My Youth Romantic Comedy Was More Platonic Than Expected Part 2

by Morii Hikikko

(AU). Continuation of My Youth Romantic Comedy Was More Platonic Than Expected. This will narrate what will happen to Hikigaya Hachiman's relationships after that eventful summer vacation. The struggles of the third-year Sobu High student named Hikigaya Hachiman will only get much harder from this point onwards. Is the true form of his genuine a platonic relationship all along?

7. Chapter 7

Thus, Hikigaya Hachiman Comes Face-To-Face With His Biggest Challenge Yet

Sobu High Receiving Room.

In this reserved space for attending guests of special standing, gentlemen clad in suits more expensive than a house and myself were seated around a table for an important discussion. What was surprising however was that the person taking charge right now was neither of this influential people but was a woman who treaded the fine balance between beautiful and cool.

It was none other than my favorite sensei of all time, Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Metaphorically, this entire event was akin to a battle with each of these gentlemen being equal to a country's general trying to grasp the situation of their adversaries.

In which case, that would make Hiratsuka-sensei a Valkyrie, leading the souls of the fallen to Valhalla where they await the coming end of the world.

It would be nice if they take me too as I'd rather be anywhere else than where I'm sitting down right now.

If it isn't obvious already, then I was trying to escape from reality but unfortunately, it doesn't matter if you try to run away from reality or not, it slaps you just as hard.

"With this, I believe everyone present would like to continue their commitment to provide funds for Sobu, yes?" sensei solemnly declared, effectively heralding the end of this meeting.

"That's right."

"This is sincerely one of the best investments that our company made in the past decade."

"We'll be relying on Sobu in the near future as well."

Amiable smiles that you would never expect to have some sort of hidden agenda were etched on the faces of the business representatives present on the room.

"In that case, my work here is done," she solemnly bowed before taking a subtle glance at my direction. Her eyes told me one thing. It was a blessing of good luck, her way of trying to help me with my anxiety. I acknowledged her well-wishes with a nod.

With that, she finally took her leave.

The main event was about to come next and what better way to start than with a depressing question.

Now who is this miserable young man surrounded on all sides by old men who all looked like they wanted to tear him from limb to limb for being present in a meeting that was far beyond his station?

That's right.

Unfortunately, it's none other than me. [1]

While I've definitely been feeling the pressure since earlier, it wasn't until the door clicked upon Hiratsuka-sensei's exit did I experience what true pressure felt like.

As the representative of the company with the highest position in the room I was made to sit on the chief's chair of all places. Because of that, it is implied that I'll be taking charge of this talk, whether they liked it or not. I more than welcome any one from them to take this spot away from me but in respect to the authority of the family name I represent, they held themselves back.

The atmosphere was suffocating to say the least and a far cry from how it was all sunshine and rainbows during the prior talk of continuing to sponsor Sobu High in the near future.

If I had to describe my current situation in a more lighthearted manner then I'll say that they are trying to test me. If I wanted to be franker then I'll say they are trying to scare me off by showing the difference in our status. Whichever the case it was, not doing anything about it would mean being unable to complete today's assignment so I had no other choice but to make my move.

Rather than letting myself bow down to their apparent superiority, it was better for me to take the offensive instead and riling them up was well within my repertoire of skills.

Loner Skill No. 83: Business Hikki.

"Greetings, gentlemen," I made myself sound as confident as I could possibly be even amidst all this choking pressure. "I understand that most, if not, all of you have some reservations with having me preside over this gathering rather than Haruno-san but I trust everyone has already been informed of the reason why, yes?"

"Of course. That being said, this can also be taken as an opportunity for us as well."

Like a dam which released its floodgates to regulate the amount of water it was storing, opinions came out from the other representatives who kept their silence so far after that singular comment.

"I have always wanted to meet the honorary son of the Yukinoshitas for the longest time."

"That's right. That's right. Having new blood in this business pursuit of ours is always a cause for celebration."

"All of us here are eagerly anticipating how well you'll do today as well as in the future."

The sentiments of the people inside the room can be generally divided into three categories.

Those who think they can take advantage of me so they can form a more intimate connection with the Yukinoshitas, those who think I have no value whatsoever and finally those who are planning on taking a wait-and-see approach for now.

Regardless of what their opinion of me is, what I had to say and do next doesn't change.

"If it's concerns about whether you think that Yukinoshita Corporations sees you in a lower regard over the prior groups and sending a proxy like me is a testament to that then please be at ease," I kept my smile neutral as I briefly made eye contact with everyone on the room. "Generally, what I'll be offering to you gentlemen is the same deal that Haruno-san made to the group she talked to earlier," the corners of my lips curved upwards ever so slightly. "Besides, what is there for the Yukinoshita family to gain if we are dishonest with our partners?"

As risky as this move was, it was the only tactic I could think of that allowed me to get the initiative of this talks. Had it been Yukinoshita Haruno in this seat then I'm pretty sure she could easily achieve the same result by just arriving fashionably late...

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. No wait, actually, maybe it's not. The point is, the disparity in skill between that demon superwoman and me is enormous.

"Very well, we shall hear you out."

In spite of the difference in opinions that they have of me, everyone else agreed to the words spoken out by that gentleman who was acting like some sort of a representative. He was seated on my right-hand side and judging from how the distance between us was around two chairs, he was relatively high-ranked compared to the other occupants of the room.

Since they have given me permission, I was not one to let go of such a golden opportunity.

"I'll keep it short," I joined both of my hands underneath my chin and let my shoulders rest on top of the table. "Is Chiba big enough for everyone's ambitions?"

I could see the deep abyss of my dead eyes be reflected from the irises of all those who were seated on the table. It was a good indication that they were still listening.

"Young man, do you have any idea what those words of yours are trying to imply?"

The one who spoke out this time was on my left-hand side and since he's seated farther than most, he had to raise his voice a little bit. Now normally that kind of thing can be considered offensive but because these guys seem to have a collective agreement that I was their common foe, no warnings and the like were sent his way.

Nothing too surprising. If I'm being honest, this passive aggression is much better than them just outright ignoring me.

At their core, who I'm dealing with are businessmen with loads of money at their disposal. Even if they hypothetically suffer a loss, it's not as if it's the end of the world for them. It's not a question of amount anymore but value which roughly translates to how much yen were they going to make and how fast.

"Everyone should have already heard about how the Yukinoshitas and Kujos have let go of their age-old grudges. The biggest evidence for this is how the eldest Yukinoshita daughter and the young Kujo daughter were working together with the people from the previous groups."

Rumors and speculations about such a development have been floating around this part of the society at the beginning of summer so this should not be that big of a surprise to any of them. What really only changes now is that it has become an established fact.

With what was going to happen next, the two companies needed some ample time for preparations so they've been lying low for a few days. Now that everything is ready, it was now time to go on the offensive. As we speak, Kujo Katsuo should also be busy with talks like these on his side. Now about those said rumors, they were spread by the two families involved themselves as a way to keep other rival corporations in check.

Of course, it was not only the competition that became wary, members of the allied and neutral companies such as the ones in front of me were also frightened from this development. Their biggest concern being a simple and understandable one: what use would they be to the Yukinoshitas or Kujos, depending on their alignment prior to the two families' cooperation, if those two behemoths already have each other?

"Hikigaya-san, just what are you trying to say?"

Rather than respect, fear was laced on the representative's tone. Naturally, since they were the type to flaunt around their power, they also bow down just as easily in the face of an objectively superior authority, be that a proxy or not. I had to physically stop myself from scoffing at them in disgust.

"Please consider the words that I'm about to say next to have come out from Yukinoshita Haruno's mouth herself," I ditched all emotion on my expression as if I was just a tool made to relay a message to others. "If any of you promise to cooperate with us then during the expansions of your respective businesses, the Yukinoshitas will be sure to provide you with assistance regarding your construction projects while the Kujos will keep your supply chain running smoothly with their impeccable logistics support," I straightened my back, leaned on my chair before I discarded my emotionless persona and smiled audaciously. "Surely you won't find a deal as sweet as this one in the entirety of Chiba."

"Hoh...! What a very tempting offer."

"I'd even go as far to say that what you're saying is too good for us to ignore."

"But is there a guarantee or something of that sort from the Yukinoshita's side?"

As expected from veteran businessmen, they weren't the type to take everything that I say in face value. Disbelief was basically written on their expressions no matter how much they try to conceal it with a poker face. Although things would've been way easier if that was not the case, this kind of development was well within Haruno-san's calculations.

At the moment, the best mode of persuasion that I can think of was to present them with real facts.

"Watanabe-san, if you please."

"R-R-Right away, Hikigaya-sama."

"…"

The way she stuttered when she replied to me gave me a little fright but her countenance changed all of a sudden when she began her presentation.

"These are the data we gathered from the most recent reports of the companies the esteemed gentlemen here are a part of," a breath of life was finally infused on the screen behind me as Watanabe-san spoke. Graphs and tables in appropriate sizes were in display for everyone to see. Despite how detailed the data was presented, it didn't really pique anyone's interest as it was nothing more than information they were already aware of. Had they been students and not elite businessmen, some of them would probably be yawning at this point. "…An increasing trend is the common factor between the revenue reports that have been showcased so far however," their disinterested expressions warped into ones of surprise after the next slide was displayed. All the graphs that showed positive trends earlier have now been flipped around and were all pointing downwards instead. For more emphasis, Watanabe-san even changed the color of the arrows from green to red on her own discretion. "If we look at just the increase in revenue per month instead of the total revenue then we can see a downward trend instead. While it has not reached significant levels quite yet, the fact that it is indeed constantly decreasing should be a matter of utmost importance for all the parties concerned."

As my secretary-for-the-day went on, a side-by-side comparison was done for each respective company's graphs for their ease of reference.

With this, none of them will be able to deny that there is a looming problem with their company's sales.

"Gentlemen," I took the end of Watanabe-san's explanation as a cue to speak my part. "What do you think are the causes of this decline?"

"…"

My inquiry was answered by either silence or murmurs. It didn't look like I was getting a more concrete answer anytime soon so I chose to move on.

"Allow me to make a guess then," I opened up another presentation as I spoke. This time around, what was shown was not graphs or tables but images of the products from the companies the people in this room represent. "A good majority of your sales come from the patronage of the Chiba residents but that was from a time when options were limited," the next part then showed the logos from the rival businesses that I just offhandedly mentioned. The mere mention of the name or a glimpse of their competitor's symbol was enough to make some of the gentlemen visibly flinch. "Now that competition from Tokyo and international names have begun to make their way here, what you are all relying on is gone," with the undeniable truth is slapped to their faces, there was no more need for me to hold back on my words anymore. "Put it simply, you are starting to fall behind."

"!"

Tension erupted on the room at once.

If Hiratsuka-sensei felt like a Valkyrie then I was more along the lines of a Demon Lord who is the primal cause of a war in the first place.

It wasn't that hard to see how mad they were with what I've said but whether they are angry or not doesn't change their current situation so they elected to keep their silence for now as they could somewhat tell that I was not quite done on my end.

Getting all of them this agitated was nothing more than the first step.

"Now allow me to present you something a little different next," the presentation moved on the next slide displaying another pair of graphs from a different family's business. Specifically, that of the Watanabe family.

"This is?!"

Upon noticing this fact, even Watanabe Wakumi was surprised, mostly because I didn't tell her about any of this.

Unlike the graphs of the guests which only showed the total proceeds of all businesses under them, I've instead decided to break down each particular business venture that the Watanabes have invested in.

"As you can see, the same downward trend can be observed in this family's profits as well," as we reached the end of the list, I couldn't stop myself from breaking off into another smile. That was because, even as I was setting this presentation up, this came as an unexpected surprise to me as well. "Though it would appear that we have one singular exception."

Yoake.

It was the name of the newest investment of the Watanabe family, a café which has a separate floor that doubles as a bar during late night hours. It offers not only traditional brews but also unique selections from foreign countries.

Because of how different it was from other establishments as well as its slightly higher price range, it had a very slow start but that uniqueness brought with it its own charm that no other café here in Chiba could offer.

For now, things seem to be heading in a much better direction than where they initially began. While the numbers it was generating wasn't that large, the fact that it kept on increasing shows that it had was some potential, at the very least, it already has several regulars which could set it up for more success in the future.

"That's just a little outlier, yes?"

"In the grand scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter."

I chose to disregard all of their comments which all just sounded like a salty gacha player who didn't get the rare character that they wanted after burning through all of their resources.

As was implied by the data showed earlier, their businesses are not quite bankrupt yet. What's just happened so far is that their gains are getting smaller and smaller. For all intents and purposes, they still have plenty of resources to work with. They are all just having a little trouble with what move they'll make next with the constant decrease of their profits.

I've already mentioned earlier that I have a solution to their problem and just now I finished showing them the reality that a crisis was looming upon the future of their company. The only thing that was left for me to do was to give them a middle ground of sorts, make them feel they are still in this deal without forcing them to commit too much.

"My words hold no meaning at the moment so before we can all be partners, please allow me to ask everyone present to become witnesses first instead."

"Witnesses to what?"

A very slight trace of malice was added to my smile.

"In around two years from now, please confirm for yourself just how easy it is for the Yukinoshitas and Kujos together to elevate any family business to the next level. At that time, the venue of our next meeting will of course be on a much grander site than what we have today."

"And where would that be?"

I could sense both excitement and nervousness on this old man's tone when he spoke.

"Since we're aiming to achieve something big, we'll have to be a little flashy right?" I cast a passing glance on each person on the room while my lips ended up curling more upwards involuntarily. "How does Tokyo sound to everybody?"

Exactly how was Watanabe Wakumi and the Watanabe Family going to prove their worth to the Yukinoshitas?

What they needed was an important role that isn't that difficult to perform by anybody.

At the same time, this role must also make the Watanabes feel grateful enough that it will discourage them from turning coat or misbehaving in the near future.

After thinking about it while I was preparing for this meeting, only one answer came to mind.

As the first step to my older sister's grand ambition, the Watanabes will have to serve as our little guinea pig.

…

I say that and all but it's not really as bad as it sounds.

Even though it will be a trial run of some sorts, the Watanabes will still have the backing of both Yukinoshitas and Kujos just like what was mentioned in the meeting earlier so there really was nothing for them to worry about.

These were the bunch of excuses I prepared beforehand in case a certain secretary of mine had any questions for getting her family suddenly involved in this gamble but…

"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~…"

…Judging from the way she was humming to herself cheerfully as we headed back to the Service Club clubroom together, such thoughts may not have been necessary.

While the talks from earlier could definitely have gone better, I'll take the fact that I was able to convey what I wanted to convey without breaking down from all that pressure as a win. If I say it's fine, it's fine. Seriously, I find it hard to imagine myself doing better than what I just did. Even if I was given a hundred tries, it was quite likely that a majority would end up with a similar outcome.

Anyways, enough talking about what has passed. There were things that need to be handled in the present, such as the thoughts of this assistant of mine right here.

"Good work out there, Watanabe-san."

The brown-haired girl's body jolted after hearing my remark.

"Ah thank you very much, Hikigaya-sama."

Since now was a good time as any, I decided to ask her the question I've been most curious about for a while now.

"You seem happy for some reason?"

Watanabe-san averted her gaze away from me as she answered.

"Well, it's a little embarrassing but Yoake was actually set up because of my suggestion or I guess it's better to call it my selfishness," Watanabe-san coughed deliberately a few times in order to reign in her embarrassment. "I was just happy that it got recognized and is even about to get an expansion of all things," she smiled before bowing in appreciation. It was an expression I wouldn't initially expect from this girl when my first impression of her was that of an otome villainess. "It's all thanks to you, Hikigaya-sama."

Her gratitude was wasted on someone like me and that was especially true when you start to take into account the fact that I didn't do such a thing out of pure goodwill.

Loner Skill No. 50: Maou Hikki.

My gaze towards Watanabe-san turned cold but rather than how the Yukinoshitas make it seem like you are nothing more than a bug, mine was more detached and apathetic.

"I don't deserve your thanks," I callously responded. While having her feel like she owed me something would definitely be beneficial to both me and the Yukinoshitas in general, I also didn't want her to misunderstand my intentions. It's better that we make it clear as early as now that this was nothing more than business. "Make no mistake, the Watanabes were saved solely because your family might become useful to the Yukinoshitas in the future."

"Of course! Please pardon my impudence!" the brown-haired heiress bowed to me in a panic.

With her acting like that, I immediately knew that I acted far too harshly towards her just to prove a point.

"It's nothing you have to apologize for," I waved my hand around to indicate that it was no big deal but seeing the stark contrast to her jovial demeanor from a few seconds earlier to her current apologetic behavior, I couldn't help but give a little aftercare as a safety measure. You know, that thing with the carrot and stick. "While I don't think I can give you something too expensive, I would like to reward you for a job well done today. Is there anything in particular you want?"

Watanabe-san took a few seconds to think about my offer. She appeared hesitant, likely because of how aggressive I was just a few seconds ago.

"In that case, I would like to walk around your school grounds," she acted a little timid as she continued. "Will Hikigaya-sama be kind enough to act as my escort?"

It was a request that was beyond my expectations to the point that I was even suspicious about it but when my gaze accidentally landed on the window and I saw the image it reflected, I ended up remembering my current appearance.

Apparently, now this isn't my own biased opinion but rather something I observed from the reaction of others, when I am wearing a set of formal clothes and I put on my glasses, I look decent enough that girls don't mind talking to me more. There are even rare occasions where they end up proactively approaching me instead.

Shocking, I know. Unbelievable, in fact but then again, there was a quick and easy method to mess with all of that. In a way, you could say it is a pity but I've long moved on from the stage of trying to impress others with how I look on the outside.

"On two conditions," I raised both index and middle finger for emphasis. "First, I can only accompany you for a short while as I still have committee work left to do."

"I'm completely okay with that," she answered almost instantaneously, while unconsciously making her body lean forward.

Okay, that was a little odd but moving on.

"The other one is," I then grabbed the black-framed spectacles that I've been wearing since this morning. "I'll be going with how I usually look when I go to school."

…

As I expected, Watanabe-san didn't react too pleasantly when she saw how I look without my glasses and formal attire… But what I didn't see coming though was how she still went through with her request of going around Sobu with me when I thought she'd take it back or something.

I for one, saw no reason to reject her when she already went as far as accepting my conditions so I accompanied her as she wished.

Given that it was very closely approaching the end of the festival, there was not much to sightsee in the campus grounds as much as there were yesterday or even from a few hours earlier.

As such, aside from a few little purchases and one surprise encounter that may or may not have ended in a little misunderstanding of sorts, it was pretty much uneventful but that was a story for another time.

Now it may not seem like it but I'm actually a part of the Festival Committee so in order to still fulfill my job and Watanabe-san's request at the same time, I mapped out a route in my head that will put us close to Sobu's gymnasium by the end of our little tour.

"Am I allowed to go inside as well?"

A hint of concern was layered on Watanabe-san's voice as she asked and a similar timbre could be detected from my response.

"I should be the one asking you that," I pointed my thumb towards the building as I explained. "That place will be filled with children from middle-class families, you know? It's nothing like the formal parties that you're used to going to."

The scarlet eyed heiress immediately became flustered.

"Can you please not mention those kinds of things, Hikigaya-sama? I'll be sure not to act like that in the near future so please," she begged at the rate of a full-automatic rifle, showcasing just how embarrassed she was of her past actions.

While it wasn't really my intention to tease her, I didn't see any need to correct her misunderstanding so I rolled along with it for now.

"Well, you don't really have to force yourself to play nice to all of them but I would very much appreciate it if you don't start any fights yourself," I was just about to open the door before I turned back to Watanabe-san to tell her something I remembered before I ended up forgetting later. "By the way, if anyone asks just tell them that the two of us are acquaintances. While you're at it, feel free to drop the sama."

"…Ah, understood."

There was a slight delay in her response but I didn't think too much of it and just opened the entrance.

The interior of the gymnasium didn't really change much compared to how it was set up yesterday except maybe for how much more crowded it has become since the visitors from outside of the school were also allowed to come.

In the exact moment that we came in, an unexpected surprise was waiting for us.

"Coming up next is a special performance by none other than the members of the Festival Committee. Everyone please welcome them with a huge round of applause!"

After the announcer's words, upbeat and futuristic music played from the speakers and the humming voices of the singers can be heard from the background.

/ Oh oh oh oh yeah… /

After that short intro, the spotlight then shined on the middle of the stage to reveal Yuigahama Yui holding on to a microphone. She was on a costume which from this distance, looked like a modified sailor uniform. It was a black blazer vest with a red flower on the left side of her chest like a corsage. Underneath that was white collared shirt with frills on their sleeves that reached right between her shoulder and elbow. She paired her top with a skirt that was composed of two layers, the inner one seems to be from Sobu's uniform while the second layer which is entirely red and has white frills on the end extends towards the right-hand side, making it asymmetrical. This imbalance is addressed in a way on her legs where the right one is a black sock that reached just on her knee while the left side is covered by a red stocking that reached the thigh. To round it all off, she put on a necktie with the same shade of red from her other articles.

/ Yeah

Asa made oku made fukaku kite yeah… / [2]

The next one who made an appearance was Yukinoshita Yukino on Yui's right whose getup ran the same theme as the latter but instead of the color red, her theme is a light blue similar to a clear sky which became the color of her corsage, overskirt, left stocking and tie.

/ Yeah

Kaiwa de wa naku me de mitsumeteite… /

Finally, Miura Yumiko was revealed to be on Yui's left to complete the trio. Rather than Yui's red or Yukino's blue, her signature color in this instance was a vivid green of the same shade as her eyes.

/ Yeah

Tsunaide kowashite yo You're my baby… /

The three then quickly repositioned themselves at the end of Miura's turn before they all began to sing together.

/ …Motto aishite yo Love me harder

Tokeatteiku hada to hada

As many times many times

Come over again and again

Ya very nice berry nice

And never let it go

Yoru ga akeru made Love me harder

Kowareta tte mo kamawanai

As many times many times

Come over again and again

Ya very nice berry nice

Yeah baby gotta Love me harder… /

The heavy beat dropped and before anyone could even blink, the three singing girls from just a second ago suddenly began dancing energetically.

Their moves were quick, snappy and all fundamentally simple but what was the most impressive feat here was how they coordinated with each other, making the performance appear all the more brilliant and generating stares of awe from the spectators.

"Oh my…!"

"Well, this is quite unexpected…"

The song was arranged in a manner that every time the speakers were roaring with loud electronic beats, it was the girls' cue to dance in a more animated manner while a lull in the background music indicated for them to sing their respective lines while making only light movements.

Needless to say, they really nailed it on each aspect, whether it be the high notes, the fast-paced singing and even the dances that they have to do in-between. You truly couldn't ask for a better performance.

The crowd loved every second of it that it was quickly reaching a point where it was getting a little difficult to hear their singing with all the loud cheers they were getting. Let's not even get started with the minority who were throwing a few cheeky confessions here and there.

Who can blame them really?

I, myself, can't take my eyes off of them.

Now although the nature of my gaze was closer to that of a proud friend rather than the lascivious eyes of a thirsty beast, the older girl beside me did not seem to agree.

"Hikigaya-sama who do you find the cutest between those three?"

My keen ears managed to pick up the question that Watanabe-san tossed to me despite the noisy crowd around us, no, she moved her lips close to my ear enough that it was more difficult for me to not pick up what she just said. Though I did just tell her that it was fine not to address me as sama anymore, I don't think being forceful about it is the way to go so I just let it be for now.

While I'm not really sure if we're familiar enough to be having this kind of conversation, as I'm no expert in the field I chose to take a safe and indirect approach for now.

"Is my answer going to reach the ears of Haruno-san perchance?"

I mimicked Watanbe-san's actions and closed in towards her as well but I immediately pulled back after I relayed my reply.

"If she asks, I don't think I'll be able to refuse her."

Now that's just putting me on the spot, isn't it? Regardless of which option I pick, I'm sure that older sister of mine will find a multitude of ways to torment me so my only choice here is to be a little creative in answering.

Really, it's not like the preference of someone insignificant as me mattered when these girls were cute enough that they had the luxury to pick any boy they liked.

Loner Skill No. 75: Sophist Hikki.

"Well, what if I said that I might actuallyprefer someone a little older like Haruno-san?"

That was technically not a lie, especially when you consider the fact that Meguri-senpai fell on the same category.

In contrast to how calm and collected I was after answering, my female counterpart started blushing profusely.

"Eh?! Wait, does that mean?!"

Since it didn't look like she was going to calm down anytime soon, I just let Watanabe-san be.

If she was going to be this embarrassed about it, then she should not have asked such a question in the first place but saying something along that line was probably not going to make things worse so I chose to keep my mouth shut instead.

With that, I turned my attention back to the trio who was just about to put an end on this spectacular show.

It's a pity though, I'm pretty sure Haruno-san would've liked to see this sight as well… Nah, who am I kidding? I'm sure she's watching this very closely from somewhere.

/ …Kono mama doko made mo ochiteku kara

Oh yeah

Shiranai furi shite hamatteku wana

Oh woooah

Madamada aishite gotta love me harder

Oh woooah

Love me harder. /

It was a performance that deserved nothing less than the applause that they were currently getting now.

Both the male and female halves of the crowd were easily charmed by their presentation and I wouldn't be surprised if these three ended up becoming more popular because of this event.

In all seriousness, rather than who looked cutest between the trio my mind was occupied with two far more important questions.

How the heck did they even find time to practice for this performance?

And…

Where do I sign-up for the fan club?

Whoever was the genius who came up and convinced these three to perform, you have my utmost and deepest gratitude.

…

"And here I thought you weren't going to come and help out in the festival anymore."

Was the first line that came out of Yukinoshita Yukino's mouth the moment our eyes met. Saying that she is in a bad mood is an understatement especially when you consider the fact that she was currently crossing her arms together and her eyebrows were meeting at the center.

"Sorry about that. The discussion on my end took a little longer than expected."

Given the situation, I was forced to pull out the first excuse that popped out of my head but judging from Yukino's reaction, she wasn't buying it one bit. No, it was more like she wasn't paying me any attention anymore as her lapis lazuli-like irises were locked on to the girl standing behind me.

"And she is?" one of her eyebrows raised slightly in equal parts intrigue and irritation as she asked that question.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Yukinoshita-sama," the scarlet-eyed beauty behind me went ahead and responded before I even had the chance to do so. "I am Watanabe Wakumi. Today, I was granted the privilege to be Hikigaya-sama's temporary aide."

"I see. So that unfortunate girl is you."

Due to her vexation, Yukino couldn't stop herself from letting out much colder words than usual. While it was certainly something that I was used to, the same cannot be said for other people like Watanabe-san right here.

"With all due respect Yukinoshita-sama that's…"

"Watanabe-san relax," I decided to step in before the situation got any more heated. "It may not seem like it but this is how the two of us usually interact with each other," I diverted my attention from the brunette towards the ravenette with a look that was asking, no, begging the latter to take the hint. "Isn't that right, Yukino?"

It was only after a short while and a sigh did Yukino decide to respond.

"I guess that's true, in a way."

While it certainly didn't look like her mood had gotten any better, I'll just be thankful of the fact that the situation didn't escalate into a fight.

There is a small possibility that Yukino became angry for Miura's sake from the events of the Summer Ball but that was something those two should deal on their own.

For the time being, the best I can do is to poke and prod for the reason behind Yukino's unexplainable irritation.

"Right, Yukino, do you have a task that I should be doing?"

"Well, nothing in particular so far," she averted her gaze away from me as she answered.

From that reaction, it didn't seem like I was completely off the mark but I'm not quite exactly right either. In that case, I gotta keep asking her then.

"Really? From the way you spoke since earlier, I thought for sure that you were having trouble about something though."

As I said that, I finally noticed something that I can't believe I've overlooked all this while. It's probably because I was way too busy trying to struggle for my survival but I digress.

It was none other than Yukino's current attire.

She still hasn't changed from the flashy and colorful idol-like costume that she had to put on for their performance. Looking at her this closely, it really didn't seem that out-of-place on her given that she possessed features that rivals a celebrity already.

"By the way…"

Yukino cast an expectant glance towards me as I began to speak but before I could go on however…

"Hachi-senpai!" a distressed cry suddenly interrupted my train of thought.

Shortly after that, a certain flaxen-haired kouhai of ours was now right in front of us. I could only grimace at the possibility that this girl was probably about to bring up something rather troublesome.

"Iroha-san? What's the matter?" all of Yukino's irritation from earlier was converted into concern instead.

"We have a problem!"

And my gut feeling just had to be right. Fantastic.

Since Yukino looked like she has switched gears already, I also decided to prioritize Iroha's more urgent case as well.

"Calm down and tell us exactly what we should be worried about."

Because of how she rushed towards Yukino and I upon seeing us, Iroha had to take a second to calm down her erratic breathing first before she could start explaining.

"You see…"

…

The reason for Student Council President's distress could be summarized in one line.

"In the end, he went ahead and did the same thing his sister did last year, huh?"

For two consecutive years, the Festival Committee Chairman was missing just before they were supposed to give their closing speech at the end of the program.

With most of his options being restricted with the moves that I suggested, the younger Sagami went ahead and used the surefire brute force method of ruining the event: a simple and direct sabotage such as this.

Now if only the solution to this problem was just as easy then we wouldn't be feeling nearly as stressed.

Since the entire event is mostly under the authority of the second-years, the only people with enough leeway to handle this unexpected situation were the third-years who were designated to play a more supporting role.

Even so, if too many are pulled out from their current stations, people might start to notice that something was wrong so we had to also consider balance in this regard.

As such, the only ones gathered to listen to Isshiki Iroha's report were Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuigahama Yui, Miura Yumiko, Sagami Minami, Hayama Hayato, Kawasaki Taishi, Hikigaya Komachi and myself, Hikigaya Hachiman.

The two first-years were added to the roster by virtue of them being Service Club members.

"Ah, that stupid idiot! I can't apologize enough for what he just did."

Funny she says that especially considering that she literally did the exact same thing last year but for the sake of not disrupting the rhythm of this emergency meeting, I'll keep that thought to myself.

But really, is confusion the only thing he's aiming for here?

"It's not as bad as it looks, we still have around thirty minutes before he has to make that announcement at the end of the program after all," determination burned brightly on Yukino's blue eyes. "It's far from over yet."

"I'm really sorry for what my little brother just did," Sagami bowed to us repeatedly as she spoke. "I don't know if it's enough as an apology but I'll help look for him as well. He's my brother so the odds of me finding him should be pretty high."

As if she was feeling the pressure that the Ice Queen was inadvertently exerting, Sagami decided to volunteer.

"That is very much appreciated, Sagami-san," Yukino nodded curtly. "Given our current circumstances, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Since the boys are going to perform a little later, I guess the rest of us girls will have to help in finding him, right?" Miura raised her suggestion while placing her hands on her hips, seeming to be disappointed about something.

"Yeah, we'll be counting on you," Hayama went ahead and said such a shameless line with a determined nod just like a story's protagonist would. If it was me, I'd have ended up sounding like a lazy bastard. "We'll try to buy you guys as much time as possible," Hayama's gaze then went over to me for some reason. "Just like how it was last year."

Judging from the context of his words, it was probably a little jab about the first social suicide I did in the past but as I was way too occupied in trying to understand the goals of the younger Sagami, I ignored him.

"Mhm, got it."

It was a little surprising to me that Miura answered in such a lukewarm manner given that Hayama of all people was showing his appreciation to her. It's really a testament of how things have changed in the past few days but that was not my place to say.

"Aww! It's kind of a pity that we can't see your performance live though," the only one on this lineup who could focus on such a detail despite the current situation was Yui. If it were the entire clique together then the prime suspect would have been Tobe.

Unlike those two however, I am well-aware of what to say or not to say in situations like this. I was basically a grunt who fights with a bat, a snake, a rat and whatever that floating poisonous sphere is called. [3]

"I'll try to look for other vacant hands to help out as well."

"Komachi will do her best with the search too!"

"Ah! Let me accompany you, Komachi-san."

Came the commitments from Iroha, Komachi and Taishi, respectively. Now that everyone including the juniors have said a piece of their mind, it was now time for me to step in. Given that my usual role is fixing the problems behind-the-scenes, my next task couldn't have been more obvious.

What was so different with this from last year anyways?

I had to deliberately stop myself from screaming then and there.

That singular question finally gave me the eureka moment that I was waiting for.

It doesn't make that much sense though but given what just occurred and after taking into account his actions so far, this was the most likely possibility.

Perhaps the turning point of all this was the fact that he became more acquainted with me by the end of last year. In that case, I guess you can say that I bear some responsibility here too.

Then again as I wasn't 100% certain of this conclusion of mine, I kept it to myself for now. What I must do next was to find that guy first before everyone else so I can ask him for confirmation face-to-face.

And I think I might know exactly where he's hiding.

"You can count me in on the search team too. I don't have anything else to do after all."

All of them except for Sagami then looked at me in astonishment after I said that statement.

Really, is it that surprising for me to voluntarily offer a helping hand? Didn't I literally do something like this on my own last year? Okay, maybe I was technically ordered to do so but still.

However, the meaning hidden behind those expressions was something far beyond my imagination.

"What are you talking about, Hikigaya?" Hayama no, Hayato smiled in a manner similar to a hunter who saw its target finally spring the trap he set. "You're on the vocals."

I had to take a second to check if my ears were playing tricks on me or not but when I literally have a Loner Skill based on my acute sense of hearing, the odds of something like that happening was unlikely.

Dumfounded, I found myself unconsciously staring back at the group and tossing the obvious question towards them.

"Wait, what?"

---

SS 1: In The Only Way She Knew How, Yuigahama Yui Persuades Her Friend

After the opening ceremony, the members of the committee were gathered for a meeting to finalize each and every single one's respective role for the event. Since he was called to help out in his class, Hikigaya Hachiman was not present and because he didn't give a damn about the festival in the first place, Sagami Sugita was also not around.

Just when they were about to wrap things up, someone suggested something that was never done by any committee member ever since Sobu was inaugurated.

"We. Are. Not. Doing. This."

The chilling ultimatum came from the black-haired girl who bore the moniker of Ice Queen.

The temperature around the room lowered by several degrees as she uttered and emphasized each word. The other members couldn't dare speak up because of the bone-chilling atmosphere.

The Sobu student who approached Yukinoshita Yukino shivered similar to a rat in front of the gaze of one of its natural predators.

Despite his fears however, he still decided to mount one last act of resistance…

"B-B-But it was a special request… Because of how well-received your impromptu performance was last year…"

"No. This and that are two completely different things."

…Only to be met with Yukinoshita's frown, instantly plunging the room into below zero degrees territory unlike the small bursts from earlier.

But just when the guy facing off against the Ice Queen was about to lose all hope…

"I mean, doesn't this sound interesting?"

…Help came from an unexpected source, specifically in the form of the flamboyant Miura Yumiko.

Needless to say, the second heiress of the Yukinoshita family was not too thrilled with the idea. The fact that it came from one of her close friends among all people seemed to have irritated her more if her furrowed brows were any indication.

"We are already swamped with so much work and you are suggesting that we prepare for a presentation on top of all that?"

Unlike the nameless boy from earlier, Miura chose to stand her ground against Yukinoshita's fierce assault.

As someone who bore the title of Fire Queen, she was the only one who could clash directly with the virtually perfect ravenette, according to what elemental affinity would suggest, at least.

Miura crossed her arms to her chest and locked her green eyes with Yukinoshita's own blue orbs.

"So if we can complete a sufficient degree of work then you'll agree to taking part in this special performance, right?"

As the ravenette was unable to pull out a witty rebuttal against the blonde's inquiry, she decided to take a more indirect approach much like what that black-haired acquaintance of theirs would do in this type of scenario.

"Why are you so interested in doing something like this anyways?"

Miura began involuntarily twirling her curls as she shared her line of reasoning.

"I mean, shouldn't we do something special for our last festival in Sobu? I just thought that this might be the best opportunity to do so."

She may or may not have wanted to show off to a particular male student but there was no way she was going to say something as embarrassing as that out loud.

"But that doesn't-!"

"I think I want to do this too!"

A fourth person joined in on the fray and interrupted Yukinoshita's rebuttal.

"Yui-san?"

The fact that yet another friend of hers was not taking her side made it a more bitter pill for Yukinoshita to swallow.

"Please, Yukinon. I'm going to do my very best. I want to do my part to make this the best festival ever!"

Seconds that seemed like hours went by as Yukinoshita toyed around with her options but if Hikigaya Hachiman were here he'd say that the moment that a particular pinkette was involved, this argument of sorts was already as good as ever.

The Festival Committee may not have the secret instruction manual written by a certain older sister but they do have the cheat code known as Yuigahama Yui who historically, Yukinoshita Yukino can never say no to.

"Fine. I'll join as well. I need to make sure both of you don't embarrass yourselves after all," the warm and friendly aura that the Ice Queen radiated while she made that light jab to Yuigahama Yui suddenly became cold and frigid as she laid her sight on the others who were stuck on their chairs for fear of their life. "But try to make either of us do something even remotely inappropriate then I'll have all your heads."

Everyone nodded repeatedly in panic.

This trembling of theirs was worth it however as they just managed to come out alive after convincing Yukinoshita Yukino to perform in front of a lot of people.

Was it even possible to get an outcome better than this?

---

SS 2: Wherein Totsuka Saika's Thoughts Led Him To A Strange Conclusion

Regrettably, nothing in this world lasts forever.

More often than not, it was the good moments that pass by even faster.

Just when multiple people came to visit Totsuka Saika's class to check their play out, they had no other choice but to close up for the rest of the day.

With the end of Sobu's Cultural Festival fast approaching, all kinds of attractions that were set up by the students needed to cleaned up before the closing program that will be held on the afternoon. One of the few exceptions to this would be the stalls that were selling food outside so that the people still roaming about could have some refreshments and the like but very few individuals actually purchase anything at this kind of time already. They would be extremely conspicuous if they did.

As such, even someone who is not that observant like Totsuka did not miss a boy-girl pair with complementing hair colors of black and brown respectively, going around the campus grounds while doing exactly that.

"Oh, is that?"

Driven by his curiosity, he slowly trailed the two sneakily before the sharp black-haired young man noticed him from the corner of his eye.

"Yo, Saika."

While Totsuka was initially unsure of who the guy was given that there are several black-haired guys like him in Sobu, he was easily able to identify him with his lackadaisical greeting and of course, his trademark lifeless eyes. It was something impossible to be mistaken of after you've seen it once.

"Oh, Hachiman! Hello," Totsuka's blue eyes were inadvertently drawn to the brown-haired beauty beside his friend though it was not the lecherous nature you would usually expect from boys of his age but just the pure and sincere joy you get from meeting someone new for the first time. "And to you as well, Miss!"

"Yes, hello. You would be?"

When Hikigaya noticed the mild twitch of annoyance on one of Watanabe's brows, he instantly decided to interfere. While the heiress that he's been accompanying with for the past few hours was not the same judgmental person he encountered during the Summer Ball, he was not willing to take his chances.

"Right, let me introduce you two," Hikigaya extended his hand out to Totsuka as he faced the lady beside him. "Watanabe-san, this guy's name is Totsuka Saika. We were classmates last year and we've been good friends ever since," he then switched his hand and gaze to the other person. "Saika, this is Watanabe Wakumi-san. The two of us are basically work colleagues who are affiliated with the same company."

"I see. Once again, it's nice to meet you, Watanabe-san," a lovely smile that with Totsuka's androgynous features could easily mislead the uninitiated into thinking that he was a girl was plastered on the silver-haired boy's face.

"Yes likewise, Totsuka-san."

In contrast to the friendliness exuding from Totsuka, Watanabe's expression truly embodied the concept of a business smile…

"Thank you very much for taking care of Hachiman. I'm really happy that he's found another person considerate enough to look past his rough exterior and see how kind he really is."

…That was until it crumbled in the next second when Totsuka suddenly began acting like Hikigaya's doting relative.

"Well, as embarrassing as it is to say out loud it's actually Hikigaya-sama who's been really considerate of me. I don't really think I've done anything at all to be of much help to him."

"Nonsense," Totsuka shook his head while maintaining his smile. "He may not say it but I'm sure he's happy with just you believing in him. He's that kind of person," the androgynous angel even added a playful wink at the end.

"Hey, hey what are you two even saying?"

An embarrassed Hikigaya tried to nudge himself into their conversation but his words were drowned out, no, it was more appropriate to say that Totsuka filtered out whatever it is that the loner wanted to say albeit unconsciously.

"Well then, I think I'll be interrupting if I stay any longer so I'll be going on ahead," the former President of the Tennis Club excused himself while directing an implicating smile towards Hikigaya's way. "Please have fun you two."

Given Totsuka's recent strides in his physical prowess, it only took around a second before he was already out of earshot. No, somewhere in his mind, Hikigaya felt that even if he screamed, his words won't reach his friend's ears because of the misconception he was having.

With how everything suddenly took a strange turn, Hikigaya Hachiman could only sigh.

"Uh, I'm not sure why buy I think he's having a major misunderstanding about our relationship. Sorry about that."

"Isn't it fine if Hikigaya-sama just explains it to him on a later date?" Watanabe, in a much better mood than earlier, suggested beside him.

"Hah, I have a feeling that it's not going to be as easy as you make it sound," he massaged his temple after sighing.

While Hikigaya Hachiman was being troubled by several things on his head, the brunette next to him was having a worry of an entirely different nature.

Does Hikigaya-sama really think that much highly of me?

On the other hand, one Totsuka Saika was humming happily to himself with a skip on his step.

"Red eyes, slightly older than us and has long hair, yep, I don't think I'm mistaken. Watanabe-san should be the girl! Good for you, Hachiman!"

By a strange twist of fate, Watanabe Wakumi turned out to embody all the traits that Hikigaya found attractive in a girl or so he offhandedly mentioned in the little game they had a few weeks back. As the proponent of said game, of course Totsuka remembered most of the answers from his friends but at this point…

He still had no idea how far he was from the actual truth.

---

SS 3: When It Was Her Younger Siblings' Turn To Shine, Yukinoshita Haruno Would Never Let Herself Miss Out

"It was a wonderful performance, Yukinoshita-sama," Kujo Koyuki, still in her business casual attire, smiled while clapping to Yukinoshita Haruno who just came back from the stage.

The performance that was being alluded here was pretty much the same number that Haruno did last year wherein she acted as the conductor to an orchestra by special request of the school.

Naturally, since she is to be onstage, she had to dress up for the occasion. She was currently clad in a jet-black dress but instead of her usual preference which showed her cleavage and legs, the upper part of her dress covered the former while she wore tights for the latter. She even decided to wear gloves for her arms. The only part of Haruno's pale skin that was revealed was her shoulders from the gap between the dress and gloves.

It was a style that she observed was the preference of a younger brother of hers but because he was currently stuck dealing with a bunch of old men, he wasn't able to see Haruno in her dress, much less perform.

As much as Yukinoshita Haruno was so looking forward to seeing the cynic's awestruck expression, it was just not meant to be as the schedule just didn't line up to their favor.

At this point, it was hard to tell who was in a more losing end because of how things played out and which person cared about it more.

Because the praise Haruno got was not from the person that she wanted to hear it from, she focused on something entirely different instead.

"Aren't we already done with all the meetings, Koyuki-chan? Call me with something less formal already," she pouted at the end of her complaint.

Not finding the response completely unexpected, Kujo simply maintained her smile after a brief shake of her head.

"Until the end of today I am still your secretary Yukinoshita-sama so I find it inappropriate to address you with anything else."

"You're so stubborn," though she sounded like she was sulking, Haruno easily shrugged those negative feelings off. "Well, it's fine. You're cute like this too," she then made direct eye contact with her aide-for-the-day before throwing a question her way. "With this, there shouldn't be anything else that I need to do right, Koyuki-chan?"

"…Ah, yes. Unless Yukinoshita-sama has a personal appointment that I am not aware of then that should be the case."

The uncharacteristic delayed response of the Kujo heiress was not missed by the sharp Haruno. In truth, she already felt that the girl was brooding over something even before she went out to perform but she could only ask now.

"Oh my, what's wrong?" Haruno leaned forward while asking. "You look like you're worried about something. You can tell this Onee-san all about it."

Sensing that lying was of no use against the older girl in front of her, Kujo decided to lay her thoughts bare.

"Will Hikigaya-san really be fine on his own?"

A vague trace of madness lit up on Yukinoshita Haruno's amethyst-like irises. "Of course he will! He's my lovely little brother after all!" the nature of her expression then changed to fit the word mischievous more rather than mad. "Besides, it's not as if he's completely on his own."

"Watanabe-san, was it?" Kujo's visage instanty looked grim. "I beg your pardon but I don't think she'll be of much use."

"Oh, believe me. I agree with you," Haruno nodded before donning a resigned smile in the next second. "But Otouto-kun said that was not completely the case so what can an older sister really do except honor her eager younger brother's wishes?"

"Even so...!"

"Well, enough about that," Haruno waved her hand around the air as she interrupted the younger girl's train of thought. "Could you please bring out the item that I told you to carry, Koyuki-chan?" Haruno's forced transition compelled Kujo Koyuki to follow her order. At this point, she wasn't sure if what she should be more scared of was Haruno's obsessiveness or how quickly she can change her gears.

The item in question here was a large suitcase which didn't seem that odd at first glance given how many clothes Haruno had to go through today but that was until you see the whole size of this thing. It was way too big just for the purpose of carrying four to five sets of clothing. Was Haruno going on a vacation or something?

Unable to contain her intrigue, Kujo Koyuki decided to ask about the elephant in the room.

"Umm, may I ask what's inside?"

Instead of answering, Haruno chose to open the bag and show its contents to Kujo. "An assortment of disguises. I brought some for you as well. I wasn't sure which size would fit you so I packed a couple just in case."

"Eh? What are we going to use something like that for?" equal parts surprise and curiosity dwelled on the azure eyes of the younger heiress.

"Why to blend in with the crowd of course!" this time around, Haruno answered with twinkling eyes. "According to Hayato-kun, there is a good chance that Yukino-chan and Otouto-kun are performing and I wouldn't miss that for the world!"

After hearing all that, Kujo Koyuki arrived at one conclusion.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the scariest aspect of Yukinoshita Haruno is her boundless love (obsession) for her siblings and whether it was bound by blood or not didn't matter.

---

SS 4: Out Of Nowhere, Miura Yumiko's Past Enemy Approaches Her

Given the urgency of the situation, the people that were gathered to listen to Isshiki's report all immediately separated to carry out their respective tasks.

With Hikigaya Hachiman being forced to join the other boys of the clique, the brunette whose been following him around since earlier was now left to her own devises.

While Watanabe Wakumi has definitely become more considerate, it doesn't change the fact that at her core she was still a proud heiress.

In one obscure corner in the backstage area, an unexpected reunion occurred.

"You are Miura Yumiko-san, right?"

Anyone would be taken aback if they were suddenly approached by a beautiful girl of her caliber so Miura cannot be blamed for instinctively putting her guard up.

"Yes… Can I help you with something?"

"Do you not remember me at all?"

"Uh, no?" Miura briefly looked behind her and saw all the others informed by Isshiki heading out of the gymnasium one-by-one. "Anyways, can this wait for later? I have something urgent to do right now and I still need to change from these clothes too."

A hint of sadism was present on Watanabe's expression as her lips twisted into a smile. "Perhaps you would remember something if I mentioned the Summer Ball."

Hearing those two words prompted Miura to recall several memories that night.

One particularly unpleasant one popped up when she stared at the scarlet irises of the brunette in front of her.

It reminded her of wine. Wine that was splashed all over her and the wonderful dress that was given to her by her supportive friend.

"That was you!" sharp emerald-like irises glared at fierce scarlet orbs for a short instance before Miura herself decided to back off. "I'm pretty sure you said something about hating people of lower status that night so what are you doing here?"

"It's for work reasons," Watanabe answered matter-of-factly. "Also, I'm not here to pick a fight. In fact, I even came here to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" Miura couldn't help but feel a little skeptical after hearing those words.

"Yes. Hikigaya-sama told me to do so."

"Hikigaya-sama? Are you talking about Hikio?"

"Oh my! I see you two are close enough that he'll allow you to call him by a nickname."

That offhanded remark from Watanabe made Miura blush ever so slightly.

"Of course, we are… We're friends after all," the blonde coughed deliberately for a few times before adopting a sharp look. "Anyways, what's this about an apology?"

"Exactly as the word implies, I would like to ask for your forgiveness for the trouble that I've caused you, Miura-san," the prideful Watanabe bowed her head a little before raising it in the next second. "But I understand that it will be difficult to accept a verbal apology from me considering what I've done to you so how about I grant you one request? It can be anything you like."

"I think I'm fine," the blonde shot down the brunette's offer without any hesitation. "You going out of your way to talk to me like this is good enough for me."

Miura tried to end things there but Watanabe leaned in closer to her and pushed on.

"No, I'll be troubled if you refuse. I might even incur the wrath of Hikigaya-sama or Yukinoshita-sama."

The partly desperate look of the proud heiress in front of her forced Miura to reconsider her options.

"Well, if you really insist then I do have something I can think of right now that I might need your help with."

That statement from Miura brought some life back to Watanabe's expression.

"Oh? What's it going to be?" one of Watanabe's fingers was raised as she began to enumerate all of Miura's possible options. "A new dress? New shoes? A bag? Oh, accessories of any kind are fine too."

"No, it's nothing like that," Miura shook her head resolutely in the face of the temptation that was dangled in front of her. "I just want to ask you to record the boys' performance. Can you do that for me?"

It took a while before Watanabe responded to Miura's request. Needless to say, what she was troubled about was not the difficulty of the task but the exact opposite, it was far too simple to the point that she can't help but feel a little suspicious.

"Yes, I don't mind doing something like that," Watanabe answered while her countenance was still shrouded in doubt. "But are you really sure? Even though it's coming from me, this is a rare opportunity, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm completely okay with this," Miura smiled bravely. "After all, I've put everything that happened on that event way behind me already."

"I see. That's good to hear," Watanabe bowed once again, this time in a manner that would give Hikigaya's perfect bow a run for its money. "Once again, I'm sorry for everything that I did to you on that party," she then raised her upper body and faced her green-eyed counterpart with an expression filled with sincerity. "The next time you're invited to an event like that, I'll be sure to make it the most memorable night of your life."

Miura wasn't willing to bet on such a verbal promise but saying something along those lines will surely sour the mood between them so she elected to keep her doubts to herself.

"I'll be looking forward to it then."

The two girls then shared a laugh together after all that. Looking at it from an outsider's perspective, you'd never be able to imagine the controversial thing that these two were involved with in the past.

"By the way, I'm a little curious," a faint sparkle of interest can be seen flickering in Watanabe's bright scarlet orbs. "While it does seem like Hikigaya-sama is a man of many talents, is singing one of them?"

Towards the skeptical Watanabe Wakumi, Miura Yumiko replied with a smile similar to that of a wife who was proud of her husband but given the current state of their relationship it was more appropriate to describe it as nothing more than that of a supportive friend.

"Oh, you'll be surprised."

---

SS 5: Fervidly, Hikigaya Hachiman Sings His Heart Out

"This is a horrible idea."

Hearing the hopeless comment from his cynical friend put a layer of malice on Hayama's smiling face.

"Hikigaya, you've been saying the same thing for the past ten minutes now."

"And I intend to keep saying it until you guys finally understand how big of a mistake this is," came Hikigaya's instant rebuttal.

"Hikitani bro, no matter what you say, you're going to be singing for us. It's already been decided," said Tobe while twirling one of his drumsticks.

"By who?" Hikigaya raised one of his brows in intrigue.

"By us, of course!" Ooka smiled while making a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry about it and just have fun, yeah?" Yamato also supplemented from his end.

"Here are the songs that we're planning to play by the way," Hayama continued the momentum and handed a few lyric sheets towards the loner's way. "You should read through them now while you have the chance."

The cynic grimaced at how he was being ganged up like this all of a sudden.

"Have you ever stopped to consider the thoughts of the person who is directly involved with this arrangement?" sighing, Hikigaya reluctantly grabbed the papers away from Hayama and gave them a little read only to end up with a surprising little discovery. "Wait, why do they all sound familiar?" a little backtracking was all it took for him to find the answer to his own question. "That Komachi was an accomplice too, wasn't she?! I knew it was a little weird when she started taking an interest in rock music of all things!"

He could easily see his sister smiling from ear-to-ear while going teehee now that he's only realized something was wrong when it was already too late. It was probably one of the reasons why she headed out to look for the younger Sagami too so she can delay her punishment for as long as possible.

"Give it up, Hikigaya."

With how everything seemed to have been set up just for this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman had no other choice to accept his fate.

"Fine, I'll do it. Let me just go talk to Taishi a little bit."

Hikigaya didn't wait for a reply from the quartet before he walked back to the area of the backstage where they gathered earlier.

Right as he spotted the junior he intended to talk to...

"Figured something out?" a voice called out from behind, stopping him on his tracks.

Turning around, his obsidian orbs locked on to irises very closely resembling that of sapphires.

"Perhaps," the cynic answered vaguely.

"Don't use this as an excuse to run away now," Hayama teased.

"You are very much free to come with me if you're so paranoid," Hikigaya shot back.

"Nah, I'm good," the blond raised both of his arms in surrender. "By the way, is it really okay to not tell the other girls what you just thought of?"

"It's just a hunch at best, telling it to too many people may cause confusion."

"And Taishi-kun is fine?"

"Him knowing about it generates the least amount of risk," Hikigaya shrugged. "Besides, in the off chance that I'm right, I think Taishi is the best person to play this role."

"Fine. You do you," Hayama smiled teasingly. "Just don't forget the role you need to play in this as well."

"I know."

…

The very end of the festival was fast approaching but despite that fact, there was still no sign of the missing chairman or the people who were out looking for him until now.

No matter how much of a pessimist Hikigaya Hachiman was, even he had times where he wished things would just go his way.

"Just to let you know, even if Sagami-kun showed up just before we're about to perform, you're not getting away from this without singing at least one song," Hayama Hayato whispered from beside him as if knowing exactly what his rival was thinking of.

"Figures," he sighed for the umpteenth time today, already very much resigned to his fate.

"We should probably get to our positions," the boys all nodded towards Yamato's suggestion.

"Iroha we're counting on you to give us a signal when our friends return."

"Of course, you can leave that to me!" the fox was more than happy to respond to Hayama's request. "Do your best, senpais! You especially, Hachi-senpai!"

While the other boys responded with either a pumped fist or a thumbs-up, a languid wave was all Hikigaya did as he took his position in the middle of the band.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Seconds before their actual performance, the cynic quickly fixed his hair and put on the glasses that he just took earlier. This distraction wouldn't be as effective if the crowd didn't find the looks of the vocalist to be appealing after all.

Loner Skill No. 109: Fake Hikki.

Also, just in case he messes up in one way or another, at least it was Fake Hikki who takes the fall and not him.

"Before we end this fantastic event, let's all listen to a band performance composed entirely of Sobu's senior boys. Everyone please give it up for Last Flicker Of Youth!"

Applause rang out after the emcee's introduction as the curtain was slowly raised to reveal the silhouette of the band members.

The spotlight started from Tobe who was behind the drums at the back, it then moved to Ooka on the bass then Yamato on the lead guitar, before landing on to Hayama who was, surprisingly on an electric keyboard.

Just when the crowd thought that the presentation of all the band members was over, the spotlight then shined right in the middle of the four to reveal a fifth member, a black-haired male student wearing glasses. It was none other than Hikigaya Hachiman. Unlike the previous four, he wasn't holding on to an instrument but just the microphone and its stand instead.

As things currently stand, it was this unknown young man who will be behind the vocals instead of the perfect Hayama Hayato.

While everyone is still silent from this unexpected development…

Hayama's fingers moved and a bittersweet melody from his keyboard blanketed the entire venue. This was then followed by the loud crash of the cymbals before the rhythmic beats of the drums and the strumming sounds coming from both lead and bass guitars rang out.

And after a brief pause, it was the guy on the mic's turn to come up…

/ Kimi to no love story

Sore wa yosou doori

Iza hajimareba hitorishibai da

Kekkyoku tada no kankyaku da… / [4]

The doubtful looks from the crowd disappeared one by one as Hikigaya's singing continued.

Before long everyone was already throwing their hands up in the air and swaying with the melody of the song.

And by the time the chorus came in, all those who knew the song were already singing along.

/…Goodbye

Kimi no unmei no hito wa boku janai

Tsurai kedo inamenai

Demo hanaregatai no sa

Sono kami ni fureta dake de

Itai ya iya demo

Amai na iya iya

Goodbye

Sore ja boku ni totte kimi wa nani?

Kotae wa wakaranai

Wakaritaku mo nai no sa

Tatte hitotsu

Tashika na koto ga aru to suru no naraba

Kimi wa kirei da…/

When Hikigaya effortlessly hit the high note at the end of the chorus and casually moved on to the next verse, the people on the gym were already screaming their hearts out in amazement.

Even the other boys who were playing on their own respective instrument were impressed by their impromptu vocalist's performance so far. Hayama himself doubted if he could emulate the same response from the crowd if he was the one on the microphone instead.

As if feeding of from the energy generated by the crowd's cheers, Hikigaya also began walking around different areas of the stage and moving his body around in accordance to the song's tune until it eventually settled down as the song approached its end.

/…Sore mo kore mo romansu no sadame nara

Waruku nai yo na

Eien mo yakusoku mo nai keredo

Totemo kirei da. /

Applause showered Hachiman as he finished that performance by perfectly hitting another high note at the end.

At this moment, he truly won the hearts of the audience.

Given what just went down, there was no way anyone would believe that Hikigaya had no idea that he was going to be singing until just a few seconds ago.

The crowd was going crazy with their cheers but despite how chaotic everything was, the audience were all in agreement with one thing…

"One more! One more! One more!"

That single song was nowhere near enough to quench their thirst for entertainment.

"Uh, it looks like they are asking for either a repeat performance or another song," Hikigaya looked towards his bandmates while making sure not to let his voice get picked up by the microphone on his hands.

"Then, let's give it to them!" Ooka pumped his fist in excitement as he replied.

"Besides, wouldn't we be able to buy more time if we play more songs?" Yamato's logical point prevented Hikigaya from coming up with any kind of rebuttal from his end.

Unfortunately for the cynic, the signal from Isshiki's side was still a negative so as the last line of defense for this festival, he had no other choice but to keep singing out here for now.

"Alright, let's all psych ourselves up for the next song!" Hayama then turned his head towards their drummer on the back. "Tobe, let it rip!"

"You got it!"

After receiving that signal, Tobe raised both of his drumsticks in the air. With that singular movement, a good portion of the crowd immediately went quiet as they wait in anticipation for what will happen next. The two drumsticks then came crashing down on the cymbals.

*clang* *clang* *clang*

Immediately after the third cymbal hit, all the other instruments joined in thereby generating a more powerful set of sounds right from the get-go. Not only was the rhythm more energetic, the tempo was faster as well. This was not only a challenge for those behind the instruments but also the singer as well hence, all eyes were looking at Hikigaya to see just how well he was going to sing this time around.

After taking one deep breath, Hikigaya moved his mouth closer to his mic and sang.

/ Terasu wa yami bokura wa

Arukinarete kita hibi matotta

Yume wa antai na kurashi da ga

Shigeki busoku yue ni daradara… / [5]

Given how fast-paced the current song was Hikigaya was also letting his body naturally make more dynamic movements in accordance to the flow, generating even more cheers from the audience but it was not as if the entire song was all gas, a brief lull was also present in-between.

During this transition, Hikigaya unconsciously walked close to the crowd and even leaned over towards them.

/ …Homura ga tatsu

Shirube no hou e

Omoidasu wa yasashii merodii… /

Hikigaya then took the opportunity to make a quick breath before the next segment of the song came in while jumping right back in the middle of the band.

In the next second, all the other instruments then awoke from their brief slumber and the fast tempo resumed.

/ …Eien wa nain da to nain da to iu

Sore mo mata ii ne to waratte miru

Kagayakeba itsuka wa hikari mo taeru

Bokura wa inochi no hi ga kieru sono hi made aruite yuku… /

Hikigaya perfectly followed the shifts in tempo throughout this song, sending the listeners into an even greater frenzy.

Just like how it was with the idol-like performance of Yuigahama and the others earlier, cheeky confessions were being thrown by the crowd towards the rock band and they were mostly directed to Hayama and Hikigaya but since the latter's name wasn't known, they all went with an alias called Vocalist-san.

/ …Oto ga deru gangu mo

Itami wo tobasu mahou mo

Zenbu boku ni totte no takaramono

Eien wa nain da to nain da to iu

Bokura wa inochi no hi ga kieru sono hi made aruite yuku. /

Hikigaya instantly turned towards the backstage after singing that part only to be met with an Isshiki who was still shaking her head.

At this point, his eyes and ears were already so used to the countless stimuli that they were being bombarded to that it didn't bother him as much anymore.

"You okay, Hikitani?" asked Yamato who was standing closest to him as he grabbed his shoulder.

Given how heavily he was panting, he would probably have some difficulty singing another song but that can't be helped as he had to hold out for a little longer just like how the girls did it last year.

After all, this was his job, not just as a Festival Committee member or a Service Club member but as a student of this school.

"I can still do one more."

"You sure? Don't push yourself."

"We'll have a much bigger problem in our hands if I don't," the contrarian's trademark wry smile was then plastered on his lips.

At that, Yamato just smirked. There was so stopping this stubborn friend of his once he made his decision. "Heh, I guess that's true."

The two then turned to Hayama and nodded, giving him the signal that they were ready for their next and final number. If they had to stay for yet another song after the third one, even the spectators will notice that something was strange and that's not even taking into account the band members' fatigue yet.

"Let's end it all with a big one then," Hayama suddenly grabbed a spare guitar that he somehow had prepared right next to the keyboard that he's been using for the past few minutes. "How about the best rock song of the best rock band?"

It was one of those rare instances where Hikigaya Hachiman and Hayama Hayato's tastes, despite their differences in upbringing and tendencies, actually matched.

Unlike the two prior songs, this song in particular was initiated by none other than the vocalist himself while being accompanied by one of the guitars somewhere in between.

/ Just give me a reason

To keep my heart beating

Don't worry, it's safe right here in my arms

As the world falls apart around us

All we can do is hold on, hold on… / [6]

After that exact line, the drums and the rest of the guitars pitched in to form the most violent music played on the stage throughout the entire day.

/ …Take my hand

And bring me back, yeah… /

And just when the audience thought that this band already peaked with the song number earlier, they go ahead and pull out a rock song from out of nowhere.

It was a surprise, yes, but judging from the reactions of the spectators, it was more than welcome.

/ …Just tell me why, baby

They might call me crazy

For saying I'd fight until there is no more

Urei wo fukunda senkou-gankou ha kankakuteki syoudou

Blinded, I can't see the end

So where do I begin? /

Multiple heads were banging as the people listened to the intense rhythm. The crowd's screams were even trying to compete with the speakers' volume.

Hikigaya could feel all of these stimuli being bombarded towards him from different directions and he reveled on it by making erratic movements while singing passionately on his mic.

Somewhere along the line, the mic stand was already down on the floor as Hikigaya unconsciously felt like it was going to get in his way later.

The adrenaline was probably getting to his head but who can really blame him given the intensity of this situation.

/ …Just tell me why, baby

They might call me crazy

For saying I'd fight until there is no more

Urei wo fukunda senkou-gankou ha kankakuteki syoudou

Blinded, I can't see the end

Look how far we've made it

The pain I can't escape it

Kono mamaja mada owaraseru kotowa dekinai desyo

Nando kutabarisou demo

Kuchihateyou tomo owari wa nai sa

It finally begins. /

After the last line was uttered by Hikigaya's lips, a wave of fatigue washed over him, making his footing a little unsteady but he couldn't allow himself to relax until he could see the signal he was waiting for. Thankfully, the flaxen-haired kouhai close to the backstage was flashing a thumbs-up and a large smile from her end.

With that, a sigh of relief escaped from the loner's lips as the boys have successfully completed their role of buying more time to find Sagami. Concurrently, the clique also somewhat managed to complete their secret objective of improving Hikigaya Hachiman's reputation by utilizing his unexpectedly excellent singing voice in a big performance like this one, although they still needed to prove to others that this bespectacled vocalist and the most hated man of Sobu last year was the same person, that was a problem that will be dealt with in another time.

In response to the crowd's intense cheers, Hikigaya triumphantly raised his microphone up to the air, prompting yet another round of applause. To him however, that move didn't just symbolize the end of their presentation but also how the Service Club and all the acquaintances that they've made ever since its establishment, finally saved this year's Cultural Festival.

---

SS 6: Needless To Say, Kawasaki Taishi Has His Own Way Of Getting Things Done

While Hikigaya was performing onstage, the senior girls along with the younger members of the Service Club began their frantic search of the missing chairman behind-the-scenes.

With Yukinoshita Yukino acting as a sort of command tower, she quickly assigned the other girls to the most possible places in the school that Sugita would hide.

In order to keep in touch with each other and relay real-time information, all the girls had their phones out and were in a group call.

Given their manpower and their resources, it was only a matter of time before they found him…

At least, that was what all of them thought until around fifteen minutes passed and they still found no trace of him whatsoever.

"Ugh! He's not at the rooftop," came the frustrated report of one Sagami Minami.

"It looks like he's not at the running track either," Miura Yumiko also revealed the unfavorable state-of-affairs on her side.

"Aww, he's not at their clubroom too," Yuigahama Yui's dismay could be felt by everyone on the same call. "And I was so sure he'd be here too!"

"Komachi just checked the bike parking area and didn't see anyone there!" the lively update was done by the youngest girl of the bunch, Hikigaya Komachi.

"He's also not here at the Student Council Office," Yukinoshita finally stated the bad news from her end.

The quintet sighed together.

"We might really have to resort to checking each individual classroom at this rate."

Miura's indirect suggestion forced Yukinoshita to make a difficult decision.

"Can I impose on you guys for that one?" the Ice Queen forced herself to spit out that request with great difficulty.

The first to answer coincidentally happened to be the very first friend she made in Sobu.

"I'll go and start checking the ones closest to me."

It wasn't long after that did the others read the mood and followed Yuigahama's lead.

"I'll run back to the nearest academic building and do the exact same thing!"

"I-I-I'll start from the ones on the top then, we can just meet in the middle."

"Komachi will roam around the places outside the buildings!"

The statements coming from Miura, Sagami and Komachi respectively, made Yukinoshita smile amidst their current dire circumstances.

"Thank you, all of you," though she only said a few words, the other girls, even Sagami, felt the sincerity behind them but only Yuigahama noticed the worry she tried to keep hidden.

"Don't worry, Yukinon! We might not have Hachi's help but we'll find Sagamin's brother for sure!"

The instant that the name of their mutual cynical friend was mentioned, Yukinoshita finally remembered that she had one more helper with her.

"By the way Komachi-chan, are you still with Taishi-kun?"

"Oh!" from the way Komachi exclaimed, it looks like Yukinoshita was not the only one who forgot about Taishi. Poor guy. "We separated a little earlier so we can cover more ground but he said he was going to go and check out the areas from the other sports clubs. Komachi can go and meet back up with him if you like, Yukino-san."

Yukinoshita's reply was instantaneous. "Please do."

"Roger!"

With every passing second that Yukinoshita was unable to confirm the location of the two younger boys, one particularly frightening thought came to her mind.

Does Taishi-kun idolize Hachi-kun so much that he'll try and walk a similar path as him?

…

The staircase close to the Tennis Club.

To those in the know, that was Hikigaya Hachiman's one and only loner spot here in Sobu.

Next to the Service Club, it was the most likely place he'll hang around at school.

Currently, the person lurking around on this secret area of sorts was not the same black-haired loner you would usually see but a bespectacled male student at least a year younger than Hikigaya.

Given that all the other students are at the gymnasium at this point in time, who else could this person really be aside from the missing Festival Committee Chairman, Sagami Sugita himself.

"If it isn't the guy that's always following Hikigaya-senpai around," the UG Club member mockingly teased. "Are you here to drag me back to the gymnasium?"

Kawasaki took the sarcasm in stride and just smiled.

"Well, yes but I'm also here to ask you a question, Senpai."

"A question?"

"As I'm not only a member of the Festival Committee but also the Service Club, there is something that I need to know," Taishi's turquoise irises locked onto Sugita's own black orbs. "Sagami-senpai, do you mind telling me why you're doing all of this?"

Towards his junior's serious declaration, Sugita simply smirked.

"Heh, nice try but I have nothing to say to you so run along now."

Taishi did not let Sagami's rude response faze him too much.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I make my own guess, right?"

"And what do you mean by that?"

Taishi ignored the strained look of his bespectacled counterpart and proceeded with his so-called guess.

Of course, Taishi did not come up with this guess on his own but rather, it was something he paraphrased from what Hikigaya shared to him before they separated.

"If someone led a disaster of a Cultural Festival much worse than how it was last year then it will be the more recent event that will likely stick on everybody's memory instead," Taishu kept his gaze at the lost chairman as he continued his narration. "Did I get that right?"

"How did you...?" Sagami Sugita only realized a second too late after he lashed out that he just got absolutely played by the younger student in front of him. "No, I mean… Tch!" he could only kick the ground in frustration.

Understanding that he now had firm control of the entire conversation, Taishi decided to throw another question over to Sugita's way.

"Did your sister ever tell you to do all this, Senpai?"

Since the bag of beans has already been spilled, keeping his intentions a secret was already useless so Sugita became looser with his lips.

"Of course she didn't! No matter how scummy she is, Nee-san would never stoop to doing something this low!" Sugita glared at the cheeky first-year who kept pestering him. "That's why I did this all by myself because this is the only way that I can help her!"

In front of the sea of anger named Sagami Sugita, the young member from the Service Club maintained his cool. He could easily imagine that Aniki of his to be in the exact same mental state.

"Have you ever tried talking to your sister all about it?"

That singular line from the guy younger than him made Sugita grimace.

"It's not that easy."

"So you haven't tried it then," his senior's answer was so predictable that it almost made Taishi chuckle. "She's worried about you, you know? She's even helping out with the search as we speak."

"What do you know?" the second-year asked in a foul mood.

"Oh, probably more than you think," Taishi shot back instantly while unconsciously recalling the request he made to the Service Club last year, before he even became a student at Sobu. As someone who didn't excel in his studies as much as his older sister, he had never been interested in going to a highly academics-oriented school like Sobu but when he saw the members of the Service Club in action, he knew at that instant that he wanted to do the exact same thing. Now that he was finally given this opportunity, he will not waste it. "I can understand doing something like this for your older sister, I might have even done the same thing if I were on your shoes but even if you possessed the resolve to take a greater fall than your big sister, is that really something that she would wish to happen to you?"

"Shut up! t's not like she'll get whatever I'll tell her anyways!" Sugita yelled but Taishi was not going to flinch just from this level of aggressiveness.

"Then talk more," Kawasaki Taishi spoke solemnly and decisively like a judge delivering his final verdict. "Even if you siblings misunderstand each other, the emotions contained in the words you say don't lie. If you choose to say nothing like what you are doing now then the other person will never understand what you mean." [7]

Sagami Sugita let the words said by his junior settle in for a few seconds but the more he considered such a simple option that deluded him all this time, it only made him angrier of himself.

There are some things in this world that the heart cannot so easily accept no matter how much the mind understands it.

"Enough! Shut up!" Sagami burst out once again before calming himself down in the next second and tossing an envelope to his junior's way, the same one that was needed for the announcement near the end of the festival. "Here, this is what you wanted, right? Take that and just leave me alone."

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Taishi shook his head after picking up the tossed item and took one step closer towards Sugita. "My task was to return with both you and this envelope."

"Ha! And what are you gonna do about it?" Sagami Sugita shrugged arrogantly. "It doesn't matter what you say, you can never make me take one step away from this place."

The words shared to him by Hikigaya Hachiman earlier, rang clearly on Kawasaki Taishi's head.

I won't give you any advice, just do it how you, Kawasaki Taishi, want to do it. That's what being a Service Club member is all about.

Since solving this problem diplomatically was clearly not working, Taishi had no other choice but to take an entirely different approach.

Not the ways of a protagonist like Hayama Hayato or an antihero like Hikigaya Hachiman, but something that Kawasaki Taishi no, the Kawasaki family was much more used to doing.

"Sagami-senpai, please just heed my words. If you don't," Taishi began cracking his knuckles before continuing. "I can always choose to employ more forceful means."

The second-year looked at his kouhai with an aghast expression.

"Wait, are you serious?! There's no way you're allowed to do something like that!"

"I don't want to do this too but we're in an emergency and I'm not as smart as my senpais to come up with other ways to convince you but at the very least," Taishi repeatedly clenched his fists in front of his frightened senior. "I'm confident enough in my own strength."

"Y-Y-You're bluffing!"

Towards Sugita's exclamation, Taishi simply took another step forward to which the former responded by taking one back.

"Senpai, I might not have mentioned it earlier but do you happen to know who my older sister is?" since Sugita remained silent even after a few seconds passed, Taishi decided to add a little something to what he just asked. "I'll give you a hint. The two of us share a similar hair color."

Sagami Sugita then paled.

"Are you talking about last year's biggest female delinquent?!"

"So the rumors surrounding Nee-san were that bad, huh?" Taishi mumbled to himself but ultimately decided to take advantage of this fact for now. He'll apologize to his older sister as many times as he has to later. "If Senpai already knows about that, then this makes things quicker," the first-year boy repeatedly hit his left palm with his enclosed right fist as if he was trying to warm up.

"Now I don't think you want to do something like that," even though his knees were trembling a little, Sugita still decided to make one last stand. "If you hurt me then even if I go back, I wouldn't be able to show up on stage because of my injuries."

That excuse may have worked on Taishi before but now that he is regularly exposed to someone who was well-versed in manipulating the words that other people say to his advantage, he was able to come up with a way around his senior's statement.

"That means I can hit you anywhere as long as it's not your face, right?" Taishi wore the same polite smile that he always had on his face when interacting with others but all Sugita could see now was the countenance of a madman. "Grit your teeth Senpai because this is going to hurt. A lot."

Just before Taishi was about to land a punch…

"STOOOOP!" Sagami Sugita raised both of his hands in surrender. "Okay, I got it. I got it! I'll go! I'll go, okay?! Just no violence!"

"Thank you for finally cooperating," Taishi was actually planning on stopping around a few inches before his fist made contact but this development worked in his favor too so he had no complaints about it. "Now let's go, if we make a run for it, we should still be just in ti–...!

Sugita didn't even wait for the first-year boy to finish before he began sprinting back towards the gymnasium like a beast possessed. It was as if the first son of the Sagami family did not want to be next to this delinquent's little brother for even just one more second longer.

Respecting the other guy's anxiety, Taishi chose to stay behind for now while keeping an eye on Sugita in case he does something sneaky and decides to alter his route. He might really have to hit him once if he chooses to do something like that. Once Taishi saw that troublesome senpai honor his word, he finally let out a breath that he didn't even notice he was holding in.

"Ugh! I really didn't want to do all of that though," he could only cringe at himself when he looked back at what he just did. "I wonder if you would have done things differently, Aniki."

Without being aware of the possible consequences from his most recent set of actions and how similar it went down to last year, Kawasaki Taishi continued to have absolute faith on his so-called Aniki.

---

SS 7: And Like So, Each And Everyone's Festival Comes To A Close

When someone is in the middle of a bad day and something good happens to them, their recency bias involuntarily kicks in so when they look back what stands out more is the latter instead of the former.

The same sort of thing happened to Sobu's Cultural Festival this year.

Because of the high-tier performances courtesy of the male and female seniors, it is now being treated as the best festival held by the institution with the one Haruno led trailing one step behind. This however completely disregarded the stuttering mess that this year's chairman was during the opening and closing of the program.

But when all the fun of the event has ended, the only thing that was left is…

Work.

Specifically, clean-up duty.

As someone who barely contributed in the festival proper by virtue of being directly involved in his class' affairs, regardless if it was because of his own volition or not, Hikigaya Hachiman had to make up for it by sharing a bigger part in this task.

Unfortunately, since his role in the distraction performance wasn't known to everyone, this was the only way he can contribute so that the others won't feel too dissatisfied.

He didn't mind it though.

After all, if it was known that he was the same singer earlier he'd be dealing with a bigger headache than what he already has.

"Hey hey, do you have any idea who that guy behind the mic could have been?"

"He was so dreamy!"

"Wasn't he the butler from that one café too?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing!"

"You know what? He actually served me back at the butler café!"

Yeah, he'd rather not.

Now that he thought about it, it was a little ironic that he also ended up being the talk of the school this year although it is for a completely different reason.

For someone like him, it was better to stay as a background character as much as possible. Well, in school at least but even if your desires are a little humble that doesn't necessarily mean that reality will be so kind as to let you have it.

"Yo, Hikigaya-senpai! Long time no see!"

"Good day, Hikigaya-senpai!"

Came the greetings of a pair of kouhais of his whose signature hairstyles were hard to forget even if he tried. These two are one of the most well-known second-year students because of being the double aces that was going to revive Sobu's Tennis Club, the fiery-haired Takahashi Takebi who was waving a little too excitedly and the calculating Kayano Kaito who was realigning his glasses.

While Hikigaya was someone who loathed unnecessary attention, that didn't mean he was going to just outright ignore acquaintances who went out of their way to greet him of all people.

"Ah, it's you two," Hikigaya coughed a little in order to make his voice sound a little clearer. "How can I help you, Takahashi and Kayano?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really. We just wanted to say hello when we saw you."

"Speak for yourself, Kayano! I actually wanted to ask senpai something I was curious about," Takahashi's onyx eyes switched their attention from his friend into Hikigaya. "So Hikigaya-senpai, are you good at singing by any chance?"

The loner froze for exactly one second after he heard his kouhai's words before he regained enough composure to speak.

It was a good thing that the girls who were gossiping earlier already passed by or they might have just joined in on this conversation, making it even more awkward than it already was for the loner.

"Now I wonder why you would suddenly ask me such a thing, Takahashi."

The fiery-haired boy scratched his head and awkwardly looked away in embarrassment. "I was just thinking if you were the guy who was singing in the band earlier. I mean, you don't wear glasses but you're the only black-haired guy I could think of among Hayama-senpai's close friends."

While there was still a big chance for Hikigaya to deceive Takahashi on his own, that was impossible given that the sharp Kayano was currently accompanying him.

"Your voice does sound a little hoarse senpai, was it from singing too much?"

With the way things are developing, it became more difficult for Hikigaya to go against their suspicions instead. In the first place, it was not like he was deliberately trying to keep his identity secret, it was just more convenient for him to do so.

Then again, since it seems like these two were making a big deal out of it, he might as well try to get as much value as he can with this secret of his.

It just so happened that something happened quite recently that these two might be able to help him out with.

"Let's talk about that later," he waved his around to treat it like it was no big deal. "By the way, are you two well-acquainted with most of the students of your year?"

The two juniors looked at each other in mild confusion before responding.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Even if Sagami Sugita is not as ingrained as his big sister in the social circles of Sobu, all it takes was one person to hear about what secretly occurred near the tennis courts earlier before it will erupt into a bunch of nasty rumors.

If something like that was inevitable then it was way better to take control of this volatile situation while it was still early on and what better way to do that than to avail the services of a professional on the field?

"Can you introduce me to someone then?"

When Hikigaya saw the smile on Kayano's face, he already had a hunch of what he'll say next.

"What's in it for us?"

Even though his kouhai was acting a little too cheeky for his own good, Hikigaya would be lying if he said he entirely hated such an attitude. After all, he was most likely going to do something similar if he was on his shoes.

"You two will get to see something interesting."

…

While everyone was basking in the afterglow of the Cultural Festival's success, five individuals were present around the vicinity of Sobu High's bike rack, three of which were Hikigaya and the two tennis club aces while the other two no, one of the two was the person that the scheming contrarian was concerned with.

"Unfortunately, I have no direct connection with who you were trying to meet Hikigaya-senpai but I do happen to know her best friend," despite what he just said, by no means could you consider Kayano's tone to be apologetic. "That should be good enough, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks a lot for your assistance."

Standing in front of Hikigaya were the figures of two girls.

One of them embodied the definition of an honor student. Even in a school event like today, she was still wearing her school uniform, down to her tie properly. It really reminded him of Yukinoshita Yukino though instead of the Ice Queen's straight black hair, hers was wavier and had a bluish-green tinge.

The other was a girl with orange hair fixed in an elaborate manner though she had a few strands that were a bit messy disorganized at the moment, it didn't seem like she was too bothered by it. Unlike her friend, her uniform was fixed in a sloppier manner that only stood out more because of the prim and proper girl beside her.

"It's a pleasure to finally be talking to you face-to-face Hikigaya-senpai," the blue-haired girl bowed politely. "My name is Fujiwara Fuuka."

"I honestly find it really ironic that you're the one who made contact with me first when I've been trying to catch you for an interview for the longest time," the orange-haired girl chuckled in amusement. "It should already be obvious at this point but I'm Akiyama Aki," after her brief introduction, Akiyama's lips twisted into a playful smile. "Now I wonder what Hikigaya-senpai wants to talk to me about, are you perhaps thinking about adding me to your harem? Weren't you just accompanying a new girl earlier? Bored of her already?"

"Akiyama-san, you're being too rude to our senior!" Fujiwara chastised her rude friend.

It hasn't even been five minutes since they began their talk and Hikigaya could already feel how much of a headache Akiyama was going to be. However, she'll have to try much harder if she thought it was this easy to provoke someone who dealt with Yukinoshita Haruno on a regular basis.

"So you're the one behind those rumors of me being a playboy, huh? Well, not like that came as too much of a surprise," the cynic sighed. "As much as I would like for you to clear the air on that issue, I'm here to ask something else from you."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"It's nothing too special," clear traces of mischief can be spotted on Hikigaya's expression. "I just want to ask you to start spreading a brand-new rumor for me."

While that has certainly piqued Akiyama's interest, she also wanted to milk this rare opportunity as much as she can so she decided to not give in so easily just yet.

"Heh, it's not going to be cheap."

But it's not like Hikigaya didn't already take something like that into account.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to compensate you properly."

"Oh? How so?" predictably enough, Akiyama Aki's eyes gleamed in interest as she asked.

Now by no means would Hikigaya Hachiman ever consider himself to be a narcissist but if there was something he could get by acting a little vain then he would be an idiot if he chose not to take advantage of such a fact.

Currently, the hottest issue circulating around the school was the identity of the bespectacled black-haired youth who not only served as a butler in a senior class' café but also put on a grand show with Hayama Hayato earlier.

There was no way a gossip lover/spreader like Akiyama Aki would reject getting firsthand material related to that case.

What he was about to do next was a small price to pay for saving that kouhai of his. Besides, how can Hikigaya Hachiman continue being that boy's Senpai no, Aniki if he can't do at least this much?

As such, he quickly fixed his hair, tightened his collar and tie before pulling out a pair of glasses from his pocket for the very last time for today. The resulting appearance prompted looks of surprise from the four juniors that were around him.

Loner Skill No. 109: Fake Hikki.

"How does a photo of me sound?"

---

Author's Note:

Made you wait, huh? I'm really sorry about that.

Real life has been not too helpful with my writing schedule in more ways than one.

Anyways, enough about me and let's focus on this chapter.

The end of the School Festival Arc is finally here, I hope the conclusion to this part of the story was satisfying for all of you.

I can honestly understand if it didn't though.

While I personally think that the ideas I cooked up were pretty good and unique in their own right, the execution from my part was probably lacking.

Well, that is simply the limitation of my writing skills at the moment.

Our usual guessing game segment will be replaced with a special announcement.

Unfortunately, this series will be having a little hiatus because I'll be focusing more on Last Master until the end of this year.

Now I know I promised that I'll try to put a conclusion on this series when I wrote Part 2 but that was before I began writing Last Master.

I think diverting my focus like what I'm currently doing is definitely affecting the quality of my writing.

Now maybe this is just paranoia speaking but even if that's the case, it's hard to actually write when your brain yourself keeps telling you that you're not doing a good job.

As of the moment, I can't tell you when I'll be back to writing this story again and I don't want to make any promises that I'm sure to break so all I can say for the moment is...

I am hoping to see you all soon, if not in the next update of this fic, in another creation of mine or someone else's.

Now with that out of the way, time to get on to the reviews from the previous chapter.

aiman031122: While I am very thankful for your faith in me, I don't think I have the leeway to add yet another fic in my writing list. While Hikigaya and Kawasaki marrying is a welcome development for some people, I think Keika left far too big of an impression as a little sister to be changed into their daughter, at least that's how I see it.

Gid Lucione Deviluke: I've actually considered doing something like that but yeah even the original ending for this one is still far beyond our reach so thinking about that would be like putting the cart before the horse.

Wellenrauschen: Thank you. Everyone who doesn't mind my iteration of Hayama is always more than welcome. Believe me when I say that I've tried to insert as much Yuigahama as I possibly can but because her personality has some overlap with the other side characters, I almost always end up with an alternative scene and I end up going for that option in the end because it felt better.

Coochies: That you did, dude. That you did. You're wrong this time too. Fortunately and unfortunately, because of my shift in focus in the foreseeable future, it will probably the last time you'll be wrong in your guesses, during this year, at least. Well, I'll see you when I'll see you.

Guest: I think you forgot to log in or something but it's fine, I'll still gladly respond. Thank you for the praise. It really helps me gain some of my confidence back because recently, I've been thinking that perhaps I'm aiming at doing too many things at once. If it's overwhelming even for me, the writer how much more would it be for you, my readers?

Guest 1: I am genuinely not sure if this is your name or not but sure, let's roll with it. I intended to write it in a manner that reflects reality as much as possible in all honesty, so I'm glad the message got across to you.

BlinDead: Thank you for the enthusiasm however that request of yours will be difficult to fulfill. Well, at least I sort of stopped at an okay point, I guess?

Thank you all for these reviews. Your input is very much appreciated.

To everyone else who takes the time to read this fic, a huge thank you to all of you as well.

That's it for this chapter.

Reviews, follows and faves are all very much appreciated.

Until next time, in this particular story at least...

May everyone's good wishes and realities intersect.

Morii Hikikko

References:

1 – Elaina's signature way of indirectly mentioning herself from The Wandering Witch Elaina though with some minor adjustments.

2 – Lyrics from Love me harder by Denonbu Azabu unit.

3 – Ratata, Ekans, Zubat and Koffing from the Pokemon Video Games Franchise.

4 – Lyrics from Pretender by Official HIGE DANdism.

5 – Lyrics from Inferno by Mrs. GREEN APPLE.

6 – Lyrics from The Beginning by ONE OK ROCK.

7 – Modified from one of the many lines said by Yoimiya, a playable character from Genshin Impact.