AN: Hello again, everyone! As should be evident, I didn't quite manage to squeeze out this chapter in December, and I don't really have any excuses for it. It took me a month to write up the first chapter in my newest story, when I quite easily could have gotten it done in three weeks at the maximum. But, nothing to be done about it now, and if there's something positive about this delay, it's that it allowed me to come up with some pretty good ideas for this chapter.

The slow ride continues, but plenty of "exciting" things are on the horizon, so things might start getting spicier for our favourite loner in the near future… And with that, let's get back into the story!


Chapter 11 – A Lifted Veil

"...So I guess turning to your sister is the only option we have if we want to find more about Hayato, Yukinon?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Judging by what Hikigaya-kun learned on the other day, it is unlikely he will disclose any more information himself, and I do not know anything more than what I've already told. Going back to Hikigaya-kun's encounter with Hayama-kun on Tuesday, though… Do you really think he might have told you the things he did on purpose as a way of asking for aid indirectly?"

"Hayama definitely didn't say all that to me on accident. He's smart enough to know that I would be able to read between the lines, but I don't know for what purpose he revealed things about his past to me he's not told anyone else about. If he was indirectly asking for help, though… I doubt he'd have come to me for that."

Yukinoshita brought a hand to her chin as she furrowed her brows, pondering my words, while Yuigahama fiddled with her phone, though she didn't seem to actually be focused on it, likely also thinking. Well, with our current situation, sitting in the clubroom will not give us any of the answers we seek. I sipped on my tea and checked the time as our conversation paused. Just like yesterday, we had spent our club time discussing the situation with Miura and her clique, though with Miura herself being occupied by something she was doing with Miss Hiratsuka at the time, we were unable to do much. She had been successful in explaining things to Tobe and getting him on their side on Tuesday, but hadn't added him to our Line group yet, and with Ebina being busy as well, we hadn't gotten anywhere, only circling back to the need to turn to Yukinoshita Haruno for further information. We really need to discuss things with Miura and Ebina – likely also Tobe – again like we did on Monday, so we know what she's going to do moving forwards… And try to get something out of Haruno. We can't stall for long with this request, but… My gaze wandered over to Yukinoshita as my thoughts drifted around Miura.

...I almost get the feeling that Miura's been avoiding a face-on meeting like that this week.

Obviously, on Tuesday, she rushed off with Ebina after Tobe right after school, so we weren't able to meet, and then yesterday she had been called by Miss Hiratsuka, but… Given the importance of this to her, I would have expected that she'd at least be more active in working with us – she did make this a formal request on Monday, after all. I know she spoke with Yukinoshita on Monday after club ended, but… I wonder what they actually talked about? Has she been evasive with Yukinoshita on purpose, and thus hasn't reached out to us after Monday, or am I looking in too deeply and seeing something that isn't there? Noticing that Yukinoshita had turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow, I quickly averted my gaze and took a sip of my tea, hoping to hide my suddenly-flushed cheeks.

"Ahem. Well, we won't get anywhere just sitting here." I spoke to break the silence, and Yuigahama turned to me as well. "We need to speak with Miura about her plans moving forward, and get into contact with your sister." I shifted my gaze to Yukinoshita as I finished, and she bit her lip, then let out a small sigh.

"I will speak with her tonight. Or try to, at least." Yukinoshita replied, and while her voice was neutral, I could tell she was feeling exasperated at the mere concept of speaking with her sister. "And, yes, you are correct in that we are currently at a standstill. Miura-san did manage to speak to… that loud friend of hers, at least, so I suppose we are still making progress. Apart from Hayama-kun, there are two other people left in your clique, yes?" Yukinoshita turned to look at Yuigahama, who had smiled awkwardly when Yukinoshita had not been able to remember Tobe's name. Poor guy… But, speaking of not being able to remember names…

"Ah, yes, there's Ooka and Yamato. Hina said that our best bet might be to talk about this to both of them at the same time, but we haven't planned anything yet." I checked the time again quickly as Yuigahama spoke. ...It's almost about time for Kawa-something's little sister to finish up, I believe. Swiftly drinking down the rest of my tea, I cleared my throat to bring the attention of the two girls to myself again.

"Yukinoshita, is it okay if I leave now? I promised something to..." Come on, Hachiman, think! Kawa… Kawa… Motorcycle… Kawa… saki? Yes, that was it! "...Kawasaki yesterday, and I need to leave early for that." Both of the girls raised their eyebrows in question, then Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes at me.

"And may I inquire as to what this promise might have been..?" There was nothing out of the ordinary about Yukinoshita's tone of voice, but her words still sent a slight chill down my spine. Scary, your eyes are scaring me right now. But I kinda like how you look right now… No way, could I actually be an M..? No, now is not the time to ponder on such things.

"Ah, it's just… She asked me to go pick up her little sister, since she has a longer shift today at work. Apparently her parents aren't able to do it either, and her younger brother had already planned something, so… I was only one she could ask." I replied and averted my gaze, awkwardly scratching my cheek. What's with their intense gazes? It's making me unnecessarily embarrassed about the whole thing.

"Hmm… Kawasaki-san's younger sister..? Won't she be scared off by someone like you coming to get her instead of her sister?" Yukinoshita mused out loud, gazing upwards in thought as she brought a hand to her chin again, though I could just about spot the faintest hints of a sly smile on her pretty features. Hah, good try, but your assumptions completely off the mark, Yukinoshita!

"Ignoring the jab at my looks, that will not be an issue. I have in fact met Keika before, so she knows who I am, and she even calls me Haa-chan! Ah, Kei-chan, you are the most adorable thing ever… Ahem, after my own dear Komachi of course. If only your older sister had even a fraction of the same cuteness..." I trailed off once I saw the two girls silently staring at me, Yuigahama with an expression of slight disgust, while Yukinoshita glared at me like I was living trash. H-hey, if you two look at me like that… I-I didn't mean anything weird with it, alright? You two would know exactly how I feel if you knew Keika! Not being able to withstand their gazes any more, I looked away and sighed, admitting my defeat by speaking to them in a lower voice as I rubbed the back of my neck. "Um… so, yeah, there's no need to worry. Keika knows who I am, and Kawasaki told her sister that I would be the one picking her up today. I'll just bike over to her elementary school and… take her to a park, or something." Stealing small glances at the girls, I saw them relaxing, with Yukinoshita bringing her own tea up to her lips.

"Very well. I suppose Kawasaki-san wouldn't ask something like this of you if she didn't have a great deal of trust in you." Yukinoshita said and took a sip of her tea, and I heard Yuigahama quietly sigh in what sounded like relief as she muttered something along the lines of 'elementary school'. "If you need to go right away, I won't keep you here for long, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita said as she lowered her cup, turning to me with a warm smile, which captivated me for a few moments, before the heat rising to my cheeks shook me out of my stunned state.

"Ah… y-yes, thanks." I managed to stammer out. Don't just show something like that to me suddenly… Agh, Miura's request is dragging on and my feelings towards Yukinoshita are still a mess… Shaking away my thoughts, I stood up from my seat and picked up my things, turning to my clubmates again. "Then… I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." Yukinoshita simply smiled at me, while Yuigahama nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, see you, Hikki! I'll try talking with Yumiko and Hina as well, to ask more about Tobe and If they've come up with something." I nodded to Yuigahama in reply, then shifted my gaze to Yukinoshita.

"I will inform everyone in the Line group chat how things go with Nee-san, so… Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita raised a hand and did a small wave, the gesture making me unable to suppress the smile that rose to my face.

Offering the girls a raised hand, I exited the clubroom, stopping briefly at the door for a quick glance back at them before leaving. Right, let's get going, then. As I walked through the silent hallways towards the main exit, I took out my phone to send a message to Kawasaki informing her that I was leaving school to go and pick up her sister, to which she replied almost immediately with an "OK". The fast reply amused me somewhat (I could almost picture the overprotective older sister that was Kawasaki nervously checking her phone every few seconds while at work, awaiting for any news about the current situation her sister was in), and had there been anyone around to witness it, they might have seen a sign of that amusement on my face in the form of my lips curving into a slight smile. Luckily, as club hours hadn't ended for the day yet, I didn't encounter anyone who could have started a rumour about the creepy loner of class 2F grinning at his phone after school hours.

Schools were a truly terrifying environment for a loner. Any public spaces were, but with the significant amount of normies – our natural enemies – mainly inhabiting them, combined with the pressure these locations put on us as institutes of learning, only the strongest of us could survive. High Schools represented the cruellest example of natural selection found within nature, and I cannot wait until a documentary is made about them to bring this truth out to the general public.

Having been absorbed in my thoughts, I soon found myself out in the cold, and I stopped to look up at the sky. Small slivers of sunlight peeked through the clouds, and while the cold was still quite noticeable, I could tell it was getting warmer. Spring was arriving, pushing aside winter in its wake, and bringing along with it the end of the school year. The event Miura fears will eventually lead to her clique's separation, us moving on to becoming third-years, is on the horizon already… I looked back at the school building behind me, my eyes drifting over towards where I knew the clubroom of the Service Club was located, and my grip on my bag tightened ever so slightly. I wonder… what will happen to that place?

What will happen to us?

I had grown fond of the Service Club during my time there, as well as the people in it, one of them more than the other. I knew all three of us were choosing Arts for our third year, but it's not like it was guaranteed that Yuigahama and I would still be in the same class, let alone Yukinoshita, who studied in the International Curriculum. Miura was worrying about her clique surviving the transition, but… would the Service Club survive it? Then there are my feelings for Yukinoshita… I have wondered before if the dynamic we have would survive if I made them known, but…

I didn't want to think about it.

As much as I had loathed that room initially, I cannot deny that I now felt quite the opposite towards it.

It was a coward's way out, but I didn't want to think of the possibility that the Service Club would become only a fond memory of our second year of high school. Maybe… if things are destined to end anyway… I should just go ahead and deal with my feelings, if the outcome will be the same anyway…

I let my thoughts wander for a moment, then shook my head to clear them away. No, there's still time. Miura's request is something we must deal with first. Maybe it won't just give me the insight I need to get closer to the genuine, real thing I seek, but also teach me how I can avoid losing that place. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air, then slowly exhaled as I opened my eyes again. Right, back to it, Hachiman. Your face is already scary enough, you don't want to be scowling when you pick up Keika because of some depressing thoughts.

I spared one last glance at the school building, then made my way to the bike racks and mounted my trusty steed, beginning to pedal towards the elementary school Kawasaki's sister went to. It was near the community centre, and I had been to it before during the whole debacle with the joint Christmas event between Soubu and Kaihin – that was when I had first seen Kawasaki's sister – so I could mostly zone out throughout the ride, relying on my excellent memory to take me to my destination. Like any good self-respecting Chiba native, I knew the streets of Chiba by heart, but biking through them at this time of day after having gotten used to doing so later on in the afternoon over the course of the past year or so, as well as taking a different route than I usually did gave me a somewhat refreshed feeling. Leave it to Chiba to be as fresh as it was when I first set my gaze upon it seventeen years ago while still remaining its amazing self!

The bike ride didn't take too long, and as I got closer to the elementary school, I started to see young kids here and there, some with their parents and others by themselves in small groups. I had hoped that I'd have made it in time… Hopefully Kei-chan hasn't been waiting for long. Keeping mindful of the elementary schoolers now around, I started to pedal a little faster, and soon enough, I was parking my bike at the bike rack just outside the elementary school building. Let's see… Nope, can't see her anywhere outside. Looks like I'll have to head inside… Well, as long as I explain that I'm here because Kawasaki asked me to, it should be fine. I could feel the curious gazes of the elementary schoolers all fixated on me as I entered, as the sight of a high school student was no doubt something peculiar. I wasn't used to getting this much attention from other human beings, and even though they were little kids, it was still making me somewhat uncomfortable.

"Hello? Can I help you?" A sudden voice called out, and I turned to see a young woman with long, purple hair looking at me with a raised eyebrow, and I guessed she must have been one of the teachers here. She looks younger than Hiratsuka-sensei… Early to mid-twenties, perhaps? Wait, did I just feel a shiver go down my spine..? Scary.

"Ah, I'm… looking for Kawasaki Keika. Her older sister – my classmate – asked me to pick her up today, since she herself is occupied." I replied to her, reaching into my pocket for my phone. "I can… show you our text messages if you need proof..." I then continued and awkwardly scratched my cheek, trying to keep my gaze on the woman so as to not seem suspicious.

"Hmmm..." The woman continued looking at me for a few moments, narrowing her eyes slightly, then turned around and looked into the room behind her. "Kei-chan! Someone's come to get you!" The tapping of feet against the floor could be heard from within, before a familiar young girl with silvery light blue hair appeared from the doorway, her purplish eyes widening as she saw me.

"Haa-chan!" Keika said with a smile and ran up to me, hugging me around the waist.

"Hello, Keika. Did your sister tell you I was coming for you today?" I asked from the little girl with a smile, though I knew the answer already, and she nodded to me enthusiastically. Ah, Kei-chan kawaii… She really reminds of Komachi when she was younger… Ahem, get it together, Hachiman! You must not fall prey to another's imouto and remain loyal to Komachi!

"Well, I guess you are the one she's been talking so much about today, Haa-chan." The purple-haired woman said to me with a slight grin, putting her hand on her hip, and I averted my gaze in embarrassment. D-don't call me that! Only Kei-chan has the special permission for it! Hearing it from a pretty older woman is just embarrassing… If I'm weak to girls younger than me and women older than me, doesn't that just mean I'm weak to the opposite sex in general..? "We knew someone else other than her sister or parents was coming to get her, but Kei-chan here didn't really give us the best description of them." The teacher leaned down to pat Keika on the head, and the young girl seemed to suddenly remember something as she detached herself from me and ran back into the room. Soon, though, she returned with a piece of paper in her hands, holding it up towards me.

"Haa-chan, look! I drew Saa-chan and Haa-chan together!" Keika's smile was as bright as the sun, and after glancing at the purple-haired woman and receiving a nod from her, I took the drawing from Keika's hands. Me and Kawasaki? Will we even be recognizable is the question…

I held the drawing in my hands and tried to make heads or tails out of the squiggles on it. That light blue must be Kawasaki… so the black one is me, then? Keika had drawn two vaguely humanoid shapes, one in light blue and one in black. The light blue one had a long ponytail, while the black one's only distinguishable feature was a long ahoge protruding off the top of its head. Well, at least she got that one right. Though, doesn't this look like we're holding hands..? I can't really tell with this quality… Seeing that Keika was looking up at me like she was expecting something, I nodded with a smile and handed the picture back to her.

"Hmm… Good work, Kei-chan! You'll be an artist one day." Keika's smile somehow managed to get even wider as she took the drawing back from me. "You should go put that back and get your things, we don't want to make your overprotective sister worry too much." Keika nodded to me, then dashed back into the room.

"You seem to be as good with kids as the Kawasaki girl is. So… you're her boyfriend, then?" The purple-haired woman suddenly asked from me after Keika left us, and I raised an eyebrow at her in question. Where did she get that idea from?

"Eh? No, I'm… just a classmate, like I said." I replied, avoiding the term 'friend', though I could admit that Kawasaki was one of the people 'closer to me than most'. "I've helped her with some stuff before, and I also met Keika last month, so she asked me to pick her up today since she was busy." I explained, and she raised an eyebrow at me in return.

"Really? I thought that there must have been something like that going on. Keika's siblings are her favourite thing to talk about, but today was the first time she mentioned someone outside of her family. She said that her older sister talks about this 'Haa-chan' a lot, and I suspect some of the things she spoke of were her imitating her sister." The purple-haired woman explained to me in turn, though her words left me confused. Kawasaki… talks about me? To her siblings? Why on earth would she do that? I'll need to ask her about this…

"Well… there isn't anything like that 'going on'. We're just… close acquaintances." The teacher looked at me with a slightly amused expression on her face, and I averted my gaze again as I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.

"For being 'just an acquaintance' she definitely trusts you a lot, then, if she asked you to come pick up her sister like this." She replied to me and crossed her arms, briefly glancing back into the room behind her before continuing. "You two go to Soubu High, right?" I nodded in response to her question, and she smiled at me. I guess we're doing small talk, now? I don't even know your name, and you only know Keika's nickname for me, though… "I'm actually a graduate from there, though that was many years ago. Never would have known back then that I would end up here, but I can't exactly complain, seeing the happy faces of these kids every day." The teacher paused for a moment as she gazed off into the distance, then moved her eyes back to me again. "Since you're classmates with Keika's sister, you must be a second-year now, right? Do you know what your future plans are going to be like yet?"

"Ah, well… I've chosen Arts for my third year, but… My plans are still a bit open, you could say." While I do know what my dream job would be – becoming a househusband – I feel like disclosing that here will only get her to laugh at me… Or then give me a Hiratsuka-sensei-esque lecture. She gives off that kind of vibe. She nodded to me in return, and I found myself wishing that Keika would hurry up with whatever she needed to do.

"...What are you doing here?" A sudden, familiar voice coming from behind me interrupted our conversation, and I turned around to see a young black-haired girl carrying a backpack looking up at me with a somewhat confused expression.

"RumiRumi? Long time no see." I said to the girl, Tsurumi Rumi, whose face twisted into a slight scowl – which only made her look cuter, I'd say. Of course, she goes to this elementary school as well… She is older than Keika, though.

"I've told you to not call me that, Hachiman." Rumi said and pouted. It still felt a little weird to have a girl call me by my first name, but since it was Rumi, I didn't really get that fussed about it. "And you didn't answer my question." Rumi's eyes briefly flicked to the teacher I had been talking to as she leaned past me to look at the young girl, but she quickly returned her gaze to me, demanding an answer with her eyes.

"Oh, I was asked by a classmate to come pick up her younger sister today." I replied to Rumi, and as if on cue, Keika rushed out from the room behind me, now with a backpack on her back as she latched onto my leg.

"Haa-chan, I'm ready!" Keika said energetically, while Rumi's eyes widened at her sudden arrival. "Hm? Haa-chan, who is she?" Keika asked once she noticed Rumi's presence, dislodging herself from me but keeping a hand on my leg.

"This is Tsurumi Rumi, or RumiRumi for short. She's from a higher grade than you are, Keika. We've known since… Well, summer last year." I introduced Rumi to Keika, the black-haired young girl sending me a small glare as I used her nickname again, but before she could say anything, Keika was on the move again.

"Ah! I've seen you! You were in the christmas play!" Keika pointed a finger at Rumi and smiled, which caused the girl to flinch back slightly. She was, wasn't she? I remember that she played her role pretty well.

"Y-yes, I was..." Rumi said meekly and averted her gaze, seemingly somewhat overwhelmed by the younger girl's energy. "So you… know Hachiman as well, then?" Keika nodded to the other girl in reply and hugged my leg again.

"Yep! He's my Haa-chan!" Keika looked up at me with a smile, while Rumi raised an eyebrow in question.

"Haa-chan..?" Rumi's expression reminded me of Yukinoshita whenever she thought I was doing something gross, and I had to look away from her. I-it's not like I made her use that name or anything! It's nothing weird, trust me, RumiRumi! "Hmph, I'll have to remember that..." Rumi muttered quietly and smiled, though yet again, her smile reminded me of Yukinoshita – this time of the smiles she wore during our frequent banter sessions. I have a bad feeling about this… Letting out a sigh and shaking my head to clear away the thought that Rumi truly was like a miniature Yukinoshita, I adjusted the bag slung over my shoulder and gave Keika a pat on the head.

"Ahem. We should probably get going, Keika. I'll need to tell your sister that you're with me now, and where we'll be waiting for her shift to end." Keika nodded to me in return, and I looked to Rumi again, hesitating momentarily as I contemplated on my next words. Rumi is a loner like Yukinoshita and I, and as comrades, we must respect each other, but… I also don't want her to necessarily end up like either of us. "Do you… want to come with us, Rumi?" The girl seemed surprised by my question, but shook her head at me.

"I… have someone waiting to pick me up." Rumi replied, and I gave her a slow nod in reply as she looked away from me, fidgeting slightly. "...Thanks for asking, Hachiman." She then muttered under her breath, almost inaudible, but before I could question whether I heard her right, the girl dashed off, stopping a few metres away from us and turning around briefly. "...Bye bye." Rumi gave me a small wave, and I returned the gesture by raising my own hand, lowering it after the girl turned back around and swiftly made her way towards the exit. Rumi is a good girl. She deserves to not end up like Yukinoshita and I have.

"You're surprisingly friendly with elementary school students. Should I be worried?" The teacher, who had been observing our interaction silently, said to me with a sly smile.

"I just happen to have a little sister myself, and while she is not as small as these kids are any more, having been there when she was has given me quite a bit of insight on how to deal with them." I replied and she gave me a nod of understanding in reply, after which I started to move towards the exit where Rumi had disappeared off to moments ago. "Let's go, Keika."

The two of us bid goodbye to the teacher, then left the elementary school behind. As we were making our way to the bike racks, I tried to look for Rumi, but couldn't spot her anywhere, leading me to believe that whoever had been waiting for her – likely her parents, as I didn't know of any older siblings she might have had – had already picked her up. I didn't know whether Rumi's situation had gotten any better since we last met, and a part of wanted to help her, but if she didn't want that help herself, there was nothing I could do.

After sending another message to Kawasaki, I started to make my way towards the nearby Takasu Park – not the ski resort in Gifu, that would have been a bit too far for Keika, I think – with Keika following behind (or rather, skipping ahead of me happily). If I was just on my own, it would have only taken a couple of minutes, but as I had to walk my bike at the pace set by Keika, it took a little longer until we arrived at the park. The place wasn't quite deserted, but there certainly weren't a lot of people around, likely due to the cold weather. The only people at the playground I was aiming to spend time with Keika at were what seemed to be a young couple and their child. The pair didn't look that much older than myself, but they weren't quite Miss Hiratsuka's age either (Another shiver… This is starting to feel like something supernatural is going on…), so I guessed they must have been in their very early twenties, while the child with them seemed to only be a few years old – definitely younger than Keika. As we got closer, I was able to get a better look at the pair and found myself questioning my initial assumption of them being a couple, with their greyish eyes, similar facial features and the silvery-white hair – long with twintails for the woman and short for the man – framing said features pointing towards them being siblings instead. However, the fact that the pair was holding hands and smiling as they watched the child play in the snow made me doubt even my new assumption, as did the small kiss the woman planted on the man's cheek – though after that, I had to look away, feeling oddly embarrassed at the sight.

"Haa-chan?" Keika brought my attention to her, and I looked down at her to see the girl gazing at me with her purplish eyes full of curiosity.

"Ah, it's nothing, Keika. We'll wait here until your sister gets from work, okay? You can play as much as you want, just don't leave the playground. Kawa… Saa-chan will have my head if I lose you." I gave Keika a pat on the head, and she nodded to me, then dashed off towards the swings, while I moved to leave my bike at a nearby bike rack.

As I locked my bike, I found my gaze wandering back to the couple, seeing the silver-haired woman crouching down and picking up her child, while who I presumed was the father stood next to her, smiling at the scene in front of him. If only their looks were taken into consideration, I would instantly say they were siblings – perhaps even twins – but combined with their actions and the presence of the child, I had to come to the conclusion that they were a young couple. Or, perhaps they are both.I let my gaze linger on the trio for a small while, then exhaled a white puff of breath, letting my thoughts leave alongside it. Well, even if that was the case, it's none of my business. No reason for me to judge other people and their relationships. Looking towards Keika again, I saw the young girl cleaning some snow off a swing, and I couldn't help but smile. I suppose I could take this moment to relax a little…

After checking to make sure my bike was secure, I walked on over to Keika to help her with the swing, reminiscing of a time long ago when I used to do the same thing with Komachi.


The clubroom was quiet except for the sounds of Yuigahama tapping away on her mobile phone, currently engaged in conversation with one of her friends over text messages. I turned the page in my novel and took a sip of my tea, enjoying the calm quiet of the clubroom, though I wasn't able to do so fully, given the lack of his presence.

Suddenly, I was unable to focus on my novel, so I placed a bookmark on the page and closed it while suppressing a sigh. Haah… Hachi, you really need to take responsibility for what you've done to me…

Taking another sip of my tea, I turned my gaze to the window and looked outside. Somewhere out there, my Hachi was spending time away from us, waiting for another woman. Granted, he was spending that time looking after a child whose older sister was going to pick her up, but the thought still irked me somewhat. I hadn't thought of the possibility of Kawasaki-san being a rival… It seems she must have gotten closer to Hachi after her request, right under my nose. My grip on the teacup tightened slightly, but I calmed myself and began to idly trace the edge of the cup with my finger. Like Miura-san, she has direct access to him as his classmate, but… Out of the two of them, Miura-san is definitely the more dangerous one. She hasn't shown herself to us directly after our little… confrontation on Monday, and I can only hope that is a sign of her taking to heart what I told her. But… I have a feeling that won't exactly be the case… My thoughts were interrupted by a particularly loud sigh from Yuigahama, who placed her phone on the table and stretched.

"Any luck?" I queried from the girl.

"Hina said that she's been speaking with Tobe in private, but that there haven't been that many chances for it. And like Yumiko told me earlier, she had an errand to run for her parents today, but she said that she'd come up with something by tomorrow." Yuigahama explained to me and leaned forwards on the table.

"I see. Well, if she wants our help with something, she'll need to bring it up tomorrow, then. I doubt Hikigaya-kun or myself would be able to help over the course of the weekend, however." I replied to Yuigahama, voicing some of my thoughts on the matter. Speaking of the weekend… Perhaps I should make another visit to the Hikigaya household, to help Komachi-chan with her studies, of course. I'm sure my dear Hachi would be simply delighted!

"Hmmm… I'm still kinda… I dunno, unsure about this whole thing that Yumiko is trying." Somewhat confused by her words, I lifted an eyebrow and looked at the girl on my right questioningly, but she didn't seem to register my expression as she smiled – somewhat somberly – and kicked her feet under the table. "Like… I get what she's trying to do, and why, but… Maybe sometimes the status quo is something we should keep." Yuigahama's eyes glanced at me momentarily, before she lifted her upper body off the table and turned her gaze upwards. "I mean, I really want us all to stay together, and if being more open with everyone means I can… be myself more, I'm all for it, but… Some things only break if you try to change them, right? Like… this. The club." Yuigahama now turned to look at me fully, her expression turning serious and her hands, currently resting on her lap, balling up into fists. ...So, she doesn't want things to change. She is afraid of things changing. Perhaps not necessarily in her clique…

...But in the Service Club.

Certainly, when I first realized my own feelings, a part of me thought the same way. I felt concerned for Yuigahama and her feelings if I were to pursue a future with Hachi, and Yuigahama felt the same way. That was why neither of us did anything – it was akin to an unspoken promise between us. But now, things are different. In her fears of the inevitable, Yuigahama is taking the coward's way out by keeping to the status quo, but that cannot last forever. The dynamic within the Service Club members, our relationships, they are bound to change eventually, and there is little we can do about it.

So then, what is the point of keeping to the status quo?

Yuigahama has not been pursuing her own feelings in fear of losing what she has right now, which she will "lose" eventually anyway. But… If things are bound to change no matter what we do, then we must take that change into our own hands. That is why I must do all of this, why I must make Hachi make the correct choice, to make him realize it is the only choice he has. Ever since I adopted this new… mindset regarding my feelings, I've known pursuing them would have its consequences – I knew that even beforehand – but if things are bound to change to anyway… As long as I am the catalyst for that change, things should go favourable. For me, and all of us.

"I suppose you are not technically wrong there, Yuigahama-san." I replied after a while of silence, and Yuigahama seemed to relax momentarily, but I continued swiftly afterwards. "However, change is something that cannot be avoided. It is necessary, as nothing can stay the same forever. Even in the club." Yuigahama's eyes widened slightly, perhaps not expecting my answer, and she looked away from me. I do not want to directly say that I no longer wish to keep up the status quo we've silently established regarding Hachi, as that would undoubtedly only complicate things, not to even mention it might cause Yuigahama-san to do something I… wouldn't approve of. No, this is something that must be done subtly. All I need to do is to make Hachi realize the two of us are meant to be, without severing Yuigahama-san from us. She is… someone important to me, so I do not want to resort to using force against her. Not hurting her will be impossible, but I can lessen the pain as much as possible – that is my kindness to her.

If she gives me no choice, however…

I will not hesitate. Hachi belongs with me.

"I… I understand that, Yukinon, but..." Yuigahama said quietly after several seconds, still looking away from me. Just as she was about to continue, however, the door to the clubroom opened suddenly, bringing both of our attention to it.

"Yahhallo! Seeeeeeeenpai! I need you to..." The girl who had appeared at the doorway – Isshiki Iroha – stopped mid-sentence as she looked at the two of us, her gaze flitting about the room. "Oh? It's just you two here. Where's Senpai gone?"

"...Hikigaya-kun is currently out, yes. He had been asked by his classmate Kawasaki-san to pick up her younger sibling in her absence." I replied to the younger girl and glanced at Yuigahama, raising an eyebrow at her, and she shook her head at me in return. Isshiki-san seems to have the most perfect timing when it comes to interrupting something. It would be in her best interests to stop doing so, however, as my leniency can only last so long.

"...Drat, and just when I managed to sneak away from the others..." Isshiki muttered under her breath, but my acute hearing picked it up even from a distance. ...Or then she purposefully said it out loud so we would hear… Not knowing what goes on in her head is the main reason as to why Isshiki-san is so dangerous.

"You're… busy with the thing Hiratsuka-sensei asked you to do, right? Does the student council need any help with it?" Yuigahama asked from Isshiki, now seemingly back to normal. Even without the direct words, though, Yuigahama-san must have grasped the meaning behind my words – that I do not intend to keep to the status quo we've silently established forever. I only hope she doesn't take that to mean she can do whatever she wants, now, or that I am betraying her trust… Well, I suppose it could be interpreted that way, but what I am doing is ultimately better for all of us.

"Hiratsuka-sensei specifically forbade us from asking you guys for help, so no." Isshiki said and let out a sigh, then seemed to perk up as she walked over to us, closing the still-open clubroom door behind her. "Oh, but there is something we would like your cooperation with!" Isshiki grinned widely as she placed her hands on the table Yuigahama and I were sat at, leaning over it as she looked between the two of us. "We've decided that we'll be hosting an event on Valentine's Day! That was one of the reasons I came here." Just 'one'? She isn't even trying to hide it… Perhaps her declaration to Hachi on Tuesday was indeed a sign of her going on the offense…

"Oh, I had almost forgotten about Valentine's Day… Wait, it's already coming up next week! What are you planning on doing?" Yuigahama seemed excited to talk about this new subject with Isshiki, while I had to restrain the sigh that threatened to spill from my lips. Hachi and I already went over what Valentine's Day really is with Isshiki-san last week, but… Yes, perhaps this will be a good opportunity. Maybe I should hold back on visiting this weekend, and save the visit until the 14th… Would that be too on-the-nose?

"Hehee… When you think of Valentine's Day, what's the first thing that comes to mind!" Isshiki pointed a finger at us, her expression telling us she expected an answer. The first thing that comes to mind? Well, apart from my dear Hachi, I guess it would be…

"...Annoying advertisements?"

"Valentine's Chocolates!"

Yuigahama and I turned to each other, having both said different things at the exact same time. Ah, right… I suppose it is a tradition to give out homemade chocolates on Valentine's Day… Overseas the customs are quite different, though chocolate is still important.

"Ding ding! Yui-senpai is correct! And what was with that answer, Yukino-senpai? Has Senpai corrupted your brain or something?" Isshiki first congratulated Yuigahama, then turned to look at me flatly, clearly disappointed in my answer.

"Nothing of the sort, Isshiki-san." I replied and sipped my tea, noting that the cup was now nearly empty as I set it back down. "I presume you remember the last time we discussed the subject? If you do, you would remember that I sided with Hikigaya-kun and agreed with most of his points regarding it." Isshiki seemed to roll her eyes, and I let out a sigh before continuing. I have already seen stores advertising their 'special offers' for Valentine's Day, which I suspect is them capitalizing on the event by increasing prices… "Anyway, what does that have to do with the event the student council is planning?"

"Isn't it obvious? There are going to be lots of people – girls – who are looking to make some some valentine's chocolate, but might need some help with it. As the student council, we can request the usage of the Home Economics classes for an event where we can teach people how to make the best chocolates!" Isshiki explained to us, finishing with a triumphant smile. I see… I suppose that would make sense for an event… Not one that the entire school could attend, but a smaller-scale one. "However, none of us in the student council are particularly skilled at cooking, so… That's why we need your help!" I looked to Yuigahama and raised an eyebrow, and she nodded excitedly at me in return.

"Hmm… Well, I suppose that can be arranged. Will the student council be procuring the ingredients necessary for such an event? And at what scale are you thinking of doing it?" I asked from Isshiki, remembering that the student council was having some fund issues around christmas – it was one of the reasons that the joint christmas event almost became a flop – so I wondered if it was okay to host another event so quickly, even a small-scale one.

"Don't worry, Yukino-senpai, for I have thought of that as well." Isshiki said with a triumphant smile and puffed out her chest. "We will be collaborating with Kaihin on this event, and they will be handling the budget to lessen our problems. We've already spoken to them over the phone and their student council agreed, and we'll be meeting physically to decide the finer details before the actual event. As for scale… We've tentatively reserved one of the Home EC classrooms, but if we get a lot of interest, we might make use of a second one as well." Isshiki explained to us, and I found myself somewhat surprised that she had thought about this so thoroughly. Isshiki-san definitely seems to be shaping up to be quite a good student council president… I can only hope that means she'll be more committed to the role and spends less time with my Hachi.

"Another collaboration with Kaihin? I cannot help but find myself questioning whether or not things will go as they did last time..." I voiced my main concern regarding Isshiki's plans, remembering how very nearly the joint christmas event crashed to the ground, but Isshiki reassured me.

"This event is much smaller than before, so things should be fine. Tamanawa-san is also less… well, whatever that was before." Isshiki said and mimicked the odd gestures I remember the other student council president doing with his hands, while Yuigahama smiled a little awkwardly at the display. We can only hope…

"Come on, Yukinon, let's do it! We'll get to make valentine's chocolates together!" Yuigahama pleaded with a bright smile as she leaned closer to me.

"...We will need to inform Hikigaya-kun of this, but for now, you can count on the Service Club's support in this event of yours." I said to Isshiki with a smile, and Yuigahama tried to hug me, but I kept her away while still looking at the younger girl. "When will you meet up with the Kaihin student council? It would be beneficial for us to be present at the meeting as well." Isshiki crossed her arms and 'hmmm'd' as she thought for a moment before responding.

"Either tomorrow after school or at some point during the weekend, we didn't quite get that far in the planning, yet. I left the vice president on the phone with Tamanawa-san when I came here, though, so they might have already decided on a date." I doubt they'd be able to make a decision without you, Isshiki-san. You are the president, after all.

"You'd best confirm it soon, then." I replied, suppressing a sigh, and turned to look at Yuigahama, who was now pouting at me for having stopped her attempts at hugging me. "Can you inform Hikigaya-kun that the Service Club will be helping the student council with their Valentine's Day event?" Yuigahama nodded to me and took out her phone, beginning to tap away on it. I would do so myself, of course, but I feel that both the onlookers here and Hachi himself might be quite surprised that I know his number.

"Arigatou, Yukino-senpai, Yui-senpai. I appreciate your help." Isshiki bowed to us, her head hovering just above the table, before she lifted it again and began to move towards the clubroom door. "Since Senpai isn't here, I'll be heading back to the student council room, then. I'll text you when we're meeting with Kaihin when we've decided on it, Yui-senpai." Yuigahama nodded to Isshiki in return, who quickly walked up to to the door and stopped just before exiting. "See you later!" Isshiki waved at the two of us, and Yuigahama returned the gesture, while I simply gave her a nod.

After bidding goodbye to Isshiki, the calm quietness of the clubroom returned. I had expected Yuigahama to continue our previous topic, but she remained quiet instead, so I didn't bring it up either – it seemed she was done with discussing it for now. I might have to start keeping an eye on Yuigahama-san, if she doesn't want to speak of this topic again… I only have limited resources and time, however, so doing it actively will be impossible. And I am unsure how trying to ask her about it now would go, as she has already brushed it aside. But, a growing source of concern for me right now would be…

Valentine's Day.

As I have noted, my dear Hachi has unknowingly attracted the attention of multiple girls in the school, namely myself. With the day when everything is dyed in pink approaching, it is a fair assumption that at least some of these girls will be planning and plotting about using the occasion to get closer to my Hachi.

Isshiki's plans are obscure to me, but I can guarantee that the event she told us about will be involved in them.

Yuigahama will most likely take part in the event in order to make chocolates she can gift Hachi, but due to our prior conversation, I cannot yet be sure of how things will go with her.

Kawasaki is a possible threat as well, one who I will need to gather intel on before the event. If it looks like she'll be making moves towards Hachi, I'll need to prepare countermeasures.

And finally… Miura Yumiko. If she still hasn't given up on her delusions regarding a relationship with my Hachi, she might turn out to be the only true rival I have, the only true threat to our future together. Miura will undoubtedly make a move on valentine's day – whether that is simply giving handmade chocolates to Hachi, or something more –

and I must be prepared for it.

The obvious way to steal the spotlight would be to make chocolates myself and give them to Hachi – perhaps in full view of everyone. And with my sublime cooking skills, monopolizing his attention with sweets should be an easy task. However, other tactics that may be employed by more assertive and active individuals – such as Miura – are out of my reach, and the presence of others will mean I won't be able to use necessary force to keep these pests away from Hachi. The amount of players in this game has increased, and the event Isshiki-san is planning will be the first big battle between them. But, I am far above the others on this board, for they are mere pawns, while I am a queen. Let them squabble amongst themselves...

...For I will take the opportunity to eliminate as many of my opponents as possible.


"Haah… Couldn't they have done this on their own? They barely care for me in the first place, so I don't see what merit they have in sending me to do something like this..."

Shaking my head to clear away the gloomy thoughts that had appeared, I adjusted the bag slung over my shoulder and continued to make my way towards the station, eager to get the errand for my parents over and done with. As I was walking by a park, I briefly contemplated taking a break to instead postpone going home when I noticed a very peculiar sight in the playground, and had to stop in my tracks to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Is that… Hikio? No, he should still have club at this point in time, so it can't be, but… That unmistakeable ahoge and deadpan expression would suggest otherwise. Curiosity getting the better of me, I turned and began to make my way toward the playground, passing by a bike rack where I could spot familiar-looking bicycle, all but confirming my suspicions about the identity of the black-haired guy currently pushing a large snowball along the ground towards another, stationary one being patted by a little girl. Is that really Hikio..? Who's this girl he's with..? As I got closer, the little girl waved at who I could now confirm to being Hikio and spoke to him.

"Haa-chan! Over here!" The little girl smiled brightly as Hikio stopped a metre or two away from her, then lifted the semi-large snowball off the ground and carried it the rest of the way. There wasn't much snow on the ground, and I could see the bare ground in long strips across the playground where these two snowballs had been formed.

"Hngh! There we go." Hikio gently placed the second snowball on top of the first one and cleaned off the snow from his gloved hands, then placed them on his hips a he spoke to the little girl again. "I don't have any carrots with me, but there might be some twigs around to give this fella some arms. Just don't break off any living branches from the trees, Keika." The little girl – who I presumed was called Keika – nodded to Hikio in return and dashed off towards one of the trees in the playground, while Hikio let out a satisfied sigh, which left his mouth in a white puff, before kneeling down in front of the work-in-progress snowman and began to carve what seemed like eyes for it.

I was frozen in place as I watched all of this some distance away, stricken with disbelief at what I was seeing. I almost didn't believe who I saw was Hikio, but seeing him this close and hearing his voice, there was no doubt about it. The young girl with him I didn't recognize, but she bore some resemblance to Kawasaki, the other loner in our class, so I guessed the girl might have been a sibling of hers, but that didn't explain what Hikio could have been doing with her here at this moment. I was only brought out of my stupor when I heard voices behind me, and turned my head to see three figures – a man and a woman who both sported silvery-white hair and a young child – leaving the playground, the man looking in the direction of Hikio and smiling as he spoke with the woman. As the three of them left, I looked back towards Hikio and the snowman and saw the little girl returning, holding two twigs in her hands.

"Haa-chan! I found these!" The girl said excitedly and held out the twigs to Hikio, who took them from her and inspected them.

"These will do. Thanks a bunch, Keika." Hikio said, bringing a smile to the little girl's face, then stuck the twigs to the sides of the bottom snowball and stood back up. "Well, isn't he just lovely? Good job, Keika." Hikio gave the girl a pat on the head, then stretched his other arm and looked at his wrist. "Your sister should finish soon, so why don't we find something else to do while..." As Hikio spoke, he turned around and cast his gaze across the playground, until it met mine and he froze in place, his eyes widening in surprise.

"...Hikio?" I spoke first after a few moments of silence, the two of us still staring at each other, while the young girl looked up at Hikio in confusion, then at me, then back at Hikio. "What… What are you doing?" My question seemed to get Hikio out of his stunned state, as he blinked once, then looked down at Keika, currently holding onto the edge of his jacket sleeve, then back at me. Seriously, what the hell is with this scene? Finding Hikio in a playground with some young girl is the last thing I could have expected.

"M-Miura..? What are..? Why are you..?" Hikio, seemingly unable to form a proper sentence, closed his eyes and shook his head, then looked at me again, though he quickly averted his gaze and covered the bottom half of his face with his hand as he cleared his throat and spoke again. "I… was asked by Kawasaki to look after her younger sister today while she's at work." He explained to me, and started to move closer to the pair, noting that Hikio's face, even somewhat concealed by his hand, looked quite flushed. Is that… because of the cold, or is he… embarrassed..?

"Haa-chan, who is she?" The little girl asked and looked at me cautiously. Now that I was closer, I could clearly see she shared the same looks as Kawasaki, even her hair was the same colour, so Hikio's explanation seemed valid. Was this perhaps what I saw them talking about the other day?

"Ah, she's… Miura Yumiko. She's in the same class as me and your sister." Hikio replied to the girl as I stopped in front of them.

"Kawasaki's sister, you say? I can definitely like, see the resemblance..." I said and leaned down to be eye level with the little girl, who took a step backwards, half-concealing herself behind Hikio cutely. "Keika-chan, was it? Like he said, I'm Miura Yumiko. Nice to meet you." I smiled at her and held out a hand, the girl's gaze moving to the outstretched appendage before she looked me in the eyes again and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Yuu-chan!" Keika smiled at me, and I raised an eyebrow at her usage of such a nickname while looking up at Hikio, who simply shook his head. Haa-chan and Yuu-chan, huh? She's kinda cute, for being that girl's sister.

"Looking after her, huh? That's certainly unexpected. Does seem like you're enjoying yourself, at least." I said to Hikio and gestured to the snowman he had made with Keika, grinning once I saw Hikio look away and awkwardly rub the back of his neck, his cheeks still flushed. Heh, it's kinda fun to tease him…

"That's… well… whatever." Hikio let out a sigh and met my gaze again. "What are you doing here, Miura?" He then asked from me, his eyes moving to the bag I was carrying.

"My… parents asked me to run an errand for them. Then I saw you here and got curious." I replied, and Hikio nodded in return. Hmm… This could be a good opportunity to get to spend some time with him… And I'll take anything over being home with… them. "I'm… not in any hurry, though, so… Do you mind if I… stay here with you?" A wave of embarrassment washed over me as the words left my mouth, and I had to look away, bringing up a hand to twirl a strand of my hair.

"Ah, I… I don't mind. Kawasaki should be here to pick Keika up soon anyway, so..." Hikio looked down at Keika, who smiled brightly and took a hold of the hem of my coat.

"I wanna play with Yuu-chan too!" Meeting the eyes of the energetic young girl, I couldn't help but smile as well.

Leaving my things by where Hikio had left his bag next to the swings, the two of us began to play tag with Keika. Hikio seemed to be initially against the idea of running around a lot, but was persuaded by Keika, to which his reaction was to quietly mutter about his "older brother instincts" and "weakness to younger girls". As we played together with Keika, it clearly became evident that Hikio was good with children, likely due to having a younger sibling, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy playing with the young girl. Seeing this side to Hikio made me like him even more – it was kinda cute in a way. I was an only child, but I did have somewhat of a soft spot for children, as long as they weren't annoying, and Keika was definitely anything but that. As we played, I couldn't help but think that something like this could become reality in the future, with Hikio and I playing with our future children, but I had to eject those thoughts away, as they made my face burn up in embarrassment even out in the cold. H-having children… with Hikio… I-I mean, obviously, if I pursue a relationship with him, something like that is i-inevitable, but… We're still in high school, Yumiko! You can't be thinking of… c-children already... You aren't even in a relationship with him yet! Luckily, my thoughts and the inner turmoil and embarrassment caused by them seemed to remain unnoticed by Hikio, though I did have to avert my gaze from him abruptly on multiple occasions, which I could tell must have puzzled him.

Playing with Keika, I lost track of time, but at one point Hikio received a message from the girl's sister where she told him that her shift had ended, and it only took about ten minutes before we noticed a familiar girl with silvery hair entering the playground and looking around restlessly, calming down once she saw Hikio and Keika at the swings. As she began to make her way over to us, Kawasaki seemed to notice me and stopped momentarily, her expression turning to one of surprise, before she continued her approach.

"Saa-chan!" Keika was the first to react to her sister, jumping off the swing and running up to her. Kawasaki leaned down and captured Keika in a hug, lifting the elementary schooler off the ground with a smile on her face – a sight I never thought I would associate with the fierce-looking loner. I guess she really loves her sister, huh? Hikio did say that she was very protective of her siblings while we played

"I missed you, Kei-chan. Did you have fun with Hikigaya?" Kawasaki asked from her younger sister as she let her down again, while I moved to stand next to Hikio by the swings, and I saw Kawasaki's eyes briefly flick to me, lingering for a moment before she looked back down at her sister again.

"Yep! I had fun playing with Haa-chan and Yuu-chan!" Keika responded with a beaming smile and looked back at Hikio and I.

"Yuu-chan, huh..." Kawasaki muttered and looked at me, but quickly shifted her gaze to Hikio. "Hey, uh… Thanks for looking after her. I really appreciate it, and… I'll make it up to you, I promise." Kawasaki then said surprisingly timidly, and Hikio simply nodded to her in return. "I… am quite surprised to see you here, Miura. I heard you two had become friends, but… I'd have never expected this."

"Oh, I just like, happened to be passing by when I saw Hikio here and decided to see what he was doing. You've got a very cute little sister." I replied with a smile, seemingly catching Kawasaki off-guard with my kind tone. She is a friend of Hikio's, so I can't really be mean to her. I think there are quite a few people like her who I've had a bit of an attitude towards in the past…

"O-oh, thanks… I guess." Kawasaki looked away from us, seemingly embarrassed, then cleared her throat and looked back at Hikio. "Thanks again for this. And… you too, Miura, I guess."

"It's no big deal. I've been looking after Komachi since the day she was born, so something like this is nothing to me." Hikio replied, and Kawasaki gave him a nod in return. Komachi… Hikio's sister… I think I've seen her before, over summer last year. I should probably see about getting to know her, if I'm going to be serious about sticking it up to Yukinoshita and making Hikio fall for me.

"We'd best get going home, then." Kawasaki said, addressing her little sister, who nodded to her. "I'll see ya around."

"Bye bye, Haa-chan, Yuu-chan!"

After bidding goodbye to the Kawasaki sisters, Hikio and I watched them leave the playground, Keika waving at us the entire way, which I noticed brought a slight smile to Hikio's face. Speaking of sticking it up to Yukinoshita… I can take pleasure in the knowledge that this is something I've shared with him, now. Victory for Yumiko!

"You're surprisingly good with kids, Miura." Hikio spoke to break the silence after some time, and I turned to look at him. "I guess Yuigahama doesn't call you motherly for no reason." Hearing Hikio's words, I suddenly felt my cheeks flushing, remembering my earlier fantasies while we had been playing with Keika. C-calm down, Yumiko. You know that's not what he meant with that… Argh, you make everything so difficult, Hikio… "Did you get Yuigahama's message earlier, by the way? About what you're planning on doing next with your clique?"

"Ah, yes, I did. I… don't have anything planned yet, I'll need to speak with Hina, as she's been talking with Tobe a lot ever since we told him, but… I'll come up with something by tomorrow." I replied as I turned back to Hikio, and he nodded to me in return.

"As long as you know what to do next. Oh, but the Service Club might get busy soon. Isshiki apparently came to the club earlier and made a request for us regarding help with a Valentine's Day event." Hikio said and began to move back to the swings, where he had left his bag. Valentine's Day? It's… next week, right? So much stuff has happened recently, I completely forgot about it…

"What kind of event is she planning?" I asked and walked over to one of the swings and sat down on it. Seeing me, Hikio, who had been about to pick up his bag, moved to the other one and sat down as well.

"Something about helping people make valentine's chocolates, which was what the student council specifically needed help with from the club. Though, with Yuigahama's… questionable cooking skills, and my lack of them when it comes to something like sweets, Yukinoshita is probably the only one who can actually help them." Hikio explained to me. Valentine's chocolates… Of course! This is a perfect opportunity to one-up Yukinoshita! With this event, I'll be able to show her that I'm the one meant to be with Hikio. "You were… running an errand for your parents, right? I shouldn't keep you much longer. Thanks for helping with Keika, though, I suppose." When Hikio spoke again, I turned to him swiftly, but then lowered my gaze and bit my lip, my mood changing drastically in mere moments. My parents…

"Don't." I said quietly as Hikio was about to stand up, and he stopped, his eyes looking at me keenly. "Don't… leave yet, Hikio." I couldn't look in his direction, but in the corner of my eye, I saw him slowly sitting back down on the swing. "I'm not… in any hurry to get back… home." My grip on the chains of the swing tightened, and I saw Hikio's expression darkening a little as he moved his gaze to focus on something in the distance instead. It's just… the two of us, now. Maybe… Maybe I could…

"...On Sunday." Hikio spoke after a few moments of silence, his gaze still not back to me. "You were… about to tell me something, right? About your… family. I-I'm not going to force you to talk or anything..."

"It's fine, Hikio." I interrupted him and took a deep breath, then turned to face him, and Hikio met my gaze with his own. "You… You deserve to know." Hikio gave me a slow nod, and I closed my eyes while taking more deep breaths to calm myself. It will be fine, Yumiko. Hikio is a kind person. He's listened to you pour out your heart before, and he'll do it again. He'll be able to understand, so you don't have to be scared about telling the story you haven't told others.

A few moments that felt like an eternity passed before I opened my eyes, having successfully banished the shadow-like fears from the back of my mind. Hikio was still looking directly at me, his expression serious as he waited for me to speak. I don't want to postpone this any further. Here we go.

"This… is something I haven't told to anyone else, Hikio. Only Hiratsuka-sensei knows of my… past, and my family. When we were out with Hina last weekend, you said that I was strong for pushing this change in my clique, but… Like I replied back then, that's not the case." I averted my gaze from Hikio, looking down at the ground, where my footprints could be seen in the snow. "I wasn't always like this. I only climbed up to the… top of the social hierarchy when I got to know Hayato. In middle school… I wasn't much different from you, Hikio." I glanced at Hikio, his expression still the same, but I knew it wasn't always a good indicator of what was going on inside his head. My pause before continuing was a bit longer, now, and when I did, I could hear my own voice was a little shaky. "I… I was bullied. And I mean a lot. My hair colour is natural, you know? My… mother is half-Japanese, so I inherited it from her. It… was only one of the reasons, but… I got bullied because of it. Whether it was because other girls were jealous, or they thought I stood out too much, or for something else entirely, I was bullied for having blonde hair." The curly tips of my hair hung limply as my body was tilted forward, and I reached for one with my hand and gently stroked it, memories I had long since locked away returning one by one.

"Ew, your hair is so weird. What are you, some kind of delinquent?"

"The school rules forbid us from dying our hair, so how come she is allowed to keep hers blonde?"

"What do you mean it's natural? What, you showing off or something? You should just cut it all off."

I felt my chest tightening as the comments of faceless and nameless individuals – but very real voices I remembered – echoed in my mind, but I pressed on.

"...But, like I said, my hair was only one of the reasons. Once it started, every little thing about me, no matter how ordinary, was twisted into something that I could be bullied for. I wouldn't call my family rich by any means, but we are better off than the average household, so I was called a spoiled kid. I wasn't smart, but I had above-average grades, so I was called a nerd and a show-off. I wasn't actually a delinquent, but not doing bad things got me scorned as well for being too 'boring' or 'cowardly'. Tennis was just about the only thing I had that I could focus on without being ostracized, as the tennis club was mostly upperclassmen who only really saw me as a good player, rather than a person, though I suppose that wasn't much better than the bullying. Then, when I went on to win that Junior High Championship tournament, I thought I'd finally shut all the bullies up, but that only gave them another thing to bully me for." I felt a bittersweet smile appearing on my face as I remembered the day, and the trophy that I still had in my room. It only served as a reminder of the past I wanted to forget, but I hadn't thrown it away, as it also represented the one thing I was still good at, the one thing that made me strong. "I was… completely and utterly alone, Hikio. I thought I could make it through all of it, but… in the end I couldn't handle the crushing weight of all that." I took a shaky breath and wiped the corners of my eyes, holding back the tears as the memories from the darkest time in my life returned. My left hand was shaking, and I forced it into a fist to stop it, seeing that Hikio's gaze was focused on it.

"...And yet you are here now, Miura. You weren't crushed." Hikio said as I paused, but I shook my head, still gazing at the ground.

"That doesn't make me strong. There was… a period of time when I did feel like I had been crushed, around my third year of middle school. I still went to school, so as to not catch the attention of my parents, but every day…" I bit my lip and took a deep breath, then turned to Hikio fully. "There were times I thought about… ending it." I saw Hikio's eyes widen, and he – for the first time since I had begun – looked away from me, and I didn't blame him for it. "But, you are right, I am here now. I had just the barest minimum of strength in me, because I believed that I could get away from it all by the time I graduated. I thought I could have… a fresh start in high school. And, even if initially things weren't much different – I was in a new environment where I wasn't bullied, but I was still alone – that slowly changed, and I did get a new chance with some help from Hiratsuka-sensei. But… I am not strong, Hikio." Hikio looked back at me, meeting my eyes with his own. "I didn't get over the things that had troubled me in the past. The pain I had endured never went away. I just… ignored it. I thought that if I could just sweep everything under the rug and forget about it, I could turn my life around, but… that's not how it works. That's why I'm not strong. I was weak, and always will be, as long as I carry everything with me. After years of trying to forget, I now understand that." I kept my gaze fixated on Hikio, feeling like if I moved even a little, I'd break down. Revisiting everything with Hiratsuka-sensei was never like this…

"I… had suspected that there was… something in your past you hadn't told your friends, but… I would never have guessed it was… like this." Hikio said and awkwardly scratched his cheek. "Did the teachers never get involved? Your parents?" I let out a sigh and smiled sadly at Hikio's question.

"Did the teachers ever get involved back in your middle school days?" I asked in turn, and Hikio opened his mouth as if to answer, but then soon closed it again, unable to refute what I said. "The only time a teacher helped me was when I got into Soubu and was approached by Hiratsuka-sensei. Apparently, she knew what I had gone through, and she… she's helped me a lot over the past two years, even if I only understood just how much recently. And as for my parents… Well, that's what I was going to tell you about initially on Sunday." I dropped my gaze again and kicked at the snow on the ground as a means of calming myself. "My father… he's a doctor who works primarily in Tokyo, while my mother is a financial advisor who has worked for multiple different companies in and around Chiba. Due to their occupations, neither spends much time at home, but that hasn't stopped them from… well, demanding a lot from me. I… avoid meeting them as much as possible, because when we do interact… they're cold towards me. I'm… I'm not even sure if they... even see me as their daughter." I gripped onto the chains of the swing again to prevent my hands from trembling and looked at Hikio, whose expression was now slightly pained. "I tried it once, you know. I told my father that the girls in my class were bullying me, and he…" My voice was now trembling as well, and I took a deep breath before continuing. "...He just said it was because I wasn't trying hard enough, that if I was successful, I wouldn't have to worry about people like that. After that… I knew it was no use to talk to them about it. They wouldn't care." I saw Hikio's brows furrowing and his hand balling up into a fist as I finished, and even through the swirl of negative emotions inside of me resulting from having revisited everything I had wanted to forget, Hikio's reaction made me feel happy.

"...That's just horrible. No parent should ever say something like that to their own child." Hikio said with venom in his voice, and despite the situation, I smiled, knowing that Hikio cared for me enough to get angry at my parents. Hikio… Gosh, I love you so much… "I… don't really know what I can say now, though… This… must have taken a lot from you to tell to me, Miura, and I'm not the best at..." As Hikio spoke, I reached out with my hand and took a hold of his, which caused him to freeze in place as he looked at me in surprise.

"You don't have to say anything, Hikio. Like before… You listened. And that's enough.You don't need to try to say something that you think will comfort me." Just having you here right now is enough to comfort me. I squeezed Hikio's hand lightly and looked him straight in the eyes while smiling, the previous tightness of my chest being replaced by a rapid pulse that spread the warmth coming from Hikio's hand all throughout my body. "Just… be yourself, Hikio. That's all I could wish for. You are wonderful, and kind, and thoughtful, so… Don't try to be what you're not. Thank you, Hikio. For allowing me to… show you my weakness." I saw Hikio's cheeks reddening slightly at my words, and I closed my eyes, imagining myself leaning my head on Hikio's shoulder. Haah… who would have thought that simply telling someone else about my troubles would ease them so much… I just want to stay with Hikio like this forever...

"I, uhh… Y-you're welcome, I suppose..." I heard Hikio's voice and squeezed his hand again. For a moment, Hikio seemed to try and pull his hand away, almost reflexively, but relaxed it soon enough. "This is… really awkward to say… I don't… know if I'll be able to do anything for you, and you mentioned Hiratsuka-sensei, who I'm sure could do a lot more, but..." I opened my eyes again and looked at Hikio, whose gaze was directed away from me as he spoke. Is he… really offering to… "I mean… Look, you've… gone through a lot more than I could ever have expected, certainly a lot more than what I have, and the meek look doesn't quite fit the Fire Queen of Soubu High. You say you're weak, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're not strong… if that makes sense." I raised an eyebrow at Hikio as he glanced back at me, and he sighed. "What I mean is… You're probably a lot stronger than you think, Miura. You've suffered all that horrible shit, and you're still standing. It makes all the stuff I have in my past look like nothing. If anyone's the weak one here, it's me. So… don't beat yourself up for stuff like this – that's what I'm supposed to do." Hikio flashed me a self-deprecating smile, likely meant as a joke to lighten the mood, but in that situation, it did the exact opposite. Hikio…

Why are you so goddamn stupid?!


I felt Miura let go of my hand, and she stood up abruptly. Huh..? What is she..? I saw Miura's hands balling up into fists as she trembled, and momentarily thought she was about to break down in tears – I wouldn't have blamed her for it, having just poured her heart out to me over a subject that clearly hurt her, but I didn't know what I would do should that happen. Just as I was about to question what was wrong, Miura turned to look at me, and to my surprise, the anger I could see on her face suggested a different kind of breaking down.

"Hikio… Can you stop… doing that?" Miura asked from me, nearly shouting, her face a mix of anger and what looked like pain. What… is she talking about..? My confusion must have been evident on my face as Miura took a step forward and continued. "You're always saying stuff like that, always downplaying yourself and your troubles, and… beating yourself up, like you said. I've only known you for so long, but I've seen and heard what you've done in the past, and… You need to stop hurting yourself!" Miura was now glaring at me, though she also looked like she would cry at any moment. So… that's what this was about..?

"Look, Miura… I'm not hurting myself in any way. I'm used to it all already. But you… Everything you've just told me… Whoa!" Miura cut me off by walking up to me, grabbing my collar and lifting me off the swing to bring her face up close to mine. C-close..!

"Just because you're 'used to it' is no excuse to keep hurting yourself! It's not just about you, Hikio, it's about those around you, it's about me! Like I said, I've only properly known you for so long, but it hurts me every time you say something self-deprecating or brush off the things that have hurt you, like you did just now. You say that I've suffered more than you have, and while that might be the case, it's no reason to downplay what you yourself have experienced!" Miura leaned forwards so the top of her head was touching my chin, and I felt her hot breath on my collar a few times before she looked up at my eyes again. "So please… stop saying those things, and stop sacrificing yourself over and over again. You've helped me so many times in such little time, and now you're willing to help me with the things I've kept locked away for so long. But if helping me means that you'll be ignoring your own suffering, just like I did for years… I don't want that. You've helped me so much, Hikio, so..."

"...Let me help you in return."

Miura was looking me directly in the eyes, tears falling from her own ones, and I was frozen in place, unable to respond or to move away from her. Had these same words come from the mouth of just about anyone else in any other situation, I would have found them disgusting – I don't want the pity of others. But… Miura's words, her actions, and the raw emotion behind them left me completely speechless. Some of the things she said I had heard before from Miss Hiratsuka, but even then the situation had been completely different. I know Miura now supposedly cared about me – she had said so herself, after all – and I had to admit that I harboured something similar towards her, so the weight of her words could be felt clearly. And as I stared into her olive-green eyes, I felt something welling up inside of me as a result of the realization that Miura was saying all this because she genuinely cared for me.

Thu-thump

Thu-thump

Something, which I had only felt for one other person before.

However, before I could question the presence of this all-too familiar feeling, something interrupted me and shifted my attention away from Miura, who still held onto my collar.

"Well well, isn't this quite a sweet sight..." A voice that sent shivers down my spine came from behind Miura, and as she turned her head to look to its source, I followed suit and leaned past her…

...And my eyes met the rose-coloured ones of none other than Yukinoshita Haruno.


AN: And we're done! I took quite a while to write this, even with having most of the chapter and its structure well planned-out far in advance. I was initially going to promise at least one chapter a month in 2021, but looking at the date I am posting this on, that promise is already going to be broken, lol. Still, I'll be trying my best to upload as often as I can while I juggle three stories at once.

This chapter was one of my favourites to write, and it had a relatively big focus on Miura, so I guess HachiYumi shippers go yay? I hope Keika melted all of your hearts with her cuteness before all the more or less depressive talk in the latter half. I'll be giving Yukino some love in the coming chapters before the Valentine's Day event one (which, by the way, won't be coming out on Valentine's Day), so that's something you can look forward to as well.

Now, I bid you all farewell, and see you in the next one!