's fine." Miura seemed satisfied with my reply and remained silent even as she fell into step behind me, thankfully I must admit as I had little experience conversing with Miura on a casual basis and would have been at a bit of a loss if she had tried to strike up a conversation.
As we walked in silence I couldn't help but allow my mind to turn, once more, towards the unusual request I've received. I have had little contact with Miura, or indeed any of her clique, since the current year began but the infrequent news Yuigahama had brought suggested their group had survived the transition into their 3rd year quite well, despite many of their members being separated into different classes.
Of course there was always the chance that the request had nothing to do with internal discord but from factors that came from outside elements. With the shuffling of classes it was not only old bonds that were tested but also new ones to be formed and weighed against the old guard. From what I knew about Hayama, he at least would have had little trouble acclimatizing himself to his new surroundings but, as the center of his group, this very strength could in turn lead to conflict with his original cohort, especially Miura.
With Hayama physically separated from her during classes, perhaps other girls saw it as an opportunity to stake out their own claims. Given Hayama's character, any overtures short of an actual confession would be received respectfully which in turn only served to encourage them further. Miura would almost certainly be displeased with such a development yet would find it difficult to repel such interest when so much of her time is now spent away from Hayama's side. Still, even if this were the case, why would Miura feel the need to come to me?
With a small sigh I simply shook my head and tried my best to clear my mind of pointless speculation. Regardless of what I presumed based on my own knowledge, it would only be for the best that I push away my preconceptions and prevent them from coloring my opinion before I have even heard Miura's request.
Regardless of our previous encounters, it would not be appropriate to unduly jump to conclusions about Miura's intentions or her situation. I would do my best to hear out her request with objectivity.