AN: Hello again, dear readers! I don't have much to say in this AN, other than thanking all of you once again for showing interest in this story. There have been so many of you in such little time, I'm getting a little worried if I can meet all of your expectations, lol. But, I will try my best! And keep the reviews coming! As I said in the previous chapter, I love reading each and every single one of them, even if it's just to say you liked the chapter. Of course, I'm not forcing any of you to write anything, we are all beings with free will, after all. Or are we?
Philosophical and existential questions aside, let's get on with the chapter!
Chapter 3 – Two Requests
"So in essence… You want us to stop the rumours about Miura-san spreading before they become a problem, is that correct, Hayama-kun?"
"Yes, precisely. I managed to disprove the rumours to the people I heard them from, but… I fear I won't be able to do the same if they spread to the rest of the student body. That's why I came to you for help."
I closed my eyes and crossed my arms as I thought about the request we had received. Hmm… I do kind of understand where he's coming from with this, but… Preventing the spread of a rumour he heard during his soccer practice? We aren't miracle workers. If a rumour spreads, we can't stop it, unless a certain someone has some underhanded methods for doing so… I opened my eyes and glanced to my right, where, past Yuigahama, that "certain someone" was sitting, lazily leaning against his arm as he gazed at the blonde who had come to request our help. Then again, even if Hikigaya-kun has some way to dispel these rumours, we wouldn't let him do it. Neither Yuigahama-san or myself would let him sacrifice himself again for someone who is incapable of showing him proper gratitude – and he knows that. Now, if he were to do something like that for me…
I would definitely know how to show him gratitude. Oh yes indeed.
No, I can't be fantasizing right now. Focus and calm down, Yukino. Calm. Calm. Calm. Focus. Focus. Focus.
"What are these rumours about, anyway?" Hikigaya suddenly spoke out, bringing me out of my thoughts, and Hayama turned his gaze to him. "I'd wager there's at least half a dozen rumours going around the school about Miura, so what makes the one you heard special enough to bring to our attention?" Hikigaya-kun… has a point. Miura-san is quite popular, so she has to have a lot of enemies, those who would want to take her place in the spotlight. But based on what I know of her personality, no-one would dare to openly oppose her, so they would very likely resort to something as petty as rumours… In a way, her situation is not that different from mine back in Middle School, now that I think about it… Jealousy is a powerful force.
"Well..." Hayama briefly looked towards Yuigahama, who had been largely silent, though I could tell she was feeling concerned for her friend. "The rumour I was told about said that someone had seen Yumiko crying, along with some other odd claims about her. I spent the lunch break with her today, but she certainly wasn't crying then, so I don't know what exactly might have caused the rumour." Hayama explained to us, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hikigaya narrowing his eyes a little. I don't believe he's telling us the full truth of the matter, either.
"Did… something happen, Hayato?" Yuigahama asked while circling the edge of her half-empty teacup with her finger, her concern now also evident in her voice. "I mean, Yumiko was acting a little weird today, right? Are these… rumours related to that, do you think?" Hayama looked up in thought for a moment before answering the pink-haired girl.
"I… don't think so. The rumour likely started during or after lunch break, when Yumiko left me alone in the classroom after we had eaten. She… was acting a little odd before she left, but that was it." Hayama replied to Yuigahama, then looked towards me again. "I guess it's possible someone saw her acting weird after she left, and then came to some sort of conclusion based on just that?"
"...Which would make the rumour baseless and false, is what you're saying." Hayama nodded to me in reply, and I brought my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose. "So, what exactly do you want us to do? How far has the rumour spread already?"
"I heard it from one of my friends in the soccer club, who had heard it from his classmate, but I don't think it has spread that far yet. That's why I want to get rid of it now, before it builds up into something bigger and goes out of control." That is understandable. Certainly, if someone says they saw Miura-san acting weird and noticeably different from usual after a lunch break with Hayama-kun, all sorts of ideas could stem from that. Even more so if the rumour has already developed to include crying. That is, of course, if we take what Hayama-kun is saying about the rumour being completely baseless at face value, that nothing out of the ordinary happened… I glanced towards Hikigaya again – which, I will admit, I had been doing a lot lately, but this time it was purely a professional glance instead of a recreational one – and tried to see what he thought, but his deadpan expression was unreadable.
"Couldn't you and Yumiko just… tell everyone the truth, then?" Yuigahama asked and glanced between the three of us with her in the clubroom. "You said you were able to do it with who you heard it from, right? If it hasn't spread, it would be easy to just come out and dispel it before it starts spreading, wouldn't it?" Hayama opened his mouth to answer, but Hikigaya was quicker than he was.
"In this case, that wouldn't work out, Yuigahama. As I said, there are likely plenty of rumours going around the school about Miura, all in attempt to damage her image. She's at the top of the social ladder, standing right next to Hayama, so there are plenty of people jealous and petty enough to start rumours like that." I nodded along to what Hikigaya said. It is precisely as he says. Some of those rumours will even involve Hayama-kun himself, but they are less likely to be the ones meant to be harmful to Miura-san. "But, those rumours will have little to nothing to back them up, so they're either short-lived, or not paid attention to. However, this time, it seems there might be some basis for the rumour, as well as more… interesting implications, let's say." If the rumour says Miura-san left the classroom while crying, and she was known to spend the lunch break there with Hayama-kun… One very obvious assumption of what could have transpired comes to mind.
Rejection.
"What… exactly are you trying to say, Hikitani-kun?" Hayama asked warily. "There is no basis for the rumour, as I've told you."
"I was just getting to that. And, we only have your word for there being no basis for the rumour – we'd have to hear from Miura as well to confirm it. Anyway, this rumour, unlike all the other ones about Miura, has a higher chance of actually becoming something big, like you fear. But, it has yet to spread to enough for that. If you were to do like Yuigahama suggested, you would only bring attention to the rumour, causing it to spread faster – the opposite of what you want." Hikigaya leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms, seemingly having finished with his explanation.
"I see. Yes, I do believe you are correct, Hikigaya-kun. For once." I said and looked towards Hikigaya with a small smile, while he averted his gaze from mine. "The last time we had to deal with unsavoury rumours, it was best to dispel them publicly, since the rumour was already so widespread, but if we were to do it now, it would only serve to stoke the flames. I guess that rotten brain of yours is indeed capable of logical thought after all." I saw Hikigaya's face twist into a slight scowl, and he turned his gaze back to me. I do so enjoy our 'verbal jousting'. Hikigaya-kun is so cute when he's sulking over a loss, even when he tries to hide it by acting tough. And no matter what he might say, I know he enjoys it too. Ah, we truly are just the perfect match for each other… Hikigaya-kun just needs to realize it.
"Oi, I take great pride in my ability to think logically, so I can't let your jab at my skills go unnoticed." Hikigaya retorted, and I smiled back at him, readying my counterargument.
"Um… Guys..." Yuigahama placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me before I could continue, her gaze flicking between me and the blonde sitting on the opposite side of the table from us. Ah, right… Hayama-kun is still present… Hmph, if only Hikigaya-kun and I could have some time for ourselves… No, now is not the time for that kind of thinking. You already went through this, Yukino. Focus.
"Ahem. My apologies. So, do you have an alternate proposal on how we could deal with this request, then? Or should we decline it?" I looked at Hayama for a moment, then turned my gaze back to Hikigaya.
"I do." Hikigaya replied quickly, leaning forwards as he did. "We can't dispel the rumour directly, so the only way to get rid of it is to introduce a new rumour in its place. One big and interesting enough that the rumour about Miura will simply die out." Hikigaya explained, and I mentally let out a sigh. I almost expected something along those lines… Certainly, it is a good idea. A louder noise will drown out any whispers. However…
"...And what would a suitable rumour like that be, then? Can we even fabricate something 'interesting enough', as you put it, quickly enough so it spreads?" I voiced my concerns about Hikigaya's suggestion. I have a bad feeling about what he might suggest, but… Hikigaya-kun should know better than to throw himself under the bus once again, only to help with a request from Hayama-kun.
"It would have to be something scandalous, but at least somewhat believable. Any concrete evidence would also help. Something like, 'Person A is in a relationship with Person B' would work, if the people involved were known well-enough, but something simpler, such as 'Person A did something horrible' would work better, and is guaranteed to spread like wildfire." Hikigaya waved his hand dismissively, as if his suggestions were nothing but a passing thought, and I felt a scowl forming on my face. Of course, I should have known he'd suggest something like that…
"But… wouldn't that then cause problems for the people involved? Especially if they are fake rumours?" Yuigahama asked, then bit her lip as her gaze flicked between her teacup and Hikigaya. "The rumour would have to be about… someone who would be willing to go along with it, because they… don't care about any rumours." In other words, someone like Hikigaya-kun. I felt my hand balling up into a fist. But I won't let him do that. I won't let him be the scapegoat again. Just as I was about to refuse Hikigaya's suggestion, the black-haired boy in question spoke out again.
"W-well… You are right, Yuigahama." Hikigaya looked away from us, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Finding someone like that on such a short notice would be impossible, and… I doubt… that anyone here… would be willing to do it." Hikigaya's gaze flicked to both me and Yuigahama in rapid succession, and I felt a smile growing on my face as I let out a sigh of relief. So he has learned that hurting himself is not always the right choice… I'm glad. I kept smiling as I indulged myself in watching the embarrassed Hikigaya. In the corner of my eye, though, I noticed Hayama giving Hikigaya a cold look, almost akin to the ones I admittedly gave him – and others – often, but his was filled with actual malice. I didn't think I'd see that look from him ever again after Middle school… Ah, I see how it is. Not even Hayama-kun is above petty jealousy. "So… Ahem. I don't think there's much we can do, Hayama." Hikigaya spoke out to break the silence, turning to face Hayama again, whose face was back to neutral in but a moment.
"I see… That is unfortunate." Hayama said and looked down at the ground for a moment, then lifted his gaze again, now with a small smile on his face. "Getting rid of a rumour with another rumour… That's so like you, Hikitani-kun." The look on Hayama's face was a mix of various emotions, and I was unable to single out each and every one of them. Is that… pity? The same coldness is still there, along with the hint of jealousy I detected… So Hayama-kun doesn't approve of Hikigaya-kun's methods either, but for a different reason? "I… guess that's that, then?" Hayama glanced between all three of us, getting ready to leave, before Hikigaya raised his hand to stop him.
"Hmm… Well… there is a way we could make my plan work." Hikigaya said and picked up his own teacup – empty ever since the start of this conversation – and began to idly inspect it, while all three of us turned to face him. For a moment, I thought he might still suggest making himself the scapegoat, but one look at his – admittedly handsome – face told me otherwise. Hikigaya looked thoughtful as he turned the cup in hands, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. "It depends on how willing you are when it comes to taking a hit for your friends, Hayama." Hayama's eyes widened at Hikigaya's words, but they were soon back to normal as he realized what the black-haired boy had meant.
"So… You mean to make me the subject of the rumour you would then use to get rid of the one about Yumiko?" Hayama asked, his voice low and wary as if he was carefully circling around a beast, ready to jump at him at any moment if he made one wrong move.
"Precisely. I mean, you obviously care for Miura, since you came here to request our help with dispelling a rumour about her, so it would only make sense if you were to directly help with that. Taking the fall for her – for your friend – is the least you could do." At first, I was confused by what Hikigaya had said. 'Obviously care for her'? I wouldn't go so far as to say that. Hayama-kun likely came here with the request because the rumour, if it got out of control, would bring him trouble – selfishness. I know this, because Hayama-kun is still the same as he was in Middle school, and I'm fairly certain Hikigaya-kun is also aware of what he's really like, so why would… As I shifted my gaze from Hikigaya to Hayama, all became clear to me.
The look on the blonde's face was calm, but with a hint of surprise – just what you would expect from someone as cool and collected as Hayama Hayato. However, what I saw in his eyes was anything but calm. It was small, barely noticeable only thanks to having known Hayama since he was young, but within his eyes swirled flames of jealous anger. Pure rage, directed at Hikigaya, but kept bottled up inside. I see how it is, now. Hayama-kun isn't just jealous of Hikigaya-kun for whatever reason – though I suspect that I and my… somewhat close-ish relationship with Hikigaya-kun have at least something to do with it – but he feels outright inferior to Hikigaya-kun, and that enrages him. Hikigaya-kun knows that, obviously, so this was a psychological play on his part. Hayama-kun knows Hikigaya-kun is willing and capable of self-sacrifice for those close to him, and Hikigaya-kun is insinuating that Hayama-kun is not capable of doing the same.
Andthey both know that to be true.
I smiled and turned my gaze to Hikigaya again, feeling a slight bit of admiration for him growing within me. Not the admiration I had for him due to my feelings, but a "professional" admiration for his skills and intellect – no matter how twisted and vile his usage of them may have been. A part of me is disappointed that he would use his brain power for something like this instead of something more useful or productive, but I cannot deny the ingenious of this plan – whatever it was that he is trying to accomplish with it. Obviously to wind up Hayama-kun, but what for..? Perhaps to pressure him into going along with his plan in order to solve the request?But… something about this doesn't quite add up in my head… I almost get the feeling that Hikigaya-kun might have some information regarding the request that the rest of us don't have. But, if that were the case, what would that information even be? I know Hayama-kun isn't telling us the full truth, but the probability that he has told Hikigaya-kun something prior to this conversation is close to zero, and the only other person who would know something is Miura-san… Unless Hiki-eavesdropper-kun has heard something from Yuigahama-san, he shouldn't know anything about Miura-san's side in this. That is only the logical conclusion. Perhaps I am thinking too much about this.
"But, wouldn't that then… cause problems for Hayato, Hikki?" Yuigahama questioned from Hikigaya carefully, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the present. "If we make up a mean rumour about Hayato, wouldn't that just replace the problem with a different one?" Certainly, that line of thinking is correct, and it is something I would have expected from Hikigaya-kun, but…
"I never said the rumour had to be something mean, just that it had to be interesting." Hikigaya replied as he placed his teacup back down, and Yuigahama made a little 'oh' sound under her breath. "It just so happens to be that the more horrible rumours spread quicker, and thus would be more effective. Humans are selfish creatures of malice, after all. When the chance to drag someone else down appears, everyone jumps on the hate bandwagon like rabid dogs at a scrap of food. Source: Me. Ostracising others is what the human race does best – after waging war, of course, though it could be argued that war is another form of ostracising as well." Hikigaya finished with a huff, crossing his arms as he did and leaning back in his chair again, and I couldn't help letting out a sigh of exasperation as I closed my eyes and brought a hand up to rub my temple. This is the man I, Yukinoshita Yukino, have fallen in love with? Well, his dark and brooding cynic side does have its charm, I suppose… Oh well, he just need someone to take care of him, to heal the wounds this world has given him.
And by someone, I of course mean myself. There is no-one else capable of such a feat, after all.
Realizing what my thoughts had once again wandered to, I forced myself to calm down by taking a deep breath, which, given the context of the situation, shouldn't have been seen as odd by the onlookers. There is no need to have my emotions take over me, now. I have plenty of time to make my Hikigaya-kun realize that I alone can stand with him, so for now, I can focus on this request. I opened my eyes and found my gaze landing on Yuigahama. That's right. There is no competition, after all.
"Hikigaya-kun." Satisfied with having calmed my thoughts – ignoring the somewhat dark undertone I subconsciously acknowledged they had – I addressed the black-haired boy at the other end of the table, and he turned to face me, his face betraying no emotion. "While there is a logic behind your words – however twisted it may be – I would ask you to refrain from telling us of your childhood traumas. While Yuigahama-san and myself would feel pity towards you, our guests are not always inclined to think so, and may even be scared away by your stories." Hikigaya flinched as I delivered my words to him with a smile that I didn't mean to be particularly cold, but it was surely interpreted as such by the others.
"Do you have to be that harsh..?" Hikigaya grumbled and turned away from me, and I felt my smile widening ever so slightly."Besides, I never directly stated that any of that was from my personal trauma. I've never been in a position high enough for other people to want to knock me down anyway, and if I was, I'd take pride in knowing that someone held me in such high regard." Hikigaya grinned as he turned back to face me, but it soon turned to a self-deprecating smile. "...Though I guess people do also enjoy kicking people when they're already down..." I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt flash through me, having been the one to initially bring up childhood traumas.
"S-sorry..." I apologized quietly, and saw Hikigaya's dead eyes widening in surprise. I know he's not the type to let his past affect him, but… I should have been more careful with the topic.
"Oh, er… I-it's fine, Yukinoshita." I glanced back at Hikigaya who looked away from me awkwardly, while Yuigahama's gaze flicked between us frantically.
"It's okay, Hikki!" Yuigahama suddenly shouted out and grabbed a hold of Hikigaya's hand, and I felt myself twitch. Calm. Calm. Calm. "Me and Yukinon will help you, Hikki, so you don't have to worry about any trauma. We're here for you, so you don't need to be hung up about what happened in the past!" Yuigahama pulled Hikigaya's hand closer to her as she looked up at his surprised face. CalmCalmCalmCalmCalm. It's okay, this is just what Yuigahama-san is like. I had to keep my own right arm in place by holding it down, a strange and somewhat alien feeling welling up inside of me at the sight of the scene before me. Of course, it makes sense that I would detest Hikigaya-kun being in physical contact with other girls, given my own feelings towards him, so it's perfectly acceptable-
…
Am I being jealous?
No, I went over this earlier today. This is not jealousy. But then, why am I… reacting in such a drastic way..? I looked down at my left hand, currently pinning down my right wrist. What was I about to do to intervene..?
"I-I said it's fine." Hikigaya said and pulled his hand free from Yuigahama's clutches, and I felt the odd feeling within me disperse. Hikigaya-kun… he belongs with me. I need to make Yuigahama-san understand that. "There is no trauma, I swear. Even if there was any, I'd have gotten over it by now." Hikigaya turned back forwards, and I followed it to meet Hayama's blue eyes looking directly into mine, though the eye contact was short-lived as he turned to Hikigaya only after a moment. That was… a bit odd. Why was he looking at me so intently? "Anyway, back to the request… So, unless you're willing to allow us to fabricate a rumour about yourself, Hayama, there's not much we can do regarding the Miura rumour. You'll just have to hope it doesn't take off, and if it does, you need to prepare for the eventual questions you'll face." Hayama dropped his gaze downwards, furrowing his eyebrows as he thought.
"Oh, um… I..." Yuigahama fiddled with a strand of her hair as her eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to come up with something to say, no doubt having interpreted Hayama's silence as him giving up. "I-I can talk to Yumiko, and we'll help you with it, even if Hikki and Yukinon don't." She managed to say after a few seconds, and the blonde lifted his gaze to meet hers. "I'm sure Yumiko won't like having rumours about her either, and… so… You know what she's like, she'll put the people who started it in their place!" Yuigahama did a little fist-pump in the air, and Hayama smiled at her, though it felt like there was uncertainty in his smile.
"Arigatou, Yui. But, you don't need to worry, I'll talk to Yumiko about this when I get the chance. And you're right. The Yumiko I know would do just that." Hayama said to the pink-haired girl, and something about his words caught my attention, but I couldn't quite place it. The way he worded that… Well, there's nothing wrong about it, and I don't think he's lying, just… something is off. Once again, I stole a glance at Hikigaya, but apart from deducing that he must have been thinking about something, I couldn't read anything from his expression. "Hikitani-kun." Hayama stood up and turned to Hikigaya as he addressed him with a neutral tone. "I'm sorry, but I don't want you to solve my request by just replacing the problem with a different one." Hayama turned away, then muttered under his breath. "...Even if that is the way you do things."
"...Sure, whatever. It was a nearly impossible request to begin with." Hikigaya replied, his eyes darting to me briefly.
"Indeed. I apologize that we cannot help you with this, Hayama-kun, but we aren't capable of miracles, nor do we have authority within this school to dictate what people say." I continued after him in a polite manner.
"A-ah, umm… I-I can still help, Hayato. If people start going after Yumiko, I'll... be with her." Yuigahama added hastily, and the blonde glanced at her briefly to offer another smile to her.
"I doubt things will escalate to those heights, but… There will definitely be problems. I'll… take my leave, now." No goodbyes were said – though Yuigahama did offer Hayama a silent wave – as Hayama walked out of the door. Immediately after the door closed behind him, I heard Hikigaya sigh.
"...I don't think I've ever asked, Yuigahama, but how do you deal with him on a daily basis?" Hikigaya asked as he leaned down on the table, lazily resting his head on his arms.
"Eh? What do you mean, Hikki? I mean… I know you and Hayato don't really get along for whatever reason, but..." Yuigahama brought a finger to her chin as she thought for a moment. "He's… a nice guy. I think you'd be good friends, Hikki, since you're so nice as well. Hayato is always the first one to have your back when someone says something bad about you, you know?" She then continued with a smile, while I lifted up my own teacup, which had been largely untouched. The tea had cooled down, but it was still drinkable.
"Me? Friends with that faker riajuu?" Hikigaya scoffed. "The guy can't even get my name right, and can't you see how he despises me? I can assure you, the feeling is mutual. And he still comes to us to solve his problems..."
"Mou, don't be so mean, Hikki!" Yuigahama lightly punched Hikigaya on the shoulder and pouted, and the black-haired boy rolled his eyes in reply.
"Am I nice or am I mean? Make up your mind, woman." I felt a smile growing on my face at the scene. Despite my feelings for Hikigaya having grown recently – along with the disturbing thoughts they sometimes brought to my mind – I was still very fond of the Service Club atmosphere. A small part of me didn't ever want to break this dynamic, but I knew it was inevitable. Once Hikigaya-kun becomes all mine, there will be no going back to how things were. At least, not fully. Some seating rearrangements will be in order, at the very least.
"Don't be too harsh on him, Yuigahama-san. Hiki-NEET-kun here likely did all that just to get Hayama-kun to lose faith in the request so he could avoid having to do any work." I said to Hikigaya with a slight smile, meeting his eyes with my gaze. "It's like second nature to him, so he can't help it, the poor thing." Hikigaya scowled a little, then averted his gaze from me. "In any case, Hikigaya-kun, do you happen to know something more about Hayama-kun's request than what he told us? I can tell he wasn't telling us everything, but from the things you said, I got the feeling you knew something." Hikigaya looked back at me with a raised eyebrow, while Yuigahama glanced between us with a confused expression.
"I… No, I don't." Hikigaya replied – after a moment of thought, which I found a little suspicious, but ignored it for now. "Like you said, Hayama didn't tell us everything, and I think he was lying when he said that the rumour about Miura had no basis for it. If it really is a false rumour, like he said, would he even need to come to us for help? He should be able to clear any misunderstandings on his own with his social skills, especially with Miura on his side." Hikigaya explained and sat back upright. That… does make sense.
"Yes… Certainly, he wouldn't need to ask for our help if the rumour really was baseless slander – it would be much easier to get the teachers involved than us." I said as I looked upwards in thought. Still… Could Hikigaya-kun know something else..? We did all sort of promise to be more open with each other, so I don't think he'd just hold information from us. Unless that information was completely meaningless.
"So you're saying that… something did happen between Yumiko and Hayato?" Yuigahama asked, her grip on the teacup tightening. "Yumiko was not quite herself today after lunch, but… She was back to normal after Mathematics, so I'm sure..."
"You mean after she was done with that whole 'fetching drinks with Hayama' thing?" Hikigaya asked in turn, earning a look of slight surprise from Yuigahama. "They could have easily 'made up' then, if they argued, or something. Though, I find that unlikely."
"So you were looking at us, Hikki!" Yuigahama's fist connected with Hikigaya's shoulder again. "You said you weren't paying attention to us when I asked you about Yumiko, but you obviously were if you know that!"
"That is quite alarming, Yuigahama-san. Would you like me to report this stalking to Hiratsuka-sensei?" I said with a slight smile and glanced at Hikigaya while bringing my teacup up to my lips again.
"H-hold on! I was not stalking! I wasn't even looking at your clique! You were being so loud about it, Chang'e herself probably heard everything you were blabbering about." Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion at Hikigaya's reference to Chinese myth, and he let out a small sigh. "Not even Journey to the West..? What have you been doing during literature classes… Never mind. In any case, there was not much I could do about accidentally overhearing your conversation. You were asking to be overheard with how loud you were being."
"Well… I guess… Sorry, Hikki. Ahahaa..." Yuigahama let out an awkward laugh as Hikigaya sighed, then she looked down at her teacup, picked it up and took a sip, her face twisting into displeasure. "It's gotten cold… Ah! N-not that it tastes bad, you made it, Yukinon, so it's still good!" She then quickly added and took another sip.
"You don't have to force yourself, Yuigahama-san. I can always go refill the water and brew another cup for you." I said to the girl on my right as I placed my own cup back on the table. I would have done it already, but I do not want to leave Yuigahama-san alone with Hikigaya-kun. Perhaps I would have had time to refill the water before they arrived, had I not been waiting for them – waiting for Hikigaya-kun – by the entrance… Ah, he was so close to me, then… While I had planned it, it still took me by surprise to see him up close, and had Yuigahama-san not been there, I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands to myself. And when he bumped my hand earlier as well… I never would have thought close proximity with him would affect me so. I'll need to condition myself more to him, so that I can then claim him as my own – like we are meant to be.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Yukinon. As I said, it's still good!" Yuigahama brought her cup to her lips again, drinking the rest of the tea within it in one go. "But, thanks anyway, Yukinon!" Suddenly, Yuigahama leaned closer to me and enveloped me in a hug, the sudden physical contact making me jump a little.
"Ah… You… don't have to thank me..." I awkwardly let my hands fall to my sides as I reluctantly accepted the pink-haired girl's hug.
"Ehehee… Yukinon is the best..!" I let out a sigh as Yuigahama squeezed onto me tighter. I hope she isn't this affectionate with Hikigaya-kun… Suddenly, an ominous feeling welled up inside of me, and my hands twitched upwards, but I stopped myself before I did anything. No, Yuigahama-san knows to keep her hands off him, I'm sure. Not like she would have the courage to do anything like this with him anyway… Well, I'm not much better in that regard, but that is only a matter of time. Soon enough, Hikigaya-kun will be doing so to me himself.
I looked past Yuigahama and caught Hikigaya staring at us with a small smile on his face, one of the rare ones that didn't come off as creepy and made my heart beat just a little faster. Once his eyes met mine, though, he flinched and quickly looked away, opening the book he had been reading again. That's right… Hikigaya-kun and I are meant for each other, and no-one can get between us. He just needs to realize it, and he will, in due time. And then…
I'm the only one he'll show that smile to.
Coincidence.
A concurrence of events or circumstances that have no causal connection to each other. Coincidences happen all the time to every single one of us. You happen to meet with a friend when you're out shopping, or you write down something in an essay and someone else writes the exact same thing, or you go loan a book from the library, only to find someone else wanting to loan the same book at the same time. Coincidences are, by their very nature, completely random, unpredictable occurrences that we have no control over, as humans are not omnipotent.
But what if it was possible to manipulate the chances of something happening? A famous Indian writer once said that there is nothing we can do without mathematics, that everything around us is mathematics, everything is numbers. If we were to take that literally, would coincidences – would the randomness of chance – also simply be numbers? If they were, that would mean one would be able to calculate them, and thus, control them, at least to some degree. If you can calculate the chance for something specific to occur, or for specific circumstances to exist, it would then be possible to predict when and where they would occur, thus eliminating chance and making the event guaranteed to happen – eventually. Of course, I am not capable of such feats, given my sub-par mathematics skills, and even if I was as good at the subject as say, Yukinoshita Yukino, I still don't think I would be able to completely erase the randomness of chance. The theory of Laplace's Demon tells us how difficult it would be to predict the future with mathematics, and no computer ever could handle all the calculations needed for it – let alone a human.
However, the idea that everything around us is mathematics is not wrong – no matter how much I dislike that notion. Chance may not be so easily calculable, but other events are. With the necessary information, one can calculate the probability of something happening, such as how likely it is to roll a six on a die twice in a row. But calculating the chance for a coincidence is nigh-impossible, and if it were possible, the event would cease to be a coincidence, as it would then become predictable. Of course, anyone can make predictions and say that a coincidence is going to happen to them when they go out shopping, but whether or not it actually happens is still completely up to chance – if it were not, the coincidence would have to be "pre-planned", thus making it not a coincidence at all.
This is all very complicated, and despite it not directly involving any math, just the mere thought of it is making my head hurt. Why am I then monologuing about it in the first place? Simple.
Because I am currently face-to-face with a coincidence.
For the second time in a row.
And just like if a coincidence was calculable, it would cease to be a coincidence, the same can be said if the coincidence happens more than once – each subsequent occurrence of the coincidence makes it less and less an actual coincidence.
Thus, I am finding myself doubting whether the scene before me is an actual coincidence or not – and that is making me quite confused.
"Ah! What took you so long, Hikio? You left the classroom before I did."
"...What are you doing here, Miura?"
The blonde who was sat down on the ground in front of me tilted her head in confusion as she looked at me over her shoulder, the relatively simple gesture seeming oddly cute coming from the person in question – as well as a little out of character, I felt, given that it was directed at me.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm eating lunch." Miura lifted up a bento box that she had in her lap, as well as a can of MAX coffee. Ah, I see that you have become a woman of culture as well… Wait, that's not what I should be focusing on right now.
"Why here, though? I would have imagined you would want to eat with your clique." I asked, taking a few steps forward and noticing that the layer of snow on the concrete next to Miura on her left had been cleaned off – enough space for a person to sit down on.
"Well… Hina is still ill, and Yui's eating with Yukinoshita again today, so it would just be me and the guys. And I like, need to have some time for myself to think about what I'm going to do with… you know." Miura replied as she placed her bento back down on her lap. I didn't think she could cook… Well, she did help back during that summer camp Hiratsuka-sensei forced us into, and she wasn't terrible, but… "What about you? Don't you like, ever eat with Yui and Yukinoshita?" Against my own wishes, I flinched a little at Miura's sudden question, and judging by her expression, it wasn't left unnoticed by the blonde.
"...I prefer eating alone." I replied and averted my gaze from Miura, her own olive-green eyes still fixated onto me curiously. "I still don't get why here, though. If you wanted to be alone, there are plenty of other places to do it, especially given that I told you this was a place I enjoy eating my lunch at." I then continued after a brief pause, looking towards the blonde again.
"Well, like… That's just it. I figured you would like, come here to eat lunch again, so after you left, I came here as well. I wanted to talk with you again." D-don't say things that will be easily misinterpreted! The me from Middle school would have totally taken your words as something special and embarrassed himself. So, please, don't say things like that. It'll make me remember those times.
"What? Because I happened to offer you counselling yesterday after you got rejected? Please, I may be a part of the service club, but I'm not just some pack mule you can dump all your problems onto. I have feelings too, you should think about them sometimes, woman." Miura's eye twitched in what I guessed was annoyance, and she pointed toward me with her chopsticks.
"Haah? What the hell are you saying?" I saw a flash of anger in Miura's eyes, making them shine with an almost emerald-sheen as she glared at me. While the glare did make me fear for my life, I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and upon seeing that, Miura's anger turned to confusion.
"Well, it's good to see you're still the Fire Queen I know." I said and walked up to Miura, not looking at her as I used my foot to clean off some of the snow from the concrete. "I don't know what I would have done if you had been reduced from a ferocious tiger to a sobbing kitten." I continued as I sat down, leaving the snowless spot of the concrete between myself and Miura. I have my manners, so I wouldn't want to creep her out by sitting right next to her, even if there was a suitable spot for it.
"Hikio..." I glanced at Miura while I took out my own can of MAX, placing it down on my right while I opened the packaging of the bread I had bought at the cafeteria. "How can you be so nice under that creepy shell of yours? I don't think I've ever met anyone as kind as you, and to think you would take that title." I raised an eyebrow in question at Miura's words. Me? Kind? Well, I guess I am in a way, though she's going a bit overboard with that statement, I think. Why is she thinking so highly of me all of a sudden, when all I did was give her some consolation? Anyone could have done the same. "I mean, like, you said that you didn't like seeing me cry, right? And then you said all those nice things to me… Well, and some 'not-so-nice' things as well, but mostly nice things."
"Any self-respecting man would feel the same. While I don't believe in silly things like chivalry – I mean, really, why should we men treat women specially, when they don't do the same for us? Why should I give up my precious seat in public transport just because a pretty girl asked me to? I've got my manners and common decency, but don't expect me to do things like that just because you happen to be a woman. Anyway, while I don't believe in chivalry, I still find the idea of a crying girl despicable. It might just be because of my instincts as an older brother, but if a girl shows weakness like that, I can't help but feel having to 'be nice' to them." I reached down for my can of MAX, opened it and took a long swig, the warm liquid tasting heavenly out in the cold.
"So… If it had been any other girl in my place, you would have done the same?" Miura asked, and I glanced at her as I bit into my bread again, seeing a somewhat thoughtful look on her face.
"I… wouldn't go that far. If it was someone I didn't know, I doubt it. I will say, other than my initial show of concern, I wasn't going to associate with you at all yesterday. But then you asked me about Hayama and went on that emotional speech of yours. Have to say, while I do much prefer the ferocious tiger, seeing the one and only Miura Yumiko act so meek was quite amusing as well." I saw Miura's cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment, and she lightly punched me on the shoulder. Ow. That had more force than Yuigahama's punches do. I know it might be impossible for you, Miura, but please refrain from physical violence. It hurts. What a surprise.
"T-that was… Alright, geez, fine. I was emotional, but I couldn't help it. It's not like I particularly wanted to pour out my heart to you specifically, I just didn't have anyone else I could turn to, and you happened to be there." Miura said as she averted her gaze, though her fist lingered for a short while, keeping contact with my shoulder. So she does acknowledge that our meeting yesterday was nothing but a coincidence… Why does she keep insisting I did something special, then? Also, what was with that line? Are you a tsundere? "But… I am glad it was you, Hikio." I turned to look at Miura, and was met with a beaming smile, one filled with warmth I had not been expecting. "You really helped me yesterday, and I got to see a new side of you I didn't know about before." Miura's smile was so warm and genuine I could almost swear the snow around us began to melt, and I had to avert my gaze from her. That smile has to be a violation of the Geneva Convention… Miura, your opinion of me has done a 180 too quick for my liking. Scary.
"...It's not like I did anything special. You just admitted yourself that our meeting yesterday was a coincidence." I looked off into the distance, towards the tennis courts, not daring to look at Miura again, lest I get hit by another sneak attack. It's already enough that I have to deal with my feelings for Yukinoshita, I can't have another girl tugging at my heartstrings as well… Though, it's not like she's purposefully doing it, nor is she actually tugging at them, I'm just more fragile now than I used to be. I need to steel myself again, I can't be going too soft after all I've been through. That only leads to suffering.
"I feel like we went through this already… There's just no convincing you, huh?" Miura said and let out a sigh. "But, it is like, fun to talk with you, Hikio. We should do it more often."
"Wouldn't Hayama get suspicious if you suddenly started talking to me like we're friends or something? In fact, isn't he suspicious that you're spending the lunch break without them?" I asked from the blonde, seeing her place a meatball into her mouth out of the corner of my eye.
"I told the guys I had something to do this lunch break, so I couldn't eat with them, but I don't think it will work again in the future, at least not any time soon." Miura replied and took a sip of her MAX. That… makes it sound like you're planning on coming here during lunch again. Do you really wish to steal away my precious moments of solitude from me that much, woman? "Besides, Hayato is already suspicious that I'm involved with you." Miura said and turned to face me, and I turned my gaze to meet hers. "He asked me yesterday if you were the one that told me about his 'mask'. Then he said some terrible things about you, like how you were lying, that he doesn't have a 'mask' at all. I'm… I'm sorry, Hikio. I couldn't talk back to him about the things he said about you. I was a coward, and it would have only made him suspect that you're in this with me more." Miura bit her lip as she apologized. I'm not 'in this with you', though. My involvement with you ended with yesterday's lunch break, though I guess it didn't end completely, given that we're having this conversation right now.
"Don't be sorry. I could care less what he thinks of me. There are already plenty of nasty rumours going around about me, I'm sure, so what's one more person despising my existence?" Miura looked at me with an expression that said she wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out, and I didn't let her, not wanting to hear any words of pity. "Oh, speaking of rumours, Hayama came to the club with a request yesterday. Apparently, someone had seen you running out of the classroom in tears during lunch break. Hayama was told about it during his soccer practice, and he came to us immediately afterwards." Miura's eyes widened slightly as she listened to me, then her grip on her chopsticks tightened.
"That's… not good. What did he ask for help with? And did you accept?" Miura's gaze was fixated on me, and I almost felt like she was going to burn through my head with the anxiety I was feeling from her. Turning anxiety into laser beams… What a lame superpower.
"He wanted us to dispel the rumour before it takes off, but when I told him what it would require, he changed his mind and said he'd deal with it himself." I replied, averting my eyes from Miura again, her oppressive gaze making me feel anxious as well. "He said that the rumour was baseless, and that nothing had happened between you two during lunch – an obvious lie, but the girls bought it. Well, Yukinoshita figured he wasn't telling us the full truth, but I'm not sure if she suspects that he was lying." Miura finally looked away from me, biting her lip as she stared down at her bento. "I… doubt he made the request for your sake, though. If a rumour like that were to spread, people would make all sorts of assumptions about what had happened between you two – many of them correct." Miura closed her eyes she silently listened to me, so I continued. "And then when that information got out… Well, it would cause all the lovestruck maidens of this school to swarm to Hayama, seeing their chance arrive. He's used you to repel them all before, but without you acting as the buffer, Hayama would quickly be overwhelmed, so his request was made for selfish rea-"
"Okay okay I get it!" Miura punched me on the shoulder again, this time a little harder, and I looked towards her to be met with an expression that was a mix of both anger and hurting. "...So you think there's no hope for Hayato, then?" I raised an eyebrow in question, but the blonde didn't say anything further, waiting for me to answer.
"Hope? You mean… When you said you wanted to change him as well, to be more open?" Miura nodded weakly in reply, and I had to avert my gaze again. Well, in truth…
I don't believe there's any hope for that.
Even if Miura got everyone in the clique on her side, Hayama wouldn't just give up and go along with their 'being more open and genuine' thing. I don't think he ever planned to be proper friends with any of them, that he would just disappear from their lives after graduation. Everyone's got skeletons in their closets, but Hayama is keeping his entire life and personality in his and then walking around with a disguise… I can't imagine anyone more un-genuine than him.
"...If I'm being honest… I don't think there is." I looked back at Miura and saw her dropping her gaze again, clearly dejected by my words. "But, I don't think this plan of yours is completely doomed yet. Changing Hayama will be impossible, but changing the others won't be. If you get a couple of them to understand what you've yourself understood, you'll be able to pressure the rest of the group together. I'm sure they would all prefer having real friendships as well, even I they don't realize it yet." The clique has always been following Hayama around, he is what keeps them together. Should he suddenly disappear, the dynamic would break, and while they would be able to get along for a while, they would eventually drift apart, without even realizing why. Such is the fate of superficial relationships. But… if Miura could make those into real friendships… Well, it would definitely be interesting, to say the least.
"...You're right, I can't just give up." Miura said and looked up at me, a confident expression now on her face. "There you go again, giving me the confidence boost I needed. Thanks, Hikio." Miura flashed me another, smaller smile. 'Again'? I guess what I said yesterday could have given her confidence, but… It's not like I'm doing that on purpose, I'm just stating facts. "So, what should I do, then? I feel like Hina might be the best person to talk to, since she's actually pretty smart… And then this rumour you said Hayato heard might be trouble..." Miura trailed off and turned to look at me, as if she expected me to answer her.
"...Why are you asking me?" Miura blinked, the slightly confused look on her face indicating she found my question stupid. "This is your problem, so figure it out yourself. Of course, you could bring it to the club as a request, then we could all try to help you." I looked away from Miura and bit into my bread again.
"I… can't make a request to the club, because Yui is there. I need to talk to her about this, but telling her as I'm making a request to the club isn't like, the right way to do it, I feel. Plus, I need to like, actually figure out what I'm going to first, if I want to go through with this." I glanced back at Miura, seeing her tracing the edge of her can of MAX with a finger idly as she gazed off into the distance, before abruptly stopping and turning back to me. "That's why I'm asking you, Hikio. You're smart, and you've already helped me so much. I know it's my own problem, but… I can't like, do this on my own." I stared into Miura's pleading eyes for a few moments, then closed my own as I let out a sigh.
"So you want to make this a private request for me alone, huh? Can't say I'm too happy about the idea, and those two won't be either if they find out." I said and brought my can of MAX to my lips. I did it last time with the Christmas event, and while they weren't angry per se, I could tell they were displeased that I had been working on that without them. Then again… there is a part of me curious about how this is all going to turn out. If Miura succeeds, Hayama will be knocked down a peg, and that would definitely be a sight to see. Plus, it does directly involve Yuigahama as well… Gah! Look at me, actually caring for other people. Maybe I have gone soft.
"Please, Hikio. You're the only one I can turn to right now." All of a sudden, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I nearly jumped as my head whipped around to look at Miura, whose pleading gaze was now boring into me. "I won't take much of your time, even if you can just talk with me to help me come up with something, that's enough already. I'll even compensate you for it. Just..." Miura's eyes suddenly began to water slightly, and I felt her grip on my shoulder tightening. "...I don't want to be alone in this. I don't… want to be alone." And with those words, everything clicked into place.
Miura is popular, even a blind and dumb person could see that. If she was even half as pretty in Middle school, she would have been popular back then as well, and unless her social skills have developed only during High School, she would have had no problem making friends. Then again, with how naive she was in believing Hayama, it's possible that her current clique was indeed her first "friend group", but I'm willing to overlook that – Miura was blinded by love until now, after all. It is also possible she knew how fragile her clique was all this time, but she refused to accept such a reality and acted along, pushing any dark thoughts away, only to have them resurface once she saw Hayama's mask beginning to crack.
Anyhow, from what I know about Miura, she's never been alone, and now that she is faced with the very real possibility of her clique collapsing, she's afraid of it. It doesn't seem like she has many friends outside her clique, and with the rumour going around, threatening to destroy her position at the top of the social hierarchy, there aren't many who would become her friend – other than out of pity, but that isn't much better than the superficial relationships she has now. Miura knows that, and hates it. She doesn't want that to happen.
She doesn't want to be alone.
I'm used to it, having been alone my entire life, but someone like Miura? Unless she has some sort of "dark past" about how she used to be a loner and got bullied, she wouldn't have the strength to survive being alone, being ostracized.
Or, perhaps precisely because she has a dark past, and thus knows what it's like to be alone, she doesn't want to lose her friends. She doesn't want to be alone again, because she was once before, and hated it.
This is all meaningless speculation on my part, as I barely know anything about Miura, but the one thing that is clear is that she is afraid of being alone. While for me, being alone is what I prefer, I know for others it could be the same as death. Miura definitely seems to belong to the latter group. Whatever her past may be, she does not want to be left alone in this cruel world, and that brings her to desperation, to asking help from me.
Miura's gaze was now directed downwards, her hand still gripping onto my shoulder as her other one was curled up into a fist in her lap. I couldn't see her face very well, but I could guess she must have been holding back tears. For a brief moment, the scene in front of me overlapped with a memory I had, one where Komachi was in a similar position as Miura was now, gripping onto me for dear life as tears flowed from her eyes, and I embraced my little sister to calm her, to reassure her. I don't know how long ago it was, or what had even happened beforehand, but it was a memory I both loved and hated, for it contained both one of my most treasured things in life, and one of my most hated things in life.
My little sister Komachi, and a crying girl.
"Haah… Curse my older brother instincts… they'll be the end of me one day..." I said with a sigh and moved up a hand to scratch my head, noticing Miura lift her gaze slightly, her eyes still moist. "Look, Miura, I'll… I'll do what I can. I won't make any promises, and you'll likely come to regret asking for my help, but… I can't stand looking at you like that, and I definitely won't have it weighing on my consciousness if you became a depressed, cynical loner like me, so-" I was suddenly cut off as blonde locks flashed past my eyes and a sudden weight descended on me, followed by a pleasant warmth enveloping me and an even more pleasant smell entering my nostrils. W-w-wha..!
"Thank you, Hikio!" It took my shocked brain a moment to process everything, but once I felt something soft pressing up against my right arm, every single alarm bell in my head was ringing at full volume. Soft! Round! Danger! Abandon ship!
"O-oi! M-Miura! W-what the hell are you d-doing!" I ignored my skyrocketing heartbeat and the heat on my cheeks to the best of my ability as I attempted to free myself from Miura's unexpected embrace. W-why would she… do s-something like this out of the blue?! I understand wanting to show gratitude, but this is too sudden! After a few agonizingly long moments, Miura finally pulled her head back, stared my directly in the eyes and then froze in place. I could almost picture the gears in her head slowly turning as her face became more and more flushed, before she finally let go of me and quickly backed away, her hands moving the secure the bento box that had almost fallen off her lap.
"S-sorry, Hikio. I-I don't… know what came o-over me." Miura quickly said, keeping her gaze firmly fixated on the ground, and I did the same. "I-I just… I've been a bit… stressed since yesterday, and I, like..." Miura mumbled on until her words became incomprehensible.
"I-it's okay, that was just a bit s-sudden." I replied, almost not hearing my own voice over the frantic beating of my heart. You need more self-control, woman! If I was a complete stranger, who knows what would have happened in a situation like that! Very briefly, my gaze flicked to Miura, but didn't meet her eyes, instead focusing on something lower for a split second, before I forced my eyes to look forwards again. N-no! You're better than that, Hachiman! Agh! Why must you toy with my heart, when it's already in shambles thanks to Yukinoshita!
The two us sat in the awkward atmosphere for what felt like an eternity, neither of us saying anything, much less even moving. Over time, I managed to calm my heartbeat back down to acceptable levels, and after taking a few deep breaths of the cool winter air, I was able to think clearly again. Right, so that… happened. Miura probably didn't mean to jump on me all of a sudden like that, she was just temporarily overtaken by emotion when I said I'd help her. Yes, that's it. She said she's been stressed since yesterday, and just like when she opened the floodgates to me yesterday, she couldn't hold all that anxiety within her any longer. And again, I simply happened to be the person here with her. Right, that's a logical conclusion. Nothing special about it. For the first time in a while, I allowed myself to look in Miura's direction, and saw the girl still staring down at the ground as she held onto her bento, her chopsticks laying in the snow in front of her. Her cheeks still had a slight dusting of red on them, but other than that, she seemed to have calmed down as well.
"Ahem. So..." I cleared my throat in attempt to bring the blonde's attention to me, and succeeded, as she turned her gaze to me. "That, um… You don't need to… show your gratitude yet, when I've not actually done anything, and… I'm not sure how much I can help you, but… As I said, I'll do what I can. This is still your problem to solve, however." Miura blinked a couple of times after I finished, then turned her gaze away for a moment.
"Right, yes. Thanks." Miura said, then turned back to me, and I saw the usual fire I was used to in her eyes. "...You won't tell anyone about what just happened." It wasn't a question, or even a statement.
It was an order.
"...I won't." I replied, resisting the urge to swallow. At least the Fire Queen is back to normal… Though, if what has happened in these past two days repeats, she won't be like that for long. "You were… emotional, I understand that. I wouldn't dare speak of this to anyone." And I suspect we won't be talking about that ever again either… Wait, am I accepting the fact that we'll be talking again? I mean… I guess I did agree to help her on this… Curse my instincts as an older brother.
"Good. Now…" Miura reached down to her chopsticks, picking them up and cleaning the snow off them before turning to look at me again. "I believe we were discussing what I'm going to be doing moving forward."
"Were we?" Miura's brow twitched slightly at my question, and I realized I had said the wrong thing. Ah, the Fire Queen is indeed back – in all her blazing glory. "R-right, we were." Miura seemed satisfied with my words, and she looked down at her bento, then at her chopsticks, before letting out a small sigh and placing her chopsticks down and the lid back on her bento. "I… think you should talk to your friends, first and foremost, since they'll be able to help you more than I can if you explain the situation." I said and threw the last of my bread into my mouth, crumpling the packaging afterwards.
"In that case, Hina would be the best to talk to first. She's like, smarter than she lets on, and I think she might have even like, known about Hayato before I did." Miura replied and took a sip of her MAX. There's definitely more to Ebina than meets the eye. I don't think she knows about Hayama's mask, but… She's at least aware of what's going on 'behind the scenes' with her clique – her personal request to me during Tobe's request proves that. "But… What should I tell her? Everything? And what if that rumour about me starts to spread..?" Miura looked at me again, and I knew that I wasn't getting away from giving her advice.
"Well, for starters… Hayama is more worried about the rumour than you are, as it could bring him plenty of problems, not to even mention that if it damaged your imago, the clique would suffer as well. He'll do everything in his power to prevent it from spreading, to preserve the status quo, but more importantly, to preserve his own peaceful life." I explained, turning my gaze upwards.
"Right… By the way, what was your suggestion to resolving his request? You said he changed his mind about wanting your help upon hearing it, right? Could we use your method to clear it away?" Miura looked at me questioningly, and I offered her a glance, but didn't turn to her fully.
"Getting rid of a rumour is difficult, especially one with some actual basis. Since the entire female population hasn't tried to swarm Hayama yet, we know the rumour hasn't spread that far yet – though I get the feeling that will change soon." If and when Isshiki comes to the clubroom to ask about it, then we're out of time. "The only good way to get rid of a rumour that has yet to spread is to fabricate another rumour in its place, then spread that one." I turned to look at Miura again, meeting her gaze with my own. "With such little time on our hands, the rumour would have to able to spread like wildfire. In other words, it would have to be something interesting enough. A nasty rumour about someone would do the trick quite well." Miura's eyes widened slightly as my words sunk in, and her gaze dropped down again.
"I see… And Hayato didn't want that." I nodded, despite knowing Miura wasn't looking at me.
"I suggested that he could take the fall for you by letting us make up a rumour about him instead, but he refused the idea. I guess altruism isn't something someone as selfish and arrogant as Hayama needs to think about." Miura's grip on her can tightened a little at my words, but she didn't say anything back to me. "In any case, we should probably start heading back to class soon." I said and glanced at my watch as I stood up, with Miura following me with her gaze.
"Oh, yeah… You better be here tomorrow as well, Hikio." I looked at Miura for a few moments, then let out a sigh.
"You'd drag me out here forcefully if I wasn't, I feel." I heard a slight giggle from the girl as I knelt down to pick up my can of MAX. "Well, as long as you can keep Hayama off your trail, I don't really care. Still not sure how much help I can give you, but it can't be helped." I glanced at Miura, catching her eyeing me curiously for a few moments, before a small smile appeared on her face.
"...You really are kind, Hikio." Miura's words were almost inaudible, and I didn't react to her. If that's what she wants to believe… "As I said, you're already helping me plenty. And I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"...Sure, whatever. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." With that as my farewell, I began to make my way back inside.
"Yeah, see you, Hikio." Not bothering to look back, I entered the warm embrace of the school building again and walked down the silent hallway back towards the classroom. With only my own footsteps echoing in my ears, a single sentence lingered in the forefront of my mind.
"I don't want to be alone."
Why did I accept Miura's request? Certainly, apart from our encounter yesterday, we haven't really been in contact. She asked for my help because she had no other choice, though she seems to believe that I'm the best person to help her. So why did I accept? Was it because of those words, because of her fear? Miura showed me a fragile side of herself that she likely hasn't shown to anyone else, and that fragility touched me somehow. Miura is the Fire Queen of Soubu High, but she is also just a normal girl. She needs someone to be there for her, someone to lean against in times of trouble. Do these events indicate that I am going to be that person?
The thought certainly doesn't appease me.
Although, now that I think about it… There is a certain someone that reminds me of. Someone else on an elevated position like Miura, who needs a supporting pillar.
"Save me some day", Huh…
Does Miura also need saving?
Do I even care enough to save her? There are plenty of others who would fit the role better than I do. Then again, does Miura know anyone else who could take that position? Hayama is out of the picture, she knows that now. Still, I don't think I'm the right person for something like that.
And yet…
What is this feeling?
Why do I feel like I want to help Miura? Is it simply because she reminded me of Komachi? Or is it because of something else?
Before I had realized it, I had stopped walking, my gaze fixated on the can of MAX in my hands. Maybe I just am a stupidly altruistic person… Heh, wouldn't that be funny. Me, a cynical loner who doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks of him, and yet willing to put the happiness of others above my own. I shook the can a little, confirming that it still held coffee within it, then brought it up to my lips and drank the entirety of it in one go. Well, I did already tell her I was going to help, and I don't feel like inciting the wrath of the Fire Queen, so I might as well see what I can do. Aahh, what a pain. At least if she gets Ebina on her side, my job will be done. I shouldn't think too deeply of this, I'll figure it out eventually.
Satisfied with my conclusion, I sought out the nearest trash can to throw my empty can of MAX into, then made my way back to the classroom.
Thu-thump
Thu-thump
I felt my heart beating in my chest at a quick rhythm as I stared down at my hands, gently caressing my left palm. Why did I suddenly… do that? Recalling the warmth I had felt not too long ago, I felt my heartbeat speeding up again, and shook my head to clear away the thoughts. I-it's like he said, I'm emotional. I'm stressed and afraid, and I don't know what to do. But still, why did I…
"I'll do what I can."
"I can't stand looking at you like that."
"I'm going to help you."
His words echoing in my mind spread a warmth throughout me. He never actually said that last one, but… I know he was about to, before I… I stopped myself before I recalled the embarrassment of the moment again and turned to look over my shoulder. Hikio… How can someone like you be so kind? To someone like me? I brought my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beating very clearly.
Why are you being so kind to me?
AN: And there's the third chapter done! This took a bit longer than I wanted to, but I got distracted by another project of mine (Not a writing project, but something else related to another hobby of mine) while working on this, plus exam week started, so I've been busier. Next semester is looking quite lax, so Chapter 4 should be out sooner than this one was – I won't make any promises, though.
Miura's character is never explored much in canon, and the countless different fanfictions featuring her all tackle this problem in different ways. I don't know exactly which direction I'm going to be taking her character (Well, technically I do, I just don't know what kind of background I should give her) in this story, but like most of my writings, that will be something that builds and evolves as I write. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it consistent, lol.
Now, until the next chapter, I bid you all farewell, and cheerio!
