AN: Hello again, dear readers! So, how is everyone faring in the face of the global pandemic? As it turns out, keeping yourself isolated when you live in the middle of absolutely nowhere and have zero friends is pretty easy. I knew being a loner on par with Hachiman for the past four years would one day turn out to be useful!
Anyway, I think it's about time we see about solving that cliffhanger I left at the end of the last chapter. Will our favourite loner manage to clamber back up to safety, or will he fall to his demise? Okay, that sounded cooler in my head. On to the chapter!
Chapter 5 – Advancing Pawn
This is bad. This is really bad.
"Hikigaya-kun… Would you care to elaborate on what Isshiki-san just said?"
The Ice Queen's voice reflected well how she earned the moniker, as even the completely normal and understandable question she asked caused a chill to go through me, and I found myself inadvertently swallowing. Her expression was neutral, but I could feel the tension coming off her. S-scary… I didn't think she'd react this strongly… Okay, let's calm down for a second and think about this rationally. There is no way Isshiki should know that I've been talking with Miura. I know for a fact that no-one has seen us at my lunch spot, and we've been returning to the classroom separately.I looked at the younger girl across the table, who was looking at Yukinoshita, but now shifted her gaze to me. Then again, as long as there's even a slim chance for that to be the case… I need to be careful with my words and keep cool.
"First of all… Where did you hear that from, Isshiki?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as level as I could. If it's an unreliable source, like a rumour, I might be able to bullshit my way through this. I spared a quick glance at Yukinoshita, who had fixated her gaze on me in an almost accusatory way. A part of me isn't fond of lying to her so openly, but… If all goes well, Miura's request will be over soon, so there's no need for me to tell them about it. If it does come down to that, though… Well, I'll see about that if it happens.
"Oh, Hayama-senpai told me about it." Isshiki replied nonchalantly. Hayama. Of course. But how did he find out? Has Miura slipped something up? Damn that woman… "Although… maybe 'told me' isn't the correct term here… Hmmm..." I lifted an eyebrow at Isshiki's words as the girl looked upwards in thought, placing a finger on her lips as an attempt at being cute. "More like… I overheard him say it yesterday when I was stalk- at soccer practice with him." Isshiki looked back at me with an innocent smile. Oi. You just said something very suspicious. Yukinoshita is always going on about reporting me to the authorities, when Isshiki is the real culprit. "He was sorta like, muttering to himself about some rumour, and then I heard him saying something along the lines of 'Yumiko must have been talking with Hikigaya'. I got curious, so I came here now to ask you about it." Isshiki continued, and I let out a sigh.
"So in other words… You heard something that constitutes as nothing more than a rumour – no, that isn't even a rumour yet, simply the ramblings of one person – and made conclusions based on that alone?" I asked in turn and gave Isshiki a glare, while the younger girl lightly tapped herself on the head with her fist while making a 'Teehee!' sound. That cutesy act is only making me more irritated right now… Besides, it's only cute when Komachi does it, so you're wasting your time, Isshiki.
"So, what you're saying is that… it isn't true, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita asked warily with narrowed eyes, and I turned to look towards her and nodded.
"Of course it isn't. Me talking with Miura of all people? Can you even imagine that? We can barely tolerate each other's presence in class." Yukinoshita thought for a moment, then seemed to relax as she shook her head. Well, I guess I can imagine it, as she has done so on a daily basis up until today, and – for some bizarre reason – she seems to be enjoying it as well. But, at least my reputation is handy here. "Hayama is probably worried about the rumour, maybe even struggling without our help, though I don't know where he would get the idea from that I would have anything to do with Miura." I rested my head on my palm, sensing the tension that had previously permeated the clubroom disappearing. Crisis averted, though only barely. I think Yukinoshita would have understood if I explained the situation to her, but she probably wouldn't have been happy to know I've undertaken another request behind her back. Also, Isshiki is here, and I don't particularly fancy telling her about it. Although… I do now know that Hayama may not have the situation under control as well as we thought. And he is also clearly suspicious of Miura… I'll need to tell her to be more careful if she doesn't want him finding about her plans.
"I apologize, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita's voice brought me out my thoughts, and I looked towards her again to see her looking away from me. "I may have been a bit too hasty. I should have known better than to assume someone like Miura-san would associate with you." Is that… an insult at me or Miura? Knowing that the two of them seem to be at odds every time they meet, I honestly can't tell… "So, you think this has to do with Hayama-kun's request, do you?" Yukinoshita turned to me again and spoke after a few long moments of silence, and I nodded to her, picking up my teacup to have a quick sip before replying.
"Very likely. I didn't imagine Hayama to be the kind of guy who would talk to himself, but if he's 'muttering to himself' like Isshiki said, the rumour could be causing him stress." Imagining Hayama getting stressed over the fact that he might get swarmed by lovestruck maidens at any point brought a small smile of amusement to my face. Heh, that normie deserves to go out like that. How's that popularity treating you now, huh?
"Um… What's this rumour you're talking about, Senpai?" Both Yukinoshita and I turned to the girl on the opposite side of the table as she casually pulled the chair there closer and sat down, looking at me with confusion. If Isshiki doesn't know, then the situation should be fine, but if Hayama is still worried… Maybe he's having trouble getting rid of it? But, more importantly… I shifted my gaze from Isshiki to Yukinoshita who met my eyes with her own, and for a moment, I forgot that everything else in the world existed as I stared into her icy blue eyes, before I managed to pull myself back into reality. That was… dangerous, let's not do it again. Calm down, heart! A few seconds of silence passed, before Yukinoshita blinked, then looked back towards Isshiki.
"Ahem. Well, Hayama-kun came to us with a request on Monday about getting rid of a rumour that had begun circulating on the same day, but we ended up declining it." Yukinoshita explained and leaned down to pick up her own cup that she had put down on the table when Isshiki had arrived. Good work, Yukinoshita. Isshiki is the last person who needs to know what the rumour is about, so we don't want to let her know anything more than she should know.
"Oh… What's the rumour about, then? I haven't heard anything about a rumour that would make Hayama-senpai worry..." Isshiki's eyes flicked between Yukinoshita and I. And there is the question I did not want her to ask.
"Well..." I began and glanced at Yukinoshita briefly, seeing her currently drinking her tea, and thus unable to answer Isshiki's question. "...I don't see us having any inclination to tell you about it, Isshiki." The younger girl pouted in return, then turned to Yukinoshita with a pleading expression. The puppy-dog eyes will not work on her, Isshiki. If you imitated a cat, however, you might have a better chance.
"Indeed." Yukinoshita said as she lowered her teacup from her lips – which I was not looking at intently, mind you! "While we did not take on the request, that does not mean we will simply spread the rumour ourselves without a care – we are better than that, and have no reason to do so. Rumours are a form of bullying, and can ruin someone's reputation utterly. Not everyone has the means to stop them, though, nor the mental fortitude to weather their effects." I nodded along to Yukinoshita's words. Hayama wouldn't care much for rumours, but Miura is not as strong. This has the potential to damage her social standing within the school, and could cause her weak friendships to fracture even further, and I'm not sure she could make it through all that. Though… what Yukinoshita just said felt like she was talking from experience…
"Aw, but, I could help you guys with it!" Isshiki's voice interrupted my thoughts, which had suddenly become depressive due to my own memories from middle school returning, and concern for what Yukinoshita must have had to go through during her own time there. It's no use dwelling on the past. There's too much trauma there – for both of us, I would guess. "I wouldn't tell anyone about it! And if I help Senpai with getting rid of the rumour, I can get closer to Hayama-senpai as well!" I saw Yukinoshita narrowing her eyes at Isshiki, but the girl didn't seem to notice or didn't care as she kept her gaze fixated on me, a large smile plastered on her face.
"You will have to ask Hayama-kun himself about helping, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said and closed her eyes, and Isshiki turned to her again. "As I said, the Service Club is not dealing with Hayama-kun's request, so if you really wanted to help, being with us would not be the right way to go about doing so." Well, I guess technically I am dealing with the situation, given that the rumour does also affect Miura's request, but other than giving her advice about it, I haven't done much. Whether or not Miura decides to do something about the rumour falls to her and Ebina – if she can convince the girl to help her.
"I… guess you're right..." Isshiki seemed a little dejected at Yukinoshita's rejection of her idea. Serves you right. She would have probably just used me to solve the whole thing and then taken all the credit so she could look good in front of Hayama. Not today, Isshiki. "Well, at least I can find a bit of relief in the knowledge that Senpai hasn't actually been talking with Miura-senpai..." Isshiki then continued with a sigh of relief, then suddenly froze up. Ah, here we go again. "Ah! Don't take that the wrong way, Senpai! I was only worried for Miura-senpai's sake, so that's why I'm relieved, and not for any other reason! I apologize if I got your hopes up unintentionally." Isshiki rose up from her chair quickly and bowed deeply, her head almost touching the table, while I simply sighed at her theatrics.
"So, is that all? If you want to go help out Hayama, you might as well do it now when you've got the chance." I said to Isshiki as she raised her head again, ignoring her act completely.
"Ah, well… I was expecting you needing to explain yourself, Senpai, so I told the rest of the student council members that I had something important to do, so if I go find Hayama-senpai now and someone sees me… Teehee~" But being here with us is completely fine..? Before I could sigh, Yukinoshita beat me to it as she circled around me, then placed her teacup on the table next to her chair before pulling her chair towards herself to sit down. Did she just… pull the chair a little closer..? No, I'm just being delusional. The distance between us is still very much there. So my feelings are starting to affect my perception as well… That's not good. I take pride in my abilities of perception being exceptional – not only am I proficient, I also have expertise in the skill – so it would be a disaster if I were to lose my edge now.
"It would probably be best if you didn't so plainly shirk from your duties, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said as she sat down, picking up her teacup again, and I did the same.
"I'm not, though! I've been doing my work diligently recently. It's not my fault we don't have much to do right now." Isshiki protested and leaned on the table. "We've already handled all the aftermath of the christmas event, so we've only really got menial tasks to handle for the time being. Though… We have had a couple of discussions about a possible Valentine's Day event." Yukinoshita seemed to suddenly freeze up momentarily, then lowered her cup as she spoke again.
"Valentine's Day? It's still a few weeks away though, right?" Yukinoshita said as she thought, glancing at me briefly. The 14th of February… It's closer than you'd think, when you consider how short a single day is, and how weeks pass by rather quickly. "It's a bit early, unless you're looking to do something big."
"Well, it's good to plan in advance, right?" Isshiki glanced between the two of us with a smile, but didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I suggested it myself, but we haven't set anything into stone yet. Do you have any ideas for a Valentine's event, Senpai?" Isshiki suddenly turned to me with an inquisitive look, leaning a little closer to me.
"Why are you asking me? If this was your idea, you need to go through with it yourself." I replied sharply. Besides, I have a fairly good guess about the ulterior motives you undoubtedly have regarding this possible event and a certain blonde. "If you want ideas, ask Yuigahama when she comes back. Or just keep your ears open in the coming weeks. Normies tend to get super excited about this whole thing, it's stupid." I glanced briefly at my wrist watch after I finished. Maybe Yukinoshita could let me leave a little earlier today… Not that I want to go meet Miura for the free food she promised that badly, but if I'm not home at the usual time and Komachi comes back, she'll be suspicious of where I've been.
"While I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'stupid' I must agree with Hikigaya-kun here. It is a popular holiday, but I feel like the attention given to it is blown a bit out of proportion." Yukinoshita said and brought her cup up to her lips, taking a long sip of her tea before continuing. "It's only one day, but it feels like advertisers take advantage of it for the entire month. Of course, it is a good tactic, and I do not blame companies for capitalizing on the chance to boost their sales, but the time window could be shorter to actually match the correct date." I crossed my arms and nodded along with Yukinoshita.
"Yukinoshita is quite correct. Valentine's day is nothing more than a corporate scam invented to wring money out of couples while simultaneously spitting in the faces of us loners. Everything becomes so pink with hearts everywhere it makes me sick. The only good thing about the damn thing is that I always get some chocolates-" For a brief moment, both of the girls seemed to tense up, and I felt both of their eyes fixating themselves on me "-from Komachi. Ah, such a thoughtful little sister I have." A sigh left both of the girls' mouths, the one from Yukinoshita sounding like exasperation and the one from Isshiki akin to relief. What? Why is Yukinoshita suddenly looking at me with eyes full of pity? I-it's not like I want chocolate from anyone else anyway – Komachi is all I need! So please, don't make me feel bad for myself!
"I shouldn't be surprised, but..." Yukinoshita brought a hand up to massage her temple, then looked towards Isshiki again. "Anyway, do you even have the funding for a Valentine's event? You don't want to repeat what happened during Christmas by going for something you're not capable of doing."
"Oh, don't worry. We haven't made any decisions yet, but we won't go for anything too big, if we end up coming up with something." Isshiki replied, then turned her gaze to me. "But you'll help us with it anyway, right, Senpai?" Yukinoshita also shifted her eyes to me, likely gauging what my response is going to be. I just avoided having to admit I've taken another request behind her back, so I don't want to say anything wrong here. But, more importantly, since when did you start expecting me to be at your beck and call like that, Isshiki?
"...If you make a request to the club, then sure." My response seemed to satisfy Yukinoshita as she relaxed and sipped on her tea again. "But, you can't just always run to us with everything. It wouldn't do good for your reputation as the student council president." Isshiki seemed to perk up suddenly at the mentioning of her reputation, but then pouted at me as she leaned closer again.
"Mou, don't say that, Senpai! I'm allowed to lean on others a little, you knooooow? No-one can do everything in the student council all by themselves, so I'm doing a good job as a first-year student!" Isshiki puffed out her chest in pride. Well, I can think of two people who probably could do that. Hint: both of them have the last name 'Yukinoshita'. Still, manipulating others to such a degree that you can dump your work on them and still have them praise you for it… Scary. Isshiki Iroha is truly scary. Did in inadvertently release a caged beast by having her become the student council president?
"Well, the Service Club is ready to help out in case you do require it, Isshiki-san, but I'm hoping we won't need to intervene as much as we did during the christmas event." Yukinoshita said, bringing Isshiki's attention to herself. "Our policy is still only to help and guide others into solving their own problems, rather than just doing the work for them."
"Of course, of course, but… I can always ask Senpai directly for help, right?" Isshiki turned to me again with a smile on her face and tilted her head slightly. Still trying to get me to be your pack mule? Knowing what the girls think of me handling requests on my own behind their backs, I'm not going to agree so easily to anything you ask, even if you successfully use your almost-like-a-little-sister charms on me. Though, that didn't stop me from accepting Miura's request…
"As I said, if you make it a request for the club as a whole we will help." I noticed Yukinoshita smiling slightly in the corner of my eye. Am I being hypocritical? I keep telling myself that I simply don't need to tell Yukinoshita or Yuigahama about Miura's request because it isn't that big of a deal, but is that just me justifying my own hypocrisy? No, I wouldn't say so. Yuigahama will be in on her scheme soon enough, and at that point, there's no need to tell Yukinoshita any more – my workload, while already minimal, will lessen greatly at that point. I shouldn't trouble myself by thinking about this right now. I glanced at my watch again, ignoring the slight pout of Isshiki's face, then addressed Yukinoshita. "Oh, right. Do you mind if I leave a bit earlier today, Yukinoshita? I doubt we'll get any requests today." Yukinoshita looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and I saw Isshiki now gazing at me curiously as well.
"And may I inquire as to what for, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita asked in return.
"I need to run an errand for Komachi." I lied to the girl with a straight face, but it was a necessary lie. No need to tell them I'll be eating with Miura, for obvious reasons.
"I see. Is this about the message you received earlier, then?" I nodded in reply to her second question. This one wasn't technically a lie. Me leaving early does have to do with it, but Komachi didn't send the message. I recalled the information I had received from Miura about the place she said we would eat at today. It was kinda far away, but I should be able to make it there quick enough on bike. Half an hour should be plenty of time for that and chowing down some free food, so even if Komachi comes home before I do, she shouldn't suspect anything. She will likely accept me not being home at exactly the same time every day."Well, I suppose I could allow that just this once. Since Yuigahama-san is absent as well, we could very well end club a little early today." Yukinoshita continued with a small smile, which I found myself returning to her, but then quickly averted my gaze as I felt my cheeks heating up slightly. As I thought, looking at her for extended periods of time is dangerous, especially is she shows me such an attractive expression.
"R-right. So, is leaving half an hour early okay?" I asked after a few moments of silence, glancing at Yukinoshita but not daring to look at her fully, while Isshiki seemed to be silently observing us, her gaze flicking between the raven-haired girl and I.
"That should be fine, yes. I'm sure Hiratsuka-sensei will understand if we end a little early today." Yukinoshita said with another smile, and I nodded to her in reply. Right, that's that sorted, then. Now we hope that Miura doesn't take too long with Ebina.
After that, the atmosphere returned to what could be described as "the usual" for the club. Isshiki had only come here to confirm if what she had heard from Hayama had been correct (which, while it had been, Hayama would have no way of knowing that, making the whole thing pure speculation on his part, and thus not a reliable source of information), and since neither Yukinoshita or I were keen on giving her any more information about Hayama's request, she started simply chatting with Yukinoshita, occasionally pulling me into the conversation as well while I continued reading. More often than not, however, I felt Isshiki's eyes on me whenever there was a pause in the conversation, but I pretended not to notice. I figured that the moment I lifted my gaze to meet hers or otherwise paid any attention to her, she would drag me into something I could not back out of easily.
Time passed pleasantly, and soon enough I found myself checking my watch to see that it was now half an hour until club was supposed to end – the designated time that we decided would be when we stopped early today. Let's get going, then. I spared a glance at my teacup – which had been refilled once during this time – and drank what little was left in it, then closed my novel, moving my gaze to Yukinoshita.
"Yukinoshita." The girl lifted her gaze from her own book to meet mine, and I gestured to my watch, her gaze landing on my wrist as well.
"Ah, is it time already? I suppose we should start packing up, then." Yukinoshita said as she closed her own book, then started drinking the remnants of her own tea.
"I'll head back to the student council room, then." Isshiki said as she stood up from her seat, leaving the now-empty paper cup she had drank from on the table. "See you, Yukino-senpai! Oh, and I guess see you too, Senpai." Isshiki flashed me one of her trademark smiles, letting her gaze linger on me for a few moments before she began to make her way towards the door. So now I'm just a secondary thought, not even worthy of saying goodbye to..? Considering how she usually tends to force me to work for her, I'm not sure if that's a positive or a negative change.
"Yes, I… hope you'll join us for tea again, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said in reply as she began to clean up our respective cups. "As long as you don't use it as an excuse to avoid work." Yukinoshita's gaze briefly flicked to me, and I expected her next words to be a quip about how I supposedly avoided any and all work given to me (a statement which I will not deny the factuality of, as to work is to lose), but she didn't say anything more. Is she being uncharacteristically nice for whatever reason? Or did she simply not think to say such a thing? Has the day when I finally think of something before the Ice Queen does finally come? If it has, I wonder what it says about me when the thing in question was something that could be considered an insult towards myself…
"Oh, you can count on me, Yukino-senpai! I wouldn't do that, unlike Senpai here." Ah, there it is. Does the world end if I'm not insulted or made into the butt of a joke a certain number of times per day? Well, it's not like I really care either way. In fact, if that were to happen, it'd only be a positive thing. Though, if the world did end, there'd be no more Yukinoshita… Eugh, how in the hell am I even capable of thinking like that? Love is scary. "Anyway, bye, Senpais!" Isshiki waved at us, then slid the door of the clubroom open and left. As soon as the door closed behind her, I let out a sigh, then turned to Yukinoshita, who was currently organizing the side table.
"You need any help?" I asked as I placed my novel into my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and Yukinoshita turned to me with a slightly surprised expression on her face.
"Ah, it's fine, Hikigaya-kun. I can manage." Yukinoshita said with a smile, then glanced at the door briefly before meeting my eyes again. "I… I want to say that… I enjoyed our time here today. I mean, the… quiet moments we had before Isshiki-san arrived. It was… pleasant." Yukinoshita's gaze was fixated on mine at first, but then began to wander, as if trying to find something to focus on, and the meek display caused my heartbeat to rise. W-when did you become so c-cute..?
"A-ah, s-sure. I… l-liked it too, I guess." I replied and averted my own gaze, bringing a hand up to rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "It was nice not having Yuigahama be noisy constantly, at the very least." A small giggle escaped Yukinoshita's lips, and I felt my cheeks heating up as the heavenly sound resonated in my brain. At this rate, my heart is going to burst out my chest… The effect she has on me is… dangerous.
"Indeed. Maybe we'll get another chance to talk some more about literature in the future, with just the two of us? I would… certainly hope we do." Yukinoshita turned to me fully and smiled, a slight dusting of red on her cheeks. Is she..? N-no, I can't get ahead of myself. This is Yukinoshita we are talking about. Certainly, there is the possibility that there is something there, but… At this point, it's nothing more than blind hope.
"Y-yeah, that might… be nice." I replied after a few seconds of silence, then glanced at my watch again. "I should… probably start going now. I'll… see you tomorrow, Yukinoshita."
"See you tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun." With a smile and a small wave from the raven-haired girl, I turned and walked to the door, stopping briefly to look back over my shoulder to see Yukinoshita now packing her own things as well, then stepped outside the classroom, sliding the door closed behind me.
Deep breath.
Long exhale.
I leaned against the wall next to the door and let my heartbeat steady itself after the onslaught it had just weathered. I didn't have any doubts before, but… I really have fallen for Yukinoshita Yukino. If we do get another chance to be with just the two of us, I'll need to think up a plan on what to do. After calming myself down, I glanced at my watch again and then began to make my way down the hallway before Yukinoshita herself exited the clubroom and caught me loitering around just outside it. Maybe getting some good, free food will help me come up with something.
Feeling my mouth watering at the thought of the free food that awaited me, I grinned to myself and made my way to the bike racks.
Is he coming?
I stared at my reflection in the window intently, trying to get a stray strand of hair to stay in place, but failing each time as it fell back down. I did quickly comb my hair before coming here, but… Wait, why am I suddenly caring so much about this? I'm just going to eat with Hikio. Yeah, that's right. It's just Hikio. I turned away from the window and took out my phone to check the time. Did I come here a little too early? I don't think Hikio's club ends for some time… I could have easily stopped by home after finishing with Hina. I let out a small sigh as I contemplated whether or not I should quickly make a detour and come back here, but ultimately decided against it. Turning back to the window I standing next to, I resisted the urge to mess with my hair any longer, instead simply staring into the reflection of my own eyes. It's fine. It's just Hikio.
A breeze flew past and my reflection shuddered, so I stuck my hands into my pockets for warmth. I should have probably brought some gloves with me… I think I need to buy new ones as well. Maybe I could go shopping with Hina? As my thoughts went back to Hina, I felt a smile growing on my face. And for understandable reasons – after all, my meeting with her had gone simply splendidly.
My original plan had been to visit Hina at her house with the excuse of going to see her as she was sick, and then tell her about what had happened with Hayato and my plans regarding out clique. However, as she had recovered from her illness and was back in school, my plans had changed slightly. Like Hikio had instructed, I tried my best to be careful and act natural during the classes so as to not give anything away to the perceptive girl. And judging by Hina's reaction when I asked to speak with her privately after school, I had been successful.
And what came after couldn't have gone better.
"Hina, I want you to understand that… What I'm about to say is a very serious matter. I want you to be completely honest with me, alright?"
The expression on the face of the girl in front of me was first one of confusion, but then became serious as she fixated her glasses-framed gaze on me and nodded.
"So, what is it, Yumiko? You're not usually like this."
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. You've got this, Yumiko. You were able to tell Hikio, so you can tell Hina as well.
"I confessed to Hayato on Monday." I said in one breath as I opened my eyes, and I saw Hina's eyes widening, all the while I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I steeled myself and forced my tear-ducts to stay shut. "He rejected me. Well, he didn't directly reject me, but that's what his words meant." I paused and gauged Hina's reaction, and after a few moments of silence, she reached out and took my hand into hers, her expression turning into compassion. But whether that compassion was genuine or not… I couldn't tell.
"Oh, Yumiko… I'm so sorry for you. But… It didn't seem like things were awkward between you two today, so… everything is okay now?" In response to Hina's question, I shook my head.
"No. Everything is not okay. There's a reason why I confessed now, Hina." The girl raised an eyebrow in question as I paused again, but didn't say anything. "I did it as a… test, you could say. I've been… suspecting Hayato for a long time now. Suspecting that he is hiding things from us. Suspecting that he is hiding… himself from us." Hina's eyes widened for a moment again, and her expression turned serious again. Her hold on my hand tightened ever so slightly. "You know it too, don't you? That the Hayato we know… It isn't him. You've seen what Hikio has seen, you know what he's really like, right?" Hina looked at me square in the eye for a few moments, then let go of my hand as she closed her eyes.
"So you've finally seen it as well, then?" Hina asked after what felt like an eternity, opening her eyes while crossing her arms over her chest, and I nodded to her. "...Right. Well… To clarify, I don't know what he is really like, but I do know that he's not exactly being… open with us. But… If you know that he's doing it, you must also know why he's doing it. Right, Yumiko?" I bit my lip and looked away from Hina. This was it.
"He does it to keep the status quo." I replied, still not looking back at her.
"And I thought you wanted to keep it too, right? What we have now is… nice. So why did you confess to him, knowing that it would-"
"Because it's not about what we have right now!" I interrupted Hina, my voice coming out a little louder than I had expected. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. But, like, sure, what we have right now is 'nice' as you put it, but… What about in the future? What about after we graduate? Will everything be like it is now? Will things stay the same?" Now it was Hina's turn to look away as I pressed her for answers.
"...They won't." Hina admitted quietly, then looked back at me. "We'll all go our separate ways after we graduate, but isn't that for the best? To move on? We all have our own futures and our plans. I'm sure… he does too. That's why he's doing this." Hina's expression was slightly pained, but her words hurt me even more. But… it also meant I had a chance.
"I don't want that. I don't want us to separate. I want us all to stay together." Hina opened her mouth as if to say something, but I continued before she could. "I know what will happen at this rate. It's as you say, we'll all separate, and maybe some of us will look back on high school with smiles on our faces. But I know we won't be happy that way. I won't be happy that way. How could I look back at these times with a smile, knowing that the 'friendships' I had were all… superficial? If these fake friends were all I had, all I knew, how could I go on and make new friends after I lost you?" This time, I couldn't hold the tears in, and Hina's face became concerned again – though now, I was sure the look was genuine.
"Yumiko..." Hina stood in front of me awkwardly as I wiped away the tears as they flowed. I could tell that she was feeling conflicted right now, which was a good sign. At least, I figured it was a good sign, since it probably meant my words had sunk in. "...So… What are you going to do, Yumiko?" Hina then asked after I had stifled my crying, and I looked the girl directly in the eyes.
"I'm going to change things. All this time, I've blindly believed Hayato, but now I can see just how superficial our friendships are. We never fight, and can we honestly say that we truly know each other either?" Hina looked away from and bit her lip. She couldn't refute what I was saying. "Hayato just decided that these people were the ones he wanted to be 'friends' with. That's the only reason we're together. But I'm going to change that. I want everyone to be open with each other, lay our feelings bare, and trust each other, like real friends are supposed to do. I want us to be able to speak truthfully, to be able to fight, and to love, without any of those things threatening to break us apart. Because that's what real friendship is. I've now understood that, after realizing what Hayato had been doing all this time. I want to do this, because I… genuinely care for you all." I could feel my hands shaking, so I balled them up into fists, then took a deep – albeit shaky – breath and placed my hands on Hina's shoulders. "So, Hina. All I'm asking from you… is are you with me?" A long silence followed as we stared into each other's eyes, and any bystander could easily get the wrong image from the scene if they saw us right now.
"..." Finally, after an almost painful amount of time, Hina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, bringing one of her hands up to rest on top of mine. "...Not everyone in the clique is going to understand or want this change, Yumiko." Hina then spoke, and I could see my hands shaking a little again.
"I still want to try. I'm sure that in the end, they'll want to be real friends with everyone as well." Hina opened her eyes, her expression staying neutral.
"He will oppose you, you know? He likes the stagnation out of us the most."
"Hayato? I don't care what he thinks any more. I'm not even sure if I can call him 'Hayato' any more, having seen what lies beneath the surface, as well as hearing what Hikio thinks of him. If he doesn't want to open up… Then so be it." Hina stared at me in silence for a few seconds, then closed her eyes again for a few moments, before a small smile appeared on her face.
"I'm quite rotten on the inside, you know? And I don't just mean being a fujoshi. If you open this Pandora's Box, you might be scared away by the contents." The tone of her voice nearly caused tears to spill again, but I had already cried enough, so I instead pulled Hina close and embraced her.
"I'm done being scared, Hina. No matter what's inside, I won't be afraid of it, because I genuinely think of you as my friend, even if our bond thus far has been shallow. Please, Hina. I want to change things for the better, you understand, right? I don't want you guys to just be a phase in my life, I want you to stay in it." I couldn't see Hina's expression, but after a few moments passed, I felt her wrapping her own hands around me as well.
"Alright. Just don't say I didn't warn you, Yumiko." I tried my best not to, but I cried again. However, these were tears of joy.
"Hina..." I pulled away from the girl, seeing a wide on her face as she looked back at me with her green eyes, their hue not too far from my own eye colour. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're with me on this."
"Don't sweat it, Yumiko. I… will admit, I was planning on going my own way after graduation, but if you're willing to give me a chance to open up to you… I might as well grab the opportunity." Hina's smile shifted slightly, and having been around Hikio more during this past week, I could easily tell it was a self-deprecating one.
"No, I won't just give you a chance. You will open up to me, Hina, and I will accept whatever it is that I find inside. There are no ifs or buts." Hina looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, then let out a giggle.
"There's the fiery Yumiko I've come accustomed to." Hina said with a warm smile, then her gaze flicked to both her shoulders, where I was still holding onto her. "So, are you going to let go of me any time soon? Unless… Oho, Yumiko~" All of a sudden, Hina's eyes got a dangerous glint to them, a glint I recognized as the one she got every time she was fantasizing about BL. "While I am mainly into yaoi, I won't say no to some good yuri from time to time, so..." Hina licked her lips, and a few seconds passed as the gears in my head locked into place, and I immediately let go of Hina and pulled away, my cheeks no doubt flushed red.
"I-I didn't mean it t-that way!" Hina started laughing as I covered my chest defensively and took a step back, though the distance was quickly reduced to zero again by the girl in question.
"I'm joking, of course. Well, not entirely joking… Take it as a glimpse into the Pandora's Box." Hina said with a wink as she leaned closer, showing me a side of her she could easily use to capture any boy's heart with.
Faced with such a display, all I could do was sigh.
...And then she questioned me a whole bunch about Hikio. I get the feeling there might be something going on between them… Could there? I feel like they might get along… I know Hikio has spoken to her, at the very least…
As I continued thinking about my earlier conversation with Hina, and her possible connection to Hikio, I noticed a somewhat familiar figure coming closer. Not believing my eyes at first, I pulled out my phone and checked the time again. How is he here already? Club hours haven't ended yet, have they?
"Yo." Hikio greeted me as he walked his bike over to me, stopping to glance around briefly before finding the nearby bike rack.
"Aren't you like, quite early here?" I asked as Hikio was locking his bike. Also, what was with the greeting? So lethargic.
"Hm? Oh, we ended club early today, since Yuigahama wasn't there and we figured we wouldn't get any requests." Hikio replied and walked over to me, then gestured to the building next to us. "I assume this is the place?"
"Yeah, it is." I replied and watched as Hikio eyed the restaurant I had chosen for a few moments. "What? Do you like, have a problem with it?" Hikio turned to me again and shrugged.
"No. Just a bit fancier than what I normally eat." Hikio said and pulled up his sleeve to have a look at his watch. "Let's get inside. You don't need to freeze yourself out here any longer, and I'm more than ready for some food right now." Hikio walked past me to the entrance, stopping to look back at me. "You coming?"
"A-ah, yeah." I quickly made my way over to him and we walked inside. He… noticed I was cold? I mean, of course I wasn't that cold, but… Damn it, why are you so kind, Hikio?
After entering, we found ourselves a table to sit down on and called over a waitress to give us the menus. The restaurant was a fair bit away from the school, and I doubted anyone from there would be eating here at this time of day, but we still chose a table that was a little out of the way and not next to any windows, just on the off-chance that someone did indeed see us here together. Of course, it wasn't like this was a date or anything, as I was simply paying compensation to Hikio for his help, and he understood that well, but others may not see it that way. That waitress looked at us a bit oddly when she gave us the menus… She couldn't think we were on a date, right? I lifted my gaze from the menu I was scanning through and looked across the table at Hikio, who was still engrossed in his own menu. I mean, look at us. Would anyone seriously believe someone like me would go on a date with Hikio? Actually… that was kinda mean of me. I now know how good of a person Hikio actually is – he's certainly better than any guy I've ever known up until this point – so I shouldn't think that… And I guess his looks are not half-bad… His eyes are a bit scary, but having gotten to know him, there's a gentleness to them, so if he just kept better care of his hair and slouched less…
Wait, am I seriously checking out Hikio of all people right now?
Suddenly, Hikio raised his gaze to meet mine and lifted an eyebrow in question, and I quickly looked back at my own menu while trying my best to hide the blush that was creeping up to my cheeks. You've only just gotten rejected by Hayato, girl, and you're already setting your eyes on someone else? Get yourself together. It's only Hikio. You know, the creepy loner of the classroom who is actually a really nice guy and the only person who has ever genuinely comforted you when you were feeling down without any sort of obligation to you and without expecting anything in return. The same guy who has somehow managed to catch Yui's interest and befriended Yukinoshita and who is now helping you deal with something that is undoubtedly your own problem. I quickly glanced at Hikio again from behind the menu, letting my gaze linger for a second or two before I averted my gaze again. Well… When I put it that way… Damn it! Get. Your. Self. Together. Yumiko! It's just Hikio. He's helping me because I made a request, and he is expecting compensation for his help, like this date right – IT'S NOT A DATE! Gah, what is wrong with my brain right now…
"...So, uh… How did it go with Ebina?" Hikio suddenly spoke out, and I nearly jumped as I looked towards him again, seeing him placing the menu down on the table. Likely having already figured out what he was going to order,
"Huh?" Hikio looked back at me with a bit of confusion, and it took me a second to realize what he had asked. "O-oh, right, yes, Hina." I placed the menu down as well and began to twirl a strand of hair around my index finger as I took a moment to clear my head. These are not good thoughts to have right now. You have to remember, Yumiko, this is just you paying proper compensation for his help. That is all. "Ahem. It… went better than I could have ever expected."
"So… she's going to help you, then?" I nodded in reply to Hikio's question.
"Yeah, she will. Like you said, she knew something was going on with Hayato, but she said that she doesn't know what he's really like, just that he was like, keeping that information from us. I… told her about what happened between us on Monday, and then about my plans, and she said she was willing to open up to me and help me with it." Hikio nodded as I paused for a moment before continuing. "Oh, but I didn't like, tell her about your involvement yet. Though, she did ask about you, but I didn't say anything apart from admitting that I had talked with you."
"Right. Well, it's good you got her on your side. So, did you come up with anything regarding the rumour?" Hikio then asked, and I looked away with slight embarrassment.
"I… didn't remember, sorry. I got… a bit emotional with Hina, and then I wanted to hurry here, but only afterwards did I remember that you still had club, so… Yeah, I forgot to tell her about the rumour." I glanced back at Hikio sheepishly, but he didn't seem angry at me, not that I really expected him to feel that way.
"Well, you might have to start doing something soon. Isshiki came to the club today and brought to my attention that Hayama might not have the rumour under control as well as he could hope." Hikio replied, and I looked back at him with intrigue. Isshiki? The first-year student council president? "Apparently he was muttering to himself about it during soccer practice. Does he… do that often?"
"Mutter to himself?" I asked, and Hikio nodded, so I gave it a moment of thought. I… don't know. I don't know…. anything about Hayato… "I… I don't know. I don't think he would, and I can't remember ever hearing him talking to himself, but… I just don't know." A small wave of melancholy washed over me, but I shook it off. I shouldn't get hung up on it. The more I think about it, the more likely it's starting to feel that Hayato won't ever open up to us, even if my plan is a success otherwise.
"Hmm… Well, if he doesn't usually do it, I would guess that he's stressed about the rumour, and thus is letting his thoughts slip when he thinks he's alone. Well, even if someone did overhear him, he could just wave it off with a smile, no doubt." That sounds like the Hayato I know… But that isn't the real Hayato… Ugh, you just went over this two seconds ago! "In any case, you'd better get ready, or even better, think up something against the rumour in case it spreads any further. Isshiki didn't know about it herself yet, so it's still likely confined to the male population, but it's only a matter of time before the girls hear of it as well – and if Hayama is having trouble quenching the rumour, the chance of that gets higher with each moment." I digested everything Hikio had said for a few moments, but before I could say anything, the waitress returned to us.
"Are you two ready to order?" The waitress asked from us with a smile, and I quickly realized that my answer to her question was no. I spent the time I was supposed to use to pick out a meal by thinking about Hikio… Damn it, he's managed to worm his way into my head and now doesn't want to leave.
"I'll have the Tori katsu bowl with sekihan rice and a side of miso soup with katsuobushi stock." Hikio replied to the waitress, who quickly wrote down his order, then shifted her gaze to me. Crap, I didn't think what to order at all… Should I just say something generic like oyakodon or curry? Ugh, no, I can't even remember if those things were on the menu… Which leaves me the choice of…
"I-I'll have the same as what he's having." I said to the waitress, feigning confidence with my tone of voice – though I wasn't quite sure if I succeeded or not, given the raised eyebrow I could see on both her and Hikio's face. Just keep calm and fake confidence. Everything will be fine.
"Alright then." The waitress scribbled something down with a slight smile on her face, then glanced back between the two of us. "How about drinks?"
"I'm fine with just water. How about you, Miura?" Hikio asked and looked towards me. Luckily, this was a question I could answer.
"Yes, just water is fine." I replied, and I saw the waitress nodding.
"Great! Thank you very much. I'll bring over a water pitcher now, and give one of us a shout if you need it refilled. Your meals will arrive shortly." The waitress said with a bright smile, which I returned to her just as she left us. Haah… Couldn't she have come a few minutes later? Then I would have had the chance to actually think of something to order… Well, I guess I only have myself to blame. I nearly let out a sigh, but kept it in and looked to the other side of table, where Hikio was staring at my quizzically.
"What is it?" I asked, though I already had a fairly good guess of what he was going to say.
"...Why did you order the same thing I did?" Hikio asked in turn, keeping his gaze fixated on me.
"Why does it matter? It sounded good, so I wanted to try it." I replied and averted my gaze, beginning to twirl a stray strand of my hair with a finger as I ignored Hikio's gaze to the best of my ability. It's your fault, stupid Hikio. You've been far too kind to me these past few days so I can't get you out of my thoughts any more, and it's distracting me.
"..." Hikio stayed quiet for a few moments, then let out a sigh, which prompted me to look back at him "...If you hadn't picked what to order yet, you could have just said so." I glared at Hikio and crossed my arms over my chest, and he seemed to flinch a little.
"T-that's not it! What does it like, matter to you what I order? I'm the one paying for it anyway, so why should you care?" I said with a huff, hiding my embarrassment with my bluster. "Besides… It did really sound good, so I wanted to try it." This one is not technically a lie, as now thinking back on Hikio's order, it has gotten me interested…
"And exactly because you're paying for it should you take your time and decide what you want for yourself. It could be a waste of money for all you know." Hikio said and leaned on his arm. He… does have a point… But my pride won't allow that!
"Here you go, your water pitcher." Before I could strike back at Hikio, I was interrupted by the waitress returning, now carrying a water pitcher and two tall glasses, which she placed on the table for us.
"Arigatou." Hikio thanked the waitress as he took the pitcher and poured himself a glass of water, then placed the pitcher back on the table, a little closer to my side of the table. And now he's being considerate again… Does he even notice this stuff himself..? If he socialized a bit more, he could have girls all over him like Hayato does. I felt my mood dropping a little, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts and reached for the pitcher to pour myself a glass of water as well.
"Well, if you like, care so much about what I use my money on, Hikio, why don't you choose the place for next time? I'm sure you know cheap places to get good food at." I glanced at Hikio as I poured the water into my glass and saw a slightly bewildered expression on his face as he looked back at me. "What?"
"Next time? You mean… You're planning on doing this with me again?" Hikio asked, and I realized what I had let out of my mouth. Crap, why did I say that? It just kinda slipped out like it was nothing…
"Well… I mean… Yeah? This is like, to compensate for your help, right? So just paying for food once isn't going to cut it." I replied as I placed the pitcher down and took a sip of the cool water. Hikio has already done so much to help me, but I don't think he realizes it. It's only logical that I'd repay him properly in proportion to the help he's given me. Yeah, that's it.
"No, uh, this is more than fine for me. It's not like I've done anything in particular. Depending on how much this costs, I might actually pitch in to pay a part of it, so I don't feel bad for using you for some free food when I've barely done anything." My hold on the glass of water tightened, and I felt like shouting at Hikio for how much of a dense dumbass he was being, but held it in, given that we were in public. This idiot… Does he not know his own worth? He's done more for me than anyone has ever done, I've even said it to him, so why does his thick skull not understand it?
"No, you're not paying a single yen today, Hikio. This is my way of repaying your help, so if we split the bill, there'd be no point in it. And you're not using me in any way – this is me showing my gratitude!" I glared at Hikio, who simply looked back at me blankly. Gah! This is so frustrating… Do I have to spell it out for him? Ah, whatever. I don't want to shout at him here. Stupid Hikio. "And, like, as I said, paying for food once isn't going to be enough, considering how much you've helped me, and everything you'll help me with in the future. So, answer my question. Do you know any cheap places with good food that we could go to next time? You said this place was fancier than where you normally eat, right? So where do you normally eat?" Hikio stared at me silently for a few moments, then let out a sigh.
"Fine. Let me think. Wait, no, I don't even need to think. The answer is easy." Hikio paused for a moment and looked me dead in the eye, his expression turning serious. What's with that look..? Is this like, something super important to him..? "The best place to get food that is cheap yet tasty is… Saize."
…
…
...Saize?
"Bwahahahaa!" I couldn't hold in my laughter after hearing Hikio's answer. After his dead-serious attitude, the punchline had been totally unexpected, making the whole thing so perfect I had to wonder if Hikio was secretly a famous stand-up comedian and this was all a part of some super-elaborate setting in a TV show. "Saize… For… real… Ahahahaa!" As I wiped tears away from the corners of my eyes, I could see glimpses of a very disgruntled-looking Hikio, which only fuelled my laughing fit.
"...You got a problem with Saize, Miura?" Hikio asked once I had calmed down a little, though I was still giggling constantly.
"Haah… No, I don't, it was just… that delivery… Haaaaa… You should totally… become a stand-up comedian, Hikio." Hikio glared back at me, then rolled his eyes and let out a sigh as I simply continued giggling at him. Saize… I've been to one a couple of times, and the food's not bad, but… I did not expect him to say Saize…
"Well, I guess it's better that people laugh at what I say rather than at me..." Hikio said as he leaned on his arm again and looked away from me, lazily scanning the restaurant with his gaze, before he suddenly froze in place, his face turning white as a sheet. Hikio..?
"Is… something wrong..?" I asked and glanced at where he was looking, but nothing caught my eye. "You look like you've… seen a ghost, or something. Hikio?" Hearing me call out to him, Hikio seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and briefly looked at me, then back at whatever he was looking at before.
"Okay, Miura, look-" Before Hikio could finish what he was about to say, a sudden voice interrupted him.
"Hikigaya? Wait, is that really Hikigaya?! No way, it really is!" I turned to the source of the voice and was met with a girl with short, curly brown hair rapidly making her way over to us, followed behind by a brown-haired guy, though his was different in hue to the girl's. Who are they, then? That uniform they're wearing… Kaihin Sōgō? She seems to know Hikio… As the girl got closer, her eyes suddenly landed on me and she stopped in place, the look on her face one of surprise. "Huh? Wait, are you on a date, Hikigaya? Wow! Good for you! Though, I would have expected you to go out with one of the two of them… Who is she, then?" I felt a slight heat forming on my cheeks at the girl's words, and I averted my gaze from her and instead looked at Hikio, who seemed to be absolutely mortified by the girl's sudden appearance. She seems… familiar somehow… Have I seen her somewhere before?
"Right, slow down a little." Hikio said and held out a hand towards the brown-haired girl as he pinched the bridge of his nose, bringing her attention back to him. "First of all, no, this is not a date. She's just paying me compensation for helping her with something, that is all. And secondly… What the hell are you doing here, Orimoto?" Orimoto, huh..? So Hikio does know her, then… But how does he know someone from another school? What's their history together?
"Hm? Oh, prez over there asked me out today, saying that he wanted to take me here for dinner." The girl – now named Orimoto – answered with a bright smile and pointed at the person behind her with her thumb – who was now looking quite displeased with this development. Ah, I see… So this was a date – for them. Doesn't look like she cares much, though… I kind of feel bad for you, 'prez'. "I should be asking the same from you! Man, you were the last person I expected to see here today, Hikigaya. Why did you come so far from Soubu for your date?" I… guess this place is kinda close to Kaihin… but, wait!
"This isn't a date." I cut into the conversation, and Orimoto shifted her gaze to me. "We just didn't want to be seen by anyone from our school who could misunderstand the situation. Anyway, Hikio, who is she? You two seem to know each other." I crossed my arms and looked at Hikio questioningly, feeling some odd curiosity well up within me regarding Hikio's exact relationship to this girl.
"Wait wait wait, time out for a second. Hikio? Hi-ki-o? Oh my god that is so adorable!" Orimoto let out a giggle and moved next to Hikio, casually placing a hand on his shoulder, the contact making Hikio jump slightly. "When did you get such a pretty girlfriend? All you did was hang out with those two from that club of yours back during christmas, and I was sure there was something going on between you and one of them. The black-haired one seemed like right up your alley… Well, unless your tastes haven't changed since then, that is." Hikio's eyes widened slightly, before he scowled and grabbed Orimoto's hand – which caused the girl's face to twist into surprise – and moved it away from his shoulder. I, on the other hand, was focused on something completely different. Me… Hikio's…
...Girlfriend?
For whatever reason, those words stuck with me, and I felt an odd feeling I couldn't quite place welling up in me, alongside my heartbeat rising slightly. T-that's a preposterous idea. Me and Hikio? Hah, you're making me laugh. That's right, it's a laughable idea. So what is… this feeling, then..?
"She's not my girlfriend, Orimoto. What part of 'this is not a date' do you not understand? We're just classmates, and she is repaying me for providing help to her, that is all." Hikio's words brought me out of my thoughts, and I saw him glaring at Orimoto.
"Fine, fine, I get it. So, is you helping her a recent development, then? I can't remember seeing her with you before." Hikio let out another small sigh, then gestured towards me with one hand.
"This is Miura Yumiko, a classmate of mine whom I am currently helping with a request. And Miura, this is-"
"Nice to meet you! I'm Orimoto Kaori, Hikigaya's… classmate from middle school, and… well, maybe something more than that." Something more? What does that mean? Wait… don't tell me she was Hikio's girlfriend? No, there's no way. "Oh, and he's the prez of our student council, Tamanawa." Orimoto gestured to her date partner, who had been silent up until now.
"Uh, hello. Kaori, could we go and-" Tamanawa began, but Orimoto didn't let him finish.
"Hey, so you two are eating here, right? Why don't we join you guys? Have you ordered yet?" Orimoto asked, her gaze flicking between Hikio and I, and I saw Tamanawa sighing in what seemed like a mix of exasperation and disappointment. Yeah, I would probably feel that way too if my date suddenly started paying attention to someone else upon arriving at the date location…
"Yes, we have already ordered our food. So, why don't you leave us to wait for it to arrive and then let us eat in peace?" Hikio said, clearly not pleased with the idea of Orimoto joining us.
"Hm? Oh, don't be like that, Hikigaya. The more the merrier, isn't that what they say?" Orimoto said with a smile and took a seat next to Hikio, taking off her coat as she did. Looks like she won't take no for an answer. "Since we met up like this, we might as well eat together, right? Come on, prez, you sit down as well." Hikio turned to me with a pleading look, and I shook my head in reply to him. Orimoto seems like the kind of girl who'll want to go through with this no matter what, and with her cheery demeanour, you can't really go against her. Besides… I can't help my curiosity regarding her…
"It should be fine, right, Hikio? It's not like it could hurt." I said with a small smile, and Hikio looked like I had just betrayed him in the most horrible way possible. Sorry, Hikio, but this feeling won't go away… I need to know more about her… For whatever reason, the fact that Orimoto seemed to be insistent on sitting so close to Hikio irritated me greatly, and it irritated me even more because I couldn't figure out why.
"See? Even she agrees. I think we'll get along great!" Orimoto met my gaze with her own and smiled brightly, while Tamanawa glanced between the three of us sitting down, then took a deep breath and moved to sit down next to me.
"Excuse me, Miura-san. I'm Tamanawa, second-year student and student coundil president of Kaihin Sōgō high school. Nice to meet you." Tamanawa extended a hand to me, and I looked down at it with a raised eyebrow, before reluctantly shaking it.
"...And I'm Miura Yumiko, second-year student at Soubu." I found his formal greeting really odd, like he was trying too hard, but decided not to pay much attention to him, instead focusing on Orimoto on the other side of the table. "So, Orimoto-san… You said you were Hikio's classmate back in middle school, right?" Orimoto nodded enthusiastically back at me in reply, so I continued. "What was he like back then? The same loner as he is now, or did he like, actually have friends and… you know." In response to my question, Hikio began to glare at me, and I glared back at him. He's not outright protesting, so it's fine. I'm not expecting there to be anything interesting about him from back then, but this Orimoto is acting a little too friendly for just being a former classmate…
"Ah, well… I guess he was mostly the same, though he has changed a little from those days. I mean, now he has a whole bunch of pretty and beautiful girls among his friends!" Orimoto let out a laugh, while Hikio began to massage his temple. Certainly… that is true. Yui, Yukinoshita, and even Isshiki seems to be close with him. And then there's of course me.
"Right. So, what was your relationship with him back then? You said you might have been 'something more' than just a classmate, but what did you mean by that?" I didn't want to beat around the bush, so I asked her the question directly.
"Oi, Miura. You're digging a little too deep here." Hikio was the one who answered before Orimoto could. "We were classmates, that was it." It was clear from his tone of voice that he did not want to talk about this subject any more – which only made me more curious. There had to be something between them.
"Don't say that Hikigaya!" Orimoto said and nudged Hikio with her shoulder, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tamanawa looking at the scene with a bit of envy, though he masked it well. "I'd say we were more than that… Well, maybe not by much, but… Wait, have you not told her, Hikigaya?" Orimoto turned to Hikio with a questioning look, and he sighed in return.
"And why do you think I would? It's not exactly something I'm proud of, so I don't go around telling everyone I meet about it." Hikio replied, then turned to look at me again. "Since I know Orimoto will say it in a way that will be easily misunderstood, and there's pretty much no way to avoid her saying it, I'll just tell it to you directly, Miura. Laugh at me if you want to." Laugh? What, is it something embarrassing? And it has to do with Orimoto? Realizing that Hikio was waiting for a reaction from me, I nodded to him with a bit of eagerness within me. I need to know what their relationship was to get rid of this odd feeling I have… "To put it shortly, Orimoto was nice to me when no-one else was, and I mistook that kindness for something else. I confessed to her and got rejected. That is all." Orimoto seemed to be holding in laughter, while Tamanawa next to me was clearly surprised – and so was I. Hikio… confessed to Orimoto? So then he… liked her… I shifted my gaze from Hikio to the girl next to her and took a good look at her, the feeling inside of me growing suddenly – and now I understood what that feeling was.
Envy. Jealousy.
That's right. I was feeling jealous that this other girl was being so close with Hikio.
I felt envious that Hikio had once said to this other girl that he loved her.
And now I also felt anger that she had rejected him – that she could do something like that to him.
Hikio was a wonderful person, I know that, but most people – including myself just a week prior – only looked at the surface and judged based on that. Orimoto was this kind of person, I could tell. It made me angry to know she hadn't even given him a chance, given herself a chance to see past the surface.
But…
If I'm feeling this way, does that mean…
...that I like Hikio?
AN: And that's a wrap, folks! This chapter was (once again) longer than what I usually aim for, but it couldn't be helped. There was so much I wanted to have in this chapter, so it got kind of long, but to you lot, that's probably only a positive thing. As for something that's not so positive, it seems the third season of the Anime has been postponed due to the pandemic, which is a real shame, as I was thoroughly looking forward to it, but I guess it gives me some time to try to find a good fan translation of the last few Novels I've yet to read so I can catch up in time. Oh well, I guess you do have to wait for good things, eh?
I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but unlike this one, I don't have a solid plan for it yet, so we'll see if I can manage that.
Until then, I bid you all farewell!
