AN: Hello again! Surprise quick update! I must say, I am quite pleased at the "success" of the previous chapter, with over 600 views and even a few reviews in the first day, though I did somewhat expect as much, given how large the Oregairu fanbase is. Still, having such a warm welcome is always nice.
The contents of this chapter were actually pre-written before I even published the Prologue, which is the reason as to why I am able to publish this chapter so quickly. Starting from now on, updates will not be daily, as I simply do not have the time for such luxuries. In fact, updates will most likely be on the slower end, given that I am horrible at keeping up a steady update schedule, as any of my previous readers will know. I will try my best at keeping updates every two weeks or so (as I am also working on another story simultaneously), but I cannot and will not make any promises on that. I apologize in advance for all the inevitable late updates.
Now with that out of the way, let's get the proper first chapter of Checkmate underway!
Chapter 1 – An Unexpected Encounter
"...And that will be it for today's Modern Japanese. Remember to review your notes so you won't get caught like a deer in headlights when I decide that I've had enough of your slacking off and bring out a surprise test for you all. Class dismissed, go enjoy your lunch break, but make sure you're on time for mathematics." Hiratsuka-sensei's words seemed to echo in and out of my mind as I emptily stared at the blackboard, not paying attention to her as more pressing matters occupied my mind, until I was suddenly interrupted by the feeling of something hard colliding with my head.
"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" I cried out in pain and glared up angrily at the person who had dared to interrupt my thoughts, only to freeze in my tracks once my eyes met those of Hiratsuka-sensei, her face twisting into a smirk as she tapped me on the head with some rolled-up paper – gently, this time. Is that the study material for this course? Do you have no respect for this magnificent learning institution that pays your wages?
"If you continue to daydream during my class, we're going to have to have a talk, Hikigaya." Hiratsuka-sensei replied and crossed her arms under her more than ample bosom – which I was not looking at, mind you. "In all seriousness, though, you know you can come to my office at any time if you've got something troubling you." She then continued with a reassuring smile.
"Ah, no, I..." I was about to refute Hiratsuka-sensei's assumption that something was troubling me, but looking up at her confident and compassionate expression made me falter, and I had to avert my gaze from her. Damn it, sometimes her acting cool actually works. "...Thanks, sensei."
"Don't sweat it, Hikigaya. Now, you better get a move on if you want to have enough time to eat lunch – I won't have you using me as an excuse for being late to mathematics." Hiratsuka-sensei gave me another light tap on the head, then walked back to her desk at the front of the classroom to pick up whatever she had left there. It's not like I was planning on doing that anyway, though I won't deny the ingenious of that idea. I smirked to myself and glanced around the classroom as I got up.
Nearly everyone had left already, with only a handful of people left in the classroom. Tobe, Ooka and Yamato were in the midst of making their way out, while the rest of their clique (excluding Ebina, who seemed to be absent) stayed behind. Miura was talking about something or other with Hayama – quietly enough that I couldn't hear it – while simultaneously motioning for Yuigahama to leave. At least, that's what I guessed, given that the pink-haired girl began to make her way over to me, after giving Miura an awkward smile. Alone time with Hayama, huh? I wonder when she's going to open her eyes and see the real him. Not that I care that much.
"Hikki!" The pitch of Yuigahama's normally ear-shattering voice was a tad bit lower than usual as she approached me while holding a bento box in her hands. Has she finally learned that us loners have sensitive ears? No, that can't be it – it involves learning. I stifled a chuckle while Yuigahama looked at me with a confused expression, then narrowed her eyes. "Hikki? You're thinking of something mean, aren't you?" What?!
"Since when did you become a mind reader?" Yuigahama pouted at me, before proceeding to lightly punch me on the arm.
"Don't admit it, Meanie-Hikki!" The pink-haired girl continued giving my arm punches, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught Miura glancing in our direction. Okay, I know you're not putting much force into those punches, Yuigahama, but when there's many of them, it racks up in damage.
"Could you stop that, Yuigahama? I'm not fond of going out via lingchi." Yuigahama stopped at my request, then tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding what I had meant. "'Death by a thousand cuts'doesn't ring a bell? Never mind. What's up? Aren't you going to eat with them?" I asked and gestured towards Miura and Hayama, the latter of which noticed us and gave me a smile from the distance.
"Ah, w-well… I was thinking of going to the clubroom to eat with Yukinon." Yuigahama replied while raising her bento box and awkwardly scratching her cheek with her free hand. Or rather, Miura told you to get lost while she goes off with Hayama. "Do you want to come eat with us, Hikki?" The question – which I had expected, but did not want to hear nonetheless – made me flinch, and I instinctively looked away from Yuigahama.
"A-ah, I… I-I'm gonna s-stay here for lunch b-break, I think." I said, feeling my cheeks heating up slightly at the thought of meeting her. Calm down, Hachiman. This is what you've been wanting to do, right? To be together with her to observe the situation. But not right now. I need a plan before I meet her.
"Hikki..?" Turning back to face Yuigahama after regaining control over my body heat, I felt my blood running cold as the emerald eyes of Miura Yumiko glared at me, the fire burning within them hot enough to give the sun a run for its money. Ah, I guess staying here is a no-no, then…
"I-it's nothing. Sorry, maybe next time." I replied, trying my best to ignore Miura's burning gaze. Not sure whether that's an improvement from her ignoring me or not… "I'll go grab something from the cafeteria."
"Okay. You'll… come to club today, though, Hikki?" Yuigahama then asked, a bit of concern in her voice. As much as a part of me would like not to… I can't just do that to the two of them because of my own selfishness and cowardice. Gah, if this only didn't directly involve her, maybe I could talk to them about it… I found myself gazing into Yuigahama's peach-red eyes for a few seconds, my brain ignoring the slight dusting of red appearing on her cheeks as I smiled to myself. Maybe at some point… I'll be able to talk to Yuigahama about it. She's a good friend.
Eugh, when did I become so sappy? My time with them has really changed me, huh… Even if I tried my best not to change. Realizing that I had yet to answer the pink-haired girl's question I shook my head a little to clear my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll be there. Don't worry, I won't just leave you two suddenly like that. I just have… some things I need to think about right now." Yuigahama simply looked back at me for a few seconds, before smiling and nodding to me.
"Alright. Hikki, you can always come to us about anything, you know? Like you did with… Well, you remember." Yuigahama averted her gaze from me and let out a little awkward laugh. How could I forget probably the most embarrassing moment of my life? 'The Genuine thing'… Maybe this all will help me find that, whatever it is.
"Yeah, I remember." I replied and glanced towards Miura and Hayama, my eyes meeting the normie king's ones for a brief moment before I turned away from them. "Right, I'll pop by the cafeteria real quick. I'll… see you after lunch, I guess." Yuigahama nodded to me again, then sped past me, stopping briefly to look back at me at the door to the classroom.
"See you then, Hikki!" Yuigahama waved at me from the doorway, and I gave her a quick nod in reply before she exited the classroom. Haah… Right, let's go buy some lunch before the Fire Queen burns down the classroom – with me inside it – with only her gaze.
Leaving the classroom behind out of courtesy for the Fire Queen and her "gallant prince" (Hah!), I began to make my way down the hallway towards the cafeteria, in the opposite direction of where Yuigahama had run off to. As it was lunch break, there were students practically everywhere, though they paid no attention to me thanks to my perfected Stealth Hikkyability, leaving me some quality alone time with my thoughts – a perfect time to come up with a plan of action.
So, to summarize the conclusion of my current situation that I came to after around half a dozen agonizing hours of inner monologues…
I am in love.
With Yukinoshita Yukino.
I'm still having a hard time believing it myself, but given the signs I've observed over the past week or two, I can't argue against it any longer. Both the physiological and psychological signs and small changes that have puzzled me make complete sense that way. How it happened, though… I've yet to figure out. When and how exactly did I develop these feelings? How long have they brewed inside me before I realized what they were? I guess it could technically go all the way back to that fateful day when Hiratsuka-sensei forced me to join the Service Club, when I first stepped into that out-of-the-way classroom and saw her sitting there all alone. Back then, she kept everyone else at least three arm's length away from herself, unreachable by all the normie plebeianswho couldn't even come close to her in beauty, grades, or athleticism. By the way, I was not one of those normie plebeians – I was just a loner plebeian, though I do also have the skills to come close to her in grades, as long as we are talking about modern Japanese. But, back to the point. From the first moments I saw her, Yukinoshita Yukino seemed perfect, in every meaning of the word. The lone Ice Queen of the north, so far from everything else that there simply existed no competition for her, almost like a certain German Battleship during the second World War. Now that I think about it, both of them are eclipsed by their better-known big sister as well… Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that the two of us are very different from each other. Yukinoshita Yukino is the epitome of perfection, while I am simply an insignificant water flea compared to her.
That really did sound like something she would say. I guess she really is infecting my brain. Curse you, love, for interfering with logical thought! I'm getting sidetracked again. Ahem.
So, Yukinoshita Yukino and I are completely different, so far apart that we might as well live on different planets. However, while there is the saying that "opposites attract"… I don't believe that to be the case here. Firstly because I don't believe in that saying. If opposites really did attract, every popular normie girl would be head over heels for me, which quite obviously is not the case. But secondly – and most importantly – because while Yukinoshita Yukino and I are different… We are also similar. We have a lot of things in common, despite our conflicting ideals and opposing views of the world, and it's these things we have in common that slowly brought us closer over the course of the last… year? Almost, something like that. I did say that she used to keep everyone away from her back then, did I not? This is because she doesn't do that for everyone any longer.
Case and point: Yuigahama.
Oh, and I guess me as well, to some degree.
The three of us have gotten a lot closer during our time in the club, whether we want to admit it or not. I mean, just earlier, I was thinking of telling Yuigahama about my troubles relating to the Ice Queen of Soubu High, something which the me from a few months ago would never have done. As much as I hate the thought of it… I've opened up to them. The two girls from the Service Club have become very dear to me, one of them… well, more dear than the other. And, just as I have opened up to them, they have in turn opened up to me, and to each other. Well, I think Yuigahama was pretty much an open book right from the start, but Yukinoshita certainly wasn't, I'd even wager she sealed herself away from others even more than I did, although we both did that in different ways – yet another point towards how we are simultaneously so similar and yet so different. Over time, as Yukinoshita got more and more comfortable around us, she slowly opened up more and more, every time showing us – showing me – little peeks into her heart. It was through these little peeks that I realized…
...Yukinoshita Yukino is not a perfect girl.
She never was in the first place. It was simply the position she was elevated to by everyone else, and with her demeanour of keeping everyone away, that position became an accepted fact. And not even I could see past that initially, but as the days I spent in that clubroom turned to weeks, and then into months… I slowly began to understand her better.
Yukinoshita Yukino is not a perfect girl.
She has perfect or nigh-perfect grades, but is eclipsed in them all by her older sister, who she used to admire, but now regrets trying to follow in her footsteps.
She is athletic, but has poor stamina, and an even worse sense of direction, though she does not seem to be eager to tell about either of those things to others.
She is refined and elegant in both mannerisms and speech, but give her a cat or a Ginnie the Grue plush and she becomes anything but.
She has a cold and haughty demeanour, but is genuinely caring for the few people close to her, and even has a girly clumsiness to her – though it is rarely seen.
She is extremely prideful, competitive and confident, and yet even she can sometimes be insecure, or even scared.
She is strong and independent enough to stand on her own against the world and its cruelness, but needs someone to be there for her, a pillar she can lean against in times of need.
Yukinoshita Yukino is a strong girl.
But she is also weak.
Very few people get to see the other side of the coin, what she is really like under all of her defences. And yet, all aspects of her are… well, her. She wears no mask like her sister does, she simply acts according to how she sees fit, and the outside perspective from everyone else twists that into something else, something cold and arrogant. And while she is both of those things to some degree… that is not all there is to her. She becomes a paradox, in a way, just like mine and her relationship, our "friendship".
And I love her for that.
…
I can't think of many ways to make that sound cheesier than it already was. I really have fallen head over heels for her, huh? And just when I'd come comfortable with the idea that I would simply stay as my loner self for the rest of eternity. Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!
Sigh.
Well, I've gone through this multiple times already in the past few days, but there's nothing I can do any more. I've already fallen in love. But, there is nothing a good bit of observation won't solve. "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.", as the world-famous Sun Tzu wrote in his Art of War. While the direct meaning doesn't exactly apply to this situation, it does bring up the importance of observation, for how will you know your enemy without observing them? If observation was important to a master military strategist in times of war, then it will be at least twice as important to a high school student in love.
And, as I'm sure Kaguya-sama would agree: Love is War.
Hence, my current plan. I will go about my days as usual (or try to) and give no indication whatsoever about my newfound feelings, while at the same time observing the situation, observing Yukinoshita Yukino. I know a direct confession will lead to nothing but misery, so I must find out what she really thinks of me first, and try to find an opportune to moment to – possibly – confess. Of course, I would prefer not to do that simply out of how depressing the thoughts I have of any possible outcomes are, but I've come to accept that eventually, it will have to happen. Knowing whether or not the chance I'll get rejected is guaranteed, or just really big, is a key part in what I'll be doing moving forward.
But, I will not just be observing her, but also myself. I like to think I know myself pretty well, but if I'm to abide by Sun Tzu's teachings, I must know myself completely. There is always the possibility that these feelings I have are not the conclusion I have come to, and observation will lead to the answer to that. Only then can I know if these feelings really are love, or something else, such as simple affection, a small crush, if you will. Once I know myself, and know my "enemy" – in this case, Yukinoshita – I will be able to "come clean" about my feelings.
And then get rejected, of course. I've already prepared for it.
Then again… I don't want to sound like I'm hopeful, but… There is a small part of me telling me that rejection may not be the outcome. I'm not saying I believe she would accept the confession, but… Well, let's just say that I am not completely dense to the things going on around me. That same part of me is saying that Yukinoshita didn't simply open up to me because we worked together on requests for the club and got to know each other better as a result, that there is something else behind that, some form of interest that she has towards me. Now, I highly doubt that interest is the result of any possible feelings she might harbour towards me, but I cannot ignore that part of me, even if I wanted to. It all comes back to Sun Tzu's philosophy of having to know myself: if I ignored something a part of me was saying to me, can I really say I know myself?
Okay, that turned a little more philosophical than I originally intended.
"Oi! Watch where you're going!" A sudden voice pulled me out of my monologuing, and I looked towards its source to see a miffed-looking third-year student glaring at me while holding his shoulder. At the same time, I became aware of the packaged bread I was holding in my right hand, and the fact that I was currently standing outside the cafeteria, facing away from it. Huh, it seems I've now mastered combining two of my 108 skills, 'Autopilot' and 'Inner Monologue', allowing me to use both of them at the same time – as long as I maintain concentration. Fancy that. Realizing the third-year was still expecting an apology from me, I quickly gave him a small bow.
"Sorry about that." The third-year student huffed at me, then walked off, and I clicked my tongue once he was a good few metres away. To be completely honest, I couldn't care less about apologizing to him, and if he wasn't a senpai, I likely would have not done so. I may be a loner, but I do still have manners, you know?
Stepping to the side to avoid any further accidents involving bumping into others, I pulled out my phone with my free hand and checked the time. I've still got about fifteen minutes before lunch break ends… Plenty of time. I pocketed my phone and began to walk down the hallway, one I had walked down many times before. You see, this particular hallway was not used by many students that often, given that there were no classrooms by it, and lead to a relatively secluded spot I had secured for myself for a nice, calm lunchtime. I am of course talking about the wonderful place near the tennis courts, where one can sometimes see the tennis club practising – something which I had done many a time while eating lunch, or treating myself to a nice can of MAX.
Speaking of MAX, the hallway also has a vending machine that sells the heavenly beverage, so it's a double-win.
Reaching into my pocket, I took out some change I always keep in there – the exact amount a can of MAX costs. I have to be ready for everything, you know? You never know when the craving for MAX appears.
Walking through the empty hallway was a welcome change to how packed full the rest of the building had been. With it being winter and all, I don't blame them for wanting to stay inside during breaks. However, they are missing out on the 9th wonder of the world: the feeling of drinking a nice, warm can of MAX while sitting out in the cold and watching Chiba live on even when the temperature is freezing. Truly wonderful.
By the way, the 8th wonder of the world is the overwhelming power of little sisters. And no, I'm not a siscon!
Finally arriving at the vending machine, I put in the coins I had taken out of my pocket and pressed the button for MAX, picking up the heated can a few moments later. Ahh… Whoever came up with vending machines offering warm drinks during autumn and winter months and cold ones during the warmer months needs a medal. They are a national hero! Tucking the can into my blazer, I continued down the hallway with a satisfied smile on my face. Now with that taken care of…
...It's time to have a serene lunch by myself to think things through before I'm forced back into the presence of others.
"Yukinon! Yahhallo!" Hearing the ever-energetic voice of Yuigahama accompanied by the sound of the door being slid open, I lifted my gaze from the book I had been reading and looked towards the pink-haired girl.
"Hello, Yuigahama-san." I replied with a small smile, placing my bookmark on the page I was on as I closed the book in my hands. "You... came for lunch, then?"
"Mm-hmm." Yuigahama nodded as she walked up to me, placing the bento box she was holding onto the table before pulling her chair next to mine. "There's quite a bit today, so I was thinking we could maybe share?" Yuigahama took off the lid of her bento box, and I looked down at it hesitantly, scanning the various bits of food within it. Rice balls, cooked vegetables, broiled salmon… It all seems normal, but…
"...Are you sure this is edible, Yuigahama-san?" I asked and lifted my gaze to meet the eyes of my companion. "Sorry, it's just that I still cannot be sure if your cooking skills are adequate enough to be used to feed another human being." My words came out sounding a little meaner than I had intended, but Yuigahama didn't seem to be too bothered, only pouting at me a little.
"I-I have gotten better, Yukinon! Besides, this was made by my mom, so you can be sure it's good! Come on, taste it!" In a flash, Yuigahama had picked up a cooked slice of bell pepper with her chopsticks and was offering it to me, a radiant smile rivalling even those of Isshiki's on her face.
"I… I'm good, but thank you, Yuigahama-san. I have my own lunch." I politely refused the girl's offer and reached out for my own bento box, though my words had little effect on the girl, as she kept slowly inching the bell pepper towards my mouth with a pleading look on her face. I stared into the peach-red eyes of the girl for a few seconds releasing a sigh of defeat and – still somewhat reluctantly – opened my mouth and accepted the food she had offered me. Hmm… Well, at least it's edible. Doesn't top anything I could make myself, but it's still quite tasty.
"Isn't my mom's cooking just the best, Yukinon?" Yuigahama asked with excitement in her voice as she took a bite out of a rice ball and let out a little squeal as she chewed on it.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'the best', but it was adequate. Your mother is a skilled cook, so there's still hope for you, Yuigahama-san." I said as I opened my own bento box, then glanced at the tea set on the side table. "Would you like some tea? Sorry I didn't have any ready in advance, as I wasn't sure if you were going to come or not." I then asked, but received no response as Yuigahama's gaze was fixated on my bento. "Yuigahama...san?"
"Yukinon… This is so cute! Did you make these yourself?" Yuigahama nearly shouted as she used her chopsticks to pick up one of the rice balls I had in my bento – one I had decorated to look like a cat. Ah… I forgot…
"I… Well… Y-yes, I did. Is there a problem with that?" I replied and looked away from Yuigahama, feeling my embarrassment growing with each passing second. I saw people did things like that online, calling it 'kyaraben' or something along those lines, and wanted to give it a go myself. In hindsight, doing something like that by myself to my own lunch is quite embarrassing…
"Why would there be a problem? This looks cute!" I turned around just as Yuigahama placed the rice ball – my rice ball – into her mouth, letting out another squeal of joy as she tasted it.
"Ah, Yuigahama-san… that was… mine..." The pink-haired girl didn't listen to me as she happily chewed down the rice ball I had spent quite a bit of time creating this morning, before swallowing and then grabbing me by the shoulders.
"You have to teach me how to make those! That tasted even better than it looked! Oh, do you think you could make Sablé? That would be so cute! Although I don't know if it would feel weird to eat a rice ball that looked like him..." Yuigahama pulled back one of her arms as she seemingly began to think, her eyebrows scrunching together.
"Um… Yuigahama-san…" Upon hearing her name, the girl was brought back out of her thoughts and looked at me questioningly. "You… just ate one of my rice balls..." Suddenly realizing what she had just done, Yuigahama quickly let go of me and pressed her hands together in apology.
"Ah! I'm sorry, Yukinon! Here, you can have one of mine as compensation!" Before I could react, Yuigahama had already moved one of her remaining rice balls into my bento, then beamed another radiant smile at me.
"I… You didn't have to, Yuigahama-san." I replied and glanced down at the rice ball Yuigahama had given me, now sitting next to the second rice ball I had decorated – also to look like a cat. "Just be sure to ask next time, okay?" Yuigahama nodded to me enthusiastically before returning to her lunch, and I let out a small sigh as I turned back to my own meal as well. She can be such a handful sometimes…
"Ah… having lunch with you is the best, Yukinon! I think I might like it more than having lunch with Yumiko and the others." Yuigahama commented as we ate. "Hikki's really missing out, I'm sure we could have fun with the three of us here." And just like that, with the mention of one name, I froze in place.
Hikigaya-kun.
"What… do you mean by that, Yuigahama-san?" I asked and slowly turned to face the girl again. "Don't we all… well, 'have fun' during club?"
"N-no, that's not what I meant. I just asked Hikki to come eat lunch with us, but he declined, saying he had some things he needed to think about, or something." Yuigahama replied as she looked into the distance while placing some salmon into her mouth. "I told him he could talk to us any time something is up, but… Well, I'm sure he'll ask for our help if it's something serious. Hikki is Hikki, after all." Yuigahama turned to me with a smile, and I gave her a smaller one in return before turning to look outside the window at the winter scenery.
"Yes… after that, I don't think even Hikigaya-kun would keep that many things from us." The scene I had played so many times in my head was replayed once again as I gazed outside. Hikigaya-kun wants something genuine… Hikigaya-kun… wants… Hikigaya-kun…
Hikigaya-kun…
Hikigaya-kun.
Hikigaya-kun.
…
Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikiga-
"I guess you're right, Yukinon. I still think he should talk to us more. We are his friends, aren't we?" Yuigahama's words caused me to jump as I returned to reality, and upon realizing that I had once again dozed off, I began to quickly chow down on my food.
"Y-yes, I-I think so too. It's not healthy to keep your troubles to yourself." Hypocrite. "Talking about your feelings with others can be a big help." Hypocrite.
"Hmmm… I wonder if we can help him, though..? Well, I think it'll all work out if we think about it together, if we ever need to help Hikki again. And… maybe we can help him find that thing he was seeking, right?" I spared a glance at Yuigahama, who was looking at me expectantly.
"Yes, I believe we can." Though that is something you don't need to worry about any more, Yuigahama-san.
I've already found that which Hikigaya-kun seeks.
Me.
Realizing my thoughts were once again wandering towards something I had only discovered about myself recently, I quickly cleared my thoughts by focusing back on my food. Calm down, Yukino. You need to keep a clear head during school and your thoughts rational. And, you care about Yuigahama-san as well, do you not? You don't wish for anything bad to happen to her. Although, if it does come to that… No! I can't think like that. Yuigahama-san is a… a friend. I glanced towards the pink-haired girl on my right, who I could hear was talking about something or other as she ate, but I didn't pay attention to it. That's right, she's a friend. She'll understand.
She'll understand that the genuine thing Hikigaya-kun seeks…
...Can only be found with me.
I felt a smile growing on my face as Yuigahama's words floated by me, not even registering in my brain. But in case she doesn't understand that… No, she has to. I'll make her understand if it comes to that.
…
You're doing it again, Yukino. Now is not the time to think like this. First, I need to make the most important person in the equation understand it.
Hikigaya-kun.
"...Isn't that right, Yukinon?" Yuigahama suddenly leaned closer to me, and I nearly jumped out of my chair at her sudden question – whatever it was.
"Eh? S-sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that, Yuigahama-san?" I politely asked, trying to hide the fact that I was not listening to my companion at all. These tendencies for me to doze off have been more frequent recently… I need to keep my thoughts in check.
"Um… N-never mind. It wasn't that important." Yuigahama said with an awkward laugh, and I felt a twinge of guilt going through me. Did she… realize I wasn't listening? That makes me feel a bit bad, now… But I just can't help myself. I looked away from Yuigahama as an awkward silence fell upon us, fixating my gaze on the remnants of my bento. Whenever Hikigaya-kun is mentioned, or he otherwise appears in my head… I can't get him out of there. I knew he and I always had something… unique together, but I only noticed this beginning to happen some weeks ago, how I would simply get lost on my thoughts when I was thinking of him. I would get distracted whenever I heard his voice, and would steal small glances at him as he silently read in the clubroom. It didn't take long to realize…
I had fallen in love with Hikigaya-kun.
Quite possibly a long time ago as well, though I couldn't say for sure. But, due to Yuigahama-san's feelings towards him, and the lack of a proper chance, I never acted upon my own feelings. But then… When I saw him together with Isshiki-san when we were working on the christmas project… something changed. The way she clung to him like he was her possession, how easily she wrapped her little finger around him…
It infuriated me. And there are very few things that make me truly angry in this world.
I think it was then when I realized that I had competition. Not only did Yuigahama-san feel something towards Hikigaya-kun, it became clear that Isshiki-san did as well. Unfortunately for them, they are going up against Yukinoshita Yukino.
And Yukinoshita Yukino does not lose.
There might even be others I do not know of, someone else who has their sights on Hikigaya-kun. My Hikigaya-kun. But they do not know who they are provoking. For if the competition gets too aggressive…
...one simply has to eliminate it.
"Yukinon? Is everything all right?" Yuigahama broke the silence between us with a question full of concern, and I immediately realized that I had let my thoughts wander again – and the contents of my thoughts scared me. What am I thinking? When… When did I become like this..?
"Sorry, Yuigahama-san. Just… I've got things on my mind. I apologize if I was not fully into the conversation earlier." I apologized with a small smile as I looked back at the pink-haired girl sitting next to me. "Nee-san has been bothering me as of late, and I think our mother may be planning something as well, so you can understand if I'm a bit out of it." Some may call it a white lie, but Yukinoshita Yukino does not lie. I simply didn't tell her the truth. Nee-san is always bothering me, whether it's over something trivial or an actually serious matter, and I know for certain that our mother is planning something – she always is, after all.
"That's okay, Yukinon." Yuigahama replied, then suddenly captured me in a hug. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Hikki: You can always come to us, for anything. If things go bad, we're here to support you. That's what friends do." Yuigahama pulled back a little as she looked into my eyes, though she still kept me firmly in her embrace.
"Arigatou, Yuigahama-san." I smiled at the pink-haired haired girl, who returned the gesture to me before hugging back onto me tighter. These thoughts… these feelings… They are not simply jealousy. I am above that. No, this is… something else. What reason would I have to be jealous for, when my competition is no match for me in the first place? That's right. It's only a matter of time…
...before Hikigaya-kun is completely mine, and mine alone.
...Or I guess not.
A few moments ago, I had stepped outside into the crisp, cold winter air, taken a deep breath, and prepared to sit down for a nice and peaceful lunch alone with a can of warm MAX to help with figuring out a way to deal with Yukinoshita during club. Or, that was the plan, at least, until I noticed that something was off about my favoured lunch spot. Very few students used this door, so very few students knew of this serene place near the tennis courts, and I was one of them. So, on a winter day like this, I had expected to be able to eat here in peace and silence by myself.
Keyword being expected, as I was currently gazing down at the eyes of another person.
"Oh, it's you." The girl's voice was unsteady, and her words came out quieter than I had expected. But, my attention was on something else. For her olive-green eyes were red and swollen, the makeup she had around them messy – as if she had been crying.
"Miura..?" The blonde looked away from me as she sat on the cold ground, hugging her knees to her chest. How… long has she been sitting there like that? And more importantly… why is she here in the first place?
"So it's reached your ears already, huh? Go on then, if you're here to make fun of me, get on with it. Kick me while I'm down, isn't that like, what you do best?" Miura said with quivering lips and tried to glare at me, though with her teary eyes, the look didn't quite have its desired effect. Make fun of her? What happened?
"I… don't know what you're talking about, Miura. I'm just here to eat my lunch." I replied to the blonde, then took out my phone to check the time. And it seems I'm going to stay here and do just that. It would be a waste of time to go back now. I let out a small sigh and walked over to where Miura was sitting at, then sat down as well – a respectable distance away from her, of course.
"You… really don't know what happened?" I gave Miura a glance as I removed my bread from its packaging, taking a small bite out of it before responding.
"No, I don't. As I said, I'm just here to eat my lunch. This is a quiet place where I can be alone with my thoughts, even for a little while." As I finished, a cold breeze washed over us, and I felt a chill going through me. More alarmingly, however, Miura seemed to shrink as she pulled her legs even closer to herself, her entire body shivering as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. While we both had our blazers on to provide some level of resistance against the cold, Miura had obviously been out here for longer than I had, and seeing the girl in such a sorry state caused my brotherly instincts to flare up. Ah screw it. "...I don't know what happened to you, and a part of me doesn't really care, but…" Miura turned to face me as I reached into my blazer and pulled out the can of MAX from within it, still warm to the touch. "...Seeing a girl crying out in the cold is not something I'm fond of. Here, this'll help you warm up." I extended my hand out to Miura, holding the can of MAX in front of her, while the blonde's green eyes stared first at me, then at the can, completely flabbergasted by my words and actions.
"Hikio…" Miura reached out for the can, but hesitated, before her face scrunched up into a scowl. "You are mocking me!" I let out another sigh and moved closer to Miura, pushing the can into her hands.
"I have no reason to do so. Just take it before the hypothermia kicks in." Miura looked like she was about to retort, as per her arrogant attitude, but stopped herself from doing so and instead meekly wrapped her hands around the can, her fingers briefly brushing against mine as I let go. So cold… "...I have common courtesy, you know? I wouldn't want you freezing yourself out here." Besides, I would likely take the blame if people knew I was here with her, and that's definitely something I don't want.
"...Thanks, Hikio." Miura muttered quietly as she brought the can close to herself, warming up her hands with it, and I silently began to eat my bread again. If I had to guess, though… This definitely has something to do with Hayama. Did that slimy riajuu bastard finally show his true colours to her when they were alone in the classroom? I might have my flaws, but at least I don't make women cry. "Hikio?" Upon hearing Miura's voice, I turned back to look at the girl, our eyes briefly meeting before she averted hers, looking down at the ground as she bit her lip. "You… You're like… perceptive, right? And can… see through people?" I raised an eyebrow at Miura's odd question, but slowly nodded to her nonetheless. "What… What do you think of Hayato? Or rather, what do you think he's really like?" After her initial question about my skills, I had almost half-expected her to ask me about Hayama, but hearing it out loud still surprised me a little. Something definitely happened between the two of them…
"Hayama? Well… I'm going to be brutally honest with you, so please don't hit me." Miura's face twisted into a scowl for a moment, likely due to my suggestion that she would resort to violence as the first thing, but then closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"I don't mind. I didn't want you to beat around the bush anyway." Miura replied to me, and I internally let out a sigh of relief. I wonder how she would react if I told her I was genuinely scared of her hitting me… I don't really want to find out.
"Right, well… He's an insufferable normie, for starters. But that's not all. Hayama is… he's artificial. Everything he says, everything he does, it's all an act, his personality nothing but a mask that he wears to appeal to others and to manipulate them. And that mask of his is firmly planted onto his face, but I can take pride in knowing that I have managed to crack it, on more than one occasion." I felt a slight smirk forming on my face, while Miura stayed silent as she listened to me, her gaze fixated on me. "And the thing underneath that mask? It's like seeing what lies behind Entoma's mask for the first time. Although, I personally find her quite 'creepy-cute' in a way, but the same does not apply for Hayama… Anyway, his real personality is not a pleasant one. He is cold, unfriendly, prideful to the point of haughtiness, and just generally not the 'nice guy' he acts like. All in all… he's not genuine. He picks no sides and wants everything to stay the same, stagnant and unchanging. And while I do agree that keeping things the way they are is good… how he goes about doing it is wrong. Even I've learned that things must change in order for them to move forwards. Stagnation is never good." I turned to look at Miura, meeting her gaze with my own again, and I could see her grip on the can of MAX tightening.
"So it's true, then..." Miura said, and for a moment she looked like she was going to cry again. "I… I suspected that something was off with Hayato. I've been suspecting it for… a few weeks, already. I've like, seen how he acts around you every now and then, and it was always… different. At first I thought that he was like, just being nice to you, and I kinda admired him for that, but… You said you could cause his mask to crack, and I think… I think I started to see those cracks as well." So she started to see him for who he really was… Maybe I've judged Miura too harshly. "I doubted myself at first, of course. But after I like, first began to notice that something was off, I started seeing it more and more. The way he acted in our clique, how he talked with you, how he always kept abiding to the status quo, there was always like, something more to it all that I couldn't quite place. At the same time, I started to doubt whether or not keeping the status quo was worth it. I… I was afraid. Afraid of losing it, losing the friends I cared about, but I was also afraid of what would happen if we let it be. How we would eventually separate after we graduated, never to see or talk again as our fragile friendships vanished like smoke into air." Miura seemed to shiver again, though this time I didn't think it was due to the cold, as she gazed off into the distance, towards the tennis courts. That undoubtedly would have happened. Their entire clique relies on Hayama and his social skills, he is the glue that keeps them together, because that results in the best outcome for him. That's also why he wants to keep the status quo as it is, because he knows the moment he loses it, they will fall apart. He knows how truly fragile and fake it is, and now… Miura seems to have realized that too in the fullest. "It… it was stressing me out, and I didn't know what to do. On one hand, I wanted to keep the status quo, because we were all satisfied like this. But on the other… I didn't want to keep the status quo. I wasn't satisfied with how things were. It's like you said, stagnation isn't good, and we can only move forwards by changing. That, and I also began to doubt Hayato. I could now begin to see something was off about him, even with his 'mask' on, and I… I wanted to know whether it was true, whether or not he was being genuine with us." Miura's nails dug into the can she was holding, managing to dent the metal slightly. Oi! I paid for that! "Today… I couldn't take it any longer. I needed to know the truth, I needed to see if I was simply wrong, and everything was going to be all right, and if they weren't, I needed to try and change things." Miura turned to face me again, looking even more like tears would spill from her eyes at any moment, then took a sharp intake of breath. "I… I confessed to him. I told him I loved him, and asked him to go out with me." Miura bit her lip, and I dropped my gaze. I see now.
"...And he rejected you." My words caused Miura to wince a little as she hugged onto her legs tighter. I know your pain, Miura. Though, I would wager that for you, the pain was much worse than it was for me.
"Hayato said it wasn't 'the correct time'. That we shouldn't think of something like that right now, but that he was apparently pleased to hear me say it, and said that he would consider it later on." Just hearing Hayama's excuses coming from Miura hurt me. I expected as much if Miura ever did confess, but damn, that's harsh… "...It was all I needed to hear to know that I was right, that my fears were confirmed. I couldn't stand it any more, so I cried, all while asking him just one thing: why. Why was he like this? Why was he afraid of moving forward, why did he want things to stay in stagnation, and why does he… lie to us?" I saw a tear forming in Miura's eye, but she quickly wiped it away and continued with her emotional outburst. "He was shocked at first, but quickly realized what I meant, that I had seen past his mask. The first thing he asked from me was – get this – if I had talked to you, then continued to say that I shouldn't believe everything you said. Hayato was always a little unreadable, but then… His face was a mix of disgust, jealousy and… something else, and that's not even mentioning his voice. I've never heard Hayato sound so cold before when talking about someone else." So he did show his true persona to her… "After that, he said that we should just forget what happened, go get lunch and then act like we always did. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and while the gesture would have normally made me like, all giddy and stuff, all it did then was make my outraged. How could I just forget that, and ignore it?! I blew out all my frustrations by pushing him away, before slapping him and running out of the classroom. And now I'm here, venting all this out to you of all people." Heh, Miura slapping Hayama? Now that is a sight I would have loved to see. "So, go on then. Laugh at me. Make fun of me. I know I'm pathetic, so I deserve it. I wasted away these past two years chasing after a faker, and now my artificial friendships are about to collapse." Miura wiped away another tear as she looked me square in the eye, waiting for me to do as she wanted me to.
But I wasn't going to do that.
Miura was not pathetic, and there was no reason to make fun of her. In fact, I now believe she is the opposite of pathetic. While she may have fallen for a fake persona and chased after them for years, it wasn't her fault – it was Hayama's.
He used her, giving very little in return. Hayama manipulated Miura and got her to act as his "girl repellent" while simultaneously satisfying his idea of an "ideal" High School friend group, no matter how artificial it was. Over time, Miura grew accustomed to the idea and atmosphere, and eventually realized that her clique was a fragile piece of porcelain tableware, easily broken by something as simple as an argument, or a romantic relationship. However, she accepted that simply all friend groups were like that – likely due to more manipulation from Hayama.
And yet, she genuinely cared for those people. Even if the reasons for them being together, and the forces that kept them together, were artificial, for her, their bonds were not. Yuigahama, Ebina, Hayama and the rest, they were all true friends to her, so when Hayama pushed the idea that maintaining the status quo – remaining in stagnation – was required to keep them together… she tried to do just that, because she genuinely cared for them, and the bonds they had formed.
So, when she began to realize that all of those precious bonds were built on lies upon lies, that the clique she cared so much about could crumble away at any moment, what did she do? If Miura was pathetic, as she says, she would have done nothing. She would have kept to the status quo, while watching it slowly die out until graduation day. She may have still kept in contact with some of the people in her clique, I'm sure at least Yuigahama and Ebina would have gladly texted or called her, but the same dynamic would never be there.
No, instead of being pathetic, she tried to be brave. She tried to change things, while she still had the chance, to remove the stagnating status quo and forge genuine friendships with the others, ones that would last well after graduation.
And that is admirable.
Not many people would dare to go against the status quo, whether the one in their own circle, or the larger one that encompasses us all. Humans are afraid of change, for it represents the new and unknown. We are most comfortable in familiar places, with familiar people, with a familiar atmosphere. I am afraid of change, Hayama is afraid of change, everyone is afraid of change, to some degree. But there are those of us who go against that fear, who go out of their way to change things, because change is needed. I've… changed a little, by opening up to my clubmates, but Miura? She has tried to change the very foundation of her High School life.
Perhaps I didn't think of her highly enough, after all.
"...I'm not going to laugh at you, Miura." I said to break the silence between us, and Miura looked back at me with a confused expression. "What you've done is not pathetic in any way, and anyone who says so can go to hell. I'll be honest with you again..." I paused for a moment, thinking whether or not I should add a request for her to not hit me, but seeing Miura's expression as she looked at me expectantly, even a little hopefully, I decided against it. "...I used to think you were just an arrogant, riajuu bitch, who was on top of the social ladder and knew it. A fiery queen who burned down any opposition in her domain, while blindly trying to court her king." Miura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but she kept silently watching me. "The keyword there was used to think. I… have observed you and your clique for an extended period of time, so my opinion of you has changed. While you definitely were arrogant, you are also caring, almost motherly, when it came to your friends – especially if I believe everything I've heard Yuigahama tell Yukinoshita about you." Miura's cheeks became tinted red, and she averted her gaze from me for a few moments, but looked back when I continued speaking. "But now, hearing what you've said… my opinion has changed again. Over the course of the past year or so, I've learned that people can in fact change, and can do so of their own volition. Source: Me. You standing up to Hayama, trying to change things in your clique, it clearly shows you've grown as a person. If real life was an Anime, you'd call it character development. And just as you as a person have changed… so too have the opinions of others about you. Well, so far, it's only my opinion that has changed, but you get what I mean. So, don't go calling yourself pathetic, when you're now the completely opposite. The self-deprecating remarks are kind of my thing, anyway." I smiled wryly and turned my gaze away from Miura, looking up at the sky. Haah… look at me, giving counsel to someone who essentially just got dumped. Well, I can't help feeling bad for her, even if we are complete opposites, and have been at odds more than once. Plus, I do genuinely think what she did was admirable. It was certainly something Hayama – or I, for that matter – wouldn't be brave enough to do. Though, I would never admit that, of course.
"...You're actually a good guy, Hikio..." Hearing Miura's voice, I turned back to the blonde, who was looking down at the still-unopened can of MAX in her hands as she twiddled her fingers around it.
"Please, Miura. I may not be a bad guy, but I wouldn't call myself a good guy." I replied and glanced down at my bread, taking the last bit left into my mouth.
"No, you are actually a good guy, Hikio." I looked towards Miura again, and was momentarily stunned as I saw her looking back at me with a smile – a genuine smile. "Yui talks about you a lot, you know. How you're like, always willing to help others, yet never claiming to have done anything significant. Or how you're genuinely kind underneath that stoic grumpiness of yours. I mean, look at us. You described me as an arrogant bitch, and you certainly haven't been hiding your dislike of me in the past, yet you still always helped me. And even now, you listened to me pouring out my feelings to you, and even offered me words of kindness and reassurance afterwards." Miura's eyes seemed to glaze over, gaining a beautiful emerald sheen to them as her smile widened. "No-one has ever done so much for me. Not even my friends, not even Hayato. Arigatou, Hikio." Another breeze flew past, tousling around Miura's hair like a cliché scene from a Rom/Com, and I found myself unable to move, or even look away. I always knew Miura was pretty – the whole school knew that – but what I saw at that moment?
Astonishingly beautiful, on par with the one and only Yukinoshita Yukino.
Her smile was the realest smile I had ever seen, her teary eyes had no trace of the burning hellfire I was used to seeing, instead glowing with a pleasant warmth as if summer had been brought down in the middle of winter, and her golden locks flowed in the wind as stray snowflakes were blown all around her, likely from a nearby roof. Rarely had I seen a scene as beautiful and serene as that, the most notable one being when I first stepped into the Service Club clubroom last spring.
Thu-thump
Once Miura shivered from the cold wind and huddled back up, seeking the warmth from her can of MAX, I managed to shake myself out of my stunned state and quickly averted my gaze from her, feeling my clearly increased heartbeat in my chest. Calm down, heart! That sneak attack was an unexpected critical hit… And with my defence lowered due to certain Ice Queen's influence on my heart, I was nearly knocked out… Haah… that was close…
"Uh, I… Y-you're welcome, I guess." I mumbled out, stealing glances at Miura but not daring to look back at her. "I didn't really do much, though. I just happened to be the person you ran into first, anyone would have been able to do the same." I heard a slight giggle coming from Miura's direction.
"There you go again, downplaying yourself. But like, I can kinda see now why Yui thinks so highly of you, the infamously hated loner of Soubu High." Another giggle escaped from Miura's mouth, and I felt myself getting a little irritated by her. "Sorry, I'm just a little emotional right now. I… I needed to get everything off my chest. Thanks for listening, Hikio." I looked back towards Miura, seeing her wipe her eyes with her sleeve.
"...I still think someone else would have been better for this, like one of your friends." Miura shook her head at me, then began to idly inspect the can in her hands.
"No, it was perfect this way, Hikio. I couldn't really go to Yui for this, since she was with Yukinoshita, Hina is ill, and none of the guys would have understood, other than the fact that Hayato had rejected me. Besides, I wouldn't want to involve my friends in this mess, not yet." Miura lifted her gaze to meet mine again. "You were the perfect person to talk to about this." I looked away from Miura, unable to say anything back to her. I mean… I guess technically she is correct. I'm an outsider to all this, but I know arguably the most about it, precisely due to my knowledge gained from my outsider perspective. In that sense, I guess it was best for her to talk to me about this… "Haah… Thanks again, this helped me a lot." I looked back towards Miura as she spoke, and opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off before I could say anything. "Don't say you didn't do anything, Hikio. You listened, which is already more than enough, but you also comforted me – and not just with empty words either. It's as I said, you've done more for me than anyone has ever done." Miura paused for a bit as she fiddled with her can of MAX, before finally opening it. "Heh, a shame that honour had to be given to the likes of you."
"Oi, don't praise me in one sentence and then mock me in the next. You're contradicting yourself, woman." Miura giggled again at my reply, and all I could do was sigh at her.
"It's surprisingly fun talking with you…" Miura said with a cheeky smile and a wink, then took her first sip of MAX, her eyes immediately widening as she pulled the can back away, her gaze frantically shifting between the can and me. "...Hikio." A sudden feeling of dread washed over me. Was this her first time drinking MAX? I know the first time can often be a bit overwhelming, but- "Why have you been hiding this?! I didn't know coffee of all things could taste this good!"
"Uh… excuse me?" I was, simply put, dumbfounded by Miura's reaction. I expected something like her saying it was 'too sweet to be edible' or how it 'wasn't coffee' like I've heard some of the other normies say, but… Definitely not this.
"I like, hate regular coffee because it's always so bitter. Even whenever I like, go to a cafe with my friends or something, I usually order something like an iced frappé or a cappuccino, always with extra sugar, to mask the bitterness of the coffee. But this… This is amazing!" Miura took another long swig from her can, clearly enjoying herself, and I couldn't help the grin growing on my face.
"Well, like I always say, 'Life is too bitter, so coffee, at least, should be sweet'. I'm glad that you, too have awoken to the holiness of MAX coffee. Soon, the whole world will know its power." The girl on my left suddenly burst into laughter, cackling away for a good ten seconds before wiping the corners of her eyes as she calmed down. Well, it's better that she cry of laughter than for any other reason.
"What the hell was with that line, Hikio. Haah… You're funnier than I – or anyone – would have expected." Miura said with a smile, her cheeks now sporting a healthy blush due to her laughing fit, and I had to admit, it made her look quite attractive. Geez, it's enough that I have to deal with my feelings towards Yukinoshita, so don't show me something like that! "Well, I think we should head back to class soon, right?" The smile disappeared from Miura's face, and I pulled out my phone to check the time. She's right, we need to hurry. "How am I going to face my friends after this… How am I going to face Hayato..?"
"...If I had to guess, Hayama will act like nothing happened, and will fabricate some sort of story, like you began to feel sick or something." I replied as I stood up, stretching a little while doing so. "You could go along with that story, and just leave for today. I wouldn't blame you for it." Miura bit her lip as she gazed downwards, then shook her head and stood up as well.
"No, I can't just run away from this. And I know at least Yui would like, come visit me immediately should she find out that I was 'ill'. No, I think I'm going to act like nothing happened as well." I raised an eyebrow in question at Miura, who now wore a confident smile on her face as she walked up to me, holding out the half-drunk can of MAX towards me. "If I can lead Hayato into a false sense of security, I can work against him more easily."
"Well, that escalated rather quickly." I replied with a bit of a wry smile. "From maiden blinded by love to his archnemesis, huh?" Miura scowled at me as she pushed the can into my hands.
"Shut up. I just meant that… If I want to change things, I'm going to need to oppose him, eventually. Of course, in the best case scenario… I would be able to change Hayato as well..." Miura's gaze dropped, and her eyes became misty again. Not going to get over those feelings easily, huh? "But, anyway, I need to start the change from the others. If I've got everyone in our clique on my side wanting to change things, to be open and genuine with each other, Hayato will have to submit." It was a sound plan. Miura wanted to forge new, proper friendships with her clique over the shallow ones that Hayato had created, ones where everyone could be genuine with each other, and be comfortable with that. Where they could argue with and love each other, without those things breaking their friendships. And most importantly, Miura wanted those friendships to last, even when everyone went their separate ways after graduation. ...And I guess she also hopes to be able to change Hayato, to get an answer to her question of why he is the way he is, though I have my doubts for that.
"Well, good luck with that, I guess. Yuigahama will be easy enough to convert, being the simpleton she is. Same with Tobe, but I can't say anything about the others." I said and looked into the can of MAX in my hands. Am I supposed to drink the rest? Do you even know the implications of that? "We should probably head back to class, now. Separately, of course. You don't want any weird rumours circulating about us, do you?"
"I thought you didn't care about rumours?" Miura questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't." I turned away from Miura, towards the doors, and raised the can of MAX up above my lips, carefully avoiding touching the metal with them. I'm only doing it because I don't want to spread germs, alright? Not because I'm afraid of some 'indirect kiss' stuff. Hygiene is key, you know. "But I know if people thought you associated yourself with me, it would only lead to trouble for you." I tilted the can so its contents were drained down my throat, once again making sure that no physical contact was made between my lips and the can. Expertly done, if I do say so myself. "Right, I'll head back, now. See you around, Miura." Briefly glancing at the blonde, I began to make my way back inside, tossing the empty can of MAX into the trash can by the entrance.
"Yeah, see you, Hikio. Again, thanks for all this." Without even looking back, I raised my hand to bid farewell to the girl before stepping inside, feeling the pleasant warmth enveloping me. Ahhh… I don't hate the cold, but being warm and cozy is always the best.
As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help my mind wandering to Miura, and her current situation. Who would have thought that I would live to see the day Miura Yumiko, of all people, managed to see past Hayama's mask. I have to commend her bravery, but I feel that trying to change Hayama will be a fool's errand. I let out a small sigh, feeling a bit of sympathy for the girl. Well, I've done my part, now, so this won't concern me any longer, unless Miura makes it a request for the club… My feet suddenly came to a halt. The club… Yukinoshita… Gah! Realizing that I had spent away the lunch break – which I was supposed to use to come up with a way to interact Yukinoshita during club without arousing suspicion and observe her at the same time – with Miura, I wanted to scream. So, you won't give me a break and just want to see how hopeless I am when I meet Yukinoshita?
Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!
AN: And there's the first proper chapter done. As I mentioned before, this chapter was pre-written so I could get it out as soon as possible, mostly due to the fact that the Prologue was quite short – way shorter than what I usually make my chapters (around 8k words is what I'm most comfortable with). You can expect the next chapter around two weeks from now on, but I won't make any promises.
And, to answer a question from reviewer tigerbomb1996: Yes… and no. I wrote about Miura, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita in New Life of the Kasugano Twins in preparation for this story. Inserting them into the story as side characters allowed me to experiment with them, and find the best way to write those characters. So, yes, in a way, the Miura, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita in NLotKT would be the "future versions" of their counterparts in this story, making this technically a prequel to that story. However, problems arise when taking into consideration when these stories take place. NLotKT takes place in 2011, but I've envisioned this story to take place later than that, due to things we know about the Oregairu canon, as well as some personal preferences when it comes to things such as making references to other media. So, it technically is a prequel, but also technically isn't – we'll call it the Schrödinger's prequel :P
Now, until the next chapter, I bid you all farewell. Cheerio!
